#to people who only know his reputation being absolutely terrified

[bennetsbonnet]

'Go to hell' is basic. 'I hope one of your favourite characters in all of fiction constantly gets their personality and motivations misrepresented in posts that go viral online, leading to persistent misunderstanding of them as all of their flaws are excused and their character arc is flattened' is real. It's possible. It's terrifying. It happened to me. Again.

(Obviously not my screenshot as for starters I wouldn't 'like' such a thing... but anyway I quit that hideous website long ago. This is yet another terrible Mr Darcy take courtesy of Pinterest... why is it always on there that I find these horrendous takes?!)

At what precise point in the narrative was Mr Darcy ever shy?

He certainly seemed to have no problem with speech when it came to insulting Elizabeth at the Meryton assembly when he publicly insulted her, nor was he so overcome by 🥺social anxiety🥺 that it prevented him from making it abundantly clear that he was singling her out as the subject of his disparaging remark:

'Which do you mean?' and turning round [Mr Darcy] looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said: 'She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men...'

But Darcy was not simply awful about Elizabeth in her presence. Oh no, he was also quite happy to insult her looks to his friends;

Mr Darcy had at first scarcely allowed her to be pretty; he had looked at her without admiration at the ball; and when they next met, he looked at her only to criticise. But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she hardly had a good feature in her face...

As well as making Elizabeth and her family the butt of his jokes, as Caroline Bingley later informs us:

'I remember, when we first knew her in Hertfordshire, how amazed we all were to find that she was a reputed beauty; and I particularly recollect [Mr Darcy] saying one night, after they had been dining at Netherfield, "She a beauty!—I should as soon call her mother a wit."'

Nor did Mr Darcy (who we are explicitly told has no difficulty making long speeches) have any problem with telling Elizabeth to her face exactly how far he considered her beneath him during his proposal to her:

[Darcy] spoke well; but there were feelings besides those of the heart to be detailed; and he was not more eloquent on the subject of tenderness than of pride. His sense of her inferiority— of its being a degradation—of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination...

All while he insulted her intelligence as he insisted that he's Such A Catch that he could have easily flattered his way into her heart:

These offenses might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design. These bitter accusations might have been suppressed, had I, with greater policy, concealed my struggles, and flattered you...

Idk... he doesn't seem so shy to me!

The only way any of this behaviour could be accidental was if Darcy was a full-time somnambulist. But given that he doesn't use that excuse in his letter, I'm inclined to believe that wasn't the case...

Also, I feel like shy and aloof is sort of a contradiction. Shy people are less inclined to be outgoing and talkative by their very nature, but it does not necessarily follow that they are rude and if they are, innate shyness is no excuse to hurt anyone's feelings. To be aloof, to me, seems to be a conscious choice rather than merely someone's nature. So, while I would agree that Darcy is aloof, he absolutely knows how to speak to people; he knows how to be polite. But he chooses not to be, because he thinks everyone else is beneath him...

Mr Darcy's choice to be rude and treat those that he viewed beneath him with utter contempt, as they were not worth the effort it would require from him to simply be civil, is such a fundamental aspect of his character. It is absolutely vital to grasp if you are ever to fully appreciate Pride and Prejudice for the masterpiece that it is.

Otherwise there's no pride and no prejudice... so what are we left with... 'and'? Doesn't exactly sound like a page-turner to me...

[eldritch-kwami-au]

Eldritch plaggs final design is here! Im super proud of it and now i no long have to redesign him ever again hdifudu

All of his info is down below!

Powers and abilities

- Extreme strength, agility and speed

- Transforms into a shadow when hiding from humans, can manipulate objects and people when touching their shadows in this form

- Teeth that can grow back as soon as theyre lost

- Highly corrosive blood, spit, etc.

- Extremely clear night vision and hearing

- Large mouth with a long tongue and a grabber at the end

- In his true form he leaves a trail of gunk and rot everywhere he goes. From the gunk sprouts his own variety of fungi capable of decomposing almost any material. They dont last long, however, and wilt after a couple of minutes. All of his abilities and sense become heightened in this state as well

Info

Being the kwami of misfortune he has an extensive reputation; to humans he is known by mere historical events, even if they dont know it was him who caused it. The volcano the destroyed pompeii? He sneezed a bit too hard and set it off. The ancient city of Atlantis? He was just driving to show off his cannonball skills to tikki. The end of the dinosaur age? Well that was on purpose actually, and they deserved it! The snooty bastards that they are, or rather were.

Accident or not, he takes sadistic pleasure on the downfall of others. Malevolently spreading chaos wherever he goes and loving every second of it. To his fellow kwamis he is a lazy, teasing and mischievous cat, and although they revere him they also fear him. For he may act harmless to them they are still well aware of what hes capable of, being the second strongest kwami amongst them all.

Relationships

Tikki - his one and only, the light to his dark, the ying to his yang, the beautiful ladybug that violently tears apart his aphid of a heart before ripping it to shreds with her teeth. He would destroy all of Pompeii a million times over if it would please her even slightly, and he considers her the only being in existence that is truly capable of keeping him from trouble (for the most part anyway)

Adrien agreste - his new holder, a small boy who is absolutely terrified of him but revels in his new abilities. Adriens secretly depressing disposition and conflicting relationship with his father intrigues him, especially since this is the first time he’s ever interacted with a human teenager before.

Wang fu - to others he is a gentle and kind old man, full of wisdom and guidance and all that crap. To plagg, he is a feisty, cheeky and easy to trick old coot of a supposed “guardian” of the miraculous’s.

Roarr - since theyre both felines its only natural for them to consider each other siblings. Together they enjoy spreading chaos and mischief upon their fellow kwamis, lazing in the sun and combining their ancient powers to see is they can make that confetti explosion even bigger before tikki finds out.

Facts

- has a “unique” pallet to say the least, he enjoys eating horrible people and the worse the person the tastier they are to him. Since his hunger is practically never ending he can eat as many terrible people as he wants like candy. He also has an abnormal taste for rotting flesh, human or otherwise, but foul smelling cheese is a close second.

- His voice is brian stokes Mitchell, aka the nowhere king from centaurworld

[sesamenom]

maglor's first time getting to go to a concert / his favorite singer attending maglor's first big concert

[inadvisablebutinevitable]

disagree with me if u want but I think it would be so hilarious if, after Jeremy becomes one of the first and only people that Neil immediately decides he likes, Jeremy just LOATHES Neil. Because in tsc we learn that Neil Josten just gives scary vibes. He’s harsh, he’s unpredictable, and he has that manic smile he shows more and more that’s just unsettling. And WE know that he can actually be very caring and empathetic when he likes someone, but Jeremy has barely ever interacted with him. Neil’s perception of Jeremy that we see in tkm is that he’s just this really chill, nice guy who’s great at exy and is just someone Neil really appreciates. But Jeremy only knows Neil through a) his not so flattering public reputation, and b) his pretty complicated relationship with Jean. Jeremy’s most significant memory of Neil is that one day, Neil just randomly shows up in California and Jean just looks terrified, they disappear for five hours and when Jean gets back he has a huge breakdown and looks like he’s going to cry. Wouldn’t it be so hilarious if this just taints any perception that Jeremy has of Neil? and so when they actually meet up, captain sunshine—the most accepting and kind man alive who is just friends with anyone—thinks that Neil is just an absolute asshole.

Bonus if Neil is completely oblivious to this. They start talking after a game and Jeremy is being super cold to him, to the point that even the foxes notice how awkward the conversation is, and then later that night Neil’s just like: “Jeremy’s the best, one of the only exy captains I actually have respect for.” And the other foxes are like ???

[littlebluebird2000]

Twirling Hearts- part 3

pairing: yeon si-eun x reader (female reader)

rating: 18+

genre: romance, smut

warnings: overprotective sieun, school bullying, discussion about food and weight, violence, harassment, smut, mature language, sexual harassment/assault, slow-burn, jealousy, baku always being at the scene of the crime...

summary: Who would've thought that a ballerina and the school's most feared nerd would complete each other so well? Being the new student was never easy-especially not when you were the only girl transferring into an all-boys school. To make matters worse, Eunjang High has a reputation for having its fair share of troublemakers. Some of the rumors were enough to make anyone second-guess stepping through those front gates…

author's note: this chapter contains sexual content. if you are not comfortable with that, it's okay, i'll see you in the next story. changed up the cover because i felt like it :)

word count: 7k+

follow #bluebirdyeonsieun for updates on the story. for some reason, my tags aren't working :(

part : 1. , 2. , 3. , 4., 5

The stage lights dimmed, and your final pose held steady as the music faded. The applause were thunderous, echoing in your chest like a second heartbeat. You were breathless, but not just from the dance—from the rush of finally performing the piece you’d poured everything into.

Backstage, the adrenaline still buzzed through your veins as you pulled off your pointe shoes and smoothed your hair back. When you stepped out into the hallway, your friends were already there—Baku and Gotak cheering loudly, Juntae clapping with a smile, and Sieun… standing a little apart. His hands are in the pockets of his dark jacket, his posture calm, his hair a little messy like he’s been fidgeting with it.

"You were incredible," Juntae said kindly, when you approached.

"Like, no kidding. You were floating!" Gotak added, eyes wide. “Not to be rude, but I never thought I would enjoy a ballet.” You thanked them, laughing a little bit, feeling flushed and grateful.

Baku handed you a bouquet, wrapped in pastel tissue paper. It came from all of them.

“You absolutely killed it, Y/N! That one spin—you know the one—crazy.” You smiled.

You glance toward Sieun, half expecting him to look away like he usually might, but he doesn’t. His gaze stays on you, steady and unreadable, and it makes your stomach twist in a way you’re not prepared for. You suddenly feel shy, clutching the flowers in your hands a little tighter. “You were… really good.” He finally said.

You raise a brow, teasing. “Just really good?”

There’s the smallest shift in his mouth. Not quite a smile, but the kind of expression that says more than it shows. His eyes sparkled a little bit. Happiness. “You looked like you belonged up there.” He added softly.

You could feel your heart tug at the sincerity in his voice. “Thank you.”

He gives a slight nod, but his eyes stay on yours for a beat longer, something warm and unreadable in them. He then glanced away, his hand rising to the back of his neck as if he could rub away the tension building there.

Behind you, Baku makes a noise—something between a groan and a laugh. While the others broke into light chatter again, he leaned close to your ear, his voice low and amused. “He didn’t say much.” He whispered, “But he watched the whole thing like he was afraid to blink. Wouldn’t stop staring. His face was red for half the performance.”

You turned your head to him, but Baku had already straightened up, grinning innocently like nothing had happened.

You glanced at Sieun again, who was now pretending to be distracted by the recital program in his hands. The tips of his ears were indeed pink. You smiled silently to yourself, celebrating this small victory.

You take a second to look at them—each one. The faces that showed up for you. The people who made this night feel less terrifying, less like a test, and more like something to be proud of. You didn’t know this kind of friendship was possible when you first walked into Eunjang. You weren’t looking for it. But it found you anyway—in small gestures, in loyalty, in shared moments like this.

A warmth spreads through your chest. Thank you, you think, but it’s not just for tonight. It’s for everything that’s brought you to this point. For them. For Sieun. And for the unexpected comfort you’ve found along the way.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

The night air was bustling with energy as you step outside the theatre, the crowd from the performance spilling out onto the streets. The breeze ruffled your skirt and a shiver passed through you. Families gather, taking pictures, congratulating their children and loved ones, the laughter and chatter blending with the hum of voices.

"Y/N." Juntae’s voice cuts through the noise, and you turn to see him looking around. "Where are your parents? They didn’t come?" The question is casual, like he’s just making conversation, but you feel that familiar twist in your stomach.

“They couldn’t make it tonight.” You said. There was a pause, the kind that usually came with sympathy or concern, but you spoke again before anyone could offer it. “I’m not upset or anything.” You added, adjusting the bouquet in your arms. “It was actually kind of nice. Less pressure.”

Sieun didn’t say anything, but something flickered across his face. It was understanding.

Baku clapped a hand on your shoulder, light and casual. “Their loss. You were amazing.”

“I was thinking… If you guys aren’t busy, do you want to come over at my place? Just to hangout?” You said, casually.

Baku lit up. “Yeah, I’m in—”

Then his eyes cut to Sieun.

He blinked once. And then—

“Oh… wait.”

It was tiny, the shift in his voice—but it was there. His posture changed. His tone got lighter. Too casual. Sieun caught it instantly. His jaw ticked. He turned slowly to look at Baku with a deadpan face.

Baku threw an arm around Juntae’s shoulders. “We can’t go. We have something planned.”

Juntae blinked. “We do?”

Baku tightened his grip. “ You know—the thing. We’ve got that super important thing.”

Gotak looked confused. “Uh? What thing?”

“The thing,” Baku repeated, giving Juntae a look that screamed please say something.

Juntae nodded too hard. “Yeah, totally. That big group… uh… charity assignment.”

Sieun exhaled through his nose.

Gotak frowned. “Charity assignment?”

“Yeah, we’re giving… our time,” Juntae said, clearly making it up as he went.

You raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. Sieun didn’t say anything. He only rolled his eyes—barely, but it was there—and looked away like this entire conversation was physically hurting him.

“Volunteering? At 9PM? On a Friday night?” You asked, eyes narrowing.

Baku’s smile twitched. “Yeah. It’s a… night shift.”

Gotak looked between them, puzzled. “Wait, are you including me in that? I didn’t sign up for anything.”

Baku smiled brightly. “You did, actually.”

“Uh?”

“You volunteered.” Baku added. “Last week.”

“I don’t remember that.”

“Well, you did.” Baku said firmly.

Gotak frowned. “I just wanted to go to Y/N’s.”

“And that’s noble,” Baku said, already guiding him away. “But the community need you more.”

Juntae gave a little wave and the three of them disappeared down the sidewalk. Gotak’s confused protests faded with distance.

Sieun didn’t look at you. He was still staring in the direction they’d gone, expressionless. “He thinks he’s clever.”

You smiled, a little amused, a little shy. “But you’re still coming over, right?”

He finally looked at you. “Of course.”

You nodded once, small and sure. “Good.”

You smile softly, a sense of relief washing over you at his words. The tension between you both seems to ease, just a little. Sieun follows beside you, the quiet between you both comfortable now. His presence, as always, is calming, but there’s something different tonight. A softness in the way he walks, in the way he occasionally glances at you from the corner of his eye.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

The apartment was dimly lit, washed in the soft gold of a standing lamp in the corner. You kicked off your shoes and set the bouquet down on the kitchen counter, glancing back to see Sieun still lingering at the doorway, hands in his pockets, his gaze cautious as it swept over the space.

“Make yourself at home,” you said, offering a small smile as you padded toward the kitchen. “It’s a bit messy. I didn’t really have time to clean before the performance.”

“It’s fine.” he said, stepping inside.

You rose onto the tip of your toes, fingers grazing the top shelf of the cabinet as you searched for a vase. Nothing. Just an empty row of mugs and glasses. After a pause, you reached for a clear pitcher instead. “I should get these in water quickly.” You said, voice low as you filled the jug at the sink. The water rushed quietly, echoing in the silence between you. You carefully loosened the wrapping around the stems and arranged the bouquet in the pitcher, your fingers brushing across the soft petals.

When you turned around, Sieun was standing in the middle of the room, looking out of place but oddly endearing, like he didn’t know what to do with his hands.

“Want to sit?” You offered, gesturing to the couch.

He gave a small nod and walked over, settling stiffly at the far end. You poured two glasses of water and joined him, setting them down on the table between you. A quiet moment stretched, neither of you speaking.

“You’re really okay with your parents not coming?” He asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Yes… and no.” You said honestly. You turned toward him, leaning your elbow on the backrest. “I’m sad they didn’t make the effort.. I’m angry, too. I fought so hard to get into this ballet academy—because my mom wanted it so badly—and now she doesn’t even bother to show up. Not even a good luck text.” You exhaled. “But in a weird way, I’m glad. I didn’t have their pressure hanging over me. I could just focus on the performance. So yeah… I was sad, but I wasn’t at the same time… If that makes any sense.”

“It does.” He said quietly. He hesitated, then asked, “Do you even like dancing?”

“Lucky for Mom, I do.” You gave a small laugh. “Not as obsessively as she’d like, but yeah—I love it.”

“Well,” He began, visibly swallowing. “You’re… really good at it.” His voice was soft, almost flat, but underneath it was something uncertain.

“Oh. Thank you.” You blinked, surprised by the sudden compliment. You looked down, fiddling with the hem of your skirt.

“You looked…” His voice drifted, and he stopped. His hands tightened slightly on his knees.

You glanced at him. His face was half-shadowed in the lamplight, jaw tense with a subtle flicker of nerves.

“It’s okay,” You said gently. “You can say it. I won’t laugh.”

“Pretty.” He murmured, barely louder than a breath. “Really pretty.”

Your breath caught. You smiled down for a moment, then looked up at him, heart fluttering.

“You’re sweet.” You said , the words slipping out more quietly than you meant them to. You smiled shyly, eyes lowering as warmth crept into your cheeks.

He blinked. “Me? Sweet?”

There was no sarcasm in his voice—just genuine confusion, like it wasn’t something he’d ever considered. “No one’s ever called me that.”

You looked up at him, eyes warm, a quiet fondness in your expression. “Maybe they just don’t know you that well.”

For a moment, you hesitated. Then—quietly, deliberately—you scooted closer, closing the space between you by just a few inches. It wasn’t much, but it felt like everything.

Sieun’s breath hitched. You noticed the way his spine stiffened, then relaxed again, like he didn’t know what to do with the sudden closeness. His eyes flicked down, then back up—searching your face, uncertain but not pulling away.

Your knees nearly touched.

You could feel his warmth now, that quiet, steady presence of him. His hand shifted slightly on his knee, fingers twitching like he almost wanted to reach out but didn’t know how.

“Are you nervous?” You asked, teasing, but only a little. You didn’t know where your sudden boldness came from, but you were glad for it at the moment.

His eyes flicked to yours. “A little,” He admitted, voice barely above a whisper. “You make me nervous.”

You smiled—shy, surprised, and something more. “Good,” you said. “You make me nervous too.”

He inhaled sharply through his nose, the sound enough to make your pulse race. You glanced down at his hand, still curled tensely on his knee, the tips of his fingers twitching.

Carefully, you let your hand slide just slightly—until your pinky brushed against his. Just a touch. Barely there. He froze. His fingers were cold and a little stiff at first, but they didn’t pull away. You held your breath, unsure if you’d gone too far—but then, slowly, his fingers slid into yours—tentative, clumsy, like he was afraid he might do it wrong. His hand was warm, just a little shaky, and he held on like he didn’t quite believe it was happening.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” You said quietly.

His voice was even softer. “Me too.”

Sieun still hadn’t looked away. He was holding your gaze now, like he was finally letting you see all the things he’d kept locked behind silence. But even now, you could feel it—he was holding back. Not because he didn’t want to move closer, but because he was scared to cross that invisible line.

Slowly, you leaned in, just enough for him to feel your breath. His eyes widened, but he didn’t flinch. Didn’t pull back.

"I know you won’t do anything unless I do it first." You said quietly, voice low and steady, though your heart was pounding like crazy. A small, daring smile tugged at your lips. “So I’ll go first.”

Sieun stared at you — frozen, wide-eyed, like the words knocked the air right out of him. His fingers twitched beneath your hold, and for a split second, he looked like he might run.

So you leaned in before he could.

The space between you disappeared with the soundless rush of a breath, your eyes locking with his until your nose brushed his, until you could feel the heat radiating off his skin.

You kissed him.

Your lips met his—softly. Carefully. You barely pressed into it, just enough to feel the warmth of his mouth, the uncertainty trembling through him. He was motionless at first, tense as stone, and then…

He kissed you back.

Harder than you expected. Hungrier. Like something inside him had snapped and he couldn’t hold it in anymore. His hand slid up to cup your cheek, fingers trembling, thumb brushing just below your eye as if to make sure you were real. His other hand gripped the back of your neck, pulling you in closer, like he didn’t care if he breathed again.

You let out a soft sound against his mouth, and he shivered.

When you finally pulled back, your chests were rising and falling fast, and his lips were red from the kiss — a little parted, like he couldn’t believe it.

Sieun swallowed. His voice came out rough and low. “I didn’t know it could be like that.” He whispered, eyes closed.

And then you kissed him again— slower this time, more deliberate. You wanted him to feel it. To understand without words just how long you had been holding this back.

Sieun responded with the same quiet desperation, his lips softer now, more careful, like he was trying to memorize the shape of your mouth. His hand slid to your shoulder, anchoring himself to the moment. His touch was shaky, uncertain — but you felt the way his body leaned into yours.

You parted your lips slightly, and Sieun froze — just for a beat — before following your lead. His breath caught, and a quiet sound escaped him, somewhere between a sigh and a low groan, like he couldn’t hold it in anymore. It stirred something in you.

You pulled him closer, your hand curling into the back of his sweatshirt. The kiss deepened, heat blooming between you, and for a moment, nothing else existed. Just the hush of breath, the pulse in your ears, and the way Sieun tasted like something new and dangerous and addictive.

You finally broke apart to breathe, foreheads pressed together, both of you breathing hard, there was a quiet pause.

The next kiss wasn’t rushed. It unfolded like something inevitable — slow and simmering, deepening with each passing second. Your hands found his face again, your thumbs brushing the edge of his cheekbones as his lips moved with growing confidence against yours. There was a hunger in him now, restrained but real, like he’d been holding back for too long and finally allowed himself to want.

Sieun’s hand slipped to your waist, hesitant at first, then firmer as he pulled you closer.

When your fingers slid into his hair, his breath hitched. That small sound — vulnerable, unguarded — made your pulse quicken. You tilted your head, deepening the kiss, feeling him melt into it with you.

“You’re shaking.” You whispered.

He looked dazed, a faint blush spreading across his skin. ‘I… don’t know what I’m doing.” He said, voice low.

You brushed a strand of hair away from his face, revealing his forehead. ‘Me neither.’ You said softly. ‘But this… it feels right.’

A pause.

“You don’t have to hold back, you know.” You whispered, your voice barely audible, but the words hung in the space between you like a challenge, a quiet invitation. Sieun’s eyes darkened for the briefest moment, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features. His hand now rested at the small of your back, pressing you to his side.

“Are you sure…?” he whispered, the words coming out rougher than he intended.

You nodded slowly, your voice quiet but steady. “I’m sure.” For a brief moment, his eyes locked onto yours, his gaze dark intense. A pulse of heat shot through you at the weight of it, and before you could even register what was happening, he leaned in.

It was clumsy, but there was something urgent in it. It was desperate, consuming. His lips were bruising, demanding, but you welcomed it. You couldn’t get enough of him. His tongue slipped past your lips, exploring, testing, as if he were tasting something he’d been craving for too long. He was fully in it now, giving himself over to the intensity of the moment.

His hands down your back were pulling you closer, his fingers dug into your skin. Sieun’s hands moved up to your waist, lifting you slightly as he pulled you fully on his lap, closer, straddling him. Your skirt wrinkled up and the couch creaked slightly beneath your shifting weight.

A quiet sound slipped from your lips as his hands moved lower, fingers skimming the bare skin of your thighs. His mouth left yours, trailing soft, lingering kisses down the curve of your neck. His breath was warm, unsteady, ghosting over your skin like he was trying to memorize every inch.

You felt the slightest tremble in his hands—not from hesitation, but from nerves he couldn’t quite hide. Each kiss sent a shiver down your spine, the combination of his uncertainty and growing desire making your chest tighten. His name left you in a whisper, barely audible.

Just as you were lost in the kiss, the ringing of your cellphone pierced the air, the shrill sound startling both of you. You pulled back for a moment, your breath heavy, your lips tingling from the kiss. The name on the screen made your heart skip a beat.

Baku.

Sieun’s eyes flickered down to your phone on the couch. A flicker of something dark passed across his face as he saw the name. You started to reach for your phone, but Sieun’s hand shot out to stop you. He took your wrist gently but firmly. His eyes locked onto yours, intense and full of quiet possessiveness. “Leave it.” He murmured, his voice low. It was holding a slight edge of something dangerous.

You froze for a moment, taken aback by the tone in his voice. His thumb gently brushed over your wrist as if trying to calm you, but his eyes never left yours. His breathing was still uneven, his chest rising and falling beneath you. You were caught between answering and staying in this moment, the tension between you palpable. What if it was important? But when you looked back at Sieun, his gaze told you everything. He wasn’t going to let you answer.

He leaned in again, kissing you, this time with an urgency that couldn’t be ignored. The phone’s ringing faded into the background, insignificant compared to the electric feeling of being so close to him, of being his. There was no hiding the desire in his eyes now, no pretending. You could feel the weight of him, his body reacting to yours, and it made your heart race.

With a slight movement, you shifted in his lap, your body brushing against his in just the right way, making you both moan. He let out a low breath, eyes closed, struggling to maintain control.

Sieun’s grip on your waist tightened as he pushed you down and help you rubbed yourself against himself, the friction of your bodies sending a rush of heat through both of you. His lips went back to yours.

You couldn’t help but gasp as the sensation hit you all at once, the feeling of being so close to him after so long, kissing him like this… “Y/N…” His voice was strained, thick with emotion. He was hard beneath you, his body reacting to yours in ways that made you melt.

His lips move to your jawline, then to your neck, and you gasps, tilting your head back to give him more access. It was all too much, but it felt so good. It felt right.

“Can you take it off?” Sieun asked, his voice low and breathless. “Just… that skirt—” He exhaled sharply, almost like it hurt to say. “It’s been driving me crazy.”

Without a word, you leaned back and reached for the zipper, easing it down slowly. The skirt slipped over your hips and slid down your legs in a soft rustle. You rose briefly on unsteady legs, letting it fall to the floor, forgotten. Then you returned to him, settling into his lap—your knees on either side of his thighs, arms wrapping gently around his shoulders, pulling him back into you.

A low groan escaped Sieun, your scent overwhelming every thought in his head. His hands settled instinctively on your hips, then lower, gripping and kneading the skin of your ass as you moved against him. From this angle, he had an unfiltered view of what had consumed his thoughts for weeks.

The thin fabric between you offered little cover—his gaze lingered, hungry and stunned, like he couldn’t believe this was real.

Then his mouth was on yours again, harder this time—needy, desperate.

A gasp escaped you as another wave of pleasure washed over you, your head instinctively tilting to rest against Sieun’s neck, your breath warm and unsteady against his skin. “Oh, Sieun…” You whimpered, your voice barely a breath, almost lost in the heat of the moment. Your fingers clenched at his shirt, desperate, grounding yourself to him.

The air between you was thick with tension, each breath shared between you more uneven than the last. But then Sieun’s hands faltered, and he pulled back slightly, his eyes dark with something more than just desire.

“Y/N, wait.” He breathed, his voice strained. “Please… slow down.” His eyes filled with a quiet intensity. It wasn’t hesitation, but a deeper longing, a desire to stretch this moment for as long as he could.

“I don’t want this to end too fast,” He whispered, his forehead pressing gently against yours. “I want to make it last.”

He kissed you again, but slower this time, lips soft against yours, savoring each breath, each brush of skin. There was no rush now—just the quiet exchange of breaths and the gentle press of your bodies against one another, still moving, but slowly this time.

You followed his lead, your hands finding their way back to his shoulders, holding him close as the kiss deepened, but at a gentler pace. Every shift of his lips and hips felt like it was savoring the moment, the quiet pressure of his touch making your heart race. You stayed like that for a while, tangled in each other, kissing until the world outside blurred away.

He groaned again, low in his throat. That sound — raw and unfiltered — sent a pulse of heat through you. You lifted your head a little bit, searching for his eyes. You couldn’t help but get lost in the soft intensity of his gaze.

"Your eyes... they're so beautiful." You whispered, breathless. His brow furrowed. “Everyone says they're scary... But I think they're beautiful." You leaned in just enough to press your forehead against his, heart pounding.

Something in him cracked at your words—like a tension he hadn’t realized he’d been holding suddenly gave way. He groaned, and his mouth found yours again, this time with more urgency. The kiss deepened, growing hungrier, more consuming, as though he needed to feel everything you were offering him.

His hands gripped your waist firmly, pulling you against him as your bodies moved in sync. The rhythm stayed steady, but the intensity built, slowly and surely—until it was all heat and quiet desperation. Sieun faltered slightly, his expression cracking under the weight of everything he was feeling.

Soft moans spilled between your mouths as you held onto each other, coming undone together in a moment that felt impossibly raw and real.

Your breath came in short, shallow pulls, mixing with his as you stayed tangled together, your bodies still pressed close. Sieun’s forehead rested against your shoulder, his chest rising and falling in uneven waves. His arms were still locked around your waist, as if letting go too soon might undo what just happened. You felt the tremble in him—not fear, but something fragile and overwhelmed.

You stayed like that, wrapped around each other, breathless and dazed. Your hand found the back of his neck, fingers threading gently through his damp hair as your other arm draped across his shoulders.

Neither of you spoke.

Then, quietly, you started to giggle.

Sieun lifted his head slightly, brow furrowing like he wasn’t sure what he missed. You bit your lip, trying to hold it in, but the laugh bubbled out again, soft and breathless.

“We skipped so many steps.” You murmured, eyes crinkling. “Like—ridiculously many.”

His confusion cracked into something looser, something warmer. And then he laughed—an actual laugh, low and unsteady at first, like he wasn’t used to it. You froze for a moment, surprised by the sound, your heart catching.

It was the first time you’d heard him laugh.

You stared, wide-eyed, something warm blooming in your chest. “Was that a laugh?”

He looked away, but there was the smallest smile on his lips. “Maybe.”

Your heart fluttered, and you pressed closer to him, both of you still breathless, but now wrapped in something quieter. Something safe.

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

The atmosphere was relaxed, but Baku couldn’t hide the grin plastered on his face.

As Gotak and Juntae casually went about their snacks and drinks, Baku’s eyes were glued to his phone. His thumb hovered over the screen as he checked for any missed notifications—particularly, the unanswered calls to Y/N.

When he saw there were still no replies, he let out a small laugh to himself, almost maniacal in its glee.

“Bro, what’s so funny?” Gotak asked, noticing Baku’s wide grin and the strange, almost gleeful energy radiating from him.

Baku didn't answer right away, instead scrolling through his phone one more time, his grin growing. He was clearly enjoying this.

“She didn’t pick up.” Baku said as an explanation, his voice unusually high-pitched with excitement.

Juntae, who had been quietly sipping his drink, raised an eyebrow, his confusion obvious. “So? It’s no big deal. She’s probably busy.”

Baku’s eyes flicked up to meet Juntae’s, the grin still wide on his face. “No, no, no, it’s a huge deal. She didn’t pick up...again.”

Gotak looked from Baku to Juntae, both equally confused, then turned back to Baku. “You’re acting weird. Why do you care so much? You’re acting like she hasn’t answered for a week.”

Baku laughed louder this time, almost too loud for the calm vibe of the table. “I don’t know, man. I just... I’m excited! She didn’t pick up and I think it’s a sign!”

Juntae and Gotak exchanged uncomfortable glances. Baku was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Sign of what?” Juntae asked cautiously, his tone skeptical. “That she’s busy?”

Baku’s grin didn’t falter as he leaned back in his chair, looking too pleased with himself. “No. It’s a sign that something’s happening between her and Sieun. I’m telling you, something’s going down between them.” He practically bounced in his seat, looking pleased with himself. “I knew it. They’ve been getting closer. My plan finally worked.”

Juntae raised an eyebrow, his face twisting in doubt. “I know you arranged tonight so they’d end up alone, but… Sieun? Are you sure about that? I mean, he’s been... well, distant with everyone.”

Baku’s grin didn’t fade. If anything, it grew. “Exactly! That’s why it’s so exciting. He’s not someone who just flirts with people, right? He’s been keeping it all to himself, but I can tell he’s totally into her! He acts different with her!“

He wasn’t about to tell them what Sieun had shared with him in confidence. That moment had meant something—Sieun had trusted him enough to say the kind of thing he never said out loud. Baku wasn’t going to break that.

Gotak snorted. “You’re talking like you’ve got a front-row seat to their love story.”

Baku laughed, nodding again. “I do! I’m not just their friend; I’m their matchmaker! I mean, come on, they’re practically perfect for each other. I knew from the start that this was going to happen. I just had to give them a little nudge.”

Baku leaned back in his chair, a satisfied grin still on his face. He glanced at Gotak, who was still giving him a confused look. Baku couldn’t help but share just a little bit more of his excitement.

Gotak raised a brow. “What proof do you have , exactly? That she didn’t answer your call? You’re jumping to conclusions, Baku.”

Juntae nodded, quieter but equally skeptical. “Maybe her phone’s just on silent. Or she’s asleep.”

Baku scoffed, leaning forward now, eyes gleaming with something close to triumph. “Oh come on. You really think it’s just that? She hasn’t answered three calls. And she never ignores me. Not unless she’s… preoccupied.”

“Dude, you’re seriously making a whole story out of that?” Gotak said, shaking his head. “That’s not proof. That’s just your imagination going wild.”

Baku smirked, undeterred. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just good at reading people.”

“You?” Gotak said flatly.

“Alright,” Baku said, sitting up straighter. “Let’s make it interesting, then. I say something’s going on between Sieun and Y/N. If I’m right, you owe me fried chicken. If I’m wrong, I’ll cover lunch for a whole week.”

Gotak squinted at him. “You’re serious?”

“Dead serious.”

Juntae glanced between them, clearly amused but staying out of the challenge.

Gotak gave in with a shrug. “Fine. But if you’re wrong, I want extra fries.”

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

The kitchen was quiet except for the soft sizzle of eggs in the pan and the hum of the morning air. You moved slowly, still a little tired but warm, wrapped up in the oversized black hoodie you’d slipped on the moment you got out of bed. His hoodie. It smelled like him—clean, subtle, and something you couldn't quite name but always noticed when he was close. You’d always wanted to wear it, and now that it was on you, it felt like a secret hug even when he wasn’t around.

It was now Sunday. You had spent the whole weekend together.

Sieun had run back to his place yesterday morning to grab a few things, but the rest of the time, he stayed at yours. It felt safer that way. Fewer chances of being interrupted.

It had been awkward at first. He didn’t seem to know what he was supposed to do—where to lie, how close was too close. His body had been stiff, his movements hesitant, like he was afraid of doing something wrong.

By the second night, things felt easier. He relaxed beside you, settling into the space you made for him. The way he curled toward you in his sleep, his breath soft against your shoulder… the way his fingers found yours in the dark, like it was second nature—it all felt strangely natural. It felt safe in his arms. Not just physically, but deeper than that. Like, for once, the world outside didn’t matter. You weren’t being judged or pressured. You were just… held.

You didn’t hear his footsteps, but you felt Sieun’s quiet presence suddenly behind you, his warmth pressing gently into your back.

Then, his arms wrapped around your waist.

Slow. Firm. Wordless.

You let out a small breath, your lips curving. “You’re awake.”

“Mhm.” His voice was husky, still laced with sleep, and it vibrated softly against your shoulder as he tucked his chin there.

“You stole it,” he murmured.

You tugged the hem shyly. “…I hope you don’t mind.” You said, watching his expression. “I’ve always kind of wanted to.”

Sieun didn’t say anything at first. His eyes dropped to the hoodie again, then flicked back to your face. He looked almost… soft.

“It suits you,” he said quietly.

Your heart stuttered. “I might not give it back, you know.”

His voice was calm, but there was a trace of fondness in it. “Then I’ll just steal one of yours.” You laughed, leaning more into him.

“I’m making breakfast.” You whispered, half turning your head toward him. He nodded only. He held you tighter for a second. His breath brushed your neck, his body curved around yours like he was trying to melt into you.

You turned in his arms, the warmth of his body still at your back as you faced him. He blinked, a little startled by the sudden movement, his hands instinctively resting at your sides.

Before he could say anything, you leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.

It was soft—barely a moment—but it stole the breath right out of him.

His eyes widened, his entire body stiffening as if his brain was still trying to catch up. You could see the pink slowly rising in his cheeks, his lips parting slightly like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words.

You couldn’t help but grin as you watched the color bloom on his ears, his gaze stubbornly fixed to the side like the wall was suddenly fascinating.

“Your ears are red.” You said, trying not to laugh.

Sieun tensed. “No, they’re not.”

You stepped a little closer, tilting your head with mock curiosity. “They definitely are. You’re blushing.”

“I’m not.” He muttered, still not looking at you.

You leaned in, voice low and teasing. “It’s kind of cute… You weren’t this shy last night.”

You hadn’t gone all the way—nothing further than what had happened Friday night. But it was still good. Incredibly good.

That got him. His shoulders stiffened, and his eyes finally snapped to yours, wide with embarrassment. “Y-Yah—don’t say it like that.”

You giggled, absolutely delighted. “What? It’s true. You’re all serious and quiet again, but I remember how you looked when—”

Sieun clapped a hand gently over your mouth, face burning now. “Stop talking.” He whispered, voice tight but soft, like he didn’t know whether to be mortified or pull you closer again.

Turning back around, the smile still playing on your lips, you gently slid the freshly cooked egg onto the plate of kimchi fried rice, the soft sizzle filling the space between you.

Your phone buzzed again on the counter, Baku’s name lighting up the screen—his third call in the past hour. When you didn’t answer, it was Juntae’s turn to call.

You laughed quietly, the sound warm and lazy. “They really don’t give up, huh?”

Sieun, still hovering near you, glanced at the phone with a frown. You reached out and picked it up but didn’t answer right away.

“Can I answer them now?” You asked, turning to him with a soft smile. “They’ve been calling nonstop.”

Sieun looked at you for a long second—quiet, unreadable. Then, with a small exhale, he nodded, eyes flicking to the phone then away again.

“...Yeah.” He said quietly. “I guess we should let them know you’re not dead.”

You slid a plate onto the counter. “Here. Eat.”

He gave a small nod of thanks and slipped into the chair, his back now to you, already reaching for the food.

You swiped your finger across the screen and tapped the speaker button, bracing yourself for whatever chaos was about to unleash.

“Hello?” You answered, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.

“Y/N?” Juntae’s voice came through, gentle and a bit uncertain. “Ah—sorry if I’m interrupting. Are you okay?” You could picture his furrowed brow.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry for not answering sooner. I just needed a quiet weekend.”

You smiled to yourself, glancing at Sieun, who was quietly eating across from you.

There was a pause on the other end, and then a muffled rustling sound before Juntae spoke again. “It’s been two days. We were starting to get a little worried.”

In the background, you heard Gotak’s familiar, booming voice: “Tell her we thought she got kidnapped!”

You couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I’m fine.” You said. “I promise.”

Juntae, sounding slightly relieved, murmured, “Okay. That’s… good.”

Then Baku shouted again, “Ask her if Sieun’s still alive too!”

You raised an eyebrow, a playful grin tugging at the corners of your lips. You kept your gaze on Sieun. He didn’t say anything, didn’t turn around, but you noticed the slight pause in his movements, the way his shoulders stiffened just enough to give him away.

“Sieun’s not here.” You said nonchalantly, eyes still on his back. “It’s just me.”

“Give me the phone! She’s lying.”

Your eyebrows lifted in amusement. “Excuse me?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Baku fired back. “You’re lying through your teeth. Sieun’s there with you, isn’t he?”

Sieun still hadn’t turned around, but his fork hovered in mid-air for a second too long before he resumed eating, just a bit more slowly than before.

“Nope.” You said sweetly. “Just little ol’ me.”

Baku huffed. “Right. And what about the fact Sieun’s been MIA too, huh? He’s not answering his phone either. That’s way too convenient.”

You suppressed a grin. “Maybe he’s tired of you too.”

“Or maybe,” Baku continued smoothly, “He’s lying in your bed right now.”

You’re eyes widened in shocked amusement. “Wow. Jumping to conclusions, aren’t we?”

There was a pause, then his voice took on a slightly smoother edge. “You know, Y/N… your ballet performance? You were… kind of stunning. Not just the dancing. The way you looked on stage—man. It was something else.”

You blinked confused at the sudden change of conversation. “Uhm, thank you? I guess.” You replied, unsure if he was serious or just trying to throw Sieun off…

“I keep thinking about that dress you wore for the performance.” He added, teasing now.

Okay definitely the later…

Sieun didn’t say a word, but you saw it—the way his shoulders tightened slightly

“That white one,” Baku went on. “It hugged your body just right. Every turn, every step you took… it was impossible not to notice.”

You cleared your throat, your cheeks warming. “Baku.” You said, tone edged with warning.

“And the way the fabric shimmered under the spotlight? It made your skin look like it was glowing. Your arms, your back—don’t even get me started on your legs.” Sieun rose from his chair—slowly, silently. He still didn’t look at you, but his movements were calm, deliberate.

“I'm just saying,” Baku purred. “When you stepped on that stage, I thought—‘she could ruin me and I’d say thank you.’”

That was the last Sieun’s last straw.

He stepped over, and without a word, took the phone gently from your hand. His fingers brushed yours—warm, steady.

When he spoke, his voice was low, almost bored. But his eyes—cold and sharp—told another story.

“You’re too loud.” He said into the phone.

A beat of silence.

Then Baku’s voice erupted on the other end. “HA! I knew it! I told you, didn’t I? Now you can buy me—”

Beep.

Sieun pressed a button and ended the call with an emotionless flick of his thumb. He set the phone face down on the counter.

You turned to him, amused. “You didn’t like the compliments?”

“I didn’t like that they came from him.”

His eyes flicked to you and his gaze darkened slightly. “You looked better right now.” He said quietly, voice rough, “Hair still messy and in my shirt.”

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏✎﹏﹏﹏﹏

The next morning, you floated through the halls of the ballet academy with a lightness in your chest you hadn’t felt in a long time.

You’d kissed Sieun before leaving—just a soft press of your lips to his cheek as he mumbled something half-asleep. He’d wrapped his arms around you in return, slow and warm, holding on like he didn’t want to let go. It made leaving harder… but also, somehow, easier.

You danced like the air carried you. Even your teacher noticed.

“Light on your feet today,” She said as you held a balance mid-turn. “Good energy. Keep that.”

You smiled through your breathing, heart warm. If only she knew why.

The sun had risen higher when you finally left the academy alone, bag slung over your shoulder, hair pulled into a quick bun. There was a small ache in your muscles that felt earned. The street was quiet at first—just a few parked scooters and the hum of traffic down the block.

Then you saw them.

A small group of men loitered near the academy’s entrance gate—older, rougher around the edges, their presence too still, too intentional. One of them stood out, dressed in an orange jacket, a cigarette burning between his fingers. Smoke curled lazily from his mouth as he stared down at his phone.

You felt it before he even looked up.

That drop in your stomach. That quiet instinctive alarm.

Then his head lifted. His eyes locked onto yours—and he smiled broadly.

But it wasn’t friendly. It was a grin stretched wide with some private joke you weren’t in on. Like he was already imagining something. Something you wouldn’t find funny at all.

“Hello, little ballerina.” He said, casual and amused. “Been meaning to talk to you.”

[eatmyheartoutjpg]

ACCIDENTAL ;; In which you work as Silco's second-in-command and seem menacing to everyone, but you're actually a super anxious, awkward person with no fighting skills whatsoever.. but you have sheer luck!

04.04.25 Masterlist

You were second in command, one of the most feared individuals in the entire underworld of Zaun. You never asked for it. You didn’t want it. But you had it. And you had no idea how to get out of it.

It wasn’t that you didn’t know how to do your job. You did your job just fine. Or at least, that’s what everyone else thought. In reality, you had no fighting skills to speak of. Absolutely none. You had somehow earned a reputation as an exceptional bodyguard and an untouchable fighter, but that was all a misunderstanding.

The truth? You were a walking disaster.

It all started with your tendency to come off as intimidating without meaning to. You weren’t a loud person. You rarely spoke at all. In fact, when you did, your voice came out as a low, monotone hum, often so soft that people had to strain to hear you.

And yet... they feared you. Even Silco, your boss, who was terrifying in his own right, never quite seemed to know what to make of you. He trusted you completely, but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you might accidentally upset him one day.

The rest of the crew feared you too. But it wasn’t your fault. You had this... aura about you. Your tense posture, your twitching hands, the way your eyes darted around the room as if you were constantly on the verge of a panic attack—it all gave off the impression that you were a time bomb ready to go off, itching for a fight. And every time someone bumped into you or said something mildly threatening, you do in fact, get into one.

The problem? You had no idea how to fight.

Take the time you were in the middle of an argument (one sided lecture) with a local merchant who had failed to deliver a shipment on time. The guy was loud, demanding an apology from Silco himself, and you were standing in the corner and back against the wall. You wish you could be the wall so the man would stop his tangent. You really wish you could go home.

Your hands were twitching, a nervous habit you couldn’t control. The merchant sneered at you and took another step forward, pointing a jarring finger at you. He was ready to berate you face-to-face.

You wanted to back into the wall even further, your feet shuffling a couple inches backwards, but that’s when your foot slipped on the wet floor. You stumbled, pushing yourself off the wall in a panic, but your arm flung out to steady yourself—and the merchant happened to be in the way. You hit him square in the jaw with an elbow that sent him flying backward into a stack of crates. The crates toppled, and the merchant was knocked unconscious from the impact as blood began to trickle down the back of his head from hitting the crates.

You froze. Everyone in the room stared at you.

You were standing, tall and looming over a downed, bleeding man. You were silent with your hands curled into fists, you were twitching as if you wanted anyone else to try lecturing you.

It was intimidating to everyone.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you felt everyone's gaze on you.

The next thing you knew, the crew was cheering. "Good one, second in command!" someone shouted. They had no idea you had just slipped and accidentally knocked the guy out. They thought it was just your patience thinning. They thought you meant to do that out of anger and exhaustion.

Sevika, your terrifying, scarred colleague, watched the scene unfold with a raised eyebrow. “Contain yourself next time,” she reminded, You blinked, still frozen in place, not quite sure what to do.

Everyone believed you hated being talked down to, that you don't tolerate anything unless it was your boss, Silco. You only have loyalty pledged to him, not to Zaun. You were a powerhouse.

And that was the moment you realized: no one knew you couldn’t fight. Not even Sevika. Not Silco. Not Jinx.

Jinx.

She was another source of anxiety. Jinx, the unpredictable, chaotic force of nature. She loved to hang around you. You didn’t mind. You liked her in your own awkward way. She never judged you for your silence, for your strange tendency to go from zero to “fight-or-flight mode” in a matter of seconds. She just liked to talk—endlessly. And you, too scared to tell her you didn’t really want to be involved, just listened. You listened as she ranted about explosives, the latest scheme, or what color she should paint her hair next.

You were too scared to tell her to go away, so you didn’t.

“I was thinking,” Jinx said one day, practically bouncing off the walls, “that maybe we could rig the whole building to explode. I mean, not like in a bad way, but in a cool way. Like, surprise the enemies with a big kaboom!”

You nodded slowly, unable to form anything more than a soft grunt.

“That’s what I thought!” Jinx exclaimed. “You get it! I knew you’d get it, second in command! You’re so strong and smart and, like, so unstoppable!”

You winced at her words. No one knew that you were the furthest thing from unstoppable. You could barely stand up without tripping over your own feet. But instead of running away, you just stood there, nodding silently, hands twitching at your sides. Jinx didn’t seem to notice your discomfort, though. She was too caught up in her excitement.

“Don’t worry, second in command,” she said, throwing her arm around your shoulders like you were best friends. “I totally got your back!”

You wish people said your name, but then again, you don't think you could handle it.

People just called you second in command, while it could be seen as disrespect, it's actually out of acknowledgement and admiration about your prowess and status in the Undercity.

You flinched, but nodded again. It was fine. You could deal with Jinx. You could barely breathe around Sevika, but Jinx? Jinx was just... too wild to be as scary as Sevika or Silco.

And yet, somehow, her enthusiasm pushed you into even more ridiculous situations. A few days after her explosive idea, you found yourself standing in front of a rival gang’s hideout, the crew surrounding you. Sevika was giving orders, her usual growl of authority ringing through the air, but she kept glancing at you. Her face softened just a little, as if expecting you to do... something.

"Well?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You ready, second in command? We could use your 'skills' here."

Your hands twitched uncontrollably. You had no idea what you were supposed to do. A gang of armed men stood across from you, glaring in your direction. You had no idea how you were supposed to fight them. But you were standing there, shaking, trying to appear confident.

Then the unthinkable happened. You accidentally bumped into Sevika, causing her to stumble forward right into one of the gang members, knocking him out cold. Without realizing it, you grabbed a loose piece of metal from the ground and swung it in what looked like a perfectly executed defensive maneuver. The rival gang member ducked, but you barely grazed him, sending him tumbling into another. They both hit the ground with a satisfying thud.

The crew gasped. “See? Second in command is untouchable!” someone shouted.

Sevika blinked in surprise. “Not bad,” she muttered, though you could hear the underlying amusement in her tone. “Maybe I’ll have you handle the next few meetings.”

Handle the meetings? You panicked. You hadn’t planned for any of this. You didn’t know what you were doing. You just wanted to disappear back into the shadows.

As the rest of the crew celebrated, you retreated to a corner, hands twitching violently as your heart raced in your chest. You never wanted to fight again. But the more you stood there, the more people believed in you.

Eventually, Silco came over to congratulate you. “Good work. You’ve outdone yourself.”

You couldn’t help but smile nervously, the tension in your body so thick you were afraid you’d pass out. “Thank you,” you responded, hoping your trembling voice wasn’t giving you away.

“You’re an important part of this operation,” Silco said, a rare note of pride in his voice. “I’ll be counting on you even more.”

And there it was: you, second in command, trusted and relied upon by the most dangerous people in Zaun, all because of a series of mistakes and clumsy accidents. No one knew the truth—that you were just a shy, awkward mess who was constantly waiting for everything to fall apart.

But you didn’t mind. Not when they all thought you were a badass.

You just kept your head down, kept pretending to be strong. After all, who needed fighting skills when you had luck on your side?

A/N ;; This was in the drafts for 4 months.. my bad!

[pokegalla]

Haven’t watched this in awhile but I hope I do this some justice!

Request/trade from @neko-rose888

How do the bad sanses (+ Dream) deal with an S/o just like Yor Forger?

Dust:

* You two are literally the quiet duo. You would think that’s a bad thing right? Nah. Introverts just have their own way of communicating. So he actually understands you best. Which much to your relief helps you a lot.

* Now seeing you in battle is a whole ‘nother story. He didn’t think you had it in you. Even under the hoodie you can see his eyes go wide as you easily take down a group of strong men easily- you just earned this man’s instant affection-

* But if there’s one thing he’s more terrified of, it’s your cooking. He doesn’t panic but he’s pretty creative on getting rid of the evidence. Thank god he can teleport this away. No offense to you…he just can’t do it. But at least he’s discreet so he doesn’t hurt your feelings.

* To him you are a beautiful strong and independent woman…and he’ll protect you even in the shadows.

Killer:

* He thought you were the cutest damn thing ever. Teasing you with sweet words and gentle gestures to flirt and see your face turn red. Stars he can never get over that sight.

* But man seeing you in action just makes him fall in more love. Fighting side by side as people drop down to the floor as you dance together with your blades? Can he really think of anything more romantic than this?

* Your cooking is one thing he’s a little….scared of. He still eats it. He loves you that much! But man his nonexistent stomach hurts so much- worth it-🥲

* He still loves you though. His perfect thorn princess…he’ll be sure to dance again with you

Horror:

* Ironically both of you are pretty similar: both of you are absolutely precious but a little terrifying if necessary- Horror is like a big ol teddy bear who likes to tail you around to make sure you don’t hurt yourself and you make sure he’s ok too!

* But man both of you are RELENTLESS in battles. Downright chilling to the bone (pun intended-) with your cold glares and shocking strength. The switch up even makes the others nervous-

* But nothing more terrifying then Horror actually eating your cooking without any hesitation and even asking for seconds- thanks to him, you strive to do better in your cooking!

* He can’t help but have a soft spot for you. Just please do be careful. He worries a lot….

Error:

* Don’t let this tsundere act bullshit you- he finds you annoying but speaks up for you instantly? That man will glare anyone down if they try to take advantage of you-

* And despite being a little surprised at how capable you are in battle, he does still watch over you and assists you anyway he can. What? He knows you’re still a klutz. He’s not wanting to have to swoop in and save you because YOU aren’t paying attention- (he was being a worrywart-)

* He doesn’t really eat anything other than his chocolate bars but you swear someone has been tampering with your cooking….oh well. It does seem to taste better now!

* He might be a little jackass but that’s only because that’s what he wants you to see. He’s no softie dammit-!

Nightmare:

* He hired you for your services as your reputation exceeded you. But he was…not expecting someone so…well soft. He thought it was a facade but nope- purely that is your true character. Which was odd to him….could someone this innocent really do anything useful?

* Oh man but you shut him up with your actions. Your speed, your elegant skills, your raw power, he was mesmerized by it all. Could you really be the same gullible quiet girl….? Well you’ve earned his respect.

* With cooking, he actually helps you. At first you spoon feed him a taste and instead of panicking at the taste, he gives you an honest opinion, some advice, and even a cook book for you to follow. He does linger longer than he should have….

* He can’t help the soft spot that’s grown so fond of you. He’s hesitant but he can’t ignore how nice it feels to be with you….

Dream:

* He heard rumors of your deeds and wanted to put a stop to you. But when he first saw you…well he didn’t expect you to be so reserved. And kind. And sweet….he actually heard your story and you gained his empathy as he understood how you would feel the need to work hard for your sibling’s sake.

* He doesn’t agree with your work but he doesn’t stop you. Because he knows how important this is for you. But expect him to constantly make sure you’re ok and ready to heal you if necessary.

* As for cooking, he usually ends up cooking with you. Mostly because he smelled your cooking and was a little…concerned. But he decided to make this kinda like a fun dating activity while he teaches you! And oh how fun it was. You both couldn’t stop giggling.

* He really cherishes you and despite living different lives, you both make it work….

[sillygoofyqueer]

I WOULD LOVE MORE DEMON REACTIONS!! I love it both when you add lore and when you just describe sy’s relationships and peoples’ reactions to him. It is so awesome!!!! For demons I imagine that everyone is just like, look at the little funky crow man(when they aren’t terrified of his reputation at least). I imagine some upstart demon noble or something goes to try and make an alliance with/conquer the corvids or smth and then they either get absolutely bodied by the crows who don’t want to share their king or the meet sy and are just in shock because this guy?? This is the feared corvid king?? At least until sy mentions something from his knowledge of PIDW and they get absolutely freaked out because how does he know that?? What do you mean my daughter will be married off soon?? Maybe there is going to be rumors about him being a seer or something. ESPECIALLY if what sy mentions is in relation to a bloodbath that bingge from PIDW caused since crows are associated with death(at least in our world). I wonder how intimidated they would be since not only does sy have a terrifying reputation. But he is a heavenly demon. And like you mention, Tianlang-jun ran a whole empire. ALSO!! I love the reactions so much! Tianlang-jun just shipping sy with zzl when they brawl whilst sy is just in full bird brain and doesn’t want to share his shinys. Imagine all the rumors that would fly around(probably encouraged by tlj) When Binghe sees this he’d throw an absolute FIT!

There is a lot to unpack here, all of it absolutely delightful, but I'm going to be a little freak and start on what's been tugging at my mind as I read this. (I'll probably have to write a part two because I can feel my autistic little brain whirring at at least ninety miles an hour, I'm so sorry) DID YOU KNOW THAT IN GREEK MYTHOLOGY, CROWS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH APOLLO, GOD OF (amongst other things) PROPHECY. I am a teeny weeny bit of a Greek mythology nut, so this immediately jumped me the moment I read about demons viewing SY as a seer of sorts (in the instance that the system was either far more relaxed or non-existent). So, so, basically, in Greek mythology, Apollo learned that one of his lovers (Coronis, I believe) was being unfaithful through ravens/crows and this led to him turning them from white to black! Due to them being featured in this myth, he is heavily associated with them and, in general, they are associated with prophecy and divination. SO, if we want to fuck around in our little sandbox (under the impression that Airplane is stealing from other mythologies aside from just Chinese mythology), we can decide that there is at least three wife plots in PIDW that surround crows and their ideas of prophecy!!! When Shen Yuan starts blabbering about these different future events, and then they HAPPEN, the other demons are like GASP. FUCK. The crow knowss.....ANDANDANDAND, RIGHT, THE IDEA OF CROW DEMONS BEING ABLE TO DIVINE VIOLENT/DEADLY DISASTERS BECAUSE OF THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH DEATH JUST MAKES PEOPLE MORE SCARED OF SHEN YUAN'S PREDICTIONS. HFGROGERGWOHRGHGS SOSHOHRORRRY SORRY SORRY, THIS HAS BECOME A RAMBLE THAT'S ONLY A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT YOUR ASK TOUCHES UPON BUT A P O L L O . HE HAS A TUMULTUOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH CROWS/RAVENS BECAUSE HE SCORCHED THEM BLACK AND THEY CHATTED ABOUT HIS LOVER'S UNFAITHFULNESS, SO IF WE HAVE A DEITY THAT IS LIKE APOLLO IN PIDW, WE COULD ALMOST EVEN IMPLY THAT WHEN THE DIVINE CROW BEINGS FELL TO SIN, THIS IS WHAT CAUSED IT! THEY FELL TO GOSSIP AND WERE DIVINELY PUNISHED BY THIS DEITY, AND AND, OUT OF SPITE AFTER THEY BECAME ENTRENCHED IN SIN, THE HEAVENLY CROW DEMONS BEGAN DIVINING TO THE WEAK MORTALS WITHOUT THE DEITY TELLING THEM TO BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GET BACK AT THE DEITY AHAHAHAHAHA. (obviously this isn't a definite thing, it's just an alternative way for the heavenly crows to become heavenly demons. It's just me chattering to myself) I'll make a separate post on the MAIN demons' reactions to SY but, in general, most demons are either actively petrified of him because of his image as a deity, or they're relatively disillusioned because they've seen him in person and he's been a SWEETHEART, hitting them with the wife beam. That doesn't mean that they aren't still kind of terrified of the powerful, prophetic crow heavenly demon deity, but in a "scared but horny way", and that's only when SY displays this power! Most of the time he's an undeniably strange but incredibly kind hearted guy that just seems to want to help everyone!! Even if he hates doing things!!! Tianlang-Jun is always under the full determination of "ONE of my relatives is going to marry this crow demon, or I'm going to do it myself." The first time Zhuzhi-Lang and Luo Binghe hear that they both immediately just stare at TLJ like "don't you dare, you whore" (ZZL a lot more respectful than LBH, of course), but TLJ is booored. Someone better fuck marry that freak or he'll do it himself.

(When I write part two for the important demon reactions to SY, I'll link it here, so keep an eye out!!!)

[mi-co-uk]

ᯓ 𝖆𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖉𝖔𝖙𝖊 ⋆.˚

CRIMINAL MATT AND "PRINCESS" READER HEADCANONS

જ⁀➴ au masterlist here !

CRIMINAL MATT:

ᯓ his hobby is just stalking princess reader, he mentally criticises her for not being cautious of her surroundings and the only reason other guys havnt preyed on her is because of matt getting to them before they can even try.

ᯓ he's stabbed the tires of multiple guys that did as little as look at reader wrong or if she seemed remotely interested in them

ᯓ has bought a variety of items that he saw reader look at in shops or he just thinks she'll like. has them saved and scattered wrapping or in gift bags but he's too nervous to try giving them to her

ᯓ if he's watching/listening to reader while she's hanging out with one of her friends matt will get probably overly invested in the drama - he knows everyone she's around , who she follows and he knows anyone at the school so he enjoys hearing the gossip as there's limits on WHAT he knows

ᯓ in a way it was kind of beneficial to start stalking reader because he doesn't have time for his own stuff, like he drinks a lot less and gets into less fights to not draw attention to himself when he's trying to keep an eye on reader

ᯓ her favourite things are now his even if he doesn't actually like them. wasn't a big fan of vanilla scented things but now he obsesses over them as they remind matt of reader. will do things like order the same drink reader did so he feels closer to her and like he's actually hanging out with her as oppose to watching her

ᯓ the one line he won't cross is going into readers house. he knows he can't hurt your brother which pisses him off endlessly but he also looks out for you at times matt can't always so he wouldn't break that reliance. the only time he doesn't know what you're doing is when you're in your house.

ᯓ he barely spends time at his own house going as far to sleep in his car when you're in your house

ᯓ is for some reason confident you have no idea who he is and that you are unaware that he knows everything about you.

"PRINCESS" READER:

ᯓ is very very curious about criminal matt. whenever she sees him around for a split second it makes her even more curious. like why is he in places like a mall? it doesn't fit the rumours people spread about him living away somewhere stupid like the middle of the words like an animal or being barely traceable - she sees him all the time, he can't be the big mystery everyone makes him out to be

ᯓ her brother for a period of time was convinced that matt was stalking him, never once occurred to either of them that it was princess reader.

ᯓ secretly very insecure and finds everything overwhelming. only likes flirting with guys because they give her a sense of worth but it doesn't last long enough for her to actually do anything, still a virgin and still terrified of that kind of intimacy despite what people think and despite all the things she thinks about in her head

ᯓ has a journal of her deep dark secrets and thoughts that let's all hope no one finds and takes a look through 😋

ᯓ absolutely despises her brothers best friend, wont even go near him if she can help it. he's grimey and won't take a hint but he practically lives with them so it's virtually impossible to get away from

ᯓ is on various meds for anxiety so doesn't do any drugs despite encouragement from the people at her brothers parties. she's not really suppose to smoke either but she does anyway.

ᯓ doesn't tolerate being considered weak - tells her brother she doesn't like the guy and what he said so he'll kick his teeth in and ruin his reputation enough he doesn't try going near reader again. she's not weak or dumb or an easy target. she flirts with who she wants but she's not even close to desperate for the attention and she hates guys that think otherwise

taglist: @pair-of-pantaloons @oopsiedaisydeer @corspebridedelrey @browniepop62 @izzylovesmatt @michele-sturns @courta13 @sturns-mermaid @emely9274 @baebadoobee4ever @fw-lee @afr8idofrats @stvrniolotrxpl3ts @chrxsprettygirl @franticroads @m4gz-png @clairomatt @allisonclairee @mattshorsenecklace @whor3ing @matts-girlfriend @obsessedwiththesturniolos @shadowthesim237 @xeneasworld @chrisslut04 @jetaimevous @eeyoresturnz @dolliraez @cherryswifeyy @pizzapocketpocketpizza @sturnsira @pink1man @bbgirlmatt @fadedstvrn @sturnberries

[shitpostingkats]

Hello would you be willing to rant about the ace subtext in Yugioh GX season 3 to me ? I haven't watched GX yet (though I plan to) and I have heard about its gay subtext but this is the first time I hear about ace subtext 💜🖤 ! Don't hesitate to spoil to your heart content btw, I don't mind them (they're generally what stimulates my interest in something in the first place) and I already spoiled myself a huge chunk of the season 3 of GX anyway 😅

OH ABSOLUTELY

I meant to make an essay about this ageeees ago but ended up never getting around to it. For starters, let's just talk about how ace coded Jaden Yuki is.

Jaden, at multiple points in the series, expresses a nonchalance, obliviousness, or straight up disinterest in romance. Multiple people ask him out and he either doesn't get what they're asking or turns them down. (This includes a guy btw, no not that one, an undead ghost king asks Jaden to marry him and Jaden turns him down.) Several minor villains attempt to distract him/flirt with him/straight up use love magic on him and it just. Does not work. His tag force profile says, quote "At times a girl may have a crush on him, but he has rarely, if ever, shown any interest."

Okay, so he's gay, right?

Well, as I mentioned, even the one male character that shows interest in him, he turns down, but maybe that was a fluke.

Enter season 3, and Jesse "Johan" Anderson.

Jesse is a sweet befrilled little bishonen boy, with a rainbow magic motif and the accent of Owen Wilson. He and Jaden instantly click. His entire introduction episode is just the two of them hanging out and talking about their shared interests, and Jaden's other friends commenting that they've never seen him act like this with anyone. Over the course of an arc, the two come to completely rely on each other and work in tandem, and Jesse takes to calling Jaden "partner".

This is the part that a lot of folks like to point to and declare "gay!" and I'm not going to deny it. Jesse is an undeniably queer character.

Interestingly, in a series set in highschool, with a large ensemble of characters undergoing coming-of-age plot lines, and having crises of identity, Jesse is one of the only members of the cast to never having an arc around his identity or his relationships with people.

Chazz learns that he came from an abusive family and has to shed the toxic expectations placed upon him by his older brothers, leaving behind the fruitless scrabble for their approval. Alexis slowly comes to terms with the fact that her crush (Jaden) will never like her back and she has spent so long chasing after friendships that she no longer knows how to exist without being an ever smiling supporter and it terrifies her. Syrus wants desperately to live up to his older brother's reputation, except said older brother is actually a mess, and the more Syrus tries to be like him the more he seems to drive them apart. Heck, even Hassleberry has some (extremely clumsy) magical identity shenanigans going on, and reckoning his past life as a dinosaur (it's a long story) with his understanding of himself. Jaden's a whole other bag of worms.

But Jesse is never troubled by his identity, or the way he loves people. That's what makes Jesse queer: he's comfortable with who he is, revolutionary so for his genre. He's happy to just be in Jaden's life.

Then Yubel shows up.

Okay, about Yubel. Now, you might have heard, but Jaden had this bigender ghost dragon demon sharing tenancy in his brain when he was a kid, who's actually a leftover guardian from a past life, who swore an oath to follow Jaden through his reincarnations and protect him, and underwent painful transformative surgery to make themselves an immortal monster creature so they could do just that. They asked past!Jaden if he would always love them, and he said yes of course. Then in present day they got a little into the protector sauce and started murdering anyone who made Jaden sad, so he decided to send them away into the cold isolation of space to stop the murders from happening. Now they're back, and they have a complex.

Specifically, they are very angry at Jaden for sending them away, but also rationalize it as "Jaden promised to love me forever. Then he sent me into the Torment Nexus. Therefore, sending the person you care about to the Torment Nexus = love."

(Learning all this also adds a fascinating layer to Jaden, because it recontextualizes all those interactions he had where he turned people down. Not only is he just naturally oblivious, but subconsciously he tries to hold people at arms length, so they don't go to extreme lengths for him.)

Yubel is royally pissed to come back from The Pain Dimension and see their "spot" at Jaden's side taken by this funky little rainbow southern boi. So they try to reassert their love by killing everyone Jaden knows; placing him in intense pain, and conveniently getting rid of all those "rivals" for his affection.

The plot of yugioh gx season 3 is the villain trying to force the main character into what their idea of a "romantic" relationship should be, while trying to eradicate the person who is completely comfortable loving him in a nontraditional way.

And! The interesting thing about Jaden! Is that he does love!

Jesse sacrifices himself to save Jaden and everyone, and Jaden cannot cope with that. (see above, for him having trouble forming connections because he equates loving someone with deep personal loss that's his fault) He sets out for basically the afterlife, determined to bring Jesse back from the dead, with everyone else in the show trailing after him and telling him this is a bad idea.

Jaden loves Jesse to death and past it. That cannot be understated.

For Jaden, love exists. It's primal and destructive and powerful and almost tears him apart, and he tries to burn down the universe to get the people he cares about back. He doesn't go on dates, he doesn't know what the word "fiance" means, he visibly cringes when people talk about romantic relationships, but he loves so powerfully that the entire conflict of the season, maybe even the entire show, is that Jaden loves so much.

Yubel puts together that Jaden loves Jesse, so they take over his body. They try to shape themselves into the form they know Jaden loves, and short of that, deliver an ultimatum. Them, or Jesse.

Yubel cannot comprehend a world where Jaden is allowed to love them both. Yubel is representative of the view of love as a monogamous, one-and-done kind of situation. Jaden reaches back out and says "No. I love him, and I love you. And I'm sorry."

Yubel cannot love him into the form of relationship they think is "normal". No matter how hard they try, the two of them are never going to be the traditional, picture perfect couple from Yubel's stories of the knight and his bodyguard. They will both always be "alien". And Jaden will never stop loving Jesse, in that messy and vaguely defined way neither of them will elaborate on, even when asked by other characters.

When Jaden gives up on the idea of love and being loved in exactly the way everyone is telling him he should, that's when he gets a happy ending.

It's a theme that permeates so much of the series. Chazz should stop striving for approval from people who don't care about him. Cyrus should stop trying to change himself just to fit a preconceived mold. Alexis can't keep bending over backwards to help people in the vain hope that one day they will love her back the way she wants.

And at the center of it all an asexual character, learning to accept the part of him that loves different from the way he is told he should.

[thegeminisage]

lucanis/rook good. lucanis/neve good. lucanis/davrin DEFINITELY good. but i think we are sleeping on lucanis/harding. here's a link to some of their banter, though i'm not sure it's everything in the game.

harding starts the game casually threatening lucanis (like davrin) with her very fancy demon-killing arrow. and yet, aside from the one line where he points out that she only has the ONE arrow, instead of getting bitchy with her the way he does with davrin, lucanis seems to respect her bravery. he notes in another cutscene (i'll get to it later) that her being so small physically might have made it easier for other people to intimidate her when she was young, so it's possibly he was making incorrect assumptions about her based on her size and easy-going nature, and is surprised to find she's made out of pretty tough stuff after all, despite of those things

she then throws him totally off-guard by assuring him she isn't brave at all, but terrified of him (or spite), and she knows that if he does lose control, it won't even be his fault - but she'll put him down no matter how scared she is. lucanis's reaction to this is to first try to laugh it off as brutal honesty, and then grow sober and TELL HER TO KEEP HER BOW CLOSE? one little shred of sympathy and kindness totally obliterated whatever combative sarcasm he was gearing up to give her with that "only one arrow" business.

later, lucanis urges her to watch their enemies rather than him - he's genuinely concerned that she's so scared of him and distracted by him she's going to get herself hurt.

lucanis, who canonically doesn't sleep and gets lots of bad dreams, talks through all of harding's dreams with her - from the silly and mundane to the genuinely terrifying - and goes out of his way to buy her spearmint to help with her nightmares. like he cares SO MUCH

after weisshaupt (on my playthrough, anyway) we learn that harding has since GIVEN her demon-killing arrow to him to prove to him she trusts him, and he wants to give it back to prove that he trusts her. it's genuinely very sweet

also after weisshaupt, harding comforts lucanis and tries to get him to stop torturing himself over his missed shot at ghilan'nain. she's not alone in doing this, but it's still good

COFFEE SCENE. not only does this scene prove lucanis pays close attention to harding, he looks at her with so much fondness here...and after this scene, their party banter involves her working through what he's pointed out about her. his dialogue implies that she shouldn't change to appease other people - because he cares about her well-being AND because he thinks she's great just the way she is.

NOT ONLY THAT, but harding realizes lucanis's evaluation was so keen because he himself is a little bit of a people-pleaser - and with that observation, once again manages to catch him off-guard. she surprises him throughout their relationship

one of my favorite bits with them is comparing notes on their various magical situations. both of them are firmly non-mages who have been unwillingly saddled with magical or magic-adjacent abilities. lucanis is the first to figure out why constantly using magic always makes her hungry (from experience) and he can also relate to being completely freaked out the first time her magical abilities manifested.

near the end of the game, lucanis admits that harding's reputation with the bow is more than earned, and even expresses interest in working with her in the future, after the war against the gods has ended, for an absurd amount of coin. i've seen people point to this banter as proof that lucanis doesn't know the value of money ("it's a banana, michael, how much could it cost? ten dollars?"), but he does his own shopping - he absolutely does know the value of money, he just ALSO places a high value on harding's skills and trustworthiness. i would dare to venture he is smitten!

also, this. OWWW MY HEART

[dragon age masterpost]

[jupiter-on-the-compupiter]

Rambly assortment of dreamtale twins headcanons that aren't really meant for anything but just. Exist in my brain:

Edit: putting a read more, this thing is MASSIVE lmfao

They have fangs--depending on who's writing/drawing the sanses, they may give every sans fangs, but I just love the idea of them having fangs (especially if they can hide them/they retract) but like, in a fruit bat way very specifically. Yes, this might come from the flutterbat mlp episode bc in there Fluttershy was like. Sucking the juice out of the apples, and as unrealistic as that is, it came to my mind one day that they have fangs Like That. Dream would keep them hidden/retracted most of the time to look less menacing so the others would think that the fangs are a NM corruption thing and get surprised/kinda freaked out when they see them for the first time maybe

They glow naturally; Nightmare's cyan accents are the ones glowing, after the corruption. They can turn this off at will. Not a rare hc to have methinks.

If they're not glowing and they're in a dark room where you can only see their silhouette; you only see their shape if you stare right at them--if they're in the corner of your eye, their shape is blurry or just. Wrong. This also happens to their shadow at all points, it's creepyyyy

Honestly I just really like the idea of Dream being just as alien and creepy as Nightmare is, he just has a positive aura and good reputation to hide behind, but god, without it they're both scary as shit if they want to, uncanny valley for monsters! They are, after all, just pretending to be that!

Y'know when people headcanon the sanses to purr/chirp? in my brain, the twins also make noises, but they're Different; personally in my mind they sound like how some psychic type and early gens pokemon sound in the games, like a twinkly thrill kind of sound. I don't know how to properly explain it AUGH

Due to his aura, and sorta related to the previous point about their forms not being -entirely as they seem-; if you feel positively about Dream, he will look ever so slightly more attractive to you--as in, everyone sees him slightly differently, with traits closer to their type. Similarly, if you're scared of Nightmare, he will look absolutely terrifying to you--he will not hesitate to use some shapeshifting to really push the perception of him your brain has made up. Only aura-inmune ppl see them as they really are; not that the difference is anything serious in the first place (unless NM is specifically shapeshifting, again)

Under the uniform, Dream's body is pretty badly scarred--especially the areas that were out in the open when he was a statue, 500 years isn't a lot for erosion but there's definitely scratches and scars and roughness. There's also a scar underneath the circlet, like, after wearing it for that long it just leaves a mark.

Cross is taller than Nightmare, Dream is taller than Cross. I'm correct and I'm sorry.

They're either chubby or just straight up fat. They're NOT twinks, neither of them, AUGH. I haaaaate it when fics give Nightmare a big body (AMEN 🙏) but then they're like "Dream is a twink (with a small chest, if applicable)" and like NOOOOOO, NO HE'S NOTTTT, HE'S A STRONG GUY, HE CAN CANONICALLY LIFT CARS, GIVE HIM SOME ENDURANCE, HIS BODY IS BASED OFF SWAP'S, YK, BIG AND BULKY AND ***FAT***

Dream listens very specifically to "songs that play in every summer party in Spain in the mid-2010s", I don't know how else to explain it; it's like coworker music but it's also a vibe. That's so dumb but jhBJDFHBGSJB

THEY BOTH HAVE CHRONIC MIGRAINES, I'M NOT PLAYING AROUND GGGGRRAAAAAAAAAW

Not done with the disabilities yet. Dream didn't eat the golden apple, he absorbed it and uses it as his soul, kind of like a power-up. I think he could theoretically remove it... Except he "can't" anymore; he only made it through 493 years as a statue in a negativity-ridden space because the apple was acting as vital support; if he were to remove it now, his body would be too weak to handle it as it is; he has trouble absorbing/emiting energy as it is; this is chronic.

Dream appreciates Core a lot for a lot of reasons, one of the main ones is that there's not that many people that share the experience of being neither Human nor Monster. This kinship is sorta experienced with Ink once Dream realizes he has no soul and isn't really an Ordinary monster (after all, Dream technically doesn't have a soul naturally either)

Nightmare's black substance doesn't stain things nor does it really leave his body, as liquid as it looks. He can put on non-black clothes without staining them, he just wears a lot of black bc he's goth like that lmfao

ALSO NM wears elegant clothes, I CAN'TTTTTT with the sans fit, I'm sorry :sobs:, like the reason that exists is bc Joku made the design for another Au before making Dreamtale, that's why he's cyan like Classic. But I just AUGH. Nightmare with actual king clothes please 💔

Already talked about this once, but if they really trained it and could afford to use that amount of energy, they could pretty much control someone through energy--Dream's pretty straightforward, a suggestion type of control using positive energy (he doesn't like doing this, doesn't like controlling peple) while Nightmare can probably just poke at your fear and paranoia and move you around like that. This would probably be too energy consuming for them to do regularly anyways.

They're both non-binary; I also headcanon them to be transmasc with it (projecting <3 also kinda canon, they're sexless but identify as guys which qualifies as identifying as something else than your agab? Plus I headcanon Blue to be transmasc and their body is based off his so they'd be afab too, in my brain) and that NM doesn't really care about masc/fem terminology nor pronouns (either genderfluid or agender, but he doesn't do labels I say) while Dream tends to like more neutral language, or masc if anything.

Dream can shapeshift his weapon into any weapon; but he doesn't cause he's only experienced in using the three he already has (staff, twin daggers, bow). Besides, shapeshifting it further has a high energy cost.

They speak Spanish 👍 their names (Dream and NM) definitely weren't their og names in the village. When they're tired or angry the spanish accent comes out, too :3

Personally I see Passive and The Corruption as "not the same person, not different people, but a secret third thing". Like in Steven Universe fusions, where "if two gems stay fused for a long time, it stops being just the two of them, but rather, the fusion". To me, they kinda "melted" into each other, there's a blurry line between them and sometimes NM sways one way or another; but he can never be "just" one or the other. I do headcanon that to be a plural thing.

.......................... NM has ASPD and has a plurality disorder and Dream has OCD, AvPD and covert NPD; they're both Autistic and probably have ADHD bc I like indulging and I'm AuDHD .....WHAT WHO SAID THAT

They both have low empathy--if it weren't bc they can literally sense other people's emotions, they'd have a LOT of trouble catching what someone else is feeling (it's the tism)

Anyways that's just my brainrot speaking, I may not put all of these all at once in my fics or anything, this is just if I go really in depth on how I see them in my brain hdfbgjshdf

[carrymelikeimcute]

Lets talk about Izzy and why being in drag is (potentially) huge for his arc.

The verdict on Izzy in S1 seems to be either 1. he's an angry, repressed queer guy with internalised homophobia or 2. he's an angry guy with homophobia. I would like to present to you - secret option number 3. Neither of the above (but a bit of 1).

I think he's an angry queer guy, who's terrified of the danger that lurks outside of appearing constantly masc and strong, and seeing other people apparently not realise or care how vulnerable they are, drives him absolutely spare. It's more complicated than simply internalising homophobia, it's misogyny and self-loathing and a response to being at sea for his entire life and struggling to survive - and we see what just a few months of that does to Lucius.

This is reflected in his talks with Ed in S1 - Ed's whimsy in the face of the approaching Spanish ship might get them all killed. Ed's public breakdown, if it got out, would destroy the reputation that protects Ed, Izzy and their entire crew. Stede is a pet, he's a weakness, and so he needs to be eliminated. That's how Izzy functions - he has like two bits of exposed skin, one outward emotion and he's lived for a long time like that - it works. It's the kind of strength he understands. He's convinced that him reining Ed in is what's keeping them alive.

BUT in S1 he sees that being open, being yourself, isn't a death sentence - and he HATES it. Because if that's true, look how much time he's wasted.

Ed and Stede's very whimsical lighthouse fuckery WORKS. Stede, in his frilly suits with his rec room and his fucking library, skates past death over and over again like he's scotch guarded from consequences. Ed and Stede make moon-eyes at each other and no one uses that against them - until Izzy does, because it's going to happen sometime (he thinks) so it's better it's him, because at least then Ed will survive.

Lucius is just hooking up with Pete in the galley while Wee John is right there - this is something that's an unspoken part of ship life, a shameful thing, and Izzy's the only one it bothers. Lucius uses flirtation to get out of scraping barnacles under armed guard, and uses it again to shut Izzy down. Lucius isn't ashamed of being flirtatious, seductive and femme - and Izzy loses to that tactic. He can't beat it with yelling and anger. It's a sort of strength he doesn't expect or understand - the strength that comes from knowing who you are. Of 'carrying yourself like you're cute' - because if you're confident, it'll work.

But he still has a huge amount of resentment for anyone who is allowed to be themselves - because he can't be. Especially in Ed's case - one of them has to be 'the strong one' and he thinks that's him.

Then, Season 2 happens.

In the space of a few episodes, Izzy learned that sharing your feelings is fucking difficult, painful and takes a lot of courage. He's had no choice but to be weak, spilling out all these ugly emotions and being physically dependant on others and in that weakness he wasn't destroyed - he was rebuilt. A little bit of that guard comes down and it doesn't kill him. So, he takes his shirt off and no one stabs him in the back. He's got a gold unicorn leg and he still absolutely wrecks shit up on a raid. He does something a little arty, opens up a tiny bit to Lucius, and he still doesn't die. It doesn't make things worse, it makes them better.

Enter, the drag episode. Suddenly, we've got Izzy in drag. A masculine style of drag, but still, drag. All that internal change, the shifting meaning of strength and masculinity, is externalised, but he's still himself - his face tattoo is redrawn as part of the makeup because it's still his face, if anything, it's MORE his than ever - AND THEN THE SHIP GETS ATTACKED, his worst nightmare - he's as far from hyper-masc as he can be, and now he's in danger.

BUT

In the teaser, we see Izzy telling people who are, presumably there to torture him and the crew, that it's just going to turn him on. He's using Lucius' technique of disarming people with flirty banter. I can't see S1 Izzy being able to do that.

He gets to dress in drag, be sassy and still win a fight because he's strong as shit and that doesn't go away just because he allows himself to be other things too.

[kbagraces]

No Time to Die LN4

Lando Norris Mafia/Gang AU

As much as we try to suppress the stigma, strong women will continue to be perceived as intimidating until you learn to love us.

(This is a reinvented version of Flip a Switch, i just wanted to start it again, same plot new motivation!)

PART 3 Seven Devils

I sped straight home to Mandi. She's my absolute ride or die, she's also the only person I've ever allowed myself to be around. I always hated anyone who tried to associate with me, Mandi somehow charmed her way into being my best friend and almost like a second daughter to my dad. She's been by my side from the age of 17 and will be forever.

I may not have a gang of men supporting me but combined, Mandi and I have more intelligence than the lot of them. Mandi suggested there was no time to be wasted so we packed up all the stuff we could carry, my essentials consisted of all the weapons i could fit into my bag, Mandi however filled hers with clothes for every scenario as in her words "murderous rampages can still look cute". And I can't argue with that.

We had a plane waiting for us in Dover, we agreed flying from London would be a little too obvious however we were going to detour through London to possibly trick them in case they were tracking us in anyway. Keegan is not the brightest so I don't think he would've caught on just yet, but you never know his team might surprise me.

We sped down winding country roads, only an hour from London where we'd stop briefly.

Mandi reached to turn down the music, "What do you think Norris meant when he said his family leaving your dad was a misunderstanding?"

Now i love Mandi, but she does like to see the good in people. This was just not one of the times it was needed.

"Mands, he's a man. He's lying. As much as he painted it that he wanted to help me, there's always an ulterior motive, there always is with men in this business."

"Your dad was a man though. You trusted him, even more than you trust me."

"Daddy always had my best interests at heart. He never lied to me." I miss him so much, we were exactly the same. My mother used to hate the way we'd pair up in everything we did. My relationship with him fuelled Keegan's hatred as well. Daddy loved Keegan, he was a great father to us both. But daddy knew Keegan wasn't business minded, he was messy and he never planned things out or thought before he acted, he wouldn't make a good leader and he's going to ruin my entire bloodlines reputation if we don't get to Spain before him.

Keegan knows. Unsure when they're leaving.

"Why is he still reaching out to you?" Mandi questions as Lando's message flashes up on the dash. "You must've made a lasting impression." She smirked, I wasn't sure what she was getting at but i didn't appreciate it.

"Not going to send some love hearts back then?"

She finds herself too funny.

"Fuck off and put this in," I lean over my the centre console into my bag in the back, pulling out earpieces. She raises an eyebrow, I already know what she's thinking.

"Are we fucking spies now or something?" She laughs.

"I know you think it's excessive Mands but this isn't a drive along with my dad, you're fully involved now. It's just a precaution." She nods, slipping the device into her ear.

The low fuel warning light flashes up on the dash, "might have to make an early stop."

We pull into a dodgy looking petrol station. Mandi jumps out of the car beginning to fill it up. I stay watching her every move in case of any unexpected danger she waltzes into the station. She suddenly steps back from the cashier before bolting to the dimly lit bathroom.

"Y/n/n, fuck there's two men sat in the cafe. Guns on the table, the cashier looks fucking terrified. I think they're- I hear her say over the earpiece.

The sound of glass exploding beside my head cut off whatever she was saying. Shards flew all around me, i instinctively ducked down into the foot well of Mandi's car.

"Mands. Don't move. Do not leave the bathroom" I stressed, popping my head up slightly, the men had disappeared from the cafe however the entrance to the petrol station door was swinging.

"Are you fucking joking? You'll die on your own!"

"Stay there!" I screamed, she's not here for this.

Footsteps clicked around the car, "I think we got her! The boss will be happy. Check her."

The passenger side door where I sat flew open, my gun being the first thing to welcome him, not the dead body he was expecting. A smirk found its way on my face as he scrambles for his own gun once more. One shot to the head. He slumps straight down. I jump out, where is this other idiot. "If you're going to put a hit on me, you actually have to hit me you fucker." I spit, sliding my way around the car.

"You've got a smart fucking mouth. They all say it's a shame you're a bitch with a body like that." I feel his arms clasp around me, pulling me against his body. One hand clasping a knife pressed into my neck, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but with one glide, dead. His other hand wrapped just below the knife, pulling my head back into his shoulder.

Fuck. I bend my arm backwards, grabbing at his manhood, squeezing and twisting. He screams out in pain, leading his grip to tighten, the opposite of what I was hoping would happen.

"Fuck you." He seethes, smashing my head into the side of the car. My vision going with every hit.

I hear Mandi, come out screaming. She's not armed. I made a mistake not providing her with a weapon, i didnt think we'd need them this early into the trip. Fucking stupid.

I want to yell at her to stop, I don't know how close she is.

I hear a gun shot.

Mandi.

But then the grip begins to loosen in my hair his head sliding down my back a warm trail of what i assumed is his blood staining the back of my hoodie. Did Mandi have a gun?

"What the fuck?" I hear her exclaim.

My body collapses finally, my vision still blurred but the piercing screaming sound in my ears slowly dispersing.

"How many times do I have to stop these situations before you realise I'm on your side?"

I know that voice. I'm starting to hate that voice. Lando.

I know he just saved me and Mandi, but he just can't mask the cockiness in his voice.

"How did you know we were here?" Mandi questions as she runs over to me, wiping the hair that was stuck to my head with blood away. Using her sleeve to clean up what she could.

"If they can track you, so can we." He shrugged. He's worryingly nonchalant after killing someone. I often feel pangs of guilt for my lifestyle, even if i hate them, with Lando, not a care in the world, he was born to be a killer. I was taught.

"Thank you." I choke out, my voice hoarse.

"Nat has a place not too far from here. It's protected, you guys can crash with us tonight. No strings if you still want to be proud and carry on without us you can. But get some rest first." He speaks to Mandi, he can tell she's not as one track minded as i am.

"No we need to carry on-"

"Y/n with what car? The one with 3 busted windows and the fourth decorated with your blood? You're in no state of mind to make decisions."

I try to argue but i feel Lando's hands already, grabbing both my arms, pulling me up. I lean into him, feeling a lot less stable than i convinced myself i was. Mandi already stepping into the car, Lando assists me to the car, my arm around his waist as his is slid beneath my arms.

"Good to see you again, y/n!" Natalie cheers as Lando places me in the backseat, he leans over clicking in my seat belt for me, I want to protest, but i genuinely don't think i could've done that myself.

Its strange how Natalie is so cheery as if she didn't just witness two murders and an attempted one.

The mumbles of their voices all begin to merge together. I hear Mandi, shaking me to stay away just until we get to Natalie's.

All i could do was hum.

I can't fight it. Their voices finally disappear.

[madelynhimegami]

Klug Guide

Could this one have benefitted from another day or two in the oven? Maybe, but I'm going to bed after this so it's not my problem

Klug is a regular, run-of-the-mill kid that desperately wishes to be somebody special and important.

His interest in dark magic started with Lemres, whom he knew by both living in the same neighborhood. Between Lemres's family's reputation and his incredible magic prowess, Klug more or less concluded that dark magic was the coolest thing.

He also learned about the Tome of Sealing from Lemres, and that's why he sought it out.

Most of the magic he's used since claiming it is using the Tome as a supplementary source of power.

(It's still a library book. But he claims to be the owner. "This book is mine forever.")

Klug genuinely is intelligent and a good student. His studies are meticulous and his status of honor student is well-earned.

Still, to him, that's not enough. He feels inadequate from how little he stands out on his own.

Consequently, his study habits are extremely unhealthy. He often stays up late into the night reading, studying, and reviewing. God only knows how he's not passing out at his desk on a daily basis. A heavy reliance on caffeine is generally assumed.

He will never admit it out loud, but wakefulness aside, he is very, very tired. He's going to crash face-first into burnout without an intervention.

He gloats about his brilliance to cover that sense of inadequacy and to not seem vulnerable around his peers. It's the dreaded inferiority-superiority complex combo.

Klug is a massive tsundere. He refuses to say how much he cares about and appreciates the people he considers friends, deep deep down.

(Except the one time he did, to Amitie, and overreacted in embarrassment)

That does include Raffina. They may bicker, but they are friends at the end of the day.

Actually, they have a lot in common. More in common than they'd like to admit. In fact, there are several times where they have nearly identical lines. One example is the win/lose lines in Raffina's match with Klug in 20th.

Still, they're a lot less at each other's throats these days. Klug especially has really mellowed out, since Fever 2.

He's still an obnoxious jerkwad with a tendency to self-sabotage who will jump at the chance, however slight, to demonstrate how amazing he is, but he's less prone to pick a fight with Raffina for no reason.

Klug still doesn't really get along with Feli well, at all. On top of them being extremely competitive over Lemres, he's just straight up terrified of her.

Feli's like half his height and Klug is still scared of this girl.

He's not completely heartless to her either, though. In fact, he's been concerned for her well being when she wasn't herself more than once.

The only person Klug has been seen outright apologizing to is Lidelle.

Klug's match against Rulue in his 15th story is not canon. I'm just gonna toss that out there.

On top of loudly claiming to be the owner of the Tome of Sealing, Klug will also loudly deny that he has any mysterious connection to any magical entities that may or may not dwell within its pages, of which he will insist that there are not any.

He'll also very loudly deny knowing anything about romance, sex, or crushing on somebody and refuse to talk about any of it.

(He's absolutely crushing on Lemres)

If Klug can't distract himself with books, his method for dealing with high stress is escapism. Which can sometimes escalate to being outright chuuni.

Klug seems to not have much confidence in his future. He'll proclaim being destined to be an archsorceror, but he seems unable to visualize what that means or entails.

It's been suggested that the way Lemres has changed since Klug knew him from childhood (as well as his direct influence since Fever 2) has led to him to start questioning his convictions.

Honestly the above link is a really good analysis. You should read that one too.

[kisses4kaia]

in my feelings was so good ahhhh i would love to see a part 2 where its the morning after or like tommy slowly showing reader how he rly feels !! deciding they are gonna stay married 😍😍

yes yes yes!! so grateful for the love on imf tho i kinda wanna mention that it’s highly inspired by in my feelings by lana del rey. so go stream it !! oh and fair warning; this is tooth rotting fluff. do not read if you aren’t prepared to swoon.⚠️ (part one here)

blue velvet🥿 - t, shelby ,,

that night, you and tommy didn’t speak another word to one another.

for months, the only times you and him would speak would be when of two things. you would speak either about mundane things, like the weather and plans for the evening.

or, when the two of you fucked.

although he had you often, you were sure he was seeing other women, too. by the lipstick stains on his collars in a shade of red you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing and also by the hushed whispering of the maids, feeling pitiful for you.

it killed you, because deep down, behind all the fights and ‘i hates you’s, you loved him. hatable as he is, yes, but you loved the person he was when he wasn’t on his guard, who he was deep down.

but he was always on his guard. there were only a few times you had seen him off of it.

it happened when you were 13. tommy had just turned 15 and a party much like your wedding was thrown for him.

unbeknownst to many, tommy shelby was not a party man. never was, never will be. he was frankly the only person within his hectic family whom possessed that quality.

so, he snuck away from the garrison- where the party was being held- and carefully made his way over to the river bank behind your house.

he didn’t know it was your house, honest. simply, he loved the scenery. he loved the sound of the horses happily trotting in their stables and the sound of the dogs chasing each other around the prairie.

there was no fence separating your backyard to the river, and so one of your dogs made his way to the birthday boy who was dangling his legs just above the stream.

“hey, buddy,” he laughed as your dog snuck up behind him, licking his face and neck. he quickly found himself forever petting frankie and scratching behind his ears, too.

he looked around and behind him, but no owner was to be found. he held frankie in his lap, resting his chin atop frankie’s head.

thomas remained like that for a while, occasionally speaking rhetorically to the dog. “today’s my birthday, you know. they threw me a party, can you believe it? i wish they knew me well enough to know i absolutely loathe parties.”

frankie was soon asleep in tommy’s arms, breathing serenely.

“frankie!” your terrified voice called from a distance behind tommy.

he turned around to see your face relax at the sight of your dog safe and sound.

“i’m sorry, is this your house?” he asked, waving to the house and barn in the close distance.

the sun was setting, and the horizon never looked so beautiful as the waning sunlight shined on your face. that was the moment tommy knew he’d met an angel on earth.

the way your toothy smile shined stupidly as you sighed and nodded, being awfully proud of your home.

“oh, i’m sorry. i’ll go, i didn’t realize i was trespassing. my apologies,”

that had to be the first time you heard of tommy shelby apologizing to another person.

you quickly shook your head. “no, stay. you mind if i sit with you?” you didn’t wait for his answer before plopping right down next to him, your legs being even shorter than his as they dangled next to one another.

he looked at you to see if you were joking or just completely oblivious to who he was. then he laughed, figuring he was in much need of some friendly company.

now, this was before you and tommy had ever met. however, you knew of him, of his notorious reputation of being cruel. you knew what people thought of him, but you wanted to know him. to you, he was just misunderstood, and in dire need of a friend.

you two sat there and talked. minutes turned into hours as you talked and talked until the cicadas sung and the blue hue’d moon began her nightly waltz with the silver stars.

he told you about his birthday disaster and his family, about his love for horses and for knowledge.

he laughed, he argued, he listened, he smiled, and he was happy. really, truly, very, happy.

you didn’t judge him, didn’t hedge or waffle around any subjects in fear of what he might do to you if faced with an opposing opinion. you treated him like a normal person.

“i like you, tommy shelby,” you admitted, the once cool grass beneath you now warm due to your everlasting presence atop the soil.

“i like you too, y/n y/l/n.”

and you met him at the same place everyday after that, just talking. you told him everything about you, all your innermost thoughts and secrets. about your mother and your animals, about your love for history and reading.

and in return, he- eventually- let you know of his vulnerabilities and weaknesses.

from tommy, that was like being gifted the most expensive, purest, most glimmering, block of gold.

his feelings towards you were becoming stronger and stronger each time he returned to the river bank. tommy soon realized he couldn’t be around you anymore.

although he told you most of his weaknesses and such, he never told you of one.

you.

he felt a certain way about you, a feeling he couldn’t shake. he was growing weak, and thomas shelby could not be weak.

- and he wasn’t planning on it, so he just… stopped showing up.

for weeks, you would wait for him at sunset by the stream behind the stables, but he never showed again.

and when you became friends with ada and often visited her home, he would avoid you like the plague. it confused and angered you. how could someone go from so warm to so cold in less than a month?

you gave up on it soon after, figuring you wouldn’t chase after anything that’s running.

as a result, you ignored him just as he ignored you.

up until year 9.

you always wondered what happened, what caused him to become so cold to you when he was just letting you in.

it was too late now to simply ask, so you were left to be forever in the dark.

tommy came home late that night, as he did every night. yet another confirmation of his infidelity.

you sighed to yourself, forcing a semi-smile on your face as you walked out of the drawing room to greet your husband.

“hello, thomas,” you smiled through gritted teeth, trying your hardest to maintain a smile as he scowls at your sudden appearance.

“alright, then. i’ll be reading if you need me, i suppose,” he nodded dismissively at you, and all sense of respect you tried to hold for him, drained in an instant.

your smile dropped and you rolled your eyes with a grimace when you walk away, not even bothering to spare him another glance.

by the time dinner was served, you hadn’t seen tommy once.

you ate alone, as thomas was busy in his office. you sighed after you finished your meal, grabbing a clean dish and fixing tommy a plate.

your heels clacked against the wooden tiles beneath your feet as you made your way to thomas’s office, plate in hand.

you knocked twice, not bothering to wait for his response before walking into the study.

“you missed dinner, thomas,” you placed the food before him on the desk, disregarding the important paperwork and documents you sat it atop.

he sighed, looked down at the plate, then up at you through his gold-rimmed glasses.

“i’m sorry? is that what you want to hear?” he continued working studiously, secretly willing you to leave him alone.

it took everything not to set fire to that desk.

“why’d you come home so late? hm?” you asked softly, but wished to scream.

“there was work that needed to be done,” said tommy nonchalantly.

you laughed. like, genuinely laughed. “huh. work that needed do be done at brothels?”

he looked annoyed, like you were some bothersome pest. “why do you care? you really expect some faithful husband from me? you’re the one who wanted this to be an arrangement,”

you opened your mouth to yell back but realized he was right.

no, this marriage is not one you want. so? was that his fault? it wasn’t, but you so badly wanted it to be, because how could he have stolen your heart then abandon it like breathing? and get away with it?

it was then you realized you were crying. tommy suddenly rose from his desk. “oh, i-i’m sorry. i didn’t-fuck- i didn’t mean to make you cry,”

he tried to approach you, put his arms around you, but you turned around and put your arm out, signaling for him to stop.

“y/n, i’m sorry. really, i’m sorry. please don’t cry,” he ignored your request for him to stay away and wrapped his arms around you.

you tried to push him off of you, but he just kept holding you.

he let you fall into his chest and collapse on the ground.

“why?” you croaked out, looking up at him through wet lashes, your nose rosey and cheeks stained.

“what?” he was confused, but continued to run his fingers through your hair.

you sniffled and rose to your feet again, thomas following suit.

“why did you stop coming to the river bank?! why did you leave me alone just when you finally began to let me in?!”

you were hitting him now, pounding your fists on his chest, and he was annoyingly unaffected.

“what? sweetheart, slow down,”

your heart was pounding in your ears and you felt your heart drop to your toes when you heard that. tommy hasn’t called you anything but your name since the river bank. and at the river bank, his favorite nickname for you was sweetheart.

insanely enough, you started laughing through your tears. laughing because you were confused? hurt? you don’t know, all you know is for some reason, this is all fucking hIlarious.

tommy’s confused, more confused than you, probably. “y/n, what is so funny?” he approached you again, and this time you’re too wrapped up in your head to care or stop him.

all of a sudden, the pain hits you again, with the force of a train, and you are desperate for closure.

“do you know how long i waited for you? every day, by the river?” your eyes were drying now, and anger was overtaking you.

he blinks and suddenly it’s like he finally understands the seven wonders of the world. “fuck, is that why you’re upset?”

you couldn’t help but stare at his stupidity. “thomas, you led me on for weeks, weeks! and then you stop showing up, because, i’m presuming, i grew boring? or you found some new, young, prettier, thing? you could have told me!” cried your weakening voice.

he opens his mouth to speak, but you aren’t done. “i guess not much has changed. i’m still so boring to you? you still need other women although i’m ruining my life being with you, isn’t that ri-“

he abruptly cut you off “fuck, y/n! it’s because i’m ln love with you!”

your attention was immediately all on him.

“you… what?”

“the reason i stopped coming to the river bank in because i’m in love with you. the reason i go to the brothels is because i am so fucking in love with you and i can’t be! i know, i know, you don’t love me too, okay? i know this is but an arrangement, i know. but, please understand that it kills me to pretend like i don’t,”

you couldn’t believe what you were hearing, the word ‘love’ sounding foreign from thomas.

“that’s doesn’t make any sense. why would you stop seeing me if you loved me, start seeing other women?”

now he was scoffing at your ignorance. “don’t you get it? i can’t afford to be in love, not when i have the biggest bounty in the city on my head. i can’t put that danger on you, i’d die before. also, it scares me, quite frankly,” he whispers the last part.

you couldn’t hold back the twitching smile on your lips. “why didn’t you say anything?” whispered you softly.

he chuckled lightly. “you know yourself, you’d never had given up on me,”

you tilted your head in a ‘touché’ manner.

“i do love you too, you know. in case you couldn’t tell,”

a short silence whisked in the air like a winters breath.

“c’mere, sweetheart.” his voice beckoned you over towards him.

you slung your arms around his shoulders. “what if we… didn’t divorce?”

you smiled up at him before kissing him. “i think that’s a good idea.”

tags; @mrkdvidal1989 @fairytale07 @svtansdaddyx