#trying to match across scenes takes forever

[my-rose-tinted-glasses]

THE TRAINEE Off Jumpol as Jane Episode 5

[galactic-magick]

I Love You, I'm Sorry: Viktor x Reader

Based off of this reply on my last Viktor fic:

@lillycore : Duddee, imagine after the final scene between Viktor and Jayce they just disappear (I refuse to believe they both died, I’m just going believe, until it’s confirmed, that they simply teleported somewhere else), leaving reader alone without a chance to confront Viktor and believing they both died. So now, reader is left to pick up the pieces of her closest friend and love of her life gone, while believing Viktor no longer loves her (he does though, he was just a little confused with everything, but he still loves her)

Words: 1.2k

Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for the notes and kind words on my last Viktor fic, it truly means the world to me as a writer to see so many people touched by my writing. I hope you enjoy this equally devastating part 2.

They’re gone. They’re really gone.

No family, no friends, not a single loved one of yours survived this damn war. All this world has done is take, take, take.

You’re haunted by the last time you saw your beloved Viktor—completely unrecognizable. He had turned himself into a monster, disappearing with Jayce trying to save him. You didn’t even get to say goodbye, you didn’t even get to tell him you still love him.

Or ask if he still loved you.

You don’t know what would hurt less, believing he stopped loving you, or believing he did everything he did while loving you.

-

“Why can’t she hear me?” Viktor shouts into the void. He’s been calling your name for what feels like an eternity, his voice no longer carrying to your world.

Jayce puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, “You don’t have vessels to speak through anymore. She probably thinks we’re dead. Well, maybe we are…”

“No, no, this can’t be the end,” Viktor shakes his head vigorously. “I have to get back to her. She...she needs to know I love her. She needs to know I’m sorry.”

He falls to his knees amongst the stars, cursing himself for everything. How could he choose the hexcore over you? Why didn’t he seek you out when he survived the explosion? How did he let himself descend so far into madness that he forgot about your importance to him?

He’s now desperate for you to hear him, pleading the forces that bind his consciousness to this astral plane for another chance. He searches this dimension he’s come to know so well, looking for a loophole or tear in the fabric, but it’s no use. Everything has been closed—his supposed eternal consequence for his abuse of power.

Jayce saved him from himself, a feat he will forever be indebted to him for, but what is the point of redemption if he cannot live it out in his own flesh?

Would there have been a body left for him anyway? Would you still have loved him as the monstrosity he became?

Why must he still be cursed with the full vision of the universe? He sees you continue your life so clearly, but he can’t touch you, can’t speak to you. Your form shines the brightest light he’s ever seem in this dimension, an achievement that is not easily matched. He wonders if you can feel him reaching out to you, some sort of spiritual pull back to him. He will do anything to find a way to talk to you again.

-

You’ve been having dreams—dreams you can’t explain. Ever since Viktor’s disappearance, he’s tormented you day and night, constantly occupying your thoughts without mercy. You can hear his voice, but it sounds so far away you can never make out the words. You just wish it would all stop. You wish you could just erase him and all of the pain from your memory.

Sometimes you still feel a presence, the feeling you used to feel when he was in the same vicinity with you, admiring you from across a room. It’s a familiar warmth that used to wash you with peace, whereas now it makes your heart ache. You suppose it’s a normal symptom of grief, subconsciously denying that he’s really gone.

You start to go through his things he left at your house, beginning with his various textbooks and notebooks he would bring over for studying. Seeing his scribbles and handwriting again brings tears to your eyes, a single drop falling onto the paper as you read.

You blink a few times, seeing a couple of letters on the page start to glow. You must be seeing things, hallucinating from sleep deprivation. You close the journal and open it again, but the glowing letters are still there.

You grab a separate piece of paper and write down each glowing letter, finding fifteen total.

“I - L-O-V-E - Y-O-U - I-M - S-O-R-R-Y”

This isn’t happening. It can’t be.

-

“It’s working! She got my message!” Viktor exclaims.

“How...how are you doing that?” Jayce asks.

“Tiny rips in space—not big enough for either of us to escape through—but certainly big enough to briefly touch that reality,” Viktor pauses, still waiting for a response from you, but it doesn’t come.

-

You close the journal and sob, praying for an end to this misery. Your mind is playing tricks on you, deceiving you to a level you never thought possible. Must you be haunted by this forever? Must you endure the aftermath of this trauma?

You open it once again, the letters still glowing, but they start to fade right in front of your eyes. A new set of letters begin to glow, so you write those down as well.

“I-T-S - M-E - D-A-R-L-I-N-G”

And then another set of letters.

“P-L-E-A-S-E - T-A-L-K - T-O - M-E”

Maybe you’re not imagining.

You’ve heard of magicians who can converse with the dead, and the possibility of other dimensional planes and universes. Viktor himself had some theories about it, although he never pursued proving them. Could it really be possible that your beloved was speaking to you?

“Viktor?” you say out loud. “Are you...are you alive?”

“I - D-O-N-T - K-N-O-W”

The pencil drops from your hand again as your head falls to the table. His consciousness is somehow alive, clearly, but there’s no way he can explain to you where he is and how to get him out one letter at a time. You’re nowhere near his level of intellect—even if he explained how to rescue him like you’re five years old—you fear you still would mess something up.

“Viktor...I can’t do this. You can’t do this to me,” you sigh, daring to look at the words again. “You abandoned me, and now my life is a living hell because of the destruction you helped cause. I want nothing to do with your war and stupid glorious evolution. So if you’re not here to take me away from this life, please go away.”

The same original words start glowing again, brighter each time they sequence:

I love you, I’m sorry.

I love you, I’m sorry.

I love you, I’m sorry.

“Love doesn’t do what you did. Love doesn’t abandon its humanity for power.”

Please forgive me.

“I do forgive you for everything, Viktor. That’s exactly why I need to forget about you, because I will never stop loving you and hurting for it if I don’t.”

With blurry eyes, you close the journal and throw it into the fireplace, regretting it almost immediately. You grab a stick and pull it out, your tears falling onto the soot-stained cover.

“Please, just...find a way back to me.”

I will.

[yourdadsbasement]

it's too dangerous to go alone! take this (3 wk old wolf pup)

i am very curious about martin's other imaginary friends

kinda like you

the iconic Juice death scene

it's adorable that jimmy took his hat off out of respect for the dead

the amount of times i really relate to zach varmitech is...discomforting

lmao i love that he calls her immediately

donita laying out the straight dope

hacky sacky zachy

excellent chris face

zach is making the classic mistake of conflating long life with eternal youth and beauty, like the Sybil of Delphi

lmfao at Gavin trying to chase off a Zachbot with a broom

i know it's cartoon logic but this man is holding a BOULDER in one arm and a GALAPAGOS TORTOISE in the other, i want him and gourmand to have a wrestling match so bad

ok so storytime, when i was a preteen back in the Paleozoic Era, i worked at the food booth at a 4H fair in rural upstate New York and we were right across the midway from the "Freak Animal" tent, which played the same two promotional tapes one after the other all day long. one of the advertised freaks was "the Fish Girl! is she fish or is she girl???" and to this day my sisters and i say "is she fish or is she girl???" to each other

zach has so many of the best lines, this sounds like it should be the punchline to a "yo mama" joke

oh this look is GOOD, @martincrushcameback we've done goth Zach can we now do grunge Zach?

sure until the expanding sun turns the earth into a molten rock

yeah i was kinda thinking that jellyfish don't have any good powers except letting you live forever as a jellyfish, and that's kinda not worth it. especially since you can still get eaten

chizach canon idc idc

what i say to men before hooking up

zach does not approve of the friendly arm around shoulders

[siilent-wanderer]

Valentines with IVE

Where would the IVE members take you out on a date?

Yujin

Dog Café & Park Picnic Date

The moment you step into the café, she gasps dramatically

"Babe. Do you see this? We are in heaven"

She immediately crouches down to greet the dogs like they’re old friends, giggling as they pile onto her

"Okay, but which one do we smuggle out?"

“We already have Azzo tho…”

“Yeah, but Azzo needs a friend”

As you sip your drink, a small puppy climbs into your lap, and Yujin watches with a dreamy smile

"Oh, I’m in trouble. You look too cute right now."

Later, she leads you to a park where she sets up a picnic, grinning proudly

"Yes, I made all of this. No, you may not question how much of it is store-bought."

Feeds you bits of fruit with a mischievous smile

"Say ‘ahh’—oh, wait, there’s something on your lip."

She gently wipes it off before kissing the same spot

Lays back on the blanket, pulling you down with her, fingers brushing against yours.

"You, me, and a bunch of cute dogs? Perfect date, 10/10, would do again."

Gaeul

Roller Skating & Late-Night Milkshakes

The moment you step into the roller rink, she smirks.

"Alright, be honest. On a scale from pro to disaster, how good are you at skating?"

"Are you challenging me, Kim Gaeul?"

When you waver on your feet, she immediately grabs your hands, laughing softly

"I got you. I won’t let you fall."

After a few shaky rounds, she playfully spins you around

As you both skate side by side, she leans in and murmurs

"You know, this kinda feels like a scene from an old romance movie"

"You're so cheesy"

Later, at a 24-hour diner, she stirs her milkshake and nudges your foot under the table

"What’s better, the skating or spending time with me?"

Draws little doodles on your palm absentmindedly, eyes soft

"I really had fun. I’d like to keep doing this… if you want to."

Rei

Art Museum & DIY Painting Date

As you step into the museum, she links arms with you and whispers, "Prepare to hear my world-famous art critiques"

Stares at a random abstract painting and deadpans, "This clearly represents someone realizing they forgot to turn off their curling iron"

Bursts into laughter when you play along, making up even wilder interpretations

"I'm pretty sure this was done while sleepwalking"

"I love how unserious we are. Let’s get kicked out together."

After the museum, she takes you to a cozy café with a painting station, setting up canvases side by side

Playfully smudges a bit of paint on your cheek

"Oops. Now you match the artwork"

When she finishes her painting, she slides it toward you, cheeks slightly pink

"It’s for you. Even if it looks silly, you have to keep it forever, okay?"

On the way home, she holds onto your sleeve lightly

"This was the best day. Next time, let’s paint together again. Or maybe… I can paint you?"

Wonyoung

High-End Shopping & Fancy Rooftop Dinner

Walks into a designer store like she owns the place, immediately picking out outfits for you

"This? This is so your color. Try it on so I can admire you properly."

Takes candid pictures of you in every outfit, smiling to herself

"Oh no, you look too good. I might have to gatekeep you."

When you hesitate to let her buy you something, she pouts

"What’s wrong with me spoiling my girl? Just take it, pretty."

Later, she takes you to an exclusive rooftop restaurant, the city lights twinkling around you

"Why is there nobody around, Wony?"

"I rented the whole place for us, love"

Holds your hand across the table, thumb rubbing circles on your skin

As you finish dessert, she rests her chin on her hand, watching you

"Let’s make this a tradition. Once a month, you and me, a perfect night out."

When she walks you home, she squeezes your hand before letting go

"Goodnight, my love. Sweet dreams — though I hope I’m already in them."

Liz

Beach Date & Sunset Bonfire

Drags you into the water the second you arrive, laughing as she splashes you

"Come on, don’t be shy! I’ll protect you from the waves!"

Competes with you in sandcastle building but gives up halfway to just admire your work

"Okay, okay, I admit it. You’re the superior architect."

As the sun sets, she sets up a tiny bonfire, handing you a marshmallow

"This is the best part of the day — warm fire, cool breeze, and… well, us."

Plays music on her speaker and sways slightly, then offers her hand

"Dance with me? No one’s watching. Well, except the moon, but I think it loves us together."

When you shiver, she pulls her hoodie over your shoulders, smiling

"There. Now you have to return this, which means you have to see me again."

Before you leave, she catches your hand, her voice softer

"Today was perfect. But you know what would be even better? Waking up next to you on a beach trip someday."

Leeseo

Amusement Park & Cotton Candy Date

Drags you straight to the roller coasters, eyes sparkling

"No hesitation! We’re sitting in the front!"

Laughs breathlessly after the ride, gripping your hand

"Okay, that was terrifying. Let’s do it again."

Buys you the biggest cotton candy she can find, beaming

"You have to share with me, though. It’s the rules."

Takes you to the photo booth and insists on silly poses before sneaking in a heart-fluttering one at the end

When you win her a plushie, she clutches it dramatically

"This is my emotional support bear now. Thank you, my hero."

Holds your hand while skipping toward the fireworks display, eyes shining

"You know what? Best. Date. Ever. But let’s make the next one even better."

A/N: happy valentines day :>

[p1utofairy]

PAC: “one hit of your love addicted me. now i’m strung out on you, darlin’, can’t you see?” 🕊️🕰️✨📨

• what will your first love be like?

disclaimer ✩: take what resonates, leave what doesn't. i wanted to try something new by including edits but ofc tumblr is annoying and doesn’t let you post more than 1 video ugh. hope you all enjoy this though! love you much.

PILE ONE.

hey pile 1 🎀 right off the bat i gotta say…your person could possibly give anakin skywalker vibes visually lolololol very tall, handsome and broody. i'm also thinking of jon snow from ‘game of thrones’ hmmm i think this just ties into the fact that your person is in their bag a good 85% of the time! they analyze and process their thoughts & emotions a lot, and this won’t change especially when it comes to their love and devotion for you. they are very intense and purposeful when it comes to love — there’s no faking it or forcing it. they say what they mean, and mean what they say. they hold themselves to a very high standard so i think they’ll be in their head a lot when it comes down to approaching you/courting you. they want to make sure that they’re doing and saying the right things…they want to make sure that you’re comfortable. they will prioritize you and take the time out to really get to know you! they don’t want to do the whole cliché “wyd” texts or just take you out to the movies. no, they want to be able to take you to places you’ve never been before & treat you to beautiful experiences that will stay with you forever. that’s how highly they think of you, pile 1! they think you deserve the best of the best and they will do everything in their power to give you just that. this person has been through a lot in their life and they’ve felt so alone and misunderstood. 9x out of 10 if they just got out of a relationship, their ex didn’t understand them or couldn’t match them emotionally. your person is big on “everything happens for a reason” so when you come into their life they’re going to feel so much joy and relief, it’s like you’re their saving grace. it’s that energy of — where have you been all my life? that scene of anakin and padmé in ‘star wars: attack of the clones’ on the balcony is coming to mind…the longing in their eyes before they share their first kiss. a lot of people may talk about y'alls relationship/how y'all got together. it's nothing scandalous…i just see people being infatuated? i’m picking up a lot of outside influences/opinions so just be careful of that…don't have too many people in your business cause i’m picking up that some of these people don’t have the best intentions and are secretly jealous. it’s giving very much “fan behavior” hm they might keep tabs or ask lots of questions about you and your person’s relationship…it’s weird. i think for some of you, you’ve been single for a long time, so it’s going to be a shock to a lot of people when you pop out with this person. once your person comes into your life you may start to notice multiple people show romantic interest in you and you’ll be like??? where tf were y’all at when i was single for ____ years?! LMFAOOOOO that’s hilarious but back to your first love, it’ll be beautifully intense. i see you giggling a lot, staring at your person with big starry eyes and a lot of physical touch between you two. it may not even be in a flashy way? i can just see you coming up behind them and placing a hand on their back to make your presence known…i see a lot of moments of them holding you in their arms and resting their forehead against yours — they’re looking at you with so much intensity…deep concentration and passion etched across their face and you just break out into this bright smile and they just melt. you look so innocent compared to them like there’s this light in your eyes that’s left their own a long time ago, but they feel so safe…so free to be themselves when they’re with you. you’re their heart, pile 1. i’m hearing that scene from ‘the bear’ when carmy tells sydney “i couldn’t do it without you. i wouldn’t even want to do it without you…” AWWWWEEEEEE.

via tnqkins on tiktok

other channeled messages:

who's that girl? by eve, shravana moon/rising, doe eyes, baby pink, curly hair, strong arms, yin & yang energy, younger/age difference, vishaka scorpio moon, hypnotic gaze, 10:10, mirroring each other, distinct cologne

PILE TWO.

heyyy pile 2! you will NOT expect to fall in love with this person wow, your feelings for them will actually catch you off guard. this person is not your usual type and that's what's so intriguing about them…you’ll never know what to expect with them; they’ll keep you on your toes. i think that you keep repeating cycles or keep going back to someone who is no good for you, but once you meet this person there’s no going back. you’ll gravitate towards them like a month drawn to a flame lol you can’t fight these feelings even if you wanted to. you might meet this person through a mutual friend or meet them in a group setting, i see other people around you both as you talk and get to know each other. there’s so much warmth that this person radiates…they feel like home to you. a hug from them could fix your bad day, a kiss from them could make your heart skip a beat 🥹 and their smile?! to see them smile at you will give you an instant serotonin boost. this relationship feels divine…it feels fated. it’s giving “right person at the right time” like everything leading up to this connection will make so much sense once you’re actually together. some of you that chose this pile are quick to self-sabotage or cut off a relationship before you can get too emotionally invested. you’ve built these walls up because you’ve been through a lot of shit and you don’t want the extra baggage a relationship can sometimes bring, but it’s gonna be different with this person. you’re going to be so open to receiving their love and reciprocating it, there’s going to be such a healthy balance between you two. i’m hearing that this person is going to be a wish fulfillment, pile 2. this might be a long distance relationship at first — you might have to travel to see each other or you both will like to travel to different places together. they will value you so much! they will wine and dine you, surprise you with your favorite things and make sure you always have whatever your heart desires. they love you and they will have no problem showing that.

other channeled messages:

short king, sagittarius, bisexual, when harry met sally, opposites attract, capricorn man, matcha latte, boyfriend by big time rush, saturn dominant, west virgina, virgo/6H placements, ruby, freckles

PILE THREE.

pile 333 🦢 whoa i'm already picking up that this is a love that only grows stronger and better with time; it ages like fine wine. WOW WOW WOW. i'm ngl i feel like this person is your divine counterpart…when i say you two are a match made in heaven — i mean it. you complete each other in ways that other people will never truly understand. there’s this unspoken love and desire between you two initially; i see you both stealing a lot of glances at each other, waiting for the other to cave in and say something…anything. you both want to close that space between you but don’t know exactly how to. i don’t think either of you has ever felt this way before about anybody 😮‍💨 this love is strong AF. it’s never a dull moment between you two, there’s always that underlying passion and spark ready to consume you both. i’m picking up that either your ex or their ex is going to be very envious of this relationship. they almost feel blindsided in a sense…they thought you were going to come back to them and give them another chance, so it's going to make them feel some type of way when they see that you’ve moved on. please be cautious of this ex pile 3…they don’t have good intentions at all and i pick up an obsessive vibe from them. we are blocking that all the way out 🧿 anyways! your person’s love language is more than likely quality time…they loveeeeeee spending time with you and stepping out of their comfort zone to try things that you like. there’s a solid friendship at the root of this connection pile 3…like not only is this person your lover, but they’re also your best friend wrapped into one. you will give them the key to your heart and vice versa. any other options or third party situations will be cut off/left behind because all you both can see is each other! nothing and no one can tear this relationship down because it’s built on such a strong foundation, you can see yourself with this person years down the line from now and they feel the exact same way. you’re home to them. i know this is your first love pile 3 but i wouldn’t be surprised if they popped the question 💍 — i'm just sayinnnnnnnnnn!

other channeled messages:

feel it by jacquees ft. lloyd & rich homie quan, la perla lingerie, just left a toxic relationship, rock the boat by aaliyah, air sign placements, 26, 111, lemon drop, leo, jaded by drake

[saigethearies]

saige’s terrortober presents…

red

after revealing his long-kept secret, kei finally allows himself an indulgence he’s craved for ages.

vampire!kei tsukishima x fem!reader

contents/warnings: mentions of killing & dead body present in one scene, established relationship, slight angst in beginning, slight hard dom!tsuki, degradation with a smidgen of praise, use of slut/whore, unprotected vaginal sex, vaginal fingering & oral (f!receiving) while reader is on period, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, very brief mention of abuse & mugging, no mention of period product so reader is free-bleeding maybe idk, mention of period stigma but not from our king tsuki

wc: 3.4k

18+ MINORS DNI

not everyone was a fan of your boyfriend.

kei tsukishima could be an absolute smartass when he wanted to, always aiming to have an attitude of disinterest and never holding back his honest and brutal opinions. he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he wasn’t a monster.

until you found out he was.

literally.

sarcastic personality and all, you loved your boyfriend dearly. you saw softer, sweeter parts of him that no one else did, and it never failed to make you feel as if you were the most special girl in the world.

so nothing could have prepared you for seeing blood smeared across his mouth, color matching the twin scarlet holes in the jugular of the body he was holding onto.

your breath was caught in your throat as the two of you stared at one another. tsukishima himself was at a loss for words. he had never wanted you to see him like this, wanted to hide this part of himself away for as long as he could.

he should have figured the ruse- pretending to be normal- wouldn’t last forever.

“kei,” you breathed out, trying to keep your eyes trained on his own and not on the blood dripping from sharp, pearlescent fangs.

“this…”

“don’t say ‘this isn’t what it looks like’, kei. we both know better than that.”

“...fair.”

he could sense the fear emulating from you, practically tasting it in the air, and it made his stomach churn. he wasn’t supposed to be making you feel this way. he’s supposed to soothe your dreads, ease your anxieties, not be the cause of them.

“please don’t be scared,” tsukishima started, trying to keep his voice as level as possible. “i know this looks really bad, but i promise i’m not gonna hurt you. you can trust me on that.”

“can i?” you asked, your voice breaking a little. “you don’t sound too convincing while holding someone’s…lifeless body.”

“you have a point, yes, but please just let me explain.”

he began to stand up, and that’s when you felt the trepidation course through your veins even faster. you knew your boyfriend was tall, but it was a detail you never dwelled on too much. now, seeing him at his full stature and covered in blood, it was a fact that suffocated you.

tsukishima didn’t even get a chance to try and expound the situation before you were taking off, moving as quickly as you could to get away from him, from the body, from everything.

the blonde felt his heart sink into his chest, but he knew you were well within your right to have this reaction. what was he even expecting to happen when you discovered the truth? keep on loving him as if he wasn’t a bloodsucking freak? that was a fucking pipedream.

yet he always let himself indulge in hope when it came to you.

_____

sobs raked your form as you sat curled on the floor, hugging your knees to your chest.

your mind was still reeling, brain struggling to relay and process the scene that unfolded before you not too long ago.

your boyfriend was something right out of a creature feature. he was a…what was he? a vampire? damn, even saying it in your head sounded insane. there was no way this was real life.

but it was.

he was standing over that body. there was blood all over him. he was quite literally caught red-handed.

a knock at your door made you jump. you didn't even have to look through the peephole to know who it was. your intuition already had your skin prickling.

“go away, kei.”

your request was met with silence. he probably left, and while that should be good news to you, a part of you was upset he didn’t put up more of a fight to have you hear him out.

he might be a…whatever he was…but he was still your boyfriend. you wanted to think your relationship was still important to him even though he was currently scaring the shit out of you.

“will you please listen to me now?”

you let out a shriek as you fell onto your back, looking up at tsukishima standing before you in your living room.

“how did you…”

“i turned into a bat and came in through the vent.”

your eyes widened in disbelief. “really?”

he scoffed. “no, idiot, you left your backdoor unlocked again.”

“oh. oops.”

the normalcy of the exchange so far was welcomed by the two of you, considering the last one took place with a corpse present.

sighing, the blonde sat down so that he could be closer to your level. you uprighted yourself, laying your hands in your lap as you meet tsukishima’s warm brown eyes. while you were still apprehensive, you gave him a small nod.

“i’m listening, kei.”

he took a breath and began. “i can’t remember how i was turned. all i know is that it was when i was in high school and by an older vampire. you tend to blackout during the change.”

“so that’s what you are? a vampire?”

“it wasn’t obvious already?”

“i just wanted confirmation, jeez.”

he chuckled at the little huff you let out, happy to see your personality peeking out through your nerves. “the bite marks ended up healing, and i didn’t feel too different at first, but then the first cravings eventually came.”

“for blood?”

“yes,” he answered, figuring he shouldn’t push it with too many sarcastic responses. “at first i tried to just rely on animals, but that wasn’t enough sustenance. i had been turned for almost a year when i finally drank from a human neck.”

a look of disdain came onto your face, remembering the scene from earlier.

“but,” tsukishima continued, “i never drink from innocent people, especially not women nor children. my first human was a guy trying to mug an elderly woman, and then i continued that pattern because it helped me feed more guiltlessly. figured if i were to do it this way, i was at least getting bad men off the streets.”

“the guy tonight?”

“abused his ex-wife.”

you nodded, letting the information soak in. while killing was obviously a no-go in most normal situations, this was no ordinary case scenario. tsukishima was going about this in the most just way he possibly could, and that eased your anxiety some.

“hey,” he said, pulling you from your thoughts. he reached a hand out to you, and after hesitating for a second, you placed your hand in his. his thumb started stroking your skin.

“i told you that i would never hurt you, and i sincerely mean that. i’ve been this way since before we even met, and not once have i ever thought about laying a single finger on you in that regard. you can still trust me, i swear. this is a lot of information to take in, i know, but please stop being afraid of me so i don’t have to go on another of these cheesy spiels. they make me feel light-headed.”

that finally had a giggle leaving your lips, and the blonde smirked in triumph.

he had a point. you always trust your gut instinct, and not once had tsukishima ever given you a reason to feel as if you weren’t safe around him. the reaction you had earlier was a natural response that anyone else would have when discovering that their boyfriend was straight out of a monster film.

well, now that you’ve had this discussion with him, it was less of a monster film and more of an undead romance novel.

vampire or not, he was still your kei. your smart-mouthed, dinosaur-loving, volleyball-playing kei tsukishima.

you squeezed his hand in yours.

“no wonder you've always gone through so much sunscreen.”

“shut up.”

_____

after a month, you were really starting to enjoy being a vampire’s girlfriend. you were living every twilight fangirl’s dream, except your tsuki was much more entertaining than edward cullen. especially since he actually cuddled you while you slept instead of standing there and staring at you.

your questions began to stem less from fear and more from curiosity as the time went on, too, and your boyfriend was always willing to give you a truthful answer. he knew that honesty was going to be key when entering into this new era of your relationship.

“no more secrets,” you had told him.

a saturday evening found you laying in bed, tsukishima spooning you from behind as the two of you enjoyed a break from your hectic schedules. unfortunately, your weekend wasn’t as peaceful as it could have been, because of course you had to get your period that morning. no matter how many menstrual cycles you’ve lived through, the discomfort never ceases to be annoying.

the blonde gently massaged his thumbs against your abdomen, trying to soothe some of your cramps as his much larger frame cocooned yours. a pleased sigh left your lips.

“thank you, baby,” you said. “this feels so much better.”

“i knew it would,” tsukishima replied, resting his chin on the top of your head.

he continued his soft kneading, the sensation feeling as if a cat was making biscuits on your flesh. the pain continued to ebb away and you began to wonder why you couldn’t have always had your boyfriend’s skilled fingers aiding you during times like these.

whenever your time of the month had come around in the past, you didn’t see your boyfriend that much until it was pretty much over. you had always chalked the phenomena up to a coincidence, but after recent events, you were starting to think that tsukishima’s absence was very much intentional.

“tsuki,” you called out to him, hardly registering that you opened your mouth. your inquisitiveness seemed to have you running on autopilot.

“hm?”

you’d already gotten his attention, so you might as well go ahead and ask.

“this is the first time that you’ve ever really hung out with me while i’m on my period. did you avoid me before because…you know…” you trailed off.

“because what?” he inquired. “be more specific, use your words.”

the command sent a tingle to your core, the same three words falling from his lips many times before when he had you pinned underneath him, demanding your obedience as you slowly became a babbling mess.

however, the tensing of tsukishima’s body behind you let you know that he already knew exactly what you were trying to imply. he just wanted to hear you say it.

“does it, i mean, does the blood tempt you?”

you were half expecting him to scoff in disgust at your question. there was a chunk of the male population that viewed periods as gross, why would one be enticed by menstrual blood. yet, you had to remember that was a stigma held by immature boys.

You were dating a man.

tsukishima was on top of you before you could even notice he had moved. his eyes were a darker hue than usual, desire clouding the typical warmth of his irises.

“yes,” he answered. “yes, it really fucking does.”

the heat pooling between your legs intensified, however you needed further reassurance before you could even try to do something about it. “you don’t think it’s gross?”

“the blood i crave leaking from the very cunt i could eat for hours on end? that sounds like fucking heaven.”

oh, that’s right. you werent just dating a man. you were dating a man who was a vampire.

“kei,” you breathed out, lip wobbling as you stared up at him. “i need you.”

“is that so?”

his lips were on yours before you could even blink, kissing you with such force that you were left breathless. you couldn't remember the last time tsukishima was this intense in the bedroom, and that thought only made you crave his ministrations even more.

mewling into his mouth, you felt the sharp point of one of his fangs graze against your lip. a shiver ran through your body, panties growing even wetter at the reminder of just how dangerous the man ravaging you right now could truly be.

as if he could read your mind, the blonde pulled away. “you trust me, right?”

both of your chests were heaving, lust blown eyes boring into one another's. you could tell your boyfriend’s self control was slipping. yet, even on the verge of descending into depravity, tsukishima made sure to put you above himself. to honor your body and the permission you give him to touch it.

a soft smile curled onto your lips. “of course i do, baby.”

of course you did. because that was the type of person that you were. always looking on the bright side, always able to find the good in people. your world was filled with silver linings, whereas he was always the to type to focus on the stormclouds. you two had always counterbalanced each other, yin and yang, and this time was no different.

he was worried he was a monster, but you didn’t think so. you still trusted him. you still loved him.

tsukishima placed another kiss on your lips, this one much more tender, and reached his long fingers under the hem of your shirt. you aided him in getting the garment over your head, watching on in delight as he rid himself of his own shirt and returned to your skin.

you sighed as his large palms squeezed your breasts, the blonde placing open mouth kisses on your flesh as he began to lower himself towards your cunt. you jumped when his fangs occasionally glided along your body, feeling tsukishima’s lips curl into a smirk at your receptiveness.

his large frame settled above your heat, tugging your soft shorts down so that your cotton panties could be revealed.

“this wet already just from some kissing? god, you’re such a desperate slut.”

the mean words only made your core throb even more, tsukishima’s sternness always igniting a fire within your needy heart.

“kei, please,” you whined. “wanna be touched, please!”

“on your soaked and bloody pussy?”

you slowly nodded. “y-yeah.”

you felt your heart skip a beat as kei pulled your panties off, a dark glint coming into his eye as he saw the pale pink mixture of two fluids- your sweet blood and your sweet slick. you watched his chest expand as he took a deep breath, inhaling the addictive scent.

“you have no idea how long i've dreamed about being able to do this.”

and with that, his mouth descended upon your cunt. a small moan left your lips at the feeling of his tongue flicking on your clit once, twice, three times before moving to lick at your entrance, catching the liquids tsukishima had silently craved for so long. while his tongue ventured into your pussy to catch more of your red-tinted essence, the blonde brought his thumb up to rub at your bundle of nerves, causing lights to dance across your vision.

your hand came down to tangle in his hair, tugging his head even closer to your core. the combined stimulus of tsukishima’s tongue penetrating you and his fingers tending to your bud had you whining in bliss. as his ministrations increased in intensity, so did your noises.

the coul winding up in your abdomen got even more taught when tsuki began to synchronize the drag of his tongue along your upper walls with the stroke of his finger down your clit.

it wasn’t long before you found yourself cumming on his face, legs trembling on his shoulders as you felt yourself ride out the wave of ecstasy.

your boyfriend wasn’t stopping though.

if anything, feeling your cunt tighten around his tongue prompted him to start moving even faster and apply even more pressure behind his touches. you squirmed at the sensations, being catapulted from the downfall of one orgasm right into the buildup of another.

“kei,” you whimpered, to which you felt him take the hand that wasn’t between your folds and place it on your stomach, holding you down. his silent warning of telling you to behave.

suddenly, tsukishima switched the positions of his mouth and fingers, his lips coming to encircle your bud while two of his fingers stretched your pussy open. the change caught you off guard, accelerating you even closer to another tumble off the edge.

you had started to grind your drooling cunt against his hand, the new feeling sending your already sex-fogged mind into an even greater haze. his fingers were hitting that spongy spot hidden within your walls, and each impact made you twitch.

“ah! right there, right there!”

a particularly hard hit had you climaxing for the second time that evening, bloody cream soaking tsukishima’s fingers. he pulled them out, not hesitating to lick them clean. he unabashedly groaned at the taste.

“even better than i imagined. not bad for a filthy slut like yourself.”

you were still shaking, mind numb as you fought to catch your breath. yet, you still knew your place. your boyfriend was generous enough to make you cum twice while he hasn’t cum at all.

even though they felt as if they may as well have been made of jello, you spread your thighs once more, presenting your sloppy cunt to him.

“kei,” you breathed out. “want you inside. please?”

the trademark smirk made its what onto tsukishima’s face.

“i really have trained you so well, haven’t i? don’t even need to ask you to open your legs up for me anymore.”

ridding himself of his sweats and boxers, the blonde moved his tall figure so that his face was hovering over yours, bending your knees above his shoulders.

“or maybe you’re just that eager for some cock that it’s instinct at this point. who knows, though? you’re still a whore all the same.”

his words were always harsh, but the way his thumbs gingerly stroked the flesh of your hips let you know his true feelings. you felt his grip tighten before he slammed in all in one go, almost folding you in half as he set a quick, hard pace.

you screamed out, hands flying to his back in an attempt to ground yourself. he continued to thrust into you, long cock dragging along your pussy in the most delectable way possible.

tsukishima had been panting in your ear until he moved his mouth downwards, lightly dragging his fangs along your jugular. you knew he could easily tear through the skin there, feast upon the blood coursing through your veins like he’d done to countless others. however, he would never. you weren’t like the people he fed on. you were precious to him, the most sacred person in his life.

the thrill still sent tingles of excitement through your body, alighting your core once more as you mewled and gyrated your pelvis against his.

“i love you, kei,” you babbled out to him, eyes glassy from how overstimulated you were. “love you so much.”

he didn’t say it back, and you didn’t expect him to. the blonde wasn’t the ‘sentimental during sex’ type. however, feeling the increase in vigor behind his thrusts upon hearing your words was all the response you needed.

“fuck, i’m close,” tsukishima groaned out, moving his hands from your hips to your tits. “you’re gonna give me one more.”

the feeling of his nimble fingers tweaking at your nipples while his dick pistoned into you had you climaxing for the final time that night. you squealed out, so sensitive at this point, and you cumming around his cock triggered his own release into you.

tsukishima went ahead and pulled out of your overworked cunt before collapsing on top of you, muscles going slack.

you giggled, arms coming to wrap around him. “that might have been the best sex we’ve ever had.”

the blonde hummed. “you’re okay? i wasn’t too rough or anything?”

“i feel great,” you replied, a drowsy grin on your face.

your boyfriend snorted at your expression before moving to stand up.

“i’m going to get us some water,” he said, moving towards the door before pausing. “oh, and by the way-“

you stared up at him quietly, waiting to hear what he had to say. your heart fluttered when tsukishima’s lips pressed against your forehead.

“i love you too.”

———

saige’s terrortober masterlist

[heavens-moonlight]

𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 | 𝟬𝟵 : 𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗦’ 𝗛𝗘𝗘𝗟

𝟬𝟴 : 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗’𝗩𝗘, 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗’𝗩𝗘, 𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗’𝗩𝗘 | 𝟭𝟬 : 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 , 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥

Author’s Note: I'm not even kidding when I say I've debated for weeks how much to post of this chapter and where to stop but it decided for its own so this update is actually not all of what it was originally! I decided to leave a specific scene for next week since I think it fits better (perfect for Valentine's Day 🤭). Still, this ending is my second favorite of all the chapters published and I hope you enjoy! Kudos to those who understand what Kyung-Jun meant because Seol-Hwa clearly doesn't 💔

The soft hum of the air conditioner was the only sound in the room as you push open the staff lounge's door and step back inside, heart still heavy from the exchange with your friends just moments ago.

On the way back, the frustration and hurt you initially felt had already begun to ebb, but there was still a lingering ache, a feeling of being misunderstood.

When you'd left, you were sure they didn't fully trust in you—that they were trying to defend something you only half understood, but it didn't take away the sting.

As you fully entered, stepping across the threshold, your gaze was drawn to the two people you trusted the most.

Jun-Hee and Yoon-Seo both look up at the same time from where they were seated atop the empty desks in silence, their eyes softening with the weight of unspoken apologies.

Jung-Won and Da-Bum were no where in sight, having disappeared to somewhere only they knew, and you tired of continuously questioning it, feeling as though you'd never get the complete answer anyhow.

Maybe it's hypocritical of you to be skeptical of their less than full trust in you when you also can't reciprocate it.

The two present look at one another before turning to you, matching hesitant looks on their faces.

For the first time in a long time, the silence that stretches between you all is thick, but you feel it breaking as Yoon-Seo rises first, walking toward you with tentative steps before stopping, quietly spreading her arms wide open.

Yoon-Seo had always deeply been the kind, sensitive, and emotional one—the one who wore her heart on her sleeve, forever ready to comfort.

"I apologize, Seol-Hwa," Yoon-Seo says softly, voice cracking a little. "I know how it seems, but we didn't mean to make you feel like that: unseen and hurt. We were just... scared."

Before she can continue to apologize for something by no fault of her own, you meet her halfway and wrap your arms around her, enveloping her in the warmest hug possible.

You can feel Yoon-Seo's cheeks bunch up where its pressed into the side of your face and as she breathes out a sigh of relief, you know your friendship can easily pick up where it left off, no hesitation or doubts.

Smiling softly, you close your eyes as you let herself sink into the hug, absorbing the warmth. "I can't say that I don't bear any of the blame," you respond. "I just... I just harbor the hope that receiving trust would be easier than giving it, you know?"

Yoon-Seo pulls back slightly, hands still on your shoulders, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Though I may not be able to speak for everyone, but at least for myself, I trust you more than you could know. I promise."

There's no pause for you to answer as you feel another presence—one that makes Yoon-Seo give way—sensing Jun-Hee standing just a little too still, his expression unreadable, but there was an unmistakable intensity in his gaze.

He was quiet by nature—the one who kept his emotions buried deep—but when it came to you, his heart had always been laid bare in subtle ways.

Wordlessly, Jun-Hee surges forward, drawing you into his chest gently but with an undeniable sense of urgency, like he had been waiting to do so right as you walked away.

With the height difference between the two of you, your face is barely able to reach over his shoulder and you have to go on tiptoes for your chin to rest comfortably. One of his hands goes to the back of your head, cradling it, while the other winds around your waist, pulling you ever closer.

It takes you back to the conversation you both had the first night arriving and your heart hurts to go back to when things weren't so dire and your biggest challenge was keeping your feelings hidden, a now distant memory you took for granted.

The hug was different from Yoon-Seo's—slower, tighter, and there was something in the way he held you with the weight of unspoken words, something just beneath the surface that made your chest tighten. A soft tension hangs delicately, neither of you in any rush to let go.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

"For every mistaken meaning." You can hear his exhale by your ear. "Just—if I offended you in any way, know that that wasn't my intent. I don't want you to think I don't trust you. It's the opposite actually—I care too much."

"The one thing I could never question is that." You pat his back soothingly. "In hindsight, I had overreacted. I was upset more with myself than anyone else, for if I can barely convince me, then how can I convince you all?"

"For those who don't believe in you, I'll return it on their behalf twice as much."

When Jun-Hee finally pulls away far enough for you to gaze up at him, his hand lingers for a moment on your arm, almost as though he has more to say but is holding back.

Yoon-Seo, who had been watching the two of you, amused, with her arms crossed in front of her, lets out a small, knowing laugh.

She pretends to fiddle with the camcorder strap around her neck and trying, but failing, to look anywhere but at you and Jun-Hee, the ghost of a smile on her lips. "I think I was outdone. Should I redo my asking for forgiveness?" She looks between the two of you mischievously, teasing, "I fear this way of embracing to apologize only works for Jun-Hee and him alone."

You roll your eyes before grinning so wide at Yoon-Seo that she becomes genuinely worried. "No, that's not true." Before she can react, you throw your arms around her neck and squeeze the life out of her.

She swats at your back repetitively as Jun-Hee chuckles in the background, all tension easing. "Seol. Hwa. Have. Mercy." You release her soon enough after a few more shakes, leaving her in a coughing fit, although it quickly dissolves into giggles soon after. "How could you do this to someone with weakened airways?"

"Guess you can say I take your breath away, huh?"

Yoon-Seo simply swivels you around so you're face to face with Jun-Hee. "You're saying it to the wrong person," she sing-songs.

The instant blushes that appear on yours and Jun-Hee's faces has her chortling to no end, enjoying it way too much all together.

You shake your head good-naturedly, taking a seat in one of the many chairs lining the room. "Have you guys found any more clues while I was gone?"

"No, nothing has happened yet—" Yoon-Seo begins, but her words die out as the intercom comes to life.

[ ᴄʜᴀ ʏᴜ-ᴊᴜɴ ʜᴀs ᴅɪᴇᴅ. ᴀʟʟ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄɪᴘᴀɴᴛs, ɪᴅᴇɴᴛɪғʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀғɪᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴇɢɪɴ ᴛᴏ ᴠᴏᴛᴇ. ]

Your heart plummets despite your resolute attempt in saving him after the unsettling feeling that pervaded you following your conversation.

You could only hope that what you had done would be enough.

It has to be enough.

The three of you don't even have the chance to look at one another before high-tailing it out of the room to dash toward the basement, following behind the crowd of your other classmates also doing the same.

Once you arrive at the scene, it's the most gruesome death to date.

It doesn't help that you're all clustered around him looking on like you're observing a spectacle—something non-sentient. The thought of every single classmate who had ended up in the same inhumane manner makes you sick to your stomach.

"Yu-Jun..." Jun-Hee utters beside you in shock. "Why did it have to be him?"

"He didn't break any rules so why is this the price he has to pay merely for falling?" Yeon-Woo's voice cracks in the background.

"That's because he didn't fall," you reveal quietly. "Someone killed him."

Gasps and muted murmurs come out all around you, everyone merely perceiving what they see as what the truth is.

"How can you be so sure?"

"There's endless evidence of struggle, especially with those wounds on his head." Scanning his now lifeless body, you state monotonously, "He was attacked from the front. If he had fallen, it wouldn't have come to this." You take a few steps back, the smell of blood wafting up suddenly too much to suppress. "This was an intentional attack."

"One more thing we should keep in mind though," Yoon-Seo points out as she scrolls through her phone, looking intently at it, "his identity hasn't been revealed. That means he'll be resurrected tomorrow morning, just as Jun-Hee had."

Yeon-Woo and Eun-Chan start discussing with one another before speaking loudly to the group at large.

"So is Yu-Jun not the Doctor then?" Yeon-Woo looks around at the somber faces. "He could've prevented his own death."

Eun-Chan slaps his friend upside the head.

"Ouch!"

"Please focus. We can neither confirm if he is or isn't. For all we know, he could've saved himself or a Doctor saved him."

"That doesn't help with anything! You're basically saying he could be but might also not be!"

Yeon-Woo scowls at Eun-Chan.

"We should cover him up for the time being and move him somewhere he can rest," you suggest, and Jun-Hee proceeds to place the sheet he was holding over Yu-Jun forlornly.

Red streaks bleed across the fabric, staining the pristine white, ever-enlarging blooms of suffering, and you have to glance away, wondering when the bloodshed will cease to taint what's pure.

"Hyun-Ho and I can take him to a safe place where he can await the coming of morning, don't worry." Dong-Hyun pats you on the shoulder as your cousin nods in agreement, the duo unanimously taking on postmortem responsibilities.

As everyone leaves, you, Jun-Hee, Yoon-Seo, and Jung-Won stay behind to scout the site for more clues.

"This must be the Mafia's doing," Jung-Won declares off-handedly, hand on her hip.

You take a cursory peek at her and maybe it's just in your eyes, but she doesn't seem too stricken about it compared to Yoon-Seo who's completely devastated, the light in her eyes dimmed.

"Mafia or not, that doesn't make this right," Yoon-Seo stresses. "Killing in broad daylight and to this extent...is pure evil."

Jung-Won looks on in distaste as Yoon-Seo once again pulls up the camera on her phone. "What will you do then? They've already taken it this far, maybe it's a lost cause. Maybe we have to accept that not everything can be reversed."

You tune out her increasingly heartless comments and walk around absentmindedly, searching from corner to corner. Jun-Hee follows silently behind, crouching down by a stack of cinder blocks hidden from immediate view.

"Of course I should find out who did it," Yoon-Seo responds, a bit frustrated, no intent to let the conversation end in futility. "I need to figure out the reason Yu-Jun came down here."

"Find anything?" you ask Jun-Hee, who's digging through the heavy wedges.

At his shake of the head, you pivot around, and there by your feet, lo and behold, is a bloody footprint. "Yoon-Seo!"

Hearing you call, the girls head your way to inspect, Yoon-Seo immediately capturing the new find. A few feet away, she picks up a piece of what appears to be part of a shoe sole.

Jun-Hee silently brings over a singular cinder mass, flipping it to reveal blood staining the sharpest corner.

Your chest constricts at the thought of what used to be done under the veil of night is now so easily outright under the light of day.

The scent of death follows you around, allowing no time for reprieve.

You wonder if you'll ever escape from its grasp.

The black ghostly fingers come to the forefront of your mind, sharp nails digging deep to puncture your lungs, stealing your breath.

You know that only when you run out of air will this struggle cease to exist.

Not until hours later do you manage to locate Hyun-Ho, oddly without the company of Dong-Hyun this time around.

It's still eerie to see Yu-Jun's body in the corner of the space. Although the cover is there, it can't quite mask what you knew to be underneath.

Hyun-Ho sits by the edge of the pool, his feet dangling just above the surface of the water with his jeans rolled up to his calves, sneakers abandoned beside him.

He was staring into the rippling surface, but evidently wasn't really seeing anything. His face was drawn, eyes half-lidded as though the weight of the world was pressing down on him.

Out of the two of you, he tended to be more detached, but today, there was something in his posture, in the slump of his shoulders, that told you he wasn't as unaffected as he seemed.

His silhouette is lonely against the even lonelier stillness of the room.

He startles when you sit down beside him.

"Seol-Hwa!" Hyun-Ho looks at you, surprised. "Were you looking for me?"

It wasn't an unfamiliar happening: you both used to spend hours as children, talking in hushed tones about everything and nothing, basking in one another's company as you sought out the other for trivial matters.

But now, the two of you have grown up.

All those worries of the past suddenly seem so minuscule, so insignificant.

And yet, you find yourself clinging to it, knowing you'd give everything up to be that carefree again—to be as unassuming, as innocent, and as naïve as you were then, carrying a heart unweighted by burdens.

"Actually, yes," you admit. "It was hard to find you." You gesture around. "The pool is the last place I would think for any of us to be, you know, after—" The words struggle to leave your throat.

"—After that night," Hyun-Ho finishes for you. At your nod, he continues on, "That's exactly why Dong-Hyun decided on here. No one would come back, ghost or no ghost, and neither would you."

You turn to look at him abruptly, tilting your head in confusion. "Me?"

Hyun-Ho clucks his tongue at you with narrowed eyes. "You're not as smart as you look."

You make to leave, getting back up on your feet. "Good talk—I'm leaving now."

He laughs and pats the tiles beside him, the sound dulled by the water wetting the floor. "I wasn't done." Begrudgingly, you take a seat again. "Of course we want to protect everyone if we can, but since we all know that's impossible, then you come first."

Your heart stutters at the sincerity and you're touched by the care for you. "We've talked about this," you intone. "Please don't go out of your way for me. Whatever happens will happen. It's the normal course of things."

Hyun-Ho fixes you with a serious look, the first in all the years you've known him. "This isn't normal."

That statement alone hurts more than it should.

"You know we can't go back," you say quietly as you look into the ebbing water of the pool. "We have to live with this reality, no matter how abnormal it is."

"Is this reality though?"

You close your eyes and exhale slowly. "Both my heart and mind say no, but the images refuse to stop replaying in my eyes. How can we forget everything as if it's an illusion? The pain is real and it's visceral."

"Are you okay?" Hyun-Ho asks you barely above a whisper, so quiet you almost miss it.

The silence stretches long as you think, pondering deeply on such a simple question.

But is it ever simple to answer?

"Yes."

One lie.

"Are you acting as if you're okay?"

Beside you, your cousin shifts lightly, fingers gripping the cold-edged tiles. He could see it—the tension in your shoulders, the quiet tremor in your breath. Hyun-Ho has known you since birth—has practically grown up beside you. He could read you like a book, and right now, the page you were on was torn and frayed.

"Yes."

One truth.

Hyun-Ho nods, more to himself than you, and you see the movement from your peripheral vision. "Thank you."

"What ever for?"

"Being honest with me. It makes me happy you trust me enough to not have to pretend around me."

You turn to look at him as lays back on the cold tiles, staring absently at the ceiling.

"I—I haven't been completely honest with you."

He doesn't look disappointed by it, rather, he looked curious. "I can sense what you're worried about from a mile away, but don't worry, I'm not mad—I could never be mad at you. You must have your reasons if it's something you can't tell me, and in any case, your silence has always been for the right reasons."

"I'm a Doctor."

At this, he turns his head toward you, attempting to hide his shock from the revelation. He opens his mouth and closes it again, unable to find the words to say.

Ultimately, he sits up again, angling his body toward yours. His eyes are downcast, understanding the weight of your identity. "How hard this must've been for you this entire time..."

You start tearing up, hating that you love the responsibility. "I don't know if I'm a good one. You're the only one I've told—I can't risk the others knowing. I'm—I'm scared."

"Of what?" Hyun-Ho pries softly.

"That I'll let more than one person down." You wipe at your eyes, teardrops wetting the the back of your hand. "That I'll have to sacrifice one person I love for another. All I want is to save everyone."

Hyun-Ho scoots closer and grabs your hands in his, squeezing them. He doesn't respond immediately, instead watching you a gaze that's soft but steady, before finally speaking in a low, measured tone, voice grounding you, "What you feel, I can only imagine the half of it—if even that—but you have to understand that in our world—our real one —even doctors cannot save everyone, no matter how much they would like to. It's impossible to change someone's fate, especially if it's destined. There are many things that humans should be responsible for, but drawing extensions for one another's lifeline isn't one of them."

You smile sadly through the tears, water distorting your field of vision, so much so that the reflection of images become hazy in your pupils. "Yet here we are, both trying to protect the other, like our lives depend on it. What are we doing?"

Hyun-Ho returns your grin with one of his own, but it's tinged with melancholy. Gone is his usual joking nature and you find that happiness has died off long ago, gone with the wind.

"Trying our best."

Eventually, Dong-Hyun joins you and Hyun-Ho, the three of you making way toward the annex, tracking the sounds of a heated discussion.

When Eun-Ha spots you, she motions for you to come nearer, her movement causing Eun-Chan to turn his attention to your trio.

"Guys, over here. Right now."

"What's going on?"

Eun-Ha gestures to the wall. Where once there were words written in burnt orange, it's now replaced by red scribbles, entirely different statements.

From the Police: Jin-Ha is part of the Mafia, and so is Da-Bum.

Jun-Hee, Yoon-Seo, Jung-Won, and Da-Bum make their entrance shortly thereafter, moving over to your side of the crowd, catching up to the pressing issue.

Da-Bum simultaneously shakes his head and hands fervently. "I swear on my life I'm a Citizen."

Yeon-Woo pushes his glasses up his nose bridge, fixing Da-Bum with a long stare.

"Are you sure you're not part of the Mafia team? Anyone can swear on their life, whether they're lying or telling the truth. It doesn't make it any more indicative."

"It really isn't me," Da-Bum emphasizes. "What if it's not the Police who wrote this?"

"But if you think about it," Eun-Chan reasons, "the Police used their skill twice. To pinpoint two people makes perfect sense. It checks out."

Na-Hee scoots closer to the front, eyeing the words. "Earlier it said Jun-Hee was a Citizen though. Why did it change now?”

"Just like Da-Bum, it's not me either."

Jin-Ha scoffs from the other side. "Don't fucking lie. I bet the police wrote this because the last one was false."

Mi-Na readily agrees, and you start to dislike her more and more with each passing day, for possessing a character of being too easily swayed and never having any morals, no less different than So-Mi.

"If it was really the Police, they would name the Mafia. Why single out Citizens and make them easy targets to be eliminated?"

"Jin-Ha's not right and neither are you." You point between the two of them. "This one is more likely than not fabricated if you think with your brain rather than your bias." They both take offense but you barrel on. "Do you not see how weird it is that this appeared immediately after Yu-Jun's passing? The one who murdered him could've written this to frame others and take the pressure off of themselves. Moreover, those least to have suspicion thrown on them like Jun-Hee and Da-Bum, are expendable to the real culprit as a cover up in order to shift attention away from the crime they committed."

At that, Jin-Ha flinches, and you slide your eyes over to his subtle fidgeting, pupils shaking. When he catches your eye by accident, he outbursts, "What the fuck are you looking at?"

"Why are you so jumpy and defensive?" you press. "Don't tell me you were the one who left this message."

He struggles to refute and all eyes turn to him in waves.

Before it can escalate, So-Mi crosses her arms and shifts the matter back to you. "It's kind of funny how you guys are always late getting to these things. Did you have prior engagements to take care of?"

"You never get smarter, do you?" Jung-Won tsks at her, So-Mi sending icy glares in subdued retaliation. "It would be stupid for Seol-Hwa to speak up if she actually did it. Those who talk a lot or are always on the defensive are most likely to be the Mafia," she concludes, looking from So-Mi to Jin- Ha in succession.

"Be careful So-Mi." Eun-Ha smirks at her. "What you don't see with your eyes for certain, don't witness it with your mouth." She waves around in the air passingly as though her next words mean nothing when in fact, they mean everything. "There's an age-old saying that the more lies you spread, the more blood will spew from your mouth."

If it's not for Kyung-Jun stepping to the front, the girls would've gotten into a fight, no concern for concession. He saunters closer to the wall and rips the thumbtacked paper to shreds. "Quit this crap and show yourself, Police. Hand over your phones and let us see the kind of skill you have."

Yoon-Seo addresses him in exasperation, "Why bother when you know no one will admit to it?" She holds her phone up to his face, a picture of the bloody footprint from the crime scene on display. "We have enough clues to catch the killer."

She leads the way straight to the cafeteria where Seung-Bin's body laid only a day ago.

"Why did you bring us here just to tell us who did it?" So-Mi adds her two cents.

"In the warehouse," Yoon-Seo begins while ignoring So-Mi, "I found a footprint." She pulls out the rubber sole from her skirt pocket, presenting it to the group along with a shot of the basement's floor. "This was next to it, a piece which we can assume is from the shoe of Yu-Jun’s killer."

You squat down by the exact spot left untouched in the middle of the cafeteria, a twin imprint like that in the warehouse still visible. Pointing it to it, you add on, "This matches the one we discovered." Dragging your finger toward the incomplete imprint of the sole on the floor, you connect the dots clearly. "We found it weird there was a gap in this one, but with the piece in Yoon-Seo's possession, it explains everything."

Yoon-Seo transfers the rubber piece into Jun-Hee's awaiting hand and he peers around at everyone gathered. "This is a feature a lot of basketball shoes have."

"Basketball..." Yeon-Woo lets the word hang, gears spinning in his mind.

Yoon-Seo approaches Kyung-Jun and Jin- Ha, the only two out who enjoyed the sport with shoes to match. "Is this either of yours?"

"Why would you say that, you witch?" Jin- Ha curses at her in response.

"Then you should have no problem showing us your shoes."

Kyung-Jun rolls his eyes, although you can tell both him and Jin-Ha were hiding their fretting and nerves.

"Of course I have no problem with it." He lifts one foot up toward you, then the other. "Look as many times as you want. It won't be me."

You shift your eyes from one foot to the other, noticing both heels were intact. Looking up at Yoon-Seo and Jun-Hee, you shake your head.

"It's not him."

"I told you."

Kyung-Jun shoves his hands in his pockets and you can see him trying to hide the hint of a victorious smile.

Your eyebrows furrow in deep thought, knowing that he couldn't be a Mafia member no matter how suspicious the situation is, for me pushed hard for Woo-Ram's elimination. Mafia members wouldn't purposely kill off their own teammate as that would put them at a disadvantage going by the majority rule.

He backs away slightly as you study his behavior, leaving the spotlight on Jin-Ha.

"Just because it's not Kyung-Jun, why do you automatically suspect me?"

"Do the same as him then," Mi-Na taunts. "It's your turn to prove your innocence."

"Screw you all!" he shouts, but exhibits no indication of relenting.

"Guess we have to do it the hard way," Eun-Chan states before enlisting the help of Da- Bum to lift Jin-Ha up effortlessly, each holding a leg still, feet tilted forward.

"Will you put me down already?!"

Despite his screams of protest, Jun-Hee presses the piece against his sole, the lone part slotting in perfectly.

Eun-Chan and Da-Bum quickly drop him to the floor on his back after the confirmation, leaving Jin-Ha fuming and fumbling.

From your spot, his hand is in your direct line of sight. "Your hand," you voice out, drawing everyone's attention to it. "Who bit you?" Jin-Ha reflexively tries to hide it with his other hand but it's too late. The row of teeth marks marring the surface, having broken skin, has already been noticed by everyone. You scoff in disbelief, a sound of disgust leaving you on the exhale. "So it really was you. Why? How could you?" you ridicule angrily.

"It wasn't my fault!"

"We've already reached this point. What's the use of denying?!" Yoon-Seo raises her voice for the first time ever. "No excuses will dismiss the facts."

"Do you want another fact then?!" Jin-Ha's eyes are crazed as they fix on his leader. "He played the biggest part in it!"

Kyung-Jun rounds on him, spewing words so fast he nearly spits on him. "What are you saying, you bastard? The shoe and brick clearly single you out!"

"How could you possibly know that?" you inquire barely above a whisper, throat constricting tighter by the second at the cruelty of the two.

The tone of your voice draws Kyung-Jun's attention, his eyes pleading with you for the guiltlessness he doesn't possess.

"We never mentioned the weapon." Yoon-Seo's voice takes on a tone of disappointment but not one of shock.

"What...?"

"Jin-Ha was with someone else when it happened." She scrolls through another picture of a slightly larger footprint. "There was one with the heel intact. You can't tell me this isn't yours, can you?"

Kyung-Jun stays silent and it's a confirmation as any.

Jin-Ha gets on his knees, nearly begging the group. "You have to believe me! Kyung-Jun killed Seung-Bin and then went on to do the same to Yu-Jun to rid of witnesses."

"You fucking lunatic!" Kyung-Jun shouts, going straight for Jin-Ha's throat.

"Stop it!" Yeon-Woo, being the closest one to them, tries to pull them apart but is sorely unsuccessful in every attempt made.

"Get your hands off me, you fat pig!"

Jun-Hee joins in the fray to help, barely managing to drag Kyung-Jun back, but the taller one is stronger, sending a punch right to the former's mouth. Without wasting a single second, he dashes forward and kicks Jin-Ha without remorse before anyone can proceed to stop him.

"Cut it out!" Eun-Chan, Yeon-Woo, and even Da-Bum's combined strength fails in comparison as Kyung-Jun overpowers them, much to their disdain.

Not one to give up, Jun-Hee jumps on his back as he's facing away, resulting in Kyung-Jun flipping him off, resorting to shove him against the row of adjacent metal lockers, sending him sprawling.

You rush toward him as he groans in pain, holding his back and struggling to sit up from the impact.

"That's enough!" Hyun-Ho shouts and tackles Kyung-Jun to the floor, punching his face in repeatedly.

Even then, Kyung-Jun's anger continues to mount, attempting to fight regardless of his disadvantaged position pinned to the floor.

"Yah, yah, yah!" Yeon-Woo warns, seeing neither of the two relenting.

If they didn't stop, both would wind up dead at the hands of the other. As a last ditch effort, Yeon-Woo throws his entire body weight atop Kyung-Jun as Dong-Hyun and Eun-Chan forcibly drag a still-swinging Hyun-Ho away.

Only when the tension gradually simmers down does Yeon-Woo slowly remove himself, leaving a disheveled and bruised Kyung-Jun on the floor next to an equally as beaten up Jin-Ha.

In the midst of the melee, a marker comes rolling by to your feet and you pick it up. It doesn't escape Kyung-Jun's eye, and he trails its path straight back to Jin-Ha.

He suddenly laughs, the sound mocking and all-knowing. "Would you look at that? You were the one who changed the writings and you still refuse to be labeled as a Mafia?"

Jin-Ha continues his imploring to be spared despite all the odds stacked against him. "No! I didn't write that sign!" As more than a few turn their heads away from him, he crawls toward them pathetically, groveling. "I really don't know what's going on!"

"Don't play the victim now, scumbag." Kyung-Jun turns to address the rest. Vote him out." As Jin-Ha, crazed in his appeal to each and every classmate individually, Kyung-Jun continues to back him into a corner, their friendship now broken beyond repair. "How pitiful. Let's eliminate him and put him out of his misery. Why go through unnecessary trouble when the Mafia has already presented himself to us?"

Jun-Hee staggers to get up and you help him to his feet as he leans on you for support. "You can't be one to talk when you also killed Yu-Jun!" He steps in between them and decides with resolution, "We'll put you two in separate rooms until voting time."

Dong-Hyun pulls Jin-Ha up as Hyun-Ho apprehends Kyung-Jun and the rest trail behind in silence as the two culprits are lead to the dorms.

Jin-Ha obediently ambles into his room without further defenses or propositions, a stark contrast to the other suspect at hand.

"This is a fucking prison cell." Kyung-Jun leans against the door jamb, phone in hand. He pivots on his heel, heading into confinement, but before he can slam the door shut in a display of anger, Mi-Na sticks a foot in to keep it from closing.

"What now?"

"Hand over the keys."

"Why?"

Mi-Na looks at him pointedly. "Isn't it obvious? What if you get out? We can't trust you to not go on a killing spree."

So-Mi sidles up next to her.

"The cafeteria belongs to all of us now, so give it up."

She holds out her hand but Kyung-Jun swats it away.

"They're gone. I lost them."

"Bullshit," So-Mi calls.

"I said I don't have them!" he grits through his teeth in her face as she pesters on. "Quit your yapping unless you want to do a full body search? Be my guest, but that means you can be subjected to the same if you're being doubted."

Irritated and embarrassed, So-Mi exits with a huff, Mi-Na tagging along behind her.

No longer seeing imminent trouble, the rest trickle out, leaving your friend group in the middle of the hallway.

"If not the keys, then give me your phone for now. I'll keep it as collateral," Jung-Won demands. "You can't go anywhere or do anything without it. This is the least you can do to make us trust you even as a murderer."

Without waiting for his response or consent, Da-Bum yanks the device out of Kyung- Jun's grip and it throws you for a loop, even more shocked than Kyung-Jun himself.

"You've grown up quite a lot, haven't you, Da-Bum?" Kyung-Jun sizes him up, patting his cheek condescendingly.

Ignoring him, Da-Bum passes the phone to Jun-Hee standing against the opposite wall.

Jin-Ha peeks his head out from his room, wanting to get one last word in. "It may seem like it, but I really am not the Mafia. I may have lied about other things, but in this, I'm telling the truth."

Opposing him, Kyung-Jun also states his position. "Even one citizen must be saved for every citizen to live."

The door swings shut on both sides.

With the two locked up, your remaining friends disperse to their own respective rooms, leaving only you and Jun-Hee behind.

"I need to collect Jin-Ha's phone too. Will you be alright out here alone guarding Kyung-Jun's door just until I'm done?"

"I'll be fine."

Assured, he steps into Jin-Ha's chamber and you're by yourself, back against the wall next to Kyung-Jun's room, wanting more than anything to sink to the ground in weariness.

Only a few minutes have passed before the door creaks open and you turn toward the source, finding Kyung-Jun with one hand on the inner doorknob, shoulder leaning against the door.

He stares at you and you're not entirely sure what the space between one breath and the next—between indecision and certainty truly meant.

Kyung-Jun glances around briefly before stepping even closer to you and reaching for your hand.

Uncurling your fingers, he drops a small metal key into your palm, closing your digits once again around them.

His hand engulfs yours, grasp lingering nearly imperceptibly, almost as though wanting to prolong the one chance he can't otherwise have.

"The rest I have hidden behind the metal door that holds the emergency hose." He points to what's in your hold. "This is the one key that matters out of the whole ring." You can tell he isn't lying this time around. "It's the only one that locks the rooftop storage room from the inside, so no Mafia members will be able to get to you, no matter what they do."

You try and fail to wrap your head around the unexpected exchange. "Why are you giving me this?"

"Repayment."

"You don't owe me anything..."

"For the trust you put in me that I broke."

The night of him being pitted against Woo-Ram is still too soon to disappear from your memory, the double betrayal cutting far too deep to forget.

"You know it's not something that can be so easily fixed, right?"

"Of course I do."

"Then, why are you still trying?"

"I want to pretend that my life isn't an entire sequence of bad choices."

"To give me this—" you look down at the key in your palm, "—isn't this another wrong decision?"

"No."

"Why would you give up something so important?"

"I've given up something more important than this. This is far from my kryptonite."

"Then what is it? Your weakness."

"You—"

A long pause.

"—will never find it."

𝟬𝟴 : 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗’𝗩𝗘, 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗’𝗩𝗘, 𝗪𝗢𝗨𝗟𝗗��𝗩𝗘 | 𝟭𝟬 : 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗧 , 𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗕𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥

© 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐍𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐞. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨, 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞, 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐭. 𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐳𝐞, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞.

[maybe-i-dreamt-u]

mmmh so i finished tgr and i have so so many thoughts and feelings and i'll probably be making a few lolnger posts about them all but for now a quick rundown for anyone that wants to takl to me about it bc I am BURSTING

so like we all agree tsc3 is gonna have jeremy's mom finding out about him and jean dating and lose her shit and it'll probably happen like 250+ pages in when you just think oh it's gonna be alright and then SIKE NO ITS NOT ... right?

jesus CHRIST i am losing my mind at jean's subtle flirting and it's not even directed at me god have mercy on jeremy bc jean sure isn't

KEVIN DAY MY BELOVED KEVIN YOU POOR THUNG KEVIN YOU BITCH RAHHH KEVIN I WILL DEFEND YOU FOREVER AND ALWAYS DO YOU HEAR ME nah cause this book finally made me get back to my kevin/jean (solely platonic) relationship study fic i was writing like LAST YEAR and I am coming back HARD for it and making it even more painful THANK YOU

Kevin why wont anyone listen to you Kevin why doesnt anyone care about your goddamn wellbeing (aside from jeremy but this reinforces my thesis that Kevin literally does not. have any real friends.

like jeremy barely knows him tbh and is living across the country, jean does not want anything to do with him anymore and anyway he is too hurt himself to help Kevin heal and NEIL AND ANDREW PMO SO MMUCH now don't get me wrong I love neil and andrew as much as the next bitch I get excited every time they are mentioned but bro they Do Not care about Kevin... And Thea? jesusdo not remind me.

like in general i try to pretend her relationship to kevin is nonexistent (for my INNER PEACE tyvm) but even if i do acknowledge it.. girl how's thea gonna help kevin heal or VICE VERSA

anyway this is turning into a Kevin ramble, more on that some other time

jeremy. jeremy do you know you have my heart. every time you open your mouth jeremy you win me all over again, I have a type and it is BLONDS WHO ARE TOO KIND FOR THEIR OWN GOOD (aka Jeremy in Tamaki Suoh cosplay when)

ngl before tgr i washoping we'd get more scenes of Jeremy sleeping around but now I TAKE IT BACK JUST GIVE ME JEREJEAN ALREADY

The bikes????? the matching bikes???? hottest thing ive ever seen in my life NEXT QUESTION

i feel like the house burning thing was kinda.. unnecessary? idk i'm being picky but imo it didn 't really.. do anthing for the plot, besides enable them to get that damn dog (said enearingly), like i'm not complaining the book was a little longer but also.. kinda just olut of no where???

what are the chances that all the ravens commiting suicides committed the same typa suicide as riko and seth? like what if Ichiro just. is just so done with this goddamn team and he doesn't want them staining the moriyama name anymore? he's letting the "good, quiet ones" go and getting rid of whoever was causing too much trouble? idk just a theory bc for some reason so many ravens ALL AT ONCE??? is almost suspicious to me

lastly to end on a good note CATALAILA!!!! CATALAILA MY BELOVED the bestest lesbians the bestest wuhluhwuh in the world, my soul has been healed, my heart has been fed with the GIRLS have you ever seen such a beautiful and loving relationship EVER no you haven't, and that's the power of women hit SEND

[clairedaring]

random msi ep 7 thoughts - joe's guilt and obligations to the old owner of his new body/life

so i did my reread of the chapters last weekend in preparation for this week's episode and one part stood out to me that i missed in last few rereads was this precious bit where joe expresses his guilt about about using his new body for sex

“Mom, it’s true. I also think that I came across such a good thing. He said that I can repay him slowly, but he’ll lend me the money first for our pressing needs. This money is really nothing to him. The money we owed, we can repay a part of it first. I’ll work hard. It’ll definitely get better in the future. So Mom, you must not have any burden. You must comply with the treatments. It’s only if you live that we can have hope, okay?” [Ing]’s voice trembled, “There is really such good people? How can there be such good people?” [Joe] smiled and confirmed the matter over and over again; only for [Ing] to feel as ease. If she knew that he agreed to such a deal… he wouldn’t dare to think about the consequences. If it was his former body, he may not feel as terrible. He is not a woman, not to mention that he had slept with [Ming] before. However, this body was not his. Although they have converged for so long, [Joe] still could not fully accept this body. Using [Ing]’s son’s body to do this made his heart filled with a sense of guilt. Moreover, when he thought of [Ming] using this body as a (substitute)……he could not describe his feelings. Embarrassed, awkward, and resentful. [Joe]’s heart is full of negative emotions. - Chapter 60, Professional Body Double by Shui Qian Cheng

And obviously since these are more of Joe's inner thoughts, I thought we weren't gonna get them. But then MSI team really took me by surprise by incorporating that bit seamlessly into this scene.

gif courtesy of @pharawee

it's a tiny detail. but one i appreciate very much to the team for having joe (the soul) remains considerate to the old owner of his body, someone he owes his new life to.

and it's actually not the only bit in the novel where he is constantly reminded by the old owner of his new body. like for example, when he first learned of ing's illness, he also considered donating one of his kidneys.

[Joe] made an arrangement with the doctor to have his kidney tested for compatibility the next time he come. This he did secretly behind [Ing]’s back. Even if his kidney is a match, the first issue is that he has no money for the surgery and second is that he’s afraid [Ing] would rather die than to agree to accept his kidney. But no matter what, he has to give it a try. At least there’s more hope to save her. Although [Joe] felt a little fearful on the possibility of having a kidney removed, he had no reason to back down. This body was not his to start with, but belonged to this youngster named [Joe]. He was just a dying person fortunate enough to have his soul hosted in this body to continue on living his life. This youngster is [Ing]’s son. On this body that hosted his soul, every strand of hair, skin and even this life came from [Ing]. He is the closest relative to [Ing]. He cannot evade nor can he be selfish. - Chapter 57, Professional Body Double by Shui Qian Cheng

and i also really like that even in as early as the beginning of the novel, since joe's woken up from his coma he's already committed to being ing's son because he's indebted to the old owner of his new body for giving him a 'renewed treasured life'.

[Joe] glanced at her. Although this woman is not his mother, he thinks that he has the responsibility to take care of her for the rest of her life because he took over her son’s body, making her lose her son forever. He, on the other hand, got a renewed treasured life. He can’t just accept that. He should also take up the responsibility that this life should have taken and complete his obligations. - Chapter 3, Professional Body Double by Shui Qian Cheng

anyhow this was not really a thoughts post, more like an excuse to gush about how much i love this novel and how well the series has been able to capture nuances that i thought would be left out due to tv constraints.

[erisweekofficial]

Today we're highlighting @acourtofladydeath, creator and mastermind behind @polyacotarweek. She's written so many amazing pieces about Eris across multiple ships and genres. And if you find yourself wanting to explore other characters, she's got you covered with her masterlist of 30+ works on AO3.

🧡 Looking for something deeply emotional and poignant? Please start with LD's favorite fic, All Things End (Azris). 🎧 It even has a playlist. 🎧

🔥 If you're looking for a good horny time, try Welcome to the Family, which features Elain x Eris or Rules are Rules (Azris). You're in for a good time with those two. Especially if you like Beron.

Read on to learn more about LD's writing process + some advice for writing about Eris...

What themes do you like to explore in your work with Eris?

I really enjoy exploring the juxtaposition and depth of Eris. He needs to act a certain way to protect the people he loves and keep his place within the Autumn Court under his father. But does he want to act that way? How soft is he, or is he actually as mean as he seems? I like when he's a bit of both. I think he's a very protective person, and I enjoy exploring the different ways that manifests with different people. I also think he's experienced a lot of trauma in his life, and I'd be remiss if I didn't say I enjoy exploring that and how it influences both his external and internal persona.

What other characters do you enjoy writing about alongside Eris?

Three favorites, three different relationships: My favorite person to ship Eris with is Azriel, and I love writing different iterations of their relationship. Some are softer, others are spicier, and then there's the really sad takes. There's so much give and take with these two and it's so fascinating to play around with. I love writing Eris and Nesta as best friends. Their wit is so well matched, as is their lived experiences with their siblings and parents. They have so much overlap, and you can write them funny or feeling and any combination in betwell. Plus, who says friends can't fuck? Not me. The third person is Lucien. I really enjoy exploring their familial relationships. Were they close as kids? If they hate each other, have they always? How does this relate to their relationships with their parents and other brothers? There's so many different ways to skin this cat and I want to write them all.

What's your favorite piece you've created featuring Eris and why?

I hemmed and hawed over this question forever, but I think the fic that fits best is "All Things End." This fic is pure bittersweet angsty sadness. What if Beron's torture gave Eris incurable dementia? How would his mate, Azriel, their children, and Lucien handle the situation? CW for dementia, death, and grief. I created two playlists for this fic: one that's a direct accompaniment and another that's an extended cut. The direct playlist is timed to the reading length of the fic, and specific songs play during specific scenes to enhance the reader experience (AKA bring more tissues).

Do you have any advice for other creators wanting to make eris content?

Eris is a character that we don't know much about compared to others in the series. When I go to write him I start with what we do know: his father's abuse, he's a general, he protected Lucien, we don't have the whole story about the Mor situation. He's cunning, so you know that what you see isn't all there is. I like to build backward. What from canon do I want to focus on? How does canon tie into whatever type of fic I'm writing? Why does he act the way he acts, and how does that tie into his canon history and the plot/theme/characterization of my fic? This helps build up the layers that are so integral to who I think Eris is as a character. Complex, captivating, keeps you on your toes. And don't forget his gold jewelry.

[rottin6]

hi layla my love my light. could you perhaps spare some jegulus cam sex thoughts? i fear i may waste away without them <3

i could yap about this forever, lane im kissing u for asking

it’s essentially an entire universe that spans out across different characters and ideas. the constant variable in each universe is that james is always the director. he’s always behind the camera, capturing sex for the art, whether it’s regulus (his favourite star) or some other actors. he lives in la and he spends his time writing scripts, editing the films, going over certain scenes etc.

in one scenario, there’s a time in maybe a completely different city where you’ve got lily learning how to give a blowjob purely because of james’ videos with regulus:

the first thing lily’s learnt is that the pornhub interface is surprisingly easy to navigate. she scrolls down the page, more inclined to watch the shitty iphone made videos because they look less fake. there’s one video of a couple, a man’s face behind the camera while a young and pretty boy sucks his cock deep, taking it in all the way. lily watches, studies, the way his lips part open and his tongue licks all the way up to the tip, mouth sinking down right after. she keeps herself cocooned in her blanket, chin in her palm as she traces over her own lips with her fingers. the same couple have another video with a ‘deepthroat’ tag, and lily swiftly realises that this is the superior method. and that above all, she wants to be the best so at some point, two fingers are hitting the back of her throat and she’s trying to keep them down. she gags a couple of times, both digits slick with saliva. she tries to match her pace with the boy in the video, holding on until she’s hit with the sudden realisation that barty’s much, much bigger than her two fingers.

(snippet from a bartylily drabble i have yet to upload)

it's the extent to which james loves making these films and videos, he gets off on the pure idea of them. his camera alone is enough to get him hard until he meets regulus, this star who is a star before even being shown to the world. james is enamoured and he builds most of his success with regulus (prior to this, he tried things with a bunch of different actors, but nothing stood out). he goes on to creating an empire of sorts, climbing this ladder but director james wants more and more

but i feel that the jegulus cam sex universe has so much potential to become more than just. sex, if that makes sense

there’s a really shitty 1976 film called snuff and it led to loads of people thinking the pornographic murder in the film was actually real and happened. i want this for james. i want james to crave the money and power and status so bad that’s he’s willing to go to any lengths. he desires to have a name for himself in this industry and rosekiller have the ability to do that for him. they’re his best stars (yes, reg is his favourite but favourite ≠ best) and they make him a shit load of money. they’re on board with anything that james tells them to do and james takes their ideas with a grin on his face and the camera ready

one of the writers of snuff (shackleton) was interviewed and said: “if the murder is real, i’d be a fool to admit it. if it isn't real, i’d be a fool to admit it.” — this whole ambiguity reeks of director james and rosekiller. he has barty and evan make a shitty snuff film, one of them supposedly dies, it’s horrifically gory and perverted but it gives james the name he wanted

he’s so LA fame hungry, he wants the people in twenty years time to be asking stuff like “what ever happened to that actor evan what’s-his-name?” and that’s exactly what happens

james’ entire production company is cut after a series of investigations but he’s not bothered, evan and barty put his name on the map and he’s got loads of money to leave him comfortable until he dies. he packs his bags and takes his favourite star, regulus, to marbella and they live in a house by the beach where they “occasionally” still make shitty cam sex videos but it’s totally anonymous now

i'm not sure yet if i want this to be a full fic or just upload little things here and there on tumblr...

[spoopyblues214]

Hear me out since I'm am totally a stranger

But what if you made a karamatsu x reader and they were on a karaoke date and they sung together

👀👀👀👀💙

Mhm mhm totally a stranger uhuh. Song in this is Rather Be by clean bandit n jess glynne.

Kara oke

Karamatsu fluff, karaoke booth, genderless reader pov

Word count: 594

°•.•°

It was your idea, knowing your favorite loser in blue was a fan of singing. Sure, he said you could pick what the two of you would be doing, but you weren't exactly against going to karaoke; it'd just be you and him. When the night came, though, and you were there, you got self conscious. On an actual stage was somehow easier, singing for strangers who you didn't know and wouldn't be seeing again, but here in the private room with only Karamatsu, it made you anxious.

So you let him start, and have a few more songs after that, enjoying his performances and trying to ignore the building tension in your chest. In between songs he'd offer you to go next, and you'd bite your lip and wave a hand, saying you were still thinking of what to sing. After so long, Karamatsu finally picked for you, taking your hand and standing you with him.

"We're a thousand miles from comfort,"

He started, letting go to grab the second mic.

"We have traveled land and sea,"

The mic got placed in your hand, while he gave you an encouraging nod.

"But as long as you are with me,"

Taking your free hand in his,

"There's no place I'd rather be."

He spun you under his arm, making you chuckle at his flourish.

"I would wait forever, exalted in the scene,"

He continued, tapping a foot to the beat of the song before pulling you back close.

"As long as I am with you, my heart continues to beat."

Letting go, he did his own spin before moonwalking, making you snort when he winked at you.

"With every step we take, Kyoto to the bay, strolling so casually."

"We're different and the same, gave you another name, switch up the batteries."

Singing from where he stood across the room, he lowered his head and pointed at you dramatically for you to pick up the song.

And you did. Watching him continue to be his dramatic silly self made your nerves dissipate.

"If you gave me a chance, I would take it!"

Your voice came out strong, and he lifted his head, startled for only a moment before his smile widened in amazement.

"It's a shot in the dark, but I'll make it,"

It was easy to match his pretend stage presence, reaching a hand out before pulling it back in as a fist.

"Know with all of your heart, you can't shake me!"

Karamatsu came in, shaking his head once.

"When I am with you, there's no place I'd rather be!"

When you sang the end of the chorus, you could see him melt in adoration, making your own heart flutter. The two of you had a blast singing the rest of the song, Karamatsu cheering your vocal runs and you laughing with pure joy when he'd take your hand to dance. You had just closed your eyes to sing the bridge when you felt gravity flip, and upon opening them you were met with Karamatsu smiling like he had the world in his arms. Really, he just had you in a dip, but if that expression didn't make fireworks go off in your brain you'd be lying.

You kissed him when the music soared with the final chorus, wrapping your arms over his shoulders. He dropped his microphone to return the kiss, a hand in your hair, the other still around your waist. The song was practically over when you separated.

"When I am with you there's no place I'd rather be."

[sl-newsie]

The Secret Ingredient (Willy Wonka (2023) x Fickelgruber Daughter) Chapter 1: Mystery Man

Masterlist: https://www.tumblr.com/sl-newsie/747510006135554048/the-secret-ingredient-willy-wonka-2023-x?source=share

Today is different. I don’t know why, but ever since I woke up there’s been something different. I don’t know what’s in store for today but there’s no doubt that something’s coming.

“Dear, I need you to run down and fetch me the paper.” Father calls lazily from his lounge chair.

I feel my heart leap. “Really? I can go downstairs?”

“Be quick! Don’t make a scene!” Father barks as he sips his morning cocoa.

Before he can reconsider I rush to the staircase and am about to slide down the railing-!

“And act ladylike!” Father calls from behind me.

I stop in my tracks and remember who I am. “Fine,” I grumble under my breath. My life’s been dull as dishwater until now anyway. Why change?

My name is Charlotte Fickelgruber, daughter of one of the most powerful chocolatiers in the world. But do not let that fool you. Just because my father’s a chocolatier doesn’t mean life is fun. 

After taking forever to walk slowly and ‘ladylike’ down the stairs I fight my giddiness and strut towards the door. Father hardly ever lets me go downstairs, let alone leave the building. The usual display of chocolates is still plain and dull since father saves the best chocolate only for ‘upscale business,’ which basically means upperclassmen and bribery. The shop opens at 10am as usual and also as usual there are few customers here due to the usual chocolate. Today there’s a fair amount of foot traffic buzzing around outside in the Galeries Gourmet and it’s all I can do not to venture out and see what new chocolates are being sold.

“Morning, charcoal,” two voices taunt in unison.

I groan and turn to face two girls in matching mint mint green dresses. “Morning Cindy, morning Mindy. For the last time, my name is Charlotte. Not charcoal, not Charlie, Charlotte. If you both want to keep your silly job of greeting customers with fake smiles I suggest you treat the heiress to Fickelgruber chocolate with respect.”

They both snicker and walk off to the back of the store, more than likely to check their makeup for the tenth time. Such rudeness.

“Here you are, miss!” The paperboy sprints up and waves our daily paper up for me to grab. 

“Thank you, Timothy!” I hand him the change (with a special tip, of course). “How’s the world out there?”

He shrugs and shuffles his feet. “It’s alright, I guess. Starting to get cold!” He grips his bag and rushes off.

“B- Bye!” I wave as he disappears into the crowd. “See you… later?”

And so goes another failed attempt to make friends.

“Everything alright, Miss Fickelgruber?” Our maid Lottie asks from behind.

I give a heavy sigh. “Charlotte please, Lottie. You know how much I hate being a Fickelgruber. It’s torture to spell and even worse to hear. It’s just…” I glance up again to look out at the passerbys. “I’m so tired of being alone. Dad’s too embarrassed to have me be too social. He can’t expect me to stay tucked away upstairs forever!”

Lottie shakes her head and puts a hand on my shoulder. “It’s not my place, miss. But if it gives any comfort-” She takes a quick look to make sure we’re alone and whispers: “I could try to sneak you out one day.”

My pulse skips and I hold up my hands to keep her from saying more. “No. No! I can’t let you do that! You’ll get fired. Last time I tried to sneak out dad nearly flipped out! He hates it when I’m even on the same ground as the ‘poor’ people, let alone trying to associate with them!”

Lottie nods in silent agreement and goes about with her load of laundry, leaving me to keep looking outside. All those people, all the sights and smells I’m missing out on…

“Ladies and gentlemen!” 

A cheerful voice across the room catches my attention. It’s surprisingly animated for the Galeries Gourmet. I take a deep breath and, in a hasty moment of courage, walk out the door to search for the voice’s origin. I see people gathering towards the front near the empty lot. What on Earth-?

That’s when I spot him. At first all I can see is a brown top hat. Once I get closer a better view presents a lanky, boyish man wearing a tattered magenta overcoat, olive-colored waistcoat, brown scarf, tan trousers, and worn brown boots. I can’t quite make out his face…

“Step right up! I’ve got just the chocolate for you!” 

He’s standing on a simple crate with nothing more than a jar of strange-looking chocolate. The crowd drowns him out and I can’t squeeze past-!

“Well, there's chocolate.

And there's chocolate.

But only Wonka's makes your eyes pop out their sockelets.”

Singing? What an unusual way of advertisement. And what’s- Oh my! The chocolate is flying! Literally flying over my head!

“Put your hand into your pockelet,

Get yourself some Wonka chocolate!

Come now, I insist!

You've never had chocolate like this!

No, you've never had chocolate like this!”

Through the gathered crowd I see people pluck the chocolates from the sky and- fly? They’re flying! Light as a feather!  

“Oh my goodness!” My jaw drops. “How’s that even possible…?”

“Charlotte!”

I spin around at the sound of my name. By now the commotion has caught much attention, including my father’s. 

“Go inside now! What have I told you about walking about with-?”

“With our customers?” I ask. “Father, I wanted to see-”

“Go, now!” He barks and points to the store as he goes to follow the other chocolatiers. “I must go see what all this racket is about.”

And there they go. The big three: Fickelgruber, Prodnose, and Slugworth. I’m the only heiress of any of them but as of now there’s been no talk of me getting to help out with the family business. Father always waves it off and keeps saying ‘when you’re older,’ so I’ve got no clue what to expect. 

I sigh in defeat and walk away from the excitement. Just when I thought this day was different. Back inside, I mope over to the window to see-

“Jeez louise!” My mouth drops open.

There, just above me, is my father. Flying! Just like the others! I pinch myself and shake my head to see if I’m awake and still see him levitating up to the ceiling! 

“Lottie are you seeing this? It’s amazing!” I look down and relocate the man in the top hat, and I’m overcome with a sudden urge to meet him. He doesn’t look like a high-class highbrow. How is he making everyone so happy?

I forget all about being ladylike and slide down the railing, rushing to find the mystery candy man before he disappears.

“Out of the way! Coming through!” The chief of police barges through and the cops spread out.

“But he didn’t do anything wrong!” I complain.

“He’s disrupting business,” Officer Affable informs me.

“It’s the hoverchoc,” the man in the top hat explains.

Hoverchoc? I’ve never heard of-

Just then, father storms up and ushers the officer to go after the man. “Come, Charlotte.”

“B- But I wanted to-”

“Such nonsense!” Father ignores my pleas and starts mumbling to himself.

“Father…who was that? Did you just fly? I could barely see from the window-!”

“He is no one,” father states clearly. “He is a fool to think that he can even try to compete with us! I do not want you going anywhere near that boy, Charlotte. He’s bad news.”

We get back to the store, but before I’m dragged back inside I sneak one last look at the mysterious stranger. Who is he? Will he be able to survive dad’s competition?

[cantquitu]

Hi!

Im also watching Say Nothing and its really good! I also started to read the book. As an Irish person can you give me your perspective about it?

Sorry I completely missed this yesterday. I was binging the last few episodes, I couldn't tear myself away.

I thought Say Nothing was really good. It is such a complex and difficult subject with no clear right or wrong, only dark and shade. I liked that the series didn't try to give easy answers or take a moralistic stance. I think it portrayed the awful, messy complexity of the war as well as a piece of television could. I am sure it will provoke a breadth of differing opinions, and some will be angry, but I think it was a truly excellent attempt to portray this painful chapter in history with some nuance.

And not only that, but to make this story into such bingeworthy, pacy, riveting television without falling for Hollywood cliches and pat cliffhangers? I don't think I quite believed that was possible in a series about the war in Northern Ireland.

The acting was fantastic, such brilliant casting matches for the young & old versions of the characters! Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe and Anthony Boyle were particularly great, and I'm so glad that they chose West Belfast actors for two of those roles. I thought they were incredible.

But giving my perspective "as an Irish person" is kind of complicated. As an Irish person from the Republic I've had a completely different experience of events in the North compared to anyone who grew up there. A completely different personal relationship with our history. One of the strengths of Say Nothing for me was how it portrayed this contrast in the later episodes set in the '90s. My brain is still melted from being confronted with so many shades of the conflict all at once. Every time I felt conflicted about a scene, a later scene would address that conflict - not offering solutions or answers, but acknowledging that there were multiple other perspectives. Powerful stuff!

Growing up in the south, most of us had the option to tune out what was happening, to go about our days without our lives being directly impacted by the war. When I was very little, it was on the news every single night and I knew that after the grown-ups had had a few drinks, you didn't want the subject raised. But despite trying to figure out the words to U2's 'Sunday Bloody Sunday', my childhood understanding didn't really go beyond "We want the Brits out but they won't leave because the Protestants want them to stay and there are more of them than Catholics, and they'll probably keep killing each other forever and I really wish it could stop"

I never experienced British bigotry towards me personally as an Irish person until I was actually in England - it's something every Irish person anticipates in their bones, but it wasn't in my face growing up.

I never even went across the border until I was 16 years old. I went to see a British band play in Belfast (think of that episode of Derry Girls where they travel to Belfast to see Take That, if the Derry Girls were from Dublin and they were going to see a punk band, not a boyband). My parents wouldn't let me go because they said it was too dangerous, but I went anyway. They were right. There was a bomb scare on the train on the way there and another bomb scare at the club after the gig. My friends and I were totally out of our depth. At 4am we fucked up and called the wrong taxi service to take us to a Catholic area and had army rifles pointed in our faces at a checkpoint. We were young and didn't know what we were doing and couldn't quite grasp that this was reality. It was frightening and sobering, and I did not go back until after the ceasefire a couple of years later.

So that was the luxury of being raised in the south - I didn't have to think about it most of the time. A luxury no-one growing up in the North had. So as an Irish person I have a load of thoughts about Say Nothing, but I'm especially interested in what Northern Irish people have to say about it.

[tree1138]

Astarion Contradictions and Breakups

Major spoilers for Astarion’s personal quest, The Dark Urge questline, and game endings. 

When I was trying out different paths for how Astarion reacts to the Dark Urge questline something that stood out to me was the wide difference in responses Astarion has, as well as the way he contradicts himself. This essay started as a way of trying to explain “why does Ascendant Astarion tell you to take over the world when he immediately becomes a thrall” from a Watsonian (in-universe explanation) vs a Doylist (out-of-universe explanation) and wound up being a focused on; why does Ascendant!Astarion react so differently to when you break up? 

There are 4 opportunities to break up with Ascendant!Astarion; 1) refuse to become his thrall immediately after the ritual you breakup and have a follow up conversation the next morning, 2) become his thrall and break up with him whenever before killing the Eldar brain, 3) break up with him on the dockside convo at the beginning of the ending, 4) in the last scene with him say you want to break up at which point he doesn’t let you: “You're mine remember? The tadpole is gone, which means your future is mine to decide. How lucky you are that I chose you as my consort. Chose you to help me take Baldur’s gate, then sit by my side as I rule it. There’s no backing out now - we’ll be together forever. I can promise you that…”.  

Comparing breakup conversations with Spawn!Astarion after killing Cazador, Ascendant!Astarion responds with so much more spitefulness and defensive anger across the board, even at Spawn!Astarions most angry (breaking up with him in the literal last conversation) it doesn't match the anger and cruelty in senario 1. To me it reads as him wanting to make the player character just as hurt and upset as he is after a very emotional day and the lines get really nasty:

He then won’t say anything but “why the hells are you bothering me now” until you do 3 long rests which stands out considering if you break up in any other non ending scenario he’ll talk to you pleasantly afterwards. 

That conversation days afterwards is really interesting where his “goal” is to get you to agree to be partners in crime together, and in doing so is the most honest he gets about how a romantic relationship would have been unhealthy:

In regards to love It's really interesting what Astarion will say about love during the conversation where he asks you to become his spawn:

If the pc expresses insecurity about being a spawn he’ll reassure them and say he loves them, in a way that deliberately parallels his Act 1 seduction conversation down to the way that he starts with a degrading pet-name “what can I do for my dearest pet” vs “here’s my little treat with their cheeks all flushed”.

Just like the seduction scene he wants the pc on his side and attached to him, but if you push back on him during this conversation its clear he no longer believes in love just power exchanges:

If the player stays together with Ascendant!Astarion a dialogue option is that he’s seem distant since the ritual, and he’ll imply it's due to his new powers but he does that looking to the up and right that others have mentioned he does when he lies. What makes more sense and is better character writings is the Watsonian answer of: killing all your siblings and 7,000 others (including people Astarion regretted victimizing and then had to look in the eye and condemn to death) will fuck a person up. He knows his hands are bloody so he has to believe he got everything he wanted, and he did really want this because if you leave it up to him he will chose to do the ritual vs just killing Cazador.  

I think Astarion has to believe he is better (which in his view means more powerful) than his past self as part of believing the sacrifice was worth it. In scenario 2 he’ll say this if you bring up his past self:

What’s a lot more interesting is if you bring up his past self in the morning after conversation of scenario 1 he’s genuinely shocked and caught off guard:

What I found interesting was Astarion talks in the same way about how the ritual was worth it and the cool new powers he’ll totally get as he does advocating for endings that are bad for him. If you become the Absolute leader Astarion becomes a thrall just like all the other companions whether you do it on your own or in Bhaal’s name. For all his talk about Bhaal’s army being “an unsurpassable dowry” and how he’ll command it, he can’t do jack shit if the player defies Bhaal and then either kills themselves or becomes fully possessed by Bhaal.The Doylist answer is Larian games just have a very limited amount of endings and the characters are forever stuck at lvl 12 , the more interesting Watsonian answer is Astarian is lying/exaggerating out of ignorance or because he really doesn’t have a clue of what to do next and is trying to cover for that.

The whole ritual plotline is very obviously Astarion continuing the cycle of abuse vs helping others, the abuse Cazador inflicted was akin to the abuse he suffered from Vellioth, down to Astarion commenting that Cazador’s rules came from Vellioth. It's also clear that Ascendant!Astarion has processed none of his trauma re: Cazador, after the ritual he says “I will not think about him. I don’t want to even say his name” and he shouts at you to be silent if you mention Cazador when you break up in scenario 2. I personally think Astarion sees you staying with him as a spawn degrading because he was degraded and abused when he was a spawn based on a line he has if the pc is cursed to go mad with The Dark Urge, where he relates too much to the character.

I think the DnD rules of absolute morality that vampires are extremely evil is a boring answer to why Ascendant!Astarion becomes possessive and controlling, especially since Larian has pushed against that theme throughout the game. Yes Astarion has an Act 1 line about how vampires don't turn spawn into full vampires because they don't share power, in my opinion that line falls flat when considering will have kind and supportive dialogue to the player in a number of other Act 3 quests. Whether the its the Watsonian answer that Larian wasn’t going to rewrite large chunks of dialogue when there are Act 3 quests with no companion reactions or the Doylist answer that he is just extremely possessive and has attachment issues about the threat of you leaving him is an interesting dilemma.

In regards to scenario 4 it's a fucking huge contrast to Astarion's whole character arc about learning to trust and being around someone who respects his boundaries and consent, where here doesn't respect the player's boundaries or consent. It's such a contrast to scenario 3 that happens right before it where Astarion says "We have served our respective purposes, we're free to go wherever we wish" and doesn't mind you breaking up with him as if your relationship was a strategic alliance. It's also the clearest contrast from his pre-ritual dialogue of "we're a team. If I become all powerful, then we become all powerful" because he's taken away all power from the player. The Ascendant romance is not subtle with most of the romance specific dialogue being themed around an extremely toxic D/s relationship where the Narrator explicitly says he’ll see you as degrading himself by being with him as a spawn which feels like it was added to remove any ambiguity about what Astarion feels.  From the way he says “on your knees” before he turns the player character, the way he calls you “bad boy/girl” if you fail the check to see his thoughts, and that infamous line about sitting naked on his lap.

Between the heavy message of power corrupts and how the rest of his ending dialogue is about how his evil future plans will be so fun, it's a clear callback to an act 1 conversation:

tldr: I don't think that corruption is as fun or as freeing as you thought Astarion, but he doesn't have to confront that fact if you're "lovers forever, until the world falls down"

[aclowntiny]

Wooyoung + Firsts

The last of my firsts 😌 hope you enjoyed this series! (LMAO I forgot I had this all ready to post forever 😅)

First Date: When he said ‘oh just come over, I’ll make something’, you didn’t think it was going to be a candlelit pasta dinner or that he was literally going to be acting like he was on a cooking show, but that, ladies and gentlemen, is Wooyoung. He whips up your first date dinner almost entirely from scratch and hey, if you like being in the kitchen he’s very eager to bring you in to help and watch up close! The conversation never stops flowing, either, both from him, your responses, or the kitchen banter you two surely get into!

First Time Holding Hands: On your first date, of course! This man wastes no time with physical affection and besides, your first date is begging for it- as you cook, he ‘helps you out’ plenty by guiding you. If you’re comfortable with it, he’ll probably hold your hand as you talk and eat, eyes on you the entire time.

First Kiss: Because he’s been so giving and caring, from hand-making you dinner on the first date to walking on the outer side of the street with a hand protectively resting across your back to buying you cute trinkets that catch your eye, you want to repay Wooyoung. Flipping the script he’d expect, you show up to meet him with a bouquet of flowers, handing them out with an eager smile. His face melts into an eager grin, dark eyes shining as he looks at you, hands faltering before they reach up and pull you into a kiss that shows you all his appreciation and then some.

First ‘I Love You’: Not many people can keep up with Wooyoung, but there you are matching every move, wink, you name it as you sing your hearts out together, his hands falling to your hips as he pulls another corny dance move. Who else but these two? Everyone else says, shaking their heads, but smiles play on their faces as the rush overtakes you in waves and he hits an exhilarating high note, grabbing you and dipping you for a victory kiss immediately after as if he didn’t even need air. Just you. Your hand finds the back of his head to tangle in his locks and pull him all the way into you. Even more exasperation and mock-disgust sounds off around you, but beneath the dim purple light of the room and the dreamy red haze cresting your heart, you can't care less. They can have a show, you both think. Wooyoung whispers to you how well you play together, how fun it was, and you wholeheartedly agree. “I love you,” he says, hand sliding from your thigh to meet the other at your back, standing you up again. “I love you, too,” you whisper back, leaned against his forehead, feeling his cheek slide into yours softly.

First Fight: Even if you don’t try to be hotheaded or get that way often, there’s just something about Wooyoung that brings out the passion in you for better or for worse. So when he seems a little too friendly to a waitress when you guys go out, it has you huffing because she was obviously flirting with him and he was practically egging her on. At least that’s what you say when he asks, and his annoyed response feels defensive to you. It degenerates into some snapping back and forth, but not much raised voices since you’re in public. “You know what? Fine,” Wooyoung says and your brow creases because what does he mean? The moment the waitress starts to walk back up, Wooyoung yanks you into an embarrassingly passionate kiss like he’d never given you in public before, pouring all his stress and frustration into it. She’s flustered and less than impressed, but Wooyoung is only looking at you when she leaves. “That prove anything?”

First Anniversary: Excuse to celebrate? Yes, please! Instead of making it a solemn scene, Wooyoung wants your hundred days to be fun so he takes you go-karting! A little competition keeps a relationship spicy in his mind, and he loves the banter on who will win, the ‘shut up’, ‘make me’ exchanges as you swerve past each other with childlike laughter. You love the break of tradition, but Wooyoung won’t let you forget his romantic side, presenting you with a single rose wrapped up. “Pull it from the paper a little,” he urges you, and that’s when the charm bracelet he got you falls out! Each charm is something to remind you of all your dates, like a pan for the kitchen date, a book for your book shop date, and a car for the latest one.

First Pet: Well aware are you of both Wooyoung’s tendencies and that video he was in with the dog… a dog that matches his energy perfectly in your mind! You guys adopt a black and brown shiba inu puppy that reminds you so much of him, right down to the volume of his famed doggy yells! Your name vote was Banshee for obvious reasons, but Wooyoung wanted something cuter, so you compromised with the similar name Benji instead. Benji is a ball of energy that practically jumps into his dad’s arms every time he comes home from practice!