#unfortunately my hands gave out on me about halfway through making this so that's why the second one is the way it is

[its-captain-sir]

MUTANT MAYHEM SPOILERS

so those milk jokes huh

[mimipolo]

Something fluffy or domestic with Nam-gyu?

Nam-gyu x reader fluff

Sorry for no upload of Nam-gyu content yesterday, I can only handle writing sm💔💔

Hope you like what I did and ALSO this is not editted so any dumb mistakes mb, ima edit it tmrw

It's cold, so cold. Your hands are buried deep into the feltiness of your jacket lining, desperate to keep your hands at least above freezing.

The sky is beautiful just tinting blue as the moon made its emergence, you appreciate the serene view as cold puffs of air left your lips and you snuggled your head deeper into your hoodie.

Entering your apartment complex and reaching your door after the unfortunately long flight of stairs you're mostly unsurprised to see a bored Nam-gyu loitering nearby. As you approach you call his name, his head perks up as he leans off your door with a grin on his face as he bites his cheeks.

"What are you doing here shouldn't you have work?" you say disapprovingly as you take in his warm attire.

"How cruel you don't wanna see me? I'm off today?"his voice is playfully mocking as he tilts his head towards you.

"I don't remember my apartment becoming your second home Nam."

"You say that but you gave me the keys."

"And where are they?"

He falls silent at your words, you clocked his bullshit and he knew it, he purses his lips and clicks his tongue, he's not about to argue against that. He's already grinning again when you open your apartment with a deflated sigh, happily tailing behind you. He hasn't lost your keys, he just likes to meet you by the door.

Immediately kicking off your shoes the two of you break into the usual routine, he's roaming your cupboards to make a simple snack for the two of you to eat and you make your way to your room to get changed and freshened up after work. You had never the thought it to be weird until you brought one of your friends round and said it was like the two of you were basically married. You had quickly laughed it off but he seemed to happily lean into the idea. He started to jokingly call you his [partner role] but you're not too sure it's a joke anymore knowing him.

You walk out in casual clothes, random enough to wear out the house but comfortable enough to unintentionally sleep in. Nam-gyu is already comfortable on the floor, knees pulled forward slightly as he clicked through potential movies for the night. His head is thrown back against the edge of the couch and the glow of the TV made his features stand out beautifully. You often found yourself admiring his face just because it just screamed meant to be painted, he said you were delusional when you told him. But it was hard not to believe especially with his hair slightly messed up from hiding under a beanie.

You take your appointed seat on the couch, your knees just centimetres from his head, you had asked him before why he always sits on the couch but he always claims it's just more comfortable. He's a floor guy. He's also the guy that leans his head against your leg halfway through the movie and says he's tired(clinical insomniac here).

It's well into the early morning now and you're still sat here on your couch, eventually you got tired of sitting in the same place for so long you decided it'd be more comfortable to lie on your side instead. Your hand is just within reach of his hair which you passively enjoyed threading your fingers through and further ruining it. He never minded though, in fact you'd flatter yourself and say he enjoyed it just as much. The peaceful ambience of your living room is disrupted when he randomly speaks up.

"Ya know I never thought I'd get this far..."

"Huh?" Naturally you're quite confused with this contextless statement.

"I mean this whole non permanent roomie thing we have, I never thought I'd get to have that."

"Why not?"

He sighs a bit as if you were clueless, turning his head slightly so he could face you, a small smile on his face as he gazes up at you, a longing in his eyes you never noticed till now making your own heart sputter. Gently, he takes the wrist of your hand in his hair and holds it to his face, his jaw fitting into the curve of your palm. His fingers are cold but his face is flaring with warmth, causing your own fingers to heat up. You wonder if it's because he's blushing and you wish you could see.

He indulges himself for a moment, savouring the fact you didn't pull away before speaking again, it looked like he wanted to say something else but quickly corrected himself.

"I like being with you, so it's just... weird you don't mind having me around." There's a melancholy sweetness to his words which doesn't sit right in your stomach. What's he trying to say?

"Why would I? You're always on my side."

"Yeah...not all people work like that, but since you're weird you do."

You scoff at his words, gaining a small chuckle for him as he turns around towards you fully, the movie playing now just filler in the background as you try to dissect what he's hiding from you now.

He's still holding your hand to his face, absentmindedly running his thumb over the back of your hand as his gaze rested on your silhouette. He looks deep in thought, not uncommon for Nam-gyu but he'd never held your hand so tenderly as he did so, this isn't just friendship anymore is it?

"Ya know... I think I like being with you."

You're about to roll your eyes that was such a "the sky is blue" sort of take. You both knew how much he cared for you, what you didn't know is that somehow he was able to exceed that limit. But he makes it pretty clear when he presses his lips to your palm so delicately it felt ghostly. Despite that it didn't don't fail to spike your heartrrate. This time when his eyes focus on you they have that slightly teasing look resting behind them, the one you recognised the most.

"I really like being with you [Name]..."

Oh? Oooooh. Now that's something that won't fly over your head, if the countless casual one on one friendly hangouts were anything to go by. He's smirking slightly as he watches your expression change to a more embarrassed one the longer the meaning of his words settle in.

He liked you.

And you'd be a liar if you hadn't said to yourself you'd eventually have to make a move on him, he was the only one in your life to prioritize everything about you before considering himself, despite how selfish he liked to act. So with that you're leaning slightly off the couch, your hand leaving his cheek to tilt his head to meet yours. You stiffle a chuckle when he rushes to his knees. Letting you pull him in as you place a chaste kiss to his lips. You both laugh quietly when he chases that short contact to steal a firmer kiss, his hand resting on your shoulder, lighting up goosebumps on the cold skin.

"I like you too I guess."

"I guess??"

"I've got to keep you humble."

Now it's his turn to scoff as you laugh, your touch is thoughtful as you tuck his outgrown hair behind his ears telling him silently you were only teasing. You smile as he visibly relaxes, now insisting you should start living together already. This guy...give him an inch and he takes a mile, but it's something you've come to like about him, maybe even love.

[kioflerkira]

“ CATCH ME IF YOU CAN ! ”

pairing(s): m.morales x reader genre: fluff, humor, established relationship, friendly competition warnings: fluff, implied teasing swearing tee hee, kissing summary: you and miles make a game out of who can swing to the top of the tallest building first

━━━━ ⋮ ୨୧ ⋮ ━━━━

“ALRIGHT RULES ARE SIMPLE,” you said, perched sideways on the edge of a rooftop, fingers holding also the concrete roof. “first one to the top of that—” you pointed across the skyline, toward a skyscraper that gleamed under the afternoon sun, “—wins.”

miles arched a brow, stretching his neck like a professional athlete about to enter the spider-verse olympics. “what building ? that’s like three bridges and a pizza place away.”

“I believe in you,” you teased, already leaning forward like a runner on the starting line.

he gave you a squinty look, smirking as he pulled his mask back over his face. “you’re gonna cry when I beat you, aren’t you ?”

“ha ! you wish.” you grinned. “first one there gets bragging rights and the loser buys dinner.”

“oh, now it matters,” he laughed. “let’s go, pretty girl.”

and with that, he shot a web and zoomed.

you cursed under your breath, firing your own web right after him, launching off the edge with a scream of wind in your ears. the race was on.

the city blurred past as you swung between buildings, weaving through fire escapes and dodging the occasional surprised pigeon. you could see him up ahead—barely. his suit flashed red and black like a taunt every time he flipped over a building edge, cocky as ever.

“slowpoke !” miles shouted over his shoulder.

“trash talk won’t save you when I pass you !” you yelled back.

he laughed again— show-off

you took a shortcut, slicing through a narrow alleyway and rebounding off the side of a brick wall, shooting your web higher. boom, suddenly you were ahead.

“HEY !” he shouted.

“oh now you care,” you called, twisting mid-air, flipping backward just to show off. “I thought you were gonna win ?”

you didn’t even have to see his face to know he was pouting under that mask.

but then, as if scripted, you misjudged a swing. your web caught a weird angle, and you dipped for half a second.

and man, that one slip up was all he needed.

FWOOSH

he passed you in a blur, momentum perfect, body graceful in a way that made you want to punch him.

you landed on the rooftop a mere second after he did, tumbling into a roll and popping up just in time to see him already striking a dramatic pose on the edge of the building.

“you’re late,” he said smugly.

you stood, hands on your hips. “you literally just got here.”

“yeah, but I got here first.” he walked toward you, peeling off his mask. that smug smile of his was in full force. “so.. what’s for dinner ?”

you shoved him lightly, laughing. “you got lucky.”

“no,” he said, gently pulling your mask up halfway and kissing your forehead. “I got you. that’s all the luck I need.”

you groaned. “that was so incredibly corny—”

“and you loved it.”

you shoved him again, harder this time, and he caught you in a hug, arms wrapping around you in that warm, miles way that made everything slow down.

“you almost had me,” he said softly.

“you’re annoying,” you mumbled into his shoulder.

He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes. “but you love me anyway ?”

you paused .. then sighed. “unfortunately.”

“rude.”

he kissed you anyway, grinning.

━━━━ ⋮ ୨୧ ⋮ ━━━━

a/n: WHY on gods green earth is it so hard to find decent photos for my shi bro, specifically miles 🥀 kid you not, it took me a good 30 minutes to find barely 3 decent photos

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

They gave you food poisoning🥺😦

Summary: Your partner tried to cook you something that looked delicious. But instead of a happy evening, it resulted in a panicked ER visits and stays at the hospital

(Cho hyun ju, thanos, namgyu, gyeong seok, young il, gi hun, dae ho, min su, sang woo)

(Roh jae won, Choi san, Kim seo wan, Gong Ji-Cheol)

Hyun ju

Hyun-Ju swore she knew how to make tteokbokki from scratch. “I watched three YouTube tutorials,” she bragged, rolling up her sleeves. “How hard can it be?”

You sat back, amused but secretly worried as she threw rice cakes into a bubbling pot of red sauce, humming confidently. She even turned to wink at you. “Made with love.”

Unfortunately, that love included way too much gochujang, rice cakes that were undercooked, and a bizarre fish cake she swore was fine.

It was not fine.

Thirty minutes after eating, your stomach twisted. You clutched the table. “Hyun-Ju… I don’t feel so—”

Cue an hour of absolute hell. You were curled up on the bathroom floor, drenched in sweat, dying. Hyun-Ju, full-on panicking, drove you to the ER, yelling at nurses like they weren’t moving fast enough.

Now, she’s gripping your hand at the hospital, guilt-ridden. “You survived Squid Game, but my cooking almost took you out.” She sighs, rubbing her temples. “This is a new low.”

Thanos

Su-Bong loved steak. He talked about it like a science. “Perfect sear, perfect timing.” He even made you sit at the counter while he cooked, flipping the meat with the smug confidence of a pro.

“Medium-rare,” he announced, slicing into the steak like it belonged in a Michelin-starred restaurant. “Try it.”

You chewed, nodded. “It’s… good?”

That was a lie.

Because three hours later, you were curled up in agony, sweating bullets, barely able to breathe. Su-Bong, full-on panicking, threw you over his shoulder and ran to the hospital.

Now, he’s sitting beside your hospital bed, arms crossed, looking personally betrayed. “I don’t get it. It looked perfect.” Then, after a long silence: “…Maybe I should’ve checked if the meat was expired.”

Namgyu

“jagiya, I’ve seen sushi chefs do this, it’s so easy,” Nam-Gyu said confidently, carefully laying out seaweed, rice, and what he claimed was the freshest salmon.

You should have questioned why the fish smelled a little off. But he looked so proud.

So, you ate it.

Biggest mistake of your life.

By 3 AM, you were shaking violently, your stomach twisting in agony. Nam-Gyu nearly threw his phone trying to call an ambulance. “Oh my god. Oh my god. I killed you. I actually killed you.”

Now, he’s sitting beside you in the ER, gripping your hand, his head in his hands. “We are never making sushi at home again. Ever.”

Gyeong seok

Gyeong-Seok wanted to make dinner for you and Na-Yeon. “A proper home-cooked meal,” he said, stirring the soup with a smile.

It smelled amazing. You and Na-Yeon cheered him on.

But halfway through eating, your stomach dropped. Then, a minute later, Na-Yeon—sweet, tiny Na-Yeon—put down her spoon, frowned, and said:

“Appa… I think I don’t feel good.”

Cue absolute chaos.

Gyeong-Seok sprinted to get you both in the car, apologizing a million times. At the hospital, he looked like he was about to cry as Na-Yeon was checked over.

Now, he’s holding her hand, watching you in the hospital bed, whispering, “I swear, I followed the recipe…” He gulps. “I think I just have a cursed touch.”

Young il

“This stew is incredible,” Young-Il declared, dramatically lifting a ladle of his homemade seafood jjigae. “My secret? Confidence.”

The soup tasted fine. A little too fishy, maybe.

Then, an hour later, your stomach betrayed you. You barely made it to the sink before Young-Il caught you.

Cut to: him speeding to the ER, one hand on the wheel, the other holding your forehead. “Stay with me,” he whispered like you were dying.

Now, he’s slumped next to you in the hospital, staring at the ceiling. “I just wanted to impress you,” he groans. “Instead, I poisoned the love of my life.”

Gi hun

Gi-Hun had watched one cooking show and suddenly thought he was Gordon Ramsay. “Trust me,” he grinned, chopping onions. “I got this.”

You did not trust him.

The dish? Some kind of stew. The result? Indescribable.

Thirty minutes later, you were dying. Gi-Hun looked horrified. “Jagiya?? Are you okay??”

You collapsed. Cue him freaking out, dragging you to the hospital while apologizing nonstop.

Now, he’s pouting beside you. “I was so sure I followed the recipe.” Then, after a beat: “Okay, maybe I forgot a few things…”

Dae ho

Dae-Ho tried to make roast chicken. “Super easy,” he said. “All you do is stick it in the oven.”

Except… he underestimated cooking times.

An hour later, you were thrilled—until you took a bite and realized it was still pink inside.

Fast forward: you on the floor, Dae-Ho freaking out, both of you in an ambulance.

Now, he’s holding your hand in the hospital, looking traumatized. “I can never cook again.”

Min su

Min-Su insisted on making spaghetti. “A husband should cook for his wife,” he said, stirring sauce dramatically.

Except… he messed up the meat.

You spent the next two hours curled up, practically crying from the pain. Min-Su nearly had a meltdown, dragging you to the hospital.

Now, he’s gripping your hand, looking so guilty. “I swear, I tried to make it perfect.” He sighs. “I think the kitchen just hates me.”

Sang woo

Sang-Woo was determined to impress you. He’d spent all day hyping up the meal, even mentioning he saw something similar in Paris once. You’d expected something elegant, refined—maybe a perfectly seared steak with a glass of wine.

Instead, he served… something.

It looked stunning, arranged beautifully on a plate. But the moment you took a bite, your stomach immediately revolted.

“This is… interesting,” you said carefully, trying to chew.

Sang-Woo smirked, misinterpreting your hesitation as admiration. “See? Fine dining at home.”

You wanted to tell him that fine dining shouldn’t feel like an attack on your stomach. But before you could say anything, nausea slammed into you like a truck.

“Excuse me,” you mumbled, rushing to the bathroom.

Sang-Woo blinked, frowning. “Wait… are you okay?”

You weren’t.

Not even fifteen minutes later, you were in the ER, hooked up to an IV, while Sang-Woo sat beside you, stiff as a board, completely horrified.

“I graduated from SNU,” he muttered under his breath. “I’m supposed to be smart. I should be able to cook.”

You turned your head weakly to look at him. “What was in that dish?”

He hesitated. “...Do you really want to know?”

You closed your eyes. “No.”

Roh jae won

Jae-Won was feeling domestic. Maybe it was the lazy Sunday morning, or maybe it was because he had just watched a movie where the male lead made a romantic breakfast for his partner.

Either way, he stood in the kitchen, determined.

“I’ll make you an omelet,” he said, confidently cracking an egg.

You should have stopped him right there.

Because five minutes later, chaos had already begun.

He somehow got eggshells in the batter. He flipped the omelet too aggressively, sending a piece flying. He muttered swears under his breath while the pan smoked.

But eventually, he plated it.

Was it the prettiest omelet? No.

Was it fully cooked? Also no.

You took a cautious bite. Instant regret.

The texture was off. The taste was deeply concerning. But Jae-Won was watching you so intently, his expression hopeful, so you swallowed it down.

Big mistake.

Minutes later, your stomach flipped. The room spun. You grabbed the counter for support.

Jae-Won’s smile vanished.

“…Babe?”

Cut to: absolute panic.

Jae-Won rushed you to the hospital like he was starring in an action film. At the ER, he nearly started crying when the doctor told him you had food poisoning.

Now, he’s sitting beside you, holding your hand like a dramatic K-drama lead.

“I’ll never cook again,” he whispers, voice shaking. “Never.”

You’re too weak to respond, but in your head, you’re 100% okay with that.

Choi san

San had one goal: to make fried chicken.

“I watched my mom do this a million times,” he said confidently, heating up the oil. “It’s foolproof.”

You sat at the counter, watching him move around the kitchen with way too much excitement. He tossed in the chicken like a pro, flipped it with flair, and even did a little victory dance.

The result? Golden. Crispy. Perfect-looking.

The taste?

Horrifying.

Something was off—but before you could pinpoint what, your stomach flipped. One minute, you were fine. The next, you were on the floor, gasping for breath.

San’s face went pale.

“…Babe?”

Cue him screaming for help.

Cut to the hospital: San was on the verge of tears. When the doctor said you had food poisoning from undercooked chicken, he practically collapsed in shame.

Now, he’s sitting at your bedside, gripping your hand with both of his.

“I swear,” he whispers, “I’ll never touch raw chicken again. I’ll just… order takeout. Forever."

Kim seo wan

Seo-Won, still fully immersed in his delusions, insisted that a great warrior must feast before battle.

So he made soup.

You didn’t know how he made it. You weren’t sure what was in it. But when he proudly set the bowl in front of you, his eyes shining with epic fantasy intensity, you felt like you had no choice but to try.

“For strength,” he said, voice low and serious.

It smelled strange. A little too herbal, a little too bitter.

You took a hesitant sip.

It was poison.

Not literally, but your stomach didn’t know that. Within minutes, you were sweating buckets. Your vision blurred. The world tilted.

Seo-Won’s eyes widened. He knelt beside you, gripping your shoulders.

“…The sorcerer’s curse,” he whispered.

Cue utter chaos.

The hospital staff was not prepared for this level of dramatic nonsense. Seo-Won paced the waiting room, muttering to himself.

“I knew it,” he whispered. “The dark wizard has struck first. A coward’s attack.”

Meanwhile, the nurse looked exhausted.

Now, you’re laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV, while Seo-Won kneels beside you like a knight pledging loyalty.

“I shall avenge this betrayal,” he swears solemnly. “The next meal will be blessed by the gods.”

The nurse sighs.

Gong yoo

“I’ve eaten in Michelin-starred restaurants,” he said, tying an apron like he was about to compete on MasterChef. “I know how this works.”

That was not how this worked.

He picked a complicated dish—some French recipe that required technique. He moved with the ease of a man who believed he was in control.

Until he served it.

Until you took a bite.

Until your body immediately betrayed you.

Cue your stomach twisting. Your vision blurring. Gong Ji-Cheol watching in horror as you collapsed onto the table.

Fast forward: chaos.

He carried you into the ER like some tragic movie scene. Paced the waiting room like a man on trial. When the doctor confirmed severe food poisoning, he looked like he wanted to retire from life.

Now, he’s gripping your hand, eyes deeply serious.

“I was meant to be an actor,” he says, voice heavy. “Not a chef. Never a chef.”

You squeeze his fingers.

“…Yeah, I figured that out already.”

[riddikulusravenclawbelle]

miss possessive

plot - Belle and Rafe are both grappling with feelings they can’t quite name—but somehow, they always find each other when the masks slip. Unfortunately for them, vulnerability doesn’t always come with kindness.

tropes - enemies to lovers, angst, slow burn, and pogue x kook.

wc - 5.1k 😋

warnings - harassment, bullying, and curse words.

final notes - i hope you guys enjoy this chapter as much as i loved writing it--and hate olivia as much as i do lolll. this is part 4 of my ruin me gently series! go read the first three so you're up to date!

The water was scalding hot.

Rafe let it burn.

Steam clung to the mirror like a second skin.

He stood still, letting the heat smack the back of his neck and trail down his spine to the floor.

His head throbbed from yesterday.

Kelce’s teasing.

Belle falling.

Kooks laughing at her.

He groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

Last night shouldn’t matter.

She shouldn’t matter.

It was just a beach day. Kooks being Kooks.

And she wasn’t even supposed to be there.

But she was.

With the Pogues, no less.

She probably thought he hadn’t noticed.

But he had.

Every. Damn. Detail.

The way she laughed at something JJ said.

The way she stood close to Sarah.

The flicker of something—sharp, unreadable—in her eyes when she spotted Olivia by his side.

Jealousy?

No.

Maybe.

He was probably making it up, like he always did when it came to Belle.

“What’re you even doing, Cameron?” he muttered.

He punched the shower wall—not hard, just enough to feel something.

Anything besides this.

These feelings.

Because he couldn’t have them.

Didn’t want them.

She’s not yours, he reminded himself. You don’t even want her to be.

Then why the hell was she still under his skin?

Maybe he should just text Olivia.

A distraction.

Something easy.

Anything to stop thinking about Belle Maybank.

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

Belle adjusted her polo shirt and smoothed out her tennis skirt before stepping out of the employee bathroom. 11:00 AM.

One more hour, she told herself.

She didn’t hate the job. Being a golf course attendant was kind of fun, actually.

She’d perfected the fake smile, the flirty customer service voice, and the art of stroking Kook egos for fat tips—straight from their daddy’s wallets, no doubt.

Belle was halfway through organizing a basket of golf balls when she heard it.

“Well, if it isn’t the help,” Ruthie said, swinging her golf club with dramatic flair as she strolled up.

Less than an hour, Belle. Just hang on.

She turned, ready to plaster on her customer service smile—the one that usually did the trick.

But it faded the second she saw Olivia beside her.

Both of them were blatantly out of dress code.

Shorts too short, button-downs undone in a way that screamed intentional. They looked ethereal. Disgustingly beautiful.

How could someone so pretty be so ugly inside?

“Hey, Belle,” Olivia chirped, voice sugar-sweet. “Didn’t know you worked Sundays. That’s… dedication.”

She gave Belle a once-over before flashing a polished smile.

“Or desperation,” Ruthie muttered, pretending to inspect her manicure.

Belle forced a tight-lipped smile. “Just doing my job. Do you guys need help with anything golf-related?”

“Nope,” Olivia said, smile never wavering. “We had other plans, but we heard the view was worth it.”

They giggled like it was some private joke.

Don’t bite. Don’t give them the satisfaction.

But her patience was hanging by a thread.

Ruthie stepped closer, her voice low and razor-sharp.

“We saw you at the Boneyard, by the way. Cute that you still hang with JJ and the dirtbags.”

Belle’s jaw clenched. “He’s my brother,” she said flatly, turning back to the basket of golf balls.

“Hey, we’re talking to you!” Ruthie snapped, shoving her hard enough to send her sprawling to the ground.

Belle blinked up at them, heart pounding.

“I’m just glad he’s back to his type,” Olivia added, crouching beside her like some benevolent queen addressing a peasant.

“I know you thought you had a little moment with Rafe, but… he’s mine. He would never go for a Pogue.”

Belle wanted to scream. To punch Olivia—and Ruthie even harder.

But she was at work.

So she swallowed it. Brushed herself off. And kept organizing the damn golf balls.

Luckily, it didn’t take long for her shift to end. She clocked out immediately.

She hopped into JJ’s truck.

“Hey, how was Kook Kingdom today?” JJ joked.

“Fine,” Belle replied flatly, staring straight at the road.

“You, uh, hungry?” JJ asked. He could sense something was off but didn’t want to push.

Belle nodded. “Can we just stop somewhere quiet?”

“F’course,” JJ said.

Fifteen minutes later, they pulled into the gravel parking lot of an old food shack—empty of tourists or Kooks.

The kind of place filled with nostalgia from when the Pogues were kids.

“You good? I can hang if you want,” JJ offered.

“Nah. I’ll text you when I’m done. I just need silence,” she said quietly.

“I understand.”

She slid into a booth—dim, nearly empty. Just how she needed it.

Then she felt it. A shift in the air.

She felt him before she saw him.

“Hey,” Rafe said, standing beside the booth. He looked like he hadn’t slept. Or eaten. “How’re you?”

“Like you care,” she said, picking at her food.

He flinched. But he stayed.

“Belle, I—” he paused, searching the walls for the right words. “Can I sit?”

Belle shrugged.

For a minute, neither of them said a word.

But somehow, everything felt louder.

“I didn’t know you guys were gonna be there,” Rafe confessed.

“No, no, it’s fine,” she said, bitter. “You two looked perfect. Even Sarah thinks so.”

She still hadn’t looked up at him.

If he hadn’t given her eye contact before, why should she?

“I didn’t say anything because…” he trailed off. “I didn’t know what to say.”

She swallowed hard. “You didn’t have to say anything. Ignoring me worked just fine.”

“Belle—”

“Don’t.”

Not angry. Not loud.

Just tired.

Silence.

“Did you know your girlfriend visited me at work today?”

She finally looked at him.

“What?”

“Yeah. Gave me this nasty bruise,” she said, gesturing to her knee.

It wasn’t entirely true. But Olivia was guilty by association, right?

“She doesn’t even golf—”

“So she is your girlfriend?”

“Why does it matter to you—”

“It doesn’t.”

Rafe didn’t answer right away. Just stared at her, jaw clenched like he was chewing on a thousand words.

Cherry-picking which ones to say.

“It didn’t mean anything,” he finally said.

“Right,” she chuckled bitterly. “Because everything you do doesn’t mean anything.”

“That’s not what I—” he stopped, ran a hand over his face. “I didn’t ask her to do that. I didn’t even know she went.”

“Well, you didn’t stop her. Or Kelce.”

Her voice softened. Like a confession.

“You didn’t even text me back.”

“I meant to—”

She snorted, crossing her arms.

“I didn’t know what to say. I still don’t.”

And she could see it—it was taking everything in him to stay semi-calm.

“You don’t have to say anything, Rafe. You made it pretty clear.”

She brushed past him.

But he caught her wrist—gentler this time, not like before.

“Belle.”

She didn’t turn.

“Let go.”

“I care,” he said, barely above a whisper. “I shouldn’t—but I do.”

That made her pause.

She turned just enough for him to see her eyes—tired, bitter, guarded.

“You’re the most evil person on earth, Rafe Cameron.”

His face twitched. Just for a second.

Then he let go.

Belle didn’t wait for a reply. She straightened her shirt and walked out.

“And the worst part is,” she added, voice shaking now, “I think I still wanted you to prove me wrong.”

She left him standing in the dim light, for once—speechless.

He put his head in his hands.

He could not figure her out.

Back in JJ’s truck, Belle sat quietly, eager to get home and scrub off the sweat and the lingering touch of Rafe Cameron.

It was mostly a silent ride.

The kind of silence only JJ could give—comfortable, safe.

“Whoa. Who gave you that shiner?” he asked, finally noticing her knee.

“Nobody.”

“B—” he warned, side-eyeing her.

“Fine,” she sighed. “Ruthie and that Olivia girl showed up at my work. Pushed me.”

“What?!” JJ’s whole body tensed.

“It’s not a big deal, J,” she muttered.

“It is a big deal,” he said, gripping the wheel tighter. “Next time, you tell me.”

Belle nodded faintly, watching the trees blur past.

“Yeah.”

Silence again—but heavier now.

“You wanna go home or…?”

She hesitated.

“No. Can we just… drive a little longer?”

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “We’ll drive.”

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

Rafe woke up angry. He’s been angry—ever since he heard about Olivia’s stunt at the golf course. He can’t shake the feeling that it’s more than just Ruthie and Olivia—like something deeper is festering.

And now Olivia was on his porch, waiting for him like she always does. Her expensive sunglasses perched on her head, a sweet smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Rafe,” she coos, but the way she says his name makes his skin crawl a little. “You didn’t answer my texts last night. I thought we were having fun?”

He doesn’t feel like having fun.

“I was busy.” he muttered.

He feels like he’s drowning, the weight of everything pressing down on him. Olivia has always been an easy distraction—one that’s never really mattered—but now, with Belle stuck in his head, He’s not sure he can deal with this anymore.

He wants to confront her. 

Olivia tilts her head, watching him with her tongue in her cheek and a look that’s both curious and calculating. “Busy with what?”

“I don’t know, Olivia,” he grits through his teeth, rubbing a hand over his face. “Maybe with my fucking conscience.”

She laughs—a short, breathy sound that grates on his nerves. “Oh, that’s rich. But you know you don’t have to apologize for last night. I’m not the one you need to worry about.”

“I’m not worried about you.” He says, his chest tightening. It feels like it’s about to burst.

“Then what are you worried about?” She rises, stepping closer. “Belle?” Her voice drops at the name drop.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He said, rather as a statement than a question.

“You look like you want to take her clothes off whenever she’s around. I’m not stupid Rafe.” The edge is her voice is as sharp as a knife. “She’s not a lost puppy. She’s a pogue.”

Rafe’s jaw clenches. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“You don’t deserve me,” she says, smirking as she turns to leave.

 He almost lets her.

“Olivia.” he says, softer than intended. She turns around.

“I didn’t mean that,” he says, taking a step closer.

Olivia raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “Didn’t mean what?”

“Look,” Rafe says, running a hand through his hair again, trying to find the right words. “I don’t need you to make me feel good about myself, okay? I know what I am. But I don’t want to lose you—not right now. I need you.”

“You need me?” She smirks, she loves the idea of being in power. Rafe knew that.

Olivia stares at him for a beat, then smirks, leaning forward just enough to press a kiss to his cheek. “Alright, I’ll stick around. But don’t think for one second I’m just going to wait around while you fix whatever’s broken in your head.”

Rafe watches her walk away, feeling the tension still hanging in the air. He wants to shake it off, but there’s that damn weight again, the pull of something he’s not ready to face. He watches Olivia leave, knowing she’s just another distraction. Another excuse. Another wall between him and the one thing he can’t stop thinking about.

Belle.

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

Rafe sat on the hood of Kelce’s Jeep, half a blunt in one hand, a beer bottle in the other—warm and forgotten.

Topper tossed a rock toward the trees. “You gonna tell us what’s crawled up your ass, or do we have to guess?”

Rafe didn’t answer—just stared straight ahead.

Kelce snorted. “Let me guess. Pogue girl trouble? That Belle girl? Heard Ruthie pushed her at the course.”

Rafe froze mid-drag. “Ruthie?” He looked at Kelce.

Kelce nodded, like Rafe was the idiot in this conversation. “Yeah. Ruthie said Belle was mouthing off, so she gave her a little shove. Classic.”

Topper barked a laugh. “Damn. Ruthie’s savage.”

Rafe wasn’t laughing.

Belle said Olivia gave her the bruise.

Why would she lie?

Did she think that’d split him and Olivia up?

Kelce kept grinning, completely oblivious to the storm brewing behind Rafe’s eyes. “Anyway, don’t let some Maybank mess with your head. You’ve got Olivia. She actually gets you.”

Rafe didn’t respond.

But the thing that stuck with him—wasn’t Kelce’s smug smirk or Topper’s laughter echoing behind him.

It was that image of Belle.

On the ground.

Looking up at him like he was the one who’d hurt her.

And now?

Now it all felt like a game.

Fine.

She wanted to lie?

He could play that game too.

Rafe pulled out his phone, already texting Olivia back.

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

The moon rippled across the lake, its reflection stretching in slow waves. Belle sat with her knees tucked to her chest, a hoodie draped over her jean shorts. Sarah lounged beside her, legs stretched out, toes skimming the water.

“You okay? You’ve been quiet all day.”

Belle wanted to say no.

She wanted to say actually, your brother is the reason.

Instead, she gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Just tired.”

Sarah glanced at her, eyes narrowing slightly. “You gonna tell me what happened at the course?”

Belle exhaled, the memory still sitting heavy on her chest. “It was nothing. Kooks being Kooks. I’m over it.”

Sarah frowned but didn’t press. For a moment, the silence returned—easy, familiar. Then her whole energy shifted.

“Alright. Get up,” Sarah said, already standing.

“What?” Belle blinked, confused.

“We’re going to a party.”

“Do I have to?” Belle groaned.

Sarah nodded firmly, crossing her arms. “Yes. And you’re wearing real clothes this time. No more Maybank boy hoodies.”

Belle rolled her eyes, fighting a battle with a smile she ultimately lost.

She stood anyway.

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

The party was at some random Kook’s house—a friend of a friend of Sarah’s. Two stories, string lights, and a fancy pool in the backyard. Just enough “daddy’s money” energy without making Belle feel completely out of place.

Rafe knew exactly what he was doing—letting Olivia hang off his arm like she was a designer accessory. She laughed too loudly at things he didn’t even say, traced circles on his chest with her nails, bit her lip when she looked at him. And he let her.

He needed Belle to see this. Needed her to feel it—like he felt every word she’d said in the dark. Every lie she let slip from her lips like it didn’t matter.

And Belle knew exactly what she was watching. Olivia, in a low-cut sundress, clinging to him like she belonged there. Rafe’s hand low on her back, leaning in when she spoke. Every calculated move he made hit Belle square in the chest—and still, she couldn’t look away.

She just stood there, drink in hand, seething, while Sarah talked to a guy Belle couldn’t remember the name of.

Rafe leaned in again, smiling at something Olivia whispered—then glanced up, just once, to make sure Belle saw.

Oh, she saw.

Belle finally tore her eyes away from the scene. But it was too late. Every emotion she’d tried to bury clawed its way to the surface—jealousy, betrayal, whatever the hell else was mixing in there. It stung.

This? This was worse than the beach.

“Hey, Sarah, let’s get drinks,” she said.

“That’s the spirit!”

Sarah looped her arm through Belle’s, dragging her toward the drink table, past a cluster of laughing Kooks and down the side of the house. Belle tried not to hear Olivia’s high-pitched giggle trailing behind them like smoke.

Rafe leaned against the wall by the bar, jaw tight.

“Dude, you’re brooding like you’re in a CW show,” Kelce said, handing him a drink.

“I’m fine,” Rafe muttered.

“Yeah, super convincing. Especially with that death stare aimed at the girl you’re ‘supposedly’ over.”

Rafe didn’t respond. He hated that she wasn’t looking at him. Hated the way she might be when he wasn’t watching. Hated that he cared at all.

He took a long sip, letting the alcohol burn. Closed his eyes. Leaned his head back against the wall.

“She’s not even talking to any guys,” Kelce added. “Just hanging with your sister like she’s on a mission to chill.”

“Let her,” Rafe said flatly, rolling his eyes. “She made her choice.”

“Right,” Kelce said, following his gaze. “So... you and Liv. Official? Or just vibing?”

Rafe ignored him.

His eyes locked back onto Belle across the patio—just in time to see her laugh. Not at him. Not with him. At something Sarah said.

Something in his chest cracked.

He wanted to be the reason she laughed.

She lied to you, he reminded himself.

Belle leaned over the punch bowl, pouring something questionable into her cup.

“Want me to mix something better?” a voice asked beside her.

She looked up. Some guy she vaguely recognized—nice smile, backwards hat, definitely not a Pogue.

She hesitated, then smiled. “Sure.”

“So... where have I seen you before?”

“I work at the golf course. You’ve probably seen me there.”

Their conversation was easy. Light.

And across the party, Rafe saw it.

Saw the way Belle tilted her head back laughing. Saw how she angled her body toward the guy.

And he snapped.

“Come with me,” he murmured into Olivia’s ear, eyes never leaving Belle. He didn’t wait for an answer, just pulled Olivia toward the hallway.

Belle looked up just in time to see Olivia’s hand slip into Rafe’s.

Sarah followed her gaze and swore. “He’s such a damn idiot.”

Belle’s smile faltered. But she didn’t let it break her. Not yet.

Two can play at that game, Cameron.

Rafe’s grip on Olivia’s wrist was tight enough to make her stumble slightly in her heels as he dragged her down a dim hallway. The bass from the party thumped behind them, muffled now by closed doors and the hum of his own pulse.

He spun to face her, eyes dark. “Why’d you go to the golf course?”

Olivia blinked. “Are we really doing this now?”

“Answer me.”

She rolled her eyes. “Ruthie wanted to hit some balls or whatever. I went for the vibes.”

Rafe stared at her, jaw ticking.

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t even do anything. Ruthie was the one who got weird. I was just there.”

“She had a bruise,” Rafe said lowly.

“She probably tripped,” Olivia scoffed. “Seriously, Rafe. Who cares? If she can’t handle a few comments, maybe she shouldn’t be working there.”

Then, quieter: “She’s probably just jealous I’m with you. She’s got a crush, you know.”

Her hands slid to his chest.

That should’ve made him feel something. Victory. Power.

But all he felt was that echo in his mind—Belle’s voice in the shack: You’re the most evil person alive, Rafe Cameron.

Maybe she wasn’t wrong.

“Forget it,” he muttered, stepping back.

Olivia stepped forward instead. “Okay,” she whispered, pressing her lips to his.

He kissed her back.

But it didn’t feel like anything.

Not like her.

Not like Belle.

∴.·:*¨ ¨*:·. ☙.·:*¨ ¨*:·.♡ .·:*¨ ¨*:·. ❧.·:*¨ ¨*:·.∴

She wasn’t looking for him.

She swore she wasn’t looking for him.

But there he was.

Hand in hand with Olivia, slipping out of one of the back rooms like they hadn’t just emerged from every teenage cliché imaginable. Belle froze mid-sip, plastic cup hovering near her mouth, the taste of flat soda suddenly bitter on her tongue.

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.” Belle muttered under her breath.

They didn’t see her—at least she didn’t think so. Olivia was giggling like she’d won, and Rafe had that same blank expression he always wore when he was trying not to feel something. Which meant he was feeling something.

Belle turned around too fast, bumping into someone—Sarah maybe, she didn’t even care—because she needed air. So, she went to the nearest balcony. So she could get air–away from people.

It was about 5 minutes of fresh air and silence before she heard a voice she came to know all too well.

“How’d I know I’d find you here, Belle.”

“Because I’m a cliché.” She replied sarcastically.

Rafe stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind him. The muffled thump of music faded, replaced by the sound of waves in the distance and Belle’s shallow breathing.

His hands were shoved into his pockets, his shoulders tight. “You shouldn’t be out here alone.”

Belle turned her head just enough to glance at him. “Oh? Gonna call your girlfriend to come protect me?”

“She’s not—”

“Don’t. I saw you two leaving a room together. Don’t insult me by pretending.”

Rafe exhaled hard, like he wasn’t expecting this version of her—sharp-edged, already wounded.

“It wasn’t like that,” he muttered.

“You know, I actually thought you were human. Maybe broken and vulnerable inside.” She paused. “Why are you even with her, Rafe?” She looks at him. Her voice cracked, quiet and biting all at once.

She turned around to look at him. Tears formed in her eyes, catching in the light.

Something in his eyes shifted, like the question hit deeper than he wanted to admit.

“She just–it’s easier.”

“And I’m what? Complicated?”

“No,” he said too quickly. “You’re real. That’s the problem.”

Belle blinked, scoffed. “Go back inside, Rafe.”

“I didn’t come out here for her.”

Then Belle turned, wiping a single tear that rolled down her cheek. “Go back to your distraction.”

And Rafe did as she said– walked back into the party, as the music swallowed him whole.

Belle took a deep breath, stepping back into the party. “Belle!” a voice shouted over the bass. It was Sarah, grabbing her hand and tugging her into the crowd. “Come on, you’ve been mopey all night. At least pretend to have fun.”

Belle gave her a weak smile, letting herself be pulled into the pulsing center of the room. The floor vibrated beneath her feet, and for a second, it was easier to focus on the music than on the ache in her chest.

That’s when she saw him—the guy from earlier. The one who’d helped her with the punch. 

He caught her eye again, smirking like he’d been waiting for a second chance. “Hey,” he said, stepping into her space, his hands loose at his sides. “Still look way too cool to be here.”

Belle gave a breathy laugh. “That’s because I am.”

He grinned. “Dance with me?” 

She looked at Rafe and Olivia, their bodies barely leaving any room in between. 

“Yes.” She said as she took his hand. 

And she did. She let him put his hands on her waist. She let herself sway to the beat. She let her head tip back in a laugh, just once, just loud enough that Rafe could hear it across the room.

Because she knew he was watching. She didn’t have to look to feel it.

But she looked anyway.

And there he was—across the dance floor, Olivia draped over him like a scarf, her mouth close to his neck. But his eyes?

They were on her.

Belle’s heart stuttered.

The boy spun her gently, fingers curling around hers. “You okay?” 

“Yeah,” she faked a smile, then continued to look at Rafe.

The music intensed and that’s when her heart dropped.

Slowly, deliberately—he leaned down and kissed Olivia.

But his eyes never left Belle.

“You wanna get out of here?” The boy asked,his breath brushing her ear. She bit her lip and nodded, intertwining her hand with his. 

She wasn’t thinking about what came next. She just needed out—of this house, this night, this feeling. She didn’t care where they went. As long as it wasn’t here.

If he gets a distraction, she can have one for the night.

They were halfway to the front door, his hand still in hers, when she heard it.

“Belle.” Not loud, not angry. Just… there. And it stopped her cold.

She turned.

Rafe was standing at the base of the stairs, Olivia nowhere in sight. His expression was unreadable, but his chest rising fast like he’d just run through the crowd.

“Don’t.” he said in a serious tone, eyes fixated on the couple’s hands. “Don’t go with him.”

Belle’s pulse pounded in her ears.

“Why? You’re the only one who gets to ignore his feelings?”

“Just–don't.”

She let out a bitter laugh, but her fingers slipped from the boy’s anyway. The silence between them was loud, full of unsaid things and the weight of every moment they’d let pass by.

The guy raised his hands, awkward. “I’ll, uh… I’ll see you around.”

Belle didn’t answer. Rafe stepped closer. 

Once he was gone, Rafe closed the space between them just enough for her to feel the heat rolling off him.

“You don’t get to do that,” she said quietly, chin tilted up.

“I don’t?” he said, voice low. “Then what the hell was that back there?”

“You kissed her.” Her voice cracked. “While looking at me.”

He didn’t deny it. He didn’t have to.

“I’m so done with your games, Rafe,” she whispered. “Tired of pretending I don’t care when I do.”

Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “And what? You gonna follow it up with another kiss for Olivia? Or maybe take her upstairs again just to prove a point?”

Rafe’s jaw clenched. “I didn’t take her upstairs.”

“Oh, so you just stood outside the room with her doing nothing, making it look like you did?” she snapped, voice rising with every syllable. “For what?”

“I was pissed,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Because you lied to me.”

“You say the right things when it’s convenient for you, like When I’m halfway out the door, with a guy I don’t even know the name of. But the second I’m in the same room as you again, I’m just another game piece.” She said, maintaining eye contact, deadpanning him.

“That’s not true.”

“I should punch you right now.”

“Then why haven’t you?”

“Tell me how you feel, and I won't leave with him.” She whispered. 

Rafe reached out wordless, but she stepped back.

Belle simply smiled. “Have a great night, Rafe.” Then she walked out like he hadn’t just lost her.

Twenty minutes had passed but Rafe was still frozen, staring at the door as Olivia’s arm was wrapped around his. The air in the room felt suddenly thick, suffocating.

Olivia's voice cut through his thoughts, but it felt hollow. "Rafe, you okay?"

He didn’t answer her. He couldn’t. His feet moved before his brain could catch up, cutting through the crowd, pushing through bodies, just to get to the door.

But he stopped at the porch. She was already gone.

Little did he know, Belle was still there. She was just in the hot tub. She knew she couldn’t leave Sarah, so she wore a bathing suit as her underwear–just in case.

“Thank you.” She smiled at him, and he helped her into the tub.

Belle thought it was a casual hangout. They hadn’t been very intimate. Plus, it was just a way to make Rafe jealous. 

Then he moved closer. His hand brushed against her knee, lingering just a second too long. Belle stiffened.

“Hey,” he said softly, his breath warm against her neck. “You’re different from all the other pogue girls, you know that?”

She smiled faintly, trying to keep the mood light, but the words didn’t quite come out right. “Thanks, I guess. But I’m not really looking for anything.”

He laughed, low and almost too smooth. “Yeah me either, just a little fun.”

Before she could respond, he slid closer, his hand resting on her thigh. She pulled away, shaking her head.

“Stop,” she said, voice sharp. “I said I’m not interested.”

His grin faltered for a second before his expression hardened. “You sure about that? You’re all over me one minute, and now you’re just gonna play hard to get?”

Belle’s stomach twisted, a mix of annoyance and discomfort bubbling up. “I’m not playing anything. Just be a normal fucking person and respect it.”

“Aw, I love it when you play hard to get.” He said, reaching for her upper thigh.

“Everything okay here?” Rafe asked, his jaw set, fists clenched at his sides.

Rafe’s tone was low, but there was an unmistakable edge to it. The guy turned around, surprised, as Rafe stepped into the light, eyes locked on him like a predator about to strike.

The guy stood up, trying to play it cool. “Yeah, man, we’re just talking. Not your business anyways–”

Rafe didn’t give him a chance to say anything else. He moved forward, fast, and shoved him back. The guy stumbled, hitting the ground hard.

“Not sure I made myself clear,” Rafe growled, stepping closer. “You stay the hell away from her.”

The guy scrambled to his feet, but Rafe was already swinging, a punch landing squarely in his stomach. He gasped, his hand reaching for Rafe’s arm, but Rafe shoved him again, sending him reeling.

“Get the hell out of here,” Rafe spat, his chest heaving with barely-contained anger.

Belle stood frozen, her heart pounding as she watched the guy scramble away, disappearing into the crowd. Rafe’s gaze didn’t leave him until he was out of sight.

He turned to Belle, his expression softening, but there was still tension in his jaw.

“You alright?” he asked, voice quieter now, his anger simmering beneath the surface.

“Yeah–just, you didn’t have to do all that.” she paused. She didn’t know if she should be pissed or thankful. “Thanks, though.” 

Rafe’s jaw tightened, and he took a step closer, close enough for her to feel the heat of his body. “I didn’t like seeing him touch you.”

Belle swallowed, trying to keep her voice steady. “I didn’t ask for your help.”

“I don’t care,” he said quietly, his eyes locking onto hers. There was something unspoken between them now—too many words left unsaid, too much tension hanging in the air. “You’re not getting that from anyone else.” His voice was low, rough, and Belle felt her chest tighten at the words.

Then, he just walked away–and returned to the party. Leaving Belle standing there, pissed, confused, thankful, and frankly? Turned on.

[bugs1nmybrain]

Mommy's Boy: Shigaraki x Fem!Reader~Mommy Kink~☆•°♡☆°●♡

As always, Minors do NOT interact!

I remember saying how I thought writing Shigaraki fucking you in front of Dabi was out of pocket, but I've pretty much thrown all humility out the window at this point. Upsidaisy.

Updated: Nov 26th, 2023

Traits about the reader: Medium to big boobs, curvy, thick thighs, implied to be either shigaraki's age (20 in this) or older, implied to be on birth control, bad at playing video games

Notes: NSFW/smut, mommy kink, sub/switch Shigaraki, fem reader, shy and moody Shigaraki???????, Shigaraki loves boobs, awkward reader and Shigaraki interactions, spanking (reader receiving), tit sucking, vulgar language, mutual masturbation, slight degrading, a sprinkle of praise, hair pulling (Tomura receiving), no condom, reader and Shigaraki play GTA 5 in the beginning, kinda cringe tbh, season 4 era Shigaraki

I know each of my fics always end right after sex I'm so sorry. I'm going to have to get better at some plot after sex because I feel like it's so cliché.

"You suck!"

Unfortunately for you and Shigaraki, there was only one controller for the PlayStation. He had wanted a gaming date but there wasn't much you two could do together, so you had compromised by taking turns on GTA (story mode by your request).

Tomura watched as you continued to knock into every car in your line of view. You'd back out of a car you had hit only to knock into another. When you finally made it to a mission that required shooting, you were doing halfway ok, but only because of the auto-aim mechanics to be completely honest. However, the cops just showed up, and now it was you (Trevor), Franklin, and Lamar against a shit load of police. Shigaraki hoped and prayed you'd start catching on, but you just kept on dying.

"GTA 5 is easy! How are you fucking up this bad?" Shigaraki ponders in a near-genuine tone.

"It's been a while! I haven't played for maybe over 6 months."

"It's not even hard whatsoever, I don't get this. Give me a turn."

"You played like 4 minutes ago."

"Yes, but you're bad at this and it's making my head hurt. Give me that stupid controller," Tomura, without your input, snatches the controller out of your hand and plows through the mission for you with ease. You slouch on his shoulder and mope, your feelings hurt by your own pathetic gaming abilities.

"Maybe we should do something that we could both do. Why do I want to just sit here and watch you play GTA all night?" You whine. Shiggy responds with an annoyed groan.

"Take it then! It's not my fault you're shit at this. Maybe try a strangers and freaks mission," Shigaraki drops the controller on your lap. You breathe in and set your waypoint to Vinewood Boulevard. Tomura observes you drive so cautiously that it's almost worse to watch you drive so slow than to smash into cars.

Tomura sighs in agitation and slumps his chest against your back, wrapping his arms around your soft tummy and burying his face in the crook of your neck. He hugs you tight as he watches you fuck up your game and turns his attention away from your awful playthrough to something that he'd consider you to take more pride in.

Tomura glances at the v-neck of your black shirt that looked like his, only short-sleeved. He allows himself to look at your tits while you're distracted. He's had some pretty good self-restraint today, he'd say, as the push-up you were wearing was driving him fucking crazy. They looked so hot and the complexion of your skin gave them a lovely glow. He felt like a pathetic little bitchboy, wanting nothing more than to touch them and bury his face in your tits. It was a good thing you were so distracted by GTA because he was scoping the terrain out to plot his next move.

He felt embarrassed. The two of you have had sex many times, but he still felt annoying to want to appreciate your tits. Would he seem like a little bitch with mommy issues or something? Oh well, you were his girlfriend, right? If you didn't like it then you'd need to find a better toy to play with, though the thought fueled his blood because Shigaraki hadn't ever found anyone that took interest in him like you did.

There was no helping it. He was already growing a boner and you were already feeling it press against your ass as you sat in his lap.

"Tomura?"

He felt a shock surge through him, knowing full well why you were calling his name. So he didn't answer.

"Tomura, are you okay?" You giggle teasingly.

Don't do this to him, he thought. This was supposed to be a simple gaming night. But who was he kidding? 9 times out of 10 your dates ended in kind of sex.

"What gives you the impression that I'm not?" He says in an embarrassed tone. Was he feeling flustered? Cutie.

"Because something's poking me."

"Haha."

You laugh, a little surprised that he's not trying to come back with some cocky monologue like he always does. You turn around to face him to see the cutest scowl on his face. He's clearly frustrated and the boner in his pants only makes it cuter. You take it upon yourself to straddle his lap, resting on his thin frame with your thick thighs. The outline of your crotch presses against his bulge and he grunts in response.

"What's wrong, Tomura?" You coo at him and begin stroking his hair tenderly. You're going to kill him, he swears. His gaze stays stuck on the TV screen as your player stands outside of the Los Santos hospital, but you turn his face to look at you instead. "Why are you being so moody?"

"Your tits have been distracting me all day," he pouts with a flustered face, his eyes now making their way toward your cleavage.

The immediate cackle you respond with almost softens Shiggy's cock all the way, feeling insulted.

"I'm serious," he says with a grumpy voice.

"Really? Is that all, baby?" You smirk with a nurturing voice.

"Pretty much."

Taking Tomura's neck, you kiss his nape gently. He cups your hips with his hands, leaving some fingers up so as to not harm the only person who has both shown him love as well as not piss him off to no end (well, for the most part). You begin grinding on his cock which creates heavy, frustrated sighs from him.

You continue to play with Tomura's hair, messaging his scalp in between your fingers. He tilts his head backwards with a drawn-out whine as if he hasn't been touched in his whole life. That notion wasn't entirely false, before you Tomura hadn't received physical affection like this from anyone and assumed he never would because of his quirk. You were such a lucky catch for him. Maybe it was why he was hesitant to say his needs, he was scared he'd weird you out and that you'd ditch him.

Damn, when did he start caring about how somebody else would feel about his actions?

"What's wrong?" You ask caringly.

"I told you what's wrong."

"Oh, right. What can I do to make it better?"

"Mm.." Shigaraki stares at your chest and back up to you, hoping that you would pick up on his desires without him having to say it. He felt so cringy right now, like a little subby boy begging for access to your tits.

He gives up on trying to be nice when you continue to play dumb. You were doing it on purpose, for sure. A part of you loved seeing Tomura shy and polite like this, as he was usually so abrasive. He tugs on the V of your shirt and whispers in your ear, "are you too numb to get the idea?"

"And what's that?" You banter.

"Bitch. What am I supposed to tell you? That I want to suck on your tits?"

"Is that what you want?"

"Shut up!!"

"It's okay," You laugh. "You don't have to be embarrassed. I know you've got mommy issues."

"What of it? Is that a problem for you?"

"No," you giggle. "Do you need me to spoil you, baby?"

"Ew."

"I'm trying."

Tomura cackles, his broody demeanor. He squeezes your love handles and buries his face in your neck again.

"It's not my fault that you've got the body of a MILF. How am I supposed to react?"

"Wow, what a compliment."

"It is a compliment," Shigaraki snickers as he begins kissing your neck and down your chest. His hands travel from your love handles up to your waist, gripping like his life depended on it. "So, are you going to let me indulge or what?"

You giggle are stroke his long hair as he hums in question, embarrassed by his request, but somehow honored.

"Knock yourself out."

"Mmm, thank you mommy.."

"Oh my god you didn't just say that."

"Just roll with it."

Shigaraki takes a finger and tugs at your V-neck, but is disappointed at your bra. He reaches underneath to unclasp the back and yanks it out from your shirt. His attention focuses back on your tits. Tomura pulls your collar down to reveal one. He wastes no time and begins sucking tenderly. You can feel his cock growing more inside his pants, so you start grinding on the fabric, causing him to grunt while your tit is in his mouth.

Tomura pulls the other breast out from your shirt, taking a moment to gawk at them before going for the other. He teases your other nipple with his fingers. You hadn't realized how sensitive your tits really were as his tongue was flickering against your nipple causing a dripping arousal to seep through your underwear. You whine at the pleasure.

"Is this making you feel good baby?" You ask sultrily to Tomura. He responds with an eager "Mhm" and continues sucking. After what seemed like forever he lifts his head up and pulls your face down to kiss him, his saliva-coated mouth being a lovely adhesive between your lips.

"Your tits are so cute, mommy.."

"When did I consent to this mommy treatment?" You giggle.

"You're literally the one who told me I have mommy issues! Don't make me feel like shit for this."

"I'm not!" you laugh. "I'm just teasing."

You kiss him and continue to tug at his hair, "Does my baby boy need mommy to take good care of him?"

"Yes please.."

"Please, who?"

"Please mommy.."

"Mm.." You lift off of his lap and take your leggings and shirt off, leaving your full figure out for him. He puts up a finger to signal "wait" and reaches over to his bag on the floor and pulls out his special gloves. Fuck what would he do without them? He needs his hand condoms if he's gonna thoroughly make love with you.

"You're so sexy," he says, trailing his fingers to your wet cunt as he begins stroking your clit. You whimper in excitement and begin to pull down his pants. His cute cock slips out, standing proud with pre-cum already leaking out from the tip. As he continues toying with your pussy, you stroke his sensitive cock which creates lovely scratchy moans from his throat.

"God..that's it...," Shigaraki his horny, pulsing cock out on your clit, rubbing circles on it rapidly. You moan out lightly, grinding your clit against his fingers to create more friction. You rub his dick in fast as he submissively cries out in pleasure. Your clit twitches in familiar waves of pleasure once he begins sucking on your tit again.

"Is mommy gonna cum?" Tomura teases, releasing his mouth from your breast to only go to the other.

"Mhm!"

The look on his face when you began falling onto him as you came was unlike him. Tomura snickers in pride, pulling you in for a kiss while you kept stroking his cock.

"I think you deserve some privileges," you coo at him, and you sit on his lap yet again.

"I do? Have I been a good boy?"

"Mhm. Very good boy."

You circle your groin around Tomura's leaking cock as he whines out in pleading.

"Please, mommy..."

"Please mommy what?"

"Fuck me. Fuck me mommy, pleaaaase...."

With a pleasant hum in your throat, you reach down to rub Tomura's cock, then inserting it inside of your dripping cunt. Tomura groans loudly at your gooey, wet walls and attempts to push his cock deeper into you, begging for you to fuck him. To his satisfaction, to begin to bounce on his cock in rhythm, and Tomura swears you're going to drive him insane.

"Mm..does my baby boy like this? Does he feel good?"

"Fuck, yes...," Shigaraki moans. He watches intently as your tits bounce while you fuck him. He smacks your ass in frustration, shocking you.

"I guess I'm a bad boy, then. Are you gonna punish me?" He chuckles maniacally.

"Tomura, that wasn't very nice of you," you squeal, pulling at his hair in response.

Without speaking you begin bouncing on him in a quicker pace than before. Shigaraki holds around your waist tight as he thrusts, trying to savor every inch of your pussy. You were so fucking tight, but so wet too. Your cunt always made him leak, but tonight it was driving him mad.

"..fuck me...fuck me harder, mommy!"

"MmmMM! Fuck! God, mommy, you're gonna milk me.."

You oblige, hopping on him while you clench your walls, purposely trying to milk him.

"That's it, baby. Cum for me. Cum inside of mommy's pussy."

You definitely didn't have to tell him twice. Tomura sufficates himself into your neck as he holds you tight, fucking you until he finally cums deep. His orgasm is intense and long, as he continues to pump you full of cum for many seconds.

Panting and sweating, Shigaraki kisses you once more before you lift your pussy off of his cock, cum oozing out onto his lap. He snuggles in your arms and you stroke his hair. He whines from his cock that's still throbbing after his orgasm.

"Did that feel good, baby?" You ask with a nurturing tone, kissing his scrunkly forehead.

"Uh-huh...I don't know if I've ever came that hard."

"Mommy told you she'd take good care of you."

"Okay stop it. That shit is over and done with," he laughs and flicks your forehead. You rest your head down on his chest while he holds you tight, breathing heavily as he pets your skin.

"I love you," Tomura says and kisses your head as he yawns, sleepy from his orgasm.

"I love you too, Tomura."

"Next time Daddy's gonna have to do something special for you."

[multi-fandom-of-madness]

Fly On The Wall

Pairings: Aether X Reader Type: Fluff Summary: Reader gives Aether a hard time about the new masks. Warnings: Minor cursing Word Count: 931 Notes: Read here on ao3. This isn’t edited because I simply could not be bothered, so if there are mistakes, no there aren’t <3

~

“You cannot be serious,” Aether growled, noting that his phone mysteriously went missing right before he had to go to mass. He knew exactly who took it, and he knew that he couldn’t be that upset. But whatever. He couldn’t be late.

He walked around his room, trying to get used to the new uniform. The cape was what threw him off clothing wise, but his main problem was the mask. He could not see how he could with the mask from Copia’s time as Cardinal or from his time with Terzo. It was bulkier too, and just all around inconvenient.

Typically, the ghouls could decide which of their uniforms they wanted to wear unless it was during Mass. Then their uniforms were chosen by whoever was presenting, and unfortunately, it was Copia’s turn to show off the new uniforms.

He grumbled, leaving the room without acknowledging his reflection, trying not to think about how silly the new mask looked.

The others were already standing in their places, and Aether silently cursed when he realized how late looking for his phone made him. He took his place, ignoring the confused glances from the others. He was never late.

About halfway through Mass, he finally spotted you. You were paying attention closely, looking so engrossed in what Copia had to say. The glint in your eye when Copia cracked a joke almost made him forget his reason for being upset. But when you turned to him, and held up his phone, throwing a wink to him, he couldn’t help the way his lips twisted into a scowl.

Your shoulders shook with a slight giggle before you turned your attention back to Copia. Aether readjusted his stance, turning his head away from you.

After Mass, he caught you in a crowded hallway, so he grabbed your arm, pulling you into one of the small storage closets. Thankfully, there was a light, which he immediately clicked on.

“That wasn’t funny,” he frowned, glaring at you.

“What wasn’t funny?” You giggled in response, pretending to act innocent. 

“You took my phone, which made me late for mass. Thank Lucifer it was Copia presenting today. You know how much trouble I could get into for being late,” he said, trying his damn best to be serious, hoping you would realize why he was upset.

“Okay, calm down–” you started, suppressing a giggle when he shifted, the light glinting off his goggles in an odd way. Taking a breath, you started again. “I knew Copia was up today, and you need to not be so uptight. I wouldn’t have put you in harm's way.”

He gave you an odd look as he saw you pressing your lips into a thin line to stop from laughing. “Why are you laughing so much?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing. I swear,” you assured, trying so hard not to burst out laughing.

“Well if it’s nothing, then can you stop laughing? I’m trying to be serious here.”

“I’m sorry!” You said, sarcastic, but hoping he would continue.

“Whatever. Just give me my phone, okay? And maybe let's not play the ‘make Aether late’ prank.”

You sighed as you handed him his phone, keeping it face down. He put it in his pocket and sighed. “Fine.”

“Well, it’s not that fine. The whole pack’s going to poke fun at me for being late.”

“Big whoop.”

“It is a ‘big whoop.’ You know they don’t let anyone live things down,” he said, frowning again. The light reflected off his glasses, and his lips were pressed into a thin line to show how disappointed he was, and that’s when you lost it. “Lucifer almighty! What? What could possibly be so funny?” He asked, a little more irritated.

After taking a moment to catch your breath, you wiped your eyes as you looked at him. “I’m sorry. It’s just these new masks.”

He sighed, knowing that they looked stupid. “What about them?”

“You look like a fucking bug,” you cackled.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, opening the door to the closet. “I’m aware they look stupid. Just…let’s go. The other’s are probably wondering where I’m at.”

You nodded, still slightly laughing. “You may not want to check your phone yet,” you smiled, looking at him with a devious grin.

“What? Why not?” He asked, pausing, but you were already gone, meeting up with some of your friends across the room. You threw a wink at him and left.

—

When you two finally got back to his room, he flopped down on the bed, mask long discarded. He had been pulled left and right after mass due to something that Copia needed, then an emergency in the infirmary, and he just needed a break.

“You gonna be alright while I shower, love?” You asked, sitting on the bed and rubbing his back.

Slowly, he sat up. “Yeah, just tired. Been a long day.”

“I’m sure. I’m going to go shower. Let me know if you need anything,” you said, standing and kissing his forehead as you walked toward the shower.

He finally managed to get out of the rest of his uniform, then laid back down on the bed. The shower started up, and after a few minutes, he finally pulled his phone out. He turned on the screen, and there it was…a picture of a zoomed in fly to only show the eyes.

“Lucifer give me strength,” he groaned loudly, running his hands over his face. All he could hear was a cackle from the other side of the bathroom door.

[aetherdoesthings]

Can you write something, headcanons or short story or whatever you like , about Sanji taking care of/finding out that his partner has bad legs and a bad back, but still tries to go about their daily life like it’s nothing because that’s definitely not me lol

Thank you if you decide to write 💙

elo countesskaru! i hope you feel better/good/nice :(

forethoughts: apologies if it feels rushed and not read through, and if it's somewhat inaccurate. i tried to portray the best i could of what my interpretation of this would be. nevertheless, kinda feeling the urge to start playing hsr but idk. anyways enjoy!

notes: gn!reader

Being part of the Straw Hats meant everyone pulled their weight and contributed somehow. 

Unfortunately, you were neither good at fighting nor good at map-making, reading poneglyphs, medical knowledge, or anything that made you stand out. 

All you had was pain whenever you bent over. That meant you couldn’t fight like Luffy, Zoro or Sanji, help draw maps for Nami since you had to be hunched over, or help organize Robin’s books, and put away medicine for Chopper. You didn’t dare share your problem with the rest of the crew; if you couldn’t do anything, why would they need you anyways?

So you tried your best to hide your illness as best as possible, spending most of your time in Chopper’s office discreetly learning more about your illness and how to cure it. No one said anything or suspected you actually couldn’t bend over 180 degree both ways. 

“Hey, Y/N, can you come in here for a second?” You looked up from the book you borrowed from Robin, walking into the galley. Sanji was behind the counter, chopping up some vegetables for dinner tonight. 

“Yes?” You responded.

“Can you help unload the crate and put it into that lower cupboard?”

Your eyes found the wooden crate, which was up to your shoulder. Shoot. “Oh. Okay.”

This was fine. 

You barely had to bend down.

You approached the crate, reaching your hands to the open of the crate. Using your thighs, you crept down to grab the first few items, walking calmly to the cupboard Sanji intended the food to be in. Everything you did you used your thighs, your back erect as you unloaded the items one by one in a calm manner. You hoped Sanji didn’t notice how your back was as straight as a ruler, as you continued to unload the crate.

Once the crate was halfway empty, that was when things would start to go wrong. You couldn’t rely on your thighs to bend down; your arm wasn’t that long. 

Sanji noticed your sudden delay in your pace, and the knife stopped moving. “Is everything alright?”

“No, no, yeah, no. I-It’s alright. I’m alright. Everything’s alright.” You quickly exclaimed, hands holding the side of the crate to stabilize yourself. Even though you were solely relying on your thighs, your back was still experiencing the strain from moving up and down, left and right, causing your muscles to stiffen and ache.

“Are you certain?”

“Yeah.”

Sanji gave you that look that told you he didn’t believe you. “If you’re tired, you can take a break. It’s alright.”

“No, I got it, it’s-” You reached down to grab another can, the fact that your back was in pain flew out of your mind for the sake of proving to Sanji you were alright. You immediately dropped the can before it left the crate, letting out a groan as your back froze in the position you were in.

“Y/N!” Sanji rushed over to you, his hand on your back and shoulders as he helped you sit down. 

“Sanji, I’m fine-”

“No, you’re not. What’s wrong? Do you want me to take you to Chopper?”

“It’s fine-”

“No, it’s not. No one suddenly bends over and screams in pain.”

“I didn’t-”

Sanji glared at you, and you zipped your mouth shut.

The chef let out a sigh, his gaze softening. “How long?”

You looked down, away from his gaze. There was no hiding anymore. Sanji knew. Soon enough, everyone would. “...since last year.”

“...why didn’t you tell us?”

“I didn’t want you to worry about me… or think I’m different and useless…”

“Y/N-chan… you’re not useless. You’re never useless. Don’t ever think that. I will never think you’re useless.”

“But I can’t even fight… o-or help around..”

“That doesn’t mean you’re useless.” Sanji smiled, his hand on your cheek, his thumb moving in small circles. “You’re far from useless. Don’t let something ruin your worth as a person. Your little… quirk doesn’t define who you are. Alright? I still see you as the same person I’ve always seen before I knew. A smart, talented person who never gives up and doesn’t let small things stop them. Come on. How about I make your favorite food and you take a little break lying down?”

“O-Okay. T-Thank you, Sanji.” A smile grew on your face, as you nodded your head. 

“Anytime. Remember, if you ever feel the urge to call yourself useless, just come to me, and I’ll give you a whole damn lecture on why you’re wrong.” Sanji smiled. You could feel the corners of your eyes starting to burn and well up, but you suppressed the urge to cry as Sanji laid you down on the couch, while he went back behind the counter, pulled some new ingredients out of the cupboards as he began to make your favorite snack.

[the-mountain-flower]

The Exiled and The Outcast

Chapter Eleven: And The Dinner Here Is Never Second Best~

Previous chapter

Next chapter

Falst placed another book in the “X” pile, having finished skimming through it. He picked up the next one, and only took a glance at the cover before immediately placing it on top of the previous one.

“That was quick.” Dainix joked amicably, one of Falst’s books open in front of him.

“I’m a fast reader.” Falst quipped back, a smile on his face. “That one’s a Life spellcarving textbook, it doesn’t have anything fire-related unless you count burn treatment.”

Dainix glanced at the other books on the desk. “You’re really into spellcarving, aren’t you?”

“Eh, not that much,” Falst looked away, the smile falling. “I just… had reason to learn some, that’s all.”

Seeming to take the hint,  Dainix turned back back to his own reading.

Falst picked up the last book in the pile and started skimming through it.

It wasn’t until several minutes later, that the awkward silence was broken.

Falst looked over in confusion, and maybe a bit of concern. “You good?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Dainix responded, collecting himself. “Just a… mistranslation, I think. Ainoru did not get nasty with the Jandarra the Clever. He killed them.”

“Oh! Oh, that makes so much more sense.”

“Right?! Jandarra’s other stories make it clear they weren't interested in that kind of thing. I don’t think there’s anywhere in the Rauan Desert where they tell this version.” He gestured to the book in his hands.

“How did that even happen?”

“I have no idea, but I get the feeling this isn’t written directly from the source.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

“Yeah.” Dainix sighed, and shook his head. “I kind of expected something like this, but still.”

“You expected to read that a legendary hero fucked an assassin?”

That got a chuckle out of Dainix. “Not specifically. I just meant that I didn’t expect much of  whatever I find that I know about to be… well, we’re a bit more isolated from everywhere else than we are with each other, mostly thanks to environmental differences. I’m not surprised that what this place does have isn’t that accurate.”

“But, you’re still searching.”

“It’s the only thing I can do, unless I give up. And, I like to think there’s at least a chance of me figuring out, of returning home someday.”

Was he saying that part to Falst, or to himself?

Falst picked up the books from his secret spot to go put them back, mildly disappointed that none of them had given Dainix anything to work with. But he supposed that was the risk of looking so far abroad for something so obscure.

Falst picked up another book on his way back to the desk, but when he came back Dainix wasn’t there, presumably off looking for something else that might tell him something useful.

Falst plopped himself down on the chair he’d claimed, but didn’t open his own book just quite yet. His pensive gaze landed on the candle he’d been using last night. The wick was black and curled, the flame long extinguished. A few drops of wax had cooled down before reaching the bottom, frozen in time halfway down. It had no reason to still be there, but it was, because it just hadn’t been removed.

“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t know why I’m here, either.”

“Are you talking to the candle?”

Falst grimaced. How much of that had Dainix heard?

“Of course not.” Falst responded with faux nonchalance. “Candles burn down. I was talking to the metal thingy that’s holding it.”

“Ah, my mistake.” Dainix’s smile had no business being warmer than any flame that candle could’ve made. “Is it a good conversationalist?”

Falst laughed. “Totally. Just make sure the clock over there doesn’t think you’re talking to it. It’s very self-absorbed.”

Falst’s heard gave an unexpected flutter when he made Dainix laugh again.

This was probably the first time Falst didn’t bother to hide while waiting for Dainix to prepare the meal. There was just no reason for it at this point.

Before trying Dainix’s food, Falst would definitely have been suspicious of the idea of spicy stuff with fruit of all things. He still wasn’t quite sure how Dainix made it work without diminishing the sweetness, but he sure wasn’t going to complain. For being unfamiliar with most of the ingredients, Dainix was very adept at creating something incredible from his supply, and Falst had to wonder what he was capable of in an actual kitchen. It was mesmerizing, how he kept his gaze so steadily on the food he was working with, keeping his hands busy; but his shoulders looked so relaxed, and there wasn’t a moment where his expression wasn’t graced with a gentle smile.

Falst was so lost in watching Dainix’s cooking, that he almost didn’t notice him putting more of the fruit in half of the food- the doclionana he’d called it- than in the other. He didn’t miss that when Dainix handed half of the dinner to Falst, it was the ones with more fruit.

“Here you go. Careful, it’s still hot.”

Falst almost laughed at the warning, coming from someone who was just holding the food he was cooking directly over the fire with his bare hands.

The doclionana was delicious, and once again Dainix had managed to make it so that it was simultaneously spicy and sweet in a way that didn’t cancel each other out or clash. How much different was it from what Dainix made for himself?

Was it possible for Dainix to have noticed Falst’s preference for sweetness?

He couldn’t have. There was no way he was paying that much attention to him. For as much as Falst paid attention to Dainix, he thought there was no reason for it to go the other way around.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plot twist: Dainix's cooking is so good that the furniture comes to life and starts singing about it ;P

I was completely overthinking the food part way more than I had to. just to end up using a made-up word that means nothing irl and hand-waving it as "it's fiction" for the sake of saving me from myself lol (this chapter was already difficult for me)

Remember to drink water, eat food, take your meds (if applicable), and get enough sleep. Love you all, and have a great [insert time here]! <3

[thesconesyard]

Don’t judge me harshly for my first ever Spock pov, please

Where the West Begins

18. Bandolier

“Spock,” Scotty called across the yard.

Spock stopped and turned, standing still as the Scotsman caught up to him.

“How’s Jim doing today?”

“Much better,” Spock replied, with a faint tightness around his mouth that could pass for a smile. “Though I do not understand why Dr. McCoy did not inform him he was being poisoned.”

Scotty appeared to sigh. “Aye, maybe we should have told ye, but we worried the lass may start to catch onto us or harm someone else.”

“I see.”

“And ye know the lad, he never wants to admit to being under the weather.”

“That is true, unfortunately.”

“But I’m sure if he’d gotten any worse Len would have stepped in. Ye know he was tearing himself up about it trying to fix it,” Scotty said.

“In hindsight his distress was clear. Is there something you needed, Scotty?”

“Aye!” The Scotsman perked up. “I was having some wee trouble with some calculations for that new out building, and was hoping ye could help me.”

“I’d be happy too,” Spock said. He followed quietly behind the other man.

His mind was eased some at Scotty’s explanations of the doctor’s actions. Yes, Jim could be stubborn about some things, especially concerning himself, but Spock had seen McCoy go head to head with the ranch owner many times and come out the winner. If the doctor had been stubborn this time, Jim would not have suffered as long as he had.

Though in the end Jim was healing and that woman was gone. She would be a reminder to them to be vigilant of those who came to them.

In the evening, after dinner, the others were helping wash up or take care of the evening chores, but Spock wandered to his room. From under his bed he drew out a small chest. It was long but not very wide, nor very deep.

He took a very slow, deep breath as he sat on the bed and undid the latches. The relics of a previous life lay inside. Spock had not looked at them since he had come to the ranch and shoved the chest underneath the bed.

The past months had drawn forth thoughts he’d not had for a very long time. Of family, long gone separate ways.

A photograph sat on top, old and faded. Spock lifted it and looked. His parents. So different from each other and so fiercely devoted to each other. He set the photograph aside, and turned to the next item. His fingers ran gently over the smooth handle of a small knife. Gingerly he lifted it and slid it an inch from the hilt. The sharp blade gleamed, though he knew what deeds had been done with it.

Spock closed his eyes for a moment and breathed slowly. He slid the knife back in the sheath and set it down. Soft leather was next.

Spock startled at a knock on the door.

“Spock, you in there?”

Jim.

Spock stared at the door, then glanced at the open chest in front of him. No one had seen these things since he had packed them away.

“Yes,” he finally answered.

“You alright?” Jim sounded concerned. That was wrong; Spock should be the one still concerned for Jim. He was still healing.

“I am fine.”

“Alright if I come in?” Jim called through the door, sounding amused.

Spock looked again at the open chest, and his breath grew tight. He let it out and made himself relax.

“Yes.”

The door opened and Jim stepped in wearing a bright smile.

“What’s all this?” he asked.

“The door please Jim.”

“Oh. Sure.” Jim turned back and closed the door before he crossed over to look at the items on the bed.

“Who’s this?” Jim asked, pointing at the photograph. “May I?” His hand reached halfway to it.

“My parents,” Spock said stiffly. “You may.”

Jim lifted the photo carefully and studied it. “You look like both of them,” he said with a smile.

“I wish that I didn’t.”

Jim looked over at him in confusion. Spock looked away towards the window.

“One parent from each side of the conflict does not make one very welcome afterwards in either place.”

“Oh. Spock—”

“They loved each other.” Spock gave his head a sad shake. “But I did not belong. I tried, on both sides. I fought.” Spock touched the knife again. “I killed. But neither side wanted me.”

From the chest he pulled a long leather belt, folded together.

“I was not enough for either, despite my skills.” He held the folded belt angled across his chest.

“What did you do?” Jim sat down on the bed with the chest between them.

“I left. I worked for who paid the most.”

“A mercenary?”

“Perhaps you would name what I did that.”

“What happened?”

“I received a letter saying my parents had been killed. They had tried to stop the next conflict. Each side blamed the other for their deaths.”

“I’m sorry.”

Spock shook his head. “I gave up that life. I wandered and I ended here.” He set the bandolier back in the chest, then laid the knife back on top. He reached over and took the photo from Jim. With it in the chest he closed the lid and did the latches again.

“Too many fight in this world. I choose not to anymore, but I will defend what is mine.” His dark eyes looked across at Jim with intensity.

Jim nodded slowly. “Thank you for telling me.”

Spock nodded in acknowledgment.

“Is there anything I can do?” Jim asked quietly.

“Keep being the good person you are in this terrible world.”

“It’s not all terrible Spock,” Jim grinned suddenly. “It brought you here to me didn’t it?”

Warmth crept up Spock’s face at Jim’s words and he fought to hide it.

“That is true,” he admitted softly.

[dandyshucks]

once again therapizing myself through the blorbo 😭😭

so i have had no heat for three years, and i live in a basement in the north. uhm. i gave my parents exact number readings of the thermostat but they never cared or took me seriously. and then my brother moved in halfway thru the winter and they finally started caring when HE complained. they came downstairs and looked at the thermostat and went "wow it's really cold down here! we should get this fixed!" and i was like. yeah. no shit. i've been telling u the thermostat numbers for three years. why is it only after brother moves in that u care and also why did u never believe me???? they also told me a few times to stop using the space heater so much bc it was jacking up the hydro bill. i've been thinking i was being a baby for having my hands be stiff and in pain every evening when i was just typing on my laptop to like. chat or scroll or post. haven't been able to work on any writing in the winter unless i was wearing gloves. ppl in my life that are not my family kept telling me that "basements are just cold". but erm. living in the north with no heating is . insane.

anyways. all this. and i am still feeling like maybe im just being dramatic or hysterical about the situation. maybe i shouldn't be getting mad about it. maybe it's not that big of a deal and i'm being unfair towards parents. maybe i didn't make enough of a deal about it the past three years and so they never took me seriously bc i didn't bother them enough about it.

but nooooo. thinking about what Guz would say in this situation fdsjkl and he would be like. furious honestly. as should i. because this is genuinely neglect???? like. no fucking heat for three years. they've been living upstairs with their heat working just fine but the heat broke in the basement. as soon as they got it fixed a month or two ago i was able to like... exist comfortably in the basement again, my hands stopped hurting all the time, i could work on SEWING in the evening again!!! i actually got overheated at certain points bc i guess my body was used to trying to work overtime to heat itself and now suddenly it didn't have to anymore (this would also possibly explain some of my exhaustion in the winter, if my body had to work that hard just to keep me warm enough to function fdsjkl).

and i really did do my best to be insistent enough about the heat not working, but with everyone acting like i was being hysterical and spoiled for wanting ... the basement to be room temperature, i thought maybe i WAS being ridiculous. and also in this household, the squeaky wheel does not get the grease (if the squeaky wheel is me. my sister and one brother on the other hand.....), the squeaky wheel just gets (metaphorically, there is no physical abuse) beaten back into place until it stops squeaking. so i did not want to push the matter too much bc i was scared of being punished and bringing further abuse down on myself.

anyways yeah i just . am spinning around in circles trying to work through this in my head and not fall into the same old "you're being ridiculous, you are not giving enough grace to the ppl who have done wrong, you are spoiled and terrible" thinking patterns, and thinking about how Guz would feel about the situation is helping that a lot fdskjl. i feel like if i went crying to him about this, he wouldn't think i was being hysterical even if i WAS crying. he would be angry for me. he would do what he could to help me w the housing applications mess to get me out of here. he would want to have a chat with my parents but i'd tell him absolutely not HFDSJKL bc they will never change and anyone pointing out their abuse would only make things worse unfortunately.

ough.

[jacksdinonuggets]

Vaggie regressing even smoller than usual, making her unable to talk and getting frustrated because she can't communicate? Any caregiver.

Here you go!

Vaggie really needed to regress. All day she felt so small and she just needed a way to get these little feelings out. Unfortunately, Charlie was out getting groceries to restock the hotel and Carmilla was busy in an overlord meeting. She couldn’t go to her big brother Angel because he was at work. Husk always smelled like alcohol and it would mess with her senses too much. So she walked to Lucifer's room and knocked.

“Afternoon, Vaggie! What brings you around here?” He greeted her. He finally got her name right! He was proud of himself.

“I- um. I was wondering if you could watch over me while I’m little?” Vaggie asked. She was a little nervous since he’s only ever babysat with Charlie around. 

Lucifers face soften and he smiled.

“Of course I can, sweetie. You are my soon to be daughter-in-law, after all,” 

Vaggie’s lip smiled upwards a little, happy that he wasn’t awkward about it like the first time she regressed with him around. He must’ve gotten used to it since Charlie regressed with him often.

Lucifer followed vaggie to the little room they had. It was quite small since it was just for Charlie and Vaggie. 

“Alright, Vaggie waggie, want help getting changed?” He babytalked. She felt herself slip just through that. Usually she would need some regression videos, or watch a few kids shows to slip.

“Mhm,” She mumbled. Lucifer picked her up and placed her on the changing mat before grabbing a diaper from the cabinet. He quickly changed her into the comfy padding before putting her into a onesie. He set her down on the soft foam floor and got out some of her sensory toys. As she played, she felt herself slipping further and further. At first, she hadn’t realized it and just went with it. That was until she felt very different. She felt no more than a couple of months old. 

As she was playing with her sensory toys, she became bored and wanted snuggles from Lucifer. However, she when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. She tried again, but her body just continued to refuse. She started to get frustrated. Why couldn’t she speak? That when she finally made a noise. A distressed cry.

“Aah!” she cried, hating this feeling of nonverbal-ness.

“What’s the matter, sweetie?” Lucifer asked, kneeling down to her level on the floor.

“Ah! aAh!” she yelled, trying to tell him, but it wouldn’t work.

“Can you use your words, Vaggie?”

This pissed her off. She couldn’t use her words! She tried to get up to grab her communication cards but fell almost immediately, too little to walk. She let out an angry whimper before she started sobbing, kicking, and banging her fists on the floor. 

‘Oh shit’ Lucifer thought. This was his first meltdown he had witnessed from vaggie. He didn’t really know what to do. She wasn’t talking to him! Wait. Maybe she couldn’t talk. He realized that it might’ve caused some frustration. So the best way to get this meltdown to end was to wait it out. He learned that from Charlie’s tantrum/meltdowns when she was younger.

Finally, after what felt like a long time of crying, kicking, and screaming, she began to tire herself out. Since she was so small, she got very eepy easily.

“Hey, sweetheart, you getting sleepy?” Lucifer asked. She nodded and made grabby hands in the air. He assumed she wanted uppies.

“Alright, Up we go!” He lifted her up and held her. He bounced her on his hip for a while until she got completely calm. She clung to him during this. He smiled, awing at how cute the girl was being. With one hand holding her, he used the other to get out the naptime mat before laying her down on it. She was halfway asleep and didn’t even realize that she wasn’t being held anymore. He gave her a teddy bear to cling to while slept.

Lucifer just survived his first meltdown and to be honest, he was happy he didn’t completely fuck it up.

[johnandrasjaqobis]

Sooo I did say I needed to write up a summary of Joseph's ending (including screenshots for funsies and to break up the inevitable wall of text)

but of course to do that I need to set some Context (only the relevant parts, I swear) SO my idiot son, fresh off the Nautaloid, negative memories, +1 tadpole, and also somehow eldritch blast ??

(he was a fighter of some sort before, I think, I had been considering paladin for this run but it didn't make a whole lot of sense to have divine magic when you start out with Nothing, so I figured the desperation of that situation is the. perfect opportunity for some outside force to Help.)

and, of course, this will be long so UNDER A CUT IT GOES

He had zero idea what exactly was giving him the powers, but there was so much going on it wasn't really a priority to look into for the first good chunk of plot. Joseph just barreled his way through looking for literally anyone who would give him any fucking answers, and was legitimately kinda being dragged into being a halfway decent person with the party's influence (if there is one constant about this man, he is far easier to manipulate than he'd ever admit). Still used every tadpole they came across because there was the constant feeling of being so much weaker than he should be, and the tadpoles gave a not insignificant edge in combat. Thanks to the weird accidental connection to the zaith'isk, he was very good at it - and for a guy who feels like he's not very good at much of anything anymore, it was a lot.

(he also tried to pass the tadpole stuff off as warlock abilities, with marginal success, it did involve casting shatter centered on himself once and knocking himself out, that's not important)

all that to say when the Emperor offered the astral tadpole, there was some temptation; the main thing that made Joseph keep pushing back was the fact that Lae'zel hated the idea of it. but (and here is where I wave fondly to fully canon events as they pass by) good ol' Empy chose this time to try and press in on the fact that Joseph had already benefited so much from illithid powers. Moreso than he was fully aware, in fact. since the Emperor was technically his patron.

(sometimes you see this absolute feral little asshole of a man who, unfortunately, is a rather important part of your plan, and realize that he can't do shit anymore. so sometimes you gotta sigh heavily and give him a hand. or tentacle, perhaps.)

anyway when it came down to it the DC was 21, Lae'zel was pissed, and lo and behold

fast forward a bit. the Emperor is a bitch, they do not get along, but mostly mutual goals so whatever

and then we get to Baldur's Gate. Joseph has one (1) meeting with his ex, who is incidentally the first person who has actually given any actual answers, and every chance of some kind of redemption arc is immediately thrown out the window

because. yeah, remember that mention of being easy to manipulate? pre-tadpole Joseph wasn't much different in that regard. His loyalty is a character flaw at points, and his loyalty to Gortash was second only to Bhaal himself (and even that divide was being pushed at, which terrified him, obedient son that he was, forgive me father indeed)

he learned why every high ranking person in this dammed cult seemed to know him. Why the Absolute itself seemed to revere him. Why Stillmaker felt so familiar. And he fell right back into the old patterns and the old plan.

proceeded to lose multiple friends for it, too, there's only so long the whole "I'm just staying on his good side to get information" excuse is obviously, how you say, bullshit. Karlach and Wyll both left after they got Gale back from Orin. Shadowheart stuck around a little longer, but eventually having to help kill the little group of Gur after watching a ceremony that killed thousands just tipped things too far.

Joseph went into the finale with like. three friends: Astarion (freshly ascended), Minthara (delighted by the opportunity for power grabs), and Lae'zel (increasingly skeptical and disappointed by her idiot amnesiac boyfriend).

(and god the situation with Lae'zel hurt. Karlach definitely tried to warn her of how badly this was all going to go to shit before leaving. there was a moment with Shadowheart with the very weary "I do think he loves you. I just don't think that it's going to be enough." getting to watch as Joseph just fully clicked with this man he so obviously had history with. like give this girl a break.)

but again, that loyalty, which meant he definitely did get the Orphic hammer because he wasn't about to just turn his back on Lae'zel's whole mission, and also fuck the Emperor actually

however, speaking of the Emperor, that does require a bit of a backtrack because Joseph did have to kill his sister and then also said fuck you dad, it's your dream not mine, etc and was exsanguinated for his troubles. only to be pulled back again by the weird skeleton guy who refused to stop following them around.

See friends, I think there's something...a little extra, in being killed by a god, especially when it was the god who created you to begin with. Bhaal might have aimed a little poorly, only fully destroying the Urge side of things, but the god of murder murdering you holds weight. As does being pulled right back out of death by the now unemployed god of death.

That whole situation might have. Severed some connections. Formed some new ones.

Fast forward again.

Holy shit the brain is big.

but they had the plan, perhaps a little trickier now, but they'd get the brain back under control and split the stones again, Minthara can wield the third, Astarion can help run things with his own newfound powers, Lae'zel can use whatever resources from this plane she needs to go kill Vlaakith, there's a plan

and I mean. we all know how this part goes. Larian I just want to talk.

In a very fitting "dice telling a story" moment, after Gortash fell I rolled three consecutive 2's. (Minthara tried revivify immediately, of course she did, but maybe it was the splitting migraine they were all fighting through or maybe something the brain did, or maybe Bane himself wouldn't allow it, but nothing would take.) Joseph doesn't remember screaming, but by the time Empy yanked them into the prism, his throat was definitely damaged.

Joseph nearly passes out and does end up just staring at the body (because at least Empy was polite enough not to just leave Gortash there, god can you imagine) for. some amount of time.

of course he'd lose this, of course it's the one person who really knew him before, who was still perfectly willing to work with who he was now, who gave him a purpose that was more than just killing literally everyone, who appreciated the skills that came with said killing but appreciated the skills that had nothing to do with it, who Joseph trusted despite literally every bit of common sense

Fuck that, actually.

The Emperor snaps at him that they don't have this kind of time, Joseph snaps right back that they're in the fucking Astral Sea, time passes differently, they've got a moment.

He asks the others for a moment, just go regroup a bit, he'll catch up, and this has happened enough over their travels that they don't hesitate too much before leaving him alone

and then he starts calling for Withers. First just mentally, then out loud, then enough to make him taste a little blood again, because Jergal you fuck I know you can hear me

takes a moment, but. he does show up. just so casually stepping out from behind a rock, good ol' Peepaw, Withers, literally Jergal himself

and also Joseph's fairly recently self-appointed new patron

(he'd had suspicions for a bit, the fact that he and the Emperor had been at such odds recently, especially the fact that he could complete the whole "heist" from the House of Hope with absolutely no consequences, there was a pretty solid feeling. this just confirmed it.)

"Bring him back." "No."

but if warlocks are known for one thing, it's making deals. how invested are you in seeing this Absolute stopped, huh Jergal? In sticking it to the Dead Three? You've already yanked one of their Chosen back, what's one more?

"I could try -- do my godsdammed best -- to stop this thing for good. Just like you want. Or I could use these stones and burn down the fucking world."

and it's a good thing they're in the Astral Sea because the silence is long. but eventually there is. a very reluctant agreement.

after, of course. after the Absolute is destroyed (if you die in the process and it enacts the Grand Design, not much else will matter anyway, if you succumb to the temptation and take control, there's no bargain to be fulfilled).

So. Somehow, in fate's favorite sort of irony, the guy who pulled Joseph off of any sort of path toward redemption ended up being the reason that kind of forced his hand there anyway.

They destroy the brain. Astarion and Minthara are expectedly disappointed, but can kind of appreciate the impossible task that it would have been to control that thing indefinitely. The tadpoles are evaporated (Joseph is left with scarring because you can't tell me that level of change being stripped away so quickly leaves you without a mark). The city is saved.

And Enver Gortash gets to wake up, inexplicably, on the docks and go through seven stages of grief as he realizes what happened to his plan. (The plan got you fucking killed, you absolute dumbass.)

implications beyond that are mmmmmm many and complicated. but. hey, there's always the next plan.

[lenoraslament]

Lenora’s Love: A Tom Riddle Fanfiction

Chapter 8: Overprotective

Lenora is hungover with our dark lord

Lenora slept until past noon as did most of the house. She laid on her bed feeling still depleted when she awoke. If it wasn't for Lilith shoving a coffee and muffin in her face she probably would have laid in bed all day.

"Why are you so peppy?" She groaned,

Lilith smiled grabbing a small vial from her pocket, "well  not all of us dove halfway in the bottle last night".

Lenore gave her a sour face.

"I brought you a hangover elixir as well" Lilith said in a sing-songy voice.

"Who made it?" Lenore grumbled from underneath her pillow where she hid her head.

"Tom" Lilith said leafing through Lenora's dresses from her open closet, "he made you that coffee too"

"Throw it out" Lenora lifted her head up, "I'd rather suffer".

Lilith snorted, "well excuse me princess" she dumped it in her coffee anyway when Lenora looked away.

Lenora took a sip of the coffee, "you destroyed the elixir?" She asked.

"Obliterated" Lilith said with a smile.

Abraxas, she could forgive. Tom she refused to even look at. His eyes flicked over the newspaper as she came down the stairs.

She sat in the front room with the rest of the guys watching Lilith saddle next to Theo happily. Black looked out the window sullenly, he refused to meet her eye.

"Are you going to thank me for the coffee?" Tom asked as she sat in the only seat available. Unfortunately next to him.

He passed her a section the newspaper. Abraxas shot her a look and for a moment she felt defeated.

"Thank you Tom," she said quietly as she read.

They all sat for a while making conversation, remarking on articles in the paper. Abraxas got up and sat on the floor next to Lenora and they chatted about new music.

"Well" exclaimed Lilith loudly, "I only have two days here and tomorrow Theo and I have a date"

They all looked at her dumbly.

"So Nora and I are going shopping" she smiled at Lenora who raised her eyebrows. Even though she was surprisingly not hungover, she was not in the mood.

"Lovely!" She said standing up, suddenly relieved to be escaping.

They returned bags in hand. Theo sat on the porch waiting for them. He flicked his wand carrying the bags from their hands and floating them upstairs. Lilith and him embraced like two lovers separated for dynasties, making Nora look away shyly.

Wanting to give them their privacy, she began to walk backwards in the lawn.

"I'm going to go for a little walk guys" she called out.

"Are you sure?" Theo called out, "it's getting dark".

"Lumos" she said and her wand lit, "I'm fine".

She meandered to the back for the house, if she were anywhere else she may have felt frightened. Alone in the dark she walked the woods she had known even as a child. Over rocks and fallen branches until she heard the babbling of a small waterfall.

Even under the endlessness of night, her favorite spot was beautiful. Lenora found a rock and climbed onto it watching the quiet glimmers of the water

   She sat there for over an hour and began to walk along the bank. Her wand lit the area and she saw some small unusual flowers. Nora crouched and squinted, little white blooms that looked vaguely familiar.

Water hemlock she gasped. A very rare and unusual ingredient for very powerful potions.  Wasn't this just perfect? She conjured a small pouch and cut them carefully. She made certain not to touch the blooms, they were absolutely poisonous. She placed the pack in the pocket of her dress.

"Are you a fool?" The voice made her jump although she knew who it was.

"Are you my shadow?" She quipped back not in the mood.

"It's dangerous at night" Tom said, "hurry up"

He looked at her queerly sitting on the ground, "what are you doing? I didn't know you came here at night too."

Lenora have him a curious look, "how did you know I came here at all?"

Tom felt caught, for a moment he doubted his own abilities to Obliviate. He stared into Nora's eyes for a hint of the truth but there was nothing.

"Just hurry up" he said, "before I throw you in the creek".

She patted her pocket softly thinking about the possibilities it held inside.

  Tom held his arm for her and she begrudgingly took it. He held her tightly, it wasn't lost on her the change in his behavior. Why was Tom had been acting so overprotective? He always had been intertwined in her life but this new attitude was a bit much.

Read More Here:

[narratingvoice]

Do youuu have a favorite food or drink 🙄 if u can even process those (love u gang)

Apologies for the delay in my reply, dear anon, but I wanted to give your question the time and attention it deserves. It's true, I did not design my default model to be able to consume and digest food, but that would lead to a simple answer of "no" and that's not any fun, is it? That's not what people come to this ask box for. So I decided to conduct a little experiment. I figured, I've created a mostly-functioning human body before, surely I can do it again. And it took me a little longer than expected, because I decided to use the character creator in Starfield to make the base, and there are just so many options and details to go through. I could spend all day poring over the eyebrows alone. When it's a face I'm going to be wearing, everything needs to be absolutely perfect. A mirror to my true soul. Dashing, refined, with an air of wisdom. I need Stanley to see me as a kindly, avuncular authority figure, but also his best friend.

Anyway six days later Stanley knocked on my office door wondering where I'd been all this time. I realized I had completely let the passage of time slip away from me, so I settled for using what I had built up to that point. It's.... adequate for the job at hand, and comfortable enough to control. Creating the food was much easier; I just imported a bunch of free Unity assets (oh yes, I'll have to make another post to rant about the Unity situation). I let Stanley taste test everything with me to see how our palates differed, and Roman filed the data away wherever it is he puts all that stuff. Read on for the results of my first foray into gastronomy!

ITEM 1: Cheeseburger

The classic American favourite, which Stanley insisted I try first. He apparently loves them and devoured his in a few gigantic bites. I eschewed any condiments because I thought for my first ever experience with taste, I shouldn't have too many competing flavours. The experience was pleasant, a soft and chewy bun giving way to fatty acids. I think this is what they call "umami". The sensation immediately gave me confidence in the entire process of eating. If this is what most foods are like, no wonder humans spend so much time talking about and preparing them. What an intriguing benefit of being an organic lifeform.

ITEM 2: Cinnamon bun

Oh my god??? The blast of sugar upon sugar is totally overwhelming! How can anyone eat an entire one of these all at once? Well, I know the answer to that already, because I ate all of mine and then pounced on Stanley for the second half of his, despite his protests and screams. It was not my finest moment, but I was so intoxicated by sweetness that something primal took over, and I seized my prize from out of his feeble hands. I think I shall not have another, tempting as it may be, lest I lose my senses once again.

ITEM 3: Edamame

What a case of whiplash. After the dizzying highs of the cinnamon bun, these beans frankly disgusted me at first. Hard, fibrous, and bitter. That is, until Stanley kindly informed me that you're supposed to pop the seeds out and discard the shell. (Why couldn't he have done that before watching me bite into a dozen of them???) The result was much more palatable, although I still had the taste of the shells lingering on my tongue. I needed a drink to refresh my palate...

ITEM 4: Water

Cool, crisp, refreshing. Not much else to say about it. I can see why people drink it though. Other than needing it to survive, I mean.

ITEM 5: Vegetable lasagne

Now this is a more complex dish, but I felt I was up to the challenge by this point. There was perhaps a bit too much cheese, and the sauce got all over my hands as I picked it up, but the flavour profile was overall a lovely melange of starch and vegetable. At least I think that's what I tasted; I'll need more experience to compare. Unfortunately, about halfway through this dish I began to feel an overwhelming internal heaviness. I didn't realize that when humans say they are "full", they mean it quite literally. The act of taking another bite, no matter the food, became repulsive to me. I am still recovering from this sensation.

ITEM 6: Pomegranate

What the hell is this. I always pictured Persephone just biting into one of these like an apple, but there's no way you could bite through this rind. (Why do human teeth have to be so dull?) Neither Stanley nor I could figure out how to penetrate the fruit to get to the edible flesh. Alas, I did not create a set of kitchen knives. I don't trust Stanley with blades. Eventually he decided to throw it down the stairs to see what happens. What happened was it exploded into a pile of seeds that looked disturbingly gory. It reminded me of my second-least-favourite ending. I didn't dare try it.

In conclusion, so far my favourite is definitely the cinnamon bun. More research will be needed on sweets and baked goods to see if any of them hold up. Thanks for asking!

[shelbeewrites]

Chapter Twelve | Insult and Injury

-> story masterpost

-> previous chapter

Theo had waited patiently and silently as the court physician examined Cass’s leg while the physician’s apprentice kept a wary eye on Evie who was inclined to curiously peruse the selection of books on the balcony. When Galen finally pulled away from his examinations, the knight shifted a bit in anticipation.

“Lucky for you, you’ll be fine with a bit of rest,” the old man said. Theo breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t caused or exacerbated any injury. “I don’t think I need to tell you to be more careful with your dancing–” Galen looked back at Theo– “or with your pursuits.”

Theo nodded, still wrapping his arms around himself despite the good news. 

“I’ll be able to resume dance then?” Cass asked.

“Just to be safe, I’d take a week off. But a couple days of taking it easy wouldn’t hurt. That means no training.” Cass made a face. “I need to go fetch some ingredients for a draught for you.”

Both Cass and Theo nodded in response and waited until the door closed behind the physician. Terran suddenly appeared beside them, an intrigued look on his face.

“What in the hell happened?” Terran half-chuckled.

“Terran, we need your help,” Cass simply said.

The apprentice’s smile faltered a bit. “Why? What’s going on?”

“We found the intruders,” Theo explained, “and we have reason to believe they’re after the queen.”

Terran brushed a hand over his mouth as he processed Theo's words. “What makes you so sure?”

Cass flicked her eyes towards Theo and he stopped before he could even speak. He knew that look, she’d used it so many times during dinner and court and practically any situation with her mother. He knew what that look meant. “All the evidence points to it being the most likely scenario.”

“And why do you need me?”

Cass smiled a terrifying smirk, and the apprentice began beaming right back at her. 

Gena had almost finished putting away the laundry she was working on when the door to Cassandra’s chambers creaked opened.

There in the open doorway was her mistress being stabilized by Terran as she limped towards her bed. Gena's stomach immediately started turning, and she dropped the clothes she was holding to rush towards the two of them.

“My lady–!” Gena was abruptly stopped by Cassandra holding up a hand.

“I’m fine, just a little dance injury,” she replied with a half-hearted smile.

“More like a Theo injury,” Terran joked.

Gena looked between the two, confused and concerned, and Cassandra shrugged. “I can tell you about it later.” That didn’t make her feel any better about the situation.

“Uh, so here’s the medicine Galen wants you to take. The instructions are on the paper… and, yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Cassandra gave him a small smile, and Gena nodded a farewell. 

Her mistress let out a sigh through her nose and shook her head, but Gena just gazed at her. She looked so tired… deep bags beginning to form underneath her eyes, her movements more sluggish than usual, her eyes a bit bloodshot.

Gena half-heartedly listened to what Cassandra said. Something about a meeting the next night… she wasn’t sure. Cassandra realized halfway through her spiel that the maidservant was not quite hearing everything she was saying.

“Gena, are you listening?”

The maid fell out of her trance. “No, I’m sorry m’lady…” Cassandra pursed her lips, but didn’t say a word. “...Are you feeling alright?”

Cassandra seemed hesitant to answer, but she put on another one of her charming yet false smiles. “Yes, well, besides my newly acquired injury. Why do you ask?”

Gena was unsure if her face reflected how crestfallen she felt. “You just look tired, m’lady.”

“I assure you, I’m fine… though it has been an eventful day.”

The maid sighed through her nose and gave a half-hearted smile. It wasn’t a battle she wanted to fight, but she wasn’t thrilled to give it up either. 

“The recent loss of Wystwillow is not only unfortunate, but it is detrimental to our success in this ongoing war.”

Cassandra was barely paying attention to whatever bullshit speech Valseras was giving at the war council. The man was an idiot. Instead, her mind wandered to the night previous. Cassandra had been working on her translations of Meridian– which were going horribly– and trying out some more spells– which failed miserably. Learning magic was harder than she thought it would be.

“You don’t look too well, princess,” Valseras said, ripping Cassandra out of her foggy brain. “Is there some sickness keeping you from focusing on today’s council?”

The princess flicked her eyes over to the imbecilic general, her mouth gently twisting into a snarl, and replied, “Truthfully it’s your half-witted and dull monologue causing my chronic boredom.”

While the general clenched his jaw in defeat, the queen gave Cassandra a warning look despite the twinkle of agreeance in her eye. Cassandra just smirked in response to it all, though the world was titling a bit. The victory was worth it.

“As I was saying, “ Valseras began again, attempting to recover from his public humiliation… again, “the rebels now hold two major cities in the south of Nevernia.” Cassandra didn’t even try holding back her eyeroll. “With them being our two most important holds on the southern part of the kingdom, I believe it is safe to assume our control of the south has been lost with the fall of Wystwillow. And thus, the loss of the south is extremely harmful to our war efforts–”

“Get to the point, Valseras,” Cassandra's mother demanded.

Valseras, thrown off balance a bit, nodded before continuing. “I believe the rebels will focus their attacks on overtaking Bellbury next.”

Cassandra's eyes moved towards Theo, who was next to the dipshit general. The knight shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his home, yet he stayed silent. She knew no matter how much Theo hated his family, who governed Bellbury, he still loved that coastline city. The idea of what happened at Wystwillow befalling Bellbury had probably haunted the back of his mind ever since that messenger arrived to deliver the news.

Bellbury being the next target wasn’t a completely insane concept. The city was Nevernia’s largest port city, and losing it would seriously hurt their access to resources, especially since their main trading center would be destroyed. Protecting Bellbury would be essential to regaining control of the kingdom.

“After Bellbury, Vale Serine would be next. The rest of the kingdom would fall shortly after.”

Cassandra looked to the map on the table, the figurines laid out to illustrate the current status of every soldier, fort, and city involved in the war. In that moment, the princess could have sworn that some of the pieces were moving slightly. 

“What do you think we should do, general?” the queen asked.

Cassandra and Theo shared a glance across the table because they both knew whatever was about to come out of Valseras’s mouth would be a bunch of bullshit.

“I believe we should gather our army in Vale Serine and prepare to intercept the rebel army before they reach Vale Serine. It’s too treacherous to cross the Never Peaks, so they’d have to enter through the valley.” Valseras began pointing at the map, and Cassandra watched the spires of the castle figurine beneath his finger grow taller and taller. “They’d have to enter the valley from the west, and we’d intercept here.”

Theo shook his head, rolling his eyes as he scoffed quietly, but the general must have sensed the disapproval from the knight that was half his age. Cassandra could no more prevent the smile spreading across her face than stop Theo from completely dismantling Valseras’s entire plan.

“That is the most rubbish I’ve heard in a war council.” Starting off strong, apparently. “You would leave our only port city– the only place where we can receive reinforcements, resources, and weapons from allies– to fall to the rebels' hands?”

“Now, Sir Theodore,” Valseras interjected, “don’t let your personal feelings and ties to Bellbury cloud your judgment.”

“Personal feelings and ties don’t need to be involved, it’s a stupid fucking plan.”

Cassandra stifled a laugh, almost sounding like she was snorting. Another glare from her mother. She should’ve started a drinking game by now.

Valseras puffed out his chest and glowered at the two. “If you’re so smart, then tell the council your genius plan.”

Black spots began forming around the corners of Cassandra's vision, but that would hardly stop her from taking advantage of this perfect opportunity to prove Valseras’s idiocy to the council. A good public humiliation was always a joy.

Theo began his counter argument. “We cannot leave Bellbury on its own. It’s too important to us. I suggest we split our troops, with a heavier focus on Bellbury. As General Valseras said,” Theo gave him a classic Theo smile, “the rebel army would have to travel through the valley to reach Vale Serine, so we’d know where they were headed a long while before they arrived.”

Valseras scoffed much louder than Theo did. “What does that have to do with anything?”

The table rocked back and forth as though it was aboard a ship, yet Cassandra was ready with her comeback. “It means, general, that if the rebels were to overlook Bellbury completely and head straight for us, then we’d have plenty of time to call in reinforcements stationed at Bellbury, subsequently trapping the rebel army in the valley and decimating their ranks. If they decide to attack Bellbury as you predict, then we are prepared to send aid if the troops stationed there so require it.”

Valseras’s face twisted up into a mix of anger, jealousy, and defeat. Cassandra hadn’t realized she was white-knuckling the table until she had to look down for a moment as the rocking became too violent. There was a faint ringing in her ears as she tried blinking away the growing blackness.

“I believe I’ve come to a decision,” the queen said after an indeterminate amount of time. It was hard to tell what with everything in the world shifting around her.

“Maybe you should check with your children first to make sure they approve of your plan,” Valseras muttered. It was becoming hard to hear with the dull buzzing growing louder, but it was certainly loud enough for everyone in the council including Theo and the queen to hear.

“At least Her Majesty can make competent decisions, unlike you,” Theo replied almost immediately.

Valseras’s jaw clenched, but he turned to Cassandra and said, “And what does the beloved princess have to say about it? It seems you always have something…”

Cassandra couldn’t hear the end of Valseras’s sentence as it faded into the background behind the ringing and buzzing. She reached for anything within her grasp to stabilize her body as it went numb. Her vision that was previously plagued by a constantly morphing world was almost instantaneously overtaken by blackness that was so warm and inviting, and she couldn’t help but fall into its embrace. 

Watching his best friend crumple to the ground was one of the most horrifying things he had experienced, and he had seen a lot of horrible things in his young life. One moment she was being her usual self– throwing around witty comments and smirking every chance she got– and the next… The next she had grabbed onto the table violently in the middle of Valseras’s comeback as her eyes rolled back into her head, and her body went completely limp.

Theo literally dove underneath the table to try and catch Cass, though her head had hit the floor before he was beside her. Without thinking a second time, the knight lifted Cass onto his lap and held her while Galen too hobbled his aging body over to the princess as fast as he could. 

“What’s wrong with her, physician?” Queen Ginevra asked only mere moments after Galen began his examination. 

Theo looked up at the old man whose face seemed to show a mix of concern and disappointment, but he simply replied, “I cannot be sure, Your Majesty, but I think it best to return the princess to her chambers and examine her there.”

“We will resume the council after you take your leave, then.”

Theo hid his grimace as best he could, though the physician looked at him with his all-knowing eyes and pursed his lips. “I will need some help transporting her.”

“That’s fine,” the queen said a bit too casually for Theo's liking. “Whoever misses the rest of the council will be informed of the happenings.”

Bastien and Godfrey were immediately taken to Cass’s sides, and Galen returned to his feet with the help of the latter. Bastien knelt down next to Theo, a comforting hand on the other’s shoulder, and lifted Cass off of Theo's lap. Something in him hurt as he was freed from the princess’s weight, and he stood with numbness buzzing through his body.

“Typical. She can’t make it through a council– war or otherwise– without pulling some sort of dramatics.” Valseras was barely able to finish his thought before Theo leaned over the table and grabbed the general’s shirt.

“Do not say another word,” he breathed, inches away from Valseras’s face. “You have no right, and you have no idea what’s going on.”

Theo wasn’t even stopped by the queen for a reprimand as he let go of the general and walked out of the war room. 

By the time Theo had reached the princess’s chambers, Cass was already neatly laid onto her bed as if she had been there the whole time. Her dark waves were sprawled out on the pillow beneath her head, and she lay so still it was almost as if she was dead. It was the most peaceful Theo had ever seen her.

Genevieve stood at the foot of her bed looking over her mistress, hand over her mouth as Galen explained what had happened at council. Her lilac eyes were glossed over as if she wasn’t even listening to Galen’s words anymore, just lost in her concern for Cass. 

“Galen, have you any clue what’s wrong with her?” Theo asked.

“Yes, I believe I know exactly what it is,” the physician replied confidently. He walked over to the nearest nightstand and picked up a bottle filled with liquid. “And the untouched draught I made her confirms it.”

Theo didn’t need to be told what the draught was for. She’d been taking it on and off for years now. He simply shook his head, sighing loudly through his nose. If she weren’t so goddamn stubborn–

The door opened and in walked Terran, accompanied by Godfrey who went to fetch him. Terran gave a small smile as a quick greeting to everyone.

“I brought the medicine you asked for,” the apprentice announced. “And Godfrey told me what happened…”

Galen pursed his thin lips and nodded a thanks. “I’m sure everyone here has suspected it, but I’m afraid the princess simply collapsed from severe exhaustion and sleep deprivation.”

“Do you have any idea how many days she’s been awake for?” It was disheartening every time Theo had to ask this of Galen.

“I gave this draught to her three days ago.”

There were exclamations muttered by both Genevieve and Godfrey. Terran looked like he wanted to crawl inside a dark hole and not come out. Theo ran a hand down his face, unsure if he was more mad at Cass or at himself. 

There was a groan, and everyone’s heads snapped towards Cass. She had begun tossing and turning, whimpering a bit as her breathing became shallow. Genevieve rushed to her side, and Terran moved closer to Galen. Cass inhaled sharply as her eyes flew open, almost panting she was breathing so quickly. Genevieve began cooing soothing words to Cass as the princess looked around, unsure of her whereabouts. Theo had only ever heard Cass talk about her nightmares. It made him sick to see her experiencing them.

Once Cass had realized she was in the safety of her room, she looked about and noticed the four other people sitting there watching her awake. She sat up slowly, Genevieve’s hands still trying to comfort her, and she asked, “What happened?”

Galen was the only one brave enough to respond. “You fainted, my lady.”

“Fainted?” Cass’s eyebrows raised as if she believed she was incapable of such a thing.

“We brought you back here,” Theo explained, “to rest.”

“Rest–?” Cass turned on a dime. “You let me sleep!?”

“You are exhausted, my child,” Galen matched Cass’s anger with sternness just as terrifying. “You are making yourself sick by depriving yourself of sleep. I am prescribing heavy sleeping draughts that you will be taking until you are back in good health.”

The princess gave Galen a stare that would have made Theo submit from fear, yet the physician held her gaze in a way he would never have had the courage to. Cass clenched her jaw and flicked her eyes downward in defeat. 

“Fine. I shall do as you say.”

“Good.”

What followed next was detailed instructions that Genevieve was to make sure Cass followed until the physician deemed her in good health again. Theo hardly paid attention, instead wondering what she saw in those horrific few moments before waking. Could it have been the same dream? Maybe it was a hint to finding the assassins? Or was it a completely different, yet just as terrifying future? He wouldn’t dare ask with Terran around. Cass had made it very clear he was not to know of her dreams. He’d simply inquire later. But still… he couldn’t stop pondering the vision she had just received.

-> next chapter