#welcome back hatter

[hathousehappenings]

40. Welcome Back, Hatter!

Well, everyone… we’ve reached the episode.

This was the second (or third?) episode I watched when I got back into the show and boy can you tell! It's also silly, because for some reason I was under the impression that Hatter and Hare were an actual couple in the show, and in the attic scene there's a moment when the Hare is about to say something and he pauses and I swear I thought he was goin to confess his love for Hatter. it was only for a second, but I totally thought it.

Watching Hatter say goodbye to everyone really goes show how different his relationship is with everyone. I love how Rabbit straightens up Hatter’s bow. He knows Hatter can come across as a mess, but he still wants him to make a good impression. You don’t see Rabbit do stuff Ike that for anyone other than the Queen (because that his job) and Alice. Also having Caterpillar actually admit that he's going to miss Hatter is funny because I get the feeling that Caterpillar has very little patience for Hatter and Hare's antics.

This is also notable because it’s the 40th episode, believed to be the final one that was filmed at MGM/Hollywood studios in Orlando before moving to the CBS Radford studio in Los Angeles. This is also our fairwell to the Tweedle’s MC Hammer suits.

I've been rambling and I haven't even discussed the picture, lol. I felt a lot of pressure with this one because I know it's an important episode for all us HatterxHare shippers. I don't know if I succeeded or not, but I can say that I'm at least really happy with the expressions in this one. I'm going to be coming back to this episode at some point (I actually have a whole animatic planned out, I just need to get off my tookus and get it done), so keep your eyes open for that... eventually. ^^;

[delightful-hatter]

Wlcome back Lunar and Earth 🌍🌒

[tinietaehyun]

A Cup of Madness, Please!

[MadHatter!Beomgyu x lost!Reader] [Wondrous Tales] [Series] [One-shot]

Pairing: MadHatter!Beomgyu x Lost!Reader

Genre(s): Fantasy, dark fantasy, action, dark romance, supernatural.

Contains: Profanity, mentions/implications of drug use/sedative, complex themes of time, obsessive behaviour, mental breakdowns, binding, violence, gaslighting, manipulation and dialogue-heavy.

Note: thanks for such a patient wait guys! Had t rework this one a lot, and I hope the end result is good! <3

Links: Wondrous Tales Masterlist || Masterlist

Summary: Having managed to elude the tea party and trick Kai into thinking you’ll stay, you scramble for your life by bargaining with a strange caterpillar hanging from the trees to escape.

Being barely lucid, you stumble into what seems to be another secluded grove, another tea party. Oh, you were definitely mad by this point. Not again! You see exuberant host with his feet up on the table with a grin, “Welcome, welcome, do come and join me, little love. I have lots of tea or are you sick of it from the March Hare?”

Panicked you rush off past him, he makes no move to chase after you. How strange. “Toodles, love!” Grimacing you rush off through the tangled foliage….only to arrive back to where you were facing the man again. A loop…?

“Time’s prisoner I am, and so you will be too. I’m awfully lonely and the hare’s fed up of my games. You’ll play with me and keep this Hatter company won’t you?”

Your feet drag along the muddy path. Everything seemed utterly weird here (which was saying a lot considering how much you had experienced and seen beforehand!) but this- this was truly weird!

You gaze at the floating leaves, the wind-blown trees of vibrant hues stuck in position, the birds in the sky forming floating statues with the way they hovered in place. Your mind itself felt fuzzy, your movements slow. This entire area felt absent of time. Despite having walked for what seemed to be ages, you felt as if you progressed nowhere at all.

Was this a sign that you were getting closer to the Hatter? Was this the consequence of killing time? Was he also perpetually stuck in this place with no way out? Surely you’d be safe right, you had heeded the caterpillar’s words of not following the path! Then why was everything getting even worse, you felt as though you were walking right into that madman’s hands!

Instinct bubbles uneasily within you as you sluggishly walk. Something didn’t feel right at all, in fact, it made you feel nervous. From what you had heard about the man, nothing good was bound to occur if you met face to face with that lunatic.

You shudder at the thought. Now your main objective was to somehow make it to the Cheshire Cat’s Woods. Your gaze lifts to the horizon, in the distance you see a murky, foggy space, the ominous silhouette of jagged trees. That’s where you were heading to. It made you feel uneasy, even just from the sight of it from afar. That would be your ticket out of here!

With a renewed vigor, you clench your fists and continue walking ahead. You had to make it out of here, no matter what. You clutch your head, a pounding pain pulsating in your forehead; your perception of time is warped and fatigue strains upon your bones. Everything felt overwhelming and all you wanted to do was go home and take an extraordinarily long nap. To think, you’d have called yourself insane before this, to miss your monotonous and stressful life!

The muddy path seems to curve off away from all the frozen in time chaos and floating objects and your shoulders slouch in relief. Anything further from the Hatter was good news in your eyes. You continue trudging along the path. How much more would you have to walk, to endure? Your mind felt weak, your sanity crumbling by every encounter you had. You really didn’t want to go insane here.

The foliage begins to morph and change, monochromatic bushes of black and white, the path ahead of you seems to change with every blink causing you to become disoriented. What the fuck was happening here? You wobble slightly and your mind feels fuzzy. That same unsettling feeling from before - it was nauseating. As though you had no grasp on anything. White noise fills your ears and you groan covering your ears, you begin running along the path in desperation.

What the hell was this place? You had to get out! After a while running; barely barely lucid, you stumble into what seems to be another secluded grove, another tea party. Oh, you were definitely mad by this point. Not again!

Your legs tremble and you attempt to steady yourself as the white static in your eardrums fades. The tea cups and saucers were mismatched, and numerous were shattered to smithereens on the floor. The table cloth was a colourful mismatch of fabrics, colours and patterns. The chairs all pristinely aligned along the sides and the food seemed untouched - varying from cupcakes, cakes, biscuits, scones and croissants perfectly baked to perfection, sweet and alluring in aroma, making your mouth water ever so slightly.

You couldn’t have wandered in a big circle back to the Hare, could you? No…it couldn’t be. The worst place to be in Wonderland. This couldn’t be the Hatter’s Tea Party? Oh you so desperately wanted to deny it, but you knew. You had indeed fucked up terribly.

“Welcome, welcome, do come and join me, little love. I have lots of tea or are you sick of it from the March Hare?” A rich, husky voice startles you and you whip your head to the side. Another small table of delights and treats arranged in pristine fashion. There, you see the exuberant host with his feet up on the table with a grin.

You look around mortified, it was! It was the Hatter’s Party! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Fear courses through your system, you don’t think your mind could handle another insane encounter! You realise nothing is fenced off in this grove, you were free to roam. Why did you have to indulge him anyway? What if you made a run for it now?

Panicked, you rush off past him, he makes no move to chase after you. How strange? No…this felt wrong. Did he simply not care? Were you running into another trap? He calls out grinning, “Toodles, love!” Oh shit. This wasn’t good.

Why couldn’t you think straight at all? You felt so weird, so disoriented? Where did all your logic fly off too? You keep running, adrenaline coursing through your vessels. Perhaps it was foolish to do so, but you didn’t seem to have any idea, you just wanted to avoid the Hatter at all costs. But now, you feel as though you had walked right into the palm of his hand.

Grimacing, you rush off through the tangled foliage, twigs and leaves brush your face. Heavy pants leave your lips, all you wanted to do was escape. You keep running…only to arrive back to where you were, facing the peculiar man again.

Fuck. What was this? A loop?

The eccentric male tilts his head, a wide grin on his lips and mischievous sparkle in his eyes as he gleams, “Time’s prisoner I am, and so you will be too. I’m awfully lonely and the hare’s fed up with my games. You’ll play with me and keep this Hatter company won’t you?”

Your heart slams against your sternum. Was there truly no way out? Or were you simply going insane? He swings his feet off the table enthusiastically and stands abruptly adjusting his tailcoat, a seductive shade of dark blue with vibrant patterned patches here and there and blood red corsage in his chest pocket. If it weren’t for this place, you’d have thought he was a prince out of some fairytale.

Who would have thought the epitome of madness would have such a pretty face? Chiseled features, pouty lips, raven locks which fall in a wolf cut framing his face perfectly; a few strands over his piercing murky eyes. A sharp jaw and pointed nose, truly a beauty with brimming insanity beneath his skin.

With his hands behind his back, he skips over with an ominously delightful tune. Instinctively, you step back, “I-I just want to get to the woods is all, please, I-I- I’ve had enough.”

He tilts his head with a delighted expression and coos, “Oh? You beg so pretty. You’ve had enough? But we’ve just met, love? My darling little love, I’ve been waiting for you! Oh! You mean the others!” The man throws his head back laughing and tosses his top hat off with a flair. Running his hand through his hair, he giggles, “You don’t like our hospitality?”

Hospitality? Glaring, you take another step back, warily keeping your gaze locked onto him. He walks forward, “It’s been ever so long since I’ve had a guest. It’s so, so, so unfair y’know? That pesky king takes the ones that do show up and kills them when he’s bored? Tell me love, then what am I supposed to do? I also want a pretty little guest. And well, well, well, if you made it this far, you truly must be very special!”

You open your mouth to speak. “Ah, ah, ah, shush, shush! Let me introduce myself, love. I,” he exclaims, with an extravagant spin with outstretched arms, “…am the Mad Hatter, tea party extraordinaire, the most fun person in this dreary place called Wonderland...” he hops over and you yelp as his face is millimetres from yours. His voice drops to a whisper, “But, you can also call me Beomgyu.” Like a gentleman, he bows down taking your hand delicately and bringing it up to his lips as he places a soft kiss on the back of your hand. It sends a shiver down your spine. His gaze. It looked like he was going to devour you whole.

Once again, you open your mouth to speak but you’re halted by his index finger on your lips, “Ah, ah, let me finish. Now…” You stiffen. “Say it, say my name. Let's see how it sounds coming from those pretty lips of yours,” he coos. Your eyes widen - goodness, he was impressively tall. All of the wacky figures of Wonderland were terribly good looking too! Almost as if the divine were cursing you!

You remain silent and Beomgyu tilts his head, and your breath hitches as he suddenly grasps your jaw tilting your head up, his lips inches from your own, as he murmurs, “I said,” his tone darkens, “Say my name. Don’t hesitate for long, if you want to stay alive, play along.”

With great reluctance, you utter, “…Beomgyu.” He releases your chin with a sudden bright smile, “Wonderful, beautiful, how lovely indeed! Now, was that so hard, love?” You glare remaining silent and he chuckles leaning down, “Oh you are terribly cute aren’t you? How did the others let you escape, hm? Goodness, who wouldn’t want to keep you to themselves with such an adorable pouty expression? Now your name.”

You remain quiet and he leans closer making you blurt out, “Y/n.” Beomgyu muses, “Oh a lovely name indeed for my pretty little guest.”

Infuriated, you snap, “Stop. This- look. I just want to leave. I’m tired. I…I’m- I don’t know what to do anymore!” Beomgyu shakes his head, “Tsk, oh dear, you must be so tired. So fatigued. I always knew the others never knew how to treat their guests well. So incompetent.”

With a flourish of his wrist, he leans over and grabs a dark purple rose out of one of the vases. A sudden fit of giggles escapes him as he covers his mouth abruptly, “Sorry love, you have to get used to that. I just… find a lot of things amusing.” Another set of giggles leaves his lips and a terrible feel of unease permeates your very being. Oh, he was insane, alright.

Beomgyu raises the rose to your line of sight making you flinch back as you eye the thorns on the stem. His lips twitch and his eyes widen, sparkling with fervour, with…hunger. “Take it love, an introductory gift from me. It’s my most favourite flower here.”

Stammering, you respond, “N-No thanks I-“ He suddenly snaps, “No? You’re saying no?” You feel your hands go cold at his tone before his expression morphs into a pleasant smile and then into manic laughter sending a jolt of fear through you.

“Goodness! You look terrified! How amusing! Were you scared?” Beomgyu asks, chuckling. “You’ve looked more scared than the moment you first saw me? Why? Did the others tell you bad things about me?” He pouts, reaching over to cup to your cheek, “I’m not scary, I just know how to have fun? Is that so bad? Tell me love, is that so bad?”

You stay quiet, hands trembling. You can’t even look him in the eye. Beomgyu suddenly tilts your head upwards again, his lips twisting into a smirk, “Oh love, feeling shy? Oh why? Come now, keep those pretty eyes on me, hm?” You quiver, “What do you want from me?

“Oh, oh, oh! What a great question!” He exclaims before scoffing with a roll of his eyes, “If it weren’t so abhorrently boring. But to answer your curiosity, I don’t know.”

You deadpan, “You don’t know?” He grins a little too widely, “Mhm, I don’t know. You don’t know either. We both don’t know. The possibilities are endless. Isn’t that glorious?”

Beomgyu gazes at the rose in his left hand, “What a thing of beauty,” he holds it up to your face, “Almost as gorgeous as you, love.” You roll your eyes. He drags the soft petal down your forehead slowly, along the bridge of your nose and rests it on your lips, “Doesn’t it smell divine?” Before you can muster a reply, a wonderfully sweet aroma emits from the rose. You inhale deeper, never have you smelt such an enticing scent. What the hell?…

“Inhale it deeply, love,” he lets out a breathy chuckle and you pale. What did you just breathe in? He takes the rose giving it a big inhale and sighs deliriously happy, “Oh, wait for it to kick in. You said you were tired right?”

Your legs buckle and your sight blurs. What drugs was this rose made from? Wacky and vibrant colours fill your gaze and the surroundings distort and stretch making you feel delirious.

“Isn’t it marvellous? Are you having fun?” He cackles watching you clutch your forehead and stumble and clumsily waver. “You can see the world, the way I do!” He laughs loudly, “Its a little hard you see, when time doesn’t move. Makes you go a little cuckoo, but hey on the bright side, you’re never late, or never early, or, or, never really on time at all!” Beomgyu guffaws clutching his stomach as if he had uttered the funniest phrase in existence.

Meanwhile, you were struggling to keep your ground feeling even the ground below you give way. You felt as though you were floating. Beomgyu hums amused, “Ah, look at your eyes blissed out, such a dazed expression, ah, I could never grow weary of such a sight.”

Knees buckling, you clutch your head as your eyelids feel weighty, drowsiness overwhelms your senses - with which you feel yourself hurtling to the ground and your vision snaps to black.

The Hatter muses crouching down, whether he’s amused by the thousands of colours he’s seeing or the fact you fell down with about as much grace as a sack of potatoes spilling, he himself didn’t know. Either way, he was utterly delighted to have someone after so, so long to be stuck in time with him!

Time was overrated. The future is bleak, unpredictable. Change is far too outdone. It’s not about the what ifs, but the what nows. He had killed time with his bare hands for that very reason, tore the fabric of existence here into shreds. He didn’t want Wonderland to progress forward, how preposterous would that be? What if one day everything faded into obscurity? What if…what if he were to be forgotten? The sheer horror of the thought sends a shudder down hus spine.

“No, no, no,” he mutters, he shakes his head, distraught laughs tumble from his lips, “We can’t have that.” Beomgyu gazes at you, his pupils dilated manically, “You poor thing, oh love, wanting to leave. You don’t know a thing about enjoying the present, not being tainted by the future. Eroded by the ravages of time.” He runs his thumb delicately over your cheek, “It’s okay, I’ll teach you, and I’ll make sure I don’t let you escape like I did with Alice, oh so long ago.”

After what seems like hours, you feel a terrible migraine. Your ears feel numb and you feel as though all the blood was rushing to your head. What the fuck did he do to you? You pry your eyes open and flinch at the light coming in. To your horror, everything was upside down. The same scene, but upside down. Your arms hang below your hand, fingertips grazing the vibrant grass below.

No wonder the blood was rushing to your head! You crane your neck to see your legs and see them tied up. You were hanging like a pendulum off one of the branches of this massive tree! Holy shit! Panic surges through your system, he was a a maniac! With every writhe of your body and deep breath, you swing pathetically.

Footsteps resound and you spot the familiar shoes in your line of sight. A low laugh escapes his lips, “You’re awake. I was beginning to think that my scent-of-sleep-rose had killed you or something.” You glare seething at him - him and stupid fucking smile.

“To make you aware, it is you, who is upside down, not me. Then again, to you, I must look upside down. Perception is a funny thing isn’t it?” He rambles with a grin. You snarl, “What’s wrong with you? I’ve done nothing to deserve this!”

Beomgyu snickers, “Oh hush, hush. Why so angry love? I just wanted to play a game. Believe me, we could talk forever, and I mean that literally by the way,” he giggles before abruptly covering his mouth and composing himself, “But I thought, we could make things a little more fun? I like fun. You like fun. Everyone does. So…why so cranky?”

This piece of…your jaw tightens. His gaze sharpens and he leans down, his hand giving your body a little push and you feel nausea hit you unceremoniously. “Well, what are you going to do about it? Glare into me till I what? Turn to ashes, quiver and blubber away,” he mocks, raising his tone of voice. Beomgyu coos, “Love, you’re in my territory, my grove now. My rules, my games, my…my everything.” He dramatically bends down plucking a bright blade of grass between his index and thumb, “Even this blade of grass,” he blows it in your face with a chuckle.

Anger and fear amalgamate within you into an uncomfortable mixture. Beomgyu’s voice darkens, a crazed expression in his widening eyes as he leans down; his face inches from yours, “Even…you.” Beomgyu stands brightly spinning around with a bright demeanour and a clap of his hands, “So! Suck it up, buttercup!”

Your restraint snaps, all your deliria, patience, fatigue building until it bursts like a geyser as you release a shrill scream piercing the air. It takes Beomgyu aback, the sound rattling his eardrums and momentarily making him stiffen.

You scream hoarsely, “Suck it up? Suck it up!? You’re fucking deplorable! You insane maniac! You- you- do you even know how hard it has been to get here? It’s all just a fucking game to all of you!” Your gaze burns into his as he quietly observes your apparent mental breakdown. You snarl, as you swing pitifully, your hands digging into the dirt to steady yourself. “I’d wish you hell! But this place is already worse than hell itself,” you seethe.

“Is it so fucking hard to get a break here?” You shout, tears running back into your eyes with how you were upside down. “And this! Being fucking hung up like meat at a butcher’s shop, icing on the cake really!” You continue rambling and cursing for another minute as Beomgyu stares almost entranced by you.

You snap catching his stare, “What? What now?” For a moment, he doesn’t reply before stepping forward and dropping to his knees. The expression you see next sends a chill through your body. Wide-eyed, he cups your face, “That was beautiful, what a performance. So much pent up emotion,” another set of tittering laughs leaves him.

“Are you…” he laughs again, “are you losing your mind already, love?”

Your heart flies to your throat. No. No you couldn’t be. No way. That was just…a little pent up anger. No, no, no. You? You going mad? That was ludicrous to even suggest. The Mad Hatter of all people to suggest such a thing?

He coos, fingers pressing into your cheeks, “That look in your eyes, it’s like mine. So chaotic, so panicked, so fiery, so delirious. I can see it, this place has taken its toll on you, as it has done on me. We’re the same. Not willing to die, but to endure, to afraid to never wake up again, but tormented to live!”

Beomgyu rambles as you blankly regard him, your mind spinning. Maybe it was the fact that you were hanging upside down or were you genuinely losing your mind? You couldn’t tell anymore.

You attempt to compose yourself as you splutter, “Beomgyu…I- I can’t be stuck like this forever.” He cuts you off, “Oh don’t worry about that, I’ve killed time! So you can? See,” he gestures wildly around him, “I have..,I’ve been stuck here, even if I want to leave I can’t! I just get brought back here,” he throws his head back laughing maniacally.

You feel even more nauseous than before. How were you going to get out of this one? You tremble, “Stuck? You…can’t leave? Why? Because you killed time?”

He nods wiping a tear away from laughing so hard, “Precisely, love. Consider it a punishment of sorts,” he leans down whispering, “Though this is exactly what I wanted, but don’t tell anyone that. This way, Wonderland can stay happy forever, no one will forget anyone, because we’re all perpetually stuck,” Beomgyu huffs, “Especially me, I can’t even leave my grove, the other losers here can at least have a little more freedom.”

You couldn’t imagine why anyone would subject themselves to this? No wonder he was like this, such a fractured mind, such a delicate psyche. You stammer, “W-Why?”

“Why?” He asks tilting his head, “Why?” He chuckles as he rapidly runs his hands through his head, “Because I wanted to. That pesky rabbit kept saying he was late, that abhorrent king said my tea parties lasted way too long. That crafty hare was trying to steal my limelight. Pathetic scum, the lot of them! And, and, and, the guests we get, oh love, before you, we hadn’t gotten anyone new in Wonderland for so long!”

He squeezes your cheeks, “Could you imagine how bored I was? Time was passing so quickly. The king barely came to my parties anymore, the Hare went his own way, and that stupid white rabbit didn’t even bother to tell me anything of anyone anymore. I was…” he giggles brokenly, “I think, I think I was being forgotten? Me?” He cackles, “Me? Being forgotten, isn’t that so funny? I’m the most memorable of the bunch!”

It hits you like a truck. The one weakness of the Mad Hatter. Time. Time’s passage. He was obsessed with being stuck in a moment. The relentless forward march of time terrified him.

Beomgyu releases your face and he peers down at his shaking hands with a wide smile, “Oh look at that. Even my hands are excited.” Afraid, you think, he’s afraid. He’s afraid of the fading joy and madness that defines his existence. He’s afraid of being forgotten.

You almost, almost feel bad. Perhaps you’d even feel sympathy if it weren’t for the fact you were hanging like a bat off a branch. A twinge of guilt permeates you…would it be so bad to exploit his weakness? To get out of here? Would that make you a bad person. No, you just wanted to flee is all.

“Why so quiet?” His voice is sharp and you’re startled by the husk in his tone and you see that you had zoned out whilst he rambled incessantly. “What?” You murmur dazed. Beomgyu’s lips form a twisted smile, “You’re definitely losing your mind.”

“I’m not,” you fire back. He coos, “Denial is always the first step. I would know, after all.” You snap, “I’m not! Just- Just let it be!”

He snickers, “Why? Is being mad so bad? I believe in madness lies great genius! Only the best people are crazy after all. Hmm…that brings me to the question, is being crazy, the same as being mad?”

You groan frustrated and yell, “Just keep quiet for ten minutes, please.” The Hatter muses, “Agitation, the common second phase of going mad,” he smiles darkly, “I like that, the notion of making you go so insane, you cease to function- no, no!” His eyes widen stopping himself, “No..not cease but ascend, to see things the way I do.”

Beomgyu stands with an eccentric step, “Don’t you feel pity? For the Hatter is lonely in his madness? Won’t you join this Hatter in his madness? In his little stagnant bubble?”

Silence stretches between the both of you as you simply gaze at each other. You didn’t know what to say - were you overwhelmed, drained? You didn’t know. You felt nothing.

Beomgyu grabs a chair and spins it around, sitting on it back to front, resting his chin on the back of the chair with his arms for support. “I don’t like when you’re quiet. That scream you let out earlier was delightful. Could you do it again?”

You give him a blank stare, attempting to get your fried brain to work. His gaze morphs into one of displeasure, “Are you ignoring me?”

You say nothing drilling your blank gaze into his. His jaw tenses, a scary expression on his face, “I don’t quite like what you’re doing, Y/n.”

With a long sigh, he hums, “Fine, fine, I’ll humour you since you’re special. I’ll stop pestering. How about this? I’ll let you down-“ Your eyes brighten and his lips quirk up, “Oh that got your attention now did it? All you had to do was say so, love.” You grit your teeth, piece of shit! As if he’d do so if you asked.

“I’ll let you down, if you play a little game. I think we’ve both been a little too personal with each other an frankly I’m just itching to see how that pretty head of yours works. So let’s lighten the mood. Riddles.”

You groan loudly, “No…I can’t even think straight now.” Beomgyu giggles, “That’s because you’re upside down silly!” If you could just wrap your hands around his neck and-

“Anyway, you don’t have a choice, love! I’m good at keeping promises, so don’t worry. All you have to do is answer the riddles correctly and I’ll untie you.”

“What if we raise the stakes? If I answer them correctly, you’ll let me go?” You murmur. His face morphs into one of disdain, “Come now love, that’s not what we agreed to do.” You snap, “We, we? We didn’t agree to anything? It’s all you!”

“You, me, he, she, whatever, whatever, all these are trivial details!” He exclaims. You smirk catching him off guard, “You’re afraid.”

He stiffens, his eyes narrowing, “Afraid? Of what?” Time. But you didn’t want to say that outright. You murmur, “Of me winning. Moving ahead. So you don’t even want to put that option on the table. Because there will always be the tiniest sliver of a chance that I’ll win.”

For a moment, you see his lips twitch and twist upwards and his head snap into a tilt, “Oh. Oh you think you’re so clever don’t you?”

You hum, “I do.” You expect him to seethe with anger but instead he smiles widely, “Good, I like guests with a little spunk. By far, you’re my favourite yet.”

“So you agree to my terms?” You beam. The Hatter muses sardonically, “Of course not, love. Don’t be foolish. Even if you left, you’d not be able to break the loop.”

“And how do you break the loop exactly?” You raise a brow asking. The Mad Hatter observes you amused, “You can’t.”

“I’m sure I can, there has to be a way,” you retort. “There is, one guest managed to. Pesky little brat,” he grits out. You hum, “Care to share?” Beomgyu sarcastically smiles, “When you win my game, I will.”

“Fine, if I win, you’ll tell me how to break the loop,” you mutter. He muses, “Mm, I’ll think about it. Actually, I don’t know. I lied.”

Fury bubbles up within you. Of fucking course! He resumes, “Anyway, first riddle. I can be cracked, made and told. What am I?”

Your brain whirrs slowly. Everything seemed foggy. Cracked? What on Earth? Think, think, think Y/n! Your brows furrow as you see his smug smile. Told…made…? Cracked? Oh-your eyes widen. A joke! A joke!

Before your lips part to answer, you hold back. Why did you have to oblige him? He never promised you anything. Who said you had to give the right answer? You tentatively murmur, “A…secret.”

He stiffens, before snickering, “Oh love, that’s incorrect.” You feign innocence, “A secret can be told, made, and cracked, can it not?” The Hatter’s lips part and then close for a moment and he scoffs, “The answer was a joke, love, a joke. Come now, that was easy.”

“I’m technically right,” you snap. Beomgyu rolls his eyes, “No, you’re not.” You scoff, “It fits the criteria!” He muses, “It doesn’t fit my criteria.” You notice the surprise in his gaze as if he expected you to get the riddle right off the bat.

Hm. Perhaps the key, was to unsettle the Hatter. Use his weakness against him. Time. Lower his guard and attack. He mutters, “Second riddle, I’ll make it even easier this time,” he sighs drawling out his words, “The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?”

Oh you’d heard this one before! It was footsteps! You furrow your brows deep in thought. Beomgyu sharply observes you and muses, “Oh come on, this is a classic riddle, don’t tell me you don’t know this? How did you even get this far then?”

Tiredly, you sigh, “I…I don’t know. I just…don’t know.” His gaze shifts and he mutters, “What’s this…this was supposed to be more exciting.” He scoffs, “Whatever, just say an answer, don’t keep me waiting.” You see him tapping his foot and you have to refrain from smirking, he’s giving you a hint.

You think deeply. Hm, the more you take. The more you leave behind. The more time you take. The more time you leave behind. Time. You could also say time. How…perfect.

“Time.” You utter. The Hatter’s slouch diminishes and his gaze blazes into you, “What? That’s preposterous? How? How in Wonderland do you mess that up?” You feign being disoriented, “I- Is that not right? Everything feels…so…ugh.”

Beomgyu’s eyes narrow, his grip on the back of the chair tightening, “It’s footsteps! The second one is also wrong!” You let out a laugh and you see his right eye twitch. “What’s so funny, that I’m not laughing with you?” He questions.

You laugh louder, “You…you look confused.” His body tenses and he observes you laughing to yourself. Had you truly gone mad? He himself mirrors your laughter, “Has that head of yours been upside down for a little too long? My, my, perhaps my riddles are too complex for you at the moment. You’re losing your sanity as we speak.”

You snap, feigning anger, “No! I-“ His lips form a devilish smile, “Oh but you are, love.” You clutch your head and groan, “No, no, no-“ you let out a frustrated yelp, and you gaze into his eyes widely, “Please, just let me down!”

Beomgyu regards you for a long time before finally stepping forward. He reaches into his pocket pulling out a handkerchief, a flower, a broken pocket watch and then he scoffs in irritation. “Nothing to cut you down with.”

You gaze at the fractured glass of the pocket watch on the grass . How curious that he still had such an item with him. He grabs a knife and walks over beginning to slice at the rope around your ankles, “Do cover your head, don’t want you knocking what’s left of your sanity right out of you upon impact now, do we?”

It had worked! How odd…he caved in quicker than expected. You yelp as you feel yourself fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. The urge to vomit surfaces from the sheer blood rushing back to where it’s supposed to be. God…you felt awful.

You sit up groaning, hair disheveled and panting for breath. Beomgyu crouches tossing the knife aside and grabs your jaw tilting your head upwards, “You’re certainly something, y’know that?” His eyes scan down your flushed face and he smirks amused by your state, his thumb tugs at your lower lip, “Such a pretty thing. I almost feel bad. But if it means you can see things from my point of you, then I’m indeed happy to enable your insanity. Because what I’m doing, what you’re experiencing,” he leans closer; his sweet breath caresses your cheeks, “is your mind being freed. Sanity is the chain which holds you down, but madness, insanity, it opens your mind. You might be feared, marginalised but they don’t know how we think. They fear the unknown, what we’re capable of.”

You gaze into his eyes. God, that face. The type of face you’d believe anything that’d come out of his sinful lips. He whispers, “With every moment, everything you do, it just feels intoxicating. You so…unpredictable, so…thrilling. I love it. I love everything about you so far.” The words send a dark unease through you.

You question, voice just above a whisper, “Tell me, why did you kill time? It’s because you fear the passage of it. The passage of time means you’ll eventually be forgotten.” Beomgyu’s fingers dig into your jaw and his eyes darken, “You don’t get it. Being forgotten- ah, ha,” he brokenly muses, “No, no, no, you don’t understand it like I do.”

You murmur softly, placing your hand timidly atop his, “Then explain it to me.” His eyes widen bizarrely by your sudden compassion, “What are you up to?” You muse, “You don’t trust me?”

His eyes narrow and you see his lips twitching trying to refrain from smiling, “I don’t. But I want to.”

“I won’t leave,” you murmur and add on, “Not like I can. Even if I did, I’d be stuck in this godforsaken loop, that you so, kindly won’t tell me how to break,” you emphasise and he snorts, “Oh I genuinely don’t know. Even I can’t break it. As I said, it’s part of my punishment. As long as I exist, it will exist also.”

You hum, “If you cease to exist?” His eyes widen panicked, “No- no that can’t be. I can never die in this realm. Time has to pass for that.” Time to throw a wrench into his philosophy.

With a small smile, you utter, “You don’t exist outside of Wonderland.” His gaze snaps to yours, “What?”

“No one knows you outside of this world,” you say bleakly. Your hand tightens across his. You had to make him break down, had to keep him distracted until you could think of something more concrete.

“That’s…preposterous,” he stammers, “Even if I don’t technically exist there, I still exist here. I’m still alive.” You murmur, “That girl who once escaped, surpassed the loop, she must have forgotten you, no?”

You remember the caterpillar’s words. Only one of the many guests here had escaped Wonderland. That must be her!

Beomgyu rips his hand away roughly and his gaze darkens. Your notice his breathing become ragged and a mixture of anger and panic on his visage. Beomgyu trembles, “Stop it- don’t remind me of such nonsense! She…no. Forgotten me? I had almost driven her insane, there’s no way she could have forgotten me?”

You continue, “She’s escaped, living her normal life, what, perhaps years have passed in the real world? You think she’d remember you still? The older she gets the more you fade.”

With a shaky breath, you say, “Have you not considered, that by killing time, you’ve only inhibited your ability to progress, to remain relevant. What you’ve done, is confined yourself to the past.” Beomgyu’s eyes dart back and forth and he screams, “Stop, stop, stop!”

A manic chuckle emits from him, “I-I-I know what you’re doing Y/n. I know your little tricky mind game!” You shake your head, “I’m not playing any games. I’m saying my thoughts on our predicament,” you smile widely, “What’s wrong in that?” You inquire, “I’m right, aren’t I?”

Beomgyu yells infuriated, “No! No! No! You are not! Such insolence- I- how dare you?” It gives you a strange satisfaction to see him like this. Were you sick for enjoying tormenting his already fragile psyche like this? Maybe. Perhaps Wonderland had indeed taken its toll on you. So why were your lips itching to break into a delirious smile?

You catch a flicker of movement in the sky. The birds, you swear their wings flapped for a second. Your heart races - were you seeing things?

Beomgyu clutches his head distraught, “No, no, I killed time, time is only bound to make things worse! I’m not trapped in the past, I…I just want to preserve the moment. Don’t you get it? How don’t you get it?”

You peer at him with a grimace and he lets out an unhinged cackle dragging his hand down his face, “You’re looking at me like I’m mad? I am, I am?” He chortles to himself. “Oh…I’m a mess...”

Your eyes widen as you see the bunting move a little, the birds’ wings flap. Wait…did that mean time was passing? You glance back down at the deranged Hatter. Guilt and pleasure mix within you. His madness was the key to your escape. He had grown comfortable with his own twisted philosophy, and now that you were intentionally provoking him, provoking his conscience entirely, it seemed to mess with the loop.

With a smile, you bend down picking up the cracked pocket watch, “Why have this with you?”His eyes widen and he goes to snatch it before you place it behind your back, “For someone who doesn’t care much about time, you have something like this.”

“Don’t test me, love,” he grits out standing. You attempt to compose yourself and keep your fear in check as you inhale, “Does the truth hurt? The fact that you’ve trapped yourself in this bubble of time. Whilst everyone outside forgets about you? After I escape, don’t you want me to remember you, Beomgyu?”

Beomgyu marches forward, his hand flies to your throat as he slams you against the tree. The bark digs into your back and you grimace as his fingers dig into your neck. The broken pocket watch slips out of your fingers.

He clicks his tongue rapidly in annoyance as he snarls, “You sly vixen, you think you can just talk your way out of this? You don’t know anything about me! You don’t know anything at all! It seems you’ve truly gone bonkers!” Choked gasps and splutters leave your lips as you try to pry his hand off.

Your eyes flutter up and you can’t help but smile stupidly at the sight, the birds were moving, flapping away. This so-called punishment given by time was intrinsically linked to his mind and consciousness. No wonder he was as mad as he was.

Beomgyu’s eyes widen dumbfounded by the sight of you smiling as he chokes you out. The stagnant air seems to dissipate around him, the scent of nostalgia dissipates and he feels the brush of a hefty breeze against his skin for the first time in a long time.

Beomgyu tugs you forward, his face inches from yours as he seethes, “What? What are you grinning about?” You rasp out, “T-Time,” you cough, “is…moving.”

His hand immediately lets you go as you collapse, gasping for air. He looks up, where were the same three birds which hovered in the air? Why were the clouds moving so jaggedly, almost buffering?

Panic fills Beomgyu’s system as he stumbles back at the horrific sight. Time will always continue. After all, time makes everyone his fool. And now, the biggest fool of them all, was Beomgyu. The Mad Hatter.

A distraught and strangled laugh escapes Beomgyu’s throat as he peers at the livelier environment. Trees rustling, the sunlight glimmering. Tears drip down his face as he laughs, “I have not killed time, but time has killed me! How funny! Is that not hilarious?”

His head snaps to you as he cackles, “Laugh! Laugh, laugh, laugh it up! I’ve been the fool all along? Who was I to think I could outsmart time itself when it was in fact time who kept me trapped in my own consciousness, to be a fool who was but a mere memory!”

You gaze at the Hatter who had been shattered beyond recognition. His chronic phobia of the passage of time had seemed to overtake any remaining sense of rationale. With a cautious step back, you peer at the forest at the horizon. You just needed to slip away now…

Beomgyu beams brightly as sparkling tears run down his cheeks, “Oh, you…you, you. Never before have I seen such cunning, such a pretty face,” he coos before growling, “But twisted mind.”

Beomgyu steps forward, “How does it feel to have broken the Hatter? Huh? Huh? Not only have I been shattered once, but now twice?” He bursts out into another fit of laughter before his crazed eyes gaze lands upon you once more, “That smile on your face… you liked it. You like seeing me suffer, you’re just as depraved as we all are here in Wonderland.”

Your heart drops; no. You…,couldn’t be. Depraved? You wouldn’t go so far to be depraved- okay, perhaps you were enjoying tormenting him a little but that’s just because you were getting closer to a way out- you weren’t twisted or sadistic?

He breathlessly chuckles stepping forward, wiping away his continuous tears, “You’re singlehandedly the most twisted guest I’ve ever received.”

Fuck. You were so close. You step back timidly; you catch him looking at your feet and he runs his hands through his ebony locks, smiling widely to himself, “Oh, look at you, look. at. you.” He muses, closing his eyes as if trying calm his rage, “Get out.”

Your body stiffens at his words. Did you mishear him? “What?” You ask, quivering.

Beomgyu drags a hand down his face as he looks down, strands falling over his eyes dangerously, “Get out of my sight, before I make your pretty little head a cake topper for my next tea party.”

You take another step back, and another one. A few more. Finally, you turn around and break out into a sprint, you even glance behind you only to see him standing completely still - his chilling gaze burning into your back with a clear message:

DON’T. EVER. COME. BACK.

With that, you look ahead and run, run and run like your life depends on it toward the eerie forest on the horizon. The sun begins to set once more and the entire place seems to wane, stretch, move and distort, with a new breath of life. A delirious laugh escapes your lips as you run along the decrepit path, wind whips past your face in which you relish immensely.

The Cheshire Cat…what would you face next? Your hands itch, at the rate you were going, you feel like you could…ki-no. No. Compose yourself Y/n. You just wanted to go home. Was that…so hard? No damn cat was going to stop you.

You’d do anything.

Anything to leave. Anything.

As you disappear from his line of sight, a smile laces Beomgyu’s lips and a breathy chuckle emits from him. His knees buckle and he clutches his pounding, overwhelmed head. His brain was truly scattered, broken into mere smithereens.

If you do get past the Cheshire Cat, by which you will, he knows it. That bastard of a cat, will most definitely let you go.

Whilst he may have lost to time, there’s one ounce of peace and one absolute truth that makes him grin so hard that his cheeks hurt.

He’ll never forget you.

Ever.

And he has a feeling, most importantly, you won’t forget him either.

Taglist: [open]

@naoristerling @staaaarykids @tremendousphantommiracle @lun4kazumii @lunathewritingcat @ur-mother-realnotclickbait @taehyhunnzly @20crowsinahoodie @baekberrie @syraphyina @fullbodyblankets @soohashits @f4iryfever @themochiverse @atiny-chocolate-chip @nothingwithoutgyu @ethystclove @hancafe @nap-of-a-starr @isa942572 @evn-09 @ninitorih @m3chigo @tenleeluvr-blog @matcha-binz @soobunnymoa @sleepyygyu @nicngyu @vicurious28 @kurokkkiko0 @zyoopioo @noraimp @bvqler @lailols @iiisusy @astridxxxx @kookiesbunny @scrumptiousloser

[cece693]

You're Not Crazy Pt.1 (The Mad Hatter x M! Reader)

I got an ask some time ago about writing for other Depp characters such as the Mad Hatter. I haven't seen the movies recently, so some things might not be canon, however, I do want to explore this fandom since it is relatively empty of fanfics :) I left it purposefully open-ended in case you guys want a 2nd part.

Summary: You believed your sister when she returned home and spoke of a land where magical and peculiar people roamed. You asked her to take you there, and there, you encounter the Mad Hatter.

tags: of age reader, your Alice's brother, older by a few years, you hadn't seen wonderland before, not following story or book timeline

You believed your sister from the moment she returned home, eyes wide and voice trembling with excitement. She spoke of a world hidden beyond the ordinary, a place where logic twisted into nonsense and peculiar beings roamed freely—a land called Wonderland. You listened, enraptured, as she described a realm of talking animals, living chess pieces, and the most unusual of tea parties. While others dismissed her tales as ramblings of a crazed girl with an overactive imagination, you knew better. You had always known better.

“I want to see it,” you told her one evening. “I want to go there, too.”

Your sister hesitated, her face clouding with concern. “It’s not a place for everyone,” she said softly. “It can be…overwhelming.” But you insisted. If she could brave Wonderland, then so could you. And so, with reluctance, she agreed.

The next day, you followed her through the forest behind your home, down winding paths that seemed to shift and change when you weren’t looking. Eventually, she stopped by a large oak tree, its roots sprawling like the fingers of some great, sleeping beast.

“This is where I fell through.” And before you could ask what she meant, she took your hand and jumped, pulling you into the hollow darkness beneath the tree.

The fall was long and winding, like tumbling through a kaleidoscope of colors and strange sounds. When you finally landed—rather unceremoniously—on a bed of soft grass, you found yourself surrounded by an impossible landscape. The sky was a deep lavender, the grass a brilliant shade of blue. Flowers whispered secrets as you passed, and a brook giggled like a child at play.

"Welcome to Wonderland." Your sister announced with a smile, her eyes alight with familiarity.

It was more magical and bizarre than you could have imagined. You wandered through towering mushroom fields and past chattering woodland creatures, your eyes darting in awe. But one tale from your sister’s stories captivated you most—the Mad Hatter and his eternal tea party.

You begged her to take you there, and she obliged, leading you down a winding path that seemed to twist back on itself like a living thing. She left you at the entrance to a clearing, insisting that the rest of this adventure would be yours alone.

“Just be careful with him.” she warned softly before disappearing back down the path. Confused by her words, you approached the clearing cautiously, the sound of clinking china and cheerful, nonsensical chatter growing louder with each step. And then you saw him—the Mad Hatter, sitting at the head of a long, crooked table filled with teapots, mismatched cups, and an array of pastries that defied description.

His hair was a wild mop of orange curls and his large green eyes glimmered with a feverish brightness. Beside him sat a hare who seemed to be caught in a perpetual state of alarm, and a sleepy mouse that napped in a teapot.

“More tea?” the Hatter exclaimed, lifting a cup in your direction before noticing you. “Ah, a new guest! How splendid, how rare!”

You hesitated, taking in his erratic movements and the almost manic excitement in his voice. He seemed to be all contradictions—both welcoming and wary, kind and somehow unsettling.

“I…I’ve heard a lot about you.” You said carefully, stepping closer.

“Have you, now?” The Hatter's eyes widened, and he leaned forward as if this was the most intriguing news he'd heard all day. “And what did you hear? That I’m mad as a hatter?”

You chuckled. “Well, yes. But also that you throw the best tea parties in Wonderland.”

This seemed to please him immensely. “Then you’ve heard correctly!” he declared, standing up with a flourish. “Do sit, do sit! There’s always room for one more at my table. Unless, of course, it’s Tuesday, and we’re already three cups deep in the riddle rounds. But it’s not Tuesday, is it?”

You shook your head, finding yourself smiling despite the oddity of it all. “No, it’s not Tuesday.”

“Wonderful! Sit, sit!” He patted a chair beside him, his smile so wide it was almost infectious. As you took your seat, he poured you a cup of tea without asking if you wanted one, dropping in a few sugar cubes for good measure. “Tell me, what brings you to my humble tea party? And don't say 'a rabbit,' because that would be terribly unoriginal.”

You explained how your sister had told you stories of this place and how you wanted to see it for yourself. The Hatter listened with an almost childlike fascination, nodding and “hmming” at all the appropriate moments.

“There’s something different about you.” he said thoughtfully after a while. “Most people who come here are either lost or looking for something they don’t understand. But you—oh, you’re not like the others, are you?”

You shrugged, unsure how to respond. “I just…wanted to see if it was real.”

The Hatter’s grin softened into something almost genuine. “And now that you’re here? What do you think?”

“I think it’s more than real,” you said. “It’s…alive.”

His eyes seemed to glow with approval. “I like you.” he declared suddenly. “You’re not afraid of madness. You might even be a bit mad yourself.”

You laughed, feeling a strange warmth spreading through your chest. For all his eccentricities, the Hatter made you feel like you belong in this topsy-turvy world. And you realized, with a start, that you liked it. You liked him.

As the days passed, you found yourself returning to the Hatter's tea party again and again. You never knew what to expect—sometimes, you’d spend hours debating the merits of invisible jam; other times, you’d sit in comfortable silence, simply enjoying the strangeness of each other’s company.

The Hatter, for his part, seemed equally drawn to you. He would light up whenever you appeared, his eyes twinkling with mischief and delight. There were moments when his wildness would soften, and you’d catch a glimpse of something deeper beneath the madness—something vulnerable and achingly sincere.

But as the weeks turned into months, a quiet conflict began to stir within you. Wonderland was a place where time didn’t matter, where rules were made to be broken, and madness was a way of life. And yet, the longer you stayed, the more you began to feel a strange pull—a yearning for the world you had left behind. Memories of home, of mornings filled with familiar scents and sunsets painting the sky in shades of gold, tugged at the edges of your mind. Then there was your sister who you dearly missed. You tried to ignore the pull, losing yourself in the Hatter's antics but the feeling persisted.

The Hatter noticed, of course. He was always watching you with those keen, almost too-bright eyes. One evening, as you sat together beneath the stars, he turned to you, his expression unusually serious.

“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?” he asked quietly.

“Thinking about what?”

“Leaving.” he said, his voice edged with something fragile and raw. “Going back to your world. Abandoning me.”

His words cut deeper than you expected. “It’s not like that, Hatter. I just…I miss some things from home.”

“But you can’t have both.” he replied sharply. His hands trembled as he poured himself another cup of tea, spilling more than half of it onto the table. “You can’t live in two worlds at once. Sooner or later, you have to choose.”

You felt a pang of guilt twisting in your chest. “I don’t want to leave you. Not really.”

“Not really?” he repeated, his voice rising, eyes narrowing as he stared at you. “But ‘really’ enough to think about it. To dream of it.”

The words stung, and you felt a flare of frustration. “It’s not that simple, Hatter! You don’t understand—”

“I don’t understand?” His voice rose, and he stood abruptly, knocking over his chair. “Oh, I understand perfectly! You think you can dip in and out of Wonderland as you please, but this place changes you. It consumes you. And you think you can just walk away?”

“I don’t know what I want!” you shouted back, standing to face him. “I care about you, I do. But I can’t just—”

“Then go!” he interrupted, his face twisted in anger and heartbreak. “Leave if you must. But don’t come back. I can’t bear the thought of you dangling the possibility of forever only to snatch it away.”

“I’m sorry.” you whispered, unsure of what else to say. The Hatter’s face crumpled, and for the first time, you saw him for what he truly was—a broken soul clinging to the one bit of sanity that remained: you.

“Don’t be.” he murmured, turning away. “I’m just a madman, after all. And what would a madman know of love?”

As you stood there, watching him retreat into himself, you felt the weight of the decision pressing down on you like never before. Wonderland was a place of wonder, but it was also a place of madness. Could you stay here forever, leaving the world you knew behind in favor of Hatter's affections?

The answer wasn’t simple. It wasn’t clear. But as you watched the Hatter, his shoulders slumped and his hands trembling, you knew one thing: if you left, a part of you would always remain in Wonderland—lost among the teapots and riddles, forever searching for a madman’s love.

[vin-taege]

i love your shower hc! anddd could you do a fwb chishiya? ly <3

For Your Benefit

Summary: Chishiya is your friend with benefits, and he may or may not have feelings for you.

Genre: fluff, smut

Note: I'm so bad at writing no strings attached content jsjs

your relationship initially starts out as Chishiya thinking he could manipulate you and use you for later

what he doesn't know is you're thinking of the exact same thing 

you struck up a "companionship" with him because you knew his wit could get you far into games

and supposedly, when the time was right, you'd drop him and never look back

all your interactions since were full of friendly-ish arguments and nagging (mostly from your side)

you haven't exactly hit his soft spot yet but he was growing to long for your presence

after a huge argument imploded between you two, mainly because of differing strategies during an eight clubs game, that's when it started 

despite his sharp tongue and your headstrongness, you found yourselves making out in his hotel room

which is unarguably the best way to diffuse the fight altogether

it was about time for you to find a way to relieve stress too

notably, there wasn't much aftercare

man gave you a glass of water then went back to bed 

the morning after, you didn't really talk about it

he didn't bring it up and you figured you wouldn't either

save yourselves from the awkward talk, that type of thing 

then after another stressful game, it happened again 

you were scavenging for food in an abandoned shop while waiting for hatter's car to come back 

after feeling a tap on your shoulder, you turned around only to find him staring at you blankly

the tips of his shoes were just about touching yours

then he pinned you to the shelf

since that incident, it was just another norm you've come to welcome in your "friendship"

expect an abundance of hungry kisses, a stark contrast to his calm demeanor 

he's surprisingly a giver, never neglecting foreplay 

he likes making you cum on his fingers at least once

generally loves seeing your thighs slicked up by your wetness 

doesn't get to eat you out much because of how frantic your fucking is

they're mostly quickies in empty hotel rooms, janitor closets, abandoned shops 

but when you finally get alone time thanks to the visa days you've saved up, his mouth never left your clit

you never left the bed that day, and half of the time, your legs were shaking

OH and he tries to be quiet as much as possible 

it's been your personal challenge to make a few moans slip from him

the best results were yielded from sloppy blowjobs and riding 

you've never seen his face when he cums

it's probably part of his ego thing to stay in control

either he buries his face in your neck or he finishes during doggystyle

over time though, you start to notice that he's slowly turning soft 

yippee, there's more than just a glass of water on your bedside table

there are also clean clothes now ! a pastry sometimes

he leaves a bath for you too

he just never cuddles

not yet 

he's also more protective of you, steering you away from Aguni and Niragi 

Kuina definitely knows what's up 

she gives you knowing looks but she doesn't say anything

you have a running joke now where she started leaving condoms around your hotel room

OK I JUST HAD ANOTHER EPIPHANY

chishiya definitely loves playing with your nipples

he likes how whiny and breathy you get

the sound of you alone makes his head swim

the first time you had slow sex was after you almost died in a seven of hearts game

some guy had wanted to sacrifice you and Chishiya tazered the shit out of him

when you went back to the Beach, he followed you into your room 

chishiya was kissing you gently, but you could feel his heart pounding in his chest

he took his time with you that night, trailing kisses all over your body and repeatedly asking if you were okay

it was early in the morning by the time you finished

you were doubly tired, but felt euphoric nonetheless 

and as you were falling asleep, you felt it

his arm wrapped around you uneasily

he was tense at first, then you shuffled a bit closer to him, a form of silent encouragement 

he held you tighter, pressing his chest against your back

and as you fell asleep you thought that maybe you could make something out of this after all

[niki-phoria]

‧₊˚✩ chishiya, arisu, and kuina's habits they get from dating you

warnings: ooc chishiya, mentions of blood, not exactly canon divergent but i kinda expanded on canon (??), kuina's mom being sick

a/n: most of these probably should've been full fics but i want to write more reactions so here we are

gn reader (no pronouns used)

requests open !! read my rules first

‧₊˚✩ chishiya

word count 411 jack of hearts chishiya >>>

playing with your hands

you pull the chair back, sliding into the seat next to chishiya. he’s sure to sit between you and niragi, leaning back in the seat. arisu stands awkwardly at the edge of the room. his gaze remains focused on the only person he’s seen before - chishiya. 

chishiya raises his hand, waving at him similarly to the way he did in ‘tag.’ ann, mira, and kuzuryu sit on the other side of the table. aguni shifts across from kuzuryu, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms over his chest. finally, hatter stands at the head of the table. he dramatically raises his arms.

“welcome beach executives,” he bellows before glancing over at arisu. “and potential executive.” he sighs, pushing his hair back and sitting down in the chair. “we are here to debate whether or not a new executive should be instated.” 

next to you, chishiya subtly pulls his left hand from his pocket, reaching over to grab yours. it’s not an uncommon reaction, especially since you’ve become more comfortable in your relationship. he almost does it unconsciously as he casually intertwines your fingers together before stuffing your hands back into his pocket. 

the meeting drones on around you. their voices all blend together as you impatiently wait for the meeting to conclude. after a few minutes of arguing, hatter stands once again. “it’s decided. arisu will be tested, and if he passes, the beach will gain a new executive. this meeting is concluded.” he walks to the door before glancing over his shoulder. “arisu, i’d like to speak to you more. do join me.”  

you ignore arisu’s nervous look as you follow chishiya out of the room. both of you slip through the various different passageways further into the beach. he leads you to his makeshift workshop, only letting go of your hand to begin working on yet another kerosene bomb. 

you lean back against the table as you watch him tinker away. once complete, he slowly feeds the mess of wires into the metal soda can. he passes it to you, hands holding yours for a second longer than necessary. you smile, setting it aside on the table. “you always do that.” 

chishiya raises an eyebrow. “do what?” 

“hold my hand.” he doesn’t react, instead looking away as he glances for another can. but the light flush on his ears is enough confirmation for you. he’s always searching for you, even when you’re standing right next to him. 

always thinking of you

word count 456

the rest of the players crowd around into groups, forming little cliques. they nervously glance around at the other players when they aren’t taking turns turning around and exposing their symbol, relying on the trust of the group to be truthful. 

you observe them from your place at a table in the cafeteria, silently watching. this is nothing new for chishiya - picking up on the little details about people is how he’s been able to survive in the borderland for so long. but as the games become increasingly difficult and your situation becomes more dire, you find yourself replicating his mannerisms. 

chishiya glances over his shoulder at you momentarily before refocusing on the wall of snacks before him. it’s all junk food, but junk is better than nothing. you probably won’t be able to eat much while trying to complete the rest of the games and avoiding the king of spades, he reasons. 

a woman stands at the edge of the shelves, watching him. he reaches out to grab a packet of cookies, opening the bag and taking a bite of one. he glances over at her before nonchalantly raising the packet. “you should try them,” he says. “they’re the best ones.” the woman doesn’t respond. instead, she simply slips back behind the shelf to where her group is. 

despite chishiya’s insistence about his personal choice being the best cookies, he pauses when something catches his eye. this bag is a deep blue. it’s wrapped in plastic instead of the paper he holds against his chest. they’re vanilla. from the look alone he can tell that he won’t enjoy the artificial sweetness, but something makes him take a packet before he goes to find you. they’re your favorite. 

chishiya silently sits down next to you, placing his packet of cookies on the seat beside him. you subtly move closer so your shoulders brush, leaning over to see what he picked. “i didn’t take you for the cookie type.” 

“it’s good to know i can still surprise you, then.” his initial hesitance of which snack to choose immediately disappears as your face lights up when he slides the blue packet to you. 

“i didn’t know they had these!” chishiya is unable to fully suppress his smile, allowing his lips to curl upwards slightly. “thank you.” 

“i thought you would like them.” 

“you know me so well,” you hum, opening the packet before holding out one for him. “want one?” 

chishiya was right when he thought that he wouldn’t enjoy the artificial taste of the vanilla. but when you smile up at him, happily eating another, he realizes he’d be content to eat overly sweet cookies for the rest of his life - as long as it’s with you.

‧₊˚✩ arisu

constantly talking about you (pre-borderland au)

word count 425

“hey, check this out!” chota takes a packet of ramen from the shelf, holding it up. arisu squints, stepping forwards to read the words. the packaging is pink, decorated with a picture of the noodles and… strawberry? 

karube reaches out to grab it, reading the words. “strawberry shortcake ramen?” he reads, raising an eyebrow at chota. “seriously?” 

“why not?” chota shrugs, returning to look through the various options. 

“sure, man,” karube chuckles. “whatever you want.” 

arisu smiles, shaking his head. he picks out a bowl of instant ramen, tucking it in between his arm and holding it against his chest to cook later. from the corner of his eye, a different packet catches his eye. it’s spicy - spicier than he would normally eat. but it’s perfect for you. he doesn’t realize the small smile unconsciously spreading across his face as he imagines the scene. 

going home to you after a day spent with chota and karube, pulling out the noodles, dancing around the kitchen together as you let them overcook on the stove, you teasing him as he tries to eat them and then has to desperately drink milk to soothe his burning mouth. 

he’s brought back to reality when karube places a hand on his shoulder. he leans in with a raised eyebrow, kneeling down to be eye level with him. “are you crazy?” he teases, gesturing to the packet in arisu’s hand. “we all know you can’t eat that.” 

“y/n will like it,” he says. he doesn’t notice the shared glance between chota and karube. 

“wow, man, you’re whipped.” chota comments. 

“seriously, i didn’t think it would get worse than that time he left in the middle of a match because y/n wanted to cuddle,” karube laughs. 

arisu purses his lips, unable to deny their teasing. he knows he’s whipped, or a simp, or a dumb lovestruck fool, or whatever else people want to call him - but he doesn’t care. going home to you, kissing under your kitchen lights, falling asleep to a bad sitcom wrapped in your arms, it’s all worth it. 

so instead of denying it or putting the ramen back, he lets them joke as he follows them to the register. he pays extra for the second packet before rejoining karube and chota by the window of the convenience store. “hey,” karube leans over to pat his shoulder. “in all seriousness, we’re glad you found someone like y/n. we’re proud of you.”

arisu smiles, refocusing on the bowl of instant ramen in front of him. “thank you.” 

trusts you with his life

word count 701 got a little carried away whoops

usagi’s hand stays firmly on the boy’s shoulder, subtly standing in front of him. “don’t worry,” she whispers when she kneels down next to him. “i’ll protect you.” he nods a little before she stands up. 

“we need to go,” you whisper. arisu nods, grabbing your hand as you follow usagi through the structure and up the stairs. other players chasing each other echo along the metal. arisu’s grip on your hand remains tight. he’s nervous- you can tell. he glances at you every now and then, pulling you through the different structures.

“queen’s turn ends. player’s turn begins.” the announcement chimes. you pant, leaning back against the metal. arisu never lets go of your hand, leaning down on his knees to catch his breath. 

“we need to find the other players,” usagi says. “if we can convince them to help us then we can win this.” you nod, squeezing arisu’s hand. “let’s split up. we’ll find more people that way.” 

“meet back here at every round.” arisu says. you note the area, before forcing yourself up, running off in search of the other players. 

arisu curses as you follow him up the winding metal structures. it’s a dead end.you look down over the edge, and then over his shoulder. a chain hangs down from somewhere above. “you need to grab onto that chain,” you point. arisu looks at what you’re pointing at before looking back at you. 

“are you crazy?” 

“look, there’s nowhere else to go!” he seems unconvinced, looking down at the ground below. you reach over to hold his face in your hands, turning him to face you. “do you trust me?” 

arisu nods immediately. “of course i do.” 

“then i need you to grab onto the chain and swing. i’ll catch you, i promise.” he glances back at the chain before nodding. 

“okay.” 

the queen catches up to you seconds later, smirking as she pants. “looks like your luck has finally run out.” you push arisu behind you, standing between them. 

“i wouldn’t call it luck.” she narrows her eyes at you, stepping closer. “arisu, now!” 

he jumps off of the edge of the structure, grabbing onto the chain. you push the queen away, putting distance between yourself and her. you grab arisu when he swings back, helping him down from the chain as you begin running again. 

once you’re sure you’ve lost the queen in the maze of her game, you give yourself a few minutes to relax. arisu leans back against the wall, panting. “thank you,” he whispers. you reach over to grab his hand, nodding.

you lean back against the metal railing for support. “this is the final round for the players,” the announcement chimes. “after this round, the game will end.” a man wearing a bike helmet nods at you before running off towards the left. you take his cue to go right, running  to the area where you agreed to meet up with arisu and usagi, finding them already there. usagi pats your shoulder as you lean up to look up at arisu. 

“there’s only two more players on the queen’s team,” she pants. “we can do this.” you nod, running through in search of any other players. you press the button on a man’s back, sending him to the ground from the shock. “sorry,” you whisper, kneeling down next to him to make sure he’s okay. you lean over the edge of the structure again, reading the scoreboard. 19 players vs. 01 queen. you let out a relieved sigh, making your way over to the area where you first entered the game. 

a few other players are already there, standing around and watching the time tick down. the boy rushes over to your side, standing next to you. you place a hand on his shoulder, watching the timer. “it’ll be okay,” you whisper. he nods, eyes glued to the screen. 

arisu rushes over to your side, quickly followed by usagi. he immediately pulls you into a quick hug. you wrap your arms around his shoulders, keeping him close to you. “y/n,” he sighs. “i’m glad you’re okay.” 

“me too,” you pant. he presses a quick kiss against your temple. 

‧₊˚✩ kuina

doing everything for two

kuina sets the pot over the makeshift stove she created, using the fire to heat the water. a box of noodles sits beside her as she waits for it to boil. the store is almost eerily quiet, the flickering overhead lights being the only other source of noise. 

word count 532 there are literally NO kuina gifs and it makes me so sad ://

she pulls her knees up to her chest as she waits. when the water becomes uninteresting, she finds herself staring at the picture she took from the wall of her mother’s hospital room. she remembers that day clearly, valuing it as one of the most important moments of her life. she was younger when her mother had first been diagnosed. she nervously clutched the straps of her bag as the nurse guided her to the room, leaving them alone in the room. she remembers how her mother had gasped, eyes welling with tears before she wrapped her into a hug for the first time in years, whispering about how she was a beautiful young woman. 

kuina remembers calling you in her car immediately afterwards, happy tears rolling down her cheeks. she remembers the excitement in your voice as she told you the good news and the taste of the noodles you surprised her with when she arrived home. that was the night she fell in love with you. 

she sighs, refocusing on the pot of water. it’s boiling now. she slowly pours the noodles in, stirring them around with a pair of wooden chopsticks she found in the hospital’s cafeteria. it’s only once they finish cooking and she fishes them out of the pot that she realizes she has too much food just for herself. she made enough for two. enough for you.

she curses the tears that build in her eyes. the hope of you being alive fades with each day, let alone being able to find you. a noise at the doors of the store startles her. her body stiffens, anxiously peeking behind a shelf to see who’s there. 

the breath escapes her lungs when she does. bloodied, dirty, and standing on shaky knees, you stand there. you lean against the wall to catch your breath. kuina clambers to her feet, rushing over to you. “y/n?” 

your eyes blink open at the mention of your name. your voice is breathless when you speak. “kuina?” 

she runs to you, wrapping you into a hug. you’re quick to reciprocate, hiding your face into her shoulder. “i was so worried about you,” she whispers, pulling away enough to brush the hair out of your face. “how did you find me?” 

“i figured you would go to the hospital. when you weren’t there, i thought i would check the grocery store next.” kuina doesn’t notice the tears rolling down her cheeks until your hand brushes one away. “don’t cry, baby, i’m here.” 

she smiles through the tears, nodding. “are you hurt?” 

you shake your head. “i’m alright.” 

kuina traces her hand along your jawline. she can’t wait any longer, pressing her lips against yours in a sweet kiss. you smile when she pulls away. “i made food. it’s your favorite.” 

you press another peck against her lips, pulling her a little closer again. “thank you.”

always touching you

“hi,” you smile, lowering your head into a quick bow. they’re quick to reciprocate. “i’m l/n y/n.” 

word count 527

“y/n,” kuina smiles, reaching out to grab your hand as you sit down beside her. there are two people sitting on the beach chair across from her. you recognize them as being the beach’s newest recruits. 

“usagi yazuha,” the woman smiles. her hair is short, cut into a chin length bob. her forehead bangs frame her face nicely. she’s wearing a peach jacket and black biker shorts. 

“arisu ryoehi.” his hair is longer than hers. he’s wearing a white t-shirt and blue swim trunks. they both look uncomfortable surrounded by the frenzy of drunk beach members. 

“don’t worry,” kuina chuckles. “we don’t bite. there are drinks pretty much everywhere, and drugs, if you’re into that.” 

“which games have you played?” you ask. 

they detail how they first met during tag before meeting up again in a club game. kuina grows even closer to you through the course of the night as you laugh and joke around with your newfound friends. her arm interlinks with yours, body leaning into your side. 

in the mix of shared drinks and laughter, she eventually ends up on your lap. you wrap your arm around her waist, both to hold her up as she leans against you and to keep her warm. you’re all too familiar of how cold the beach gets during the night, especially when your girlfriend is only wearing a bikini. 

the night continues on, party raging around you. usagi had decided to find a room in the hotel once the ocean breeze became less of a slight annoyance and more of an unrelenting wind. the night continues to blur as kuina and arisu continue drinking and joking around together. 

“you two are cute together,” arisu’s words slur together as he smiles at you. kuina reciprocates, taking another small sip of her beer. 

“so are you two,” she smiles. 

“ah, we’re not dating,” he sighs. 

“really?” she cocks her head at him. “you should ask her out. she totally likes you!” 

arisu nods to himself, contemplating. “maybe i will.” 

“babe,” you whisper, running your hand against her side. “it’s getting late. we should head to bed.” 

“you’re right,” she hums, finishing off the rest of her beer. 

“i should probably get some sleep too.” arisu nods. 

“the rooms are all unlocked. just pick one that’s empty. we don’t really keep track of room numbers or anything.” kuina wraps her arm around your shoulder, leaning into your chest. 

“thanks,” arisu smiles. “it was nice meeting you guys.” 

“you too!” kuina clings to you as you lift her body, carrying her away from the pool and into your shared room. you use your elbow to open the door before setting her body down on the bed. you set a bottle of water on the table beside her and prepare a trash can just in case before sliding underneath the covers beside her. “i love you,” she smiles, moving to lay on your chest. you pull the blanket up over her body, rubbing your hand against her back. 

“i love you too.”

[slttygeto]

first time meeting them!

synopsis: a glimpse into what your first meeting was like.

featuring: arisu ryohei, chishiya shuntaro.

warning: none.

note: lets all pretend as if i havent been gone for a long time and im coming back just because im obsessing over alice in borderland 🥰 happy 2023!

arisu ryohei

when you met arisu, he was on the verge of death. he was laying on the street, his dirty clothes and messy hair along with how unhealthy he looked were quite hard to go unnoticed, especially by you since you happened to be scanning the area for food and whatnot.

you should’ve hesitated to approach him, yet when you saw his almost lifeless body on the floor something told you to go up to him and at least try to talk to him.

“do you want me to help you?” asking him if he were fine would’ve been a dumb move because it was obviously not the case. so you opted for one of the two : silently offer your hand which would confuse him further or voice out that you wanted to help him, and the latter sounded like a better option.

he is too weak to give a proper answer, you thought to yourself before squatting down next to his head.

guess you have a partner now.

chishiya shuntaro

“do we have to wear a swimsuit?” your courage was one of a kind. to be able to stand up to niragi and talk to him that fearlessly wasn’t something everyone did at the beach, yet you made it seem like it was the easiest thing to do.

chishiya took note of that.

“wouldnt a darling like yourself wanna show off her body to us?” the armed man’s response made a chill run down your spine and the disgusted look on your face was so prominent that it made chishiya chuckle a little as he watched the little interaction in silence.

“I would rather die.”

“how about i make it easier for you then?” positioning the gun to be pointing at your head, the people who were watching could only gasp in shock.

“go ahead, i’d like to see you try.”

did you not value your life or did you have a plan? chishiya couldn’t exactly tell whichever was the correct option because as confident as you sounded, nothing about your situation made it seem as though you’d have an easy way out.

unless.

clapping could be heard almost instantly, everyones attention turning to Hatter as he stood above everyone and stared down with a mischievous look behind his eyes.

“everyone, I would like you to welcome our new executive,”

“Oh?” chishiya could only smirk at the realization.

“(name), welcome to the beach.”

2023 © all works belong to slttygeto. do not repost my work anywhere else.

[pockyteau]

HEARTS PLAYERS

✩ a chishiya x reader where hearts players are all one in the same, until they're not

✩ a/n - chishiya is knees deep in denial in this one

Chishiya didn't like Hearts players. 

For one, he found the notion of a 'hearts player' rather cheap. It doesn't take a lot to take advantage of a person; despite his disinterest in understanding the human heart, it was no great feat to fool one. However, the mind was a much more complex task - and perhaps he was biased, but Diamonds pretty much had that covered. 

Even so, he found some Hearts players slightly intriguing. Was the capability of understanding a person's heart really such a special thing? Chishiya's inability to see the value in a person's emotion, compassion, was what put him at such an advantage to the rest of the people in the Borderlands. Who would choose to trust their heart, something that breaks so easily, rather than their mind? 

And so he was slightly curious when the new executive turned out to be a Hearts player.

Chishiya had been expecting the newcomer for some time; the Beach's recent growth meant more competent players would be joining the ranks, and he was interested to see who Hatter might consider skilled enough to invite into the executive board. Despite what most might believe, it was no high honour to be an executive, however lower your assigned number would be as a result. It just meant more people would be out to kill you. 

Which didn't bother him as nearly as much as the frequent meetings the Hatter insisted on holding, during which he often contemplated climbing through the open window on the fifteenth floor.  

Aside from your status as a Hearts player, Chishiya finds the rest of your introduction a bore. There is already a Hearts player on the executive board, in any case; Mira, who seems to have been here ever since the Beach's beginning, and whom Chishiya mildly dislikes. What does interest him, however, is how you are smiling; there is not one welcome-faced person in the room, and yet your expression is strangely warm. You must be a fool, he muses, but from where he stands most Hearts players often are.

Before he can look away your eyes meet his from across the room, and he is momentarily caught off-guard when your smile becomes directed at him. He gives you a small wave, quick to regain his composure. He sees your fingers twitch at your sides, wondering whether to wave back, and the corner of his lips tug upward into his usual complacent expression. But you are guided into a seat before you can do any more than nod in his direction, and Chishiya leans back in his chair. You are nothing special, he decides, and probably just as predictable as the rest.

But he finds his gaze drifting back to you as Hatter drones on about something he doesn't care about enough to listen to. You look as bored as he is, making a cat's cradle with your fingertips under the table. The action somewhat amuses him, with your eyes lowered in quiet concentration.

Without warning, his vision is abruptly filled with those eyes of yours again as you catch him watching you, meeting his gaze in surprise. Unabashed, he tilts his head at you - after a beat or so you merely smile again, the corners of your eyes crinkling slightly in quiet laughter. 

Chishiya sighs, the soft breath soundless to the person seated next to him. Do you think you have found a friendly face, someone to acquaint yourself with? So it's just that. A Hearts player's naivety. He doesn't need to know much more about you than that to guess how competent you'll be at playing games, or how long you'll survive for. He turns away, certain that you've served your purpose in keeping his mind off of this tedious meeting.

But it's strange that you still linger in his thoughts long after the meeting is over.

- Chishiya is slightly annoyed when Kuina asks about the new executive. He doesn't see the need to talk about you, or why Kuina should show such a sudden interest in executive matters - you are just yet another member of the Beach. Why waste time talking about something so unimportant?

"A Hearts player?" Kuina says curiously. She takes a sip of her coffee, and grimaces.

"Yes," Chishiya concedes. "Why do you keep drinking that garbage? You clearly don't like it."

Kuina snorts. "Don't change the subject! And my coffee drinking habits are none of your business."  

The blonde shrugs. "If you like torturing yourself, so be it." 

"You're literally the worst." Kuina eyes him with distaste, taking another strenuous sip of her coffee. "Right, well. What's this Hearts player like? Any good?"

Chishiya sighs. In his mind, an ideal world, the discussion has already moved far beyond this point. "Don't know." He says impassively. He hopes that the additional and unspoken 'don't care' is evident in his tone of voice, since Kuina is clearly set on this topic of conversation. He raises his palms, giving Kuina a dry smile. "Why don't you find out for yourself?"  

She groans, and Chishiya's grin widens as he advises her to watch her precariously tipping coffee cup. He expects she will pretend to throw it at him in response; he finds it unsurprising when she does exactly that.

-

Chishiya considers skipping the next executive meeting, unenthusiastic to spend another hour in a room with a collection of people far more pretentious than even himself. The summer air was rather weighted, and he presumed the warmth in the air would make him drowsy. Yet he could think of no better way to spend his time, either. 

He exhales, stuck between the two options, neither any more enticing than the other. Could he play a game? No, it's still much too early. Perhaps he'd better go to the meeting after all - he had skipped quite a few this past month, and although he cared little for the Hatter it might be beneficial to remain in the man's good graces. 

As if carried on the lazy summer wind, the brief thought of you passes through his mind, but it is gone before he can dwell much on it. 

The conference room is already mostly full when Chishiya arrives. Ann calls it ill-mannered, Chishiya calls it fashionably late. Besides, even Hatter is yet to arrive, so clearly he has come in good time. 

Chishiya notices you glance up as he takes his seat at the back of the room. You give him a small smile, like before. He smirks, giving you a wave in return. Strange that you would think you had found a friend in him, of all people.

As you shift your hands on the table top, he catches a glint of pink foil between your fingertips. He raises his brows, making no attempt to inquire about it, but you seem to notice his gaze on your hands. The smile on your lips turns into a grin, and you shoot a quick glance over your shoulder to check if Hatter has arrived yet. 

Confirming the Hatter is still absent, you turn back to Chishiya, who watches you with his brow furrowed. Admittedly, he has no idea what you're doing. Carefully, tilting your hands towards the blonde as if guarding a great secret, you open your closed palms to reveal two foil-wrapped chocolates.   

Want one? you mouth.

Chishiya can't help but snort, earning him an odd look from Ann beside him. He catches the soft laugh that escapes your lips at his response, the chocolates still sitting on your palms. Certainly, you might not be special, but you were proving to be more interesting than he initially thought; out of all the things he had expected out of today, this was not one of them. He decides to play along, his lips curving in amusement.

What flavour? he mouths back.

You blink. The wrapper is pink, you reply. 

The blonde frowns. What does that matter?

Pink means strawberry, you explain. Everyone knows that. 

Chishiya feels an odd sense of utter disbelief. What is he doing? he wonders, and what kind of useless knowledge was that?

In the end he accepts the chocolate, which makes your eyes light up in a way that almost surprises him. It's only a chocolate, yet you seem so delighted; it causes a strange twist in his chest, which he passes off as contempt. Of course someone like you would be so happy about such a simple thing. It's another thing he dislikes about Hearts players - they always retain such unnecessary emotion. 

But that quality seems so much different, so much better, on you. 

Then comes the ordeal of you trying to slide one of the chocolates across the table to Chishiya, which has the both of you concealing laughter behind hands and the clearing of throats. The chocolate ends up on the floor. Ann shoots Chishiya another glare. 

Chishiya couldn't care less about Ann. 

-

Chishiya is aware that you are not fond of playing games. 

He has picked up on the way you chew the inside of your cheek whenever the Hatter talks about collecting more cards, the way your gaze lowers to the table whenever the subject is breached. He finds this unsurprising. Even as a player of hearts, you yourself are soft-hearted, the gentleness in your eyes and the way you continuously smile contradicting your card specialty - but every executive has made their way on to the board for a reason. What had made it so that you were able to stand in the same room as him? He finds he would be interested to see you play a game. Would you be so friendly with your life on the line?

He is mildly disappointed to see the group arrangement for the evening's games. The group he is in will play a Clubs game, speculated to be low-level. He usually finds it insulting when Hatter delegates these kinds of games to him, the man's frequent disregard for Chishiya's intellect irritating - but whatever. He is much more intrigued by the game you have been selected to play. 

 Your name is under the group for the Diamonds game, located in Shinjuku. 

His eyes lazily trace the rest of the list. He wonders if you are as intelligent as your status as a Hearts player would suggest; many would say Diamonds and Hearts are interchangeable, though Chishiya much prefers his title as a Diamonds player, he was just as confident in his ability to clear Hearts games - but there are some who are exceptions to this common theory. He finds Kuina is listed under the Shinjuku Diamonds game as well. Perhaps she might be able to provide some insight on your capabilities when she returns, if he is bothered to ask by then.

But he doesn't have to wait that long to find out.

He sees you first, on the way back from his own game. His game, a Six of Clubs, was mind-numbingly easy, although he'd disliked the way his group had looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to solve the game himself. They weren't his problem. Why should they expect anything from him? He shoves his hands in his pockets, stopping when his fist closes around a small object wrapped in foil. He realises the chocolate you gave him is still in his pocket. 

He wonders why he hasn't thrown it out yet.

"Chishiya?"

Chishiya blinks, realising you must have seen him too. He lifts one of his hands from his pockets to wave, and you give him a smile, although it seems more weary than usual. It's strange, how his throat tightens at the thought, but he lets the lazy smirk surface over his lips. "That's me, yes."

"Glad I wasn't mistaken, then." You joke. "How was your game?"      

The blonde shrugs. The nicety is far too bland for him to give a substantial answer. "Nothing remarkable. Yours?"

You pause, deliberating on a reply. "Well, I suppose it wasn't anything remarkable either." You let out a quiet laugh. "I'm not great at Diamonds games, though, so considering it was an Eight I'm lucky to have made it out at all."

Chishiya hums, offering no response of his own. He thinks quite the opposite, actually. He is sure that the wan expression you wear is not because you lack of skillset - judging by the way you spoke so flippantly of the number, you had cleared the game without much challenge. No, the reason was one Chishiya himself had never cared for. It was clear enough by the conflicted look in your eyes, one he had seen on enough people to recognise instantly, that you weren't as indifferent as he was to the lives of other players. Quite a few deaths in your game, then. He sees the way you rub your thumb over the side of your index finger, a habit of self-reassurance and comfort. A habit he had unlearned a long time ago. 

Here was another thing he disliked about Hearts players; they were always much too concerned about other people's business.

He presses his lips together. You would be so much more interesting, so much more worth his time if you dropped this soft-hearted quality of yours. But as he studies you he can't explain why somewhere in him too difficult, too abstract to pinpoint feels the need to say something to you, to offer you some form of comfort. This was not his problem, as much as the survival of the other players in his game wasn't his problem. 

So he doesn't know why the words escape his lips of their own accord.

"Give me your hand."

You look at him, surprised. Chishiya is also surprised. 

"My hand?" you say doubtfully, and the blonde nods. You peer at him for a moment more before uncertainly holding your palm out to him, although you don't lose the apprehension in your voice. "Okay..."

He places the pink foil-wrapped chocolate into your hand, his fingers brushing your palm as he does so. He ignores the warmth that briefly lights up is fingertips. Probably friction, or something of the sort. The chocolate is, astonishingly, still in good condition, and you close your fingers around it and bring it closer to you. The smile returns to your face as you laugh unreserved. 

"You kept it?" you murmur, glancing up at Chishiya with a grin. 

He gives you another shrug. "I don't like chocolate." This is a lie. He is no big fan, but he doesn't mind the confectionary, either. And he is particularly fond of strawberry, as the pink wrapper indicates.  

You raise your brows as if seeing through his lie, but you say nothing nonetheless. Instead you thank him, the content smile still resting upon your features, and Chishiya finds he is somewhat relieved to see your expression is much more relaxed than it was before.

But when you suddenly wrap your arms around him, whispering another word of thanks into his shoulder, he feels himself tense at your touch; Chishiya has never liked physical contact, especially not from people he barely knew. Yet he simply lets you hug him, although he makes no attempt to hug you back. You pull away after a moment, suddenly further from him than he would've liked.

"Ah, I'm sorry...I should've asked first, I just..." You apologise, clasping your hands together in a flustered way. The action makes it difficult for Chishiya to keep the amused look off his face - for a moment he is tempted to taunt you, wondering if he could draw a new expression out of you. Something devastated, perhaps, if you thought you'd ruined whatever relationship you had with him. An interesting change to your usual bright smile. 

Chishiya exhales, unable to help the slight upward tilt of his lips. "Don't lose sleep over it," he shrugs. He won't torment you, at least for now. You did give him a chocolate, after all. He's simply repaying a favour. "It's not a big deal."

There it is again, that smile of yours that exasperates Chishiya no end, relieved and tentative. Strangely, he has the sudden urge to move closer to you and observe your happiness at close-quarters. Surely there was a limit to how much a person could smile a day? But he merely dips his head in response as you bid him goodnight and disappear, careful to make sure his complacency never wavers.   

It's odd, though. No matter how hard he tries to push it away, a question lingers in his mind for the rest of the night.

Why didn't he pull away from you then?

-

You begin to sit next to Chishiya during executive meetings. 

He can't say he is surprised.

Only, he can't say he despises it either, the way you draw out the chair beside him and ask him if you could sit there with dancing eyes. He should hate that you think the two of you are friends. He does hate the way his throat seems to tighten when you smile, which should be reason enough for him to shut you down.

But for whatever reason, he doesn't.

Maybe it's because he knows that even if he does shut you down, you would pay him no mind. So why bother? It's not as if he doesn't welcome the distraction from the executive matters he is well above hearing about for the fourty-fifth time. 

You bring with you more pink-wrapped chocolates, as if you had never really believed the lie he'd told you. Chishiya finds when he eats one that they're much too sweet, even for him - you are content eating the strawberry chocolate, however, the over-sweetness of the confectionary not seeming to bother you in the slightest. Chishiya can't seem to refuse when you hand him one. 

"These are terrible," he mutters under his breath, chewing on one of your strawberry chocolates as Hatter points at his card collage. 

"Why do you eat them, them?" You grin, folding a pink foil wrapper into a condensed foil heart. The irony of you folding hearts is not lost on him. 

But Chishiya honestly doesn't know the answer to your question.

He doesn't know why he lets you press the little heart into his palm either, your touch warming his hands as if he is holding them to a winter bonfire. The twist in his chest is growing stronger, and he can only ignore it for so long. It's strange that he suddenly doesn't know so many things; Chishiya finds uncertainty alarming - to be uncertain was a concept he was unfamiliar with, his ability to predict the outcome of every situation he encountered one he prided himself on. He is always certain; of himself, of the world, of where people stand in his regard. He is certain he dislikes Heart players. 

Especially you. 

You, who possesses every quality he condemns, who somehow makes him feel the need to understand his own heart no matter how much he tells himself he does not. Something else he is certain of; he does not need the emotions that may surface from doing so.   

But when he looks at the foil heart in his palm, the remnants of shared strawberry chocolate, was he really so certain anymore?

[helpfandom]

May I request BTAS Riddler and Mad Hatter (separate) with a platonic darling who is curious? Like they aren’t scared like other people are and instead observe them from afar. They aren’t afraid to ask questions and sometimes accidentally intrude on personal space a little.

Riddler: Although most people simply walk past his riddle boxes, he noticed that you actually went to it, poking it and then grabbing it, sitting on a bench with it perched on top of your lap. Attempting to try and pry it open before grabbing it, flipping it around and managing to fix the puzzle open.

How was that possible? After all, you're simply a random person, and most Gothamites don't even have the courage to pick it up or notice it, much less attempt and manage to solve it. Walking towards his base, which was nearby where he had spotted you, he noticed that there was a second pair of footsteps behind him. Turning around, he noticed that there you were, trailing behind him, but unlike the other Gothamites who had followed him and ran away upon being found out, you walked over to him and started asking questions!

It was quite interesting seeing as you were excited to talk to him. Although he had to leave due to the Dark Knight, he noticed that you seemed a bit, disappointed?

As he learns more and more about you because of you simply coming up and talking to him, he gets the urge to protect you.

You're just a little kid, so unafraid of the world. "Wouldn't you like to see where I make my riddles?"

Mad Hatter:

He was outside in a garden [in the daytime, otherwise Batman would have caught him] drinking tea and simply enjoying himself when he could feel your eyes upon him. Searching around, he found you, and simply waved you over. It's not often that someone watches him, or goes up to him after being found out.

Taking the seat that Alice would have sat in, he notices how you seem so full of life, and so welcoming. Asking him questions, he slowly slips back into his mindset, and falling into calling you Alice and Bunny without meaning to.

He was of course, interested in what could be so intriguing about him, then going out more often in his outfit to try and see you again, beginning to need that rush he craved from being needed.

"You're so nice, Alice. Thank you for meeting me at the tea party!" You were so welcoming, and nice.

[j2d3]

Mr. Loverman | Jefferson/Mad hatter x reader | pt 3

Picture this since before the curse you and Jefferson have been best friends, your character is the chesiare cat but a witch version ( NOT A FURY 💀) . This is staged during season one during the time of the curse, your memory is erased but he still remembers you. ( Also Jefferson doesn’t have a daughter in this!!!)

There was something missing inside of me, I feel like a big part of me is missing. When I met that man it was like something changed, like he woke up a part of me.

I slip out of bed and put on a short black and gray striped dress, with black short sleeves, black ruffles in the end. I pair my dress with converse and black see through thigh highs, I feel so free dressing like this, it’s weird really but so comfortable.

I figured that the man seems to have the answers that I want so maybe I could get in contact with him, I know that Emma and Mary Margret may not like this idea but hey who says I’m telling them about it.

I walk out my home onto the sidewalks preparing for the long walk I’m about to take. What if he’s actually fucked up in the head? What if the minute he sees me he’ll shot me dead? No that won’t happen I know it, there’s something different about him than the rest of these people in this town.

I stand in front of the white big house, taking a big breath before walking to the door. I knock on the door two times, slowly but firmly.

“Hello Jefferson, are you home?!? I wanna talk to you! I’m sorry I hit you with a vase it slipped out of my hand, well it didn’t but I had to protect my friend. Look I promise my friends aren’t here, I’m completely alone.” I look down at my shoes nervously, what if he’s not home? I look up to knock again but as soon as I lift my fist to the door it opens.

I stand there frozen for a few seconds, looking at the man in front of me. To my surprise he doesn’t seem mad at all, he seems relieved, maybe a bit joyful.

“Hi..” Is all my mouth can manage to say, his eye contact is a bit intimidating in a way.

“Hi.” A smile escapes his mouth, along with a small chuckle. I don’t know why but I feel a little comforted right now, like I’ve been in this moment before.

“So you wanna talk? I suppose about what me and Emma were talking about, is that correct?”

“Yea, that’s correct.”

“Come in then.” He hands out his hand in a welcoming gesture, I stand there a bit scared. What if he tries to kidnap me again?

“I won’t do anything to you, I promise.” He leans into me, still holding out his hand. I take it, giving him a slight smirk. I walk in hand with his as he leads me to the couch, our hands separate when we sit down together.

“Believe it or not we were put under a curse, a curse by the evil queen. Snow White had given birth the same day the curse happened, Emma is that baby. She’s supposed to be a savior, she’s supposed to save us.” I process what was told to me, I feel like it would be kind of selfish of me to ask what character I was but I went ahead any way.

Time skip•

After some time talking with Jefferson I had figured out more. Regina is the Evil Queen, Emma is Snow White and Prince Charming’s daughter, and Jefferson’s hat teleports him to a lot of portals such as Wonderland, Oz, and another land I can’t quite remember.

“If we were all characters before the curse who was I? We’re you really the mad hatter?” I guess I really let curiously get the best of me, Iean more closer to him with curiosity as he reads me.

“You were….the chesiare cat, and I was the mad hatter.” I hold on to the thought that I was a cat, if the curse ends will I become a cat. What does that mean. I tilt my head in confusion, mouthing the word “huh”. He laughs at me in response, while I tilt my head back to normal.

“Chesiare cat? Does that mean I’m a cat? Well I turn into a cat when the curse ends? What does that mean?” Jefferson breaks into a fit of laughter for a few seconds, I suppose my curiosity amuses him.

“No actually you were a witch, a witch that could transform into a cat whenever she wanted, teleport wherever she wanted. You know you were quite powerful in a way…” Jefferson zones out as if he’s remembering something, theres something more he knows about he just is not saying it I know it.

“Oh, a witch that seems cool!”

“It is, you know if you want to know about your story you can ask Henry about. He has a storybook about all our lives before the curse, who we were.”

“Did you not know me that well before the curse? So you don’t know me that much?” I observe every emotion he displays on his face, as if I’m trying to catch a mouse but really I’m trying to catch the truth.

“Yea, I guess you could say that.” He turns his head to the fireplace in front of us. The empty, cold,withered fireplace. There it is, there is that slip of emotion. I don’t want to make assumptions but I have feeling we were close, or friends at least.

“Well ok, I guess I’ll make my way out, to ask Henry about my story.” I get up and walk towards the door, feeling his eyes burn through me.

“Leaving so soon?”

“Well yea, I got the answers I needed and now I’m looking for a new answer which you don’t have since we weren’t that close... Hope to talk to you soon!” I emphasize on the close part looking him in the eyes before smiling and leaving out the door. A part of me feels sorry for Jefferson, but I plan to help Jefferson get Emma to break the curse so we all can be saved.

Time skip •

I walk over to the Park Henry usually hangs out at, spotting the little boy and his big book of “stories”.

“Hi Henry, can I read my story in that book of yours if you don’t mind?” Henry looks up surprised, I think he was surprised that I would want to know my story.

“Well of course Chesiare cat! I’m glad you asked!” Henry opens up the book to page 33, “The Chesiare cat”

[victoriadevil]

ALL I HEAR IS YOUR NAME - Chishiya Shuntaro

PAIRING : Chishiya Shuntaro x Fem!Reader

GENRE : FLUFF, SLOWBURN, COMFORT, SAFE PLACE

TRIGGER WARNING (Only for chapter 8) : Assault, violence, m*rder attempt, actual m*rder

CHARACTERS : Chishiya, Kuina, Usagi, Arisu, Niragi, Hatter.

Word count : 18k

8 original chapters + 1 bonus chapter added.

CHAPTER 1

“WELCOME TO THE GAME OF TAG”

Your heart was pounding with excitement as you ran through the hallways, looking for a place to hide. You knew the dangers of the game, but the thrill of survival was too exhilarating to resist. Plus, there was this cute blond guy you had a crush on. You would never choose a physical game like this on your own, but your curiosity about him was pulling you in.

You slipped through a slightly open door and found yourself in a small, dimly lit room. The air was damp, and you immediately felt you weren't alone. Your eyes scanned the room, finally settling on Chishiya, who was against the far wall.

"Chishiya?" you whispered, pretending to be surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Chishiya's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "Same as you, I presume," he replied, his voice low and sultry. "Hiding."

The atmosphere in the room was tense as you approached him, your body now mere inches from his. You had only seen him a few times before, during the most challenging games, but you knew he loved the adrenaline rush.

"Stay close," Chishiya murmured, his breath warm against your cheek. "It's safer if you're with me."

His hand found yours, and a shiver ran down your spine. The thrill of the game mixed with the spark between you, creating an intoxicating mix of emotions. Your heart sped up as your fingers intertwined, and the line between fear and desire blurred.

As you stared into Chishiya's eyes, you could feel the tension between you reaching its peak. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, you leaned in, your breath hitching as your lips drew closer to his. But just as you were about to kiss him, a chilling breeze swept through the room.

"Are you cold?" he asked, his voice full of concern.  You nodded slightly, your heart pounding as you realized just how close you were to him.

In response, Chishiya moved even closer, wrapping his arm around your waist and pulling you against him. The warmth of his body enveloped you, sending a shiver down your spine as you felt his breath on your neck. "Is this better?" he whispered, his voice sending chills down your spine.

Right before you could answer, a loud noise echoed outside the door, jolting both of you back to reality.

Fear replaced desire as you both pressed yourselves against the wall, holding your breath and listening intently. The footsteps and voices grew louder until they were right outside the door. You pressed yourself against the wall, holding your breath.

Feeling your heart racing against his chest, he instinctively pressed your body closer to his, sensing your fear that the tagger was behind the door. Chishiya glanced at you, his eyes twinkling with amusement despite the situation.

"Bad timing, huh?" he whispered, a playful smirk on his lips.

"Aren't you scared?" you asked, struggling to keep your voice steady.

He grinned, shaking his head slightly before coming closer to your ear "I like it".

The footsteps faded away, leaving an eerie silence. You stayed quiet for a few more minutes before finally relaxing.

He gently squeezed your hand before letting go, taking a step back and creating distance between you.

"Hope it's worth it." he said, adjusting his jumper.

"What is?" you questioned, finally coming back to reality as you put distance between you both aswell.

"Following me into these physical games," he answered, grinning from ear to ear. "I can't say I'm not flattered."

You felt your cheeks flush, the heat radiating from your face as you tried to find words. "I... I just... I don't know, I guess I tried to see the games through your eyes." you stammered, your heart pounding in your chest.

Chishiya's grin widened, and he took a step closer, his voice low and flirtatious. "Well, having you around does make the games more... interesting."

You could sense the warmth spreading across your cheeks, your stomach fluttering with a swarm of butterflies.

"See you around," Chishiya said, as he winked at you. With that, he slipped out of the room and disappeared down the hallway, leaving you with a racing heart.

CHAPTER 2

After the game of tag ended, your life in the Borderlands took an unexpected turn. Chishiya's enigmatic personality had managed to draw you in, and you couldn't help but follow him to the Beach, where he still held an executive position. The Beach was nice break for players, a safe spot where they could momentarily forget about the deadly games that ruled their lives.

You quickly adapted to the Beach's way of life, making friends with some of its residents, Arisu, Usagi and Kuina. However, the games were still a constant threat, and it wasn't long before you found yourself caught in another dangerous situation.

During a particularly brutal game, you got severely hurt with deep cuts and bruises that left you weak and disoriented. Arisu and Usagi did their best to bring you back to the Beach, hoping that someone there would be able to treat your wounds.

As they carried you through the gates, Chishiya spotted you from a distance. He rushed to your side, his hands in his pockets, his eyes filled with a mix of concern and irritation. "Leave her to me," he commanded, his voice cold and authoritative.

Arisu and Usagi hesitated for a moment, but they eventually relented, leaving you in Chishiya's care. He guided you to his private room, away from prying eyes, and began to examine your injuries.

He then made you lie down on his bed.

His touch was gentle yet firm, a stark contrast to his usual cold and distant demeanor. As he cleaned and dressed your wounds, you could sense the expertise, confidence and precision in his movements, as if he had done this countless times before.

"Chishiya," you murmured, your voice weak and trembling. "You... you're a doctor, aren't you?"

He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he considered your words. "I don't want people to know," he replied quietly. 

As he started to clean your injuries, Chishiya's face softened slightly, as he noticed you were in pain. He tried to lighten the mood with a flirtatious smile. "You really know how to get yourself into trouble, don't you?"

You couldn't help but chuckle at his remark, despite the pain you were in. "I guess I do," you admitted, cringing as he applied pressure to a particularly deep cut.

Chishiya remained focused on his work, but his cold demeanor seemed to crack every now and then. He would glance at you with a hint of concern or tease you gently, revealing the subtle warmth that lay beneath his icy facade.

He looked away for a moment, as if trying to hide his irritation "Just... be more careful next time."

"Do you ever miss it?" you asked softly, daring to probe deeper into his past. "Being a doctor, I mean."

Chishiya hesitated before answering, his gaze locked onto yours. "Sometimes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "But this world... It's hard to hold on to who you used to be."

 As much as you wanted to learn more about his past, you knew that now wasn't the time.

"Chishiya," you said, reaching out to touch his hand gently. "I'm glad you were here to help me."

He looked down at your hand, his eyes softening for a moment before he pulled away, retreating behind his familiar cold facade. « It's nothing," he muttered, trying to dismiss the warm feeling in his chest.

You became silent, observing his room, simple, neat, clean. He had a lot of books scattered all around. You chuckled; you imagined him messier. 

The air in the room grew heavier, charged with an unspoken tension, as he started to wrap your waist with bandages. You couldn't help but notice how his hands lingered a little longer than necessary on your skin, and the way his breath hitched for a second after having to get closer to you to wrap the bandage behind your back.

The intensity of his gaze sent shivers down your spine, and you found yourself unable to look away.

"You know," you murmured, your voice low and sultry as you leaned in closer to Chishiya, "it's not every day that I get to be under your care ».

He met your gaze again, his eyes dark and flirty. « I always have an eye on you. » he replied, his voice becoming tight with care and concern. « You’re too clumsy. »

You couldn't help but smirk at his words, noticing the raw honesty behind them. "Well, maybe you should take better care of me then," you teased, your eyes locked onto his.

Chishiya's breath hitched at your boldness, and you could see the conflict raging within him. He was torn between maintaining his distance and giving in to his desires.

As he leaned in closer to pass the bandage behind your back a second time, you could feel the heat radiating from his body, and your heart raced in anticipation. You reached up and helped yourself up by wrapping your arm around his neck, feeling his jawline on your cheek and the warmth of his skin beneath your fingers.

"Chishiya," you whispered, feeling his heart accelerating and pounding against your chest, keeping him close so he can’t see your face « Don't be mad at me. I couldn’t let Usagi go alone, she always comes with me when I need to extend my visa. »

The tension between you was palpable, the air around you crackling with energy. Chishiya's will seemed to waver, and for a brief moment, you thought he might give in and kiss you. But instead, he lowered his head, now breathing on your neck « You cannot keep doubling the games just because your best friend does the same for you. And besides, I thought you hated physical games. »

« And I do, » you said, almost annoyed at yourself, « but I happen to have two people I really like who appear to love those games. » 

Chishiya's expression completely changed, and he pulled away from you, his eyes filled with fear.

"I can't," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I'm sorry."

As much as you longed to reach out and pull him back to you, you understood his fear and his need for time to work through his feelings and the walls he had built around himself.

 Finally, after what felt like hours, he finished treating your wounds. He stepped back, helping you get up to examine your bandages.

As you stood up, your legs feeling weak and shaky from the pain and emotional turmoil, Chishiya guided you to a large mirror hanging on the wall of his bedroom. He positioned himself behind you, his body close enough that you could feel his warmth, yet not quite touching.

"You're strong," Chishiya whispered into your ear, his breath tickling your skin and sending shivers down your spine. "Don't forget that."

His words, combined with his voice cracking, made you feel close to him, despite the distance he was trying to keep.

Chishiya stepped back, his eyes meeting yours in the mirror. "You can rest in my room as long as you want," he offered, a hint of kindness in his eyes « I anyway have a meeting that’ll probably last all night ».

You nodded, grateful for the offer and the care, letting him see through the mirror a soundless « thank you » coming out of your lips.

CHAPTER 3

A few days passed since Chishiya treated your injuries, and you’re finally starting to feel better. Your body still ache, but the pain lessened significantly, thanks to Chishiya's expert care. Despite his insistence on keeping his distance, you couldn't help but feel your connection to him growing stronger.

One morning, as you were discussing the upcoming game with Arisu, Usagi, and Kuina in the Beach's dining area, Chishiya approached your table. 

"So, are we all going to the same game today?" he asked, his tone casual but betraying a hint of concern.

Arisu nodded; his determination evident in his eyes. "Yes, we need to extend our visas, and it's safer if we go together."

You glanced at Chishiya, who seemed to be hesitating. "You're coming with us, right?" you asked, your voice soft but insistent.

He looked at you for a moment, his gaze intense before he nodded. "Yes."

The five of you set out for the game location, a large abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The air was heavy with tension as you approached the building, and you could feel the nervous energy radiating from your companions.

As you entered the warehouse, a holographic message appeared in front of you, detailing the rules of the game:

« WELCOME TO THE SCALES OF JUSTICE, THIS IS A THREE OF CLUB GAME. »

The objective was to separate the participants into two teams, each with an equal combined weight. The catch? The participants must maintain their weight balance on two large, opposing platforms suspended over a deep, dark abyss. The game would only end when the two teams achieved perfect balance, or when the thirty-minutes time limit expired. If the teams failed to balance within the time limit, both platforms would plummet into the darkness below.

You found yourself on a team with Chishiya and Arisu, while Usagi and Kuina stayed with two other players, Kaito and Sora. The tension in the air was palpable as the game began, and both teams scrambled to balance their platforms by shifting their positions and counterbalancing each other's movements.

As the game progressed, the opposing team grew more desperate and ruthless. Kaito, a tall, muscular man, began to shout threats and insults at your team, trying to unnerve you and disrupt your concentration, out of fear. His partner, Sora, a crafty and cunning woman, tried to manipulate your teammates into being more efficient.

Meanwhile, your team focused on maintaining a steady and calm communication. Chishiya's voice was surprisingly soothing, as he guided you and Arisu through the process of finding the perfect balance while communicating with Kuina and Usagi. His hand brushed against yours occasionally as you shifted your positions, and each touch sent shivers down your spine.

As the clock ticked down to the final minutes, the tension became unbearable. Kaito and Sora resorted to more aggressive tactics, pushing Usagi and Kuina in an attempt to escape from their platform. Sora managed to jump on your platform, causing your platform to wobble dangerously.

In a split-second decision, Chishiya leaped off the platform and onto the opposing team's, tackling the agitated Kaito to the ground before he could jump on your platform too. The sudden shift in weight caused both platforms to sway precariously. Your heart raced as you watched Chishiya wrestle with Kaito, desperately trying to protect your team from any further attacks.

With only a few minutes left, you realized that their platform was still too heavy. Arisu, his face pale from trying to think his way through saving you all, looked at you with panic in his eyes. "I'll jump, and help Chishiya, okay? » he said, thinking it was the only way to keep Usagi safe.

"No!" you shouted, seeing Chishiya standing up. « Look, Kaito is down » Stress took over, and you reached out for Chishiya, who had managed to knock out Kaito. "Help me!"

Without hesitation, Chishiya sprang to his feet and jumped back towards your platform, grabbing your outstretched hand. His grip was strong, and his eyes locked onto yours, filled with fierce determination.

As Chishiya's weight counterbalanced Arisu's, and no one else panicking, the scales finally reached equilibrium. The bell signaling the end of the game rang out, and both platforms locked in place at the last second, saving everyone from a deadly fall.

In the aftermath of the chaotic game, adrenaline still coursed through your veins as you found yourself panting and shaking, standing next to Chishiya on the now-stable platform. Arisu looked at both of you with gratitude and relief in his eyes, and the other team members, including Usagi and Kuina, seemed equally thankful for the outcome.

"You saved us," you whispered to Chishiya, your voice trembling with emotion.

Chishiya, his own breathing labored, "We saved each other, thank you for keeping Arisu on the platform. » he corrected, his eyes never leaving yours.

A new door opened on the side of the platforms, leading you to the exit of the warehouse.

As the group began to disperse, each participant processing the life-threatening ordeal they had just survived, you and Chishiya shared a glance. After making sure Kuina was okay, and without a word, he gestured for you to follow him. Curious and intrigued, you trailed behind him as he led you down a dimly lit corridor, away from the others.

Finally, Chishiya stopped in front of a door, glancing around to ensure that no one had followed you. He opened it and gestured for you to enter. Inside was a small, quiet room, a sanctuary from the chaos that had just unfolded. As he closed the door behind you, the room was bathed in a soft, muted light.

"Are you okay?" he asked, with a hint of relief in his eyes.

Turning to face the blond man, you found yourself suddenly at a loss for words. The danger of the game had brought you closer than ever before, and the bond between you had grown stronger as a result. Chishiya must have felt it too because, in that instant, he closed the distance between you and gently cupped your face in his hands.

The atmosphere in the room was thick with tension, charged by the intensity of the game you had just survived and the undeniable connection between you and Chishiya. As he moved closer to you, your eyes locked onto each other, and a mischievous smile played on his lips when he noticed your breath accelerating. The proximity between the two of you was intoxicating, and you could feel the heat radiating from his body.

His voice, low and enigmatic, sent shivers down your spine as he started to discuss the game. "You know, I couldn't help but be distracted during the game." The way he said it made your heart race, and you could feel a surge of adrenaline coursing through your veins.

You raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "What distracted you?" you managed to ask; your voice slightly shaky from the anticipation.

He leaned in closer, so close that his lips were hovering just above yours, the heat of his breath sending tingles across your skin.

"You," he admitted, his voice thick with desire. "It was making it impossible for me to focus. I was putting everyone in danger because I couldn't analyze the situation. And for a moment there, I thought we will not have time to reach balance. »

As he spoke, his hand reached up to gently brush a strand of hair from your face, his touch igniting a jolt of electricity that coursed through your entire body. The intensity of his gaze and the raw desire in his voice left you breathless. « I can’t afford that. »

"Maybe we should do something about this..." he murmured close to your ear; his eyes filled with a dark, sultry intensity.

Before you could respond, his lips found yours, capturing them in a searing, passionate kiss that left you weak in the knees. His hand slid around to the nape of your neck, pulling you closer, while his other hand settled on your waist, keeping you firmly pressed against him.

As the kiss intensified, the heat between you surged to an almost unbearable level, a primal need that threatened to consume you both. You could almost hear him whimpering against your lips.

Chishiya's tongue traced the outline of your lips, a teasing invitation that left you craving more. You parted your lips, granting him access, and your tongues met in a fiery, passionate kiss that sent shivers down your spine.

His hands roamed your body, setting your skin ablaze with every touch, every caress. His fingers traced along the curve of your waist, dipped down to the small of your back, and then moved up to tangle in your hair. The fervor of his exploration left you yearning, desperate for his touch.

Your breaths mingled, your hand now in his hair, pulling him closer, the attraction between you growing with each heated, needy kiss. He placed his leg between your thighs, and you could feel him smile through your lips.

The sound of Usagi's voice interrupted you both. "Hey, guys! Sorry to interrupt, but we’re going back to the beach," she called out.

You both reluctantly pulled away from each other, your hearts racing with desire and awkwardness. « Yeap, Usagi, thank you, we’re coming! » you said, very much aware that you best friend now knew about you and Chishiya. 

You adjusted your jacket and Chishiya went to open the door for you, giving you a complicit look as you led the way.

As you walked back to the beach with everyone, you could feel Chishiya’s eyes on you. 

CHAPTER 4

The night after your passionate kiss with Chishiya, you found yourselves together again, this time in the privacy of your bedroom. You had called him to your room after dinner, pretending to have to talk about the next game.

Your room was decorated with a touch of femininity, soft pastel colors, delicate accents, and a cute plush on the bed that made it uniquely yours. Chishiya couldn't help but smirk as he took in the surroundings, finding the atmosphere incredibly cute and endearing.

As you sat together on your bed, the atmosphere grew more intense and intimate. You shared soft words and gentle touches, the connection between you deepening by the moment.

Chishiya's fingers traced the curve of your cheek, his eyes filled with warmth and affection, and a playful glint. "I never expected to find someone like you in this twisted world, let alone in a room like this," he teased, his voice barely above a whisper.

You playfully rolled your eyes but smiled softly, feigning a sad expression. "What's wrong with my room?" you asked.

Chishiya leaned in closer, his voice low and tender. "Absolutely nothing," he murmured, a flirtatious glint in his eyes. "In fact, it's so cute that it makes me want to spend more time here, getting to know each and every one of your plushes. »

As the evening deepened into night, you and Chishiya continued to talk, your conversation flowing effortlessly, as if you had known each other for years. Slowly, the space between you diminished, and you found yourselves drawn together once more, your lips fitting together as if they were meant to be.

Chishiya couldn't help but mockingly comment on a bunny plush as he reached for it, giving it a gentle squeeze before tossing it aside, making room for the two of you. "I think our little bunny friend here won't mind giving us some privacy," he said, a mischievous grin on his face.

Just as Chishiya leaned in for another kiss, the door suddenly opened, and Usagi appeared, her eyes wide with surprise. « Sorry to interrupt, but... hm, Hatter is waiting for Chishiya. There's a meeting you forgot about? They’re waiting for you! »

Chishiya sighed and reluctantly pulled away from you, his gaze lingering on your face. "I'm sorry, I completely forgot. I promise I'll make it up to you," he said, giving your hand a reassuring squeeze before leaving the room.

Usagi smirked as she lied down beside you. "You two are really cute together, you know?"

Feeling a playful urge, you shot back, "Oh, really? What about you and Arisu? I've seen the way you look at him."

Usagi's cheeks flushed a light pink, and she became uncharacteristically silent and shy, clearly caught off guard by your comment. 

As the door closed behind Chishiya, you couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, your moment of intimacy cut short. Still, Usagi was your best friend and you were more than happy to finally have the opportunity for this girl’s night you both talked about for so long.

The next day, as you sat at the beach bar, your thoughts lingering on your interrupted moment with Chishiya, you couldn’t help but wonder why Hatter was always requiring meetings at night. You sipped your drink, trying to shake off the feeling as you watched Chishiya talking to Kuina by the pool, his feet dipped in the water.

Usagi and Arisu were also in the pool, laughing as they played volleyball with a cheap plastic balloon.

Just as you began to relax and enjoy the sun, you felt a presence beside you. Niragi, with his smug grin and unsettling gaze, approached and took a seat next to you. His hair was disheveled, and he had a wild, almost dangerous air about him. You had heard rumors about his darker side, but you hadn't experienced it for yourself.

"Hi... Y/N, is that right?" he said, pretending to not know your name. "Hi, Niragi, yes, that's right." you answered, with a friendly smile.

He leaned in closer, his voice low and smooth. "You know, I've been watching you since you arrived here," Niragi said, a hint of possessiveness in his tone. "You're different from the others. I like that."

As he began to touch your shoulder, you couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable. You tried to maintain a polite friendly smile, but your body betrayed your unease. Chishiya picked up on this almost immediately.

From the corner of your eye, you noticed Chishiya watching the interaction closely, becoming silent, his expression a mix of concern and annoyance. In a swift movement, he got out of the pool and walked over, water dripping from his legs as he approached.

"Niragi, Hatter's been looking for you," Chishiya said, his tone stern and commanding. Niragi hesitated for a moment, then reluctantly released his grip on your shoulder and left to find Hatter, giving a side eye to Chishiya.

Once Niragi was out of earshot, Chishiya turned to you, his expression softening with genuine concern. "You should be careful around Niragi," he warned. "He's... not the most trustworthy person here."

You nodded, grateful for Chishiya's intervention. "My knight in shining armor," you said, your heart swelling with genuine appreciation and a hint of playful defiance, as if to say, "I'm a big girl, Chishiya." 

Chishiya grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, I can't let anyone else steal your attention, can I?" he said, giving you a quick, flirtatious wink before putting his hands back in his pockets and returning to his spot by the pool.

As Chishiya sat down next to Kuina, she raised an eyebrow, a playful grin spreading across her face. "Oh, Chishiya, you're just full of surprises," she teased, clearly having observed the scene that had just unfolded. "Seems like you've got a bit of a crush on our new friend here."

Chishiya tried to brush off her comment, but he couldn't help the slight feeling that crept onto his stomach. It was becoming increasingly clear that your presence in his life was affecting him in ways he hadn't anticipated.

CHAPTER 5

After the incident with Niragi, Chishiya's behavior towards you had changed. He became more protective, always keeping an eye on you and ensuring your safety. Unbeknownst to both of you, Hatter had noticed Chishiya's unusual distraction. He had been missing meetings, taking longer to return to the beach, and seemed to have his mind somewhere else.

Hatter was no fool. He knew that something, or someone, was causing this change in his first executive. Determined to find the source, he sent one of his trusted executives, Taka, to keep an eye on Chishiya and report back to him.

As Taka observed Chishiya, following him into his nightly visits to your bedroom, he quickly discovered the truth: you were the one occupying his thoughts. However, as he continued to watch, he noticed something else about you. You were incredibly intelligent and resourceful, always managing to stay alive through the deadly games of the Borderlands. Your unique perspective and ability to get out of any situation impressed Taka, and he reported his findings back to Hatter.

Intrigued, Hatter decided to request a meeting with you. Chishiya, upon hearing this, was filled with a mix of anxiety and concern. He couldn't help but worry about what Hatter's intentions were and how they might affect you.

As you were engaged in a lively conversation with Arisu, Chishiya approached the two of you, his eyes fixed on you with an intensity that made your heart race. He politely asked Arisu to excuse the two of you for a moment, and Arisu nodded with understanding, giving you both some privacy.

Chishiya led you to a more secluded area, away from prying eyes and ears. The tension in his shoulders was palpable, and you could sense that something was weighing on his mind.

"Before anything else, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry I have to work that much," he said, the sincerity in his eyes making you blush.

You smiled at his kind words, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "It's okay, Chishiya. You have a big role here."

He took a deep breath, as if gathering the courage to ask his next question. "Has someone named Taka approached you recently?" he inquired, his eyes searching yours for any sign of recognition.

The mention of Taka's name brought back the memory of your earlier encounter. "Yes, actually," you replied, your curiosity piqued. "He introduced himself and told me that Hatter requested a meeting with me tonight."

Chishiya's expression became more serious, his concern evident. "I see. I don't know the exact reason behind Hatter's request, but I want you to be cautious. He's a brilliant strategist, and there's always a reason behind his actions."

As the time for the meeting drew closer, your anxiety grew. Knowing that everyone, including Chishiya and Niragi, would be present added to your apprehension. You paced around your room, trying to calm your nerves and mentally prepare for the upcoming encounter. You were wondering if you did anything wrong, or if it had anything to do with Chishiya, or Niragi.

Usagi and Arisu, noticing your distress, kindly offered to help you get ready for the meeting. You accepted their offer, hoping that it would ease some of your anxiety.

Once Usagi had finished with your hair, and that Arisu managed to make you laugh with stupid jokes, she stepped back to admire her handiwork. "You look stunning," she said, smiling at you. "Remember, you're strong and intelligent. Just be yourself, and you'll do great."

Together, you, Usagi and Arisu left your room and made your way to the meeting area. The walk felt like an eternity, each step bringing you closer to the unknown. As you neared the door, you hesitated for a moment, your heart pounding in your chest.

Usagi placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder. "You've got this," she whispered, giving you an encouraging smile and a tight hug.

Taking one last deep breath, you mustered your courage and stepped into the meeting room. The atmosphere was tense, and all eyes were on you as you entered. Chishiya was already there, his gaze locked on you, concern and support evident in his eyes. Niragi, on the other hand, wore a smirk, as if anticipating the outcome of the meeting with amusement.

Usagi's help in preparing for the meeting had indeed alleviated some of your anxiety, but as you took your seat at the table, you couldn't help but feel the tension in the room. Hatter, with his enigmatic presence, had a way of making even the most straightforward conversations feel like a game of chess.

As the meeting progressed, Hatter smoothly transitioned the discussion to the subject of his interest in you. With a sly smile, he addressed you directly.

"I've been keeping a close eye on you," he began, his voice calm and measured. "I must say, I'm quite impressed by your skills and resourcefulness. You have a unique way of thinking that sets you apart from others." he paused, before continuing "You seem to be able to think out of the box; constantly."

You felt your cheeks flush under the weight of his praise, even though you felt that he was also referencing your clumsiness and ability to PUT yourself in dangerous situations, but you couldn't shake the feeling that there was an ulterior motive behind his words. Hatter continued, his tone growing more persuasive.

"I believe your talents would be best utilized as one of my executives. You would be a valuable asset to our team, and together, we could achieve great things in the Borderlands."

You glanced at Chishiya, trying to gauge his reaction to Hatter's words. Surprisingly, his usually calm demeanor seemed to have been replaced by agitation and worry. The sight of him so unnerved only heightened your own concern, making it difficult for you to think clearly.

As you opened your mouth to politely refuse Hatter's offer, he smoothly interjected, knowing exactly how to manipulate the situation. He turned his gaze to Chishiya and addressed him in a subtly menacing tone.

"Chishiya, I'm sure you've noticed that our workload has been steadily increasing. In fact, and as my first executive, I think it's time for you to take on even more responsibilities. With our new executive here to support us, I trust you'll be able to devote yourself entirely to your work."

Hatter's words were carefully chosen, making it seem as though your decision to join his team and Chishiya's increased workload were unrelated. Yet, the implication was clear – if you didn't accept the offer, Chishiya would be buried in work, leaving no time for the two of you to be together.

Panic began to set in as you imagined a future without Chishiya by your side. Swallowing your fear and reservations, you hesitantly agreed to Hatter's proposal. "I accept your offer, Hatter. I will join your team of executives."

Hatter's smile grew wider, satisfied with the outcome. "Excellent. I'm confident that you'll be a great asset to our team."

As the meeting continued, Hatter and the other executives discussed various topics related to Borderland in great detail. You tried your best to remain focused, taking in every bit of information shared, but your mind kept drifting back to your decision.

When the meeting finally concluded, you quickly excused yourself, eager to retreat to the sanctuary of your room and process everything that had just happened. As you hurried down the dimly lit hallway, running footsteps echoed behind you. Suddenly, you were intercepted by Chishiya, who gently grabbed your arm and pulled you into an empty corner, away from prying eyes.

His eyes bore into yours, filled with an intensity that made your heart race. Without a word, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a passionate kiss, his lips conveying the depth of his emotions. The urgency of his kiss left you breathless, and when he finally pulled away, his eyes searched yours, a mixture of worry and protectiveness swirling within them.

"I'm concerned," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know why Hatter recruited you, but I can't shake the feeling that it's somehow linked to you and me. And with Niragi being around you more often... I don't like it."

He pressed his forehead against yours, his voice shaking slightly. "But at the same time, I'm happy that we'll be able to spend more time together. As a junior executive, you will be in training with one of the seniors." He paused, his eyes locked on yours, the tension between you building. A slow, seductive smile spread across his face as he continued, "And Hatter chose me for this role."

Your eyes widened in surprise, your breath catching in your throat. The thought of working closely with Chishiya was both exhilarating and intoxicating. "Really? That's... that's... that's strange!!" you managed to say, before Chishiya burst into laughter. "I noticed it too, as soon as Taka started following us. I know Hatter has an ulterior motive; he really wants us to be closer, and that can't be good," he paused before continuing, "I'm just happy he didn't assign you to Niragi."

As Chishiya spoke, the atmosphere between you grew more intense. He pulled you closer, his lips meeting yours in a passionate, fiery kiss that sent waves of desire coursing through your body. His arms wrapped around you, holding you tight against him as he deepened the kiss, exploring your mouth with a hunger you hadn't seen in him before.

His hands began to wander, slowly and teasingly running along your body, igniting a fire within you. Chishiya pressed himself against you, the heat between you two growing almost unbearable. Just as his hand slipped to your thigh, a sudden noise in the hallway broke the spell.

Chishiya pulled back slightly, his breath ragged as he looked into your eyes. "Tomorrow, we're going to a new game together," he whispered, his voice husky and full of promise. "I have a feeling it's going to be quite interesting."

With one last, lingering stroke of his hand against your thigh, he planted a soft kiss on your cheek before slipping away, leaving you breathless and craving more.

CHAPTER 6

The following day, you found yourself anxiously awaiting the arrival of Chishiya. As you paced around your room, thoughts raced through your mind about the game you were about to participate in and the fact you will probably spend the whole day with Chishiya. 

Despite these concerns, you couldn't deny the excitement that bubbled within you at the thought of spending time with Chishiya and working with him.

After Usagi's usual morning visit, you told her she didn't have to come with you for this particular game, that you wanted to spend a little more time with Chishiya. She laughed and hugged you before making you promise her that you will tell her EVERYTHING.

When Chishiya finally arrived, he greeted you with a warm smile that did little to calm your nerves. "Are you ready?" he asked, his eyes filled with a mix of determination and serious.

You took a deep breath and nodded, hoping to exude an air of confidence you didn't entirely feel. "As ready as I'll ever be," you replied, managing a shaky smile.

« Alright, we go to the game, if we finish before tonight, I’ll take you on a date. » he said, giving you a last soft cheek kiss before turning into his serious executive mode. 

Together, you and Chishiya made your way to the game's location, exchanging brief glances and reassuring smiles as you walked. You felt Chishiya hiding some anxiety, you were under his care and he wanted to make sure to stay focused for this one game. His worst fear had become you getting hurt like last time. 

Upon arriving, you were greeted by the sight of a massive, dimly-lit warehouse. The ominous atmosphere did little to ease your apprehension, but you steeled yourself, determined to face whatever game awaited you inside.

As you stepped into the warehouse, neck-collars were displayed on a table. Twenty more players were already there. The vast room was filled with a maze of walls, and seemingly identical rooms. 

A digital panel appeared with the name of the game, and a disembodied voice spoke:

Welcome players. This game is called « SAFE HAVEN » this is a Three of Spades game.

Players are paired up and must work together to locate the hidden saferoom.

The saferoom is concealed behind a false wall, and its entrance is camouflaged among the many other walls and rooms in the warehouse.

Players have 60 minutes to find the saferoom and enter it with their partner.

The temperature of the warehouse will gradually increase, your neck-collars are set to explode when the external temperature reaches 50°C (122°F)

The saferoom is a cozy and comfortable space with refreshments, where players must remain for the duration of the game.

You can recognize the safe room thanks to its blue walls.

To win, both players in a pair must stay within the saferoom for the entire hour.

You were paired up with Chishiya, and together, you began your search for the hidden saferoom. As you navigated the maze, you exchanged ideas and theories about where the false wall might be, trying to deduce its location based on the surrounding environment.

"I think we should focus on the corners," Chishiya suggested, his eyes scanning the area carefully. "There's a higher chance of finding the entrance there, as it would be easier to conceal."

You nodded in agreement, and together, you systematically searched the warehouse, eliminating potential hiding spots one by one. As time ticked away, the tension between you two increased, but your teamwork remained strong.

Finally, with only thirty minutes left on the clock, Chishiya noticed a slight irregularity in one of the walls. "Look here," he said, running his hand over a section that seemed just slightly out of place. He pressed his body against it, and to your relief, the false wall swung open, revealing the hidden saferoom.

The two of you hurried inside, finding a cozy and comfortable space complete with blue walls, warm lighting, and even a small assortment of refreshments. As the door closed behind you and locked, the pressure of the game seemed to melt away, and you were left alone with Chishiya in this intimate setting.

He sat down on the couch present in the room, before letting out a relief sight « God this room is so fresh. », almost unintentionally.

You burst into laughter, appreciating his candid reaction. Chishiya chuckled as well, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "What? It's true!" he defended playfully, making you laugh even more.

Joining him on the couch while he opened a can of soda, you smiled at each other. 

Chishiya's hand brushed against yours, and the contact sent a shiver down your spine. 

His hand enveloped yours, and your fingers intertwined as you continued talking, your voices soft and intimate. Your eyes met, and in that moment, it felt like time had slowed down. 

Chishiya inched nearer, his breath a warm whisper against your flushed cheek. His proximity made your heart hammer in your chest, your senses heightened to a level where you could hear the soft sound of his breathing, smell the faint scent of his cologne, and see the faint creases around his eyes as they softened in the dim light.

His lips grazed yours, barely a touch, but it was enough to send an electric current down your spine. You met his gentle advance with an accepting one, pressing your lips against his in a sweet, lingering kiss that made your heart flutter.

You were totally falling in love.

The disembodied voice announced the end of the game, and the door unlocked. The sound brought you both back to reality.

Chishiya reached for your hand, giving it a loving squeeze, and the two of you shared a knowing smile.

As you exited the safe room and the warehouse together, you decided to head back to the Beach through a longer way, walking along the shoreline and sharing jokes, your laughter filling the air.

CHAPTER 7

As the day after your intense game with Chishiya, you were feeling a mix of emotions - excitement, happiness, and a touch of uncertainty about what this new day will look like.

Despite these thoughts, you couldn't help but smile as you recalled the passionate moments shared with Chishiya. The way he held you, the taste of his lips, his laugh.

As you stepped out of your room, you found Kuina casually leaning against the wall, seemingly waiting for you. A mischievous grin spread across her face when she caught sight of you. "So, Chishiya mentioned you could use some self-defense training," she said playfully, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "I've been appointed as your mentor for the day."

Your eyebrow quirked upwards, and you couldn't help but wonder about Chishiya's reasoning behind having Kuina train you.

"Am I really that defenseless?" you joked with a light chuckle.

Kuina gave a playful smirk in response, "Not at all, but Chishiya wants to make sure you're prepared for anything. He knows I'm the best, and it's clear he cares about your safety."

"What's he up to, anyway?" you asked, barely able to conceal the longing in your voice.

Kuina grinned knowingly and met your gaze. "Alright, how about this? You stick with me through the training, and right after, I'll take you to your boyfriend » she teased.

« He’s not... Chishiya is just a friend! » you stammered, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

Kuina simply raised an eyebrow and chuckled, deciding not to press the issue further. "Sure, just a friend. Now, let's get started on that training."

Kuina led you to a more secluded area on the Beach, where you'd have space and privacy for your training. The soft sand and crashing waves provided a calming backdrop as Kuina began instructing you in various self-defense techniques.

As you moved through a series of exercises, Kuina proved to be an attentive and patient teacher. Despite her occasionally cheeky comments, it was clear she was invested in your safety and well-being.

During a break in the training, you found yourself sitting on the sand with her, both of you breathing heavily from the exertion. You took the opportunity to ask her about her relationship with Chishiya.

Kuina studied you for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Why do you want to know?" she asked knowingly with a smile on her face.

You hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But as you looked at Kuina, you realized that you could trust her. "Chishiya and I have... grown closer," you admitted, feeling your cheeks heat up at the confession.

Kuina's face broke into a wide grin. "Ah, I see," she said knowingly. 

"Well, Chishiya and I have been friends for a long time. We've been through a lot together in this twisted world."

She paused, her expression turning more serious. "Chishiya is a complicated person, and he doesn't let people in easily. But when he does, he's fiercely loyal and protective."

You nodded, your thoughts drifting back to the moments when Chishiya had shown that protective side of him, especially with Niragi.

Kuina continued, "He's been hurt before, more than you know, so he's careful with who he trusts. But I can tell that he genuinely cares for you, because I had never seen him care for anyone before. You're good for him, and I think he's good for you too."

Her words resonated with you, “Thank you, Kuina," you said softly. 

"Now, let's go find Chishiya, shall we?" Kuina suggested, giving you an encouraging smile.

You nodded, and the two of you made your way towards the spot where Chishiya was supposed to be. As you got closer, however, you heard raised voices and a sense of unease crept over you.

When Kuina finally reached the location with you following her shortly behind, you saw Chishiya locked in a heated confrontation with Niragi. Chishiya's face was faking control, and his fists were clenched at his sides, while Niragi had a malicious grin plastered on his face.

Kuina stepped forward, her eyes narrowing. « Now now, what's going on here? » she demanded, her tone sharp and protective.

Chishiya glanced at you and Kuina briefly before returning his gaze to Niragi. "Just a minor disagreement," he said, though his voice was tight with barely restrained anger.

Niragi laughed, his eyes briefly glancing at you before returning to focus on Chishiya. "You really think you can protect her from everything, don't you?" he taunted. "But you can't be everywhere at once, Chishiya. And when you're not around... well…" he lowered his voice, ensuring you couldn't hear his malicious words.

Chishiya's face darkened, and he took a step towards Niragi, but you quickly intervened, stopping him in his tracks. « Niragi? Aren’t you supposed to be in a game with Hatter right now? »

Niragi's smirk faltered, and he looked at you in confusion. You continued, your voice steady and confident, "I overheard Hatter mentioning earlier that you were supposed to be joining them? “

Chishiya's eyes met yours, and a smile graced his lips, his demeanor instantly softening at the sound of your voice, while Kuina tried to suppress a chuckle.

Niragi hesitated, his expression shifting from annoyance to uncertainty. "Well, we'll see about that," he drawled, oozing arrogance. As he turned to leave, he added with a self-satisfied smirk, « You're looking pretty today. »

You rolled your eyes at his parting remark, while Chishiya's jaw clenched and his body tensed up again at Niragi's comment about you. Despite this, he managed to maintain his composure as he walked towards you.

As Chishiya approached, he looked at Kuina and asked, "Did everything go well today?"

Kuina's eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled broadly. "We had a blast. However, I believe I've fulfilled my role for today, so I'll leave you two sweethearts to reconnect and let you take care of your part of our agreement." With a playful wink directed at both of you, she sauntered off, leaving you and Chishiya standing side by side.

You glanced up at Chishiya, curiosity evident in your eyes. "So, what was that all about?" you asked, referring to his earlier altercation with Niragi.

Chishiya sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just had a few things to say to him," he replied, trying to downplay the situation. "Nothing you need to worry about."

« Is that linked to Kuina teaching me to defend myself? » you asked, your voice tinged with concern.

Chishiya hesitated for a moment before responding, « Just taking safety measures. » he trailed off, frowning slightly. « I still don’t know why Hatter assigned you to me, but Niragi is clearly trying to take advantage of the situation. »

—————————————————————————————————

Chishiya's morning had started off with a sense of urgency. After his meeting with Hatter, during which they had discussed some boring matters concerning the upcoming games, Chishiya had felt compelled to ensure that you could protect yourself. He had asked Kuina to train you in self-defense, knowing that she was the most skilled person he could trust for the task.

His concern for your well-being had grown over time, especially after seeing Niragi around you so many times, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for him to shake the feeling that something might happen to you if he didn't do something. It wasn't just about the games anymore – it was about you, and how hard he was falling in love with you. 

After the meeting, Chishiya had intended to join you and watch your training session with Kuina. He wanted to watch you from afar, maybe perhaps chuckle at the sight of his best friend and his crush fighting in the sand. However, as he was making his way towards the training area, Niragi emerged, following him with a mischievous grin on his face.

Niragi had cornered Chishiya, his eyes gleaming with a dangerous mix of curiosity and amusement. "So, you've got a little thing going on with her, huh?" Niragi had asked, his tone teasing but carrying an underlying threat. "I must admit, she's quite attractive. How about I try my luck with her? See if I can steal her away from you?"

Chishiya remained composed despite Niragi's provocative words, well-aware that Niragi took pleasure in unsettling others. Determined not to give him the satisfaction, he maintained his calm demeanor, fixing Niragi with a calm, unwavering gaze. " She’s too good to date a donkey like you. "

Niragi's smirk had only grown wider, clearly enjoying the fake calm reaction he was getting from Chishiya.

Sensing his rising anger, he decided to push further. He leaned in closer, his voice low and provocative. "You know, I've always wondered what she'd look like beneath me, her lovely face contorted with agony."

Chishiya's blood boiled at the vile insinuation, his fists clenching involuntarily, his calm facade falling gradually.

He glared at Niragi, his voice ice-cold and his face shifting to pure and calm hatred. « You pathetic, frightened little boy, » he hissed, a smile forming on his face « I’ll make your life a short agonizing nightmare. »

The tension between them was palpable, and Niragi seemed to revel in it. He smirked, knowing he had successfully provoked Chishiya. 

But before he could respond, you and Kuina had arrived on the scene, interrupting their confrontation.

——————————————————————————————————

The following days had been relatively calm at the Beach. One particularly sunny day, you found yourself lounging on a deckchair, sipping a refreshing cocktail and soaking up in the sun. Beside you, Usagi was enjoying the party as well, her face animated as she confided in you about her crush on Arisu.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice wavering between excitement and uncertainty. "He's younger than me, and I'm not sure if I should respond to his flirting or not. What do you think?"

As you listened to Usagi's dilemma, your eyes wandered towards the pool, where Arisu and Chishiya were spending their time. Arisu was enthusiastically trying to convince Chishiya to join in on a game of volleyball, but Chishiya seemed content with just sitting by the edge of the pool, his feet dipped in the water.

Although you couldn't hear their conversation, you caught sight of Arisu mentioning your name, his lips forming the syllables unmistakably. In response, Chishiya cracked a rare smile, his eyes glinting with amusement as he glanced in your direction.

As his eyes met yours, the intensity of his gaze took your breath away. To your surprise and delight, while Arisu was looking away, Chishiya's lips parted, and he silently mouthed, "You're so pretty."

Usagi, who had been engrossed in her own thoughts, caught sight of the exchange between you and Chishiya. Her eyes widened in surprise, and she couldn't suppress a playful grin. « Would you look at that! » she teased, nudging you gently with her elbow. « You two should get a room. »

« You mean one you will not barge into? » you teased, a chuckle escaping your mouth. 

Usagi laughed, recalling the awkward memories of the two times she interrupted your heated moments with Chishiya. "Well, I can't make any promises, it seems to be tradition now, » she replied, taking a sip of her drink.

——————————————————————————————————

The next day, you woke up feeling excited, knowing that no game was planned for the day. You decided to take extra care with your hair and makeup, wanting to look your best. After spending some time getting ready, you chose to wear a cute skirt and a body top, hoping to catch Chishiya's attention.

As you finished applying the last touch of lipstick, you heard a knock on your door. With a curious smile, you opened it, only to be met with Chishiya's intense gaze. He looked you up and down, a hint of admiration in his eyes. « Beautiful, » he murmured.

Before you could respond, Chishiya leaned in, pressing his lips against yours in a passionate, eager kiss, pushing you gently back into your room, using his foot to close the door behind him. 

As Chishiya continued to kiss you passionately, his arms wrapped around your waist, lifting you off the ground effortlessly. He carried you over to your bed and gently laid you down, joining you and placing himself on top of you. As your lips danced together, Chishiya whispered in between kisses, « I wanted to come here last night, » and, « Stop infiltrating my mind. »

The intensity of your kisses deepened as your tongues intertwined, Chishiya hovering above you.

He pulled back slightly, looking deeply into your eyes. His voice was soft and vulnerable as he asked.

"Be my girlfriend."

The intensity of his gaze, mixed with the tenderness in his voice, made your heart miss a beat.

As Chishiya's question hung in the air, you could see a hint of nervousness in his eyes. A surge of happiness and warmth filled your chest, and you couldn't help but grow a smile at his racing heart pounding against your chest.

"Yes," you breathed, your voice filled with genuine surprise.

Relief and joy washed over Chishiya's face, and he leaned in for another deep, passionate kiss.

With so much struggle and a few more lingering kisses, Chishiya finally pulled away from you, his breathing heavy and labored. « Stop doing that to me, » he ordered, « We have a busy day today, so many useless meetings. »

You sighed, feeling the distance between you and Chishiya growing once more. "Being an executive isn't all fun and games," you said, still trying to catch your breath. "When's our next game?" you inquired, a playful twinkle in your eyes.

Chishiya raised an eyebrow, catching onto your playful tone. "Why? Do you have something in mind?" he inquired; curiosity piqued.

You grinned, biting your lip coyly. "I don’t like to share you with Hatter."

He chuckled, his eyes sparkling with amusement. "Let's get through today's meetings, and I promise we'll find a way to spend more time together."

CHAPTER 8

You wake up to the sound of your alarm ringing loudly, reminding you that today is the day you've been preparing for. You quickly jump out of bed, your heart pounding with anticipation. You take a deep breath and look around your room, making sure you have everything you need for the game.

Chishiya had warned you that this game might take a while, so you had prepared everything in detail. You put on comfortable clothes that won't restrict your movements, and carefully packed some snacks and water in your backpack.

As you head to the meeting room, you can feel the excitement building up inside you. You know that this is the moment you've been waiting for, the chance to prove your worth to Hatter and the other executives, and the chance to spend more time with Chishiya.

When you enter the meeting room, you see all the other executives are already there, waiting for you. Hatter greets you with a smile, « Ah, my little clumsy prodigy, we’re now complete. »

Niragi is sitting with his feet on the table, looking bored, Taka is drinking tea, sitting elegantly at the table, while Chishiya is standing with his arms crossed, a serious expression on his face. But when he sees you, his eyes light up with excitement. You can tell he's been looking forward to this as much as you have.

After a quick briefing from Hatter, you all head to the game location. You're not exactly sure where you're going, but you can feel the tension in the air as everyone prepares for what's to come.

When you arrive, you see that the game is being held in a large, abandoned prison. As you step out of the van, you feel a chill run down your spine. This is it, there’s no way back now.

As you enter the prison, you can feel the weight of the collar your Chishi is placing around your neck. You try not to let it bother you, focusing instead on analyzing all the other participants, as your new boyfriend taught you.

Hatter's final words echo in your head: "No matter what, get me that card." You know that failure is not an option, but you’re happy to not be the only one to receive this mission.

You look around at the other executives, some of whom you've never met before. You can sense the tension and excitement in the air, and you know that anything could happen in the next few hours.

As you and the other executives gather in a large room within the prison, a voice booms over the intercom,

« WELCOME PLAYERS. THIS GAME IS CALLED : SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. 

Please pay attention to the rules. 

Time Limit: 1 hour/round.

The 20 players must equip an explosive collar upon entry. You have 10 minutes to put on your collar before the game begins.

Players also may not bring in any reflective surfaces or materials.

Once the game begins, a mark appears behind each player’s collar, renditioning everyone unable to see their own mark (Spades, Diamonds, Clubs, Hearts).

Each round is 1 hour. Players are free to talk anywhere during this time.

In the final 5 minutes, all players must enter a cell and announce the mark that they think is on the back of their collar. If they’re correct, they move onto the next round. Their mark changes, and the cycle repeats.

If the player remains silent or says the wrong mark, the collar explodes.

Among the players is the Jack of Hearts. When the Jack of Hearts dies, the remaining players all survive and the game is cleared.

If two players remain (Jack of Hearts included), only the Jack of Hearts will live, since their identity will become apparent.

Actions are prohibited:

No more than 1 person may reside inside a locked cell.

Players may not obstruct other players from entering a cell.

Players may not revoke another's ability to announce their own mark (homicide).

Game Clear: Kill the Jack of Hearts.

Game Over:

Say the wrong mark.

Remain silent during confinement.

Commit a prohibited action.

Be the only person left alongside the Jack of Hearts.

GOOD LUCK, PLAYERS. ROUND 1 : START. » 

As soon as the game begins, everyone starts to disperse to talk with each other. You see joy in the executives' faces as they realize that this game will be quite easy since they can all share the symbols with each other.

You start to walk around the room, trying to gauge the other participants and try to spot the Jack of Heart, as Chishiya would instantly. As you're lost in thought, you suddenly feel a hand resting on your waist, making you jump in surprise, an arm pulling you to the corner of the room. You turn your head around to see Chishiya standing behind you, a mischievous smile on his face.

"This is going to be an interesting game," he says, his voice low and analyzing. He leans in and plants a kiss on your shoulder, making you shiver with anticipation. « Chill, and with plenty of time to spend together, » he adds, giving you a reassuring squeeze.

"What do you think of that guy over there?" he asks, pointing to a player in the corner with his gaze.

You take a deep breath and focus your attention on the person Chishiya has asked you to analyze. It's a tall man with broad shoulders and a stern expression, dressed in a light blue shirt. His eyes dart around the room, analyzing his surroundings with a cool, detached gaze as he is sitting on the floor.

You begin to speak, carefully noting your observations. "He seems very alert and aware of his surroundings," you say. "He's taking in everything around him and analyzing it with a detached, almost clinical eye. It's like he's constantly assessing the situation, looking for any potential threats or weaknesses."

« Absolutely, continue baby. » he let out, a smirk appearing on his face.

You continue your analysis. "Well, he seems like a dangerous person, but I don't think he's the Jack of Hearts, » you start, « The Jack of Hearts will be talking to other people, since isolating puts the attention on you. »

Chishiya's smile widens.

"You're right," he whispers, « this one is a serial killer. » You can't help but shiver at the thought.

As you continue to analyze the others in the room, Chishiya's arm tightens around you even more while he presses little kisses on your shoulder.

"Tell me more about this one," Chishiya says, nodding towards another person in the room.

You try to focus on the analysis, but it's becoming more and more difficult to concentrate as his kisses and presence overwhelm your senses. Chishiya picks up on this almost immediately.

He smirks, clearly enjoying the effect he's having on you. "Heart," he whispers before stepping away and heading over to talk to Kuina, leaving you standing there, feeling both in love and calm.

As Chishiya walks away to check on Kuina, you make your way over to a man in a yellow shirt and blue denim overalls, who seems to be looking around nervously. As you approach him, he looks up at you with a mixture of fear and relief.

"Hey, are you okay?" you ask, placing a hand on his shoulder. « You should eat something. »

The man nods, his eyes darting around the room. You can tell he's nervous, but you do your best to reassure him.

"I'm here to give you your symbol," you say, walking behind him. "You're a Club."

The man looks at you for a moment, his expression softening. "Thank you," he says, his voice shaking slightly.

As you’re about to leave to join the executives and Chishiya to get some food before the round ends, you feel a dark figure behind you.

« What was that? » Niragi said, an annoyed smile on his face.

« He’s scared, I gave him his symbol. » you answered, still looking at the man playing with his collar and joining the others.

« And what if he’s the Jack of Hearts? Keep your head in the game, Y/N. » he urged, faking authority, « Or I might have report you to Hatter for it. » he let out, a smug grin on his face.

You roll your eyes at Niragi's comment but decide not to argue with him. Instead, you make your way back to Chishiya and the other executives, keeping an eye out for any suspicious behavior from the other players.

When you arrive in the dining area, you can't help but chuckle as you see Chishiya rummaging through the shelf, trying to grab every pack of a particular type of biscuit he seems to be fond of.

Kuina calls out to you, but before you can make your way to her, Chishiya accidentally bumps into you. "Baby, you must try these," he insists. You laugh as you accept the yellow pack of biscuits he hands you, playfully asking, "Are you sure you want to share them with me?"

« Yes, but just you, » he mumbles before turning away and opening a new pack of the biscuits he can't seem to get enough of.

As you spend thirty minutes chatting with everyone, you find yourself engaged in the game analysis with the other executives.

Chishiya: "So, have you noticed anything unusual about the other players?"

You: "Well, there's that guy in the yellow shirt who seemed nervous, but I'm not sure if it's because he's the Jack of Hearts or if he's just scared."

Kuina: "We should keep an eye on him, but we need more evidence before we can suspect anyone. »

Niragi: « Just don't get too friendly with everyone Y/N. » 

Niragi offers a fake smile, casting a glance in your direction. Chishiya responds with the most exaggerated side-eye you've ever seen on him, clearly annoyed.

An announcement interrupts the conversation: « 5 MINUTES REMAINING - ATTENTION TO ALL PLAYERS, PLEASE DIRECT YOURSELF TO A CELL TO ANNOUNCE YOUR SYMBOL. »

As the first round comes to an end, you walk to your cell with Kuina, who makes sure to remind you of your symbol multiple times. You enter the cell, feeling a mixture of anxiety and confidence.

A disembodied voice, seemingly coming from the walls of the cell, booms around you. It has a deep, almost robotic tone that sends a shiver down your spine.

« PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOUR SYMBOL »

You take a deep breath, and confidently reply.

You: « Heart. »

After five agonizing minutes, your answer is validated, and the cell door unlocks. You step out, relieved to have made it through the first round. 

Chishiya emerges from the cell next to you, wearing a satisfied smile.

As you exchange a look of relief and excitement with Chishiya, a sudden, muffled explosion echoes through the prison. You flinch, realizing that someone's collar has exploded.

————————————————————————

Hours had passed since the game began, and the once bustling prison had now become an eerie and silent place. The remaining players had become more cautious and paranoid, each suspecting the other of being the Jack of Hearts. The group of executives had become the center of attention, scrutinized by everyone.

But for you, the tension and suspicion that hung in the air had become background noise. With Chishiya by your side, you felt safe and exhilarated. He had become a source of comfort amidst the chaos, each stolen moment with him leaving you feeling more alive.

As you share another loving moment with your boyfriend, he doesn't hesitate to show his passion, pressing his lips against yours in a passionate kiss that leaves you breathless.

"I have to figure out who the Jack is first, then I'm all yours," he voiced out.

"You might want to take your time with that, I'm quite enjoying this game," you retorted softly.

Chishiya chuckles at your reaction, his hand moving down to rest on your waist.

"Is that Opoh's necklace?" You said, a hint of surprise in your voice. Your fingertips grazed over the cord of the carefully crafted necklace, hidden beneath Chishiya's shirt, that you had made for your treasured plushie some time ago.

"No wonder your hoodie's all zipped up," you continued, a pleased grin lighting up your face. "I'd be happy to make one for you, too, if you want."

Chishiya lets out a gentle laugh, a touch of embarrassment coloring his cheeks as he quickly zips up his hoodie again. His breath dances lightly on your ear, making you shiver as he murmurs, "Diamond."

You feel a shiver run down your spine at the sound of your symbol.

Before you can even answer, the disembodied voice marks the end of another hour of the game.

"50 MINUTES HAVE PASSED. PLEASE PREPARE FOR THE END OF THIS ROUND."

"Do you want to know yours?" you ask, a smile forming at the corner of your lips.

Chishiya just grins and answers, "I already know mine."

"How?" you ask, puzzled. As he never asks anyone for his symbol.

Chishiya gives you a flirty smile and takes a step back.

Chishiya: "Time to get back to the game. See you on the other side."

He exits the cell, leaving it to you. 

Leaning against the wall, you remain in place.

"PLEASE ANNOUNCE YOUR SYMBOL," the voice demands.

"Diamond, baby." you reply to the disembodied voice, with an almost bored tone.

————————————————————————

In this round, Chishiya has been exceptionally preoccupied, as he's been the executive entrusted with the crucial task of uncovering the identity of the Jack of Hearts. He knows that determining who the Jack is could get him the card faster.

Before he became completely unavailable, Chishiya handed you a generous supply of his favorite biscuits, wanting you to have something to enjoy while he was away.

"More of your favorite biscuits, baby?" you ask, struggling to hold the numerous packs he's handed you.

Chishiya reveals the inside of his hoodie pockets, stuffed with even more packs of the biscuits. "I've been saving these just for you," he says, a hint of pride in his voice.

Curiosity piqued, you can't help but ask, "What's so special about these biscuits?" Your grin widens as you anticipate his response.

Chishiya feigns a look of mock offense, playfully responding, "I'll let that slide only because you're my girlfriend."

Chishiya's expression turns serious as he looks at you intently. "While I'm busy, I want you to stay close to Kuina, » he instructs, his voice filled with concern.

You nod, "I will. Please be careful, Chishiya," you reply, your own worry evident in your voice.

Chishiya smiles reassuringly and leans in to tenderly kiss the tip of your nose. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he promises, his voice warm and comforting.

Before he leaves, Chishiya leans in again, his breath grazing your ear as he whispers, "Your symbol for this round is spade."

With that, he turns and departs to continue his investigation. As you watch him leave, you hold the biscuits he gave you close, already anticipating his return. You take a seat at one of the tables and begin to enjoy the biscuits he so thoughtfully provided.

Taka sits in another corner of the room, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. The silence is heavy, broken only by the occasional sound of footsteps and distant conversations echoing through the corridors.

About ten minutes later, the door to the restauration room creaks open, and Niragi saunters in. His eyes scan the room before landing on you, a playful smirk forming on his lips. He confidently strides over and takes a seat right in front of you, his gaze never leaving yours.

Niragi leans back in his chair, crossing his arms as he sizes you up, an air of mischief surrounding him.

Niragi casually begins the conversation, "So, you and Chishiya, huh?"

Slightly annoyed, you reply, "What do you want, Niragi?"

He leans in slightly, his eyes gleaming with curiosity, "I just want to know if you've really explored all your options."

"I have, thanks for your concern," you retort, trying to dismiss his prying.

Niragi chuckles, his smug grin growing wider, "Oh, I'm not talking about anything that serious," he clarifies, the mischief in his voice unmistakable.

Niragi glances over at Taka, who is still in the corner of the room, before turning back to you. With an air of authority, he commands, "Taka, would you mind giving us some privacy?"

Taka hesitates for a moment, clearly uneasy, but ultimately complies. As a member of the Beach, he knows better than to question someone higher up in the hierarchy. He casts you a worried glance before leaving the room.

Once Taka is gone, Niragi's demeanor shifts. The smug grin on his face transforms into something more sinister. He leans in closer to you, his intentions unclear but definitely making you uncomfortable.

"You know, you're quite an interesting person," he says, his voice low and seductive. "It's a shame you're so attached to Chishiya."

As Niragi speaks, he gets up from his seat and moves closer to you. Before you have a chance to react, he suddenly grabs you by the throat, his grip firm but not enough to cut off your air supply. He leans in, his face mere inches from yours.

« NIRAGI ! » you cry out as Niragi attempts to force a kiss on you.

In a swift motion, you dodge his kiss by tilting your head to the side, using your free hand to deliver a solid punch to his jaw. The force of your blow catches him off guard, causing him to loosen his grip on your throat.

Seizing the opportunity, you dig your nails into the skin of his throat, applying enough pressure to make him release you completely. You shove him away, and he stumbles back, gasping for air and clutching at his throat.

"Leave me alone, Niragi!" you yell, your voice trembling with anger and fear. "Don't you dare come near me again!"

Niragi glares at you, his eyes filled with a mix of rage and disbelief, « You’re going to regret this », he says, before you run away from the room, eager to put as much distance between you and Niragi as possible.

———————————————————————

The end of the round approaches, and you make your way to your usual cell. As you enter, you notice Niragi following closely behind, his malicious grin sending a shiver down your spine. Without warning, he forcefully pushes another player into the cell with you, slamming the door shut behind you both that locks automatically at the approach of the end of the round.

Panic sets in, and your heart races as you recall the rule that strictly forbids more than one player in a cell. You know that breaking this rule results in an exploding collar, and the realization hits you like a ton of bricks.

Outside the cell, Kuina and Chishiya exchange horrified looks as they witness the harrowing scene that unfolded before them.

Chishiya: « F$CK! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! »

Niragi laughs, clearly enjoying the chaos he's created. "Enjoy the show," he taunts.

In a fit of rage, Chishiya tackles Niragi, the two of them struggling against each other. 

Kuina, meanwhile, attempts to find a way to open the cell door, her hands shaking as she frantically searches for a solution.

Inside the cell, you and the other player are both terrified, fully aware of the consequences you're facing. You slide down the wall, sitting in the corner of the room, tears streaming down your face as you scream for help.

The other player: "Please! We have to get out of here!"

The disembodied voice suddenly booms through the room, its cold, emotionless tone only amplifying the panic.

« ATTENTION: A RULE HAS BEEN BROKEN. ONLY ONE PLAYER IS ALLOWED IN EACH CELL. FAILURE TO COMPLY RESULTS IN THE EXPLOSION OF THE COLLARS OF THE PLAYERS INVOLVED. »

Chishiya screams your name in desperation, his voice laden with fear and anger, tears streaming down his cheeks.

Chishiya: « Y/N!!! Hang on! I'm trying to get you out! »

You can barely respond, your voice choked with terror. "Please, hurry!"

In a last-ditch effort to save you, Chishiya desperately pleads, « ANOTHER RULE HAS BEEN BROKEN!! ONE OF THE PLAYERS HAS REVOKED THE ABILITY OF ANOTHER TO ANNOUNCE THEIR MARK!! THIS STANDS AS HOMICIDE!! PLEASE!! » His voice shaking with fear and desperation.

But before anyone can do anything, a deafening explosion echoes through the prison. 

The shockwave ripples through the air, and the horrifying reality of the situation sinks in, leaving everyone in a state of utter shock and despair.

In the aftermath of the explosion, the disembodied voice announces that all players must immediately return to their cells to announce their symbols.

« PLAYERS, JOIN ONE OF THE CELLS TO ANNOUNCE YOUR SYMBOL. 30 SECONDS REMAINING. »

Kuina, visibly shaken and struggling to hold back tears, forcefully guides Chishiya into one of the cells. As he resists, Chishiya screams your name, his voice laden with anguish and desperation, as he hopelessly tries to hear your voice in response.

Reluctantly, Kuina pushes Chishiya into a cell as he falls on the ground and enters another one nearby. With heavy hearts and trembling voices, all the players announce their respective symbols.

As soon as the cell doors unlock, Chishiya bolts out of his cell and sprints towards yours, his heart pounding in his chest, hoping against reason that you somehow survived the explosion.

As Chishiya enters your cell, he discovers you huddled in the corner of the room, your clothes drenched in blood and in a state of shock. Amidst the chaos, you had managed to announce your symbol just before the explosion. Chishiya's desperate pleas for fairness had somehow reached the game masters, granting you a narrow escape from the deadly consequences.

"F$CK!!! Y/N?!?! » he exclaims as he rushes to your side, his eyes filling with tears. He carefully wraps his arms around you, gently checking you for injuries. « Are you okay?! Can you hear me?! »

Chishiya's voice shakes, partially sobbing as he speaks, « Please answer to me, are you injured?! » He tightens his embrace, relief and fear battling within him. « I can't lose you; do you understand? You mean everything to me. »

As the reality of the situation begins to sink in, you regain your ability to speak. "I gave my symbol," you manage to say before returning Chishiya's embrace “I gave it but the other player couldn’t, he was too scared”.

Chishiya carefully lifts you up in his arms and carries you to a nearby cell equipped with a bed. He gently lays you down and looks to Kuina for assistance. "Please, take care of her," he implores, worry evident in his voice. With a determined expression, Chishiya storms out of the cell, leaving you in Kuina's capable hands.

Chishiya's fury grows as Taka approaches him, informing him that before the incident, Niragi had been alone with you and that he suspects Niragi attempted something.

Chishiya's hatred for Niragi, which had been simmering since the day they first met, now boils over with no bounds.

Determined to confront Niragi, Chishiya enters the dining room where Niragi sits at a table, casually eating and smiling. As Chishiya approaches, Niragi taunts him, "Did you enjoy the show?"

Chishiya remains silent, a cold smile forming on his face. Niragi continues to provoke him, "Are you going to hurt me and break another one of the rules? Your pleas and crying didn't work the first time, did they? That would also be suicide for you." He smirks, reveling in Chishiya's apparent helplessness.

Finally, Chishiya speaks, his jaw clenched with anger, "She's alive."

At that moment, Kuina arrives at Chishiya's side, her eyes burning with rage as she addresses Niragi, "I'm going to rip you apart."

Chishiya, however, quickly whispers to her, "He's mine."

With those words, Chishiya leaves the dining room to rejoin you, his heart heavy with a mixture of relief and anger, determined to ensure Niragi never lay eyes on you again.

As Chishiya arrives at your side and locks the door behind him, he finds you struggling to remove your blood-stained clothes. Carefully, as if you might shatter at any moment, he assists you in taking them off. You let out a small laugh and reassure him that you're okay.

Chishiya falls silent, avoiding your gaze. When you turn his face towards you, you see tears glistening on his cheeks. Gently, you reassure him, saying, "Hey..." as you guide him to sit down on the bed.

Straddling him, you tenderly wipe away his tears and promise him that you're okay. "I was scared for a moment, but now I'm okay. I'm stronger than you think," you tell him with a soft smile.

"I know you're strong, but that doesn't mean I want to see your limits being tested," Chishiya says, his eyes meeting yours with a mixture of affection and concern.

You lean in for a gentle kiss on his lips before asking if he has discovered who the Jack of Hearts is. He reveals that it is Matsushita, the calm and quiet manipulator. Chishiya explains that since no one else will provide Matsushita with his symbol, this will likely be the last round. You sigh in relief, grateful to be able to soon go back to the Beach.

Feeling a bit bolder, you ask Chishiya if you can ask a question that he can't dodge. He nods and says, « Anything you want, after that scare you gave me. »

Excited by his response, you can't help but jumping on the question that burn your lips, "How do you always know your symbol?" Chishiya's smile grows softer as he answers, 

"Whenever someone mentions their symbol and it happens to be the same as mine, your eyes soften, just as they do when you hear your own symbol. I can decipher it simply by looking into your eyes."

Your eyes widen in shock and amazement at Chishiya's revelation, and your heart swells with love for him. You had no idea that he was so attuned to your expressions, and it makes you realize just how much his attention is on you, especially when you don’t notice it.

Unable to contain your emotions any longer, you wrap your arms around Chishiya and pull him close, pressing your lips against his in a passionate, desperate kiss. Chishiya reciprocates the intensity, his hands roaming your back and tracing patterns as he deepens the kiss.

"Baby..." Chishiya murmurs, as if he's weighing his next words carefully.

"I believe, um... I know that, um…" His voice is a whisper, but it's almost cracking. "I love you."

His words hit you like a jolt of electricity, sending a rush of warmth flooding through your veins. You're taken aback, surprise written across your face as you look at him. A moment passes as you let his confession sink in, your heart pounding in your chest like a wild drum.

"Chishi..." You whisper back, the expression in his eyes is earnest, his usual playful demeanor replaced by genuine warmth. "I... I love you too."

You press a soft, loving kiss to his lips, and he eagerly returns the gesture, his hands tenderly cradling your face as if you were the most precious thing in the world.

In that moment of blissful serenity, there's a sudden knock on the door, interrupting the intimate atmosphere. Kuina's voice calls out from the other side, concern lacing her words. "Hey Chishiya, is everything okay in there? Just wanted to let you know that the end of the round is in 5 minutes."

The unexpected intrusion jolts you both back to reality, and you share a startled look with Chishiya, realizing that you need to get yourselves together before the end of the round. 

Despite the urgency, Chishiya's eyes still hold that softness that you've never seen on him.

"Thanks, Kuina," Chishiya calls back, his voice steady despite the rush of emotions. "We'll be out in a minute."

He gets up, putting you gently back on the bed.

Chishiya leans down, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead, and whispers softly into your ear, « Your symbol is Club. » He then moves to another cell to announce his symbol one last time before the game ends.

With the Jack of Hearts unable to obtain his symbol from any of the executives, the round comes to an abrupt end as his collar explodes. You give your own symbol, ensuring your safety, and the game concludes.

When it's time to leave, you all pile into the van to go back to the Beach. 

As the vehicle starts moving, Chishiya reaches over and gently intertwines his fingers with yours, offering a comforting and reassuring touch.

————————————————————

Upon returning to the Beach, everyone goes their separate ways, trying to process the recent events and gather their thoughts. Niragi, his gun casually resting on his shoulder as usual, walks down the dark alley leading to his room, still reeling from the game's outcome.

"Darling, please wait for me in your room," Chishiya says, his voice gentle as he plants a tender kiss on your cheek.

You nod in understanding, giving him a small smile before heading to your room. As you leave, Chishiya turns his attention to Niragi, his expression shifting from warmth to hatred.

Following Niragi discreetly, Chishiya keeps a safe distance, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. As Niragi walks down the dark alley, seemingly unaware of Chishiya's presence, Chishiya seizes his opportunity. In a swift, calculated move, he knocks Niragi unconscious, setting into motion the plan to put an end to Niragi’s reign of terror.

As Niragi gradually regains consciousness, he becomes aware of the cold, hard surface beneath him and the biting pressure of the ropes that bind him to a chair. He finds himself on the rooftop of a building, the vast cityscape spreading out before him. Panic starts to bubble in his chest, and his heart races as he frantically tries to piece together how he ended up in this predicament.

His eyes scan the area and soon land on Chishiya, who stands nearby with a determined and icy expression. The sight of him only serves to heighten Niragi's alarm.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Niragi snaps, his voice trembling slightly as he attempts to hide his fear with anger.

Chishiya doesn't respond to the question. Instead, he moves methodically around Niragi, a canister of fuel in hand, ensuring every inch of him is drenched in the flammable liquid. The pungent smell of gasoline fills the air, causing Niragi's stomach to churn with dread. He struggles desperately against his restraints, cursing at Chishiya with a mix of fear and fury. But Chishiya remains eerily calm throughout.

As the reality of the situation sinks in, Niragi's anger gives way to pleading. "Wait, Chishiya, listen to me!" he stammers, desperation lacing his voice. "I'll stay away from her, I swear! I won't go near her again. Just let me go, please!"

"Ah, pleading now are we? » Chishiya mocks, a sardonic grin spreading across his face. "She could've died back there," he adds, his smile vanishing as his voice break with anger.

His eyes flash with a cold, merciless calm as he retrieves a match from his pocket. He strikes it against the side of the matchbox, the flame flickering to life with an ominous glow. As he holds the match, his gaze is unwavering, locked onto Niragi's fear-filled eyes.

Niragi's pleas become more frantic; his voice strained with terror. "Chishiya, please! I'm serious! I'll leave her alone, I promise! Just... just don't do this!"

Despite Niragi's frantic begging, Chishiya remains unmoved. With a final, cold glance, he tosses the lit match onto Niragi and walks away without looking back, the sound of Niragi's screams fading into the night.

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

Meanwhile, in your half-open room, you sit on the edge of your bed with Usagi, animatedly gossiping and giggling about your loving moments with Chishiya. 

You excitedly tell her how gentle and attentive he is, telling you how pretty you look all the time, you explain with a dreamy smile.

Usagi listens intently, her eyes wide with curiosity as she asks, « And did he say the words? » A playful smile graces her lips, eager to hear more as her eyes widen.

You blush slightly, nodding your head. "Yes, he finally said it!!” you whisper, your voice soft and in love as you let yourself fall on your bed.

Unbeknownst to you, Chishiya has returned and is nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe, a teasing smirk on his face as he overhears your animated conversation. He finds it endearing how you passionately recount every detail of your loving moments, from the gentle hugs to the loving words, to the protective care.

Unable to resist any longer, he decides to make his presence known. With a soft chuckle, he interrupts your conversation, "Please don't tell me you're giving a play-by-play of our first kiss." His tone is light-hearted and playful, yet his eyes reveal the depth of his feelings for you.

Upon hearing Chishiya's voice, Usagi glances up and her eyes widen. "Oh, I hear Arisu calling me," she quickly improvises, offering a coy wink as she leans in to give you a quick peck on the cheek. "You two have fun now," she adds, before slipping out of the room and closing the door behind her, leaving you and Chishiya with some privacy.

Chishiya steps into the room, his expression turning serious. "I took care of the Niragi problem," he informs you, "permanently. He won't bother you again." A wave of relief washes over you, and you can't help but feel grateful for whatever he did.

A tender smile replaces his solemn expression as he reaches out to take your hand. "I would love it if you could spend the night with me," he admits, his voice soft and vulnerable. "I just want to hold you close, after… today. »

You nod as you get up, your heart swelling with love for him. Gathering some belongings to bring to his room, you pick up your three favorite items: your first favorite plush, second favorite plush and third favorite plush. 

Chishiya watches with amusement and raises an eyebrow. "You can only choose one of those," he teases.

Your eyes widen, clearly distressed by the idea of having to choose between your cherished plushes. Seeing your reaction, Chishiya's heart melts, and he chuckles gently. "Alright, you can take them all," he concedes, charmed by your endearing demeanor. "But please, keep my door closed," he adds playfully, "I have a reputation to maintain."

With a beaming smile, you happily stuff all three plushes into a small bag.

BONUS CHAPTER

"You're late, Chishiya," Hatter's voice broke through the silence, his tone sharp but steady.

"Apologies," Chishiya replied, his voice as cool and composed as ever. "You wanted to discuss Niragi, I presume?"

"Ah, straight to the point," Hatter chuckled, steepling his fingers in front of him. "You always were a sharp one. Yes, Niragi... It seems his life ended prematurely; wouldn't you agree?"

Chishiya remained unfazed. "I’d like to disagree" he retorted, his tone maintaining an air of casual detachment. "Niragi attempted to keep the card to himself. That was not part of our agreement, was it now? Surely you understand my need to... rectify the situation."

Hatter leaned back, a slow smirk spreading across his face. "So, it was all in the name of the Beach then? It had nothing to do with...” His voice trailed off intentionally as his gaze turned sharp, almost piercing. He leaned in, resting his elbows on the desk. “Y/N?"

"Certainly," Chishiya's impassive facade remained unbroken under Hatter's piercing gaze, though his eyes subtly hardened. Your name, dropped so casually into the conversation, was a calculated maneuver designed to unbalance him. "Ensuring the safety of Y/N, like every other member of the Beach, is my job," Chishiya countered smoothly.

"Hmm..." Hatter reclined leisurely into his chair, fingers idly drumming a slow rhythm against the polished surface of his desk. "An executive position has been vacated with Niragi's... departure. I find it appropriate that Y/N should replace him."

Chishiya’s brows lift ever so slightly, the surprise in his face visible for a second. “Niragi’s position? Your personal guard?”

Hatter's smirk deepens, the corners of his mouth twitching with amusement. "Why, yes. Unless you have objections?" His gaze is piercing, challenging Chishiya to voice any possible dissent.

A brief silence stretches between them before Chishiya breaks it, his tone betraying no hint of the uncertainty he might feel. "No objections. Y/N is capable of anything. That’s what I’ve been training her for."

A few days after the meeting between Chishiya and Hatter, you find yourself being summoned to the big boss’s office. The environment in Hatter's office is always tense, much like the man himself. Yet, you can't help but feel a rush of anxiety as you step inside.

As you enter, Hatter looks up from his paperwork, his sharp gaze settling on you. "Ah, Y/N," he says, with a hint of warmth in his voice. "Please, have a seat."

You settle into the offered chair, your heart pounding in your chest. "You wanted to see me?" you ask, trying to maintain your composure, showing him a big smile.

He nods, taking a moment to put aside his paperwork. He clasps his hands on the desk, leaning slightly towards you. "Yes, I did. I believe you are aware of the unfortunate... incident with Niragi."

You nod, your mind flashing back to Arisu’s depiction of the horrible screams that echoed through the Beach that night. "Yes, it was... tragic," you say, choosing your words carefully.

Hatter's face remains impassive, though a flicker of something passes through his eyes. "Indeed," he agrees. "Niragi was one of our most important executives, in charge of my personal safety. With his death, his position now stands vacant."

Your eyes widen slightly as you start to understand where the conversation is heading. You try to keep your face neutral, but your mind is racing. Could Hatter be considering you for Niragi's position?

Seeing your surprise, Hatter continues. "I am thinking of you for this role," he says, his gaze meeting yours. "I think you would be a perfect fit."

You're silent for a moment, absorbing the absurdity of what Hatter just proposed. You knew could barely defend yourself, let alone the target of so many enemies.

"Hatter, I... I'm honored," you begin, "But I don't have any experience with... personal protection."

The corners of Hatter's lips lift in a faint smile. "That's true, but you will be trained and will be the only executive with the authorization of carrying a weapon at all times," he says.

"The role will be more symbolic than anything else, but it would allow me to keep an eye on you. I assure you; I have no ill intentions."

Hatter's words hang in the air.

He reaches into his desk drawer, pulling out a small key. He slides it towards you. "Here's your access to your new quarters," he says, a strange softness to his voice.

You pick up the key, turning it in your hands.

Seeing your hesitation, Hatter takes a deep breath, something you've never seen him do before. "You remind me a lot of my daughter," he confesses, his voice barely above a whisper. "She was smart, clumsy and fearless. I... I want to believe that she would have made similar choices if she grew up to be your age."

The confession is surprising, and it takes you a moment to process it. You hadn't expected Hatter to open up like this, to show a side of him that is rarely, if ever, seen.

"I know Chishiya can sometimes worry about my intentions,” he continues, his gaze shifting slightly. "But I deeply care about him, he doesn’t always see that. I trust that he will guide you in your new role."

"Thank you, Hatter," you reply, your voice barely above a whisper, “I’m… sorry for your daughter.”

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

You had heard from Kuina that Chishiya would be spending the entire day reviewing game tactics in a large meeting room. Unable to resist the urge to surprise him, you decided to pay him a visit. As you entered the room, your footsteps muffled by the soft carpet, you saw Chishiya standing in the center, focused on the miniaturized representation of a game laid out before him. The room was filled with the faint sound of music playing in the background, adding a touch of ambiance.

You approached him quietly, a mischievous smile on your face. With each step, your heart fluttered with anticipation. When you reached his back, you gently placed your hand over his eyes, blocking his vision. "Guess who?" you playfully whispered.

Chishiya paused for a moment, caught off guard. His voice, tinged with a hint of amusement, replied, "Taka? No... Arisu?"

You burst into laughter at his playful guesses, the sound echoing through the room. Chishiya turned around, a smile forming on his lips. Before he could reach out to hug you, you extended your hand forward, revealing the craft necklace you had made for him.

His eyes widened in surprise, his gaze shifting between you and the necklace. "Is this for me?" he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.

You chuckled, shaking your head. "No, Chishiya," you teased, "the necklace with a grey cat pendant and the first letter of my name isn’t for you."

A mixture of joy and warmth spread across Chishiya's face. "I love it," he admitted, his voice filled with sincerity. He leaned closer, allowing you to place the necklace around his neck. As the pendant settled against his chest, he lifted you effortlessly into his arms, his eyes locking with yours.

“I love it so much.” He whispered; his voice filled with tenderness

“More than those biscuits from the Solitary Confinement game?” you whispered back, a playful glimmer in your eyes.

Chishiya exploded in laughter, the sound filling the room. "Yes, a lot more," he replied, a genuine smile adorning his face.

The sun was shining brightly, casting a warm glow over the Beach. You found yourself relaxing by the pool, surrounded by familiar faces. Chishiya sat at the bar with Kuina, engrossed in an animated conversation, Arisu was swimming in the pool, while you settled into a comfortable deckchair next to your bestie, Usagi.

As you settled into the deckchair, the cool plastic caressed your skin, and a gentle breeze played with your hair. Usagi leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. It was evident that she had something thrilling to share.

"Guess what?" Usagi whispered, unable to contain her joy. "Arisu kissed me! I think we’re kinda dating now?" Her voice trembled with a mix of disbelief and giddiness.

Your eyes widened in delight, a wide smile spreading across your face. "No way! Tell me everything!!” you exclaimed, unable to contain your happiness for her. "Those earrings will look so good on me!" you added, teasingly reminding Usagi you both previously bet on Arisu’s feelings for her.

Usagi's laughter filled the air, a melodic sound that echoed in your ears. She nudged your arm playfully, her eyes dancing with joy. "Oh, you have no idea!" she giggled. "He just doesn’t stop looking at me. Should I join him in the water?"

With a reassuring smile, you nodded, your eyes brimming with encouragement. "Absolutely. I'll be right here, you two have fun!"

She leaned in to give you a quick, affectionate kiss on the head before darting off towards the pool, her laughter intermingling with Arisu's as he lifted her to hug her.

With your eyes closed, you basked in the warmth of the sun, savoring the peaceful atmosphere. Suddenly, you caught a whiff of Chishiya's distinctive perfume, and a smile played on your lips. That’s exactly how you imagined you cat boyfriend to silently approach you.

"What do you need, handsome?" you playfully inquired, recognizing the familiar footsteps and the clinking sound of ice cubes in a glass.

"A fruity refreshment for my pretty girlfriend," Chishiya responded, his voice low and husky. He placed the cool cocktail in your hand, the condensation seeping through the glass.

You intertwined your fingers with his, feeling his warmth against your skin. With your eyes still closed, Chishiya playfully twirled your left ring finger, his eyes filled with mischief. "Aren't you too hot here?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

You leaned back, enjoying the sun's caress on your skin. "I love sunbaths," you replied, a playful smile dancing on your lips.

Chishiya rewarded you with a gentle kiss on your forehead. "Well, then, my love, I'll let you enjoy your day," he murmured, love dripping from his lips.

Chishiya and Kuina stood by the bar.

"Kuina, I need your advice," Chishiya began, his voice barely above a whisper. "I want to ask Y/N to marry me, but I don't know how to approach it. What should I do?"

Kuina chuckled softly, affectionately patting Chishiya's shoulder. "Slow down, kitten," she advised, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Don't scare her away just yet. How about starting with a promise ring?"

Chishiya's eyes widened as he pondered the idea. He nodded slowly, considering the suggestion.

Kuina smiled, her gaze focused on Chishiya. "Do you know her ring size?" she asked, curiosity lacing her words.

Chishiya's eyes widened, his heart skipping a beat. "No," he admitted, panic creeping into his voice. "Should I?"

Kuina couldn't suppress a mischievous grin as an idea formed in her mind. She motioned to the bartender, calling out, "Barman, get me a fruity cocktail, please."

Confusion flickered across Chishiya's face as he watched Kuina. "What's that for?" he asked, his voice filled with stress.

Kuina chuckled, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "You'll go to her and get me her ring size," she explained, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Touch her ring finger and compare it to yours, okay?"

Kuina, already holding the requested cocktail, extended it toward him with a playful grin. "Chop chop," she encouraged, urging him to take the drink and retrieve the information she needed.

With the cocktail in hand, Chishiya took a deep breath and steeled himself for the mission ahead. His heart raced as he made his way toward you. Meanwhile, Kuina observed the scene from the bar, unable to contain her laughter as she witnessed Chishiya's subtle attempts to measure your ring finger.

After a brief moment, Chishiya returned to Kuina, a mixture of relief and uncertainty etched across his face. "Was I awkward? I felt awkward" he inquired; his voice tinged with self-doubt.

Kuina couldn't help but grin, her laughter bubbling up once again. "A little bit," she admitted, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "But you did it. So, did you get her ring size?"

Chishiya's lips curved into a small smile. "Yes," he confirmed, with a certain pride. "Her ring finger is about the same size as my pinky."

Kuina's eyes narrowed playfully as she glanced at Chishiya's hand. She swiftly measured her ring finger against his pinky, removing one of her rings in the process. "Here," she said, extending the ring toward him. "This one is perfect. I found it while training Y/N yesterday, and a second later, she came to me to tell me how much she loved you."

Gratitude filled Chishiya's eyes as he accepted the ring from Kuina. "Thank you, Kuina."

As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the Beach, you sat on the sand, petting a stray cat that had come to you. It was a peaceful moment, the sound of waves crashing in the background.

Kuina grinned, her gaze shifting from the ring to Chishiya's face. "Go on, big boy," she encouraged, a playful glimmer in her eyes. "Go get the girl."

–--------------------------------

Chishiya had been looking for you everywhere, and when he found you, sitting alone on the beach, watching the sunset with a cat on your lap, he couldn’t help but be drawn to you, like always.

"Princess," Chishiya called out, his voice filled with a mix of relief and affection.

You turned around, and there he was – Chishiya, wearing a casual pair of jeans and a neat shirt. It was a sight you hadn't witnessed before, and yet, you instantly recognized the craft necklace adorning his neck. The curiosity bubbled within you.

“What’s the occasion?” you asked, curiosity lacing your words.

He sat down beside you, and you smiled at the sight of him. The sun's golden light made him look even more handsome. The cat wandered away, leaving the two of you alone.

Chishiya reached for your hand, his touch gentle and comforting. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he confessed, sounding worried.

“I needed a quiet place.” You confessed.

"You know," Chishiya began, his voice steady but tinged with a touch of nervousness, "I've never been good with words, especially when it comes to love. But being with you, it's like finding my missing piece. You make everything make sense."

Your heart skipped a beat as his words washed over you.

“I told you Chishi, I just found this pack of yellow biscuits in my bag, I don't have more.” You answered in a sarcastic tone with a smile on your lips.

Chishiya's expression grew serious, his usual playful demeanor momentarily set aside. You couldn't help but notice the change in his demeanor, and concern laced your words as you asked, "Are you okay?"

He paused, his gaze searching yours before he mustered the courage to speak. "I'm going to break one of Kuina's advice," Chishiya admitted, his voice carrying a hint of vulnerability. "But you're just too precious for me not to."

Confusion clouded your thoughts as you tried to make sense of his words. "I don't understand, what's going on?" you questioned, your voice tinged with both curiosity and anticipation.

Chishiya took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving yours. In that moment, he poured his heart out, sharing his love and adoration that had been growing since the day you first met. Memories flooded his mind, and he recounted them, one by one.

"From the moment you followed me into those physical games, I couldn't help but feel drawn to you," Chishiya confessed, his voice filled with a mixture of nostalgia and tenderness. "And then, when you couldn't get up for two days because of muscle ache, I slowly understood you were choosing those for me, not to survive.”

He continued, painting a vivid picture of the moments that had solidified his love for you. The day you got hurt, it was etched in his memory as the worst day of his life, the fear and helplessness he felt only serving to emphasize how deeply he started to care.

"And all the times you were sunbathing on the beach, gossiping with Usagi," Chishiya recalled, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "All the evenings we spent in your room just holding each other, mentally rebuilding this world, criticizing the game masters for their inability to provide us with actual Wi-Fi."

“I love you,” Chishiya whispered, his voice cracking a little bit. “And I want to spend the rest of my days showing you just how much.”

He paused a moment.

“Please, marry me.”  he finally uttered; his voice filled with vulnerability.

Tears welled up in your eyes as you looked into the beautiful eyes of this man, pouring his heart out for you.

Without hesitation, you threw your arms around him, making him fall in the sand, embracing him tightly. “YES, yes, a thousand times YES," you exclaimed, your voice trembling with excitement and love.

You showered him with kisses, as he held you close, his own emotions intermingling with yours. With trembling hands, Chishiya gently slipped the engagement ring onto your finger.

[sofiaalazwar]

[She’s basically John’s little sister, for lack of better phrasing. You can decide if Sofia knows her or knows of her. She’s kinda the “Alice” to John’s “Mad Hatter”, so she IS known about just maybe not in person as much. The common info about her is that she’s Winston’s kid, bio or not is not confirmed, she runs The Hallowed Lodge in Louisiana, a rural version of The Continental, she’s just known to be very friendly and sweet, if not a little feral. Her name is Georgia Scott, 24 years old]

“Bonjour, Madame Sofia! John was over there a little while ago, right? How is everything?”

- @alice-of-hightable

Sofia is with her dogs, glancing up at the young woman before her as she finishes talking with some clients inside of the Casablanca continental, now welcoming the stranger.

“You must be…the Alice, am I right?” Her dogs follow her as she stands infront of Alice, her hands behind her back, clasped together, amused that she mentioned John—he must’ve been talking about his recent visit.

The bells on her skirt clang against each other, making a small but pleasant ringing sound that is audible throughout her movements.

[landboundstar-writing]

Day Pass - Mad Hatter

Repost from main blog and AO3.

Please tip if you can, and reblog.

"Thank you, Edward. This is very nice of you."

I put a hand on top of my nervous friend's hand to stop his babbling.

"Jervis, it is not a problem to take you out for lunch. Here we are."

Jervis would have been fine getting a drive-through at McDonald's, but I wasn't. And I wasn't about to treat one of the first people that I had empathized with in my therapy group like he wasn't worth something special.

Pulling into a parking spot beside the restaurant, I opened Jervis's door and guided him to our table, a hand at his back and thought about how we had met.

Therapy in Arkham Asylum is a hit or miss affair. It doesn't do to get too attached to one therapist. They frequently change therapists to avoid that and its resulting…complications. And the turnover rate with good therapists is ridiculously high. Some, I thought sourly, I only wished had a high turnover rate. After years of Dr. Crane and Dr. Strange failing to get the desired results from me as a patient, Dr. Arkham himself decided to see what was wrong with my surly ass. Years of "therapy" with Crane's drug enhanced exposure therapy to treat my trauma and Strange's odd biofeedback that only seemed to worsen my obsessiveness had me being an extremely paranoid boy with some paredolia on the side of my other issues. Meeting with the good doctor for therapy hadn't been a high point in my plans. But, well, as a patient in Arkham I hadn't had much of a choice. So, imagine my surprise to find a good old fashioned group therapy session with no terror or mindfuckery. And that was where I met Jervis. Not quite a case of like minds meeting, but what I imagine what it must feel like for a piano virtuoso to meet an expert sculptor. Just an admiration and appreciation for the other person's skills.

We had been friends ever since.

What? You expected me to be humble? I was mentally unstable, not mentally deficient. And for all his quiet self-effacing tendencies, once Jervis started talking about his technical expertise or any of his passionate interests, there was a brilliant mind waiting to be discovered. 

Disturbed, obsessive, socially awkward, but brilliant.

Jervis fidgeted with his light hair, looking uncomfortable in the borrowed button up and dress pants from the asylum laundry. I noticed they had not given him a hat. Part of me hurt for my friend, knowing he identified so much with his accessory. And the rest of me realized the wisdom of not overly indulging his fixation, for everybody's well being. Especially Jervis himself.

But, like with my puzzle ring, sometimes it was important to scratch that itch. To find ways of being yourself without giving in to the madness.

Like a tea party, perhaps?

But not the crumpets and tea cake sort. That might be a little too tempting for Jervis. But I thought this restaurant might just do the trick.

"Do you want to order, or do you want me to?" I asked, remembering just how overwhelming simple decisions could be sometimes.

"If you don't mind. Please." Jervis said.

The waiter came over with a smile. "Welcome to Qnia. Are you ready to order?"

"We are. Can we get two orders of the moroccan mint tea, and then we are splitting an order of chicken tagine with couscous, zaalouk on the side. And two pistachio croissants to finish the meal."

"Of course. I'll bring your tea out in just a minute."

"Tea?" Jervis perked, a slightly too enthusiastic gleam in his eyes.

"Yes, it should go very nicely with the food." I told him.

The food came promptly, and we talked about music, art, and science rather than books or movies. 

I paid the check as we finished the last of our dessert, listening to Jervis tell me about a recent scientific study about using specific tones and frequencies to help subliminally curb addictions and its results. He still was his meek, polite self, but with a confidence he normally only got when fully delusional.

As I pulled out to drive back, I made a mental note of the restaurant.

It had been a lovely place to treat Jervis to a tea party. We would have to do it again.

[riddle-me-ri]

👉👈 I would uuuhhhh very much enjoy a Dormouse type reader x Jervis somewhere in the future, also would really like if you did the rest of the dork squad reacting to reader dying cause I'm a sucker for angst BUT AS ALWAYS there's no pressure, I know it's a lot, take as much time as you need, and only write if you want and you're up for it!! Love you lots, good luck on your driver's test, keep on being amazing!!!

a/n: asdfggh aww my beloved gus gus thank you so much you're amazing ilysm. Unfortunately, I failed my test BUT I'd love nothing more than to do the dormouse type reader! And I've already gotten the request for the scarecrows so it's only a matter of time for the Mad Hatters so I already imagined I'd be finishing off the wee angst series anyway but god to know there’s a need lol

Content Warning: nothing crazy just mentions of some small pain inflictions as a means to wake up reader (i.e. flicks, head smacks, things like that) better to be safe than sorry and mentions of somnophilia but no explicit detail

The Mad Hatters with a Dormouse Type Reader

Arkhamverse Mad Hatter:

Albeit you always falling asleep can be…tiring on its own. 

(he does get aggravated sometimes but never shows you directly)

He does appreciate your loyalty. 

At least you're always there for him…physically. 

You always manage to be a small voice of reason for him

Even when he doesn't realize it 

Oftentimes he may take credit for your comments for his own. 

Jervis shows his appreciation by always including you, no matter where or what.

Whether you're listening or not, he's just glad to finally have a companion. 

BTAS Mad Hatter: 

Jervis finds you absolutely adorable.

Even though your sleeping habits are a bit cumbersome…

He's pleased to find that you actually pay more attention when you’re asleep than those who do when they are wide awake.

Which makes you incredibly helpful, he’s always amazed at the amount you recall.

You also know just when to be alert and awake, but of course, he knows that comes with a quick crash later. 

As your relationship develops, he does go an extra length to ensure you’re comfortable

Don’t ask where the pillows and blankets come from, he just HAS them on standby somehow.

(also no he totally didn’t kiss the top of your head, that was absolutely a ~dream~)

TNBA Mad Hatter:

Like other Jervi, he’s at first annoyed with your relentless napping.

However, he can’t deny you’re incredibly insightful for someone who normally snoozes away most of the time.

Whenever he thinks allowed while tinkering at something, you’ll mumble something he hadn’t considered. 

(kind of like Arkham, he’ll likely take the credit sometimes)

He does appreciate your input, he just has a hard time showing it. 

He grows to not mind your endless naps after a while.

Your soft snoring and mumbles are the only noise he welcomes while he’s working. 

Like BTAS, he is also likely to make sure you’re most comfortable when you’re sleeping.

Gotham Mad Hatter: 

Most likely to try and keep you awake for as long as possible before giving up.

And inevitably trying again later or the next day.

You’re extremely lucky you look cute when you’re sleeping.

Jervis is likely to shake you or gently pat you upside your head to wake you up.

He does let you sleep some days.

But if he’s particularly hyperactive about something or someone he wants your full attention. 

You do surprise him sometimes when you talk in your sleep.

Sometimes you intentionally say questionable things in your sleep just to get back at him for all his interruptions. 

Harley Quinn: TAS Mad Hatter:

This Jervis is most likely to be like his literary counterpart. 

Don't be surprised if you wake up to see tea being poured on your face.

Or if you felt some flicks to your temple. 

Don't worry though, he'll gladly wash your face or kiss wherever he afflicts you. 

Jervis will insist it’s because he knows no better alternatives to wake you.

(absolutely untrue, man just thinks your scrunched up face is adorable)

Jervis relies on you to remind him of a lot of things. 

What day it is, keep score during tea party games, which tea cup has cyanide in it…the usual.

Joker’s Asylum Mad Hatter:

Jervis cherishes you. 

You’re so calm, quiet, and gentle…so opposite to what he’s used to. 

You are something of an emotional support dormouse. 

You always wake up just in the nick of time to help him from relapsing. 

This Jervis is most likely to genuinely nap with you sometimes. 

When Jervis sleeps next to you, it’s usually the best sleep he gets. 

Jervis actually dreams happy dreams for once…

He can see a storybook ending where he can have hats, tea, and a loyal dormouse by his side. An ending where he’s happy.

Secret Six Mad Hatter: 

I hope you don’t have many boundaries, cause Jervis will break them whilst you are asleep. 

Don’t be surprised if you stir awake to five hats somehow balancing on your head. 

Or his arm propped up against your shoulder or his head leaned up against yours. 

You’re also kind of like an emotional support dormouse for Jervis.

All he’s ever wanted was a companion, and he’s found a reliable one in you. 

He doesn’t mind your incessant sleeping, he just rolls with it. 

Jervis knows he has his quirks and you have yours, and what luck you so happen to relate to the dormouse of all characters!

And just cause this Jervis is the most canonically naughty than the others, if you’re down he has no qualms about somnophilia

[pinkmeanschaos]

Welcome back to Wonderland!

The White Rabbit

The Caterpillar

The Cheshire Cat

Alice

The Mad Hatter

[johnnyraine]

Next to Me - Ch. 3

Ch. 1, Ch. 2, Ch. 4

Words: 977

25th of December, 2022

~~~~~

You feel Niragi’s back against yours, his shoulder blades dig into you, but you don’t care, your blood is pumping.

You two are "unfortunately" surrounded. Students from another school had decided to challenge the two "beasts." You forget who started the fight, but you know who's gonna end it.

Niragi seems to be just as excited.

"HAH- Ah!"

"Niragi?"

Hearing him cut off, you look for a second and he’s already back in the fight. You turn back to your opponent and are met with his fist.

~~~

"-as the others," A deep voice says.

"You said he fought the tagger." Another voice points out.

Whatever they are talking about is put on pause as they notice you waking up.

"You're up earlier than we thought."

Blinking away the blurriness, you are greeted by… a guy in beach shorts. He has a colorful robe and sunglasses as well. Overall, a strange thing to wake up to.

Not far off, you recognize Buzz-Cut from the game.

"Where am I?"

That seems to make the Beach Goer happy. Arms stretched out, he steps back as if to give a speech.

"Welcome to The Beach," He says grinning.

You stare at him, bewildered.

He continues, "I am Hatter and the one who brought you here is Aguni."

You look at Buz- Aguni. You now have a name for your reven-

'No, no. That'd be stupid,' You think to yourself.

"I'll keep this short since I'd like to go to sleep."

Hatter takes a breath, "In The Beach, you are free to do whatever you want, drink, do drugs, have sex, go ahead. But there are three rules. Rule one: You must wear a swimsuit, you can't hide any weapons. Rule two: All cards you collect belong to The Beach for our goal."

He stops and you assume, gives you a look. But you don't ask.

Sighing, "Speaking of cards, we searched you but couldn't find them. Where are you hiding yours?"

You say the worst possible thing.

"I don't have any."

He loses his smile.

"It's true, I didn’t see a reason to keep them. I have better things to carry than cards."

You sit in silence for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Hatter looks at Aguni, "He's not joining."

Aguni looks the same, but you feel like he's disappointed for some reason.

Focusing back on you, Hatter says, "We collect those cards, so we can go home. That is The Beach's mission."

"From now on, you'll bring those cards back here."

He tries to leave, likely too tired to deal with you right now.

"What's the third rule?" You ask.

He looks over his shoulder, "Death to all traitors." And he leaves.

~~~

The following days are filled with you learning more about your new "home," and playing games.

You find out it's not just your room, but all rooms that have no lock. You also find out that you have purposely been given a shitty room. Apparently, the more cards you contribute, the better room you get.

The Beach has working electricity and water. You nearly cry. This place has food as well.

When Hatter said you can do whatever, he truly meant it.

You've seen people smoking, snorting, drowning in alcohol, and loudly "bumping" in some of the halls. You spent most of your time away from such people.

One finding that is interesting is the Executives. The Beach apparently has a council of sorts, you don't know all who sit on it, but you can guess Hatter and Aguni. One council member did approach you, however.

Chishiya.

You two met in passing during the Tagger game, but you barely remember him.

You two talk for a while, he seems fine, if not a little, "I'm smarter than you and we both know it." But, you also get the feeling that he wants something. So, you've been avoiding him since.

Today is one such day. Outside, everyone is loud and partying. You believe he doesn’t come to these parties, but it's not like you can confirm. You don't come to them either.

You pass the time mostly by yourself or chatting with the more insistent drunks.

The music stops and you turn to see the reason why. Aguni and his militia are crashing the party.

“Alright." You start turning to leave.

…But you stop, your mind catching up to what you saw. Your head snaps to the guy in the leopard shirt. He has a cocky walk. With the gun resting against his shoulder, you can see why.

‘That’s a challenge.' Your heart races. 

And finally, the piercings. One in his eyebrow, the other on his nose.

You think you know them, but you need a better look.

The group stops before three people, two of which you vaguely recognize before you look back at your target, missing most of what’s said.

With a clear enough look, you can tell, even after all these years, you can tell.

Shocked, you utter,  “Nira-”

Before you finish though, you hear a part of their conversation that makes you refocus.

“Bring that woman over,” Aguni says and you see him, your old friend, move to grab the woman you recognize.

“Hey!” The man you recognize stands to stop them as the woman next to him tries to stop him in turn. 

Yet, he still stood. Your old friend stops, now looking at the woman you recognize.

“Our boss says he wants to have a taste of you,” He says before grabbing her. “Come.”

That’s enough for you, though admittedly you were already seeing red, and, with the resolve of an idiot, you yell out.

“NIRAGI!”

And you charge at him. Ignoring how everyone turns to look at you, how he looks at you, not even hearing him say your name.

You punch Niragi in the face, knocking him to the ground.

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