#well look at that i guess i did have some thoughts after all

[norrisainz33]

set up || ls18

☆ summary: esteban sets his good friend lance up on a blind date after a tough season

☆ pairing: lance stroll x nonfamous!reader

☆ fc & warnings: none

☆ requested: yes! thank you sm for your request 🫶🏻

masterlist

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

lance_stroll has made a post

liked by estebanocon, flavy.barla, astonmartinf1, ynuser, hugoboss, pierregasly and 654,234 others

lance_stroll: season finale on film 🎞️ hopefully next season holds more success for the team

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user1: we love you lancey

estebanocon: you’ll come back stronger next season💪🏻 [liked by lance_stroll]

user2: aesthetic fr

chloestroll: love you brother 🤍 [liked by lance_stroll]

user3: nowhere to go but up!!

flavy.barla: 💚 [liked by lance_stroll]

user5: hope you get some well deserved rest

astonmartinf1: we keep pushing! enjoy your break lance 🫶🏻 [liked by lance_stroll]

estebanocon has posted to his story

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yourbff: they’re so cute

estebanocon: and a mess but love them nonetheless 🤍

user1: obsessed with eo31 bf content

ynuser: heheh you can’t but you still do anyway. merci mon ami 🫶🏻

estebanocon: you are always welcome y/n/n

user2: is that the [insert uni] volleyball player y/n y/l/n? no way yall know her she went to my uni im?????

lance_stroll: who is flavy’s friend?

estebanocon: y/n! she’s flavy’s childhood best friend. why do you ask 👀🤭

lance_stroll: ah just curious.. she’s real pretty

estebanocon: oh curious are we?? im telling flavy

lance_stroll: no no that’s ok esteban i didn’t mean like that

estebanocon: too late!

user3: obsessed with their style tf

flavy.barla: my girl ❤️

estebanocon: guess who’s interested in your girl

flavy.barla: omg who

estebanocon: lance

flavy.barla: we’re setting them up whether they like it or not. i’ve seen the scripts - they’re perfect for each other

ynuser has posted to their story

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yourbff: OMG how did it go

ynuser: amazing actually… hate to admit it but they were right

yourbff: ahhhhhhh yayyy!!!!

yourteammate: begging to know WHO they set you up with

ynuser: would you believe me if i said it was an f1 driver?

yourteammate: no way?! which one!!!!!!!

ynuser: lance stroll 🤭

yourteammate: omg you’re winning he’s so handsome

flavy.barla: you love us 😘

ynuser: i do and you were right. he’s so sweet im actually obsessed

flavy.barla: music to my ears. we’re going on a double date tomorrow 🤍

ynuser: wait what?

flavy.barla: shhh don’t question it. lance has had a tough couple of months and esteban and i think you two are good for each other!! just roll with it 😘

ynuser: fine fine fine

lance_stroll: i had a great time with you tonight

ynuser: likewise! thank you for dinner

lance_stroll: no thanks needed! i’m really looking forward to seeing you tomorrow

ynuser: i’m looking forward to seeing you too 🥹

lance_stroll has posted to his story

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user4: oh so you’re on a date and it’s not with me….

chloestroll: ARE YOU OUT WITH THE GIRL YOU TOLD ME ABOUT

lance_stroll: yes!

chloestroll: jumping for joy!! can’t wait to meet her 🤍

lance_stroll: you’re going to love her chlo

astonmartinf1: enjoy lance💚

user5: this is unexpected…. a soft launch?

estebanocon: remember when you told me a blind date was a stupid idea and now you’ve seen her more in these past 2 weeks than i have and she’s literally staying at my house ????

lance_stroll: haha yes i do remember saying that and yes i do remember when you told me that you told me so

estebanocon: ok! i just had to make sure you didn’t forget

user8: crashing out that should be me

ynuser: oh these are cute 🤭

lance_stroll: i thought so too 😉

user6: MONTOYA POR FAVOR

ynuser has made a post 🔒

liked by yourbff, yourteammate, chloestroll, estebanocon, flavy.barla, lance_stroll and 214 others

ynuser: spent some time gallivanting around europe with 2 of my favorite people and a new friend. now onto my first season of professional volleyball with the las vegas thrill. see you all again on match day - it’s time to lock in 🫶🏻

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yourbff: cant wait to see your beautiful self back out there 🏐

ynuser: 🫶🏻😘🏐

flavy.barla: i miss you already

ynuser: i don’t think i’ve ever missed someone more

lance_stroll: good luck! can’t wait to see you again

ynuser: thank you lancey 🤭🤍

yourbff: this is certainly something 👀

yourteammate: clocking this 📝

yourteammate: yesssss my baby girl is coming home to me let’s gooo

ynuser: yes my love

estebanocon: you are always welcome at maison de ocon

ynuser: merci for being the best chauffeur and airbnb owner ever

vegasthrill: our girl 🤍

ynuser: 🤍🏐

lance_stroll has made a post

liked by astonmartinf1, yourbff, chloestroll, fernandoalo_official, ynuser, georgerussell63, and 352,935 others

lance_stroll: i think i might like vegas

[tagged: chloestroll, ynuser]

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user3: smiley lance im crying

chloestroll: you were right i do love her

lance_stroll: knew you would

ynuser: STOP I LOVE YOU CHLOE

chloestroll: run away with me ynuser

scottyjames31: hey hey hey let’s not do that

user8: he deserves this happiness fr

f1gossip: this was not on my bingo card i’ll be honest

ynuser: i like you in vegas that’s for sure

lance_stroll: well thank goodness because you’re going to be seeing a lot of me

estebanocon: disgustingly cute

lance_stroll: thanks man

vegasthrill: thanks for joining us! you are always welcome 🏐 [liked by lance_stroll]

user12: lance smiling and a hard launch before gta6

ynuser has made a post 🔒

liked by lance_stroll, yourteammate, vegasthrill, yourbff, flavy.barla, and 321 others

ynuser: with love from me and mine 🤍

p.s everyone say thank you eo and fb for this match made in heaven

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chloestroll: thank you esteban and flavy for bringing this ray of sunshine into my brothers life

scottyjames31: thank you esteban and flavy and y/n for making our lance so happy

flavy.barla: it’s the least we could do for our dear friends 🤍

ynuser: crying real tears rn

lance_stroll: 💚💚💚

estebanocon: two of my favorite people

ynuser: i screenshotted this for the next time you complain about me

estebanocon: of course you did

lance_stroll: look at my beautiful girl 😍

ynuser: i’m too busy looking at my handsome man 😍

lance_stroll: god i love you

ynuser: and i love you 🤍

yourbff: im throwing up. this is so cute its made me sick

ynuser: valid tbh

flavy.barla: remember lance_stroll she was mine first

lance_stroll: noted 🫡

yourteammate: dare i say you two are THE it couple

ynuser: babbyyyy 😭😭😭

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

a/n: thanks for reading!! likes, feedback and reblogs appreciated. getting a lance request made me so happy

ﾟ. ✿ ୨❤︎୧⠀✿ . ﾟ

disclaimer: pictures are not mine and everything i write is fiction

© norrisainz33 || please do not rewrite, translate, or copy any of my works posted here on to any other platform

[hellsslibrary]

hi so ive been binging ur works lol I love that u write for blue lock and specifically the male reader !!! Sosoo I'd love to request a shidou x mean top male reader ? Like shidou keeps acting out so reader puts him in his place?

I do three things on purpose. I make you cut onions so I don't cry, I cling to you during horror movies because you get too focused, and I bend over in front of you during training because you're a dirty dog (real quotes from my husband as titles day one).

MASTERLIST is here.

#a.n. : You two humiliating a non-existent guy for the size of his dick........ Basic Tuesday for any gays, I guess.

!!Warnings: tom!dom!male!reader, sub!bottom! Shidou, overstimulation, time before the first selection, so you fuck in a room full of other people at night..... So, humiliation of a guy for a dick actually (not in his face tho), sex on a futon, Shidou without hair gel (I heard that someone didn't like Shidou without gel and cried hyperbolically), he calls you 'cupcake' one time.

One hundred and seven times.

You've thought about killing him so many times. Strangle him. Take his head off. Castrate him. Burn him. Drown him... Anything, really. Why is this idiot even more annoying than usual? Who knows. Well, obviously not you.

Your eyes watched him praise a player again. Of course, this is not surprising for him, he is very respectful to good players, but now? Fuck, this is out of bounds.

You can see perfectly well how his hands stay on this guy for too long. And the way his eyes look at you from time to time. It's been repeated too many times today.

Does he want you to crack? But no. He's going to do it today. And it won't just crack, it will come apart at the seams.

The sound of the futon moving can be heard in an almost empty room as your body bends over his, while his face is buried in the pillow, trying not to moan too loudly. Not that he cares about it, but you do very much.

"I'm s-sorry, cu-cupcake, please—!" he exhales raggedly, clutching at the thin fabric, trying with all his might to stabilize himself and his body from your obviously not gentle thrusts, which seemed to knock his soul out of him piece by piece.

A rhetorical question escapes your lips, and an almost animal grin appears on your lips, seeing his condition. "Now we're just barking, right? You forgot how to bite pretty quickly."

Shidou just whimpers, feeling his body twitching from your thrusts inside his sloppy hole. His curls are disheveled on the bed, and some are stuck to his cheeks or neck from sweat. He just couldn't look into your eyes as usual, knowing full well that he would break even more... He dug his own grave after all.

"That guy couldn't have brought you to this state, you know? He definitely has a dick smaller than my little finger," you reason, lowering one of your hands from his waist lower, feeling the muscles of his stomach tighten as you slide over them, reaching his v-shaped line, and then his crotch. "Don't you agree?"

"Fuck, yes! Def-definitely, yes... Probably th-the same size as an a-ant," Ryusei giggles, swallowing his saliva, arching his back harder, which makes you hiss, feeling like he's become a little tighter.

Although his giggles immediately fade away when you grab his overexcited, spent cock. You immediately slap the hand that's trying to stop you, grabbing his length, making him choke on his own sob.

Tears began to form in his eyes, lingering on his blond eyelashes, and then trickling down his cheeks. He couldn't take another round! He wanted to, but probably couldn't. You're huge, you tease him, you fuck him, you humiliate someone for the size of his dick... Did I mention that you're huge? Anyway, it's fucking Hell! He's a fucking puddle under you, even though he wanted to stay under you like that, because that's actually what he wanted.

Maybe you'd be more gentle if your count of murder methods stopped at about sixty.

"Still fucking want me like this, huh? How many times did you cum?" you ask rhetorically, realizing that he won't answer, just smiling, and then slapping his ass, which makes him squeak, and you enjoy his sounds, because you can't see almost anything.

"Don't worry, I'll do it over and over again until you don't even have the thought of leaving me anymore, do you understand?" Ryusei nodded, and his cock jerked in your grip, forcing you to enter him up to the hilt, and then pull your dick out of him, which immediately turns around to look at you. "Or maybe I need to make it so that you can't stand at all without help..."

Shido pales almost immediately, sensing the sincerity in your voice, and then moans too loudly when you thrust into him again. Your hand tangles in his hair, pressing his face back into the pillows so that he doesn't wake anyone up and so that he stops making silly excuses about how he wants you to pull out your dick.

He looked like a black hole right now, honestly. So he'd better not pretend to be a clogged pipe right now.

[htrfkyeki]

1.

"What do you want from me in return huh?"

"Oya oya, someone are lovely enough for lean me a hand hmm. So, want to join me tea party?"

"Rightttttttt, i was so weakkkkkk right now, thanks for your help."

"...i can do it myself, please."

"Heh? Do i need to pay you?"

"Why?"

"You busybody, you know?"

"No thank you, i can do it myself."

"Do you think you can do it?"

2.

"You think it's funny?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha, everyone know i was the Mad Hatter a long time ago, you lag behind very much, buggy."

"Hehhhhh. Really? That's all you can say?"

"...i will tell the twins."

"I have the better one for you though, what do you refer more, poison or desert, or BOTH?"

"My strings can carry even something heavy like a car, do you want to try yourself?"

"You know, i made someone went missing before, and i don't mind to do it again?"

"DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH?"

"𝔈𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔩 𝔟𝔩𝔦𝔷𝔷𝔞𝔯𝔡."

3.

"And you give it to me because?"

"Oh, i also have useless thinggy too, twiny much hahaha."

"I'll give it to Ruggie-senpai, thanks."

"...do you not know how to use money wisely?"

"Do i look poor to you?"

"You can have it back."

"Even Dia-san have more useful thing that the one you give me now."

"Why?"

"I don't need that."

4.

*Sigh* "Make sure to clean all of it later, 'k?"

"Eh? Tea party? Why it's not tea partyyyyyyyy?"

"What a hassle..."

*He running away when he saw there was a party waitting for him.

"Did Kalim told you to do this? Jamil didn't said anything either?"

"I- thank you."

"Huh?"

"Why?"

"Did someone force you to do this?"

5.

"Who ask?"

"Me too, hehe."

"And you telling me this because?"

"...do i know you?"

"As if i care."

"Wow, you thought you was someone important to me for me to care that much?"

"Then go away?"

"So?"

"You wasting my time, you know that?"

6.

presume the one ignore them was their lovers

"Why are you ignore me? Was i do something wrong? Please, i hate being like this, Jade..."

"Eh? Trey? Pay attention to meeeeeee."

"I just give Cheka a headpat and now you sulking with me? Really, Leo-san?"

*He crying. Azul then have to appease him and promise that he still love Erol.

"You know that not working on me right Kalim? Do you one me to pull that trick instead?"

"What did i do this time to upset you, Vil-san..."

"I'M SORRY... please don't ignore me Dia-san..."

"Are you in bad mood right now? Or i just fuck up something? Talk to me, Floyd."

"It's... fine i guess. I used to be ignore anyway..."

7.

"What are you doing?"

"Am i that famous?"

"Attention seeker much?"

"...and here i thought only Floyd could make some scene."

"Uh oh. Why is everyone looking at me? I'm not doing anything."

*Sigh* "I hate it here."

*He use his unique magic to run away.

"You're even worst than Sebek, and that boy only cause scenes when it relate to Malleus-senpai."

*Bold of you to assume that Nevi show up in public.

8.

"No."

"Gladly." *progress to pull a loudest voice he could produce.

*Side eyes that person until they coward away.

*He stare blankly at that person, until the twins magically appear in front of them and ask Erol what's wrong. That doesn't end well...

"Told Kalim instead, he is a person people after all."

"You're crazy."

"Do you want me to blackmail you instead?"

"You have some gut for told me to do that. And that's not a compliment."

"Why i have to do that?"

9.

"Really? Jade said that? Let's me ask him then, and i'll do that if it's real. And if not... you dead."

"TREYYYYY, DO YOU REALLY WANT ME TO GO WITH THIS BUGGY TODAY INSTEAD OF YOU?"

"As if Leo-san would tell me to do that. Next time try to be more creative, yeah?"

"I- did Azul really told me to sing in front of you and your frie-" *He didn't finish his sentence, as Azul appear behind him with his sinister smile.

"You sound too suspicious. What do you plotting now you peasant."

*He call Vil for comfirmation, after the housewarden denying he didn't said anything like that, Vermeil give that person a death stare, then go away.

*Deadpanned. Then go away, he didn't want to deal with stupid people.

"Oh, so FLOYD LEECH told me to do that huh? Bring him here, make him tell it himself, then i comply." *The unhinged Leech happen to pass by that time, let's say after that no one dare to put word in either of them mouth anymore.

*He doesn't even let that person finish the sentence and teleport to somewhere else. It's happen to be Malleus dorm room. After Nevi ask him if the thing that person want him to do was real. And of course it's not real. Then they cuddle. (Malleus ask Lilia to find the person who have a gut to mess with his mate, then make sure that person never try to do anything like that again).

10.

"Don't want to, thank anyway."

"Oh. Party? Can i invite my boyfriend and friends too?"

"I have enough with social gathering, thank you very much."

"S-sorry, i'm busy right now."

"Sorry, i'm already join one, the one Kalim organize at Scarabia. Do you want to join instead?"

"Can i refuse it?"

"Uh uh, no party, i hate loud place, sorry."

"Did you invite wrong person? I'm not Malleus-senpai."

*The person was too scare to approach him, let's alone invite him to social gathering.

11.

"Isn't it a little bit too much? I don't have money to pay you back you know."

"I know it's out of character for me, but fancy restaurant doesn't suit me at all, i'm sorry."

"Are you try to impress me?"

"Do you want to go to Monstro Lounge instead? I have a discount for worker in there."

"Fancy lancy. At least you have some taste."

"Uh oh, you're rich."

"Can we not-"

"Oh, really?"

"My sincere thanks to you, but i'm afraid i can not join you for dinner right now."

☆ — oc questions: reactions. by @ricesinspo, tag me if using!

— ☆ —

how would your character react if someone did these things? consider their personality and behavior, as well as who is doing it and why.

alternatively, ask game: send me a question + 2 characters

offered to help them on something they can do on their own

jokingly made fun of them

gave them a gift they didn't want

threw them a surprise party

told them "i don't care about you"

kept ignoring them

brought lots of attention to them

asked them to perform in front of an audience, like right now, without prep

asked them to do something they're uncomfortable with, "oh, but you have to do it, for [loved one]!"

invited them to a social gathering

took them to a fancy restaurant

told them they're a bad friend / partner / ...

wrote them a poem

died two weeks ago (they only found out now)

pulled a prank on them that went very wrong

pulled them aside from the crowd

told them a secret

exposed something about them that should've been kept private

told them "we need to talk."

punched them

— ☆ —

[moonlit-imagines]

Headcanons for Tim falling for you

Tim Bradford x reader

warnings:

a/n: im gonna be so honest i love him your honor

prompt: @sacredwarrior88: “May I please request headcanons for Tim falling in love with a female detective who's also a veteran and swore off love and relationships after her divorce?”

you’d just transferred to mid wilshire a few months prior

and from the moment tim heard you complaining about discipline and rookies needing a kick in the ass—he was head over heels

you were also a veteran, he felt a connection with you for that

he’d always make small talk with you

“so, where’d you serve?” -tim

he was cute and all, you just weren’t ready to fall in love again—or ever

“you know, i think tim really likes you, l/n” -lucy

“oh, i know” -you “you don’t become a sergeant in the army and not be able to tell when a boy has a crush on you”

“so? you don’t like him back or something. he’s a great guy, he was my TO. i mean, he’s a hard ass, but like, he’s a great guy” -lucy

“i appreciate you trying to help, but i’m not here looking for a relationship, chen” -you

harper and lopez would rag on him constantly for not making a move

“they just got here, i’ll give it a few more months” -tim

“it’s been a few months, what’s really going on?” -lopez

“yeah, bradford, i never took you for a shy guy” -harper

“we’ve been out for a few beers, it’s just…” -tim

“well, spit it out!” -lopez

“y/n just got divorced and told me they don’t want to get into anything serious—ever again” -tim

“wow, your dream partner just walks into your life and is unattainable by means of hating all men” -harper

“well, you thought you’d never find love again after your divorce and look at how far you’ve come, tim. at least give it a little time” -lopez

“isn’t that what i just said?” -tim

“i get where y/n’s coming from, though. i mean, after i got divorced i was over all men forever. now i’ve got a husband and another beautiful daughter” -harper

tim felt really discouraged, he thought you were perfect for him but he understood that dating a coworker was complicated. so was divorce

but instead of trying to get you, he tried to be there for you

“how’ve you been. new station, new city, new start?” -tim

“it’s fine. taking it day by day” -you

“you know, i could give you some good restaurant recommendations or something?” -tim

“no thanks, lucy beat you to it” -you

“of course she did. you know, she used to be my rookie” -tim

“she told me right after she told me you have a crush on me” -you

tim got red in the face very fast

and you made sure to keep your composure just long enough to make it awkward

“she…she did, did she?” -tim, through clenched teeth

“yep” -you, starting to laugh

“you’re messing with me” -tim

“i’m not, actually. i just think its cute you’re embarrassed” -you “but you already know my story”

“i do. and i hope you can take the time you need before you agree to go out with me, because i don’t think i’m gonna get you out of my head anytime soon” -tim

“ooh, sergeant bradford, i didn’t think i’d get to see this side of you. you’re always tripping over your words with me” -you

“well, i had a helpful talk with some meddling detectives” -tim

“i can take a guess who you’re referring to” -you

“i’d love to grab a beer with you sometime if you’re not ready to date yet, but i’d love to grab dinner with you if you are” -tim

“i’ll give dinner a thought, but for now drinks will do” -you

tim started treating you mostly normal and getting his confidence back since spilling his guts to you over drinks, and the girls were cheering him on every time you were within 20 feet of each other

he started treating you professionally, with a few winks and sly comments here and there

“so, you’re giving bradford a chance?” -lopez

“i’m giving a chance to giving him a chance” -you

“i feel you there, after my divorce i couldn’t imagine dating again, but i’m glad i found it in me to give my husband a chance” -harper

“he’s a good one?” -you

“eh, i’d give him a solid 6 out of 10” -lopez

“yeah? well i’ve been debating taking him up on that dinner, but that six rating really convinced me” -you

you finally found caught tim after shift and gave him the good news and he couldn’t be more excited

really, he’d been planning this date for weeks

and it went amazingly

“can i kiss you?” -tim

“only if you want to” -you

taglist: @summersimmerus //

[daenerys-apolog1st]

I'm gonna be so serious right now, every time I see someone from Team Green say that the show- "favors team black" -I just wanna ask what fucking show they're watching and if they can send it to me.

This ridiculous show has taken like 75% of the shit that happens in the books and either changed it or completely omitted it, all to either make TG seem more sympathetic or TB look bad.

Want some examples?

----------

In the books, Rhaenyra's sons' legitimacy was questioned, but in all likelihood they were 100% legitimate and the "bastard" rumors were mainly spread/believed by TG and their supporters---Rhaenys even had "dark" hair just like Rhaenyra's sons and, if I remember correctly, Aemma's appearance wasn't described but she had Arryn blood which would lend to the boys' dark hair as well.

In the show, they made her sons definitively bastards (at least by blood) and took away how Rhaenys looked in the book, making her have the stereotypical Targaryen features just to make Rhaenyra look stupid I guess.

In the books, Alicent Hightower was 18 years old and willingly went after Viserys because she---like her father---wanted power and wanted her blood on the throne. Viserys, at the time, was like 27 if I remember correctly.

In the show, Alicent is about 15 and is forced by her father to go after Viserys, who seems to be of about 40-50 years of age.

In the books, Alicent Hightower---a grown woman---had beef with an 8 year old little girl for no reason other than the fact that Viserys wouldn't write her off as heir in order to favor her son.

In the show, Alicent hates Rhaenyra because of childhood best friend drama---they made her and Rhaenyra the same age---and the fact that Rhaenyra didn't tell her about having a one night stand, betrayal yada yada, plus jealousy because Rhaenyra is "free" and Alicent "isn't" (even though they have similar power at the time as queen and princess, Rhaenyra just actually utilizes it).

In the books, Alicent has 0 remorse for Rhaenyra's sons dying and TG quite literally throws a party after Aemond kills Lucerys.

In the show, Alicent sends letters to Rhaenyra apologizing for his death and Aemond killing Luce was apparently an "accident" that he kinda feels bad for.

In the books, Alicent Hightower 100% supported usurping Rhaenyra and did it knowingly---she didn't give a fuck about Viserys wishes, her father didn't do jack shit, she just wanted her son on the throne and put him there.

In the show, apparently Alicent was "manipulated" into the usurpation by her father and really thought that Viserys wanted Aegon as heir---his dying wish or whatever---and she thought all the usurpation talk was just...idk a joke or something- (even though this retcon literally goes against what was established in S1).

In the books, Rhaenyra was said to always be dressed in jewels and fine fabrics, remembered for her beauty and how she adorned herself. Rhaenyra was also said to have had multiple ladies in waiting that she was close friends with, including Laena Velaryon and Harwin Strong's sisters.

In the show, Rhaenyra tends to be dressed in plainer or just downright ugly clothes and her femininity is stripped away, meanwhile Alicent Hightower is the one the showrunners decided to give the beautiful detailed gowns to and they allowed her to be feminine. Also all of Rhaenyra's female friendships were removed and tossed in the trashcan so that Alicent was her only friend.

In the books, Daemon really did love Laena as well as Baela and Rhaena. Daemon fought for Laena's hand and literally begged Viserys to let him present his daughters at court.

In the show, Daemon doesn't give a fuck about Laena or his daughters and the few scenes that were filmed that show Daemon being a loving husband/father got cut.

In the books, Rhaenyra, Daemon, and Laena were basically a throuple---they were said to visit each other often, fly their dragons together, and as soon as Rhaenyra heard that Laena was in childbirth she flew all the way to Driftmark to attend to her. After Laena's death both Daemon and Rhaenyra were heartbroken, with Rhaenyra even sitting vigil at Laena's bedside.

In the show, Rhaenyra's relationship with Laena is completely erased. Daemon and Rhaenyra fuck at her funeral.

In the books, Rhaenys is Rhaenyra's number 1 defender and is immediately ready to go to war for her birthright because she understands how she feels and still feels robbed of her own birthright.

In the show, Rhaenys has beef with Rhaenyra when she's a child, criticizes her for going to war when she's older, and only seems like mildly annoyed about not being queen.

In the books, Jeyne Arryn 100% supports Rhaenyra because 1. Arryn on her mothers side and 2. because women need to stick together in this "world of men." Rhaenyra also has support from the majority of the houses and the smallfolk, all said to have marched even after her death to "fight for Viserys' little girl."

In the show, Jeyne Arryn doesn't give a fuck about Rhaenyra and the other houses don't seem to either, Rhaenyra's title as the "Realm's Delight" is apparently just bullshit I guess.

----------

I could go on, but y'all get the point.

The idea that this bullshit "favors Team Black" is ridiculous, and do you wanna know the worst part? They're not even writing the changes well. I think I'd take the changes better if the show were actually written well and fully leaned into them, but instead they're just throwing around half-baked ideas and even going back on things that they already established in their own show!

I mean Alicent was 100% down with usurpation in S1, but in S2 apparently she didn't know? Be so fucking serious 💀

This show is just trying to make money off of some stupid- "choose your side" -marketing scheme and the writing is suffering for it, plus it's just changing the story into something completely different. If they wanted to change it this much then they should've just made an original show or something, because this is getting ridiculous.

[soangelbaby]

❤︎ you’ve been mine ; charlie baker x reader

‹𝟹 synopsis ; charlie baker is your brother's bestfriend, and he's 3 years older than you. you've always wanted each other but your brother has deemed you off-limits but this valentine's day, all bets are off the table, who will make the first move ?

the house was quieter now, the chaos of your brother’s valentine’s day party fading into the background. the room was a mess, scattered with red and pink streamers, deflated balloons, and the aftermath of too many drinks. but all you could focus on was the heat creeping up your spine and the adrenaline buzzing in your veins as you tried to steady yourself on shaky feet.

you should have been out with friends—maybe hitting up the local bar or at least making some kind of memory that didn’t involve cleaning up after your brother, you could’ve tagged along with your best friend, but her and her boyfriend had a romantic date planned, and you, well, you weren’t exactly in the mood to play third wheel. your other girlfriends had their own plans too—some with their boyfriends, others out with people you didn’t really know. you didn’t mind the solitude, really. you never did. but tonight? tonight felt different.

throwing another crushed red cup into the trash, you turned around to see charlie entering the doorway. shirtless, one hand in his pocket, the other holding a glass that was nearly empty. he wasn’t even trying to look casual; it was in his nature. his messy hair was falling into his eyes, and he now wore some basketball shorts that clung just a little too perfectly to his hips. he didn’t say anything right away, just stood there watching you for a moment, as though he were giving you a chance to catch your breath, to pull yourself together. but you could feel it, the tension in the room building, thick and palpable.

“still cleaning up?” he asked, his voice low and teasing, as if the very act of talking was another way for him to pull you in. you both had been circling each other all night, love in the air, the alcohol, and charlie’s lingering looks, all amplifying your emotions—making this all feel too real, and charlie look too good. you shot him a fake smile, “yeah, someone has to. you could help y’know.” you mutter, dropping the bag of plastic cups on counter. running a hand through your hair, you exhaled, reaching for your water bottle beside you, mind still hazy from shots you took throughout the night.

charlie snickered as he watched you, setting his cup down as he made his way over, raising his hands in mock surrender. “yeah? i thought i was off the clock.. but i guess i could help.” he rolls his eyes grabbing the half full bag you were previously were using off the counter, “you sure this isn’t just your excuse to get me closer now?” your pulse quickened, a nervous flutter in your chest. the way he was looking at you, his eyes dragging over you, taking in the sight of your red satin dress, though slightly disheveled still clinging to your curves. one strap hanging off your shoulder, you spun around nudging him as you pulled it up, “you wish, baker.” you laughed softly, trying to play it cool. and you weren’t sure if it was the alcohol or the tension, but you felt yourself drawn to him, more than you ever had before.

he grinned, a hint of that charming confidence shining through, and without another word, he slid closer, brushing his hand against yours on the counter, “right, i forgot you’re scared of your brother.” charlie chuckles, throwing the empty dishes into the sink. you crossed your arms over your chest, head tilting as your brows drew together, “i’m not scared, just… cautious, you know how he is.” you mumbled, leaning against the counter huffing. charlie nodded in amusement, a low laugh escaping his lips, “but he’s not here now, is he?” he raises an eyebrow, tying a knot in the garbage bag before taking a step closer to you, “you don’t have to pretend anymore y’know? i’m right here, and i mean, it’s valentine’s day.” he hummed, adjusting your dress strap as it began to fall again. your breath hitched in your throat, feeling the heat radiate off his body, his piercing gaze locked onto yours, “charlie—we shouldn’t—“ you started off, voice barely audible as you weakly protested.

but there was nothing stopping you guys now, all the times in the past, your brother had interrupted, always catching you before things got too heated. and like charlie had said, he wasn’t here now. “maybe we shouldn’t—but we can. and you know we will.” he muttered, his large hand slipping to the back of your neck, tugging the hair at the nape of your neck slightly. you gasped, teeth sinking into your bottom lip, hesitating, half-lidded eyes searching his own. “if we do this—we have to be quiet.” you whispered fimly, gaze dropping to charlie’s bare chest before back up to his eyes. a lazy smirked tugged at his lips, his free hand dropping to grip your waist, the soft fabric curling under his fingertips, “you think i can do quiet?” you smacked his chest playfully, rolling your eyes, “charlie i’m serious! my room is right next to his, if he hears, i’m basically dead.” you shot back, gripping his shoulders firmly, acrylic nails digging into his skin, leaving impressions.

charlie’s eyes shot behind you, and he grinned, “i could always take you in the pantry,” he mumbled, one hand sliding up your back, your cheeks heated up at the thought, and more so at the possibility of your brother coming downstairs. but it was the quickest—and quietest option, so you weren’t exactly opposed. you grabbed his wrist, tugging him toward the pantry swiftly, the wooden door closing softly behind you both. you flicked the switch a few times, before realizing your brother never switched the bulbs when he was supposed to. “asshole..” you whispered, but to your luck, the lights from the kitchen barely shined through the blinds of the door, partially illuminating charlie’s large frame in front of you.

“no light, but we can make it work.” you said, a little breathlessly, hands already tugging at his basketball shorts, his hands gripped the back of your thighs, sliding up your little dress as he hoisted you up against the door slightly thumping, “fuck—i’ve been waiting to do this all night,” charlie groaned against your neck, nipping and biting at the skin there, his hips pressed flush against yours. your hands tangled in his hair, arching into him, you could feel his hard-on rubbing against your stomach, craving any type of friction, “needa feel you already, charlie please,” you moaned, he pressed his chest against yours, one hand gripping your ass as he held you up to tug off his shorts. his dick brushing your thigh as it sprang free, pushing up your dress and tugging your panties aside, charlie lined his dick up at your entrance, arousal already coating him, “made me wait so long for this, s’been torture, baby.” he grumbled, sinking into you with a low groan. you gasped, feeling your walls clench around him already, at the stretch of him inside you.

“mm, so fuckin’ tight—” his hips stuttered against yours, hands tightening around your waist as he sped up, your arms looped around his neck, pulling him closer if possible. his dick twitched inside you, “i’m not gonna last—fuuck” you could feel the tightness pooling in your stomach as he pounded into you, you tried to warn him but before you could your eyes squeezed shut, body glitching against him as your orgasm washed over you, scratching harshly at his back. charlie bit down on your shoulder as his cum shot into you, thrusts turning sloppy. his chest heaved against yours as he pulled out, quickly moving your panties aside, ensuring no drips of his cum slipped out. his lips crashed onto yours, tongue slipping into your mouth with force, before pulling away, his hand slipped between your legs, patting your soaking cunt roughly,

“happy valentine’s day.” charlie snickered, his lips pressing against yours once more.

𐑺 rini’s note ; omg yall dont hate me !! so erm—first im so sorry this literally sucks ass bc i changed my whole idea last min bc it wasn’t going how i wanted 🫠 so pulled this out my ass so late and yeah…. excuse potential typos js had to get ts out ahh lygs

[blauerhund]

Pauls contribution to the Spy Museum Berlin

See: https://rammwiki.net/wiki/Spy_Museum_Berlin_(soundtrack)

I recently visited Berlin and wanted to check out the spy museum Paul did the music for, ze Deutsches Spionagemuseum, which is located at Potsdamer Platz. It's probably the last Rammstein related spot left that I've been wanting to check out in the city and I finally came about doing so in the one day I was there. The last time they unfortunately had a fire alarm going on, so I couldn't go in, but this time I succeeded!

I really ... I can't get myself to be interested in History Museums and the like, I don't know why. Maybe it's because my dad dragged us kids through every single castle, open air farm museum and medieval market South Germany had to offer at the time, resulting in the adverse effect of me, as an adult, feeling like I need to go sit down after having taken five steps into a Natural History Museum. I guess that means I'm satiated. Sometimes I visit art exhibitions though, but even those drain me so much, I just about run through them and am in a bad mood afterward. Have you heard of Museum Fatigue, because that's a real thing! Anyhow, that's why I made it my mission to walk through the spy museum looking only for the music bits playing. I spent about 10€ at the entrance and then walked in through something resembling a personnel sluice.

At first, I thought they had removed the music as I didn't hear any sounds at all for quite some time after going in, apart from some shooting noise coming from the one corner. However, on the second floor I made out a brawarahh and pushed past info screens, a real-life Trabi and spy standees trying to find out where the sound was coming from. I wanted to try recording some of it as well.

The speakers were put up high above, and I stood there looking like a complete nut holding one arm outstretched above my head pointing my phone at the ceiling. Luckily there weren't too many people there, but what does it matter to me, I was on my mission.

Ever since I had first heard about it, I've been wondering how Paul came about doing this. I guess the most likely explanation is him having a friend involved with the spy museum, asking him if he wanted to put a small part in or something similar. I think Paul is someone who would be happy contributing to a culturally significant occasion or institution, if he sees fit. As can be seen on his Instagram, he does like to look at attractions and things alike, and I imagine him being quite enthusiastic about doing so:

https://www.instagram.com/paullanders_official/p/B1gYv3hoByc/?hl=de&img_index=1

Look at the last picture – he has a good time. I think it's often the bunch consisting of him, Olli and Schneider out and about looking at local attractions and exploring the cities they play in. Jens tagging along from time to time :^)

The Spionagemuseum has quite a few things you can get hands on with, like solving small riddles or trying out a lie detector test. Or even making your way through a laser field! I, well, I just looked at it, but I can see Paul getting in there, rolling around on the floor. It's definitely a well produced exhibition!

They also showed footage of spy movies like Jason Bourne, Mission Impossible, James Bond and so on, with music playing next to it and, you know, I'm quite confident that one wasn't done by Herr Paul Landers, but just the original score. Although there is a song in the laser room where I was sure it was a movies soundtrack as well, but on the RammWiki page there is a song called "Laser Room" so it must be from Paul! Only goes to show his versatility :) Correct me in case I'm wrong and it's a film score after all.

At first, I wanted to include my recordings in this post, then I got a bit scared of violating copyright law, so I'm not gonna share them here (unless we have a German law expert on here telling me it would be fine?), but feel free to DM me. It's mostly eerie sounds, plus that one film score-like bit.

I think I feel rebellious enough for a little snippet though, so if you want to have a taste of Pauls soundtrack composer career, have a listen:

[jinmindeulle]

vulnerable | k. mingyu, j. wonwoo (3)

𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 kim mingyu x fem!reader x jeon wonwoo

𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 2 k

𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆 angst, fluff | friends-with-benefits!mingyu, neighbor-and-highschool-crush!wonwoo | you decided! wonwoo is your choice.

𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 mentions about sex i guess?

mingyu is taking his time. wonwoo stays by your side.

• • ���┈┈┈ ๑ ⋅ ⋯ ୨ ୧ ⋯ ⋅ ๑ ┈┈┈┈ • •

Your heart hurt. It really did.

But Wonwoo was right in front of you, and Mingyu had taken his damn time. You knew from a friend in common that his routine hadn’t changed much. He still met with his friends and attended his after-office get-togethers. He was doing fine.

But you weren’t. You opened his inactive chat at least six times a day. Sometimes you typed and erased, sometimes you just stared at it, hoping Mingyu started typing by the force of manifestation. It never happened.

“I can’t help but ask you, is everything alright?”

Ever since you got closer to Wonwoo, you would regularly visit each other. All it took was a minute-long walk from one corner of the first floor to the other. Now that he had a tiny and fluffy companion, you had more excuses to stop by when you got home from work.

“It’s complicated” you sighed, gently scratching the kitty’s neck.

“I like complicated” he chuckled, bringing his can of beer to his lips as he looked at you with attentive eyes.

“Well… I’ve got this friend who has been my best friend ever since college. We met when he banged on my dorm’s room at two in the morning because he was drunk and thought that was his dorm.” you giggled, reminiscing about that crazy first week as a college student. “He was everywhere I looked, and he seemed to like talking to me. We became close and he has been my rock for more than eight years. But last year, things changed a bit between us”

“You fell in love, right?” Wonwoo’s eyebrows rose.

“Kinda?” you shrugged, giving an awkward laugh “We started as friends with benefits, with some rules to follow. We could kiss and have sex. We could make it stop when one of us asked to. We banned jealousy and we were not exclusive…except-”

“You were being exclusive” he chuckled and shook his head “I don’t see the problem, though. If you two were fine by how things were going…”

“He was not” you sighed, taking a sip of your can so you could continue the story with a little bit more courage “He asked me to start seeing other people so we could follow that stupid rule, and he explicitly said ‘I don’t want us to be a couple’”

Wonwoo seemed to be contemplating where the narrative was heading before he asked “But he still wanted to fuck you?”

“We were not having sex every time we met up — that was what bothered him the most, I guess. Not because of the act in itself, but because he felt we were practically a couple when he came over, cooked with me, and cuddled to sleep instead of being all over each other”

“So…”

“We fought and he finally came over to apologize. But now we’re in this weird position where he doesn’t know what he wants and I’m waiting for him as if I were Rapunzel trapped in a tower. He knows I don’t see him as a friend anymore. But I don’t want to lose him if he chooses to make this end” you looked down to your lap, eyes welling up. Wonwoo shifted from his side of the couch and scooted closer, hugging you with his right arm so you could place your head on the crook of his neck.    

“You won’t lose him. It might be weird at the beginning, yes. But he needs you as much as you need him. Do you think he is willing to cut ties with you if he doesn’t choose commitment?”

“I guess he’s not” you mumbled, taking in Wonwoo’s scent to calm down your hiccup. 

“If he is the one, and you are his one, there’s nothing to worry about,” his low and calm voice had a magical effect on you, and as you felt the vibrations of his voice through his neck, you began to soothe your worries “ If you still think he’s the one when he’s still not ready to treat you as his girlfriend, maybe time will eventually bring you two together. And if time doesn’t, then… I’m still gonna be here” 

“You are an angel” you mumbled, feeling your eyes heavy. 

“Only for you”

. . . . . . . . . .

Three weeks. Exactly twenty-one days had passed, and Mingyu was still nowhere to be seen, or heard of.

Day twenty-two was your limit. You had to make a decision, even if he hadn’t made up his mind yet. It was killing you to know that he could come and destroy everything you had built over eight years, and you would remain with a broken heart until he decided to either mend it or turn it into ashes. 

You had to prioritize yourself.

We need to talk.

It physically hurt to finally type and send the text instead of erasing it. Your heart started pounding and you thought that it was about to explode, expecting an answer that took three and a half hours to come. And after you read it, you regretted even having the thought of sending that text.

I’ve got plans.

Hot tears traveled down your cheeks, frozen in place, holding your phone close to your heart. Who was that person? Mingyu would never, could never.

And yet he could. He sent those eight years of precious, heartwarming moments to the trash. All those nights you had stayed awake to help him on his projects, while you could have been working on yours. All those events you had been his plus one to help ease his nervousness when you could have stayed at home to study for your postgraduate course. All those kisses that had felt so real, so caringly true. 

It was over.

Dinner is ready!

I don’t know if you are coming but if you are, you better hurry.

[Picture]

Homemade, just how you like it 😌

At first, you thought that there was no way you could go in that state. You were just going to ruin that Friday night for Wonwoo. 

But after you rubbed your last set of tears away, you took a look at yourself in the mirror and decided that it was not too bad. Wonwoo had seen you worse back then. Also, you needed him. More than anyone else.

Even more than Mingyu.

So you answered.

On my way!

And left your apartment.

“Hi! Oh… What did he do?” the concern in his eyes made yours flood up with tears once more.

“I think he dumped me? I don’t even know if that’s accurate to what happened”

“Come in” Wonwoo mumbled, taking your frame under his long arm and embracing you as soon as he closed the door behind him. “Let it out”

“But the pizza is turning cold” you cried, face buried in his collarbone as he held you close, ruining his shirt with tears. 

“We’ll reheat it later,” when he kissed your temple, you felt how your heartbeat got faster, and how relaxed your breathing turned out. His scent always had the effect of a tranquilizer on you, and you were beginning to feel it little by little, from head to toe “Wanna talk about it?”

“I just need to forget him” 

And you were determined to do it. 

Plus, Wonwoo was making it so easy for you.

When you felt that you had no more tears to shed, he led you to his sofa, and Bomi, his cute kitten, quickly rested himself comfortably on your lap. 

“He knows you’re sad” Wonwoo smiled as he came back from the kitchen, a wooden tray with the two yummy-looking pizzas on top.

“He’s too cute” You kept yourself busy petting Bomi as you waited for Wonwoo to bring the wine he had promised.

“Is it too out of place on my part to say ‘Cheers’?” the man asked, giving you your glass and extending his your way.

“You’re the only one I would allow to do that” you softly giggled, clinking his glass with yours “Cheers.”

“Cheers” he chuckled, looking at you in the eye. 

. . . . . . . . . .

Six days after your now ex-best friend/ex-friend-with-benefits cut you off, he decided it was the right time to reappear in your life. And you thanked whoever or whatever was above that Wonwoo was holding your hand from the other side of the table when the phone lit up with Mingyu’s notification.

“He’s back” you mumbled absentmindedly, taking the device with your other hand and reading the text aloud “Sorry for keeping you waiting so long. I’m ready to talk now”  

Wonwoo’s face fell.

“What…what will you say?”

You sighed, and the first thing your eyes landed on was your and Wonwoo’s intertwined fingers. He was caressing and holding them with so much care that your heart skipped a beat. You raised your gaze to his eyes and laid your heart before you, just for him. For the one who deserved it.

“I told him to take his time, and I must own up to that. However, I never said anything about waiting for him to decide. He will understand that my thoughts and my heart belong to someone else now. Even if it’s soon, even if it has just started. I mean it when I say that I want you. Hell, I have wanted you ever since I was twelve”

“Wh-what?” he squished your hand, and you had to giggle at his response.

“I might have taken a break from being in love with you a couple of years ago. But ever since you came back to my life, it has felt the same, Woo. You might have changed a little, yes, but your kindness, your responsibility, your sensibility, and sensitivity are still the same — I fell in love with you because of those traits of yours. Not to mention your handsomeness.” 

It felt right. Wonwoo felt right.

“Why didn’t you say something back then?” he looked cute in that state. He looked as confused as happy. 

“You were not as straightforward as you are now” you shook your head “Woo, you ran away from all those girls. How would I assume I had a chance?”

“You were the only one I would have stayed for” he mumbled, and your heart melted. “I’m sorry I never showed it to you. I was the one who assumed it was too obvious on my part”

When your phone lit up again, you decided it was time to let Mingyu know that you were not waiting for him. That you had a right to move on.

“Let me take care of this,” you said, moving to the corner of the table “Proceed with your drink, please” you smiled, softening at his expression. If he was a cartoon, a question mark would have appeared over his head.

You angled your phone and after a couple of shots, you were content with the outcome.

[Picture]

I’m the one who’s busy now. And for real. 

When you left the café hand in hand, you couldn’t help but wonder if things would have been different if Mingyu had reached out sometime earlier. 

Maybe, just maybe…

But he hadn’t, and you were truly happy with where your life had headed. Right across your door, Wonwoo appeared when you least expected him to. He was there to hold you, to caress you, to care for you — for your meals, for your sleep schedule, for your working hours. He was there when no one else had been. 

“What’s got you so smiley?” the reason for your many sleepless nights and enamored sighs during your teenage years asked, squishing your hand as he led you into your building’s elevator.

“You”

As the doors closed, Wonwoo wasted no time and pressed his lips to yours, gently cupping your face with his large but soft hands. You steadied yourself by gripping the sides of his black t-shirt, angling your head to let him have you. All of you.

His kiss felt even better than you had imagined all those years ago. He showed hunger and patience at the same time, he wanted to feel what he had missed for so long and also save it for later. 

“You’re amazing” he mumbled over your lips, a gentle smile on his face.

“You are”

“I’m too happy to argue right now.” he pecked your lips again, just in time to get out of the elevator. “But I might do it later”

• • ┈┈┈┈ ๑ ⋅ ⋯ ୨ ୧ ⋯ ⋅ ๑ ┈┈┈┈ • •

epilogue: wonwoo as your boyfriend

• • ┈┈┈┈ ๑ ⋅ ⋯ ୨ ୧ ⋯ ⋅ ๑ ┈┈┈┈ • •

part 1 | you decide... mingyu (2) or wonwoo (3)

please like and reblog!

[itsnesss]

𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐧 | minho (xo,kitty) × fem!reader

OO1. OO2. OO3.

summary | after the intense moments between you and minho, you try to keep your emotions under control but are pulled back into a complicated situation when Kitty shows you a video involving stella. as you struggle to manage your feelings, you're forced to confront the complexities of your relationship with minho while dealing with new tensions that arise

warnings | emotional angst, jealousy, misunderstandings, deceptive behavior

word count | 3.0 k

author's note | it would help me a lot if you liked, commented and reposted so that more people read what I write and don't forget to follow me, thanks ᡣ𐭩

The days since that conversation with Min Ho passed slowly. You forced yourself to maintain an indifferent façade, as if what had happened between you two was nothing more than a mere slip-up. But it wasn't. Every time you saw him, whether in the group of friends or in class, you felt a tightness in your chest. You ignored it, tried not to look at him, but you knew he felt it. Min Ho wasn’t stupid.

It was hard to move on, you knew he was there, but now more than ever, you felt the need to distance yourself. Somehow, you had broken something that you didn’t even fully understand, and you didn’t want to fall back into the temptation of thinking that things could be different. Not when you had already lost him.

One day, as you sat in the living room with Kitty, she wouldn’t stop looking at you, as if waiting for you to say something. Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, she approached.

" I know you too well," she said in a low but firm voice. " What's going on with Min Ho?"

You sighed. You didn’t know how to explain it. Kitty always noticed. Always.

" Nothing, Kitty," you lied, unable to look her in the eyes.

But she didn’t seem convinced. She paused, then pulled out her phone and placed it in front of you. On the screen was a video that looked familiar. The title read: Esther from Ohio sings on Sr. Moon's program.

You stared at it, confused.

" What is this?" you asked, not wanting to see what you already suspected.

" What you think it is," Kitty said, taking a sip of her drink. " It's a video of Stella. And I know the page where things were leaked... probably belongs to her too."

Your heart stopped for a second, and a wave of disbelief washed over you.

" Stella?"

Kitty looked at you with a smile that wasn’t exactly one of joy.

" The page where they posted the gossip about Min Ho's dad. I’ve been investigating, and something smells fishy. And that video…" she asked, furrowing her brow. " It looks like her, singing on that show."

You watched the video, unable to avoid it. The woman on the screen was Stella, though you would have never guessed it. Her tone of voice, her presence, everything matched what you knew about her, except her appearance. In the background, a sense of distrust began to cloud your thoughts.

" I don't know what this means," you whispered, barely believable, " but I don’t like it."

Kitty leaned back on the couch, crossing her arms.

" Why don't you tell Min Ho? He needs to know what's going on."

You stayed silent, biting your lip. Did you really want to get involved in something like this? After everything you had told him… But at the same time, something told you that you couldn’t just sit back and do nothing.

That same day, you went to the city. Maybe, somehow, something in all of this would give you clarity. You walked the streets, between the bright lights of the buildings, until you reached a store where, among other things, you could buy some clothes you needed. But before you entered the store, something caught your attention.

There she was.

Stella, coming out of an internet café, her phone in her hands. Her hair blew in the wind, but there was something about her expression that unsettled you. You stood still for a few seconds, watching her from a distance, before making a decision.

You knew you needed to talk to Min Ho. But should you show him what Kitty had shown you? Should you tell him what you had seen, what you suspected? Maybe he would deny it. Maybe, in his mind, it would make everything more complicated. But the worst part was that you didn’t know whether to trust her, or if Stella was really behind all of this.

You decided to return to the school, with the weight of uncertainty on your shoulders, and an hour later, you went to find him.

His gaze, although still warm, seemed to have a new hardness to it. He looked at you in silence, as if waiting for you to speak first.

" What's going on?" he asked, a slight irritation in his voice.

With trembling hands, you took out your phone and showed him the video of Stella, the same one Kitty had shown you. Min Ho stared at it intently, without showing any emotion.

" What's this?" he asked, his voice cold.

" This... is Stella," you said, trying to stay calm.

Min Ho sighed and ran a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated.

" I can't believe you're showing me this, seriously?"

" How can you not believe it?" you responded, feeling frustrated. " Why would I be lying to you? This is important!"

" Do you really want to talk about this?" he said, his voice harsh. " After everything that happened between us, everything you said? Now you’re bringing me this, telling me Stella is a liar... what, so I’ll come back to you?"

His words hit you hard, and although you knew you couldn’t do anything to make him understand your position, you couldn’t help but feel like your heart was breaking a little more.

" It’s not that, Min Ho. I just want you to know the truth. I’m not trying to separate you from her. I just want to take care of you."

Min Ho looked at you intently, his face now completely serious. There was a heavy silence between you both, as his eyes searched yours. Something you couldn’t find.

" I can’t believe it," he said finally, disappointment evident in his voice. " You told me that what happened between us didn’t mean anything, that you didn’t want to keep going... and now you bring me lies about Stella just because you don’t want to let me go."

Before you could reply, he stepped back, his face tense.

" This is too much. It’s not fair."

And, without saying another word, he turned and walked away, disappearing from your view, leaving you there, empty and with a sense of defeat in your stomach.

You felt empty, as if everything you had tried to build with Min Ho had crumbled in an instant. After everything that happened, you couldn’t help but feel guilty. Maybe you shouldn’t have shown him the video. Maybe, just maybe, you should have waited for more evidence before speaking. But the damage was already done.

Min Ho ignored you completely for days. He didn’t answer your messages, and every time you crossed paths in the hallways, his gaze immediately averted. That indifference, that coldness… it hurt more than you imagined.

Kitty looked at you with pity, knowing what you had done and how you were feeling. One afternoon, as you sat together in the dorm room, Kitty sighed, the air heavy with guilt.

" I’m sorry," she said, biting her lip. " Seriously, I’m sorry. This is all my fault."

You shook your head, surprised by her apology.

" It’s not your fault, Kitty," you quickly responded, without looking at her. " I was the one who decided to follow that video, my suspicions. If only I had waited… Maybe I wouldn’t have ruined everything. Maybe… maybe Min Ho would still trust me."

Kitty watched you for a moment, then sighed and shrugged.

" It’s just that… I know how hard it is for you to see all of this with him."

You couldn’t look at her, you couldn’t face what you had caused. You wished you could turn back time, tell Min Ho that you were wrong, that it wasn’t that serious. But, for some reason, something inside you told you that you couldn’t go back.

The next day at school, as you walked down the hallways, an odd sense of nervousness ran through you. Something made you stop in your tracks. There he was: Min Ho, standing in one of the Kiss hallways, dressed in a perfectly fitted pink suit, holding a bouquet of roses, standing in front of a decorated wall as if waiting for someone.

You couldn’t stop staring at him. Every detail seemed straight out of a romantic movie, and the mere sight of him there, with a serious but hopeful expression, made your stomach twist. Everything in you wanted to approach him, but you stayed still, watching from a distance.

In that moment, Stella appeared beside you, walking quickly past your shoulder. You couldn’t help but notice her, how she walked with a confident and assured smile. When she reached Min Ho, he looked up, and with pure determination, he extended the bouquet of roses to her.

"Stella, do you want to go to the dance with me?" he asked, and the way his voice sounded so sincere made you twist inside.

You felt a wave of jealousy invade you, but what hurt the most was how easy it seemed for him to be so open, so honest. You hated yourself for telling him that you couldn't be anything more after the kiss in the cabin, for pulling away from him so quickly, without giving him the chance to explore what you both truly wanted.

With a sigh, you turned away, unable to watch any longer. You walked with your head down, the weight of confusion and insecurity heavy on your shoulders.

That night, in the dorm, Kitty looked at you with a concerned expression.

"Are you really not going to the dance?" she asked softly.

You shook your head without hesitation.

"No, I don't want to go. I don't have a date, and I don't want to see Min Ho being happy with Stella. I couldn’t handle it. I don't want him to see me suffering from my own embarrassment."

Kitty looked at you silently, then sighed.

You knew that Stella wasn’t all bad. Kitty told you that she only went to the cyber café to talk to her ex-colleagues from Ohio. She didn't have bad intentions, really.

You shrugged, the pain in your chest almost unbearable.

"It doesn’t matter. I don’t get it, Kitty. I can't handle it. I feel stupid for all of this. Maybe it’s best to just step away from everything and let him be happy with someone else. After all, that's what I asked for from the start."

Kitty didn’t say anything more, but you could see the concern in her gaze. She knew how you felt. She knew it was harder for you than you could express.

Finally, you lay down in bed, turning your back on everything you had experienced with Min Ho, trying to forget it, even though you knew it wouldn’t be that easy. The decisions had already been made, and all that was left was to watch everything fall apart in front of you.

...

Min Ho no longer showed up to the meetings with Q, Dae, Yuri, Kitty, and you. No one knew exactly why, but everyone noticed. At first, you thought maybe it was your fault. You had seen Stella's behavior, and Min Ho's distance seemed related to everything that had happened, but maybe you had misinterpreted it.

One afternoon, while you were all in Q and Dae's dorm, the topic inevitably came up: Min Ho.

"Have you noticed how strange he's been lately?" Dae asked, crossing his arms.

Q nodded.

"Yeah, I’ve noticed too. And not just that... it’s like he's avoiding us, like he doesn’t want to be around us."

Dae furrowed his brow.

"I don’t think it’s about us. Something’s going on. Sorry, but it does seem a little strange."

Just as they were finishing their conversation about him, the door opened suddenly, and there was Min Ho, with Stella by his side. They walked in together, without making much noise, but what caught everyone’s attention was that Stella didn’t take off her shoes upon entering, which, in local culture, was considered a very inappropriate gesture. Min Ho, on the other hand, didn’t say a word, something he normally would have commented on, as he was meticulous about such details. And that was what surprised you the most.

Q looked at Dae, then at Kitty and you, with a knowing look.

"See? Definitely something’s going on. Stella didn’t take off her shoes, and he ignores her collagen water, just like one of Q’s energy drinks. This isn’t right."

Dae furrowed his brow and nudged Kitty.

"I don’t want to make things worse, but... her skin looks like Edward Cullen’s, but not in a sexy way, you know? It’s... weird. Really weird."

"Do you think it’s because of the suspicions about her?" Kitty asked, lowering her gaze to the phone she had left on the table.

Q sighed.

"I don’t know, but what I do know is that something’s happening. Stella isn’t right. I don’t want to judge her without proof, but something doesn’t add up."

Kitty nodded, a little worried.

"I know. But I was wrong before. Maybe I’m just seeing it from the wrong perspective."

You decided to ignore it all until the day of the singing competition. Things didn’t make sense, but you needed to focus on what was right in front of you. On the day of the competition, Dae called you and Kitty and, without hesitation, delivered the news.

"Stella’s going to compete in the contest, and Min Ho is going to support her," he said, with a serious tone.

Kitty couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh.

"That’s impossible. How can that be? There’s no way he’s helping her."

Dae nodded, but his expression was grave.

"Mr. Moon introduced her as his great story of resilience. She... she’s involved in something bigger than we thought."

Kitty fell silent for a moment, processing the information.

"That... explains a lot about Min Ho’s behavior," she murmured, her face tense. "But why didn’t he tell us?"

What hurt the most was that, once again, Min Ho had chosen not to trust you, not even when the most important thing was for both of you to face the truth together.

You felt a renewed determination. You couldn’t just sit still. You had to do something. You needed to know the truth. So, while Kitty and Dae were preparing for the concert, you decided to go find Min Ho.

You headed to the stage where they were rehearsing, and once there, you found him alone, distancing himself from the crowd. You walked towards him without thinking, your heart in your throat.

"Min Ho," you called, with a mix of doubt and bravery. "I need to know what's going on. What's going on with Stella? Does she have you trapped or is that not true?"

Min Ho looked up, and in his eyes, there was a deep sadness. His shoulders slumped, as if the weight of the situation were crushing him.

"You're right," he replied with a sigh. "Stella is a psychopath. I don’t know how she found out my brother got his dancer pregnant, and now she’s threatening to tell the press unless she wins this contest."

Your heart raced, and you quickly stepped closer to him.

"We have to do something," you said, desperate. "We can’t let this go on. We have to stop her."

Min Ho nodded, but before you could say anything more, he slowly approached you and looked you in the eyes.

"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry," he said, his voice breaking, almost as if the pain he felt in his chest was as real as yours. "I should’ve never pushed you away, I should’ve never made you feel like I didn’t trust you. I don’t know what happened, I just... I got carried away. I failed you."

His words hit you in the heart, and for a moment, you felt completely vulnerable. You had been so focused on your suspicions, on what Stella represented in the equation, that you had forgotten the most important thing: Min Ho was also going through all of this in his own way. And, no matter how much you hated him for pulling away, you also knew that the situation wasn’t that simple. The world you both moved in was complicated, and decisions weren’t always easy.

You slowly moved closer, trying to find a way to comfort him, to let him know that it wasn’t all lost, that there was still time to set things right.

"Min Ho..." you said softly, taking his face in your hands. "I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have pushed you away, but I didn’t want to ruin what you had with Stella, well, before I found out she was a bitch."

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if he were absorbing every word you said.

"I know I messed up, and I feel horrible for not believing you when you needed me most. But when I found out what Stella was doing, everything changed. I realized how blind I was, how easy it was for her to manipulate me. What hurts the most is that you were there, trying to warn me, and I ignored you."

You couldn’t help but feel that his regret was genuine.

Without saying anything more, he hugged you, and in an instant, his lips found yours, in a kiss filled with everything that hadn’t been said before. A mix of regret, desire, and love that overflowed between the two of you.

You pulled away, feeling your heart pounding.

"We need to fix all of this first," you said, knowing that what mattered now was stopping Stella and putting things right before it was too late.

And as you prepared for what was to come, you realized that maybe things between you and Min Ho weren’t lost after all.

tags | @msromanreigns2023 @imagineme2you @yuwaimo @cassiewritessalot @lavnderluv

[utilitycaster]

(I’m sure you’re getting a lot of asks right now, so if this isn’t a fun avenue for you, feel free to pass on over.)

So, the Vax of it all.

As a person who really loved Vax’s portrayal and his arc, the end of C1 was powerful and poignant. Dalen’s Closet was the perfect cherry on top of a truly bittersweet ending - a really touching way to give the characters some final interactions and show that he didn’t feel trapped or tortured by his duties as a champion. It gave a lovely sense of closure - with the button put on it that Scanlan couldn’t even cast the spell again, so it really reinforced the idea that magic had natural rules and consequences to big asks.

And then C3.

Obviously Vax was always going to factor into this campaign (one of the cast described this as their Avengers Assemble plot, after all), but with the way Matt had him appear and knowing how the rest of the cast was going to react to it, it really seemed like this ending was inevitable.

Considering that she was the bait in the first place, Keyleth was always going to realize where Vax was, always going to draw in the de Rolos to save him, and being familiar with Matt’s DM style (as well as any of us can be) I have a hard time believing he was going to do all that and then steer them towards an ending that would just have left Vax back as a champion - or even dead. Possible, but seemed pretty unlikely. (forgive my ignorance, I’m sure this is exactly what people were saying about Molly’s resurrection too, I wasn’t in the fandom then, but that at least was a DICE roll that concluded on camera, no way around that)

But now I’m just… so confused by so many choices. When did Matt decide this? Did Liam agree? If this was going to be the ending, why did he have the Raven Queen explicitly say ’you have one more night on Exand-- JK, hang out as long as you like, go look up that girlfriend of yours!” Was it JUST so the Vaxleth reunion would be the last scene of the campaign? W h y a n y o f t h i s ? But-- none of those are things we can really know the answers to, of course.

So my REAL question is, how would you have liked to have seen Vax brought into this story? A defender of the Raven Queen, going as far as to oppose Bell’s Hells (gods, can you imagine what the fandom would have done)? Would you have liked him to appear at all?

Btw, I’ve loved following your blog through this campaign - these last handful of episodes, I’ve been checking in daily like it’s my morning paper. Even on the rare occasion I do find my opinion differs, I find your analysis so thorough, so thoughtful and always entertaining. Excited (and maybe a little wary…) to see what we’ll get in C4! I, uh... sorry for the ask-wall-of-text.

So I will admit, I thought, until early in the finale when it became clear this was just the equivalent of the flavorless pure sugar drink they give pregnant people to test glucose tolerance, that Vax would be freed from his duties and laid to rest. The part with champions serving as protectors of the gods' realms honestly hadn't occurred to me but you could have done it with Morrighan (still physically alive) taking on the mantle and Vax passing on to the afterlife. Because the thing was, Vax was dead, the Raven Queen said "you can be alive temporarily as a revenant," and then once his mission was over, he died. He was literally already dead. I also maintain it was not an inevitability from the Orb situation; obviously I have no fucking idea what Matt had in mind, clearly, but in a case where Predathos remains sealed, then the Vax situation remains as it was; and in a case where Predathos is freed and devours the gods I think he dies more horribly vs. a gentle and kind passing (or perhaps some hail Mary scenario where after Predathos has glutted itself and left, he can perform the rites of ascension himself).

I guess the short answer is I really don't think this was inevitable because I think the vast majority of the finale and no small part of the campaign was again just. things happening because they needed to happen to get to the ending where Bells Hells were ostensibly happy (it's not very fulfilling to have everything given to you without it meaning anything), but I can think of a number of ways to run any final scenario re: Predathos and the Raven Queen where Vax doesn't come back. That was a very specific choice, and it was, as many of us have pointed, an immensely stupid one that was utterly unnecessary.

[fangdokja]

Your most devoted fan writes smut better than published authors.

♡ Book. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows.

♡ Word Count. 882

♡ Yandere! Fanboy who, for all intents and purposes, is a perfectly respectable and terrifying CEO. A man whose mere presence turns lesser businessmen into stammering fools, whose icy logic and ruthless decision-making have built an empire that rivals your own. A man whose word is law.

♡ Yandere! Fanboy who, unbeknownst to the world, has been your fan since before he even had money. Who spent his young adult years on obscure forums dissecting your every role with an autistic level of scrutiny. Who still, to this day, maintains multiple burner accounts solely to defend your acting prowess against braindead takes on social media.

♡ Yandere! Fanboy who, in a moment of uncharacteristic impulse, wrote a fanfiction about you. A smut fanfiction. Not just any smut fanfiction. The single most well-written, emotionally devastating, and graphically detailed piece of literary pornography to ever grace the internet.

And now they’re reading it.

♡ Yandere! Producer who is too old, too tired, and too responsible for this shit. Who has spent years molding you into the perfect actor, watching you cycle through persona after persona while maintaining the same dead-inside look when the cameras are off. Who knows you better than anyone else.

♡ Yandere! Producer who was handed a link to the fic during a shareholder meeting by some snickering assistant who clearly didn’t expect him to open it immediately.

♡ Yandere! Producer who has now read five paragraphs of shockingly poetic filth detailing the slow, agonizing corruption of your character in disturbingly accurate prose.

Who sits there. Still. Silent. Unblinking. Processing.

♡ Yandere! Producer who takes exactly 30 seconds to close the tab before slamming his laptop shut with enough force to rattle the table.

“I need everyone in this room to shut the fuck up.”

The boardroom, previously murmuring, falls into an immediate and terrified silence.

♡ Yandere! Producer who turns his head ever so slightly toward his assistant.

“Where the fuck did you get that.”

♡ Yandere! Rival who was only supposed to be doomscrolling when he found it.

Who clicks on the link out of pure curiosity, fully expecting some unhinged nonsense about you. He’s read fanfiction before—usually the type that makes him laugh. But this? This is a masterpiece.

♡ Yandere! Rival who starts skimming at first, but then actually starts reading, and then suddenly he’s two chapters deep and gripping his phone like it personally insulted his mother.

Who realizes with slow, dawning horror that whoever wrote this knows you.

Knows how you move. How you breathe. How you hesitate and second-guess, how you arch into phantom touches like it’s instinct, how your voice might catch when someone whispers filth into your ear.

♡ Yandere! Rival who knows you but suddenly realizes—maybe not as well as he thought.

Who slams his phone down, stares at the wall for a full minute, then picks his phone back up because he’s already at the good part and at this point, he’s committed.

♡ Yandere! Hater who absolutely did not read it on purpose.

Who got sent the link by some dipshit in his DMs and thought it was going to be another one of those hilariously bad fics where you’re written like a brainless twink with the emotional range of a spoon.

♡ Yandere! Hater who clicked the link expecting garbage but instead got hit with the most well-written, visceral, and disgusting smut he has ever had the displeasure of reading.

Who hates that it’s good.

Who hates that every detail is so painstakingly accurate that he’s actually rereading sentences just to process how well the author captured the way your hands shake when you’re suppressing emotion, the way your eyes flicker in that split-second of weakness before you lock it all down.

Who hates that he has to stop halfway through to get a drink because he’s actually heated over the fact that some random nobody on the internet understands you this well.

Who is sitting on his bed, beer in one hand, phone in the other, furious as he keeps reading because, at this point, he’s in too deep.

Who, upon finishing, just throws his phone across the room.

“What the fuck.”

Meanwhile, somewhere in his high-rise office, ♡ Yandere! Fanboy is sipping his morning coffee, watching the AO3 comment section flood with new messages.

He sees the new kudos, the bookmarks, the whispers of awe in the tags.

And he smiles.

────────────

If you want to be added or removed from the tag list, just comment on the MASTERLIST of Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. Thank you.

General TAG LIST of “Whispers In The Dark”: @keisocool , @elvabeth , @elloredef , @mjsjshhd , @lem-hhn , @yuki-istired , @lilyalone , @starryperson , @yandreams-storageblog , @tiffyisme3760 , @songbirdgardensworld , @yune1337

❤︎ Fang Dokja's Books.

♡ Book 1. A Heart Devoured (AHD): A Dark Yandere Anthology ♡ Book 2. Forbidden Fruits (FF): Intimate Obsessions, Unhinged Desires. ♡ Book 3. World Ablaze (WA) : For You, I'd Burn the World. ♡ Book 4 [you are here]. Whispers in the Dark (WITD): Subtle Devotion, Lingering Shadows. ♡ Book 5. Ink & Insight (I&I): From Dead Dove to Daydreams. ♡ Library MASTERPOST 1. The Librarian’s Ledger: A Map to The Library of Forbidden Texts.

♡ Disclaimer. Not all stories are included in the masterpost due to Tumblr’s link limitations. However, most long-form stories can be found here. If you're searching for a specific yandere or theme, this guide will help you navigate The Library of Forbidden Texts. Proceed with caution—these tales explore obsession, madness, and devotion in their rawest forms.

[discoscoob]

I thought about the Moulin Rouge fic more and I’m just going to share my ideas so they aren’t trapped inside my head:

You would turn up to the club trying to find the owner so you could ask about a job but making your way through the club you’d somehow find yourself near the dressing rooms. One of the strippers would notice you looking around and ask if you’re lost to which you would explain you’re looking for the owner because you want to ask about a job. Noticing how clueless you seem to be about the club and not wanting yet another stripper stealing potential tips she pretends to be helpful, telling you to follow her.

She’d lead you outside, into the alleyway where Marlon is taking his break. He’s leaning against the wall smoking a cigarette, dressed in a sharp suit because this is a classy establishment. He’s doing well for himself now, he’s been clean for a while and he’s managed to get promoted to bar manager. The stripper introduces you to “Mr. James” telling him you’re interested in the job opening before making herself scarce.

You’re feeling kind of nervous, standing in front of the man who supposedly owns the club and you’re very polite when you introduce yourself, calling him “Mr. James” just like the stripper did, which caught him off guard because no one ever calls him that and now you’re calling him that too.

“Uh… please, call me Marlon.” he would awkwardly shake your hand. He’s not at all what you expected, you expected the owner to be a little bit more… confident and maybe even a little intimidating, but if anything, he seemed slightly intimidated by you.

“It’s your lucky night!” he’d tell you after stubbing out his cigarette on the wall, explaining that a job vacancy just opened up and he invites you to come back for an interview tomorrow afternoon. He seems to be in a rush, to you he’s a busy club owner, it makes sense but to him his break finished and he needs to get back to work. As you leave, excited to have an interview secured, you don’t notice the BAR STAFF WANTED sign in the window.

The next day when you show up right on time for the interview, Marlon is no longer dressed in the sharp suit. He’s swapped it for an oversized hoodie, some faded jeans and scuffed up sneakers. Not exactly what you’d expect a club owner to wear but you guess it’s just his casual style.

You follow him around the empty club as he conducts the interview, it’s very casual.

“Any experience?”

“Well, not exactly. But I’m a fast learner!”

He doesn’t seem put off by your response as he nods.

“Okay, show me what you’ve got.” he’d suddenly say, leaning himself against the bar, expecting you to go behind the bar and make a drink to showcase your skills.

“Right here?” you’d blink, standing there a little nervously right in front of him. Does he want you to do it here or get up on the stage?

“Where else?” he’d tilt his head, looking as confused as you feel.

Okay, here it is. But there’s no music. Were you meant to bring your own? Should you ask him to put some on? You should just ask.

“Uh… could… could I have some music, please?” you’re feeling a bit awkward.

“Music?” Marlon still looks confused, was it out of the ordinary to ask for music to strip to? Are you being difficult? Are you blowing your chances? You’re getting in your head. Meanwhile Marlon is wondering why you need music to make a drink but he shrugs, not questioning it. “Uh, sure.” he would pull out his phone, connecting it to the club speakers, he doesn’t exactly know what kind of music you want so he picks something at random.

The song that blasts out the speakers is not the kind of song you’d expect someone to strip to but you feel too awkward at this point to ask him to change it so with a deep breath you decide to just get this over with.

You begin a striptease.

You’re halfway through removing your top when Marlon stops you abruptly. Did you mess up already?

“What are you doing?!”

Isn’t that obvious?

“I’m auditioning.” answer frozen midway through removing your top, feeling your heart hammering.

“You’re… you’re not here for the bartender vacancy?” he asks, still looking startled and nervous, his cheeks slightly flushed.

“No, I- I’m auditioning to be one of the strippers.” you explain in return.

“Mr. Mark auditions the strippers.”

“Who’s Mr. Mark?”

“The owner.”

Your face immediately flushes with embarrassment. “You’re not the owner?”

Marlon looks at you like you just grew a second head. “What? No! I’m just the bar manager.”

You’re absolutely mortified.

“One of the strippers told me you were…” you mumble realising how foolish you were.

[bubblegumrabbitwriting]

Since Valentines 💝 is around the corner. How would the Ro's react if they found out that Mc had a date night with some person. But they knew Mc had feelings for the Ro's? Would they try sabotaging the date or something?

Thanks for the ask, Happy Valentine's. Reactions below; some of these, I guess, reveal some new info about the ROs.

Echo -

Echo sat typing away on her with more force than necessary, mind racing with ways to stop your...date. Even the thought of using that word left a bad taste in her mouth.

She knew that you both felt the same, or at least she hoped that was what she saw when you looked into her eyes. But sometimes you're too kind for your own good; surely you were cornered by that—by Miss Kim's grandkid. So Echo was just going to have to save you for once.

She just had to figure out how; maybe she could call in a bomb threat at the restaurant or use some of her connections with the health and safety to get it closed down for an impromptu check or... Was she being too clingy? After all, isn't that why they left her?

Is she just pushing herself on you like she did them, and you were going to get bored of her sooner or later and leave? Is this what this date was? No, no, she can't think like that, not again; she will get you out of this.

--------

You arrive at the restaurant, and it's closed...you feel bad for the small amount of relief that bubbles inside you. But it's not long before you're walking to another restaurant, and that's also closed, then another, and the same again, closed. Each brings you more relief.

It's almost like you have a guardian angel watching over you, and you have a funny feeling they are furiously typing away on her phone right now.

Cy -

Cy watched as you got ready for a...date. Keeping their displeasure expertly hidden, waiting for you to act on your clear attraction for them and make a move, but the time is coming near, and you haven't acted yet. Much to the dismay of Cy.

They know you know that you act damn conscious, so why weren't you acting now? Turning to Cy and telling them that you want them to be yours and you theirs. Why were you glamming yourself up, and why wasn't it for them?

Then finally you left your home for the restaurant and Cy with it, looking at them like you were waiting for them...wait, were you hoping they would act?

Shit, well, if you want them to show you how much you mean to them, they will show you.

-------

You sat, eating and barely paying attention to your date across from you as your mind raced with images of Cy. Were you being too obtuse? You known Cy for years now; how observant they are, surely they noticed what you were hoping for.

Then the waiter appeared, or Cy in a waiter's disguise? Not that it was much more than a plain white shirt and tight-fitting slacks, but you would be lying if you said that it didn't make your heart race.

Then they spilt wine on your date; for anyone that didn't know them, it looked like a mistake, but for you, it was clear that it was on purpose. Wait, are they trying to sabotage your date, and are you really just going to let them?

Maybe...yes, yes, you are.

A -

A was hanging around the warehouse, trying to tease Echo as they are want to do. But this time she wasn't reacting, moping and angrily typing away on her phone and only biting back with remarks that were too pointed for their usual back-and-forth.

They weren't offended, no, they were even more interested. What could have possibly shaken her so much? But then she said the words. You were going on a date with that bland clerk that always made eyes at you. Why? What did they have that they couldn't offer you?

You obviously liked what they have to offer; they had seen the way your eyes wandered and your cheeks redden when they whispered sweet words in your ear. Yet you were going on a date with another, really, and someone so...normal. This wouldn't do, not one bit. And A already had the perfect plan.

-------

There you were sat, across from the clerk, A watched them like a predator ready to sweep down on their prey. But that would be to easy and wouldn't open your eye's to what you were missing.

But the person across from them, openingly ogling A would. They just had to show you what you were missing, and then you would have no choice but to spend the rest of the night with A.

A laughed openly and obnoxiously, their faked giggle filling the space of the restaurant and pulling your eyes to them as they were dressed in their finest, leaning towards...someone, someone you had never seen before.

Then they turn to look directly at you, challengingly, and trying provoke you to do something about it... Were they trying to make you jealous, and is it actually working?

A had you exactly were they wanted you.

Salem -

Salem was walking back to the office, and her already bad morning had turned worse when she heard your news: you were going on a date. Not a bad thing. But the problem was it wasn't with her.

She likes to think that she is good at reading people, and you were showing all the signs of attraction. Maybe she could have been more perceptive to your feelings, but...it's hard, hard to show that sort of open weakness to a world that seems all too happy to dig its claws into it and tear it until you break down.

And now she would have to pay for shielding herself, shielding herself so much that you turned away. Like so many before, not that she could blame you. It's the normal reaction. But maybe this time it doesn't have to end in the same way; maybe she needs to take a note from all those stupid rom-coms Harper makes them watch.

She pulls out her phone and starts typing the number for the local precinct.

------

You wait outside for your...date. Maybe you're slightly regretting agreeing to it, but what were you supposed to do? The professor said it would do you good, but now you're starting to feel stupid waiting here dressed up in the dark.

Then you wait and wait and wait, and nothing. Just you and an empty street before you hear footsteps to your right that you recognise. Salem.

"Do you like standing out in the cold?" The answer was obvious, but you couldn't speak due to your own embarrassment. "There's a new diner opened up down the road; want to go?" You would like that; maybe it would even make dressing up worth it.

Salem escorts you to the dinner close to your side and pushes the thoughts of your would-be date locked in a cell far away from their mind.

Harper -

Harper was sat at work typing away, while Salem complained about you, as she has gotten so used to doing. They were listening with rapt attention, trying to glean any new detail about you from another person's view. They admittedly aren't always the best at reading people's emotions or even their own, but that's why they just have to listen to how other people view you. They just need to know one thing you like, and their plan will come to fruition: a gift and message for Valentine's. What could be more romantic?

"Apparently they are going on a date with that Kim's woman grandkid." Salem said, more annoyed than anything else. The words stopped their rhythm on the keyboard in its tracks, hands suspended midair as they started to tremble. You're going on a date...with some rando-with someone other than them. They thougth you saw them in the same light, they did you, but you weren't going on the date with them.

Were they too late again? Too scared to act, and now you were going to be swept away by someone who could offer you more than them. Who wasn't afraid to show how much you meant to them, how much they wanted to spend time with you, how you just walking into the room brightened their day? Should they call you and confess their feelings before you go on the date? But wouldn't that be unfair, to try and steal you away from another? To make you choose. And what if you didn't choose them? What would they do then?

-------

Hours later, Harper sits at home, curled in a blanket, a half-empty bucket of ice cream slowly melting as 'When Harry Met Sally' plays on their TV. Eyes red and puffy, why are they even mourning something that didn't have a chance in the first place?

Eating the box of chocolate they so painstakingly picked out for you, maybe you aren't enjoying the date. Maybe they just need to build up the courage like in the movies they have been watching all night and tell you everything, but they are frozen with fear before they fall into the gentle embrace of sleep. Dreams of you dancing in their mind as a single tear rolls down their cheek.

Man...some of these got deep. Um...Happy Valentines, everyone. 💖

[kkoga]

2. Unwanted reunion ┈─★ WC : 1034

Masterlist ! next !

Y/n turns her phone off after Yunjin drunkenly yells for her. The girl approaches over to Yunjin's voice, only to find Yunjin basically clinging onto Sakura for dear life. Y/n felt bad for Sakura, but atleast Yunjin made some progress with her 4 year long crush on the older member.

''C'mon Yunj, get off Sakura.'' Y/n says as she tries to pry the red head off of Sakura. The girl groans in protest.

''But I don't wannaaaaaaa'' Sakura giggles at Yunjin's behaviour, and Y/n just felt embarrassed. She was trying to save her ass, and this is what she gets in return??

''Bro, let Sakura enjoy the damn party too. She hasn't gotten a single drink in. Get off her and—''

''No no, it's okay Y/n. I can handle this, you should go enjoy too!'' Sakura gracefully cuts Y/n off, and before Y/n could tell her otherwise, Sakura's stern look told her all she needed to know.

''Well, there's no saving her now. Might as well get a pic and tease her for it tomorrow.'' After swiftly asking Sakura for a picture and taking it, the girl leaves the two alone.

Daniela enters the common area for HYBE. This room was commonly used for parties and what not, so Daniela wasn't so surprised to know this was the set place for Le sserafim's party.

Manon immediately books it to the nearest area with booze, Lara not far behind. Sophia sighs, knowing the bullshitry she will have to deal with on the way home.

Daniela notices Megan looking around. Trying to find some random girl to flirt with probably. Daniela knows she probably won't find this party any fun at all.

''At least it got me out of the house I guess...'' The Latina mumbles to herself. The girl was going to hang around the drinks area, get a couple more down, and probably pass out on the couch or something. That was until she bumped into someone.

''Oh, I'm so sorry—'' The Latina's words got stuck in her throat. The person she bumped into was none other than Hyunsik. Her fucking ex.

''Well look who it is... My wonderful ex girlfriend! Nice to see you hours after you sent that damn breakup text yeah?'' The guy grabs her arm, and forcefully pulled her close to him.

''Wanna have some fun? C'mon.. I know you still want me.'' His once sweet and cute smile turned into a sick and disgusting look. How did she ever fall for his bullshit?

''What the fuck are you— let go!'' Daniela struggles to get out of his grip, the girl reminded of the reasons as to why she even fell for him. His strength was known by all his fans and members. Fuck.

''Stop struggling already honey, it was only a few days ago you were basically begging me to meet up with you no?''

Daniela felt so disgusted. She did not needed to be reminded of their relationship. The thoughts of their intimate moments made her feel so... dirty. Good god, she let this man touch her like that? Daniela was damn near close to puking.

What was love making to her, was nothing but sex to him. Daniela hated men like that. The Latina was on the verge of tears, when suddenly, someone slapped his hand off of hers.

''Hey, what's going on here?'' Daniela couldn't look up. She was trying too hard to keep herself from bursting into tears.

''None of your damn business.'' Daniela could hear Hyunsik grit his teeth. She was sure he was sending whoever was next to her a death stare right now.

''It is going to be my business when I see a man clearly harassing a non-consenting woman. Now fuck off.'' The person defending her gently put an arm around Daniela. Strangely comforting, Daniela thought.

''What if I don't want to?'' Hyunsik tries to grab her arm, but the person stops him.

''I said, go. I'm getting you kicked out of the party. I know Le sserafim personally. Expect to hear from management tomorrow.'' Hyunsik looked threatened, and decided to just leave it be.

Daniela let go of a breath she wasn't aware she was holding. She turns around to see her savior, and it met with fucking Y/n L/n. Someone notorious for her confident and rude behavior, along with her very obvious bitch face she constantly gives to everyone.

''Are you okay? Look, I will get him kicked out. Promise. Do you want me to find your members?'' Daniela doesn't know whether it was the booze or not getting to her head, but all she wanted to do right now was get comforted. So, drunkenly, she hugs and clings onto Y/n.

''Oh— oh... okay, yeah this is fine.'' Y/n gently pat her back, as if telling her it was going to be okay. Daniela couldn't hold it in anymore. The Latina burst into tears, staining Y/n's T-shirt with her tears.

''Uhm... we should go to a more private place. Are you alright with crying out here? I could call your members...'' Daniela shakes her head. She doesn't want any more people to see her vulnerable right now.

''No. Take me home please?'' It was definitely the booze talking right now. The only thing on Daniela's mind right now was comfort and rest.

''W-what? To your home? I don't know your address... We should just get your members Daniela—''

''No, please,'' Daniela pleaded, looking into Y/n's eyes, a tired and drained look on her face. ''I don't want any more people to see me right now. Just take me to yours? Pretty please?'' Y/n looked reluctant, Daniela could tell. So after a few more ''are you sure''s, Daniela found herself in Y/n's car, on the way to Y/n's as she sobbed and ranted to the girl. Completely forgetting who she was even talking to, the drinks keeping her mind hazy and confused. All Daniela knew at this moment, was that she was being taken somewhere, and that she was currently ranting about Hyunsik to someone. But at this point, the girl had forgotten who.

Taglist 13/30 : @itzkatflixs @yjiminswallet @hydrardz @wtfisthisnoclueman @yeetaberry127 @gtfoiydlyj @kristalag @haerinkisser @sunshinez4 @xochitlisbest @sirenontheloose @arihiu @harajuku

[gomzdrawfr]

Cash and Strawberries

♡︎ sugar daddy!Price x sugar baby!Raven, ftr [oc] Orion and Gaz ♡︎ they're both new to this, so unconventional sugar daddy/baby dynamic I guess? slow burn, mutual pining, eventual smut...no promises ♡︎ brief mentioned of injuries part 1 (you're here :3) ⋆ Valentine's Special ⋆ part 2 ⋆ part 3(?)

Price didn’t think he’d ever end up where he is right now, reclining against his couch, scrolling through a bloody sugar dating site like some desperate sod. He wasn’t lonely, Well, maybe a little. It was a different kind of loneliness. 

He had his friends, his job, his entire life structured around a routine and responsibilities. He was used to this lifestyle, but the emptiness gnawed at the back of his head sometimes, like he was missing something. 

A wife, but that would be a stretch, consider his work and the life he led. Not to mention, he’d had enough of messy entanglements that turned his already complicated life into a disaster. He didn’t want commitment. He wanted company, a little softness. Someone on his side when he wanted, no strings, no attachment, no expectations.

Something easy.

He never considered himself the sugar daddy type, but Kyle had a way of convincing another, planting ideas in his head.

“You’re lonely, mate, and there’s nothin’ wrong w’ that,” Kyle mentioned, beer in hand and amusement in his eyes. “Try it out, worse comes to worst, you can just drop ‘em.” 

Price had been sceptical but decided to give it a shot. 

His first experience was horrible. The girl he requested on a whim had been pushy, greedy and treating him like nothing but a blank cheque with legs. He never imagined he could develop such disgust towards perfume until that night, when the sickly, nauseating sweetness clung to his shirt so stubbornly he had to throw it out. So much for his favourite T-shirt.

Never again.

Well, until he met up with Kyle again, this time the lad had brought along someone. Sweet, charming, soft-spoken in a way that was natural.

“How the hell did you find her?”

Kyle, the smug bastard he was, grinned. “It’s all about filters, mate. You gotta be picky, can’t just click anything you first saw. Read the reviews, ratings, check the preferences and so on.”

Reviews? Ratings? Preferences?

Begrudgingly, Price asked for more help. He learned the ins and outs of the site, what each symbol meant, studied the grading system, set up a proper profile, refined his preferences. He sure as hell wasn’t about to get suckered again.

The screen refreshed. 

“Don’t go for the new ones, though,” Kyle advised, rambling off. “They don’t have ratings yet, so—"

Price stopped listening after he saw her.

Raven.

No ratings. A new member. Joined roughly three weeks ago. Simple profile with three sets of photos. Black hair, possibly mixed Asian, multilingual. Preferences that nearly mirrored his: discretion, quiet, no unnecessary chatter, looking for a mutual agreement of presence rather than performance. Sexual preference wasn’t checked—a shame, but he could work with that.

So he chose her, much to Kyle’s side eye and obvious disapproval. 

Raven never thought she’d find herself here. Hell, she never would have considered it if she’d had any better options.

Becoming a sugar baby hadn’t exactly been on her list of options, but life had a way of making things difficult. She had lost her job a few months back—an injury to her wrist made her old work, and any similar jobs that required precision and repetition, nearly impossible. Other fields felt tedious, like a downgrade, and money was running tight. Choices were slim. This… sugar baby business… seemed easy.

In theory, that is. 

Orion had first proposed the idea over a cup of tea, offhandedly mentioning that plenty of rich schmucks would pay good money just to have a pretty girl on their arm. Raven had been curious despite the feign disinterest, but with the strict boundaries she set on her profile, she knew she had put herself at a disadvantage among hundreds of other girls willing to offer more.

“You’re not going to get any man like this, rotisserie chicken.”

 “Shut it. I don’t want weird old men, alright? I still have some dignity.”

 “No one wants a sugar baby they can’t coddle, y’know.”

Hours were spent refining and adjusting her profile, much to Orion’s amusement. It wasn’t perfect, but it was better. If she could land just one decent client, she might be able to survive for roughly three months or more if she was lucky.

Three weeks passed with nothing. She had nearly given up, considering swallowing her pride and taking the job at the car shop instead, despite the ominous boss with the skull mask—

Ding! New match! JP.

Raven had never dropped everything in her hands so fast. Pressing herself into the corner of her bed, she flicked through his profile.

Military. Captain. A little older. Blue eyes. Serious in most of his photos, but he almost looked like a quokka in one of his smiling photo for some reason....cute?

She tried to ignore the weird flutter in her heart as she filled up some forms. His profile was just as minimal as hers. But their preferences aligned.

Surely, this wasn’t a scam. 

She stared at the screen, lingering on the smiley face longer than necessary, then shared the news with a very stunned Orion.

“Holy shit, you lucky bird!”

Holy shit indeed.

Raven was every bit as composed in person as she was in her profile, arriving precisely on time, dressed in a simple but elegant dress. She greeted him politely, proper and quiet, but Price wasn’t fooled.

Beneath that poised exterior, he could tell she was nervous, likely inexperienced. The signs were subtle, her gaze lingered on him for half a second longer than necessary, the few times she adjusted her dress, the slight pause and hesitation when she first looped her arm around his as they moved, the stiffness in her walk.

It was…endearing, sweet in her own way. Breath of fresh air. He didn’t pressure her, just offered a small, patient smile.

They didn’t talk much, just like they agreed. Content to walk down the block and have a meal. She noted he didn’t care about the formalities of fine dining, much to her relief, he ate with whatever utensils he deemed fit and had been nothing but a proper gentleman the entire time. It eased something in her, the tension loosening just a little. 

But, sitting across him at dinner, she wondered if she had overestimated herself. While Price—his name, as she’d come to learn—has not expressed anything thus far, at least negatively, she couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of her.

She wasn’t prim and princessy. She wasn’t giggly, overly affectionate, or flirty. None of those qualities were things she wanted to pretend to be either. She was pragmatic, quiet, logical, a nervous wreck. But she wanted to try. Compelled to do at least something to make his money worth.

So she scooped a bite of food and hesitantly, gestured for him to lean forward. 

Price blinked at her, caught off guard. That made her cringed internally, almost pulling away with regret.

Too much, too soon?

But then, he leaned in and took the bite from her spoon. A flicker of approval showed in his expression, whether it was towards the food or her, she chose not to think too much of it.

He didn’t know why that moment nearly made him short-circuit, but it did. Something about the gesture, so small and yet so intimate, made his stomach twist in an unfamiliar way. Maybe it was the way her shoulders relaxed, or the way her eyes light up slightly when he smiled back, or the way she was eager to feed him again.

Strawberries never tasted sweeter while fed by a pretty girl. 

He thought he was done with surprises, walking her back to her place, or rather, the place she said she was staying. One look and he knew it was a lie. 

Smart girl. He didn’t press.

Outside the door, he handed her the envelope, watched as she opened it and counted, making sure the amount was right in front of him before giving a small nod of satisfaction, albeit awkward.

Likely not used to this much cash in your hands, birdie?

Then, just as he was about to say goodnight, she tiptoed closer and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, whispered a quiet, “Goodnight, Price.”

His cheek burned where she’d kissed him, rendering him speechless when she disappeared inside hurriedly, his heart doing an embarrassing little flip.

He stood there for a good ten seconds before he exhaled, shaking his head to himself as he turned to leave.

Yeah.

He was definitely requesting her again. 

[sashaisready]

Feel The Burn: Chapter 6

Lance Tucker x Reader | Destroyer!Chris x Reader

Series Masterlist

Your casual situationship with notorious flirt Lance Tucker comes to a shocking head at a party, fortunately the mysterious stranger you meet that same night is more than happy to help take your mind off it.

Wordcount: Approx 3.5k

(Warnings for panic attacks in this chapter)

Hey gang, back again! Thanks for all of the love you've shared for this series, your comments/reblogs really make my day- truly. We've had a lot of lovely Chris lately so thought I'd bring back the mothertucker himself 😁 As always, thank you for any engagement.

“It’s fibula! Fibula!” Lance exclaims in a heightened whisper as he smacks his hand on the table.

“Shh! Don’t let other teams hear you!” you admonish, “and are you sure? It’s definitely not femur?”

“Of course I’m sure! The femur is higher up. The fibula is here,” he pats the spot on his leg in demonstration, his voice strained with frustration. “Can you trust me, please? I know this stuff! It’s my job!”

“I think we gotta go with him,” Kat admits, “he doesneed to know anatomy for his coaching and trainer stuff or whatever…”

Matt and the others nod in agreement as Lance smirks at you victoriously. You sigh and dejectedly scribble down fibula on the answer sheet.

“Fine…but if you’re wrong…”

“I’m not wrong…”

“But if you are…”

“Not an option…and oh,” he jabs the page with his finger, “fibula only has one ‘b’ by the way…”

“And which bone is this?” you ask childishly as you flip him off.

“Well, that depends, it’s actually several bones…”

Kat groans and snatches the answer sheet away from you, “quit it, you guys! You’ve been bickering all through this!”

She’s right, you have.  You know that your behaviour has been incredibly juvenile, but you can’t stop yourself. Lance knows exactly how to press your buttons and any attempts to rise above it have been thwarted by your own anger that you can’t seem to keep under control. He just gets under your skin!

And if you are being self-aware, there’s probably still some remnants of hurt simmering under the surface that you haven’t fully worked through yet.

“We’re going to take a short break before the next round,” the bartender announces on the microphone, “and just a reminder for teams to keep it down when we’re reading the questions…”

He looks over pointedly at your table. Lance sits up straight and glares over at the other tables, “Yeah…you heard him – you’re being very disruptive,” he says towards the other teams as he crosses his arms, his tone reprimanding as they stare back incredulously. You manage to stifle a laugh at their indignant faces.

Matt goes up to the bar for another round of drinks as the rest of you settle into the break, the sound of chatting and laughter filling the busy bar as people relax and mingle.

“Soo…” Kat practically shrieks as she drags her chair closer to yours, “now we can talk - tell me EVERYTHING. How did the date go? When am I meeting him properly?! I barely said hi at the party…”

“Oh, is this Chaz?” Lance innocently interjects.

You scoff and glower at him over your shoulder as you turn your body away from him to face Kat, “his name is Chris”.

“Right, Chris. Sorry. Just a very forgettable name I guess…Lotta guys out there named Chris, you know…”

You ignore him and turn your attention back to Kat, “it was great. We went out for cocktails, had a blast. He drove me home. He’s a great guy…” you smile.

“Drove you home after drinking? Red flag,” Lance chimes in from behind you. You ignore him again.

“…he’s…he’s really nice,” you continue on, unable to mask the dreamy smile that creeps onto your face. “He’s very upfront about how he feels, a what-you-see-is-what-you-get kinda guy, you know? It’s refreshing…We’re just seeing how it goes, taking each day as it comes, but I really like him. We’re having dinner at the weekend.”

Lance is uncharacteristically silent. You don’t look at him but in your peripheral see that he takes a quiet sip of his drink.

“That’s great,” Kat smiles earnestly as she places her hand onto yours, “I’m really happy for you, babe, you deserve it”.

She's right, you do. You return her smile but suddenly feel very aware of Lance’s presence looming behind you as you share more about the date. He has no smart aleck quips, no sassy putdowns, there’s just a very heavy silence. You can practically feel his eyes burning into the back of your head. You hear him as he shifts awkwardly in his seat, his fingers drumming on the table as if trying to release pent-up energy.

You can’t help but revel a little in his discomfort. After all, he treated you very badly – discarding you like nothing and then accusing you of doing things you hadn’t. He hadn’t seemed to consider that you could bounce back so quickly, or that another man would want you – and want you so unashamedly. More fool him. If this experience had taught you anything, it was not to underestimate yourself or your worth. It may sound petty, but there was some satisfaction in showing him what he was missing.

Matt arrives back from the bar with a loaded tray and begins handing out the drinks, “oh shoot, I forgot Marcy’s vodka soda…” he grumbles.

Out of nowhere you suddenly feel quite overwhelmed, maybe the significance of talking about your feelings for Chris out loud…the unresolved pain from how Lance had hurt you…the exciting but still scary pivot to actively prioritising yourself. It’s a lot. You abruptly feel too hot, far too close to everyone, a tight ache pulsing in your chest as sweat pools at the back of your neck. It feels like your body is screaming that you need to get the hell out of there. You try to lock your focus onto keeping your breathing even as Kat obliviously scolds Matt for his oversight.

“I’ll get it,” you say a little too quickly as you shoot up on your feet and grab your purse, “gonna grab some water anyway…”

“Thanks!” chirps Marcy.

“Okay babe, be quick – they’re starting again soon,” Kat adds.

You nod quickly and make a beeline for the bar, grateful just to have some breathing room again. A brief respite while you try and figure out what's made you freak out...and how to stop it. You order the drinks between shaky breaths, not feeling able to fully fill up your lungs as the bartender eyes you with concern and prepares your order.

“You okay?” Lance asks as he appears from nowhere and slides up next to you.

“Lance, please,” you tell him as you keep your attention on the busy bartender, your voice unfortunately more pleading than demanding, “not now, alright? I don’t want any shit”.

“I’m not here to give you shit,” he leans on the bar, his tone softening, “you looked like you were having a panic attack or something. I came to check you were okay”.

“And make some joke…some needling remark…” you jeer.

“No,” he says firmly.

You look up at him properly for the first time, he’s watching you carefully – his smirk missing for the first time that night. He furrows his brows as he assesses you. He pauses, then lifts his hand as if to touch your shoulder before seeming to think better of it – snapping it back to where it was.

You glance over at your table, your friends oblivious. How did Lance, of all people, pick up on what they’d missed? And you were so sure you were hiding it well…

“I’m fine,” you mutter softly. The bartender gives you the drinks and you add them to the tab, taking a gentle sip of your water. It still feels like you’re struggling to find your breath. You’re seconds away from bolting out of the door. You’ve been anxious before, but have never experienced anything like this.

“I just felt a little-it’s hot in here, is all” you stammer.

He nods, “it is warm, yeah. Hopefully that water helps you feel…cooler”.

It hangs in the air unspoken, but it’s clear he’s not fully buying what you’re selling.

“We don’t have to talk. I’m just going to be over here, to make sure you’re okay,” he takes a step back and gives you physical space.

You roll your eyes and shrug, “do whatever you want. I don’t care”.

“Take a really deep breath,” he says commandingly.

“I don’t need-”

“Just humour me and do it would ya? And I’ll go back to the table and leave you in peace”.

“Ugh. Fine…”

You begrudgingly inhale deeply, blowing the air out of your mouth. You won’t admit it, but it feels a little better.

“Good. But do it again, slower this time. When you exhale, do it slowly. Make an ‘o’ shape with your lips like you’re slowly blowing through a straw”. He speaks with authority, but it’s not dictatorial.

You scoff at him but obey, letting the air leave your lungs in the way he instructed. It does feel calming, physically it’s helping your breathing to settle, and the act of focusing your mind on it also seems to have a soothing effect. You do it a few more times.

“Now…name three things you can see,” he says, his tone authoritative.

“Huh…?”

“Just tell me three things you can see…it will help. Trust me.”

You blink, unsure whether to trust him but not really having many other options. “Uh…the busy bar. Lots of people around it.”

“Good. What else? Any colours”

“The…the bathroom door over there. It’s…red”. You motion with your hand to gesture towards it.

“Good. One more?”

“Your jacket, it’s blue. Bright blue”.

He grins, touching the fabric . “I know, gorgeous right? Made in the USA. Now two things you can hear. Go..”

“Um. Music. I think it’s AC/DC on the speakers in here.”

“It is. What else?”

“The main door, at the entrance. It makes a loud clunking noise when someone opens it”. You both look towards the door and sure enough, you hear the clang as it closes.

“Good. Alright, last one now and you’re done - one thing you can smell”.

A server wanders by holding a tray of food, placing it on the table behind you.

“Uh. Fries. I can smell fries. I kinda want some now…” You look over longingly at the bowl.

Lance chuckles and without hesitation dips his hand down and grabs a fry, ignoring the outraged ‘hey!’ from the owners. He simply does not give a fuck. You look at him in shock as he passes the fry to you, and you’re so mortified that you just take it. Mindlessly putting it in your mouth.

“One thing you can taste?” he smiles.

“Um. Fries,” you laugh awkwardly. “Lance…you can’t do stuff like that…” you hiss with embarassment.

But he just shrugs.

It hits you then. You feel…better? Although you’re still a little off, it feels like you’ve reset somehow. The room doesn’t feel as ‘close’ as it did a few minutes before. Lance had successfully walked you through it. You sheepishly glance over at him.

“Thank-you,” you say quietly.

He shrugs again, nonchalant with his hands in his pants pockets, “no biggie, you’re welcome”.

“You kinda coached me there…”

He grins boyishly and shrugs again, “well, yeah. It’s what I do.”

The two of you exchange a hesitant smile and then the bartender announces that the next round is about to start. You both head back to the table in silence.

Huh.

🥇

Trivia continues and Lance seems to have mellowed slightly. He’s still being a smartass, but less so at you. Which is somewhat more bearable. You’re still reeling from him helping you earlier, grateful but guarded – unsure of what his game might be. You never quite know where you stand with Lance, so anything does could mean something else entirely.

Aside from that, you both seem to have hit your stride in the trivia game – on a roll with the questions with a new sense of synchrony you were lacking before. You quickly reel off answers between you.

“The Godfather”.

…

“1865”.

…

“Burkina Faso”.

…

“Jesse! Oh man what’s his last name…Jesse…Oswald?”

“Jess Owens, cupcake.”

“Oh, right…right”.

…

The others observe you both with an air of confusion, but don’t dare question whatever strange system appears to be generating this new-found productivity.

The bartender reads out the answers one by one on the mic and your team are delighted that you appear to have scored quite highly. Each time you get one right the table exchanges a muted ‘yesss’ and an occasional fist pump.

“…and the answer to number 15, fibula. That’s F-I-B-U-L-A”.

“Don’t even…” you begin as you look up at Lance.

“I didn’t say anything…” he smirks, crossing his arms victoriously.

“You didn’t have to!” you laugh, flicking a beer mat at him. He deftly dodges it and you roll your eyes.

Kat watches the two of you, an unreadable expression on her face.

After the scores have been counted, you await with bated breath to be told that your table placed…

…second.

Narrowly missing out on first place by two measly points.

“I demand a recount!” scoffs Lance.

“Second place is still really great, way better than we usually do,” Matt responds with a shrug.

“Yeah,” Kat agrees, “you guys really pushed our score up. Didn’t see that coming,” she smiles warmly as she gestures at you and Lance. Others at the table nod and smile in agreement. “Thanks, you two. Weird trivia dream team over here”.

You feel a sudden wave of embarrassment crash through you, you hope they don’t somehow think you’re sleeping with him again. You know Kat isn’t implying anything, she doesn’t mean any harm, and you were a good team tonight…but you don’t want your friends thinking you’re some pushover who allows herself to be treated poorly and then all is forgotten. As if you’re just grateful for the attention, lapping it up like a stray dog who gets offered a treat. You find yourself subconsciously moving away from him in your seat, in case you’re too close.

“Yeah, we totally carried you guys,” Lance exclaims cockily, “alright. Silver isn’t quite as good as what I’m used to, but I’ll take it. Great work, Cupcake. Even if you do need to brush up on your anatomy knowledge”. He nudges you with his elbow, grinning.

“Whatever,” you reply dismissively as you take a sip from your glass, hoping to dispel any incorrect ideas that your friends may hold about the situation.

His brow twitches slightly in response but he quickly moves on, continuing to rag on Matt and some of the others as he boasts about his victory, at one point threatening to get his tattoo out.

You feel quite tired now, the few drinks you’ve had making you sluggish. The strange panic attack you had earlier must’ve spiked your adrenaline because now it feels like you’re crashing. Your eyelids feel heavy, your bed calls to you like a siren song. You keep thinking about how Lance managed to calm you down earlier. How did he do that?

You stay a little longer to chat – it’s nice to be with your friends and catch-up, and you don’t want to appear rude. After some time passes you feel like you’ve finally run out of road as your eyes get heavier, so you open your Uber app and arrange a ride home. You smile at the screen as you see a message from Chris.

Hope yourehaving fun. Cabt wait to see you again.

You chuckle at the typos, maybe he’s having a bit too much fun at the bar. You’ll reply when you get in your Uber, which thankfully is coming in a few minutes, so you get up and put your jacket on, signalling that you’re heading out.

“You leaving?” Matt asks.

“Yeah, I’m pretty beat,” you smile.

Kat lets out a wail of protest but it’s in jest, she wouldn’t ever try to guilt you into staying out later. She knows when your social battery is out and needs a charge, unlike hers which seems to be at full capacity at all times. Somehow.

“Thanks for kicking ass tonight,” she chirps as she moves to hug you, “we couldn’t have done it without you”.

“Happy to serve,” you tell her with a giggle as you return the hug.

“See you, Matt”.

“Later!”

You bid farewell to the others at the table as Lance watches you pensively. He suddenly gets to his feet and moves towards you.

“I’ll walk you out”.

“Oh, that’s okay you don-”

But he’s already walking towards the door. Fine. Whatever. You give the group a final wave as you begrudgingly follow him to the exit.

“We made a good team tonight, Cupcake,” he hums as he drops back in step with you.

“Mm,” you respond noncommittally. But he’s right, you did.

“What? That smart mouth of yours finally run outta steam?”

“I’m tired, Lance,” you scoff as you glance lazily down at your phone. The car should be here any moment.

He opens the door for you and you walk through, peering out into the street to see if you can make out the Uber in the darkness. An uncomfortable silence sits thickly as you both stand outside. But you’re not going to make it any easier for him.

“Look,” he sighs as he scratches the back of his neck, “I’m sorry for giving you a hard time earlier…”

You turn to him, surprised, that was the last thing you expected him to say.

“…believe it or not,” he continues, “I’m not just trying to give you shit. It’s actually really fun…being here with you…doing this. I forgot how much-how fun it is...hanging out with you. I know I get carried away. I just like it…a lot. So…thanks, for letting me being here. I get that it’s your turf, and I appreciate it”.

You blink at him, watching him stumble over his words and feeling not quite able to process what he’s saying. It’s always disarming on the rare occasions he’s not all swagger and confidence.

He wasn’t just trying to torture you?

He actually enjoyed it?

Is he just…trying to hang out with you?!

What?

You blanch, unsure of how to respond.

“Lance…look. It was kinda fun, weirdly…and I am honestly grateful for you helping me with my panic attack earlier…but I dunno, this is still…it’s still raw for me. You…you hurt me. You made me out to be someone I wasn’t…

He sighs, gritting his teeth, “I know. I fucked up. And I’m sorry. And I know my apology doesn’t mean much…but I do mean it. Really. I swear I haven’t got some ulterior motive. I just…I just like being with you. Even if it’s just playing trivia. I’d like…for us to be friends. Maybe it’s too soon right now, but one day”.

You’re stunned, this was the most open he’d ever been with you – all of the times you’d been in each other’s beds, sharing showers, you’d fantasised about him opening up to you – and here it was happening on the street, outside of a bar, as you waited for a taxi. Part of you wants to ask him more about why he said those things on that night – but you’re not quite sure you could handle picking at that wound.

“Maybe. I guess we’ll see,” you responded dully. “I mean, it would be easier as we’re going to cross paths here and there with our friends tangled up like they are. But…let’s just see how we go”.

Although you’re happy with Chris, you still feel some of the wounds from what Lance did. He can’t magically erase that and be all buddy-buddy with you like it’s nothing. It would be nice to be friends with him, sure, and easier for nights like this – but it wasn’t that simple.

But he seems happy enough that you didn’t say no, offering a big grin and a fist pump. You scoff good-naturedly at him.

“Hey,” you ask, unable to mask your curiosity as the thought had plagued you all night, “how did you know how to do that stuff with the breathing and the questions…with the panic attack, I mean?”

You expect another little jibe but are surprised when he replies earnestly.

“It happens to some of the kids I coach sometimes,” he says casually, “they get themselves worked up worrying about a movement they can’t quite master, or a competition they’re anxious about…so I looked into how I could help. Did a class on it. Gotten pretty good at spotting the warning signs now. Could see yours a mile off, you looked like a deer in headlights”.

You nodded, slightly embarrassed at being exposed so easily, but quietly impressed that he took his job so seriously. “Well, thanks”.

“It’s cool,” he smiles.

A car pulls up to the kerb and the driver leans out of the window, calling your name to confirm if you’re his pick-up.

“That’s me!” you chime back as you walk to the car. Lance opens the back door and you thank him as you sidle in.

“See ya, Cupcake. Nice hanging out with you,”.

“Yeah, I guess it wasn’t the worst night of my life…” you shoot back.

He chuckles at your joke and leans down just before he closes the door. “Oh, and I’m glad it’s going well with that Chris guy. Really”.

You freeze, waiting for the inevitable punchline, but it doesn’t come.

“Just make sure he’s good to you,” he says solemnly as the door slams. Your eyebrows knit in surprise as you absorb what he just told you.

The driver pulls away, and you watch Lance get smaller in the rearview mirror.

🥇