#what felt like three days was in fact two full days and about 4 hours LMAO | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lustspren · 1 year ago

Text

P.S.T EP. 4 | The Hydra ft Ryujin, Yuna

length: 9.6k words✦

Ryujin, Yuna & Male Reader (Special Guest: Lia)

genres: brat! Ryujin, blowjob, oral sex, foursome, anal (lia), hard sex, daddy kink, squirt, facefuck, creampie, voyeur

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It was supposed and agreed that the day after your session with Yeji you would return to the girls' house to meet Ryujin, but an unexpected and bittersweet event ruined all your plans. In fact, it was not just one event, but two. The first was about your job. The spa had been having a considerable increase in the number of clients during that whole month, and you as a worker were the first to notice it, but what you never expected was to reach that point, where you had to work extra hours to be able to cover all requests and reservations that came in daily.

You had no complaints about it, it was work and extra money, and Ryujin, like the rest of the girls, had understood it perfectly. Of course, the money wasn't the only thing making all that hard work and overtime worth it, as you've hosted some industry bigwigs at the spa, and best of all, each one was just as hot as the previous one. Saerom and Nagyung from Fromis, Hwasa from Mamamoo, Chaewon and Yujin from Lesserafim, Kwon Eunbi, etc. Even Lee Chaeyeon (with whom you constantly broke the no penetration rule) was with you during those days, and from that session with her, she was sending you endless messages and lewd photos, letting you understand how addicted she was to you, and how much she needed you.

The second unexpected event, naturally, was that the Itzy girls were still idols with a career and activities, and from one moment to the next their schedules were completely full. It wasn't until three weeks after your encounter with Yeji that your free slots on your schedules finally matched up.

The week leading up to your visit to Ryujin was pretty unusual, to say the least. The work environment felt strangely different, but it was Juyeon's and Sunwoo's fault, your two co-workers who were incredibly irritable and stressed absolutely every day of the week. You related it to something as simple as all the pressure you've been under lately, and you would have come to that conclusion if it wasn't for something else extremely weird that happened that week.

You had your appointment with Ryujin on Friday afternoon, right after you got off work, but starting Monday, in your free time you began to receive deliveries of all kinds of fruit, strawberries, mangoes, bananas, peaches, and in much larger quantities, pineapple. Accompanying each delivery was a little note that specifically said to make sure you enjoyed it well, and that they were sent with a lot of love. You tried to find explanations about it, but your receptionist told you that they were anonymous deliveries, and that she had no idea what it could be, but you were suspicious.

By Thursday you had gotten used to eating the same fruits every day, you weren't complaining, luckily you liked pineapples a lot, but that didn't stop you from continuing to be suspicious of just one specific person, a person whose name began with Sh and ended with In Ryujin. Who else would be able to do something like that? And coincidentally the week in which you were going to see her? It must have been one of her dirty tricks. Besides, you weren't a fool, and you knew perfectly well the popular beliefs that people had about pineapple, you didn't fully know the veracity of that information, but the simple gesture led you to conclude that it was only about her.

The long-awaited day finally arrived, in the morning you had written to Ryujin, asking her for a confirmation about whether the plan was still on or not, she gave you the affirmative, and you spent the whole day looking at the clock like a teenager waiting for the last bell of summer. Luckily for you the day went by quite quickly, you only had two clients that day, and when you least expected it, your departure time was just around the corner.

You left your spa room after leaving it clean and tidy like every day, to sit on one of the sofas in the reception while you drank a hot coffee. The minutes passed, and when the clock marked your departure time, you immediately got up to go collect your things and leave. You already had your backpack on your shoulder, walking straight to the exit when the receptionist called you.

"Hey! Don't go yet!" the receptionist said, and you immediately turned around with a raised eyebrow, "someone came."

"Huh?" you frowned, somewhat offended since it was already your departure time, "Why doesn't Sangyeon cover me? Or Eric!" you asked, turning around.

"This person specifically requested you," she said, looking at her computer and typing something you couldn't see, "you can't say no, I'm sorry."

"Ugh, you gotta be fucking kidding me..." you muttered clearly annoyed, reluctantly walking back to the spa room.

You sent a message to Ryujin, telling her that something had come up at the last moment and that you would be a little late. You stayed propped up against one of the massage tables, watching impatiently as she'd seen the message, but she just wasn't responding.

"Fuck... she's going to hate me..." you muttered to yourself, putting your hands up to your face and clearing your throat in frustration. At that moment, the bedroom door opened, and a short woman came in, dressed in baggy black pants, white hoodie, white beanie and circular glasses. She took off her mask, revealing a face that completely blew you away at how beautiful it was. You stepped forward to greet her with a bow, "Welcome, I'll be your host today!"

"Oh hi," she returned the bow to you, "I don't think so, that's not why I came here."

"Uh?" you frowned in confusion.

"Well... I'll be as brief as possible with you," she approached you with slow steps, until she stood in front of you, "my name is Noh Jihye, but you can call me Noze."

"Noze? Like the English word?" you asked, genuinely confused.

"Uh-uh," she shook her finger, "Nou-zi. With Z," she clarified.

"Ah, sure," you nodded, "and what brings you here then?"

"Well, I'm going to tell you this and I don't want you to freak out," she sighed, scratching her forehead with a finger, "I'm Aespa's manager," your eyes widened, and you froze. She couldn't be serious, Aespa? The girlgroup that was at Coachella not so long ago? "Well, I wasn't expecting any other reaction, look," she took you by the shoulder, and walked with you until she sat down on one of the individual sofas, "I am perfectly aware of the services you offer here, and not only the services, but also what you do for idols."

"What do you mean by that? I only give massages..." you thought about it for a moment, "well, and with some extra services."

"Honey, don't get smart with me, you fuck any idol that asks you to," she said clean and without mincing words. You blushed, and with a sigh you took a hand to the temple.

"That doesn't happen often, please don't tell the receptionist," you said embarrassed.

"I'm not going to say anything, calm down, that's not important right now anyway," she crossed her legs, looking to the side, towards the decoration in the room, that's when you analyzed her stupidly beautiful face in detail, above all, her marked and attractive jaw. She might as well be an idol too, you were very puzzled as to why she was only a manager, "First of all, of course the agency really appreciates your discretion with this whole thing."

"God, just get to the point, you're making me nervous."

"Well, Itzy's manager and I have been good friends since college," she started, and at that moment you knew how screwed you were, you just kept quiet, "he highly recommended you," again, your eyes widened, there was no fucking way, "and well, I don't know if you know but my girls will have a world tour very soon, and they have certain needs to cover, as you will understand."

"Wow wow wow," you said, putting the brakes on the conversation since you had a lot to process in a very short time, "Itzy's manager knows about my... you know," you couldn't find a way to say it, "visits?"

"Oh yes, he talks about you a lot, actually," she stood in front of you, crossing her arms.

"And he allows all that to happen?" You raised both eyebrows, "I can't believe it, that's fucking surreal, how come I'm not in trouble? Or how are the girls not in trouble?"

"Easy, he doesn't care to stop all your dirty little games, the girls are happy and de-stressed all the time," she looked into your eyes, "you really must have a magic cock, huh?" she laughed, and you were sure you blushed again.

"I'm not going to comment on that," you said curtly, trying to look away since her gaze was burning you.

"Anyway, the incident with Yuna almost caused a big problem within the group," she said, her tone more serious, "you really did a miracle getting that brat back home without anyone knowing."

"Are you telling me that he knows in detail what I do with them?" you made a face of disgust.

"Uh? No!" she denied instantly, "It's not like he has cameras like some psychopaths, or anything like that, he only knows where the girls go and who enters their house at all times, he doesn't care what they do."

"Well, that calms me down a bit, but what the fuck, how does he know that anyway!" you said, realizing it was just as absurd.

"I can't tell you anything about it, everyone has their own methods of keeping their group safe," she shrugged, heading to the exit, "I'll keep an eye on you, pretty boy, keep up the good work, and maybe soon a juicy new contract will come your way," she winked at you in an unnecessarily attractive way, and then walked out of the room, leaving you staring blankly and completely still.

During the time that you had been talking with Noze, Ryujin had never crossed your mind. Desperate, you immediately took out your phone to check your chat with her, and you found a series of pleasant surprises that made you hate Noze with all your life for having chosen such a bad time to introduce herself to you. The chat was full of all sorts of lewd stuff, most notably photos and videos. The photos got progressively hotter as the messages went by, to the point where she was completely naked on camera. Leg spread, stomach down, on her knees and hands, short videos rubbing her pussy, all of that was just a part of everything she had sent you.

What spilled the water from the glass was a voice note that she sent as her last message:

"Daaaaddyyyyy! Where are you? I'm so in need of a good cock that I don't know how much more I can take, come quickly or I'll have to resort to my plan B!" Ryujin said in the voice note with a sensual and provocative voice.

You turned off the phone screen and ran out of the spa room, past the reception, picked up your backpack again and ran as fast as you could without looking crazy towards your car. You didn't play music on the way to the girl's house, your mind was so busy imagining what Ryujin might be doing while you were gone that your brain couldn't even focus on two tasks at once, so you drove in complete silence.

When you arrived in front of the girls' house, the first thing that caught your attention was something that certainly didn't make you happy. There were two vehicles already parked, easily recognizable to you since you saw them every day in the morning and in the afternoon. They were the cars of Sunwoo and Juyeon, your coworkers. You stopped before parking, thinking that all the stress those two had been carrying throughout the week was finally beginning to make sense to you. You were a little angry, but not with them, but with the artifice of all that provocation. You never believed that Ryujin could become such a bitch, but damn she exceeded all your expectations.

You parked your car to the far right, right next to Sunwoo's car, and then turned off the engine. You got out of the car, slammed the door, and walked gritting your teeth towards the house gate, to enter the password and walk inside. You went up to the second floor right away, not meeting any of the girls on your way, and when you entered the living room, your whole face relaxed, and the anger seemed to vanish from your body.

Lia was lying face down on the sofa, her feet up and propped up on her elbows as she used an iPad, wearing nothing but white panties that exposed all of her round ass. You sighed, taking a few steps towards her until she noticed your presence, looking over her shoulder and giving you a small smirk.

"Is it me or every time I come here you have fewer clothes on?" you smiled, standing in front of her and looking at her whole body. You noticed a certain shine under the thin fabric of her panties, right at the parting of her buttocks. A shiny gem, probably from a plug, but you decided not to say anything.

"It's not usually like that, I just wanted to do it today because I know you'd come," she winked at you, "Ryujin and your friends are waiting for you upstairs in her room, I'd hurry if I were you."

"That bitch is fucking unbearable, I can't believe she was capable of that," you huffed in annoyance, turning around and walking down the hall to the stairs.

"She doesn't like to wait, and she did exactly what she knew would make you feel guilty," Lia said, glancing back at her iPad.

"It's okay, I'll show that little slut who's boss between the two of us," that was the last thing you said to Lia before going up to the third floor.

You looked for Ryujin's room, and just before entering you could already hear lewd sounds coming from inside it. You took a deep breath, and when you entered, you were met with a completely shocking image for you. Ryujin was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, completely naked like your two coworkers on either side of her and with her legs spread. She had one hand playing with her pussy, and the other was quickly jerking off Sunwoo, while Juyeon jerked off himself pointing at her. Her hand alternated between the two of them, and they did nothing but gasp and look at her with eyes of desire. You just stood there like an idiot, none of them noticing your presence yet.

"God, I knew the pineapple would be a great idea," Ryujin gasped, and then smiling, "I really hoped it would work, and it certainly did, but I'm still not satisfied, you know?" she raised an eyebrow, moving her hand even faster over Juyeon's cock, who just a few seconds later began to cum all over Ryujin's body between moans, the cum fell on her face, on her tits and on her thighs, and it wasn't until she stopped receiving Juyeon's load that she noticed that you were there, "Oh, look who's here!" Ryujin laughed mischievously, "Sorry darling, you made me lose my patience and I had to start with my new friends!"

You wanted to say a lot of things at that moment, such as several insults towards her, but you held back so as not to cause more trouble or ignite more Ryujin's fuse.

"But I'm here now, I couldn't control what happened today," you said, removing your uniform as you walked with slow steps towards her.

"Wow, stop right there," Ryujin said immediately, and you stopped two meters from her, just wearing your boxers, "what do you think you're doing?" she asked with a cocky laugh, "you made me wait long enough, darling," she pointed her finger at you, "now I'll make you wait, and you'll bear it."

"You're a nasty fucking bitch, you know that?" you said from the bottom of your heart, clenching your fists in anger.

"Save your anger for when you fuck me, sweetheart," she blew you an extremely exaggerated kiss, trying to look as pretty as possible to cover up what she really was, "now, you two" she looked at Juyeon and then at Sunwoo, "fuck me right now, I don't care who fucks my pussy and who fucks my mouth, just do it."

You just stood there, and both Juyeon and Sunwoo looked as if they wanted to say 'sorry'. You looked back at both of them, signaling not to worry about you and that you weren't upset with them. You certainly couldn't blame them, they had nothing to do with it, and you were sure that Ryujin had personally paid them her money just to annoy you. They were men too, and they had carnal desires like you, you understood them perfectly.

Ryujin got up from the chair and went to the last bed on the left, which you were sure wasn't hers, but she wanted you to stay as far away from them as possible. She climbed on the bed and got on her hands and knees as she waited for the boys, who didn't follow any kind of foreplay and positioned themselves, Juyeon in front of her and Sunwoo behind her. You, annoyed and horny as fuck at the same time, had to limit yourself to sitting on the furthest bed to see.

Sunwoo spat on his cock and took it straight into Ryujin's pussy, who released a long moan that was later silenced by Juyeon's cock inside her mouth. You started to touch yourself slowly, without being too intense since you wanted to reserve yourself for her, watching how your coworkers began to spit roast Ryujin without any mercy, and ignoring the fact that you couldn't do shit.

Ryujin leaned only on her elbows, sucking Juyeon's dick between moans and shakes of her body thanks to the crashes of Sunwoo's pelvis against her ass as she hammered her pussy in and out. Juyeon let her move her head on her own for a few seconds, until he decided to take control of her and hold the sides of her head, starting to fuck her face as energetically as Sunwoo did with her pussy.

You didn't want to touch yourself too much, but it was such a hot scene that you couldn't help but move your hand over your dick a little faster, not knowing which way to look as it was unbelievably hot to watch on both sides. First you would see how her pussy was fucked hard and deep by Sunwoo's cock, who was holding her firmly by the waist, and then how Juyeon's cock was almost completely in and out of Ryujin's mouth, from which all the saliva accumulated in it began to spill.

"Don't even think about cum inside me, either of you," Ryujin warned as she pushed Juyeon out of her mouth so she could speak, "that privilege is reserved for our little spectator," when she said that, she tilted her head slightly to look at you and smile like she was the most evil of villains, you stood up and took a step, but she stopped you again, "Sit down, I didn't say you can join."

You snorted, giving yourself a little smack in the thigh and sitting on the edge of the bed again. Juyeon and Sunwoo exchanged positions, and restarted the whole thing again, including your torture. A couple of minutes passed, and Ryujin reached what you didn't know if it was her first orgasm of the night or what, but she made sure to exaggerate it as much as possible knowing that your eyes were only on her.

They changed the whole position when she passed her orgasm, putting her with her back against the mattress and her legs spread wide, Juyeon held her by her thighs, and Sunwoo grabbed her by the neck as they both started fucking her from both holes. You sighed, and a few seconds later, you tried to join again. You were one step away from them, but Ryujin looked at you out of the corner of her eye, and she wriggled out of the cock in her mouth to stop you with a raised finger.

"Get the fuck away, you're still grounded," this time she said it with a bit more severity in her voice. And that was your limit.

"Very good, I fucking quit! Fuck-you!" already done, you yelled at her, and in a rush of rage, you rushed out of the room with your blood boiling. You clenched your fists, and waved them in the air wanting to hit something, but after seconds you calmed down a bit, taking a deep breath.

You wandered aimlessly all over the third floor, with a very needed boner and tired of Ryujin's stupid game. You wanted to teach that little slut a lesson, and you were sure that with the passing of the minutes you would be able to do it, but right now you were very horny and your head was completely clouded by rage. You didn't know what to do, but a memory came to your head. Choi Jisoo.

At that moment you perfectly remembered what she had told you, and especially what she was wearing, so you set out to look for her. Luckily for you, the first place you looked for her was precisely the place where she was. Her room.

You found her fast asleep, with all the lights off and the windows open, letting the twilight illuminate the room with the little amount of light it offered. She layed on her stomach and slightly onto her side, one arm under the pillow and the other over it, one knee slightly up and the other leg fully extended (classical sleep position). She wasn't covered with any blanket, leaving her ass looking incredibly inviting and juicy in that position, still adorned by her thin panties.

Not even giving it a second thought, you closed the door behind you and walked towards her without making too much noise, since the room was too quiet and peaceful for you to ruin. You climbed on the bed discreetly, and crawled over to position yourself on top of her, with each hand next to her head.

"Hm?..." Lia muttered, shifting a bit to open her eyes slightly. You lowered your body, giving Lia loving little kisses to the side of her face and then to her neck, "What are you doing here, honey?" she asked, using the hand on the pillow to cup and then caress your cheek as you kissed her neck.

"Ryujin is playing one of her nasty fucking games, she won't let me join in," you said, pecking her shoulders and then back to her cheek. She turned her face to give you a little kiss on her lips, and you lowered your body a little more to press your cock against her ass.

"Oh no... my sweet baby," she said in a soothing voice, placing more little pecks on your lips as she brushed her thumb across your cheekbone, "Doesn't that bitch give you the attention you deserve?" When she felt your cock press against her ass, she began to move her hips up sensually to tease you.

"Hell no, she blames me for something that wasn't my fault," you met her lips, exchanging increasingly intense kisses. She lowered her hand from your cheekbone to put it between your bodies and reach your cock, which she caught with her fingers and began to stroke slowly.

"Fuck me baby, I'll take good care of you," she murmured between kisses, "you just have to put that cock inside me, I don't care which hole."

"God, have I told you how fucking amazing you are?" that made Lia stare into your eyes, and then her face turned red.

"I…" she avoided your gaze, and then bit her lip as she continued to move her hand slowly over your cock, "just fuck me honey, you make me soft when you say those things to me," she said with an adorable little smile.

"Would you let me take this thing off you then?" You smiled, tugging at the hem of her panties and letting go again to give her a little whiplash.

"I waited with them on for you to do it, what do you think?" she said with a small giggle.

You knelt between Lia's legs and grabbed the hem of her panties, slowly lowering them off her legs and then tossing them to the corner of the bed. What you suspected so much since you arrived at the house was finally revealed to you, and it was exactly what you expected. A heart-shaped anal plug, with a beautiful blue gem embedded, similar to a sapphire.

"Were you going to sleep with that on?" you asked, putting a hand on her asscheek and squeezing it.

"I always have to be ready for you, right?" she wiggled her ass from side to side, inviting you to have fun with her.

"Let's just leave it there for a moment, that pussy is fucking tempting me," you brought your two fingers to her slit, rubbing her folds slowly and leaning forward to kiss her.

As you kissed her your fingers kept rubbing her slit slowly, and you didn't stop until you felt her pussy start to get wet. You broke away from the kiss, and licked your hand to get it to your cock, slightly lubricating the tip of it and taking it to her pussy, carefully pushing your hips down to get inch by inch inside her. Lia let out a low moan, and you placed your hands on either side of her head as you pushed yourself deep inside her silky pussy.

Lia lifted her knee higher, making her ass look and feel even hotter as you rested inside her and placed small kisses on her temple.

Being as fucking horny as you were, you began to move your hips up and down at a considerable pace from the start, letting every inch of your shaft slide in and out of Lia's pretty pink pussy. She looked into your eyes with a frown of pleasure, and you watched her pretty adorable face for a few seconds, admiring how beautiful she was until you kissed her again. Lia took her other hand out from under the pillow and grabbed your face with both of them, deepening the kiss and drowning her sensual moans against it.

You kept pushing your hips up and down, with quick and sensual movements with which you didn't want to be too harsh with her, since she was doing you a favor and you wanted to repay her in the best way you could. You carefully separated from the kiss, and made her turn her face so you could dedicate yourself to giving her small kisses on the nape of her neck and the back of her shoulders, while your cock continued to pump in and out of her.

Lia hugged the pillow under her head, and you straightened your back to put a hand on Lia's waist, moving slightly faster and making her ass bounce with each little bump of your pelvis against it. Her buttocks looked fucking delicious to your eyes, and you couldn't help but gently squeeze one of them. Lia couldn't do anything but stare at you, letting out little whimpers to show you how much she was enjoying how you fucked her.

You fucked her pussy for no more than a minute, until you finally decided to give her what you and she were so looking forward to.

"I think it's time to give that ass a good fuck, don't you?" you asked, grabbing her by her waist and making her lift her ass so that she was on her hands and knees. She arched her back, leaving her ass perfectly positioned for you, and you gave both cheeks a little spank.

You grasped the butt plug carefully, and slowly pulled it completely out of her, set it aside from you on the blankets, and now focused on her well-dilated ass. Lia was looking at you over her shoulder, leaning on her forearms and moving her ass back to rub against your cock.

"Go ahead sweetie, my ass is completely yours and no one else's," she said, bringing both hands to her buttocks and spreading them apart to further highlight her ass.

Her provocations turned you on even more, and not wanting to hold on for much longer, you spat a good amount of saliva on your cock, leaving it well salivated and then guiding it towards Lia's ass, burying yourself little by little inside her tight and infernally exquisite hole. Being her weakness, Lia gripped the pillow tightly and muffled a loud moan against it, and you started pumping your cock in and out of her as if your life depended on it.

You really didn't want to be too hard on her, but you did nothing more than take out all your anger and desire previously caused by Ryujin on how you fucked Lia's ass, holding onto her waist firmly and going all the way in and out with stronger thrusts. Lia of course didn't mind that, she enjoyed being fucked by you no matter how it was, and you took advantage of it.

"Yes baby, fuck that ass," Lia whimpered, leaning on her hands to lift her body a bit, "release all that frustration and desire in me, I love to take good care of you for always being such a good fucking boy!"

Under normal circumstances you would have added spanks, hard squeezes and hair pulling to it all, but you kept a certain degree of care towards her, just making sure she felt your cock fill her with every deep, hard thrust. She fell back against the pillow, and her moans grew louder as her ecstasy took over every fiber of her body.

You thrust and thrust, over and over again without giving her any rest while your hands were clinging to her waist and your pelvis made her ass move like jelly with each crash. Lia's pleasure escalated too fast in her, you assumed it was a combination of every possible factor, the dull and sexy lighting in the room, the fact that she was pleasuring you, and the way you fucked her, all led to an orgasm that made her bury her face in the pillow as she exploded into screams.

Lia's ass tightened around your shaft even more as her whole body trembled and her shrieks of pleasure were muffled against the pillow, and that ended up driving you to your highest point of pleasure as well. You gave her ass a few more thrusts, until with a stronger one, you were buried inside her as you began to shoot all your hot, thick load into her ass.

You gave her ass slow, deep thrusts, shooting spurts of thick cum into her as you both energetically went through your orgasms, moans and little grunts from you. Lia dropped her ass down, laying her stomach flat against her mattress and inadvertently pulling you off her ass while you still shot a few drops, which landed on her ass for a finish. Anyway, seconds later, your cum began to spill out of her ass in a constant river that flowed directly into the sheet under her.

"Fuck… thank you, Julia," you gasped, sitting up on your ankles, "that was fucking wonderful… you're wonderful."

"You have nothing to be thankful for, consider it a pass for any time you feel frustrated or upset, darling," Lia said, one side of her face resting against the pillow as she gazed up at you with beady eyes.

"Do you want me to get you something to clean yourself up?" you asked, pointing to the pool of cum in the gap between her legs.

"There are wipes in that drawer," she pointed back to the nightstand, and you reached down to open the drawer, pull out the packet of wipes, and pull out a couple to give her, "thank you honey."

You waited patiently for her to clean herself up, to lie down behind and curl up in a spoon position for a few seconds of nothing but silence and serenity, you could have stayed there sleeping with her, but you had unfinished business with Shin Ryujin.

"I have to go, baby," you murmured in Lia's ear, before giving her a peck on her shoulder.

"It's okay, go ahead and show that bitch what you're made of, cutie," she turned her head to give you a quick peck on the lips.

"That is if she lets me," you sighed, getting up from the bed and then walking towards the exit, "see you later, Choi Jisoo, rest well," you winked at her.

"See you later, pretty boy," she winked back, and blew you a little kiss before sinking back onto the pillow and closing her eyes.

You left the room, and almost died of a heart attack when you barely left, you met Shin Yuna with her arms crossed and looking at you with a severe, sharp and judging look.

"I thought it was Ryujin's turn!" she complained, a disgusted scowl on her face.

"Huh? What are you talking about?" you asked confused.

"Oh come on, you were in there fucking Lia!" she raised her voice more, more annoyed than you thought, "I thought it was about Ryujin, but I see it wasn't!"

"Can you lower your voice?" you asked with an awkward grimace, "I have sensitive eardrums honey."

"It's not fair that she gets two turns and I don't!" Yuna crossed her arms, frowning in annoyance. You were about to try to reassure her with explanations and excuses, but suddenly a brilliant idea occurred to you.

"Okay, do you want a second turn?" you asked, raising both of her eyebrows and cupping her chin with your fingers. She was wearing a light blue, sleeveless, high-necked top, and she wriggled free of your fingers to remove it, revealing her a nice pair of sexy mounds.

"What the hell do you think?" She cocked her head, looking up and down your naked body, to grab your cock and gently massage it.

"Very well, come with me," you removed her hand from your cock and grabbed her wrist, walking straight into the beast's mouth.

You pulled Yuna through the corridors of the third floor, until you reached the room where Ryujin was putting on all her vile theater. You opened the door, and the first thing you and Yuna were met with was Ryujin kneeling in the middle of Sunwoo and Juyeon, sucking both dicks covered in saliva, her hair a mess and her body sweaty.

Yuna looked at you with her mouth ajar, surprised by the lewd scene just meters away from you. She looked at Ryujin once more, and after a few seconds, she slowly nodded her head to see you again, making you understand that she knew exactly what was happening there.

"Now you get it?" you asked quietly.

"Absolutely," she nodded, biting her lower lip, "let's make that bitch jealous, come here."

You surrounded Yuna's slim body with your two arms, pressing her chest against yours and kissing her in the most intense way possible, trying to get the attention of Ryujin and your coworkers. As you kissed her, she kicked off her sneakers and your hands went to her jean shorts, unbuttoning them and pulling them down with her panties included to her knees.

Now completely naked, Yuna broke away from her kiss to fall on her knees in front of you and your cock, which she took by the base of it and began to lick it from all possible angles as if it were a lollipop. She was giving your cock slow strokes with her hand, pulling it back so she could have better access to your balls, which she sucked and kissed for a few seconds before taking the tip of your cock into her pretty mouth.

She began to suck just the tip of your cock, adding her tongue to swirl around it as her hand moved in a corkscrew motion along your shaft. You saw out of the corner of your eye that you had managed to get Ryujin's attention, so you immediately grabbed the sides of Yuna's head and slowly pushed your hips forward, taking your cock inch by inch deep down her throat.

Yuna's eyes widened at your sudden move, and she grabbed onto your thighs with her nails as she scrunched up her face. Seconds later, her gag reflex made you take your cock out for a moment.

You let her rest for a second, and then you looked into her eyes, she nodded, which served as a green light for you to guide your cock back into her mouth and start moving your hips back and forth, fucking Yuna's face in the most energetic and flashy way you could. Knowing that Ryujin was watching you, you looked up to lock eyes with her, holding her gaze as you pushed your cock in and out of Yuna's mouth.

Yuna knew perfectly well how to play as well, and looking to make the scene even hotter and more attractive for Ryujin, she brought both hands behind her back to hold her own wrist and let you fuck her mouth like an insignificant sex slave. Ryujin didn't look happy at all, you could tell by how she pressed her tongue against the inside of her lower lip and by how she had completely lost the desire to continue doing what she was doing, but that didn't stop her from being competitive with you. She definitely wasn't going to go down that easy, so she dove back into your coworkers' cock, forcing them to fuck her mouth too.

You accepted her challenge to make it a competition, but she didn't know that you had a crushing advantage over her, an advantage that you would seize sooner rather than later. You put a hand on Yuna's head, grabbing her hair tightly to make her move her head at the same time you moved your hips, shaking her like a rag doll whose mouth was being completely ruined by your cock.

Saliva began to spill from the corners of Yuna's lips, so she simply chose to stick her tongue out of it and open it as much as she could so that saliva fell everywhere, especially towards her thighs. You looked down, meeting her gaze and smiling at what a great job she was doing, but things could get even more exciting.

"Get on your hands and knees, slut, I want to fuck that tight pussy," you ordered Yuna, and then you took your cock out of her mouth for her to comply with her order.

Yuna positioned herself just as you asked, and being one step ahead of you, she faced Ryujin, who was doing everything possible to concentrate on taking Sunwoo and Juyeon's cocks, failing in the attempt since she could only have her gaze on you two. You knelt behind Yuna, and she, leaning on her forearms, made a beautiful arch with her back to leave her entire chest and face against the ground while her ass was perfectly raised for you.

Your cock was already fully salivated and slippery, so it was as easy for you to rub the tip a few times between Yuna's folds and then move your hips forward, sliding with one slow thrust deep inside Yuna's tight pussy. Yuna let out a loud and prolonged moan, it was very noticeable that it was overreacted, but in Ryujin's head that only served as fuel for her fire.

You made eye contact with Ryujin, who had no choice but to get carried away by Sunwoo and Juyeon as they took turns fucking her mouth. You, meanwhile, were taking it upon yourself to let her know how much you were enjoying being inside Yuna, and soon you started moving your hips back and forth, pumping slowly for the first minute and then starting to pound her incredibly tight pussy at a steady pace, with strong and deep thrusts.

Yuna continued with her cheek and her hands against the soft carpet floor, her pussy being hammered harder and faster by your cock, which was completely in and out of it with each of your pumps. You gave one of her buttocks a strong and spicy spank, your hand was marked in bright red on her skin, and you repeated the same thing on her other buttock. Yuna squealed, and you leaned forward to grab a handful of her hair and yank it back, fucking her with all your might.

"Oh fuck yes daddy! Fuck that thigh little pussy!" Yuna whimpered loudly, and you spanked her again with your free hand. Apparently, Ryujin didn't like it at all that she called you that, you were sure that she had felt quite offended.

"Do you like how daddy pounds that slutty pussy baby?" you grunted, letting go of her hair and grabbing her shoulders to pull her towards you, pressing her back against your chest and grabbing her neck as you kept pumping.

"I love it so fucking so much daddy, don't you dare stop!" Yuna answered between moans, turning her face so that you could kiss her, and you did, meeting her lips in a fiery kiss.

You heard louder moans from your coworkers, and you pulled away from the kiss to see what it was about. Juyeon and Sunwoo were shooting all their cum at Ryujin's body, painting absolutely every part of her, from her face to her thighs. Ryujin did her best to appear satisfied and happy about it, picking up both boys' loads with her fingers and bringing them to her mouth to taste them, but fortunately for you, Yuna came to her orgasm when you least expected it, completely erasing Ryujin's smile.

You let Yuna fall towards the ground, and she began to, again, over exaggerate her squeals and loud whimpers as she writhed frantically in spasms. You kept fucking her through her orgasm, causing her pussy to clench so hard around your shaft you felt like it was going to rip you in half, and letting out a loud moan along with Yuna, you exploded inside her.

"Oh fuck yes baby! Get all that fucking load," you growled, squeezing both buttocks with your hands as you thrust slow and deep, shooting your second load of the night into a different pussy, this time a tighter one. You made sure that all of your cum was inside her, not wanting to waste a single drop, and then you pulled your cock out of her between heavy gasps.

"God! Enough!" Ryujin yelled desperately, and you smirked, "Fuck, you win, okay? Sorry," she growled bitterly, putting two fingers to her septum to try to ease her stress.

"Oh, that's exactly what I wanted to hear, you fucking brat," you said victoriously, standing up, "you two, find a way to cleanse her body and then take care of Yuna," they both nodded, almost as agitated as you.

"There are wipes in that drawer," Yuna pointed towards the drawers of one of the cabinets.

"You don't have to stay here if you don't want to, baby," you told Yuna, taking steps towards Ryujin as Juyeon and Sunwoo found the wipes and went to clean Ryujin up.

"I like shows, it's fun," Yuna said with a giggle, making an obvious reference to how they were watching you fuck Yeji a few weeks ago. Then she straightened up, to sit on her ankles while she smeared your cum on the floor.

You patiently waited for your coworkers to clean Ryujin's entire body, and when they did, she stood up and climbed onto one of the beds to lie down right in the middle, inviting you to come up with her with her finger, you did so, and as you crawled towards her, you turned to see Sunwoo and Juyeon.

"Take good care of Yuna, okay? Don't let her get bored," you ordered, winking at them.

"I find it difficult for her to get bored, mate, but as you order," Sunwoo replied, gesturing for good luck with her two fingers on his forehead and then moving them forward. You nodded, and looked at Ryujin below you.

"Well? Did you think I wasn't going to have an ace up my sleeve?" you asked, raising an eyebrow as you looked into her eyes.

"You certainly surprised me, daddy, you proved to be even smarter than me," she replied with a smirk.

"Fuck, how high is your ego?"

"Almost as high as I want you to fuck me right now," she grabbed your neck with both hands and pulled you down for a kiss, also trapping your torso with her legs and lifting her hips so that her pussy brushed against your cock.

You two kissed with all your lust and desire for the other multiplied to the tenth power, which was reflected in how your lips and tongues were immersed in a fierce battle to see who would take control of the other, and since neither won, the kiss became more and more intense and impractical. After a few seconds, you separated from her lips and buried your face in her neck, distributing small kisses and bites on it while you slowly went down her clavicle, her tits and later reaching her belly.

While there you took Ryujin's legs by her thighs and spread them apart, lowering your kisses from her abdomen to her pubis, and from there, kissing and licking the contour of her pussy. You still held a certain grudge against her, and you let her know that by avoiding her pussy at all times, teasing her inner thighs near her slit with kisses. She moaned with little moans and tried to move her hips to find your mouth, and you could only laugh.

"If only you hadn't been such a spoiled whore I'd be eating your pussy 2 minutes ago, but you reap what you sow," you said, holding her still.

"I already told you I was sorry daddy!" Ryujin whimpered, and then let out a long moan as you planted your tongue flat against her slit and slowly licked it from bottom to top.

Ryujin arched her back and grabbed your hair as you began to give her pussy slow, torturous licks, holding her thighs firmly under your fingers to keep her legs spread. You tasted as much of her folds as possible, and soon you began to move your tongue faster in different possible ways to find what she liked the most.

You used her moans as a source of information to know at all times which points to emphasize with your tongue, one of them being her swollen clitoris which you attacked with the tip of your tongue, with quick movements and suctions on it. Ryujin just dedicated herself to pulling your hair, grinding her hips up and down to rub her pussy against your mouth as you ate her better and better.

You continued eating Ryujin's pussy for another couple of minutes, using all the resistance in your jaw to prepare her well for what was to come, you licked and sucked on her clit, going down between her folds to move your tongue between them, causing that Ryujin would soon become a mess of moans and small tremors. You would have let her cum against your mouth, but you wanted that honor to belong only to your cock for today.

"Do you still feel that pussy ready for one more cock, you little bitch?" you said, wiping your chin and pulling away from her pussy to kneel between her legs.

"My pussy is always ready for your cock, daddy," she replied, nibbling on her finger and smiling mischievously at you. You, somewhat tired of her insolence, gave her a dry slap to her right cheek, which caused Ryujin to laugh at that.

"That's not what it looked like an hour ago, fucking slut," you slapped her on the same cheek, making her moan and grin from ear to ear.

"That's it daddy, punish me for being a spoiled whore," she challenged you with a giggle, lifting one of her legs and bringing one of her feet to your mouth, you jerked it away, and put both legs over your shoulders to slide your cock inside her already dilated and well lubricated pussy, causing her to moan even louder and you to grunt with pleasure.

You took every inch of your throbbing cock inside her, and rested for a second before placing your hands on the mattress on either side of her hips and beginning to move up and down, pumping in and out of her pussy with slow but strong thrusts. Ryujin clung to your wrists tightly, looking into your eyes as her face twisted between sensual moans and gasps.

You leaned forward with her legs still over your shoulders, pressing her thighs into her body and increasing the speed of your thrusts into her pussy, pounding it harder and harder with each passing second, reaching the point of making the bed shake with each of your slams against her crotch.

"This fucking slutty pussy belongs to me, is that fucking clear?" You growled, hammering down her pussy with your cock, which was going in and out all the way to drive her wild with pleasure.

"Only when you deserve it, daddy," she replied between moans, managing to let out a laugh that she knew would make your blood boil. You gave her another hard slap, this time with your other hand on the opposite chee, and then you grabbed her hard by the neck.

"I don't think I'm explaining myself well," you said, gritting your teeth as you looked into her eyes, "this damn pussy belongs to me, to no one else" you emphasized those last words, and then released her neck to give her another hard slap that made her squeal, "is that clear, you fucking bitch?"

"Yes daddy! My dirty, slutty pussy belongs only to you," she finally gave in to her own pleasure, as you continued to pump up and down her silky pussy, "The only cock that can fill me this good is yours, I don't want any more!" she screeched, digging her nails into your forearms.

"That's a good fucking brat," you smirked, biting your bottom lip and pulling yourself up to give her what she was looking for a moment ago, bringing one of her feet into your mouth as you fucked her as hard as you could.

You couldn't see it, but while you were fucking Ryujin and sucking and licking her toes, on the floor was Yuna kneeling in the middle of Juyeon and Sunwoo, masturbating both of them with both hands while rubbing against a pillow she had put on the floor below her. She moved her wrists lazily, placing more emphasis on grinding her hips into the pillow than pleasuring the boys.

Meanwhile, you were dedicating yourself to leaving both feet very clean between licking and sucking with your lips on each of her toes, also giving special attention to her soles and ankles, leaving them well salivated before removing her feet from your mouth and hold her legs in the air by the ankles.

"Ryujinnie!" Yuna called between small moans, "show daddy what you can do when you cum," she said before giggling.

You made eye contact with Ryujin again, and she bit her lip knowing full well what Yuna was talking about. You didn't know it, so you simply dedicated yourself to pumping your hips as fast as you could, being close to your point of ecstasy. Ryujin closed her eyes, arching her back between loud growls and whimpers, she reached her hands to the sides, wrinkling the sheets while you made her shake with each thrust.

"Don't fucking stop daddy!" Ryujin yelled, gritting her teeth as she began to slightly tense her body, "I'm gonna fucking cum over that juicy fucking cock!"

Ryujin broke free of the hold on her ankles and caught your neck with her feet, letting you give her pussy a few thrusts until you felt an exaggerated amount of liquid build up inside her, which spilled out her sides and it soaked your dick too. You got out of her pussy, and you moved away from her while a long and strong stream of squirt came out of it, completely soaking you from the waist down and also the sheets under her.

"Holy fucking shit!" you exclaimed, surprised not to know that she could do that. Ryujin meanwhile writhed between strong spasms and moans, pulling the sheet off the edges of the bed and leaving her pussy completely drenched by her own fluids.

"I said the same thing when I first saw her do it," Yuna mentioned with a giggle from behind you.

You let Ryujin through her orgasm before sliding back into her pussy, resuming your frantic and aggressive pumping. Ryujin opened her eyes to see you, and you were met with a couple of crystallized orbs and a little tear running down her cheek because of how incredibly good you were making her feel, but the best was yet to come.

She released your neck, and instead she wrapped her legs around your body to pull you to her. You leaned fully forward, and placed a hand on her head to forcefully pull her hair back, giving yourself the go-ahead to start giving Ryujin strong sucks on the neck, slamming down her pussy while you began to feel tickling in your lower abdomen.

You let go of her hair, and let her straight her body so that you could kiss her between heavy gasps. A drop of sweat fell from your forehead to Ryujin's, and she tightened her legs around your body even more, inviting you to fill her with all your seed. Her incitements soon came true, you began to move your hips frantically and desperately, giving the last few pounds to her pussy before exploding inside her.

Ryujin moaned against your lips, and you moaned against hers as you came into the third pussy of the night, painting her inner walls white with your thick load. You gave her slow, careful thrusts, letting every little drop of your cum inside her as her hands cupped your face between pretty sighs of what seemed like relief.

"Fuck… I don't regret keeping the privilege of cum inside me for you, daddy," Ryujin sighed against your lips, between heavy breaths.

"I'm not going to thank you for that, Shin Ryujin, you were such a huge bitch today," you muttered back, looking into her eyes with your breath just as heavy as hers.

"But it was worth it, you fucked me with all the rage and hate I wanted," she giggled, giving you a peck on the nose before you knelt up again to get out of her pussy, letting your seed fell free from her pussy to the sheets. You turned around, watching as Yuna jerked off your coworkers.

"You two, get out of here," you ordered, gesturing toward the door.

"But we haven't cum yet!" Juyeon complained, looking down and then at you.

"I don't care, jerk off outside or something, I've had enough of you today," you insisted, and Yuna obediently towards you, released both of their cocks.

"Fair enough, not gonna lie," Juyeon sighed in frustration, before starting to pick up his things.

"See you Monday mate," Sunwoo waved goodbye to you and picked up his stuff with Juyeon before leaving the room.

Yuna, still straddling the pillow, stood up and climbed onto the bed with the two of you, crawling slowly.

"Would you give me some space, daddy?" Yuna asked, looking down at the space between your crotch and Ryujin's. You stepped back, leaving enough space for Yuna to get on her hands and knees right in front of Ryujin's pussy, then she giggled.

"May I know what's so funny?" You raised an eyebrow, looking at Yuna and then at Ryujin, who kept a proud and satisfied expression.

"It's just funny how you cummed inside two Shin's today," she giggled, biting her bottom lip as she looked over her shoulder at you, wiggling her ass slowly for you to see her ass and wet pussy, "can I have a taste, daddy?" she asked, watching your cum spill out of Ryujin's pussy.

"Go ahead, sweetie," you nodded, and she leaned forward to give Ryujin's pussy a long lick all the way down her slit, picking up enough of your load that she could taste and then swallow. She frowned, as if she had discovered something peculiar while she was savoring your cum.

"Daddy…" she turned to look at you, "why does your cum taste so sweet?"

You remained silent, giving Ryujin free rein to burst out laughing.

——————————————————————— Spren Notes: I think you guys have no idea how much I love writing about bratty Ryujin, like damn. Remember! If you, dear reader, are interested in buying me a commission, do not hesitate to go through my inbox, I’ll be delighted!

#ryujin smut #itzy smut #kpop smut #fanfic smut #smut fanfic #male reader smut #male reader insert #x male reader #x male reader smut #male reader

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arazialotis · 3 months ago

Text

Get Him to the Con - Part 10

Pairing: Jensen × Reader

Word Count: About 6520

Story Summary: The reader stumbles into Jensen at her favorite bar, a very drunk Jensen. She soon realizes Jensen was booked for a con this weekend and has to be eight hours from town in only two.

Chapter Summary: Y/n visits Vancouver to see Jensen and, more importantly, to try to win Jared over.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9

Warnings: Always language. Grumpy Jared. After dinner, well, it gets NSFW 🌶️🌶️, 18+ Only

Although this is an RPF, these are fabricated characters and should not reflect back IRL. I intend no hate or ill wishes to him or his family. This is purely just for writing and wasting my time as a coping skill. Maybe some of you will enjoy it too. I apologize in advance for any mistakes or grammatical/spelling errors. I appreciate any feedback or suggestions!

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The black Escalade wove through the Vancouver traffic, the sun beating down, melting the piles of slushy remnants from the first snow. What should have been an eagerly anticipated moment for your arrival was tense. Behind the wheel, Jensen was trying to be the bridge between you and his best friend.

“Lighten up, man. Y/n’s really excited to be out here again and wants nothing more than to hang out and cook us a nice meal.” Jensen pleaded your case.

He, in fact, suggested pizza on the risk of jetlag, but you had insisted, falling back onto the age-old idiom ‘the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.’ You already had one of their hearts, and you were convinced you could make Jared warm up to you, too, if only he saw you as who you were and not as a clingy fangirl. Yet you felt that rift growing every time you saw him. And the last thing you wanted was for Jensen to be caught in the middle.

“Would you try to like her? For me? Please.” Jensen nearly begged when Jared didn’t respond.

At least he was in the car, though Jensen didn’t give him a choice, with this outing as a pretense of drinks after work.

Jensen tried one more time, fed up with Jared’s stubbornness. “At least act nice.”

That got his attention. “Act nice? I’ll play nice if she does.” The accusation hanging heaving.

Jensen furrowed his brow. “Y/n doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.” Okay, you had a bit of a temper, were known to hold a grudge, and had a smart mouth, but Jared didn’t need to know that.

Jared scoffed. “Last time she came out, she literally laughed and criticized me for overacting.”

Jensen’s confusion grew, trying to remember the last time you came out. Then, the realization hit him as the three of you watched the latest episode together in another futile attempt for Jensen to foster peace.

Despite the animosity, Jensen couldn’t help but chuckle. “No, she laughed at a scene and apologized immediately, saying it was hard to take the show seriously now that she knows us. And I said that wasn’t it; it’s probably because you took your acting lessons from Bruce Campbell." His tongue peeked out between his teeth as he attempted and failed to control another giggle, still quite proud of the slight.

“It was a serious scene. I was acting my heart out.” Jared stressed. “You had just gotten back from hell.”

Jensen lost the smile. “In her defense, it does lose its impactfulness after the 17th time.”

“Whatever, man.” Jared pouted, looking out the window.

Jensen rolled his eyes and prayed to any god that would listen. “Would it make you feel better if we watch Devour together after dinner? Then we’ll just laugh at me.”

Jared said nothing, not taking the bait. The clicking of the blinker filled the silence as Jensen waited to turn toward the arrival gates. Jared ran his fingers through his hair as Jensen pursed his lips together, trying to think of something, anything. The light turned green.

“I don’t even know why I am here. Y/n has, like, what, two full days out here? You should be spending it together without having to worry about me third-wheeling. I’m sure there are other things that you would prefer to occupy time you don’t get over Zoom.” Jared rambled out loud.

Jensen’s eyes tightly blinked shut momentarily as he began seeking out an open spot at the curb. Jared was right, of course, only on account of his last thought, but he wouldn’t be at peace until he had the blessing of his best friend. Jensen inhaled through his nose, held his breath, and released through his mouth.

“It is important to me that you and Y/n find some common ground. If you gave her even the slightest chance, I’m positive you would start to like her.” He said calmly as he put the car into park.

“Why does it matter so much to you if I like her?” Jared pushed. To him, you were still only a rebound after Elena.

And then it hit him. Maybe Jared’s denial of his true fear of being replaced had come true.

“Because she’s my best friend and I love her!” He declared and then laughed through the shock.

It was the first time he had admitted it out loud. The silence was palpable as both men processed the weight of the words. Jensen wasn’t one to open up lightly. He felt deeply, but he was always careful with those emotions, cautious even. It had taken nearly two years before he said the same to Elena. Another before they started looking at rings. Maybe because it was one of the first serious relationships he had since the start of his career. The depth and commitment he had felt with her made the falling out that much more disastrous. He had fortified his walls to be higher and more impenetrable. Then you came out of nowhere and shattered everything he thought he knew about himself. He felt like a caged bird learning for the first time how to spread its wings, to feel the breeze on its face, and the warmth of the sun. With you, he felt free.

Jared’s eyes darted back and forth as if reading his thoughts, finding the right response. Jensen squeezed the steering wheel and nodded his head. “I love her.” He said again, the realization hitting him, fully knowing it was true. But then the terror of the statement hit him. The car door shuttered open, and the catapult of a backpack rolling over the seatbench crashing at the other end pulled Jared from his thoughts as you entered the car.

“Hiya!” You squeaked.

You pulled the door close with a thud and clicked on your seatbelt. You cleared your throat, looking up, momentarily afraid you jumped in the wrong car. But it was Jensen and Jared, alright. Jensen stared directly ahead, his face as white as if seeing a ghost. Jared scrutinized his friend. You sank back in your seat. You had thrown yourself directly into something.

Jared turned in his seat, blinking rapidly and addressing you in the most amiable tone he had ever taken with you. “Hi Y/n. Um, would you mind giving us a minute?”

Oh, you had definitely walked into something. It took you a minute to process this, but then you began fumbling with the seatbelt, “Yeah. Yeah. Of course.” And vacated the Escalade as fast as possible.

Jared’s brow furrowed, and he leaned closer to a whisper as you aimlessly knocked your fists together outside on the sidewalk. “You love her?”

He chuckled again and ran his hand through his hair. “Yeah, I really do.”

Jared knew he should be happy for Jensen, knew they should be celebrating this, offering congratulations, but all he felt was dread.

“Have you told her?” Jared asked.

“Nah, you’re the first to know.” Jensen clapped Jared on the shoulder. “I want the moment to be right, you know. I want to be able to remember it for a long time.”

Jared thought about faking it, but he had to be real with Jensen. “You don’t know her.”

That set him off. “Why are you so set against her? Why can’t you be happy for me? I do know her. I’ve known her for seven months, been dating her for 4 of those, and talk to her almost daily.” His voice went up an octave higher. “I don’t know why I have to keep justifying my choices to you, man? When will it ever be good enough for you?”

Jared didn’t take the bait. “But you don’t know her. How can you truly? You haven’t met her friends or her family, and it sounds like her mom is a real piece of work. Are you ready to deal with that?”

Outside the car, airport security approached you. Both boys could tell from your over-exaggerated gestures that you were attempting to buy them more time.

Jared continued. “And no offense, but she isn’t spotlight material.”

“Fuck you.” Jensen's blood boiled over. He was about to leave the car to find another way to get back into the city. At that moment, he never wanted to see Jared again.

“Come on. Give me a break. You know I didn’t mean it like that.” Though he kind of did. “All I’m saying is that if you truly are that committed to her, that this isn’t some fling, you should think about preparing her for the kind of attention it will warrant. The good, the bad, and the ugly. That kind of stress and attention can ruin a person.”

Jensen didn’t respond but wrung his hands on the steering wheel. There was a knock on the window.

“Please, know I’m just trying to look out for you,” Jared whispered as he began rolling down the window.

“Nobody asked you to.” Jensen snipped back before the security guard started to chew them out.

As the boys were on the receiving end of a very stern lecture, you slipped as quietly as possible into the back seat to avoid further angering or endangering yourself with security. Yes, spending a night in jail was on your bucket list, but this is not what you had in mind.

“Sorry, officer,” Jensen ended a profuse apology before hightailing it out of there.

You weren’t sure exactly what you missed, but the air hung thick with tension. Nobody spoke. There was only the hum of tires on the road. It hit you that Jensen never even acknowledged you. You fiddled with a loose stitch on the seat in front of you.

After five minutes and starting to get out of airport traffic, you couldn’t handle it anymore. “So…” You drew the word out, unsure how to break into a conversation.

Jensen blinked, realizing you had no reason to be as upset as him and that it was unfair to suffer from their drama, especially when you were not privy to it.

He cleared his throat. “I got the groceries you requested delivered.” However, he didn’t know how the three of you would sit through a dinner together.

“Oh, good! I’m starving. Airport food never really hits the spot, but the Cajun snack mix does kinda slap.” You rambled, trying for anything to get them talking.

They both hmmed in response. You were about to ask them about their favorite airport snack, but thank the gods, it was Jared who surprisingly saved you.

“What’s for dinner then?” He was trying. He had fucked up. He knew it. This was how he could try to make amends with Jensen.

You beamed, having perfectly planned it out, trying to finally win Jared over to your side. “We’ll start with a strawberry, basil, and balsamic whipped burrata and roasted bone marrow. Then, a small lemon watercress-radicchio salad for a palate cleanser before moving on to a butter-basted ribeye accompanied by potatoes au gratin and crispy brussel sprouts with mustard seeds and pomegranate.”

Jared’s stomach rumbled. Goddammit, that sounded good.

“And, I was considering a dessert, but Jensen said I already had enough going on, and because baking isn’t my strong suit, I let him handle the rest.” You explained. “You did handle the rest, didn’t you?”

Jensen's anger melted a little. With a smirk, he said, “Yeah, a tub of vanilla ice cream.”

Your heart dropped. “Stop.” There was a glint of teasing in his eyes as he looked at you through the rearview mirror, but the rest of his face remained deadpan. You couldn’t tell if he was serious or not. “Okay, I guess I could repropose what I had in mind for the burrata, and if you have sugar on hand and something salty and crunchy, we could do a quick brittle. Oooh, maybe the cajun snack mix. Or perhaps…”

“Y/n! I’m messing with you. I have an assortment ordered from Thomas Haas.” He winked at you in the mirror.

Thomas Haas meant little to you, but anything would be better than a tub of ice cream. Okay, a tub of ice cream had its time and place, but not when you were working so hard to impress Jared. Still, you eyed Jensen skeptically, unsure if it would measure up.

“Some of the best in Vancouver,” Jared assured. “I’m sure it will compliment your dinner perfectly. I can’t wait. It all sounds very delicious.”

“Hmm.” You looked between the two of them.

There were still too many questions unanswered. What were they talking about before you arrived? Could you trust either of them to select a quality dessert or would you have to resort to brittle anyways? Were you now on a no-fly list due to the tiff with the security guard? When could you get Jensen alone (this stern look painted on his face was doing things you couldn’t control)? But most importantly, why was Jared acting so nice?

“I’ve had bone marrow before, but only in restaurants,” Jared continued. “I didn’t realize it could be done at home.”

“Oh yeah, it’s actually super simple if you can find a good butcher.” You explained.

Jensen interjected. “Don’t let her fool you. She’s been binging The Bear, and now her only goal is to become an Iron Chef.”

You smirked, impressed he even knew what an Iron Chef was. Aside from eating food, anything kitchen-related was the furthest on his interest list. You were rubbing off on him.

You scoffed and rolled your eyes. “It’s the easiest cheat code appetizer if you want to impress someone. You toast some bread, toss the marrow in the oven for twenty minutes, and add a few accouterments to a serving board. And bam, done.”

Jared laughed, actually laughed. “I’m sure you are underselling yourself. From what Jensen has told me, you are an excellent cook. I can’t wait to see it all come together.”

Jensen glared at Jared out of the side of his eye, the anger resurfacing. He was laying it on thick. Too thick.

You squinted, eyes darting back and forth between them. This wasn’t going to plan. You were supposed to cook the food and then become BFFs with Jared. This was happening too quickly. But perhaps you should take it for what it was. Maybe you had stuck around long enough for him to finally accept you. Or Jensen had talked you up enough. Whatever the reason, you had to stop ruminating on it. All you had to do was get through dinner. Perhaps after, you could corner Jensen into an explanation.

It wasn’t long until you pulled into the parking garage adjoined to the condos. Jensen popped the trunk, surprised to find it empty.

“Where’s your luggage?” He asked, oblivious as his conversation with Jared required most of his mental capacity.

You held up your backpack as a response, and his brow furrowed with confusion.

“What’s wrong? Are you ill?” He pestered, placing the back of his hand against your forehead.

“Shut up.” You snipped and then explained. “I’m practicing becoming a lighter packer.” You lowered your voice to a whisper. “Besides, I recall not needing much clothing last visit.”

Jensen raised his eyebrows, reminiscing, and then nuzzled his nose into your neck in anticipation of this weekend. Jared, having overheard, rolled his eyes and fought a gag. You laughed as Jensen pulled away, his eyelashes tickling your cheeks. And Jared plastered on his fake smile yet again.

“Let’s get upstairs,” He said. “I’m starving.”

-----

Dinner was coming along nicely. You were basting the last of the steaks in butter, and the boys were watching the end of a game in the living room. The thoroughly cleaned plates on the coffee table were the only lingering evidence that there had been appetizers. You snuck a bit here and there, but it was mostly to keep the two of them from sniffing around the kitchen.

With a final splash of liquid, the steak was done—perfect caramelization and crust. Now, the potatoes. You checked the timer—ten minutes, enough time for the steak to rest. And the Brussels? Shit. You scooped the last of them out of the oil in the nick of time. You generously salted them and would add the pomegranate molasses after plating. Satisfied with how it was all wrapping up, you whipped Jensen’s once pristinely white dish towel over your shoulder. There was a shuffling behind you as you began cleaning what you could.

“Need any help?” Jensen asked.

You were about to shoo him out when you heard the scrape of a knife. You snapped your head around to catch him red-handed. He stared at you like a deer in the headlights, the end of one steak pinched between his fingers and the knife hovering millimeters above. You scowled, and Jensen slowly set the knife down, held his hands in surrender, and backed up.

Your scowl melted into a smile. “A couple of minutes longer. If you’d like to help, you can set the table.”

He straightened. “Yes, chef.”

You playfully stuck out your tongue and whipped the dish towel in his direction, earning an exaggerated yelp.

Finally, after a few minutes passed, you brought the final plate to the table and scooched in. Jensen didn’t hesitate and dove in.

With a full mouth, he mumbled, “If this tastes as good as it…” Then it hit him, and his eyes rolled back in pure delight. “Oh god.”

Jared went in a little slower, cutting his steak and bringing it past his lips. He took several testing bites and paused, glaring at you. He was actually glaring at you. Dropping the act, he’d kept up all night, pissed at how good it tasted. He knew what tonight had been about. About you trying to butter him up, quite literally with butter braised steak. And god dammit. It was a good steak. And he was mad about it.

“Fuck.” Jared cursed aloud, snapping your and Jensen’s attention to him. “Fuck, that’s good.”

You smiled sheepishly, looking down at your plate. “I can’t say I’ve had that reaction before. Not quite as orgasmic as I was hoping for, maybe if I adjusted the…” Your face went pale, realizing the last part was out loud.

Jensen snorted, and Jared even cracked a smirk.

“So, um,” You attempted a recovery. “How was work this week?”

A few minutes of silence passed as Jensen gave Jared a chance to answer. When he didn't and caught him glaring again, Jensen kicked his shin under the table, prompting him further.

Jared grunted. “Well, hours weren't as shitty as usual.”

“Cause Collins hasn't been around.” Jensen teasingly interjected.

Jared chuckled. “Yeah, not as many retakes. Finally, it feels like we're making some progress this season.”

You nodded. The three of you looked back and forth, trying to gauge whether it was appropriate to continue the conversation or return to eating.

“What about you?” Jared coughed before going in for another bite.

“Same old.” You simply stated.

Silverware scraped against plates. A clock ticked in the living room. The sounds of the city rose from the streets. You dabbed the corner of your mouth with the black cloth napkin, then considered it. You’d be willing to bet good money this was the first time Jensen ever pulled them out.

Jensen tried again to spark the conversation again. “Should we talk Vegas?”

Your eyes lit up excitedly, ready to discuss a plan and details.

“So, about that,” Jared started. Jensen didn’t hide his scowl, but Jared's eyes widened, challenging him. “It’s not often we get that kind of time off work, and I’m going to meet Gen in Austin.”

Ah, so dinner wasn’t the wondrous miracle you hoped it would be. You cursed yourself for not trying a Wellington. Jensen reached under the table to graze your thigh, trying to communicate that this had nothing to do with you.

“Why doesn’t she join us?” Jensen shrewdly offered.

Jared’s lips formed a thin line before countering. “Actually, we are going to use the time to do some house hunting.” He hesitated for a minute. “We’ve started talking about, um, the next steps in starting our family.”

Kids? Oh god, Jensen was going to be an uncle. He was already an uncle to Harper’s clan, but this was Jared. All the tension momentarily evaporated as you both offered your excitement and congratulations.

“Yeah, our current setup isn’t going to cut it. We need more space, a yard.” Jared explained. “Y/n, are you interested in kids?”

Jensen choked on the last piece of steak, recovering with a swig of wine. The temporary peace was broken yet again.

“Oh, um.” You stammered, trying to think of a response. Every couple (that was serious, that is) had to come across this question. You just didn’t picture you were there yet with Jensen. And you didn’t picture the conversation would come about this way. “Well, I’ve recently only managed to keep a house plant alive, so maybe the next step is like a cat or something before moving onto a…” You gulped. “A child.”

“Hmm. So you haven’t given it much thought?” He clarified.

“I mean,” Heat was rising to your cheeks. “It might not be my first choice, looking after a little drooling, monstrous carbon copy. Don’t get me wrong, I love being Aunt Y/n to my niece but one of my own. It’s a lot of responsibility and sacrifice and time and money… I don’t know. There’s a lot of benefits, too, I’m sure. You and Gen will be fantastic parents!”

“Interesting.” Jared ignored your last comment. “Wasn’t it in Colorado that you said you’d have Jensen’s babies? Or maybe that’s changed after you got to know him more.” He chuckled a bit, trying to conceal it as a joke.

“Okay, that’s enough.” Jensen attempted to shut this down.

“No, I never actually said that.” You talked over him and defended yourself. “Casey, a fan, although more than well-meaning, took several liberties that day. A decision that big should require careful consideration rather than something silly like initial attraction or blind devotion, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Absolutely,” he responded sincerely. “Such as your partner’s thoughts on the issue. Gen and I knew immediately that growing our family was an intention for our relationship. Jensen, you’ve always wanted kids, haven’t you?”

If looks could kill, Jared would currently be en route to the nearest morgue. But then he caught a glance at your wide, curious eyes awaiting an answer. There’s no way he would lie about this. Yet, this was the first time the subject of the long-term future had been broached. He swallowed the lump in his throat with another dose of wine, then threw his napkin on his plate.

“I have always seen my future with one or two kiddos running around.” He spoke softly and slowly. “But if my partner wasn’t on board, there’s no way I’d force that upon them. The two of us would always come first.”

Jared raised his eyebrows and nodded, staying silent as he finished his last bite.

You filled the silence instead, unable to handle the pause in conversation. “Similarly, I would never want to deny my future partner if that was something that was really important to them.”

Jensen closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. This wasn’t a relationship-ending kind of conversation. You did share common ground. And it was each other.

“That seems like a lot of sacrifice.” Jared circled back to the earlier point.

“But what is love?” You asked back.

Jensen whined a high-pitched melody under his breath, “Baby, don’t hurt me,” so over this conversation.

But Jared and you were beyond dialed in.

“You want to define that here, tonight?” Jared pushed. “Scholars, philosophers, religions; they’ve been trying to do that since the dawn of humanity.”

“Many of which have brought it back to sacrifice.”

“And many of which have used that ideal to perpetuate cycles of horrendous abuse.”

You pushed your plate aside, needing the space to talk with your hands. “I’m not denying that. But if you are talking on an individual level about two people in love outside of an institution, there are many components, but sacrifice is usually one of them.”

“So you’re arguing you shouldn’t be happy for the sake of the other person?”

“I’m arguing,” You strained. “Both people in the relationship sacrifice for each other, and not only are they happy to do so, but it is a privilege. You lift each other up and balance the other, and there is a net gain rather than elevating one over the other, becoming nothing more than a mere doormat. Trust me, I’ve been around enough narcissists to understand that never ends well.”

“So that’s your conclusion: love is sacrifice?” Jared asked.

Was he trying to trap you? “Like I said, it’s a component. But at the end of the day, I’d say love is a choice. There’s those initial feelings of lust and excitement and newness that will eventually fade away. And you’ll get on each other’s nerves, and there’ll be tears and fighting, and hell, we all get old, and gravity always wins. There’ll be moments where you have to choose. In fact, there’ll probably be moments where you choose not to. At the end of the day, I’d like to end up with someone who is my best friend above all else because you’ll have that to fall back on when it's hard to love.”

Jared didn’t say it contradictory but as a compliment to your point. “Friendship is its own kind of love.” He looked to Jensen apologetically.

“Very true.” You agreed. “What do you think, Jensen?”

Jensen sighed and shook his head. He stood up to start clearing the table. “It’s a mystery. Sometimes love is just love.”

You began stacking the dishes, bringing them to the kitchen as well. “It defies explanation, logic even.” You added.

Jared grabbed the bottle of wine, refilled glasses, and brought the fresh pour to you. “And definition. It’s the ultimate expression of humanity, isn’t it? To wrestle with complex concepts.”

You chuckled, taking a sip. “I guess that’s based on how you define humanity.”

Jared leaned against the counter. “Well…”

Jensen snapped up from putting plates in the dishwasher. “How about a movie?”

Jared lost his train of thought. “I have kind of been in the mood for The Matrix.”

You beamed. Perhaps this disaster of a night wasn’t ruined after all. It would be the perfect opportunity to bring up simulation theory with Jared. From what Jensen told you, Jared loved debating and theorizing over abstract topics. It would be the perfect foot in. Maybe you could impress him after all.

Jensen caught the mischievous look in your eye. He shook his head. “Don’t…”

But you beat him to it. “That sounds perfect!”

---

Later that night, hours after discussing perceived reality, you hovered over the kitchen sink, scrubbing down the remaining mess. Jared was long gone but thanked you for a pleasant evening. Jensen came up behind you, stripped down to his undershirt and briefs. He pulled your waist to his, wrapping his grasp around your hips, and nuzzled closer.

“Come to bed.” He whispered into your neck.

You half-moaned, leaning into his touch. “I just have a few more.”

“That’s what the dishwasher is for.” He said.

You paused and stiffened. “And ruin the finish on this cast iron? You monster.” Jensen gave a light chuckle before closing his eyes against your skin as you continued. “How do you think tonight went?”

He sighed, chewing it over.

“I know.” You agreed. “I should have done the Wellington.” That earned you a pinch to the side. You yelped. “Not when I’m washing the knives!”

“Honestly,” Jensen started. “I don’t know what to think.”

You took a deep gulp and turned off the faucet before turning to face him. You searched his eyes and ran your pruned thumb against his cheek.

“I don’t want to come between you two.” You strained.

He took your hand and his and glided your knuckles across his lips.

“You’re not.” He whispered.

Your glare pierced him.

Jensen continued. “He’s coming around, albeit slowly.” He added as your gaze held, “I promise.”

Your breath released, and the tension left your body, too tired to challenge him further.

“Come on, off to bed.” He instructed.

But you turned around and yawned, “Only a few more.”

Suddenly, you were swooped up and being carried away from the kitchen. “The rest can wait.”

You hit the mattress, immediately sinking into the plush duvet and feathered pillows. Jensen followed, his warmth and weight wrapping around you. The day's weight full of travel, cooking, cleaning, debating, and worrying all hit you instantly. You closed your eyes, darkness quickly closing in. Yet you couldn’t ignore the lips peppering slow, soft kisses at the edge of your navel.

“Mmmm. Jensen, I’m tired.” You moaned over the response your body had to his touch. His fingers danced along the hem of your shirt, trailing higher. Between kisses, he breathed. “You won’t have to do a thing.”

You popped an eye open and raised an eyebrow, looking down at him through the darkness. The city lights illuminated his features. There was a feral glow in his eyes, waiting for that sweet, sweet permission he longed to hear.

“Are you proposing to use me?” You questioned, rubbing your thighs tighter, seeking pressure to alleviate the quickly growing need.

And he knew it, too. A smirk that would impress even the devil crossed his lips. “That depends,” He brought his hand from your ribs, prying your thighs apart, and you whined in response. “Would you like to be used?”

You nodded even though you could barely keep your eyes open, “Very much.”

He made quick work of your clothing, your lazy attempts to help only impeding the process. The cold air of the condo brushed over your skin, providing temporary alertness as your hair rose and you shivered in response. His hands roamed over you, chasing away the chill, replacing the sharpness with tenderness.

Even as you wrestled sleep from taking you, eyes fluttering close, you could feel his eyes on you. From day one, he made it his mission to study you; taking note of every sharp inhale, every squirm, every crease of the brow. He had been a quick and eager student. His hand gently encouraged your legs apart, his hand roving over your core, parting your very soul as he found his mark. Satisfied, his eyes closed, and his head rested against your chest as he let instinct take over.

Dancing on the edge of sleep yet pulled to the waking world by pleasure, your brain couldn’t comprehend thoughts. The worries of the day, the countless insecurities, the what-ifs, they all melted from your mind. The only thing you knew was touch. It was the only constant. The concept of time faded, and at some point unbeknownst to you, fingers had been replaced with lips.

Incoherent words praised his practiced tongue as thoughts attempted and failed to form meaning. Your hand wound through his hair, gripping to hold him in place as you rocked your hips forward. His arms hooked under your legs, lifting you higher, spreading you farther as he lost his need for air. His only purpose in consuming you.

“Jensen.” You mewled his name as a curse. “Please. God, please.”

Teeth scraped against soft flesh, sending you soaring off that endless cliff. You cried out, a slew of fractured speech. Jensen idly continued as you floated back down to reality. Only as breath returned, hungry for air, did he stop, attempting to catch some himself.

“Turn over,” He instructed through the shallow pants. “On your knees.”

You whined, rubbing your face with your palm. “You said I wouldn’t have to do anything.”

He nipped at your inner thigh. “Brat.”

You lazily smiled until he grabbed your sides and flipped you over himself. That woke you up, but only momentarily as he shuffled behind you, allowing you a minute to bury your head deeper into the pillow.

“Oh, I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

An arm snaked under your diaphragm, and you lost your breath as he pulled you up to a kneel, pinning you against his bare, hard flesh. His hands roamed your curves, already mapped in his mind, desperate to bring to fruition what he had imaged during the month apart. A hand came to your throat, gently squeezing, as he tilted it to the side.

“Color?” He cooed into your ear.

You only moaned, too tired for words, grinding your hips back into him, hoping it would prompt this process further along.

“Use your words.” He softly demanded.

“Green.” You placed a hand over his, encouraging him to squeeze harder. “So fucking green.”

He buried his mouth into the crook of your neck, claiming you, possessing you, undoing you. But two could play this game. With your free hand, you reached behind you, immediately claiming your prize. You stroked up and down his length, stopping at the apex and rolling your grasp.

“Fuck.” He indulged temporarily before taking your hand, guiding it to the top of the headboard.

Your other hand followed suit as he gripped your hips. You arched your back and swayed side to side, inviting him in or, at the very least, enticing him to hurry.

“Patience has never been your strong suit.” He playfully scolded.

As he knocked your knee with his own, spreading you apart further and lower, he bent down, planting long, deliberate kisses on the small of your back. Your eyes fluttered close yet again, your mind at war with your body, demanding sleep. He neared your entrance, testing at first, then surged forward, completely filling you. You cried out, sparks turning to flame as he flooded you. Over and over, he built pace, seeking his own high.

It was unlike anything you had ever known. Nothing existed outside of this claiming rhythm, outside of this mounting heat, outside of this ecstasy. Your mind was blank. Your mind was numb. He was the only thing you had ever known—the only thing you were created for.

His hand gripped your shoulder, arching you deeper, pulling you more flush against his hardness, hitting the deepest parts of you. Your curses and praise garbled together, moans became mute, and blinding pressure rose, threatening to break.

“Come on, Y/n,” Jensen said through ragged pants. “Come for me, sweetheart.”

“Jensen.” You cried, tears spilling over. “I can’t, I’m so tired.”

His grip left your shoulder and joined yours on the headboard, intertwining his fingers with yours as he drove into you over and over and over.

“Yes, you can.” He encouraged. “Tell me where.”

He adjusted, giving you time to assess the effectiveness.

And then, suddenly, “Ah, right there. Fuck, don’t fucking stop.” You squeezed your eyes shut.

He did as he was told, gritting his teeth together, fingers digging into your flesh as he held on. He waited and waited until he felt you close in around him, constricting, demanding he fall off that cliff with you into the deep pool of bright light. Your hands slid from the headboard as you collapsed back onto the mattress. Jensen fell with you, his weight trapping you.

It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. But eventually, you found your way to the surface again, taking a deep, shuttering breath. Jensen rolled off you onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling, breathing in and out, in and out. Sweat outlined his sculpted frame as he ran a hand through his tousled hair. When his heart finally settled, his eyes found yours, and he pulled you close.

You were no longer aware if you were sleeping or awake, but still, you said. “I think it is safe to say we can move ‘exhausted sex’ from the maybe category to any fucking time or day.”

He laughed and kissed your forehead. “Thank you.”

You groaned. “Oh please, let’s not start that again.”

“Fair.” He agreed and thought of something else to say. “You’ve ruined me.”

“I’ve ruined you?” You corrected. “Sir. You’ve gone and rendered the entirety of the male species inconsequential.”

“Okay,” He challenged, rubbing his eyes. “You can’t be that tired if you can spin that heap of bullcrap.”

You burrowed into the crook of his arm and closed your eyes before mumbling, “It's not bullcrap. You’ve ruined me too.”

His eyes darted back and forth in the darkness, contemplating everything you had said about love and god, even children. He looked back at you. Your breath had slowed and evened out. And he knew his epiphany remained true. His love for you was beyond his initial attraction, curiosity, or, frankly, his blue balls. He’d give it all up if you asked, find some office job, become a cat dad. And then it hit him why, and he chuckled, saving that thought for another day because now sleep was threatening him too, and he might not be thinking rationally.

He kissed your hair and whispered, testing it out loud. “I love you.” A cold, electric shiver ran throughout his being.

He froze as you stirred. “Hmm?”

He chuckled. “What would you think about going public?”

You shot up, fully conscious. Fully alert. Your brow furrowed, trying to comprehend.

“Aren’t we already public? You did ask me out at a convention?”

He also sat up, rubbing his hands through his hair to stir further energy.

“Well, kind of. People know I’m dating, but only a select few know who.” He explained trying to assess your emotions at the same time. “We’ve done a pretty good job keeping a wrap on your identity.”

“Probably ‘cause your ballcap and sunglasses are such a convincing disguise, Clark Kent.” You teased.

“Smartass,” he grumbled. “Probably more likely because I have a good manager and an even better team right now who locked down and scrubbed your social media.” He waited for you and added, “If you don’t want to…”

“No, that’s not it.” You stopped him. “I… Can I think it over?”

“Of course. Take all the time you need; there’s no rush.” He assured.

“I’ll have to talk to some people beforehand. Friends, coworkers, family.” You gritted your teeth. “My mom, she… Well, she might make things difficult.”

“Hey, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up so late. We can sleep on it and talk to the team tomorrow. They’ll answer any questions you have and maybe provide some guidance on the hard things.” He bent down to look into your eyes. “Okay?”

You nodded in response.

“Let’s get some rest, yeah?” He encouraged again and pulled you down against him.

But how the fuck were you supposed to sleep now? Your whole world could change overnight. And you weren’t sure you were ready for it.

---

TAGS:

Everything Jackles: @akshi8278

GHTTC: @maggiegirl17 @foxyjwls007 @djs8891 @deans-spinster-witch @tmb510 @ghostofjoharvelle @ellen-reincarnated1967 @deansgirl79 @chriszgirl92

(Always feel free to ask to be added or removed (I won't be offended))

#supernatural #spn #spn fandom #spn fanfic #jensen ackles #jensen x reader #jensen x you #jensen x y/n

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rahhhhhtbrbbsbwbbsbaj · 20 days ago

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Monday

You woke up hungry, for more food and more fat. You checked the time and groaned. You'd overslept and the food you ordered was going to arrive at any sec- Ding Dong. Your doorbell rang, you quickly stood up and rushed the 15 metres from your bedroom to the door. You pulled down the handle after jiggling around the key and swung open the front door. The man standing outside was holding your 2 boxes of 12 donuts from Krispy Kreme. Suddenly you realised that your sleep shirt probably should've been retired once you gained the first 10 pounds. Now it pulled tight over your gut, fully revealing it's shape. It was also a little food stained as midnight snacking had become a nightly ritual at this point. Before he could react you took the boxes and retreated back inside the house muttering a quick thank you as you closed the door. Thank god you left a 15% tip to make up for that sight.

You sat at the dining table with the donuts laid in front of you, boxes opened. You told yourself you only had to finish 12, the full 24 was just a back up. Your stomach grumbled and you took a bite. You were surprised at this fact because you'd told yourself a moment earlier "no donuts untill I have a drink" and here you were, finishing the first donut and onto your second. You held it in your teeth as you poured yourself a large full sugar soda and began to make up two large sugary coffees that could rival Starbucks in calorie content. By the time you'd sat down with the drinks 4 rings were gone. You found yourself incredibly turned on by this fact. Your appetite had overridden everything else in that moment. You took a sip of your drink and began to eat.

8 donuts down and you started to feel yourself getting full, you felt your stomach stretching to accommodate the volume of food. It felt so good you just had to reach down to pleasure yourself. Before you new it the donuts in the first box were gone. You felt full and a little painful but you could keep going as long as you didn't stop. You reached for the 20th donut and knew you couldn't take it anymore. You brought the donut to your lips and then finished. 4 donuts could be eaten another time.

You let out a large burp and suddenly felt relief. Pleasantly overstuffed you lent back to give your belly some room while you rubbed small circles across it's distended surface. After a moment to compose yourself you got up, marveling at the added weight pushing down with every step as you walked (waddled) to the bathroom. You washed your hands, purposefully ignoring your stomach, and then stepped back. Wow. You had never seen yourself this swollen before, it almost seemed impossible.

You heaved three heavy breaths before deciding that you should probably go and lie down. You grabbed your phone, laptop, and half of today's snacks (Pringles, Reece's, peanut MnMs, soda, and a cup full of heavy cream). You weren't hungry yet but you knew snacking was your weakness and the moment some of your fullness subsided you were going to start grazing instantly.

You were right. Laughing at something on your screen you barely noticed that you had already made your way through a pretty good portion of the snacks. You unconsciously started to speed up and soon you were finished. You felt yourself reaching for the next item only to find nothing. You frowned, surprised, it had only been about an hour and a half. Pent up gluttony from years of diet and exercise was finally being let loose. Lunch was an hour away and you were glad of it, you needed time for all this food to settle yet craved for the day where you would feel like you were starving despite eating mere minutes before.

Still swollen about 15 minutes before the delivery was about to arrive you pulled on a muscle shirt. You looked down to see it was way too tight so you pulled on an oversize hoodie. This was probably what you were going to have to be using whenever you went out in public from now on. You readied your lunch time beverages, beer and soda, before hearing the doorbell ring. You opened it, thanked the delivery driver and took your food. You unwrapped and set out 2 humungous burritos and an order of queso from a local Mexican place. Now with the food in front of you the strangest feeling started to occur. You could still feel how full you were from this morning but your brain was making you feel ravenous. You eagerly tucked in, chowing down on the overfilled tortillas. Once you had finished you realised that you had pushed past uncomfortable and were now encroaching on bursting. The beer was definitely messing with you because you still felt hungry. Unable to resist you took down another cup of heavy cream before grabbing the rest of today's snacks and heading to bed.

You woke with your distended belly in your hands and your heart racing. You could feel the excess sugar and calories begging to be worked off, instead you started on your snacks before scrolling on your phone. God it was hot to know you were in so so much excess. Hours past before you got up to inspect your belly. Wow it was huge. You could see a faint red mark, barely the length of your pinky nail, on the side of your stomach. Was that a... stretch mark? It was too soon to tell but knowing how rapidly you were growing made you let out a deep throaty noise. You checked the time, dinner was only about 10 minutes away, you needed to feel fuller, stretch more.

Again you set up for your meal, got your food and dug in. 2 large Domino's pizzas was a little excessive, but you knew you could do it. Ripping through them with a speed and intensity you didn't know you possessed you took down the pizzas along with the drinks you prepared. Once dinner was finished you set a timer for 2 am and then got ready for bed. You really needed time for this food to settle.

Before that though you went to have a shower. Seeing yourself this big in the mirror astonished you. As you cleaned yourself you seemed to be going over and over your belly. Trying to touch it and feel it from all angles. Learning this new version of yourself would be so amazing. After your shower you set up a little something and then went to sleep.

Your alarm blared at 2am. You knew you had to interrupt your sleep to gain the most fat. Sleepily you got out of bed and went over to your prepared desk. The 4 Krispy Kreme doughnuts and 2 cups of cream sat Infront of you. Barely noticing you took them down before dragging your swollen form to the bathroom scales. You were instantly wide awake as soon as you saw 165. 165? You knew the water weight was going to be a lot but only about 3 of those pounds were supposed to be fat gain. You smiled to yourself knowing what was in store before you went back to bed and drifted off.

#feedee belly #feeding kink #stuffed feedee #chubby #fat belly #burping #feedist kinktober 2024 #rapid weight gain #rapid wg #gained weight #belly gainer #gaining weight on purpose #gaining fat #gaining kink

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garbinge · 6 months ago

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Siblings

Angel Reyes & Sister!OFC Manny Reyes 30 Day Fic Challenge

Word Count: 1.9k words A/N: Hi Friends!!!! Know I've been a bit MIA, but.....Instead of doing a prompt list, I took the opportunity to take the last few months to write through ideas for all different fandoms I've had in my head for years/months etc as well as update some of my multichaps. Enjoy the ride over the next 30 days friends!

Warnings: All my fics are 18+ regardless of content. Cursing, heartbreak, drinking, smoking.

Mayans Taglist: @drabbles-mc @justreblogginfics @narcolini @danzer8705 @keyweegirlie (have been a bit inactive on tumblr so this might not be up to date, if you'd like to be added to my Mayans taglist please shoot me a message!)

The tears were falling from Manny’s face, she had tried to pull herself together but it was no luck. After seeing her ex, Ellie, out on a date in Santo Padre, things just kind of got…emotional. Their breakup was coming up on its month anniversary, and the biggest sting aside from seeing her on a date, was the where of it all. Ellie had made it very clear that she wanted to leave town, that Santo Padre was holding her back from her full potential. So seeing her here was the biggest heartbreak of all.

She rang the doorbell repeatedly, not in the mood to wait patiently for an answer. She grabbed the sides of her sweatshirt and crossed them over her chest with her arms as she fidgeted at the front door. After she wiped her face from her tears for what felt like the millionth time, she rang the doorbell another 12 times before the door swung open.

“What the fu–” Angel’s voice cut off after he saw his little sister standing in front of him sobbing. “Manny?” He lowered his head as he tried to get a look at her face.

In an instant she was barging into his house and started to pace in the living room, her one arm still crossed as she nervously chewed on her nails on the other. Angel would have made a sarcastic comment, but he got the sense that right now might not have been the best time.

“Manny, what happened?” He asked, now a little worried.

The girl turned around and stared at him, her eyes were swollen from crying and she could feel herself losing any sense of rationality she had left. Angel’s face was filled with confusion but in between that there was concern. That’s what made Manny lose it. As the sobs flooded out she ran into Angel’s arms and just sobbed. Angel hesitated for a minute before he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

After a minute, Angel spoke up. “Manny, I’m gonna need to know what the fuck is going on.”

“I’m sad.” She said, pulling out of the embrace and wiping her tears.

Angel held back another sarcastic comment, but his face was saying it all. Manny let out a laugh, probably the first one in hours. “I saw Ellie.” She was now making her way to the couch to plop down.

With those three words, Angel understood everything, he got why she was sad, why she was crying, but the one thing he was still wondering was why she came to him. Angel went to grab two beers before plopping down on the opposite side of the couch, extending his arm passing the beer to her.

Manny nodded, and popped the cap off taking a chug. After she chugged half the beer, she sighed letting her body just relax in the heaviness of the day.

“You know,” Manny said as she looked up at the ceiling. “She told me she wanted to get out of here, experience the world. I got it, I mean this town is…” she stopped for a minute to think about the right word.

“Suffocating?” Angel finished her sentence.

“Yea, suffocating.” Manny agreed. “But I can’t leave. My life is here, you know. The shop, Pops, EZ, you.”

“I’ll let the fact that you mentioned me last slide since you’re sad.” Angel commented.

Manny chuckled again before continuing, “I just mean, we were at a crossroads. It sucked, we dated for 4 years, but it made sense to break up.”

“But seeing her back here so soon, got you all fucked up.” Angel nodded knowing he hit the nail on the head without her even mentioning it.

“Yea, really fucked up. I’m like second guessing everything. Not even the things she said during the breakup but everything before that.” She shook her head.

“You want my thoughts?” Angel stretched out, putting his feet on the coffee table.

Manny didn’t say anything, just squinted and stared at her older brother.

Angel glanced over at her, “Well?”

“I’m debating if this is in my best interest.”

Angel laughed at that and continued to talk. “We’re stuck here. EZ and me. We chose this and now, it’s our life. But you Manny? You don’t gotta be here. You don’t have ties the way we do.”

Manny frowned at that, a little confused. To her, her ties were just as deep as her brothers.

“We got Pops, we got the shop, hell, we got each other, you should go out there, the world, live life.” Angel continued, still laying back on his couch.

“I meant my shop, not Pops.” Manny laughed, still wiping away the trail of tears that was starting to dry and cool on her face.

“You don’t really think you need that place, do you?” Angel was leaning over to grab his drink. “It’s a mechanic shop, the gears will keep spinning whether you’re there or not.” He took a swig of the beer, going back to his relaxing position. “And fun fact for you, in case you didn’t know, auto-body shops, they exist outside of Santo Padre.” His eyebrows raised knowing the comment was as sarcastic as they come.

“Wow, you know, you ARE the older, wiser brother.” Manny rolled her eyes and fell back on her side of the couch, completely melting into it as her hands raised to slide down her face in frustration and overwhelmingness.

Angel shrugged with a smile that could earn him a swift push if Manny wasn’t multiple feet away from him.

“It’s more complicated than that. The shop is all I have, I make more money owning and running it than I would selling it. It’s in a shitty part of town, so selling for land is off the table, it’s not remodeled so selling it to another shop would just make me next to nothing.” Manny explained wishing she had a drink right now.

Angel must’ve read her mind, or just ran out of his own beer because he was standing up and moving to the kitchen to grab two more cold beers for them both. “You’ve already thought this through?” He spoke through the open hatch that connected the space between the kitchen and living room.

“Everyday since Ellie left.” Manny sighed and thought through all the possibilities again.

Angel was now in front of her extending his hand out to give his middle sister the beer. Manny reached out and happily grabbed it and took a quick swig before crashing back down into the leather couch.

“Can I be really honest with you?” Angel moved his seat to the recliner that was directly in front of where Manny was on the couch, the coffee table between them.

Manny shrugged by lifting her hands with a wave. Her way of giving Angel the permission to speak freely.

“Ellie had one foot out the door when she was just our next door neighbor. And I think you knew that.”

Manny squinted, an emotion of some kind bubbling in her throat. “Are you insinuating that I did this to myself?” The disgust in the sentence was obvious from her tone of voice.

“I’m insinuating,” Angel put extra pronunciation on a word he likely didn’t use often, “that we,” he pointed in a circle to reference both of them in the room, and then up in the air to refer to EZ and their father, “the Reyes’, have a tendency to self sabotage.”

Manny nodded, there was no arguing in that, they did tend to self sabotage themselves, they were doing it by staying in Santo Padre.

“I guess the breakup– it is on me.” Manny exhaled deeply as she wrapped her mind around that.

“Now, hold up, I ain’t say all that. Ellie fucked you over, treated you like garbage in the end. I loved that girl, I loved you two together, but to me and my eyes, she did not handle the break up well. And that’s comin’ from me, you know?” Angel let out a laugh. “She just left you a note, dick move.”

Manny nodded and let out a breathy laugh from her nose.

“I’m just saying, it’s not all on one person.” Angel concluded that thought and moved to another, “And quite frankly, I don’t fuck with her because I had to see you miserable for months, you didn’t get out of bed for weeks.” Angel reminded her.

“Days.” Manny quickly corrected Angel.

“Okay, days.” He took her correction and spoke it with sarcasm. “Either way, it’s not enjoyable seeing your baby sister with her heartbroken.”

That triggered a memory for Manny and she couldn’t help but smile and remember it in detail. She was barely 13, in high school, her first year, Angel was a senior.

“Do you remember the first person I ever dated?” Manny asked Angel but wasn’t looking at him just yet. When his silence spoke as an answer for him, Manny’s eye’s met his and spoke the kid’s name. “Jared Blonsky.”

Angel scoffed, clearly remembering the name. “Total douchebag.”

Manny chuckled at his recollection of the man. “Yea, he was. You remember what you told me? When he dumped me?”

Angel tried to think but ultimately he shook his head in defeat. “No, I honestly don’t.”

“That sometimes you get your heartbroken and other times you’re the heartbreaker, and that no matter what scenario I was in, my big brother would be there to break whoever hurt me.”

Angel smirked as he stared at the ground. “Sounds like me.” But then he looked up at Manny with a bit of worry in his eyes. “But to be fair that was before you were bi.”

“Before you knew I was.” Manny corrected his politically incorrect statement.

“Yea that’s what I meant, but like I’m not really down to beat Ellie up.”

Manny shook her head at the complete obliviousness of her older brother and the irony in what she was about to say.

“It’s why I’m here. Why I come to you. Because I know you’ll get it, that you’ll be here.”

It got quiet between the two as Angel nodded his head up and down. He then moved to grab the TV remote and turn on something stupid to fill the silence, and just pass the time. He switched channels until finally landing on some cartoon before moving to the coffee table to grab a joint that had been pre-rolled and lit it up. After a few puffs, he leaned to pass it to Manny.

“I’ll always be here for you, you know. If you’re here, if you’re in another state, I got you hermanita.” Angel’s words were kind and caused Manny to look up at him as she grabbed the joint.

“You’re really tryna get rid of me, ain’t you?” Manny couldn’t help but tease her brother.

“Man, shut up and watch the damn show.”

And with that, Manny laughed, leaned back, inhaled the smoke of the joint. She might not have been okay, but for the moment, this moment, she felt loved. So she’d take it.

#Mayans MC #Mayans #Mayans FX #Angel Reyes #OC Manny Reyes #OC Manny #Reyes Sibling #Reyes Sister

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idontplaytrack · 4 months ago

Text

Tired of all the troubles

Jos Cleary-Lopez x fem! reader

Warnings: fluff, coarse language, chronic pain, mention of a past car accident, stress

“Tired of all the troubles, they've been wasting my time. I don't wanna fight, gonna leave it behind.”

— The Middle of Starting Over, Sabrina Carpenter

After getting married, you and Jos had moved out of state getting a humble one-bedroom apartment in California. The weather there was way better for your pain from old injuries and other problems. So, when Jos brought it up, you agreed nearly immediately. Anyway, you two have been living here for close to three years now and you and Jos have made a pretty great life here together. Your own routines and traditions. Favourite places to see, places to eat at. Places to shop at, and everything else in between. On this particular morning however, despite the sunny forecast, you woke up in immense pain in the early hours of the day and fell back asleep instantly to avoid the impending problem. Well, that and the fact that it was barely 4:30 in the morning. Your plan proved successful when you peeled your eyes open and the clock showed 8:49am. Jos was stirring in her sleep next to you, but she doesn’t wake up. Instead, in her sleep— she reaches over to find you and wraps her arm around you. You groan, mentally cursing in your head.

‘Damn it! The weather’s fine, why is it acting up?’ You scolded yourself, feeling beyond annoyed.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright? You feeling sick?” Jos asks you sleepily, voice nearly a murmur.

Oh, so she was awake.

“No.” You answered curtly, exhaling forcefully through your nose.

“Do you think you’d want to sleep it off? Or should we do something?” She asks again, now more awake.

“Well, are you still tired?”

“No, I slept at like, 11 last night. You went to bed after midnight. I felt you getting into bed.” Jos answered.

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Jos scoffed playfully, turning around from her position on her back to look at you. “Do you know what could’ve triggered this flare?”

“Nope,” You huffed, “I don’t. I didn’t do anything outside of my capabilities. The weather’s been fine, so I really don’t know.”

In your junior year of college, you and Jos got into a car accident that very unfortunately left you with chronic pain. Unlike for Jos, who recovered from it completely. You disliked the reliance you needed to have on her because of it, but you knew your wife would do everything she could to help you, just because she loves you. That the vows weren’t just vows. Jos meant it all, so did you. You felt okay with it eventually, letting go off your worries and letting her take care of you when needed.

“I have work today.”

“Call in sick.”

“Can’t, we’re understaffed.” You reply, turning around to lay on your stomach. This position always alleviated the ache somewhat.

“What time? 12?”

“Yeah.” You said, cheek smushed against the pillow, “I get off at 8.”

You laid in bed for another hour or so— actually nodding off. Then, you finally got out of bed and freshened up. When you got out to the kitchen, Jos’d already made breakfast. “Have some breakfast, take a painkiller. But until you have to leave for work, try not to do anything that’ll make the pain worse.”

“That’s all I’m trying to babe, all I’m trying to do.” You sat down in a chair at the table, “Wait— didn’t you have work?”

“Yesterday, at work, they said they needed me to clear off some leave days. So I decided to take the next two days off to start.”

“Yeah, well. You haven’t had off days in awhile.” You shrug, “You deserve it. Rest up, do whatever you want.”

“I will, babe. Don’t have to worry about me, I’ll be right there to pick you up from work tonight.”

“Aw.” You chuckled, “That’s nice.”

Unlike Jos who had a full-time job, you could only hold down a part-time one given how frequently your symptoms acted up. You hated it at first but eventually grew to love it, it allowed you more freedom in your schedule and allowed you to have your shifts covered by someone else when absolutely necessary.

After breakfast, you could only lounge on the couch. But you couldn’t exactly get comfortable, and you were started to get very annoyed by the fact, and yourself. God, you wanted to scream. About half an hour later, you gave up and went to take a shower. Jos watches you closely, worried, as usual on days like today. “Gonna shower, could not get comfy.” You replied curtly.

“Okay.” She hums.

————

Jos drops you off at work later that day. Saying bye to her, she smooches you on the cheek before you got out of the car, “I’ll meet you for your break if you want. Just call or text me, okay?”

“Alright.” You nod, gripping onto the strap of your crossbody bag. Jos reaches across the front seat to pull the door shut for you. “See you soon, honey.” She flashes you a smile. Then, she was off. You pushed the glass door open and stepped into the building. A cinema situated right by a noisy, noisy arcade.

“Hey!” Someone exclaimed, squinting to focus, you spot your favourite coworker.

“Hi, Amy.” You smiled slightly, walking past her into the break room to put away your bag and clock in.

“Thought you weren’t coming in today. You’re a little later than usual— not late, of course.” She says, “Are you okay?”

“Sure?” You shrug, adjusting your name tag.

“Oh, no.” Amy sighs, “Why did you come in then?”

“Because I need money?” You laughed.

“Ah! y/n.” Shit, your boss. “Been waiting for you. Could you make us some popcorn this afternoon? Our stock’s running a bit low.”

“How about I do that, and she takes the counter?” Amy quickly interjected.

“Hey, as long as all the duties are done, I don’t care who does it.” Your boss agreed, “Very well. y/n, you…don’t look so good.”

You chuckled awkwardly, telling him, “I’m fine, Joey.”

“Alright, if you say so.” He shrugs, walking back into his office, “Amy, do four bags of the salted and five for the sweet.”

You pulled a shocked face, glancing at her. Amy couldn’t care less about it, laughing— she was happy to just be away from the counter where she had to interact with a bunch of strangers for hours. “Eight bags?” You mouthed, “Damn.”

“I love doing this.” She says, “Don’t know why I keep getting put on the box office.”

“Good for you then.” You bit back a laugh, “How about this? If we happen to work on the same shift and I get put to do the popcorn, let me know if you wanna just swap?”

“Oh, definitely.” Amy agrees.

“y/n, Amy, you two need to cover the concession stand as well, Camila’s out.”

“I want two large popcorns, two diet cokes and three hotdogs.”

‘Okay. Hello to you too.’

“Hotdogs have a two to three minute waiting time. Would that be okay with you, sir?”

“Whatever, just make me the food.”

Biting back a scoff and an eye-roll, you told him his total amount due and he made payment. Then, he went off to the side to wait. While Amy heard the order and quickly served the popcorn, you went ahead and prepared the hotdogs then the drinks while they were still cooking. Once you handed his order off to him, you slipped away to the bathroom, seeing the time on the clock as you made your way to the back: 3:44pm.

Shutting the stall door, you sat on the seat, staring into space. You took what must’ve been about two minutes to calm down, though actually unsure if it even helped. Because right when you stepped back into your work station, you heard a gasp, a scream and a smack. Some high-schooler just spilled his drink all over the floor. “It’s not my fault! They didn’t put the lid on properly!”

“You were squeezing the cup, Dean. That’s on you.” A girl with him says with a scoff.

You took in a deep breath, turning back around to grab the mop and bucket to clean up the mess. “You want me to help?”

“No. Just focus on your popcorn.”

“I’ll be fine, I’m the pro at popcorn-making here.”

“No, I got it.” You told her again, quickly mopping it up and returning the equipment back to the bathroom. Without another word, the bunch of kids left, rushing to their show. No thank you, no sorry, no nothing. ‘Why are some people like this? Whatever, it’s just a job—’

“Alright, grouchy.” Amy teased,

“Yo, they pay you to work. Not stare into space.” You hear a guy’s voice beside you. Startled, you jumped. It was Joey. “You good? I’m gonna need you to cut these sheets into card sized pieces for our refund slips.”

“Sure?”

“Why are you here then?” He asked, “Can’t have you passing out. Corporate would rather die than pay for an ambulance or deal with a workplace ‘incident’.” He was right. You knew companies usually avoided hiring people like you who would need a little more support at times. But somehow, you ran into Joey who was a few years older than you were. Someone whose mother dealt with similar issues due to the same reason. So he understood, he got that you had your bills to pay and that you didn’t want to completely rely on your partner,

“Wouldn’t want to leave Amy being the only one working this shift, huh?”

“You just answered your own question.” You said, taking the sheets of paper and locating the scissors.

“Things are slow right now, so sit down somewhere and do this if you need to.” He continues, “We have Tylenol if you need it,”

“Okay, and no thanks.”

“Alright, as long as you’re sure.” With that, he was back in his office again. While you went into the break room to bring a chair out. You sat in a corner behind the counter to carry out your task, while watching for any customers coming in.

You completed the task soon after, then Amy asked what time you wanted to go for your break. “You go first, then I’ll go.” You started, “You started your shift earlier than I did.”

“Okay.” She talks to you while wiping down the cleaned popcorn machine, “Do you want to get you your food?”

“It’s okay, thanks though.”

Once Amy was done cleaning up the machine, she leaves to go buy food leaving you in charge of just about everything here for a good forty-five minutes. Well, the upcoming showtimes were…okay. No more than a couple people per show. So, you were pretty confident you would be fine. Also, Joey came out from his office to assist once he saw customers queuing up, so you were glad you weren’t just left entirely alone. Once Amy’s break was over, it was your turn to go and eat. And since you’d already told Jos not to come down, you were on your own. While chatting with Jos on your phone. She sent you a picture of this new book she just bought, on her way home from dropping you off at work to let you know what she was up to currently. And you responded with a photo of yourself eating, then put your phone aside.

Though the aches and pains weren’t the worst you’ve experienced, you still could not wait to be home because every minor inconvenience seemed to be ticking you off.

————

Spotting Jos’ car outside waiting for you already, you quickly clocked-out and left after saying bye to Amy, not knowing where Joey was at. “Hey, babe.” She greets.

“Hi, Jos. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?”

“No, I just pulled up here like, 2 minutes ago.” She laughs. “You okay?”

“Fine, I guess. But the pain’s making me hate everything. Kids were yapping and screaming all over the place, spilling drinks and snacks, some people don’t say ‘thank you’ and I just wanted to scream, or zap them, but at least that’s over now.”

“Indeed it is.” Jos squeezes your thigh comfortingly, her hand stays there for the whole ride home. She even put on your favourite playlist.

Jos opened the door, holding it for you to enter first. “Thanks.” You told her, kicking off your shoes and taking off your socks. You then went to wash your hands and got changed into comfy clothes.

“I already made dinner so don’t worry about that, okay?” Jos poked her head in to talk, then waited for you to get dressed.

“M’kay.” You nodded softly, “Thanks for picking me up and for making dinner.” You pressed a kiss to her cheek and she smiles, kissing you back. “No problem at all.” She gives your shoulder a light squeeze then pulled out a chair for you. She made chicken and dumplings, one of your ultimate comfort foods. Which you greatly appreciated after a somewhat testing day at work.

Dinner was calm, amazing change after the chaos that was work. “You want something to drink? Wine?”

“Uh, no. I think I’m gonna take the meds so I’d better stay away from alcohol.”

“Okay, no problem.” She acknowledges, without hesitation she got up to get you the medication and a glass of water. Jos set those down in front of you then resumed eating. After dinner, you and Jos cuddled up on the couch watching some TV while you waited for the painkiller to take effect. It just felt good to have her hold you after being on your feet all day.

“You wanna head to bed? If not you can finish the movie, I’m gonna go get ready to turn in.” You ask, eyes looking up at her.

“Yeah, let’s go.” Jos agrees, turning the TV off, “C’mon.”

She helps you up off the couch and you two went to wash up. You crawled into bed first while she finished up her skincare routine.

“Babe? You wanna lay on your stomach? I could massage your back.”

“Okay.” You muttered and rolled over. You rested your head on folded arms while you allowed her to get started. Feeling her palms pressing down against the sore spots across your lower back brought you almost instant relief. Jos never fails to make it better, knowing just the right spots to work over, “Feel better?”

“Mhm.” You hummed in response, voice unclear as your eyes started to shut. “Thank you, baby.”

“No problem, honey.” She says with a smile, playfully giving your ass a squeeze, making you giggle.

“I love you.” You continued.

“I love you too, honey.” She whispered, “G’night.”

🏷️Tag list:

@ashecampos @auliisflower @cheesysoup-arlo @frogs00 @ludoesartnstuffs @pda128

💭A/N:

Okay it’s finally done after a whole chunk of it got deleted earlier😮‍💨

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angel-eyes05 · 2 years ago

Text

i remember his hands - chapter 4

PAIRING: kang the conqueror x fem!reader

SUMMARY: after a scientific experiment goes horribly wrong, you've been transported to the quantum realm and have been stuck there for the past decade. with no company, aside from janet van dyne, your life changes forever when a mysterious man in a golden ship crash lands next to your settlement. startled with his initial presence, you two have a rocky start. but as time goes on, you two find each other slowly drawn to one another. you have secrets though, and he has a past he refuses to bring up. can you two make it through navigating an unknown world together, discovering any ulterior motives, and stand the test of time in a place where time has no meaning at all?

INFO: slow romantic burn, pretty fast sexual burn, kinda enemies to lovers????, takes place during that little flashback janet has during quantumania, idk how accurate this is gonna be to canon stuff cause i get very confused about the quantum realm lol, reader is in mid to late 20s while kang is in his “early 30s” (ik he like technically doesn't age or whatever idk the lore but i just made it accurate to jonathan majors age and wanted to give an accurate age range/gap/count), y/n will be very fleshed out like im gonna give her everything lol

WARNING: explicit language (sexual and verbal), smut, p in v unprotected (stay safe people), a little angsty, he’s being nice to her awwwwww

CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 2.7k

NOTES: OMG IM SORRY THIS IS COMING SO LATE!!! its kinda coming from the mix of being really busy this past week and not knowing what to write lol so again, sorry

PREVIOUS PART

—-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saying you were furious with Kang was an understatement. Although at this point, you were more upset with yourself for giving into it that easily. You hadn’t even had a full conversation with him and you had sex with him. Honestly, you should’ve seen it coming. That was what upset you the most. You knew exactly what would come of it, and you did it anyways. And worst of all. You liked it. No. You loved it. You tried to make yourself feel better by thinking that it was just the fact that it had been years since someone touched you like that that made you love it. But deep down you knew it was him. The way he handled you, the way he kept teasing and edging you, the way he put you at ease. You loved it. And you wanted it again.

You had been in this back and forth with yourself for the past three days, the amount of time its been since you’ve started giving Kang the cold shoulder. If you were being honest, you felt bad about how cold you grew towards him. But he deserved it. Part of you wished you had finished the job and killed him then and there. But you didn’t. You still didn’t know why. Right now, you just decided to blame it on clouded judgment from your blood loss. You stopped yourself from trying to figure out why though, as you realized it would send you down a rabbit hole of thoughts.

After two hours of no luck catching mites for food, you gathered your hunting gear and headed back inside the cabin. And yet again, there he was, just sitting there sprayed across the couch. Despite your pleas to her to get him to work or do anything other than sit around, Janet insisted he needed more to time to recover. Which he would trick her into believing, as you knew what his body was capable of at this point. You would occasionally exchange glances with him while working in the kitchen. In the spilt seconds that your eyes would meet his, you tried desperately to search for any signs of remorse or regret for what he did. But you could never find any. At most, you could only recognize one emotion going through them. Desire. And you knew for what.

Which is why would look away from him so quickly. Janet walked out from her room and over by the couch to talk to Kang. Presumably to try and get some more information out of him. So far, she told you that the only things she found out about him was his name, which you already knew, how he crashed, the core of his ship ran out of energy, and what he called his ship, the Time Chair. He had been secretive about everything else. Frankly, you didn’t really care about finding information about him anymore. You just wanted him out of your house. Janet stood above the couch and asked him to stand up. You turned around to watch and see what would happen. Reluctantly, Kang stood up from the couch and took a couple of steps around the room. You snickered a bit to yourself after seeing the look Janet gave him. He whipped his head around to see you smiling to yourself. “Is everything alright?” He asked sharply. “No no, it’s just funny.” You remarked with a smirk on your face. “That's enough you two.” Janet said, shooting daggers at you. She turned her face back to Kang. “Alright, since it seems like you're well enough to walk, you’re gonna take care of some errands for me in town.” You could see his posture slightly slouch in response to her demand. You couldn’t help but quietly giggle to yourself. “Oh and you’re going with him.” Janet said, turning back to you. Before you could disagree, she said “I need you to show him where everything is and to be there to carry him just in case he can’t walk anymore.” You looked at him up and down, then turned back to Janet. After standing in silence for a second, Janet replied. “Okay, mainly to show him where everything is.” You scoffed to yourself before grabbing your gear and walking outside. Janet tapped Kang on the shoulder as a sign to follow you. He walked outside to find you already about 50 feet ahead of him. This was going to be a long day.

—----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You walked around the market, making sure to keep at least a five foot distance between the two of you. Your only interaction with him was handing him the bags of wild fruits you purchased to carry. You walked past a pawn shop type building. You knew you and Janet were getting short on cash. You stared at the gold bangle on your left wrist. It was a gift from your father. You could still remember unwrapping the box that contained it on your 14th birthday and putting it on immediately after. You hadn’t taken it off since. But times were getting desperate. And this was your last resort. You took a deep breath and told Kang to wait outside for you. You walked inside and up to the counter to make the trade. You reluctantly unlatched the bracelet and placed it on the counter, tears welling up in your eyes. You took the money from the attendant and turned to leave, but bumped into someone on your way out. “Sorry.” You said without looking at them.

Your eyes shot up at them though when you felt a hand grab your forearm. “Told you it was her.” One of the men said. Finally taking awareness of your surroundings, you noticed three men crowding around you, one of which held a tightening grip around your forearm. “I thought I told you I didn’t wanna see you around here until you gave me my money.” Once you registered their faces and recognized who they were, you finally responded. “And I’m so terribly sorry it hasn’t gotten to you yet, that’s a real shame on my part.” You replied sarcastically. The man’s smirk dropped as he started to twist your forearm. You stifle a scream as he twists it behind your back. “Oh yeah? And what’s stopping me from breaking your arm and taking what you have now?” You tried to think of a way out of this when you noticed a shard of glass on the floor from when one of the men slammed the pawn shop attendant’s head into the counter. You grabbed the shard of glass and stabbed it into the man’s foot. He screamed and let go of your arm. You picked yourself off quickly from the floor and punched the other two men and ran out the door for your escape.

Kang was still standing outside the shop when you grabbed his wrist and started running as the two men you punched started to run after you. He breaks away from your grip and starts running with you. “Mind explaining what’s going on?!” Kang shouted at you. “Maybe after we lose them!” You shouted back, maneuvering between the carts and people in the streets. You grab a ball from two children playing in the street and chuck it at one of the men’s heads, knocking him to the ground. You turn a sharp corner and bump into a wandering person, giving Kang time to catch up with you. You grab his wrist again, realizing he isn’t as fast as you are. You look around the street, desperate for an escape. You notice an alleyway just up ahead and run into it, Kang just behind you. You push the both of you back into the darkest corner of the alley as you see one of the men run past. You wait a couple of seconds to see if he will come back before let your guard down. Once a bit of time has gone by, you slunk yourself into the corner.

“What the fuck was that?” Kang asked angrily. “You know, a little bit of a warning would’ve been nice before you dragged me through the streets while being chas-.” He stops himself when he turns around to see your head cuddled into your knees. He hears slight sobs coming from you mouth. You lift your head from your knees as you clutch the money you just 1) risked his and your life for and 2) just traded away one of your most valuable possessions away for. You couldn’t help but feel at least a little ashamed for breaking down in front of him like this, but you couldn’t help it. He sighed and walked towards you. He kneeled down in front of you and took your face in both his hands. He cupped your cheeks and used his big thumbs to wipe away your tears as they were coming down. “I’m sorry.” was all he could muster up to say. You just nodded in response. “I’m sorry for yelling.” You nodded again, keeping your teary, bloodshot eyes away from his. “And I’m sorry for leaving you that night.” You finally looked at him as he said that. You could see a sadness enter his eyes as you looked at him. Sadness mixed with sincerity.

You looked back down at the money and clenched it with your hands as you put it away in your jacket pocket. You took some deep breaths, but couldn’t seem to calm yourself down. You just couldn’t believe what you just did. You were angry at yourself for giving something so valuable to you away so easily. And for what? Money that was going to last you two weeks at best. Memories started to flood back into your head. You just missed them all so much. You tried not to think about them too much, but as a result, you began to forget how much they meant to you. You could just sit there for hours, crying and reminiscing. Something ripped you away from those thoughts though. You suddenly felt this huge weight rest upon you. Then it clicked. He was hugging you.

You felt Kang’s big bear arms wrap around your smaller frame. You sniffled as you felt his hot breath graze against your neck. You could feel your cheeks getting hotter and brighter as he tightened his arms around you. You noticed you were beginning to calm down. You pulled away to catch your breath. Then he kissed your temple. Then your forehead. Then the bridge just above your nose. Then your cheek. He stayed on your cheek for a while before pulling away. He was doing it again. His deep brown eyes were swimming oceans into yours. You could sit there for hours just staring at him. Taking in all his features. Noticing the way your cheeks fit into his hands so easily. What happened next was a change in pace though. You kissed him.

Saying you were kissing him was doing a disservice to both of you though. It was more as if you two were melting into each other. Becoming one. Joining into each other’s body’s. Your hands gripped onto his hips, desperate for more of him. A slight moan escaped him and entered your mouth. You could already feel yourself getting wet. You knew where this was leading. His hands traveled from your jawline to the hemming of your shirt. His warm, coarse hands traveled up your cold, smooth stomach to just underneath your underboob. You took this time to take off your jacket and place it on the floor next to you. Next, you remove your hands from his hips to help him unbutton his pants. You slid them off his legs. He gets the memo and moves his hands from your breasts to your shorts and slides them off. He hooks your underwear with his pointer finger and drags them off. You do the same to his. He helps slide you down from your sitting position to lay down.

It hasn’t been until this point when your hand dips into a dirty puddle that your remember where you are. You make sure to remind him as well when he goes to take off your shirt. Yeah his cock may be hanging out and your bare ass is out as well, but you’ll take the privacy of a shirt right now if its what you can get. He respects your wishes and puts his lips to your collarbone as he rests just above your hips. After a couple seconds of sucking on your collar, he pulls away, leaving a purplish mark there. You nod in approval just before he slides his throbbing cock into your already tight walls. You let out a wail as he enters into you. He places a hand on your mouth and whispers into your ear. “Not here either.” Yes, you could be slightly louder here than at the house with Janet, but you still had to remember you were in public. You nodded as he continued to slide inside you. You dug your nails into his bare thigh, which only caused him moan more.

Once he was fully inside you, he started thrusting into your hips, fucking you into the hard, rocky, cold concrete below. It definitely wasn’t your ideal setting, but you were gonna take what your could get. His hands moved back underneath your breasts and eventually unhooked your bra. He squeezed one boob with one hand and moved the other underneath your back for more support. Then, he moved his lips back to yours, letting your both release your stifled sounds into each other. It only helped you feel more like you were a part of him. Letting your moans into his mouth as his grunts entered yours. As his thrusts began to speed up, you moved your other hand to his tricep to squeeze for leverage. The deeper into you he went, the more you could feel the heat sink lower into your body. God, you had just started and you were already about to finish. You could sense he was about to also though, with the way his thrusts got messier and his kisses more desperate.

Everything became so overwhelming to you. You knew he wasn’t going to want to cum before you did, but on the other hand, you didn’t necessarily want to be the first one either. So you stifled the urge by biting down onto his lips. Your lips eventually moved down to his jawline and explored down his neck, until you found the perfect place to begin sucking. His moans into your ear only brought your closer to your brink. Eventually, you couldn’t take it anymore. “G-god Kang I-I’m s-s-sorry, I-I have t-t-to do it-t.” You said, eyes welling up. “Sh-hhhh it-s-s ok. Do it if-f y-you need t-to.” He said quietly into your ear. Suddenly, you let go of everything. You felt the white heat escape your body all at once as it wrapped around Kang’s cock and leaked out of you. You felt yourself relax as Kang began to tense up even more. You moved your hand from his thigh to his cheek and began to rub it with your thumb. “It’s ok, you can do it.” You said tiredly. He closes his eyes, nods, and releases his cum into you. His orgasm takes over his body as he moves his hands to your hips and digs his fingers into them. You both moan as his cum enters your body.

You both breath heavily once he’s finished and he begins to exit you. He reaches for his underwear and pants before stopping himself. He looks over at you, then grabs your shorts and underwear and helps you put them on before putting on his own. You smile slightly at the kind gesture and help him put on his after you’ve finished with yours. You check your jacket pocket to make sure the money is still inside. Once your hands find it, you take a deep sigh, still disappointed in yourself for making the trade in the first place. Kang notices this and intertwines his fingers into your hand. You look up at him and he smiles at you as he leads you out into the street. You suddenly find yourself doing the last thing you would expect from yourself.

Forgiving him.

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

NEXT PART

A/N: so…hi….its been a minute! again, so sorry for the delay, but if im being honest, i kinda work better when im posting sporadically so yeah dont expect a set schedule for me posting. but yeah i didnt really proofread this chapter cause i wanted to get it out asap so dont judge. but yeah we’ll see where it goes from here lol byeeee.

#quantumania #ant man #kang the conqueror #kang the conqueror x reader #kang x reader #fanfic #fanfiction #i remember his hands #mcu fanfiction #fem!reader

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aching-tummies · 1 year ago

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Midnight Symphony

Been busy the last few days. Family-friends decided to drop by last-minute and stay over for a weekend (it's summer, people travel). On top of that, I just got off of 3 straight days of working 9-10 hour shifts at work so I'm exhausted...but I’ve been dying to archive the amazing symphony I enjoyed last night.

Anyway...the impromptu guests as well as the busy work schedule and the fact that these guests ended up turning meals into a huge deal (when I was around for them) meant that the last five days have wreaked havok on my stomach.

It started maybe two days before the guests arrived. One of my family members was really nervous about cooking for the guests so they did trial-runs and fine-tuned a specific dish until they got it right...with us eating the results. So...two days of beef something-or-other reheated over and over for dinner and lunch (packed lunch at work too). Beef is alright and I usually love it...but three days in a row was overkill and my poor stomach eventually had trouble with all the fatty sinew-y red-meat causing days worth of digestive issues. The day after the "real thing" with the beef, guests decided it was all about sushi...so I came home from a 10 hour shift to a bunch of raw fish and a boba that had sat in the fridge for half the day, waiting for me to come home 'cuz they all got boba and didn't want to leave me out even though I was at work. And...yeah...due to the long hours and being kept up entertaining our guests and ensuring they had everything in order for a comfortable stay, I was basically running on coffee and cola all day at work...so by the time I came home (late), I was not expecting a full dinner and dairy-packed boba on top of a stomach that was already pretty full-up from cola.

Sushi night was last night and I couldn't sleep because my stomach was gurgling louder than I've ever heard it before. I'm so glad I bought a cheap stethoscope a while back, but honestly, wouldn't have needed it to hear the racket my poor, overworked guts were making. I finished eating around 10PM and entertained the guests until about 1AM--pouring drinks, watching TV, chatting, etc. So it was around 1:30 when I got to bed. The second I laid down, my guts let out a distressed gurgle. I immediately got my stethoscope out and pushed it to my left side, between my navel and my stomach-organ. I could hear my poor digestive system still working hard--hours after the meal. It came in waves, I could hear liquidy gurgles and feel a squirming in my guts...what I assume was a torrent of chyme or whatever being pushed around in my digestive tract. I'd feel something convulsing and then hear the liquidy gurgle as something was squirted into my intestines. And the gurgles snaked around my stomach. If someone wanted to, they could have probably mapped out my intestines just by following the sequence of gurgles that churned through my intestines.

I basically spent from 1:30AM-4:45AM pushing the stethoscope around my belly and triggering wet gurgles and revelling in the sensations as I literally felt digestion happening. The gurgles were ridiculously audible even without the stethoscope (the scope definitely helped, and having the diaphragm pressed deeply into my guts definitely irritated my guts to no end, likely causing more of those distressed gurgles than would have sounded naturally.

#upset stomach #stomach gurgles #stomach noises #digestion #tummy kink #tummy ache #stethoscope tummy

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pickinglilahs · 1 year ago

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Blackeclipse for the soul

AO3 link if you prefer to read there Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18

The first full moon of December was to rise at 6:30 pm.

That same full moon wasn't going to set until 1 pm the next day.

Winter moons are the worst.

That said, Remus felt great. He had both of his boys glued to his side and they had the whole castle to themselves.

Well, mostly.

There were a handful of students and staff lingering, but it was easy to pretend they were alone.

They spent most of Saturday morning and afternoon in the library, finishing any homework that had been assigned over the hols.

Around 4, James went to the kitchens, while Regulus went to the dorm, and Remus went to talk to Poppy. The trio met up at the Whomping Willow and took the tunnel together.

They set up a nest in one of the upstairs rooms; food and cushions and books littered the floor. Warming charms had been placed strategically around the room and the floor had been reinforced to keep from collapsing under their weight.

They stayed there, curled up in one another until the moon rose. Then, they played about the house until it was late enough for them to make their way to the forest.

The trio ran for hours.

It reminded Regulus of his and James' run from a few weeks ago. The obvious difference being that Moony was with them now. That, and the fact that this run was much more playful.

They chased after each other, playing tag and hide and seek. They rolled around together, ganging up on one another or taunting the others.

They made their way back to the Shack well before dawn, all three thoroughly exhausted. They collapsed into a pile on the floor, not even bothering to head up to their nest.

Prongs and Beans woke up around midday to Moony shuffling around. They corralled him back into a sleep pile, but they were all awake now; waiting for the moon to set.

When they finally had Remus back, the other two shifted back to hold him. James carried him upstairs to the nest while Regulus grabbed his clothes.

Even after having slept most of the morning, Remus drifted off as soon as he was dressed and squished between his two Soulmates. James dropped a kiss to the top of his head and Regulus summoned over the picnic basket from last night.

"How long do you think he'll sleep for?" Regulus asked, biting into an apple.

James looked down at Remus, considering as he chewed his bite of sausage. "Maybe an hour? I bet he's too hungry to sleep more than that."

Regulus nodded in agreement. He dropped a kiss to Remus' temple, checking that he was truly asleep, before asking softly, "Have you gotten him a Christmas present yet?"

James smiles, "Need ideas?"

"More like guidance." James looked at him. "I know he's not very comfortable with the money thing, so I was leaning towards sentimental."

"That's what I normally do. I am spoiling him a bit this year though, and letting my parents be the sentimental ones."

"Oh?" Regulus raised an eyebrow.

"You'll see." The grin James gave him could only be classified as smug.

"Well, either way, Remus and I agreed to hit the shops together at some point, but I'll need you to take me somewhere specific for his present."

It was James' turn to raise an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Regulus shrugged. "Like I said, I think I know what I want to get him, but I'd appreciate some guidance."

James was about to respond, when Remus shifted, mumbling incoherently.

They both froze, waiting to see if he would wake or not. Remus turned his face to nuzzle into James' shoulder. James smiled and Regulus reached out to brush Remus' hair from his face.

Sensing his other partner, Remus turned his face to nuzzle Regulus' hand. James chuckled and dropped a kiss to his hair. Regulus shifted to lay more atop Remus and kissed his shoulder.

"There's still some food if you're hungry Moons," James murmured.

Remus perked up a fraction and the other two laughed. Remus grumbled at them and snatched the dinner roll James offered. Halfway through, he sat up, running his free hand over his face.

After eating his fill, Remus stood and stretched. The three packed up and made their way back to the castle.

Regulus took Remus to the hospital wing to check in with Poppy while James went to the dorm to grab their bags. They reconvened in McGonagall's office and took the floo to Potter Manor.

James hadn't even set his bags down before he was swallowed in a hug. "Maan!" He hugged her back and she swayed them back and forth for a moment.

She pulled back, cupping his face in her hands. "Mujhe tumhaaree or dekhane do."

"Maan, it's only been a few months. I look the same." Despite his annoyed tone, there was a smile on James' face as she inspected him.

When she was satisfied, she released him and turned to give Remus the same treatment. James was pulled into another crushing hug by his dad, which he treated with the same fond annoyance.

When he was released, he turned to see his maan rounding on Regulus. "Maan, Dad, this is Regulus. Regulus, these are my parents."

"Namaste." Regulus bowed to James' maan, hoping to prevent a hug. He then turned to James' father and held out a hand. "It's nice to meet you, Sir."

Taking Regulus' hand, he smiled, amused, and replied, "Call me Monty. Or dad. Brahman knows the rest of the boys do."

Both Regulus and James' maan seemed to be choking back tears—though for completely different reasons—so James clapped his hands. "I believe we were promised hot chocolate?"

He went over and put an arm around Remus, mostly to draw attention away from Regulus. Remus picked up on it and leaned on James more than he really needed to.

His maan shook herself and leaped into action. She herded the boys further into the sitting room and summoned them mugs of hot chocolate. The trio squished into the loveseat and gratefully accepted their mugs.

As soon as they were settled, a black poof scrambled across James' lap and onto Remus' shoulder. Regulus almost dropped his mug.

While Remus cooed and James reached up to pet the puffball, Regulus stared wide-eyed. "Is that a niffler?"

James looked up, "Oh, yeah. This is Fuzz. She's not big on silver, or rings, but you should probably watch your piercings."

Regulus' free hand shot up to cover the two studs in his right ear. He muttered an incantation and the metal turned matte black. Fuzz climbed around to Remus' other shoulder to inspect the newcomer.

"Why is she..." Regulus gestured at her.

Remus laughed and James smiled saying, "Dad found her in one of his ingredients shipments. He thinks it was the fairy wings reacting with her fur."

"And you just... kept her?"

Maan laughed. "Jamie refused to let us get rid of her. He cried and begged and bargained for three whole days until we agreed to let her stay."

Regulus looked over to James, clearly amused, "Why am I even surprised?"

James huffed, indignant, "I was 6!"

They all laughed, and Fuzz climbed down Remus' shoulder to Regulus' lap. She inspected his rings but turned away to investigate his pockets.

"Fuzz," James admonished. He picked her up, but Regulus pulled a galleon out of his pocket and held it out to the puffball.

She snatched it and scampered away, out of sight before Regulus could change his mind.

"Uh-oh," James' dad remarked, "Careful son, or she'll rob you blind."

James had a feeling the startled look on Regulus' face had more to do with his dad calling him 'son' than Fuzz taking all his money. Not wanting to overwhelm him, James changed the subject.

"We're going to the mall tomorrow. Marleen is meeting us there for some last-minute Christmas shopping."

His mother nodded. "Okay, but our guest is coming for dinner at 7 tomorrow."

James perked up. "Is she staying?"

She smiled and nodded, James whooped and stood up. He rushed over to hug his parents.

Remus and Regulus looked at each other, completely lost.

"Who else is coming, Sunshine?" Remus asked.

James gave him the same devious look he got when he set a well-planned prank in motion. "You'll see."

Remus rolled his eyes and squawked when James flopped back down on the loveseat, almost spilling the last of his hot chocolate. James laughed and gave him an obnoxious kiss on the cheek, before leaning over him and doing the same to Regulus.

They both swatted at James, and he laughed. This was going to be an amazing Christmas.

@starchasersunseeker @poetrypirate @niad4827 @bradley-95147-blog @shyshadows430

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chronicallypainful · 3 months ago

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My brother's fiancé was just diagnosed with breast cancer, and I am jealous of how much support she and my brother are getting from family. There, I said it. I'm not proud of it. But suppressing emotions is generally not healthy. So let's talk about it.

Just to set the stage here: the diagnosis is serious but not dire. She's looking at at least six months of chemotherapy plus surgery. There are also very real financial stresses in this situation. It is legitimately crappy.

When my mom called to let me know, she said something to the effect of "they're both going to need our help and support." Yeah, no kidding. I cannot argue with that, and I will offer what support I can (probably mostly phone calls and care packages). That statement, though, also hit a really sore spot for me.

I think there are several layers as to why that bothered me.

1. As anyone reading this already knows, chronic illnesses don't receive the same level of societal recognition or support as acute illnesses or cancer diagnoses.

2. As I described in a post a couple weeks ago, I have been dealing with antidepressant induced health problems for more than seven months now. At times my symptoms have been quite severe, to the point where I took a full three weeks of medical leave followed by about a month of only working part time. I've felt alone and I've had trouble getting support throughout this time. When I spoke with my mom about my brother's fiancé's cancer diagnosis, my mom was already thinking about taking her to chemotherapy appointments, cooking meals, and helping with housework. Throughout the past seven months, my mom has not taken me to any medical appointments, cooked any of my meals, or helped me with housework. Now, there are a couple really good reasons for that, including the fact that she would have to drive four hours to reach me, while it only takes about an hour and a half for her to get to my brother. The other factor that has made it really hard for me to get support is the "just another couple weeks" phenomenon. Throughout the process, my doctor kept telling me that my symptoms would improve in a week or two. This made it really hard for me to know that I needed to reach out for support or coordinate logistics so that I could have more support (e.g. I would have preferred to spend my three weeks of medical leave staying with my parents instead of living by myself with no ability to drive in suburban America. But nobody thought it was going to be a whole three weeks when I started needing to take sick time. And it wouldn't make sense to travel to stay with them if it was only going to be a few days, right?) Even though I can look at those reasons why I have had trouble accessing support and acknowledge that they are valid reasons outside of either my or my mom's control, it's still hurts to see how readily and quickly she is jumping to provide support to my brother and his fiancé, when I have not enjoyed that same level of support in spite of my own significant health challenges.

3. My antidepressant related health issues are not over, and I still would like to have more support that I'm getting. While I am no longer incapacitated to nearly the same extent that I was a few months ago, I am still experiencing daily dizziness, excessive crying, and elevated pain levels. (And, yes, I have now been entirely off of the offending medications for 4 1/2 months. And yes I am still having symptoms.) I'm also essentially attempting to rehabilitate myself after an extended illness, and I'm doing that while working full-time and trying to manage three chronic illnesses, including the now-untreated anxiety disorder which was the thing I sought treatment for in the first place. It's exhausting. And I'm also exhausted by the fact that I've been dealing with these additional health challenges for more than seven months now, and I have done that mostly on my own.

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noona-clock · 2 years ago

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The Flight Attendant - Part 4

Genre: Flight Attendant!AU

Pairing: Yunhyeong x You (Female!Reader)

Warnings: None

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 | Words: 1,968

One Year Later

If Yunhyeong hadn't brought it up during your text conversation this morning, you would have completely forgotten it had been a whole year since you'd started your job as a flight attendant.

But Yunhyeong, being the incredibly thoughtful and considerate person he was, had brought it up. He'd actually remembered the exact date of your first meeting and had told you it was a cause for celebration.

It had been several months since you'd felt that pang of romantic disappointment in your heart... but there it was again. It was hardly noticeable at this point -- thrumming ever so slightly and trying to hide in the deepest corner of your chest, but you were familiar enough with the feeling to recognize it instantly. And Yunhyeong remembering the day the two of you had met was, apparently, enough to trigger it.

To be fair, you couldn't remember the last time one of your friends brought up the fact it was your friend-iversary. And certainly, none of your male friends ever had. One of your closest male friends, Jae, barely ever remembered your birthday. So, the fact that Yunhyeong knew the exact day you had first met was actually a pretty big deal.

If you weren't absolutely, positively sure that Yunhyeong only had friendly feelings for you... his text this morning would make you think otherwise.

But, like I said, it had been several months since you'd wished that were true. You had basically given up on ever becoming more than friends and co-workers -- and that was fine!

Fine!

Totally and utterly, positively, completely fine.

That's what you told yourself, at least, as you typed out a text to him.

I can't believe it's been a whole year 😲

After pressing 'send' on your reply, you closed the lid of your just-barely-full suitcase and zipped it up expertly.

After all, it had been a whole year since you'd been flying all over the country. You were an expert by now! And your flight was leaving in just two hours -- something that would have absolutely terrified you a year ago. But now you could pack, get to the airport, and get onto the plane in an hour and a half, tops.

You were rather impressed with yourself if you were being honest.

When the taxi arrived in front of your apartment building, you quickly slipped into your uniform heels and grabbed the handle of your bag. You waited until you'd slid into the backseat of the car before sliding your phone out of your pocket, a smile coming to your lips when you saw another message from Yunhyeong.

I may have a present for you.

OMG you do not. It's not that big a deal, I don't need a present!

...Well, too late.

YUNHYEONG

...what is it?

You'll get it soon! See ya!!!

You pressed your lips together, keeping in a soft chuckle of amusement so the taxi driver wouldn't get distracted from the road.

You also tamped down a flutter in your heart and stomach so you wouldn't get distracted from... everything. Your upcoming flight, your friendship, acting like a fairly average person and not someone who was stupidly in love with their best work friend.

But then another text message interrupted you, and your insides snuck in about three flutters as you clicked on the notification.

Actually, tell me when you get to the airport. And don't go anywhere until you hear back from me.

Immediately, your forehead wrinkled with slight confusion.

...why

Yunhyeong wasn't really one for surprises -- at least not during the year that you'd known him. He frequently did things for you and even bought small souvenirs for you when he flew to fun places, but they were never a surprise. He always texted you Hey, I made dumpling stew, come over and have some or I saw this pen with your favorite animal character on it so I got it for you.

So, for him to be this covert about something just seemed kind of odd.

I wish I could tell you, but that would absolutely ruin the surprise. And it's a good one, I promise.

I mean... you really had no choice but to trust him. He had never -- not once -- given you any reason not to.

So, trust him you did.

Okay... I will... even though this is very nerve-racking and unlike you...

He simply replied back with three innocent angel emojis, and one corner of your lips quirked up in amusement as you slid your phone back in your bag.

As with any other kind of surprise, you tried to keep your mind off of it for the remainder of the taxi ride.

The soft music on the radio, the passing scenery of the city, the other cars whizzing by you. You attempted to focus on one or more of those things... but the idea of a surprise from Yunhyeong was too novel and, frankly, tempting to not think about it.

And the fact that you were on your way to work? That piqued your curiosity even more. How could this surprise not interfere with your schedule?!

And why would he need to know when you arrived at the airport? Why would he not want you to go anywhere until you heard back from him?

Once you were only about five minutes from the airport, you finally admitted to yourself that you had no earthly clue what this surprise could be. You finally gave up.

The next five minutes were the tensest minutes you could recall in your recent history, and when, at long last, you texted Yunhyeong that you were here, you let out a huge sigh of relief.

He replied less than a minute later, while you still had his conversation open.

Come to Gate B16 and don't you dare look up to see which flight it is.

...Okay, things weren't any clearer.

Why was he telling you to come to a different gate? You'd been assigned to flight 9787 to Chicago, gate A9.

He wanted you to just... not get on that plane? Get on another plane?

You shook your head slightly and clicked on the button to call him rather than reply to him in a text.

"Just do it!" he chuckled as soon as he picked up.

"What is going on?!" you whined, your eyebrows knit together in distress.

"Y/N," Yunhyeong said confidently. "Just trust me. Gate B16. Come straight here."

He hung up before you could point out that he had said 'Come straight here' and not 'Go straight there' which implied that he was currently at gate B16.

...Interesting.

Well, there was nothing much more you could do, was there? After sliding your phone into your bag and letting out a deep, relenting sigh, you took hold of your suitcase handle and headed to the tram for concourse B.

In reality, it took less than ten minutes for you to wait for the tram, board the tram, ride the tram to concourse B, exit the tram, and walk down to gate B16.

But it absolutely did not feel like less than ten minutes! It felt more like ten hours, and your stomach was in anxious knots the entire time.

You walked down the concourse as quickly as you could without actually jogging, your eyes glued to the gate signs as you passed by.

B11... B12... B13... B14...

Looking up ahead, past gate B15, you squinted slightly to try and make out what was listed underneath B16, on the flight information screen.

And when you were able to read it clearly enough... you stopped in your tracks.

Because it said --

"Y/N!" Yunhyeong cheered, suddenly appearing in front of you and taking your suitcase. He also took your elbow gently and led you closer to the gate. "Don't worry, I got your schedule changed and everything worked out. I really wanted to tell you to pack more, but that would've given it away. But there will be plenty of opportunities to shop where we're going!"

"Paris?!" you wheezed, eyes wide as you stumbled along toward the boarding area. If Yunhyeong didn't have a grip on your elbow, you weren't sure you'd be able to move.

Yunhyeong squeezed your elbow a bit, and when you blearily glanced at him, you saw his lips pursed in the most adorable of smug grins.

"I knew that's been on the top of your list for a whole year, so I wanted to make it happen for you," he said.

And, honestly, you had no idea how to respond to that. For maybe the first time in your entire life, you were actually -- quite literally -- speechless.

It wasn't until you'd walked with Yunhyeong through the waiting area, down the connecting ramp, and into the plane that words finally came to you.

"...I --"

Okay, well, one word. And it was barely even a word.

"Are you okay?" Yunhyeong chuckled, finally releasing your arm so he could stow your suitcase up in the very last overhead compartment.

A deep exhale poured through your lips before you replied, "Yes, I just -- I don't know what to -- How? And -- and -- and why? Paris? How?"

"It was fairly easy, actually," he assured you as he hefted your bag up over his head. "I spoke with Liah about it two months ago and she went along with my Top Secret Plan."

So... your supervisor had known about this for two months?! And had put the Chicago flight on your schedule fully aware that you would actually be going to Paris?!

Now you really had to hear his answer for your second question.

"But why?" you asked, the fact that you were utterly dumbfounded still very apparent in your voice.

Yunhyeong closed the overhead compartment and stood up straight, reaching out to put his hands on your shoulders.

Of course, your stomach flipped over, and when he smiled at you it flipped over two more times.

"Because you're my friend!" he told you with a soft laugh, a laugh that clearly stated this was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yes, but -- but -- Paris! I thought you would make my favorite noodles and pack them in a lunch for me!" And, really, the only reason you thought that was because he'd done it before!

But this was on a whole other level!

Yunhyeong just laughed again, shaking his head slightly as he squeezed your shoulders. "Y/N, you are a flight attendant. You will go to Paris again, more than once."

"Well, yeah, when you put it like that it doesn't sound like a big deal," you sputtered.

"No, no, no, no," he tutted. "It is a big deal, but only because you've wanted to go and now you finally are. And I will take you everywhere, to all of the good places, I promise."

If you continued to be all flabbergasted about this, you would probably just feel silly. Plus, you were fairly certain passengers would start boarding within the next half hour, so you had to get started on your pre-flight duties.

So, you simply let out another sigh, briefly reached up to cover Yunhyeong's hands with yours, and said, "All right, let's do this. Thank you. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am, this is the best present ever."

Yunhyeong's lips spread into a full-on grin, and somehow, you had forgotten just how cute he is when he smiles.

Then, he let go of your shoulders, turned around, and headed back to help unload all of the meals for the flight. When you turned around, you saw three more flight attendants enter the aircraft, so...

It was time to go to Paris, I guess!

Part 5

#yunhyeong scenarios #yunhyeong imagines #yunhyeong fanfic #yunhyeong au #yunhyeong fluff #ikon scenarios #ikon imagines #ikon fanfic #ikon au #ikon fluff #kpop scenarios #kpop imagines #kpop fanfic #kpop au #kpop fluff #yunhyeong #song yunhyeong #ikon #kpop

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useless-bi-otch · 2 years ago

Text

Cookies'n Cream - Chapter 4

Last chapter / MasterList / Art by @aneenasevla

Chapter 4 - Embarrassment, with icing on top

Tomori hadn't felt so anxious about the arrival of a Monday since her college days, where she had stayed up various nights in a row while preparing her thesis. She had arrived at the Heavy Bakery exceptionally early that day, almost at the same time as Kanami, which had surprised her boss a bit.

“Look, Tomori, it's not that I mind you being here so early, you know that… but we don't open until two hours from now."

"I know, Kanny. But I ended up sleeping little, so when I woke up, I saw no reason to stay another two hours doing nothing at home" She had yawned, walking in after her friend after the back door was opened. Kanami arched an eyebrow.

"You didn't sleep well? Wanna talk about it?"

“Don't worry, it was no big deal. Just anxiety about the debut of the new dessert", She assured her, and technically it wasn't a lie. It was just that her anxiety was more focused on who would be tasting the dessert, specifically. And the anxiety remained, even now, with the bakery at its peak and bringing enough to do to occupy her head.

"Girl, if you keep looking at the door like that, people will start to think that you intend to run away during your lunch break", Hiro comments playfully, when he catches the assistant cook once again staring at the bakery's entrance door . She shakes her head as she re-stocks the food display, leaving the donuts in the spotlight.

“I'm just checking the movement, Hiro. It's good to keep an eye out for the type of people who frequent our workplace."

"Yes, tell me about it… especially if that 'type of person' is part of your selection of juicy meats, full of natural, hormone-free muscles…"

"Hiro. Don't", She snorts, her ears getting a little hot, to which he smirks.

"Come on, Tomori, don't think I didn't notice the way you lift your head like a meerkat every time the doorbell rings. You're waiting for him to show up again, right?"

“Who?”

"That big bald guy who thinks that wearing a baseball cap inside a closed establishment isn't a non-bailable crime against fashion. How that didn't make you drier than the Sahara, I'll never understand."

Tomori would have thrown one of the donuts at his head if that wasn't professionally inappropriate and a waste of food.

"Baseball caps are the hallmark of his style, okay? Not wanting him to wear them is like expecting Hurricane Helms to not wear his mask or for Matt Hardy to not enter the arena to the sound of 'Matty Facts'!"

"Girl, you know I don’t understand shit about those pro-wrestling references you make, right? But anyway, I think that answers my question", He laughs again "You're really waiting for him, right? Did the classic 'phone number written on a napkin' technique worked?"

She tries to remain impassive, but fails. A goofy smile takes over her lips, her eyes twinkling

"He called me last Saturday night!"

"Girl, no way!", He presses his face between his hands, mouth opening in an excited O "He skipped straight to calling? God, I LOVE men who knows what they want!"

"I thought he was going to ignore my efforts, after three days without receiving even a little text. But he ended up surprising me!" She gives him a coquettish laugh "I wasn't even close to the phone the first time he called, can you believe it? It got to voicemail, I almost missed the opportunity."

"Atta girl! He almost escaped through those fingers thirstying for muscles. Now be more careful and don't let go of that phone, not even if your life depends on it!", He practically orders, imperiously pointing at her, to which Tomori laughs. Tomoyo approaches, carrying an empty tray, calling while delivering a notepad sheet:

"Here are the orders for table five! And tone it down a bit, we can hear your voices all the way from the pantry."

"Sorry, Tomoyo. It's just that I can't help but cheer on when one of my friend's about to get a piece of some round, muscular butt."

"Hiro! She's sixteen...!"

"I'm not a kid, Tomori, c'mon", The girl rolls her eyes a bit.

“And you're not an adult either. Keep that devilish tongue in check and don't tarnish her innocence too soon, Hiro", The cook warns, to which the cashier raises his hands in surrender.

"Okay, okay, I won't sully her little ears anymore. The muscular butt in question is far too old for her, after all..."

"You're terrible", She rolls her eyes, while Tomoyo just looks unimpressed. She takes the sheet with the orders and goes to the kitchens, where Kanami was already preparing the first batch of homemade cookies.

"Hey! The icing is almost ready. Stir it for me while I bake the first batch, please."

"Right away, boss!" Tomori grabs the icing bowl, whistling happily. Kanami smiles at her over her shoulder.

"I heard the conversation just now. Hiro and you really don't know how to keep it quiet..."

"Sorry!"

“Ahaha, it's okay. It's just that I now know where this anxiety of yours comes from. Wow, that spurt of courage you had last week really did pay off, huh", Kanami jokes while opening the big pre-heated oven "Is he really going to show up today?"

“He told he would on the phone. Oh, Kanny, I can't believe it..." She lets out a dreamy sigh, removing the plastic film that sealed the bowl and picking up a spatula "It's a teenage fantasy of mine coming true! I mean, the oil-smeared octagon is missing, but anyway..."

"Girl, your fantasies are weird as hell..."

"That's funny, coming from the girl who was all out of breath when her favorite bottomless pit nailed Judas Sabbath in karaoke like a professional."

"Did not! Now get back to work!" Kanami growls, blushing, to which Tomori laughs, concentrating on the royal icing, already imagining how she would confect the cookies.

Did Okubo Naoya like sugar cookies with icing? She knew that he was very fond of typical American fried food, especially donuts, but she was already having ideas on how to serve those cookies in such a way that they were irresistible to him. She just hoped he didn't find them too 'girly'. She knew how many men's mindset worked…

About two hours and four more batches of cookies later, they hear the doorbell ring. And Hiro's laugh followed it the next second.

"Listen up, cooks on duty" He called from the kitchen door "The Beefy Car is passing by on your street. Come and enjoy this fine selection of full-bodied meats and choose the one that best suits your specific tastes. We have breasts, thighs, biceps, triceps, rectus abdominis and pectorals. Pectorals, I said! For the friendliest price you could imagine!"

"Hiro, the customers will hear you", Kanami grumbles, to which the cashier immediately replies:

"Relax, your seaweed monster is not among the samples of the day. Just Tomori's muscle man and his friends from that day, with one more addition."

"Hiro, I swear to god- Easy, Tomori, you'll drop the batch!" Kanami warns her friend when she almost runs out of the kitchen, the cookies swaying on the tray she was carrying. She stops dead in her tracks, taking all of her willpower to stop herself from grinning too wide as she sees the new arrivals making their way to the counter.

Unsurprisingly, Okubo was the first one she noticed, being the tallest of the group. He was better dressed than he had been on his last visit, and her heart was beating like a drum just thinking that this production was all for her. But was it just her imagination, or did he look… angry? He was frowning, seeming to be muttering to himself, and for a worrying second she wondered if he was forcing himself to show up... until she saw that his blond friend (Rihito, right?) was following close behind, smiling from ear to ear as he gave Okubo a cracking slap on the back.

"Come on, you already have an ugly mug. Don't make it worse, you’re gonna scare the poor girl..."

"I wouldn't be making that face if I didn't have to put up with your annoying asses! Why did you come anyway?"

"Kaneda wanted to see the bakery", The white-haired man (Himuro, if she remembered correctly) enters right behind, smiling scathingly, followed by a shorter man, with straight black hair framing his face, narrow eyes and wearing more traditional attire that she would only expect to see during festivals. He was smiling too.

"Yes. Rihito and Himuro also wanted to have a snack."

"Aaaand of course, we wanted to offer our good ol' friend all the support he needs" The blonde puts a hand on his chest in theatrical innocence "That's just how strong our friendly bond is."

"Not as strong as the bond between my fist and your faces. Don't you dare make me look like a fool in front of her, did'ja hear me?"

"Dude, you already do. Good afternoon, Miss Kanami, Miss Uta!", Rihito greets them, raising his voice and waving with an excited smile "Remember us?"

"How could we forget?", Kanami, from the kitchen door, rolls her eyes, while Hiro had a discreet burst of laughter when he saw the bald man's eyes widening like golf balls. He finally sees Tomori and his expression changes completely, going from angry to dumbfounded, his face and thick neck reddening. He straightens his shoulders and puffs out his chest a little, adjusting as discreetly as he can the silver chain he wore around his neck, and then opened an adorable little smile when she discreetly waved to him.

"Welcome. Are you going to order something? No, phone numbers don't count as orders" Kanami says right away, with a bored expression, when Rihito opens his mouth to say something.

"Eh... Okubo got one..."

"He got one when he wasn't looking for it. He didn't need to ask. Learn from him."

"Heck yeah! Take that!", Okubo points at Rihito with a triumphant expression. And then he flinches, getting even redder, when Hiro lets out a nasal laugh. Himuro and Kaneda laugh too, more measuredly, while Rihito opens a mocking smile, arching an eyebrow.

"Heh. Would you look at that... your little gift was like an injection of self-esteem for my buddy here, you know, Miss Uta? He's been strutting up and down like a peacock all week, hahaha."

Tomori had never seen a pair of ears turn red so quickly, so Okubo must've been breaking some sort of record. She holds back the urge to laugh and tries to think of something to say in an attempt to ease his embarrassment, but it ends up not being necessary.

"Y'know what? I sure am" He suddenly lifts his chin, and although he was still a little red in the face, his expression now conveyed much more confidence "You'd also be walking like that if you’d received the number of such a pretty girl, you jerk."

He looks sideways at Tomori, arching an eyebrow and smirking. And she has to hold on to the counter as her legs quivered a bit, her face heating up to the point of making her sweat. She was partially aware of all the eyes on her, but she couldn't focus her mind enough to care.

Would it look too bad for her to jump over the counter to grab and kiss the hell out of him?

Hiro was grinning from ear to ear, and even Kanami seemed to be amused by the situation. Himuro and Kaneda exchanged amused glances, the former commenting:

"Heh, he countered like a true MMA champion."

"I know, right! Forget it, Rihito, he won this time around."

"Whatever, I'll have my rematch."

“Anytime you want”, Okubo waves away, still smiling, but there's a slightly sharp gleam in his eyes. He was warning the others, Tomori realizes, awakening from her dazed state. That indeed seemed to be a pretty common interaction in that friend group, and judging by the expressions of the other three, they were going to ignore the warning and continue with their teasing. It reminded her of her high school days, when teenagers amused themselves by psychologically torturing their friends about their crushes. He then turns to her again.

"Anyway… I came, as promised."

"Yeah… you did..." She takes a deep breath to be able to respond normally, and opens her best hostess smile “W-Welcome back, Mr. Okubo. And you guys too! We're glad that you enjoyed our service enough to come back."

"And enough for us to introduce it to our friend here", Himuro indicates the smaller one, who nods with a smile.

"Hello there! Kaneda Sukeichi, at your service. I'm also a friend of Ohma, Mr. Yamashita and the wrestlers from SJPW. These three told me very good things about this place and I got very interested in visiting. Especially when I heard about you, ma'am", He turns to Kanami, who raises an eyebrow.

"Nice to meet you too. And wow, if I had known before that I had become so famous in your social circle, I would've placed an ad on the front of the bakery, promoting my illustrious presence."

"We can spread the news in exchange for some complimentary snacks!"

"Giving up on her number already, Rihito?"

"A soldier knows how to choose his battles."

"If you did you wouldn't even try to eat for free around here. But we guarantee that our prices are fair and affordable, right guys?" Kanami smiles at Tomori, who follows the cue and assumes a professional pose, determined not to look bad in front of the guy she wanted to impress.

"Absolutely, and it’s their quality that makes them that way! Today we are serving one of our specialties: sugar cookies!" She displays the tray of cookies with the pride of an artist presenting her masterpiece "They're fresh out of the oven! Do you want a sample?"

The four of them approach to check the tray, interested... and she sees the exact moment when Okubo and Rihito get a little suspicious.

"Uuh… they're… pretty colorful, aren't they?" Okubo comments, hesitating, while Rihito twists his mouth a little.

"Flowers, lace and ruffles? Is this really for eating?"

“Of course it is, knucklehead. That's royal icing, isn't it?", Himuro asks "I got a box of those from one of my girlfriends last Valentines. They're pretty good."

"Oh, they look very nice! Was it you who baked them, miss?" Kaneda asks, to which Tomori nods, now feeling a little embarrassed.

"Yes, it was me. Cookies are my specialty. And I also frosted them."

"Congratulations, that's a neat hand job. I'll have some!"

"Ahaha, thank you!"

"Me too, they go well with coffee", Himuro looks over his shoulder "What about you two? Are you really going to get all prissy over some icing?"

"Uuh..." Okubo glances at Tomori, and she sees guilt in his eyes. Rihito suddenly smiles, nudging his friend's arm and teasing:

"Yeah, dude, you're not going to embarrass Miss Uta like that, are you? Relax, get some cookies, and meanwhile I'll order you some tea, in a china cup with daisy prints-"

"Quit it! I... alright, I'll have some too" He finally seems to make up his mind, after swatting Rihito's hand away. Tomori holds out the tray hopefully, and he chooses one with the simplest possible glaze job: yellow polka dots on a baby blue background. Rihito kept smirking, oblivious to how Kanami and Hiro were giving him annoyed looks. They should include ‘disgusting sexism’ as an intolerable behavior by the bakery's policy. And if Tomori's crush exhibited the same behavior...

Okubo takes a bite of the cookie, chewing slowly, his brow a little furrowed. And then his expression softens, the hesitation replaced by surprise, his eyes actually glistening a little.

"Wow… this is really good!" he exclaims suddenly, looking surprised by the fact. Tomori's face lights up.

“Really?”

"Yeah! They're delicious” He eats the rest of the cookie, even licking his fingers to catch the crumbs that have stuck to them. He looked absolutely sincere, which made Kanami and Hiro relax, while Tomori looked like she was about to float away with happiness.

"I'm so glad you liked it! Will you have some more?

"Some? I want a whole tray of them!"

"I told you so", Himuro shakes his head, while Lihito stops laughing, apparently realizing that his friend wasn't forcing himself to be polite.

"‘Wait, are you serious? … Ugh, okay, I want one too,” He mutters as he picks up a cookie, frowning at the pink frosting. They thought they heard him mumble 'fuckin' sissy food...' under his breath before popping the cookie into his mouth, but before either of them could scold him for the homophobic remark, he made a startled sound in the back of his throat, eyes bulgying, his mouth still full as he chewed in slow motion. He swallows, licks his lips, then mutters, trying to sound nonchalant:

“Uuh… there's- there's more where those came from?

"Yes! Do you want some too?"

"I do, but… don't you have some cookies with more… I don't know, manly designs? Nothing against those, they're pretty good, but you understand, right? Fighters of our caliber have a... uh... reputation to uphold and all…”

"Relax, honey, Kanny and Tomori don't have the habit of injecting the cookie dough with estrogen or something like that. Your man tits won't grow. I mean, not that they need to..."

"What the hell, man! Cut that out!" Rihito puts his hands over his chest, glaring at Hiro with a shudder, to everyone's amusement. Tomori says happily:

"I have one more batch to put on the display! And I know you're going to like these a lot…"

She smiles at Okubo, who was already reaching out to take more cookies from the tray. She goes back to the kitchen, while Kanami grunts:

"Hey, you've already tasted the samples. If you want more, you'll have to pay!"

"Sorry!" They cringe a little, at the same time that Tomori returns, bringing another tray.

"Here! You may consider these a ‘special edition’. I made them because I knew about your visit and… well, I thought you, more than anyone, would understand the reference, Mr. Okubo."

She shows the contents of the tray. The four of them huddle together to look. And Okubo's face lights up like a kid in a toy store.

"Maaan, I can't believe it! Guys!" He picks up a cookie, smiling like the happiest idiot in the world "Look! It's Kuidaore Taro!"

"Really? The mascot from that restaurant in Osaka?" Kaneda bliks, coming closer to have a better look at the cookie, which was sporting the frosted figure of the adorable clown, in a white and red suit and wearing round glasses and a small conical hat.

"Wow, Miss Uta, you managed to make a detailed drawing like that with this little space? I'm impressed", Himuro comments, and Rihito nods, smiling.

"Yeah, they look dope! Right, Okubo?"

"You bet! D-Did you bake them with me in mind, Miss Uta? Seriously?" He asks, sounding even a little emotional. She nods, ecstatic to see his joy.

"Yes, I did! I wanted it to be a surprise. I know that he is a mascot in your prefecture, a cultural symbol, and that you are very proud of it. I mean, you even sport his colors when you fight! I think that's admirable, and I kinda wanted to show it..."

Kanami and Hiro had the privilege of watching the exact moment when Okubo Naoya started looking at Tomori as if she were the most formidable creature to walk the face of the earth. They look at each other, stunned and dying to burst out laughing.

"Wow... the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, indeed. I'll have to apologize to my mom for not taking her seriously..." Hiro whispers "Although you kind of already proved her right, with your seaweed head monster..."

"You wanna wash the dishes today? 'Cause you will if you don't cut that out!"

Okubo's friends seemed to be thinking the same, considering their expressions of hilarity. Himuro nudges him in the back, saying:

"So... we're going to place our orders and look for a table. You're not going to sit with us today, are you?"

"Wha- oh… no, not today…" He seems to wake up from a kind of trance, turning almost as red as Tomori, who hadn't failed to notice the way he had been looking at her "I'll talk to you guys later."

The three of them nod, chuckling to each other and throwing glances at him as they went to look for an empty table. Tomori, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, asks:

"So... are you going to place your order too?"

"I will. I want two donuts, the ruby chocolate ones with sprinkles, a to-go box of these cookies... and the new dessert you mentioned on Saturday. I didn't forget, hehe."

"Hahaha, okay! Do you want something to go with it?"

"Yes, you."

…

Tomori blinks. She hears Hiro choke, hears her idol's three friends in a nearby table exploding into a violent fit of laughter. And Okubo looked like he was wondering if the traffic outside was chaotic enough, because he wanted to run out into the middle of the street and let himself get hit by a truck.

"Uh… excuse me?"

"I- I mean...! I wanted your company! Yes, that's it! You, as a company!" He almost shouts, gesturing with some desperation "When- When is your lunch break? If- If your boss doesn't mind you sitting at a table with a customer, that is..."

Tomori feels her heart wanting to burst out of her chest. She looks at Kanami over her shoulder hopefully.

"No, I- I don't mind", Her friend gasps; she had tears of laughter in her eyes. Hiro was already bent over the cash register by then, shaking with barely suppressed laughter "Her lunch break is in half an hour."

"Y-Yes! Of course, I'll love to!" She nods, still very red "Then you can tell me what you think of the new dessert."

"Yeah, about that new dessert... you’re the one who made it?"

"Yep!"

“Then… then I'm sure I'll love it.” He smiles shyly before going to sit in the farthest corner of the bakery, still mortified and throwing furious glances at Rihito, Himuro and Kaneda, who were too busy laughing their asses off to care.

And she wanted to laugh too. But from absolute ecstasy. Her, sitting at a table with Okubo Naoya, just the two of them, like on a date? How could that day get any better?

* * *

"Seriously, you're the first person in two years who's understood that reference."

"That's a shame. It's, like, a cultural symbol for an entire province!"

"I know, right! They're all uncultured swines. They should learn more from you" Okubo points to Tomori, who laughs. He was managing to get laughs out of her with ease, which, in her opinion, was a tremendous plus.

She had joined him at the table just as the clock on her cell phone had struck exactly three in the afternoon. Tomoyo had brought her lunch along with his orders, the transparent box of cookies already packed, complete with a white and red striped ribbon around it, and she was relieved when he didn't didn't seen to mind. He looked utterly content just being there with her, devouring his donuts and making small talk, while deliberately trying to ignore his friends a few tables away who probably wouldn't forget his faux pas anytime soon. She didn't mind though. His slips thus far had been adorable. She could let a few more pass on behalf of the company.

"The truth is, Kuidaore Taro is not such an unknown icon within my social circle. My mom is from Osaka!" She tells him, and he seems to get even more excited.

"Really?! That's nice! So you're half my countrywoman, hahaha!"

"Hahaha, yeah! She moved here to Tokyo for better job opportunities, then she met my father and ended up staying for good. My brother and I were born here, but she never missed an opportunity to introduce her children to some aspect of Kansai culture, hehe. Oh, and she's also a fan of yours!"

"Wow…" He scratches the back of his head again, smiling sheepishly "That makes me a little emotional, hehe. Your mother must be a nice woman. Your entire family must be, if they have half your love for martial arts..."

"They're as fanatical as I am! My parents didn't make my brother and I watch pro-wrestling matches earlier only because someone could report them to social services, hahaha!"

He laughs out loud, choking a little on his donut. After a few fist bumps on his chest, he manages to say:

“Ooh god... no, seriously, have you really been watching me since I was practicing wrestling?”

"Yes, I have."

"Hnnn… good to know, 'cause I feel like doing a test" He points at her again, smiling with an arched eyebrow "I want to see how much you know. What do you say?"

"Sure!" She reaches to grab the table top in her excitement.

"What did I do before starting my career as a martial artist?"

"You played baseball, and you were a batter!"

"Good! How was my wrestling career in middle school?"

"You had already established yourself as one of the top four in the national rankings!"

"Atta girl!" He seemed to be having as much fun as she was "And I won the national championships during...?"

"Your senior year in highschool!"

He starts clapping, laughing as he sees her chest swell with pride.

"Alright, last question. After my three year career as an amateur boxer, I switched to MMA in the year of...?"

"Oh no", She suddenly raises a finger, shaking it with a coquettish smile "I'm not falling for a trick question. Your boxing career spanned two years, not three."

She thought that if his smile got any bigger, his face would probably tear up.

"Miss Uta, you are a human encyclopedia. A beautiful human encyclopedia, with the most wonderful hands for confectionery."

"Oooh, stop it, you…!" She holds her hot face between her hands. She was probably smiling like a fool.

"I'm only telling the true. You're not only a dedicated fan, you're also a dedicated cook. These donuts are great-"

"Oh, Kanny and I made them together, she deserves half the credit."

"Haha, okay. But the cookies were your doing, right?" He smiles more when she nods "See? My point still stands. Only someone with a lot of love for what they do could do something as cool as this" He picks up the to-go box "They're so well made that I don't even know if I can eat them, haha!"

She felt like crying. That couldn't even be classified as a dream come true, because not even in her wildest dreams did she imagine that things would get to that point.

"Thank you, Mr. Okubo, really" She bows a little "But sure you can eat them, that's what they were made for, haha. You can just take some pics as a memento."

"I'm going to do it right now! – He takes his phone out of his pocket "And I'll post it on my social media, to help promote your work."

"Really? That would be great for our publicity, thank you!"

"No need to thank me, you deserve it. And it's the bare minimum too, considering the good service and just as good company, hehe... h- hey, Missa Uta..." He calls out, suddenly alarmed, and that's when she realizes how her eyes were stinging and her vision was kind of blurred "Hey, don't- don't cry, please! If I said something wrong-"

"Oh no, I- no need to worry, this- this is pure happiness, I swear", She quickly wipes away her tears, taking a deep breath to try to control herself "It's just... I'm just so happy when my work is appreciated like that! Especially by someone I look up to... I feel like it's because of this feeling that I studied to become a pastry chef, you know..."

He lowers the arm he had been extending towards her, relieved.

"Thank god, I thought I had offended you somehow… but yes, I can imagine" He smiles again, now more tenderly "Like I said, someone has to really love what they do to be this dedicated. And I'm not just talking about the cookies.” He picks up a spoon, dipping it into what was, according to Tomori, the newest dessert in the house: a dollop of what looked like pastry cream, artfully placed in the corner of a small plate, next to two fat chocolate chip cookies "This one looks great too..."

"Eat it with the cookies. The dessert is a combination of the two", She sniffs a little, and smiles when he does what she suggests "It's a slightly deconstructed version of a popular flavor."

"Which is…?"

"Cookies 'n cream."

“Uh- oh yes, of course” He nods as he puts the spoon in his mouth, chewing slowly to savor it. She waits anxiously, and she's isn't disappointed when his eyes shine again in the way she had learned to recognize.

"Man, this is as good as the cookies!"

"Thank you!"

"This is that pastry cream thing, right?"

"Yes, with a few extra touches. My treat. And I put something else in the cookies. Did you notice?"

"Brownie bits, isn't it?"

"Yes!" She claps her hands in excitement "That's the best thing about cookies 'n cream. It's the perfect union between softness and crunchiness, the full-bodied flavor of the chocolate and the smoothness of the cream, a proof of how appearances can be deceiving!"

He laughs quietly at her excitement, taking a spoonful of cream again.

"I'm just wondering if there's anything you don't know how to cook well, 'cause I find it unlikely."

"Well, Kanami's cakes are better than mine, haha. But I know how to make a little bit of everything. My specialty is pastries in general, but I know how to cook savory dishes too."

“I'd love to eat more of the stuff you make. And speaking of that..." He takes another bite of the cookie while she has a mini burst of happiness in her chair "I'm curious about one thing."

"What?"

"This is the Heavy Bakery, isn't it? I mean, the name is kinda suggestive, so we thought there would be more fit options around here, you know? It's not a complaint, we really enjoyed what you’ve offered so far, but it's something to think about."

"Oh, we know that! Rest assured that in the future we will have new items on the menu, totally appropriate for your… lifestyle" She has to make an effort not to let her eyes wander over his torso, his muscles evident under his shirt "Kanny and I we've been researching a lot, and I can already say that I have a good hand for fit dishes, hehe."

"That's good to know!" He straightens up in his chair "I was going to ask you... me and my pals have been wanting to vary our menu between workout sessions. Could you send me some recipes?"

She feels her traitorous heart do another somersault inside her chest.

"Aah… of course I can, but… you're a professional fighter, Mr. Okubo. Don't you have a personal trainer or a private nutritionist to advise you on these things...?"

"Uuh…" He looks to the side, seeming to be looking for the right words "I do, but… I just like your food. Yeah, that's it." He gestures to her suddenly, giving her a confident smile "And having one of your recipes in hand would surely guarantee a good meal."

Tomori was pretty sure she heard some devilish giggles a few feet away, but she didn't dwell on it. She was too busy trying not to have a heart attack.

"Oh… yes, yes, of course! I'll give you all the recipes you want" She puts her hands together on her chest, a little dizzy with happiness "As far as I'm concerned, you and your friends will only eat well from now on!"

He smiles more, that smile she's seen so many times on magazine covers and on television, from a man who's so sure of himself and who knows exactly what he wants, when he wants it and how he wants it. Dear lord, her legs were getting weak-

"Dame da neeee! Dame yo, Dame na no yoooo..."

And that smile is immediately replaced by an expression that was a bizarre mix of horror and homicidal rage, his face turning red as a pepper. He grabs his phone, declining the call and looking over his shoulder while muttering a "What the fuck...!" under his breath, and this time Tomori clearly heard the devilish giggles. But she was still busy, trying to process what had just happened.

His ring tone was Baka Mitai? Really? The urge to laugh was almost uncontrollable, and she had to put a hand over her mouth.

"I told you not to bother us, you jerks!"

"Sorry, man, but our time is up!", Lihito nods, very relaxed with an arm draped over the back of his chair, while Himuro laughs and Kaneda shakes his head with a mix of hilarity and disapproval "Adam and Imai are waiting for us at Kureichi's dojo, remember?"

"Shit, I forgot…" He throws his head back a little before turning to Tomori, still blushing "Sorry, Miss Uta, but we have to go."

"Oh, alright then..." She nods, feeling a little guilty for not being able to contain her laughter, which only made him even more embarrassed "My lunch break is about to end anyway. But I was really happy with your visit, Mr. Okubo. You have no idea how much" She again tucks a lock of hair behind her ear as they both get up from their chairs. He watches the movement of her finger, and his expression softens.

"Yes, I do, because I was happy too. I really enjoyed talking to you... and I'd like to talk again" He scratches the back of his head "I have a busy schedule, you know, but when I can, I'll stop by again. I want to see what other cookies you’re going to bake next time."

"Hehe, I already have some ideas. How about a Billiken?"

"Or maybe a Glyco Man!"

"Or a Kushikatsu Daruma, but that might give you a bit of an indigestion, haha."

They laugh, smiling at each other. Until Rihito's voice calls again:

"Hey, Rocky, don't make me call you again..."

"Ugh, I'm coming! Well... you have my number, so we can talk later. See ya, Miss Uta" He puts two fingers to the side of his temple and then takes them away in a goodbye gesture, giving her a sideways smile. And then he turns his back on her, very haughtily, and goes to join his friends, who were saying goodbye to Kanami and Hiro. She lets out a low sigh, nodding, subconsciously knowing she was sounding like a lovestruck fool and not caring in the slightest.

"See ya..."

She watches him walk away towards the door, his steps firm and confident, looking very much in control of himself... until she hears Rihito commenting, before the four of them left the bakery:

"Again with the menu excuse? Tokita is apparently giving some seduction classes and you're his most dedicated student by far."

"Leave me alone, Rihito!"

"But it was a good idea. We really need to vary our pre and post workout diet", Kaneda comments, and Himuro nods.

"And with the recipes from here, we will eat like kings."

"It depends. Will Miss Uta come with it, Okubo?"

"Bitch, run! Run, 'cause if I catch you now, I'll beat the shit outta you!" He snarls, his friend's laughing fit fading into the sounds of traffic as the door closes behind them.

Tomori sighs again, this time more deeply. Kanami shakes her head, one hand on her hip, murmuring:

"We've never had such noisy customers… well, at least they pay."

"And they pay well, considering how much they eat. You two and your fetish for men who have an appetite as huge as their pecs, I swear..."

"Shut up, Hiro" The cooks grunt at the same time, to which the cashier just laughs. They return to service, each with their own thoughts. Tomori's were very specific as she tried to remember all the recipes for an athlete's diet she knew. That was an excuse to keep in touch with Okubo, and she wouldn't waste it for anything in the world.

"Hey, Kanny", She calls as they both enter the kitchens.

"Yes?"

"I think we should make the Kuidaore Taro cookies part of the official menu from now on…"

Kanami just laughs to herself.

"Girl, you really have some weird fantasies..."

NEXT CHAPTER

#Kengan Ashura #Kengan Omega #kenganverse #fanfiction #Okubo Naoya #Naoya Okubo #okubo x oc #kengan oc #Rihito #Himuro Ryo #Kaneda Suekichi #cookies'n cream #the heavy bakery series

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theghostpinesmusic · 8 days ago

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Desolation Wilderness Loop (1/4)

There were times when this trip felt like an exorcism first and a hike second.

Lindsey and I's 2022 hike of this same loop through the Desolation Wilderness features prominently in the second chapter of the actual book I'm currently working on, so I've already written a lot about it elsewhere and I don't want to make this trip report excessively long by rehashing the story in detail here. For anyone who's interested in the full story, though, I'll likely share some bits and pieces from the book here in the near future anyway, and I'll be sure to include that story.

For now, suffice to say that we'd had a hard couple of COVID years coming into the summer of 2022, but had had a lot of reasons to think that things might finally be getting a little better. On the top of the list for me was a trip to Ohio and Arkansas that we'd planned for late August. Though I live far away from my family (me in Oregon and them throughout the south and midwest), I've usually been able to travel to see them at least once every year or two since 2005, but of course COVID had put a stop to that. What had made it worse was the fact that my brother and his wife had had their first daughter a few weeks before COVID lockdown had begun, so by August of 2022 she was already two-and-a-half years old and I hadn't met her yet, except over Zoom. This trip was meant to "fix" all that, and help get things back to "normal" after the craziness of the previous few years.

Of course, Lindsey and I got COVID for the first time two days before our flight.

Once we were done spending a week staggering feverishly around our house in the August heat, we spent some time trying to figure out a way to reschedule the trip before work started in September, but there wasn't a way to make it work. Hoping to end the summer on some kind of high note, at least, we ended up planning a week-long trip to Lake Tahoe instead, with a four-day hike in the Desolation Wilderness bookended by a few days spent relaxing in South Lake Tahoe and Truckee.

To make a long story short, unbeknownst to us, the soon-to-be 85,000 acre Mosquito Fire started just west of Lake Tahoe on the night we arrived, and so by the time we were two days into our hike, we were choking on noxious wildfire smoke that made it impossible to see across to the other side of the lake we were camped at. For the next two mornings, we had to wake up and brush thick piles of ash off of the tent and the rest of our gear before we could start our day. We hiked like that for most of three days, and it was one of the most miserable experiences of my life. We spent two days afterward in an AirBnB in Truckee, and it wasn't much better, though we were at least able to sleep inside of a building.

In theory, Desolation Wilderness was and is a beautiful destination for a backpacking trip, and its granite blocks and deep blue alpine lakes are basically my ideal hiking environment, so I left that summer hoping to come back as soon as possible to "redeem" our exceptionally bad experience. "As soon as possible" turned out to be the middle of this past August, when I'd had to pivot at the last second after cancelling hiking plans elsewhere due to wildfire smoke (for what felt like the hundredth time in the last ten years). So it was that I found myself parked for the second time at the Echo Lake Trailhead, just southeast of the Desolation Wilderness boundary.

The Desolation Wilderness requires you to reserve a permit that specifies a particular "zone" that you are then required to camp in for your first night in the Wilderness. For our 2022 trip, we'd spent the previous night in South Lake Tahoe, a few miles from the trailhead, so we'd gotten a permit that allowed us to camp at Clyde Lake, a granite-enclosed pond ten miles and one crossing over Mosquito Pass away from the trailhead. This time, I knew I'd be getting to the trailhead after a nearly six-hour drive from Klamath Falls, so my itinerary couldn't be nearly as aggressive. Instead, I'd gotten a permit that would allow me to camp at Lake Of The Woods on the first night, partly because it was a short hike from the trailhead, and partly for sentimental reasons: camping at that lake was one of my few fond memories of our previous trip, as we'd spent a lazy afternoon swimming among its weird granite islands and then watched the smoke-smeared sun set behind Pyramid Peak before settling into the tent for the night amidst another rain of ash.

This time, the air was clear (if a bit cool for August) as I stepped out of the car at the trailhead and walked half a mile down a paved road to the trailhead at the edge of Lower Echo Lake. Here you can take your first look into the heart of the wilderness area from a dam at the east edge of the lake.

It was hard to stand here again and not remember our excitement at the beginning of a new adventure back in 2022, as well as how quickly that excitement had curdled, how twenty-four hours later we'd been choking on wildfire smoke while climbing up to the Fontanillis Lake basin, with two more days of traversing a landscape straight out of Dante still ahead of us.

But, as I said, this was supposed to be an exorcism. I took a deep breath of clean air and started down the path, traversing above Lower Echo Lake to the north. The first two-and-a-half or so miles of this lollypop loop aren't technically in Desolation Wilderness. This becomes clear very quickly, as the north shore of both lakes are dotted with small cabins and the sounds and smells of boat motors fill the air. It's a gorgeous hike nonetheless, with the lakes spreading out blue beneath you to the south and the granite cliffs that make up so much of the wilderness already towering over you to the north, but the character of the landscape definitely changes noticeably as soon as you leave the Echo Lakes behind and climb briefly up to the wilderness boundary.

There's actually a water taxi you can pay for to take you from the trailhead to the boundary to cut out this bit of the hike, but I'd driven six hours one-way to exorcise some demons, and I wasn't going to do that by riding on a boat.

Above the Echo Lakes, beyond the boundary, the wilderness very quickly starts to look, well, desolate. Shortly after the boundary, a use trail descends to Tamarack Lake and, for the enterprising bushwhacker, Ralston and Cagwin Lakes. This area is awesome, and would be a great first-night camp spot for anyone starting very late in the day. I bypassed it on my way in, though I would drop down and explore it a little on my way back to the car three days later, as I'll write about eventually.

You climb slowly but steadily once past the boundary, and as you climb, there is less and less shade to be had; however, in spite of it being mid-August, the temperature was unseasonably low and the wind was gusting, so the sun didn't feel as oppressive as it might have otherwise. I passed through the Haypress Meadows, dotted with the remnants of wildflowers that must have been vibrant just a few weeks before, then struck a left-hand turnoff toward Lake Of The Woods. This is the sharpest climb yet, as this side trail climbs and then descends down off the northern shoulder of Ralston Peak, but it's over quickly.

Switchbacking down into the lake basin from the east, I was suddenly overcome with emotion as Lake Of The Woods came into view. After a moment, I realized why: we'd descended this exact same way in 2022, but the smoke had been so thick that the lake had been obscured and nearby Pyramid Peak had been rendered invisible. Now, looking down on the lake glittering in the sun with the silver mountain hanging over it under clear skies, it felt like a weight had been lifted off of my chest. As silly as it might sound, I felt like I was seeing Desolation Wilderness as it "should" be for the first time.

I dropped down into the lake basin to find it much busier than I'd expected for a weekday. Since the area requires you to camp in an established, numbered site, I worried for a moment about finding an available spot: I wasn't sure where else I would be able to camp near a water source that was also in my permit area if every site was already taken.

I needn't have worried, though: appropriately enough, the only spot still available on the north shore of the lake (clearly the best side) was the same site Lindsey and I had camped in last time. I gladly took it and set up camp. There had been a strong, cold wind blowing all day, and it continued blowing from across the lake as I settled in for the night, but I tried to angle my tent in such a way that would minimize my exposure throughout the night.

With a few hours until sunset, I somehow got the idea in my head that I should reprise my 2022 swim amidst the granite islands. I'm not going to say this was a mistake, but it was...let's just say it was an experience. For one thing, it was much colder this time than it had been last time. For another, once I psyched myself up to jump into the water, it felt (at least temporarily) warmer to be in the water than to be in the cold, wind-chilled air. So I went on a bit of an expedition, not only swimming out to and around what Lindsey and I had decided was "my" island two years ago, but also swimming into and out of a number of weird little inlets and bays formed by the tumble of granite that mazes the lake.

By the time I pulled myself back out of the water, my arms and legs were completely numb from cold, and the sun was just getting to the point where it was threatening to disappear for the night behind the mountains. I spent a few minutes sitting on a dry rock, trying to avoid putting on (and thus soaking) my dry, warm clothes until the wind had dried me off, but eventually I came to realize that the wind was going to freeze me to death well before it dried me off.

On the heels of that realization, though, I also remembered that even if the sun wasn't shining on the surrounding rocks anymore, it had been for the last twelve or so hours. So I spent fifteen or so minutes moving from rock to rock like a lizard, laying belly-down on each one until I'd sucked all of the warmth from it before moving on to another. Eventually, I'd warmed and dried up enough to put my shirt and long pants back on, and then I waddled up the hill back to the tent and curled up into my quilt (this was the summer of discovering the backpacking quilt for me) until I could feel my hands and feet again. By the time I crawled back out, it was almost night.

While the sunset wasn't nearly as spectacular as the fire-mottled one Lindsey and I had watched two years before from the same spot, I still enjoyed watching the alpenglow slide across the top of Pyramid Peak before heading back to camp to make and eat dinner.

Often, when I eat dinner just after sunset on a backpacking trip, one of two things happens: I either fall into a deep sleep pretty much immediately, or the warmth and calories imparted by the food wake me up to the point that I spend another hour or two messing around before grudgingly climbing into bed. This time, the latter thing happened. So, I spent awhile taking some night photos of the lake, the trees, the stars, and Pyramid Peak.

These were "marred" a little bit by the moon rising brightly behind me in the east shortly after full dark had settled in, but even if the photos aren't that great, the real-life effect was gorgeous.

Eventually, after I'd gotten tired of rock-hopping and photo-taking (and the neighbor's dog had finally stopped barking at whatever it'd been barking at for the last three hours), I settled in under my quilt for the night. Blocked from the wind by my tent's fly, it wasn't really that cold, and the wind itself trailed off significantly as the night wore on. I slept the sleep of a guy who was reasonably sure that his luck was going to hold this time around.

#desolation wilderness #photos #writing #trip reports #lake tahoe #backpacking #hiking #walking

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troutberryspoon · 6 months ago

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Unhallowed Heart - Chapter 4 - 'Planning the first heist'

Dark Urge/Enver Gortash

Fourth chapter - Gortash tells Villi about an upcoming museum exhibition

Word count - 2284

Full fic here on AO3

___

A few days later.

‘...And I swear to bring no harm unto you or any who follow you,’ Villi said. Words of peace that felt alien in his mouth, rolling around like loose and rotten teeth.

‘Likewise. I swear to bring no harm unto you or any who follow you,’ Gortash said, finishing their pact.

With that, it was sealed. The new Chosen of Bane and the Son of Bhaal. Two of the Dead Three reunited once more, in an alliance that was almost certainly as doomed as any that had come before it. Villi was already daydreaming about Gortash’s death (it must be somewhere public, Villi was adamant on that point), and no doubt Gortash had numerous schemes stashed in his gilded sleeves for when and how he planned to stab Villi in the back.

And gilded was not a metaphorical description. The man was wearing a black moleskin coat that dripped in gold. Apparently it was a gift from his god.

Yes, Enver Gortash was now Bane’s Chosen among mortals. A fact he had been most eager to reveal, judging by how quickly he had managed to bring it up in conversation when Villi had arrived at his manor less than an hour ago for the informal and very private ceremony.

Villi wasn’t Bhaal’s Chosen. Not yet. Not officially. The prodigal child still had to prove himself, it seemed. And the prodigal child was feeling rather sour about it.

‘Now that that necessary bit of formality is out of the way, can I give you a tour of my favourite room in the house?’ Gortash asked.

‘I didn’t intend on staying for–’

‘Nonsense. We have much to discuss, my friend.’

Villi bit back a growl. Took a breath. Said; ‘Then lead on, friend.’

For this tour, Gortash began by leading him downstairs. The cellars of Baxendall House were deep. The stairs corkscrewed down in a disorienting spiral, and Villi was glad to finally reach the bottom where a vast workshop sprawled out in every direction.

The acrid tang of smokepowder and weapon oil hung in the air, catching at the back of the throat like a dish overseasoned with black pepper.

‘You’re an inventor?’ Villi asked.

‘A tinkerer,’ Gortash replied.

Gortash headed over to a desk that was piled high with books and scraps of paper. ‘Please, take a look around, but I’d prefer it if you didn’t touch anything. I’ll be with you in one moment, I just need to find something first…’

A tinkerer? That must be false modesty.

Villi couldn’t even put a name to half of the contraptions he could see. The most familiar items included a whole wall dedicated to crossbows of all sizes, ranging from the bard’s perennial favourite, the handheld, up to heavy arbalests that needed to be cranked by two people before firing.

Of the less familiar items, Villi could only guess. Parts of what looked to be humanoid automatons were laid out on a number of workbenches, in various states of construction (or deconstruction, Villi didn’t have a clue). It was the complexity of the models that had him staring in wonder.

He moved over to one large mechanical arm. It lacked skin, or an outer covering, showing the ropes of finely wrought chains that someone, presumably Gortash, had decided to use as a proxy for the muscles and tendons found in a true, living limb.

Ignoring Gortash’s request for him not to touch, Villi poked through the bundles of chains in interest.

Oh, how delicious. Gortash had made a mistake.

‘You’re missing a connection here,’ Villi said.

‘Hm?’ Gortash looked up from the stack of paper he was searching through.

‘In this arm. The little finger will be lacking grip strength without it.’

‘Is that so? Now you’ve piqued my interest because that is exactly the issue I’ve been having with that piece. Please, show me what you mean,’ Gortash said. He moved to stand beside Villi.

Villi raised his own arm and pointed to a spot near the crook of his elbow. ‘There’s a small muscle here that your model is missing. I met a bard once, a lute player, who had the most beautiful forearms. She made a fascinating subject to study. That muscle was particularly well-developed.’

‘Study? Do you mean in an artistic sense?’

‘I mean in a ‘what lies beneath the skin when you peel it away’ sense,’ Villi said.

‘Ah, so you’re interested in anatomy?’

‘Of course,’ Villi said, as if it should be obvious. ‘Put your thumb there, on your own arm. Press deep, and move your little finger in isolation.’

Gortash watched Villi’s demonstration, a small crease of concentration forming between his brows. He reached inside his sleeve to detach a long gauntlet of beautiful, but highly impractical, gold metal filigree and set it aside. Now that his flesh was exposed, he could follow along.

‘Can you feel it?’ Villi asked.

Gortash wiggled his fingers and said; ‘You know, I’m not sure.’

‘Try slightly higher. May I?’ Villi paused with his hand hovering over Gortash’s, waiting for the man’s approval before he touched him.

‘By all means,’ Gortash said.

Villi moved so that he was standing just behind Gortash and took his hand. The hand of a craftsman, he thought, feeling roughened skin and strong tendons under his fingers. ‘Can you feel this long muscle on top?’ he asked, using his thumb to guide Gortash’s.

Gortash made a soft noise of confirmation.

‘This one aligns with the one you’ve built in your model, here, see?’

‘I see.’

‘The one you’re missing is just underneath…there. Pinch your little finger and thumb together. Can you feel that as it moves?’

‘I can. You’re right.’ Gortash looked at him over his shoulder. ‘You are full of surprises.’

There was an intensity to his gaze that Villi couldn’t decipher. It made him feel like a moth pinned to a piece of card under glass.

‘Is it really so surprising? I like to take people apart, find out how their bodies work. From my experiments I’ve learned how to kill more quickly and more slowly. How to make death painless and silent, or how to make it agonising.’

‘Making you a better assassin.’

‘And a better torturer,’ Villi agreed. He was still holding Gortash’s arm. He released him quickly and stepped away.

‘Hold that thought. You have just reminded me what I was looking for. I have a gift for you.’

‘A gift?’

‘I am a benefactor of the Hall of Wonders museum in the Western district. Have you visited?’

Villi gave him a look.

Gortash continued; ‘I’ll assume that’s a no. Well, as a benefactor, I get advance notice about upcoming exhibitions, and there’s a collection opening to the public on Thirdday that I think you will be very interested in.’ He handed Villi a printed pamphlet.

The Rack Pack: Chronicles of Bhaalyn Punishment Through the Ages Step right up to the most bone-chilling, spine-tingling show in town! Wander through a world where the rack isn’t for drying your clothes! Prepare to be gruesomely delighted with the largest collection of Bhaalyn torture implements in the whole of Faerûn! None escape Bhaal!

‘We’re…a tourist attraction?’ Villi forced out each word, pushing them past the seething ball of rage that glowed in his chest. The paper scrunched into his tightly clenched fist. ‘This is your museum?’

As always, Gortash remained as cool as a flowing stream in the face of Villi’s murderous anger. ‘I don’t own the museum. Villiame, please don’t misunderstand my intentions in showing this to you–’

‘Then speak quickly. How is this a gift?’

‘It’s the greatest gift. It’s information. Those items have been lost to your family for how many years? Now you know where they are. You can reclaim them.’

Information as a gift. It was an unfamiliar concept. To Villi, a good gift was one he could hold and use. Something of material value, like a well-forged sword or a ruby the size of his fist. But he wasn’t blind to the value in what Gortash had given him. He assumed it wouldn’t have been beyond Gortash’s means to simply procure the exhibition items and send them directly to the temple. Instead, he presented Villi with an opportunity to bring terror to the ignorant, gawking wretches who thought that Bhaal’s bloody legacy was an appropriate subject for their afternoon entertainment.

Step right up to the most bone-chilling, spine-tingling show in town!

‘If they want a show I will give it to them,’ Villi said.

‘Perfect,’ Gortash said, pressing his hands together in a pleased little gesture.

‘On the opening day I’ll tear them apart and take back what is ours.’ Villi pointed at Gortash. ‘And you’ll be fighting by my side.’

‘That sounds wond– steady on. Me? What do you mean?’

The prospect of a decent battle had already buoyed Villi’s mood. There would be guards at the museum, armed and armoured, hopefully with enough training to provide him with a bit of a challenge. Taking back a haul of Bhaalist artefacts should put him in his Father’s good graces, too. His blood was up, and he shot Gortash a grin.

‘We’re allies, now. Partners. I need to see how you fare in a fight. You favour the crossbow, yes? Judging from your collection here.’

‘I do. But I am a member of the museum’s Board of Trustees–’

‘We’ll cover your face, fret not about your position,’ Villi said, waving a hand dismissively. ‘This attack will be in Bhaal’s name, I don’t want to divert attention away from that.’

‘It has been a while since I got my own hands dirty…’ Gortash was watching him again, studying him with that eerie calm in his dark eyes.

‘Sounds like you need to blow away the cobwebs. A bit of bloodletting does the soul a world of good,’ Villi said. ‘Tell me how you like to kill.’

The man seemed to be warming up in the face of the Bhaalspawn’s enthusiasm. With an enigmatic smile he led Villi over to the wall of crossbows and showed him several cases of bolts that had been modified to carry a small payload of smokepowder within the shaft.

‘I’m fond of explosives,’ Gortash said. ‘As you probably know, most crossbow bolts are designed to be as rigid as possible, to reduce the risk of them bending and becoming unusable after one or two shots. These ones, however, are specifically designed to crumple on impact. It ignites the smokepowder within, causing a localised explosion that’s very effective at dismembering a target.’

‘You can blow someone’s leg off with one of these?’

‘At the knee, certainly. With a shot to the hip it becomes…more of a mess.’

Villi picked up one of the bolts and twirled it between his fingers. He saw Gortash’s hands move as if he was going to try to stop him, but he clasped them behind his back instead.

‘So, you like to set yourself away from the main fray, and take off people’s arms and legs?’ Villi asked. ‘Watch from afar as they crawl around screaming?’

‘Yes.’

Gortash liked to stoke fear. That was Villi’s interpretation.

‘Hm. I think you’re starting to grow on me, Banite.’

‘That is gratifying to hear. Now, if you would kindly put that back– thank you.’ Gortash closed the clasp on the case of bolts after Villi replaced the one he was toying with. Was there a hint of relief there, in Gortash’s eyes? Irritation? It was going to drive Villi to distraction, trying to cajole some sort of reaction out of the man at every chance he got.

‘How about you? Do you have a favourite way to kill?’ Gortash asked.

‘I think if I attempted to choose just one, I’d be committing some kind of blasphemy,’ Villi said, leaning his hip against the workbench behind him.

‘Entirely fair. Let’s make the question broader, then. Is there a form of combat that you prefer?’

‘I was trained to fight with a greatsword. The bigger the better.’

‘Not compensating for something, surely?’

The way Gortash’s eyes raked over his body made him feel certain he was ignorant of some sort of hidden meaning behind the question, but he had no idea what it might be. Instead, he answered honestly; ‘Yes, actually.’

‘Oh?’ Gortash blinked.

‘Height.’

‘You’ve lost me.’

Villi savoured the confusion on the man’s face. ‘I know I’m fairly tall for a human, but the group of people I trained with were members of one of the shorter races. They compensated for their lack of height by fighting with weapons that were bigger than you’d expect them to use. Since their weapons were normal size to me, I had to scale up to use the same techniques.’

‘I see. Dwarves?’

‘None of your fucking business,’ Villi said. Fucking came out as facking, the goblin drawl trespassing into his accent simply because he had made the mistake of bringing up his past. Not that Gortash would be able to identify it, he was sure. Still, he was in danger of oversharing, and sought to change the subject, ‘We’ll need wagons to transport the artefacts from the museum back to the temple. Do you have any contacts who could help with that?’

Gortash nodded. ‘Yes…I can organise that. Look, I apologise if I offended you–’

‘Not at all. Now let’s forget about it and plan what we’re going to do on Thirdday.’

With another nod, Gortash led Villi over to a map of the museum. Together, they worked out the details of the heist, set to take place two days hence. The planning session went on until well into the night.

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 fanfic #durgetash #durge #gortash #durge: Villi

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yeonchi · 7 months ago

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Kisekae Insights #50: Kamen Rider Zi-O Part 8 - Background

After a month of non-stop typing in preparation, we have finally reached the end of this Kamen Rider Zi-O miniseries. In this instalment, not only will I be talking about the background to this series, I’ll also talk a little bit about the overarching Final Kamen Rider Chronicle along with the three Chronicle series broadcast from 2019 to 2021. At the end, there will be a song list of music featured in all three works.

Background to Zi-O and The Final Kamen Rider Chronicle

Kamen Rider Zi-O was created as part of The Final Kamen Rider Chronicle, an trilogy of Rider series alongside Ex-Aid and Build created in lieu of a fifth series for Three Kingdoms and Soulbound.

Each series was allocated 40 episodes of 45 minutes in length, making it the equivalent to 80 episodes in half-hour timeslots. This was the amount of time I gave the creators of the other two series’ adaptations for which to adapt the entirety of the series content, including the crossover winter movies, the traditional summer movie, the post-series V-Cinemas, the Hyper Battle DVDs and other web/media specials. Naturally, you can imagine what the other two teams felt when I announced After Quartzer. To be fair, though, Ex-Aid and Build haven’t had any other self-contained post-series specials and the Decade/Zi-O miniseries came out in 2021.

The Final Kamen Rider Chronicle was announced in June 2019 for broadcast in July 2020. Initially, it was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus lockdowns, but when the fourth lockdown hit, I decided to do away with the scheduling and let the creators release the series when they were ready. The fact that I intended this trilogy to be broadcast 5 times a week and I had started working full-time did not help things, as these delays were made worse by Soulbound Series 4 not being completed at the time.

One of the ideas I gave for Kamen Rider Build was multiple Build clones that mainly used the Best Matches of other territories. I don’t think I had other ideas for Ex-Aid though. Hey, remember that rumour where Ex-Aid’s Riders would be based on file extensions?

I started work on Zi-O in February 2022 after finishing Soulbound Series 4. I finished the main series in August, then took a brief break before completing After Quartzer from September to November. On a good day, I could work on three episodes, finishing off the first, completing a second and starting work on a third. When I got to the fourth part, that was a difficult schedule to keep due to the episodes largely being original. In fact, original episodes would always take longer to write. The episode that took me the longest to write was episode 33 at 18 days, as it was the start of a new status quo with the Quartzer trio. The special that took me the longest to write was Rainbow Rider Revolution at 38 days.

As I watched Zi-O during its original run, I knew that I wanted to adapt it eventually, being “Decade 2.0” as people called it. Like all non-Doctor Who series in my personal project, Zi-O is another egofest. In fact, it’s an egofest on a brand new level as I played Ohma Zi-O, Swartz and Hiroki Ichigo along with a bunch of Riders and characters. My twin brother played Sougo and the other Sougo, Takeru and Hikaru Azuma, but let’s face it, you might as well say that I played them. I originally played Parker Zhou and Hiroki’s prototypes before I decided to outsource them for the Moushouden Series; given how I ended up playing multiple characters again, fat lot of good that was.

Given that the series was produced by Shinichirō Shirakura and written by Kento Shimoyama, it had flaws that people had already seen in previous works. As such, my goal with the adaptation was to improve on them to the best of my ability, though I’m unable to guarantee that I managed to catch all of them or improve them sufficiently.

One thing I improved on in the first part was how the Another Riders worked and how their creation affected time. The erasure of the Riders’ history caused by the Another Riders being created early in their counterpart Riders’ timelines was seen as disrespectful and as such, this was improved on by removing the history erasure element and having the events of Zi-O be a continuation of the Legend Riders’ timelines. I also incorporated the W and Kuuga tributes into the main series to show Sougo’s acquisition of their Ridewatches, in a two-parter adapting Heisei Generations Forever.

The second part contained original episodes consisting of an adaptation of Kamen Rider Shinobi, a Ryuki tribute that also serves as a prequel to Sougo acquiring Zi-O II and a totally original episode featuring the other Sougo and Parker Zhou. The third part introduced Quartzer into the series as a new villain group, added an Amazons tribute, extended the Hibiki tribute to include a Magica tribute and made Kamen Rider Ginga’s appearance a full episode with two original Riders.

The finale arc of the original Zi-O was something I definitely wanted to improve on, due to it going back to the merging worlds plot already used in Decade. As such, the final three episodes were adapted at the end of the third part and the fourth part was adapted from the final episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One. Initially, I didn’t intend on adapting the Over Quartzer movie and the movie Riders because of Showa elements, but I ended up adapting it in the end.

Hiryuu Kakogawa also felt underused during his appearances in the series. As such, Hiryuu joined Quartzer for the fourth part as I made the unprecedented move to adapt Zi-O’s final stage show for plot elements. A Facebook group I was in run by the people behind Genm Corp fansubs and the Henshin Fever fanpage posted a subtitled version of Build’s final stage show in 2019, making me realise that there was an untapped market for fansubs. I think other fansubbers and groups have caught on to this because more tokusatsu stage shows have been subbed since then.

Kamen Rider Tsukuyomi and Sougo as Ohma Zi-O appeared to be rushed out for the finale of the original, so Kamen Rider Tsukuyomi was introduced at the end of the third part while Ohma Zi-O was made into the Ark-One of the series.

In preparation for this series, certain Kamen Riders and power-ups were introduced earlier, more specifically in Soulbound Series 4, as a build-up and foreshadowing to this series. Of note, the Decade Beltmorpher X and Diend Gunmorpher X were introduced as upgrades given to Hiroki and Kayley after making a deal with Ohma Zi-O. Kamen Rider Aqua was also introduced before his appearance in Zi-O, even though he ended up being used in an original arc with his counterpart in the original series being replaced by Akihito Hayasaka as Kamen Rider Woz the Next.

The main portion of my personal project had concluded in Soulbound Series 4; Zi-O is both a continuation of the story for the Kamen Riders and a side story for everyone else. The events of this series take place in a separate timeline to the main universe as the main characters of the series are parallel isotopes; individuals whose timelines have been splintered by them being displaced from their own timelines. By the end of the series, the parallel isotopes are erased with the destruction of the timeline, however new versions of the main characters are created in a new timeline as shown in the After Quartzer specials.

Chronicle Series

Following the conclusion of Doctor Who, three weekly Chronicle series were commissioned. The Chronicle series follows the premise of Ultraman Retsuden and other Chronicle series in that they are mostly recaps and reruns of previous episodes.

Doctor Who: The Equestria Chronicles is the first such series, broadcast from July to December 2019. The series takes place during the events of the eighth season and follows Storm Dasher as he teaches the Young Six about the adventures of Doctor Whooves, the Pony Doctor and himself. Some special guests join Dasher’s classes/lectures as well, human, pony or Time Lord alike.

Ultraman: The Equestria Chronicles was broadcast from July to December 2020. This series consists of 6 mini-arcs that can be separated into individual series, covering the adventures of Storm Dasher as Ultraman Ginga, Spike as Ultraman Victory, and Danny Williams as Ultraman X, the latter being an adaptation of the original series. In hindsight I probably should have fleshed it out into a proper series myself, but this was for the best since my work on Soulbound Series 4 would occupy me for two years.

The Zhuge Family Chronicles was broadcast from January to June 2021 in preparation for The Final Kamen Rider Chronicle. This series follows Jee Gun, Sunset Shimmer, Copper Plume, Rally Flag, Starlight Glimmer and Sierra Nightingale as they learn about Hiroki Ichigo and his family, the Zhuge family, and their adventures at the Strawberry Academy. Being inspired by Ultraman Chronicle: ZERO & GEED, this series carries the classroom setting through to the end whereas the original had to abort it towards the end due to the pandemic. The series culminates in a final exam for the six students, which they pass with flying colours.

Music

Chronicle Series:

Doctor Who: The Equestria Chronicles: Hope the youth (opening)/ギンガローグ (Ginga Rogue, Japanese version of 沙漠駱駝, ending 1)/放浪 (Wandering, Japanese version of 狂浪, ending 2)

Ultraman: The Equestria Chronicles: MLP (USA parody, opening)/明年今日 (Japanese ver, ending 1), ねずみは米がすき (老鼠愛大米 Japanese ver, ending 2)

The Zhuge Family Chronicles: Heroes (opening)/Heart on Fire (ending 1)/ネバーマインド (ending 2)

Final Kamen Rider Chronicle:

Ex-Aid: EXCITE (opening)/愛のしるし (ending)

Build: Be The One (opening)/piece of truth (ending)

Zi-O: Over “Quartzer” (opening)/時の描片 ~トキノカケラ~ (ending)

Zi-O insert themes:

(character themes remain the same as from the original)

Episode 12 (Shinobi crossover): IZANAGI

Episode 21 (Agito tribute): BELIEVE YOURSELF

Episode 31 (Luna goes to the hot springs with the girls): Me Armastame Suplemist (Estonian song, title means “We Love Bathing”)

Episode 36 (Sougo regains his memories upon seeing 2012 Akari): Super Driver

Before Quartzer themes:

Zi-O and Decade: Ride the Wind -Zi-O Remix- (by Fuuta, opening)/Bright! our Future (ending)

The Other Zi-O Part 1: 流星ミラクル (opening)/CHOSEN SOLDIER (ending)

The Other Zi-O Part 2: ブルーバード (opening)/Winding Road (ending)

Geiz and Woz: M八七 (opening)/明日もし君が壊れても (ending)

After Quartzer themes:

Revenge of Quartzer: Sea Princesses opening theme/雷鳴 (opening)/Mirage Mirror (insert theme)/GAME CHANGER (ending)

Rainbow Rider Revolution: Equestria Girls opening theme/Brand New Day (opening)/咲いて (insert theme)/Fantasista～ファンタジスタ～ (ending)

The Game in the House of Death: INSIDE-OUT DECADE ver. (opening)/世界が終るまでは… (ending)

The Seven Sougos: INSIDE-OUT ZI-O ver. (opening)/You are the HERO (ending)

Post-series tributes:

Three Kingdoms: 若者のすべて

Soulbound: Message

Rider Chronicle: P.A.R.T.Y. ユニバース・フェスティバル

Personal project/Hiroki Ichigo: ドラマティック

And so we have reached the end of the Zi-O miniseries and with it, the fourth run of Kisekae Insights. We’ve gone through 20 instalments in 7 months, which is a little more than the first run’s pattern of 16 instalments in 6 months. I would have released the Zi-O miniseries over one month instead of two, but at this point I’m just buying time until the 1000th Post Special. I hope this makes up for the lackluster third run in 2022.

With My Little Pony, Gokaiger, Decade and Zi-O out of the way, all that’s really left for me to cover is Three Kingdoms and Soulbound (unless you want me to retread previous topics for content). Don’t expect the fifth run to come out until 2025; I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment with the upcoming Sea Princesses 20th Anniversary and Koei Warriors Retrospective.

If you’ve got any questions about anything in this series, feel free to contact me on Facebook or shoot me an ask or DM on Tumblr (anons disabled). Until the next run, I say.

#kisekae insights #kamen rider #kamen rider zi-o #kamen rider decade #my little pony #my little pony equestria girls #my little pony friendship is magic #doctor who #ultraman

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