#what kind of animal do you think his would be | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

vibelladonna · 19 hours ago

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✑ 𝒷𝓊𝓃𝓃𝓎 𝓈𝓊𝒾𝓉 𝜗𝜚 𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓌𝑒, 𝓈𝑜𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑔𝑒𝑜

· ───────⋆⋅♤⋅⋆─────── ·

𝓈𝓎𝓃𝑜𝓅𝓈𝒾𝓈: Who doesn’t love a good bunny suit fanfic? This little piece was inspired by the incredible artwork of @alienfreak124. I’m always in awe of her creations—her OC is so cool! Honestly, every time I see her work, I wish I had the talent to draw. T-T Always wanted to see what my OC would look like in the Tkatb fandom.

𝒸𝑜𝓃𝓉𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔: 18+ NO KIDS (Adults Only) This content contains mature themes unsuitable for children. Please respect the creator's intentions.

Also, I’ve been thinking about branching out into other fandoms—Creepypasta is definitely at the top of the list since it was such a huge part of my childhood. Ticci Toby has always been my favorite, and I’m super excited to dive into that world. I’m also considering Death Note and Black Butler, but who knows?

For now, I’m pretty set on exploring the creepy side first, especially with all the dark, twisted fandoms.

Anyway, I’ve got about three fics in the works for these lovely men—Crowe, Sol, and Geo. But it’s gonna be one day at a time because, let’s be real, I need to stop posting these things so damn late. College life is getting hectic, but I’m making it work, even if it means less sleep. Priorities, right?

· ───────⋆⋅♤⋅⋆─────── ·

✑ 𝒸𝓇𝑜𝓌𝑒

You’re in your room, standing in front of the mirror, tugging at the hem of a plain black dress.

It’s simple, safe, and exactly the kind of outfit you’d usually wear to a small party. You tilt your head, trying to decide if “simple” is too boring. The party isn’t exactly a big deal—just a casual gathering—but there’s a nagging thought in the back of your mind:

Crowe’s going to be there.

Before you can overthink it, there’s a sudden knock at your door. “Hey! Open up!” Brittney’s voice is unmistakable—high-energy and impossible to ignore. You sigh, already knowing she’s about to upend whatever plans you’ve made for the evening.

When you open the door, Brittney bursts in like a hurricane, her arms overflowing with what looks like… fur? No, it’s worse. It’s a bunny costume—a black bodysuit with matching ears, thigh high socks, and heels so high they look like a twisted form of punishment.

“Oh no,” you say immediately, holding up your hands in protest. “Absolutely not.”

“Oh, come on!” Brittney waves the outfit in front of you like it’s the Holy Grail. “It’s perfect! It’s fun, it’s flirty, and you’ll steal the spotlight! Imagine the look on everyone’s faces when you walk in wearing this. Especially Jericho.”

Your stomach flips at the mention of his name, but you shake your head. “There’s no way I’m wearing that. I’ll look ridiculous!”

“Ridiculous?” Brittney scoffs, planting her hands on her hips. “Please. You’ll look hot. Besides, when was the last time you did something bold? Live a little!” She leans in, grinning mischievously. “And, you know, like I said he might notice.”

You roll your eyes, before releasing a sigh, “Britt, I’m not trying to ‘steal the spotlight.’ I just want to blend in.”

“Blend in?” She gasps like you’ve just insulted her personally. “Blending in is for cowards. And you’re not a coward, are you?”

“...You’re guilt-tripping me.”

“Is it working?”

Unfortunately, yes. You stare at the bunny suit like it’s a wild animal that might bite you, but part of you can’t help wondering: What if Brittney’s right? What if Crowe actually notices?

“Fine,” you say, at last, snatching the costume from her hands. “But different heels and if I look stupid, I’m blaming you.”

Brittney claps her hands in triumph. “You’ll look amazing, trust me! Now, hurry up and get dressed—I need to see the final look.”

You sigh and shut the door, holding up the bunny suit with a mix of dread and curiosity.

This is either the best idea or the worst mistake.

The moment you step into the party, a hush falls over the room—or at least it feels like it. The warm glow of string lights strung across the ceiling doesn’t do much to soothe the nerves twisting in your stomach. You keep your head down, gripping a drink you barely remember picking up, and try to focus on anything other than the fact that you’re dressed like a bunny in a room full of people dressed... normally.

Brittney, of course, is loving every second of it. She’s practically glowing as she flits around the room, dropping comments like, “Isn’t she adorable?” and “Doesn’t she look amazing?” to anyone within earshot. You glare at her from across the room, but she just winks and mouths, “You’re welcome.”

You hover near the edge of the crowd, trying to blend into the background. It’s ironic, considering the ridiculous outfit, but you figure if you keep still enough, maybe no one will notice. That plan works for about five minutes—until you catch a familiar figure out of the corner of your eye.

Crowe.

He’s leaning against the wall near the bookshelf, casually sipping from a glass, his posture as effortlessly relaxed as ever. Even in the soft glow of the party lights, he’s sharp, dressed in his usual clean, put-together style that somehow manages to look both formal and casual at the same time. He always looks like he belongs on a magazine cover—button-up sleeves rolled neatly to his elbows, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he listens to someone talk.

You freeze, torn between retreating to the nearest shadowy corner and pretending you haven’t seen him, or... well, doing something else. But then, as if sensing your eyes on him, Crowe looks up—and the moment his gaze lands on you, it’s like the rest of the party fades into the background.

You brace yourself, half-expecting him to laugh or make some snide remark. Instead, his eyebrows lift slightly, and the corner of his mouth quirks up into what might just be the faintest hint of a smirk. He takes another sip of his drink, sets the glass down, and begins making his way toward you.

Oh no.

Before you can figure out an escape route, he’s standing in front of you, tall and composed, with that cool, unreadable expression that makes your heart do ridiculous things.

His expression is calm and unreadable, but there’s a sharp glint in his eyes that immediately sets you on edge. The drink in your hand suddenly feels useless as you clutch it tightly, wishing you had anything to focus on besides the way Crowe’s gaze is very obviously trailing over your bunny suit. Slowly.

“Nice to see you decided to... dress up,” he says, his tone dripping with amusement as he comes to a stop in front of you. His eyes flicker from your bunny ears to the tights and back to your face, where your mortified expression only seems to fuel his teasing.

“This wasn’t my idea,” you say quickly, feeling the need to defend yourself. “Britt made me wear it. She said it’ll steal the spotlight or whatever…”

Crowe raises a brow, “Britney suggested this..?” then soft smile appears once again as he leans just slightly closer. “Oh, I believe you. But she didn’t make you come to me wearing it, did she?”

You sputter, your face heating up. “I didn’t come to you! You walked over here!”

“Did I?” he asks innocently, his smirk widening into something outright devilish. “Must’ve been the bunny ears. Hard to miss.”

You glare at him, your mind racing for some kind of witty comeback, but it’s hard to think when his gaze keeps darting to your legs, the curve of your waist, and then back to your face, like he’s deliberately making a show of it.

“Well,” he says after a beat, his tone maddeningly casual. “She wasn’t wrong.”

Your brain short-circuits. He did not just say that.

“Excuse me?”

“About the spotlight,” he clarifies, his smirk softening into something almost... fond. “You’ve certainly got everyone’s attention.”

You rolled your eyes, “I look ridiculous,” crossing your arms over your chest, turning your head away from his gaze.

It wasn’t long before you felt his finger under your chin to look at him once more, his deep blue eyes filled with warmth, “I wouldn’t say that now,” he counters smoothly. His voice drops a little lower, just enough to send a shiver down your spine. “Not that I’m complaining, of course. But I’m curious—how many people have tried their luck with you tonight?”

Your eyes widen. “W-what?”

You can’t decide whether to tell the truth to him or strangle him.

“Come on,” he says, his smirk turning positively wicked. “In that outfit? Like you said, half the room is staring. Though...” He leans in, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “I doubt anyone else is appreciating it quite as much as I am.”

Your breath hitches, and you’re sure your face is about to burst into flames. “Crowe, you can’t just—”

“Say the truth?” he interrupts smoothly, stepping just close enough that you can catch the faint scent of his blueberry cologne. “Oh, I can. And I will.”

You open your mouth to argue, but before you can, Crowe’s gaze shifts, scanning the room. The teasing glint in his deep blue eyes is replaced with something sharper, almost protective, as he takes in the prying eyes of the other partygoers.

“It’s way too many people here,” Crowe mutters, his voice low enough that it feels like the words are meant only for him. Then he glances back at you, his eyes softening in a way that makes your breath hitch.

“Let’s leave.” He mumbled.

“What?”

“I said, let’s leave.” His hand brushes lightly against your elbow, the fleeting touch sending a spark up your arm. His gaze lingers on you, unreadable but heavy with something unspoken. “Unless you’d prefer to stay here and let everyone keep gawking at you like you’re... on display.”

Your eyes dart around the room, catching a few glimpses of the subtle but unmistakable stares in your direction. The air feels suffocating now, and the idea of staying in this crowded space seems unbearable. Still, you hesitate, caught off guard by the sheer intensity of his presence.

“Fine,” you say at last, forcing an air of nonchalance even as your pulse quickens. “But if you’re planning to tease me, I’m leaving the second you start.”

Crowe chuckles—a deep, smooth sound that does nothing to steady your nerves. “Don’t worry,” he says, his lips curving into a slow, knowing smirk as he places a hand lightly on the small of your back to guide you toward the door. “I’ll behave.”

You’re not entirely convinced, but before you can second-guess your decision, the two of you are stepping into the cool night air. The sharp contrast to the party’s stuffy warmth sends a shiver down your spine, but it’s not just the chill that has you trembling.

Crowe’s steps are deliberate, his presence magnetic as he walks you to his car. He unlocks the passenger door with a smooth motion, holding it open for you before rounding the car to slide into the driver’s seat. The quiet thud of the door closing feels heavier in the silence, the hum of the engine breaking the tension only slightly.

“Brittney’s going to wonder where I went,” you say softly, partly to yourself, as Crowe pulls out of the driveway.

“I’ll text her later,” he replies, his tone calm but firm. “She’ll survive.”

The car is dimly lit, the glow of passing streetlights casting fleeting shadows across his sharp features. You can feel his gaze flicking toward you every so often, lingering just long enough to make your skin tingle.

He doesn’t speak for a while, but the silence between you isn’t uncomfortable. It’s charged—like the air before a storm. You’re hyper-aware of every detail: the way his hands grip the steering wheel, the faint scent of his blueberry cologne filling the small space, the way his jaw tightens whenever you catch him sneaking glances.

“You shouldn’t let her talk you into things like that,” he says suddenly, his voice lower now, almost rough.

“Like what?” you ask, even though you know exactly what he means.

He glances at you briefly, his lips pressing into a thin line before his expression softens. “Like wearing something that makes every guy in the room look at you like they’ve forgotten how to think.”

The words are sharper than you expect, tinged with an edge of possessiveness that makes your breath catch.

“I thought you didn’t mind people staring,” you counter, trying to keep your voice steady.

“I don’t,” he says, his fingers tightening on the wheel. “Unless it’s you.”

The confession hangs in the air, heavy and electrifying. You look over at him, your heart pounding in your chest. There’s no teasing smirk now, no easy charm—just raw, unguarded honesty in his gaze as he pulls the car to a stop at the side of the road in the middle of nowhere.

He turns to face you fully, his expression unreadable but his eyes dark with something unmistakable.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper, the words rough with restraint.

Your lips part, but no sound comes out. The heat in his gaze is overwhelming, and you feel pinned in place by the sheer intensity of it.

“I’ve been trying to keep my distance,” he continues, his tone rough and uneven now, “but seeing you tonight, dressed like that, letting everyone else see you like that…” He exhales sharply, running a hand through his hair. “It drove me crazy.”

The air in the car feels thick, charged with an unspoken tension that’s almost suffocating. Your pulse pounds in your ears, your breaths shallow as you sit still, unsure of what to say—or if there’s even anything you should say. The silence stretches out, heavy and electric, until Crowe shifts closer to you, his movements deliberate yet almost hesitant.

His hand rises, and for a moment, you think he might stop midway. But then his fingers gently brush against your cheek, tucking a stray strand of hair behind your ear. The touch is light, almost feather-soft, yet it lingers—his fingertips trailing against your skin just long enough to leave a burning imprint.

“Please tell me to stop…” he murmurs, his voice deep and velvety, the faintest edge of uncertainty in his tone. “…before I do something I’ll regret.”

A shiver races up your spine at the feel of his touch, and the heat of his proximity makes it impossible to think straight. Your breath hitches, and you swallow hard, your throat suddenly dry. You manage to meet his gaze, his eyes dark and searching, as though he’s looking for any sign of hesitation.

“And if I don’t want you to stop?” you whisper, your voice trembling but carrying a weight of undeniable desire.

His breath catches, his chest rising sharply as though you’ve just knocked the air out of him. His eyes widen, a flicker of disbelief flashing across his usually composed face. His lips parted slightly as if to speak, but no words came out. Instead, he tilts his head, studying you like he’s trying to convince himself he heard you correctly.

You don’t reply right away—words feel clumsy in the intensity of this moment. Crowe’s gaze still lingers on you, steady and deliberate, traveling down the length of your figure and then back up again. His deep blue eyes seem darker in the dim light, their usual warmth replaced by something unreadable, something that makes your pulse race. His soft smile was still there, faint but unshakable, as if he knows exactly what he’s doing to you.

Your breath catches, and for a second, all you can think is how badly you don’t want this moment to end. Then, before your mind has time to catch up, your body moves on instinct. Slowly, deliberately, you move your body forward—out of the passenger seat closing the distance between you and him.

His head tilts slightly as he watches you, his soft smile faltering, replaced by a soft gasp for just a heartbeat as you climb onto his lap. Your knees press into the seat on either side of him, the soft material of your tights brushing against his thighs as you warp your arms around his neck looking at him.

For a brief moment, neither of you speaks. The air feels heavy, charged with something neither of you can name. His reaction is filled with disbelief.He inhales quickly, his chest rising against yours, and his hands lift instinctively to your hips. His grip is firm yet hesitant, his fingers flexing slightly on the tight spandex of your bunny suitas though he’s testing the reality of the situation.

You’re glad you caught him like this—off-guard, unguarded. It’s rare to see him anything but happily composed, but now? Now, his usual teasing and confidence feels shaken, his calm veneer cracking just enough to let you peek underneath.

“Don’t regret this…” you whisper, your voice low and thick with emotion. “Please don’t stop, Jericho.”

The tension in his shoulders eases, but only slightly. His body remains taut beneath yours, every muscle coiled like a spring. His hands tighten against your hips as if anchoring himself—or maybe anchoring you. He leans forward, and the closeness is dizzying.

His breath fans against your neck, warm and teasing, and goosebumps rise across your skin in response. His hands shift from your hips, sliding upward in slow, deliberate movements that leave you breathless. His thumbs trace over your waist, the faintest pressure sparking heat in their wake. His fingers move higher, brushing against your sides, and you can’t stop the way your body responds, arching slightly into his touch.

Soon his lips hover near your ear, his voice low and husky, dripping with intent as he murmurs, “I won’t.”

May got a little carried away here…

✑ 𝓈𝑜𝓁

You don’t know how it happened.

So okay, you do know how it happened—you were dumb enough to bet against Hyugo. The guy might be obnoxious, loud, and silly as hell, but unfortunately, he’s also good at literally everything. Somehow, that fact slipped your mind when you let him talk you into betting on the last round of a stupid game at a party.

It was one of those chaotic, anything-goes types of games, the kind where people are shouting over each other, rules barely make sense, and luck has just as much sway as skill. You don’t even remember what it was called—something involving a blindfold, ping pong balls, and a lot of yelling. I’m kidding here…

All you know is that Hyugo had that stupid grin on his face, the one he always wears when he knows he’s about to win.

“Come on,” he’d said, his voice dripping with smugness as he leaned against the table. “You scared or something? What’s the worst that could happen?”

And like an idiot, you fell for it. “I’m not scared,” you shot back, crossing your arms. “You’re on.”

Big mistake.

Because five minutes later, you were standing there in stunned silence, staring at Hyugo’s triumphant face as he held up his winning ping pong ball like it was an Olympic gold medal.

“Wow, that was almost too easy!” he said, laughing as he clapped you on the shoulder. “You really thought you could beat me?.”

You scowled, already regretting your life choices. “Yeah, yeah, whatever. What do you want?”

His grin widened, and you instantly knew you were doomed. “Oh, don’t worry,” he said, his voice practically oozing with fake innocence. “It’s nothing crazy. Just a little outfit change for, let’s say... an hour?”

Your stomach dropped. “What kind of outfit change? I have a movie night at Sol’s place later,”

And now here you are, standing in Sol’s dimly lit studio apartment, wearing a bunny suit that makes you feel about three sizes too exposed and questioning every decision you’ve ever made.

How the tf did Hyugo knew your size anyway?

The small space smells like popcorn and energy drinks, and there’s a paused horror movie on the screen, but all of that pales in comparison to the look on Sol’s face.

He hasn’t stopped staring since you walked in.

The guy is sitting on his beat-up couch, one leg tucked under him, the TV remote hanging limp in his hand. His mouth is slightly open, and his face?

Bright red.

Like, glowing tomato-red, borderline matching the devil on the movie poster behind him.

“…What are you doing?” he finally chokes out, his voice cracking just enough to make you raise an eyebrow. He clears his throat and tries again, this time deeper: “I mean, what’s this?” He gestures vaguely at you, but his hand is shaking a little, so it’s not exactly smooth.

You cross your arms, trying to tug the hem of the crotch area down to show less skin, but there’s no saving it—it’s just too short. “Lost a bet to Hyugo from party earlier today,” you mumble, your voice flat, as if that explains everything.

Sol squints at you, the disbelief radiating off him in waves. “Hyugo made you do this?” His tone flips between outraged and incredulous. His eyes dart down to the whole getup— floppy bunny ears, the thigh-high socks, even a little button tie—and then snap back up so fast you think he might’ve given himself a neck cramp. “Ugh… He’s the worst sometimes.”

“Yeah, thanks for the groundbreaking insight,” you deadpan, shooting him a withering glare. “I figured that out the moment Hyugo handed me this thing.”

Sol drags a hand through his perpetually messy hair, clearly grappling with some kind of inner turmoil. “You didn’t have to wear it, though,” he mutters, his usual grumbly tone edged with something oddly defensive. “You could’ve just… I dunno, said no.”

You blink at him, unimpressed. “Oh, sure. And let Hyugo post that video of me tripping like an idiot in front of the entire campus? An excellent alternative, Sol. Really genius stuff.”

He makes a weird noise in his throat, half a groan, half something else, and he mutters, “Still better than this…” But his eyes betray him.

Because despite the whole “ugh, this is dumb” act, Sol keeps looking. Like, really looking. His gaze lingers on your bunny ears, the curve of the bodysuit, and the thigh-high socks that are making you wish the couch would swallow you whole. Every time his eyes travel down, they snap back up so fast you’d think he got whiplash.

“What’s your problem?” you snap, crossing your arms over your chest, mostly for your sanity. “You’re staring.”

“I’m not—” He cuts himself off, dragging his hand down his face with a groan. “Whatever. I’m not the one dressed like…” His words trail off as he waves vaguely in your direction, his ears reddening again as if even describing the outfit is too much for him.

You sigh and plop down on his old couch because there’s literally nowhere else to go in this shoebox of an apartment. As soon as you do, Sol freezes like you’ve just stepped on a landmine. His whole body stiffens, his hands gripping his knees, and you swear he stops breathing.

“Relax,” you say, kicking off your heels with a sigh. “It’s not like I want to be here in this dumb outfit either.”

“You don’t look unhappy,” he mutters, barely audible, but you catch it.

Your head snaps toward him, catching the faintest flicker of his eyes darting to your outfit before immediately locking onto the popcorn bowl on the coffee table like it’s his last lifeline. His face is ‘burning’, and it only gets worse when he realizes you caught him looking.

“Excuse me?” you ask, leaning in slightly because you can’t let him off the hook that easily.

“I didn’t—” His voice cracks, and he clears his throat so violently it’s almost painful. “I just meant—uh, never mind.” But his ears are practically glowing, and you can feel the tension radiating off him in waves.

“Sure, okay,” you say, sighing as you settle deeper into the couch, before you mention, “It’s not like you’ve been staring at me like a creep since I walked in or anything.”

“I wasn’t staring!” he blurts, far too defensively for someone who was. He drags a hand through his hair, the strands sticking up even more as he groans like he’s on the verge of losing it.

“Oh, you weren’t?” you tease, tilting your head. “Are you calling me a liar?”

He shifts uncomfortably, his eyes flicking to your legs for half a second before darting away. His hands curl into fists on his lap, and his breathing sounds... uneven.

Fast.

One second, you’re sitting on the couch, awkwardly avoiding his gaze, and the next, you’re swept up off the cushions. His arms slide under you, one wrapping around your back and the other hooking beneath your knees, lifting you effortlessly into a bridal carry.

“Sol!” you shriek, your hands instinctively grabbing onto his shoulders. “What are you—put me down!”

But he doesn’t.

Instead, he lowers himself back onto the couch, keeping you securely in his hold. Your legs dangle awkwardly over his arm, your heels threatening to slip off, and you’re acutely aware of how close your faces are now—his warm breath brushing against your skin, his sharp eyes fixed on yours.

“Relax,” he mutters, his tone gruff but oddly soft. “You were fidgeting too much. Thought you were about to hurt yourself or something.”

“Hurt what now?!” you snap, glaring at him even as your cheeks flush. “I wasn’t—Sol, that doesn’t even make sense. Let me go.”

“Not yet,” he says simply, his grip tightening slightly as if daring you to try and wriggle free.

You glare at him, but the heat of his gaze makes it hard to keep your composure. His eyes flicker down for a moment—trailing from your flushed face to the curve of your legs draped over his arm. He’s trying to play it cool, but the way his jaw clenches and his ears turn a faint shade of pink gives him away.

“Your legs are cold,” he murmurs after a beat, his voice quieter now.

“I wonder why,” you deadpan, trying to ignore the way your heart skips at the hint of concern in his tone.

His lips twitch a shadow of a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. “This outfit isn’t practical.”

“Well, I didn’t exactly pick it,” you grumble, squirming slightly in his hold.

“Stop moving,” he mutters, his voice dropping an octave. His hands shift slightly, one sliding along your back and the other brushing against your thigh as he adjusts his grip. The casual intimacy of it makes your face burn hotter.

“Sol...” you warn, your voice shaky.

But instead of answering, he leans back slightly, settling you more comfortably in his lap. The movement makes your head spin—partly from the sudden shift, but mostly because of how close he is now. You’re practically curled up against his chest, his arm still supporting your legs while his other hand rests firmly against your back.

And then he looks at you again. Really looks at you. His orange-red eyes lock onto yours, and for a moment, the teasing, grumbly version of Sol you’re used to is nowhere to be found. There’s something different in his expression now—something serious, almost vulnerable, and it steals the breath from your lungs.

“You should be more careful,” he murmurs, his fingers brushing lightly against your knee. His hands slide from your hips to your legs. “These heels could’ve hurt me,” His thumbs trace slow, deliberate circles along the tops of your thighs, sending shivers up your spine.

Your mouth opens to respond—maybe to defend yourself, maybe to yell at him, you’re not sure—but then his hands shift lower, skimming over the curve of your calves. He grabs one of your feet, his fingers curling around your ankle as he starts tugging off your shoe.

“Sol, I can do that myself—”

“N-No,” he practically begged. His cheeks are pink, his expression strained like he’s trying to keep it together. “Please, just let me.”

You’re too stunned to argue. He’s slow about it, almost hesitant, his calloused fingers brushing against your skin as he removes one shoe, then the other. When he’s done, he lets his hands linger for a moment, his thumbs brushing over your bare ankles.

His eyes flicker back up to yours, and there’s something desperate in his expression now like he’s holding himself back from doing something stupid. “Why do you always have to make this so hard?” he mutters, half to himself.

“I’m making 'it' hard?” you blurt, your voice shaky.

“You showed up like this,” he counters, his gaze sweeping over you again. “Looking like... this.”

He leans closer, so close you can feel the heat radiating off him. His hand slides up, tracing a line from your ankle to your knee, then up your thigh, stopping just shy of where the hem of the bunny suit begins. His knee presses a little closer, and you suck in a sharp breath.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now?” he asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Your brain short-circuits. You don’t even know how to respond to that, especially not when his eyes are locked on yours like he’s waiting for an answer.

“Sol,” you finally manage, your voice barely audible. “You’re being weird.”

“I know,” he mutters, his lips twitching into a crooked, almost self-deprecating smile. “I’m always weird. But you make it worse.”

And with that, he dips his head lower, his breath ghosting over your lips like he’s daring you to stop him.

Please don’t make him stop…

✑ 𝑔𝑒𝑜

Geo hadn’t thought much about your text at first.

You were running late—what else was new? He was used to it by now. You’d told him to let himself in with the key under the mat since you were still getting ready, and, well, that’s what he did.

Your apartment was as familiar to him as ever: the faint smell of your scented candles. Geo plopped onto the couch, scrolling through his phone to kill time. After about ten minutes of waiting, he sighed loudly, tossing his phone onto the coffee table.

“Why do I let you do this to me?” he muttered, dragging himself to his feet. He made his way down the hall, the hardwood floor creaking faintly under his boots.

The door to your bedroom was cracked open, soft light spilling out into the hallway. He tapped lightly on the frame with his knuckles. “Hey, we’re gonna be late, y’know. What’s taking you so—”

He pushed the door open mid-sentence, stepping inside. And then he stopped.

His brain short-circuited.

There you were, standing in front of your full-length mirror, fiddling with a pair of floppy bunny ears.

A very, very skimpy bunny suit clung to you like a second skin, all shiny black fabric and sheer tights that showed just enough to drive someone insane. The plunging neckline, the dangerously high cut of the bodysuit, the tiny bowtie collar around your neck—it was absurd. Ridiculous. And yet somehow…

You looked stunning.

Geo froze in the doorway, one hand gripping the frame like it was the only thing keeping him upright. His trademark sarcasm, his quick wit, his effortless aloof expression? Gone. His brain? Absolutely empty.

His mouth opened like he wanted to say something—anything—but no words came out.

You noticed him then, spinning around so fast that your bunny ears flopped dramatically to one side. “Geo!” you shrieked, your voice an octave higher than usual. “What the hell are you doing? I thought you were on the couch.”

“What am I doing?” he echoed, his voice cracking slightly as his eyes flicked over you, up and down, up and down, like he couldn’t stop himself. He quickly snapped his gaze upward, focusing on the very uninteresting ceiling. “What the hell are you wearing?”

You crossed your arms over your chest. “It’s for a charity event,” you muttered defensively. “Crowe asked me to help raise donations.”

Geo’s jaw clenched, his fingers twitching at his sides as he tried to keep his gaze anywhere but directly on you. His eyes betrayed him, though, darting back to your legs, your waist, your— “What kind of charity involves… that?” he asked, gesturing vaguely at your outfit like it was some kind of alien artifact.

You groaned, turning back to the mirror to adjust the bunny ears again. “It’s a themed event, okay? College students are more likely to donate if there’s… I don’t know, incentive?”

“Incentive…?” Geo repeated, “And Crowe ask you wear that? Crowe?” His tone was somewhere between disbelief and outrage. “What is wrong with him? Is he insane?”

“It’s not that bad,” you said defensively, though your voice wavered because, yeah, it was kind of bad. “It’s for a good cause!”

Geo crossed his arms, his lips pulling into a tight line. “No. Nope. Not happening. You’re not walking out of here dressed like that. I don’t care if it’s for world peace.”

You threw your hands up. “What are you, my dad? Relax, Geo. It’s fine.”

“Fine?” He frowns, irritated, his eyes accidentally drifting downward before snapping back up to your face. He looked like he wanted to sink into the floor. “You look like—you—ugh, never mind.”

You raised an eyebrow. “I look like what?”

“Forget it.” he sighed, his face turning an even deeper shade of red. “Just… just go change or something."

“I can’t!” you said, exasperated. “This is the whole point of the event!”

Geo groaned, dragging a hand down his face in pure exasperation. His usual sharp wit was dulled by whatever internal battle he was clearly losing. “Why do I have to be the one to see this? Literally anyone else would’ve been better. Anyone.”

You crossed your arms, giving him an incredulous look. “You’re the only one with a car who wasn’t busy,” you shot back, matter-of-fact as ever.

Geo huffed, throwing his hands up dramatically. “You should’ve just taken the bus, then!”

“And have creepy men ogling me the whole ride? Absolutely not,” you retorted, your tone sharp. “You’re a much better option. Like it or not.”

“Well,” he muttered, clearly flustered as his hand shot to the back of his neck, his eyes darting anywhere but at you, “I’m regretting it now.”

You sighed, turning back to the mirror and fiddling with the bunny ears again, your patience wearing thin. “Look, if it’s that big of a deal, just wait outside. I’ll be done in a sec—I just need to put on my shoes.”

For a moment, you thought he might actually listen. But then Geo took a step closer, his posture shifting. The embarrassment still lingered in his tense shoulders and flushed face, but there was something else now—something almost… resolute.

Before you could ask what he was doing, he reached out and grabbed your wrist, turning you around so fast you nearly stumbled.

“Geo?” you asked, startled by the sudden intensity in his gaze.

He didn’t answer. Instead, without missing a beat, he pushed you backward with a firm but careful hand, and your back hit the edge of your bed. You let out a startled gasp, barely managing to catch yourself as you propped up on your elbows.

“Hey! What the hell—”

You froze as Geo knelt in front of you, his hand gripping your ankle firmly but gently. His other hand reached out for your heels, which had been discarded nearby, and he snatched them up with a quick, fluid motion.

“You need to hurry up,” he grumbled, his voice low and laced with irritation as he slid the first heel onto your foot. His touch was surprisingly gentle, his fingers brushing against your sheer tights as he adjusted the strap. His face, however, was a different story—flushed red and rigid, like he was barely holding himself together. “So just—shut up and let me handle it.”

You blinked, your mouth opening to protest but no words coming out. Geo hadn’t spared you a glance, too focused on fastening the strap with a level of concentration that was almost comical.

“You’re—” you finally managed, but your voice wavered as his hands moved to your other foot.

“And you’re taking forever,” he shot back, not missing a beat. His grip on your ankle tightened slightly as he secured the second heel, his eyes resolutely fixed downward.

Is he blushing?

Your eyes narrowed, “You seem red there,” you teased, leaning back on your hands and watching him with a growing smirk. “What happened to all your sarcastic remarks, Mr. Smartass?”

“Shut up,” he muttered through clenched teeth, still not looking at you as he finished adjusting the second strap.

His fingers brushed against your ankle again, lingering just a second too long, and you swore you saw his ears turn even redder. Deciding to test your luck, you slowly crossed one leg over the other, making the movement deliberately graceful.

Geo’s aquamarine eyes flicked up instinctively at the shift in movement, and when he realized what he’d done, he snapped his gaze away so fast it was almost whiplash-inducing.

“Stop doing that,” he muttered, his voice lower now.

“Doing what?” you asked, feigning innocence as you tilted your head and batted your lashes at him.

“You know what,” Geo shot back, his jaw tightening as he focused way too hard on the buckle of your heel, his fingers fumbling slightly.

“Aw, is Geo embarrassed?” you teased, your voice dripping with playful mockery as you leaned forward slightly, one of your legs crossing just enough to invade his space. The toe of your heel pressed lightly against his chest, and you tilted your head, a mischievous grin tugging at your lips. “I didn’t think you’d get so flustered over a little outfit.”

Geo, ever the picture of calm composure, froze mid-motion. His hands, which had been casually adjusting the cuffs of his jacket a moment ago, were now completely still. For a second, it was like time itself had paused. Slowly—deliberately—his gaze lifted, locking with yours.

Fuck.

His aquamarine eyes, normally narrowed and calculating, were different now. They seemed darker, more intense, clouded with something you couldn’t quite place. It wasn’t annoyance, nor was it the usual stoic indifference he wore like armor. Whatever it was, it had you swallowing hard.

The teasing smirk on your face faltered just slightly as curiosity crept in. You tilted your head to the side, your lips parting faintly as you tried to read him, to figure out what was going on behind that icy stare. “Geo?” you prompted softly, your narrowed eyes searching his face.

Still, he didn’t look away. He couldn’t seem to.

It was unnerving—and kind of thrilling, if you were honest. Normally, a jab like that would earn you a dry, sarcastic retort, something sharp-edged that would put you right back in your place. But this time? Nothing. Whatever comeback he’d had locked and loaded vanished the second your teasing grin softened into something more uncertain.

The silence stretched, tension thickening between the two of you like a coiled spring. You couldn’t tell if it was your own heartbeat hammering in your chest or his, but the moment felt impossibly fragile.

“Seriously, say something,” you murmured, a hint of nervous laughter creeping into your tone. You pressed your foot just a little harder against his chest, trying to get any kind of reaction. “You’re starting to freak me out.”

His gaze flicked briefly to your leg—the curve of your calf, the ridiculous heel perched at the end of it—before snapping back to your face. “You shouldn’t play games you can’t win,” he said finally, his voice low and even.

Your breath caught for half a second. His hand moved, wrapping firmly around your ankle—not harshly, but with enough pressure to make your pulse skip a beat. With one smooth motion, he guided your leg away from his chest.

“You don’t get it,” he said suddenly, his voice quiet but firm, his tone a complete shift from his usual snark.

The intensity in his voice caught you off guard, and your expression faltered. “...Don’t get what?” you asked, your playful tone slipping into something more hesitant.

Geo’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white as if he were trying to hold something back. He stood abruptly, the sudden motion making you flinch slightly. His eyes immediately flickered with regret at your reaction, and he took a deep breath, trying to collect himself.

“Shit,” Geo muttered under his breath, running a hand through his already messy hair. His back was turned to you, but the stiffness in his posture betrayed his frustration. He exhaled sharply, shoulders rising and falling as though wrestling with something he couldn’t quite say.

“Geo…” you started softly, the sharp edge in your tone from earlier now replaced with concern.

“Don’t,” he cut you off, his voice strained and hoarse, like the words were being dragged out of him. “We’re not going to the charity event. You’re staying here. End of discussion.”

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. “What?” you exclaimed, still perched on the edge of the bed. “You can’t just decide that for me!”

He turned to face you, amber eyes blazing with a mix of irritation and something you couldn’t quite place. “Watch me.”

Before you could react, Geo stalked toward your desk, snatched a hoodie draped over the chair, and swung it around your shoulders with surprising precision. His hands lingered just long enough to tug it snugly over your frame, the fabric swallowing the delicate silhouette of your bunny suit.

“You’re not going anywhere in that,” he said firmly, his tone brooking no argument. He stepped back slightly, his gaze flicking over you as though ensuring his makeshift cover-up was secure. “If Crowe wants donations that badly, he can wear the damn bunny suit.”

Your jaw dropped, words caught somewhere between outrage and disbelief. “Geo, you’re being absolutely insane!”

“Yeah, probably,” he admitted, flashing a grin that was more sharp edges than warmth. “But at least I’m not letting you walk into a room full of idiots who won’t be able to keep their eyes—or their thoughts—off you.”

Heat crept up your cheeks at his bluntness, and you folded your arms tightly across your chest. His words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding, and the tension between you grew like a palpable thing.

“You’re seriously overreacting,” you muttered, but your voice lacked its usual bite.

“Am I?” Geo shot back, stepping closer. His towering frame cast a shadow over you as his gaze locked onto yours, burning with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. His voice dropped, low and deliberate. “Do you even realize how—” He stopped abruptly, his jaw clenching as if swallowing the words was the only way to keep them from spilling out.

“Realize what?” you pressed, your own voice barely above a whisper now, caught somewhere between defiance and curiosity.

Geo’s eyes darted to the floor, then back to you, before he let out a low, frustrated growl. In one swift movement, he stepped forward, his hands gripping your shoulders as he pushed you gently but firmly down onto the bed.

“Geo, what the hell—”

Your protest was cut short as he followed, his weight settling over you in a way that was far from aggressive but left no room for escape. His arms slipped around you, pulling you into a tight embrace as his head dropped to your chest.

The world seemed to stop as you felt the warmth of his breath against your collarbone. He didn’t say a word, his face buried against you, his grip almost desperate.

You froze, your hands hovering uncertainly in the air. “Geo?” you murmured, your voice soft and unsure.

“Just… shut up for a second,” he muttered, his voice muffled against you. His tone was softer now, tinged with vulnerability that made your chest ache. “Let me have this.”

Your hands hesitated before they slowly lowered, one settling against his back, the other threading cautiously through his hair. His body tensed at first but then melted into yours, his hold tightening as if he were afraid you’d disappear.

“You drive me crazy, you know that?” he mumbled, his voice raw and unguarded. “And not in the way I’m used to handling.”

For a moment, neither of you moved, the weight of his words—and his closeness—stealing the air from the room. Whatever you were going to say died on your tongue as you let the moment stretch, the sound of his breathing steadying against you.

“Oh,” you said finally, your voice quieter now, “You’re not making any sense. We’re going to be late for the event,” you murmured, trying to keep your tone soft but firm.

“Good,” he muttered into your chest without lifting his head.

“Good?” you echoed, your brows furrowing. “Crowe’s going to kill us if we don’t show up. And you promised to drive me, remember?”

“I don’t care about Crowe or the stupid event right now,” he grumbled, his voice low and slightly muffled. “It’s not important.”

“Not important?” You leaned your head back against the bed in disbelief. “You’re acting like the world’s ending because of a bunny suit, Geo. What’s really going on?”

He finally lifted his head slightly, just enough to look at you. His amber eyes burned with an intensity that made your breath catch. “You still don’t get it, do you?” he asked, his voice low and gravelly, a mix of irritation and something deeper. “I don’t want anyone else looking at you the way I am right now.”

Your heart skipped a beat, his words sinking in and leaving you momentarily speechless. “Geo…” you started, but he didn’t give you a chance to finish.

Instead, his arms tightened around you, pulling you impossibly closer as his lips brushed the curve of your neck. You tensed under his touch, your breath hitching as his teeth gently grazed your skin.

“Just give me five minutes,” he whispered, his voice low and rough, sending a shiver down your spine. His lips pressed softly against the spot he’d just bitten, lingering for a moment before pulling back slightly. “Five minutes, and then I’ll get up, and we can go. Deal?”

You blinked, trying to process what just happened, your body feeling like it was on fire where his lips had been. “Geo, that’s not—”

“Five minutes,” he repeated, cutting you off. His tone was quieter this time, almost pleading as his eyes locked onto yours, filled with a vulnerability he rarely let you see. “Please.”

Wow. Five minutes it is then.

· ───────⋆⋅♤⋅⋆─────── ·

#the kid at the back x reader #the kid at the back vn #tkatb #solivan brugmansia #the kid at the back crowe #the kid at the back sol #tkatb crowe #tkatb sol #crowe ichabod #crowe x reader #sol x reader #sol brugmansia #jericho crowe ichabod #tkatb geo #geo oogami #tkatb vn

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yourprettylildoe · 2 days ago

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𝒯𝓌𝒾𝓈𝓉ℯ𝒹 𝒷𝓁ℴ𝓈𝓈ℴ𝓂

Yandere!classmate x popular!fem!reader

a shy guy and a spoiled girl. What a cliché romance story, right? Wrong. You were his since the beginning, all you needed was some motivation to realise it.

note: yandere thoughts/behaviour, blackmail, mean reader, implied vulgar videos.

♡︎

The door to the classroom shut.

Silence hung after as a stare-off contest ensued. Well, not exactly a stare-off — it was mostly your mean glare and Adam's gaze averted to the ground while he wrung his fingers together.

Your foot tapped against as you lazily looked up at the lanky boy in front of you, patience already running thin. "Well, what do you want?"

Big, puppy eyes darted around before landing on you. Yet, despite the obvious shyness, a hint of something intense lurked under the surface. A breathy chuckle left his lips as he bit the inside of his cheek. "Right. Right-"

The two of you have never spoken much. You were the type of person had the loudest laugh while surrounded by equally shallow friends who normalised your behavior. Why would a girl like you go out with a guy who blended into the background like furniture?

He rummaged through his bag as papers and books clumsily dropped in the process, apologies slipping past his lips while you tsked at his pathetic actions.

In between the mess he made, you caught odd mumbling along the lines of: "this has to be perfect" and "she'll understand me".

Finally, his eyes lit up like a christmas tree as his hand closed around the object he was looking for and pulled it out.

A white flower.

The way it rested in his grip felt...off. His fingers clung to it like it mattered. You didn't care for what kind it was. Probably a cliché romantic gesture, right?

With a nervous yet excited smile, he held it out. You inwardly groaned and braced yourself for the typical speech to come:

"Y/N, I-I think you're a very beautiful and amazing person-" says the guy ridiculed by you on multiple occasions, "-and this, well- I've l-liked you for a while and...I was hoping you'd go out with me?"

...

Silence. Absolute silence. Then you laughed.

Adam's hopeful expression crumbled as you doubled over, clutching your stomach.

It really wasn't your fault. In your defence, it was just so funny that he thought you'd say yes. You almost felt bad, but what were you supposed to do? Humor him? Yeah, that'd just be cruel. You wouldn't be caught dead with a guy like him. More like someone of your type — confident, a party animal and most likely a jock.

A few minutes passed before you found your bearings again. Dabbing at your eyes, you snickered as you eyed his now ashamed face, "Oh my god, it's adorable how you assumed I'd go out with someone like you."

Your words stung him like a physical blow to the heart. He flinched pitifully, sputtering, "I...I thought-"

"Well, you thought wrong." Nearly snarling that sentence, you brushed past his frozen form and headed for the door. "Now, get out of my way." All this for a waste of time? He might as well just've-

A rough arm closed around around yours, yanking you back and slamming you into the wall. He banged his hand on the wall beside your head, the sound reverberating through your entire being.

You winced, before starting to yell, "hey! what the fu..." your voice died down in your throat. His eyes were sharp and predatory, no longer holding that cheery innocence they did a few seconds ago but instead replaced with a glare. The air around you was thicker, like oxygen was sucked out of the room and swallowed by this boy. A cold shiver ran up your spine. Where did the gentle giant go?

And when he loomed over you, you suddenly realised how large the height difference was between the two of you.

"I was going to do this the nice way, but I'm afraid you left me no choice."

Your breath hitched — this wasn't how this was supposed to go. He was supposed to crumble or even shed a few tears, not smile like this was his plan all along. "What are you doing? Let go of me!" It was his turn to chuckle condescendingly, like you always did to him. A wolf and its prey. Except, the tables have turned this time around.

Maybe you did go a little too harsh on him and pushed his limits too much. Should you apologise? He's a sweet boy that's not beyond mending, after all. It's still the same old Adam.

His fingers played with the flowers petals as he asked while ignoring you, "do you know what Jasmines signify, honey?" It wasn't a question as he immediately continued rambling. "They show deep, deep love. And you rejected that love."

Mysteries hung in the air after his words as he turned to his phone, screen glowing against his features. You wanted, no, needed to tell him off as usual. What made it different now? And damn it, why couldn't you speak? His finger stopped scrolling. A manic grin grew on his lips.

"But don't worry, you'll accept it. One way or another."

Before you could even process his words, the screen was shoved into your face. The world stopped suddenly, ringing echoing in your ears.

Oh, no.

Sweat rolled down your temple, heart threatening to leap out of your ribcage. You didn't even notice the heavy pants leaving your lips as your throat felt awfully tight and closed up.

You blinked. Once, then twice. Still, the contents on his phone wouldn't disappear like you magically hoped they would. They were real.

In his opinion, you looked awfully cute like that. Wide-eyed as you adorably looked around for an exit. He couldn't help but croon at how powerless you looked right now, like you weren't such a bratty girl.

"W-what- you..." you swallowed, trying to pick up the shattered pieces of your confidence. "How?"

"it's simple, really." His cold, boney fingers cupped your cheek, but you jerked away. If he noticed, which he most certainly did, he didn't pay the action any mind while he continued his villainous monologue. "When you're practically invisible your whole life, people tend to underestimate your abilties. And I happened to know a little bit of hacking. That's how I found these...videos."

You didn't reply. You couldn't. Teeth sunk into your shaky bottom lip as you mustered up a weak glare, prompting a dark laugh out of him. He cooed, "honestly, I had fun watching most of these. I didn't know you were so naughty, baby. Who knew my pretty girl had such a big secret?"

Adam got his hands on a very delectable treat, that much was obvious. The real puzzle remained...and almost as if he realised the same thing, his smile inched further up his face. "Hm, what shall I do with these? It'd be a real shame if someone got a glimpse of you in all your beauty."

"Just tell me what you want."

He sighed in contentment, utterly delighted by the question of the hour. "I won't show these to anyone as long as you agree to my deal. You could keep your secret and I could get what I want. And I don't think that's much to ask, do you?"

Clammy hands balled up in frustration as you realised you hit a dead end, with Adam hot on your tail. He knew how much you basked in the loving attention and twisted it against you, that scumbag.

You peeked over his shoulder to see if there were any intruders before meeting his amused face again. You hushed urgently, "fine, what's the deal?"

The corners of his eyes crinkled as he placed a finger under your chin, tilting your face up. Dread curled up your spine the second you saw the triumphant smirk on his lips.

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

Did...did you hear him correctly? Girlfriend? You're pretty sure this qualified as blackmail, something the quiet guy at the back of class typing away would never be capable of doing. But now you weren't so sure you're looking at the same person.

"You'll let me go out with you, spend time with you and do whatever I tell you to. You'll be mine, and act like it." He bared his teeth this time, making his upper hand promineny.

Anger coursed through your veins. How dare he? "Screw you, you crazy psycho!"

His eyes narrowed with obvious displeasure, "be careful with your words. You wouldn't want anyone to hear about your..." he glanced down at his phone then back up at you, "...fetishes."

Your hands itched to slap that smug expression off of his face. Everything you worked so hard to build couldn't fall to the ground because of one pesky guy. For the first time in your life, you weren't the one in control.

"Y-you can't do this," the tone sounded more vunerable than intended. Adam's gaze softened in pity as he brushed a hair behind your ear, the action gentle and tender like he didn't just threaten you.

"Love, it's your choice in the end. Though, I promise to take care of you during our agreement." Was it really your choice, though?

It dawned on you in that very moment that Adam had hidden his claws all this time, patiently waiting and waiting as you ridiculed to play the right cards. If the intention wasn't hatred however, then what was it? You needed to tread carefully, then you'd be able to find a way to free yourself of his clutches.

Physically pained by how weak you felt, you dropped your gaze to the floor and slowly nodded. One thing was clear: you sold your soul to the devil.

"Good girl~" he said happily, patting your head. "I promise you won't regret this. I'll give you a few days to get used to this before we become official."

Carefully, he tucked the Jasmine into your hair. A sign of his twisted, deep-rooted love. Warm lips pressed against your cheek and you turned your head away, embarrassed.

You whispered softly, peering up at him through your lashes, "will you delete them now?"

"Delete them?" He quirked an amused brow, "I think I'll keep them for a while in case you get any ideas...but don't worry, be good and I'll think about it, m'kay?"

Adam slung his bag over his shoulder, watching his girlfriend stare at him in a daze. Poor thing, you're probably too flustered to even say anything. He'll definitely buy you more Jasmines, though. Maybe a bouqet?

This game should be fun. A predator and a prey switching roles? What a plot,

He'll keep those videos till the end of time if that's what it took to keep you with him. All of this until you love him.

♡

𝒴ℴ𝓊𝓇𝓈 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓁𝓎

@yourprettylildoe

#yandere #writing #original story #yandere x you #yandere x reader #writblr #story writing #Creative writing #Male yandere #male yandere oc #male yandere x reader #yandere stories #yandere story #Yandere thoughts #x reader #fem reader

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blackheart-6 · 2 days ago

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noelle undertale style sprites

hi yall

ive been wanting to get better at sprite art (this was my news years resolution actually!) so i decided to try and turn noelle into an undertale style battle sprite!!

i also really want there to be some sort of light world battle at some point, in the undertale style! i think noelle would be a pretty good candidate for being the enemy of that fight, so thats another reason i made this

i feel like it couldve turned out better, but i also dont really know what i couldve done different, if that makes sense 😅

i was trying to make sure she wasnt too tall or short, so that was kind of hard to work around. plus, i love my girl noelle but.. she got a biggol head lol. if you count her hair shes like half head 😂😂. but i couldnt really do anything about it without making her too tall (i was trying to be as accurate as possible)

but, i think i didnt do too bad overall ^^

i also made animated versions!

i couldnt decide which i prefer (since they both are kinda bad 🫣), so theres 2

ehh, im not too disappointed with myself, this is only what, my third pixel gif? im sure ill get better!! or at least i sure hope so :^

i also did those alternate faces/poses for fun, but i did them real quick, so dont inspect them too hard haha

if anyone has any tips or advice of any sorts to improve at pixel art, please share 🙏🙏 i struggle so bad at these, just being indecisive on every pixel i place 😫

but anyways, thats it for now, bye yall!

#art #my art #digital art #deltarune #noelle holiday #deltarune noelle #pixel art #pixel animation #pixel gif #should i tag undertale??#i guess i will since its the style #undertale

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the-clock-of-the-time-dragon · 2 days ago

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So we're doing this, lol. Okay.

He is a double agent.

Literally just headcanon. As I said. Like, I think it's a GOOD headcanon — as I also said — but even you admit that it requires heavy inference and conjecture to claim that he did anything to help Animals; and slipping in "I don't think of her as a Wicked Witch" and wanting to push back against the more insane rumors is not being a double agent (which would require actual action), it's being a known contrarian and former friend of hers. As I explained to begin with: his quest to find her is not evidence of some kind of revolutionary activity behind the scenes — it's evidence that he wanted to personally reunite with her, which is exactly what his actions led to.

Fiyero knows this, by placing himself here he is in the best position both to protect Elphaba but also protect the Animals in the regime.

He didn't do either of those things though. Like, I fully believe that he wanted Elphaba unharmed (obviously) and that he had some qualms with rounding up the Animals... but he literally volunteered for the Harm Elphaba and Round Up the Animals Brigade, and there is zero evidence he did anything to undermine them until she finally showed up in the Wizard's palace unexpectedly.

Given he used the first opportunity, when they wouldn’t get in trouble, to help the Lion Cub it seems a pretty good inference that he was trying to send out warnings to Animals when he could (especially now the movieverse has made him the only character aside from Elphaba who is friends with an Animal – he probably even has a network he can tap into!).

I would like to see that fleshed out in the second movie, yes — because I agree it would be in character, but on stage, we're left to just hope that he did that (albeit his hypothetical offscreen attempts to help Animals still seem objectively outweighed by his actions that harmed them, so — again, as I said — his having sympathy for them doesn't seem to have stopped him from knowingly doing a lot more harm than good).

IDK about you, but I think if I were to search for someone wanted and was given the opportunity to both have the best resources and information to find her and hamper people who might find her and hurt her, I would totally do it this way too.

Saying you'd totally join the Gestapo instead of the Resistance if given the chance — because of "resources and information" — is not the winning argument you think it is, I'm sorry, lol. Like, if he'd already been a soldier before he realized it was fashy, that might make a bit more sense. If that were the case, then yeah he should've become a double agent! But as it is, it kinda just seems like you're making a lot of excuses for why volunteering to do fascism is justified as long as you feel bad about it and (speculatively) tried to sabotage it (with no evident success whatsoever). I would truly love to believe in Double Agent Fiyero, and I hope that's the direction the second movie goes with him: but I also really liked the Amoral Nihilist Fiyero we got on stage. You keep acting like I'm denigrating him as a character, but I can only express so many times that I'm not. He's a great character: just not a great guy imho.

I know we don’t see him helping the Animals, but nor do we really see Elphaba doing so?

No, we don't see Elphaba doing stuff to help Animals onstage (albeit, as I've said, there don't really seem to be any free Animals left by the time we get to Act II), but there are at least direct statements that she's been involved with the Animal resistance. There isn't even an implication that Fiyero tried to do that, let alone did. You're basing your interpretation of his character on speculation — because it is somewhat difficult, in some ways, to reconcile the compassionate boy we saw in the woods with the fascist commander he's become by Act II — but I'm basing my reading on sheer text; on the actions and statements on the page. Regardless of whether you choose to think he was secretly doing a ton of anti-regime work behind the scenes, I just don't think (as I've said) that the preponderance of his behavior really justifies that. Because at the very least he was still choosing to swallow his compassion and do fascist stuff at the same time, and in the end those were the actions that objectively shaped the future of Oz, not the imagined attempts at sabotage he may or may not have done. Either way, he's interesting, but his actions are hard to defend.

Does this mean he didn’t commit atrocities? No probably not. But bear in mind if he hadn’t been doing it, someone else would have.

Yikes...

He literally succeeded in the exact goal he was planning by joining the Gale Force: to protect Elphaba.

But he didn't protect Elphaba. He couldn't even fuckin find her, lol. She protected herself. While he was actively participating in the violent repression that she hated more than anything in the world.

If he hadn’t been Captain of the Guard in the throne room when the Wizard called his guards she would have been captured and killed, instead she escaped which eventually allowed the Wizard to be overthrown and Elphaba’s values to be acted on in the form of Glinda ruling.

None of which was REMOTELY planned, or even likely. Granting for the sake of argument that she would definitely have been captured and/or killed had he not been in that exact place at that exact time — I'm not convinced of that — if we're really gonna try these long-term domino effect arguments, then Glinda's questionable choice not to get on the broom was actually a heroic act that ultimately led to the liberation of Oz! Come on.

There is a difference between keeping quiet, not protesting a regime and actively endorsing it. Glinda was doing the latter and she was not forced into that. (She also was not helping undermine it the same way Fiyero was).

Yes, she was literally forced into that, lol. Claiming she wasn't forced into her position when she was literally captured and molded into an asset of the regime — and then moralizing about her trying to make the best out of her literal enslavement — whilst somehow insisting that Fiyero going out of his way to enlist as an armed servant of the regime wasn't "endorsing the regime", is actually absurd. Like, it's all well and good to believe his ulterior motives for joining make it okay, but to argue that the guy who volunteers to do the hands-on violent repression side of the regime is somehow "protesting it" because he said a couple things mildly out-of-step (so mild that he doesn't seem to have faced any official criticism for it whatsoever), while the girl we saw two seconds away from getting imprisoned or worse right before the intermission is "not forced into endorsing it"?? In what universe??

Madame Morrible made abundantly clear that the only thing keeping Glinda from being thrown to the wolves like Elphaba was serving as a pretty mouthpiece for the Wizard, and nothing more. I've got a whole list of decisions she actually, with little to no coercion, that I think are legitimately questionable. But you aren't even citing those: you're just victim-blaming because she didn't... suffer enough? Or signal against her abusers enough? Like YES, I will say there's a point where a victim can cross lines and become complicit to varying degrees in their own situation — she herself all but admits this — but unless we're going to talk specifically about those instances of dubiousness, it seems as if you're just blaming her for trying to make space for herself to breathe and not be miserable every waking moment of her... *checks notes*... forced servitude in the regime with absolute power over her life????? A victim trying to make the best of their terrible predicament is not a crime. And Glinda makes very clear that having to spread lies about Elphie is an abuse against her; it's a pain to her very soul. Saying it's her fault and that she wasn't forced into it is just... gross tbh.

But do not pretend for one moment that she is not actively complicit in this regime, with no real desire to stop it until it starts actively hurting her.

Yes, she got a lot of things that she wanted out of her arrangement. She is a complex character, after all. She's flawed. Certainly not the "perfect" victim. She also understands that Elphaba would want her to be safe and happy, and that silly (and outright wrong) rumors will not actually bring any more harm to Elphaba than what she already faces. It's a challenging situation, but Glinda chose to pursue a net positive approach: do her part to maintain her situation, make the best of it, and trust that one day Elphie would manage to set things right. She was incorrect — in the end, she had to be the one to do what Elphaba couldn't — but to claim that she was at fault for her own situation and could/should have done more to push back but just didn't want to enough (and moreover, that Fiyero somehow is NOT accountable for his much more violent, much more voluntary situation), is just perverse. The regime was actively hurting her the entire time; Fiyero certainly understands suffering and living one's best life at the same time, so don't act like it doesn't count for her.

He gave up his wealth, privilege and safety to ensure Elphaba escaped from the throne room and continued her cause (this isn’t about running away with Elphaba btw, he lost everything from the moment he pointed the gun at the Wizard). He was ready to die for her in the Corn Field scene. I don’t know what more you want him to do to prove that he was not shallow and he wouldn’t die for his cause in the exact same way Elphaba was prepared to?

He acted on spontaneous desire, as he always does, and is a nihilist who never gave a shit about any of the things (or people) he cast to the wind to begin with. "He lost everything" — and you expect me to find that brave and romantic, I take it? I don't. Throwing caution and care aside to run off and have a passionate night with the object of his affects isn't WRONG — and I've never said that it is — it's foolish and selfish and impulsive. And as I explained many times: I think it's cool that he's like that. But please do not expect me to accept your premise that these actions were deep and selfless. The actions of a depressive with nothing left to lose, recklessly pursuing the one and only object of obsession that keeps him going — irrespective of all other considerations, even hers — is actually shallow and selfish. It isn't a crime to act on passion or desperation or whatever, and as I've said, I think it's really interesting on multiple levels. Just because he's shallow doesn't mean he doesn't have layers; just not many. We can acknowledge his motives as essentially selfish and still respect that he defended her. I think we should be a little more critical and ALSO account for the consequences of his actions in ways that he did not. Why is that such a controversial suggestion?

Fiyero is the only character of the trio to put thoughts into his actions. He is the only one who doesn’t immediately act on his impulses.

Hard disagree. Like yeah, Elphaba and Glinda have their own brands and moment of impulsivity too — I wrote about it in my original post — but no, Fiyero does not think through shit. He doesn't think about the potential consequences of denouncing the rumors about Elphie; Glinda has to temper his impulse to do so. He doesn't think about the potential consequences of abandoning Glinda; for never cared about either his own safety or hers, only Elphie's. If you assume he joined in the army to be a double agent, then he clearly didn't think through or care about all the violence he was going to have to commit.

I'm not saying he isn't clever — his thoughtlessness is not a function of lacking intelligence, but of lacking concern — and I'm not saying he's reactive to denigrate him. Things happen around him, and if it's something that ignites his passion he acts boldly and fearlessly, with zero concern for anyone or anything outside of that moment. When he makes "plans", they're all very ad hoc and making resourceful use of situations that he absolutely did not (and could not) have planned for. Which is neat! Some find that bold, spontaneous, "she's all that I care for in this world" intense personality type romantic. I'm not one of them, but I can see the appeal; as I've acknowledged. I think it's a bit sad that he behaves that way tbh: because it speaks to his pretty hollow existence, as Elphaba herself identified.

[Wicked Act II spoilers]

[edited for tone and clarity of purpose, apologies for initial crudeness and frustration]

Okay, obviously I'm biased, but I'm gonna need the Fiyeraba shippers to please set a lot of your people straight about some things. I've seen way too many people trying to say that Glinda is just a selfish bimbo and that Fiyero is a virtuous and selfless figure more worthy of Elphaba's love. I'll set aside for now the idea of "worthiness" in this context. But let's start off with Fiyero joining the Wizard. Hoo boy...

Yes, he was initially somewhat less tolerant of the propaganda against Elphaba than Glinda was; yes, he was secretly trying to find her so he could run away with her or whatever. But honey: those facts DO NOT fully absolve his actions as the Wizard's top officer, or selfish recklessness throughout Act II. I see so many popular threads and posts romanticizing and whitewashing with "oh but he didn't REALLY join the Wizard, he just pretended so he could try to get to Elphie! It's all for love, and he sacrificed everything for her!" As if the literal captain of the literally fascist forces responsible for the oppression of Animals wasn't equally responsible for said oppression?? Hello? Fiyero really didn't think of seeking out Elphaba in ANY other way that DIDN'T involve becoming *checks notes*... the trusted leader of the troops committing all the abuses she's fighting against in the first place???? Like it's cool and all that he helped with Brrr, and it's all well and good that he planned on betraying the Wizard as soon as he found Elphaba (which took literal years, so I guess we're left to assume he was prepared to just keep doing fascism indefinitely if she didn't show up????), but uh... it's kind of concerning to how eager some of you are to make excuses for this dude volunteering as the head of the Ozian Gestapo??? smdh

He didn't accomplish anything from it either, by the way — like yeah, we get it, he did everything he did whilst silently fantasizing about running away with the Witch he was being paid to hunt. Fine. But I can't be the only one who doesn't buy that as an actual excuse???? Like, guys: nobody forced him to join the fascist army — even with crazy ulterior motives. He wasn't coerced into it; it wasn't his only choice or anything. Searching for Elphaba did not somehow compel him to go and volunteer to follow (or to give!) orders in the name of the dictator who was trying to have her assassinated the entire time. He could have just not done all that. (Genuinely so curious how the second film plans on covering that material tbh)

Glinda made several questionable decisions that can be (and have been) debated, but she is still very unambiguously a victim. Her position in the Wizard's regime was foisted upon her. There are things we can discuss, but I find that many folks need reminding that Glinda would undoubtedly have been disposed of (or worse) if she failed to make herself useful. I mean hell: she wasn't even supposed to meet the Wizard in the first place — she was only there because of Elphie. If she'd tried to resist, it would have immediately gotten her labeled the Witch's accomplice. As soon as she'd chosen not to get on the broom, her fate was out of her hands, and all available options were varying degrees of horrible.

That's not the case with Fiyero. He went to the Wizard all on his own; no one ever cornered or forced him into it. Thinking Animals are people, and having a crush on Elphaba, simply did not stop him from carrying out the regime's orders — for years. It's not clear exactly how long he's been captain at the start of Act II, but the clear implication is that he's been a soldier for most of the time skip. I've seen Fiyeraba accounts with headcanons about him acting as a double agent, secretly doing stuff to help Animals — and that's a great idea, it would indeed serve to make a lot of his actions way more palatable — but until we actually get to SEE some of that (maybe they'll add it for the movie version of Act II; we'll have to see), there is nothing in the story to suggest that. He certainly didn't do a damn thing for all those Animals who were enslaved and caged in the Wizard's palace — and we don't see a single other Animal outside of there in Act II, so as far as we know Fiyero has participated over those years in the near-total removal of Animals from Ozian society. In the name of "finding Elphaba". Not fighting for her cause. Just finding HER. For HIMSELF.

It's fine to have a ship you like, obviously — and there is genuinely a lot to like about Fiyeraba, I don't dislike the idea of them as a couple or as friends — but come on guys: please stop those out there idealizing Fiyero as somehow a clear "morally-superior" alternative to Glinda, lol. The dude had power, access, and opportunities, for years, that he could have wielded in any number of really selfless, revolutionary ways. He didn't. And I propose (apparently controversially): he simply didn't want to. And that — at the end of the day — is (much as some would like to deny it) true to his character. He always WANTED to be self-absorbed and shallow, and all his actions are consistent with that. Elphaba saw depth and discontentment in him, yes: but (and I cannot stress this enough) when given the chance, he channeled that in the wrong direction. He didn't confront that and become a better person — for the most part he just displaced and projected it onto Elphaba as an object of obsession, and put on an even thicker pretense than before.

All his actions — regardless of the complexity he has deep down — are those of a man who never gives one fuck about anything or anyone, except (kinda sorta) Elphaba. But even then: at no time does the care he has for her seem to extend to caring about any of her wants or needs outside of sexual validation from him, or how she might feel about his actions, or indeed the impacts of those actions upon her, her cause, or anyone or anything else. I don't think it should be all that controversial to say: he doesn't think through the wider repercussions of anything he does — thoughtlessness is just one of his core character traits. He doesn't think ahead or see meaning in anything outside of what can temporarily excite him, in the moment. I think people place a little too much weight on Elphaba clocking him with regard to his internal pain, and seem to expect (understandably of course) that she is not only right, but moreover that he will grow from that in a positive direction, based on her influence.

But he doesn't. If anything, we get a surprising inverse: he pretty much proves her wrong. Not to say he didn't have hidden depth and all that, like she said: but his hypothetical heart of gold proves not to really amount to much in practice. He doesn't grow out of his shallowness and his self-centeredness: he grows into it in a way that he hadn't quite yet in school. Where once he was only masking an internal listlessness, after he's been cracked open by Elphaba he decides to be genuinely self-absorbed and deeply shallow, not just coasting by. He performs in new ways — as a soldier, eventually as a "fiancé", etc. — but by Act II we meet a Fiyero who has staked the last remaining shred of humanity in him on the vain pursuit of the only object of his desire that has ever been unavailable to him, and firmly chosen to say to hell with everyone and everything else.

When put to the test, Fiyero sacrifices Glinda, the Animals, and all else that Elphaba actually cared about, to pursue his own unresolved crush from college. Mostly to get in her pants, really — as harsh as I'm sure that sounds. But let me be frank: that is literally all he ever accomplishes in the show. He gives her dick one time, and one of his castles, and that's it. That's the culmination of his years trying to find her — years in which he actively worked as one of the stormtroopers (or even the one commanding them) committing untold crimes against Animalkind (who, again, it seems have been all but erased from Oz by Act II): y'know, the very crimes Elphaba sacrificed her life to try and stop????? He spent the most important time of his life — of his own free will — being a fascist soldier, but he "did it for her" somehow, so according to some, it's perfectly fine. Heroic, even. Yikes??

But let's make something very clear (since my original version of this post caught a lot of flak, including slurs and other rudeness):

I like Fiyero. I find his role extremely interesting (I could do a whole dissertation on him, but I'm especially a fan of the way his proving Elphaba's assessment of him wrong presents a fascinating parallel and contrast with Glinda, which I think is lost on a lot of people). But PLEASE stop with all the misguided Glinda slander and idealization of Fiyero. By all means, thirst! But don't give me all this bullshit about him deserving Elphaba more, or being super deep, or being really principled or noble or whatever else. He does have layers, and quite intriguing ones, but his insides are straw — he isn't meant to have some deep, overwrought emotional core or motivations; he has passions that he acts upon when given the chance. That's it. And that's fine. Actually kind of refreshing in a story rooted in simple children's fantasy but rife with intensely complicated personalities. Fiyero makes it his mission to represent denial of depth and embrace of raw, spontaneous desire — and I for one love that, and wish others appreciated it.

And in all seriousness, shipping wars aside: by the end of the story, it's Glinda who is ultimately vindicated, and has — for all her faults — made the necessary choices to fulfill Elphaba's wishes, bring down the regime, etc. And all that despite herself. She's miserable: not just because of the mistakes she made, but because of her correct moves as well. Fiyero is simply not — and could never be — that person. And that's okay! Like I said: I am not anti-Fiyero. Fiyero's willingness to throw it all away for the sake of sheer, overriding passion is a huge part of what people like about him, of course — and it's an obvious factor in the attraction between him and Elphaba, because she has her own flavor of that impulse as well — but I'd actually argue that it's not romantic, it's his fatal flaw. And thematically that's fantastic! But I just don't believe that it somehow means he "deserves Elphaba more" because he "gave up his life for her" or whatever. In part because NOBODY truly "deserves" Elphie tbh, not 100% (and I question anybody who claims otherwise), but ultimately because I don't accept the idea that his fleeting acts of passion make up for all the shit leading up to them (or even proceeding after them tbh). At least Glinda managed to do what Elphaba always wanted in the end — but I would die on this hill even if Gelphie didn't exist.

You don't have to agree with my analysis of Fiyero and his choices, relationships, etc. — that's fine. What isn't fine is trying to portray Glinda as some kind of spineless traitor whore for the Wizard and Fiyero as a conscientious hero who earned Elphie through self-sacrifice. That's just not the story that was written. It's WAY messier and more interesting than that.

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concretejunglefm · 3 days ago

Note

What do we think the guys would be like if they had a secret crush on you? Like if you were working on tour somewhere with them.

Personally I think Folio would be the most obvious one. 😂

Folio would be the most obvious but that's because he's just generally excited to be around you and you start to easily pick that up, especially when you're aware he likes to hang out with the crew when everything is being set up. Normally it's him and his drum tech hanging out, but suddenly he's starting to spend a little extra time with you, maybe inviting you over. Despite this there is a little awkward shyness to him, especially in the beginning. Once he loosens up it's easier, but his crush on you makes him a little shy at times, mainly when you're alone because with other people around he can bounce of their energy, but solo he finds himself a little more a loss for words.

Matt would not be obvious at all, perhaps the closest he could ever come to even allowing himself a slight acknowledgement of the fact is when he isn't as tough on you about your job. Firstly he really rides you hard on it, mainly because you're young and not as experienced, he wants to give the benefit of the doubt but you also know what you came into so he shouldn't have to. It'll be subtler things with him, such as picking you up lunch when you forget yours because you selflessly are putting everyone else and everything else ahead of yourself, as well as simply bringing you a coffee in the mornings when you wake up early, because you want to get a jump start on the day. The walls come down a little, but when he feels like there's a little too much comfort there he's quick to pull them back up and give you a hard time to remind you about doing your job correctly. Little does he know you kind of like that he gets so bossy.

Jolly is a subtle man who is merely observant. Usually he keeps to himself, perhaps engaging with you a little, even if he does have a crush, but the most of it comes from you both sharing a love of books. You're the talkative one between you, firstly when you spot him reading a book you've read, which prompts him to begin a conversation with you. It's brief, but it leaves his chest feeling a little warm and there's a bounce in his step, one which is noticeable to the other guys. Eventually his subtly extends to an occasional touch here and there, grazing hand along your back, brushing your arm, even offering you his hand as you climb down off the bus. The biggest tell, not to you but the other guys, is when he gifts you a book you mentioned wanting to read. Each stop he'll peruse the smaller bookstores where he can and when he finds one he mentally wrote down you mentioning, he picks it up and gives it you. "I haven't read this one." You'll tell him, while he offers a smile and soft "I know." Before walking off with all of the guys sharing a knowing look.

Noah is alot more shy and awkward than his stage persona would have you believe, yeah he has an ego and knows that he's hot, but that doesn't mean he assumes you fancy him, just because he happens to have a crush on you. You bond over your similar interests after he discovers you're not only an AOT fan, but a death note fan, it quickly moves from anime to music and he finds his crush becoming something gnawing at him the nights you both spend sat up talking over all of these shared interests. If you're not talking about them, you're texting and even sending memes. Sometimes he'll even invite you into his bunk to watch an episode or two before he finds you falling asleep, head against his shoulder.

When it comes to Nicholas he shares the same sentiment as Jolly in regards to giving you gifts as a sign of his crush, but unlike the Swede, they're usually hand made and smaller when on the road. Most consist of little drawings and doodles, he can't count the amount of times he'd actually attempted to do a self portrait of you, some more serious and artistic than others. Calling you his muse would be a cliche, but he can't say that you don't inspire him to draw sometimes, especially on the days off when you go on your little adventures, sometimes he'll even go as far as doodling a little flip book of those for you during his spare time.

#anon ask 💕#bad omens headcanons #bad omens blurb #noah sebastian blurb #nick folio blurb #nicholas ruffilo blurb #joakim jolly karlsson blurb #matt dierkes blurb

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marymary-diva17 · 2 days ago

Text

Abandoned sully (3)

A waiting was being played as you watched the clans gather, waiting for a decision from their leaders and the elders. While you stood away from them watching and giving them space, as these were some who had deemed you as bad omen. The reunion of parent and child had taken place but it was not wholesome, or felt like some made up dream.

Y/n “ ……..” as you wait for any change you had seen your siblings and their friends talking among themselves, while there had been few looks at you. You had given them a small wave and smile as well, hoping to be nice at the moment. Soon there had been a moment where you saw Jake call over neteyam, to speak with him. There had been some words exchange between the father and son pair, before neteyam nodded his head and made his way pass his group and towards you.

neteyam “ they are ready to speak with you and maybe if they need more time you can join us” you had nod your head and stood a few feet away from him.

y/n “ lead the way and I will follow” neteyam had nodded his head, as he soon lead the way and your followed him. Soon reach the growns up as you standing before Jake and tonowari.

Y/n " how may I be helpful Olo'eyktans"

Jake " we have decided on your offer and want to take help from the clan"

Y/n " my clan will be willing to help you but you still most plead you case towards the tshaik and the Olo'eyktan, and elders as they will make the final decisions and anyone else as well they wish ... can you expect that"

Tonowari " yes we can"

Ronal " can we really trust this child know what she is"

Mo'at " you would watch your tongue Mo'at when you speak to my granddaughter"

Y/n " I know you all rather be at your homes and forgetting I was even alive and member of the Omaticaya clan and sully family, but I'm your best chance of making it thrw here as the other clan here are not trusting and would ask Tupia for her advice ... when she hears how you spoken to me she wouldn't be so kind towards everyone and even if the Omaticaya and other forest clan know the forest these forest are not like their home ... there are things here that you don't want making mad"

Aonung " you speak to my mother like that demon" aonung and gotten in your face and that when animals calls had been heard and they were mad making everyone looked scared in fear, as the calls got louder and louder.

Omaticaya " what is going on what has happened" everyone was panic as moat looked at you you soon step away from aonung and risked you hands up and held your head high.

Y/n " mawey" you had let out a loud chant and soon the animals calls had stopped and that forest had become calm once again everyone looking at you with shocked experience on their face.

Y/n " not all creatures here on pandora are the same at all moments now make a decision will you trust me or not"

Jake " we trust you my daughter"

Y/n " then come with I will show you the way but I will stop you once we reach the village"

Jake " thank you"

Y/n " come on once we get there your injure and sick will be the aid they need and homes will be given to you all" everyone nodded their heads and soon followed you after the gather up their stuff you were keeping distance between you and your family. The only one who you were allowing near you was mo'at and no one else as you were keeping away from them but you could hear their whispers about you.

Mo'at " do you think Tupia and he will allow them to stay"

Y/n " yes they will but they will be tested by the clan and by the great mother as well ma grandmother it wont be easy for them, any of them"

Mo'at " so when could you do that my grandchild command the forest"

Y/n " a two months ago I'm still learning more about myself ... you know I help them and they still look at me like I will do evil toward them"

Mo'at " don't mind them"

Y/n " will other Olo'eyktan come seeking help"

Mo'at " yes they will come seeking help"

Y/n " that will be fun did you tell them about my life here all of it or none"

Mo'at " I told them nothing my child you have a life here they will see what you made of yourself here"

Y/n " the human will be watched closely as he last humans here we RDA and they were not nice"

Mo'at " that is understandable"

???? " umm excuse me may I join this conversatio"

Mo'at " oh my oldest grandchild"

Neteyam " hello my name is Neteyam it was rude of me not to introduce myself ... it so good to finally meet you I hope I can bee a good big brother to you and keep you safe ...." Neteyam was shock when you meet you hand up and nearly over his mouth stopping in your tracks, you soon puled out a medium size wooden bowl from you pouch and grabbed some berries and leaves and placed them in the bowl. Soon bring on oval shaped stone and started crushing everything. You soon walked toward the river and got some water as everyone was looking at you as you were going something and saying something under your breath.

Aonung " wow you guys have a sister that might be more of freak then you two"

Kiri " shut up I want to hear what she is saying and what she doing, and I can't do that when you are being this jerk" you soon come back to the group carrying the bowl and stone walked toward the avatar.

Y/n " avatar norm please come up" norm was shocked that you knew his name but he made his way up towards you but tsutey and spider were not liking this one bit.

Spider " what are you doing"

Y/n ' you come as well"

Tsutey " what are you doing to my mate and child"

Y/n " nothing I places a mark on them they smell as human and other will sense that the RDA has take from us and I don't want death here, so let me do my work on send them elsewhere and get premisosn for them to stay later"

Spider " oh sorry for ..."

Y/n " hold still please I don't want to mess up anything"

Spider " oh okay" you had made some marks on their forehand and arms once you were done you place the bowl away and soon went towards the front with your grandmother.

Mo'at " that makes of tshaik I see"

Y/n " thank you all are here at the village please stay close as we make our way closer stay behind me and don't caee trouble please" Jake an tonowair were about to speak but the glare from your eyes made them shut up right away and everyone followed you but soon warriors cries had been heard.

Y/n " mawey my people they are friends or mine"

Warrior " y/n welcome back why are they with you"

Y/n " they have come here with my grandmother seeking helpp"

Warrior 2 " Mo'at welcome back we are happy to have you here"

Mo'at " it good to be back"

Warrior " tapia is waiting for your arrival she was worried"

Y/n " good " you had moved one again with the group but the warriors came keeping a close eye on the newcomers.

Tupia " there you are y/n is everything okay the ... moat"

Mo'at " hello my friend I have some here with Olo'eyktan Jake sully and Olo'eyktan tonowair seeking help"

Tupia " come everyone else sit and relax"

Y/n " healers please see to these newcomer injures and illness"

Healers " yes y/n " everyone was shocked on how everyone was listening to your command right away soon the leading families followed tupia and you toward where the Olo'eyktan of the clan were waiting.

Tupia " Olo'eyktans tell me why you have some here shaking home from my clan"

Jake " we have come here sneaking help from your clan we have learned you clan has many ways of helping us"

Tupia " umm so you came here unannounced to my clan you are lucky I'm here today as if the Olo'eyktans were here then it wouldn't end well"

Tonowari " we are sorry for this poor behavior but we had to flee right away and didn't have enough time to send word"

Tupia " I will give you this a pass right now as it seems like most of your clan members are very hurt"

Tupia " y/n I can tell you have some part in this ugly situation"

Y/n " yes I found them when I was collected herbs and soon the forests started acting off, I was making my way threw the forest and came across them in one of the clearings"

Tupia " moat can we trust these people the older ones after seeing their treatment of y/n"

Moat " they are still foolish and still learning their lessons"

Jake " excuse me tshaik Tupia but we have asked for uturu don't we have a chance of being granted sanctuary like, anyone else"

Tonowari " yes Jake sully is right you have taken in his daughter doesn't him and his family get rights to stay" tonowari and Jake had walked closer to Tupia making a wrong mistake, as the warriors came at them with arrows and spears.

Y/n " mawey everyone mawey they don't know it was a honest mistake" the warriors soon made jake and tonowari stand back with their families, but you were out of reach from your family.

Elder " the child spares them from pain but they were willing to leave her due to some curse"

Elder 2 " are we sure she their child or did eywa make a mistake with these two as parents"

Elder 3 " their smells are horrible it fill my noise even the smell of human from those behind them"

Tupia " enough everyone .... You are in lucky omatacayia and metkayaia you will be allowed to stay here but you will leaned our ways and mot be completely useless"

Y/n " we should help out the human as well they are member of the omatacyia clan"

Tupia " yes they will be given sanctuary here but they will be watched closely as well after what happened in the past"

Jake " thank you"

Tupia " the Olo'eythan and our children will be home soon and then you will have to plead your case to us all, and see what we all have to say about any of your staying here for a long time"

Tonowari " we understand thank you" Everyone had thought it was going to be easy from here on now with the clan but they were dead wrong as it not going to be that easy for them. You soon lead then clans away to their new homes still hearing them whisper about you.

Y/n " the omatacayia and humans will stay on the right and the metkayaia will stay over left"

Y/n " the humans can set up their base over there once it get here I will help you when the time comes"

Norm " thank you so much"

Y/n " the leader families please come with me" the leading families soon followed you as you lead them to two different massive homes.

Y/n " these will be your homes for your stay here I hope you like them"

Neytiri " they are wonderful"

Y/n " I will leave you all here from now a share dinner will be taking place tonight, someone would come collect everyone and show you the way to dinner for future shared dinners"

Jake " wait where are you going I was hoping we can talk with you"

Y/n " I have to take my leave there are some other matters I need to attend to" You had soon bid everyone goodbye and soon head towards the village to give the supplies towards the healer as you still had it on your person.The healers had thanked you for getting them their supplies as you went on with you day before dinner was serviced.

Y/n " oh great mother please give me strength I'm going to need it" you had went to your home and start unpacking you stuff while collecting your thoughts as well, because right now your life was greatly changing in a way you didn't see it coming as right now. You had spent some time reflecting until you ere ready to leave as dinner was getting ready to be served to everyone, you were sitting in your usual spot.

???? " do you see her"

???? " yes she right up there" you soon looked up t see you sibling and tonowair kdis loooking at you they soon made their wya towards you when, a warrior had gotten in their path.

Warrior " why have you come here"

Lo'ak " we came to be with her our sister"

Warrior " she eats here like usual as she has a close relationship with our tshaik"

Spider " well she is tokru makto daughter and these are his other kdis and they have same rank as her"

Warrior " she is no daughter of the man and she had been asked to have a meal with our tshaik and tshaik moat as they are talk about a important matter"

Jake " kids did you find her"

Tuk " yes dad but he won't let us pass"

Jake " excuse me warrior but I have some here to collect my daughter"

Warrior " like I told the children she is already busy and having a mela with her grandmother and tshaik tapia you can speak with with her in the morning"

Jake " she is my chid I can see her anytime I wish"

???? " what going on here" everyone soon saw you and the warrior had bowed in respect towards you you are now looking at the group, and soon enough everyone else was looking and listening in as the newcomers were making trouble.

Warrior " I'm sorry to interrupt your meal y/n but they have come to see you"

Y/n " how may I help you all is there a problem with your homes or anything else"

Neytiri " no"

Y/n " as for night you all will be eating togtehr until everyone can be fixed for a bigger gore during shared meals days, I'm sorry I can't eat with you all but tupia and grandmother have called me to join them"

Tsyeria " oh"

Y/n "so please everyone go back to your meals and enjoying you evening" you were soon once again gone as your family had returned to there clan group, you soon sat down with moat and tupia.

Tupia " don't let them break you my child"

Y/n " I wont but if they keep up this behavior they will be rising tension between them and the clan, that is something we don't need at the moment"

Mo'at " I will speak with Jake and Neytiri"

Y/n " thank you grandmother" fine soon the evening meals had finished and everyone was heading to their homes after a long day. You had walked you grandmother halfway to the sully home until she had sent you back to your, home knowing if Jake and neytiri saw your I would be spell bad new for everyone.

At the sully home

Tuk " grandma your back"

Moat " hello my little one"

Tuk " where is my big sister I want to see her"

Kiri " yes where did she go she is going work late tonight and will be coming here"

Moat " she will be staying at her home my granddaughters"

Jake " whay no she should be with us her family she to young to be alone on her own"

Moat " she will be fine jake sulky she been living on her On my way! since she was thirteen"

Jake " tell me where she live and I will go fresh her neteyam"

Neteyam " yes sir I will come as well"

Moat " both of you stop it has been a long day and we all need rest you can see her in the morning"

Neytiri " mother"

Moat " in the morning I will speak with you two as well there was some matters that need to be addressed" everyone knew the tshaik had always gotten the last word, and there was no fighting moat when she made up her mind. Soon everyone had went to bed, as you were getting ready for bed as you knew the new day was going to have many challenges coming for you in the future.

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scrumptiouscthulhu · 7 hours ago

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i think it's essentially "solved" in that there is nothing new to bring up, and unlike in other old fandoms that still inspire discussion/analysis, there isn't enough in-universe info from reliable narrators to really take interesting spins on it without serious cherrypicking, making up a lot of stuff wholesale to fill in the gaps, and just writing fanfic in the guise of theorycrafting. tes does not have enough coherent, consistent lore nor narrative themes to support that kind of long term deconstruction.

compare to like star trek where any theorycrafting has a very sturdy foundation of...

real earth history

an entire alternate history woven into and branching off of that real earth history

databases of history for other planets/species largely divorced from unreliable narrators

an understanding of the limits of the universe in terms of magic and metaphysics

a coherent running theme of "a better future is possible but it takes constant work"

so it's way easier to cite your sources, so to speak, when theorycrafting for trek, and debunk bad faith interpretations from bad/lazy actors who are twisting things to suit their own biases.

something similar applies to tolkien's middle-earth, where although there's no real-world history to apply to it, tolkien was a very thorough and very well-read nutcase who was deeply committed to developing consistent histories. he was a linguist who wanted to have rich histories and cultures for his conlangs to have feasibly grown within, so he valued being able to trace the development of a culture and its language like a real anthropologist would do. his work also has a strong basis in real-world indoeuropean mythology and folklore to ground it and make it feel familiar to earthly readers.

tes, by contrast, is very much a "kitchen sink" type of fantasy where anything could happen and nothing really comes from the same place, so nothing can ever be ruled out (even the theology and magic system has a lot of unknowns and retcons). there's also no real consistent theme in the narratives (does fate really matter or can you make your own destiny? idk!) so you also can't rule out any egregious interpretations as being inconsistent for the intent/spirit of the fiction. what's more, tes has been largely designed by committee, from writers to programmers to modelers to texture artists to animators to concept artists to todd "seagulling" howard, and every link in that chain has had their own ideas about what tes is and how to interpret it.

so yknow. when you can go anywhere, it's hard to argue why you should only go somewhere in particular. :P

i get that it's a huge part of the game but i kinda think the civil war needs to be banned as a topic from skyrim subreddits because it's been the same argument for 13 years.

#sorry for the YAPPING bestie but i think a lot about this sort of thing and why tes is so difficult to really meet where it's at #versus a lot of other fictional worlds i enjoy spitballing about and exploring/expanding #and the answer seems to be ''i can't meet it where it's at because it doesn't even know where it is''#art meta #text #tes #skyrim

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glassartpeasants · 2 days ago

Text

One Piece Asylum Au .02

Eustass Kidd, Monkey D. Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, Vinsmoke Sanji, Trafalgar Law, Killer x F!Reader

Warnings: angst, self mutilation, medical malpractice, blood/gore, mentions of murder and death, mentions of cannibalism

A/N: i am NOT a psychiatrist so i don't know anything about that career field other then things I've looked up.

~~~

Luffy’s session seemed to fly. It didn’t take long to see how truly deep he was in his pirate delusions. The whole session was him talking about these adventures he’s been on with his friends. From fighting monsters to fighting the government. You’d be lying if you said you didn’t find his stories enjoyable. His vivid imagination is seemingly a blessing and a curse in its own right. Using his imagination to hide the reality of him being all alone. Loneliness is truly a disease that can destroy someone.

“Well, Luffy, that sounds like an adventure for sure. May I ask you a question? I wanna redecorate this old room to something more friendly. What do you think we could add to spice this room up to feel more comforting?” Perhaps asking the patients themselves would be the better solution. Knowing what they enjoy could drastically help in making them more open to speaking to you.

Luffy looks off for a moment, his straw hat still attached to his head. Black strands of hair poking out from under it. “Have a buffet! Full of meat!” Luffy’s eyes go wide with excitement.

A chuckle leaves your lips. “Oh my, really now? And where would I get so much meat?”

“Sanji says there are millions of pounds of meat outside of here! Once we get out of here, he’ll cook it all up!” Luffy smiles wide as his excitement echoes through the room. His comment about Sanji had your interest piqued. Millions of meat outside of the hospital? Was he talking about animal products out there? He must be because you couldn’t think what else he’d be talking about.

“Sounds like a big ordeal. Where would we put all the meat? And what kinds would there be?” Luffy goes on with a new ramble before stopping himself as he yawns

“Tired?”

“No! I’m not…tired.” He continues to yawn. Based on what he told you earlier that day, it’s possible he could be refusing to sleep. Instead choosing to sleep deprive himself just so he wouldn’t dream of his brother. Sad, but it wouldn’t be uncommon or the first time you’ve heard of such measures taken. You’ve learned a lot of cases with these symptoms. Especially ones with such intense trauma like Luffy.

You can’t help but feel your heartache as you watch him struggle to keep his eyes open. Picking up your walkie-talkie, you speak into it.

“Does anyone know the last time 101 has slept? He’s with me and on the verge of passing out. Unable to keep his eyes open.” There was silence on the other end before you heard the nurse respond.

“The file says the 15th Dr. (L/N).” Your brows furrow.

“The 15th? It’s the 19th right now. Are you sure that’s correct?”

“That's what the file says.”

“Has anyone tried to help him sleep?” You hear the nurse hum before answering.

“It says Dr. Cross has tried to stick meds in his food, but he always spits them out.”

“I see. Thank you.” Turning off your walkie-talkie, you look at Luffy, puzzled about how to help him. Sleep is a vital thing for the human body, and for him to avoid it with such determination it made you begin to theorize that the reason he avoids it is due to seeing his brother not in a dream-like setting but rather a nightmare. Maybe even replaying the accident over and over again.

“Luffy, can you tell me the reason you won’t sleep? Is there any way I can help?” With a soft voice, you try to encourage Luffy to give you a better picture of his side instead of just your theories.

Yet he stayed silent. Silent and still. Getting up from your battered seat, you walk over to him when you hear the wispy noise of an almost quiet snore.

Realizing he had passed out made you freeze. While you were happy he had fallen asleep, even if it was for a moment, you didn’t know how long he’d be asleep, how hard he slept, or what to do now that he’s asleep. If you could, you’d leave him in here to sleep, but it’s not safe enough and you have someone next to attend to, but you were afraid to move him in case he woke up.

A knock on the door makes you jump and rush to the door as quietly as you can. Not wanting to wake Luffy or keep whoever it was from knocking again. Upon opening the door, your met with Dr. Cross and a security guard.

“Dr. Cross, what are you doing here?”

“A nurse told me you were asking about the last time 101 slept, and I figured we might be lucky enough for him to be asleep. I brought Bruce here to help carry him back to bed.” Nodding, you move away, allowing the guard to grab Luffy.

“Be careful, please. I don’t want him waking up and hurting you or himself if a night terror arises.” Only giving you a grunt, the guard grabs him and carries him out of the room.

Letting out a sigh, you look at Dr. Cross. “I hope he stays asleep.”

“I, as well. I’ve given him pills, but he just spits them out, which leads to situations where he hasn’t slept in days. Like this one.”

“Has he told you what the dreams are about by any chance? I have a quick theory, but I wanted to do a peer review with you.”

“When he was first sent, his grandfather told us he had recurring nightmares of the day his brother was murdered. And another one where he’d see said brother standing over his bed while he slept. The same way he looked when he was murdered and even imagined when versions of his brother's corpse decayed.”

Making a mental note, you continue to ask her questions. “I know it’s not really our place to know, but what exactly happened? Maybe if we knew, we could try to make a plan that’d help him more?”

“Hmm. There could be something. I wasn’t told exactly what happened, so you’d have to go online or ask the police station.”

“Thanks. Will do, Dr. Cross.” You watch her leave the room before speaking.

“Also, when you speak to 102 and 103, make sure you keep your distance from 103. He has a habit of biting and not letting go. Has bitten several nurses, which led them to bleed.” And with that, she left, leaving you to grapple with the knowledge that many nurses don’t put in incident reports since there was nothing on 103’s that mentioned biting.

“Oh, one more thing!” Dr. Cross’s head pokes back out from behind the door. “Your full access will be instated tomorrow!”

“I…didn’t have full access before?”

“No. We don’t give full access on the first day. Simple safety protocol. That's all now.” Once again, she left you to grapple with even more things about the patients you didn’t know about. What else could there be? It shouldn’t be much, right?

With a deep breath and putting your hair in a different style, you knock on 102’s door. “Zoro? Hello? It’s me, Dr. (L/N). I’ve just come to talk to you-”

“What the hell do you want? Can’t you see we’re busy?” When you open the door, you see him facing the left wall, looking as if he were talking to someone. If what you remember, there were notes about him having hallucinations involving his deceased lover.

“Very sorry about it. Perhaps we can all talk? Even about something silly?” You speak calmly, not wanting Zoro to explode like this last time the two of you met. From what you can also remember, he’s still in seclusion as you're unable to bring him to the decaying room you call your own. Which could be a plus since maybe a familiar setting would help him open up more.

“How about your favorite thing to do? I like (----).” There was an awkward silence as you sat on the floor facing him, keeping a safe distance between the two of you.

Zoro remained quiet, refusing to answer while looking away from you. The silence was suffocating as you struggled to try and think of something. You didn’t want to just give up on him, but you didn’t want to push him either. Taking a deep breath, you try to rethink your approach.

"Would you like something to drink? I’m sure being in this stuffy room has you quite parched?” He looks over at you, and while he looks like he might say something, he stays silent. After another failed attempt to talk with him, you agree in your head that if he doesn’t want to talk, you won’t make him.

“Well, it was nice to see you even if we didn’t talk. I suppose I’ll leave you to it. Hope you have a good day, Zoro; see you soon.” Waving goodbye, you leave the room, closing the door, and to your happiness, there wasn’t the sound of an upending ambush rushing towards you.

Locking the door, you make your way to the next patient. You didn’t have to walk far as 103 was just next door. Pulling your walkie-talkie out, you send a message to the staff. “Dr. (L/N) here, are there any restrictions or rules on 103 that I should know about that have been implemented since this morning?” There was a silence on the other line before you heard Nurse Mallory’s voice on the other side.

“Nope! Same as always! Just the security guard.”

You were taken aback, not knowing about the need for protection. “I was unaware of this? It said nothing about it in the reports or his files?”

“It must not be up to date then. He’s been needing one since July.” July? It’s October now? How could they not have updated his file in that long? He’s needed a security guard for 4 months, and no one has thought to write it down.

Maybe you're being too harsh. Maybe there was a miscommunication, and they thought someone else had written it down when no one had. Things happen, and it's not like you haven’t had a problem with miscommunication before.

“Alright. Please have a security guard sent to 103 on Pine Wing. Thank you.” Turning off the radio, you await the guard to escort you to 103 as you put your walkie-talkie back into your back pocket. Looking down at your clipboard, you reread Luffy’s notes and glance at Zoro’s empty sheet, feeling a sense of failure at the lack of progress. But you should have expected it. You’ve only started today, your a stranger. He has no reason to trust you. And perhaps the rest will be the same way. Quiet and untrusting. But you were going to work your hardest to help them and be the safe space they could rely on.

~~~

Finally, after what feels like eons, you see a security guard approaching you. “Ah, thank you for coming. Is there anything you can tell me about 103? I'm getting the feeling I'm missing some crucial information, seeing as I didn’t know he even needed a guard.”

The man shifted his cap as he looked at you. “Keep your distance. He’s a freak. I’ve seen him stay right next to some doctors and look like he wants to eat them.” The sense of unease digs into your skin as goosebumps adorn your arms. Swallowing the lump in your throat, you grab the door knob and open the door. What your met with was something that made you scream.

There, sitting on his bed, was Sanji. His maroon scrubs were drenched, and his arm missing a chunk of flesh. It didn’t take long to put two and two together when you saw how his mouth and teeth were stained and crimson red.

“Quick! Stop him!” You cry out, hoping the security guard will safely restrain him from hurting himself more. It was barely even a second before you were on your walkie-talkie.

“I need medical assistance right away! 103 is bleeding severely and needs to see a doctor immediately!”

“God damnit, I told them not to leave him unsupervised!” Dr. Cross’s voice comes over the radio. The frustration evident in her voice. “Make sure he doesn’t hurt himself more!”

You felt frozen. While in school, you were warned of patients with tendencies like this, but you never thought you’d see it so early. And so much blood. The urge to vomit has you leaving the room before you bend over and lose your lunch on the linoleum floor. A bleeding finger or a bloody nose was nothing compared to the horror that was Sanji’s arms. The mangled flesh was burned into your mind.

Hurried footsteps rush to you, and see both Dr. Philip and Dr. Cross approaching with a nurse behind them. A kit with a red cross on the white box.

“Dr. (L/N), are you okay? Do you need to sit down?” The nurse comes up and pats your back while rubbing it.

“I wasn’t…so much blood.” The nurse sighed.

“I’m sorry you weren’t told about that. I thought they would’ve told you about his…habits.” You look up at her with wide eyes.

“He bit off a piece of his own flesh! Why wasn’t that in his report?! Why wasn’t I told this was a common occurrence?!” Standing up straight, you demand answers. There was no excuse for this lack of awareness. Lack of documentation.

The nurse looks down in guilt, fiddling with the helm of her scrubs. “We’ve just been really busy, Dr. (L/N). There’s not a lot of nurses compared to patients, so there's never really time to chart.”

“This has been a problem since when? The fact he’s needed a security guard since July and it hasn’t been noted is unacceptable. And biting himself unnoted as well is exactly the same. Who’s in charge of this wing of nurses? I know each wing has its own crew of nurses.” Crossing your arms, you look at the nurse, who still refuses to meet your gaze.

“It’s Nurse Mallory, Emily, Louis, and Brady, ma’am.” Squinting your eyes, you make a mental note to talk to them. To them and Dr. Cross, hoping there could be something done.

“Alright, and what’s your name?” You ask in a stern voice.

“I’m a CNA; I’ve only been here since August. I’m on Maple Wing. I’m Indigo.” Sighing, you pinch the bridge of your nose.

“They pulled you from Maple Wing to Pine Wing? Where are the nurses actually assigned to this area?”

“I don’t know.”

The air was tense with your frustration and the CNA’s nervousness. Only one day in, and you already want to scream into a pillow. “What do you know about 103. Leave nothing out. Cause obviously the files are unreliable.” Look forward to Dr. Philip, you speak. “I’ll be taking Miss Indigo to my office to help me update files.”

“Are you sure? We may need her help with 103.”

“Call his nurse. They should be on station 3. I need Indigo to tell me undocumented things that haven’t been filed.” Turning around, you motion for the CNA to follow you. She quickly scurries to your side before walking next to you. Keeping her head down and quiet.

Upon entering your office, you tell her to grab a chair and sit next to you. Closing the door, you sit in your chair and unlock your computer.

“Alright, start talking, Indigo, and start off with what the hell happened in 103.”

Squirming in her seat, she answers. “I’m sure you know why he’s here. But in the deeper files, it says the entire case.”

“Deeper files? What are the deeper files?” It’s then you remember how Dr. Cross mentioned that you don’t have full access due to your only being one day in. Could those be the said ‘deeper files’? Well, you couldn’t wait till tomorrow. Hopefully, it’ll help you as you are only halfway through your patient list, and two of them didn’t even talk.

“Well, in 103’s chart, it says the full story.” Taking a deep breath, she continues.

“As you know, he was sent here after the court deemed him unfit to stand trial. Especially considering his disposal of the bodies.”

“Disposal?”

“He…ate them. Everyone except his sister. He had fed them to her without her knowing.” Your eyes widen as you struggle to comprehend it all. “His father and his three brothers.”

“What about his mother?”

“She was already deceased by this time. She had gotten sick and passed. It’s where many believe the spiral started.” It wouldn’t surprise you if what she was telling you was the truth. Such a traumatic event could cause damage and proceed to worsen over time if not properly cared for.

“I see what else? Can it explain why he took a bite from his arm?”

“Well, he wanted to be a cook, and so as a way to dispose of the bodies and increase his skill, he made them into dishes. Anything you can think of, he probably did. It was gruesome. His words about it all stick with the people who he talked to when he recounted how it went down.”

“And after?”

“He said there was nothing like the taste. How unforgettable it was. That he’d do anything to get another bite of it.”

Your stomach churned at the revelation. It was one thing to massacre your entire family, but a whole different type of monstrous to cannibalize them and feed them to his sister.

The horror and trauma she must be going through, you couldn’t even imagine. Knowing all her family is gone and, it was the cause of her brother.

“He said it’s what they deserved for what they did to him. For how they treated him?”

“So he…ate them?” The CNA nodded, letting out a shaky breath.

“Yes. He’s also shown much favoritism to the…female staff.”

“Ah, I see. Well, if that's the case, I want male nurse staff only for his care. And since there is no male therapist and Dr. Philip is a medical staff member, I’ll be the one to talk to him as Dr. Cross has assigned me to him.” The sound of typing echoes in your office as you write notes and another incident report. Needing to document everything.

Name: Vinsmoke Sanji

Age: 21

Height: 5’11

Location: Floor 1, Room 103, Pine Wing

Incident Detail: At 12:05 pm, I was entering room 103 to get started on his first session. Upon opening the door, I was met with a gruesome sight. There was a huge chunk of his arm missing after he had bitten into his own flesh. His scrubs were drenched in, and his arm was covered in red. I managed to call Dr. Philip, Dr. Cross, and CNA Indigo to the scene. The security guard helped stop Sanji from continuing self-injury. Dr. Philip and Dr. Cross have begun to clean his wounds.

“Alright, that's done.” Sighing, you rub your eyes. There's gonna be some changes around here. Cause this kind of negligence can not go unchecked. Especially not with the field of work you're in right now. Everything needs to be specifically documented. You turn to Indigo.

“What else do you know?”

“Nothing else, ma’am, I swear! I’m never usually over here, and I’ve only heard bits and pieces of the people on Pine Wing. Nothing that isn’t on basic files!” Narrowing your eyes at her, you try to decipher if she’s lying or not.

“Fine. Who would be the best to ask about this?”

“Nurse Mallory? She’s been here longer than I’ve been alive. I have no doubt she can tell you everything about every patient.”

“Okay.” You groan before waving a dismissive hand. “You can go back to Maple Wing. Thank you for the info, Indigo.” Not needing another second, she rushes out, the pressure and nerves fueling her run back to her original station.

“Dr. (L/N)? Have you finished with Miss Indigo? Rooms 104, 105, and 106 have yet to be seen.” The walkie-talkie buzzed. Dr. Cross’s voice is on the other line. Picking up the radio, you bring it to your face.

“That I am. Do I NEED to bring any security guard to them as well?” You can feel your nails digging into your palms as you grit your teeth. It wasn’t that you didn’t want one; you’d like to be safe, but the lack of noting and important documentation is what ticks you off. “As you did send that schedule to talk to each patient in order of rooms.”

“Ah yes, well, I suppose I worded it wrong. I meant most difficult to deal with. SO my apologies for the misinterpretation. But the only one I suggest bringing a guard to is 105, as he has a history of aggression.”

“Alright. Thank you, goodbye.”

Breathing heavily, you adjust your shirt and pants, holding your clipboard to your chest. Rolling your shoulders, you knock on 104’s door.

“Hello? Law? I’ve come to introduce myself.” You say, slowly entering the room. A chill runs over you as you look around the room. You see him sitting in the middle of the room, facing you head-on. “My names Dr. (L/N); I’ll be your new psychatrist. It’s a pleasure to meet you finally.”

Smiling, you enter the room, closing the door behind you before sitting down on the ground about nine feet away from him. While you knew you should bring him back to your room like protocol calls, it just didn’t seem like a good space to start introductions. You wanted them to be comfortable and calm, not so on edge.

“So I hear your favorite food is Onigiri, right? I haven’t tried it yet, but I'm curious as to what it tastes like?” Trying to get the conversation going, you start by including something he likes. Hoping to get him comfortable enough to talk to you.

If he didn’t, you wouldn’t be surprised. Not when you heard his reason and backstory for being here. If you were in his shoes, you’d probably be untrusting too. Then again, you don’t think you’d do unethical experiments on your patients or make your lover forcefully sick on purpose. There would be a lot of things you’d do differently. But you're not him, and that's why you're here. To help understand and get him through the problems and trauma he’s carried for so long.

The silence is deafening. His golden eyes started right into your soul. Studying you, judging you. “Well, I heard you’ve studied at Provon University. I also studied there. Only just graduated three weeks ago. So I say we have something in common?” Still nothing. His face is one of neutrality; he is just looking at you, uninterested and annoyed.

It stretched out for another minute longer, the silence crippling, and just as you were about to give up. “Does Professor Coop still work at Provon?”

His words were a shock to you. You didn’t think you were gonna hear anything from him, but you were pleasantly grateful for being wrong. Even if it was a question about a professor at the college you both went to.

“The last time I checked, yep. I even had a class with him. First Aid and CPR, right? He always gave little heart-healthy suckers.” Law nodded, and you swore if you looked a little harder, you saw his mouth twitch to a small smile.

‘Progress! This is great!’ You were thrilled by the small amount of success. It was difficult not to get all giddy and overly happy as you didn’t want to overwhelm him or go back into his shell. So, all you did was make a mental note for now.

“Do you have any other professors that you enjoyed?” You ask, hoping to strike up another conversation. “I liked Professor Harp and her public speaking classes. It really helped me to speak better in public offices and such.” Law gave you another nod, and it only makes you more confident in growing an appropriate relationship with Law as his psychiatrist.

“Do you have classes or things you minored in? I minored in art and took a lot of art classes.” Smiling, you await him to respond. Yet as time goes by, the silence gets loud, and it feels as if you had perhaps said something wrong. Did you say something that caused him to go back into his shell? Maybe changing the subject would help?

“Have you watched those hospital dramas? I heard that it's nothing like working at a hospital. Then again, it's for entertainment, I suppose.” Another unanswered question passes through the room as Law ignores you.

“Well, Law, I say we stop here for today, huh? Lunch starts soon, and I don’t want you to miss your favorite food. I can walk you there if you’d like?” Nothing. All You got in response was a never-ending stare into your soul.

“Alright…guess I’ll see you later, okay?” Sitting up from the floor, you make your way to the door, open it, and slip out. “Have a good rest of your day, Law, and if you need anything, just ask me, okay?” Smiling, you close the door after waving goodbye.

Once the click sounds, you let out a sigh. You didn’t know whether you made progress or anything. It was stressful not knowing them and worrying you were doing something wrong. You just graduated college, and this was your first job as a psychiatrist. You knew what you were getting into when you went into this field, so it shouldn’t have surprised you. Then again, the world is full of surprises, and this job has easily shown how much it can give you.

“LUNCH IS READY! PLEASE ESCORT PATIENTS TO THE DINING ROOM! LUNCH IS READY! PLEASE ESCORT PATIENTS TO THE DINING ROOM!”

The ringing of the bland voices echoes among the hallways of the Pine Wing, letting everyone know it was time to eat. Footsteps of nurses come down your direction, with some holding trays and others there to escort the safe patients to the dining room.

“AH! Dr. (L/N). How has it been since she last talked?” The sickly sweet of nurse Mallory drawing your attention. Turning, you see her walking towards you with that same bright smile as the one from earlier.

“It's been…interesting. Many unique personalities here.” It was the best way to describe your experience so far. From Luffy’s talkative nature to the distressing scene of Sanji’s self-mutilation. Knowing you still had two more rooms to finish filled you with a heavy pressure you tried to ignore. You chose this career, you chose this place, and hell, you were only one day in! It just happens to be a slightly hectic first day. Besides, you knew this place was where the more difficult cases were. Everybody in the city of Sabaody knows that. And you made a promise to help those in need. The ones the public left behind, and god damnit, were you gonna stick to it!

“But I’m glad I’m meeting everyone. I have 105 and 106 still left. Have any tips I should look out for?”

“Nothing you haven’t already learned yet, sweetie. Oh! Don’t forget the remote when you go into 105! He’s got a nasty temper and is extremely violent when not restrained. It’s either that or a security guard.”

Ah. You remember your orientation, and you couldn’t help but feel the crippling unease that runs up your spine. The sound of his pained screams and the neutral face of Dr. Cross as she pressed the button burned into your memory. No way in hell would you do something like that. Not only has it been proven an insufficient method of treatment, but it’s also inhumane.

The thought of causing any of your patient's pain even accidentally feels like bile rising in your throat. S,o you can’t imagine intentionally causing them pain. Why would you want to hurt someone you're supposed to care for? It didn’t make any sense to you. It’d go against everything you stood for as a psychiatrist. Your goal was to help, not hurt and you weren’t planning on causing harm to any of your patients as long as you were caring for them.

“I think I’ll stick to the security guards. They’ll wait outside while I speak to 105.” Facing Mallory again, you put on the nicest smile you could. Her willingness to hurt patients with a controlled shock didn’t sit right with her bubbly persona.

“Are you sure? I’d hate for you to be hurt or defenseless!” taking a step towards you, she looks at you with a seemingly shocked expression at your lack of ‘protection.’

“I promise Nurse Mallory, there’s no need to worry about me.” You hold your free hand up in defense. “I’ll call some guards to stand outside his room, and I’m sure everything will be alright.” Trying to assure her, you smile nervously.

“If you say so. Did you want to talk to him while he eats or afterward?”

“Perhaps I’ll give him the food to him and leave before going back.” Nodding, she tells you where to find his food in the cafeteria. Wasting no time, you move to the location she told you to.

~~~

Upon finding what you're sure is his food, you grab the plate and his drink, keeping your clipboard under your arm. You pass by nurses, patients, and kitchen staff as you walk back to 105. The feeling of your heart beating against your ribs has your nerves running hot. You remember how angry he was yesterday, and while you were on edge, you wouldn’t give in to the fear.

KNOCK KNOCK

“Hello? Kidd? I’ve come to bring you lunch. I heard it’s your favorite, cabbage rolls?” Pushing open the door, you're greeted with an even more shocking sight.

There he was, sat in the middle of the room, glaring at you. His amber orbs staring into your soul. His one arm was hooked to a chain that was plated to the wall of his room. The fiery red hair draped down his scarred face. But what got you the most was, no doubt, the expensive black bulky thing around his neck. It didn’t take you long to figure out it was the despicable shock collar that you saw and heard Nurse Mallory talk about.

Putting down his food slowly, your eyes can’t help but focus on the collar. It’s a simple existence infuriating you to your core. You needed to get that off. The collar was horrible enough, so seeing it paired with the chains that kept him restrained only made your blood boil hotter. While you originally wanted to wait till after he ate to fully introduce yourself, you don’t think you could go on for another minute now seeing and knowing about the collar being truly real.

You crouch to his level, trying to seem as unthreatening as possible. The thought of calling security lost on you as the last thing you needed was outside influence.

“Hello Kidd, I’m Dr. (L/N). I’ll be your new psychiatrist, so we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other now, I hope.” Looking down, your gaze meets the raw skin of his neck where the collar is tightly wrapped his neck.

“Get the fuck out. I don’t need a damn doctor or psychiatrist! I need to be let out of this shit hole!” Jumping a bit, you almost fell over when he spoke so suddenly and aggressively.

“Woah, hey, okay. I understand you're upset, but can you hear me out real quick? How about you take a bite of your food? If you eat real quick, then we can talk about all that mumbo jumbo?” Lifting your hands up to show no malicious intent, you continue. “Is it okay if I ask you something? Or rather, can I check something?”

“No! Piss off, you stupid bitch! Don’t fucking touch me!” He yells, his chains rattling as he reaches out to grab you, only for the chains to stop him as you aren’t within his reach. Angry, he grabs his drink and throws it at you.

Thankfully, you managed to duck in time for it to crash against the door. The water cup slammed against the metal door and discarding its contents.

‘Jesus! Glad it was just water in a paper cup.’ Turning your gaze back to Kidd, you see him grab another handful of food to throw at you.

“Woah! Hey, let’s not do that! I’ll leave, I’ll leave, okay? Just eat your food, okay? I don’t want you to waste it and have to go hungry.” Taking steps back, you kept eye contact with Kidd. His blazing glare against your hesitant one. The lack of progress was upsetting you. You desperately wanted to go up to him and take off that collar around his neck, but you didn’t want to upset him more. So, with a sigh and a heavy heart, you grab the discarded water cup.

“I’ll have someone else bring you water. Until next time, Kidd.” Opening the door, you leave the hostile man’s room. Grabbing your walkie-talkie, you turn it on.

“Hello? This is Dr. (L/N). 105 needs a new water cup. I accidentally dropped it on my way to give him his food.”

“I’ll be right there! Worry not Dr. (L/N)!” Nurse Mallory’s voice comes through the radio.

“Thank you.” Ending the conversation, you put it back in your pocket and wait for her to arrive. Stress and worry are biting you as you can only imagine the last patient of the day would bring.

‘That last interaction was my fault. I let my emotions get the best of me, and I pushed too much for a man who’d never met me. I should have known I wouldn’t have gotten the collar off today by myself. And I highly doubt the security guards will help me take it off if they’ve been okay with him having it on.’ Rubbing your face, you sigh and take a deep breath to calm you down. ‘Okay. Get your shit together (Y/N). I can’t be letting myself get swayed by emotions when dealing with already emotionally unstable patients. Step by step, no matter how little.’

#one piece x reader #eustass kid x reader #roronoa zoro x reader #luffy x reader #law x reader #sanji x reader #tw: death #dark content #tw: gore #tw: blood #tw: cannibalism

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pagelets · 9 hours ago

Text

Danger- C.B

Synopsis: Choi Beomgyu is a South Korean spy in a cyberpunk era where South Korea has imposed Prohibition across the entire country. One night out in NeoTokyo, while trying to gather information, Beomgyu meets a girl as mysterious as himself. Falling in love while on duty is a dangerous thing, especially when it’s with someone who has as many secrets as he does.

Disclaimers: nsfw, contains smut.

Word count: 16k

Notes: I recommend you to read this with Gyu's deep voice in your mind (I swear it hits different). And honestly, I don't think Beomgyu would be able to live without his precious 멕주 (aka beer) for 6 whole years, haha.

위험

NeoTokyo, Japan; spring of 2333:

Beomgyu was standing on the sidewalk across from a milk shop. It was night and he had his hands tucked in his black sweats ‘cause of the cold air of late spring. He stared at the sign of the store, the bright red and white lights formed the name: Ichigo’s Palace, “A milk shop”, he muttered to himself before chuckling, “Subtle”, he looked to both sides of the street, then crossed it to enter the establishment.

As he pushed the glass door open, his vision was filled with a scene straight out of a 2000s anime. From the strawberry-shaped booths and the checkered red&white tile floor to the oversized milk cartons pinned on the walls— with their kawaii faces grinning at him— made him feel like he was trapped into some kind of bizarre coffee shop video game, “What the hell…”. Approaching the counter, he hesitated before pressing the button on the touchscreen, the monitor flickered to life, revealing a cute virtual attendant, wearing a maid outfit. Her oversized eyes sparkled, and her high pitched voice greeted him cheerfully: “Welcome to Ichigo’s Palace! How can I help you today?”, Beomgyu moisturized his lips before saying the secret code he had memorized, “One strawbeery milk, please”. As the words came out of his mouth, the screen froze, then turned black for a few moments, before showing a message: please proceed to the payphone at the end of the corridor on your right, he obeyed the virtual command, wondering what was a payphone during his ride down the hall. He couldn't avoid glancing around looking for cameras, he found 2 hidden among the milkshakes and desserts advertising on the walls.

He turned to the right and saw a large, rectangular, metallic thing attached to the wall. It had a moving part—the receiver— that resembled another device he had seen once in an antique store in Busan, “Using old technology to avoid being tracked… clever”, he thought.

Beomgyu reached out his hand, pulled the receiver off the hook and brought it to his ear, but immediately had to pull away due to a loud buzz coming from the other end of the line, “Shit!”, he cursed while pressing his ear, “Hello? Is there anyone there?”, he heard a voice coming from the speaker, “Yes”, he said placing it back to his ear, “Name and ID number, please” “Chen Beomgyu, 130301040319” “Hold on”, after a few minutes of silence the voice came back, “Please, put the receiver back on the hook and protect your head with your forearms” “What?!”, he asked, confused, but the only response he got was another loud buzz. He pulled the receiver away from his head and stared at it, unsure of what to do. Then, the floor gave away beneath his feet, pulling him down into a dark hole. Beomgyu felt a bang to his head, instantly regretting not obeying the mysterious voice. He couldn’t see anything and had no idea where he was going to, but by the way his body was moving, making sharp curves at a high speed, he assumed he was on a slide heading to the speakeasy bar, “Aaaaahhh!”, he shouted, his deep voice echoing through the metallic tube, “How did I end up here?”, he asked to himself.

Choi Beomgyu ended up in a turbulent, dark slide beneath a milk shop in NeoTokyo, with a fake identity and a mission to investigate clandestin bars because he was a spy for the South Korean government. 6 years ago, in 2327, the South Koren president decided to ban alcohol consumption, under the pretext of providing a longer and healthier life for the citizens. But the actual truth was, the president was a clever player, th alcohol producers, including artisans and industrials, had been gaining more and more political influence. Fearing losing his power to them, the president implemented the Prohibition, and it didn’t happen only in Korea, but also in one of its main allies, Japan. Together, they launched an anti-alcohol campaign across all Asia. Industries were closed and liters of alcohol were burned in public places, even so, illegal bars and shops still existed,that’s where Beomgyu’s job came in— locating, investigating and commanding the destruction of those places, as well as arresting those who kept them running, was the role of the army and its advanced reconnaissance squads.

According to his contacts in Japan, the milk shop was also a front for a clandestin bar, the Japanese spies couldn’t infiltrate ‘cause all their IDs were marked by the criminals. But Beomgyu was Korean, young, had a charming smile and incredible persuasion skills— including his cute pout in extreme cases. That’s why he was there.

He wished he hadn't complained about the slide because when he reached the end, he fell into a ball pit that, instead of colorful balls, had purple and cyan cubes with a jelly consistency to cushion the fall. He was submerged among the cubes, which glowed in a neon glow, “Biotech”, he tought, before moving to the surface and breathing deeply.

Around the ball pit, was the supposed bar, decorated in neon tones of purple, green, blue, and pink. The walls were made of metal, giving the place an industrial vibe. On the ceiling, there were black and blue light lamps and tubes which a yellow fluorescent liquid flowed through. Electronic music played from the speakers, and he could feel the bass vibration on his chest. People danced nonchalantly on the dancefloor, holding different laboratory glassware containing neon liquids in various colors— it was a true underground rave.“Clandestin, but not amateur”, he thought.

He left the ball pit and moved through the crowd, cautiously scanning the place: there were no cameras, no guards, no doors or even a single window, the place seemed to have been designed to prevent any sort of invasion. For a spy, that place was a trap, in which he was completely locked in. He leaned over the counter, and there was a bartender with a bionic arm on the other side, “How can I help you tonight, sir?” “Beer. Cold”, he said, “Right away”, the man went to the kitchen, leaving Beomgyu alone. He sat on the bar stool, still alert, his fingers drummed against the counter while he tried to architect an escaping plan in the back of his head, but still seemed impossible— he definitely couldn’t crawl the slide up and it had no perspective of getting out of that place. The same man from before came back with his beer, “Your drink, sir” “Thank you”, the drink had a radioactive chic look, glowing fluorescent pink and served in a chemistry glassware, a Beaker. Beomgyu grabbed the container and looked at it with suspicion, “Is this thing radioactive?”, he said loud enough to catch the attention of a woman sitting a few stools away, “Relax, you won’t die. At least not of that”, she said in a playful tone.

He looked toward the sweet voice coming from his right, the woman seemed young, not like a teenager, but like a mature woman in her mid 20s. She had an octopus tattooed on her right hand, and he was almost certain that her arms— exposed by a black tank top— were stronger than his. Besides that, she had dark short hair styled in an undercut, with locks dyed in blue, pink and green that glowed under the black and blue lights. She was a badass, that was for sure, maybe even an outcast. “Are you sure?”, he asked, his face relaxing for the first time since he stepped into that place, “Yes, beer is my go-to in this place”, she said before drinking the glowing blue drink that was in a round bottom flask.

Beomgyu adjusted himself on the barstool, turning toward her. "So, do you come here often?, she smirked, “You like asking questions, don't you...", she left room for him to say his name, "Beomgyu. Chen Beomgyu" "Beomgyu..." Isn't that a Korean name?" “Damn. She's sharp”, he thought, "My great grandfather was Korean"

"Ah! So you have Korean heritage” "I guess so”, he shrugged. She smiled, then raised her frask, "To the Koreans, who made this place possible”, he raised his Beaker, laughing, “Cheers!" “Cheers!”. He brought the glass to his lips and drank the suspicious drink, the cold beer hit his throat like magic, the bitter taste in contrast with the smooth bubbles of the carbonation, feeling like a dream to him. She watched his Adam's apple move up and down as he swallowed the drink, she couldn't deny that he was attractive. After drinking half the beer, he let out a satisfied sound, something like: "Ah!", which made him even more attractive. "Was it good?", she asked, "It was perfect. I haven’t drunk beer in years” "Well, you’re in the right place now”. He looked at her in a way he shouldn’t have, he should’ve been subtly questioning her to maybe get some useful information about that bar. But no, there he was, looking at her and thinking of compliments, thinking about how he wanted to ask her questions— not to investigate the place— but to get to know her better. "You’re beautiful, you know that?", he let it slip, "Do you think so?" "I do" "Thanks…", she felt her cheeks burn and a shy smile form on her lips so she grabbed her drink and tried to hide her flusterness behind the glass. Beomgyu followed along, "It even tastes like real beer, doesn’t it?, she commented, changing the subject, "This isn’t real beer?", she laughed. "Beomgyu, stop asking questions!”, suddenly she stood up, “C’ mon” “Where are we going?” “Dancing, silly”, he didn’t move an inch, “C’mon! I won’t bite you”, she offered her hand, he switched his gaze from her hand to her eyes, which begged him to accept. Hesitantly, Beomgyu grabbed her hand and after emptying the Beaker, stood up and followed her to the dance floor.

“What are you doing?”, he asked himself while they moved through the crowd, “You're not here to have fun, you're here on duty, to find clues”, he lectured on himself, but his conscious didn't matter at that moment, what mattered was to see her happy and if dancing with him was going to make her happy, he was going to dance with her.

“So…”, he started— his voice slightly louder to be heard over the music— as they danced to the sound of another electric beat coming from the speakers, “...are you a regular?” “You already asked me that” “And you haven’t answered”, instead of answering, she turned around and glued the back of her body in front of his, he could feel her ass pressing against his crotch. He could already feel the blood flow increasing in the area of his genitals as he moved her hips in swing motions, completely lost in the music— driving him insane. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, when he opened again, he spotted the tattoo he saw earlier, “I like your tattoo”, she turned her neck to look at him, “Which one?” “The octopus”, he showed her the back of his own hand, “Right! I forget that’s the only tattoo other people can see” “Do you have others?” “Oh, a lot more” “Really?” “Yes”. She turned to face him again, Beomgyu silently thanked for that, then she pulled her tank top up just to show her first left ribs, “TXT”, he read, “Yeah” “What’s that?” “Something really special to me”, she put her top down again. “You don’t really like answering questions, do you?”, he teased her, “And you really like asking them, don’t you?”, she teased back, “Well, I do like actually” “Don’t you think that’s suspicious?”, she said approaching him, “Don’t you think that not answering them it’s even more suspicious?”, she looked into his eyes, “I have nothing to hide, Beomgyu”. Their hearts were beating faster, their breaths getting shallow, maybe because of the drinks or maybe because of the undeniable chemistry they had, “Neither do I”, he was lying, of course, but also was she, they both could tell, but both of them couldn’t care less.

All that mattered was that they were leaning in, their lips were getting closer and closer, almost blending into a beautiful mistake when they heard the sound of something crashing in the background, Beomgyu turned toward the noise, a shower of glass came flying their way, so he immediately turned back to shield and protect her.

That mess was the result of 2 idiots getting into a fight and spoiling everyone's night. “Shit! Are you ok?”, she cursed underneath the protection of his body, “Yes”, he tried to suppress a moan of pain, “Just some scratches. How about you?” “I’m good”, the two brawlers started to get more aggressive, “Fuck those assholes! Let's get out of here”, she said, “How?” “Just follow me”, she said, grabbing his hand, not really giving him much option, and dragged him with her towards the kitchen. He concluded she was a regular customer, since she knew a way of getting out of that bunker, as they moved through the kitchen, dodging droids and cyborgs, his eyes scanned the cabinets, appliances, and utensils, trying to figure out where the secret exit was. Until she stopped in front of an industrial freezer, "Are you a fan of the cold?" "Not really” "Then you might not like what I'm about to tell you”, she said, opening the freezer door, "Please don’t tell me there’s another slide in there”, she laughed, "No, no. Just a few meters of ice. You go in, walk until you reach the edge, climb down the fire escape, and jump” "Where does that lead?" "An old abandoned subway station" "A ghost station?"

"Yes. From there, we can walk to Ginza” "Alright" "Now go, I’ll be right behind you", Beomgyu nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath before stepping into the freezer, the cold air got into his nostrils, burning them, he could hear the sound of ice cracking around him, "Who thought it was a good idea?", he complained, squinting his eyes as the icy wind blew against his face— he could swear he’d leave that place with frozen eyelashes. But his agony was about to end, after walking a few meters, he reached the edge of a drop, looking down, it seemed more like a sewer than a train station. With his hands trembling from the cold, he grabbed the freezing metal of the fire escape and climbed down, being careful not to slip. With a jump, he landed in the mysterious ghost station, the first thing he did was look around as always, the armed guards he missed in the bar were down there, illuminated by neon blue lights, “Whoever did all that, it’s a fucking genius”, he thought. Beomgyu tried not to stare too much, but it was almost impossible, the men were tall and strong, like walking walls, and they carried rifles in their hands. There were also machine guns on the ground, probably for defense against attacks.

He nodded casually at one of the guards who was suspiciously staring at him, the man nodded back, gripping his weapon tightly, "Don’t be nervous" he heard her voice coming from above, "Anyone new is suspicious”, she said descending the ladder. Beomgyu quickly moved to hold her by the waist, helping her come down, "Thanks," she said when she reached the ground with him, "Where are you heading?" she asked, "Shibuya" "Great! We can walk to Ginza together". "What’s the story of this place?" he asked as they walked,

"The abandoned station?" "Yeah" "From what I know it was occupied during the rebellions when Prohibition was implemented. After it ended it stayed abandoned until they built the bar here" "You know a lot of things" "Not really", she shrugged, "You know… I never imagined myself doing something like this", he confessed, "Like what?" "Walking on an underground train rail with a stranger, surrounded by armed men after witnessing a bar brawl", she laughed, "What?! How have you never done this before?" "What? Have you?" "Of course! All the time, actually" "Maybe you could teach me how to have fun” "Yeah, I think so. You could use some lessons”, he placed a hand on his chest, pretending he was offended, but before he could say something, she stopped and climbed another fire escape under a manhole cover. She pushed the cover open and looked around before sliding it to the side and stepping out, "Come on!" she said, looking down at him, he climbed the ladder, putting his head out first— it was a dark, empty alley, the only light was an old Japanese sodium vapor lamp, relatively safe. She reached out her hand to help him climb up, he took it, feeling the strength he had already guessed she had, "Wow, you’re strong. Were you ever in the military?" he ventured, she gave him a smile, chuckling softly, "Good guess". She slid the manhole cover back into place, "I think that’s hot", he said, completely unfiltered as she walked toward him, "You think so?" "Yeah”, their bodies were close, hearts already racing, and breaths were slightly heavy once again. His eyes blinked slowly, and he moisturized his lips, a sign of what was about to happen. She was so beautiful, even more so close like that. Beomgyu looked down at her slightly lifted heels, and then he looked up again. Without being able to control himself, he bent down, her face drawing closer to his. His stomach knotted with anticipation, their lips approached more and more , until they finally met in a passionate, desperate kiss. His spy instincts— never let your guard down— completely failing. Beomgyu hadn’t felt the euphoria of drinking in a long time, so he wasn’t sure if it was the beer or the kiss that brought it back. After they pulled away searching for oxygen, completely against their wishes, she avoided his eyes, she was shy, something that Beomgyu never thought it was possible to see, “You didn't say your name”, he asked with a smile printed on his face. She introduced herself, “Nice to meet you” “Nice to meet you too, Beomgyu” “Do you live around Ginza?”, she smiled, “There you go with your questions again” “Answer at least this one”, he pouted, making her roll her eyes, “Fine. I live in Shimokitazawa with some friends” “With friends?” “Yes, 4 friends. Me and 4 guys” “Do you live with 4 guys?”, asked, completely in disbelief, “Yeah” “You’re courageous” “I know. What about you?” “I live by myself in Shibuya” “You should try living with your friends, it’s so much fun” “I don’t have any friends” “Well, now you have me” “But…”, he approached his lips to her ear, “...what if I don’t want to be friends only?”, she smirked, “So we should meet again” “Yes”, she grabbed her phone from her pocket, “Leave your number” “Okay”, he mumbled shyly, tapping his phone number, “There you go” “Alright. I text you”, he nodded, “Have a good night, Beomgyu. And stop asking questions, you can get in trouble because of that”, she said before winking and walking away to disappear in the night.

At the end of the day, as Beomgyu floated home, completely lost in ecstasy, he was sure of one thing only— it wasn't about his mission, nor about the girl, but about himself: he was completely screwed.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

In a cozy apartment in Shimokitazawa:

Yeonjun dragged his tired body to the living room. He heard a sound coming from there, and since he lost at rock, paper, scissors, he was the one who had to check what was going on. He held a hair straightener in one hand, hoping it would be enough to beat the supposed thief, but thankfully, it wasn't. It was just one of his roommates, "Bro, what are you doing? It's 3 AM”, he complained to her, who had her head stuck in the fridge, looking for a snack, "I'm hungry” "Where were you?" "At the bar” "How was it?", he said, throwing his tired body on the couch. She grabbed a bowl with green grapes and joined him on the couch, "It was good. I met a cute guy”, Yeonjun smirked, "Really?” "Yes” "And how was it?" "It was good. He's a weird type who asks a lot of questions, but is very charming" "What kind of questions?” "About the bar. I suspect he is Korean" "Why do you think that?" "He said he hasn't drunk beer in six years, and he lives alone in Japan, no friends, no family" "Maybe he left the country to drink something that doesn't taste or look like dirty water”, Yeonjun referred to the beverage the government replaced alcohol with, something very suspicious and disgusting. She laughed, placing the bowl down and grabbing the remote, "I recorded a drama" "Did you? Let’s watch it" "Should we call the other guys?" "I’ll wake them up" “Alright”.

There were five of them in total: Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin, Kang Taehyun, Huening Kai, and her. Together, they were TXT, short for Tomorrow X Together, a gang of exiled South Korean former soldiers. They operated with other gangs in Japan, trying to get rid of every person involved with the South Korean government— it didn’t matter how, they were going to get their revenge. Years of serving their nation only to be discarded like that would not be forgiven.

She opened the texting app and sent a picture of the grape bowl to Beomgyu:

‘Have you eaten already?’

Then she locked her phone and closed her eyes, thinking about their kiss.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Shibuya, NeoTokyo, Japan:

In a dark and wet underground garage, Beomgyu was struggling to take his fake contacts from his left eye, “Why is this thing so annoying?”, he grumbled to Jeongin, aka I.N, his partner for that mission, that guy was good with computers, so while Beomgyu collected information, I.N broke them down. “Did you rather get an implanted camera?” “Not even death”, he heard creepy stories about implantations which went very wrong, “Just a little more and…”, he took the lens out of his red eye, “Ugh! That’s ugly, bro. You should put some saline solution in that eye, man” “Yeah, yeah. Go ahead and watch the tape” “Alright”, Beomgyu went to the bathroom and looked for some gauze and saline solution, his eye hurt really bad every time he used that contact. He heard a buzz coming from his pocket and grabbed his phone to see what it was: a text from her. She was eating grapes and wanted to know if he had eaten already. He smiled, no one cared about if he had eat or not since his mother died when he was just 14 years old:

‘I haven't yet’, he replied back,

‘Go eat, then’

‘I’ll soon’

‘Can't stop thinking about our kiss…’, she confessed. He was about to answer ‘me too’, when he remembered I.N was watching the whole thing he recorded through the hidden camera on the fake contacts, “Shit!”. He placed his phone on the metallic sink and ran to the other room, exactly in the part when they kissed. Of course nothing could be seen since he had his eyes closed but it could be heard, Jeongin turned around and looked at him “Bro…” “Why are you still watching it?”, Beomgyu asked, completely embarrassed, “Her moans are sexy”, the other man felt his blood boiling out of embarrassment, “Take that off!” “Why? Don’t you think this is sexy?”. Of course he agreed with Jeongin, but Beomgyu knew what was coming next, his own moans. I.N never reached for a button that fast in his life. He grabbed an empty can of Cherry Coke he had on his desk and threw it on his partner, “Why didn't you say before?!”, Beomgyu dodged the can, “Cause it was embarrassing enough already!”, he shouted, feeling his cheeks burning, “Who's the girl?” “I don't know” “So you kissed a complete stranger?” “I just know her first name. I was investigating her, I think she's a regular to that bar” “That’s an interesting way of investigating someone”, Jeongin teased him before turning back to the computer screen, “Well, while I’ill try to gather information through facial recognition from the images you got, you keep investigating her”, he said casually while he tapped in his keyboard.

Beomgyu nodded, investigating her was the natural thing to do, he knew it— his analytical spy brain knew it— even so, he couldn't help but feel flustered with the idea, he liked her for some reason. His confusion was clearly printed on his face, “You shouldn't have kissed her”, Jeongin said without taking his eyes from the screen, “Excuse me?” “You let your guard down, man.You know, this girl can be involved with illegal stuff. She can either be your way to get more information or she can be your downfall” ” “I know, she’s just…”, I took his bangs from his eyes, “... different. I don’t know why or how but she got my instincts to fail” “Just don’t get too attached, bro. If she’s involved in some operation, she’ll kill you the second she finds out who you really are” “I know that. I won’t get too involved”. Jeongin leaned back in his chair, “Good. Now go take some rest while I dig into this”, Beomgyu just nodded, and dragged his body to the apartment above the humid garage after grabbing his phone in the bathroom.

His mind raced as he thought about her, her confidence, her strength, and the way her lips tasted like sweet watermelon lip gloss and bitter beer. Despite knowing it was dangerous, part of him wanted to see her again, and the other part knew he had to for the good of the mission, so he picked up his phone and replied to her,

‘I can’t stop thinking about it either. Let’s meet again soon, you pick the place ;)’.

After sending the text, he lay on the bed with his back flat to the mattress, staring at the ceiling. He had no idea what he was getting himself into, but he was certain it was not going to end well, either for her or for him.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Shinjuku, NeoTokyo, Japan:

The next time they saw each other was 2 days later, on a date at a ramen restaurant hidden inside the brick walls of an alley in Shinjuku. The neon lights on the ceiling gave off a soft pink glow over the only counter in the place, creating an intimate and cozy atmosphere. Beomgyu was sitting at the counter, nervously drumming his fingers on it while he waited for her to arrive. Would she really show up? Or was this all part of an ambush? He shouldn’t trust her so much. His chaotic and anxious thoughts calmed down when he saw her walking toward him, gracefully, the colorful strands of her hair glowed even more under the pink light — he had never seen a girl as enchanting as her before, and her smile? Ah, when she smiled at him, all his worries melted away— how could he not trust her? She sat next to him with a playful smile on her lips, “You really are into secret places, aren’t you? First a fake milk shop, now a ramen hidden in the thickness of the wall...", he said, "What can I say? I have a thing for places with personality” "That suits you," she smiled shyly, but before she could respond, the chef came over to take their order. Beomgyu watched as she read the menu and decided what to eat, he was so absorbed in watching her that he lost track of reality, "What about you, sir?" the chef asked. He looked at the man, completely disconnected from himself, "Hum... the same as hers”, the chef nodded, then walked away.

“So, did I pass the test?”, she tilted her head, confused, “Test?” “You know, the one girls do to figure out if the guy’s cool enough to see them again”, she grinned, “You’re so lame! You’re lucky I’m a sucker for charming smiles and too many questions” “I’m just a curious guy. Don’t you think that’s sexy?”, she hummed, “Sexy? I wouldn’t put it like that. It’s more like… How do you say it? Oh, right! Annoying”, he smirked, “Well, since you already think I’m annoying, I’ll keep going with the questions” "Here we go" she rolled her eyes, but the smile that never left her face when she was with him, showed how much she was enjoying that, “What’s the story behind that octopus tattoo?” “The octopus? It’s a reminder” “Of what?” “Of resilience. It can also mean camouflage, you know, adapting to whatever life throws at you” “So you had a rough past?”, she looked at him before sipping her drink. He took advantage of the silence to tease her even more— a strategy to get the information he wanted, “In the military, maybe?”, she choked on her drink, coughing in response, then looked at him pale as if she had seen a ghost, “Did I get it right?”, he said, smirking.

She nodded. "Yes, I was..." she drank more sake, why was she even considering telling her past to someone who was almost a stranger? There had to be something connecting her to him because she couldn’t stop her tongue, "... I was dishonorably discharged” "Am I about to eat ramen with a murderer?", he joked, but she didn’t smile, just shook her head, denying, “A traitor, then?” “Deserter” “Oh!” “Yeah… but what about you?”, she quickly changed the subject, “Any tattoos I should know about?” “None. I’m boring like that.”, she laughed, the tension fading away, “Boring? You go to secret bars and drink radioactive chic beer. Not exactly boring in my opinion” “You have a point. But tell me something, do you always go out with guys you met at that bar?” “No, you’re the first. Consider yourself special” “Special?”, he puffed out his chest, feeling his ego inflated, "I like that”.

Their conversation was interrupted by the chef, "Enjoy your meal," he said, and they thanked him in unison before Beomgyu continued with the conversation, "You said you live in Shimokitazawa, right?", she nodded, "That’s a cool area. What’s it like living with four guys?", he asked between bites, "Chaotic, to say the least”, she shrugged, still chewing, "It’s messy, and also loud. But they’re family, we’ve been through a lot together" "In the military?", she nodded again, "Sounds nice. The family part, not the chaos” "What? Can’t handle a little noise?", she teased. Beomgyu leaned in closer— close enough for his cologne to fill her lungs— and spoke in a low voice, "Depends on the noise". She blushed, placing a hand on her chest and pretending to be innocent, "Are you flirting with me, Chen Beomgyu?!" "Depends. Is it working?”, she stopped chewing, holding her gaze with his , their faces were so close, "Maybe", he gave her a silly grin and leaned back, satisfied, "I can live with that", she smiled shyly, silently begging herself to stop blushing. They continued eating and teasing each other, a playful energy flowing effortlessly between them.

After finishing their meal and chatting, they left the ramen shop, the alleyway was bathed in the glow of neon signs in kanji, reflecting on puddles on the dark pavement. The air was cold, Beomgyu took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders. She looked at him with a grateful smile, pulling the edges closer, "You okay?", he asked, "Yeah, why?" "You didn’t even finish your food" "Oh! I enjoy the experience more than the food itself", she glanced at him, "Anyway, I thought spies were supposed to notice these things”, he was almost certain his face turned pale, yet he smiled softly and tried to keep cool, "So now I’m a spy?", she smirked, "Well, you ask too many questions and you show up in unusual places you don’t even go often. Either you’re a spy or a guy with way too much free time" "Maybe I was just meant to be at that bar that night… to meet you”. She stopped walking and looked into his eyes, "That’s more dangerous than being a spy, you know", her tone was playful, but he could see something dark in her gaze, as if she was trying to warn him about something. He let it slide, he was here to investigate her, not to dive deeper into her world—or at least that’s what he kept trying to convince himself, he couldn’t tell the difference anymore. "Dangerous? I think you’re overestimating yourself" "What do you mean?", she raised an eyebrow, trying to get into the shield he kept between them, "That maybe I like danger", he mumbled, she looked away and kept walking, "You should be careful, Beomgyu”.

They passed a street artist playing a smooth jazz melody on a saxophone, Beomgyu subtly followed along the rhythm with his head, she glanced at him—he was so cute, yet so enchanting— he shouldn’t be with someone like her, with dirty secrets and full of sins. "Why did you want to see me again?", she asked, he looked at her, surprised by the question, "Do I need a reason?" "People usually seek out others for their own benefit. What do you want from me?", he turned to face her, "Can’t I just want to spend quality time with you?" "I don’t understand how someone like you could simply want to spend time with someone like me" "Someone like me?" "Yeah. Predictable", he chuckled internally— If there was one thing Beomgyu wasn’t, it was predictable. "Ouch" "Predictable isn’t always bad” "If I’m predictable, then you’re full of surprises" "I know". He took a few steps closer to her tilting his head slightly, carefully choosing his words, "Maybe someone like me just needs someone like you", she kept eye contact, her expression completely unreadable, "Look, if I were a spy, I’d say you’re impossible to crack" "That’s exactly what I’m trying to do" "Have I mentioned I like challenges?" "Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be my downfall?", she said, "Because I feel the same way". “Beomgyu...", their voices were barely audible, "Hum?" "I’m no good" "I’m not looking for any good" "You have no idea what you’re saying, what you’re getting yourself into by wanting to be with me" "Then tell me. Let me in". At this point, Beomgyu wasn’t investigating anymore, he was on a date, his mouth was spilling nothing but raw truths and raw feelings— he meant every single word.

In the heat of the moment, she grabbed his neck and pressed her lips to his in a heated kiss, full of emotions. The sensation of his warm tongue contrasted with the cold night, sending shivers down her body, his hands roamed her curves as if his life depended on it. His training taught him how to identify and avoid getting trapped, but that time? That time he fell into the ambush, completely entrapped, with not even a cyanide pill to escape. When they pulled away, she wiped her lipstick stains from his lips with her thumb while his hands firmly rested on her waist, "Come on, let’s hit the bar" "Do I have to go down that slide again?" "Yes" "Damn" "It’s okay if you want to call it a night" "Are you going to the bar?" "Yes" "Then I’m coming with you”.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The next morning, Beomgyu woke up naked in an unfamiliar bed. Beside him, her sleeping— also naked— body rested peacefully. The sunlight intensified his throbbing headache so much that he could barely think. Great—he was naked, hungover, and in a place he didn’t recognize, Jeongin was going to love it. He scanned the room, wondering how he’d ended up there, the place wasn’t exactly neat, and by the amount of women’s clothes scattered all over the floor, he assumed it was her room.

A sudden stab of pain in his head brought back reminisces of the previous night, he remembered his bare body on top of hers, sweat dripping onto her chest, rising and falling with effort due to her heavy breathing as he gave slow, deep, blissful thrusts... All of sudden, he knew why his back burned, a reminder that her nails had left behind. He looked at her, she looked so beautiful sleeping like that, with her bare chest coming up and down at a cool pace, so different from the last night. He snapped out of his thoughts when his eyes caught sight of the tattoo on her ribs—TXT. His fingertips touched it softly, “What the heck is that?”, he wondered, “Maybe something related to her time in the military or even an old high school band…”.

“Good morning”, her lazy voice broke his inner monologue. He retreated his hand from her ribs and looked at her with his usual enchanting smile, “Good morning. Did I wake you up?” “Nah. It was the light” “Do you also have a headache?”, she nodded while rubbing her eyes, “I can get you Advil if you want to” “Please”, he muttered, “Can I also have water?”, she stepped out of the bed, searching for a shirt, “Sure”, he nodded, “I’ll be back soon. Feel free to take a shower”, she pointed to the bathroom, “Okay, thank you”, she muttered something he didn't understand before leaving the bedroom. He looked around, a note at the bedside table caught his attention, it said:

“Meet me at The Rooftop Garden tomorrow at 8PM

-Tae”

He hummed, it was a great opportunity to investigate her without being caught up in the moment and waking up next to her in the morning after. He took a mental note of his new appointment before putting the note back in its place. The room had a lot of her personality, it was decorated with old action movie posters, fluorescent string lights, lava lamps, a gaming PC with a colorful keyboard, piles of clothes in some corners, platform boots scattered around— kinda messy with a retro vibe. But nothing seemed suspicious other than that note, either she was innocent, or she was very good at hiding her tracks.

With his head throbbing, he decided to take a break and take a shower to relax.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

After taking a shower and popping an Advil, he found himself in the kitchen having breakfast, something rare for him. They were laughing together when other 4 tall men came into the room, their sweaty hair sticking to their foreheads, “Must be the roommates”, he guessed. They greeted her, the tallest of them messing with her hair. “Who’s him?”, Yeonjun asked, “This is Chen Beomgyu, I met him at the bar. Beomgyu, these are Choi Soobin, Choi Yeonjun, Kang Taehyun and Huening Kai, my best friends and roommates” “Nice to meet you all”, he said politely. Yeonjun, Kai and Soobin greeted him casually,except from Taehyun, his silence made it clear he didn’t like the new guest.

“Coming from the gym?”, Beomgyu asked, attempting to small talk, “How did you guess?”, Yeonjun asked, completely astonished, “I’m just good at guessing things” “He really is”, she confirmed, smiling.

“We also went shopping”, Kai added, “Soob’s making meatballs and pasta for lunch today” “No!”, she whined— Soobin wasn’t the best cook in the house— “Can you at least pretend you like my food in front of the guests?”, Soobin scolded her, though his tone was playful, “That’’s a no”, he ignored her before turning to Beomgyu, “Are you staying for lunch, Beomgyu?” “Oh, no. I’ll be heading out soon” “I will brush my teeth and take you to the train station”, she suggested, “Alright”, just like that she disappeared down the hall, leaving Beomgyu alone with her friends.

With his peripheral vision, he could see Taehyun staring at him, which was more uncomfortable than the headache from before, “So…”, Kai began, sitting next to him, “What do you do for a living Beomgyu?” “I work with cybersecurity” “That's nice”, he nodded, “What about you guys?”, the 4 men exchanged glances, silently communicating between themselves. “We….”, Kai hesitated, his eyes pleading for Yeonjun’s help, “... work from home”, the older one smoothly finished the sentence, “That’s cool. What do you work with?” “We work with gaming development”, Yeonjun continued, “Really?”, Beomgyu knew they were lying, what he was trying to figure out was why, “Yes. Except for Taehyun, he's a bouncer in a nightclub”. Beomgyu’s gaze shifted to Taehyun, his dead cold stare still on him. “I haven’t been to a nightclub in a while. Cause of alcohol, you know” “We only serve diaries”, he nodded in acknowledgment, looking back at Kai,” So, you all run a game development company?” “Yep,” Kai said, he was nervous, a trained spy like Beomgiyu could tell, “It’s called TXT”. Taehyun’s jaw tightened, clearly irritated that Kai was revealing their actual name, “TXT? What does that stand for?” “Tomorrow by Together,” Kai said quickly, “It means we work together for a better tomorrow” “Creative,” Beomgyu said with a small smile, “I know. She picked the name” “Did she?”. Taehyun had enough, he stood up, walking towards the table to interrupt the conversation, “You really like asking questions, don't you?” “Yes, he really does”, she answered, walking back to the kitchen with something in the palm of her hand, “Look”, she showed it to Beomgyu, “I found this on my bedside table”, he looked at her hands— she was holding his fake contact. “Shit! I completely forgot about them” “I just could find one, tho” “I only took one off”, he replied casually, grabbing it, “Why?”, Taehyun asked, even more suspicious, “So Jeongin wouldn’t watch us later”, he thought. Instead, he answered, “My left eye was irritated” “Really? You eye looks fine to me”, Taehyun said, narrowing his eyes, “Okay, Tae, enough”, she interjected, grabbing her keys, “Let’s get going, Gyu, you’re infecting him, he never asks this many questions”. Beomgyu chuckled, standing up to shake hands with the men in front of him, Taehyun’s grip felt like the bones of his hand were being crushed, “Watch out, Chen Beomgyu. With the bar, I mean, alcohol’s no good for that hurt eye of yours. Stop by the club sometime, for having some real milk”, Taehyun said as low as a mutter, “I’ll think about it,” Beomgyu replied, avoiding Taehyun’s eyes.

As they walked out, Taehyun watched their figures getting smaller and smaller. “Something’s off about that guy,” he thought, hoping he was wrong.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The Rooftop Garden:

Beomgyu adjusted the collar of his leather jacket as the transparent elevator hummed softly, its walls giving him a full view of the neon city under his feet. The sea of holograms and skyscrapers taking his breath away. The Rooftop was a floating rooftop garden, some kind of tropical paradise for the elite and outlaws, suspended high above the chaos of the city. He only had heard whispers about that place, he even doubted it actually existed.

Suddenly the elevator slowed down and the doors slid open soundlessly, revealing the garden. The platform floated in the air, held up by some type of magnetism, it was breathtaking, almost from another world.

A tropical greenery filled with monstera, palm leaves, and heliconia plants dominated the scene. A cascade of ferns, illuminated by bioluminescent mushrooms, gave the environment a soft, ethereal glow. Cherry blossoms moved gently in the cool breeze, their petals falling slowly like snow. The air was surprisingly fresh for a late spring night, highlighting the contrast between the metallic atmosphere of the city with the sweet aroma of the herb being smoked there.

Holographic koi fish swam through what appeared to be pools embedded in the transparent floor of the garden. At the center stood a crystalline booth selling smoothies and açai bowls.

The place was full, yet calm. He activated his trained hearing, trying to listen beyond the gentle hum of dispersed conversations, searching for her familiar voice. At the edge of the garden, behind a curtain of cascading ferns, he saw her.

She was sitting on a bench, leaning back with her legs crossed, Taehyun was sitting next to her, his posture relaxed but still alert, his expression was unreadable as usual. A trail of smoke curled up in the air from the herb they were sharing, the emerald green glow matching the colors of the neon lights reflected on the vegetation.

Beomgyu blended in the shadows, carefully moving closer, his hearing never leaving their conversation, “Our next target is big. If we make it, we’ll be untouchable”, the girl said, her voice calm but with a hint of anxiety in it, “But it's very dangerous, we must move fast”, she completed. Taehyun exhaled a cloud of smoke, he glanced over the curtain of fern, exactly where Beomgyu was hidden behind like he could feel his presence. Beomgyu froze, his breath getting heavy. Did Taehyun see him? She continued, lost in her own mind, “Do you and Yeonjun already prepared everything for tomorrow?” Taehyun finally looked away, then nodded, “Yes. Our package was delivered today. Our allies will implant it in the basement of the brothel tonight” “Good. How is that place called again? The holographic geisha? Something like that?” “The wired geisha” “Wired!”, she acknowledged, exhaling a cloud of the green smoke. Taehyun chuckled sarcastically, the man was resentful, “That's what the diplomats of our country do, they go on supposed businesses trips to eat the finest ramen, sleep in th best beds and fuck chromehead geishas while honest and innocent people are expatriate”, Taehyun said with a hint of disappointed in his voice, “Korea isn't my country. Not anymore” “I know, sorry”, Beomgyu's stomach twisted, so was she also Korean? He asked himself, his instincts telling him to walk away when it was still time, but his emotions didn't let him move. How could she make his earthquake like that?

His instincts kicked in even more when he saw them standing up and preparing to leave. Taehyun crushed the glowing herb with his black military boots, Beomgyu caught the metallic glint of an object attached to his belt. A weapon? Whatever it was, he carried it with the confidence of someone who knew how to use it. They began walking out of the green curtain toward the elevator, and Beomgyu knew he needed to move fast before someone caught him hiding he knew staying there could be a fatal mistake. Pretending to adjust the sleeve of his jacket, he silently slipped into the light, maintaining distance from the duo, his mind already thinking of a convincing excuse in case he was noticed.

She was talking about what Soobin was going to make for dinner, mindlessly, when Taehyun noticed a shadow approaching them from behind, “Wait,” he said sharply, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. Beomgyu rushed to behind a bush when he heard Taehyun. The TXT member stopped abruptly, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. Beomgyu had to act quickly, running would be too suspicious, so he decided to step out from the bushes with a relaxed expression on his face as if he was simply admiring the garden. Her eyes widened when she saw the familiar frame emerging from the greenery, “Beomgyu?”, she called without thinking much, he looked at them as if he was surprised, “Oh, you guys are here too,” he said with a casual tone in his voice and a smile. He switched his gaze toward the mushrooms, as if the view was more interesting than they were. Taehyun didn’t seem to be convinced, he stepped forward, eyes locked on Beomgyu’s trying to see into his soul. She tilted her head slightly, also studying Beomgyu, she was no fool, “Do you like places like this?” she asked, her tone casual yet curious. Beomgyu shrugged, “I heard about the place. Seems like a good place to relax, right? I was needing to relax”, he looked directly at Taehyun, making sure he noted his indifference, “Are you alone?” Taehyun asked, his jaw completely tense, “Yes. I don’t have family or friends in the country” “She mentioned” “Didn’t expect to run into familiar faces here” “What are the odds, huh?”, Tae murmured, not even bothering to hide his suspiciousness, Beomgyu chuckled softly, gesturing toward the bar. “Actually, I was thinking of grabbing an açai bowl. Is a tropical fruit, I heard is pretty good”. She exchanged a quick glance with Taehyun before responding, “Well, we’re leaving already. Why don’t you join us on our way to the elevator?”. Beomgyu bit his tongue, trying to suppress the discomfort that her invitation made him feel, he knew refusing would be worse, so he smiled and nodded. “Sure. Why not?”

As they walked together, Beomgyu kept commenting about the garden’s design and the city view, trying not to show his anxiety, even though if one of them grabbed his hands, he’d be in trouble as sweaty as they were. It was clear they were already suspicious, but he worked to maintain the image of a curious visitor lost in the charm of the extravagant place. Inside the elevator, he had nothing to say anymore so the silence grew heavier, Taehyun remained alert, his gaze burned Beomgyu’s back the whole ride till they landed in his keychain hooked on his belt, a familiar symbol to Taehyun, the insignia of one of the South Korean army’s squad, he knew something was off. “So, what did you think of the garden?” she asked, finally breaking the silence. Beomgyu kept smiling, “So beautiful. A little bit of peace in the middle of all the chaos down there. Sometimes it’s nice to escape for a while, don’t you think?”, she nodded, “You guys didn’t seem too impressed with the garden” “We’re used to coming here” “Oh! I see”. When the elevator reached the ground floor, Beomgyu casually said goodbye before walking away without daring looking back, he knew they would be watching him. He did his best to maintain his relaxed posture until he blended into the crowd of the city.

Once he was far enough, he stopped in an empty alley, leaned back against the cold brick wall and placed his hands on his knees. Finally he could exhale, his heart still beating hard in his chest, damn shadow, he would need to be more careful next time. The adrenaline rushed in his blood, they were going to attack Korean diplomats? They were Korean? Was she indeed involved with crime? He had so many questions, how was he supposed to find the answers? How was he going to make them say anything now that Taehyun was even more suspicious? How was he going to… but then, a glimpse of her tattoo flashed into his head, “What’s TXT?” “A very important thing to me”, “TXT?” “Yes, is our company’s name”, those moments flashbacked on his mind, and then, he knew. TXT was the answer to everything he was looking for. He pulled the hoodie he was wearing under his jacket to his head and ran back to Shibuya, if someone could help him in that city, that person was Jeongin.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

“I.N”, Beomgyu called out his partner, breathless from running, “You’re back already?”, he spun his chair to face Beomgyu, “Did you find anything about the girl?” “Still nothing. There’s no facial recognition record of her in the Japanese archives, so I’m searching through other countries databases. It’s going to take a while since I need special permission for that”, Beomgyu sat on a chair and started untying his shoes, “Can you figure out what TXT is?” “T what?” “TXT. Tomorrow X Together, with an X.”

“I can take a look”, Jeongin turned to the computer and started typing on the keyboard, searching on the national archive, “Apparently… it’s a gang” “A gang?!” “Yes, it’s in the Japanese police’s wanted criminals registry” “I knew it had to be something like that”, Beomgyu muttered to himself, “What do you mean?” “I heard their conversation. They’re planning to attack a brothel full of Korean diplomats tomorrow” “You said ‘they’, was she with someone else?” “Yes, a friend” “Do you know have his full name?” “Kang Taehyun”, Jeongin typed the name in the search bar, “Also nothing”. Bemgyu remembered of Taehyun’s words— our country— “Try in the Korean archives” “Korean?” “Yes, go ahead search there”. I.N obeyed, his fingers moving across the keyboard, Beomgyu watched the screen carefully, as Jeongin selected the eligible citizens. “That one!”, he shouted when his partner clicked on the name with the photo that matched the man they were looking for. “Ex-military, dishonorably discharged for deserting his position as a protest against the Prohibition”.

Beomgyu let out a disbelieving chuckled, “I can’t believe it,” Beomgyu muttered, his voice was shaky. He buried his face on his hands, his breath becoming shallow, his heart pounding like a clockwork. Jeongin looked at him, confused at his partner’s sudden breakdown, “Damn it! She told me the same story”, he shouted. Beomgyu couldn’t, or rather, he didn’t want to, believe it, she was a criminal, a traitor to her nation, and worse, she probably was involved in the illegal bar scheme. And he was falling in love with her.

Jeongin pulled him out of his turbulent cloud of thoughts by tossing him a device, “What’s this for?” “To report the attack. So they’ll be busted” “No! Taehyun already suspects of me. He’ll know who did that” “So what?” “I need more time to investigate them. I’m almost certain they’re involved with the illegal bar. They have the answers, but if they get arrested, it’s over. Our mission is over” “I’m going to pretend you’re not doing this just because of her” “Jeongin” “Am I wrong?” “I’ll stop the attack, but don’t say anything to anyone, okay?”. Jeongin sighed, shaking his head, the things he would do for Beomgyu, “Look, I’ll keep my mouth shut, but if any of the diplomats die or get hurt, I’ll report them with no hesitation. And also you” “Fair enough”, I.N nodded, “And Beomgyu…” “Hum?”

“Try not to die, you idiot” “I’ll do my best, bro”.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The night of the attack:

Beomgyu had spent the last four hours on top of a building across the street from the brothel, he had never seen a place like that before, its architecture was old, probably was an actual chaya in the past, but the neon sign of a naked chromed geisha—with one bionic eye and arm—revealed the exotic essence of the place. During the time he spent on the rooftop, he meticulously studied the building's layout, observed everyone who entered and left— including three members of TXT: Yeonjun, Taehyun, and Soobin—and went over his plan with Jeongin. “Let’s go over it one more time”, I.N said through Beomgyu’s earpiece,

“Dude, we’ve already reviewed it like 30 times” “Then let’s do it again. Come on, what’s the first step?”. Beomgyu took a deep breath, trying to be reasonable, he knew his partner was just as nervous as he was, I go to the air duct that leads to the basement” “And then?”

“I crawl until I reach it. If someone’s there I wait for them to leave, then I go in. Once inside, I find the package they talked about in the garden and get rid of it” “And the grand finale?”

“I get out before anyone sees me” “Good. It’s simple, right?”, Beomgyu let out a sarcastic laugh, the IT guys would never understand how nothing was simple in the field, but he wasn’t going to tell Jeongin that, “Yes, quite simple” “Do you have your tools?” “Yes, everything’s here”

“And the camouflage?”. He placed his fingers in a pinching motion on the bridge of his nose, it was the fifth time they’d gone through everything, “Yes, Jeonginnie, it’s all he…”, Beomgyu stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw her entering the brothel, arm in arm with a middle-aged man who wore a black suit— she was disguised as a geisha, obviously a human one. She was there, which shut down any doubts he had about her being a criminal. Beside her was Kai, dressed as security. If everyone was there their plan was about to start, which meant his plan was too. “They’re here,” Beomgyu updated I.N, “It’s showtime”, he pulled up the bandana around his neck to cover half of his face, wore the hood of his hoodie and slid down the metal pipe of the building he was on. Once on the ground, he ran to the side of the brothel and removed the metal screen from the air duct, “I��m entering the duct, Jeongin” “Copy that”, Beomgyu muted the earpiece and crawled into the ventilation shaft. Of course it was dark, so he turned on the flashlight attached to the camera in his contact lens to see the long metal path ahead of him, “Okay, give me the directions” “Go straight until you hit a junction, then turn left and go all the way to the end” “Got it”.

He crawled along the path his partner indicated until he spotted a pink light coming from the metal grid. He arrived. Carefully, he glanced through the gaps of the grid– Yeonjun stood at the door guarding the entrance with a walkie-talkie in hand, while Soobin and Taehyun stood in the center of the room, apparently waiting for a signal. Beomgyu’s suspicions were confirmed when a male voice echoed through the radio, causing Yeonjun to nod at the other 2 men. In one swift motion, Soobin lifted Taehyun, who pressed a button on the ceiling, Beomgyu quickly kept down to avoid Taehyun’s sharp gaze. “Done. Activated”, one of them said, “Activated? Activated what?”, Jeongin asked through the earpiece. When he looked up again, the 3 men had already left, Beomgyu scanned the room until his eyes landed on the ceiling. His stomach sank— a bomb. “Shit,” he muttered, punching the grid until it came loose so he could jump into the room, “Jeongin” “What’s going on?” “A bomb. They planted a bomb on the ceiling” “What?!”. Remembering of the layout he had memorized earlier, Beomgyu realized that the room above the basement was a private room, “I think they’re planning to blow everyone up” “Fuck, fuck, fuck! How much time do we have?”, Beomgyu looked at the timer on the bomb, “Less than ten minutes” “Disarm it now, damn it!” “Yeah”. Scanning the room, Beomgyu looked for something to climb on, he spotted a wooden bar stool so he dragged it over, and climbed on top to be face to face with the bomb.

9:38, the timer said, “What kind of bomb is it?” I.N asked, “TNT” “Classic. Cut the red wire” “I know”, Beomgyu said back, struggling to balance on the stool while reaching for the pliers in his bag, his hands were sweating, and his heart was racing faster than an olympic sprinter. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the tool as firmly as he could and carefully pulled the only visible red wire, “I found it, J” “Great. Cut it and get out of that place”. Beomgyu didn’t need to be told twice, he pressed the pliers onto the wire expecting the timer to stop. But it didn’t. His face turned pale, he couldn’t believe it. He cut the wire again at a different point, but nothing happened. The timer kept ticking: 7:40... 41... 42... 43... 44, the bomb had been modified— as if they anticipated someone would try to sabotage their plan. “J,” he called, “Did it work?” “No” “What?!” “The timer’s still running” “Did you try cutting the wire again?” “Yes” “And nothing?” “Nothing” “Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Try cutting another wire, then” “Which one?” “I don’t know, try the green”. Beomgyu’s stomach twisted, there were at least six tangled wires, some even the same color. The timer showed 5:57.His trembling hands reached for the green wire, praying it wasn’t a trap, he cut it. Nothing happened. “Still nothing”. 5:32. “Try a black one”, he grabbed the black wire, he closed his eyes and thought about her—dressed in that traditional geisha outfit—if the bomb exploded, would she have escaped already? He opened his eyes, the timer was under four minutes now, he didn’t know what, but something inside of him told him to not cut the black wire and for some reason he decided to not do it. Inspecting the bomb again, he spotted a purple wire— purple reminded him of the bar, reminded him of the first time he saw her, when they danced together and their lips almost touched— purple was an unusual color for a wire, maybe it was a way to trick anyone who might find the wire too suspicious to be cut. 3:02, the timer said.“I.N” “Hum?’” “I’ll cut the purple one” “Are you sure?” “No. But that’s all I got for now”. With his sweaty hands, Beomgyu grabbed the wire and cut it. Suddenly, everything around him froze, the wind stopped, the sound of music in the background faded, all he could hear was his heart pounding. He looked at the timer: 3:02. He had done it. He had disarmed the bomb, “Jeongin!” “What?” “I did, It was the purple wire” “Hell yeah, bro! Good job!”, they celebrated briefly, before focusing back on finishing the mission, “Alright, get out now” “Got it”. Beomgyu climbed down from the stool, his legs were shaking, but he had succeeded. He walked to the door— locked. “Damn it,” he muttered, before coming back to the ventilation duct. He climbed onto the stool again and crawled out of the basement. Once he reached the street again, he stopped, resting his hands on his knees as he tried to calm down. That’s when he heard voices approaching, it was Taehyun’s voice speaking with the walkie-talkie, “You two, get out now!”, he was referring to Kai and her. But Beomgyu didn’t need to worry anymore, the place wasn’t going to explode.

He saw Yeonjun, Soobin, and Taehyun at the brothel’s entrance, so he ran in the opposite direction. The older men seemed too concerned with their members still inside to notice him, but Taehyun— who was always sharp— caught sight of a shadow moving. Taehyun took a few steps toward the figure to investigate, but all he saw was a black silhouette disappearing down the street. His brows furrowed, “What the hell is that?”, he muttered before turning back to join his members, now all of them, on the brothel’s door.

But then, his eyes moved to the alley beside the building, the air duct grid was thrown on the ground, he knew that the duct led to the basement, “Shit!” he shouted, drawing the group’s attention. “What is it, Tae? We need to go” she said, following him to the alley. “There’s not going to be an explosion”, he replied, turning to face them, who seemed confused, “Someone sabotaged us” “What?!”, they said in unison, “Someone entered the basement through the air duct” “But who?”, Kai asked, “Let’s get out of here before someone sees us”, Soobin, their leader, said, “But what about the diplomats?” she protested, “He’s right,” Taehyun agreed, “We can deal with them later. For now, let’s go”. She looked at him, her eyes burning in fury, “We’ll make whoever did this pay, okay?”, Taehyun assured her, “Okay”, she said, finally bending.

The group walked toward their getaway car, Taehyun glanced one last time at the air duct, that’s when something shiny near the entrance of the duct caught his attention, he kneeled down and picked it up— it was the keychain he saw on Beomgyu’s belt 2 nights ago in the elevator of The Rooftop. He gripped on the object tightly before walking to the street and stared in the direction the figure ran away—“You’re so done, you son of a bitch”, he swore to the night before joining the others in the car. Beomgyu didn’t know it yet but things were about to get ugly.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Back in his temporary apartment in Shibuya, Beomgyu rested on his bed, the adrenaline still rushing in his bloodstream, his mind was a turmoil of thoughts, but he wasn’t thinking about the bomb or the fact that he could have died—that had happened a few times before and it was almost a habit for him. In fact, he couldn’t stop thinking about her, she wasn’t the woman he thought she was. The woman who smiled at him so beautifully was the same woman who had almost blown up those people just to have her revenge? The people she considered her family, they were also all a bunch of criminals. It was all a big lie. He chuckled sarcastically, maybe they really were made for each other—he was just as much of a liar as she was. He pressed his pillow against his face and screamed. But his breakdown was suddenly interrupted by his ringing phone. It was her. "Like she read my mind," he thought before picking up,"Hey!", he tried to sound casual and hide the knot in his throat.

"Beomgyu… are you busy?", her voice lacked its usual energy, "No, I’m not" he replied, concerned, did she already figured out it was him? No, that was impossible, he didn’t leave any traces behind.

He leaned back against the headboard, feeling anxious, "Are you okay?", she let out a heavy sigh, "Not really. Today things were messy… at work", he gulped, the disappointment in her voice cut him even deeper cause he knew he was the one who did it to her, "What happened?" "Everything went wrong, and I just… I know it’s kinda stupid, but… I don’t know, I just needed to hear a comforting voice”, the line went silent for a moment, the guilt was consuming him, "The comforting voice I mentioned was yours, you know…" "Yeah, I know… I…", he couldn’t believe she had called him seeking comfort. He hated himself so much in that moment that his chest physically ached, "I don’t think that’s stupid, I think it’s human", she smiled on the other side of the line, "What can I do to help you?" "Just distract me. I don’t want to think about work" "How about I take you out the day after tomorrow?", he offered, caught in the moment once again,"We can do something fun, just the two of us" "What do you have in mind?" "Do you know The Scuba Diver?" “Yeah” "What do you think?"

"Sounds perfect to me", her voice brightened again, and he could swear he could hear her smile through the phone. "Great! I’ll pick you up in the afternoon, then" "It’s a date" "It’s a date," he murmured back, "Okay, I’ll try to get some sleep now" "Alright. Good night"

"Good night, Gyu. And… thank you” "It was nothing".

His head spun as she hung up, what the hell was he supposed to do? Should he stay loyal to his mission or to his feelings for her? He fell asleep hours later with those thoughts haunting his mind.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

She spent the next day shopping. She decided to buy a sexy black dress for her date with Beomgyu, she didn't mind wearing her black clothes and military platform boots everyday, but when it came to him, something different lightened up inside her, something that awakened not just her sensuality but also her delicacy. The dress was a basic sleeveless black, but it fitted her so well it was almost breathtaking. She liked it and she knew he would like it too. After returning home, eating her favorite ramen, and taking a shower, she needed to dry her hair. However, she lent her hairdryer to Taehyun, so she wrapped a towel around her dripping hair and went to her friend’s room. Just as she lifted her hand to knock, she heard the sound of the lock clicking, and the door opened. The person who stepped out was none other than Lee Heeseung, a hacker from Enhypen, a gang allied with TXT in Japan.

"Heeseung?!", she exclaimed, he looked at her and smiled, "Hey! You smell great", Heeseung was the personification of rizz, "I just took a shower... What a surprise, what are you doing here?" "Taehyun asked me to come" "But he’s leaving already", Taehyun interjected, stepping into the hallway, "I am," Heeseung confirmed, "Thanks for coming," Taehyun said, "It was nothing. Good night, guys, see you around", Heeseung said before bowing and disappearing down the hall.

She looked at Taehyun, he was shirtless, alone in a locked room with Heeseung in the middle of the night, "You and Lee Heeseung, huh?", she teased, "What?! It’s not like that"

"Then what was he doing here?" "He was in town, and I asked him to help me with something" "I’m not sure I want to know the rest" "Stop thinking nonsense and come in. I need to talk to you", she obeyed, he was too serious for her to keep teasing him, "What is going on Tae? You don’t look okay", he ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath before he started speaking, "Heeseung was here because I asked for his help to investigate Beomgyu" "What?! Why?" "I haven't liked that guy since the first time I saw him" "I know he’s… different. But that’s just how he is. He’s a good guy" "That’s what you think", she crossed her arms, "What do you mean?" "He’s lying to you. His name is Choi Beomgyu, and he’s Korean", her lips parted slightly, "Well... I lied about my name and nationality to him too. He must have his reasons" "He does. The guy is military" "M-military?", her voice trembled, "Yes" "Are you making this up just because you don’t like him, Tae?", she really didn’t want to believe him. Instead of arguing, Taehyun just grabbed the tablet that Heeseung had left behind and handed it to her, "See it for yourself if you think I’m making it up”, she looked down at the device in her trembling hands, there were documents confirming everything Taehyun had just said, along with photos of Beomgyu. In some of those, he was in uniform with his squad, in others, he was leaving government buildings. There was even one of him receiving honors. The tablet slipped through her fingers, landing on the fluffy carpet of her friend’s room. "I tried investigating him with Kai’s help, but there was nothing in the Japanese records except the lies he’s been telling you", Taehyun said, pulling out the keychain he had found the night before and showing it to her, "This was on his belt that night on the rooftop garden". She looked at it, it was a keychain only South Korean militaries carried,"Recognize it?", she nodded, "That’s from the army…" "Yes. That’s why I called Heeseung, because I didn’t know what this insignia meant, so I asked him to hack some Korean databases". He bent down and picked up the tablet from the floor, slid the screen, and showed her, "Advanced Reconnaissance Squad", her eyes switched from the screen to the keychain and back again, it was the same insignia. She could barely breathe, "Are you telling me… that he…", she tried to breathe, but the air didn't come, "…he’s… he’s…" "A spy? Yes”, her eyes filled with tears, but she fought to hold them back, the pain was excruciating, "He… he was using me to investigate the bar and the gang, wasn’t he?", Taehyun nodded, "I think so" "That’s not possible…", she murmured, "And there’s more", she looked at him, her eyes begging him to stop, but she needed to know, he couldn’t let her keep being fooled, "I found this keychain last night near the entrance to the ventilation duct", she already knew what her friend’s next words would be,"I believe he sabotaged our plan", but hearing it out loud was an even more painful. Her knees gave in, and she collapsed on the carpet, the towel falling from her head to the floor. Taehyun kneeled down, "It was all a lie…", her chest hurt as if her heart had literally been broken. He had taken advantage of her, and she had fallen in love with his lies, with the person he made her believe he was, “I’m sorry," Taehyun said, pulling her close and letting her tears soak his bare shoulder as he gently stroked her hair, "Let it all out”.

When she finally calmed down, she pulled away from Taehyun, "I’m sorry, but you needed to know”, she looked at him, fury burning in her eyes, "You should feel sorry for him, not for me", her voice was flat, as if the warmth of it had faded away, "What do you mean?"

"That guy is done. We’re going to eliminate him", and by eliminating, she meant killing him, "Are you sure you want to do this?" "I’m sure. I’ll do it myself. Tomorrow” "If that’s what you want, you’ll have our support”, she smiled bitterly, "Thanks, Tae" "What are you planning?"

"The Scuba Diver" "Good. The chances of escaping are almost zero" "Exactly"

"Will you need our help?" "No. I created this mess, I’ll deal with it", Taehyun nodded.

The Scuba Diver was an underwater motel, isolated and nearly impossible to escape from without drowning first. Beomgyu had chosen that place himself, unaware he was digging his own grave.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

The Scuba Diver motel was just as surreal as its name suggested. Located beneath the surface of an artificial indigo blue lake, the only way to reach it was through a pod elevator that descended underwater. The walls of the pod were transparent, showing a dizzying view of the vibrant corals and schools of exotic fish swimming outside. The pod stopped at the bottom of the lake, Beomgyu had never been there before, but he had heard it was the perfect shelter for forbidden lovers. He followed her down the hallway, his nerves on edge, he kept telling himself to stay calm, to put aside his inner battle for just a moment. She needed him, and he couldn’t let her down— again. She opened the door to their room, The soft buzz of the room decompressing echoed through the hall. The room was small but luxurious with a bed surrounded by soft red lighting and a panoramic view of the underwater world. “Wow,” he said, surprised,“Pretty cool, huh?”, she replied, glancing back at him over her shoulder, “It’s impressive,” he admitted. She stepped closer to him, her fingertips brushing against his chest, allowing himself to relax a little, he placed his hands on her waist leaning in to brush his lips against her neck, “You look stunning today,” he whispered. His warm breath against her sensitive skin sent a shiver through her body— how was she supposed to go on with her plan when he was so irresistible? His soft lips finally pressed against her neck, leaving slow, wet kisses, she let out a small moan, unable to control herself, her fingers tangling in his hair. “C’mon,” she murmured, slipping from his arms before she lost control of the moment entirely.

Beomgyu swallowed hard, his heart pounding—as it always did when he was with her— and he followed her to the bed. She grabbed his hands, pulled him closer, and turned his body, making him sit on the edge of the king sized bed, “It’s so sweet of you...” she began, standing between his legs and letting her hands ran over his shoulders and down his chest, “...to take the day off to spend time with me”, her touch sent a wave of heat through his entire being, “I-it seemed like you needed it,” he tripped over his words. She leaned down, bringing her lips close to his, “As a thank you,” she whispered, “I want to take care of you, too”, he swallowed hard, feeling her cold hands slip under his shirt, contrasting with his warm skin, driving him crazy, “T-take care of me?” he asked, “Yes,” she replied in a low, sensual voice, “I have plans for you, loverboy”. His hands slid to her hips, pulling her closer and closing the gap between them. That kiss felt different, it was deeper, heavier, with emotions that were almost suffocating and he responded with the same intensity, pouring out all his confusion into it. Her hands traveled up his bare chest, making him let out soft moans into her mouth, his shirt was pulled up, and their mouths parted so she could take it off his body.

She took a step back, slowly and provocatively slipping the straps of her dress off, one by one as he watched her, lust overflowing from his eyes. "You’re beautiful”, he said as her dress slid down her curves, revealing her body covered in tattoos in a black laced lingerie paired with black silk knee socks."Liar", she thought, but she just smirked at him and climbed onto his lap for another round of kisses. He pressed her hips against his erection, and she threw her head back, moaning in response, she hated that he had that effect on her, but he did. Her body betrayed her mind, showing him how much she wanted him, how much she needed him. Without wasting more time, she brought her hands to his belt, unbuckling it and opening his pants—a signal for him to take them off. He obeyed immediately, lifting his hips to slide his black jeans and boxers down. She glanced down at his almost fully hard member pressing against his belly button, she grabbed it with one hand, tracing circles around the tip with her thumb. He lay back on the bed, breathing heavily, “I-I don’t think I’ll be able to last much if we keep playing around like this”, he fumbled over his words again. She smirked, slowing the pace of her movements, “Are you that desperate for me?”, she teased, receiving a nod in response— he was too overwhelmed by pleasure to speak. She chuckled, releasing his dick and leaning over him to kiss and suck on his neck, his hands moved to her hips, one sliding down to her core, still covered by her panties, then he pressed his thumb against her entrance, making her shiver, “You’re so wet already” “Just for you, baby,” she replied— and unfortunately, it wasn’t a lie. No one had made her feel like that in years.

He pulled his thumb away from her core and moved his hands to the waistband of her panties, removing them in one smooth motion. Then, his fingers worked smoothly on the clasp of her bra, easily freeing her soft, round breasts. He switched their positions to hover over her body and pushed down to take one of her breasts into his mouth, sucking it fiercely, almost too roughly for something as delicate as her breast, but he didn’t care— she squirmed beneath him, and if she was enjoying it, nothing else mattered. Her hips lifted involuntarily in response, and he knew what she wanted, so he let go of her breast and kissed her mouth before aligning himself with her entrance to slowly, almost torturously, push his member inside her, little by little, giving her time to adjust to him.

She let out a deep sigh as she felt him filling her, and as he started moving, slowly and teasingly, tears escaped her eyes. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be, he wasn’t supposed to have that much power over her— but what harm could one last time do before she left him forever? “Beomgyu…”, she moaned, “Are you okay? You’re crying”, he dried a few tears with his thumb, “It’s… it’s just because it feels so good” “Alright”, he leaned over to place a kiss on her forehead, “Let me know if you feel uncomfortable”, she nodded. It wasn’t entirely a lie— she cried from the pleasure, but also from the sadness, from the pain of his betrayal. Beomgyu shifted the angle of his hips, hitting a sensitive spot inside her— her eyes rolled back, and her back arched. She couldn’t wait any longer, she had to put her plan into action before she gave up. “Gyu…” “Yes?” “Let me be on top”, he smirked, “Sure”, he replied before switching positions with her.

“Hold on”, she reached for her bag. While he waited for her, he wiped the sweat from his forehead and took his hair out of his eyes. She took out from the purse a black ribbon, saying with pleading eyes, “Can I tie you up?”. His spy instincts told him to say no, it was too risky, but he wasn’t thinking with his head—at least not with the one he had over his shoulders, “Only one hand” ““Both” “Just one. Take it or leave it” “Fine. Just one, then”. She tied his hand to the headboard, then leaned down to kiss his lips, he grabbed the back of her neck, deepening the kiss as she rode him, chasing her own climax, “Shit! I can’t hold it anymore”, he said between moans, “Cum for me. Let it all out”. After a few more thrusts, he threw his head back, his body collapsing beneath her, as he released inside of her. She kept grinding against him for a few moments longer before reaching her own orgasm, then she rested her hands on his abdomen, breathing heavily as she tried to recover.

That’s when she realized it was the perfect moment to execute her plan, he was tired, with his eyes closed and his guard completely down. Quietly, she reached a hand down to her knee sock and, as sly as a fox, pulled out a switchblade. Slowly, she moved up it his leg,

“Are you already ready for another round?”, he chuckled, eyes still closed. But when she pressed the blade against the sensitive flesh of his dick, his eyes snapped wide open instinctively, “Don’t move an inch”, she said through gritted teeth, her voice dark and hostile, “Or I’ll cut it off”.

He swallowed hard, breathing heavily, he could see in her eyes that she knew everything,

“What the hell…” “Shut up! No more games, no more lies”, her voice firm and sharp, “Who are you?”. He laughed nervously, “What are you talking about?” “Stop playing dumb” she pressed the blade harder against his member, “I know you sabotaged our attack”, she held up the keychain in her other hand, “So stop lying and tell me who you are and what do you want from me”. Beomgyu didn’t know if it was the fear of losing his manhood or the hurt in her eyes that made him speak the truth, “My real name is Choi Beomgyu. I serve in the South Korean military under the advanced reconnaissance unit, which means I’m a spy”, he held her breath, trying to keep her tough exterior still, “I was sent to Japan to investigate the speakeasy bar”, she didn’t say anything, so he continued, “When I met you, I didn’t know who you were or what you did, but as I investigated you…” “You were really investigating me?”, she interrupted, “Yes, but…”. The air left her lungs as reality hit her, so he really had been using her for his mission, “Then everything between us was a lie?”. He felt the pressure of the switchblade ease slightly, like his confession made her lose strength, “No! No, not everything was a lie. I like you, I care about you, more than I should. That’s why I didn’t report your attack. That’s why I’m here now” “And you really expect me to believe you?” “It’s the truth. I’m risking everything for you. Everything”

She looked down at her hand, the knife trembling against his flushed skin,“I don’t believe you” “You don’t have to believe me, but it’s the truth. I never wanted to hurt you”, she stared at him, dropping the blade, unsure of what to do or say. He took the opportunity to trap her between his legs and change their positions and even with one hand tied, he managed to pin her arms and toss the weapon to the ground. He looked down at her, lying beneath him with tears rolling down her red face. If he could, he’d take all her pain and put it on himself. “And you? Who are you? The real you” “You want my help to finish your mission, don’t you?”, she chuckled, “Where are the cameras, the bugs? Where?” "There's nothing, just me. The guy who asks too many questions and can’t stop thinking about this girl stuck in his head", even while pinning her down, lying, and using her, he still managed to be charming. She hated him for that. "Who am I? You already know who I am, don’t you?" "I only know parts", she laughed bitterly, "I’ll tell you, so you can see how rotten the system you work for really is", he nodded.

"I come from a family of brewers from Busan. They were artisans, and for generations, my family poured everything they had into their craft. Until Prohibition", she paused, feeling her jaw tightening, "Everything they had was taken from them. The government treated them like criminals. They were marginalized, starving, and anyone who dared to help them would be punished including those in the military, like I was", Beomgyu’s brows furrowed, "Tae’s family was in the same situation as mine. So one day, we decided to bring together everyone who was opposed to Prohibition and put our plan into action: to desert" "As a form of protest?"

"It was much more than just a protest. We were desperate, watching our families die a little more each day, unable to do anything. Deserting was our hope of getting their dignities back. But it didn’t work, they didn’t care if hundreds of soldiers deserted, we meant nothing to them", she said, her voice breaking as tears returned to her eyes. "All those years serving the military, giving our blood, sweat, and tears, it was like none of it mattered. Tae and I were exiled, along with our families. The rest of the men left the country because, with a dishonorable discharge, they couldn’t do anything else in Korea. When we arrived in Japan, a family of former brewers took us in and together, we built the bar. Tae and I joined the rest of the TXT a year later, not for justice but for revenge. Those people don’t even know the meaning of justice”.

Beomgyu’s mouth hung slightly open, they had made innocent people go through all that because of alcohol? He didn’t know what to say, he had been following orders blindly, unaware of what those people had passed through to build their illegal bar. "I-I’m… I’m so sorry. I had no idea”, she chuckled sarcastically, "Don’t lie, Beomgyu. You are one of them. So… just grab your stuff and leave before Taehyun finds out I let you go and comes after you" "You’re… letting me go?" "Just go before I change my mind. And never bother any of us again". He bent down, picked up the blade from the floor, and cut the ribbon binding him to the motel bed. In a few minutes, he was gone, completely embarrassed, leaving behind a girl with two broken hearts—- hers and his, because his heart belonged to her and no one else. ⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

Days had passed since their fateful episode at the motel. Beomgyu had vanished without leaving a trace. No one had heard from him, not even Jeongin, it was like he had never existed. She had told TXT she had killed him, hoping that Beomgyu wouldn’t come back to bother again. So it seemed insane that Beomgyu was now standing at the entrance of a club, hesitating. But he had nothing left to lose, his job no longer made sense, and the girl he had fallen in love with hated him, and back in Korea, he had no family—his father had disappeared when he was a child, and his mother had died of illness when he was a teenager. With nothing holding him back, he walked into the club, the neon sign above the door said, ‘The Dairy Lounge’, "These guys are really creative" he muttered to himself.

Inside the place, he passed through people dancing with bottles of milk and yogurts in hand, mumbling apologies as he bumped into a few of them. He stopped in front of a door with a VIP sign above it, the guard standing in front of it was Taehyun. Turns out, the guy actually had a job outside of the gang, "Hey!" Beomgyu called out, catching Taehyun's attention. Taehyun’s eyes narrowed at the figure dressed in all black standing in front of him, "You..."

"Think we can talk?", Beomgyu asked, "You're alive?", Taehyun muttered, “Either that or this drug adulterated milk you guys serve here is messing you up real bad", Beomgyu replied with a smirk. Taehyun’s jaw clenched, and his fists tightened as he lost all his composure. Without saying a word, he grabbed Beomgyu by the collar and dragged him to the alley behind the club. Out of sight from his superiors, Taehyun’s fist hit Beomgyu’s face without any ceremony, "What the hell, man?! I just want to talk!", Beomgyu shouted, placing a hand on his sore cheek, "I don’t want to talk", Taehyun landed another punch, this time making Beomgyu’s cheek bleed.

Fed up with Taehyun’s temper, Beomgyu fought back, throwing a punch of his own, right on the other’s jaw. The shorter man touched his jaw, in disbelief, “Are you out of your mind!?” “I said I just wanted to talk, but you started hitting me”. Taehyun didn’t bother in reply, he shoved Beomgyu to the ground, straddling his torso and began punching him repeatedly. One blow after another, not giving him a chance to defend himself, “You survived, but not for long. I’m going to kill you, you son of a bitch!” “Do it. I’m already dead anyway”, Beomgyu said, making Taehyun freeze in confusion, “What?” “I’m already dead inside…”, Beomgyu paused, struggling to breathe without choking on his own blood, “... without her. So go ahead. End it now., do this favor for me” “You care about her that much?”, Taehyun asked,

Beomgyu nodded, the excruciating pain spreading through his head, “More than anything”

“Then why did you make her suffer, huh?”, Taehyun shouted, “I didn’t mean to… the last thing I wanted was to hurt her”, Beomgyu said, leaning on his elbows, “I need to talk to her. She needs to hear this, to know how much she means to me” “No way. And even if I let you, she wouldn’t believe you” “I’ll do anything to prove I’m trustworthy. Anything” “Even swim in the Electric Seaweed Lake?”, Taehyun asked, “What’s that?” Beomgyu asked, confused, “You really don’t know anything about this city, do you?” “No, but whatever it is, I’ll do it”

“For real?” “If I do it, will you let me talk to her?” “I’ll think about it” “Fine, I’ll do it”, Beomgyu said firmly. Taehyun got off him. “My shift ends in two hours. Stay here and wait until I come back”, Beomgyu sat up with difficulty, spitting blood onto the ground, “Okay” “If I come back and you’re gone, I’ll hunt you down, even in hell. Got it?” “Got it” “Good”. With that, Taehyun came back to the club.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

2 hours later, Taehyun showed up with the rest of TXT — except her and Soobin— the four of them got into a car and headed toward the Electric Seaweed Lake. When they arrived, Beomgyu was hit by a strong scent of something rotting, the lake was green , shady, and had a sticky consistency. But he was determined to do that. Beomgyu began taking off his clothes when a voice interrupted him, "Are you insane?", Yeonjun asked, "What?" "I asked if you're insane. Do you even know what's in there?" "Electric seaweed?"

"You wish it was just seaweed. That lake is full of strange creatures that feed on human skin cells and some even eat human flesh!", Beomgyu smirked, "I’m not insane. I’m just a guy in love", he said, finishing removing his pants and standing there in just his underwear. “ALright what are the rules?’, he asked Taehyun, "You swim to the bioluminescent coral reef and back. If you make it out alive, we’ll have your back" "Okay, let’s get over with this", Beomgyu said, stepping into the lake.

The moment he placed one foot inside, he felt like a strange force was pulling him down. He turned to Kai and said, "If I die, tell her I love her, okay?" “O-okay”, then he continued walking into the water, trying to ignore the strong smell of decomposing seaweed invading his nostrils like poison until his entire body was completely submerged. The three men stood watching from the shore, "Tae?" "What is it, Kai?" "Is this really a good idea?" "What do you mean?" "There’s no way he’s coming out of that alive. If she finds out we killed him, she’ll kill us" "Then it’s better if she doesn’t find out", Taehyun replied coldly.

Underwater, things weren’t as terrifying as they seemed from the surface. Sure, there were plenty of strange creatures that seemed unnaturally drawn to his body, but they weren’t as bad as he feared they were— some were even cute, others had vibrant colors. If he survived, he’d want to learn more about that ecosystem. He swam several meters, coming to the surface for air occasionally, until he spotted the glowing corals Taehyun had mentioned. He reached out to touch them but was startled by a small electric shock, "Better stop messing around", he thought and turned around, ready to return. But suddenly, he stepped on what he thought was a rock and his foot got stuck. It wasn’t a rock, it was some kind of weird creature that fed on human flesh. He felt its grip tighten as it started to take in his foot. Panicking, he tried to free himself, but nothing worked, he tried to scream for help, but no one would hear him this far underwater. As the surroundings grew darker, his eyelids began to feel heavy, "I guess I really can’t live without her", he thought before everything went black. ⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

“Do you think he’s dead already?”, Yeonjun asked the other two, “I bet he is”, Kai answered,

“Silence”, Taehyun ordered in a low voice, hearing the sound of a car engine approaching. They turned around, momentarily blinded by headlights, from the truck, she and Soobin stepped out, “Where is he?” she demanded, fierce like a raging animal., “Soobin! Did you snitch on us?”, Kai asked, panicking, “She heard you guys talking. You know how scary she gets when she’s angry?”. “Where is he, Taehyun?”, she yelled, “In the lake,” he said calmly,

“Are you insane?!”, she shouted, “You told us he was dead!”, he shouted back. She ignored him, starting to remove her clothes, “How long has he been in there?”, she asked. No one answered, “How long?!”, she yelled again, “At least seven minutes”, Yeonjun finally said,

“Damn it!”. She moved to the edge of the lake, ready to jump in, but Taehyun grabbed her arm, “You can’t go in” “Let me go” “I can’t let you die because of him” “I want to die because of him”,she shot back, pulling her arm free and diving into the lake, swimming at lightning speed.

The lake was dark despite the bioluminescence, but spotting a man of 180 cm wasn’t hard. Near the coral reef, she saw her beloved’s lifeless body, one of his legs caught in the jaws of a strange creature. Quickly, she swam to him, pulling a laser device from her bra and slicing the creature in half— fortunately, that species took hours to digest human flesh, so Beomgyu wouldn’t lose his foot or leg. She placed his arm over her shoulder and swam back to the shore, her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen, “Kai, Yeonjun, help me here!” she called out once she reached the sore. The two of them grabbed Beomgyu by the arms, pulling him out of the water, while Soobin and Taehyun helped her get back to land. Ignoring everyone, she went straight to Beomgyu, pressing her ear to his chest. No heartbeat, no breathing Immediately, she started CPR— she learned in the military. 30 compressions, 2 breaths, 30 compressions, 2 breaths, again and again for 2 minutes in a row. Finally, she stopped, exhausted, holding his face as tears streamed down her cheeks, “Beomgyu, please”, she whispered, “I think he’s gone”, Soobin muttered, his heart breaking from watching the scene. “No! He can’t be gone!”, she screamed, turning to Taehyun, “What is your problem?! Why did you force him into the lake?” “He…” Taehyun began, but a deep voice cut him off, calling her name, “Not now, Yeonjun,” she snapped, assuming it was him. But it wasn’t, “I… went in because I wanted to” , the voice continued. She turned around almost unable to believe what she was hearing,

“Beomgyu!”, she ran into his arms, collapsing against his chest in tears, “Why did you do this? And your face looks like that?”, she asked between sobs, ““Taehyun told me if I did this, he’d let me see you. And because I think I’m in love with you… I did it”, he said as it was the most ordinary thing ever. She looked at him, scanning his bruised face, the air caught up in her throat, “Do you think?” “I know”, she leaned in, kissing his hurt lips, the taste of blood mixing with both of their tears,

“You idiot, you almost died!” “I can’t live if I’m not with you”, she sniffed, “I think I’m in love with you too”, she whispered, “No more lies, okay?” “No more lies,” she promised.

He pulled her close— vowing to himself never to let her go again— and there, lying on that wet ground, covered in the slime of the lake, he knew he would never be in danger again as long as she was by his side.

⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹`✦ ˑ ִֶ 𓂃⊹

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Tags: @dawngyu, @nanahachi3, @whatblop

#txt #tomorrow x together #txt imagines #tomorrow x together imagines #choi beomgyu #beomgyu txt #txt smut #beomgyu smut #beomgyu imagine #beomgyu fanfic #txt fanfic #tomorrow x together imagine #tomorrow x together fanfic #tomorrow x together smut

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