#whoever is reading this i want you to understand that i am going into this spiral because I finally chose a division in postknight 2
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icewindandboringhorror · 6 months ago
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Everytime I face a new character limit on a website that didn't have them before/used to have really long ones... AUGHHhhh the modern social media world was not made for people like me (lovers of details, rambling, elaboration, thorough explanation, and nuance)
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#twitter and other short form shit and everything being a Phone App On Small Screen instead of a Proper#Computer Website i feel like has just ruined the format of literally everything for me. Thoughts just keep getting more and more condensed#with detail and nuance taken away. everything over simplified into only the basics. blah blah blah. I've already probably rambled about thi#all before but it's just SO frustrating. I literally just CAN NOT talk that way!!! even if I try!!! I took multiple advanced placement#english & language arts classes in school and I literally never made below an A on any assignment EVER except for ESSAYS#where I would legit get almost failing grades just because I cannt express myself concisely. I took an english placement test thats made to#like evaluate your competency in a subject and out of the 102 multiple choice questions I only missed TWO of them. almost a perfect#score. But for the 5 open response questions (about articulating thoughts succinctly) I did not get a single one of them lol#I only got partial credit on 3. It's like I OBVIOUSLY understand the material and I know how Words Work and how to analyze and interpret#meaning and etc. etc. But it's just when I have to express myself CLEANLY I can't. It's always ''well you have very good points and you#get around to the idea eventually and I think it's very insightful - but it just needs to be shorter/the side tangent needs to be removed/#etc.'' I've always wondered if it has something to do with being on the schizophrenia spectrum and how that can cause disorganized#speech sometimes hmm..ANYWAY.. But I just naturally express myself in a very particular way which is lengthy and I can't rea#ly seem to control it. So it's basically like just.. being gradually pushed out of every place that won't accomodate people with different#ways of like perceiving and expressing or etc. Everything cannot ALWAYS be 100% 'Short and Snappy and To The Point' or a quippy one#liner or the Bare Minimum of information being provided or etc. Some peoples brains just do not work like that!!!!! Sorry I operate#in detail and elaboration lol. ANYWAY.. I still sometimes use random ''dating sites'' like OKCupid to look for platonic friends since#I never leave the house so it's hard for me to just meet friends naturally. And I just realized today that they added a RIDICULOUSLY small#character limit to their messaging system (2000 words?? augh). And also took away answer explanations (when you answer a compatibility#question you used to have a space to give detail and explain why you answered the way you did) and removed a few other features and it's ju#t like.. how the fuck is any of this actually helpful in terms of judging compatibility? take away ALL nuance and anyting that actually#is meant to tell you anything about a person? Bumble's character limits for your profile description are even more fucking insane and so#is every other disgustingly minimalistic place I've seen like.. OKC used to be superior BECAUSE it allowed for a TON of detail. like back i#2016 or something there was SO much data you could look at. long form question answers. personality trait summaries. etc. Now you have#SOO little to judge off of when evaluating compatibiility it's like. You'd have better luck just throwing a dart in a crowded street and#talking to whoever it hits. Why are people so fucking allergic to reading anything longer than 3 words and providing DETAILS!! It just seem#harder and harder to find any place to meet platonic friends where you have any amount of actual data to go off of and it isnt basically#just random 'speed dating' set up shit. AARGH. &I know 'oh just join a club& meet ppl irl' 1. erm..covid. 2.I mostly want to meet ppl#in places I'd like to move so I already know ppl when I get there. You kind of HAVE to do that online. bc I am not there yet.. WISHING for#Complexity.Com where ppl can upload full 900 page psychological files of themselves. MINIMUM profile character limit 30k words lol
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wikipedie · 2 years ago
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salemlunaa · 3 months ago
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THE ACT OF SHIFTING CONSCIOUSNESS IS OWED TO YOU ❃
No matter what your aims are, shifting is for you and will always be easy.....
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There are many things people can do with the void state/the state pure consciousness, and no matter what you are doing you need to know that shifting is owed to you. And in my asks and dms it’s made clear that a lot of you don’t know the different forms that shifting can come in
So before i get into it, Let’s get acquainted with the different ways you can utilise the void in terms of shifting!!…
Standard shifting
A person who will shift with the intention of coming back to where they are now aka their base or current reality. Being this person, you may have multiple drs you want to go to and will have “safe words” which can bring you back to your cr when you want
example: having a winx dr, having a kpop dr and a nepo baby dr at the same time, frequenting between each one, or which ever one is their “main” dr
Permashifting
A person who has one reality that they want to shift to, forever, perma-shifting= permanent shift, you can still have ties to your old reality and have memories from it but ultimately you can’t go back unless you tried to by shifting again, which wouldn’t be that much of a hassle because you still have some recollection of your old reality
example: Leaving your old reality while still having some recollection of the life you live before. You live this life recognising that you have shifted to get here and you are still somewhat tied to your old reality
Respawning
Being this person, you will have one reality that you live in forever. It’s kinda in the name, you reset, as soon as you shift consciousness to you desired life, it was always your life, you will cut ties with whoever you were before and live this way forever. A lot of people script a time stamp in which they forget everything, you will have pre prepared memories from birth up until the day the present day. You are expecting to live the rest of your life in this reality.
a smart example from a dm from one of my consenting mutuals: “I’ll shift there and it will be 02:00 I’ll be all excited about the fact that I shifted, have time to give my success story and bawl my eyes out from sheer happiness, and around 4 hours in (about 06:00 ) I will forget everything and fully cut ties with who I used to be and the life I used to live”
I want you to resonate with one and apply your knowledge where you need to because shifting consciousness is owed to you. Whether you’re doing it for a small while, going to multiple realities or one big shift of your consciousness cutting ties with where you were before. It doesn’t matter, it is owed to you and it is easier than breathing.
If you have a conscious mind, which yes you do or you wouldn’t be reading this, then you have a subconscious mind, and that means that shifting consciousness is a basic ability for you.
There is no such thing as something too big, one form of shifting isn’t “easier” or “harder” than another so whatever you wanna do, don’t be scared, you’ve got this!! There is a reason you’re here. Your subconscious mind knew you didn’t deserve all that you went through and all that you are going through and it led you here. Because of the horrible way humans have been conditioned, we live in a world where people mock shifting which is ironic , as it is a basic ability just like walking and talking, except it uses the mind and not the physical body. I want you to think of your desired reality/realities, whether you are thinking of 12 or 4 or 1, you need to understand that your desired life already exists, you already have it. It’s not a dream, you’re god, you give life to all that you touch with your mind.
I don’t think you really understand so I will say this again:
what you see: script + void/“I AM” state ➯ my dream life is finally real, me and my physical body are finally in my dream reality
you see yourself and some small part of some bigger process, when in fact, you are everything and everything is instant
what actually happens: i’ve created my dream life in my head ➯ as god i give life to everything my i touch with my mind, there for it is real
it’s an immediate chain of events, not a process. stop relying on the I AM state to give you something you already have, the void state helps you shift consciousness to a reality that is already there, and nothing more than that , it doesn’t create, you have already created. you have the power, the void is just a state of pure consciousness that helps you shift your awareness to which ever reality you wish to go to.
side note: As a respawner, all are welcome here, especially my fellow respawners and my permashifters (it’s nice to see both communities grow as i never used to see posts for permashifting or respawning)
no matter what you intend to do with the information you have learned on this app, your desired reality is yours, it was owed to you the second you thought of it
so stop doing nothing about the information you have, you don’t have to struggle in life, throw the teachings of society out the door and realise you can have all that you want, whether that be 1 dream life or 20!! LOCK IN MY LOVES
GET EXCITED ABOUT YOUR NEW LIFE/LIVES, ITS OWED TO YOU!! 🎆💋
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vamptarot · 4 months ago
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What Will They Like About Your Body | PAC 18+
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pile one pile two pile three
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how to choose a pile . . . choose whichever you feel drawn to or ask your guides to guide your eyes to the one that is meant for you! ᡣ𐭩
— ⭑.ᐟ this is for diversity reasons, if you don’t want to, don’t read it, if you want to, go for it. this will be covering what they like about your body and what they fantasise of it. ‘they’ meaning your special person. not proof read.
𝝑𝝔 If you are under 18 years old don’t read this. This is made for consenting adults. If you think you are grown enough, no you are not.
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pile one : - high heels !
𐙚 : five of cups, page of pentacles, five of swords, three of swords, two of cups reversed
bottom of the deck: six of swords
♡ ⢷what will they like about your body
Every single little thing, there is nothing that they don’t like about you. Which can, yes, be annoying to hear, because this isn’t what you were curious of, but these feelings are sincere. They come from the bottom of the heart.
Your special person looks at you as the star, as this very perfect person, the most beautiful of all. They find your looks dreamy and even the tiniest of folds and details are beautiful about them. The beauty of ancient statues, if you struggle understanding the concept of it.
It’s the feeling of “this is actually a real body with a lot of things to tell, not just one that was worked for years to hide things about it.”
Some of you might take an offence to that, thinking “but that means my body is just ugly!”.. I am here to say that’s not true, you are just delusional. Real bodies don’t look like the ones on the internet that are photoshopped to the max - yes, even in videos -, they just look real. With spots, blemishes, veins, details, stretch marks, beauty spots and a thousand other things. Your body is very much real, which makes you soooo sexy in your person’s eyes. All the little things about it.
Matter of fact, your special person LOOOOVES your stomach so much, like omg. They might like to hold it, or just rest their body on it while cuddling you or literally sleeping with you while spooning. You might think to yourself, ‘oh, but my stomach isn’t flat’, duh, that’s the sexy bit about it. - Even if your stomach is flat that is okay bby, that bit was meant for somebody else. -
Think about it, no statue of Aphrodite has a flat stomach.
Aside from that, your chest is so loved. Idgaf if you are a woman, man, flat chested or not this mf - whoever they might be - wants to suck on it, and if they are given the chance they will show that too! 🫵🏻 Seriously, if you are asking about a guy, - or a masculine girl -, they wanna just put their face right to your chest and get to work. If you have a bigger chest, just rub their face their, and if it’s flat then tease you so you make noises for them. - Whines, to be specific. - If you have birth mark or any sort of mark on your chest, they also want to kiss it there, they love it.
It’s not that their energy is objectifying, they are just crazy about you. Like your body gets them all to be like those old cartoons where the guy gets heart eyes and they almost fall out as they stare at the pretty lady that just walked by.. tongue out and all. - Think of Bugs Bunny from Looney Tunes or Tom from Tom & Jerry when they meet a pretty girl and you might understand better like that. -
Now, speaking about tongues. They think that your private part has such a pretty shade to it. - Or like.. would, if they saw it. - This obviously varies person to person but the main things that are coming through are pinkish & light brown? Like it’s just a nice shade of brown. - yes, even if you are a person of colour.. this will be unique to everybody, but the point is the same. - Also the texture if your skin could also be something they like? Because that’s unique from person to person as well! So they will definitely love what they will be able to feel, you know. Tongues come here because as soon as they saw you wet/hard combined with those factors they just wanna give you head. Like they are needy for you!
They also, really, really like your ass a lot. Slapping it, grabbing it during the act itself.. whatever you let them do, they will do it. You might as well catch them staring from time to time too. - This is regardless of gender, if you are a guy asking about a girl this still applies… or a girl asking about a girl.. whatever you are into guys. Your ass is just a 10/10 for them. -
♡ ⢷their fantasies about your body
You might have had some experiences in the past that made you very insecure. In your body, and how people perceive you. I will not be going too much into it because the severity of this depends from reader to reader. It rages from comments - irl & online -, to bullying, all the way down to abuse. That is your business and I am not going to dive into it.
However, their fantasies revolve around helping you escape feeling stuck from these feelings and emotions that are awakened in you when it comes to sexuality. They understand that it’s from things that you have went through in life but they still wish to help you overcome these negative emotions by loving you right, treating you right and giving you the whole world, their all.
Even then, you might be the sort of person who wants to do it with the lights off or distracted your partner before things get too far because you are genuinely scared of intimacy and the level of tension such a deep bond comes with. In your head it could be nothing but all sort of negative things, barely anything good coming out of it. At times, you might even feel ashamed. It doesn’t have to be this way. This is what they want to show you by treating you correctly.
You escaping this turmoil of ‘it’s wrong, but I want to like it’s and the pain that comes along with it is what their biggest fantasy is. They hate to see you suffer through things even if you hate that they care at times. Nothing in this world will make them stop caring about you, at all, even if you believe otherwise. Their love isn’t fragile, rather opposite, it’s quite strong.
They dream of loving you tenderly, holding you, going slow and kissing your tears away as they hold your hand.
They dream of taking care of you, treating you with the utmost respect. Never ever would they do anything to purposefully scare you or make you uncomfortable.
♡ ⢷moodboard
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— ✮⋆˙ ‘my type’ , billie eilish , ‘and i see her, at the back of my mind’ , pink & flowers ? , demisexual , waiting til marriage , not a huge fan of kinky stuff but rather just wanna make love , (door) bells , bookshop , sage green , piercings , something for beauty being done to the eyes - contacts, lashes, eyeshadow ect - , stiletto nails , shibuya
My pile one do not forget that you are beautiful and nothing in this world will change this fact! your person is so sweet, their energy is very gently even though you might not think so. they would neverrr do anything without your permission. thank you for reading.
if you liked my reading please consider checking out my paid readings! there is barely any topic I will say no to and with every penny you are helping me!
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pile two : - font !
𐙚 : six of swords, queen of pentacles reversed, seven of pentacles reversed, nine of cups, wheel of fortune reversed, the devil reversed, the lovers reversed
bottom of the deck: the emperor
♡ ⢷what will they like about your body
I would like to start out with saying that this is a toxic pile, at the very least sexually mean. There is no feeling of being in love or having strong emotional connection/needs here, so even if you have a crush they might feel a sexual attraction towards you but not romantic one.. or they possibly view sexual attraction and romance as two different things and don’t think of the other while doing one of them. - meaning even if they have a crush, they won’t be romantic during sex. - I will still channel for this pile but this has been your warning and disclaimer. If you are not comfortable reading about something like that, do not. It’s alright to not read this.
Now, if you decided to continue reading I will need you to stay with me on this one, this person is a whole mess.
I also want to say that if you have a bdsm kink this person does too, and if you don’t they do not either but are simply sadistic/masochistic or just had heavy uncomfortable experiences in the past that altered their preferences, fantasies and such. Such a rare but specific distinction but everybody’s guides urged me to say this.
To actually get into it, they like your chest, the shape of your body and your private eras. The shape of it, the size of it and everything that is unique about it. Not even a little bit, but a lot. They want to tie you up, not necessarily do anything but stare at you while admiring you. They want to tie you up in such a specific way too, in a way your legs and arms are spread out so they can see everything.
This inactivity is on purpose, either to piss you off or make you scared. Your face is so hot to them. Like your expressions for sure get them hard/wet, but like.. your face in general, they love it.
I will list what they like about it as well. Let’s start with your eyes.. pretty eyelashes, colours, gaze and so on.. but that’s absolutely not what turns them on at all. It’s the fact that they are a little bit messed up. There is so many eye conditions in this world, but this is specific for those people who have a bit harder time seeing. If you squint your eyes while trying to read something? Sexy as fact. You walk into something by accident? Sexy as fuck. I am sure the Lord does, but I don’t understand why they feel this way. There is a reason, they are just not sharing it with me. Also, even if that’s not your eye condition.. don’t think you are an exception, that ‘it might not be for you’. It does, you are so cute it turns them on. Especially when you look up at them. They are horny for you. If you have eyebags that just adds to it even more. - I also don’t mean to be belittling, I, myself, wear glasses. Your person is just a little crazy, I am so sorry I don’t know how to say that in a more kind manner. -
Moving on, your nose. There is something unique about it. A beauty spot, a birth mark, the shape of it.. you know your face better than I do, whatever you know is unique is about it they love it. Even if you think they don’t. - that’s especially for the bigger nose ppl! don’t belittle your beauty. -
Your lip shape, they think it’s so kissable. I am so serious, they look at it as ‘so plump’ and they ‘want to devour it’. - don’t clock it, these aren’t my words. - Now, if you are a girl you decide if this means your face or other lips. 🩷 It’s both.
And we are not done yet, nu uh. 🙂‍↕️☝🏻 Your teeth, your beauty spots, your eye colour in the sun, your resting face, your expression when you are annoyed, your red eyes ‘n nose ‘n cheeks after you cried.. is there anything they don’t like about your face? No. If you let them they will cum on it too.
Your thighs are something they loveeeee too. I for real hope that you are into bites and hickeys because this person wants to leave their mark on you. Whether or not this is only for them to see or if it’s visible to anyone… they don’t gaf, they just want to know that their mark is there, on you. No one else’s, just theirs. Jealous, jealous person. Hella possessive too. ‘Only mine’ sort of thing.
They also like your stomach, especially if it’s more toned. Like don’t get them wrong, they don’t care if your stomach changes. Matter of fact they want to impregnate you. - Not that they are ready for a baby, they are just kinky as hell. -
♡ ⢷their fantasies about your body
This is another warning and disclaimer. If you find heavier, darker fantasies and topics uncomfortable don’t read this. This is especially true if you have had negative sexual experiences or if you have traumas that are easily triggered. I am not playing with you. You might hate this.
Menace to society. Like these are only fantasies, and they won’t really act out on each and every single one but when channeling the energy I got a bit perplexed.
First and foremost, they want you to submit to them, completely. No ifs, no buts, no nothing. Just submitting to them. Let’s go through their fantasies one by one..
I believe this is the most simple and common one. This isn’t necessarily something harmful but it does depend on your view of life and the value you put into such things. It’s completely ok to disagree with me on this one. - Notice how I am saying ‘least harmful’ and not ‘not harmful at all’. -
Their most harmless fantasy is you getting over someone, possibly out of a relationship, moving on and still sad with the what happened as you were mistreated. They want to ‘heal’ you with sexual connections. Now, what exactly this is varies person to person. For some of you this is making love, for others it’s having sex and for other people it’s straight up f#cking and messing around. - Crazy to write it out like that, but these are all different things. - They just wanna be ‘the one to heal you.’ Whatever that may mean to them.
For this next one, some of you reading this might like the idea of this fantasy because you won’t fully grasp the idea of it due to being inexperienced but that’s alright, I will do my best to explain to you.
This fantasy revolves around spoiling you, giving you everything you want and pampering you any chance he gets. With attention, words, gifts, necessities, physical touch and in sexual needs. Anything you can think of. The twist in this fantasy is you not being able to do any of this by yourself because no matter how hard you would try you would simply just fail. I am not saying that’s the truth, I am saying that’s their fantasy. Pampering you because you need to completely rely on them, having no other choice. Being obsessed even though you are in an unfortunate situation or might even desire freedom sometimes. It’s like this hopelessness that you have alone, almost as if you need them to be fulfilled in life. That no one else can give this to you, not even yourself.
I don’t think they have a slave kink, but it borders it. This is because they sometimes fantasies about you doing xyz in exchange for these things, like housework and so on.. but in a sinister way, not in a ‘my lovely stay at home wife/husband/partner’ kinda way. Not a ‘sugar daddy/mommy’ kind of way either. Imma be honest and just say I did not see enough things in my life to understand what exactly is going on, but I know for sure that they love power dynamics and want to be the one that’s on top. Figuratively and literally too.
For this one, if you ignored my first warning but you still read and happen to have trauma about physical abuse or domestic violence don’t read what I am about to channel next. Literally don’t. Ignorance is bliss.
We have entered level 10000000x of f*cked up. Their most messed up fantasy is them abusing you, to the point of you having bruises and feeling emotionally defeated. That’s not what turns them on. It’s the fantasy of regardless of this you keep on loving them. Going back for more and unable to leave them, and even letting them do whatever they want to your body. Though, in all these fantasies they do fantasies about having to chase you a little bit. So you not giving yourself easy and valuing yourself but still ending up under them is the main drive they have for this fantasy.
The craziest thing though, this mf seems pure, kind and very respectful. The perfect person to bring home. Well put together, clean, has a lot to offer and treats your family well. You would never think that these sort of things cross their mind. Yet they do.
I am willing to bet a whole tarot deck that many people reading this pile until here didn’t believe a single word of what I wrote down exactly because they appear so perfect and kind.
♡ ⢷ moodboard
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— ✮⋆˙ wild thoughts - rihanna , red ropes & red string of fate (symbolism of differences) , virgo , someone is hungry rn , anger issues , ‘breaking dishes all night’ , tiktok edits , hallway crush , tiger/tigress , ‘Tom’ , tom foolery - lmao - , grey , silver jewellry , dreads , nonchalant but very kind , red fruits ? strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, passion fruit and aso on , cracking backs , spa asmr
Idk y’all this man/person is the devil. 😞 you are into what you are into, but do not stay near people who make you feel unsafe. thank you for reading
if you liked my reading please consider checking out my paid readings! there is barely any topic I will say no to and with every penny you are helping me!
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pile three : - ballet shoes !
𐙚 : the chariot reversed, queen of swords reversed, the star, eight of cups reversed, four of wands, page of swords
bottom of the deck: knight of swords
♡ ⢷what will they like about your body
Let’s start with saying that you might think this person is cold or not interested in you but it’s the total opposite.
They want you so bad, and they try to not show it because they are ashamed of how bad they want you. Not because there is anything wrong with you but because they are so good at self discipline, not being influenced by anything too easily and just being a honest and just person. Yet, when it comes to you they cannot help but have these animalistic tendencies, they want to go nuts and have such rough sexual relations with you all while treating you like their Queen/King, pampering you with love and affection.
They don’t want to only make love to you, they want to worship you with every single second that passes. You have a hold on them that no body else have had before and they try to not make themselves look crazy in your eyes but they just want to kiss every inch and corner of your body. Even the ground you walk on. You are so perfect to them and they feel like they need to hide so that you don’t push them away. So you won’t think of them as a creep.
They love you as a whole, if you were to ask them what they find unattractive about you they would not have an answer. There is not a single thing that they deem as a flaw about you at all. They would be offended if you even dared to think that there is. In a sincere way too.
Like you could even believe, even for a slight second that there is anything that they don’t like about you? They would never deem anything about your appearance as a flaw.
And that is true! But they still have subconscious favourites I picked up on lmao,, Which is completely normal!
It’s your feet, your tummy, your fingers - might wanna suck on it idkkkk -, your overall figure, your veins, your waist, the outline of your private parts through clothes, the way that you carry yourself and if you have blue eyes then that.
Though, their favourite thing is none of those. It’s the tension in your body when you are turned on and you think you can hide it well but it still shows through your actions. How you move your legs and the way you rub your legs together, the shy look on your eyes all while you are nervous about people being able to tell how needy you are. It turns them on so bad they could single handedly recreate the Niagara fallls all by themselves, if you get what I mean.
Perhaps they would also enjoy how your own cum looks on your thighs after sex, after coming so much and not being able to control yourself. - I am sorry for the lack of better words. -
♡ ⢷their fantasies about your body
Honestly, they just have a worshipping kink when it comes to you.
They want to suck on your body. Your toes, your private parts - on your clit if you are a woman -, your thighs, your stomach - they wanna leave hickeys -, your hips, your waist, your chest, your collarbones, your arms, your shoulders, your lips.. they want it all.
Even if they aren’t into it, they want to do it just to please you. It turns them on because it’s you. They find you crazy hot, like they would go to the ends of the world and back for you.
Not a sub for sure, they rather read like a soft dom that’s very passionate, obsessed and in love with you. They can be a sub for the night if you want them to be though. Put a leash on them and they will go on all fours for you.
And if you don’t like that, that’s cool. They can slap you, pull your hair and go hard if that’s what you need them to do.
If you like regular sex only, that’s chill with them too.
For you, they are both a prince charming and a freak, just depends on what you need of them. They want to cater to your needs all while dominating you. Adoring everything about you.
The only thing they ask for in exchange is for you to be loyal and committed to them, because they sure are to you. Not a single other person on their mind at all. Fuck threesomes and anything else that involves bringing someone else other than the two of you in the bedroom, they only want you.
They could go crazy if you give attention to any other person too. Jealous person, adores devotion above anything else for sure. They are not afraid to leave you if you play games with them. Doesn’t even have to be cheating, but teasing. They love you but they don’t like things like that. They are grown. - Not my words bby, their higher self’s. -
Regardless, they don’t fantasise about you leaving them but rather overthink and worry they you might do so if you find someone else that better fits you. Someone you look at as beautiful, good and all the more compatible with you. This is their worry. - Probably bc of their past but most of you it’s just because they love you so much you are their weakness. -
Their fantasies revolve around pleasing you. Giving you their all. Trying out thousands upon thousands of things with only one another, just the two of you.
♡ ⢷ moodboard
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— ✮⋆˙ ‘just the two of us, we can make if if we try’ , ‘i am vanilla baby, I will choke you but I am no killer baby’ , whipped cream , someone here has a mommy kink , curved eyelashes , clown masks , cherry red lipstick , tooth gems , blue whips , shy virgin who didn’t resonate with the kinky bits 🫵🏻 , painted toes! , coffin nails , 18
believe that you deserve good things instead of trying to convince yourself that I am lying to you. that one is very specific for one person not everyone <3<3 mwah my beautiful pile 3 you are so loved by this person I wish nothing but happiness for y’all! thank you for reading
if you liked my reading please consider checking out my paid readings! there is barely any topic I will say no to and with every penny you are helping me!
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starkwlkr · 30 days ago
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just a girl | f1
an: this is me asking for your letterboxd pls i need letterboxd mutuals 🤭 my account is deadpunks also made the reader have glasses because we need more glasses representation in fanfics 😔 (to the girlies that wear glasses, this is for you!!!)
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Las Vegas Grand Prix Weekend
“What movie did I watch?” Y/n read the comment that a fan left on her instagram live. She adjusted her glasses and smiled. “I just finished ‘Drop Dead Gorgeous’ it’s so underrated. The cast is so iconic like you have Kirsten Dunst, Brittany Murphy, Denise Richards, Amy Adams and Allison Janney in one movie. It’s definitely in my top four.”
It was hours after qualifying and Y/n was exhausted, but all she wanted to do was finish watching her movie. Unfortunately for her, the movie she had just named wasn’t anywhere on streaming so she brought her portable dvd player and a stack of dvds. When Lando saw her watching a movie and crocheting a scarf for herself in her garage, he laughed at the scene. He actually found it adorable.
“What’s my letterboxd? Okay, listen. . . I don’t give it out to just anyone so this is between you lovely people and me, okay? My letterboxd is ilovecillianmurphy420 and please follow me, I am desperate,” Y/n laughed. She then took her phone and saw all the new follower notifications from letterboxd. “I’m going to ask the social media admin to ask everyone on the grid for their four favorites. Lando is definitely going to name animated movies. That or he’ll forget what a movie is and say nothing.”
What’s your four favorites?
“Whoever your asked for my four favorites, I’m blocking you. How dare you ask me that question . . . Paddington 1 and 2, Saw and Mamma Mia. I know I said drop dead gorgeous was in my top four, but I lie all the time.”
The next day, her letterboxd account had become the second most followed account.
INSTAGRAM
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liked by oscarpiastri, letterboxd and others
yourusername just watched the masterpiece that is jackass number two
formulaupdating can i ask why you don’t post about f1 that often?
yourusername no you may not
oscarpiastri i was there too
yourusername ok
landonorris didn’t you watch that last week?
yourusername this is my own private domicile and i will not be harassed
landonorris ?
yourusername bitch
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After The Race / Interviews
Y/n hated being interviewed, it was the absolute worst thing on earth. No wait, forgetting her AirPods was the worst thing, but interviews were right behind that. She was exhausted and now she had to deal with reporters asking her what she thought about the championship battle.
Her fingers brushed the strap of her cap nervously as the interviewer’s voice cut through her anxiety.
“Y/n, P7 today—solid result. How are you feeling?" The reporter asked.
Y/n blinked, her eyes flicking around as she tried to process the question, and then her gaze landed on her own shoes. She cleared her throat awkwardly, looking up only to meet the camera for a brief, uncomfortable moment.
“Uh, yeah. It, uh . . . it was. . . good. I mean . . . yeah, I’m happy with it, I guess," she mumbled, her voice faltering.
The reporter smiled kindly, already used to the shy responses. “What do you think made the difference here in Vegas?" He waited patiently for Y/n’s answer.
Y/n’s lips parted as she prepared an answer, but the words tangled up in her brain. She shifted from foot to foot, adjusting her grip on the cap. Fuck, why can’t you think of anything?!, she thought to herself. “Uh . . . I don’t know . . . it’s just . . . uh, a little . . . weird, with all the lights and, you know, the . . . Strip, and, um . . .” Her voice trailed off.
The interviewer gave her a soft chuckle, understanding that Y/n’s awkwardness wasn’t lack of confidence, but rather a product of her introverted nature. Before the interview could go on, two figures appeared behind Y/n.
Oscar had cut in, Y/n’s pair of glasses in his hand. He placed a hand on her shoulder and handed the glasses to her while Lando ruffled her hair. She happily accepted them and placed them on her face.
“Alright, alright,” he said with a grin, his voice gentle but firm. “You’ve tortured her enough, mate.”
Y/n let out a relieved sigh as she turned to Oscar, who gave her a small, reassuring smile. “You’re doing great, really,” he said quietly, his tone meant to ease her nerves.
Lando then spoke up. “Are we done with the interrogation? She's literally about to disappear into her own head if we keep this up."
The reporter chuckled. “I was just asking Y/n about her performance today.”
Y/n hadn’t even noticed that she had completely abandoned the interview. She had started doodling on Oscar’s hand. The Aussie had given her the pen he had used from a fan when he was signing autographs. It was their thing. Whenever she would get nervous and Oscar was around, he would let her draw on his hand. Somehow the hand doodles calmed her.
“Right, Y/n?”
That’s when she picked up her head and noticed Lando was staring at her. “Sorry, what?”
“The race,” Lando reminded her. “She was brilliant out there. Absolutely nailed it.” Y/n didn’t have the words to argue. Instead, she ducked her head, feeling both embarrassed and grateful.
The three drivers said their goodbye to the reporter and walked away. Lando threw an arm over Y/n’s shoulder, grinning. “You know, for someone who hates interviews, you’ve got a hell of a lot to say . . . just not when it’s on camera.”
Y/n’s lips twitched into a small smile, and she felt a brief wave of gratitude for her friends’ protective camaraderie. She glanced at Oscar, who gave her a knowing nod, his usual quiet confidence offering her a sense of calm.
“You guys are unbelievable.” Y/n laughed lightly.
“Yeah well you’re the idiot who’s going to have to deal with us.” Lando replied.
“Unfortunately.” She teased.
“The idiot with the crocheting skills and silly little film reviews that are very popular on the box app.” Lando added.
“What?” Y/n stopped walking and stared at Lando. She looked over at Oscar for an answer, but the Aussie just shrugged his shoulders.
“I do believe our dear Y/n wants a hot priest?” Lando teased, bringing up Y/n’s lastest letterboxd review about Fleabag. “That’s a bit scandalous, don’t you think?”
“Hot priest?” Oscar couldn’t believe Lando had just said those two words together.
“You two don’t get it! Come on, we’re watching Fleabag!”
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fawnindawn · 9 months ago
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the line between thieves and healers (Luke Castellan x apollo fem! reader)
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Summary: Luke Castellan returns from his quest as a ghost of his old self with a bleeding scar to prove it. With his golden boy exterior all but shattered, no one in camp has tried to approach him since his return. This changes when you stumble upon the son of Hermes when he decides to go back to his old roots, stealing from your infirmary at midnight.
pairing: luke castellan x apollo fem! reader
Content: forced proximity, tending to wounds, luke develops a little crush, set after Luke's failed quest in the Garden of Hesperides, mentions of injuries and scars, Luke tries and fails at being mean, hurt-comfort, fluff
masterlist for this series (everything in between) every part in this series can be read as a stand alone!
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"Come on." One of the campers prodded despite your obvious discomfort. "I'm sure you've squeezed something out of Castellan by now. He's been silent about what happened during his quest for days."
"I told you, I know nothing, and even if I did- patient confidentiality exists." You repeated for the ninth time in a week. Ever since people found out Luke had come personally to you to tend to his wounds, they had lost all decency over the hope of digging for some good gossip. If you were asked one more time, you were sure you would tell them to stick their noses right back up their asses and leave.
Even after his return, Luke Castellan remained a constant in word of mouth around camp over his sudden change in persona. His usual grin and charm was replaced with a dark gloom unfitting for the son of Hermes, who used to light up any room he entered. The scar that permanently rests on his face didn't make it easier for him to avoid watching eyes either. After refusing to play in Capture the Flag for the first time in history, whatever patience the camp was trying to uphold dissipated into chaos.
Sure, you could see why it was a big deal. If you're a person with a sane enough mind (of course, not guaranteed in the premises of Camp Half-Blood), you’d understand why the fellow camp counsellor of the Hermes Cabin was popular. With his constant presence around camp as the cool, attractive camp counsellor helping other campers with that small quirk up his lips, or through word of mouth of how talented and kind he was, it wasn't a huge surprise that he attracted as much attention as he did.
Once the ninth camper in a row finally gave up and left with a huff, your eyes lingered over the bed where you first tended to Luke.
_
It was the dead of night when you were woken by the sound of creaking wooden floorboards and the cold chill of the wind that had snuck into the infirmary. Somehow, you had overslept again on your shift and no one had bothered to wake you up or even check for your missing presence.
Groaning at the awkward shift of your bones from your horrible sleeping posture on the desk, you were halfway through your stretch to crack your stiff neck when you heard the sound of footsteps. Freezing in place, you paused to listen in once more only to heard the soft thud once again. Peering to the left side of the infirmary, your heart stopped.
"Hey, listen." You spoke with that awkward crack in your voice whenever you go too long without speaking, causing the large shadow to flinch, pausing in its pursuit through your medicine cabinet. "I may not seem like it, but I am the best in combat in my cabin so whoever you are, step away from the cabinet and put your hands up."
Gee, that's convincing, you sound like an unnamed extra from the first few minutes of a horror movie before they end up six feet under. Cursing yourself internally, you watched the shadow raise to full height from its bent position. Gulping at the height that seemed to be at least six feet, you wonder if you should have just left this cabinet thief be and go to sleep for the night.
Why would anyone even want to ransack an infirmary at midnight?
You quickly grabbed for your oil lamp situated beside you, still flickering with the smallest of flames and you stood from your chair, causing it to creak back and scratch at the wooden floors as you made your way around the table to approach the thief.
The light was dim, but you spotted the familiar outline of a broad back and curls before he even fully turned.
"Castellan?" You gasped in half-asleep shock, disbelief obvious in your tone as you moved the oil lamp nearer to prove your eyesight wasn't playing tricks on you.
He didn't respond verbally to the call of his name, but when he turned around, his eyes narrowed on you as if you were the intruder. You barely had the chance to form words, questions- before you spotted the dripping crimson liquid near his eye.
"Oh gods." You muttered, grabbing at his arm and tugging him towards the nearest bed. "Why didn't you wake me up? It's not like you could wrap this up yourself."
With some struggle, he finally gave in, plopping down the edge of the bed and watched you scour through the medicine cabinet for bandages and other supplies, muted and stiff.
"I seriously don't understand why you didn't wake me up. Would you rather bleed to death or get an infection?" You scolded, your inner concern bleeding through your usual sense of politeness for injured visitors.
"Maybe." You thought you heard him mumble, but when you turned to look at him, he was facing the window right beside the bed and staring out into the shadows of the forest, the glow of the moonlight illuminating his features like a haunted painting, blood dripping down his cheekbones like fallen tears. You waited longer for an elaboration but there was none. You assumed you heard wrong, or at least you hoped you did.
You got off your knees, splaying out the supplies on the surface of the bed beside him, and pulled up a stool for you to sit at. He was still facing away from you, and your irritation combined with your lack of sleep made you more reckless than you'd usually be with an injured patient.
You gripped at his chin, forcing him to look at you, watching with satisfaction as his eyes widened at the sudden force. He looked more alive when he was caught off guard, his face devoid of the usual disinterest and distance it had ever since he arrived back from his quest.
"How do you expect me to treat you if you keep looking away from me, Castellan?" You challenged, gazing back into his eyes with fire you hoped was fierce enough to break down the coldness in his gaze.
After seconds of nothing but two stubbornheads trying to win a useless battle of eye contact, he sighed. "..Fine."
You were more gentle after that, letting go of his chin and reaching for the cloth. Your hands remained delicate on his skin that seemed to have pulled at the edge of the scar, where it was now bleeding again through its previous stitches. You mumbled a warning before dapping a wet handkerchief on top of the wound to soak in the blood, and he unintentionally grabbed at your thigh as he tried not to hiss out in pain.
You froze at the sudden tight grip, moving the cloth away from his skin and he was quick to retract his hand, positioning it awkwardly on top of the bedsheets instead.
"It's okay if you grab me." You reassured. "It'd be easier for me to gauge if you need me to stop when it gets too painful. You could give me a squeeze if you need a breather?"
You waited, watching his thoughts flicker through his narrowed eyes before slowly, his hand went to rest around your thigh again.
Ignoring the warmth of his palm on your skin, you cleared your throat. "Ready?"
He nodded stiffly, and you went back to work. After the cut had stopped bleeding, you were quick to grab the gauze and bandages. Tenderly, you placed the gauze above his wound, then wrapped the bandages around his face, from the top of his head to below his chin. This was the closest you had ever been to him, and you could feel and hear both his and your breathing in the quiet silence of the infirmary, with no living signs of life aside from the two of you on the infirmary bed and the dim orange hue of the oil lamp.
You could feel his intense gaze on you from his one good eye, while you concentrated on tying a secure knot so it wouldn't fall loose. The moment felt oddly intimate, knowing how sensitive his temper had been ever since he arrived back at camp, scarred in ways not even ambrosia could heal fully.
His hand resting around your thigh felt hot, and you tried to ignore how your mind subconsciously kept track of every time his thumb would brush over the material of your pants.
"Next time.." You hinted, hopefully not crossing his boundaries. "If this happens again, you come straight here, got it? I don't care if I'm sleeping or attending someone else. You are not allowed to take care of a wound like this yourself, especially since I remember how reckless you can be."
Luke Castellan may be an excellent swordsman, but his cockiness was one weakness that he failed to keep controlled, and on days where it won over, he would always end up at the infirmary with a bashful smile as he tried to explain to you on how he ended up with a dislocated shoulder. That felt like eons ago, when that cheeky smile would always be present on his face, his signature move in getting away with any chaos he caused.
Staring at him now, you caught sight of that smile for such a split second you could've sworn you mistook it.
You couldn't stop the teasing smile that slipped past your stern attitude. "Was that a smile I saw, Castellan?"
He cleared his throat, his face falling back into practiced nonchalance, wearing a frown too forced to be real. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"I may be sleep-deprived because a certain someone decided midnight was the best time to ransack an infirmary, but I'm not blind. For making me work overtime, I at least deserve to know what you found so amusing."
He made a face, and you were sure if his face wasn't tightly bandaged, he would roll his eyes in exasperation. "I wasn't amused. Just don't remember you being this.. unhospitable with someone that's injured. And I am not reckless."
You scoffed, causing him to look over at you. "I'd say trying to steal from an infirmary is pretty reckless. I thought Hermes kids were supposed to be good in stealing?"
You realised all too late that you may have touched on a sensitive topic, with the mention of his father, but he didn't seem to notice over the frank insult of being called a bad thief.
"I am excellent in stealing." He bit back so quickly, you choked on a snort. Hermes kids and their egos. "I was just going easy on you because you were knocked out at your desk. Oh, and you snore, you know that?"
"I do not."
"Do too."
"You're a liar and a thief. Don't get why your reputation is as marvelled upon as it is, Castellan. You don't live up to the hype at all."
"Oh, and what about you, Miss Sunshine?" He retorted. "Aren't you suppose to be the famous sweetheart who sings all injuries away with a smile on your face?"
"Don't call me that ever again." You must have looked extremely repulsed because he let out a laugh so genuine, it wiped any disgust off your face at the sound of pure heaven flooding into your ears. God, you forgot he could laugh like that.
"Yeah, I suppose it doesn't suit you, does it?" He murmured. "Maybe Apollo kids are only nice when others are around to see it."
"You've only come back meaner, Castellan." You scoffed. "I almost regret helping you. Would much rather see you stumble over trying to deal with this yourself if I knew you'd be so ungrateful."
"Sounds righteous of you." He nodded with a sarcastic hum. "Leaving me to bleed out to death while you watch. I understand why the camp has such high stakes when it comes to survival now. Never knew there was a sadist hiding in you, sunshine."
"I told you not to call me that." You reminded. "And I'm doing the best I can to keep everyone here alive so don't come to my infirmary talking about stakes when I've just saved your ass from blood loss."
Your response triggered something in him and he grew silent, his gaze locked on you as if analyzing you. That was when you're really reminded of how awful you must've looked. With your bed hair, sunken-in dark circles and sunken shoulders from the lack of sleep, you did not exactly feel the most confident. You didn't know what happened to make the casual atmosphere disappear as fast as it did, but you were anxious that somehow, you had shut him up again and you'd never get the chance to see him that way again, with his playful banter and light-heartedness of a teenage boy that he should have.
"You shouldn't have to." He muttered, almost to himself rather than to you. A seriousness unlike the previous few quips he'd thrown at you took ahold of him, and you had a feeling this was a slither of who he had really become through his rapid transformation, hidden under the jokes and sarcasm.
"What?"
"You shouldn't have to." He repeated a little louder, trying to get you to see his point. A point he'd been trying to tell Chiron, his friends even- ever since he came back here, only to be meet with pitying looks like he was a madman who spoke nonsense to try and make sense of his failure. "Lives should not be your responsibility. You're younger than me, and yet, you're dealing with kids that are near death's door every time they make it past that barrier. I barely made it back here. Some don't even.."
Luke tried to breathe, remembering how he got to camp in the first place. The unnecessary sacrifice that had to be made, the tree that now rests at the barrier of camp, the sound of thunder and pouring rain beating at his face.
"Now, I'm stuck with this disgusting scar on my face for the rest of my life, a stupid reminder every single time I look at myself, that I failed my only chance at proving I was something more than just wasted potential. Now I've gone and screwed it up for everyone because I couldn't do some easy quest someone else already accomplished-" He winced suddenly, grabbing onto the bandaged part of his face that seemed to grow more irritated and inflamed as he spoke.
You were quick to reach for his hand, knowing his aggression may harm the wound more. "It is not disgusting." You answered for him, and slowly, your hand rested over his, removing it from his face so he wouldn't accidentally cause the wound to start bleeding again. "You are not a failure, Luke."
"Don't take pity on me by saying words you don't mean." He muttered. "Everyone expected me to succeed, I could feel it in their gaze when they looked at me. I was supposed to be the best, and just because everyone told me that, I believed it. Now, I'm nothing but a disappointment to everyone."
He didn't know why he was saying all this to you. Maybe because you were the only person to treat him normally in the past two weeks, to really listen instead of trying to get him to move on, and maybe because his heart felt like it was growing too heavy to carry on his own. The insecurity and vulnerability made him feel sick, and he found himself trying to tear his hands away from you out of the need to run, which only made him feel more disgusted with himself. Like a coward, his mind taunted.
You remained stubborn, holding onto his cold palms because you know he has had no warmth, no real genuine words spoken to him since he returned. No one to see him when it was clear he was suffering, that he needed all the time in the world and more to heal, and that he deserved more than self-loathing and an absent father who sentenced him to this fate.
"I am not pitying you." You insisted, and you leaned closer so he couldn't look away from you. "Your scar does not make you ugly or less valuable to anyone. It is not pity, it is a fact. You are a person who has survived a fate so close to death, and any feat to survive death is strength. You are strong, and you made it back here alive with a scar to prove it. It is not a sign of weakness."
"Anyone who tells you different has no right or say in your situation because they did not go through what you did." You said with a stern voice, your anger not towards him, but for him. "Not your father, not anyone."
Luke finally looked at you, like looked. His eyes were scanning all over your face as if not quite believing you were real, but the fire in your eyes was so magnetic, he couldn't look away. The pinch between your brows, the addictive warmth of your hands in his, and the close distance between the two of you, and yet, it didn't make his skin itch with the need to pull away. To hide in his corner and wallow over the heavy weight of knowing his world had ended in the Garden of the Hesperides. Or had it?
Your eyes looked right through him, and for once, he felt like there was someone there for him.
"I suppose I can see where your reputation comes from now, sunshine." He responded weakly, and his heart gave a thump when you smiled back at him.
"Healing's what I understand best." You shrugged casually, as if you didn't just silence his thoughts for a moment of peace, or that you have somehow dulled the internal blades that bled with self-hatred and world-consuming anger pointed at himself, and at the injustice of the gods who could not give a damn about their children. “If I can help you even a little, why shouldn’t I?”
He could feel time ticking again in the back of his mind, the night slowly passing into a new one, and he thinks as he holds your gaze, that maybe this world wouldn't be so painful to live in if he had someone to look at him the way you did.
"I don't know how I'm going to go back to normal. Or if I'll ever be normal again." He admitted, softer in his voice now that his mind didn't deem you as a threat.
"Normal can be lots of things." You said with a comforting smile. "It's normal to have a breakdown when you've nearly faced death. Multiple even. It's normal to feel fine one moment then not in the next. Healing isn't linear, and when you come to terms that you have a right to feel upset and a right to exist without being held to any expectations of others or what you think others want from you, it'll feel easier to just allow yourself to exist throughout the day. Not the perfect camp counsellor or a hero with no faults. Just as yourself."
He let your words sink in, his thumbs subconsciously rubbing over your knuckles, feeling the healed scars of your own from what he assumed must be from previous combat training. "I'm not that great as myself. You might find me disappointing."
You quirked your lips at that, and shook your head. "I don't believe in that one bit. You're already great just as you are now."
He raised a brow. "Even after trying to steal from your infirmary and having a mental breakdown past curfew?"
"Well, just be glad I was around because I'm much more understanding than Will would be with four hours of sleep."
"I am glad." He insisted. "That it's you."
"I'm glad it was me too." You reassured. "It is midnight though and there's Capture the Flag tomorrow, meaning someone's going to end up whining and moping in here in about eight hours so why don't you let me close shop and come by tomorrow, Castellan?"
"Luke." He corrected, giving you a smile you're sure must be the one the other campers rave about all the time. The charming one that made your heart stutter, even with half his face bandaged and eyebags resting below his caramel eyes.
"Luke." You tested it on your tongue tentatively, and it only seemed to spark an electricity between the two of you that you were sure he must've felt too. In the dark corner of the infirmary, with nothing but crickets and your hushed voice, you spoke again with a heavy heart when you needed to tell him to leave. "I have to close this place up or someone else might try and steal from the medicine cabinet, not that I thought it was possible before but.."
"Fine." He complied, getting off the bed and rising to his full height, towering over you and blocking the moonlight from your view. "I'll wait outside and walk you back to your cabin. It's the least I could do."
You tried not to seem too elated over the idea that you could spend a little more time with Luke, though you're sure your glowing smile must've shown. "Sure you're not just trying to improve your image around me, thief?"
He smirked, following you out to the front door while you wrestled for the keys in your pocket to lock up for the night. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
_
"What are you smiling about?"
You looked up from your daze to see Luke leaning over the door frame, watching you with a smirk over his face.
"Can't a girl smile just for the sake of it?" You bit back, cheeks flushing at the idea that he could've possibly seen your focus lingering a little too long on the bed he had sat on. "Why'd you drop out of Capture the Flag? You know your cabin's going to lose their streak to Ares at this point."
"Wanted to see someone." He replied with a shrug, pushing off the door frame to walk towards where you sat, leaning over your desk and watching you compile the latest stock of ambrosia into a box. "Plus, Athena and Hermes are joining for today so Annabeth's got it handled."
He shuffled his fingers along the edge of the table, outlining the curve before clearing his throat. "I heard you covering up for me just now, and I wanted to say thank you."
You looked up at him then, and his eyes seemed to convey that he was thanking you for more than just that. He looked like he wanted to say more, but didn’t know how to.
"Eavesdropping on me now?” You teased. “Careful or you might end up becoming obsessed with a poor, overworked healer."
He scoffed exaggeratedly. "You wish. Just take the thank you. Should've known not to show my gratitude to an Apollo kid."
You stuck your tongue out at him before going on about how mind-blowing it can be that some kids really did not have emotional intelligence when it came to basic decency. Listening to you ramble on as you went on to arrange your first aid kits, Luke realised for all the disappointment he has experienced in his life, maybe there was one good thing his father led him to.
a/n: Couldn't resist writing how this duo met because I live and die for banter. inspired by 'my reputation's never been worse so you must like me for me' trope which is what i live and breathe for. His reputation as the perfect golden boy is in shambles, and sunshine couldn't care less.
taglist: @stars4birdie @elysiandumbash @kehlanislefttoe @mqg125 @madzlovez @0revna0 @auroraofthesun1 @idli-dosa @buubsii @kaylasficrecs @that-daughter-of-hephaestus @itsdragonius @moonlightfoxs-cantina
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meownotgood · 2 months ago
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as above, so below. / death sworn!viktor x reader, 18+, reader is fem bodied, reader uses gender neutral pronouns (but is referred to as 'farmgirl' once), mild violence / death, occult themes, blasphemy, power imbalance, size difference, fingering, riding, consensual mind control, mild painplay (viktor brands a sigil onto reader), praise kink, too much plot and feelings, death sworn viktor is hot and this is my explanation. happy halloween! word count: 16.5k
read on ao3
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I felt it again. Weight at my shoulder, honed talons digging in. The same pitch black feathers fluttered at the fickle edge of my vision. A hand tightened onto my neck, onto my soul, measuring each foolishly clumsy beat of my heart. As the invocation lost strength, so too did the raven evanesce. 
I am getting closer. Death is taunting me, stringing me along with His cold palm outstretched — because He knows, to any end, I will follow. 
The candle wax from the sigil burned my palm quite deeply. I'll search for some cloth bandages to wrap it in, lest the villagers see the marks and begin their endless chatter. Hopefully the farmgirl will not be too concerned. I must continue to exercise caution; I cannot afford any crucial mistakes, not when I am so close to unveiling the truth. 
They will all understand, in time. Death, under no circumstance should you doubt my steadfast faith. My fealty will guide me, and if it does not, I will gladly become acquainted with the cold jaws of the underworld. 
— V. October 29, 1618. 
— 
Breathe in. Breathe out. 
The simple persistence of your pounding heart is not-so-simple when the air is thick with smoke, when the sky is dark and knotted with storm clouds, and when each heavy, quickened step slams your boots into the earth firmer than before. Running. You have to keep running, faster and further than those who might still be chasing you. 
Sticks and fallen autumn leaves crunch under your feet like the breaking of bones. Your legs ache. Your necklace sways with your steps: thin twine with a small skull fastened on the end, tied deftly between the eye sockets. It thuds against your chest, rivaling every pound of your heart. Thunder booms overhead, the weight of it shuddering through you, promising a bleaker fate. The air runs crisp with coming rainwater. 
You nearly trip over a large fallen log, stopping, gasping, as you hurriedly lift your cape to jump over. Shouts ring out from behind you; This way, in the forest! 
Your jaw tightens. You take the opportunity to discard your lantern, tossing it as hard and as far as you can into the bushes. You stumble into a run again, leaving the light behind. The light of the dull, contained flame, the distant lights of the town, and the threatening flickers of the fading lit torches. 
You are going to die. 
It's contradictory for you, really. For ages, amidst your journaling and your research and your rituals, Death never once scared you. No, it enamored you. 
Where others saw a cruel end, a violent finality, you saw a chance, a hope. A moth emerging from a delicate cocoon; a new form of beginning. Your town would never accept anything they deemed as heresy, but you knew Death was meant to be revered. The Gods of the living quake at the sound of His name, merely because they know they cannot fight. They'll never be strong enough to stop the fate that will one day befall each and every one of them. 
Those Gods no longer watch over you. Their favor was lost the moment Death opened His arms to usher you in. 
You want to curse yourself for acting so foolishly. You shouldn't be afraid. This was the fate you wanted, the fate you accepted. It just wasn't supposed to happen now. Not now, not to you, not to him. 
And there is a very, very strong difference between admiring, between watching the maw of a flytrap open to sever the heads of whoever steps close, and finding yourself waltzing into the snare. 
The thick forest thins into a clearing, adorned with large, ominous structures encased in shadow — and your vision blurs, your ankle catching on a twisted bundle of roots. Thorns scrape your skin. You're just barely able to catch yourself with your hands as you fall, but damp dirt still cakes onto your palms and your knees. You brush some on your cheek, when you clumsily wipe your tears with your knuckle. 
Wind whistles in your ears playfully, mockingly. It led you here, despite knowing you hadn't intended to come back. Of course, this wouldn't be your first visit to the gallows today. The soldiers following at your heels must've been hoping they'd drag you here themselves.
You push yourself back up onto unsteady feet. Reaching up, you pull your hood back over your head, and desperately try to regain your lost breath. Puffs of frigid, wispy air spill from your mouth with each heavy exhale. Your cheeks and your fingertips are freezing. The forest shakes, trees rustling all around you. The gallows are quiet, aside from the creak of old wood, and the sway and subsequent thump of hanging rope. For the first time in ages, you are alone. Really, truly alone. Perhaps the guards have finally lost you. 
This moment of respite does nothing but remind you of everything you've been running from. As the trees rustle and the stormy sky bellows, your feverish mind can't help but repaint the picture you saw here at sundown, just a few hours prior. 
Deep shadows cut into the spaces between the crowds of people. The gallows were frantic. Your clasped hands shook in front of you, your face obscured by the shape of your hood. Rays of dying light framed the display: shades of blood red, vivid orange. Your heart shook your ribs, your vision spun. Your ears rang sharply as the people yelled and chanted. Yet, you refused to look away, as frightened as you were, even as they brought him to the stage. 
You won't turn away, not from this. Not when your throat ached from the sharpness of blood and bile, the executioners cutting through his shackles and shoving him forwards. Even though it was foolish, even though it went against what he told you, your feet stayed rooted to the ground, unable to move if they wanted to. 
You prayed for the first time in years — to the Gods, to Death, to anyone. It didn't matter who, because none of them listened. So you watched, useless and wide-eyed as the guards secured the noose to the structure. As a priest chanted some speech about witchcraft and the Gods and the occult. As his breath caught, his gaze dulled, sparks left him like doused flames and then- and you… 
And you were powerless, as you were from the start, as you always have been. 
Your heart twists: a weak, wilted rose, pathetically curling in on itself. Gently, you reach into the pocket on your cape. Your fingertips feel the crisp, folded edges of the note Viktor left you. It's still there, thankfully. You'd hoped you wouldn't lose it in the chase.
You've no need to read it for another countless time. You can recall what it said by memory. 
It's done. I have tried, but I cannot fight this. 
Swirly, cursive letters filled the small scrap of torn parchment, forming hauntingly familiar handwriting, etched in blood red ink. They blended into scattered, barely-readable puddles, where your tears had already fallen to fill the page. Don't follow… they will search… find you again… I promise. 
I promise. You would never doubt his words, you never have. But it's difficult, it's painful. How are you supposed to believe him, when you already watched him die? 
With a shudder and another meager breath, your legs buckle. You fall to the ground, landing on your knees in a weak, futile heap. Your heart pounds, splintering from within your chest — like clusters of quartz and sharp shards of stained glass. 
None of this feels real. You touch your fingertips to your pinched temple, your mind whirling and pounding with nightmarish intensity. Viktor should be here. He still has so much to accomplish, this wasn't supposed to happen when you aren't ready to lose him. Gods. You miss him so, so much. 
Viktor is — was — your closest friend, your partner and your backbone. You wouldn't doubt if his name was etched into each notch of your spine. Honestly, you would've followed him anywhere, with bloodied hands, or with a bleeding heart. 
You were a farmer. A peasant, tilling the fields in your uncle's farm with pennies as payment. Your parents left nothing for you after they died, no bequests or last wishes, so you accepted the offer your relatives had left you — a free place of residence, in exchange for helping on their farm. 
It was a good deal. Your only deal. But it was plain. It was monotonous. You hated how each day felt the same, blending together until all of it was useless, unimportant, and easily forgotten. You wanted to do more, be more. Constantly, you longed for a day when your uncle would quit scolding you, when your illusory chains weren't so tight, when everyone in your town would stop spouting the same useless drivel, and finally open their eyes to the truth right in front of them. 
Viktor put a blissful end to your cycle of tedium. 
He came to your village from a country you hadn't yet heard of. You learned from the townspeople's gossip that he was an inventor, and a renowned alchemist in his youth. Although his studies are mostly kept private, as of late. A councilman had died not too long ago, falling ill out of nowhere, just for his body to mysteriously go missing. Viktor had come to your little town to go through with his own investigations. 
Once he was finished, it was onto the next village, to follow the thread of unexplained deaths that continued to lead him from region to region. You were the one who convinced him to stay. 
Viktor was intelligent. Far too clever for his own good, really. He was handsome. Captivating. Tousled strands of dark hair framed sharp features, tired eyes, and pretty, perfectly-placed moles. Pale skin accentuated crisp blue veins, rivers of cobalt that ran through his thin arms and delicate hands. Intricate rings with various symbols carved into their shape adorned each of his fingers. 
The first time you met, your gaze darted everywhere, unsure of which detail to focus on. You noticed the cane he kept at his side, the wooden handle carved into the elaborate shape of a raven's skull. His palm ran cold when he shook your hand. And when he spoke, introducing himself in a polite tone, his words fluttered through you like butterfly wings — carrying the lilt of an unfamiliar, smooth, intoxicating accent. 
To say you were smitten was an understatement. 
It was a bit foolish, in hindsight. Your farm work grew neglected, as you spent less time at home, and more days with Viktor. 
Far before you met him, to ease the monotony that riddled your day to day life, you spent a lot of time reading. You studied anything and everything you could find. You searched for solace in the journals about Death that you'd steal from the library, because neither the librarians nor your family approved of you reading them. 
Viktor was studying the same thing, examining Death's grand designs on his own time. Missing bodies, the phenomenon of fallen soldiers rising from the dead, tales of people who'd almost died and claimed they'd caught a glimpse of the underworld — all of it had to mean something. Occurrences like this are far from mere coincidences. 
You thought so too. From then on, you just… clicked. Each fragile moment felt important, every conversation with Viktor felt effortless, it felt freeing. Finally, you had someone who understood you, after ages of detachment, years of speaking to yourself in a journal because no-one cared to listen. 
Viktor read through each and every page of your notes, praising your findings. He excitedly murmured that yes, you've made so much progress, you should be proud. And this is precisely what he needs to take the next step in his research. If your notes were combined with his, surely the both of you could reach a breakthrough. 
And so, you were friends. Partners, even. You admired him, respected him. The both of you were close in age, and it was easy to bond over your shared ideals. Especially when the two of you trusted no-one more than each other. 
You worked together, furthering your research in secret, working on inventions as a front, while performing seances to try to speak with Death yourselves. 
Viktor drowned himself in his work, far more than you could. To a dangerous degree, sometimes. He believed in multiple planes of existence, that the end was merely a beginning. Now, it would seem like Death held more untamed power than he initially thought. Death is planning something, perhaps hoping to gather more followers, or to overthrow the Gods of the living. 
Those who did not worship Him would soon learn to kneel. This was the future Viktor truly sought. 
An end that planned to devour. A glorious future that flipped life on its head, blessing His followers with touches of soft rot and violent warmth. None of it scared him, so it didn't scare you. You trusted Viktor, and wherever he led you, you were prepared to follow. 
He knew his research was forbidden. Those in the village could never know the truth of what he was studying, and he intended to keep it concealed until the time was right. The strange happenings that had been occurring throughout the town already had people on edge. Any death-worshippers or cultists or witches, whatever the council wants to call them, will be dealt with as soon as they're discovered. 
Mercy wouldn't be afforded. Still, it was a risk he was willing to take. 
You both thought you covered your tracks well. Viktor never told anyone what he was studying — not a soul besides you. 
Perhaps it was because the inventions he made would've changed the lives of the less fortunate. The council are as selfish as they are precautious. Perhaps they were suspicious of him from the moment he came here, and if you hadn't convinced him to stay all those years ago, he'd still be alive now. 
Your heart aches, killing you from the inside before anyone else could do it for you. Blades of grass tickle your knees, sharp wind brushes your skin with all the gentleness of a cut from a knife. The trees whisper to the darkened sky, which answers with murmurs of loud, rolling thunder. Faint droplets of rain begin to patter onto your shoulders. Your bones run cold with a deep, freezing chill. 
By the time you arrived at his study, there was nothing that could be done. The door was busted open, his belongings scattered and toppled. There was no trace of him, nothing but the note he left for you, tucked into a stack of journals on the desk you once shared. 
Shakily, you breathe a slow, uncertain sigh, and you reach up to absently clutch your necklace. It does little to calm your budding nerves. You run your thumb over the notches in the bone, the surface damp with small raindrops: a raven's skull. The necklace was a gift, mimicking the motif that once adorned his cane. A present from Viktor to thank you for all you achieved together. 
So we match, he mentioned, placing the necklace into your palms, just barely brushing your skin with his fingertips. 
Where will you go now? You can't return home, your relatives surely know the guards are after you, and they won't hesitate to turn you in. Viktor hid your involvement as much as he could, but even if the guards only planned to question you, one look through his notes and journals and you would be finished. You can't take that risk. 
You heard that when he was captured, he never denied any of the claims they tossed at him. They were the fools, and they will burn for it, they will die for their single-minded beliefs. Death holds no mercy for those who dare to defy Him. 
But would Death allow a merciful end for his most devoted followers? A small part of you, battered and bruised, foolishly hopes so. 
Wind whips around you, and raindrops pelt your back and your skin. The sky splits with a fervent crash of lightning; your shoulders tense, as you fight the sharp, rabbit-quick beating of your heart. It thumps in your own ears, just as loud as the rock of the trees and the hammering of the rain. You can't stay like this. You have to keep moving, have to keep breathing. 
Once again, it isn't easy. You attempt to rise to your feet, but your legs tremor, unsure if they can carry you any further. 
Your mind wraps around to the same thoughts over and over again. To the gallows, to the pain in your chest, to Viktor. A sinking sensation fills your stomach, a mantra that repeats with the whisper of the wind: you aren't meant to be here. It digs underneath your skin, pleading a command to run, to get out as quickly as you can and not stop until you are far, far, far gone. 
You almost manage to move. You stare down at your knees, blinking, fighting against your misty vision. Your grip tightens on your necklace until your knuckles are aching. The storm echoes around you, tugging at the trees, howling through the gallows. Rain drips down your face to blend with your tears, mercilessly hitting your back to throb against your spine. 
If you were to get up, it would hardly matter. This is it. You have nothing left to return to. No-one left to fight for. You failed him, just as you failed all you believed in. Darkness seeps in, and the moon shimmers, as its crescent dips into the highest point in the sky. 
Perhaps all you can do is wait for the night to take you. 
Though, the darkness does not. Instead, it sparks. 
With your head tilted down, your gaze focused on the ground, you watch the rustle of the earth underneath you. Faint flickers of blue fire start as patient wisps. Curling at your fingertips, hardly allowing themselves to be noticed. Then, all at once, they begin to feed on the thin blades of grass, surging into flames that seek to swallow everything in their path. 
You hurriedly stumble back. You support your weight on your palms, before the fire can reach your knees. The gallows are scorching before you, all of their glory engulfed in a sea of deep blue flame. It defies reason, the sight has your heart lodging into your throat until it's practically choking you; the flames refuse to falter under the rain, causing the wood to creak and decay. 
Ash crumbles down and coats the dirt. A wooden beam at the top of the structure comes crashing down, hitting the ground with a deafeningly loud crack that rivals the resounding boom of thunder. 
Fire, there's so much fire, it's all you can see, all you can breathe in. The wind tosses your fluttering hood from your head. Blue flames ripple at the edges of your vision, reminding you of burning parchment. 
You can't move. There's nothing you can do but watch, listening to the pound of your own heartbeat as the flames continue to surge. Oh, you were wrong, so wrong. Your end was never meant to come at the hands of some insignificant soldiers. Right here, right now is where you'll finally crumble. 
Death has come to take you for himself. Fitting, for the two of you to die here together. 
As the gallows crumble, at the center of the clearing, a sigil inscribes itself into the dirt. It burns in the same shade of deep blue, scrawling a few feet in front of you to a careful, intricate pace. 
It starts at the outer edge, forming a circle encased by runes. They bear resemblance to runes you've studied, but none of them are decipherable. The mark shines brighter when it completes, forming a triangle at its center: the symbol for life at its apex, the symbol for death at its side, and a final, skull-shaped symbol carving into the last point. 
An inferno manifests from the symbol. Thunder splits the sky, the tempest tugs at your clothes and toys with your necklace — but the fire changes, the flames form a shape. A staff rises from the ground, lit by a radiant, glowing crystal, grasped by a large, armored hand. 
Blue smoke wisps ominously from the newly-summoned figure — A man? Is it even a person, could it be Death itself? The occult books you've studied told you that if one were ever to look upon Death, their heart would instantly cease to beat. But yours is still pounding, still knocking at your ribs and making your blood race. 
The sigil calms, giving off a dull glow underneath his boots. His figure is framed with a crimson hooded cape, much like yours. Bulky pillars of armor rest on his shoulders. An eye with a sharp, slit pupil curves from a line of smoke impaled into his back. It flickers over you, regarding you with something all-knowing. 
Surely he stands several feet taller than you, and from this position — you're cowering on the ground, your knees folded like a skittish baby deer's, your eyes wide and your breath catching — he practically towers over you. His staff hums from the weight of what must be unfathomably powerful magic. Panic laces through you, your lungs aching, your throat dry. But your head also spins with intrigue, with eagerness. 
Your research was founded upon hoping an event like this would happen to you. And here it is, a true being of Death, formed right before your eyes. Watching you, sparing you. 
So why, why are you still alive? 
The figure's head tilts. Raindrops, fewer in number, patter onto his head and tap against his armored shoulders. He's clearly gazing down at you. You aren't met with a face, nor with anything human. Instead, you're forced to stare into the intimidating outline of a glowing, skull-shaped mask. 
"I believe," His fingers drum against the length of his staff, and his voice echoes through your mind, drowning out the raging storm, converging with your own racing thoughts, "I urged you not to follow me." 
You freeze. Everything stops, until the skip of your heart in your chest is all you can hear. Your veins run as cold as an icy, frozen river. 
Oh. That's Viktor's voice. 
— 
Time seems to ebb away much faster when you know it has afforded you boundless infinity. 
For six months, I have been Death's herald, and with each passing day, I have felt the veiled web of power within me fester. I do not regret my decision. Flesh was nothing more than a weakness to be shed. But it is gradually growing impossible to tell where Death ends, and I begin. 
Vitality. Depravity. Desire. Every sensation burns within the fire that replaced my heart, forceful and inescapable. 
A part of me does fear the way Death has begun to evolve my mind and my vessel, but I believe my partner understands what I have become. Foolish as they are. 
My previous theories will need to be amended. The mind, the soul, and the body are separate, as well as equal. It is in the palms of another where the pieces that remain of you can truly coalesce. 
— V. Unknown Date, 1619. 
The solemn throne room, which once brimmed with beauty and life, now settles under the thick weight of darkness and demise, falling silent in the wake of your destruction. 
Large quartz archways crumble slightly, chunks blown off from powerful, laser-focused blasts of dark magic. Tall, warm columns of stained glass shine in every muted color, reflecting the bright light of the full moon. Grandiose statues and tattered flags line a pathway to a curving staircase, which leads to a noble, black-marble throne. 
Empty suits of armor litter almost every inch of the floor, to the point where you have to delicately step over them to reach the very center of the room. Steel swords and bows remain close by. And on the outer edge of the throne room, cowering in a corner, lies the charred remains of the king's robes, and his chipped, glittering crown. Death has claimed their bodies, along with their souls. The fate they befell here is hardly the worst in store for them. 
You gaze up, examining the intricate paintings laid onto the ceiling. They depict multiple figures. You recognize angels, with muted colors, harps, and fluttery dove wings. At the outer edge, there is the moon and stars, with a metaphorical illustration of Death — a satyr with six arms and four horns, shielding himself from the light. 
Amusing, to think that a handful of angels and a meager army of soldiers could stop what Death planned for them. For you and Viktor, the task was trivial. 
The knights will make strong servants. Lord Death will use them well, to build His steadily growing army. The king, on the other hand, will likely be punished — for ever believing he could escape his own grim fate. 
"Magnificent." A familiar voice lilts into your ears, thick with a smooth accent, echoing through your mind like the ripple of a rock thrown into water. "But of course, our purpose is not yet complete." 
You glance back towards him as Viktor admires the sea of destruction, a low wisp of flame idly twisting around his fingertips, before he casts it away with a flick of his index. The edge of his cape is slightly torn, singed from the aftermath of powerful flames. His staff glows gently, likely regaining the power it expended. 
This new form of his is… imposing. If you were someone who stood in his way, and if you weren't already used to this, the sight of him alone would make you fear for your life. He is tall — large enough that the top of your head barely reaches his chest, and your neck must crane to look up at him properly. And he is strong; his body is constructed from blue smoke and figments of dark magic itself, rendering him immortal, and near impossible to touch. 
Nearly. 
Viktor hums, and the threatening, armored eye that floats above his shoulder flickers, surveying the scene with quiet intensity. Death's Eye, the token that provides him with a great portion of power, and watches over while the both of you carry out Death's bidding. 
"I trust you are pleased with this outcome," Viktor murmurs, his tone cold and practical. "We will travel north next, as you demanded, and continue with further vanquishment. You will be informed when we reach our next target. Until then, Glory to the Underworld."
You nod, slightly nervous, bowing your head and neatly placing your arms behind your back as the eye flickers over you, next. "Yes- Glory to the Underworld." 
Seemingly satisfied, the eye shifts. Smoke dissipates from the line connecting it between Viktor's shoulders. Then, Viktor snaps his fingers, and the eye disappears without a trace. 
"There." Viktor turns towards you, and your gaze is met by his skull-shaped mask: fit with intricate engravings and two small divots, not-quite-eyes lit by twin flames. "We are alone." 
Fear does not course through you, even if it should. Instead, a small smile forms on your lips, pleased and eager, almost smug. As soft as it was on the day you met him. 
Once again, as if you had never once lost each other, Viktor is your ally, your partner. Your closest confidant — and yet, everything has changed. There are some things Death can take, but regardless of His strength and omnipresence, can never return. 
Viktor's form no longer resembles who he once was. The details you'd memorized have been cast aside in favor of a stronger, more formidable chassis. A means to an end, Viktor explained. The body matters less than the mind, and so it only made sense to destroy and rebuild it. This is only fitting, for one of Death's chosen Sworn. 
His voice is the same as you remember, when it lilts smoothly through your system. He still has the same sharp intelligence you once might've found yourself falling for. His memories, thoughts, and ideals are intact. Viktor was quick to reassure you of this, reminding you of the secrets only he would know. Your research would've told you to be wary, your notes reminding you that Death is greedy, and does not give up a soul once He has caged it. 
At some point, you stopped listening to those notions. It matters little to you. Viktor is yours again, until the earth crumbles, until the sky and sun burn out — and really, your meager, loving heart couldn't ask for anything else. 
Death is not an unjust sovereign. And so, in Viktor's own words, when he first reached the underworld, he was offered a choice. 
He was promised a chance at resurrection: a reward for his undying loyalty. But in exchange for power, your research partner would need to swear much, much more. 
He would be given power beyond anything he could dream of, a new body, a chance at revenge. All he must do is agree to complete His bidding, working as Death's right hand. Death would instruct Viktor with building an army, with reaping souls to fuel the underworld's lifeblood. Anyone who stood in the way of His vision must fall. Or, he could refuse, and instead embody what remained of his lost soul, as it gradually withered away into dust. 
It was a simple choice, really. Now, those who opposed Viktor's vision will not just bow to Death. They will also bow to him. 
From there, it would've ended rather simply. Viktor would have taken up Death's mantle, and you- You would be left to time, most likely. Another forgotten soul, drowning amongst the endless sea. 
But Viktor made you a promise, and it was one he did not intend to forget. 
The deal he proposed with Death came with one stipulation. His partner — you — would be spared, and if Death willed it, put to use. You are mortal, sure, but you were as dedicated and talented as he once was. With the assistance of a small fraction of power, you could become a worthy disciple. 
You would have nothing to fear, not ever again, Viktor promised. As long as you knelt close to his heel. 
And so, on that fateful, stormy night, you took Viktor's hand when it was offered to you, and became a fellow servant of the end. You left your town behind — all of them, everyone who had once forsaken you. Your village and the townspeople and your farm, deeply drowned in a sea of blue, fierce flame. 
There was nothing left for you, nothing but this. Besides, you had no doubts. For Death, for Viktor, you would do anything. If Viktor asked you to burn the world to the ground, you would swear to leave it in nothing but ashes. 
Your gaze flickers up from your feet, your thoughts roused as Viktor motions for you to follow with a subtle crook of his finger. And as though you would follow him anywhere, you trail behind with quick, eager steps. 
He leads you over the discarded bodies of the soldiers, guiding you to climb the room's centerpiece: its winding staircase. The long, laced edges of your dress brush your ankles when you carefully grasp and lift it, trying your best not to trip. Viktor leans his weight on his staff, uses it to walk, which is hardly needed, but it's still second nature. 
Your hands clasp in front of you, your dress gently swaying. You watch him set the staff aside, before he takes his rightful seat at the throne. 
He looks like he belongs in a throne, to you. 
For a moment, you fiddle with your thumbs. You glance away, looking at the discarded remnants of the old throne room. 
"That almost seemed too simple," You muse, brows furrowed together slightly. "Will all of humanity be this weak?" 
Viktor leans back. He rests his elbows on the arms of the marble throne, his large legs spread while he clasps his hands together: one armored, almost mechanical. The other delicate, with thin fingers and wispy edges. Soft plumes of mist spill from the gaps between his mask and his tattered hood. 
"Mortals are weak by nature," He explains, assured as ever. His voice echoes, syllables resounding against one another, and his fingers gently tap his own knuckles. "They blind themselves, and then ramble about the truth, without realizing they are still pulling wool over their own eyes. You know this." 
"I do," You murmur, breath catching at the sight of him. Your spine still tingles from the thrill of your victory. "We've seen it countless times." 
"Those men were especially amusing to destroy." Viktor huffs, something between a chuckle and a sigh, and large puffs of cerulean smoke billow from the gaps between his mask. "Men like that impudent king are not even worth the mana. He believed himself to be some form of prophet, only to begin begging to his worthless God once he knew he'd been surpassed." 
Then, Viktor laughs, low and maniacal, as his thighs part more to let him lean back even further. "Pathetic, was it not?" 
With his entire army felled, the king pleaded for someone to save him. Sweat beaded at his forehead, and his panicked eyes shimmered with a spectral glow, reflected in the light of Viktor's staff, pointed right towards him. The Gods did not intervene, like the king swore they would. Death did not lose, like his legion of false mages once prophesied. 
Rather, Viktor merely chuckled, and said nothing, before a single focused thread of magic reduced the man at his feet to dust and bone. 
Your spine shudders sharply. Anticipation settles onto your back, pooling within your core, hot as cinders. 
Thinking to yourself, you allow your gaze to travel across the throne. Old banners, lined with gold thread and embroidered with royal symbols drape beside the tall walls of stained glass. Intricate shapes are carved into the throne's smooth marble. A sun and moon, a cross of swords, and an ouroboros-like depiction of a wolf, and a lamb. 
"He was the same as every king and sovereign we have faced." You take a step forwards, your shoes clicking against the smooth stone floor. "Weak. Witless. Disappointing." 
Viktor watches silently as you approach; your fingertips trace the arm of the throne for a moment, studying the detailed runic engravings. Your gaze glimmers, jeweled and lovely, glittering across him — like prey, teasing the jaws of a predator. A smile crosses your features, one that radiates control. 
"They pretend they are capable of holding the world in their hands-" 
Your voice is kept low; with a palm on his shoulder giving you leverage, you slide into his lap, settling onto his firm thighs — spread as wide as the square throne will allow. 
You're barely whispering, now: "Even though they're toppled as easily as the rest." 
Your body is much, much smaller than his, but sitting in his lap nearly puts you at equal height. Your palms gently brush over the cold pillars of armor on his shoulders. You let your hand press to his chest, tangible and icy. Smoke wisps around your hand — hungry, possessive — as though it seeks to swallow you in. His head tilts, invisible gaze seemingly following your movements, regarding you with a lack of emotion you can't place. 
It would be impossible to tell what he's thinking by sight alone. The Viktor you remember would glance away, or perhaps let his brows furrow. He might coax you with nervous touches, or persuade you to move with careful, logical arguments. 
But this Viktor, frigid and magic-bound, a vessel for ruination — he stays silent, and leans back to offer you more room, his steel-clad hand grasping your side. His touch is as natural as it is unnatural. The clawed fingers of his gauntlet briefly press into your skin through your dress' fabric. His hand settles just above your waist, as though it were meant to be there, with all the familiar gentleness of an angel's winged embrace. 
Your heart stirs, pounding quickly as your body acts before you can think, pliantly leaning into his touch. Your throat feels tense, your skin warm, a newfound taste on your tongue fierce like sweet ichor. For you, it isn't enough. 
So, you press closer. Your long dress drapes over his thighs, smooth black satin against armor and miasma. Your fingertips find the rough edge of his mask, and they trace it with delicate intensity. Viktor's only reaction is to let his large hand travel down, his palm encompassing and squeezing your waist. This time, with a practiced, careful, knowing touch. 
Viktor is the most intelligent, perceptive man you have ever known. And he knows you, enough to make you certain he realizes precisely what you're playing at. 
Your dances always begin like this. You can't help but let a smirk pull at your parted lips. 
"Tell me," You're murmuring, slowly leaning in. Deep blue smoke begins to wisp around your figure, brushing against everything it can touch, but you hardly seem to mind. "Is there anyone who could possibly stand against us? Anyone worthy enough to threaten you- to defy Death's most loyal harbinger?" 
Viktor pauses for a moment, before speaking. 
"Humanity adapts when threatened. There are people to the north, who have begun to use tomes to teach themselves how to wield magic." 
You scoff, "Powerful magic?" 
"No. Not when compared to what we possess." Viktor's masked gaze regards you emptily, as you draw shapes with your fingertips onto the intricate curvature of his shoulders. "They may be difficult, but they will not be impossible. In the end, they'll be slaughtered like the rest. No soul is capable of succeeding against our absolution." 
"Viktor," You coo his name like a nightingale, "Won't Death be proud of us?" 
Of us. The both of you have come so far, from the foolish, loathed scholars you once were. Wouldn't the younger versions of yourselves be proud of how far you've come, of the power the two of you have gained? Or would they despise this, would they cling onto humanity the way you and Viktor have failed to? 
"He will be satisfied," A drag of his hand, gripping and guiding your waist, rocks you much closer to him. "Once the task he sent me to complete is fully accomplished." 
You sigh; his voice blends through you. Burning like light, syllables thick and reverberant. Gods, you can barely focus on his words anymore. 
Leaning forward, unable to stop yourself, your lips press teasing, idle kisses to the firm side of his mask, to fill the empty space left when he quiets once more. With another kiss, brutally warm, you're curling your fingertips into the ice-cold smoke that would be his face, you're gripping the underside of his mask tight. 
Frigidness bites at your fingers. His mask feels rough against your lips. You place playful imprints of promises you wanted to keep, of touches you wanted to inflict before there was this. 
When your lips could have pressed to soft pale skin and star-placed moles. When tender kisses could have led to firm touches, and hands toying where they shouldn't belong. Warm bodies pressing together with the warmth of liquid gold, like they are each other's vice. A time where the vision you had for the future and your studies and the frailty of life mattered less than each other, and — 
Viktor stirs. His free hand glides over the small of your back, making you arch and curve into him, but his armored palm grasps your face, roughly dragging it back. The smirk that beams across your face is wild. 
"Viktor-"
"Stay still." 
His echoing voice is firm — Your breath catches, but you oblige. 
"Dove." He tsks when you're silent, half-amused, faux-annoyed. The familiar pet name makes your heart twist and flutter. "Are you sure you want to do this here? You cannot wait?" 
You breathe a light laugh, your cheeks slightly sore from his stiff, squeezing touch. Gaze flickering, eyes slightly rolling, you hum, "Don't we deserve a reward? To- I don't know, to celebrate our victory?" 
"We?" Viktor chuckles darkly. His hand shifts, armor cold on your skin as he grips the back of your neck like you're a scruffed kitten. "You wish to be rewarded." 
Your head spins. Your whole body shudders, rich with a clear lack of restraint. The difference in power between you is staggering. 
Beneath his fingertips, you can feel the thrum of magic, necromantic and heady, pulsing at your throat. It courses through your mind with strength that aims to conquer. This sort of magic puts the fear of Death way deep in your stomach. Threads of soft smoke flush over your skin. Your veins tingle. The power you were gifted is not like this, not this forceful, not so carnivorous. 
And yet, even as everything within you shudders, instinctually flinching at the violent weight of rot against your skin, all you can believe is that he deserves to own this power. Viktor should satisfy himself with more, with as much as he desires. The two of you have fought for it, and now, you should get to enjoy it. 
For a moment, you think he has you pinned. But your beloved partner blesses you with mercy. 
"We won," He purrs; and there's such delicious contrast, between the mercilessness Death's closest apostle — Viktor, your Viktor — shows your adversaries, and the patience, the earnestness he extends towards you. 
"Those who dared to oppose us are dead. You did excellently, you are growing stronger. You were very, very good. Is this what you wanted to hear?" 
Viktor speaks close to you, allowing you to feel a frigid brush of smoke fanning out over your skin. His voice resounds through your mind and your eardrums. Your hands threaten to shake, each of his words carved especially for you. Only for you. 
"Yes- Vik," Your breath stutters, flowers in your throat budding with hunger, "Please." 
If he was capable, Viktor would certainly be smirking. A confident, assured grin, like the kind he'd flash after his intricate notes resulted in a successful hypothesis. Your heart pounds loud in your ears, his fingers idly curving over your neck, igniting a famine in your chest. Perhaps he knows more than he's letting on. Perhaps he's realized how terribly you've needed this. 
"Coy, aren't you? Asking so nicely." Viktor guides his opposite, magic-worn palm down your back, tracing where the ridges of your spine would sit. 
Your eyelids flutter, and you're sure it doesn't go unnoticed. You force yourself to breathe deeply, your lungs filled with the warm scent of him: of flame, and ash. 
"When we were Death's mere students, you were often receptive to positive feedback." He continues; his hand maneuvers, pressing his index finger underneath your chin to direct it. "But you were never this insatiable." 
The encompassing lilt to his tone tells you it isn't an insult. No, it sounds like raw, fierce fascination. 
"There wasn't time, we came so close to our goals and- and it just wasn't-" You cut yourself off with a quiet, barely-there gasp when Viktor's hand begins to carefully trail over your neck. Gentle at first, until you're reaching up, placing your much smaller palm over his own, guiding him to squeeze. 
"I just missed you." 
"I never left your side," Viktor counters, matching your gluttony when his thumb swipes over your pulse, the sharp, clawed digit grazing your skin. "I suppose this is what you missed." 
His touch? His voice? The threads of magic that form his figure brushing against your flesh, the divine press of your weak, mortal shape to his? 
Either way, he's right. 
Your blood pumps pleasantly, every facet of your willing gaze focused on him; on the magic swirling through his body, on his death-shaped mask as Viktor's vessel silently examines you. Vision blurring, you relax, allowing your veins to tingle and your head to go hazy. Your arms fall limp, and into his lap. 
The feeling of his hand around your neck makes you shudder with risk. It reminds you of the warmth that courses through your body in the heat of battle, of the delight when you're in the eye of an ongoing conquest. Of the dumb thrills that came when you were young and stupid, when you pushed the boundaries of your research, performing messy seances, unafraid to put your lives on the line. 
Now, all of your life belongs solely to him. 
Yes, you missed this. You missed Vik so badly when you thought you lost him — and oh, having him now makes you feel like you could do anything. You could rule together, if that's what he wanted. Viktor could destroy everything, and you would still follow at his side. An endless, fervent part of you wants to be powerless, because Viktor's hands wouldn't falter if they held your life. They wouldn't hesitate to press against you, with all of the pressure and heat of the sun. Or, they would bend you into submission, until you'd no longer have the need to think. 
Trust and desire make two halves of one whole — your desire speaks in echoes of his name, in every shape. And your trust burns like a suffocating flame in your chest, begging to be made his. 
"You're quivering," Viktor notes, although his touch doesn't waver, doesn't loosen. "Tell me what you are wanting. Your lips can still form words, use them." 
"Need you," You're sputtering, the lightest smile pulling at your cheeks, a playful contrast to the sternness in his tone. Finally, you take a nice deep breath, as his grip moves down the column of your throat to rest over the apex of your chest. "I want you, Vik- right here. Or would you prefer me to beg?" 
Your palms shift up to grip his shoulders again — your gaze on his, pleading, heavy. Your body presses closer, ever-so slightly. It's enough to force Viktor to take a low, deep breath. One that forms smoke, defies reason, choking him with desperation and destruction. With a potency that aims to devour. 
Viktor isn't the man you remember, you knew this when you first swore to join his cause. You would never forsake him, even if Death took him to heights you could not reach. Even if Death sought to become him, in a sickeningly beautiful way, in a way that warrants forbidden deals and dark magic and shallow graves. 
Gods, you would have done it all over again. 
You would've made the same mistakes, walked the same doomed path if it meant he would still return to you, just like this. Stronger. With ambition. Without the need for the pain or the hesitation that came with his previous body and past life. 
You've always found Death to be beautiful. Gentle like the slow wilt of deep petals, resolute like the soft cradling of a final embrace. When your village left you forsaken, the demise you glorified rose to save you. Viktor saved you. Death should be taken with palms outstretched. With an obedient body, ready to be reshaped. With a willing soul, with reverence, with worship — and this is exactly what you need, what you've sought to do. 
Death has always been a knife at your back, Viktor just knows how to guide the blade and twist it deeper. 
"Groveling is unbecoming. Exceptionally so, for the partner of Death's herald." Viktor's voice briefly wavers as he expends something of a sigh. "And it would hardly be necessary. I am already aching to take you." 
You grin, clearly pleased. Your fingertips trace up, gliding over the jagged curves of the armor on his chest. "Eager? Thought I was the insatiable one." 
Viktor, unshaken and controlled, avoids your question entirely. He holds your chin with his unarmored hand. His fingers are delicate, their edges foggy with faint smoke. 
His voice is a low rumble, resounding through every edge of your mind. 
"Do you trust me?" 
Yes, of course I trust you. You've spoken and penned and drowned in those words, countless times before. The relationship you once shared, whatever it meant, was built on trust. The two of you need nothing but your faith and one another. You trust Viktor's ideals. His judgment. His touch. You've never trusted anyone more. 
For Death, you would offer your life, you would embrace every sin, if it meant you'd be offered a knife to save you from the dark. For Viktor, you would become the knife, fighting for his heartbeat over your own, condemning the world and every soul on its surface if he told you it needed to be done. 
And for both, tied together, dangerously one, you'd gladly plunge the dagger of trust into your own chest. 
"I do," You nod shallowly, your gaze unwavering. "Don't hold back. Want you to be rough." 
Thin, glowing flames meet your eyes from beneath Viktor's mask. Carefully, he presses the thick, ice-cold end of his thumb to your pouty bottom lip, foreign sensations sending sparks through you like dying stars. 
Viktor taps your lip gently. "Open your mouth." 
If this was a dance, a carefully performed pirouette at the center of the dimly lit throne room, like countless royals have likely done before you, this would be the moment where you would have been held, and dipped down. Spun in front of everyone, with nothing to be done but brace onto his shoulder, hold on tightly, and follow. The rhythm would heighten, and you'd be left entirely at his mercy. 
Following his instruction, your lips part gently, slowly. Your eyes flicker across his face, never leaving where you're imagining his own gaze to be. His thumb eases in, and just barely presses against the end of your tongue. 
The first thing you taste is smoke. Ashen and ghostly, rich and familiar. It's like breathing air for the very first time. Magic thrums from the fuzzy edges that form his shape; tasteless, but strong, thudding through you like the weight of a panging heartbeat, melting into your veins like dark, lush blood. You swear your senses are washed out in crimson, as he waits for you to lick a thick, hot stripe onto the end of his thumb. Your gaze goes soft and eager then, silently pleading for more. 
To your brief disappointment, he drags his thumb from your mouth, unaffected when you whine. Then, to your delight, Viktor offers you his index, his middle, and his ring. He presses all three fingers to your lips, where you gladly accept, allowing him to shove them into your throat. 
"There," He murmurs, the slightest hint of satisfaction heavy on his tone. Cold, his fingers are cold against your teeth and your tongue when you struggle to suck on them. "You have such a precious, pliant mouth." 
Your only response is a muffled, pathetic hum. One hand finds his wrist, the other settles weakly onto his shoulder. He knows there's no way for you to reply, no option for a rebuttal to form when your pretty mouth is stuffed full. And with more strings of carefully constructed praises, he takes full advantage. 
"You are terribly obedient. Every command, stage by stage, piece by piece, you follow without strife." 
Viktor's fingers press in a bit deeper, making you grip his wrist much tighter. Tears bud at your lashes, your breath sharpens as you fail to stifle a whimper. 
"When Death instructs you to kill, you rend the flesh of whomever He chooses. When I compel you to heel, you settle at my feet." 
At his feet, near his side, in his lap, wherever Viktor wants you — because you are so, remarkably good. 
When you moan softly, threatening to choke, your thighs shifting in a pitiful attempt to rub them together, he drags his fingers back to give you a chance to breathe; a small act of kindness. Your breath catches, heavy and forceful. Your lips glisten with shiny drool. Slowly, once you're ready, he pushes them back in, and settles into a deep, steady pace, languidly fucking your mouth with his fingers. 
You're sure you'll never reach heaven. Not after everything you've done and sworn to do. But as your eyelids flutter, and your legs grow weak, your mouth sufficiently used, you swear this is the closest you'll get. 
"Death does not regret His choice to select you," Viktor assures, cold and composed. "He knows you are His perfect, loyal little disciple. He will be pleased with what you have done here, as am I." 
His fingers are pulled from your mouth slowly, offering you time to gasp and adjust. He holds your chin, taps his fingers against your cheek to make your skin slick with your own spit. A damp, desperate mess still wets your face, and he quickly brushes away the tears that still cling to your lashes with his thumb. Your heart tremors, the gesture all too tender. 
"Vik," You sputter, "Touch me." 
Now, it's his turn to listen. 
Viktor leans back against the throne, getting comfortable. Your grip steadies on his broad shoulders to keep yourself still, your fingers digging into the strong, bone-like frame of his armor. 
A hand finds your waist, trailing down. He pushes up the end of your dress, allowing his touch to carefully brush your thigh. Mere fingertips trace your soft skin; cold as ice, thrumming with magic that ricochets through you like lightning. He finds the blade you routinely keep strapped to your leg. His palm grazes the leather sleeve, and examines the labyrinth of engravings carved into the hilt. 
It's slow, teasing. Effortlessly calculated. Your dress bunches around your hips. Then, once you're drawn to panting breaths and shuddering sighs, he reaches up. With delicate motions, so gentle they contradict his very existence, he pulls at the strings of your corset, helping to untie them until it is loose. 
Your heart shakes your chest. Each light, purposeful touch of his hand against your spine has you reeling. Removing your dress is a swift process, from there. 
It unties as simply as the corset. You rush to pull the smooth satin from your limbs, and adjust to let it fall to the stone floor in a heap. 
Almost fully bare, you settle back into his lap, the cool air of the empty room brushing your skin. Pitch black armor frames his thighs, rough against your own graceful legs. The crow-skull necklace you keep close to your heart sways, tapping against your chest when you shift to get comfortable. Viktor presses a palm to the small of your back to ease you into position — spectral and hazy, settling against smooth, perfect skin. 
Low light envelops you, filtered through stained glass. It frames every curve, each of your blemishes and marks. Your whole figure shakes, forced on instinct to arch into his body, then his touch. Viktor's palm trails from your side to your waist, gentle, tenderly analytical. 
"Look at you," He murmurs, "You are a pleasure to admire." 
Everything within you melts, your body hazy and warm. His hand slowly trails your back, and your clenched jaw finally relaxes. 
"Viktor…" Your gaze is sparkly, you're clearly high on his words. "I asked you to be rough, remember?" 
Gentle fingers tap your skin, the way they would tap against his cane or his desk when he's lost in thought, but he continues with a non-response: "Come here." 
A palm squeezes your waist, guiding you forwards. Your arms wrap around him as you prop yourself up on his lap, knees splayed out over his large thighs. Your lungs practically ache with the weight of the heavy breaths you take in. 
His fingertips trace fiery touches onto your inner thigh. Knowing touches, because he expects the way you whine. He holds you tightly to keep you still once your legs struggle to hold your weight. You swallow, your veins set alight with a violent sense of need. 
"Patience. We can work our way up," He decides; his voice ripples within you deeply, rich with his accent, rumbling with an unearthly echo. Like a hand at your ankle, dragging you down into dark, murky, endless water. 
And you let him take you. 
You stay still as his hand moves, like a tamed pet, until his palm is brushing your stomach, making the knot in your core wind itself even tighter. Until practiced fingertips are gliding beneath the hem of your lace underwear, pressing between your weak legs, finding your waiting, needy entrance — 
Viktor scoffs. He lets go of a dark, deliberate chuckle, one that makes vapor billow from his figure. "But it would seem you do not need it. You are filthy." 
Your forehead falls, leaning against his own — against his mask — and you grip onto his shoulders, tight enough to make your knuckles ache. Wisps of magic brush your face, swirling around you, delighting in your exhilaration. And you are, you're a mess, your arousal wet and dripping as it gets his fingers slick; his middle and ring, this time. 
Despite his instruction, Viktor makes it so difficult to be patient. It takes everything in you not to press against him. Not to feed into your gnawing desperation, bucking your hips into his fingers and grinding on them until they're truly soaked. 
"I- Please-" You choke, barely able to breathe, "Want more…" 
"Is that so? You're in need of more?" Viktor parrots, only slightly mocking with his tone. "Selfish indulgence is rather effective at making mortals forget their place." 
Before your lips can even stumble out a yes, please, his fingers are altering their approach. Slick and determined, they find your swollen clit, flicking over it precisely; he's so close, it's so much. Your body aches, filled so thickly with desire it nearly hurts. Ecstasy licks at your bones, ravenous and all-consuming. 
When you jolt, stuttering through a moan, Viktor's free palm holds your shoulder to steady you. Your hands find the hood of his cloak and grip it tight. They ball up the crimson fabric, long nails digging in. 
Slow, easy circles onto your sensitive clit are all you're given. His palm begins to trace down once you're steady, exploring your collarbones. Brushing further still, to briefly fiddle with the necklace he gave you. 
The twine sits around your neck loosely, partially frayed. The skull has grown worn, faint notches now present on its surface. It's a soft, persistent reminder. You feel it tap against you when he lets it go, only for his large palm to splay itself over your chest, armor cool against your skin. 
You gasp, sounding overly shaky. "Vik-"
"Your poor heart is pounding," He interrupts, hand measuring each tender beat. Quickened and needy, as your heart thuds in your eardrums. "Letting go would prove so simple. So gratifying. You want your mind to be blank, so you might let yourself act on nothing but dumb desire. As all pathetic humans do." 
It would be easy — grinding against his cold, magic-woven fingers. Giving in to the throbbing, enthralling sensations while you pleaded for him to offer you more, to show you mercy. Clearly, Viktor has you exactly where he wants you. 
"If you must be reminded," Viktor continues; his newfound rhythm is practically merciless, his touch teasing your clit until you whine, just to drift to your entrance — warm and wet and waiting, but he doesn't press in. You aren't given what you want. Instead, he observes you silently, perhaps content to watch you struggle. He allows you to shudder, to whimper, your back arching as sparks weigh heavy in the curves of your spine. 
"You are in no position to make demands." 
"I'm not demanding," You gasp out, heavy sighs following the syllables. A faint and eager smile pulls at your cheeks. You know it's a game you'll lose, but it's exciting to play, all the same. "I'm begging." 
Viktor hesitates, savoring those words. The laugh that lilts into your ears is downright maniacal. 
"Tch, greedy thing," He scoffs. His fingertips press into your sweet, sensitive clit firmly, with all of the practiced precision you've been craving. "And here I thought you might finally be taught some restraint. You won't be satisfied until I fill you." 
Thankfully, he doesn't make you wait. 
Viktor shifts, dragging you a bit closer on his lap, running his middle digit over your entrance until you're a shivering, fragile mess. Like porcelain, you could break at any moment — but the press of his finger inside you, filling you, finally giving you a hint of blissful reprieve, feels as though you're being placed back together. 
Pleasure rolls over your body like a wave, crashing, drowning. His touch is cool, laced with dark matter. Pulsing with a strong thrum of energy that you can feel so intensely when he's inside you. Strands upon surges of Death's magic, within you, becoming part of you. Eating away at what remains of your soul until you are pierced, much like a rabbit struck with an arrow — delightedly, brutally his. Your vision goes fuzzy once his finger starts to pump. In and then out, to a slow pace, enveloping you in crests of white foam. 
"Viktor…" You murmur his name, broken and weak, and he drinks it in like fine wine; swallows it whole, reduces it to cinders. "Oh- Feels s-so fucking good-" 
You're quivering, from just one finger. Two would likely force you to break. 
"Foolish little lamb." Viktor delights in your subsequent shudder. Always so responsive to his voice, as if he'd given you a command. "Toying with Death, giving themselves, their body, their life. Their unshakable devotion." 
Still, Viktor drags the digit from you; your body falls into him, limp and small. You lean your head against his form, struggling to catch your breath. And at last, he gives you two — his middle, his ring, pressing inside you, filling you deliciously. 
"Death is- oh, fuck…" Your voice tremors, desperate, lovely-toned. Your cheek presses into his chest, wisps of magic pouring over your skin. "Death is my great savior, worthy of- hah- violent worship…" 
His fingers curl. They nudge your velvet walls, pressing a perfect tender spot within you, divine enough to make you wish this moment would last an eternity. "But I'm yours, Vik," You stammer, "Only yours." 
Flames flicker in your core, devouring you in their wildfire — and Viktor sighs, exhaling some soft, dreamy sound. He doesn't relent. He fucks you on his fingers until you're dripping onto him, to the echo of sloppy, wet squelches, your whines and each sinful noise reverberating through the large throne room. 
Your eyes flutter closed. You try to focus on the searing pleasure, getting lost in his touch, in the familiarity of him. Fleetingly, you imagine his face, whatever you still remember of it. His thick brows would be pinched, lips twitched up into a confident smirk. Honeyed eyes washed over with lust, while strands of his hair form a mess in his face, soft when your fingers run through. 
"Vik-" You tense, whining weakly. "I'm close…" 
The hand that reaches for you is ice cold. Gentle, at first, when smoke-filled fingers thread through your hair. Then, deliciously rough when they grab, dragging you back to make you face him. Viktor's expression can no longer waver. There are no eyes for you to stare into — and nothing to sate you, but the fire-filled depths of Death's herald, the end's abyss. 
And oh, how that excites you. 
"Do not let go," Viktor commands, although he punctuates it with a practiced caress of his fingers against your sweet spot. "I know you are capable." 
"No, no…" You're sobbing; you try to shake your head, but he keeps your face in a tight hold. "I can't- no, please, please…" 
You know Viktor, and even though you can't see the glint in his gaze, you can feel each determined press, pumping to a pace that has you throbbing. Gods, his stupidly delicate hands, his long fingers, somehow feeling even longer when they're filling you down to his knuckles. Your heart pounds, forcing your ribs to ache. You grind your teeth together, your jaw relaxing slightly when his thumb traces your shaky bottom lip. 
Viktor has you on the edge of shattering — but you will break when he demands it, or you will not break at all. 
"Missed you, f-fuck, oh, Vik-" Melting, you're going to melt as you stammer on, searching for some sort of foothold, anything to grasp onto. You shut your eyes tight enough to paint spots in the darkness of your vision. "Wanted this for so long, and when you were gone, when I tho-thought I lost you…" 
Another press, another persuasion; his fingers sheathe inside you until you're stretched around their thickness, a shuddery moan punched from your lungs. They crook and spread experimentally; he isn't even trying to make you cum, and yet it still feels so, so good. His free palm drifts down, and he lightly holds your neck, grounding you. 
"You will not lose me. We are destined to bring humanity to its knees, you and I." Viktor taps your neck, feeling your pulse — blissful, mortal, a sensation he's long since lost. "Fools will attempt to stand in our way, but they will be smothered in the ashes of their forebears. We will have what remains of mankind at our feet." 
"Yes, yes-" You can barely discern what it is you're begging for. His touch, his voice, perhaps for your release. Anything coherent dissolves in your mouth, until you're spitting up scattered petals of moans and whines — "V-Viktor, please…"
"Shh. We will not become severed, dove. Not ever again," Viktor hums, his tone rumbling through you, fiercely euphoric. "As I was dying, left to crumble in the underworld, I only thought of crawling my way back to you." 
Viktor made you a promise. For you, any will would be done. 
For you, the weight of Death and the wrath of the Gods would be worth it. All of this would mean something, something more than power. More than the gnawing ache to forget himself. 
When you were human, every moment meant so much. You had the nerve to put your lives on the line, but neither of you had the guts to admit this temporary life was much sweeter spent beside one another. The accidental touches, the brushes of hands, the glances that lingered. Days spent talking to each other through research notes, colliding with the nights you spent alone, counting and categorizing stars — it must've been important enough to hold onto. Soft words led to softer touches, and the need to just be close. At one point, you would have done anything to feel this, to feel him. 
And you're there, you're right there. 
Pleasure buds within you — a sea of stars, on the edge of imploding. But Viktor is always several steps ahead. 
The precipice you've been craving doesn't reach you, because instead, his fingers are carefully easing from your aching cunt, leaving you to throb around nothing. Your head instantly spins in endless circles. Everything is hazy, to the point where you can't decide where your ecstasy begins or ends, or heightens or fades; all you know is it wasn't enough. You almost cum, empty and teased, just from the fading stimulation mixed with the lack of it. 
But almost isn't what you need. 
You're given several moments to breathe. When you finally raise your head from his chest, his palm slipping from your neck to leave it bare, you're met with the same blank, Death-shaped visage. The only sign of a crack in Viktor's composure is the soft smoke that pours from the gaps in his mask, curling around your figure in spirals. 
"Breathe," Viktor instructs. His palm searches for your back, caressing gently, cooling your heated skin. "How do you feel?"
"Good." Your lungs are aching. Your voice is weak, shaking more than intended when it leaves your lungs. But even more palpable in your veins than the desire, is your warm, steadfast trust. "I can keep going." 
"Is this how you want me? Resting in my lap? Or perhaps on your knees?" 
"Like this," You murmur, certain of yourself. "I need you, all of you." 
All of him, and all of Death. Every fragment of his present and future, and the pact he forged to bind them. Whatever Viktor has become, you will embrace it. You'll let it haunt you, let it own you. 
Your partner cups your face in a frigid, ghostly palm, his touch light, barely tangible. Cold like frozen water and stagnant skin. You give in, allowing your expression to soften. 
Countless souls have been felled this way, by his hands, every adversary made to tremble at his feet. This is what he was made for. What he fought and studied and died for. To destroy. And you still lean into his touch, as though it aims to save you. 
From then on, you're hurrying, desperate, lifting your weakened legs to shrug off your underwear and toss it aside. Viktor brushes his thumb over your cheek once more before he lets go. He rolls his shoulders back lazily, while your hands move — a palm pressed to his chest, to his side, anywhere you can still touch. Another hand eagerly removing his loosely-fastened armor, before tugging at his loincloth to reveal his lap. 
You swallow so hard your eardrums crackle. You should be used to the sight of him — fat, dripping, incandescent. His cock radiates in shades of azure, definite and physical when you drag the pad of your finger from base to tip, despite the wisps of phantom flame that ripple over your hand like clouds. It has your heart lodging in your throat, pounding hard. 
You place both hands on his shoulders and lift, to which he grazes your waist with his palm, carefully helping you find your position. Not grabbing, not pulling. You can dictate the pace, he silently offers. So, you take your time, breathing first, waiting for your gaze to refocus and steady. The difference in size in between you is already making your head fucking whirl. 
Viktor was always tall, but his current form is formidable, bulky. In his lap like this, with his large hand dwarfing your waist, you must look small. You could easily be broken, pressed into any position. Could be held, or lifted, or shoved down while you're fucked. So weak and mortal and useless, when compared to his massive frame. So desperate, tossing your morality aside, so you can melt at the hands of a revenant, one of Death's all-powerful Sworn. 
And yet, it's his gentleness that truly kills you. 
Shifting, you lean into him on shuddery legs, trusting him to hold your weight. You move, until the tip of his cock can brush your entrance, soft like a kiss. You're already throbbing, already needy. The breath you suck in through half-gritted teeth is sharp enough to slice your lungs. 
"Pretty little dove. I have you," Viktor coos, his voice echoing through your mind like a shout into a wishing well. "There is no obligation to push your limits. We have infinite time." 
You nod. But you want to push them. 
You reach for his palm, pulling it from your waist to guide it up, up. It glides over your stomach, feels the space between your ribs, and settles against the very center of your chest when you press it there. His fingers are cool, still slick with your arousal. 
"Viktor…" You take a nice, deep breath. One he can feel, from the movement of your lungs to the skip of your heartbeat. 
Deathly familiar, you know exactly what you want, exactly what you're asking for. Perfectly in sync, indulging in the same sin, biting into the same piercing sweetness of the apple — this is where your dance completes. 
Your breath hitches as you finally sink down onto him; the thick head of his cock stretches you first, getting you used to the ache. It grants you a thick sense of pleasure, after you were deprived of what you truly needed. And you need to feel more. 
You hold onto him tighter, nails digging into his armor, while you ease down enough to take half of him. And oh, you're so full. Sufficiently stretched, throbbing around his thickness so eagerly, perfect for him and his shape. Magic thrums from Viktor's palm. The slightest tremor is present in his fingers as he leans back into the throne, breathing something of a pleasured sigh. Onto your chest, onto your skin like a brand, with your necklace pushed aside, he wills a symbol to inscribe. 
It burns into your skin with waves of rich, delightful pain. A circular shape is formed first, branching into the middle: a triangle, a skull over your heart, a seven-pointed star. 
Your mind goes woozy. You glance down, unsure if you want to watch the mark as it comes into shape, beneath Viktor's practiced fingertips, or if your gaze should stay stuck on the weak blue glow bulging your stomach, Viktor's length nestled half-way inside you. 
The mark completes, and you're no longer given a choice. 
Energy surges through you instantly, claiming every inch of your mind that it can. Intense, alive, and effervescent, the sigil starts strong, before the magic tapers out into a weak lull, like a storm fading into faint drops of rain. You drown, before you're able to breathe. Death magic carries sensations you're acquainted with, but it's entirely different to have it used on you. The force of its manipulation is directly controlled by the wielder, and Viktor has specifically chosen to apply little pressure. 
It feels like him. Thrums with pulses of him, flooding your chest with repetitions of his name, enveloping you just as intensely as the feeling of him inside you. Dark energy laces through your system. You are one, on this plane and the next, for a moment. The symbol scorches deep into your skin, proving you are his. Your head is woozy, your sensations heightened. 
You could break away, could fight the weak threads of baleful power that threaten to wrap around your neck. But with a deep, dizzy breath, you decide to let yourself succumb. 
Holding onto him weakly, your eyes roll back before they flutter closed. Pleasure runs rampant in your blood; you can only act on instinct. Every sensation blurs and melds, cold against warm, his body joined with yours — but your warmth is winning. Heat wraps around you, tightens on your limbs and spills into your organs. When your body becomes flush with his, filling you with all of him, you feel full, feel him throb inside you, like a heartbeat's substitute. 
Viktor trails his fingertips over the intricate angles of the scar, perfectly placed on your pretty skin, all-consuming. 
"You are-" He shudders, "Exquisite." 
He fills you so, so good. 
You can feel so much of him, pressed within you deeply. Fuck, he's so deep you feel like you can taste him, so big it has your lungs barely functioning. 
His name is in your heart, surrounding you like an embrace — in your veins like a sickness. The tender, bright, tangible version of him works into your every breath, some form of lingering energy, reminding you of the soft touches you always wanted. Soft skin, firm bone, a warm soul. But the power he's been given, the power he has over you lacks gentleness. It prods into your edges, blood-soaked and destructive. 
The swollen head of him nudges your sweet spot with every slight shift. To the point where you wouldn't have to move, you could just grind oh-so gently, and still find a smooth, soft release. Your mind is reeling, far too dizzy. 
"Eyes open." 
Viktor grasps your face, and you feel your veins surge. The mark on your chest glows, resonating with strength, with the instruction you've been given. It coaxes you. Persuades you in his voice to listen — your eyes will open for him. And they do. 
"Perfect," He praises. Your limbs tremor slightly, your lips parted as you gasp, eyelids drooping. He admires the lust in your gaze, pupils blown like new moons. "Very, very good." 
And the weight of his control forces itself into your mind without doubt, has you believing and telling yourself you are perfect, you are pliant, you are good. 
With the pounding of your heartbeat in your ears, you can barely find your focus. Everything in you is strung tight, entranced and desperate. You're so weak, and it's so intense; you'd do anything to feel him thrust into you once, to hear the way he'd purr and scoff when you would fall apart just from that. 
Your eyes flutter, but your gaze doesn't move. It can't, not when you're allowing yourself to be swallowed by the sigil. Giving permission to have your throat caught in Death's — in Viktor's — sharpened jaws. You feel his palm move before you see it, his fingertips roaming every inch of you like it's something he owns, leaving trails of breathy smoke in his wake. 
Clearly, Viktor's composure is just fine. Even when you're tight around him like the world's sweetest vice, even when pleasure has returned within him to an unfathomable intensity, he has no need to waver. But you? 
As strong and as towering as a herald of Death could possibly be, and as weak and human as you are, you weren't built to take this much. 
Viktor believes differently. 
"Gods, you're fucking warm," He murmurs. There's an edge to his tone, from the echo of his words to the thickness of his accent that makes his voice sound terribly, brokenly human. "You were made for this. For me." 
His palm brushes over you softly, down your chest and to your waist, gripping there to steady your figure. You breathe in deeply, and Viktor caresses your skin with his thumb, in an attempt to ease your obvious tension. The sigil thrums, weakens. Loosens its hold to offer you a chance to escape. A chance you refuse to take. 
"Are you overwhelmed?" Viktor reasons; softness spills into you, so lovesick you'd almost forgotten what it could feel like. It is your softness, it has your name on it. "Or have we not yet found the limit of your resolve?" 
You shudder. "Not- ah-" It's hard to form words, when you're weak and cock-drunk and stuffed full of him, "I can- I can take it, want more, Vik…" 
"Excellent." Viktor leans back, settling comfortably into the throne. Flames flicker from beneath his mask, and you imagine how his gaze might drink you in. Admiring your small form as your chest gently heaves, like prey, when compared to him. Like a delicate little rabbit. "Take it, then. Take what you need from me." 
You've no need to hesitate. 
You start with slow grinds, your hands steadying on his broad shoulders, your weight braced against him. Your movements are faint. You keep him buried inside you down to the hilt, your arousal a glossy, wet mess on the base of his cock — but even so, every rock and pulse and spark of pleasure is relentless. 
The strength of the rune in your chest swallows you and you let it, allowing its influence to make you selfish; Viktor's heart tells you to take what is yours, to not stop. You listen. You circle your hips, and breathe a pathetic whine as his length learns every inch of you, while he watches you grind on him — like the pathetic thing you are. 
It's addictive, to watch you use him. Viktor grips your waist hard, tight enough to leave indentations of his touch, to hide the shudder in his fingertips. You're fluttering around him, and he doesn't even have to touch you. 
But when he does, trailing his hand up to your side and over your stomach, with all of the softness of someone who knows you, who has already long since memorized your shape — you sob, your bottom lip quivering. You are Death's perfect servant, Viktor's muse, delicate for him, only for him. 
"Viktor…" You're cooing, your voice breaking with another soft roll of your hips; are you the only one left who still remembers that name? "Want to- wanna kiss you…" 
He isn't sure if it's an empty plea, but still, Viktor presses his thumb to your mouth. Your lips are deathly soft, your breath foggy against him as you pant and breathe him in.
You litter the pad of his thumb with kiss after kiss. Your gaze is heavy, your tongue is wet and warm. His thumb smears your own saliva over your kiss-swollen lips. This tenderness is a form of devotion he isn't meant to feel, but you make it oh-so effortless. 
His palm drifts down to hold your chin. Your breath fans over the expanse of his mask, your bodies close. The mark hums, asking for entry. 
As you grind against him, slow and steady to tease the edge of your release, you wait for it to unfold you. Like a flower, like hands gently brushing your pages. Easily molded, your mind opens to him, desperation and all. He feels the same pleasure as you, a mosaic of sparks and perfect warmth bridging from your body to his. He drowns in your thoughts, as vividly as if he were dreaming them. 
He syncs with the pound of your heart, sees thin limbs entangled, touches pressed to pallid skin and pretty moles. His own reflection was almost something he'd forgotten. Your spine curls, and a soft whine is pulled from your mouth to vibrate against his thumb. You shift, taking half of him inside you, before you sink back down to fuck yourself on him. Pure, raw bliss drips through you like honey. 
And your thoughts reconvene. You imagine his touch, on your cheek, on your neck, on your thighs. The power that answers to him shudders within you in turn, as strong as the rot you can feel when you touch him; the end's form of devotion. 
You picture the throne room. The soldiers, easily felled. The king, humiliated. A soft touch, as you wiped the blood that still clung to his hands: crimson like roses. A firm, desperate jolt as you recall the way Viktor's adversaries would fight, would plead, would demonstrate how weak and pathetic they are, before Viktor effortlessly disposed of them all. 
Oh. You are sweet. 
Viktor laughs. He grasps your face, tilts it towards him. 
"I see nothing has changed since the day we met," He coos, sounding almost adoring, "You are still reckless. Ambitious. Obsessive." 
You gasp; tugging at your chest, you can feel every pull of the sigil, every press and caress of his phantom shape to your thoughts. You steady your palms on his chest as you lift, then grind, bouncing yourself on his lap, your soft skin rhythmically colliding with his firm armor. 
"Yes- hah, Vik-" Your throat is tight, your hands shake and grip him as hard as you can manage. "Love watching you win." 
The thought of it all, the thrill of the triumph, the devotion that comes with Death's praises and sacrificing souls — 
"Did it excite you?" Viktor trails his palm down your neck, fingertips searching for your quickened pulse. "Witnessing an army of fools perish, as Death claimed their pitiful souls? Watching me crush them?" 
It enamored you. 
From the moment you met him, you knew Viktor was right. All of this power finally at his fingertips, Death noticing his vision and granting him a rightful place at his side — it was only a matter of time. This is what you have always wanted, for Viktor to win. 
Perhaps you are his only remaining tie to humanity. Perhaps you, as a mortal, are no better than the rest. You'd submit if he asked you to, you'd give yourself to him, worship him. Just as the countless souls he's reaped have done before you. 
"Death will- He will be fed-" You're stuttering; your breath is sharp, beads of sweat forming to drip down your skin. "I'd never forsake Him, for- for as long as I live…" 
You grind against Viktor hard, desperate, collapsing, growing soft like a rose unfurling in sunlight. Leaning against his chest, you can only rely on clumsy bucks of your hips as you splinter, as you threaten to break, every tight thread within you inches away from being untied. 
"They'll all p-pay… they'll all fall at your feet… kiss the ground you walk on, fucking- beg for mercy…" Your voice is weak, and you're close, so close. "Please please please…" 
Viktor presses his cold palm to your chest, to the mark, forcing it to thrum with more strength than ever. Controlling, instructing, gripping your heart in two hands. His voice resounds through your mind with the weight of a knife to your chest. 
Fall apart for me. 
And you fall — fast, hard, instantly. 
The carnal force of the command, the surging fire of the spell that binds you, all of it pales in comparison to your blistering, syrup-rich high. 
Every edge to your precipice is forceful. You sigh through broken moans, grinding against him desperately to ride out each wave, gushing and fluttering around him. Your muscles tense in turn, before they fall limp. Strings of half-moans and bitten swears leave your lips, so slurred they could be mistaken for incantations. 
Your breathing becomes slow, hazy. You lean your arms on his shoulders, your head on his chest; his body, your anchor. Even in the wake of your high, you're still fluttering around his length, warm and twitching and needy. 
"Look at you." Viktor's voice takes several moments to register, and it takes you even longer to finally lift your head. You grow lost in the smoke that surrounds you, the coolness of his figure brushing over your skin, as soft as a breath. 
"You are stunning," He decides. His head tilts slightly to examine you, his index finding its place underneath your delicate chin. "Dangerously so." 
You whine weakly. Your thoughts are becoming dangerous. Despite still attempting to catch your breath, your gaze stays locked on where his would be, and you circle your hips on his still-hard cock — a silent plea for more. Aftershocks of pleasure ripple through your system. Your thighs are weak, shaking. They're barely able to hold your weight, and Viktor thankfully braces his armored hand on your side, clawed fingers digging in sharply. 
"Though, I believe we have reached a misunderstanding." Viktor caresses the mark on your chest, examining each individual scar, carved in his image. "Your fealty is exceptionally admirable. But you do not belong to Death. Every inch of you is mine." 
Those words sink into your stomach like a stone thrown into water. Your mind, your body, your end would be at his hand, you're sure of it. You could never ask for any other fate. 
He tightens his hand on your waist, and he takes back control. 
If it's more you want, more is what he's going to give. 
Viktor has every right to call you ambitious, but the word is certainly more suited for him. He was always driven, drowning himself in his studies, no matter the risk. Researching life's great departure was a talent for him, but he didn't achieve it overnight. He does not let obstacles stand in his way. There is nothing he can't surpass, no-one who could best him, no soul that could sway him from his conviction. Death admired that about him, as do you. 
There is something to Viktor that needs to improve, that longs to put adversaries in their place, that is always searching for a way to be better, to do better. To push limits, wherever they might stand. 
And the way Viktor fucks you drips with nothing short of ambition. 
There's nothing for you to do but hold onto him tight, as he drags you up and down on his cock with relative ease. Your voice splinters, your breathing rough and forceful. Every thrust bullies your sweet, oversensitive cunt, to the point where you are limp and weightless, entirely at his mercy. If you weren't used to your partner's tenacity, if you didn't know Viktor, you might've whimpered, might've pleaded through the overstimulated sparks in your core that you can't cum again. 
If only. 
Countless sensations envelop you; the frigid chill of his body, the warmth of your skin, the fluttering of your walls around him, used and still-desperate. You cover your mouth with your palm, although it does little to stifle your noise. Nor does it quiet the echoing in your ears, reverberated each time he eases deep inside you — slick, wet, filthy. 
It hardly matters to you how wrong it is to fuck him here. This throne room was once sacred, torn paintings and burnt flags and stained glass pictures surrounding you, depicting holy symbols. Meant to imply the Gods of the living are watching over. 
Part of you hopes they'd turn their divine gazes away from this, so they wouldn't see you falling apart. So they couldn't judge the way you envelop every inch of one another, your breath hot and your thighs spread as you give yourself to Death's all-powerful herald, taking all of him in turn. 
Viktor chuckles, a laugh that still shakes him for several moments afterwards. Twin flames watch as you bounce for him, your chest expanding and contracting, hair a mess in your face, eyes glossy like a doll's. 
"Ha… That stupid, useless, insignificant king," Viktor's tone sharpens, as though his teeth are gritting. A firm thrust into you makes you whine and arch further into him. "Do you think he's watching, gazing at us from his dark prison in the depths of the underworld, as we make a mockery of his throne? As we fuck each other like animals, after easily felling his entire squadron, with hardly even a lifted finger?" 
You can't help but sob. 
"Don't st-stop," You're hardly able to reply, hardly able to form words, let alone coherent thoughts. Not when Viktor is fucking up into you to his own brutal, steady pace, complying with your words before he's even heard them — not stopping, leaving you barely any room to breathe. 
"Please," You plead, "Viktor…" 
"Yes, tell them who you belong to." His voice pounds into your mind, with the force of a hammer and a nail, rich and commanding, terribly familiar. "Tell Lord Death and the Gods of the living exactly who is destined to rule over them all." 
Sparks surge up your spine with a vengeance nearly as strong as his own. 
"You, Viktor," You're begging, sobbing. Your words are thick with devotion, like they're words of worship, as if they could be prayers. "I'm yours… yours, yours, yours…" 
You hardly expect the full-body shiver that courses through him, putting his frame off-kilter, briefly bringing clumsiness to his pace. Your forehead leans against his chest, your spine arches. Your hands shakily glide over the tangible parts of his figure. His palm finds the curve of your waist that just begs to be held, gripping you tight. With composure. 
"If I could kiss you," Fuck, his voice is soft, reminiscent of a past life; his hips roll into you and you can no longer breathe, can't even think. "I would let my mouth memorize yours." Viktor presses his cold, smoke-ridden fingertips into your side — "I would want us to devour one another, until we are part of the same flame. I-" A sigh, a resounding whine from your own lips, "I could long for centuries to feel you beneath my ribs, like a second soul." 
Your heart pounds, shaking your chest, getting stuck in your throat. 
He's never considered returning to a human vessel, it'd have too many limitations, but when he looks at you, he wants nothing more than to touch you. To feel you without layers of finality in between, to dig his fingertips into your ribs and feel your heart beating, to burn himself on you like you're a pyre. Such desires are useless, distracting, human. And yet, and yet — 
"Vik-" You manage, "Harder." 
You want him harder, rougher, more. Your thighs ache, but you try to rock your body against his in feverish unison, meeting each press inside you with your own grind into him. 
With a broken moan, your eyes flutter shut. You are perfect, so otherworldly, so beautiful when you're at his mercy. Each soft stretch of what remains of him echoes with your name, consumes him and begs to take you, to claim you, to ruin you. Viktor groans, puffs of smoke expelling from beneath his cloak to settle on your skin, thick and humid. 
You take all of him, until you're full, until your bodies are one; the tremor to your thighs and the break of your voice tells him you're almost there. 
"Close," You pant, "Gonna cum for you-" 
"Beg for it." Viktor's words slur slightly, but they're tender, they're assured. They're desperate. "Tell me how much you need me." 
Oh, and you don't even need to be commanded. 
"Need you, Vik, need you so much-" You meet where his gaze would be with wide, doe-eyes, with fluttery lashes and faint tear drops. "Need you more than Death, need you more than breathing-" 
The room teeters around you, everything dizzy, your limbs weak. You only need a little more, one more spark, one last wave. Another grind of your hips to his, another press of his cock right where you need him, more friction and pressure lacing together until they're left to build, and build. 
"Viktor… Viktor, I'm-" 
You beg his name, chanting it like it's precious. Breathing it like a prayer, pleading to him like he is divine. Broken sighs and gasps hammer at your lungs. The world could burn out, could turn to ash in his wake, and this, and he would be all that matters. 
Flickering, his flame heart stirs; possessiveness takes over, as strong as teeth at his neck. For once, his soul — or the lack thereof — shines. He finds your cheek, holds it carefully, brushes his thumb over your skin with enough tenderness to make you ache. You are his, only his. 
Neither Viktor nor yourself can ever truly die, bound to servitude by the pact made to save you. So this, tender and hungry, is how you will reach the end. 
You blend into one another with fuzzy edges and tender grinds and soft gasps — becoming two halves of one whole. Heaven and the underworld, darkness and light, perfect reflections. Entwined divinely, with beautiful finality. 
Your body shudders, heat lacing through your every crevice. In the moment where you cum together, you can't feel anything but the pulse of him within you, can't see anything but hazy lines and smoke. Blue wisps surrounding you, within you. The azure glow in your stomach burns bright, before it gradually lessens. 
Breathing hard, you lean against him. Small against his shape, blissfully weak. Viktor doesn't attempt to move you, but he carefully works his hand in between you. His palm glides over your chest, presses to the center. The magic dampens, leaving your veins, and loosening its grip on your heart. Only the mark is left behind, his cool touch helping to alleviate the pain. 
"Little lamb…That's enough." Viktor's voice sounds sore, almost, not exactly human but reminiscent of the rough sharpness of wind. He trails his fingertips over the scar on your skin as he comes back to himself, before drifting down to hold your waist. "You've done so well." 
It takes you a few minutes longer to fully catch your breath, and even so, your heart pounds quickly and softly. You lift, and he helps you pull yourself off of him, adjusts so you can find a more comfortable position on his lap. Your arms find his shoulders, embracing him in something of a hug. Leaning into his much larger body, you let his touch and the mist envelop you like a grave. 
"You should rest," Viktor reasons, "Today was extensive. If you stay awake any longer, I'll be carrying you tomorrow." 
The throne room is empty and quiet. You grumble, but you don't protest when he grasps your face and lifts it to look at you. 
Your cheek leans into his touch, your eyelids heavy. "We're going north, right? Gods, it's gonna be cold." 
"Oh, you'll be fine. I'm sure you still remember how to conjure a flame." 
His hand slips from your cheek, and you grasp it carefully, placing a faint kiss onto his knuckle; still shaped like you remember. 
"Will you rest with me?" 
This form does not require rest, or sleep. Really, it wasn't meant to indulge in anything mortal. Perhaps it would be against Death's wishes to do so. Viktor's research once determined that a form like this would be detached from reality. Conjurations of Death do not have souls; they trade them, in exchange for a better body. They lack empathy, emotion, understanding. The basis of Death's strength sacrifices everything in exchange for irreversibility. Nothing else should matter. But — 
"Yes," Viktor answers, "Of course." 
— 
Death's opposition dwindles. 
It is uninteresting, truly. The earth is becoming barren, as more and more souls convene with his army in the underworld. Death has shown me visions. He is planning to soon take full control of this plane, to come with soldiers and deathriders to claim the last of the mortals. 
I believe our approach should be grander. This abundance of souls could be used as more than mere meat puppets. Death might disagree. But power, not the strength you gained on a whim, but the leverage you have grasped for yourself is a fierce, funny thing. 
My partner is one step ahead, because they already understand this concept. I have watched the darkness in their gaze grow, day by day. Yet, their light never falters, when they are looking at me. I am grateful to have them at my side. 
Our last adversary was difficult, but they felled them all on their own. They were the one to plunge their dagger into the fool's heart, returning his soul to the ground.
More will follow. Perhaps mortals. Perhaps Death's army. It matters not. Not to us. 
For dust they are, and to dust, they all shall return. 
— V. Unknown Date, 1619. 
565 notes · View notes
hyukalyptus · 1 year ago
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something nice — sub!fem!reader x dom!yeonjun x servicetop!kai
cw. reader is in an established (open) relationship with yeonjun, cucking? (kai eats reader's pussy while yj watches lol), cunnilingus ofc, nipple play, orgasm denial, edging, pet names (baby, jjun), begging, mention of "punishment" but nothing's ever done, yeonjun and kai talk about reader and what they're gonna do to her (without her understanding—everything is consensual in the beginning, but read note below), let me know if there's anything else. notes. IMPORTANT: ok so the tea with this one. the idea here is that the reader doesn't speak korean well and kai and yj are speaking korean to kinda talk about the reader and what they're gonna do to her so she doesn't understand. nothing aggressive, just describing what to do to her body so she's kinda surprised? SO!! anything in italics is in korean. thats important!! also idk how i feel about this???? smut under cut. wc. 1.5K
“Did she give you a reason or did she just break up with you?” You’re eavesdropping on Yeonjun and Kai—not that they’re being very secretive. They’re talking about a woman Kai’s been seeing while you play video games and attempt to translate in your head, but you're not being too successful, catching a few words here and there. 
“She did say one thing,” Kai says hesitantly. “But it’s kinda embarrassing.”
“What is it?”
“Well,” he starts, scooting closer to Yeonjun to awkwardly whisper something to him, twiddling his thumbs, running his fingers through his hair.
“Oh,” Yeonjun chuckles. “That’s…man, if you get really good at that, you could date anyone.”
“What are you talking about?” You finally pause your game, curiosity getting the best of you. Looking up, Kai looks like you caught him stealing cookies from a cookie jar while Yeonjun tries to hold back a chuckle. The three of you exchange looks until Yeonjun rolls his eyes to bluntly say—
“Eating women out.”
“Yeonjun—!” Kai says, shoving his arm.
“What?” He chuckles, returning the shove. “I eat her out all the time. She knows what it is. She knows you eat pussy too.”
“But that’s why that woman broke up with you?” You ask. “Because you…you're bad at eating pussy?” He blushes, averting his attention to the floor while he clasps his hands together, nodding shyly.
“Be honest, babe—am I good at eating you out?”
Looking between the two of them, you sit up and say, “Yeah, you’re probably the best I’ve had, but we’re super compatible, you know? We’re, like, super in love. That makes a big difference sometimes.”
Holding back a cocky smile, he asks, “But, objectively, I’m pretty good, right?” You shrug and nod—really, he probably is the best you’ve ever had, but that’s another story. 
“What makes it good?” Kai asks.
Humming, you think before saying, “First, he doesn’t go straight for it.” Turning red and ears getting warm, you gush and— “Oh god, Kai, don’t look at me when I tell you this.”
“Ah, this is ridiculous,” Yeonjun exasperates. “Do you just wanna practice on her?” You both whip your heads in his direction. “If you’re comfortable with it, of course,” he says to you. “Just thought it might be helpful.” 
Oh, how did you end up here? Laying in Yeonjun's bed, clenching your thighs together out of nervousness. “Remember, this is kinda specific to her. Pay attention to what whoever you’re with wants.” Kai nods, kneeling at the foot of the bed.
“She already said this—” Yeonjun says. “I don’t go straight for it. I kiss her first, then make my way down there.”
“You want him to kiss me?”
He shrugs and says, “If you’re alright with that.”
“If you are,” you say, looking Kai in the eyes. Both of them can’t help but notice the confidence you seem to be exuding, especially compared to Kai. Trembling fingers reaching for your cheek, he looks at you for permission one final time. Finally leaning in, his lips press to yours. 
You’d forgotten what it was like to have a first kiss with someone. Kai’s kisses are different from Yeonjun’s. Kai’s are much more cautious, more careful—not necessarily shy, but careful. It quickly turns hot and heavy. But you remember Yeonjun is watching you, suddenly overtaken with bashfulness, you break the kiss to glance over at him. 
Him and that sinister smile. 
Turning back to Kai, you crash into his lips again, humming into his mouth and smirking to rub how much you're enjoying this in Yeonjun's face.  
“Touch her,” Yeonjun says. “Kinda slowly, but then a little more intense.” Kai does as he’s told, his hand dragging up your hip to squeeze your tits. “Under her shirt.” 
His hand on the outside of your bra feels new and exciting. Reaching around your back to unhook it, you break the kiss to take your shirt off, pulling at the hem of his. 
“Slow down for a second,” Yeonjun chuckles and Kai listens, placing gentle kisses to your collarbone. “Lick her nipples.” Swirling his tongue around your nipple, you gasp, reaching for his hair. “Pay attention to which one she likes better.”
Kai tests both, slyly licking between the two. After testing the waters, he picks correctly. You chuckle thinking about Yeonjun sitting on a chair across the room, smirking in approval. You could look for yourself, but you can’t bring yourself to open your eyes. 
“Keep licking her until her hips roll.” This is a bit crazy, isn’t it? The guy you love telling another man how to fuck you the way you like. “Not yet.” Yeonjun switches to Korean, making you roll your eyes. If you didn’t have the energy to translate in your head earlier, you definitely can’t focus enough to translate now.
Lips trailing down your body, he tugs at your shorts, but keeps your cute pink panties on. Yeonjun talks him through every move—to lick his thumb and rub your nipple, to press his nose to the outside of your panties, to skate his lips across your inner thighs. 
Your hips roll uncontrollably, practically begging him to taste you. 
“Kai—” You whisper, your body instantly burning at the sound of the both of them chuckling. Pulling your panties down and off your legs, he throws them to Yeonjun who happily wads them up to sniff them and smell how delicious you are. 
Licking his thumb again, he keeps rubbing circles over your nipple as he finally licks your clit, your back arching as soon as he touches it. 
“Fuck—” You say breathlessly, looking down at him as his eyes sparkle up at you, your head dropping to your pillow with a thud. “Who the fuck is this bitch that says you’re bad at this?” He shakes his head, digging deeper into your pussy. 
Smiling cockily, you look over at Yeonjun, trying to control his breathing. He can’t help it—the two of you are just too hot together. He's never been able to enjoy this kind of view before. Seeing how every part of your body reacts to being touched—it's an incredible view.
“Please tell me he’s allowed to make me cum, baby,” You beg.
“Of course,” he chuckles smugly. “If he can.” Kai’s eating you out like he’s absolutely starving. And it’s true—he can’t help it. You taste too fucking good. 
Your eyes squeeze shut as you start squeaking, throwing your head back. 
“Okay, that sound means she’s gonna cum soon. Try to bring her as close to the edge as possible and then stop.” 
“Fuck, Kai,” you breathe. “Right there—yes.” You can’t believe how good he is at this, especially given the reason you're under his tongue right now. He’s supposed to be bad at this, right? 
You’re so fucking close and he can feel it. “Don’t stop—” he brings you right there. And then he does it. He stops. “Agh, fuck you,” you groan. Looking down at him, his smirking at you, eyes flashing between you and Yeonjun. 
He doesn’t waste too much time before getting back to your pussy, flicking his tongue over your clit. 
“Take it away from her for a bit. Lick her nipples again.” He does just that. You’re aching, bucking your hips over and over, desperately trying to relieve some kind of tension. But his tongue does feel amazing on your tits. Threading your fingers through his hair, you tug at it hard. He groans, his mouth dropping open like you just unlocked a new kink of his. 
Now he can’t take it anymore. Hips jutting forward, you feel the roughness of his sweatpants drag against your center, relieving some of that tension. You gasp, resorting to begging him to get back to licking you. 
“No, don’t,” Yeonjun says sternly. 
“But I want to,” Kai whines back, looking at your pussy hungrily, sticking the tip of his tongue out, giving his best begging eyes. But Yeonjun just shakes his head, satisfied with watching you uncontrollably rolling your hips up toward Kai’s mouth. Kai compromises, wrapping his hands around the backs of your thighs to yank you closer to him and presses his lips to the skin right around your clit, teasing you even more. 
“Babe—” you breathe, begging Yeonjun with your eyes to let him continue licking you. 
“I know, baby, I know…” he responds, his voice low and rough. He finally lets him lick you again. But he doesn’t show much mercy. He repeats the same tactic over and over—having him bring you right to the edge, even to the point of tears, then he stops right in his tracks.
"I'm gonna tell you to stop, but I want you to keep going, okay?" Kai nods, agreeing to his instructions. Bringing you to the edge again, you're begging for mercy, begging to cum. "Don't let her cum, Kai," he says, making tears form in your eyes. "Stop—"
And he does.
"I told you to let her cum that time."
"Sorry," he smiles up at him, licking his lips. "It's so fun to see her beg like that though." Tilting his head toward you, he says, "Look at her...she's got tears in her eyes. Isn't that the hottest fucking thing you've ever seen?"
"It's okay, baby," he says, fingers flowing through your hair while Kai's mouth finds your clit again. You're moaning, gasping for air, swearing, screaming, anything to try to find a release. "Not yet. Don't let her fucking cum, Kai." You don't think you can handle this much longer. Edging is nice, yes, but this? This is bordering torture.
"Please, please, please, Jjun..." you trail off. "Just please let me cum. I can't take it anymore."
"I know you can take it, baby. Fucking taking it so well..."
It's building again. That knot in your stomach that gets tighter and tighter with every second. That white hot fire in the pit of your stomach waiting to explode.
"Don't stop, Kai," you blurt. "I'm gonna cum—" Slamming your palm over your mouth—you shouldn't have said that. He's gonna make you regret saying that.
"Don't let her cum," he orders.
But his grip gets tighter. His tongue licks furiouser. His face digs deeper. You're so fucking close. Closer than you've ever been tonight.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, Kai..." your orgasms crashes over you like a bolt of lightning. "Yes, fuck yes, that feels so fucking good." You feel like you're having an out of body experience. It's one of the best fucking orgasms of your life. "Don't stop, right there." You chest heaves with heavy breaths.
Coming down from one of the best orgasms of your life, your vision clears up and all you keep thinking is how much Yeonjun's gonna make you pay for this. You came without his permission—what's he gonna do now? Everything flashes across your mind: not letting you cum for a week, spanking you until your ass had his hand print on it, tying you up for hours, you're not sure.
But he doesn't do any of that. His hand caresses your cheek as he smiles down at you, "Did that feel good, baby?"
Confused, you nod, "Mhmm." You're still nervous, looking around at everyone's reactions. Kai's smirking while he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. "Bad at eating pussy my ass," you say, shoving his shoulder with your foot.
"Ah, I knew you a had a little crush on him...I've seen how you look at him." Your face turns beet red. He's noticed that? Oh god... "I just wanted to do something nice for my baby."
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The atomic habits of St. Therese of Lisieux
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I used to be one of those people that were like “oh I love St. Joan of Arc, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Paul, St. Teresa of Avila” because I thought they were Cool and Heroic and they did Big Things
And whenever someone would talk about “The Little Flower of Lisieux” I was like “mehhhhh… okay”
Not in a way that was totally disrespectful, but not totally aware of the enormity of her interior life
Because guys
Wow
You’d have to read The Story of the Soul to really appreciate just WHY she is a doctor of the Church
(She’s the Doctor of Divine Love, btw)
Because St. Therese? She was in the details
They like to say the devil is in the details, but let’s face it— God is in the details, and in his mercy and wisdom, he placed St. Therese there for us to learn from and imitate in our own ways
She had to reconcile her great desire to be a saint with the enormous legacies of the saints that came before her, especially Joan of Arc and St. Teresa of Avila
(She, along with St. Joan, are the patron saints of France. I’m sure that’s something St. Therese never dreamed of)
And she had the realization that God would not have given her a desire that she was incapable of, and that there must be a way for someone “as small as her” to become a great saint
Which lead her to meditate on Mathew 18:4 (Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven)
And she was like “oh, okay. This desire planted into my heart is an invitation to become a little child, because the Lord wants to be the one to carry me to Heaven” 
(I am heavily paraphrasing so that you guys won’t be spoiled for Story of a Soul. Go read it!!!)
All of this is to say that her writings and her life reflect a simple but profound theology 
The Little Way is one of total dependence on the providence of God, of total surrender and self-mortification— the emptying of the cup of one’s self little by little, so that the Lord can fill it with his graces and abundance, and ultimately, with His own divine self 
The Little Way is one of the smallest acts of radical love, because the only person who needs to see it is God 
The Little Way is St. Therese going out of her way to nurse the nuns that she didn’t get along well with 
The Little Way is St. Therese is doing her best to hold cheerful conversations with a particularly surly nun 
The Little Way is St. Therese relishing being splashed with dirty laundry water as a sign of the smallest of suffering that only God would see
I called this particular post her “atomic habits,” because she believed that small acts can lead to holiness when done with great love for our Lord 
Small acts of love and self mortification were the things that she sought for while in the Carmel 
St. Therese elucidated in her signature sincere and effervescent style the enduring idea that there is no suffering too small, no act of love too small, to offer the Lord— because what he wants is souls, what he wants is us
That’s not to say that her interior life was always rich 
She suffered so much from months of aridity that she grew an affection for atheists, even going so far to say, and I quote:
[God] allowed my soul to be overwhelmed with darkness, and the thought of Heaven, which had consoled me from my earliest childhood, now became a subject of conflict and torture. This trial did not last merely for days or weeks; I have been suffering for months, and I still await deliverance. I wish I could express what I feel, but it is beyond me. One must have passed through this dark tunnel to understand its blackness ... When I sing of the happiness of Heaven and the eternal possession of God, I do not feel any joy therein, for I sing only of what I wish to believe. Sometimes, I confess, a little ray of sunshine illumines my dark night, and I enjoy peace for an instant, but later, the remembrance of this ray of light, instead of consoling me, makes the blackness thicker still.
It’s thought that St. Therese experienced this interior anguish up until the end of her battle with tuberculosis, with her final words being: “My God, I love you!” 
To summarize everything, reading St. Therese is a study not only of radical love, but also radical humility 
From a spoiled child to a martyr of the Carmel, St. Therese lived an inner life that very few of her own sisters in the convent were aware of 
Her life is also a testimony to God's perfect timing; St. Therese wanted to be a missionary in Hanoi, but was prevented from doing so when she contracted tuberculosis. She was later named a patron saint to missionaries.
St. Therese's Little Way informed the spirituality of many of the saints and intellectuals that came after her: St. Josemaria, St. John Paul II, Mother Teresa, St. Teresa of the Andes, Blessed Cecilia Eusepi, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Dorothy Day
On her feast day, let’s take the time to reflect on what small things we can do today for the Lord; what small sufferings we can offer him with great love and humility 
God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint. — St. Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux, pray for us.
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pinkgy · 5 months ago
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URGENT
Please keep reading this, and if you can, please share this and anything related to this topic, we NEED visibility.
Nicolas Maduro fraudulently won yesterday’s presidential elections, I repeat, NICOLAS MADURO and his allies have committed fraud against VENEZUELA.
EDMUNDO GONZÁLEZ URRUTIA WON THE 2024 VENEZUELA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS BY MORE THAT 70% OF THE VOTES, AND ALSO WON IN EVERY VOTING CENTER IN THE WHOLE COUNTRY. BUT THE DICTATORSHIP OF NICOLAS MADURO REFUSES TO BE TRANSPARENT AND STOLE THE ELECTIONS.
There’s just been a day since this was announced and there’s already tons of harmed and killed citizens, OUR PEOPLE IS GETTING KILLED FOR SPEAKING UP, AND THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THAT.
This is a dictatorship, one that has took the life’s of millions of Venezuelans in the past 25 years.
WE ARE SCARED, i am scared, I want to get out of my house and protest for a better future, for the freedom of my people and for peace to finally win in Venezuela, but I’m scared of getting killed for fighting for my rights. Venezuela right now is dangerous, even staying in your own house is dangerous.
I’m deeply proud of all of those who are on the streets right now, thank you so much for being so brave, and for fighting for this country.
We want to finally have a break, we’ve been suffering for way too long because of this government, this is nothing like what the foreigners think is going on, this is not about the the lack of food, this about that WAY more that half of the country can’t even afford to buy decent groceries with their monthly income (the minimum wage is 3.5$ PER MONTH, and whatever you hear out there where they say that is 800bs is a LIE)
This is not about the inflation, this is about that we have to use a foreign currency, because ours is WORTHLESS.
We are not the country with the biggest oil reserves on the world, the gas on the gas stations in Venezuela is from IRAN, our oil reserves are being STOLEN by the government.
Just by natural resources, we are supposed to be one the countries with the best economies in the world, but we have one of the WORST, because the government and those who are connected to them STEAL EVERYTHING.
We don’t wanna live this way anymore, I don’t wanna say goodbye to another family member, I don’t wanna say goodbye to another of my friends, I want them to stay, to come back, I want to celebrate Christmas with a table full of my loved ones, I want them to be part of my life, I want to be able to go out with my friends in car where there’s no empty spaces, I want to be free.
Please, to whoever is reading this, wherever your Venezuelan or not, please share this and everything related to what’s going on right now, we want this to have visibility, for the whole world to know what’s going on.
Here’s so important information that might help you to understand things a bit better.
And if you wanna know what’s going on the streets and the ATROCITIES this government is doing to Venezuelans, you can check this Twitter/X account. https://x.com/uhn_plus?s=21&t=811ZdyqLhYbY4z4zGa7Qlw
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anesidore · 2 months ago
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UPDATE 12/04: thank you so much for the support! i'll be closing donation channels now, as we have reached our goal. i really do appreciate the support!
i will be keeping the original post through a read more below for posterity.
hi everyone! i know i have a relatively small following but i wanted to take a chance to ask for help anyway.
my beloved cat alphinaud (alphy for short, alby if you're being cute) was a naughty boy and decided to go outside a few days ago (he's been an indoor cat all his life) and got into a fight with a stray, which led to a wound with an abscess above his right eye. on top of this, he has been struggling with urinary tract infection for the last year and the crystals in his bladder unfortunately flared up once more, so the vet recommended him to be confined at the clinic for the next few days as he undergoes testing.
so far our expenses has been PHP 23,600 (around USD 400) for all the tests he went through as well as the confinement fee, and i expect it to cost more as he stays in the vet for confinement. luckily i cobbled together enough money to pay for the 11.8k PHP downpayment for today, but i don't have any money left after that expense. i will be adding the receipt from the 50% downpayment under the read more below as proof of these expenses.
i hate to ask for help from strangers again, as i have already done so last year when his uti was first diagnosed. unfortunately i'm quite literally at the end of my rope here. i've recently lost my dad last month, which took quite a toll on me financially (and of course, emotionally) because of funeral expenses and the medical bill that we're still paying off.
my friends can attest that i don't really make a habit of asking for help even when i desperately need it, but i really can't lose another member of our family so soon after we lost my dad who i loved with all my heart. i hope whoever reads this finds it in their heart to understand where i'm coming from here, but thank you for reading up to this point despite how long it has gotten.
if you're willing to help, you can send donations at paypal.me/amunetis or if you are from the philippines like i am, you may send your donation through my gcash at 09175252352.
i will also be prepping a commissions post soon in case anyone is interested, if you need examples you can find it here in this link. i'll be updating this post when i'm done with preparations.
again, thank you so much for reading through this all. if you are unable to help financially, i would greatly appreciate sharing/spreading the word through reblogs or maybe even sharing this post through other sns like twitter or bsky.
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^ 50% downpayment receipt that i paid today. i can also provide pictures of his test results and other things if needed as proof.
have another pic of alby as thanks for checking!
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aphrodeiities · 9 months ago
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ᴘɪꜱᴄᴇꜱ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ
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DO NOT COPY OR STEAL MY WORK. IS A FAME POST.
PROPERTY OF D4RKPLUTO.
READ THE MAJESTIC VIRGO, well if you want.
PAID CHART READINGS, whoever is my 125 client gets everything cheaper than usual.
this knowledge has come from doing over 100+ chart readings, this is not pulled out of my ass..
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♇ this post centres around pisces, neptune and the twelfth house, and how it is an underrated home of fame.
♇ neptune rules over cameras, glamour, paparazzi, stalking, projection and film, all strong themes of the realer side of fame, specifically paparazzi, stalking and projection.
♇ [in my opinion, i think the 12H, Neptune and Pisces are the most alike compared to the other signs and their rulers.]
♇ on the other hand, ten houses from the 3H is the 12H, 10 in astrology ruling over fame, career and publicity and the 3H governs over magazine and marketing, things celebrities have to be involved in to attain fame.
♇ to understand this post, we need to get into the symbolism of pisces, and hold on tight for this for you to understand! as pisces does represent neptune/poseidon, the sign pisces also represents is Jesus. the most known man, the most known person specifically.
♇ and even though social media does joke about it now and then, he is the most known "nepotism" kid. people with pisces placements especially in their big three or those who have jupiter in pisces are known for something specific, because Pisces gives it a boost because of the connection it has with Jupiter. [in traditional astrology, Jupiter ruled over Pisces], and Jupiter is supposed to symbolise God. and in shorter terms, it gives the nepotism boost to Pisces.
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♇ before i go deeper, i am going to use examples of celebrities, their twelfth house and how fame was for them and how it impacted them.
CELEBRITIES WITH PISCES IN THEIR BIG THREE OR JUPITER. [can work with the rest of the big six, but im focusing on the big three].
⟶ examples
PISCES ASCENDANTS ⬎
MICHAEL JACKON.
WHITNEY HOUSTON
ELLEN.
PISCES SUNS ⬎
RIHANNA.
CINDY CRAWFORD.
GRIMES.
PISCES MOONS ⬎
MICHELLE OBAMA.
MARTIN LUTHER KING.
KIM KARDASHIAN.
PISCES JUPITER ⬎
MEGAN FOX.
AMBER HEARD.
LINDSAY LOHAN.
SHORT EXAMPLES OF THE 12H AND ITS IMPACT WITH SOMEONE'S FAME ⬎
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MARILYN MONROE
had cancer in the 12H, cancer is moon ruled and the moon rules over audience, and its clear that marilyn monroe had a big audience, like the moon, she was worshiped, and due to hollywood, she represented what a woman, "should be".
marilyn also had pluto in the twelfth house, and this points to her being exploited, sexualised and abused in the industry.
her twelfth house ruler is in the seventh house which conjuncts the moon, and she had a known relationship, [jupiter conjunct moon], this insinuates her known relationship was with a man in power, the moon symbolises country and jupiter can symbolise politics and leader-ship, and she had a known affair with JF Kennedy.
BEYONCE
had virgo in her twelfth house, and people always have continuous critique with her, this can also imply she has much critique for herself, but with her twelfth house having the planet jupiter, it helps her having a giant and loyal fanbase.
beyonce also has saturn in the 12h, and this implies of longevity in fame, saturn doesnt always mean something is going to be cut short! on the other hand, her 12H ruler being in the 12H can point to the distant energy she has with her, she could have fun with her fans but there is still an out of reach essence she has to herself.
the 12H ruler being in the 12H can also indicate to why people might've picked up that she might be doing drugs. this could also insinuate another way of how people are nit-picky when it comes to beyonce.
on the other hand, her 12H ruler being in the 12H shows she only shows a part of herself she wants people to see.
MICHAEL JACKSON
aquarius in the twelfth house, and was known to be erratic and unique, he also used his platform to spread awareness.
his 12H ruler being in Leo points to his excessive amount of fame, the uranus being in leo implies on how he was known everyone where in the world. his uranus in the 13°, a degree which means the first to do something; which conjuncts venus the planet of dancing insinuates of his creation of the moonwalk.
his uranus is also in the sign of children, and had many controversies surrounding kids. [along with people thinking his children arent his].
with his 12H ruler being in Leo, the house of cameras and glamours, points to how he is one of the most photographed people on earth.
ARIANA GRANDE
sagittarius in the 12H, known for her adaptability in different cultures, the jupiter influence gives her a very big fanbase.
12H ruler in libra and is known for her romantic controversies, with her Jupiter having. the 5° which shows they're known in the industry they're specifically in. her jupiter also conj moon in the 6th degree, and people critique her love life and it is always in the public, the moon ruling audience.
12H sagittarius in the 2 degrees, and is known for her aesthetic.
RIHANNA
12H in pisces and is known for her glamour, beauty and fashion.
venus is in the 12H and she is a muse for many people.
juno in the 12H and she was paired with many people, so many people expecting who and what to be her husband, though everyone was aware with who her soulmate was. asap rocky.
12H ruler in capricorn and is known for being a capitalist, rich and business oriented.
another 12H ruler in aries, and has a known controversy with the abuse she had suffered through by chris brown.
12H ruler in aries conj uranus and was known for her fierceness and come backs.
MEGAN THEE STALLION
12H aries and is known for her "sexiness" and rapping. her 12H ruler is in Leo and is known for her sexual dancing, specifically twerking, and her body shape is usually spoken about
her 12H ruler is mars and went through a scandal that involved violence, and with the 12H ruler being in the 21st degree, it entails of her being known for being a stallion, along with her jupiter in sagittarius.
neptune in the 24th degree and a lot of people think she is a liar, and i noticed a lot of people who have their 12H ruler conjunct the moon do get famous.
KRISTINA PIMENOVA
taurus in her 12H and was known for her beauty, she also has mars in her 12H and was really pushed into the industry.
12H ruler in the 1st degree and was pushed as the most beautiful girl. her neptune is in the 10H and a a lot of people wanted to be her because of her status and looks.
12H in a young sign could imply getting into the industry at a young age. she also has mars in taurus in the 12H and is also known for dancing.
MADISON BEER
12H in aries and is known for her sexiness. and her 12H ruler is in scorpio and she had plenty of controversies.
saturn in the 12H it took time for people to appreciate her music. her saturn is also in taurus.
11H in pisces in aqua 3rd degree, and had much people make rumours about her.
12H ruler in mars the 11th degree and had revenge porn against her, or you can say just had people expose her nudes.
pisces in the 11H and many people on the internet project their insecurities onto her.
DRAKE
leo in 12H and he is known for his ego, his 12h ruler conj pluto and a lot of people talk about his sexuality.
neptune in capricorn got into more fame due to a popular company, yung money. he has a pisces jupiter and is known for his multiple times to have a wife, he has proposed many times he was able to make a necklace out of them.
12th degree on his moon and is known as an incel. he has his neptune in the 3rd degree and a lot of people make fun of him.
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12H PLACEMENTS ⬎
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 12H - known for music, could get a lot of stalkers, people might have a perception of who you are supposed to be and could be known for taking a specific drug, like weed; ex, rihanna.
ARIES/MARS IN THE 12H - known for their sexuality, could be bullied on social media, might get access to fame easily, but could be objectified; ex, madison beer.
TAURUS/VENUS IN THE 12H - known for your beauty, might feel like people might not take you seriously, people could be shallow towards you, you could have a less intense celebrity life; ex, kristina pimenova.
GEMINI/MERCURY IN THE 12H - could be known for your adaptability, many people might want to mimic you, could be photographed a lot and known for your style; ex, cher.
CANCER/MOON IN THE 12H - could hide their true identity to the world, is the face for something, likes privacy but are never given it; ex, marilyn monroe.
LEO/SUN IN THE 12H - easily stand out, seen as a trendsetter, are known for their beauty, people might compare themselves to you all the time; ex, bella hadid.
VIRGO/CERES IN THE 12H - people will be critical of you, nosy about your life, though you would be a big muse and inspiration for the people, majority of 12H dont like attention or responsibility due to the gain of fame; ex, doja cat.
LIBRA/JUNO IN THE 12H - people will really copy your aesthetic, most likely to be posted on social medias like pinterests and tumblr. very photogenic people, untouchable energy, which could be linked to the hera influenced; ex, lily rose.
SCORPIO/PLUTO IN THE 12H - are usually the face for something, stalked by everyone, specifically the paparazzi, could sometimes be harassed by people for not acting how they were expected to behave. have a lot of influence, they do something other people start doing it; ex, jennie kim and princess diana.
SAGITTARIUS/JUPITER IN THE 12H - have very large fan bases, are expected to be role models, have to find a specific way to sustain their popularity, and other people might want to relate to them and get upset if they cant; ex, kylie jenner.
CAPRICORN/SATURN IN THE 12H - fame can either come really quick to people with capricorn or saturn in the 12H or it could take its time. how they handle fame is their karma, could be preyed on by authority, and when they pass, they become legends and known for something specific; ex, aaliyah.
AQUARIUS/URANUS IN THE 12H - known globally, get away with a lot of stuff, known for their visuals plus aesthetic since it is unique, they have a lot of controversies revolving around love, and might feel like they cannot get away from fame; ex, michael jackson.
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YOUR FAME DUE TO WHERE PISCES AND NEPTUNE IS IN YOUR CHART ⬎
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 1H - fame for being beautiful, creative, and would feel distant and would have a lot of people project and fantasise about you; ex, michael jackson a pisces ascendant, and ariana grande who has neptune in the 1H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 2H - fame due to singing, fame for being beautiful of their aesthetic, have ways of always making money and has controversy with lovers; ex, megan fox has pisces in her 2H, and lana del rey who has neptune in her 2H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 3H - known for their creative ideas, good writers, could have a popular relative or is the popular relative, and another musician indicator. could also be known for their philosophy; ex, jeon jungkook has his pisces in his 3H, and beyonce who has her neptune in the 3H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 4H - famous family, controversy with family/marriage, do a project that can set them for life and could be in a famous group; ex, kim kardashian who has pisces in the 4H, and emma watson who has neptune in the 4H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 5H - get very popular because of their looks, usually have kids within their rise to fame, can tap into anything creative and succeed. brilliant actors and actresses have these placements; ex, nicolae kidman who has pisces in the 5H, and angelina jolie who has neptune in the 5H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 6H - amazing producers [music and film], are known for their interaction with drugs or people might have conspiracies with them taking drugs, health issues are put onto blast and usually stand out in a project that has many people and are usually the main character; ex, britney spears who has pisces in the 6H, and kanye west who has neptune in the 6H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 7H - like to please their fans, controversy with marriage, be careful with deals/contracts that you would sign, sometimes other people might think you are distant and you guys are likely to have iconic fashion moments; ex, bella hadid who has pisces in the 7H, and mariah carey who has neptune in the 7H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 8H - usually leave a big legacy, victim/subject to memes, or being made fun of by people in the industry, tough relationship with addiction and have a big fandom which can make them excused a lot; ex, marilyn monroe who has pisces in the 8H, and michael jackson who has neptune in the 8H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 9H - loved due to their charisma, loud and big personalities, partake in business all over the world and are wanted by foreign companies, and have a moment when they're under fire due to the public; ex, angelina jolie who has pisces in the 9H, and rihanna who has neptune in the 9H.
PISCES/NETPUNE IN THE 10H - likely to be models, have contracts with big brands, many people look up to them and have much expectations for them, could also be people who are in political power or are connected to them; ex, victoria beckham who has pisces in the 10H, and princess diana who has neptune in the 10H.
PISCES/NEPTUNE IN THE 11H - are usually easily excused, famous due to a private circle [political power on theories like illuminati], usually say things they are not meant to say, can either be easily liked or hated by the public and this can give online fame, or could get famous because of the internet; ex, miley cyrus who has pisces in the 11H, and billie eilish who has neptune in the 11H.
PISCES/NETPUNE IN THE 12H - people usually want to be them, long-term fame, another model indicator, and can be people who get into relationships with people who are known in the industry; ex, gigi hadid who has pisces in the 12H, and zendaya who has neptune in the 12H.
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get a chart reading before the prices go higher!
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pluto
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starlightkun · 2 months ago
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⏯ word count: 13.7k ⏯ genre: band au, punk band frontman!shotaro, venue manager!reader, shotaro is whipped, reader is emotionally unavailable, is it a slowish burn or is it angst?, whatever it is ur reading a starlightkun fic so there’s a happy ending :), ft. eunseok/sungchan/wonbin as shotaro’s bandmates welcome back boys & wayv as reader’s coworkers ⏯ warnings: some blood/violence (shotaro gets punched once), not necessarily a warning but since i do generally avoid describing the reader’s appearance in my fics, i wanted to give a heads up—reader works at a punk/alternative concert venue and is generally in/around that scene. reader is mentioned and/or implied to have some tattoos and piercings (other than earlobes) ⏯ extra info: set in the same universe as filler episodes, but u don’t need to read that in order to understand this one, filler eps!sungchan and sugarcoated!shotaro r just in the same band! also the title is from a 5sos song lol ⏯ author’s note: sooo after writing filler episodes and experiencing bbb/lucky shotaro, i couldn’t get punk band frontman shotaro out of my head… i fear the trajectory of my life has been altered ⏯ now playing… empty wallets – 5 seconds of summer | apathy is boring – bears in trees | dreaming girl – xdinary heroes
── ⋆⋅♫⋅⋆ find more stories from backstage at venue:hell here!
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“You’re not stupid. I know you’re not.” He stood up, stepping closer to you. “You always stop yourself right before… I’m sure you think you’re not leading me on or whatever, but I know you know how stupidly head over heels I am for you, because I don’t try to hide it.”
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Flipping through your keyring, you selected the right key by touch in order to unlock the rear entrance to the venue. Despite the sweltering summer heat outside, the basement was cool as always. You flipped the AC and lights on as you disabled the alarm that wasn’t actually connected to a security company, then descended the stairs. Venue:Hell, your home away from home. Actually, you were pretty sure you spent more time here than your apartment some weeks.
Your phone buzzed with a text as you crossed the threshold into the back office, and you opened it as you flopped into the creaky office chair.
[kun: attached image]
[kun: new schedule for the month. y/n, don’t forget that you’re covering the new weekly act starting today]
It was your manager, and you read over the list of events for this week with mild interest. The two of you had already discussed that you’d be taking over being point with Venue:Hell’s weekly spot. The venue had a recurring local act come in every week to perform, typically a smaller artist, to help them build a base among your regulars. These guys had recently opened for one of your previous weekly acts on a national tour and your manager liked them enough to ask them to fill in the weekly spot when the tour made a stop here. You’d had that particular night off, so this was going to be your first time meeting the band.
As you went through your usual opening checklist, other employees filtered in, starting on their tasks. The venue usually provided all the staff and equipment for the weekly act. They just needed to show up and perform.
You were with your sound guy Yangyang by his equipment when you heard your name being called from elsewhere in the building.
“Yeah?” You yelled back, walking out from behind the curtain to look around for whoever it was.
Ten, who worked the front, was approaching with four guys in tow, instrument cases in hand. Must be the new band.
“New weekly is here!” He called out.
You hopped down off the stage to meet them on the main floor. “You guys are early.”
The band looked at each other, obviously worried. One that had a guitar case on his back spoke up uncertainly, “Is that a problem? We weren’t sure—”
“No, it’s fine. I’m pretty sure it’s a first, though,” you snickered.
“You got them?” Ten asked you. “Kunhang said he needed help.”
“Go for it,” you nodded, dismissing your coworker from the group.
Looking back at the four guys that you were left with, you started your spiel. “So, I’m Y/N, assistant manager at Venue:Hell. If you ever have any questions, need anything, let me know. I’m sure Kun already explained how our weekly spot works, but you guys will perform here every Thursday at 10:00 and have a forty-five-minute slot. It’s not exactly primetime, but it’s consistent and we have a good pool of regulars. You’ll also have priority for inclusion on lineups for any special events we host. If your weekly slot ever needs to be moved or canceled, we’ll give you as much of a heads-up as we can, but sometimes it will be very last-minute. If you ever need to miss a week, we ask the same from you, tell us as soon as possible. Make sense?”
You got four hasty nods in return.
“Great, let me show you to your green room.” Just as you were about to turn around and head off, you realized something. “Ah shit, I completely forgot to ask your name. Sorry.”
The guitarist that had spoken earlier offered you a big smile. His ears were adorned with metal, and you spotted some jewelry glinting from his nose, lip, and eyebrow too. His hair sort of reminded you of a dalmatian, a light blonde base with spots of dark black streaking through it. Overall, fit right in with the scene, except for his smile, which seemed to be made of sunshine and rainbows or something cheesy like that. You swore you needed sunglasses just looking at him.
“I’m Osaki Shotaro, uh, guitar, and I sing!” He informed you cheerily. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
“Jung Sungchan, drums,” the tallest one nodded. “And our band is called Roses for Eyes, by the way. Since Taro here forget to mention that.”
He slapped his friend on the shoulder, making Shotaro wince.
“Right…” Shotaro rubbed his neck. “You-You can also call me Taro, too, by the way. Everyone does. Like boba tea!”
“Cool.” You nodded, looking at the other two expectantly.
“Eunseok, I’m the bassist,” another introduced himself. “Sing a bit, I guess.”
The last one, with dark black hair save for a single hot pink streak in his bangs, gave a small wave. “Park Wonbin. Guitar and I sing too.”
“I like the pink,” you commented, then pivoted on your heel. “Okay, I’ll show you your green room.”
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“So what do you think?” Yangyang asked you as he fiddled with his equipment, and you helped him go over his checklists.
“I think it sounds fine,” you replied, checking that step off.
“I meant about the new weekly.”
“Oh, they seem fine,” you shrugged. “You worked the night they were here last time, right? What did you think?”
“Their sound’s good.”
“And Kun obviously liked them.”
“Do you think they’ll be a pain to work with?”
“Hm?” You thought on your sparse interactions with the members of Roses for Eyes, the introductions, and then Shotaro had asked you where the restroom was. “No, I think they’ll be fine. I don’t know, Yang, it hasn’t even been their first day. There’s time yet for them to turn into assholes.”
Footsteps approaching made you glance over your shoulder. It was the drummer… Sungchan, you were pretty sure. He seemed to be heading straight for you, and you looked at him with your eyebrows raised.
“Do you need something?” You asked him expectantly, listening to Yangyang call out that the next step was clear.
“Not me, but yes,” he answered sheepishly.
You held his eye contact, arching an eyebrow.
“It’s Taro,” the drummer continued. “He’s good, I just wanted to give you a heads-up that he kind of uhm, loses things a lot? Especially his in-ears.”
“Has he lost them already?” You checked your watch. “Your soundcheck is in five minutes.”
“Yeah…”
You sighed and held the clipboard out towards Yangyang, “You got this?”
He saluted you, “Yes, ma’am.”
You turned back to Sungchan, “Where’s the last place he saw them?”
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“I told Sungchan not to tell you, I’m sorry,” Shotaro apologized as the two of you retraced his steps starting from the van they had arrived in.
“I told you guys—If you need anything, let me know,” you grunted, climbing over a spare amp in the back to look under the seats.
“This is just so embarrassing,” he complained, rifling through the glovebox.
“Hey, it’s your first performance as our new weekly, it’d be weirder if it went over perfectly.”
“I meant you having to search through our nasty van with me for them. Just being a few minutes late to soundcheck, I could deal.”
“It’s fine, Shotaro, I’ve done worse, promise.”
His big eyes peered at you inquisitively over the headrests of the front seats. “Like what?”
“I think we’ve scoured every inch of the inside of this thing,” you declared, wiping sweat off your brow with the hem of your shirt. “Have you checked under it?”
Shotaro was still staring at you.
“I’ll look.” You sighed and hopped out of the back of the van.
“No, I’ve got it!” He suddenly scrambled into action, dropping to his hands and knees on the gravel next to the vehicle to scour the ground underneath it.
You, meanwhile, kept your eyes peeled for the immediate vicinity of the parking lot around it. Finally, off in the direction towards the building next door, something caught your eye. You wandered over, picking up a square, black case. Flipping it open, sure enough, there was a pair of in-ears, one bright green and the other bright purple.
Walking back over to the van, you stopped next to the guitarist, who was still looking under it. “Shotaro.”
“Huh?” Thunk. “Fuck!”
“Watch your head,” you said dryly as he carefully extricated himself from under the van this time. You shook the case at him. “These yours?”
He lit up as soon as he saw the equipment. “Yes! Oh my god! Where were they?”
“Over by the neighbors.” You jerked a thumb at the building.
“Ohhh, right! There was a cat over there that I took a picture of when we got here. Do you want to see it?” He was already digging around in his pocket for his phone.
“No. Focus.”
“Right.” He reached for the case, but you snatched them out of his grasp before he could touch it.
“I don’t think so.”
Shotaro’s face turned endearingly confused. “What?”
“We’re not doing this again,” you declared. “These are mine now. When they are not inside of your ears, they’re mine. You will come get them from me before every performance and return them to me as soon as you get off the stage. If you do not need to take them somewhere else before next week, they’ll stay here with me the whole time. Deal?”
“So, Sungchan mentioned this isn’t the first time I’ve lost them?”
“Uh-huh.”
He nodded enthusiastically. “Deal!”
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Roses for Eyes wasn’t half bad, from the bits and pieces that you heard while you were running around doing other stuff. You could easily understand why your manager chose them for the weekly spot. Your regulars seemed to like them, too. They had an infectious energy, kept the crowd engaged, and had good chemistry with each other on stage. After the debacle with Shotaro’s in-ears, the rest of the performance went over relatively smoothly, then you just had an open bar and dance night until midnight to deal with. Easy.
It was Yangyang’s turn to have his playlist hooked up, so you were planning on mingling to get some feedback from your regulars on the new weekly.
“Y/N!” A voice yelled out your name from elsewhere backstage, and you turned around.
It was Shotaro running at you, his guitar slung over his back. You held out your hands both in a gesture for him to slow down, and also to protect yourself in case he crashed into you. He managed to skid to a stop just in time, breathless and with a wild smile.
He held his hand out towards you, something crumpled up in his fist. “Here!”
You opened up your palm, letting him drop two familiar neon objects into it. His in-ears. “Ah, right. Thank you for remembering.”
Taking out the case that you still had in your pocket, you tucked them away, snapping it shut again. “You’re sure you won’t need these again before next week?”
“No, we don’t have anything planned.”
“Well, if anything comes up, I’m here most days. I’ll keep them in the office, so if I’m not here, you can get them from Kun or someone else with a key.”
“So what uh, what did you think?” His teeth played with his lip ring nervously.
“About what?” You checked the time on your phone.
“You know, our set?”
“God, I told Yang during soundcheck that Wonbin’s mic should’ve been turned up, but he didn’t listen to me, so we could barely hear him. But we’ll fix that next week. Is the guy always so quiet?”
“Yeah, yeah, he is.” Shotaro was still looking at you expectantly.
“Did you need something else, Shotaro?” You asked. “I was going to go talk to some people.”
“No, uhm, sorry for keeping you.”
“It’s fine.” You patted his shoulder. “And hey, we’re open until midnight tonight. You guys are welcome to stay and hang out. Staff gets half off at the bar, that includes you.”
He nodded and flashed you another smile. “Cool, thanks, Y/N.”
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The next week, you were in the back office when there was a knock on the slightly ajar door, and a familiar head poked in.
“Hi.” Shotaro beamed at you. “Kunhang said you were in here.”
“Hi, Shotaro.” You minimized the window that had been up on your screen as he wandered around to your side.
“What are you doing?”
“Payroll. Which you can’t see,” you informed him, opening the top right drawer of the desk.
“Oh. Sorry.”
“It’s fine.” You handed him his in-ear case that you had just retrieved. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He accepted the case, but didn’t leave the office.
“Do you guys need something else?”
“No, uhm, finish your work,” he started towards the door. “But I uhm, is that new? The septum piercing?”
You touched the ring absentmindedly. You’d gotten it done over the weekend, you’d forgotten that it was new by now. “Yeah, it is.”
“I like it. Looks good on you.”
Before you could even say thanks, he had darted from the office.
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Done with the payroll, you went out to the main floor, taking down the stools from the few high-tops scattered around the perimeter and setting them up at the tables. Roses for Eyes were just starting their soundcheck, providing background music of the sounds of them tuning their instruments.
“Hey, Y/N,” Eunseok’s voice came over the speakers.
“Yeah?” You called back over your shoulder as you continued setting up.
“So, did you like our set last week? Anything we can do better?”
You swore you heard snickers, but when you turned around, they were all standing at attention. “Everyone generally liked your sound. Good music to dance to. But you need some more variety in your setlist. Have a vibe-shift or two. Show people you can do more. If you can.”
Sungchan laughed as he spun a stick around with his fingers. “Is that a challenge or what?”
You shrugged. “It’s only a challenge if it’s hard.”
They all erupted into incredulous laughter, and you couldn’t help but grin too, glad that they didn’t seem put-off by your comment. You were genuinely trying to give them advice, not put them down. The band returned to their soundcheck, and you went back to your own tasks. You figured they were done when you heard a long stretch of silence as you were doing inventory of your in-house merch behind the merch counter.
“Hi.” It was Shotaro again, peeking at you from over the counter as you squatted down to count the t-shirts stacked up down there.
“Hi, Shotaro.” You held up your hand expectantly, and he deposited his in-ear case onto it. You tucked it into your jacket pocket. “Thank you.”
“Need any help?”
“This isn’t your job,” you pointed out, tapping a few buttons on the tablet balanced on your knees.
“You’re really good at that.”
“Counting shirts?” You snorted. “I’d be a lot better if I wasn’t talking while I did it.”
He chuckled. “I meant not answering the question you’re asked.”
You looked up from the shirts at him. “Hmph.”
“Did you hate our set that much?”
“Why does it matter what I thought?” You asked him frankly.
“You’re still doing it.”
You took a closer look at what he was wearing today, a neon pink longsleeve under his black t-shirt. “Your shirt matches Wonbin’s hair. Cute.”
He looked down at his sleeves, pulling them over his hands. “Ah, yeah, I guess. Do you like it? I—Hey, wait a minute!”
You laughed to yourself as you stood back up. “If you really want me to answer your question… No, I don’t need any help. I’m done now. Thanks, though.”
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After Roses for Eyes’ set, Shotaro didn’t even have to find you, you were waiting just off-stage. He couldn’t hide his surprise, eyes going wide. “Oh, Y/N! Hey!”
“Hi.” You held out your hand expectantly, the case already open atop it.
He stuffed the in-ears back into it. “Thanks.”
“Thank you.” You snapped it shut and pocketed it. “And good set. I’m glad I got to actually see it this time.”
His face lit up. “Wait you—Is that why—? Thanks! You really—?”
“Hey, Taro, come on, we got places to be,” Sungchan grabbed his arm. “You got your in-ears?”
You arched an eyebrow, taking the case back out from your pocket. “You need these?”
Sungchan shook his head as Shotaro took it back from you. “Thanks…”
“Don’t lose them before next week,” you warned.
“I won’t.” He beamed.
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The next day, you were at the venue early putting up some new decorations when you swore you heard the back door open.
“Ten?” You yelled out. “That you?”
“No!” An entirely different voice called back, right as the owner had descended the stairs into your view, propping his silver sunglasses up on his dalmatian hair.
“Shotaro.” You tilted your head at him curiously. “Pretty sure I haven’t been here that long. It’s not Thursday yet.”
“Not quite.” He grinned as he set a familiar case on the counter that you were currently standing on to reach the ceiling. “I didn’t lose them.”
“I’m very proud of you.” You pointed in the direction of the back. “Office is unlocked, you can put them on the desk before you head out.”
“What are you doing?”
“Decorating. We’re doing a Y’allternative Night tonight.” You held up the paper cowboy boots that you were prepared to hang up. “It’s all deejayed, no live music or we would’ve offered you guys a slot, sorry.”
“Can I help?”
“You really want to help me decorate?”
“Yeah.”
You sighed, looking down at the stack of decorations on the counter, and the others haphazardly strewn on the stage. “Ten was supposed to help but he hasn’t shown…”
“Is that a yes?” He asked hopefully.
“I can’t pay you for this,” you warned.
“That’s fine!”
“Put your in-ears away first.”
“On it!” He grabbed them off the counter and dashed away.
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“So how long have you been working here?” Shotaro asked you as the two of you worked to decorate the venue.
“Few years.” You handed him the next cutout. “Mm, to the right. Yeah, good, higher. There.”
Shotaro was easy to work with, attentive, loved even the smallest bit of praise, and followed directions incredibly well. Kinda like training a dog, you figured. Though, you’d never had a dog.
“How long have you been with your band?” You asked.
“Oh, I’ve known Sungchan since I was like, seven,” he explained, scooting with you along the counter. “I used to be taller than him, you know.”
You snorted at that, genuinely trying to picture little Sungchan and Shotaro, the latter just a smidge taller.
Shotaro was grinning as he continued, “We spent like every day after school in middle school playing Rock Band. Begged our parents for real instruments for Christmas in high school. Then Sungchan met Eunseok in gym class, and I met Wonbin in art. So I guess it’s been… almost ten years? At least since we took over Eunseok’s garage after school for our first band practice.”
“That’s cool,” you replied genuinely, handing him the last decoration. “I like hearing that sort of stuff from the acts that come through here. Everyone’s got such unique stories.”
“Uhm—” He cleared his throat. “Is this good? For the-the thing?”
You looked at where he was holding the paper lasso. “Ehh… Turn it to the left a little? …Perfect, tape it.”
Shotaro hopped down from the counter and the two of you stepped back to admire your handiwork.
“Not bad.” You held your hand up for a high-five, which he eagerly accepted. “Thanks, Shotaro.”
The back door was thrown open then, Ten yelling into the venue, “I’m here!”
“Finally,” you scoffed.
“Sorry, sorry, I had to take Louis to the doctor,” your coworker rambled, obviously flustered as he rushed in. “Stupid asshole ate my charging cable.”
“His cat,” you informed Shotaro quietly, taking in the guitarist’s concerned look. Turning back to Ten, you asked, “Is he okay?”
“Yeah, one super expensive vet trip later, he’s fine, of course.” Ten seemed to notice Shotaro then. “Oh, hey, Taro. Are you guys performing tonight?”
“He was just dropping off some equipment and was nice enough to help me with the decorations,” you explained. “Speaking of—You remembered to pick them up on your way in, right?”
He pointed over his shoulder to the back entrance. “Yes, they’re in my car, will you help me with them?”
“I think we’ve got it from here, Shotaro, thanks again—”
“Uhm, do you remember how long it took last time?” Ten interrupted you pointedly.
You sighed ruefully, recalling very well. Clasping your hands together in front of you, you turned to the frontman, “If you’re not busy, would you mind helping us fill hundreds of balloons and also assemble a few cardboard cutouts? Please?”
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Only one person could operate the balloon inflating machine at a time. One person would fill them with helium, then hand them off to another to tie them and release them to float up to the ceiling. Getting them back down would be hell. The third person was wrangling the custom-ordered cardboard cutouts out of the packaging and assembling them. That person was of course you. You had lost the rock-paper-scissors, and never had it in you to just pull rank when it came to this kind of stuff.
“What the hell?” You muttered, trying to cut the package open for the third time, barely crinkling the tape instead. Yanking on it, you cursed, “I swear this fucking tape is made of fucking Kevlar! What the fuck?!”
“Let me try?” Shotaro offered, abandoning his post tying balloons to join you. You huffed and let him gently take the box cutter from your hand, moving over to grant him access to the end of the box that you were struggling with.
“It’s probably that box cutter! Blade’s too dull!” Ten called out as he continued filling and tying balloons. “I think it’s older than Kun!”
Shotaro had just tried to slice upwards along the tape, but as soon as the box cutter hit resistance, it stopped, and his hand recoiled with the force. His fingers flew back down along the blade, and he dropped both it and the box immediately, letting out a long string of curses.
As soon as you saw the red welling up on his finger, you yelled out to Ten, “First aid kit!”
“Shit! Oh my god, you’re going to get fucking tetanus or something and die. Or lose your hand!” You panicked, latching onto Shotaro’s elbow. You dragged him into the nearest bathroom—the women’s room—and started running water in the sink. You yanked up his hoodie sleeves then yours, sticking both his hands under the stream. They were both bloody messes at this point.
Shotaro lit up as he looked at your inked forearms. “Cool tattoos, what—”
“So not the fucking time for a tattoo tour?!” You gestured to his own hands incredulously.
Ten brought the first aid kit in, and the women’s room that only had two stalls anyway was starting to feel cramped now.
“Go see if there’s any blood on the floor or something,” you shooed him out probably too harshly.
With him gone, you focused on washing and drying Shotaro’s uninjured hand before taking a look at the other. Only one of his fingers was cut, thankfully, but you knew the state that box cutter was in—old, rusty, and had probably never been cleaned once.
“I’ll be fine.” Shotaro was surprisingly calm as he watched you.
“You know there’s no cure for tetanus, right? Fuck, Kun’s going to kill me if our weekly can’t perform because I gave the frontman tetanus and he died.” You stressed.
“Oh, I thought you were just worried for me,” his voice was teasing, and if you hadn’t watched him injure himself and flinch in pain with your own two eyes, you would’ve wondered if he had any pain receptors, as he didn’t seem to be bothered whatsoever by you squirting soap onto the cut in that moment.
“Yeah, that too.”
“As an afterthought,” he snickered.
You pushed the shoulder of his uninjured hand. “Shut up and clean your cut.”
“Really, I’m touched.” He was still smirking as he obliged, gingerly running the tip of his thumb over the area to work the soap around the cut, the water finally running clear. You turned the sink off then grabbed paper towels and his hand, starting to dry the cut off. “Will it make you feel better if I tell you I’m upped on my tetanus booster?”
“Are you?”
He shrugged.
“Then no, that does not make me feel better,” you scoffed, inspecting the wound now that it was dry. On the bright side, the box cutter being as old and dull as it was meant that the cut wasn’t very deep. The bleeding had already stopped. As you went to grab the band-aids from the first-aid kit, you realized Shotaro was still watching you, this time with a funny smile on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“You’re always so… cool. In like this unreachable, detached way. Is it bad to say I’m kind of enjoying seeing you like this too?”
“Panicking and pissed off that you’re not taking tetanus serious enough?” You shot him an unamused look, ripping open a band-aid. “Yes, I’d say that’s a strange thing to enjoy.”
“Strange,” he repeated happily. “Not bad.”
“I suppose that is what I said.” You wrapped the band-aid around the cut. “There. All better. Unless you get tetanus and die.”
“I pinky promise I won’t get tetanus and die.” He held the pinky finger of his injured hand out to you.
You eyed his hand. “I super don’t think that’s how this works.”
Shotaro shook it more insistently. You sighed, linking your pinky with his. “If you get tetanus and die, I’m going to kill you.”
“I super don’t think that’s how that works.”
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Thursday rolled around, and you were actually grateful when a spotted head of hair poked into the back office that evening.
“I’m alive!” Shotaro announced cheerily.
“So you are.” You smiled, taking out his in-ears from the desk drawer, as well as the brand-new bag of Sour Patch Kids you had tucked in there. “For you. I can’t pay you with money for helping out, but I really do appreciate it, Shotaro. And I’m sorry that you got injured helping me, too. If Sour Patch aren’t your thing, let me know what you do like and I’ll pick some up for you next week.”
Anybody else would’ve thought you’d just given him a handmade sweater the way he clutched the bag of candy to his chest and looked at you with big eyes. “These are my favorites! How—Did Sungchan tell you or something?”
“Took a wild guess.” You finished up the online order you were placing for restocking your in-house merch. “Also, do you guys have merch?”
“Huh?” Shotaro was looking right at you, but clearly hadn’t heard a word you’d said.
“Merch. Shirts, CDs, stuff for people to buy. Do you guys have any? We can keep it in stock here.”
He blinked, finally processing your question. “We sold out of all our shirts on tour… and we were talking about getting new designs the next time we got some made anyway. We’ve only got a few CDs left now. So… no…”
You clicked your tongue, logging out of the computer and standing up. “Well, whenever you get to it, we can keep them stocked here for you guys. Oh, and I know a few good artists who do that kind of stuff, if you’re looking for someone.”
As you talked, you had started ushering Shotaro out of the office, shutting the door behind you. He stopped in the narrow hallway outside it, made even more cramped by the cardboard boxes of miscellaneous props, merch, and decorations stored back here because you had run out of room in your actual storage closet. He was so close you were certain you could accurately count the piercings on his ears and face if you were patient enough. You tried to take a step back, only to hit your head on the office door that you had just closed.
“Fuck!” You hissed under your breath, clutching your head. “Shotaro, you mind? Don’t you have a soundcheck to do or something?”
“Sorry! Are you okay?” He winced sympathetically, still not moving away, if anything, getting closer as he tried to check on you. “That didn’t sound good—”
“I’m fine!” You insisted. “Soundcheck! Go do it!”
“Right!” He gave you a thumbs-up, then shook his giant bag of candy. “Thank you again!”
After he had sprinted away, you let out a relieved groan, leaning back against the door and looking up at the water-stained ceiling.
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“Is that sanitary?” Eunseok’s voice announced Roses for Eyes’ arrival that particular afternoon, as you sat atop the bar counter, scrolling on your phone in one of your few moments of peace and quiet around Venue:Hell.
“Kiss my ass, Eunseok,” you replied without even looking up.
“Yeah, I’ll get in line,” he retorted, making Sungchan and Wonbin laugh.
That finally prompted you to slide your gaze up, just in time to see the three of them laughing over by the stage as Shotaro flipped them all off over his shoulder, making his way towards you. He had two cups in one hand, one with a bright green straw in it, and the other without a straw, and you saw that the other three band members each had a plastic cup with a straw sticking out of them as well. You silently watched Shotaro approach, raising an eyebrow at him once he’d stopped in front of you.
“We were getting boba on our way here, and thought we’d grab you one, too.” His cheeks were a bright pink as he held the unopened cup out to you, and fished a packaged purple straw out from the front pocket of his black jean jacket.
“Who’s this ‘we’ that you’re talking about?” You asked humorously. “They all apparently think getting me boba is kissing my ass.”
Shotaro straightened up, puffing his chest out. “Actually, yeah. Fuck ‘em. I got you one because I thought it’d be nice to get you one too since you do so much for us every week. It’s uh-It’s honey milk tea, because I didn’t know what flavor you liked.”
“Thank you, Shotaro.” You accepted the cup and straw from him graciously, to a chorus of snickers from the spectators on the other side of the floor. “Honey milk tea is more than acceptable.”
“But it’s not your favorite?”
“I don’t have a favorite.” You set the cup on the bartop beside you to stab the straw into it.
“You—Hey, are those mine?” He seemed to have finally noticed the sunglasses perched atop your head.
“What? These?” You teased, tapping the plastic accessory arm on one side of your head.
“I was looking for those today!”
You took them off, offering them out towards him. “You left them here last week.”
Shotaro took the glasses just to turn them right back around, take a step closer to you, and place them back on your head, a fond smile on his face as he did so. “I think you look better in them, actually. You can hold onto them for a little longer.”
You swallowed, your chest suddenly feeling too tight for your heart, and six eyes suddenly feeling like way too many to be in the room with you two right now. You chuckled, trying to keep up the congenial tone as you once more pulled them off. This time, you folded the arms and tucked the sunglasses into Shotaro’s jacket pocket for him. “Thanks, Shotaro, but I can’t take your sunglasses. They’re really rockstar sunglasses anyway, not for someone like me.”
At that moment, you grabbed your boba tea and hopped off the bar, scooting out from between him and the counter. You avoided looking at the others, beelining for the back office.
When Shotaro had to come get his in-ears from you just a few minutes later, you gave him the same pleasant smile as usual, handing him the case. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He tapped the case against his palm, the sound dampened by the fingerless gloves he was wearing that day. “What did you mean? When you said someone like you.”
“Wh—About the sunglasses?” You’d hardly expected him to confront you about that comment at all, much less alone now, just you and him in the office, no peanut gallery. While six eyes had felt like too many, this felt far too intimate. You somehow felt more exposed than before. “Like I said—They’re cool rockstar sunglasses, that’s what you are. You should wear them you know, up on stage, being all cool and stuff. I’m crew; no point in me wearing them while I’m sitting back here where nobody can see them.”
He frowned, but thankfully didn’t try to give them to you again. “I think you’re cool, Y/N.”
With that, he left the office.
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“Hey—Woah.” Yangyang stopped midsentence, blinking at you from the office doorway.
“You’re losing your ears, puppy,” you snickered.
“I’m not a—!” He whined, catching the wolf ears that were sliding off his head just in time. “I’m a werewolf!”
“Sure,” you snorted, spinning your desk chair around to face him. “So what did you need, Yang?”
“Ten has a question about how we should set up the line out front.”
“Alright.” You stood up, smoothing out your long black dress. Today was Venue:Hell’s Halloween event, Hallowfreaks, so the whole staff was dressed up. You didn’t have time to think about a costume this time, so you just took out your Morticia Addams costume from last year.
Meeting Ten out front, you couldn’t even compliment his own “werewolf” costume, as he immediately tilted his head with interest upon seeing yours. You looked down at your dress, wondering if you had somehow spilled something on it unknowingly.
He didn’t leave you in the dark long, though. “You did a matching costume with Taro?”
“What?”
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“Shotaro.”
The singer whipped around at the sound of his name. And there was no doubt as to who he was dressed as: His spotted blonde and black hair was slicked back and it looked like he had even used some kind of spray to make it fully black, he had donned a pinstriped suit and dress shoes, and drawn on a mustache to finish off the Gomez Addams look.
The initial recognition at his name being called turned to excitement as he realized what your costume was as well.
“Wait, seriously?!” He laughed, jumping up and down with elation. “That’s awesome!”
“I thought you guys would’ve done a group costume or something.” You crossed your arms.
“We were thinking about it, but Sungchan wanted to do a couple’s costume with his girlfriend. We thought it would look weird onstage if the three of us had a group costume without him, so we just all did our own thing.”
“Sensible.”
“C’mere, we’ve got to show them!” He grabbed your arm, and you let him drag you elsewhere backstage, into the green room where his other three band members were waiting around before their soundcheck. “Guys!”
“What’s this?” Eunseok grinned, pointing between the two of you.
“Taro, you didn’t mention you were doing a couple’s costume with Y/N,” Sungchan teased.
You rolled your eyes. “Not planned, you little shits.”
“Kinda weird that it happened, though,” Wonbin pointed out through a yawn. “Like, you know? What does it mean?”
“It means I was too lazy to buy a new costume and wore my one from last year, and Shotaro… I don’t know, something.”
“I like the movies,” he added quietly.
“He likes the movies!” You repeated triumphantly.
But the others were long gone, laughing and joking among themselves. Shaking your head, you turned back to Shotaro. “I’ll grab your in-ears.”
“I’ll come with.”
The venue was buzzing with excitement for the holiday, but the back office was quiet as always. You passed Kun in the hallway, giving him a quick nod as he rushed off to do something.
“Your in-ears,” you handed him the case, and a small bag of candy, “and Happy Halloween.”
“Sour Patch Kids!” His face lit up.
“Some place on my way to work was handing them out to people walking by. They’re not my favorite, so I figured I’d give it to you.”
“You don’t like them?” He questioned, ripping open the small package.
“They’re fine.” You shrugged, leaning back against the desk. “But you love them.”
He smiled as he grabbed a gummy. “Thanks.”
“This is Roses for Eyes’ first special event here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.” He confirmed. “Sungchan’s really excited.”
“Why’s that? He really like Halloween or something?”
“This is the first performance since we’ve had this gig that his girlfriend is going to be here for,” Shotaro explained. “She’s been on the road for the past two months.”
“She’s in the industry too?”
“Yeah, she does tour management.”
You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to keep your voice as neutral as possible. “Good for them.”
“Yeah…” Shotaro looked at you carefully. “But why’d you say it like that?”
Not neutral enough, apparently. You purposefully avoided meeting his gaze. “Like what?”
“Like… I don’t know. Like you had another opinion.”
“I meant it. Good for them.” You hoped at least that much came across as genuine. “I’ve been around the scene for long enough to see plenty of relationships like that end badly. Especially ones between talent and crew.”
His big eyes watched you carefully as he chewed, swallowed, and cautiously asked, “Personal experience?”
“What did I just say? I’ve seen it. Not had it happen to me,” you replied firmly. Pointing to the door, you said, “Now go do your soundcheck, Shotaro.”
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You were waiting backstage for Roses for Eyes after their set. The stage was being prepared for the next live act, and the band was still energetic.
“Good job, guys,” you congratulated them as Shotaro handed over his in-ears.
“Thanks.” Sungchan patted your head as he hurried by, apparently with somewhere to be.
“He’s got to find his girlfriend,” Eunseok informed you, wiping his face with his shirt, and taking half his No Face facepaint off in the process.
You narrowed your eyes at Shotaro. “Missing something?”
“I gave you them!” He defended himself.
“Your guitar.”
He patted his front and back, eyes going wide. “Shit!”
Wonbin and Eunseok burst into laughter as Shotaro darted back onto stage, apologizing to the staff and band still setting up. The other two wandered off, presumably to put their own equipment away. Shotaro snatched his guitar from the stand and ran back over to you, panting as he tried to catch his breath.
“Okay, that’s the first time that’s ever happened,” he promised.
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“I saw you in the back, during some of the set,” he was absolutely beaming at you.
“Yeah, with Kun here tonight, I can actually get some breathing room. I was able to stop and watch a bit.” You patted his arm. “Like I said, good job, mon cher.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling down at his feet. “Thanks, cara mia.”
You couldn’t help but laugh, covering your mouth as you did.
“What? What’s so funny?” He asked with a chuckle.
“It is pretty funny that we accidentally did two halves of a matching costume. Everyone had a right to be weirded out.”
“Oh, yeah,” he agreed. “Weird coincidence, right?”
“Anyway, you should put your guitar away before you lose it again and I have to confiscate that as well, okay?”
“Okay, okay.”
“I’m going to put your in-ears in the office. If you guys don’t have anything better to do, Hallowfreaks is going on until 2 a.m.”
“Don’t tell me you’re working that whole time?” He asked in disbelief.
“Where else would I be?”
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Winter rolled around, and you were once again crouched behind the merch counter doing inventory. Seasons change, but the pain of doing inventory never does.
“Nah, it’ll be Taro,” Yangyang insisted.
“I think it’ll be Sungchan trying to embarrass Taro,” Kunhang replied.
“Mm, could be Eunseok trying to piss Y/N off while simultaneously embarrassing Taro,” Ten gave his input on whatever the hell they were talking about near Yangyang’s sound equipment.
You poked your head above the merch counter now that you’d heard your own name. “Hey! What are you guys talking about?”
Three heads peeked around the black curtains. Ten answered your question, “We’re betting on which one of them will say something first when they get here today.”
“And none of you said Wonbin because he’ll probably be half-asleep anyway,” you guessed.
“Yep!” Kunhang nodded.
You just sighed loudly and went back to your task. A few minutes later, the back door opened, followed by the overlapping voices of Sungchan and Shotaro in a quiet but heated argument about… something indistinguishable to you. It was ended by an alarmingly loud smacking sound followed by dead silence, which prompted you to peer over the counter, a little concerned. The guys would playfight or bicker sometimes, but it always devolved into laughter.
The four of them were silent, but the angry tension was choking. You tried to quickly duck your head back down, hoping nobody saw you. But of course Shotaro did. It was only a few minutes later, after they put all their stuff down in the green room, that Shotaro was leaning over the merch counter on his elbows to talk to you.
“Hi, Y/N.” He offered you a smile, but you noticed it seemed a little strained this time.
“Hey, Shotaro,” you greeted him, not addressing the band’s entrance. Having just finished up with inventory, you stood up, groaning with relief.
The singer’s smile turned genuine then. “You’re wearing our merch.”
You looked down at the front of the hoodie you were wearing. “Oh, yeah. Don’t worry, I paid for it.”
“I wasn’t worried about that.” His eyes shined as he looked at you. “I’m—I didn’t think you’d…”
“I’ve gotta rep the home team, right?” You gestured to the building around you. “It’s super comfy, too. Come on, let’s get your in-ears.”
In the office, you grabbed the case from the desk, watching Shotaro fuss with his lipring with his front teeth, bouncing from his heels to his toes.
“Look,” you sighed. “You don’t have to tell me what it’s about… but is everything okay with you guys?”
He pulled at his fingerless gloves. “You didn’t hear what Sungchan was saying?”
“No, nothing.”
“We’ll be okay,” he reassured you. “We’ve had worse fights. I mean, not since I was like, twelve, but it’ll be fine.”
You let your uncertainty be visible on your face. “Alright, you know him better than I do. Like I always say, if you need something, let me know.”
“Thanks, Y/N. I appreciate that you’re concerned about us.” Shotaro held a hand out for his in-ears, and you placed them in his waiting palm.
A little while later, you went out to start setting up the stools to find Shotaro alone on stage tuning his guitar. You went about your business as he seemed absorbed in his own task.
“I looked it up,” Shotaro called out to you before he played a chord, then adjusted one of the tuning pegs. “There’s no cure for tetanus.”
You looked at him over your shoulder, pulling a stool down from the high-top. “I know.”
Another chord. “I know you know.” More tuning. “You said that when I cut myself with the box cutter.”
“And…?”
“How did you know that?”
“My sister’s a doctor,” you answered simply, continuing to set up the furniture.
The guitarist stopped completely, staring at you. “Wait, really?”
“Why do you look so surprised?” You chuckled, leaning against one of the tables. “Can’t believe I’m related to a doctor and work in this place?”
“No, not that.” He shook his head as if trying to shake himself out of a stupor. “You just never tell me about that kind of stuff.”
“We both lived at home when she was in med school. I helped her with flashcards and stuff when she’d study.” You shrugged and went back to setting up. “Random stuff stuck.”
The other members of Roses for Eyes came out on stage then, cutting the conversation short as they started their soundcheck.
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Poking your head into the band’s green room that particular evening, you were surprised to only find one member. Sure, a couple might be out on a food run, or wandering around the venue distracting your staff, but more often than not they were all in here between soundcheck and their set.
Regardless, you really only needed one of them at the moment. “Shotaro.”
“Yes!” He immediately shot up from where he had been sprawled out on the tiny couch, facing away from the door. His dalmatian hair had finally faded, and he was now completely platinum blonde with a shorter, spikier cut.
You quickly shot your boss a text back as you also flicked through the upcoming events spreadsheet for the venue. Not even looking up from your phone, you asked, “Got Valentine’s Day plans?”
Something collided with the edge of the table as Shotaro fell off the couch at that exact moment. You glimpsed the tail end of him scrambling to his feet, rushing to answer you, “No! Not at all! Uhm, what were you—”
“We’re putting on an Anti-Romantics Event for singles that night,” you explained, reviewing the details for the event on your screen. “Mix of live stuff and deejayed. Some games, raffles, that kind of stuff too. The headliner slot is yours if you guys want it.”
Shotaro nodded fervently. “Yeah! We can do it!”
You raised an eyebrow, looking around the empty room pointedly. “You’re not going to ask the other guys? I figured at least Sungchan might be doing something, you know…”
“Right. I’ll uhm, I’ll double-check with them.”
“I’ll pencil you guys in. Just let me know as soon as possible, okay?”
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“Y/N?” Shotaro’s voice echoed as he yelled your name from the main room, obviously just wandering around shouting for you. Tonight was Venue:Hell’s Anti-Romantics Event, and Roses for Eyes had ended up accepting the headliner spot. Apparently, Sungchan’s girlfriend was really chill.
“In here!” You yelled back from inside the women’s bathroom, hunched in front of the mirror with an eyeliner pen and pile of used makeup remover wipes.
“Shit, sorry! I mean, uh—Never mind!”
“I’m doing my make-up,” you snorted. “You can come in.”
The swinging door opened hesitantly, and as soon as he was able to see that you were telling the truth, Shotaro entered fully. You wiped off your latest fail with a groan, grabbing all of the used wipes and tossing them in the trash.
“What are you doing?” He asked curiously.
“I’m trying to draw a broken heart on my cheek,” you explained. “But I can’t draw on my own face for shit.”
“Can I…?” He reached for the eyeliner. You handed it over, leaning back against the sink. He gently tilted your chin up and away from him to give him better access. You looked off to the side to avoid staring directly at him as he leaned in. “So you didn’t have any Valentine’s plans?”
“Nope.”
“Me neither.”
“I figured.”
He chuckled, his warm breath washing over your cheek. “Ouch.”
You rolled your eyes. “You already told me you didn’t have any plans.”
“Right.”
“I like your necklace.” You picked up the heavy chain from where it was sitting on his chest, several miniature heart lockets hanging from it.
“Thanks,” he murmured. “I think your makeup is nice.”
“I’m a sucker for a theme.”
Shotaro took a step back to look at his handiwork, nodding proudly. “Not half-bad, I think.”
You turned to check on it in the mirror, lighting up when you saw a much more legible broken heart than all the ones you’d attempted. “Oh, that’s so much better! Thank you, Shotaro!”
“You’re welcome.”
Eyeing the rest of his outfit, you were struck with an idea. You grabbed him by the shoulders, spinning the two of you around so his back was to the sink. “Your turn.”
“Hm?” He watched you with interest as you took the eyeliner pen from him and tossed it into your makeup bag, rooting around in there for something else. Finally, you secured a compact of blush and brush, holding them up eagerly.
“Trust me?” You requested.
He smiled fondly, relaxing back against the sink. “Go for it.”
You dusted the bright-colored blush across his cheeks and nose, focusing the majority of it in the center. When you were done, you had a victorious grin on your face. He now looked like a perfect little pop punk Cupid. The rest of his outfit was his usual mishmash of black and bright neon colors—this time solely hot pink—accessorized with more black, spikes, and metal chains. The blush was just the icing on the cake, especially when you saw that he had put a teeny, tiny silver heart stud in his nose piercing.
“Perfect,” you announced with finality, putting the makeup away.
Shotaro blinked his eyes open uncertainly, and you gestured for him to look in the mirror. He laughed, nodding his approval. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I thought you were doing.”
“Let me know how many numbers you leave with at the end of the night,” you quipped.
“What?” All the humor was drained from his features as he looked from the mirror over to you.
“Uhm, I don’t know how to tell you this, but you’re the frontman of the headlining act at an event for singles on Valentine’s Day, and I just made you look ten times more edible than usual.” You patted him on the shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
“I don’t want anybody’s number.”
You were slightly alarmed at the rate that this conversation had taken a nosedive, quickly trying to gloss over the tense moment. “Of course. Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“You really think I’m edible?” He asked with a knowing smirk.
“Mm, I guess I did say something like that,” you answered noncommittally, grabbing your makeup bag. “I’ll go get your in-ears for you.”
“I’m not them.” Shotaro’s biting words stopped you in your tracks before you could even grab the door handle.
“What?”
He was still leaning back against the sink, crossing his arms over his chest as he held your confused gaze. “Whoever you’re comparing me to in your head. Whoever you think I’m going to end up being exactly like. I’m not them.”
“Shotaro…” You breathed out his name, unable to think of a quick deflection this time, hoping he would just let it go.
“You’re not stupid, Y/N. I know you’re not.” He stood up, stepping closer to you. “You always stop yourself right before… I’m sure you think you’re not leading me on or whatever, but I know you know how stupidly head over heels I am for you, because I don’t try to hide it.”
You winced, your stomach dropping to the floor. So he really did want to have this conversation. “I’m sorry. I should’ve said something. I thought… I don’t know, that I needed better words before I said anything. But saying something would’ve been better than doing this to you. I’m so sorry, Shotaro.”
“Tell me. Whatever words you do have, even if you think they’re bad,” he insisted.
“Why?”
“Because I still want to know everything about you, even if it’s the reasons you’re rejecting me,” he chuckled cynically, his eyes still shining as he looked at you.
You sank your teeth into your bottom lip as you tried to think of where to start. You knew you owed Shotaro this much, at least. Finally, you decided on, “I dated the lead singer of a band a few years ago, when I started here. I was young and stupidly in love with him and really believed him when he told me I was special. He was cheating on me the whole time.” You watched Shotaro’s eyes go big. “Every time he went on tour, even at concerts here. I think the worst part wasn’t even how many times he cheated on me, but how many times I caught him doing it and believed him when he said it meant nothing and he’d never do it again.”
“Y/N—”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you, Shotaro. Really,” you reassured him. “I-I don’t know if I can trust myself to not… realize when something like that is happening again. To not realize when I’ve lost myself like that. I’m sorry.”
You rushed out of the bathroom then, unable to bring yourself to hear what he said next, whatever surely sweet, reassuring, reasonable thing he would say. You couldn’t hear it, not now. You were stuck, and now you’d gotten Shotaro stuck too.
Grabbing the in-ears from your office, you were glad to almost immediately catch Kunhang in the hallway. “Hey, give these to Shotaro for me.”
He thankfully didn’t question it, and you set off to keep yourself even busier than usual. Which wouldn’t be hard, as Kun wasn’t in that night, meaning that you were overseeing the whole event on your own. You didn’t even see Shotaro again until he was on stage performing with the rest of Roses for Eyes. You were helping out behind the merch table, as the limited-edition event merch you’d gotten was apparently very popular and the bunching up of people around the counter was clogging up the small area.
“They’re killing it tonight,” Ten commented loudly to be heard over the crowd and the music, nodding towards the stage.
“Yeah,” you agreed mildly, watching the performance out of the corner of your eye as you straightened up the stock.
“They’ve been doing really well with the weekly slot, too.”
“Mhm.”
“I heard they’re planning a mini-tour in the summer, though.”
“Cool.”
“Taro mentioned anything to you about that?”
You flashed him a sharp look. “Why would he have told me anything?”
“Because you’re their contact for the slot here?” He gave you a bewildered look back. “They’d have to tell you so you could tell Kun and find someone to fill the slot while they’re gone?”
“Right. Yeah. No, nobody’s said anything to me.”
“And also, he’s got a huge crush on you.”
“God, shut up,” you groaned.
“What? It’s adorable to watch him follow you around like a lost puppy,” your coworker snickered. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed?”
“I’m telling you to shut up about it.”
“Come on, taking the theme a little too literally, Y/N?”
You rolled your eyes, opting to not engage with the conversation at all since he apparently wasn’t going to move on. The presence of the headliner on stage was finally drawing some of the crowd away from the merch line.
Giving Ten an unsympathetic smile, you started backing away from the counter, “Alright, I think you’ve got it from here.”
Ten was still grinning and shaking his head as he let you go without a fight, helping the next person in line. You continued running around the venue, helping with anything that popped up.
As Kunhang was announcing the winners of some of the raffles later in the night, you had eyed trouble at the bar. Sicheng, your bartender, was obviously trying to decline service to an insistent patron while a line of other guests bunched up around the bar.
“Is there a problem here, Sicheng?” You asked, stepping into the situation.
“Oh, Y/N,” he breathed a sigh of relief. “He’s had too many, can you—”
“I’ve got it, you keep serving people,” you reassured him. With his attention on the next people, you turned back to the other man. The guy had clearly had too much to drink, pink-faced and swaying in place. “You’ve had enough, man. How about we get you a water, okay? Or a soda?”
“No, I want another beer!” He insisted.
“No can do, sorry,” you informed him firmly. “Water, soda, or nothing. Alright?”
“Who the fuck are you to tell me no?”
“Manager of the building you’re in right now.”
“Well, manager, tell him to get me another beer.”
“No,” you repeated. “Look, dude, I know tonight can especially suck, but there’s other things to do besides drink. You are cut off. Let’s get you a water, hm?”
“No.”
“Did you come with friends? I can help get you back to them.”
He got up in your face then, and you stepped back, unwittingly jamming the bartop right into your own ribcage. “I said no, bitch.”
“I’m going to ask you to leave if you don’t calm down and get out of my fucking face,” you informed him through gritted teeth. “Come on, dude, don’t make this a bigger deal than it has to be.”
Before he could say anything else, someone grabbed the guy by the shoulder, pulling him away from you. At first you hoped that it was come friends of the guy, finally caught on to what was going on, but your blood turned cold when you saw who it really was.
“Hey, get out of her face,” Shotaro told him, rather calmly, but firmly.
In the next second, the drunk guy had swung, his fist impacting with Shotaro’s face and making his head jerk back. The crowd around you three gasped and backed up, and you felt both anger and panic flood your veins.
“You’re done!” You announced loudly. “Out! Get the fuck out! Sicheng! Call security!”
Your bartender was already on it, his walkie-talkie up by his mouth and his request for back-up coming through your own earpiece very clearly. You watched the venue’s guard who very rarely had to leave his post by the front door lumber up, grabbing the guy by the collar and pulling him through the crowd.
Shotaro was stood in the same spot, slightly hunched over as he held onto the edge of the bar, cradling his cheek. You sighed, grabbing his arm. “Come on.”
He let you guide him away from the crowd, the din of the music fading as you took him into the back office, shutting the door behind you. You gestured to the desk chair for him to sit in, and he obliged. After getting out the small first aid kit that was kept in here, you leaned back against the desk, pulling his hand down from his face to inspect the damage.
“We have security, you know,” you said quietly, cracking a cold pack and massaging it in your hands to get the reaction going.
“Didn’t seem like they were helping you,” he replied.
You grabbed a couple tissues from the dispenser on the desk, pressing them to where blood was welling up from a cut on his cheek. “Because I hadn’t called them.”
“Why not?”
“Because I was handling it.” Tossing the bloodied tissues in the trash, you applied a band-aid to the open wound before holding the cold pack out to him.
He accepted it, looking down at his lap guiltily. “I’m sorry.”
“C’mere.” You stood up and stepped closer to him, reaching for his face with both your hands.
“Hm?” He looked up at you curiously. You turned his head so you could gently press your thumbs against his cheekbone and the area around his eye where he’d been hit. “Ow…”
“Sorry. I don’t think he broke anything. You’ll probably just have some bruising for a while,” you declared softly, pulling his hand that was holding the cold pack up to his cheek. “And a nasty cut from his ugly rings.”
He chuckled a little, and you smiled back. “Learn that from your sister?”
“No, just had to break up a few fights here before.”
“Really?”
“We weren’t always such a classy establishment,” you joked, sitting back down on the edge of the desk in front of him. “We’re called Venue:Hell for a reason, and not just because we’re underground.”
“Here I thought you guys were just trying to be edgy.”
You were still replaying it in your mind, of how quick it happened, from Shotaro grabbing the guy to him getting punched. “You thought that guy was going to hit me or something, right?”
“He was getting up in your face…” He hissed and pulled the cold pack down from his face for a moment, then put it back up, wincing. “Even if he didn’t, he shouldn’t have been yelling at you like that.”
“Occupational hazard,” you shrugged. After a beat, you added sincerely, “Thanks, Shotaro.”
“Why do you call me Shotaro? To keep me at a distance?” He asked, a thoughtful frown on his face. “Everyone calls me Taro, I even told you to call me Taro. But you never have.”
“I’m pretty sure you said that I can call you Taro, not that you wanted me to,” you pointed out. Seeing the distress on his face, though, you said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it meant so much to you.”
“It doesn’t, really. But when it’s you… it hurts. Everything feels like the best thing that’s ever happened to me and the worst at the same time.”
“I…” You trailed off uncertainly. What were you even supposed to say to that?
“Like, I make you laugh and I’m fucking on Cloud Nine. And then I somehow take it too far, or say something that makes you run away and I kind of feel like I’m literally dying.” He slumped back into the desk chair with a sharp laugh, still pressing the cold pack to his face.
“That sounds awful, I’m so—”
“No, stop it. It’s not awful, and I want you to stop apologizing to me.”
“Okay.”
Shotaro sighed, looking down at his free hand as he futzed with his jewelry. “That guy’s rings were pretty ugly.”
You let out a sputtering laugh, happy for some of the tension in your chest to dissolve in that moment. “Yeah, they really were.”
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That night, you got home from work in the wee hours of the morning, not even bothering to turn your apartment light on, simply tossing your backpack in the direction of your couch and shuffling towards your bedroom. You got ready for bed on autopilot, exhausted as you always were after work.
Wiping off your makeup in the mirror, you hovered over the broken heart on your cheek, recalling just how fast that conversation had gone downhill, then Shotaro getting punched later in the night. Letting out a deep breath, you finished up in the bathroom and shut that light off. After changing into your pajamas, you lay in bed alone, staring up at your ceiling. Alone. You’d be going back to Venue:Hell in less than ten hours. And after that, you’d come home again. Alone. Then go back to work. Then come home. Then go back. Then come home. Work. Home. Work. Home. Work. Home. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone. Alone.
The line rang, and rang, and with every ring, your urge to hang up grew. Of fucking course he didn’t want to talk to you—
“Y/N?” Shotaro’s voice was foggy, and it was apparent you’d woken him.
“Taro, hey,” you said quietly, already regretting this. “I woke you up, didn’t I? Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” he grumbled, and you heard the sounds of him rolling over and readjusting in bed. “Is everything okay? You’re not still at work, are you?”
“No, no, I’m home.”
“Okay, good.”
“Uhm, I just—” You were cut off by a very loud yawn from him. “Sorry, it’s really late and you’ve got to be tired. We can do this later.”
“No, go ahead. You apparently thought it was important enough to call me at fuck you a.m. in the morning,” he chuckled sleepily. “We can do it now. I won’t interrupt again. Promise.”
You took a deep breath, still staring at the inky dark expanse of your ceiling. “I just was thinking… some more… And I do really like you, and if you still… want to… Do you have plans later?”
You heard something thunk, and a loud clunk right by the mic, making you wince away from your speaker, then the distant sounds of him cursing as he scrambled around.
“Sorry, dropped you,” he apologized, sounding much more awake now. “You mean like, not for work?”
“Yeah, like, hanging out. Not at work,” you confirmed. God, is your heartbeat always this fucking loud?
“Yes, absolutely. Yes! Fuck!” He agreed giddily, and you couldn’t help but grin too.
“Okay, uhm, I have to get the venue set up for a show at seven tonight, but we could do lunch before or something? If that works for you?”
“Totally! Yes!”
“Cool.” You smiled at your screen as you checked the time. “It is way too fucking late. Just text me when you wake up and we can sort everything out then.”
“I will. Absolutely.”
“I’ll talk to you then.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks, Taro. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Y/N.”
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After some much-needed sleep, you slowly got up, sitting at the edge of your bed, letting your feet graze the carpet below. You were home now, alone, and later you’d be going to work. But before that, you were going to be doing something else. Going somewhere else with someone else.
Speaking of, your phone rang, an incoming call from Shotaro. You picked it up, still rubbing sleep out of one eye. “Mm?”
“Was it real?” He asked in lieu of a greeting.
“What?” You chuckled. “What are you talking about?”
“Do I need a lobotomy right now, or are we actually going on a date?”
You burst into laughter, holding your phone away from your mouth as your laughter devolved into a coughing fit, blindly grabbing for your water cup from your nightstand. After recovering enough, you finally answered, “Hold off on the lobotomy for now.”
“Oh, it was real,” he let out a sigh of relief. “God, I seriously woke up and couldn’t tell if I had dreamt that whole conversation or not.”
“No, I really did call you at ‘fuck you a.m. in the morning’ last night, sorry.”
He snickered. “I said that?”
“You did.”
“Well, you’re more than welcome to call me at fuck you a.m. any night, especially if it’s going to be something that good.” His grin was audible through the phone. “So what time should I pick you up?”
“We haven’t even decided where we’re going?”
“Lunch,” he said confidently. “I’ve got it. You did the hard part, let me do the rest.”
You looked at the time on your phone. “Two hours?”
“Done. Send me your address.”
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“Hey—Oh my God,” you cut yourself off laughing, covering your face as soon as you saw Shotaro standing there with a bouquet of flowers. “You seriously—Oh my God.”
“What? What is funny about this?” He held them out to you even more insistently.
You accepted them, still shaking your head. “Nothing. Come in so I can put them in water.”
He obliged, quietly closing your door behind him.
“I just honestly don’t think a man has ever brought me flowers,” you admitted, opening your cabinet to try to find some kind of vessel. “I was caught off-guard. I didn’t mean to laugh in your face, I’m sorry. You’re very sweet, Taro.”
“Seriously?” He watched you bring down an old empty water jug and fill it up from your sink, then plop the flowers in there.
“Seriously.” You paused in front of him, eyes focused on his left cheek, where a bruise had blossomed out far beyond the edges of the bandage you’d applied last night. Frowning, you delicately touched just under his cheekbone. “How is it?”
“I’m fine,” he reassured you, letting you continue to inspect the wound. “Barely even feel it.”
“Liar.”
He beamed. “Maybe.”
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“You know that I’m going to be kind of bad at this, right?” You asked in a lull in conversation at lunch, picking at your food with your utensil.
“At… eating?” Shotaro asked in turn, his cheeks full with his own food as he looked at you with wide, confused eyes. “You seem to be doing pretty alright to me.”
“No,” you chuckled and shook your head. “At… this.” You pointed between the two of you. “It’s been a while, and I didn’t have the best experience last time.”
He swallowed and nodded, offering his hand out across the table, palm up. “I know.” Hesitantly, you put your own hand in his, and he squeezed yours gently, a soft smile on his face as he gazed at you. “Like I said, you already did the hard part, that’s why I’m taking care of everything else today. I get how difficult it must be for you to be doing this right now.”
“Thanks.” You squeezed his hand back.
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“You really don’t have to do this,” you sighed as you and Shotaro walked down the sidewalks together after lunch.
“What are you talking about? Of course I have to make sure my girlfriend gets to work safe,” he scoffed, elbowing you.
“Hey hey hey!” You smacked his arm. “We’ve been on one date, kinda. What’s with the g-word?”
“‘The g-word,’” he repeated with a snicker. “If it makes you feel better, you can call me the b-word.”
“Bitch?” You blinked at him innocently.
He elbowed you again. “Rude!”
You laughed loudly, clutching your stomach as you had to stop to catch your breath. “Come on, you walked right into that one.”
“Yeah, I did.” He agreed, watching you with a fond smile on his face.
“I’m serious though, you can’t just be throwing words like that around after one kinda-date.”
Shotaro grabbed your hand, lacing his fingers through yours as you kept walking. “And what is the difference between a date and a kinda-date?”
“I don’t know. We were just like… hanging out. You know?” You shrugged. “I don’t know, I told you I was going to be bad at this!”
He laughed. “I brought you flowers, paid for your lunch, we’re holding hands… I’m failing to see how this isn’t date behavior.”
You looked down at your entwined hands, skin heating up. “Point taken.”
You’d made it to Venue:Hell and approached the back door, taking your keys out of your pocket.
“You know what else people do on dates?” He asked slyly, tugging on your hand so you’d turn around and face him. “Kiss goodbye.”
“Talking like I’ve never been on a date ever,” you scoffed, hooking your fingers in his belt loops and pulling him closer. You smiled when you saw his cheeks turn bright pink—no blush necessary this time. Shotaro’s hands landed on your waist as you grabbed the back of his neck and slotted your lips together. The cool metal of his lip ring pressed against your skin, made even colder by the crisp weather outside. He met you beat for beat, never taking over, following your lead until you finally broke apart. The kiss was sweet, reminiscent of the boba tea you’d grabbed after lunch.
“Ah, shit,” he chuckled, hanging his head.
“What?”
“Now I don’t want to go.” He snuck another kiss to your cheek, just grazing the corner of your mouth.
“You’re a menace.” You sighed, in a similar predicament. With warning in your voice, you said, “You can hang out—”
“Yes!” He cheered.
“—until somebody else gets here,” you finished your sentence pointedly, turning around to unlock the door. “Because some people actually work around here, and you’re not performing tonight.”
“Pretty sure you’re the only person who actually does any work around here,” he teased.
“I know, which is why I can’t have you distracting everyone else even more.” You unlocked the door and disabled the alarm, leading Shotaro in by the hand.
“I’m not a distraction!”
“All you’ve been doing for the past six months is distracting me.”
“I help you!”
You clicked your tongue. “And get injured in the process.”
He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, following you into the office. “It’s the thought that counts?”
“Let me change your band-aid, while you’re here,” you offered, pointing to the desk chair. “You’ve still got the same gross one on from last night.”
Shotaro peeled off the old bandage and tossed it in the trash while you grabbed a new one from the first aid kit.
“I’m going to have to tell Kun,” you said carefully, opening the new band-aid. “About this.”
He stayed still as you applied the new bandage, then asked, “Me getting punched or us going out?”
“Both.” You groaned and rubbed your face. “Ugh, I don’t even know which one I should start with. Don’t say anything until I tell him, please.”
“I will not tell anybody else until you talk to Kun,” he promised, the phrasing making you narrow your eyes.
“You already told all your bandmates.”
He folded immediately. “Can you blame me? I was excited!”
“The whole building is going to know by soundcheck on Thursday,” you lamented, covering your face.
“I’ll tell the guys I was kidding.”
“They’ll think you’ve lost it.”
He shrugged. “Yeah, probably.”
“As much as I appreciate your willingness to have your best friends think you’re an absolute weirdo loser who would lie about something like that,” you patted his shoulders, “I won’t ask you to do that.”
“I appreciate that.”
You heard the distinct clang of the back door closing, and sighed regretfully. “That’s your cue.”
“Fine, fine.” He stood up, pecking your forehead. “Pick you up later?”
“I get off at midnight?”
“So?”
“Don’t be late,” you hummed, grabbing the door handle.
It was Kunhang who had arrived, clearly surprised to see Shotaro there. “Oh, hey Taro. What are you doing here?”
“He forgot something.” You used the most reasonable excuse.
“Maybe we should just start stapling stuff to you, man,” Kunhang laughed.
“Great idea.” You grinned, patting Shotaro’s arm as you continued ushering him towards the door.
In the stairwell, concealed from your coworker’s gaze, he leaned in, whispering right next to your ear. “I did almost forget something, actually.”
You arched an eyebrow at him, and he cupped your cheek, rings cold against your skin. Your eyes fluttered shut on instinct as you let him tilt your chin, connecting your lips. Your blood roared in your ears as you scrunched his t-shirt in your fist.
The back door opened, and you couldn’t reel back quick enough. To your horror, it was Kun standing there, blinking at you as his keys dangled in one hand.
“Excuse me,” he cleared his throat, scooting right between you and Shotaro in the narrow space of the stairway. He looked back, speaking directly to the singer with you, “Nice shiner there, Taro.”
Shotaro touched his bruised cheek on instinct, giving your manager a thumbs-up with his other hand. “Thanks.”
Kun said nothing else, whistling to himself as he walked further into the venue. You looked at Shotaro with wide eyes, practically shoving him out the door as he burst into laughter.
“Goodbye, Taro!” You said loudly over his cackles.
“See you later,” he whispered back, shooting you a wink right before you slammed the door in his face.
As you turned the corner, you were alarmed to see Kunhang peering at you from his station. “What?”
“Since when do you call him ‘Taro’?”
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Upon entering the back office, you saw Kun sitting at the desk, working on something on the computer. He held a familiar pair of silver sunglasses out to you without even taking his eyes off the screen. “I think Taro left these here.”
“Yeah, those are his,” you confirmed, accepting the frames from him. “Uhm, a patron at the event last night had too much to drink, and ended up punching him, by the way.”
Kun looked over at you at that information, lifting both his eyebrows in disbelief. “Taro got into a barfight?”
“He didn’t hit him back, or start it, really. Sicheng and I were trying to cut the other guy off, but he was getting pissed off.”
“Ahh, he thought he was helping you.” Your manager nodded in understanding.
“About that, we’ve only been on one date, and—”
“I don’t need to know all the details. I just don’t want to have to enter the building like that ever again, okay?”
“Heard.”
He cracked a grin then. “I will say—I like him a lot better than the last one.”
“God, don’t remind me,” you groaned and shook your head.
“And that’s the last time I’ll ever bring him up. I’m glad he’s gone.” Kun held his hands up in surrender. “Now go find something to do.”
“Ten’s not scheduled for tonight, so I’m on the front.”
“Go do that.”
“Heard.” You clicked your tongue and gave him a casual salute, heading back out of the office.
Kunhang found you again setting up the barricades for the queue out front. He squinted at you, then laughed, “Oh, those looked like Taro’s sunglasses for a second.”
“They are,” you answered nonchalantly, pushing the frames back up where they were sliding down the bridge of your nose.
“Why are you wearing his sunglasses?”
“Because he forgot them here, it’s bright as hell out, and I don’t have another pair on me.”
“That’s… reasonable.”
“You said that weird.”
“Well, here’s the thing—” Your coworker stopped where he was rearranging the barricades, facing you. “I don’t think you’ve noticed but I’m like… 99% sure the guy has a huge crush on you.”
You kept a straight face. “Really?”
“Yeah, the poor guy is like… so down bad it’s not even funny anymore. Kinda a bit sad, actually.” He sighed. “So I just think that you wearing his sunglasses… it’s gonna mess with his head, you know?”
“You think so?” You scrunched your nose, pretending to think really hard about it.
“Yeah.”
You eventually shook your head. “I don’t know, I don’t think he does…”
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It was ten till midnight, and you looked between the time and the back door.
“If you’ve got somewhere you need to be, you can go,” Kunhang nudged you with his knee.
“Yeah, you’ve been checking your phone every ten seconds,” Yangyang snorted, scrolling on his phone. “Seriously, we’ve got it. We’ve done a bajillion dance nights, and Kun is here in case something goes horribly wrong.”
You ignored them, instead looking directly at your sound tech. “Hey, Yang, weird question: Do you think Taro has a crush on me?”
He burst out laughing, grabbing his sides as he keeled forward, barely catching himself on Kunhang’s leg. Still giggling, he sobered up enough to say, “Well, duh. Y/N, oh my God, I never pegged you for an idiot. What the fuck? Did you seriously not—”
The back door opened then, and you immediately spotted Shotaro descending the stairs, looking around the crowded room.
“That’s spooky,” Yangyang muttered. “Do you think he like, heard me somehow?”
“He was here earlier to see Y/N,” Kunhang said pointedly. “See? He totally—”
You simply raised your hand and waved until Shotaro saw you, immediately perking up and making his way across the venue. Your coworkers had half a mind to shut up as the guitarist stopped in front of you three.
“Hey guys,” he smiled at the other two, then pointed at the sunglasses perched atop your head. “Those are mine.”
“You forgot them here,” you informed him smugly, leaning back in your seat and taking them off. You let them dangle by the arm off the tip of your finger as you held them out to him.
“I told you I forgot something,” he teased, taking the sunglasses back. He turned the shades around, leaning in as he tucked them back into your hair. “They look better on you anyway.”
You left them there this time, grinning up at him. “I think you’re right, actually.”
“You good to go?”
“Yep.” You got to your feet, tossing your dumbfounded coworkers a goodbye over your shoulder. Shotaro’s hand found yours, keeping you close as you weaved through the crowd.
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It was Thursday again, and you were backstage, monitoring the band as they got ready to go on. There was a hustle and bustle like usual, and right as they were preparing to step onto stage, you called out expectantly, “Taro? Forget something?”
“Oh, right,” he grinned and shook his head, jogging over to you. He held your face with two hands, kissing you right there backstage, his lips still sugary sweet from the Sour Patch Kids he’d been snacking on moments prior.
After he’d pulled back, you held up his in-ears and pack, which he’d given you when he needed a very last-minute run to the bathroom. “I meant these.”
You could hear the snickers from his bandmates as he took the equipment from you, rushing to put it all back on. “Yeah, that too, I guess. What if I said I’ve been losing things on purpose this entire time as a genius ploy to—”
“Go perform already! I’m sick of you!” You rolled your eyes dramatically and pushed him away, back towards the stage.
“Fine, only because you asked so nicely.” He winked, dashing back over just in time to run out on stage with the rest of the band.
“What the hell?” Ten was just off to your side, staring at you, accompanied by Sicheng. You didn’t want to know who was at the bar right now.
“What?” You tilted your head innocently, walking over to them.
“Taro just kissed you?” He looked around, bewildered. “Sicheng, that was crazy, right?”
“Huh?” Your bartender glanced between the two of you, seeming just as lost. “Have they not been dating this whole time?”
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⤷ au masterlist | blog masterlist
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viintageslut · 28 days ago
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hii! i hope my request isnt too bad its my first time doing this but😭 id love to read a oneshot of sevika's reaction to reader coming home after getting into a fight outside! (if ur comfortable w it ofc🙂‍↕️)
BIG SMOOCH💛!!
all she wants to do is protect her partner 😔
She’s fucking mortified.
For the first time in… however long — you weren’t there when she got off of work, which alarmed her, but she was sure you went to the markets or something with a reasonable explanation.
But to watch you stumble in, a bloody nose that seemed to be broken accompanied by a plethora of plum coloured bruises scattered along the plane of your skin?
Mortified.
Her stormy eyes widen as she watches you limp into your shared condo, her chapped lips parting as she really processed the sight. You don’t think you’ve ever seen her run so fast in your life, even when enforcers were on her tail. Her cigar now lay face down in the pottery ash-tray Jinx had made for her as her calloused fingers traced over your face, your perfect, sweet face. You winced, hissing through your teeth as her thumb dragged along a sensitive spot on your jaw.
"Hi." You grumbled, cracking a weak smile. She didn’t laugh though, not the way she usually laughs at your ironic quotes — instead she snarls, the woman tilts your jaw to the side and lets her grip tighten just the tiniest bit.
"Who the fuck did this?" The crease between her eyebrows was apparent, and the clench of her jaw was undeniable. She was angry. Only, you simply shook your head — wrapping your hands around her wrists and humming. "’S okay honey, I took care of ‘em. You always underestimate me, you know that?" You tease, reaching out to smooth the ‘V’ shaped indent between her thick eyebrows.
She softens under your touch, of course she does, exhaling the breath she didn’t even know she was holding. She didn’t know why she underestimated you suddenly, she knew of your strength — it’s what keeps people alive down here. But a primal part of her wanted to pop whoever did its head like a pimple. She couldn’t fathom it.
"Jesus, honey. Come into the light- lemme see the damage." She pulled you into the kitchen, where a warmly lit overhead light was illuminating an otherwise dark room. She could see the extent of it now, nothing too bad, but some ice definitely didn’t hurt.
"I just don’t understand why anyone would ever wanna hurt you." You quirked a brow, cocking your head and watching her reach into the freezer to grab an ice pack. "The person I am to you is different than the person I am to other people, y’know that… right?" She raised her eyebrows, the nodded — the sheer logic of your statement was enough for her not to debate. She gently backed you up so your thighs met the counter, her muscles flexed as she hoisted you on to it — careful not to irritate any of your injuries. The sudden motion made you gasp, then giggle. "You gotta warn me before you do that."
She just huffed, shaking her head and cracking a grin before toying with the hem of your shirt. You nodded down at her, allowing her to lift it up just enough to reveal your torso. Your rib cage was bruised purple, a perfect match to the hue of the marks along your jaw. Instead of you wincing, she did. She hated seeing you in pain, it made her wanna lock you in the house and never let you out again. The sudden sensation of the cold ice against your warm skin made you whimper a little, grasping onto your girlfriend’s bicep to express your pain in a little less vocal way.
"Shh, shh baby. Just calm down, yeah? ‘M right here." She gently peeled your hand off of her toned bicep, placing it on the ice so you could hold it yourself. "That feel okay?" She questioned, her hand coming up to cup your face in an attempt to comfort you. The pain eased into relief, and with an exhale, you nodded. She smiled in return.
"Good. D’you wanna go to bed or just cuddle on the couch? I’ll make us something to eat, soup maybe?" Sevika wasn’t the best cook, but she could brew a mean soup, and you couldn’t turn down the offer. "Yeah, soup sounds nice. And- I guess the bed, I gotta change too." You frowned, gesturing to your blood stained tank top. Without another word, she scooped you up without warning yet again — causing you to gasp even louder than last time. She carried you bridal style to the bedroom, laying you down on the bed with such care, it made you weak, and that was not your injuries talking.
everything i used to describe reader was intentional. you are so beautiful and i love u.
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armpirate · 6 months ago
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Smut
Crack
Criminal jk
Humor jk
Rich jk
The female lawyer who need to babysitting jk so she can control for being stop at ex crimrnal
Can that be a hot and funny one show or whatever you choose?
Am always your number 1 fan
Well, I hope this was what you were asking for!
Devil's law || Jungkook
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pairing: RichCriminal!JK x fem!reader || Criminal x Lawyer
w.c.: 7.1k
Warnings: MINORS DNI. smut, explicit content, mention of drugs, female masturbation, oral sex, teasing, unprotected sex
Aprox. time of reading: 31 minutes
MASTERLIST
I don't give a fuck about you anyways
Whoever said I gave a shit 'bout you?
You looked at your phone, knowing that his name on it only meant bad news. Ever since your friend suggested you as his lawyer, your job became more meaningless. You went from being an upstanding lawyer, who hadn't lost a case in two years, to becoming a rich boys' babysitter only because he wasn't able to control his impulses.
Jeon Jungkook was the Antichrist made person, your biggest nightmare and, possibly, your karma for being Judas in your past life -because there was no other reason you'd deserve to go through all the headaches Jungkook had put you through in the two months you'd been working with him.
His case grabbed your attention when you were first offered the job to defend him. You hardly ever were on the wrong side of the story, but there was something in that job that kept pulling you in. It could be how his life seemed to be brought straight from a movie.
His charges went from being caught driving under the influence of drugs, exhibitionism, damage of public domain assets... even attempted murder against his father. You remember watching his story on the news, and just clicking your tongue and shaking your head at the exuberant confidence he radiated as he walked down the stairs out of court with a smirk on his face. And it was of no surprise. After he managed to prove he wasn't the one guilty of his father's death -even after he was proved, and admitted himself, he had been feeding his father poison for days-, he turned twenty million dollars richer. It was never proved his father's narcolepsy was due to the substances his son was giving him secretly, so they all decided to leave it as a death caused by the car accident he was in.
And after he managed to dodge all that -or pay his way through all the trials-, he ended up on house arrest after he was caught with his hands on tax fraud. It wasn't an easy trial. You remembered how hard you had to play for it to work out. The judge wanted to eat Jungkook alive, and he probably would if it hadn't been for you and your years of experience.
It was a promise of good money, with the easiest of the jobs you had to date. The only thing Jungkook had to do was to stay at home, behave, and just let those seven months pass.
Little did you know that man was a pain in the ass.
The first time your phone rang with a cop on the call, because his monitor beeped after he tried to leave his home, you could understand where it came from. It wasn't knew, it could've been something difficult to understand for him... But the sixth time the call made no sense. You could only sit back and see how he wasted money on paying those cops to turn a blind eye and ignore what he was caught doing.
You saved him from jail, but you weren't sure if that was what he wanted.
His smirk infuriated you. You drove through the rain and wind, worried about him getting in trouble, only for him to look peaceful and proud of having you there. Although the boil of your blood was only shown with a roll of eyes and a twist of your lips.
"Look who came to visit me, Bobby"
That sentence alone was the most surrealistic thing you had heard. Not even you knew the name of that cop, but Jungkook for sure did. He had to. It was the only way to gain the confidence and appeal to their corrupt side.
At first, Jungkook tried to escape -saving his ass by saying he wanted to visit a friend and he wasn't aware of the bracelet having to remain around his ankle-, he just wanted to outsmart everyone and be free. But when you showed up every single time after that single call, rushing inside his place while looking for him, it unlocked a new need he didn't know he had. You kept feeding his ego, making him feel important, due to your expression turning more concerned every time you crossed that door.
And your outfits didn't help either.
Those tight dresses hugging your curves, or those buggy shirts at the top that exposed some of your cleavage were driving him insane.
He was sure he was already going crazy inside those four walls, but you were only making it worse for him.
Your red leather bag was thrown lazily over the wide armchair that led the living room, strategically positioned between the entrance and the coffee table to mark the beginning of his living room.
"I thought I was clear the last time" you tilted your head, squinting your eyes in a failed attempt to intimidate him. "Is it that difficult for you to behave?".
"I told you last time not to leave me alone" he insisted.
Oh, right... that dumb idea he had of you living in his mansion.
You had enough going there whenever his monitor made the alarm jump, the last thing you wanted was to be looking after him as if he were a little kid unable to follow simple orders. Although, now that you were thinking about it, Jungkook was indeed a 5 year old inside of a playboy's body.
He hissed at the cop, whose eyes only moved away from him to sneak on the edge of your dress down your knee. The middle aged man was alarmed, quickly turning his head back to his ankle before he finally got up from the floor.
"I'm sorry" you mumbled.
"Sorry?" he scoffed, walking past you "This dude is making me rich. Every time I come here, I'm closer to buying a new car".
Those were his last words before he left you two alone again, with Jungkook's eyes possessively moving over your body, playing with his lip rings.
"Is it so bad for you to stay here?"
Your head fell back with your ironic laugh vibrating through your throat, unbelieving of that question making its way out of his lips as if it didn't have an obvious answer "I don't know if you're aware that I'm your lawyer, not your babysitter".
You wanted to say you had a life outside of your job, but that wasn't entirely true. You loved your job, to the point that it cost you several relationships -and some other friendships-, with your sexual life being a non-existent topic for months for you.
"I don't understand what I can or can't do with this thing on my ankle" he pointed at the bulky black device, with an intermittent red light, around his ankle ", but you do understand".
"Anyone would think you'd have a master degree on it after being explained so many times" your hands found a place on your hips.
"Are you saying I'm making it ring on purpose? That's a serious accusation" it was the way he faked to be offended by you, and how he smirked immediately after his own comment. "It was an idea" he shrugged.
His gasp sounded heavy when he got up from the couch, walking to you like a predator towards his prey. You were in his territory, but little did he know you weren't intimidated in the slightest.
"I'll pay 10k more" he suggested, making you chuckle with his idea. "I see... 20?".
"Whatever you pay, it's not gonna happen" you cut off any chances before they were even possible.
Jungkook stepped so close that you were sure you could smell his cologne by just breathing, feeling how it touched your brain with such care that you were convinced you were going to pass out while you struggled to keep your eyes on him.
His hand felt warm as he supported it on the backrest of the armchair, allowing himself to bend a little more towards you to leave your lips centimeters away from each other "What's not gonna happen?".
Instead of playing coy, or feeling lost at his words, you smirked back at him, mirroring his pose to only witness his smile going wider and more mischievous. Jungkook was a sexy man, there was no doubt about that. And soon enough after you started working for him, his surroundings didn't take long to find a way into your life, letting you know of all the rumors that surrounded him. You heard all the wrong, just a little of the good, and enough of the things that had you squirming in your bed just by imagining him doing them to you.
He was the type of man you'd spend a good night with -if only he wasn't your client.
"The only way to keep you still here is tying both of your hands somewhere so you don't move".
"Why don't you tie me up somewhere and make sure I don't move?".
"Good night, Jungkook" you moved away, holding onto your bag as if that would save you from losing yourself to him, while your feet tried to find a quick escape from the small espace his living room had become. "Behave, can you?".
"Are you leaving already?" he sounded sulky, pouting his lips while making his piercing stand out even more.
"Don't you see?"
"It's raining"
"You didn't think about that when you caused me to come here in the first place" your tone sounded annoyed.
"It wasn't raining as hard"
As much as you wanted to fight back, he was right. In a matter of minutes, you could hear the drops crashing violently against the big windows to the small parking lot in front of the facade. And, as much as his house was soundproof, the roaring of thunder still was heard as a background noise that made you jump unconsciously. Adding that it was two in the morning wasn't a good mix.
As much as you were still determined to leave, it seemed like the universe had other plans for you when the power went suddenly off.
"The power went off" Jungkook casually pointed out.
"Yeah, I see"
"Well, better said, you can't see" your eyes rolled with that joke, crossing your arms over your chest as you looked around, finding out that it was brighter outside with the casual lightning than inside. "Wait, does this mean it isn't working now?" Jungkook pointed at his ankle.
"It goes by GPS, and I guess you plug it daily, it's still working as if it would regularly".
It wasn't your problem, you weren't forced to stay. But something behind that question made your stomach squeak, knowing that you'd be forced back in a matter of minutes the moment you crossed the door.
"I thought these devices worked with..." his gestures among the darkness made you frown, only being able to see them waving in the air, "you know".
"Maybe twenty years ago. But you're tracked either way now" you sighed. "Can you light up the fire? As much as I like not seeing you, it's difficult to have a proper conversation like this".
Jungkook didn't fight to hide his victorious smile after your petition, walking among the darkness to the fireplace that led his leaving room to, at least, bring back some clarity in the area.
The dim lighting gave it a warm and intimate vibe, while casting flickering shadows around the room, working with the sound of rain and occasional thunder to make it, somehow, that type of aesthetic video you'd find on her Youtube feed to relax herself after a tough day at work, lying in her double bed, while ignoring the big mess her studio was. That atmosphere made Jungkook look even more attractive, while wearing his pair of baggy jeans and oversized t-shirt, that marked his hips whenever he turned enough to pick the firewood from the small basket at his left.
"Did you have a date?" he randomly asked as you approached his couch.
"Why?" you looked around, slowly sitting on the extreme of the plush sofa.
"It's two in the morning, you're looking hot as hell... I doubt you use that dress as a pajama" subtle dimples showed up on his cheeks with his smile, feeling deeper by the shadows.
"Yup, a date with thirty files I didn't have time to classify yet" you mumbled, leaving your bag at your right, over the armrest.
He was pleased with the answer, and he wasn't bothered to show it. His smile widened with your answer, and his body seemed more joyful as he got up from the floor to walk to where you were sitting.
"Do you want something to drink? Water? Wine?"
"I don't drink while I'm working" you stopped him before he could further suggest anything else.
"Well, technically, you aren't working" he tried to convince you. "You only came here because of the monitor, and it's solved. Now you're staying because of the rain, so let's say it's just a major event forcing you to stay".
You didn't confirm it because you knew it was impossible, but it almost seemed as if Jungkook had full control of his surroundings to give you where he wanted.
"A glass of wine will be fine" you finally agreed.
While looking around, you noticed the small details you had always ignored whenever you were there. Like the way the room featured a warm and cozy ambiance, primarily due to the large brick fireplace which serves as a focal point -and that was then lit up to illuminate you two-, and strategically combined with a floor that appeared to be hardwood, adding a touch of elegance and warmth -while being partially covered by a large, neutral-toned area rug. The room had the perfect balance of modern and rustic elements, creating a stylish yet comfortable living space ideal for relaxation -which was ironic, because that was the most nervous you had ever been.
His walk was confident, carrying the two glasses of wine before he sat next to you on the couch, so close that you could almost have your knees touching. You didn't move away though, thrilled by the tickles in your belly by the proximity.
"I'm not sure if I should drink this" you randomly commented when he passed you the drink.
"What I said on that trial was taken out of context" he tried to defend himself. "I said I had been feeding him pills so he wouldn't suffer, not that I was adding poison to everything he drank or ate. He knew about those pills, because they were part of his medication".
"Right... " you squinted your eyes, waiting for any signs on his body language that could give out more than what he was saying.
Choosing to play it safe, you left the drink back on the table, resting your hands on your crossed knees as you looked around.
"I don't know what's worse" he suddenly said. "Interrupting a date, or knowing you were still in the office".
"We both know you wouldn't feel bad about interrupting a date" you mumbled, letting a sided smile decorate your face.
"That's right" he didn't hide. "But I don't understand what you were doing stuck in the office, instead of going out".
"The legal sector is really competitive" you admitted, crashing a scoff before you took a sip of your drink. "Either you're born with money to buy your way to the top, or you work your ass off for it. And I'm clearly in the second group".
As much as you were in a stable position, and you earned your money, it wasn't always that way. The beginning was tough, you kept moving from one firm to another, earning as much experience as possible so you could live the way you were. Not only did you have to add double the effort, you also had to sacrifice a lot from your personal life, which majorly included those casual dates you managed to have in your uni days.
"I don't expect you to understand what that is though".
"Wow, that comment..."
"Is it a lie?"
"No, but I feel offended for some reason" you allowed yourself to giggle lowly.
"You were born with it, yet you still find a way to test life instead of just enjoying your privileges" and that was what pissed you off the most about him.
You were so harsh with him. And, for some reason, that attracted him even more to you, unaware of when he started moving forward to close the distance between you two enough to breathe each other's air.
"Well, it seems like testing life has given me the best of the chances".
His eyes shined with a spark that turned everything upside down in your head, mixing your needs with your own warnings, trying to fight how bad you actually wanted to kiss him when the lip ring was able to shine through the corner of your eye.
"Is that a line you usually use?" you fought back, lifting your eyebrow.
"I'm pretty good at that, but it's not the case this time" he admitted. "You truly drive me insane, Y/n. Ever since I saw you walk through that door to prepare for the trial the first time. I've been unable to get you out of my head" his voice sounded deep, while his eyes moved down your lips to go back to drown into your pupils. "You're one hell of a woman. Just imagining your hair being spread all over my pillows is enough to have me on a twist".
Your lip was unconsciously trapped under your teeth, holding back your breath when you imagined the scene after his words. Was it something you didn't think about before? No. But there was something in the tone of his voice, that had you pressing your thighs under the tight dress you were wearing.
"So you want me?" in an attempt to fake some control, you moved forward.
"Honey, if I answered that question, I'd have to prove it by humming it on your pussy. I'm a man of action, rather than words".
It was the first time you felt so wanted by someone, to the point of them opening up that way to confess how they felt about you. It was also the first time you felt your skin burning the way it was, desperate to take off your clothes to set you free from the blistering sensation.
It could be that all the time you had been alone played a big role in your decisions, it could be Jungkook was a hot man and you fell for his enchants. It could be a lot of things, yet you didn't mind either of them when you closed the distance to link your lips together.
His palm felt soft on your neck as he curled his fingers to pull you closer, parting his lips to suck your lower lip and pull from it in such a sensual way you thought you were melting on the spot.
No wonder there were so many stories about him all around. That man knew how to kiss.
Jungkook was surprised when you moved first, but he was completely gone when you took the initiative from him, tilting your head to slide the tip of your tongue inside his mouth. He couldn't control the groan that had been burning his throat ever since you first kissed him, feeling his eyebrows furrow and his muscles going completely tense with such a gentle rub.
"You're all I ever think about, honey" he mumbled against your lips, taking the chance to deepen the kiss when he trapped you again.
You pushed him against the couch, straddling his lap while pushing your hair away from your face to look at him in the eyes.
"Why don't you tell me what you think about?".
Your arms were on both sides of his head, your dress was lifted to your hips -enough to expose the black tongue you hid under the fabric-, yet the only thing you could care about was how hollow his voice sounded while he told all the dirty things he had imagined with you.
"You want me to be honest?"
"The most honest you can be"
Jungkook smirked when given the green light to set free all those thought he had kept as a secret ever since you crossed paths "Remember the first time you came here. You were wearing a white shirt, and a pencil skirt that molded to your body so good it made me jealous. When you started handing out that script for the trial, your cleavage showed off a bit" his groan interrupted his explanation, feeling dizzy for a second when you pressed your clothed pussy against his crotch. "I had never in my life dreamed of some tits I haven't even seen, but I promise I couldn't stop thinking about them. How hard your nipples would feel against my tongue, how tight they'd press around my cock, or how good they'd look while bouncing while I fucked you".
Your hips started rocking against his semi hard cock, feeling your juices leaking down your hole, only stopped by the thin fabric of your thong that kept getting soaked with each move you made.
"And your ass..." before he continued, his fingers dented on the skin of your ass cheeks, pressing them together as he helped you hump him. "I couldn't stop thinking of it jiggling while you rode me after I first saw you in court. I had to ask for your name and number after I saw you. Shit, I even had to send the blonde with the annoying voice to get you to work with me".
Your movements suddenly stopped, the blush on your cheeks slowly disappeared, and devastation took the main role in your features when you realized what happened there.
You didn't get that huge case because your resume was brilliant, but because you became part of the horny fantasy of a spoiled asshole who managed to get your friend to convince you. And it went deeper than that. The man in front of you went the lengths to find out who you were, learnt about your closest people and got you exactly what you wanted. You failed to follow your values, you were clumsy enough to almost go to bed with a client -when it was something you strictly forbid yourself to do-, and only because you allowed yourself to get fooled by his sweet words.
"Where are you going?" Jungkook was confused at the sudden change of opinion, watching you hopping off his body to place the skirt of your dress back to where it should have been the whole time, while walking away from the couch.
"This should've never happened" you assured him, walking to get your bag.
"But it has happened" he insisted, frowning at your denial.
"Don't touch me" you warned him, raising your index finger, before his hand could even approach your forearm to calm you down "I have a lot to think about".
Jungkook didn't insist, he knew when it was time to give someone their own space, and how distressed you were was a clear indicator of how that wasn't the time to put his needs over yours -mainly because it'd only do things worse for the two of you. He only saw you go, crashing your heels against the hardwood, until he heard nothing at all other than the door closing.
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His patience didn't last much though.
A day later your phone was overwhelmed by his calls, and several of his texts, which you could only fight to ignore as you tried to focus on your work. A failed attempt, because you could only think of him.
Your range of patience wasn't too wide either after a few days, with a dry and clear text that warned him how you were considering passing his case to one of your colleagues so your personal issues wouldn't get in the way of your work.
Unexpectedly, his calls and texts ended, he stopped insisting. Willing to respect her boundaries, he just moved away from her, aiming to maintain that professional relationship you said you wanted to have. It was her choice, and he wasn't going to force her into doing something you didn't want to do.
Yet, far from being relieved, you were left disappointed with his attitude. And that confused her even more. Before that night, you didn't see Jungkook as anything else but one more of the big range of clients you had, and you thought it'd go back to being like that after you ignored what happened that night. But Jungkook worked like a drug. One try, and you were completely hooked.
Your mind replayed that night in his house several times a day, the scenes of what could've been kept torturing you. Jeon Jungkook got control of all of your senses, and you weren't even trying to fight it back. You liked those thoughts, you liked the thrill the image of him caused.
And all of it annoyed you.
For the first time in months, you left work at time to go on dates, to get rid of the remains of his toxic details, only to come back home even more disappointed than before.
And that night was no exception.
You were looking at your phone, puckering your lips at the on going sex talk conversation you had going on, balked to realize it caused you nothing. His words didn't make your blood run through your veins, it didn't give you the rush Jungkook made you feel as you grinded on his pants... There was nothing.
Your fingers worked in automated mode, sending a pic in lingerie, thinking that would change the mood of the conversation to the one you were looking for, although you were left confused when the notification asked whether you were still there.
Double checking the chatrooms, you couldn't believe what you had just done.
The phone slipped your fingers towards the bed, as you covered your mouth in surprise of how out of yourself you were to do something like that.
Jungkook: I see you're finally aware you can't get away from me.
Not only was she clumsy enough to do that when she was supposed to pretend he didn't exist, she was grateful to have been that clumsy to cause that text from him -even if she was fighting the air while whining about it.
"What did you just do, dumbass?" you cried, covering your face with one of the plushy pillows that adorned the head of your bed.
It could've been something easy to ignore. It was just as easy as ignoring his texts again, and moving on with life as if that pic had never existed, but life was a big bitch to you when you needed the most to be treated nicely.
That same route you walked several times with superiority and professionalism was turned into a walk of shame, with your lips pressed against one another and your head hiding behind your locks with every step you took.
You were left confused when you saw Alan Jones engaged in an entertaining conversation with Jungkook. He was part of one of the direct competitors to your law firm and, more specifically, he was the person you confronted the most in court, unfortunately. He made your sweat go cold, knowing that the trial would be one of the hardest in your career because of how good he actually was.
And now you were seeing him laughing with one of your most important clients, who only offered a quick glance in your direction before he looked back at the suited man.
"Am I interrupting something?"
There you were again with one of your beautiful skirts, that time being a blue long pleated one, which you managed to combine with a simple white t-shirt. Even if you didn't want to, Jungkook was sure you were able to interrupt everything around you by just being present.
"No, we were actually waiting for you" Jungkook mentioned.
He silently led the way for you two, inviting you inside an improvised meeting room -that you could clearly tell it was meant for something else when you saw how off the setting looked compared to the rest of his house.
If you thought your blood was going to stop running when you saw Alan there, you confirmed it would when you saw your boss sitting in one of the extremes of the table.
"I'm holding this meeting, because I was considering working with Alan's law firm" Jungkook casually mentioned, as you took the free spot next to your boss. "That's my spot" he corrected Alan, who moved his body to the chair in front of your boss, so Jungkook could sit in front of you.
"And why's that?" you dared to ask.
"He came to me with a good offer" Jungkook shrugged.
"It'd have been great if you had told me before calling me for this meeting" you hissed, trying your best not to jump over the table to kill him.
"You've been so busy lately, I wasn't sure you'd be able to pick up my calls"
Your jaw was clenched tight after that comment, knowing of all the second meanings behind it.
"Why the change?" your boss rushed to ask. "Aren't you happy with Y/n?".
Your body jumped when you felt the tip of his shoe moving up your shin, lifting your skirt on the way while he reached your inner thigh. "I was really happy with Y/n" you gulped thick when he only teased you, moving his feet everywhere but the place where you wanted him, "but, as you know, this is a relationship of two".
After dragging your chair closer to the table to hide what was going on underneath, both of your elbows took a defensive spot on your side of the table, using your hands to cover your lips. There was a moment you went momentarily deaf when the tip of his shoe caressed you over your panties, making those known shiverings run over your body violently.
"Are you okay?" Alan managed to ask, aware of the weak blush that was starting to tint your cheeks.
"Shocked. I'm shocked" your thumb moved over your lip, before you hid your mouth again. "What made you believe I wasn't happy with your case?".
Careful not to hit your boss with your knees, your legs spread, earning a smirk from him. Adopting a confident pose, he sank his body deeper on the chair to be able to reach further, pressing his sneaker on your clit.
"I didn't see you comfortable".
It pissed you off to see him so relaxed and calm, while you were struggling to keep your shit together with every rub of his feet on your button. You could get caught, you knew that could cost you your career, yet you still played along because you liked how good it felt, you liked seeing how proud he looked when he noticed how slick your underwear was becoming.
His explanations turned into a simple move of lips, and the response from your boss was a blank noise that couldn't distract you from the knot slowly forming in your belly.
"Can we speak in private" you interrupted, before it could grow any more.
His movements stopped, and Jungkook went back to his initial pose, lifting his hands in resignation while you hurriedly got up after fixing your skirt. The other two men in that room were expecting you to either give up or insist on keeping that client, but Jungkook knew where that conversation would go as soon as that door closed.
"I thought you said you were going to respect my decision" you mentioned in a low tone. "So your solution is to call that asshole to replace me? And what's this meeting for, huh?"
"I was going to respect your decision, but then you sent that pic..." he quickly defended himself. "And since I doubt you sent it to confuse me or make me jealous, it clearly was for someone else. And I can't tolerate that" he twisted his jaw, finally getting up from his place. "It better have been a pic for me only and not for another person".
"It better had been?" you scoffed. "Who the fuck you think you're talking to?"
"Last time I sent you anything was six days ago" he slowly pointed out, "so it's a bit difficult you accidentally sent that pic to me if it was meant for someone else".
"It was a mistake".
"Is that the only word in your vocabulary?"
"When it comes to you, yes" you challenged him.
It was a mistake from you ever thinking you'd have any control on a situation that involved Jungkook. His aura was way bigger, those were calm waters for him, and he knew it, it was all over his body language and the way he looked down at you.
"Be honest with me, alright?" the way he pinched your chin to look up at him almost made your legs turn to jelly. "How did that pic end up on my phone?".
It was unfair how he was using the techniques you used in court against you, manipulating you with his insistent gaze.
"It was a picture for someone else" you admitted. "I didn't send it to him though. I ended up on your chat, and I don't know why I thought I was on his chat instead".
"You wanna know what I think?" his lip ring bulged out when he pressed his lips together. "You wanted me to see that picture. You wanted to admit you want me as bad as I do, yet you're so proud and stubborn you'd rather die waiting than correcting yourself" the truth in his words made you even more nervous.
"Jungkook, this can't happen... I..."
Your words got stuck in your throat when he trapped your mouth violently, sucking your upper lip first, and then moving onto the lower one. He moved, and you just followed. You walked blindly wherever he guided you, until your lower back hit the edge of the table.
"I'll fuck you into realizing you're only mine" he roughly said when he broke the kiss. "And, why not, let me fuck that pride out of you as well".
"My boss it's outside" you tried to stop him when his hands sneaked under your skirt.
"Then I'll need you to be really quiet".
His smirk was so addictive, that you were willing to do anything he asked you right there. The fabric of your panties slid down your legs, with the cold breeze hitting your core and making you squirm at the contrast.
Jungkook was attractive every day, his sex appeal radiated through each one of his pores, but that day he was at his peak. He knew what he wanted, he knew how he wanted it. He wanted you, on that desk, and you were going to give it to him.
His cock twitched under his boxers when he took your panties to his nose to be intoxicated by your smell, and you didn't know how to react to the way your body squeaked at the sight of his eyes turning black after that.
Your skirt was lifted over your pelvis, sticking it to your body as much as possible when Jungkook sank to his knees in front of you, turning your spine into boiling grit when the tip of his tongue pushed your swollen button with a groan. And that one was followed by another one, and another one, and another one... until you tried to move his face away from you, only for Jungkook to stick your wrist to your thigh.
"Ask nicely, and I might do it".
You tried to fight it. It was a challenge. You only had to wait for Jungkook to get tired of only sliding his tongue up and down your folds, and twirling carefully the tip around your clit. But you also weren't good at remaining patient and dealing with the nervousness it caused you to know there were two people outside.
"Jungkook, please" you tried to stop him.
"Please, what?".
"Fuck me".
"That's not enough" his lips twisted, not completely convinced with your words.
Grabbing him by the collar of his gray t-shirt, you forced him up at the level of your face, making sure he was looking at you in the eye while you spoke.
"Jungkook, fuck me right now" you demanded. "Because, if you don't fuck me here, I'll be the one fucking you on one of those chairs".
After his jeans and boxers were wrapped around his ankles, he slid his tip through your folds, feeling your warmth and wetness welcoming him, while your feet were resting at the edge of the table.
Jungkook was gentle and careful on his first thrust. First, letting his thick tip break into you, followed by the rest of his length until he was balls deep in you. And it sure felt better than he imagined, feeling in paradise when you wrapped around him tight, swallowing him in.
All your hair in your body raised as he invaded you inch by inch, feeling the fullest you had been in months, feeling the most wanted you had ever felt in years when your eyes met before he started moving again.
His big hands grabbed your thighs, spreading them a bit more and raising them up enough to leave your feet hanging in the air, completely in control of what he wanted to do with you, before he started pounding in and out of you with a, almost, relaxing movement.
"Honey, just for keeping your pussy away from me for so long I should be fucking you so rough and loud that you aren't able to keep your shit together".
And you knew Jungkook was able to do something like that.
"But I'll be a good boy for you, hmm?" you could only nod senselessly, not knowing exactly what you were agreeing on. "Just like you're being a good girl for me".
Your teeth were clenched tight when his thrusts were calm, yet so deep and harsh that you could feel your whole body bounce and move a few centimeters away, before he dragged you back to the initial position.
"You have no fucking idea of everything I will do to you now that you're mine" he promised under his breath.
"Any weird fantasy I should be scared of?" you tried to sound confident, but your shaky breathing exposed how rushed you actually felt.
"I'm spending twenty four hours inside this place. Every single day I come up with a new way to have you" he bent down to rub his lips against yours. "This is just one of them".
His thrusts changed the speed immediately after, changing the position of your legs to place them over his shoulders, hitting you deeper and strategically better when he angled his hips, rocking his tip against that rough spot that had your toes curling inside your stiletto. In that same position, you also managed to find a way to press your thighs enough to cause some friction on your clit, losing control of your body, throwing your head back and closing your eyes as the moan was burning your throat like lava.
As you held onto the neck of his t-shirt, Jungkook found a way to keep you quiet so you wouldn't have to struggle. The dorsal of his left hand blocked those moans from coming out. At first you were able to control yourself, only sucking on his hand while your watery eyes looked at him through your lashes. But as your orgasm was approaching you, the little control you had over your body disappeared, biting onto his thin skin to keep all those moans and whines only for you two.
As much as he'd have loved to hear your moans, he loved how expressive you turned while being forced to stay quiet. Pleasure was on each corner of your face, present on every feature; you showed him how good he was making you feel.
The continuous muffled moans, the tight clench you had around him, and how your eyes kept alerting him prepared him for your climax, keeping the speed just to take you there, and follow right after you when you gulped him in like you never wanted him to leave, at the same time your eyes went completely blank.
He spilled on you, painting your walls with his seed to let you know you belonged to him. As much as you fought it, there was no escape from what happened. Your days of running away were over.
While you tried to recompose, Jungkook put your panties back on, securing his load where it was before he helped you down the table. He knew you'd feel it leak out , he knew your head would only replay what just had happened, and he was sure it'd only lead to you wanting more.
He was going to deal with it either way. There was no point of rushing it, because you'd probably find out as the meeting went on and you could only fight a way to find the right posture until it ended.
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You woke up in his bed, with the sheets barely covering your naked body while your head was sunk in his pillows. Ever since that day, you kept scolding yourself for fighting against what you wanted. Jungkook was the best experience you had ever had. He was sexy, but he was also attentive and sweet when you needed it. He was funny and entertaining. He was a man who knew how to keep people hooked.
You frowned when you noticed something strange around your ankle, feeling it bulky and rough, and cold, when you moved your tip toes over it.
It couldn't be...
Your heart almost dropped to your feet when you saw that red light inside the monitor, making you wonder how the hell he managed to place it there. And, when you unlocked your phone and read his texts, you could make a lot of sense out of it.
Jungkook: It'll be only for a few hours. I needed to get out of there for a few hours.
Jungkook: But it should also work as a punishment for flirting with that attorney in court, when your attention should've been only on me. Especially since the trial was ABOUT ME.
Jungkook: I'll be back before two.
You couldn't believe what you were reading. But one thing was for sure: you were going to kill him as soon as he set foot back in his house. 
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neil-gaiman · 1 year ago
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So. I read the article by NME that you shared. And like, a lightbulb went on in my head. Can't believe I didn't even connect it before this. A few days after watching GO season 2, I think I was in the middle of my second or third rewatch, when my brain made a random decision all on its own without any input from me- if none of my friends or family can see me as queer, I'll just look for people who are queer. Like a switch went off in my brain, after it made some kind of connection? I mean, you wrote it like non binary people and lesbians and other queer people were so normal and like. All my life I've buried that part of myself along with a few other unpalatable parts deep down. Past few years I've been working on who I am and how I want to live my life- but there was this queer part that I didn't really know what to do with so I just, ignored it? I even got into a relationship just so that my friends would stop worrying I was lonely or something (the person in question had been asking for a year, I got tired and said yes because I should at least "try"- it didn't last long)
I love my friends, they've literally saved my life, but no matter how much I tell them, they just can't understand this part of me coz they don't have any context. I'd never even met another queer person until last month and I'm 27. But like. It's normal to be like this, right? and maybe what I need is to meet more people like me instead of burying it so much. I loved the new season so much more than the first. It's like the show is telling you how normal it can be. It's silly but that's all I can think of, you wrote them like people- complex and weird and lovely, and the show doesn't treat them like a joke or a horror thing- not in that degrading manner like in the mainstream media of my country. I know that's not the main theme of the show, but it's pretty significant for me. Also it's a really really good show. So thank you for writing it, you're genuinely amazing.
My heart aches for you. I hope you find whoever you need.
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