#I'm practically vibrating with excitement for book four

[mint-yooxgi]

{14} - Paradise Gardens - Yandere!Demonic Entities!Ateez X Reader

Yandere AU & Demon AU - Book Two to Hotel California

Genre: Mature, Horror, Angst, Fluff, Slight Humour, Smut

Pairing: Ateez X Reader (Focus on Seonghwa near the end, Slight Hongjoong)

Words: 16,125

Warnings: Brief mentions of anxiety and PTSD (not OC), mentions of blood, weapons. Smut: Oral (m. rec.), subby!Hwa, minor knife play and begging, I think that's it. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.

A/n: I'm glad I split this into two parts. I knew it was going to be long! And boy oh boy, who's excited for the next chapter? I'm excited for the next chapter! iykyk ;)) As always, feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~

Also, gentle reminder that I don’t do tag lists.

Mini Masterlist - Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five - Part Six - Part Seven - Part Eight - Part Nine - Part Ten - Part Eleven - Part Twelve - Part Thirteen

There’s an eager spring to your step as Yeosang leads you over to a side door, of which he’s just made materialize in front of your eyes. Not even the grumbling of the other seven males behind you can bring down your mood, excitement coursing through your veins as he opens the door, holding it open for you to step through in the next second.

“I’m still not used to you all being able to do that.” You comment, smiling at Yeosang in thanks as you step into the new room.

It’s a bit dark, so you can’t quite see much, but you can feel them all stepping in behind you.

“It’s great for hiding things in plain sight.” San comments, attempting to step in beside you, only for Yeosang to take his place in an instant.

“I can imagine- holy shit!” The moment the lights come on, you’re greeted by a room full of bows and arrows of various shapes and sizes.

Your jaw drops, eyes going wide as you take in the grand space before you. It’s a simple room in all aspects, square in design with mounts and racks to hold all of the various weapons that you can just tell all belong to Yeosang. Not that you would doubt that for even a minute.

Softly, you hear the sound of the door shutting behind you.

Pure excitement thrums through your veins, your body practically vibrating as you take in the space around you. Still, you keep your distance, not wanting to touch anything and risk damaging or breaking any of the various weapons lining the room. The urge to touch everything in sight is quite strong, and you cannot help the way your fingers twitch, almost subconsciously, at your sides.

“Go ahead, Dearest,” Yeosang smiles gently at you, a small nod to his head. “Don’t hold back.”

You do not need to be told twice.

Almost as soon as the words have left his mouth, you’re zipping over to the wall in front of you and inspecting all the different styles of bows. There’s a giddiness to your movements as you look over some more traditional, simplistic bows made of various materials such as metal and wood, to more intricately designed ones. Each weapon varies in colour, some curving in a singular arch, while others curve like stereotypical ‘m’ shaped birds in children’s drawings. Even the strings vary in colour, some being a pure white, while others are a dark red.

One bow in particular catches your eyes, and before you realize what you’re doing, you reach out to it. However, before you can so much as lay a single finger on the intricate carvings, you catch yourself.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, you retract your hand.

A low chuckle sounds right behind you.

“It’s okay, Dearest,” Yeosang steps up to you, pressing himself against your back so that he can lean into you. His breath ghosts over the shell of your ear as his hands settle against your waist. “What’s mine is yours.”

A shiver caresses your spine, and you can practically feel him smirk against the skin of your neck.

“I just don’t want to damage anything,” you mutter, still unsure of if you should reach out and touch the gorgeous bow resting before you.

“Believe us, Darling,” Jongho comments, and you can just hear the affectionate smile that he wears in his voice as he speaks. “You don’t have to worry about damaging anything. Our weapons are made with the strongest materials available to us. You couldn’t put a scratch on them, even if you tried.”

“Not to mention the magic we imbue them with for extra protection,” Yunho hums.

Understanding flashes across your features, nodding your head almost subconsciously. Still, your eyes briefly dart over to Yeosang one last time, who’s head rests just beside your own. As soon as you see him smile and nod, you take that intricately carved bow into your hands.

Vines appear to wrap themselves around the shaft of the bow, leaves branching out in intricate designs over the wood. The string is a solid white, while the colour of the bow itself is an almost faded grey, appearing a misty green in the light. It’s not very heavy by any means, but just from merely looking at the bow, you can tell that it’s strong.

Carefully, your fingers trace over the carvings, nothing but pure wonder shining in your eyes. “Did you carve this yourself?”

You feel Yeosang nod against your shoulder, and your lips part in awe as a low gasp escapes you.

“Wow.”

“We make all of our own weapons, My Divine.” Seonghwa makes sure to keep his tone soft as he informs you of this, not wanting to disturb the moment that’s settled around you all. “Have been since the beginning.”

“That’s incredible.” You breathe out, turning to face the other seven males with that bow still in your hands. “You’re all incredible!”

The way they all smile shyly in response says it all.

“Seriously, is there anything you all can’t do?” You turn your attention back to the bow in your hands, heart thundering as you stroke a hand down the shaft of the bow.

Mingi’s lips part in response, but at the quick jab of San’s elbow to his ribs, he’s closing it.

You quirk a brow in amusement, not needing to be able to read his mind to know he was about to remind you all that he can’t cook once again.

Sparing another glance around the room, your eyes catch on another intricately carved bow. Another gasp is escaping your lips as you waddle over to it excitedly, noticing how the two tips seem to be shaped like serpents which appear to intertwine intricately with one another to make the body of the bow.

“Literally, these are so beautiful.” You say, eyes scanning over every detail that you can.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, My Dear,” Yeosang chuckles, his one hand settling onto the small of your back as you walk around the room.

“This is one of the best days of my life,” you reply honestly, walking over to the wall of arrows across from you.

In no time at all, Yeosang launches into an explanation of all the different types of arrows he uses. The majority, he’s made himself, while others have been a collaboration between him and his brothers. Wooyoung more than happily chimes in when the different poison arrows are mentioned, the two of them detailing how each poison is administered depending on the arrow. Some are injected through the shaft, while other arrows are coated in the poison which gets administered through point of contact.

The whole time, you listen intently. Your eyes never lose that shine of wonder, lips pulling upwards in a radiant smile as they all observe you taking this all in. The fact that you appear so interested, and ecstatic to learn about all of this is making their hearts sing, and their souls come alight.

Finally, they can share this with you, too.

“So,” you turn back to Yeosang after he’s finished describing how his shattering arrows work. “Which one is your favourite?”

The way his eyes light up even further at your inquiry says it all.

“Design wise,” immediately, he’s pointing at the bow carved to resemble those two intertwined snakes. “Functionality, though, is a different story.”

Leading you back over to the main wall that you had grabbed the intricately carved bow with the vines from, he’s quick to grab another off of a hook. It’s quite simplistic in design, smooth black edges greeting your vision. The bow appears to be made out of some sort of thin metal, the edges sharp in the light of the room.

Ever so carefully, Yeosang trades the bow in your hand which you have yet to let go of with this new one. He’s quick to place the wooden one back on the wall as you marvel at how light this new bow is, holding it in the air slightly beside your head.

“The edges can cut through steel.” He comments casually.

“More like anything that you can imagine.” San chuckles, crossing his arms lightly.

Anticipation claws at his chest. Really, anticipation claws at all of their chests. If this is how you’re reacting to Yeosang’s weapons, then they each cannot wait for you to see their own collections. The wonder and awe alone is enough to satiate their original burning jealousy that had arisen at the fact that it was Yeosang who managed to both get you to use his weapon with him first, as well as show you his collection.

“What’s it made out of?” You ask, nothing but curiosity to your tone as you inspect the bow. You know better than to run your fingers along the sharp edges, but that does not stop you from turning it over slightly in your hands while gripping the handle.

“It’s a special kind of metal found only in our realm.” Mingi tells you. “Most of our weapons are made out of it, since it’s the lightest material we have, while also being the most durable.”

“So, it’s like vibranium from the marvel universe?” You quirk a brow at all of them, somewhat knowingly.

“You could say that.” Seonghwa chuckles, nodding his head lightly in response to your words.

“We call it Sage Metal,” Hongjoong says. “It’s the only thing strong enough to cut itself.”

“Wow,” you repeat your awe filled exhalation from earlier. “Can it be worked like any other metal, or is there a special process you have to use while forging it?”

“It can be worked like any other metal.” Seonghwa confirms, a sort of pride shining in his eyes as he watches you with a smile. “It’s got an insanely high boiling point though, so San and Mingi have the easiest time out of all of us working with it.”

At this, your brow quirks.

“We each have materials we work best with.” Mingi shrugs. “Just like we have preferred weapons we like to use.”

“That’s really cool!” You say, handing Yeosang back his bow.

“You should have seen the amount of times our workshops caught fire in the early days.” San jokes, the slightest of upturns to the corner of his lips. “Good thing we’re quick learners.”

“Yeah, that, and you didn’t want to singe all of your hair off again.” Wooyoung laughs, leading to him soon being chased around the small space by the elder male.

You laugh, “I take it that that happened more than once?”

“To all of us.” Seonghwa confirms, voice suddenly a bit strained as he seems to be recalling the memories right this very instant. Subconsciously, he runs his fingers through his hair. “Multiple times.”

A snort of laughter escapes you this time, and you quickly slap a hand over your mouth to stifle your giggles.

Amused quirks of their brows greet you in response, and you find yourself waving your free hand in front of yourself. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just really funny to imagine. I like knowing you guys weren’t always this composed.”

This time, it’s Wooyoung’s turn to snort out a laugh, “Angel, when have you ever known us to be composed around you?”

You take a moment to consider his words, even going so far as to lift a finger in protest as your lips part. Then, you’re nodding, eyebrows raising in agreement, “A good point.”

“Speak for yourself,” Jongho rolls his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest as a huff escapes him.

You simply quirk a brow in amusement at him, your one hand coming up to rub almost teasingly at the side of your neck where he bit you all those weeks ago.

Subtly, red begins to creep up his neck.

“Right, well,” he clears his throat, “Shall we move on to the next room?”

A few side-eyed looks are sent the youngest’s way in response, and you swear you see both Mingi’s and Hongjoong’s eyes flash black for the briefest of moments. However, before you can think too much on it, San is practically grabbing your hand and dragging you away from Yeosang. All too eagerly, the younger male leads you back over to the door you entered into the room from. A second later, he’s opening it and guiding you through.

Your eyes immediately light up at seeing all of the different spears, tridents, and javelins lining the walls, amongst other pole based weapons. Again, they’re all made form a range of materials in a variety of colours, and each design manages to take your breath away.

“Go wild,” San leans in to whisper in your ear, just as you hear the door fall shut behind you.

A large, giddy smile pulls onto your lips as you immediately race over to the one wall. There’s a specific spear that’s caught your eye, and the closer you get to the tip, the more detail work you can see carved into it. There seems to be a pattern of sorts etched into the metal, unfamiliar to you with all its swirls and shapes, but beautiful nonetheless.

The entire room is silent as you stand there, observing the intricate detailing of the spear’s tip. Each male watches you fondly, enjoying this moment for as long as they possibly can. Seeing your wonder and marvel at all of the designs makes their hearts race, and knowing that you’re enjoying yourself currently means the world to each and every single one of them.

Finally, you begin to move around the room, San right beside you the whole time.

“I feel like I’m in an art museum or something.” You admit lowly, voice airy and full of awe.

“Well, designing and forging weapons is simply another form of art.” Yunho nods his agreement.

“And you’ve all been making these your whole lives?” You turn to glance at the others from over your shoulder.

Small nods of confirmation greet you in response, subtle smiles pulling at all of their features.

“It’s why we take such great lengths to store them.” Yeosang adds. “Only we can access these rooms, for they are intricately linked, and can only be entered through this one door.”

Nothing but awe shines in your eyes as your lips part. A breathless ‘wow’ escapes you once more, turning lightly in a circle as you take in the whole room.

“Then, there are eight rooms?” You turn back to face them.

“Eight main ones, yes.” San says. “We have many storage rooms, and way too many weapons we no longer use.”

“That’s not to mention each of our own forges which are connected to our storehouses.” Seonghwa comments casually, leaning against the wall right beside the door.

“So, the rooms are almost like a labyrinth of sorts?” You tilt your head slightly in inquiry.

“You could say that.” Hongjoong chuckles. “It’s more of individual blocks of rooms floating in limbo within our domain until we summon the rooms to this door.”

“Ah,” you nod slowly in understanding. “I see.” The corner of your lips quirk upwards. “That’s still really cool.”

Little do you see the small, bashful smiles that tug at their features as you look away for the moment.

Turning back to face the tridents, you take in the various styles lining the wall. Some are placed vertically, while others sit horizontally, displaying the many pikes on each.

Two in particular - one silver with five prongs, and one gold with three prongs - catch your eye. Both are shiny, appearing as if they might be the newest to his collection as they are displayed side by side on a slight angle. It’s as if he purposely hung them like this; to emphasize the set they seem to make together. They’re quite familiar, and as you get closer, you realize why.

The silver one is a perfect replica of Queen Atlanna’s trident from the Aquaman film, while the gold is a perfect replica of Arthur’s own.

The way San is staring at you, his eyes shining with nothing but affection with just a hint of nervousness, says it all.

You smile, grabbing his hand in your own. Softly, you squeeze, warmth flooding your chest as you understand exactly what his intentions are. He made these for you, and him. He means for the two of you to use these together. The set never meant to be separated, or be without the other in battle.

For a brief moment, you allow him passed your void.

My Aquaman. You hum, squeezing his hand once more. Thank you.

My Queen, He mirrors your smile, his shoulders relaxing the slightest bit as he squeezes your hand back. I’m just glad you like them.

Like them? You reply, rather eagerly. Sannie, I love them.

The soft giggle he lets out fills the room, his eyes crinkling in the corners with the weight of his happiness. I’m glad.

Softly, you wiggle your intertwined hands in the space between your bodies. Not even a moment later, you’re turning back to the wall of tridents, lifting your gaze to take in the ones near the top of the wall. That’s when another, near the corner of the room, catches your attention.

A gasp escapes you. “No way.”

Rushing over to the trident, you end up half dragging, half pulling San along with you. You’ve closed your void to him now, so he cannot get a sense of what it truly is that’s caught your attention. That is, until you’re speaking once more.

“So, when were you going to tell me that you have an exact replica of Finnick’s trident from Catching Fire?” You quirk a brow, glancing at him briefly.

San grins, lifting said object off of the wall. “I figured it would be a nice surprise.”

“You seem to be full of nice surprises today, Pretty Boy.” You grin right back, watching as he handles that trident carefully before you.

“So, that’s what you ran off to make that one day,” Jongho mumbles, understanding painting his features. “I was wondering why you were asking me all those questions about her favourite book series.”

“I do love The Hunger Games.” You nod, eyes widening in excitement as San hands you the trident. “Finnick is my favourite character.” Then, a moment’s pause as you look over the weapon in your hands. “Him and Annie deserved better.”

Out of the corner of your eyes, you notice Jongho nodding solemnly along with your words.

“I thought it was that set he made that day,” Hongjoong motions back to the Aquaman tridents proudly on display.

“I had to start with something easier,” San replies, sparing a look at all of his brothers.

“You count this design as easy?” You voice, incredulously, as the fingers of your one hand come up to trace the pole gently.

San only chuckles in response, offering you a small shrug of his shoulders.

“I don’t blame him.” Mingi hums, glancing from Jongho to Seonghwa. “There seems to be a recurring theme of making replicas of weapons belonging to your favourite characters and series, Starlight.”

“Speaking from experience, Min?” You place the trident back in its spot, moving over to where the others are standing after having your fill of looking around.

“You’ll see.” He chuckles, moving to wrap his arm around your shoulders.

Only, the youngest placing his hand onto the small of your back beats him to it. You nearly shiver from the contact, the tips of his fingers pressing lightly into your bare skin. 

That’s when you remember: you’re still only in your sport’s bra for the moment.

A glare is sent Jongho’s way, not just from Mingi, but from San as well. Your time in his weapon’s hold was far too short for his liking, but at least you enjoyed yourself. A bonus? You’re still beaming as Jongho leads you back through the door.

The moment you step through the threshold to be surrounded by axes of every size, shape, and colour, your lips part in a gasp, “Oh my.”

On one wall, throwing axes and hatchets are displayed. The opposite, everything ranging from a typical fireman’s axe, to the most intricately designed single bladed axes reside. On the final wall, double bladed axes reside, one sticking out more than the rest.

Your eyes widen, practically running out of Jongho’s hold as you see the axe resting in the centre display. It’s dual blades are familiar to you, the metal smooth before giving way to two sets of three triangles hollowed out on either side of the shaft. There, detailed rune work resides, and you find you can only place your hand over your heart in attempts to quell its beating.

“I see what you mean.” You swallow thickly, nearly jumping as you feel Jongho’s hand return to the small of your back.

“It’s quite effective in battle,” Jongho mentions casually, leading you over to the wall of hatches to show you the two other small axes that Gimli has in his arsenal that he’s also taken the liberty to make.

“You’ve already used Gimli’s axe in battle?” There’s nothing but wonder in your voice as you look at him, your whole body practically vibrating in excitement.

“Not yet, technically.” He chuckles at your enthusiasm. “But the simulations have all run smoothly.”

You turn back to the weapons before you, nothing but wonder in your eyes, “Wow.”

You’re starting to notice a slight pattern to the rooms now. All of them seem to be about the same size, with their weapons all lining the walls. Some of them even have a few extra racks to hold certain designs, but for the most part, the main wall houses what you assume to be the favourites, while the other side walls hold the smaller designs. They’re all organized quite well, and from the gleam you can see coming from each polished weapon, you can tell that they are all well taken care of, and maintained regularly.

Something they seem to have in common for all of the things that they care for - a great sense of both responsibility, and attention to detail when looking after them.

“Come, there’s another one I want to show you.” Jongho gently guides you to the opposite wall.

Sticking out his hand, an axe comes flying off of the wall from higher up. It spins in the air as it travels the short distance to his hand, the dark silver of the single edged blade glinting in the light. There seems to be a smaller blade protruding from the opposite side of the handle, acting as a continuation of the main blade on the other side.

The instant it touches Jongho’s hand, your eyes are widening as another gasp escapes you. The veins of gold carved into the blade stand out starkly against the darkness of the silver. The wooden handle is slightly curved, the blade itself covering almost half of the length of the wood.

“No way you made Kratos’ Leviathan Axe.” Your voice holds nothing but awed disbelief as you look over every inch of that axe Jongho holds out for you. “And you can summon it to your hands like he can in the game?”

“We can summon all of our weapons to our hands like that, My Love.” Hongjoong chuckles, eyebrows raising in amusement as he sees the glare Jongho sends him for stealing his thunder.

“How does it work?” You spare a glance at all of them around the room.

“Usually just requires a drop of our blood and a binding spell.” Seonghwa explains.

“So, that’s how you can make your weapons appear out of thin air?” You ask, wonderstruck. “Not cause you’re doing something like reaching through realms, or into a pocket of space?”

Yunho chuckles, along with Wooyoung, Seonghwa, and Mingi.

“No, Petal,” he grins fondly at your curious expression. “Unfortunately we cannot do that, but it is how we are able to summon our weapons to us instantly.”

“Does it work on other things, too?” You inquire, nearly dropping the axe in your excitement as Jongho hands it to you.

“It works on anything we bind ourselves to in that way.” Mingi confirms.

“So, if you wanted to summon each other?” You tilt your head slightly as you finally get a good grip on the handle of the axe. “It’d be different than your transportation thingy?”

“Slightly.” Hongjoong confirms. “Think of it as a mere aspect of our teleportation.”

“But still different than a proper summoning spell.” Yeosang adds.

You nod, spinning that axe slowly in your hands as you look over the detail work.

“Would it work in battle?” You glance upwards. “If you ever needed to save each other from a killing blow? Or if one of you needed back up?”

“Normally, we’d just use our teleportation for that.” Mingi shrugs, leaning against an open part of the wall.

“That’s fair,” you hum, eyes shifting their focus back to the axe in your hands.

Where the gems would normally reside, you’ve noticed two other small jewels in their place. One is an opal, and the other is your own birthstone. A fact of which makes you smile, for you know both are meant to represent you and Jongho.

“With this summoning thing, is it automatic if you think of the item?” You hand Jongho the axe back, not wanting to risk damaging it right now as your curiosity is getting the better of you.

“It’s practically second nature to us now.” Wooyoung confirms with a nod. “The closer the object, the easier it is to summon it.”

“That makes sense.” You nod, eyes catching on another intricately carved axe for the moment. “Oh!”

The blade is hollowed in some areas, giving a sort of skeleton design to the metal. It’s intricately carved, the design looking more for style than functionality. However, you know that it’s more than likely made out of that Sage Metal that they told you about earlier. The axe is more than durable, and certainly functional.

“This is beautiful,” you breathe, tracing the spaces in the metal lightly with your index finger. Of course, you make sure not to touch the edges of the metal, not wanting to cut yourself on accident. Who knows how they would react to that.

“Not as beautiful as you.” Jongho whispers lowly into your ear as he steps up behind you, wrapping you in his arms.

A snort of laughter escapes you, lips parting in disbelief.

“Oh, Baby Bear,” you chuckle lowly, shaking your head. “Please don’t say such cringy things to me. You’re more suave than that.”

You don’t have to look at him to see the giant pout Jongho now wears on his features, only deepened by the laughter of his brothers.

“Oh, can it.” He turns to them, a frown on his features. “You were all thinking it, too.”

Again, you shake your head, lovingly this time. “What am I going to do with all of you?”

Wooyoung slides right up to your side, pulling you out of Jongho’s embrace and into his own. Carefully, he begins leading you back to the door.

“Love us unconditionally for all eternity?” There’s a hint of hope in his eyes, swirling within that all too familiar admiration and adoration you’ve become so used to from him. 

From all of them.

You hum, pretending to think about it for a moment. You stop just before the closed door, sparing a glance around at all of them briefly.

You smile lovingly, “That can be arranged.”

Low hums of content greet your ears as you reach forward to open the door. You do not need to look at them to know that they are gazing at you with nothing but a tender fondness in their eyes right now. You can feel it surrounding you as you step through the door, flooding your veins and comforting you right down to your very core.

Their unspoken response rings loud and clear through your mind, despite your void still being up. There is no doubt in your mind that they will do the same: love you unconditionally for all eternity. They’ve already proven, in more ways than one, that they do.

The moment you refocus in on the room surrounding you, your eyes catch on bottles upon bottles lining the shelves built into every free inch of the walls of this room. Various colourful liquids reside inside, some even appearing to glow with how vibrantly they shine beneath the lights. Small vials rest beside them, and you think you know what rests inside those.

Understanding flashes across your features and you turn to Wooyoung who practically shakes in excitement beside you.

“So, which one is the deadliest?” You quirk a brow, the corner of your lips twitching upwards.

A giddy smile stretches across his features, which then slowly morphs into a sly smirk, “No hesitation, huh, Angel?”

“I’m curious,” You shrug, nonchalantly.

He hums, “It’s just over here.”

Leading you over to a wall with the darkest liquids residing on the shelves, Wooyoung lifts his free hand. Instantly, a bottle of the blackest void comes rushing to his fingers, thick in texture and hardly sloshing around inside its container. Faintly, you swear you can hear hissing coming from his hand.

“There is no toxin more deadly than my own creations.” He tells you. “This one, though, is the worst.”

“Are you immune?” You glance up at him, a curious glint in your eyes.

“I’m immune to every poison you can imagine, and then some.” He hums, that grin still tugging at his features as he hands you the bottle of that thick black liquid. “But I always have antidotes close at hand.”

He motions around him to the small vials resting beside the bottles.

“We’re not as immune as he is to some of his creations.” Jongho grumbles, his arms crossed over his chest.

“But most of them, you are?” You spare a glance at the rest of them standing over by the door.

“That would be correct, My Love.” Hongjoong nods. “His most deadly, he’s made sure we’re immune to.”

“It’s considerate, considering the amount of times he’s used us as guinea pigs for new concoctions.” San grumbles, narrowing his eyes pointedly at Wooyoung.

You turn your head back to the aforementioned male who seemingly shrinks slightly in his spot.

“You guys volunteer.” He mumbles.

“Yeah,” Yunho rolls his eyes playfully. “That’s cause we never actually know what we’re signing up for.”

“It’s not my fault you all have different side effects than what I intend sometimes!” Wooyoung counters, a large pout pulling at his features. “It’s not like it’s intentional.”

“Sometimes, I feel like it is.” Yeosang states, rather pointedly.

“I don’t know,” you hum. “Isn’t the point of vaccines to inject some of the original virus or disease into your body so you know how to fight off the living cells, were they to enter your system?”

“See. At least My Angel understands my methods!” Wooyoung perks back up, tightening the hold of his one arm that rests around your waist. “There’s a whole process! You can’t just be immune. It’s not in your blood!”

“And it’s in yours?” San’s brow quirks knowingly.

“Actually, yes. It is.” Wooyoung states, rather proudly. “Most of my poisons contain some aspect of my blood in them, whether diluted or pure. That’s why they can be so toxic.”

“That’s really cool!” You chime in, having way too much fun watching the thick liquid slide around in the bottle every time you tip it upside down.

“So, there!” Wooyoung sticks his tongue out playfully at his brothers.

“Are there any kinds of toxins you’ve made that have a different effect than just poisoning the victim?” You turn your attention back to Wooyoung. “You know, like paralysis, or something?”

“Do I ever!” Wooyoung practically bounces on his feet as he leads you to the opposite wall. “This one-“ he points to a bright pink liquid, “is similar to a sleeping drought, but too much will cause the heart to stop for any living thing.”

You nod, staring intently at the bottle in front of you.

“This one-“ he points to an almost transparent green liquid, “causes your muscles to seize and inflicts unbearable pain throughout the body. Great for immobilizing people, but not quite paralysis in it’s literal sense.”

“Oh, wow.” You observe said liquid carefully.

“I also have certain tonics that effect emotions, a person’s state of mind or being, as well as ones that can essentially put people into either a comatose state, or loosen their tongue if we need a ‘physical’ way to gather information for assassinations.” He explains.

“So, you have truth telling serums?” Your brow quirks, the corner of your lips twitching upwards.

“I have any and every type of tonic you can think of.” Wooyoung nods, quite proudly at that.

You nod, eyes never leaving that shelf in front of you.

“So, then,” you begin. “Which is a stronger aphrodisiac? Your blood, or one of your tonics?”

The sound of shattering glass sounds behind you, and you turn to see Seonghwa and Mingi both cursing to themselves. Bottles, or what’s left of them, lay broken at their feet, the sound of hissing greeting your ears as liquid seeps over the ground.

“Careful with those,” Wooyoung waves his hand, cleaning the mess in an instant. “Some mixtures are deadly, even to us, if cross contaminated with each other.”

“We’ll just make sure to knock into the non-fragile glass bottles, next time.” Seonghwa grumbles, wiping off the front of his shirt rather harshly.

“Glass bottles are the most effective containers for acidic poisons, especially if reinforced by magic.” Wooyoung states, matter of factly.

“But they can still shatter on impact with the floor.” Jongho quirks a brow, matter of factly.

“You win some, you lose some.” Wooyoung shrugs, before turning his attention back to you for the moment. “To answer your question, Angel, it would be this one right here.” A bottle with a liquid as clear as day is instantly in his one hand. “This is the strongest aphrodisiac we own, besides our blood.”

“Oh?” Your lips twitch upwards in the corner, brow quirking. “So, they’re on par with one another, then?”

“Not quite,” Wooyoung’s eyes begin to swirl with that all too familiar darkness. “This is just a little stronger, since it’s undiluted in that sense.”

You hum, “Interesting.”

“Why?” San’s voice, low and gravelly reaches your ears as his hooded gaze meets your own. “Want to give it a try?”

All eight sets of eyes are on you in an instant, darkness swirling within.

You smirk, “Perhaps some other time.”

Eight low growls reach your ears as you walk back over to the door. You can feel the weight of their heated stares on you, even as you glance towards them from over your shoulder.

“Shall we?” You drawl out, a teasing flick to your brows.

Yunho seems to be the first to recompose himself, quickly moving over to you and placing his hand onto the skin of your upper back. Gently, he guides you through the door, clearing his throat all the while.

“I don’t tend to use many weapons, so my storehouse is a bit of the miscellaneous designs we keep for the occasional use.” He explains. “I do tend to like shredding things, whether physical, or mental, though.”

Again, your eyes light up as you take in the various unconventional designs around you. You can tell they’ve experimented with multiple angles and materials, each weapon given certain liberties over the rest. Everything from large hammers to thin whips with metal spikes attached to them line the walls, allowing you to see the various techniques they all know how to use in battle depending on the weapon.

Serrated blades, tools, saws, and even some scythes and rifles also line the walls.

Your brow quirks at the cage of guns off to the side.

“For our assassinations, mainly.” Yunho is quick to tell you, to which you’re immediately nodding your head in understanding.

“Who’s the best sniper?” You turn to them, looking over each male individually.

“Seonghwa and Hongjoong are amazing.” Wooyoung immediately boasts, a proud smile tugging at his lips.

“Really, we’ve got nothing on Mingi, though.” Hongjoong says, averting his gaze somewhat bashfully as red creeps up his neck.

At Seonghwa’s nod in agreement, you turn to the aforementioned male. Lightly, a grin pulls at the corner of your lips.

You let Mingi in.

I always knew you were way cooler than James Bond. You meet his gaze with an affectionate look of your own. Definitely proves it.

Mingi giggles, brushing tenderly against your mind with his own as his eyes crinkle at the sides.

You turn back to the main wall of weapons. “You all contribute to this stockade, or is it more trial and error?”

“A little bit of both.” San says, the others nodding in agreement. “Sometimes we even get certain materials from our friends that we play around with when creating weapons.”

At this, your brow quirks.

“Well, sometimes we aren’t simply given things.” Wooyoung chuckles. “Like when Jongho used the teeth from the snakes of the last gorgon leader to make a tiny mace.”

Jongho simply glares at Wooyoung in response.

“Not going to lie, that’s pretty cool.” You reply, nonchalantly. “Do you guys have any transforming weapons?”

“Mingi made the Beastcutter from Bloodborne.” Seonghwa comments casually.

Your jaw drops. “You did not.”

The second Mingi sticks his hand out, a weapon flies off of the wall. Sure enough, holding it out to you reveals it to be a life-size replica of the Beastcutter from Bloodborne.

“Holy shit.” There is no hiding the awe in your eyes as he passes it to you, you giggling like a maniac soon after.

“If I recall, Mingi’s made a lot of replicas of From Soft weapons.” Yeosang adds, humming lightly to himself.

“You have?” That awe filled gaze of yours is back on Mingi, who’s neck begins to turn bright red as he nods. “That’s incredible!”

He lifts a hand up to scratch at the back of his neck. “It’s nothing.”

“Moonlight, I wish you wouldn’t downplay your skills sometimes.” You comment, patting his arm affectionately. Then, you’re practically bouncing on your feet as the Beastcutter is returned to its original spot. “Now, show me, show me, show me!”

Mingi chuckles lowly, “Of course, Starlight.” He leads you back to the door, his arm gently finding purchase around your waist. “Right this way.”

Carefully, Mingi guides you through the door and into his own storehouse of weapons, his brothers following closely behind. The sound of the door shutting is synonymous with your gasp, your eyes practically shining as you take in the sets of weapons lining the walls, mainly consisting of dual blades.

At one particular set that is bright red, the edges of the blades artfully chipped, a dramatic gasp escapes you.

“No way!” You point at the blades, scurrying over to them while hopping around on your feet. “You made the Rivers of Blood from Elden Ring into a two sword set?”

“I had to compromise a bit on length, but the design is the same.” He shrugs, plucking them off of the wall and giving them each a spin in his hands.

You practically swoon as a result. “Somebody pinch me, I’m in heaven.”

Low chuckles resound around the room, each male loving how your excitement never seems to cease for even one moment. The fact that Mingi continues to captivate you currently by performing small tricks with the blades has them beaming. Though, a few, such as Hongjoong, Jongho, and Seonghwa, all wish it were them that were impressing you in such a way instead.

Again, Mingi chuckles, placing the Rivers of Blood back in their spot before pulling two other katanas off of the wall. They also seem familiar to you, though you can’t seem to figure out why.

“I dubbed these ones my Deadpool set.” Mingi explains with a grin, giving them each a spin in his hands.

“I was wondering why they looked so familiar,” You hum, nodding slightly. “If you pull out the Blades of Chaos next, I might need to sit down.”

The grin Mingi wears is nothing short of gleeful as he replaces the katanas on the wall. In a blink, he holds out his hands, chains wrapping around his forearms before a dual set of particularly carved blades appear held in his grip.

You physically feel your legs give out beneath you, a hand coming up to press against your forehead as you fall backwards.

Luckily, Yunho appears just in time to catch you.

“I’m dreaming.” You mutter lowly, nothing but awe in your voice. “This is a dream, and I’m in heaven.”

More fond chuckles greet your ears.

“It’s a shame the blades are more for show than anything,” Mingi somewhat pouts. “Still worth seeing every one of your reactions, though, Starlight.”

“Oh, yeah, I heard something about them being impractical in real life cause of the chains or something.” You manage to right yourself on your feet, affectionately patting Yunho’s hands which he keeps wrapped around your waist. “The blades could still be effective on their own, though. Can they not?”

The grin that stretches across Mingi’s face says it all.

“Now, if you go around bathing them in fire as you use them, I might faint for real.” You comment casually.

His eyebrow quirks, “Promise?”

“You want me to faint?” You snort out a laugh.

“If it’s from something cool that I’ve done,” Mingi shrugs, storing the blades back in their place. “Why not?”

“Touché.” You hum, sparing another glance around the room. Your eyes catch briefly on a set of blades, curved to resemble human spines. You smile. “Seriously guys, this is incredible.”

“We’re just glad you’re enjoying yourself, Dearest.” Yeosang smiles, nothing but tender fondness reflected in his eyes.

“Like I said, this is one of the best days of my life.” You breathe out. “I’ve always had a fascination with different types of weapons since I was small. It’s nice not having to hide my excitement about them anymore. Especially about ones that I long since thought could only be used in fictional settings, or for cosplay.”

“Hearing you rant and rave about certain styles of weapons when we watch those…” Jongho grimaces slightly, irritation shining briefly on his features, “Let’s Players, sticks with us, you know.”

“Don’t tell me you’re jealous of Jacksepticeye, Baby Bear.” You quirk a brow.

At the few grumbles you hear, you begin to laugh.

“You seem to be overtly fond of him.” Hongjoong mutters lowly.

You shrug. “He’s funny.”

Low growls sound from Yeosang, Mingi, San, and Seonghwa.

“Again, just because you don’t like him, doesn’t mean I don’t.” You remind them.

“That’s the problem, Angel.” Wooyoung mumbles, crossing his arms over his chest.

“The fact I find him entertaining?” You quirk a brow, noticing how they remain quiet for the most part. “Wait, is this why you all started playing God of War and Bloodborne? So, I wouldn’t watch his play-throughs anymore?”

“No.” Jongho answers, much too quickly.

“We also needed to get better insight of the weapons when making them.” Mingi says, matter of factly.

A smack is given to the elder male from the youngest as you stare at them knowingly. Then, your eyes seemingly glaze over, deep in thought.

“You said you make weapons out of materials sometimes gifted to you from others, right?” Your brow is furrowed as you step out of Yunho’s embrace, much to the male’s discontent.

“That’s correct.” Yeosang confirms.

You hum to yourself, beginning to pace back and forth as your mind reels.

“How strong are dragon teeth?” You pause, lifting your head to spare a glance at all of them.

Understanding flashes behind their eyes.

“They are extremely durable and versatile, My Divine.” Seonghwa replies, a knowing glint in his eyes. “Some of the strongest bones in all the realms. Other than their horns, of course.”

“And baby dragon’s teeth?” You quirk a brow.

“Not as durable, but strong all the same.” Yunho confirms.

Again, you hum, shifting to face Hongjoong. “Can I see Mon’s teeth for a moment?”

By the time you’ve extended your hands, Hongjoong has that green cloth placed upon your palms. You turn just in time to see a wooden table appear beside you, the guys all moving in to stand around it as you work.

Carefully, you unwrap the package that is Mon’s baby teeth. Once you have that cloth covering the main portion of the table, you begin arranging them in a particular pattern. Slowly, a triangle begins to form, Mon’s teeth outlining the shape.

“Our conversation just now gave me an idea,” you begin, righting yourself so you’re no longer hunched over the table. “A bit literal for serrated teeth, but I think it works well.”

A gentle hand is placed onto your lower spine curtesy of Mingi. Sparing a glance at him reveals his lips to be tugging upwards into a proud smile.

“I don’t know how the logistics will work, but if you can make the Beastcutter, then I’m sure you can make a Saw Spear,” You meet Mingi’s gaze. “No?”

A pride swirls behind his gaze, his chest puffing out the slightest bit. “I think that can be arranged.”

The smile that takes over your features lights up the entire room, excitement pouring off of you in waves. “Really?”

“Most definitely.” San confirms with a nod. “We can all help with this one.”

“You’d all really do this for me?” You spare a glance at all of them, noticing how tenderly they look at you.

“Of course!” Wooyoung confirms eagerly. “It’s not every day Our Queen asks us to make her her own weapon.”

You share an excited giggle.

“Listen, I want to be able to have something to call my own,” you grin. “Preferably not just a bat. I’m not sure how intimidating our enemies will find me only wielding a weapon like that.”

“Believe me, Baby,” San chuckles. “You’re plenty intimidating with a bat.”

“So I’ve heard.” You smile slyly.

“We could make you a personalized bat, too, Dearest.” Yeosang offers. “Anything and everything your heart desires, know that it’s yours.”

Lifting your head to meet his gaze, your eyes crinkle as your smile morphs into a loving one. 

“How about we start with this for now?” You say softly. “I’m sure I’ll think of more when the time comes. Believe me when I say there’s no shortages of weapon’s designs in my mind. But for now, there’s still two more main storehouses to see, and I’d also love to see a forge if there’s time. I am getting hungry.”

“Well then,” Yunho nods, noticing how his brothers all wear the same look of affection spreading across his face in this moment. “What are we waiting for?”

Leaving Mon’s teeth laid out on the table at their request, you walk back over to the door. This time, it’s Hongjoong that opens it, stepping through to hold it as you follow shortly behind.

If you’re being honest with yourself, his and Seonghwa’s rooms are the ones you’re most anticipating. Long since have you fantasized about what their own blades will look like, and now, you find your whole body shaking with excitement as you step through the threshold.

The instant you see the wall of daggers before you, a loud gasp escapes you. Your hands come up to cover your mouth, eyes flitting all over the weapons on display before you. Everything from ceremonial daggers, to jewelled blades rest before you in an array of designs. There even seems to be a small display case in front of the main wall with a dagger inside, resting upon a cushion. It looks familiar to you, and as you get closer, you realize why.

There seems to be a blade missing from the set, but you say nothing. Still, you cannot help but to zero in on that cushion, noting the slight indent where the second dagger should reside.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you notice Hongjoong stiffen, but you opt to say nothing for now.

Sets of throwing knives line the one wall, some collections housing upwards of twenty blades. You take the time to observe everything, walking slowly around the room and taking it all in. Each blade manages to take your breath away, your heart racing erratically in your chest as excitement courses through your veins.

Hongjoong, you notice, still remains unusually quiet. In fact, if you didn’t know any better, you’d say he looks nervous, especially when you glance towards that display case in front of the main wall every now and again.

Turning to the others, you smile lightly, “Do you mind giving us a minute?”

A few quirked brows are sent your way in response, but they comply, nonetheless.

“We’ll meet you in your storeroom, okay, Mars?” You catch his gaze, noticing how he nods in understanding as soon as the words escape you.

Slowly, you watch as they all step through the door, and only once you see it fall shut, the small click resounding throughout the room, do you turn back to face Hongjoong.

There’s an almost reserved look in his eyes as he avoids your gaze. Slowly, he shifts from foot to foot, his hands clasped in front of himself.

Your expression falls.

Silently, you approach him, gently lifting his hands into your own.

“What’s wrong, My Love?” Your inquiry is soft, giving his hands a small squeeze in order to coax him to meet your eyes.

He’s unusually silent as he shakes his head, staring intently at your intertwined hands.

Normally, this room is a huge sense of pride for him. However, as soon as he saw you glance the display case with only the one dagger inside, his heart plummeted. Selfishly, he kept it there in its spot because he could not bring himself to get rid of it. Now though, he fears he made the wrong call, for that pillar acts as a stark reminder of every misdeed he’s ever performed. That case stands almost mockingly; a tombstone that could have been yours.

“Hongjoong,” Worry pulls at your brow as you lift a hand up to guide his gaze to yours. Tenderly, your thumb brushes against his cheek. “You’re unusually quiet right now, and I’m extremely concerned. I thought you’d be ecstatic to show me your collection today.”

He purses his lips, and you can see a hint of fear flash behind his eyes.

“Is this about the set of daggers in that case?” Your tone is nothing but gentle.

The way he stiffens beneath your touch says it all.

The way that you can tell that this is affecting him negatively has your heart squeezing painfully in your chest. It’s clear to you that Miyeon still has her claws buried deep within his guilt, and all you want to do is reassure him as best you can in this moment. Only, you’re not quite sure how.

“They were-“ he clears his throat of the roughness that resides in his voice, “They were meant to be ours.”

Your gaze shifts to the small display case where that lone blade sits.

“The daggers,” You breathe.

He nods. “I made them for us.”

You squeeze his one hand once more, gently guiding him over to the display case so you can get a closer look.

Still, he refuses to so much as glance at that singular dagger.

“I wanted that one to be yours, and the other to be mine, but she-“ his voice hitches, and he squeezes his eyes shut. “I don’t think I could ever look at my dagger the same way again. Not after what she did to you with it. Yet, I can’t bring myself to destroy the set. It held so much meaning to me when I made them, that I just-”

He doesn’t finish his thought. Instead, his shoulders droop and he turns the slightest bit away from you.

Shame weighs heavy on his shoulders, regret adding its toll.

You take a moment to observe the dagger in the case. It’s certainly familiar, but you notice slight discrepancies to the one you’ve already seen. This dagger’s blade is slightly thinner, the handle carved in the opposite direction to its matching pair. You can tell that they’re meant to be put together. A set, never to be separated.

“I’m glad you didn’t.” You turn to him, and your words finally draw a reaction from him. “Destroy them, I mean.”

“My Love?” There’s clear surprise on his features, not having expected you to say anything along those lines.

If Hongjoong is being honest with himself, he expected you to start cursing him out for not getting rid of the very weapon that caused you such harm. He was certain that you’d be screaming at him, asking him why he would keep such vile weapons around after what they did to you.

To say your tender look of affection shocks him would be a great understatement.

“You still have the other dagger, then?” You ask him softly, rubbing your thumb tenderly over the back of his hand.

Slowly, albeit hesitantly, he nods.

“May I see it?” The question is gentle in all meaning of the sense, making sure to keep your voice low as you look at him with kind eyes.

A moment’s hesitation before he nods. Then, he has the other dagger in his free hand, holding the handle out for you to take.

Meeting his gaze, you smile assuringly at him. Maintaining eye contact, you gently slip that dagger out of his hold, gripping it firmly in your one hand. Only then do you spare a glance down at one of the weapons that had caused you such pain all those long weeks ago.

Just as you thought, this one is slightly bigger, the blade both a little thicker and longer in length.

“This one was meant to be yours?” You lift your gaze to his, noticing how intently he watches you in this very moment.

He nods.

You let your intertwined hands fall to rest in the space between your bodies, letting them sway gently back and forth.

“Will you hold onto mine?” There’s nothing but a hopeful gleam to your eyes as you watch him nod.

Slowly, he unlocks the case. Once the glass is opened, he lifts your dagger out with the utmost of care, holding it delicately in his hand. The way that he’s standing perfectly mirrors you in every way, and you cannot help the small upturn of your lips at that fact.

“Hongjoong, I wish to keep these daggers together,” you begin. At the way you see his lips part in protest, you’re quick to continue, “She was the one who used it to hurt me, not you. I know for a fact that you would rather carve out your own heart than bring me any harm. Your dagger didn’t hurt me. She did.”

The hitch in his breath is audible, even to you.

“I know you may not have intended it this way, but I wish to keep this one as my own.” You lift the dagger in your hand slightly. “And I wish for you to use that one. Let me reclaim the weapon that was used to hurt me, and know that it is meant to symbolize your undying loyalty and protection. Let me wield you in battle, just as you will wield me when the time comes.”

The way your eyes flash over to that dagger held in his hand as you speak those words says it all.

“These daggers are for us, meant to protect each other.” You state, rather firmly. “I think it’s time we allow them the proper use. Don’t you?”

He swallows thickly, his lips parting as tears line his eyes. He squeezes your hand.

“Yes,” he breathes, nodding his head once quite firmly. He blinks, and the first of his tears begin to fall down his cheeks. “Yes, My Queen. Always.”

Softly, you smile at him, guiding him into your embrace as he buries his face into the side of your neck. You can feel his sobs wracking his body as he holds onto you tightly, clinging to you both for dear life, but also in gratitude for what this moment means to the both of you. No longer will you allow Miyeon to control either of you. It’s time to reclaim that which has been stolen. All of it.

Pulling away from him slightly, you stare deeply into his eyes. The corners of your lips tug upwards in a loving smile, and you manage to brush some stray hairs out of his eyes.

“I am so deeply in love with you, My King.” There is no waver in your voice as you say this, pouring every ounce of sincerity that you can into your words. “Know that nothing will ever change that.”

“My Queen,” The words are but a whisper on his lips as he pulls you tighter against him. “Thank you, for believing in me.”

The smile you offer him says it all, nothing but tender love and affection shining within your gaze as you lean forward to kiss him gently. A kiss which he is all too eager to reciprocate, letting the movement of his lips over your own tell you of all the ways in which he loves you. The ways in which he will always love you, and appreciate all that you mean to him.

All too soon, you’re pulling away in order to rest your forehead on his.

“The daggers are beautiful, My Love,” Your words are but a soft caress against his lips. “Thank you for keeping them as one.”

Hongjoong manages a small smile in response. “I am simply happy you like them, My Queen.”

“I love them, Joongie.” Your reply is immediate, pulling the slightest bit back from him to admire the detailing on the handles once more. “It means a lot to me that you made them for us.”

“Of course, My Love,” Gently, he returns them both to their spots on top of the cushion inside the display. He’s quiet for a moment before he speaks again. In a soft voice, he admits, “I made them the day I knew I wanted you to become Our Queen.” He turns to you, eyes holding nothing but love for you swirling within that familiar darkness. “My Queen.”

Your expression softens, “All the more reason to keep them, and use them as you’ve always intended.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” He chuckles lowly, offering you his hand as he steps in beside you.

Without any hesitation, you place your hand in his.

“I am curious, though,” you hum. “Did you keep the other one? The jewelled one from David’s shop?”

A blink, and that familiar dagger is in his free hand.

Your eyes go wide, a thrum of excitement going through you.

“I think it’s time it was given back to the woman who always deserved it,” He grins, a knowing glint in his eyes as he holds out the handle for you to take. “Don’t you?”

Eagerly, you nod your head, reaching out to take that dagger into your free hand.

You take a moment to look it over, twirling that blade in your grip lightly. A small smile rests on your features, eyes sparkling as you finally grasp the handle firmly in your hand.

Little do you see how fondly Hongjoong watches over you in this very moment. Though, from the way you lift your head to meet his gaze, you manage to catch the very look resting on his features.

“Thank you, Joongie,” You lean in to place an affectionate kiss upon his cheek. “This truly means a lot to me.”

“Your happiness means the world to me, My Love.” Hongjoong smiles, giving your one hand still held in his a small squeeze. “I’m simply glad you can finally have everything you’ve always desired.”

“It’s because of you, you know.” You turn to face him just as you reach the door. “I’ve only been able to achieve this because of you. Because of all of you.”

Hongjoong’s heart warms, and he leans in to place a lingering kiss upon your forehead. “Then, how wonderful it will be to spend the rest of eternity with one another.”

Your own heart swells with nothing but happiness, “How wonderful indeed.”

With a final squeeze of your intwined hands, you exit the room.

The moment you step into Seonghwa’s own weapon’s hold, you’re greeted by chaos. Both him and Mingi appear to be sparring with some of his swords, while Yeosang chases both San and Wooyoung around with a sword of his own. Yunho stands off to the side with Jongho, both males shaking their heads with their arms crossed over their chests.

“Did I miss something?” You quirk a brow playfully, successfully drawing their attention to both you and Hongjoong standing just inside the threshold of the door.

“Wooyoung and San were being smartasses, as usual.” Jongho shakes his head once more.

“Hey!” Said males whine at the same time.

“Then, why was Yeosang chasing you with- oh my god, is that Major General Armstrong’s sword?” You practically shove Wooyoung out of the way to take the sword from Yeosang’s grip. 

Unfortunately, you fail to miss the large pout that now pulls onto Hongjoong’s features as you essentially leave him in the dust in order to observe this new sword. Nor do you see the pout that Wooyoung wears as he looks to you with large, pleading eyes.

With your dagger held in your one hand, and the sword in the other, you take in the detailing of the metal. The floral design engraved on the length of the blade takes your breath away, and you begin shaking in excitement once more.

Then, you’re nodding to yourself almost subconsciously, “Very beautiful. Very powerful.”

“I’m glad you like it, My Divine.” Seonghwa chuckles affectionately, coming to stand beside you as the others return to their respective spots near the door. “Come, there’s plenty more where that came from.”

Lifting your gaze, Seonghwa cannot deny the hitch in his breath as he sees your wondrous expression light up your features. The awe alone he can see says it all.

He swallows thickly.

Handing him the sword back, you finally take in the other blades residing on the surrounding walls.

“No way you have a wall full of just katanas- are those Zoro’s?” Another squeal leaves you as you rush over, gazing intently at the multiple swords lined up in a row.

Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the katanas in front of you correspond to the multiple ones Zoro has used throughout the course of One Piece.

“Seriously, I’m in heaven.” You sigh, dreamily.

Low chuckles sound from behind you, and you can feel all of their fond gaze on you as you dart around the room.

“No way!” A dramatic gasp escapes you as a particular blade catches your eye from across the room. “You made Sting?”

Just as you did with Yeosang’s bow in the first room, you go to reach out for it. Only, you hesitate, not sure if you should actually touch these weapons or not.

“Go ahead, My Divine,” Seonghwa chuckles, stepping in right beside you and placing a loving hand onto the skin of your lower back. “Please, don’t hold back.”

Practically shoving the dagger in your hands in his direction, you silently tell him to hold onto the jewelled blade while you lift Sting carefully off its display. Nothing but wonder resides in your gaze as you take in the detail work of the craftsmanship. The blade is unusually light, too, just as described in the book.

“If you tell me that this blade can also glow blue, I can and will faint right now.” You lift your gaze to his own, excitement pouring off of you in waves.

A soft chuckle falls from Seonghwa’s lips, “We’ll have to go visit some orcs, then.”

Your lips part, eyes widening as you visibly begin to shake. Not even a moment later, you’re zooming around the room, muttering to yourself about this being the best day of your life once more.

Hopping around the storehouse, you take in the rest of the swords lining the walls. You cannot keep the smile off of your face, almost subconsciously muttering a tune to yourself as you browse the selection of weapons before you.

“Oh, the wonders of weapons,” you hum, no longer paying any mind to the eight other males in the room, of whom watch you fondly. “The wonders of weapons of Kings.” You giggle. “My Lovely Kings.” 

They smile.

“My lovers are eight powerful, demonic Kings.” Your voice is low, but they still hear you loud and clear. A fact of which sets their hearts racing inside of their chests. “And I’m their One and Only Queen.”

Eight low growls of approval sound from behind you. Sparingly, you glance over your shoulder, offering them each a blissful smile.

“Today is a most wonderful day.” You continue to hum to yourself, bouncing around on the soles of your feet from one spot to another. “Spending it with the people I love.”

Rumbles of content fill the room, and you bound over to the eight of them with a vibrant smile lighting up your face. You take the time to give each one of them a kiss on the cheek, muttering how much you love them each time you do. A sentiment which is immediately echoed by each male as soon as you address them individually.

Still, you cannot prevent yourself from rocking excitedly on your feet as you see the large, dopey grins they offer you in return.

“Thank you.” You take the time to meet all of their gazes. “For today. For everything.” Your heart swells in your chest. “You all seriously don’t know how happy you make me.”

“The feeling is very much mutual, Petal.” Yunho hums, the same warmth that is currently flooding his chest heard clearly in his voice as he addresses you.

“We’re just glad you’re enjoying yourself, Dearest.” Yeosang adds, clasping his hands almost lovingly in front of himself as he gazes at you fondly.

You nod, vigorously at that. “Can I see one of your forges, now?”

“Of course, My Divine.” Seonghwa extends his free hand out to you, your dagger still held tightly in his opposite hand.

“Oh, thanks for holding onto that for me, Mars.” You reach over, taking your dagger back from him as he walks you both over to the door. “I-“

Your words die in your throat as the door opens to reveal a grandiose space. There’s a large wooden table that lines the one wall, the forge worked into the opposite corner. A floor to ceiling window resides near the forge itself, displaying a beautiful field with mountains in the distance. Hardly any clouds line the sky, the sun shining and illuminating the space all around.

Various weapons line the room, stacked on top of each other or resting against the wall where various tools and materials hang. There even seems to be a closet off to the side, which you would bet anything houses even more weapons that are currently being worked on, or have even been finished.

“Wow,” You breathe out, nothing but wonder on your features as you take it all in.

Carefully, you place your dagger onto the top of the wooden table off to the side, spinning around a few times to take in the full room around you. Seonghwa, of course, gives you enough space to do so, watching you with such a tender look in his eyes.

“Do all of your workshops look the same?” You turn to face them.

“More, or less.” Jongho tilts his head slightly from side to side. “Some of our tools vary due to the types of weapons we forge, but the setup is pretty much identical.”

“That’s so cool!” You say, awe clear in your voice.

“If you peek through the window, you can actually see the outlines of all of our forges in the hills.” Yunho motions with his head for you to take a look.

Instantly, you’re at the window, eyes scanning the area to see multiple windows buried seemingly inside the hills just outside.

“Woah,” You turn back around to face them. “That must come in handy when you need to borrow things from each other while welding.”

“It is quite convenient.” Mingi nods in confirmation. “Especially if one of the others has a material you need while crafting.”

“I can imagine.” You hum, eyes flitting over the table and taking in all of the little trinkets scattered about.

There seems to be a whetting stone placed near the corner, some scraps of black leather cut into pieces along the top. Some tools rest here and there, but for the most part, the space is clean.

Out of the corner of your eyes, you see Hongjoong nudge Seonghwa with his elbow.

You quirk a brow.

Seonghwa clears his throat.,“Actually, I have two things I wish to give you, My Divine.”

“You do?” There’s nothing but wonder in your tone as you watch him move around his workspace.

For a brief moment, Seonghwa enters that little closet at the side of the room. When he comes back, both of his hands are held behind his back.

You blink, curiosity getting the better of you as you attempt to see what he could be hiding.

“This one, we all agreed on a long time ago.” He says, sharing a brief look around the room at his brothers who all smile softly at you in response. “I reinforced it, so it no longer has to be simply decorative. Unless you desire it to be.”

In one swift movement, Seonghwa pulls his right hand out from behind his back. A familiar silver sword rests there, jewels glinting in the light.

The gasp that escapes you is immediate as you see the matching sword to that dagger you had placed on his work table resting in his hand.

Ever so carefully, you reach forward, taking that sword from his grip as your eyes shine with nothing but love.

“My Kings?” You glance around at all of them, noticing how they all stare at you the exact same way you’re looking at them.

“Anything and everything your heart could ever desire, Angel,” Wooyoung whispers. “It’s yours.”

“I-“ you swallow thickly, admiring that sword now held in your hands. “I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything, My Love,” Hongjoong smiles assuringly at you. “Know that we will always provide for you, in whatever ways that we can.”

“We love spoiling you, Baby,” San adds softly. “Knowing these are things that you’ve always wanted… well… it means a lot to us to see you happy; to make you happy.”

Your lips part, but no words escape you.

“Just let us take care of you.” Yeosang voices lowly, all seven of them nodding along to his words.

Again, you swallow the emotions building in your throat. Your grip tightens on that pommel in your hands, and you manage to blink away your building tears of joy.

“Thank you.” You take your time to meet each of their gazes. “I mean it. You all never fail to go above and beyond for me, and I will always cherish these moments, these gifts, more than you’ll ever know.”

Their smiles widen, hearts beating erratically in their chests.

“We’re just love seeing you happy, Starlight.” Mingi repeats San’s words from only moments ago, nothing but sincerity shining within all of their eyes.

“I still have one more sword to gift you, today, My Divine.” Suddenly, Seonghwa looks the slightest bit more nervous as he stands before you. “That is, if you’ll have it.”

“My Mars,” you hum, affection dripping from your gaze, “You could gift me a wooden sword, and I would cherish it until the end of time.”

Teasingly, Seonghwa’s eyes narrow as he spares a glance around the room. “Alright, who told?”

Almost instantly, Jongho starts whistling inconspicuously while San, Wooyoung, and Mingi all avoid Seonghwa’s gaze.

You giggle, and like every time before, it is music to every single one of their ears.

“It took me quite a few tries,” he begins, keeping his voice low and tone steady, “But I had to make sure it was perfect.”

In the blink of an eye, Seonghwa presents you with the other sword he had been holding behind his back this whole time. He rests it carefully over his palms, holding it out to you with loving eyes as he watches your every reaction carefully.

The sheath is easily recognizable to you, the leather strap wrapped meticulously around it just as it is when the sword gets presented in the movie. The handle is every bit as gorgeous as you remember, the black leather wrapping around the pommel perfectly placed as the worked silver glints in the light.

Without taking your eyes off of that sword, you pass the one currently in your hands to the closest person beside you. Easily, Mingi takes it from you as you step in closer to Seonghwa.

You swallow your building emotions.

With shaking hands, you reach out to grasp that sword. You take one small step back before you’re unsheathing it in one fluid movement, the etchings in the metal bringing tears to your eyes.

Before you, held in your very grip, is an exact replica of Andúril.

“You made this for me?” Your voice comes out small, your overwhelming emotions threatening to choke you out at any second.

Briefly, your gaze flits from the markings on the blade to Seonghwa’s face, noting how he nods softly.

The whole time, his gaze never leaves you for a moment. Never does he want to miss even a single second of the wondrous expression you wear on your face. The fact that he can hear your heart racing says it all.

“Seonghwa, I-“ Your grip tightens around the handle of the sword, meeting his gaze once more. “When?”

He shuffles slightly from foot to foot, the others remaining silent out of respect for the moment being shared between the both of you right now.

“I started that day we got back from the mall.” His honest reply nearly sends you to your knees.

Again, your eyes trail over every inch of that sword before you. Your heart swells with nothing but love, feeling as if it’s close to bursting as you take in every minuscule detail of the blade. You can tell that he put in a tremendous amount of effort into forging this weapon for you, and given its meaning to you in its entirety, you know that he spoke true when he said that he wanted to make it perfect.

For you. 

He made this for you.

Something within your eyes flash, and you’re quick to sheathe that sword. The whole time, you never break eye contact with the male across from you, and despite the pounding of your heart that you can hear in your ears, a sense of complete calm washes over you.

“You seven,” you don’t even spare them so much as a glance of acknowledgement. “Out. Now.”

Words of protest die on Wooyoung’s lips as he gets pushed out of the room by both Jongho and Yeosang. Of course, just before the door closes, Seonghwa does not fail to miss the wink Yunho sends his way.

The sound of the door clicking shut is synonymous with the movement of Seonghwa’s Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallows.

“You made this for me,” you begin lowly. “After hearing me say once that I have long since desired a replica of my own.”

He nods. Slowly.

“You didn’t hesitate for one moment to make this for me, did you?” Your inquiry is soft, despite the heated stare you wear.

He shakes his head.

You motion for him to come forward with your finger, backing yourself towards that wooden table as he begins stalking towards you. Not once does he break eye contact, obeying your every command without hesitation.

“Of all of the grandiose gesture you could make for me, this is the one that means the most.” You tell him honestly, your voice near breathless as you finally hit that table. Resting the sword against its side, you motion him closer. “There are no words to describe what this means to me; no gift more significant than that which you have just given.”

The moment he steps into you, your arms are around his shoulders, pulling him in closer. Softly, your fingers thread through the hair at the base of his neck, and you notice how his suddenly hooded eyes continuously spare fleeting glances down to your lips. You smirk.

“A simple ‘thank you’ is not enough to convey what this means to me.” You whisper lowly, surprising him by flipping your positions so that he’s the one pressed against the table. “What you mean to me, Seonghwa.”

One of your hands sneaks down his torso, sending a shiver up his spine as he feels you caressing his side. Then, you pull him even closer, hoisting his thigh up so that his leg wraps around your waist.

“How about it, My King?” You hum, voice nothing but sultry as your lips barely ghost over the skin of his own. “Will you allow me to demonstrate my gratitude for you?”

“Yes,” The nod of his head is immediate as he all but whimpers out a response. “Please.”

The corner of your lips twitches faintly upwards before you’re closing the rest of the distance between your two bodies. The way you hold onto him, and he to you, is nothing short of desperate, kissing one another like you are the very air you both need to breathe.

Carefully, you help him sit on top of the table, allowing for him to fully wrap his legs around your waist. Unashamedly, his hands roam over your body, pulling you in closer as his fingers dance across your skin.

The moan he lets out as you take his bottom lip between your teeth sets your heart fluttering inside of your chest.

“You are incredible, Seonghwa,” you mumble out against the skin of his lips. “And so, unbelievably beautiful.”

He moans, legs tightening around your waist as his stomach twists pleasantly.

“Shouldn’t-“ he gasps as you begin trailing your lips over his jaw, soon moving to bite at the skin of his neck, “Shouldn’t I be telling you this.”

“Some other time,” you promise, placing a lingering kiss over his racing pulse. “Right now, I want to worship you.”

The shudder that wracks his entire body does not go unnoticed by you. The fact that you can physically feel his skin heating beneath your touch says it all.

“My Queen-“

“Shhh,” you’re quick to cut him off with a peck to his lips. “Just let me take care of you.”

You pull away only the slightest bit to stare deeply into his eyes. Silently, you check in with him, brushing against that familiar blue string in your mind to make sure that he’s okay.

“Please,” he swallows. “Don’t stop.”

The tender smile that pulls at your lips says it all.

Instantly, you move back in to continue biting and sucking at his neck, your hands sneaking up his shirt and eliciting another moan from his lips. The desperate way he clings to you has a pleasant feeling building within your core, spreading outwards and warming your entire body.

To know that he wants you, that he needs you in this moment means the world to you. 

You wouldn’t have it any any other way.

Bringing your lips back to his, you swallow all of his sounds, enjoying every small whimper and moan he gives you. The way he gasps as your one hand slides up his thigh to pull him flush against you by his ass is like music to your ears.

“My Seonghwa,” you hum, slowly grinding your hips against his own.

A choked moan of your name slips passed his lips, “Yours.”

“That’s right, My Dove,” you nip lightly at his ear, feeling how he shudders once more in your hold. “You’re mine.”

“All yours,” he whimpers, burying his face into the side of your neck.

Slowly, you bring your one hand between your two bodies, beginning to palm his semi-hard cock over his jeans. The fact that he seems to desperately grind against your hand in time with your movements makes you smirk.

“My Beautiful Dove,” you hum, adding the slightest bit more pressure to your palm as you move over his clothed cock. “Do you have any idea what you mean to me?”

Softly, he shakes his head against the skin of your shoulder.

“No?” The corner of your lips tug upwards in a small grin as you pull away to meet his wide eyes. “Then, I guess I’ll have to show you.”

Your lips are back on his in an instant, pulling him flush against you. Carefully, you begin to lean him back, hovering over him as you lay him down on that table. His hands cling desperately to your back, tilting his head to give you better access to his neck every time you move to bite your marks into his skin. Marks which you know he will wear proudly for as long as he can.

“My Divine,” the whimper that escapes him goes straight to your core, feeling yourself clench around nothing.

“My Beautiful Seonghwa,” you rest your forehead gently against his own. “As if you didn’t know that forging me Andúril would be considered the grandest romantic gesture you could ever make for me.”

His chest is heaving, hips desperately seeking your own. Only, you pin him to that table, retracting your hand from over his cock and eliciting the sweetest of whines from his throat.

“As if you wouldn’t have known that I would immediately have to satisfy My King as a reward for always taking such good care of His Queen.” You continue, reaching out slightly to the side to grasp a particular object in your hand. Once you feel that cool metal of the dagger against your palm, you smirk. “Since My King has shown me nothing but a loving patience and dedication to his craft, I shall show him the same.”

Again, you lean over him, pecking his lips tenderly.

“I wish to take my time savouring you right now, Seonghwa,” you tell him gently. “As long as you’ll let me.”

At the vigorous nod of his head, along with the breathless ‘yes’ that falls from his lips, you have your answer.

You smile, eyes crinkling at the sides as your heart warms.

Slowly, carefully, you bring that dagger up his body. Gently, you tug his shirt forward, the tip of the blade kissing the material. Cautiously, you hook the blade beneath the neckline of his shirt, watching him carefully for any signs of discomfort.

You find none.

The sound of tearing fabric reaches your ears, the dagger getting tossed beside you on that table as you help him sit up once more. His lips are on yours as you strip Seonghwa of his now cut shirt, the planes of his chest on full display. The way he shivers beneath your touch as your hands roam down his bare chest has you smiling into the kiss.

Without wasting another moment, you part from him only to begin trailing your lips down his chest. You take your time, biting and sucking marks into his skin as your hands grip his waist firmly. The fact that Seonghwa arches into your touch, eyes fluttering as he feels your tongue come out to lave over his burning skin says it all.

Another moan of your name slips passed his lips.

“That’s it, My Dove,” you coo, sliding him the slightest bit forward, and back onto the edge of the table. “I want to hear how good I’m making you feel.”

Slowly, you begin to sink to your knees, allowing your fingers to trail over his thighs as you do so.

Seonghwa’s head is spinning, and with each breath, his chest heaves. He can hardly believe that this is happening right now, his hands desperately gripping at the side of his work table for dear life. The image alone of you on top of him like that, and now, with you resting on your knees between his legs, is making his cock ache for your touch once more. He needs you, and he’s sure to tell you that.

The smirk that pulls at your lips is nothing short of devious, “Patience, My Dove. I told you that I wish to take my time with you right now.”

A small whimper escapes him.

“You’re not the only one who wants my lips wrapped around you cock right now, Seonghwa.” Your eyes flash dangerously as you look up at him through your lashes. “Be patient, and I will reward you, My King.”

Seonghwa’s breath hitches in his throat, whole body stilling as your words settle over him. He can feel his cock throbbing, becoming almost painful the longer he goes with you no longer touching him.

The second you begin to undo his belt, his thighs begin to shake.

Soothingly, you rub your hands over his upper thighs, staring up at him with wide eyes. As you meet his gaze, your hands still, finger sinking into the material of his jeans as his lips part with another moan.

“Look at you,” you hum, a soft chuckle escaping your lips. “I’ve barely even done anything to you yet, and you’re ready to fall apart.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t come yet from your touches alone,” he admits lowly, voice a little rough as he clears his throat.

Your eyebrow quirks, “Oh?”

“My Divine, the feeling of your hands on me is one of the greatest sensations I’ve ever felt in my entire life.” He breathes, thighs tensing as you begin to undo the zipper of his jeans. “You already know how little self-control I seem to have around you.”

Slowly, you begin to slide the material of his jeans down his thighs as you chuckle once more. A moment later, you help him step out of them, tossing both his jeans and his boxers off to the side.

“That, I do know,” you smile knowingly. “And yet, you’re being such a good boy for me.”

His cock visibly twitches from your words, and you smirk.

“Oh?” Your brow quirks, a devious look shining behind your eyes as you look up at him. “You like it when I call you My Good Boy, don’t you.”

His grip tightens on the edges of the table, and you wonder at how the wood hasn’t cracked beneath the pressure yet.

“Yes,” he moans, eyes fluttering shut for the briefest of moments. “Fuck- I love it, My Queen.”

The giggle you let out is music to his ears.

You meet his gaze through your lashes once more, “Good boy.”

Again, his cock visibly twitches from your words. You can see how desperately he restrains himself from reaching out to you right now, his hands tense as he grips the table for dear life.

Teasingly, you trail your hands back up his thighs. Only, when you get close to his hips, you stop, dragging them back down and ensuring your nails scratch lightly over his skin.

He shudders.

The whole time you rest before him, Seonghwa keeps his gaze locked on you. Not once does he allow his eyes to fall shut, and he swears to himself that he’ll do whatever he can to engrain this memory in his mind for as long as possible. He’ll be damned if he misses even one second of you pleasing him, for you appear just as eager as he does in this moment.

He wouldn’t want it any other way.

Trailing your hands back up his thighs, you give them both another appreciative squeeze. Then, finally, you lean into him, bringing your lips to the skin of his inner thigh as your one hand wraps delicately around his cock.

The moment your fingers close around him, he moans. His lips remain parted, breaths coming in uneven pants as he feels you gently nipping at the skin of his inner thigh. The way your hand begins to move over him has his whole body twitching beneath your touch.

The closer your lips get to his aching cock, the harder it becomes for him to control himself. Desperately, Seonghwa clings onto whatever shreds of his sanity that he has left, taking in the beautiful sight that is you, on your knees, pleasing him right now.

Just when he thinks you’ll free him from your teasing licks and kisses on his one thigh, you move to the other, repeating the same actions over his skin almost lovingly.

At one particularly firm bite against his thigh, his stomach clenches. He can feel himself twitch in your hand, a low groan escaping him as he leans further back on the table for support.

You chuckle, looking up at him innocently from between his spread legs.

“My King?” 

He hums, almost absentmindedly.

“One more thing,” A devious gleam is shining behind your eyes. One which his blissed out state manages to ignore for the moment.

“Anything, My Queen.” He breathes out, breath hitching in his throat as he sees you lick your lips.

“Hands to yourself until I say so.”

As soon as those words escape you, your lips are around him. Gently, you suckle on the tip, tongue flicking over his slit a few times as you maintain eye contact with him.

A choked moan escapes him, his right hand automatically reaching out to you. Only, he catches himself, fingers twitching in midair right by your head. Slowly, reluctantly, he retracts his hand, gripping onto that table desperately for support.

The chuckle you let out reverberates along his cock, sending pleasant shivers up his spine and causing his stomach to clench. The way your tongue feels, beginning to swirl around his head as you take more of him into your mouth is making his head spin. Never before has Seonghwa been this hard in his life, and the fact that it’s all because of you is only adding to the intensity of the pleasure that he’s currently feeling.

Low, guttural groans escape him as he watches you sink further down on his cock. Languidly, your tongue strokes along his shaft, pleasant hums escaping you as you watch his every reaction carefully. The fact that his whole body trembles, fingers digging into the wood of the table has you chuckling lowly once more.

Slowly, you begin bobbing your head. What you can’t fit into your mouth, you use your one hand to stroke over, squeezing at his base a few times as you hollow your cheeks over him.

Seonghwa nearly collapses right then and there. As much as he tries, he cannot prevent the way his eyes flutter closed, tossing his head back as a moan of your name slips passed his lips.

“Just like that, My Divine,” he smiles, blinking his vision open once more to see the glorious sight that is you, on your knees before him, with his cock in your mouth. A low growl escapes him, eyes flashing black. “Fuck- just like that.”

Desperately, he does whatever he can to keep his hips from bucking further into your mouth. The wet heat of your mouth is overwhelming, nothing but pure pleasure coursing through his veins as he feels you suckling at the tip of his cock once more.

Pulling away from him for just a moment, you let your hand pump over his length a few times. Again, you lick your lips, gaze darting up to meet his own as you move in closer.

Another growl escapes him as he watches you suck one of his balls into your mouth. His whole body shudders as you slowly let it pop back out of your mouth only for you to begin placing wet, open mouthed kisses up along the bottom of his shaft. The way your tongue comes out to trace along the path shortly afterwards has him twitching in your hand.

“Oh, fuck-“ His breath catches in his throat, eyes bleeding black once more. “Again. Please, do that again.”

The way your lips are currently pressed against his cock lets Seonghwa feel every inch of the smile that pulls at your features. To his utmost pleasure, you’re almost instantly repeating your actions, taking even more time to caress your tongue along the underside of his shaft, tracing over a prominent vein.

“My Divine, please-“ he chokes out, every breath escaping him now but a mere whimper on his lips.

You spare a glance upwards and into his eyes as you tighten your hold around the base of his cock.

“I love you, My Seonghwa.”

Your lips are around him as soon as the words finish escaping you, moving over him with a newfound vigour. You barely even begin to lave your tongue over his cock when you feel him twitching within your mouth, the sound of shattering wood greeting your ears.

Whimpers and whines escape him, along with desperate cries of your name as his orgasm washes over him. His body hunches the slightest bit forward, releasing down your throat as you help to ride him through his high.

Every last drop he offers you, you swallow, humming contently around him as you lick him clean.

Your name falls like a mantra from his lips, whole body shaking as he leans against the table for support. Two chunks seem to have been torn from the wood where his hands had been gripping the table so firmly, the shattered remains littering the ground around you.

Slowly, you release him from your mouth, hearing as another guttural groan escapes him as you do so. When you spare a glance up, you notice his chest heaving, his lips parted as he stares down at you with nothing but love and pure, unfiltered awe in his gaze.

Tenderly, your hands come up to stroke over his thighs. “Good?”

“Good?” He smiles, voice deep and rough. A soft chuckle falls from his lips as he runs a hand through his disheveled hair. “I’m great. Never been better, in fact.”

You giggle, standing carefully back to your feet with a little help from him. His one hand comes up to cup the side of your face, kissing you deeply as he flips your positions so that he can push you back against his worktable now.

“Seonghwa,” you giggle against his lips. “What are you doing?”

“Returning the favour,” he growls lowly, pressing you a bit firmer into the wood behind you.

Softly, your fingers begin to thread through the hair at the back of his neck. “Some other time, yeah?”

A whine of protest escapes him, pulling away from you to look into your eyes with round, pleading ones of his own.

“Later. I promise.” You bring your hands around to cup his face tenderly in your palms. “For now, let’s go get something to eat.”

The playful quirk of his brow informs you of what it is, exactly, that he intends to eat.

“Next time.” You say, a little more firmly.

He pouts, but listens nonetheless as he begins to pull his pants back on.

“Come on, Mars.” You smile lovingly at him, grabbing his hand in yours after he’s finished putting on his belt. 

You lick your lips, taking the time to admire him for the nth time this day as he stands before you.

“My Divine, if you keep staring at me like that…” He lets his words trail off, but the darkness you see swirling behind his eyes says it all.

“What?” You chuckle, a playful smirk pulling at your lips. “I said I was hungry.”

[forest-hashira]

Sweet Kiss

hey guys! i'm working on several other fics rn, so i just wanted to write something short & sweet that i could post in between other things, thus this little drabble! i love this series and wanted to do something cute for my princess. also, this is inspired by this post that @/xxsabitoxx made a while back and i thought was really cute (& got permission to use as inspo!). i know i've already done an installment about lip gloss, which is why this is just a little drabble, but i've had this idea bouncing around in my head for a while so i had to finally write it. i hope you guys enjoy! 💜

series masterlist | read on ao3 | wc: 675 | cw: gender neutral reader, transfem gojo, she's excited to try some flavored glosses, kissing

“Do you have a second?”

You looked up from your book when you heard your girlfriend’s voice, and you smiled at her when you saw her standing in the doorway of your bedroom. “���Course I do, princess,” you told her, marking your page and setting the book aside before patting the empty space beside you on the bed. “C’mere.”

Satoru’s expression lit up at your invitation, and she rushed over to join you, nearly tripping over herself in her excitement. She wore neither her blindfold nor her sunglasses, and you could see the way her blue eyes shimmered with anticipation; clearly she had something she wanted to tell you. 

“What’s up, ‘Toru? You’re practically vibrating.” The way your teasing words made a blush crawl across her cheeks and up towards her ears made you smile, and you reached up to cup her cheek in your palm. 

“Got some new things I wanna try,” she admitted bashfully, leaning into your touch. 

You blinked in surprise. “Alright. What do you want to try?” This certainly wasn’t something you’d expected her to say, but you were more than willing to hear her out, especially if it had anything to do with her transition. 

Turning away from you for a second, she dug into her pocket before pulling out four little tubes of lip gloss in various colors. She gazed down at them for a moment as she asked, “Will you help me pick one?”

Even if you had considered denying her – which you definitely hadn’t – you wouldn’t have been able to tell her no when she looked up at you eyes with a gaze so hopeful it made your chest ache. “Yeah, princess, of course. Is this to wear out of the house, or here when it’s just the two of us?” A couple of the glosses she’d pulled from her pocket had much more noticeable tints than the ones you’d bought with her before, so you figured it would probably be something she would just wear at home with you. 

“Just for us,” she confirmed, opening the first tube – a clear gloss with a pearly white shimmer – and applying a little bit to her lips, spreading it around just like you’d taught her. 

“That one looks nice,” you told her with a small smile. “Can I see the next one?” 

“Not yet,” Satoru said with a smile, placing a hand on your hip and tugging you a bit closer. “They’re flavored, so you gotta taste them.” She pulled you into a kiss then, a little more heated than the chaste kisses you usually exchanged during the day. 

Though you were a bit surprised, you certainly didn’t protest, easily returning the kiss while it lasted. You could taste a hint of coconut, which you assumed was from the gloss, and you smiled as you pulled away. 

“Well,” you hummed in consideration, “I like that one, but I want to reserve judgment until I’ve tasted them all. What’s next?”

She repeated the process with the other three glosses, wiping her lips with a tissue in between to make sure the flavors didn’t blend together. The peach toned gloss, unsurprisingly, tasted of peach; the bright pink tasted like bubblegum; and the classic red tasted like cherries. Each kiss left you wanting more, but you managed to behave yourself. 

“So?” Satoru asked eagerly, after helping you taste the cherry gloss. “Which one is your favorite?”

You blinked up at her for a moment before you spoke, trying to figure out how to entice her into kissing you again; you were sure you already had lip gloss all over your mouth, but quite frankly, you didn’t care. “Hmm,” you eventually managed, unable to suppress your grin as you wrapped your arms around her neck and pulled her back into your space. “I’m not sure. I think you need to let me taste them all again.”

She giggled at your words, smiling against your lips as you kissed her again, both of you collapsing into the pillows before she could reapply any gloss.

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divider by cafekitsune

[queenofcats17]

Is it ok if you write a thing about the HS toons interacting with cats (probably Sammy's cats) for the first time?

Oh, yeah! Sure!

Thank you for your patience, by the way!

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

Bendy had literally never been this excited for anything in his entire life. It had taken nearly a year of begging, but finally... Finally! Sammy was going to let them meet his cats. Granted, Sammy was probably still going to be watching them like a hawk the whole time, but the fact that he was even willing to let the toons be in the same room as his precious fur babies was a win in Bendy's book.

He was practically vibrating as he got into the back of Henry's car along with Boris and Alice.

"You seem excited," Henry remarked with a laugh as he got into the car as well.

"Now that's an understatement," Alice snorted, giving Bendy a fondly exasperated smile.

"Don't act like you're not excited too, doll!" Bendy said, gently elbowing Alice in the ribs. "I know you've been looking forward to it!"

"...Maybe a little," Alice conceded, her cheeks going a bit pink.

"I just hope they won't be scared of me." Boris' ears drooped. "Cats aren't supposed to like dogs."

"What? How could they be scared of you?" Bendy gasped in offense. "You're just a big ol' puppy dog!"

"He is quite big," Alice said, looking a bit worried.

"It'll be fine, Bo," Henry assured them as he started the car. "You just need to be patient and let them come to you. If you don't come on too strong, I'm sure they won't be scared of you."

"You think so?" Boris perked up a bit.

"I do," Henry said.

This seemed to lift Boris' spirits enough that he didn't mope for the rest of the ride over.

Bendy returned to vibrating in his seat. He still couldn't believe they'd finally managed to convince Sammy to let them see his cats. This was going to be incredible, he was sure of it.

He began vibrating even more when they pulled up outside of Sammy's house. He was vibrating so much he was actually beginning to levitate.

"Bendy!" Alice put her hands on Bendy's shoulders, forcing him back down into the seat. "Vibrate any more and you'll end up going right through the roof of the car!"

"You might want to reign in the energy a little," Henry said. "Like I told Boris, you need to be calm or you'll scare the cats off."

"I can be calm!" Bendy protested as he scrambled out of the car.

The others gave him varying degrees of incredulous looks.

"I can!" Bendy insisted.

"Alright, alright, I believe you." Henry patted Bendy between his horns. "Now come on."

Together the four of them made their way up to the front door, which was yanked open before they even had time to ring the doorbell, revealing a predictably serious-looking Sammy.

"Hey, Sammy." Henry gave a little wave.

"We're here to see the cats if that's alright," Alice said.

Bendy tried his best to seem calm and collected, although he was definitely still shaking a little.

Sammy regarded the group with clear wariness and suspicion. After a few minutes of scrutinizing them, he finally stepped aside, gesturing for them to come in. It took everything Bendy had not to zoom inside, instead slowly stepping through the door.

Immediately upon stepping inside, he was met with four cats sitting on the couch, staring at him. Upon seeing the group, one of the cats, a rather large black one, immediately scrambled off the couch and darted deeper into the house.

"Aaw..." Boris' ears drooped again. "I knew I'd scare 'em..."

"It wasn't you," Sammy said, closing the door. "Chopin is just skittish."

"So, who are these?" Alice asked, crouching down near the couch. Bendy hovered behind her, trying very hard not to squeal.

The three on the couch seemed wholly uninterested in the group. One of them, a small white one, was even asleep.

Sammy's expression softened as he approached the couch, carefully sitting down beside the white one.

"This one is Hildegard," he said. "She's deaf, but you can hardly tell by how loud she can be."

Almost as if to prove this, he reached down and stroked Hildegard's back. She started a bit at the contact but upon seeing it was Sammy patting her she immediately stood up and began to meow at a volume that none of them had expected from such a small animal.

"Yes, I know," Sammy cooed, scratching under Hildegard's chin. "You have a lot of feelings, don't you?"

"And what about them?" Bendy pointed at the other two.

The other two cats were curled around each other. One was a black cat with patches of brown and orange scattered across its coat, while the other looked to be a regular tabby. They both regarded the group with half-lidded eyes, aware but not worried.

"The brindle is Handel and the tabby is Beethoven," Sammy said, a bit preoccupied with how Hildegard was trying to climb into his arms. "Yes, I know, sweetie. Give me a second."

"Can we pet them?" Boris asked, his voice hushed with awe. He was crouched beside Alice, trying to make himself as small as possible.

"Only if you're gentle," Sammy warned, some of his serious expression returning. His menace was severely undercut by the fact that he was now holding Hildegard like a human baby, something that the little white cat seemed very pleased about, judging by how loud she was purring.

Alice reached a finger out to gently stroke the top of Handel's head. Handel closed his eyes, leaning into the touch and beginning to purr.

"Aaw, he's purring!" Boris whispered.

"I wanna pet him!" Bendy said.

"Don't jostle," Henry gently scolded. "And be gentle."

"Sorry." Bendy crouched down, also offering his finger.

Handel regarded the finger before rubbing his cheek against it, continuing to purr. Bendy stifled a squeal.

With Handel getting a good bit of attention, Beethoven seemed to focus on Boris, getting up and stretching before trotting over to sniff at Boris.

"Bo, you should pet 'em," Bendy whispered.

"Are you sure I'm not gonna scare him?" Boris asked, suddenly worried again.

"You won't," Sammy said. "Just be slow and careful."

Tentatively, Boris stretched out his hand.

"Put your palm up," Sammy advised.

"Oh! Right!" Boris put his palm up.

Like Handel, Beethoven regarded the offered hand for a moment rubbing against it. He was beginning to purr as well. Boris' tail started to wag, which caught both Beethoven's and Handel's attention. Their eyes immediately focused on the moving appendage, their pupils widening as they dropped to the ground.

"What're they doin'?" Bendy asked.

Sammy stifled a snort, shifting Hildegard a bit. "They're hunting his tail."

"They're hunting me?!" Boris looked horrified, his tail sticking straight up in fear.

Beethoven and Handel pounced, latching onto Boris' tail. But they weren't the only ones. From on top of a bookshelf, a black blur descended, almost knocking Boris over. Everyone, save Sammy, yelled in surprise, causing the cats to detach and skitter away with their tails puffed up. All except for the large black cat who was currently on top of Boris' head.

"There's another one?!" Bendy gasped.

"That's Duke," Sammy answered. "He likes to lurk."

Duke let out a deep meow, as if this was completely normal.

With all the cats revealed, the rest of the visit was much calmer. Chopin eventually came out to investigate the group and even allowed a few pets, although he tended to stay a good distance away just to watch.

Hildegard remained in Sammy's arms for the rest of the visit, wholely content to just snuggle there. She even fell asleep again and started snoring.

Bendy was very disappointed when it was finally time to leave, begging Henry and Sammy for just a few more minutes.

"You can come back another time," Henry assured him. "If that's alright with Sammy," he added, glancing at Sammy.

Sammy hesitated, setting Hildegard down on the couch. "Maybe," he said after a moment or two of thought. "I'll... think of when the next best time might be."

"Oh, thank you, Sammy!" All three toons bounded up to hug Sammy, who allowed this for a few seconds before gently removing himself.

"Alright, you're welcome," he said. He looked the tiniest bit proud. "Now get out. It's getting late."

"Come on." Henry ushered the toons toward the door. "We've got to get you three home. Say thank you to Sammy again."

"Thank you, Sammy," the toons chorused as they were led out the door.

"Yeah yeah." Sammy gave a little nod before closing the door behind them.

Bendy couldn't help but yawn a bit as he got into the back seat. They'd been there almost the whole day and it was getting late.

"Tired?" Henry asked.

"Nooo," Bendy tried to insist, but his eyelids were beginning to droop. He was asleep before they were even halfway back to the studio, with Alice and Boris following soon after.

It had been a good day.

[rutellingmeashrimpfriedthisrice]

MCYT Yuri Week Day Four!

Prompt: Genderbend/Transgendered

Ship: Grian/Scar(GoodTimesWithScar) aka Ariana Griande/HotGal(Guy)

Series: Hermitcraft SMP

Word Count: 1,982

@mcyt-yuri-week

Ariana sighed as she adjusted her ponytail, frowning at her manager with a glare. "I can handle myself, I don't need a bodyguard." She said for at least the tenth time since Cleo told her about the arrangement they'd made for her.

"Sure you don't." Cleo shrugged, reading from their clipboard. "That's what you said last time, and you nearly got pulled off stage into the crowd."

"I got them too excited! I know better this time." Ariana huffed, crossing her arms as embarrassment burned her cheeks at the memory.

"Here! I'm here!" A voice called from the doorway as Ariana looked up to see a woman dressed like some sort of comic book character, long hair braided and resting beside a quiver full of sharp-looking arrows.

"HotGal, glad you could join us." Cleo greeted, shaking the woman's scarred hand.

"Glad to be here, I'm HotGal. Big fan, Miss Griande." She said, addressing Cleo then Ariana as the shorter woman felt her cheeks flush for the second time in the past five minutes.

"Nice to meet you." Ariana forced herself to say, shaking her hand as she forced herself to keep her gaze above the other woman's shoulders. Those arms could crush watermelons.

"Well, I guess I'll be in charge of your safety while you're in Hermitopolis! Nice to have you here, by the way." HotGal said, sourly reminding Ariana why she had been unhappy in the first place.

"Right." She muttered, retracting her hand to cross her arms again.

Awkward silence passed before Cleo broke it to pull HotGal aside with details of Ariana's schedule, all while the popstar glared daggers into her bodyguard's muscular back.

This was going to be a long week.

🎤🏹🎤

Ariana panted slightly as she finished running through her practice setlist, mentally reminding herself to correct her timing so she wouldn't step out too early at the show.

Cheers and applause pulled at her attention, scowling as she noticed her bodyguard sitting in the front row watching her with a grin.

"That was amazing! Best two hours of my life." HotGal said earnestly, standing and jumping to pull herself onto the tall stage one handed.

Show off.

"Thanks." Ariana muttered with a shrug, taking a slow sip from her water bottle to avoid speaking to the other woman as long as she could. "I thought you were supposed to be backstage while I'm performing?"

"Wouldn't it be easier to come to your aid if I'm out here in the crowd?" HotGal asked back.

Ariana just frowned, unable to come up with a good response for that line of logic.

HotGal grinned when Ariana said nothing. "Seriously, you were great! I can't wait to see the show for real, I've always wanted to go to one of your concerts."

Ariana flushed and turned her head to the side at the praise. "You'll have to watch the same set twice in show while I'm here, you know." She reminded.

"I know!" HotGal beamed.

"Won't that get boring?" Ariana asked, confused why her bodyguard seemed unfazed. "You have to watch me rehearse twice before each show, and there's two nights of that. You'll see me sing the same songs six times!"

HotGal seemed to vibrate with excitement. "Isn't that amazing? I get to watch my favorite singer perform six whole times!"

Ariana scoffed and sighed, shaking her head. "You're so weird." She said with a faint smile.

"And you're finally smiling around me." HotGal smirked.

Ariana froze, looking up at the taller woman in surprise. The only person she knew professionally who ever bantered with her was Cleo, and even then they'd known each other for years to form that sort of bond.

This was new. This was different.

Ariana kind of enjoyed it, if she were honest with herself.

🏹🎤🏹

Ariana waved to the audience before the spotlight switched off in time for her to step backstage, where she startled upon nearly running into none other than HotGal.

"You were absolutely incredible!" She cheered, holding up a bouquet of crumpled flowers, many of which were missing petals. HotGal must have just taken notice, because she cursed under her breath and rubbed her neck with a shy grin. "I had to push the crowd back a bit before I could get back here." She explained.

Ariana slowly reached out to take the flowers, one eyebrow raised as she kept her eyes locked on the other woman. "Thank you." She said after a beat of hesitation, finally glancing down as she plucked a petal from a poppy idly.

"You look beautiful." HotGal said through the silence. Ariana's eyes went wide as she looked up at the equally surprised-looking woman. "I mean, like, your makeup is so pretty! And your outfit! I love the bow." She said, gesturing vaguely to the comically large pink bow in the popstar's hair.

Ariana reached back with her free hand to brush her fingers against the glittery fabric and smiled nervously. "Oh, thanks. But you should be thanking my makeup team, they're the ones behind the magic." She said with a dismissive wave of her hand as her friends Gem and Mumbo peeked their heads out from the dressing room to wave.

HotGal waved back with a chuckle before shaking her head. "They're definitely talented, but I think you're what makes it look so good." She said, using her hand to gesture Ariana up and down. "You're just, naturally pretty."

"Oh, you're just saying that." Ariana giggled and rolled her eyes. She'd almost forgotten HotGal was just a fan.

"I mean it!" HotGal defended. "I don't have to see you out of makeup to know you'd still look good." She said before clamping a hand over her mouth, as if her brain had just caught up with her words.

Ariana eyed her for a moment, blush slowly creeping onto both of their cheeks before she looked away in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I made things all weird." HotGal chuckled tensely.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm used to it." Ariana shook her head.

HotGal frowned. "Oh, I wasn't-" She paused, shaking her head. "I didn't mean that in like, a fangirl way." She stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I was serious."

Ariana flushed deeper, staring at HotGal with wide eyes. "Oh." She managed.

"Yeah." HotGal responded with the same stunned tone.

Ariana glanced around HotGal to see Cleo trying to wave her over and gratefully took the excuse to leave the conversation, even if it was just as awkward as continuing it.

🎤🏹🎤

Ariana managed to avoid HotGal up until her second and final performance in Hermitopolis, which wasn't an easy feat considering it was literally HotGal's job to be in Ariana's presence at all times.

"Great work out there." HotGal startled the popstar, causing Ariana to nearly choke on her water. She'd just finished her final rehearsal before the show, so she was surprised by how she hadn't seen HotGal coming when she had just been sitting in the front row moments earlier.

"Thanks." Ariana said without looking at her.

"Did I do something?" HotGal asked, the question enough to make Ariana finally look at her fully.

"What? No, of course not." Ariana answered with a shake of her head.

"Then why have you been avoiding me?" HotGal asked, a deep-seated frown on her face, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"I haven't-" Ariana stopped herself. She kind of had avoided the other woman. "Because we don't know each other." She said instead, and somehow the truthful statement made her chest ache.

HotGal staggered back half a step, as if the answer had completely taken her by surprise. "Then, what do you want to know about me?" She asked, staring at the singer is if in challenge.

"W- What?" Ariana blinked in confusion.

"You said we don't know each other, so tell me what you want to know about me." HotGal said, crossing her arms.

Ariana stared in disbelief a moment before responding. "What's your name? Your not-HotGal name." She asked slowly.

"It's Scarlett. Scar for short." She answered without skipping a beat.

Ariana blinked. "Scar." She repeated. "It suits you."

"Thanks. My turn?" Scar asked hopefully.

"Fine. What do you want to know? And I don't have to answer if I don't want to." She clarified.

"Deal." Scar tilted her head for a moment, thinking. "Why singing?" She asked, gesturing to the switched-off microphone still hanging limply in the artist's grip.

Ariana held the mic closer, examining it for a moment. "I don't know, it seemed fun at the time. I'm good at it." She said with a shrug.

"You are pretty good." Scar agreed with a smile.

They traded little facts about each other for the next hour, until Ariana had to start her preparations for the show. She went smiling back to her dressing room, in a better mood than she had been in a long time.

🏹🎤🏹

Ariana listened to the roar of the crowd, chanting her name like a mantra. Some held up signs with her name or face, some held pink or red light sticks, many wore red and pink face paint in her honor.

Ariana! Ariana!

One cheer in particular caught her attention more than others, a name she hadn't heard much since her rise to fame.

"Go Grian!" Scar shouted over the noise from the front row, surrounded by confused fans. Grian caught her gaze and winked, setting the crowd off into another screeching round of cheers and applause.

She thanked the crowd with a wave and turned to leave, crashing into Scar just moments after stepping backstage.

"You were so great!" Scar beamed, hand resting on the shorter woman's lower back to keep her from falling after their initial collision.

"Thanks." Grian chuckled, feeling flustered. She placed her hands lightly on Scar's upper chest, intending to push her away only for the bodyguard to pull her a bit closer. She glanced up to meet her eyes through HotGal's tinted sunglasses, her heart skipping a beat at the closeness of the other woman.

"Hard to believe we'll be leaving town tomorrow." Scar said softly.

"Yeah…" Grian mumbled, a hint of sadness in her voice she couldn't cover. Then, she blinked. "Wait, we?" She asked, brows pinching in confusion.

"Yup! Cleo helped me finalize the paperwork before the show. I'm coming with you! Surprise!" Scar grinned.

Grian stared up at Scar in surprise before a grin slowly took over her face as she rushed into the taller woman, throwing her arms around Scar's neck to hug her tightly.

Scar hugged back, chuckling as she picked Grian up with ease to twirl, ignoring the squawk of surprise from the popstar in her arms.

Grian looked down at her bodyguard before Scar tilted her head up to give her a chaste kiss.

Scar tensed, eyes wide as her grip tightened reflexively. "I'm sorry, I- I didn't mean- That was-" She stuttered.

Grian smiled fondly. "Scar?" She interrupted. She waited for Scar to stop talking before craning her neck down to capture the other woman's lips in a lasting, light kiss.

When they separated, they stared at each other for a bit before bursting out into a fit of giggles, cheeks flushed and all smiles.

"Cleo is going to murder us." Grian snickered.

"Us? It'll be me they kill over this." Scar corrected through laughter.

"What is this, exactly?" Grian wondered, still smiling even as nerves crept in.

Scar's laughter quieted, staring at Grian as if lost in thought before she shrugged slightly. "Whatever you want it to be. Public girlfriends, private girlfriends, boss who kisses her employee sometimes, I'm okay with anything if it means we can keep doing this." She responded, the earnest truthfulness of it sending Grian into another fit of giggles.

Grian grinned. "Girlfriends. I like the sound of that." She admitted.

"Me too." Scar agreed, kissing her again.

[aretemisapollo]

Happy New Year:

"So what exactly are we waiting for?" Asked Azrael. "For the thing to do the thing" Thana said as if this explanation made perfect sense, she was practically vibrating with excitement as she held Azreal's hand in the crowd of people. "O... kay?" Azrael said, looking perplexed, "that tells me next to nothing" she gave a small, exasperated smile, Thana laughed. This was part of the fun of being on adventures with Thana- you never knew what was going to happen until it did. The crowd around them was barely even large enough to be considered a crowd, it was a small town, meaning the only people who showed up were residents, so there was stiil room to actually feel comfortable and not crammed together like in some bigger cities and towns. It wasn't a particularly cold night, just enough to make people don their coats, just enough to see faint white puffs of breath form in the air. in front of them was something resembling a flagpole, but strung up top was a small circular object that glinted and glittered in the lamplight, casting little rainbows over the surrounding area. Azrael was fairly certain that this was the 'thing' that was going to do the other 'thing' "it's something they do every year, it's called the ball drop" Thana began excitedly, "they do it celebrate the New Year." Azrael blinked, the new year, a chance for a new start. After the year they'd been through they could absolutely use a new start. "When do they-" Azrael was cut off by the sudden chorus of voices chanting "ten, nine, eight," and she and Thana joined in "four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!" Everyone cheered. Thana gave Azrael a soft kiss "Happy New Year Azzy" she murmured. "Happy New Year." Azrael said beaming. This would be a good year, she was sure of it.

This is a little short with characters from a book I'm working on, but this scene isn't in it, this is it's own separate thing. It takes place before the Apple Scent short. Please be kind, I'm still new to this

[loonymarshian]

Private Lessons, Pt. 1

Day 6 of #BG3FicFeb - "Teaching each other how to do something" Tragedy asks Astarion for help with her mending again, but this time, he's not doing it for free This one has turned out to be pretty long, and I'm still working on the second part, but I figured there was no harm in sharing the first part before I head to bed!

Tragedy’s dress needed mending again. It had only been two days since the last time she’d attempted to mend her clothing, with horrendous results. This time, the necromancer had no intentions of trying to mend the garment by herself. She volunteered herself for first watch, and when everyone else had fallen asleep, she made her way to Astarion’s tent to ask for help.

“Astarion?” Tragedy called in a low whisper as she pushed the fabric of the rogue’s tent aside. Unsurprisingly, he was still awake, reading a book by soft candlelight. Being an elf, he only needed four hours of meditation to be fully rested, so he was often up late. The only reason he wasn’t keeping watch right now was because Tragedy had volunteered.

The elf’s eyebrows raised in query as the tiefling entered his tent, lifting his gaze from his book to meet her eyes. Tragedy’s fingers wound around each other nervously, and she averted her gaze as she asked her question.

“Um… My dress was torn again at the village today. Could you… teach me how to mend it?” Her eyes flicked back to Astarion’s face as she finished speaking, hopeful.

A little smirk had fixed itself upon the elf’s features as he put his book aside and stood up, stretching. He seemed to have been expecting this. “Sure, why not? But I won’t do it for free this time.”

Tragedy started, not having anticipated him asking for anything in return after the last time he’d helped her. She kicked herself mentally for that though. She’d been shocked by his kindness that first time, she should have expected that it wouldn’t be a regular occurrence. Her cheeks went red as she chided herself, embarrassed by her own naivete.

Amusement sparkled in Astarion’s eyes at her redness. “Ah, but what to ask for, hmm? Gold would be pointless out in this wilderness. And you don’t have any magical items that would be of much use to me.” Astarion tapped his finger on his chin, an exaggerated thoughtful expression on his face. “Oh, I know.”

Tragedy swallowed, nervous. They’d been travelling together for a few days now, but she still had no idea what went on in Astarion’s mind. He could be about to ask for anything.

The elf leaned in to Tragedy’s ear, and her blush deepened, her heart racing at his closeness. “How about you teach me some magic?” 

That had been just about the last thing Tragedy had expected. She pulled away so she could look Astarion in the eyes, her own eyes sparkling with wary excitement at the prospect.

Astarion continued in his usual playful tone, clarifying his request. “I’ll bet you have some fun spells I could find useful, and better to learn from you than… Gale.” He punctuated the final word with a dismissive wave in the direction of Gale’s tent.

Oh, Tragedy definitely had some spells for him. The necromancer was practically vibrating with excitement as she made a mental list of spells and cantrips the rogue might find useful. Minor Illusion would allow him to create better distractions, making it easier for him to sneak about. Charm Person would aid him in talking his way out if he ever got caught. She could even teach him Shield, one of her personal favourite spells, which made it much more difficult for enemies to land a hit on her. Between Astarion’s agility and the Shield spell, he’d be practically untouchable. Oh, and Mage Hand! Mage Hand would be perfect for a rogue - she’d heard of a trick to make it invisible, but she didn’t tend to utilise that particular cantrip so she’d never had a chance to try it herself.

Tragedy was snapped back to reality when she felt Astarion’s hands come to rest on her shoulders. She could feel the low vibrations of his chuckle through his arms as he amused himself with her excitement.

“Alright little wizard, calm down. Seems I’ll be in good hands. But first things first - let’s get that dress of yours fixed, hmm?”

That was all it took for Tragedy to deflate. In all her brainstorming she’d forgotten her initial reason for coming to Astarion’s tent so late at night - sewing lessons. Embarrassed once more, the tiefling nodded at her elven companion, and returned to her bedroll by the fire where her torn dress lay waiting. She plopped herself down cross-legged, and gathered the damaged garment into her lap. A few moments later, Astarion appeared beside her, a worn velvet pouch in hand. Contained within were a small pair of scissors, half a dozen spools of thread in different colours, a little metal box, and two tiny cups made of hammered steel that Tragedy recognised to be thimbles. As the necromancer watched on, Astarion extracted the scissors, the box, the spool of black thread, and one of the thimbles, placing them carefully on the bedroll between them. He then opened the little box to reveal three sewing needles, and added one to his little pile of supplies before returning the box to the pouch and putting it aside.

“You already know how to thread the needle, yes?” Astarion’s voice wasn’t exactly gentle, imbued with his usual sass, but it didn’t have the same edge of impatience that Tragedy had come to expect from the rogue.

Eager to get this over with, (and not embarrass herself in front of Astarion), Tragedy nodded, cutting a length of thread from the spool and carefully threading it through the eye of the needle. When she was done, she looked up at Astarion to get her next instruction, and found his eyes already trained on her face. She quickly returned her eyes to the needle in her hand, the heat on her face spreading to the tips of her pointed ears.

Astarion seemed unphased by Tragedy’s reaction, and continued his instruction. “Now, unfortunately, for the most part sewing is one of those skills that only really improves with practice. For simple mending, there’s not much I can teach you beyond ‘always wear a thimble.’” 

To emphasise his point, the elf picked up the thimble from Tragedy’s bedroll and took her left hand, placing the thimble on her middle finger. “This will make sure you don’t stab yourself a dozen times like you did the other night.”

“Hey, it was only ten times!” Tragedy exclaimed, mildly offended. She should have expected Astarion wouldn’t be a gentle teacher, but despite his ribbing she couldn’t help but feel appreciative that he was still helping her, despite his usual disposition.

The elf shifted closer to Tragedy then, his shoulder pressing against hers as he held out his hand for the needle. The necromancer obliged, placing the needle and thread in his waiting palm. She ignored the thoughts that flooded her mind saying that she could get used to being this close to Astarion, and tried to pay attention to his lesson.

Needle in hand, Astarion lifted the dress from Tragedy’s lap and located the tear in the sleeve. “For mending tears like this, you’ll usually want to use a simple whip stitch.” As he spoke, Astarion demonstrated the stitch, poking the needle through both sides of the tear and pulling through, then plunging the needle in again from the same side he began on, creating small diagonal lines of thread that joined the previously separated sections of fabric.

Tragedy watched in silence as his nimble hands worked, confronted with the juxtaposition between how delicately he handled the needle and thread, and the brutality those same hands were capable of on the battlefield. It was reassuring, knowing there was more to Astarion than the flirtatious sass and violence.

“Here, your turn.” Astarion handed the mending project back to Tragedy, the tear half-closed already by Astarion’s neat whip stitch. The tiefling doubted she would be able to keep her stitches as small and evenly spaced as his, but she was going to try her best.

Thimble still secure on her finger, Tragedy got to work finishing what Astarion had started. As she worked, she was acutely aware of the elf’s shoulder, still touching her own as he kept a watchful eye over the fabric in her hands. With the aid of the thimble, Tragedy was able to sew the rest of the tear closed without stabbing herself even once. Her stitches were definitely not as nice as Astarion’s - they were larger, and unevenly spaced, but they were functional, and she hadn’t injured herself, so that was a win in her book. She stabbed the needle through the fabric one last time so that the remaining length of thread was on the inside of the garment, tied a small knot, and used the tiny scissors to cut off the excess thread.

“Well done.” Astarion’s voice cut through the comfortable silence that had formed as Tragedy worked. “You’re a fast learner. Let me know if you ever pop a seam, maybe I’ll teach you a new stitch to deal with those.” 

Satisfied that his lesson had been a success, the elf gathered his supplies back into the velvet pouch and stood up from the bedroll where they’d been sitting for a good half-hour. Tragedy scrambled to stand as well before he left again.

“Thank you, Astarion. Seriously. I really appreciate this.”

Astarion waved off the thanks with a flippant laugh. “Oh please, this wasn’t free, remember. You’d best get planning, Miss Quron. I’ll be expecting a magic lesson tomorrow night.”

With that, the pale elf disappeared back into his tent, and Tragedy was left to complete her part of the watch alone, her mind swimming with ideas for what she could teach Astarion the next day.

[crowdvscritic]

round up // AUGUST 23

Well, it’s been a month. In August, I…

Quit a job

Started a new job

Went to the emergency room for two unplanned surgeries to remove my gallbladder

Celebrated a birthday

Yeesh, I’m exhausted just thinking about it, though not nearly as exhausted as I was just after surgery. My recovery has been steady, but it’s also been slow, which means little victories have included eating solid food and going a full day without napping. With that energy level, you can bet how I spent my short waking hours: watching a lot of movies! (I also read two books—I had some time!) My viewing in the two weeks at the hospital and recovering at home was a combo of Turner Classic Movies’ annual Summer Under the Stars celebration (with 24 hours of programming dedicated to classic movie stars like Stella Stevens, Jackie Cooper, and Greer Garson) and of comfort food faves (including ‘90s action flicks, ’00s rom-coms, and…Mary Kate and Ashley movies). You can see everything I watched in those two weeks on Letterboxd because between the sleepiness and pain meds, I needed a way to remember what was going on. I’m not sure what it says about me, but the idea of staying overnight in the hospital for the first time became a lot easier once I realized their cable packaged included TCM…

It’s also been four years. Yes, August marks both my birthday and the birthday of these Round Ups. In the last four years, I’ve rounded up…

6 stage shows

10 museums

14 concerts and events

15 series of Saturday Night Live sketches

20 podcasts

21 books

46 musical selections

49 TV shows

52 collections of articles, social media fun, and new movie trailers

421 movies 

Yes, I’m excited just thinking about all those Crowd and Critic selections, though my pace going forward will slow some. Going through so many life events in just a few weeks makes you take stock of how you’re spending your time and energy, and my motto is becoming, “If it ain’t easy, it better be worth it.” If I hate cooking, why do I make myself do it every week? And if writing a Round Up with 20 picks is challenging to squeeze in every month, then it’s time to make adjustments. Author Ingrid Fetell Lee summarized this philosophy well (and provided some practical suggestions) in her blog post “12 Ways to Be Gentle With Yourself” this month. In that spirit, Round Ups are becoming more exclusive as two Top Fives. Keep reading to see which movies, concert, book, album, and articles earned coveted this month's coveted spots...

August Crowd-Pleasers

1. Meg 2: The Trench (2023)

I could summarize the plot of this big dumb shark movie, but Bill Hader said it best on SNL: 

Since the trailer surprisingly didn’t give most of the best moments away, I’ll remain coy and just say I spent a lot of Jason Statham’s newest charisma-fest laughing out loud. Crowd: 9/10 // Critic: 6.5/10

2. Jonas Brothers: The Tour

68 songs! 5 albums! 1 night! As I have recommended Jonas content no fewer than four times in the last 4 years of these Round Ups, you should not be surprised to see this here. Like in 2019, I turned into an embarrassing fangirl freak at this show, singing along with every single song (though finding I really need to beef up on few Happiness Begins tracks) and shaking my sister with excitement every 15 minutes. (I think she was vibrating at the same energy? It's also possible she's just learned it's better to smile and nod when I'm like this.) The boys’ showmanship and knack for shelling out bops do not disappoint.

3. Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (2023)

A jaded comedy writer (basically Tina Fey) for a late night sketch show (basically Saturday Night Live) discovers a spark with a singer-songwriter rock star hosting an episode (basically John Mayer). So yes…this is an extreme overlap of my interests. Like SNL, this novel does at times lean into saucier and cruder content than I prefer, but the descriptions of the TV show’s behind-the-scenes process and of the relationship between a celebrity and a normie felt so authentic I had to Google Sittenfeld to see if these were based on her own experiences. The best part? A third of the book is a series of email exchanges in the style of You’ve Got Mail. Again, I told you it’s an extreme Venn diagram of my interests!

4. You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah (2023) 

I mostly avoided Adam Sandler until 2020—somehow I’d only seen Happy Gilmore and Bedtime Stories before the pandemic. But since May of that year, I’ve watched 17 of them, and it’s time I finally just admit I’m an unironic fan of his, and now of his daughters, too! Bat Mitzvah is the update to Sixteen Candles we didn’t know we needed, and one of its pleasant surprises is Sandler is happy to stand back and watch his daughters shine (as Taylor Swift would say). His supporting role is the perfect choice for a comedy designed to launch his daughters’ Sunny and Sadie’s careers as leads, and Alison Peck’s sincere, funny script describes the pre-teen girl experience honestly. While there’s plenty of overlap with Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., it’s not a rehash, which makes the pair a perfect double feature. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 7/10

5. The Rocketeer (1991)

This action-adventure lives in the world we only imagine 1940s Hollywood to be, one where you could date an Errol Flynn-esque movie star (Timothy Dalton) after he notices you on set, one where you could accidentally find a rocket designed by Howard Hughes, and one where Bonnie and Clyde-style drive-by shoot-outs are everyday occurrences. With Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, and a dash of the spirit of Indiana Jones, my only regret is I didn’t watch this years ago. Crowd: 10/10 // Critic: 8/10

More August Crowd-Pleasers: Elvis goes gaga in Hawaii for Girls! Girls! Girls! (1962), a musical comedy both corny and winning; Arnold Schwarzenegger goes ham on militants who kidnap his daughter in Commando (1985), an action flick both corny and thrilling; Michael J. Fox is a former child star who discovers a future child star in the comedy Life With Mikey (1993), the kind of family movie we don’t get enough of today; Sally Hawkins tells the true story of an amateur historian who discovered the remains of The Lost King (2022) Richard III in a drama with a fantastical twist; Paramount+ continues to abuse my nostalgia, but I continue to let them because Carly and Freddie are finally together in the third (and best) season of the iCarly reboot; like every Muny production, Sister Act was a blast on stage

August Critic Picks

1. Carole-thon!

Fun fact: Every Carole Lombard movie I’ve watched since starting this Round Up has become a monthly recommendation—why stop now? Lombard was TCM’s star of the day on August 18th, and it only took one viewing to realize I wanted to marathon everything on my DVR. Most of these titles are short and sweet screwball rom-coms, which means you can knock out quite a few of these in just an afternoon:

No Man of Her Own (1932) - Lombard falls for a con man (real-life future husband Clark Gable)—could she be the one to set him straight?

The Gay Bride (1934) - Lombard marries a gangster for his money, but her true love might be his second-in-command

Lady by Choice (1934) - Burlesque dancer Lombard “adopts” a mother for some positive PR, but she ends up getting more than she bargained for

Hands Across the Table (1935) - Lombard is a manicurist seeking a rich husband, but Manic Pixie Dream Boy Fred MacMurray throws a wrench in that plan 

The Princess Comes Across (1936) - Lombard is a con woman pretending to be a princess on an ocean liner, but her plans get tangled with another person's secrets (MacMurray)

True Confession (1937) - Lombard is a compulsive liar married to a compulsive truth-telling lawyer (MacMurray again) defending her for a murder she didn’t commit

Swing High, Swing Low (1937) - Lombard and MacMurry (for the last time) are musicians caught in a romantic, bi-continental melodrama

Fools for Scandal (1938) - The cutest little rom-com about a hotheaded American actress falling in love with an affable European fellow this side of Notting Hill!

In Name Only (1939) - Lombard and Cary Grant fight for their relationship even though his bitter wife won’t allow for a divorce

2. Executive Suite (1954)

1950s Glengarry Glen Ross! William Holden, Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon, and Shelley Winters vie for the seat at the head of the executive table when the president suddenly dies, and together they create a summum bonum of character dramas. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

3. No Secrets by Carly Simon (1972)

I know I’m the actual last person on Earth to realize the greatness of this album from a career that, among many accomplishments, paved the way for songwriters like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. “You’re So Vain” is a banger with no less bite than 50 years ago, and the record is filled with gems start-to-finish.

4. Edge of Darkness (1943)

TCM’s August 5th star Errol Flynn and their August 28th star Ann Sheridan are fighting for their small fishing village, their families, and their love against brutal Nazi occupiers. I couldn't find comprehensive resources to clarify how much of this action-thriller is historically accurate (the novel it’s based on doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page!), but this gritty story of Norwegian resistance captures a similar spirit to some of the best World War II films, equal parts Indiana Jones and Casablanca. Crowd: 8.5/10 // Critic: 9/10

5. Good Reads

#BillionGirlSummer: 

"It's #BillionGirlSummer: Taylor, Beyoncé and Barbie Made for One Epic Trifecta,” NPR.com (2023)

“Talking With ‘Swiftie Dads’ at a Taylor Swift Concert,” GQ.com (2023)

“Nearly 1 Out of 4 of ‘Barbie’ Viewers Hadn’t Gone to the Movies Since COVID,” IndieWire.com (2023)

Hollywood appears to be meeting a long-overdue reckoning: 

“The Binge Purge,” vulture.com (2023)

"Anonymous Strike Diary: ‘Our Souls Were Cracking … but Then the AMPTP F***ed Up,’” HollywoodReporter.com (2023)

“Orange Is the New Black Signalled the Rot Inside the Streaming Economy,” NewYorker.com (2023)

“Mandy Moore Says She Once Got a Check for a Penny for This Is Us Streaming Residuals,” HollywoodReporter.com (2023)

“David Zaslav, Hollywood Antihero,” NewYorker.com (2023)

Film history and criticism: 

“The 100 Best Movies of the Past 10 Decades,” TIME.com (2023)

“The Fate of the Critic in the Clickbait Age,” NewYorker.com (2017)

“The Instrumentalist,” NYBooks.com (2022)

“The Bradley Cooper “Jewface” Controversy Isn’t Really About That Nose,” slate.com (2023)

And a grab bag of worthwhile thoughts, interviews, and news: 

“Reese Witherspoon Is Starting a New Chapter,” HarpersBazaar.com (2023)

“To Help Cool a Hot Planet, the Whitest of White Coats,” NYTimes.com (2023)

“Beyoncé, Tumblr, and ‘Harlem Shake’: Revisiting Pop’s Most Pivotal Year,” TheDailyBeast.com (2023)

“Elon Musk’s Shadow Rule,” NewYorker.com (2023)

“Why You Rarely Believe Celebrity Apologies on Social Media,” BBC.com (2023)

More August Critic Picks: The kid-and-his-dog dramedy about one of the goodest doggos who ever did live, Tough Guy (1936), hits you right in the heart; Errol Flynn thrills again in a search for sunken treasure that might claim his soul in Mara Maru (1952)

Also in August…

The world’s slowest Best Picture Project continues with 1942’s Mrs. Miniver, a genuinely moving piece of war propaganda. Read my Crowd and Critic reviews.

Until September wraps, you can follow what I’m watching creating lists for on Letterboxd. In August, I updated my rankings of 2023 product movie rankings and Christopher Nolan films by Dead Wife Energy, and I also found some weird overlaps between the August releases Blue Beetle and Meg 2 (warning: spoilers!).

Photo credits: Jonas Brothers, Romantic Comedy, Carly Simon, Good Reads. All others IMDb.com.

[karezzasstuff]

From the project of interviewing Stanley S. Bass about his experiences with Karezza techniques, The Life Science Publishing created the 2008 book Energy-Karezza. Here Dr. Bass tells the story of how, in his 30’s, he was on his way to become a celibate yogi through Brahmacharya, when he learned about reaching the same spiritual goal via Karezza & Tantra. He decided to try Karezza instead.

Even though his personal goal was spiritual, Dr. Bass soon discovered that women loved Karezza, and couldn’t get enough. When he started teaching the improved Energy-Karezza method to couples with marital problems, the results were astounding. Usually, within weeks, the couple had fallen in love again. Problematic marriages healed, becoming more and more harmonious and stronger with time.

Over time, over 50+ years, he not only gained experience concerning every aspect of Karezza/Tantra, but also – thanks to his energy-understanding, being an orthopathic doctor – developed an improved, more powerful & easy-to-learn, version. Traditional “Karezza/Tantra” can be difficult for men, but “Energy-Karezza/Tantra” is easy, and also gives more pleasure & prolongation..

INTRODUCING OTHERS TO KAREZZA

Karezza is about one thing, the man has to control himself. It is so easy. I got so good at this control that I soon was able to go almost a whole year with no accidents. With very heavy sex - three times a week, four hours each session. It didn't take long to get to a high level of proficiency.

In a few months I was very good at it already.

It is very simple, it is natural. It is not difficult. Prove it for yourself, don't take my word for it. Try it out. The first time I heard about it, it was strange to me, so I tried it. It didn't take me long to get good at it. It was easier than I thought. In fact, I taught Karezza to a lot of friends, and everyone had success.

If one of them asked me, "how do I know if it will work?", I gave him a simple method of trying it. I usually said, "why don't you first try:

1. Don't have an orgasm quickly, but wait until the woman is finished, until she has had her enjoyment. Practice holding back for half an hour, for an hour, for several hours, if you can.

2. Then you'll see that your own orgasms are better; they are more enjoyable.

3. Also try having an orgasm only every other time you have sex.

Skipping one time. Every other time, try without orgasm. See how you feel."

With my sex students, those were my instructions, to begin with. These instructions summarize basic traditional Karezza. But these simple instructions could still be difficult for some men. They lost control (ejaculated) early, and were never able to do Karezza for a full hour.

Therefore, to make it easier, I gave my students some Energy-Karezza secrets. I asked them to improve their diet, and to avoid alcohol and all drugs. I told them not to eat before sex, because a man can not control himself after he has eaten. Why? Because then too much blood goes to the stomach.

Also, I gave very detailed instructions on the best movements in sex. I told them to move slowly, and explained how to move, so they wouldn't get too excited, e.g. sideways, in semicircles, avoiding the in-out moves.

For the premature ejaculators, I told them to give up salt, and to not use anything spicy hot, avoid hot peppers, stay away from spices, because this throws them out of control. And then I told them to use certain motions, slow motions, that makes it easy to control oneself. That's all.

Then the women will get the pleasure, because the men are controlling themselves.

For some men the pleasure was so overwhelming that they were still unable to control themselves very long, more than perhaps 45 minutes, even if their diet was good and they had high vitality. In these cases I think the solution is just doing it over and over. Sometimes men, just like women, may need saturation with lots of high-pleasure peak orgasms, before they can start with serious self-control and higher-pleasure valley orgasms. It may take months, but in the end they will get there.

I myself was never overly concerned with the clitoris or the G-spot, because the Karezza was so enjoyable and I was so good at it that a woman couldn't hold out long. If they wanted to have an orgasm, they could have it quick. Women enjoyed it.

The women were very happy. After beginning Karezza, it became unnecessary to calculate all this stuff. I never had to actually figure it out.

All I did was to function naturally, the way I felt like, without thinking about it. And it was right, for every woman. If one gets too mechanical about it, one becomes a dud. Then it is not real. Real sex has nothing to do with the brain, it has to do with feelings, true feelings and movement.

That's all. The brain is not needed.

From page 45 the Technique to Paradise.

🍎🐍🏖️

YAB YUM

What are you experiencing?

~ by yab yum

Be patient. At first you can't experience the orgasmic part of this process. Some get it on their first try and for some it can take years. Keep practicing with the exercise your teacher gives you. Even if you don't experience the orgasm, just the breath and energy circling alone is of great value. It will clear blocks so that eventually the orgasm can pass through you. Blocks can be experienced in many ways – crying, gagging, getting frustrated, resurfacing old memories. Just keep breathing. Visualize letting go of the "old" on the exhale, ringing out the "new" on the inhale. Energy levels will most likely rise and fall, like mercury in a thermometer. Tell your partner where it slipped. Your partner will encourage you to tap into your sexual center when energy is slipping. One of the main keys to learning this technique is KNOWING that it is possible.

(When asked if she had an orgasm, Sara responded 🙂

It was uninterrupted, uninterrupted… This was definitely something else, which I have never experienced so fully.

(Sara was then asked if there were any psychological changes.)

Oh yes, sure. From the point of view of spiritual practice it is always full of insight, a kind of insight that comes after, about how I am in ecstasy in my usual state, because it is obvious that the ecstasy is inherent in the body (level), of my being… and also of course this would affect my meditation. I am much more relaxed and receptive physically, emotionally and psychologically when I sit down to meditate…. I don't know what this has to do with anything, but meditation becomes very sexual, very physical, playing with all these hormones. Very often in my meditation there is a stage like deepening where it goes through something like lovemaking in a hormonal sense. I feel the heat and change of energy and so forth, and then it just cools down. That is when deep meditation begins.

It is absolutely blissful in ecstasy because the bliss is something I feel in the body. The ecstasy is something where the body is no longer. Energy goes up. His community. It is love. The transcendent, the energy feeling, transcends even the light that I'm talking about in meditation, and just went into the light.

One tree merges with another tree, the earth merges with the trees, the trees merge with the sky, the sky merges with the unknown...you merge with me, I merge with you...everything merges...differences lost, melting and merging as waves into other waves…an enormous unity vibrating, alive, without limits, without definitions, without distinction…the sage melting into the sinner, the sinner flowing together in the sage…becoming good becoming bad, becoming bad…the night turning into the day, day turning into night… life melts into death, death plunges into life again – then everything has become one.

This has changed my experience with sexuality forever… It has blown up things like this what you have about sex, the good feeling you get from sexual experience or trying to get. It broke that because it was so obviously about submission. It wasn't about me trying to do something. It was about not doing something, but rather receiving or allowing it, rather than doing and creating and making.

This is the most profound healing practice I have ever encountered. It has awakened me to realize that my body is often shut off from the bliss and ecstasy it might be experiencing. Through this practice I have come to learn that emotional pain occurs when orgasmic energy does not flow freely through my body and that there is an infinite flow of orgasmic energy available to me. It has taken me years to gradually release the tension and pain in my body and I still have areas of tension to unblock. The sensations can be different each time depending on my condition, sometimes there is a pulsating vibration and sometimes it feels like some kind of electrical current circulating through my genitals throughout my body. There may be tears of joy. My mind can be perfectly clear and it can seem like everything I feared has been resolved. When a certain area of ​​tension is unblocked and the orgasmic energy circulates, there is always an amazing sense of oneness with the life being awakened.

Mel 40 Auckland

My teacher knew how to touch – and where to make contact – He knew places to touch that I didn't know about – and soon I was on my way to another place in another universe. I was in a trance of breathing and sweat and pleasure that so long and so dead do had gone – that I traveled through light and sound. I never knew that such an experience could be had without actually making love. When I finally climaxed and climaxed and climaxed, I couldn't believe I was having a sexual climax in the presence of someone other than my husband. I felt both excitement and a little embarrassment. Looking back at this moment, I would never have thought that having an orgasm for another man would actually be the "beginning" of this whole journey in Tantra

Emma S 35

Auckland

And this is the joy of Cosmic Spiritual Orgasm, because you disappear for a moment. That moment is very small, but its impact is immense. For a moment you are no longer the ego, you do not think in terms of 'I', for a moment you dissolve into the oneness of the all, you become one with the whole, you pulsate with the whole. You are no longer an individual… you are no longer limited to your body. You have no limitations, for a moment you are unlimited, infinite.

That is the meaning of Cosmic Spiritual Orgasm – that your frozen energy melts, becoming one with this universe, with the trees and the stars, and the woman and the man, and the rocks – for a single moment, of course. But in THAT moment you have a kind of consciousness that is religious, that is sacred, that is one with all things. – OSHO

Unbelievable! Some are very strong and some are wonderfully subtle. In general, the more time you spend building up the energy, the more powerful the sensations. You experience “electricity” throughout your body, hands, feet and lips tingle, and there is a sense of letting go and receiving at the same time. You will feel high, euphoric and light-headed. It feels very different from a clitoral orgasm (but it can happen at the same time as a clitoral orgasm). You see a seed sprout, flowers appear on a tree somewhere, the birds are singing – the whole phenomenon is sexual. It is life manifesting in many ways. When the bird sings, it is a sexual call, an invitation. When the flower attracts butterflies and bees, it is an invitation, because the bees and butterflies bear the seeds of reproduction. Everything seems to be divided into these two polarities. And life is a rhythm between these two opposites. Repulsion and attraction, coming closer and getting far… these are the rhythms.

Z

[bumblesimagines]

Still A Costa

Request: Yes or No

I haven't seen a single fic for this series on Tumblr. For anyone curious, since Bayardo (Ramon's actor) is 37 I'm gonna make Ramon 37 which means when (Y/N) was born, he was around 19.

~

'Yesterday night, Cassie Shore, a student at the prestigious Archer School Of Ballet, fell four stories down from the roof of the school. Miss Shore, who was an exceptional dancer and beloved by her fellow peers, is currently in the hospital in a deep coma. The director, Monique Dubois, has stated the following-'

"What a load of bullshit." (Y/N) muttered, shutting his phone off as he leaned back in his seat. Cassie Shore was hated by everyone. Nobody there truly loved her. They all hoped she'd break an ankle. (Y/N) felt the bus stop and grabbed his bag, standing up. He exited the bus, letting out a deep sigh. He never expected to be back in Chicago but his brother wanted him there. (Y/N) was much happier in Madrid. The mere thought of bumping into any of his old acquaintances gave him a headache. Unlike his brother, (Y/N) wasn't as wellknown. He was only eighteen yet he already had a job as a photographer. (Y/N) felt his phone vibrate in his hand, looking at the contact.

Mona

"Fuck off already." (Y/N) huffed lightly, rolling his eyes. He answered the call, walking forward as he pressed the phone to his ear.

"This is the twenty-fifth time you've called me this week and it's only Tuesday. What do you want?" (Y/N) asked, getting a taxi. Monique hummed. (Y/N) watched a car pull over.

"Is that any way to speak to an adult? Especially someone who practically raised you?"

"Ramon raised me. You were just his pedo girlfriend." (Y/N) said, putting his bag in the car and getting in. He moved the phone away from his face, quietly giving the driver the address.

"How's Madrid? I heard your brother ditched Paris and is back in Chicago. When are you gonna come back?" Monique asked gently. (Y/N) scoffed, leaning back in the seat. He turned his head slightly, watching the buildings pass by.

"Face it, Mona. You only call when you want something. What is it?" (Y/N) asked.

"I see Ramon taught you nothing but attitude. Fine. I was hoping you'd be able to convince your brother to choreograph for me. I see what he's done for Delia. He should do something for the school as well." Monique responded, the fake sweetness in her voice dropping. (Y/N) let out a small chuckle, shaking his head lightly.

"He'd never do it. Not even if I asked. Plus, he knows I don't care about ballet. He'd know you begged me to ask."

"I'm not begging-"

"You are." (Y/N) cut off, toying with the strings of his hoodie. "And even if I agreed, you'd have to give me something in return."

"You wouldn't do it as a favor to an old friend?" Monique asked.

"No. I don't have friends. Just people I know." (Y/N) replied.

"Was Cassie not a friend? You've probably heard about what happened to her by now. Are you not gonna visit?"

"Cassie and I are history. I have no business visiting her or trying to make amends. She's half dead, isn't she? I don't bother dead people." (Y/N) answered, annoyance in his voice as he got his wallet out and gave the driver some money. He got out of the car, closing the door and watching the car drive off. His gaze settled on Ramon's house, eyeing the front door.

"Always dramatic." He approached the house, opening and closing the door. He glanced around, sighing. He headed up to his old room, entering and finding it just the same as he had left it. Ramon was still young when (Y/N) was born and thrusted into his life. Ramon held resentment towards him during the first few years since his parents up and disappeared and Ramon had to travel around with a baby but as (Y/N) got older, the resentment was replaced with brotherly love. (Y/N) tossed his bag on the messy bed, looking over his bookshelf. Seemed like either Delia or Ramon had added more books. (Y/N) approached the shelf, picking up the new additions.

"Sharp Objects, The Bell Jar, White is For Witching, and House of Leaves." (Y/N) read the names aloud, humming softly. He put them back, continuing to look around the room. He only returned to Chicago to watch Ramon's debut ballet. (Y/N) sat on the bed, unpacking his bag. He took out his camera, placing it on his nightstand. He grabbed his phone, getting an uber and heading out. (Y/N) thoughts wondered back to his and Cassie's last exchange.

"Are you fucking serious? My brother?" (Y/N) stared at her. Cassie swallowed, shaking her head.

"It was a one time thing! When I graduate, I can have Ramon wrapped around my finger and it'll help boost my career!" Cassie explained, staring at him. (Y/N) scoffed, shaking his head.

"You have a habit of using Costas, you know that?" (Y/N) asked, looking away from her.

"I never used you. You were my best friend and-"

"And you used me to get closer to Ramon. I always wondered what went wrong. I'm glad we got that cleared up." (Y/N) ran a hand through his hair, unable to look at the girl. Cassie stepped closer to him.

"You're wrong-"

"I always knew you were a selfish bitch." (Y/N) muttered, walking past her and leaving the hotel room.

(Y/N) blinked, feeling the car stop. (Y/N) thanked the driver and got out, staring up at the old building. He closed the door and walked forward, gaze dropping to the dried blood on the pavement. He went up the steps, entering the school. (Y/N) stuck his hands in his pockets, heading up to Monique's office. Selena glanced up, doing a double take and quickly standing as her eyes widened.

"Mr. Costa, I wasn't-"

"Yeah, nobody knows I'm here. I want it to stay that way." (Y/N) said, opening the door and entering the office. Monique looked up from her phone, brows raising. She stood, taking off her reading glasses.

"Well, someone got here fast." She breathed out, dismissing Selena with a wave of her hand.

"I was already here when you called and ruined my mood even more." (Y/N) replied, glancing around the office. He plopped down on one of the chairs, arms crossing.

"So, Cassie pulls a Humpty Dumpty and you think my brother is gonna clean up the mess?" (Y/N) cocked a brow, watching Monique sit back down. She chuckled, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

"A choreographed dance by him would pull people's attention somewhere else." Monique said, shrugging lightly. "Your brother has been ignoring me."

"I would too. You're really persistent and annoying." (Y/N) said, eyes sweeping over her desk.

"Any lawsuits?"

"The police declared it an accident."

"Was it?"

"I thought you and Cassie were history?" Monique cocked a brow, tilting her head. (Y/N)'s jaw clenched as he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, we are. I'm just curious if there's a potential murderer among the staff or students." (Y/N) shrugged.

"She's alive." Monique reminded.

"Barely. You think she didn't bust her head open when she fell? Who survives a fall like that?" (Y/N) questioned. Monique leaned forward, resting her arms on her desk.

"Why are you here, (Y/N)?" Monique asked. (Y/N) sat up, licking his lips as he stood up.

"I was wondering if anything changed at the school. Since you're still director.. That means nothing has changed. All the work you put into this school and still only medicore dancers graduate. You have a star dancer once every couple of years. Delia was the lastest one." (Y/N) shrugged, grabbing the edge of the desk as he leaned forward.

"Who's the next star?" (Y/N) asked, tilting his head. They turned their heads as the door opened and a girl entered.

"Neveah Stroyer." Monique replied. (Y/N) hummed, looking back at her.

"Let's hope she doesn't have a great fall." (Y/N) leaned back, stepping away from the desk.

"Neveah meet (Y/N) Costa." Neveah's brows rose, looking at (Y/N). Her eyes shined with excitement.

"I've read some of your books and seen the photographs you take. They're amazing." Neveah said, walking forward and shaking his hand. (Y/N) hummed.

"Maybe you'll take some pictures for the school." Monique said, smiling. (Y/N) hummed, looking at the older woman.

"I'd rather choke." He replied, giving her a fake smile. Neveah's brows raised, clearing her throat. (Y/N) walked past Neveah, opening the door.

"Good luck surviving with rats and sharks, Neveah!"

[one-boring-person]

Just A Babysitter. (Part Four.)

The Lost Boys x reader (mostly Laddie x reader)

Warnings: none.

Context: (Y/n) and Laddie go to the Boardwalk to spend some time together, whilst Michael and Star get intimate in the hotel.

A/N: I'm sorry this is so short, it's more of a filler part, really. I'll ty and get a better part up later.

Part One Part Two Part Three Part Five Part Six Part Seven Part Eight

Laddie is practically bouncing off the walls when I tell him the next night that we're going into Santa Carla by ourselves, no Star, no vampires, just the two of us, the youngster spouting nonsense about going to buy comics and candy, hoping I'll take him on some of the rides Star normally won't let him go on. With a bright smile, I assure him we'll have fun, though I am confused as to why Star doesn't want to come with us; I did ask her to join me, but she declined me almost as soon as I said anything.

My answer arrives as soon as I hear the familiar sound of someone entering the cave, the footsteps only newly familiar to me: Michael. As he lights the room, he catches sight of Laddie and I leaving, instantly coming over and stopping me with a harsh grip on my arm.

"What the hell did they do to me? What did you do?!" He accuses, voice laced with horror and fear, as well as panic.

Pulling my arm from his grip, I give him an odd look before replying.

"It's not my place to say." I reply, sourly, pushing past him with Laddie in tow, knowing Star will most likely work her magic, in whatever way that is. All I know is that Laddie does not need to be around to find out, and neither do I.

Exiting the cave, Laddie and I ascend the steps, shivering a little in the cool night air as it swirls around us, the raging water somewhere below us loud in the otherwise quiet night. As we emerge over the top of the cliff, I allow myself to laugh when the young half-vampire races over to where my motorcycle is hidden, reaching up and trying to push the bike forwards.

"You won't get very far with the brakes still on." I call out to him as I join him, kicking out the stand and releasing the handbrake so he can at least try to push it. A surprised gasp of pride leaves him when the motorbike moves, though I don't tell him that it is, in fact, me pushing the vehicle onto firmer ground, not him, knowing full well that the Triumph is much too heavy for him.

"You wanna ride up front for once?" I offer him, smiling when his face lights up. Climbing onto the bike first, I settle myself before reaching over and picking the little boy up off the ground and placing him in front of me, brushing some of his long hair out of my face. Directing him to hold onto the unoccupied areas of the handlebars, I make sure he's secure and start the engine, chuckling when he jumps a bit from the sudden vibration - my bike feels a little different to the motorcycles the boys ride.

"Ready?" I question him, revving the engine for emphasis.

"Yeah, let's go!" Laddie encourages, excitement evident in his voice.

"Ok, you better be holding on!" I warn before throwing the bike into gear, starting off at a relatively slow(ish) speed until we hit the road, where I push it up. In front of me, Laddie screams in joy, enjoying the new perspective he's getting from riding in front of the driver for once, delirious cries of exhilaration escaping us both as we thunder down the main road. Thankfully, there aren't many other vehicles driving around, giving us mostly free run of the flat expanse of concrete, allowing me to make the ride more interesting. I keep the speed at a controllable high, making sure I can easily brake without giving us whiplash should I need to, though I manoeuvre the bike in a slalom in any case, whooping with the boy in front of me as we go, my chest pressing into his back as I try to make us as streamlined as possible.

Too soon, the bright lights of Santa Carla come into view, prompting me to slow down as I take the first turn into town, trying my best to obey the traffic laws I don't care about, not in the mood to be pulled over tonight. In record time, I manage to skip all the traffic lining the streets and pull up on the Boardwalk, turning the engine off when I finally find a safe spot to leave the motorbike. Climbing off, I help Laddie off, only to have to catch him again when he falls, his legs shaking from the thrill of the ride. Grinning, I lift him onto my back, carrying him further into the busy area with some ease.

"Where do you wanna go first?" I question him, looking at him over my shoulder as he glances around, eyes wide and impressed as always.

"Comic book shop, please!" He requests, pointing over my shoulder at the Frog's store to my right.

"Okie dokie, let's get going." I agree, heading over towards it, Laddie holding on tight as I go, his fingers gripping the front of my leather jacket eagerly. Upon entering, the two boys who run the shop, Edgar and Alan, give us a suspicious look, though they don't come over, instead just allowing us to look around at the comics on offer. Letting Laddie down, I go over to a particular one which catches my eye: Vampires Everywhere. A chuckle escapes me at the name of it, knowing how true the statement technically is as I take it with me, flicking through the pages briefly as I continue to browse, joining Laddie when we've both picked out three or four each. I take them over to the checkout, where I hand them to Edgar, who is manning the till, his brother currently guarding the comics outside the vicinity of the shop. As the boy comes across Vampires Everywhere, he looks up at me, eyes narrowed.

"Are you aware of the bloodsucker problem around here, too?" He asks, voice a little gruff for a young kid.

"The bloodsucker problem?" I question him, playing it off as a bit of a joke.

"Yeah, Santa Carla ain't the fairy town everyone makes it out to be." Edgar informs me, drawing a scoff from me.

"There is no one in the world who calls this place a fairy town. But no, I wasn't aware we had one. I thought that was the next town over." I respond, shrugging my shoulders in mock concern.

"Well it isn't, so you better make sure you and you're kid are protected against them when they come knocking."

"Ok, I'll make sure my brother and I are appropriately prepared for this. Thank you." I say, giving him a tight smile before paying and leaving, Laddie trailing behind me.

"Right then, where to next?" I ask him, smiling down at him as he considers my question.

"Can we go in there?" He points at a little store selling trinkets, some of the wares already catching my eye.

"Sure, let's go!"

Going over to it, we start browsing, eventually buying a couple of small things before the cycle is repeated, again and again, until we are forced to buy a bag to carry it all in, the money David and the boys have collected from victims over the years finally coming in useful. I manage to get a small something for each of them, as well as a tonne of new stuff for Laddie, who needs to experience some sort of humanity before it is taken from him. By the end of the night, he has a new leather jacket, a bracelet, some figurines and some badges and patches to go on the coat, whilst I've come out of tonight with a new necklace depicting a striking scorpion.

After hours of browsing and going on the rides, we find ourselves back at my bike, eating a portion of fries between us as we watch the crowd become thin, both of us in a good mood after the time we spent together. I notice that Laddie has started yawning more frequently, though, so I quickly make the decision to get home before he falls asleep on the ride back, binning the empty packaging and helping him back into the front of the bike.

"Lets get home, hmm? We can show Star and the boys everything we got." I encourage him, smiling when he grins excitedly, quickly breaking off into a large yawn as he does so. Climbing up onto the bike, I start the engine and swiftly peel off into the traffic, going as fast as I dare in order to get home at a decent time. The roads are mostly empty again, but the drivers that are present are unbearably slow, so I try to overtake as much as possible, nearly spinning off course when a lorry looms up out of nowhere, Laddie screaming out in pure ecstasy at the dangerous turn of events. From his reaction, I deduct that he's been listening to Paul a little too much, taking on the happy-go-lucky vampire's attitude with ease. I smile at the bought, knowing Paul will be happy to have another adrenaline-junky in the gang, though I doubt Dwayne will be too pleased after trying his hardest to teach the young boy the safer perks of being a vampire, despite often ignoring his own advice.

Within fifteen minutes, I've pulled up outside the cave and hidden the bike, lifting Laddie into my arms as I realise he's just as exhausted as I am, his eyes drooping closed even as he tries to fight the sleep off, at least until he's shown off his new stuff. Carrying him down the walkway, I grab the rest of the stuff and enter the familiar confines of the sunken hotel, quickly looking over at the bed in the corner of the room, swiftly finding it still occupied by both Star and Michael, though the latter has sat up and is eyeing his hand in amazement. At my arrival, he looks up, blue eyes finding me with ease as I shift Laddie's weight in my arms, trying not to interrupt anything especially not Star's sleep.

Awkwardly, I shoot Michael a quick smile in greeting before going to sit on my armchair with the half-vampire in my arms, cradling him against my chest as we wait for the boys to return, Laddie keeping his eyes open as much as possible whilst we do so. After a couple of minutes, though, I notice he has fallen asleep against me, clearly exhausted after the night out, even if it hasn't been a particularly strenuous one. Smiling to myself, I rock him a little, happy that the boy is around to keep me sane, uncaring of whether or not Michael is watching me from across the room, his curious gaze not completely unnoticed, though I do look up to stare him down as I finally register the loud laughing of the other boys returning home, evidently having just fed. None of them come into the main room, most likely going straight to their sleeping positions, a quick look at my watch confirming this to me, my own tiredness catching up to me as I make the decision to get some sleep.

Standing carefully, I take Laddie over to his cot, where I tuck him in after removing his new jacket and his usual shoes leaving all of his new stuff beside the bed as I bid Michael a good morning and excuse myself to my own room. As I enter, I notice someone is sat on the bed, his lanky yet short frame sprawled across the space lazily as he waits for me to recognise him, his face just visible in the light from the other room.

"Marko? What're you doing here?" I question, smiling a little as I pull off my jacket and boots, removing all my jewellery as I go.

"Well, I heard you have the others some attention last night, and I wanted some, too." The vampire responds, his grin almost audible as I sigh and shake my head, knowing full well that I can't refuse him.

"You know I'm always open to giving you attention. You don't have to wait until you want to make even with the others." I point out as I slip into the bed, pulling the covers over us as he moves to wrap me in his arms, spooning me with his head resting just behind me, his frigid body temperature radiating through his jacket and into me, though the duvet helps to keep me warm. Humming in contentment, I draw small patterns onto his hands as I try to lull myself to sleep, enjoying his presence immensely.

"God, what would I do without you guys?" I muse, my eyelids drooping closed as my voice softens, the chuckle that resonates behind me only serving to make me fall asleep faster.

He goes to reply, but I don't register it, my mind not quite with it as I allow myself to drift off in his arms.

Part Five

[blindspot-repata]

High School Blindspot

Chapter 1 - Meeting friends

"Natasha, I didn't see you arrive yesterday, what time was it?" Her grandma heard when Natasha opened the door last night, but she wanted to know about the girl. She was worried, for a few days her granddaughter showed strange, quieter and sadder behavior.

"Don't worry, Grandma, it wasn't too late." Natasha tried to reassure her grandmother.

"Honey, I would never get into your dates, but you know I don't think Ricky is the right guy for you. You should date someone like Edgar, who is a golden boy.”

“Oh, grandma! You know he's just my friend.” The girl hurried to jam on a toast and hurried off. “And there's more, he's dating with a girl.”

"But that can change, my daughter! I'm sure if you give a signal it will be in your hand.”

“Bye!” - She blew Grandma a kiss and hurried out the door.

Edgar was waiting for her on the sidewalk. It had been that way forever, she and Edgar, inseparable. He was her great support when she and her brothers came to live with their grandparents, the circumstances were not good, they were taken from their parents for bad care and abuse, exposure to alcohol, drugs and violence. Edgar was there, met her in the neighborhood, helped her get in school, hugged her every time she needed to cry, and didn't want to worry her grandparents.

Natasha has also always been the support for Edgar. When he first saw the girl she was scared and not very friendly, but he was always solicitous coming softly and won her friendship. When he lost his father in a car accident four years ago she was by his side at the funeral at the seventh day mass, she helped him overcome the loss and showed him that over time the pain subsided. It was her first fuck with her, at age 15, they took a bottle of whiskey to the basement of Tasha's grandparents and got very drunk, the next day the hangover was so much that both swore never to drink alcohol again. For a while Edgar felt a platonic love for the latina, even rehearsed a way of declaring himself to her, but never had the courage. Over time he gave up and dated other girls and she, other boys. Today they were just best friends and confidants.

The two faced together all the adversities that appeared, after all was 1999, the end of the millennium and it was still not easy to be young in New York, much less for a black boy and a girl of Latin origin. Prejudice was everywhere, but they always defended and supported each other.

“Late again? Let's go or not take the first class. If Inspector Weitz sees us arriving late again this week, we're screwed.”

"I couldn't wake up very early today, I was too tired."

“What's this around your neck?” Edgar saw on the girl's neck a bluish mark that wasn't there yesterday.

“It’s nothing.” She didn't want to tell him what Ricky had done this time, better not get him into her problems. Natasha pulled the zipper on her sweatshirt higher so that the mark didn't appear.

"Natasha, you can say anything you want to me, you know." - The boy always made a point of showing her that he was there for anything.

“I know. Thanks. I just don't want to talk about it, not now.” She didn't want to worry him, because he already had his own problems, but she didn't know how long she could hide from him everything that was going on.

“I think I can already buy my car.” Edgar worked in a machine shop after class and had been raising money to buy a car. “I talked to Mr Nigel yesterday and he said he gives me an advance of what is missing so I can get my car.” The boy showed excitement in his face.

"Hmm. I won't even have the honor of walking with you anymore. It's gonna be a mess, all the girls wanting to hitchhike in your car.” Natasha always played with him about girls. When he became head of the school soccer team she kept mocking him, which would catch all the cheerleaders. But it was just a joke, she cheered and vibrated with him with each achievement. "By the way, how's Sarah doing?"

“I don't even know.” Edgar shrugged. "I don't think she wants anything more from me, she keeps avoiding me. You know, I won't insist on someone who doesn't really want me. And you, all right?”

“Yes,I'm ok” The girl shrugged.

Ever since Rick had met some weird guys at his new job Natasha began to feel a little afraid of his behavior, because whatever she did or said, he got violent and nervous. The girl had tried to break up more than once, but he was violent and she couldn't. After last night she swore to herself that he would never come near him again.

_____________________________________________

Remi couldn't help but stare at him, those blue eyes enchanting her from the first time she walked through that door. But she thought it was silly, because he was a very popular boy and she always saw him with the sophomore blonde, that cheerleader. She knew a guy like him would never notice her. Helen had never encouraged her to date, on the contrary, she said they needed to win the world and not get involved in a relationship that only shows how weak you are. She had not always listened to this, but she avoided lasting involvement, for she was not even worthy of a love relationship.

“Hi, how are you?” The clumsy geek sat beside her with a stack of books but hands and Remi watched. “Oh many books, right? I'm working on research and I need all of these, believe me. You could be part of my team, I've seen that you like chemistry.”

“Oh, I don't know. Can be. If I won't disturb you.”

"Of course not, Stuart is in the project, but he's a little clumsy and sometimes spoils the experiments. I prefer to work with girls because they are more organized, but he's a good guy, I put him on the line.”

“I know what they look like, I have a brother who is only big but still looks childish in some ways.”

“Your brother is that blondie, wow! Hum, I've seen him with you.”

“Yes, that's him.” RemiRemi laughed, because she had already seen how Patty looked at him, seemed to devour him with eyes. The brother really liked was a trouble. Helen had put them to practice martial arts from an early age, and Roman thought he should punch anyone who crossed his path. Since moving to this school two weeks ago, he has been on the board twice.

“What are you looking at? Kurt?” Patty followed the direction of Remi's gaze and saw her staring at him. “He's a good guy and will still find the right girl.”

“I'm not looking at him.” Remi felt his face turn red when she saw the boy look in her direction and linger looking at her. The girl looked down and didn’t look in his direction anymore.

Kurt had noticed the fledgling girl from day one, but saw it as an impenetrable iceberg. She was beautiful and mysterious and was always accompanied by her twin. Since she arrived he hadn't had a chance to exchange a word with her, he needed to work it out. He'd seen her talking to Patty, maybe if he talked to her, but the nerd was always in the lab and into her crazy experiments.

“Hey, Ed! Do you have footeball training today?” Kurt addressed the dark-haired young man who was storing things in his bag.

“No. I'm thinking of looking for Natasha to leave soon.”

"I'm coming with you, I need to talk to Patty, maybe they're together."

_____________________________________________

“Hey, I finally found you!” Natasha went into the lab and saw that Patty had bequers and tubes bubbling, some appliances with bright lights flashing, and there were also open books on the bench.

“We are working on a new project and we can't stop now, because we are in the middle of the reaction. Stuart, what did you do here? I told you it wasn't time to add the acid yet!” Patty always stressed about the boy's clumsy way.

“Hi. How are you getting to work with them?” Natasha addressed the shoulder-length brunette girl. "Your name is Remi, isn't it? I'm Natasha. “The latina appeared after the brunette confirmed.”

"Sometimes I think she's trying to refute Lavoisier's Law." They both burst out laughing.

“Patty! What did you do this time?” Rich had just entered the lab and looked pretty stressed.

“What are you talking about?” The geek frowned.

"Those experiments of yours are pulling all the energy from the building and shutting down the computers in the computer lab! I’ll start by turning off these gadgets with these lights here that must be the bad guys.”

“Don't touch my multimeters!” Patty slapped Rich's hand backward. “I'll fix this, I can not go off so it will disturb everything.”

Patty did what the boy asked by releasing the energy he was consuming from his experience.

“It's time to go. Give me five minutes that will be all right for your computers.”

“Hey babe! Have you ever met the computer lab?” Rich addressed Remi, who remained silent. “ I can introduce you and show you new programs and windows that were recently installed.”

“Rich! You have no way! Let Boston hear that!” Natasha scolded him, because she knew Rich loved to sneak and also knew how jealous Boston was.

“Boston may also like to participate in the presentation of the new programs, you are also invited, bravely.” Rich headed for the latina. "We close the lab door ..." The boy leaned toward the girls and put his hand over Remi's.

“No, Rich! I already met your fame and won't stick with me!” Remi took his hand from hers and walked away.

Rich watched as the rookie girl Remi seemed to be her name, glanced at the lab door and looked at the newly arrived figure.

"Hey Stuble, hi Eddie, you've been missing computer classes!" Rich thought the blue-eyed boy was handsome and sexy, but he knew how much he loved girls.

“Hi Rich!” Kurt greeted the boy with a little disdain. “Patty, what are you up to this time?” then she noticed the short-haired brunette girl standing in front of the bench next to Natasha.

"Hi." Remi greeted him with a shy smile that shook his structures. How perfect the girl was!

“Hello! Can you understand Patty's nuts?”

“Hey, Kurt! They are not crazy! You are all a bunch of misinformed, if you want to start drawing the formulas on the board and you will understand everything that is happening here!” The blonde girl always made a point of trying to explain to friends what she was working on.

“It’s boy necessary!” The answer was in unison.

“I will enjoy that you are all here and I will make an invitation!” Patty was addressing them all at once. “Freddy, my brother, is having a party at my house on Saturday. My parents traveled and released the house, since they don't break anything, you are invited! Your brother too! Patty addressed Remi referring to the handsome blond boy. And, Rich, take Boston! You two can take your girlfriends. Natasha ...

"I won't take ..." She was referring to Ricky. The latina didn't intend to leave the boy to this party. She just wanted to have fun with her friends.

Remi noticed Kurt's disquiet when Patty talked about his girlfriend, but the boy didn't answer Patty at all.

“ You go?” Kurt was addressing her.

“ I don’t know?” “She was still wondering how fun it could be to get fit, make friends. “I’ll see if I can.”

"Make an effort, her brother's parties are fun." The boy smiled and she lingered admiring the crooked smile that formed on his face.

The class dispersed and Remi went to meet his brother who was waiting for her in the courtyard. She risked a look back and saw Kurt talking and laughing with his friends.

_____________________________________________

[ddaddsprompts]

Hey I'm so AMAZED with your prompts, YOU ARE AWESOME!! they are so well done and you're really creative in your writing and I LOVE that :3 But enough fangirling I was hoping you would consider making a prompt that has the [Dad]'s kids reacting to their dad and his husband, Dadsona, having a new baby(perhaps thru mpreg means?) maybe a boy for the families overrun with girls and a girl for the ones with boys. Maybe even include Amanda too? I know this is a lot but I hope you at least like it :3

Could you do an imagine where the cool-de-sac kids handle with their Dads having a new baby with Dadsona? I found river real cute and this just came to me :3 plus can you imagine Ernest or Daisy as older siblings super cute!!

Thank you so much!! This was a lot of fun to write (despite the pain in my fingers), so I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Dadsona here is trans and thus capable of getting pregnant.

🥃 You aren’t as close to Valas you’d like to be, but there were still issues father and daughter needed towork out between them and you can understand that. Robert’s got better, a lot better, since your talk under thetree in your backyard, thank god, because you don’t know how the ‘old’ Robertwould have reacted to seeing the positive pregnancy test you presented him with.There were tears, sloppy, wet kisses and laughter. The fact Val came to visitthe following weekend was a lucky coincidence, but you’d take it. You aren’tfar along enough to show already, but the way Robert hovers around you,constantly keeping you in his sight, asking you a thousand questions just tomake sure you really are fine, would have tipped anyone off. “I don’t deserve another child,” Roberthad said, “I haven’t even made things upwith Val yet. I don’t want her to be angry at our kid for getting the fathershe never had.” He needn’t have worried. Val seems to immediately sense somethingwas off. You’re worried about her brows getting stuck in that position if shecontinued frowning. You don’t want to breach the topic before Robert is readyto tell her, but Val beats you to it. She stands up right after dinner andcrosses her arms in front of her chest. The resemblance to Robert isremarkable. “Okay, you two, spill it.” “I’m pregnant,” you say. “About threeweeks in.” Val stands, frozen, for a few moments. You can see Robert go tense,his knuckles white. Then Val surges forward to hug you two and buries her facein her father’s shoulder, saying “I’m so happy for you two” over and over again.There are tears, sloppy, wet kisses and laughter. He needn’t have worried.

 🍸 Chris’ immediate response to hearing the news isto look at you and ask “How? Men can’t get pregnant.” You’re surprised, asuntil now, you thought Joseph’s kids knew, but Joseph whispers into your earthat it wasn’t his right to tell them and you understand. After half an hour ofexplaining you’re trans and what exactly that means, Chris seems satisfied withyour explanation. Christie and Christian, not so much. “Is it going to be agirl? I want a sister. I already have three brothers.” Christian elbowed histwin in the side. “Nuh-uh. I want a brother.” Christie glared daggers at him.You stifle a laugh behind your hand and see Joseph do the same. Crish, in hiscrib, blew a spit bubble, making clear he doesn’t particularly care either way,because he’s a toddler and doesn’t understand any of what you say yet. “Wedon’t have any way of influencing the gender of the child and it’s too earlyfor the doctors to find out,” Joseph interrupts before the argument can evolveinto a proper fight. “But you can try praying for a brother or sister, maybe Hecan be convinced by your arguments.” The twins, still glaring at each other,nod. Suddenly, there is a hand on your belly, and you look down to find Chrislook at it in concentration. “What are you doing, champ?” Chris’ mouth twitchesin what you now recognise as a smirk. “Praying it’s not twins again.” You andJoseph break into giggles as the twins whine.

☕ Mat and you planned on telling Carmensita overdinner, but neither of you counted on her perceptivity. “Y/N, why aren’t youdrinking your usual coffee?” She asks you as she plops down on the couch nextto you. You look at your fruit drink and then back at her. “I can’t havecaffeine, sweetheart.” The response was automatic, reflexive, and your brainscatches up only as Carmensita’s eyes go wide and her skin a few shades paler. “Areyou sick? Oh god, that’s why you went to the doctor’s recently, isn’t it? You’resick.” With horror you realise there are tears in her eyes. The next momentCarmensita is crying and hugging you with all her might. “Please don’t die likeMommy,” she sobs. The words break your heart. At the first commotion Pablo raninto the back and now, Mat comes hurrying over. He pries Carmensita off you andlifts her into his arms, rubbing circles on her back. “Baby girl, what’s wrong?”Carmensita sobs again. “Y/N told me he can’t have coffee anymore and I know hewent to the doctor’s a few days ago! He’s sick! I don’t want to lose him too!”Mat’s eyes widen in shock. He gently puts Carmensita down on the couch againand kneels in front of her, cupping her face in his hands. “Baby girl, Y/N isn’tsick, I promise. He can’t drink coffee at the moment because he can’t havecaffeine. Baby girl, Y/N is pregnant. You’re going to get a baby brother orsister soon.” Carmensita looks from her father to you. “Pregnant…?” You nod ather and smile. “Yes, dear.” She hugs you tightly again, but this time she’slaughing from joy.

🌹 The decision who of you would carry the childhadn’t been easy, but eventually, you decided it would be you, and you twoasked Robert whether he would donate sperm. After the initial meltdown, he saidyes. A month later, you received the news: You were pregnant. Now it’s time totell Lucien. He’d known you were thinking about having a child and had gone tothe doctor, but not that it worked at the first try. Damien is a nervous wreckas you two prepare dinner for when Lucien returns from school. “He already toldyou he’s happy about our decision and looking forward to a younger sibling. Whyare you so worried now, dear?” He runs a hand through his hair and gives asomewhat helpless shrug. It makes you pull him closer, sneaking an arm aroundhis waist. “Truthfully, I don’t know. Maybe that he has changed his mind.”“I haven’t,” Lucien says, kicking the door shut behind him. “If it’s about yourwish for a child.” He drops his bag and leans against the wall. You canpractically guess the direction of his thoughts as you follow his eyes go fromDamien’s face to yours and then down to the hand Damien has on your stomach.Lucien’s eyes light up and you think, he figured it out. “Did it work?” Lucienasks. Warmth spreads out inside of you at his tone, the pure joy you can hearin his voice. “Yes, dear,” Damien replies and you add, “I’m pregnant.” Lucienwhoops and runs over to tackle-hug you both; the impact sends you three into acuddle pile on the floor. “I’m going to be a big brother!” You laugh and coverDamien’s hand with your own.

🎣 “Dad… what are you doing?” You lift your headand peer over the book you’ve been reading while Brian got to work building a nurseryfrom scratch. Daisy is standing in the doorframe, watching with a confused lookas her father hammered nails into a wooden plank. He was vibrating withexcitement, like you and Craig used to on four cups of coffee spiked withenergy drinks. The fact that the news made him so happy still fills you withjoy. “Building a-“ Brian trails off and shoots you a look. You gesture him tocarry on; there was no reason why she shouldn’t know. Brian puts aside thehammer and walks over to his daughter, sweeping her up into a hug that left herfeet dangling above the floor. “—nursery for your baby brother or sister! Y/Nis pregnant! I’m going to be a father again and you’re going to be a bigsister! Isn’t that great, Daisy?!” Daisy doesn’t reply. You feel a pang ofworry in your chest at her expression. She doesn’t look happy at all. Brianlowers his daughter to the floor again and kneels down to look at her face. “Daisy,dear? Aren’t you happy?” Daisy starts fidgeting and wrings her hands. “I am,but…” She averts her eyes. “What if I won’t be a good big sister? I can’t teachthem anything besides school stuff…” Standing up, you cross the distance andtoo kneel in front of her. “You’ll be a great big sister. Besides, Amanda isthere, too, and together you’ll be the bestest sisters in the world.” Daisypulls a face. “It’s best, Y/N.” Youwink and pull her into your arms.

👟 “No.” “But—“ “No, absolutely not.” “But, bro—“ “Craig,I won’t let you name my child Meadow or Forrest.” Craig gives you his patentedpuppy eyes, complete with a pout, and you feel your resolve crumble. “How aboutRain? Or Willow? Flint? Sterling?” You groan and throw up your hands. “How areyou even coming up with all these names? Do you have, like, a list?” Craig’ssheepish look is all the answer you need. You turn around and walk into theliving room, throwing yourself down on the couch and turning on whateverreality-TV show is currently on air. Craig trails after you and you scoot overto make space. After a few minutes of silence you lift your head and look downat River, who is playing with Arnold on a blanket. “Hey, River?” She looks upat you. “You’re going to be a big sister. How does that make you feel?” River wavesArnold around. “Sisa!” You turn to Craig. “One down, two to go. Your job.”Craig laughs. “That’s unfair, bro. You got the easy part.” You nudge him withhis foot. “I’ll remind you of what you said once I’m moody and have swollenfeet.”About halfway through the second episode the front door is opened and in stormHazel and Briar. Craig slips out from behind you and starts preparing lunch,while you play with River, trying to get her to say “Relax”. At least, youplanned on playing with her, but suddenly the twins come running back andtackle you, making you fall on your back with an ‘oof’. “Is it going to be agirl or a boy?” “How long until they are born?” “Did you already pick a name?” “Howabout Birch?” You groan again and cover your face with your arm. You canpractically feel Craig’s smug look on you.

📖 Ernest’s reaction to your pregnancy had been asexpected: He cursed, he threw tantrums, he seemed to hate you even more thanbefore. Hugo had warned you it might happen; what neither of you expected washow much he changed as your belly grew, how he seemed to come around to theprospect of a baby in the household. More than once, after coming home fromwork, you found him standing in the room you had converted into the nursery androcking the crib back and forth. You never mentioned anything and left beforehe noticed you. Now, the day has finally come and Ernest seemed even morenervous than either you or Hugo. He keeps throwing nervous glances at you,every gasp or hiss leaving your mouth making him look even more worried. “Don’tworry, Ernest,” you tell him with a weak smile. “It’s not my first rodeo.” Hescoffs, clearly embarrassed at being found out, but nods and turns to face theroad again. The delivery goes without any problems and after a few hoursshouting at the top of your lungs and squeezing Hugo’s hand, your beautifuldaughter is lying on your chest, fast asleep. Hugo is sitting next to you,still crying, holding your daughter’s tiny hand in his much larger ones. Thedoor opens and Ernest tentatively steps into the room. His eyes go wide when hesees his half-sister, but he doesn’t move. You wave him over and carefully pickup your child, offering it to him. You’ve never seen him handle something withso much care and reverence before. “What’s her name?” He asks; you act like youdidn’t hear his voice crack. “Mary Shelley Vega-[Y/N].”