#OR HER ENTIRE HOME TOWN FILLED WITH FRIENDS AND PEOPLE SHE SEES AS FAMILY

[snailvibes]

Thinking about how Max‘s habit of shying away from help or talking about things is because throughout that whole week she had to only rely on herself essentially. How she had the whole world on her shoulders and felt she had to carry it, not because no one else could, but because no one else would.

[taeghi]

your little brother, my little secret

yn and joy share every secret, until yn returns from university to find joy's little brother jake has become irresistibly hot. maybe keeping just one secret from your best friend won't hurt… right?

PAIRING : best friends little brother!jake x reader

GENRE : smut & angst. jake's (shy) a sub for majority of it. dirty talk, masturbation, degrading + humiliation, & y/n is a menace.

WC : 14k

mdni

you’ve been counting down the days until summer for what feels like forever. you’re returning to your hometown for the entire two months you have until university starts again in september. 

you’ve been driving for miles now, just having to go to a university two hours away from your small hometown. but the summer air is thick and humid, and it blows throughout the car as all the windows are down. 

your best friend, joy, sits beside you. you’ve known her for just as long as she has moved into your small town when you both were ten. since then, you’ve shared everything together; every laugh, every tear… every secret. her family feels like your own, summers spent in their backyard, evenings filled with board games and cards. some nights in high school even included sneaking out to a party and drinking until you thought you’d throw up. 

last summer was different. you were abroad doing an internship for university. and you didn’t get a chance to stay long during christmas break. so, it’s been a while since you’ve actually stayed in your hometown with all its familiarities. 

“jake will be home when we get there,” joy says, loud enough to be heard over the wind and faint music. 

“oh right, how’s he liking university?” 

jake is joy’s little brother. he’s always been shy, introverted, prefers to stay home and play video games instead of going out like you and joy. you remember him as a cute kid, all wide eyed and shy smiles. you don’t remember him having much friends, he’d rather be alone in his room. it’s hard for you to imagine him navigating the crowded university, but you suppose he’s all grown up now. it’s been so long since you’ve seen him, and the thought of how much he changed lingers in your mind. 

“he likes it,” joy says, her long black hair blowing out the window, “he’s excited for summer like we are.” 

you nodded in response, thinking maybe jake would go out with you guys now instead of playing video games in his room all summer. 

“we gotta go to hyunjin’s this week!” joy declares, her eyes lighting with anticipation, “you know he’s throwing a big party this week. and then, there’s that new bar that opened downtown. we have to check it out!” 

you agree with joy. her energy is infectious despite her brash (sometimes too brash) exterior. joy has always been more straightforward and perhaps blunt than you are. when sometimes you can be a people pleaser and a pushover, joy is there to say the words you wish you could say. 

“i can’t wait,” you reply, “it’s been too long since we’ve had a proper night out.” 

joy shoots you a mischievous grin, her confidence unwavering, “oh trust me, yn. this summer, we’re going all out.” 

you roll your eyes at your pretty best friend, pulling into her family’s driveway swiftly. 

you and joy step through the front door of the house, a place that is more familiar and comforting than your own. the place smells like a home cooked meal and you are instantly greeted with joy’s parents’ smiles. joy’s mother envelops you in a hug, her warmth and kindness instantly easing any fatigue from the long drive. 

"oh, yn, joy, it's so good to see you both!" joy's mother exclaims, her smile radiant. "dinner will be ready shortly. you must be exhausted after the drive. please, sit down in the living room and relax."

joy's father joins in, his jovial voice filling the room. "how was the trip? traffic wasn't too bad, i hope?" her parents' genuine concern and hospitality are a stark contrast to your own parents. 

"it was fine, dad," joy replies, her tone affectionate yet tinged with a hint of impatience. "we're just glad to be home for the summer."

you smile over your shoulder at her parents as she drags you to the living room. it looks the same as you remember it; comfy fabric couch, family photos on the walls, lit candles around the room that mix with the smell of dinner. 

joy props her feet up on the coffee table as she starts to scroll her phone. a nonchalant smile plays on her lips, “can’t believe we’re back here.” she says with a sigh.

before you can respond, a sudden noise draws your attention towards the backdoor. two figures emerge, their arms swaying as they laugh and push each other.��

“hey guys,” joy's casual greeting halts their antics momentarily, but it's the sight of you on the couch that freezes one of the boys in his tracks. he stands there, awkward and unsure.

the other boy remains cool and confident as he greets joy and walks over to you both on the couch. he stands in front of you, sticking his hand out in front of your face, “i’m heeseung.” 

you look up at him as he stands, his features are chiseled. his eyes are a deep shade of brown. his smile is almost cocky, but disarming as he flashes it effortlessly. there’s an aura of assurance about him, that he knows he’s good looking and he’s confident about it. 

your hand meets his, “i’m y/n.” your eyes flicker back to the boy who remains rooted to the spot, his expression unreadable as he almost quiets away into the wall. 

“are you gonna come hug your sister, jake?” joy squeaks from beside you, she octaves her voice higher to be annoying on purpose. 

it’s then that you realize who is standing there in the corner– you almost didn’t recognize him. 

the shy, nerdy kid you once knew is now standing before�� transformed in a way that catches you off guard. where once stood a lanky teenager, now stands a man that is toned and tanned. his hair is longer and tousled in a way that accentuates his features. he’s taller and broader. 

as you take in his appearance, you can’t help but be struck by how insanely hot he has become. 

he shifts nervously, perhaps sensing your gaze. his eyes turn to joy, “no way in hell am i hugging you.” 

joy's mother breezes into the room with a warm smile, "oh jake, give your sister a hug."

joy springs up instantly, tackling jake in a bear hug that's both affectionate and overly enthusiastic. jake groans, awkwardly patting joy's back as everyone chuckles. heeseung, settles down next to you, a confident smirk playing on his lips, his eyes holding a hint of nothing other than flirtatious. 

"right, yn," joy's mother continues, her tone gentle yet teasing, "heeseung here has been keeping jake entertained since you left."

heeseung chimes in, his voice dripping with sarcasm and humor. "yeah, we're inseparable now," he says with a grin.

you laugh, unable to resist teasing. "oh really? i remember jake having no friends at all."

joy joins in, her laughter ringing through the room. "seriously, all he did was stay in his room playing video games."

"be nice, girls," she says playfully. "joy, come help me with dinner. set up a place for heeseung, too."

heeseung stands up with a mock bow. "don't worry, i'll set up my own place."

joy groans at having to help, leaving you and jake alone in the living room, complaining about why she has to help but jake doesn’t. 

jake settles into the chair directly across you, but his body language shows he’s tense and restless and it suggests that he’d rather be anywhere else. he fidgets slightly, fingers rolling over each other in his lap, his eyes darting around the room and avoiding you. 

“so, joy told me that you’ve been liking university,” you speak, trying to ease him and the awkwardness. 

jake’s cheeks colour faintly, a shy smile tugging at the corners of his lips, “uh yeah, it’s fine.” he mumbles, avoiding your gaze. 

you lean back casually, “meet any hot college girls?” 

jake’s eyes widen as he shifts uncomfortably, a mix of embarrassment and uncertainty flickering in his eyes. it’s endearing; how he still seems like the shy, introverted boy you’ve always known, now trapped in a hot guy’s body. 

“n-no, not really,” he stutters out. he can’t seem to meet your eyes when he speaks, his words stumbling over each other in a rush. it’s clear he finds you intimidating in a way, and you wonder what the reason is. maybe you’ll have to play with him a bit to figure it out. 

“really?” you tilt your head, your eyes not leaving him as he struggles to eye you, “i would’ve thought you had girls climbing all over you.” 

jake’s face redden more but he answers you, “no, that’s what happens to heeseueng.” he nods his head towards the kitchen. 

“hmm,” you sit back in the couch. you aren’t surprised that a boy like heeseung would attract a lot of women. he’s confident, outgoing and obviously attractive, but you’re surprised at jake’s answer. 

before you can question him more, joy pops her head in the living room, “come eat guys.” 

jake and you stand up and head to the dining table to eat. you think to yourself that this will be a fun summer as you glance around the room. heeseung eyes your bare legs as you sit beside him and start to eat. jake sits on the other side of the table, trying to not get caught staring at you as his parents ask your best friend questions about the school year.

you're sitting on the couch, tapping your foot impatiently, waiting for joy to finish her chores so you can head out and buy a dress for hyunjin's party this week. she's taking forever, folding laundry meticulously in the living room while you're itching to go. 

“joy hurry up, i wanna go!” you groan out to her, bored of scrolling on your phone as you wait for her. 

she rolls her eyes at you, “it’s not my fault that i’m an adult and have to do family chores, y/n.” 

“i know that! but you could do them faster.” 

she shoots you a look when you groan again, a playful smirk on her face. "fine, then help me," she says, handing you a basket overflowing with clothes. "bring this up to jake's room, it's all his disgusting clothes."

with a resigned sigh, you stand up and grab the heavy basket, muttering under your breath about how slow she is. 

you knock softly on jake's door, holding the basket of clothes joy asked you to deliver. after a moment, his voice replies, "come in." you push the door open slowly, finding jake sitting up on his bed, his feet on the ground facing you. 

"oh, hey yn," he says, his voice a little nervous and shocked once he sees you, his hand flying to hair to calm it. 

ey," you reply with a warm smile, stepping into his room. "joy wanted me to bring these to you. clean clothes," you explain, holding out the basket.

oh, thanks," jake mumbles, “you can just leave it on the floor there.” 

"no problem," you say casually, noticing how he avoids meeting your gaze. 

you step into jake's room, to place the basket down. you take the time to look around the once familiar room. it’s no longer childish, and clearly belongs to an adult. 

you glance at jake as you scan his room. he's sitting on his bed, looking slightly disheveled in grey sweatpants and a baggy sweater, his tousled hair indicating he's just woken up, so you ask him, “were you sleeping?” 

he nods sheepishly, “yeah i was out late with heeseung last night,” he admits, playing with the sleeves of his hoodie. 

you sit down beside him on the bed, close enough that you can feel the warmth radiating from his body. the new information about his late-night outing intrigues you, prompting a teasing remark. "really? the jake sim goes out late? i can't believe it," you say with a playful smile.

he chuckles nervously, looking away from you. the awkwardness between you is palpable, despite the years of knowing each other. 

you can't help but notice how shy he still seems around you, his eyes avoiding yours as he tries to compose himself.

"are you this shy around everyone, jakey?" you ask bluntly, the nickname perks his interest. 

he glances at you, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. "uh, I don't know, I guess," he replies, his voice barely above a whisper.

“hmm,” you sit back on your hands on his bed, looking so casual next to his tense demeanor. you decide to keep pushing, wanting to see how far he’ll let you tease him. because you do love teasing men. it’s something that you find fun– more exciting than any foreplay or sex. joy always questions you about it. she doesn’t understand why you find it more thrilling to leave a man wanting more and then doing nothing about it. she likes to get her men swiftly and straightforwardly– like everything else in her life. but how is life fun without any games? “so what did you and heeseung get up to last night? anything… exciting happen?” your eyes hold his, challenging and enticing him all at once. 

jake’s adams apple bobs in his throat as he swallows, his eyes widening slightly at your bold question. “w-we just hung out, went to a bar and lost track of time.” 

“mmm, i see,” you let your gaze travel over him, taking in the cute way his bottom lip juts out. “so you were up late last night then? do you know what i do when i’m up late at night?” you lean towards him now. he stares at your face for a second, gulping when he realizes how close you are on his bed. 

“uh, what?” 

“naughty things.” you shrug nonchalantly. his eyes widen at your boldness and he shifts again, unable to hide his growing arousal. “did you think about naughty things last night, jakey?” 

“n-no,” he stammers, shaking his head, but the flush on his cheeks gives him away. 

you tsk at him, “jakey, you can tell me. i won’t judge. in fact, i might even like hearing those naughty thoughts of yours.” 

jake’s breath quickens as your pinky finger starts to brush against his thigh. “i… i don’t know,” he whispers, his voice hoarse from arousal and sleep. 

“go on,” you urge, your lips curving into a wicked smile, “you can tell me. do you think about me late at night?” 

a sound of shock escapes his throat, and he shifts, trying to ignore the growing hardness in his jeans, “maybe.” he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. 

that’s it. you’ve got your in– he’s let you start a little game with him that could potentially make both of you feel good. 

“tell me,” you encourage him, your fingers now stroking his thigh up and down. “what about me do you think of?” 

his eyes squeeze shut, “just… you.” 

you laugh softly at his shyness, but you are so delighted by his response, “i want to hear more from you jake. what do you think about when you’re touching yourself?”

jake’s eyes fly open, a mixture of emotions swirling in their brown depths. desire wars with embarrassment, “i…i think about your body,” he confesses, his voice gaining some strength. “your soft skin, your- your curves. i imagine kissing you.”

you smile at how sweet he is, “that’s such a turn on, jakey.” he looks taken aback at your confession. “tell me what else you’d do to me if you could.” 

he gulps roughly, “i- i’d, make you cum.” 

you tilt your head, intrigued, “how?” 

“with my mouth.” 

you bite your lip at the thought of jake in between your legs, sucking and licking your core, getting you wet, preparing you for his cock. you wonder if he’d make you cry out from how good it would feel. you’re sure he would. 

but then you remember that this is a game. 

“hmm,” you shake your head at him, “you think that you’d make me cum?” you pretend to scan his body up and down, your hand getting dangerously close to his crotch. “we’d have to see about that.” you glance down at where your hand is meeting his body and are pleased to see his bulge, hard and pressing against his sweatpants.

before you can tease him further, his bedroom door swings further open, causing your hand to move briskly away from him. joy leans on the doorframe, her expression a mix of annoyance and impatience. 

“y/n you were rushing me, and now i’m waiting for you,” she groans, crossing her arms. “let’s go!” 

you stand up, giving jake a final teasing smile, “see you later, jakey.” you head towards the door, closing it after you, leaving him with some privacy to take care of the problem in his pants that you had created.

on the weekend, you got ready for hyunjin’s party at joy’s house. you just got out of the shower, your hair soaked and your skin damp and moisturized. 

you wrap the soft, white towel around your body, shaking your hair to get left over water out of it once more before you leave the bathroom to go to joy’s room. 

you step out of the bathroom, as you walk passed jake’s bedroom, his door swings up. his eyes glued to his phone as he steps out of his room. he glances up just as you pass by, and you catch the moment his eyes widen in surprise. his gaze lingers on you, a mix of arousal and embarrassment. like he’s unsure of what to do. 

you don’t say anything, but you can feel his eyes on you as you continue walking. there’s a slight flush on his cheeks and his posture stiffens. you smirk to yourself, enjoying the effect you have on him. enjoying the game you can play with him. it feels good to know you can fluster him so easily. 

you walk into joy’s bedroom, hearing her complain about her makeup looking awful already. you turn, giving jake one last glance before you close her door. his eyes quickly dart away, but the memory of his flustered expression stays with you. 

“god my eyeliner looks horrendous,” you hear joy say into her mirror, you turn so your back is facing her and you start to get dressed in the dress you bought the other. 

“it looks good, what're you talking about?” 

joy groans in response as you slip on the dress. you start to do your own makeup and hair, listening to the faint music in joy’s room. 

“do you think heeseung is cute?” joy asks suddenly. 

your face contorts to confusion, “i mean, i guess.” 

“i think so,” 

you whip around to look at your friend, “ew what? he’s your brother's friend.” 

joy shrugs, “so?” 

you turn away from her, instead focusing on putting on mascara, “so, you would let one of your friends get with your brother?” 

joy gags, “god, no. plus who the hell would want jake anyways? he’s gross.” 

you force a laugh to come out of your mouth, “haha, yeah…” you cringe at yourself. 

it’s silent for a moment and you think joy realizes that you’re acting weird at the mention of her brother. 

“ugh!” joy grunts loudly, making you jump and look at her, “i look awful, i’m gonna wash it all off and start again.”

“what? but we have to leave soon.” 

“i’ll be quick.” 

joy dashes out to the bathroom, leaving you to finish up in silence. leaving you to think more about what happened between you and jake so far and how it could affect your friendship with joy. you tell each other everything, but this… maybe you should keep to yourself, at least for a bit. 

when joy decides she looks good (she looks the exact same before she washed it off and restarted), you both head downstairs to leave. your heels click on the steps as you walk down. as you reach the bottom, you see heeseung jake in the hallway, also preparing to head out. 

you let your eyes scan jake, his jeans and loose button up shirt fit him nicely. and his long hair is somewhat styled out of his face. leaving him with a “i didn’t try” look. 

"you guys are going to hyunjin's?" joy asks, her tone casual but curious.

"yeah, we are. i didn't know you guys are, too," heeseung replies, a hint of surprise in his voice.

joy smirks at him, "yeah, we'll see you guys there, oh! i almost forgot my phone." she turns on her heel and heads back upstairs, leaving you alone with the boys.

heeseung's eyes scan you flirtatiously, and he smirks, "you look so good, y/n."

you play along, enjoying the banter, "thanks heeseung, you do too."

heeseung bites his lip, his gaze lingering on you. "maybe you'll save me a dance at the party."

you're momentarily taken aback by his forwardness but quickly recover, used to men like him. "maybe. but you'll have to get in line."

heeseung laughs at your joke, "i will."

joy comes back down, phone in hand. you glance at jake, who has been silent the entire time, his eyes flickering between you and the floor. you wave goodbye to the boys, feeling jake's gaze on you as you leave.

you and joy are driving to hyunjin's party. joy is singing along to the radio, excited for the night ahead. you glance at her and smile, but your mind is elsewhere. you've always played games with men, testing to see if they would submit to you or try to dominate you. it's a defense mechanism, something you've developed over the years to protect yourself.

your parents' rocky marriage and your past relationships have left you scarred. every time you let your guard down, you ended up hurt. so now, you stay in control, never letting anyone get too close. it's easier that way. safer.

you glance at joy again, grateful for her friendship. she's the only one who knows a bit about your past. the one person who knows all of your secrets. 

you and joy step into hyunjin's party, it’s as busy as you remember hyunjin’s parties to be. the music is loud, and the chatter of all the guests is even louder. 

you scan the room, spotting hyunjin across the way. a grin spreads across your face as you make your way over, joy trailing behind you.

"hyunjin!" you call out, and he turns, his face lighting up with recognition.

"yn! it's been ages!" he pulls you into a tight hug, and you laugh, hugging him back. you tell him how you’re so excited to be back in town for the summer and that you’re sure to be back at one of his parties again. 

you move through the room, greeting old hometown friends. familiar faces bring back memories, and you find yourself laughing and sharing stories about your time abroad and life in the big city. the warmth of the alcohol courses through your veins, making you feel lighter, more at ease while in such a big crowd. 

halfway through the night, the buzz from the drinks makes everything feel a bit more vibrant. the room spins slightly, but in a fun, exhilarating way. it's then that you spot jake and heeseung. they don’t blend into the crowd, and your eyes are drawn to them. they’re too tall and handsome to be at this party. 

heeseung approaches you first, a lopsided grin on his face. "hey, y/n! having fun?" he slurs slightly, his breath smelling of alcohol.

you laugh, finding his drunken self amusing. "yeah, a blast! how about you?"

heeseung nods enthusiastically, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "totally. i'm gonna get another drink, though. see you in a bit!" he winks and stumbles away, leaving you alone with jake.

jake stands there, drink in hand, looking slightly more composed but still nervous. he meets your eyes, and for once, doesn't immediately look away.

"hey, jake," you say, taking a step closer. "enjoying the party?"

he nods, a small smile tugging at his lips. "yeah, it's fine.”

you laugh softly as he glances around the crowd, obviously not use to being around so many people yet, “yeah it’s a lot. but it’s good to see you out for once. you never wanted to go out with us in high school.” 

he takes a sip of his drink, gaining a bit more confidence. "it's good to see you too, yn. you look... really nice tonight."

you smile, feeling a warmth that has nothing to do with the alcohol. "thanks, jake. you look good too."

then jake speaks, but the music and people talking and yelling is too loud for you to hear. and you really want to hear everything he has to say. 

“let’s go somewhere quieter, it’s loud down here, right?” you yell so he can hear you. he nods and doesn’t say anything. 

you turn around and head upstairs, he follows along behind you. you feel his curiosity build. at the top of the stairs, you spot the bathroom and an idea forms in your mind. 

“actually, i need to go to the bathroom,” you laugh, placing a hand on his chest. “wait here, i won’t be long.” 

his eyes widen, but he nods, biting his lip. 

you enter the bathroom, but before you close the door you speak to him again, “actually, i have a favour to ask– could you unzip me? the zippers at the back and i can’t reach.” you gesture behind you. 

his adam’s apple bobs as he swallows and nods, following you into the bathroom and closing the door behind you both. you make sure to lock the door. 

you turn so your back is facing him, the zipper on display for him, “just unzip it, please.”

jake hesitates but reaches up, grabbing the zipper and slowly pulls it down, your bare back on display for him. you smile at him once he pulls away and you turn around to face him completely. 

“jakey,” you tease the nickname, “have you thought about me since our conversation in your bedroom?”

jake gulps but nods, his eyes trying to meet yours, trying to look confident, “y-yes.” 

you smile sweetly at him, “what have you thought about?” you take a step back and then jump onto the bathroom counter, crossing your legs. jake eyes your bare legs, the way your dress bunched up at your waist to reveal more. 

“uh, just that i could make you cum, with my mouth.” 

you smile at him, though he’s too busy looking between your legs, your chest and the bathroom wall. “hm,” you pretend to think, “how about we start with you showing me how you can make yourself cum?” jake’s eyes shoot to yours at your suggestion, finally looking at your face since you’ve stepped foot in the bathroom. “i mean, only if you want. but i’d kill to see how you jerk off to the thought of me.” 

you hear jake swallow roughly, “okay.” 

you can’t help the devilish smile spread on your face at his one word, “take your cock out.” 

jake tries to hide his shock, barely believing that this is happening, as he starts to unbutton his jeans and shove them and his boxers down his leg. his semi hard cock springs up, he’s obviously aroused just from unzipping your dress halfway. he’s so easy to get flustered that it turns you on– you know this will be fun. 

“show me how desperate you are.” 

jake’s mouth goes dry at your words as they send a thrill through his body. he reaches down and wraps his hand around his throbbing cock, giving it a few tentative strokes to make it completely hard and needy. 

“that’s it, dirty boy,” you coo, encouraging him, “spit on it. show me exactly how you touch yourself.” 

jake moves so his hand is under his plump lips, and then lets a dribble of saliva pool down onto his palm. he brings his hand back to his hard cock and starts to jerk his cock now. it glides more smoothly now, and jake feels the urge to buck into his hand. 

“do you think about me all the time when your little dick gets hard, jakey?” 

jake’s cheeks burn, but he can’t deny your words, “yes…” he whispers hoarsely into the bathroom. 

“speak louder, jakey– i wanna be able to hear you.” 

“yes, i think about you.” 

you chuckle, it’s only just the beginning but you seem to have him wrapped around your finger.

“and what am i doing? when you think of me?” 

“you touching me, sucking me.” jake manages to croak out, his voice thick with arousal. 

as jake starts stroking himself faster, his breath comes in short gasps. you watch him with hooded eyes, a cruel smile playing on your lips, “you’ll only ever be able to think about me touching you,” you purr to him from your perched spot on the counter, “i only touch real men, men who can last and fill me up. and you…” you shake your head, looking straight at his hard cock, “you’ll never be able to satisfy me.” 

jake whimpres, his hips bucking involuntarily, “i want to please you.” 

you laugh coldly, “please me? you? with that tiny dick? you won’t fill me up. and the way you’re jerking off right now, you won’t last long enough to even try.” 

your taunts spur him on, his hand moving faster and faster. he bites his lip to stifle a moan, wanting to prove you wrong in this little game, but the more he tries to hold back, the closer he gets to the edge. 

“see, you won’t even last with just your hand, how would you be able to last in my pussy?” 

“i- i would try.” jake whimpers out, his eye is threatening to close. his hand starts to slow, wanting to last longer for you. 

you hum at the action, “good boy.” you dig your hand into your thigh, trying to control your own arousal, trying to pretend like you aren’t turned on at all. “now think that it’s me touching you. that it’s my hands stroking your hard cock up and down, getting you close to the edge.” 

you can tell jake starts to think exactly what you tell him, you stand from your position on the counter, you let your face nuzzle in between his neck, your warm breath sends shivers down his spine. “that’s it, pretend it’s me and my spit all over your cock.” jake whimpers out at your words so you continue, “you’re mine to play with, right?” 

“y-yes,” jake nods up and down, his thumb brushing over his sensitive slit before he continues to jerk his cock. 

you can’t say it– due to this character in this game you’re playing with him– but he looks so hot. the way he’s pathetically thrusting into his own palm, covering in his own spit and precum. his lip is tucked in between his teeth, his styled hair has fallen into his eyes. his whimpers and moans as he gets closer to his climax. 

“cum for me now, jakey. let it go like a good boy.” you whisper to him, “this is the only way you’ll ever get off– by jerking off so pathetically while i degrade you.” 

your words push him over the edge. jake cries out, a curse followed by your name. his body tensing as he spills his release, coating his hand and thighs with his cum. you step away from him, trying to ignore the way your pussy is clenching around nothing at the sight. because this is definitely a sight to see. 

“what a mess you’ve made,” you tsk at him, pretending to be disgusted by him, “but i think you need to prove that you can do better– hold out longer. because then maybe, you’d someday get to feel my pussy around that pathetic cock of yours.”

your words make him whimper out. the combination of humiliation, degradation and his intense orgasm leaves jake reeling. he leans against the wall of the bathroom, trying to catch his breath as he’s covered in his own cum and saliva. 

he watches you reach behind you and zip up your dress easily, quickly fixing your hair and makeup in the mirror before you smile at him one last time. 

“now clean up your mess and get yourself together, jakey. we don’t want anyone knowing what happened here, do we?” 

with that, you unlock the door and stride out of the bathroom, leaving jake alone to process what just happened. your heart is still racing and your body feels dissatisfied and yearning for more. but you know that jake has awakened something deep within you– and you can’t wait to play with him again.

you walk into the kitchen the next morning, the light almost blinding after last night's party. the smell of coffee and bacon fills the air, but it does little to ease the pounding in your head. you see jake, joy, and heeseung already sitting at the table, all looking as rough as you feel.

"well, don't you all look lovely," joy's mother says with a chuckle, examining the four of you all hungover and tired. 

as you sit down at the table in front of jake you try to muster a smile and say, "hi, jake," but he doesn't acknowledge you. he stares down at his plate, pushing his food around with a fork. the cold shoulder stings more than you'd like to admit, and you can feel a tightness in your chest.

you focus on your breakfast, determined not to let the hurt show. the last thing you want is for joy or heeseung to pick up on the tension. you take a sip of coffee, hoping it will jolt you back to life, but it only makes your stomach churn.

heeseung groans dramatically, leaning back in his chair. "hyunjin's parties never disappoint, huh?"

joy laughs, though it sounds more like a wince. "yeah, remind me to never drink that much again."

under the table, you poke jake with your foot to get him to look at you, he briefly does, but his warm eyes are now cold and glaring before he looks down at his plate again. 

you nod along, forcing yourself to join in the conversation. "definitely a night to remember... or forget."

jake stays silent, not looking at you again. you glance at him from the corner of your eye, trying to understand what went wrong. heeseung and joy are too wrapped up in their own misery to notice the silent exchange between you and jake. 

you keep your head down, focusing on your food instead. 

after breakfast, you sit back in your chair, hoping the food will settle your uneasy stomach. heeseung stretches and yawns. "how about a movie? something low volume to help with these headaches."

everyone nods in agreement, except for jake. he stands up, his plate still half full. "i'm going back to bed," he mumbles, avoiding your gaze.

you watch him walk away, a mix of frustration and hurt bubbling inside you. "i'll be right back," you tell joy and heeseung. "need to use the bathroom."

you hurry upstairs, your heart pounding. you catch jake just as he's about to slip into his room. without thinking, you reach out and grab his upper arm, forcing him to turn around and face you. his eyes are still cold, distant.

"jake," you say, your voice barely above a whisper. "what's going on? why are you ignoring me?"

he looks away, his jaw tight. "i'm not ignoring you. just tired."

"no, you're not," you insist, stepping closer, not wanting anyone to hear. "you've been avoiding me since last night. do you regret what we did?"

jake finally meets your gaze, you can see the conflict in his eyes. once he sees your concerned ones, his cold expression starts to melt and blends into the usual, shy and embarrassed one. 

“talk to me, jake.” 

he sighs, giving in to easily to you like always, “it’s just… you left so quick. i didn’t even get to say goodbye.” 

instantly you realize why he’s upset– your actions flashing in your head from the night before. you bite your lip in frustration at yourself, suddenly you were the one to be embarrassed. you understood how upsetting it can be for the other person to just leave so quick with no aftercare or reassurance. you want to blame the alcohol for your actions the night before, but that’s no excuse. you should’ve stayed for a few minutes. 

“you’re right, jake.” you state, his eyes meeting yours in surprise, “i should’ve stayed longer. i’m sorry– that wasn’t right of me. we should’ve talked more about what we are doing and how we feel about it. you know nothing i said during it was true right? like… about your dick and stuff. it’s all just for fun.” 

jake nods, unsure of what to say but is agreeing with you, so you continue. though, you can’t tell if he truly understands that you don’t mean the words you say during your time together. 

“besides staying longer, checking in on each other, is there anything else you would want? are you okay with what we are doing? with what happened last night?” 

jake gulps but stands up straight, looking at you, determined, “yes, i'm okay with what we are doing–more than okay.” his confession makes you smile, “but, i want to touch you, make you feel good, not just me.”

you bite your lip and think about it, “okay, we can do that– just give me time okay?” 

you usually don’t let the people you are hooking up with touch you or see you naked until you are 100% comfortable with the person. when you trust the person. but you’ve known jake for majority of your life… why would this be any different with him. you could trust him… right? 

“yeah, sure. all the time, just for you.” 

you meet his eyes at his words. he’s always so sweet to you, it makes you feel more guilty for the night before. 

“okay jakey, i’ll see you later.”

“see you later, y/n.” 

jake steps into his room and closes the door with a final wave. leaving you with your pounding headache and nausea. you sigh and head back downstairs to rest on the couch with joy and heeseung. you’ll worry about your situation with jake later when you can think straight.

joy bursts into her bedroom with a squeal, her energy contagious. "oh my god, and i forgot to tell you what happened at hyunjin's party the other day."

you lift your head from the bed, curiosity piqued. "oh god, what?"

joy plops down beside you, eyes wide with excitement. "jeno and i kissed."

you sit up, mirroring her excitement. "what? no way! how did that happen?"

she grins, her cheeks flushing. "we were both pretty drunk, and we ended up talking in the kitchen. one thing led to another, and... yeah."

"oh my god, joy, that's huge!" you exclaim, leaning in closer. "how was it? did he kiss you first? did you like it?"

joy nods, her eyes sparkling. "yeah, he kissed me first. and it was... amazing. but now things are kinda weird between us."

"weird how?" you ask, your mind racing with possibilities.

"he's been acting all distant and awkward," she says with a sigh. "i don't know what to do."

you squeeze her hand reassuringly. "maybe he just needs time to process it. you should talk to him."

she nods, her smile returning. "yeah, you're right. i'll talk to him."

you both fall back onto the bed, giggling. joy turns to you, her expression softening. "ugh, i can't believe i forgot to tell you that. we tell each other everything. i forget you can't read my mind sometimes. i'm so glad we are best friends."

she pulls you into a tight hug, and you hug her back just as tightly. "no secrets between us, ever," joy says firmly.

"right... of course," you reply, but your mind drifts to jake.

you hug joy a little closer, feeling the weight of your own secret.

the heat is unbearable by the end of july, and you're grateful for the relief of joy's family's pool. you and joy have been lounging in the cool water all day, floating lazily and enjoying the rare stillness. the sun beats down, relentless, but the water makes it bearable.

jake and heeseung come out, both in their bathing suits. you can't help but check out jake's body. his muscles are more defined, his skin tanned. he catches your gaze and blushes, looking away quickly. it makes you smile. even after cumming in front of you, he’s still so shy. 

the day drags on, the sun slowly sinking in the sky, casting long shadows over the backyard. heeseung eventually heads home, throwing a casual wave your way. joy decides to go inside, “i need to wash this chlorine out of my hair or else it’ll feel disgusting.” you nod, watching her leave, and suddenly you and jake are alone.

the silence between you holds tension. you float closer to him, your movements slow and deliberate. he seems nervous, his eyes darting everywhere but at you. you find it endearing, his shyness, his awkwardness. he can’t look at you in a bathing suit, how could he look at you naked?

"it's nice out here," you say softly, breaking the silence.

he nods, glancing at you briefly. "yeah, it is."

you can see the tension in his shoulders, the way he's holding himself so tightly. you move closer, your fingers brushing against his under the water. he tenses, but doesn't pull away.

"you've changed a lot, jakey," you murmur, your voice barely above a whisper.

he finally looks at you, his eyes wide and vulnerable. "so have you."

you tilt your head to the side, intrigued, “how so?” 

he hesitates, his gaze flickering away before returning to meet yours. "you're more... confident. and, uh, you seem happier."

you try not to frown as his words bring you back to when you were in highschool. your parents were going through a divorce, your idiot highschool boyfriend cheated on you and you weren’t doing well in school. the only thing you really had was joy and her family that welcomed you in so warmly. you guess you forgot that jake had seen you at such a dark time. 

"yeah, those were tough times," you admit softly, your fingers trailing absently through the water. "but things got better."

he nods, watching you with a mixture of curiosity and concern. "i'm glad they did. you deserve to be happy."

"thanks, jake. that means a lot."

he shifts closer, his movements tentative and careful. "i always wanted to say something back then, but i didn't know how."

you raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "say what?"

"that you weren't alone," he says quietly. "that i was there for you, even if you didn't see it."

the vulnerability in his voice makes your heart ache. you reach out, your fingers brushing against his arm. "that’s sweet of you, jakey."

he looks at you, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

“you said, you wanted to make me feel good too, right jakey?” you ask, your voice practically purring. 

jake gulps at the sudden change in atmosphere. the sun is dipping down in the sky, you’re in a bathing suit that brings out the colour of your eyes, and now you’re talking about him making you feel good. he feels like he’s in heaven. 

“y-yeah, if you want.” he replies shakily. 

you smile at his sweetness once again, “then go on and touch me.” you command, “prove to me that those fingers of yours are good for something.” 

jake hesitates, knowing that his pleasure is entirely dependent on yours now. but slowly, he reaches out and places his hands on your hips– the first time he’s ever touched you. “if your fingers can’t make me feel good, then what hope does your cock have?” 

you watch jake’s face, enjoying the desperation and determination in his eyes.

slowly, jake’s hand goes under the way, tracing the hem of your bathing suit bottoms. you have to bite your lip to hold back your gasp. his fingers trace over the cloth of your swimsuit, until they hover over where your clit is. 

jake begins to rub in slow circles, gently at first, then with more pressure as you struggle to hold back a soft moan. 

“hm,” you pretend to scold him, “do you even know how to touch a woman, or have you been too busy jerking off all by yourself?” 

“i, i know how to pleasure a woman– i know how to pleasure you, i can pleasure you.” jake is determined as his fingers continue to rub your clit faster. you briefly close your eyes, the water around your core turns you on more. 

“you should, because imagine how embarrassing it would be for heeseung to come out here and see me having to fake my moans because of you.” 

jake’s movements slow for a moment and you realize that you’ve found another way to play with him. a sly smirk spreads across your face, “didn’t realize that anyone could walk out her and find you with your fingers against my pussy?” 

“n-no,” jake whimpers out, his eyes darting from your face to the backdoor. 

you laugh at his worry, “relax,” you tell him seriously, “they can’t see what we are doing under the water– it’s too dark.” 

he nods, and picks up the pace of his fingers against your clit. 

you let out a moan, “that’s it, you’re doing better than i thought, jakey.” you glance down at where his hand is curving against your body. 

because truthfully, he was making you feel good. he was alternating between small circles and moving your clit side to side. the friction from your bathing suit rubbing against your clit made you squirm in the water. 

you reach up, deciding to reward jake, and slowly pull the straps of your bathing suit top down, letting the fabric fall away to reveal your breasts. jake’s gaze flicks to them, and your breath quickens. he’s looking at your breasts like they are the most beautiful thing in the world. 

“you want to suck on these, don’t you?” you ask, running your fingers over your nipples, now hard from the cool water and his gaze. “beg me, and maybe i’ll let you.” 

without missing a beat, “please, y/n, let me pleasure you. i want to taste you so bad.” 

you smirk, satisfied with his answer, “good enough, let’s see what your mouth can do.” 

you guide his head towards you, and he takes a nipple into your mouth, sucking gently at first, then with more fervour as you moan quietly. your hands tangle in his long hair, holding him close to you. 

“t-that’s it, that’s good.” your voice betrays you as you speak. you can’t forget who’s in control here. 

jake’s tongue flicks and teases, sending shocks of pleasure through your body. you pull his closer, his fingers on your clit don’t stop. you start to grind your hips against his hand, your breathing becoming ragged as jake brings you closer to the edge. 

"oh, fuck, i'm getting close," you whisper, my voice hoarse with desire. “i want to cum all over those pathetic little fingers of yours."

jake’s tongue works faster, knowing that your orgasm is close and with a final grind of your hips, you cum. your body shakes with pleasure as you let your head rest in jake’s neck to muffle your moans. he holds you firmly against himself, letting you ride out your orgasm. 

finally, you pull away from him, panting and your eyes mix with satisfaction, “good boy,” you whisper, running your fingers through your hair, getting it out of your face. 

jake fights the urge to kiss you, knowing that it would be wrong (it’s all you want). so instead he asks, “are you okay?” 

you want to laugh but you’re too worn out from your orgasm, “yeah i am, i’m just hungry.” 

it’s jake’s turn to laugh, “you want to get out and get some dinner.” he offers you his hand to help pull you out of the pool. 

you take his hand, letting him help you out, “yeah, i’m starving.” 

you both climb out of the pool, the cool evening air hitting your damp skin. he hands you a towel, and you wrap it around yourself, shivering slightly.

as you head towards the house, you glance back at him. "you coming?"

he nods, following you inside. there’s a look in his eye that sends a shiver down your sprint. it’s a mix of infatuation and adoration and it scares you. he’s your best friend's little brother. what you two have going on is only a game, meant to be for fun. 

but then why do you have this fluttering feeling in your chest everytime you see him?

"i can't believe you're leaving me here," you complain, sprawled across joy's bed as she packs to leave for the cottage with her family.

joy rolls her eyes, stuffing clothes into her bag. "it's only for three days."

"yeah, but that feels like a month to me."

joy laughs, shaking her head. "when we get back, we'll continue our summer of fun. we only have a month left."

you groan, letting your head fall back against the pillows. "don't remind me."

you watch as joy zips up her bag, her movements brisk and efficient. she glances at you, a fond smile tugging at her lips. you know she's excited about the trip, but the thought of being without her for three whole days feels unbearable. you wonder what you’ll do without her… and jake.

"i should go home," you say, pushing yourself up from the bed. "it's getting late."

joy turns to you, pulling you into a tight hug. "text me if you need anything."

"of course," you reply, hugging her back just as tightly.

you pull away and head for the door, it's only three days, but it feels like an eternity. but, maybe it’ll give you some time to think about what’s happening between you and jake. 

you wake up to your phone buzzing on your nightstand. you groggily reach for it and squint at the screen, reading joy's message.

 joy : [yn, jake isn't feeling good at all so we are leaving him home alone for the weekend. would you mind checking up on him sometimes?? thank you so much ily]

you sigh and rub your eyes before typing back,

you : [yeah sure, have fun this weekend]

lying back down, you think about how awful it is for jake to not be feeling well during the summer. you hope he's okay, and a pang of concern hits you as you imagine him alone in the house.

later in the day, you decide to bring him some soup for dinner, knowing he probably won’t cook for himself. 

so when the sun starts to set again, you walk up to the familiar path on the door to joy’s house and knock softly, hoping jake is awake and feeling better. when there’s no answer you point, and take out your set of keys, unlocking the door with the spare key that had given you years ago. 

you walk inside the house, it’s eerily quiet without the usual chatter and noises of people being home. heading upstairs, you stop in front of jake’s bedroom door, which is closed. you knock softly, “jake? it’s y/n.”

here’s a pause before you hear his muffled voice, “just go home, y/n.”

you’re taken aback. “i have soup for you.”

“not hungry,” he mumbles.

you sigh, pushing the door open anyway. his room is dark, the curtains drawn tightly shut. you see him lying in his bed, blankets pulled up to his chin. you rush to his side, concern etched on your face. “jake, are you okay?” you start, reaching out to feel his forehead. “let me take your temperature. oh my god you must be really sick– have you taken any medicine?” 

he shrugs you off aggressively, sitting up abruptly. “i’m not sick!” he snaps.

you’re taken aback and confused. “but, joy said you aren’t feeling well…”

“well, i lied, okay? so you can leave. i’m fine,” jake says, his voice laced with frustration, but his eyes can’t stay on yours for long. 

you sit on jake's bed, refusing to leave when he’s like this, "why did you lie to them, jake? what's wrong?"

he sighs, covering his face with his hands. "i just needed to be alone for a while."

"what's happened, jake?"

"nothing happened, y/n."

silence falls between you, the room feeling heavy with unspoken words. you watch him, his shoulders tense, his face hidden. you both sit there, processing the weight of the moment.

finally, you break the silence. "is it about me? us?"

jake looks up at you, his eyes filled with something that tells you you’re right. 

"well, what is it? i'm here now, let's talk."

jake sighs but sits up straight, trying his best to look at you. "it's just, i don't understand what this is. i mean, why me?"

"what do you mean why you?"

"because there's so many other better guys that you could get, l-like heeseung."

you tilt your head, confused. "why would i like heeseung?"

"because he's like a real man, one that i'm not. one that could please you a-and fill you up." his words echo the ones you speak when you fool around with each other, and your heart aches knowing that he’s been taking your words to heart. that he’s locked himself away in his bedroom for the weekend because of you. 

you smile and explain yourself, "jake, i don't like guys like heeseung. my university is filled with guys like heeseung. my attraction is to guys like you, kind, sweet ones that have no idea they're hot. if i liked heeseung, i would be with him and not you, right?"

he shrugs, "i guess."

"i think you're insanely hot, jake, you know that, right?"

jake looks at you finally, shocked. "you think i'm hot?"

you giggle, "of course, that's why i'm doing this thing with you. why’d you think i was doing this with you if you didn't think i was attracted to you?"

he shrugs, "because i'm like the only one around really in this small town."

"jake, i am attracted to you, and only you."

jake smiles, "i'm attracted to you too, y/n– you know i think you're beautiful."

it's your turn to blush now but you sigh, “the things i say to you when we fool around aren’t true. it only makes this, foreplay thing, fun, right?” you feel the need to explain yourself, “you like what we do together, right?” and jake nods immediately and it makes you want to giggle, but instead you reach your hand out, your thumb rubbing against his warm cheek. it’s cute how he instantly melts into your touch. he looks so pretty against your hand. 

you can’t help but lean in close to him, leaving only inches between both of your faces from connecting, “you know, jake,” you whisper to him, “if you want something, all you have to do is ask.” you see confusion cross his eyes as he takes in your words, “just ask, and if i say no, then we can do something else, no harm done, right?” jake nods slowly as he analyses the meaning of your words, “just ask.” 

jake swallows roughly, fighting his inner urge to look away from you– but he keeps his eyes on yours when he speak, “can i kiss you?” 

you smile at his simple request. how could you think he’d ask something dirty of you (though you would’ve said yes to anything to him), when the jake you know has always been so sweet. 

you don’t answer him but instead lean in so your lips meet his. they’re soft and warm. and the kiss is sweet and romantic. your heart begins to palpitate, and it scares you. you've never felt like this when you've kissed someone before. the sensation is new, and thrilling and slightly overwhelming. 

you pull away first, your breath slightly unsteady. you look at jake, whose eyes take a while to flutter open again, clearly so entranced by your kiss. his gaze is filled with wonder and a hint of disbelief, as if he's trying to process the reality of what just happened.

“i told you, just ask.” you smile at him, your voice as sweet as him. 

jake gulps, and you can tell he wants to speak again, and you wait until he organizes in his head about how he wants to say it. he looks at you again, his eyes looking directly into yours, “can i eat you out? i want to. i want to know what you taste like.” 

your eyes widen at his request, a shiver runs through your body. the side of him that you’ve been craving to see, a glimpse of the confident, assertive man that you know he is when you’re not around. he’s finally taking control, being dominant, and you don’t stop him. 

without further prompting, jake moves toward, getting on his knees on his floor as you sit on his bed. he kneels between your legs, his hands gently pushing your thighs apart. his hands run up your thighs, “wanna make you feel good, y/n.” jake says to you, his voice unwavering. 

“then do it,” you tell him. 

his fingers hook inside your shorts, pulling them down in one swift movement, leaving your core bare before him. you feel exposed to him as he lets his eyes scan your pussy. he lets out a groan once you’re bare before him. 

his tongue darts out, teasingly light as it flicks against your inner thigh. you inhale sharply at the sensation, goosebumps erupting across your skin. he takes his time, kissing and nipping at the sensitive skin of your legs, inching ever closer to your center. he’s teasing is so experienced. 

finally, his mouth reaches your core, and he wastes no time in tasting you. his tongue delves into your folds, lapping at your juices greedily. moans escape your lips as his talented tongue teases your clit, circling and flicking it with just the right amount of pressure.

"fuck, you taste so sweet," he murmurs between licks, his breath hot against your soaked lips. "i could eat you out forever."

your hands tangle in his hair, guiding him closer, encouraging him to continue, “would you like that, jakey? being in between my legs forever?” you tease him, wanting to see how far he would push back into the whole dominant thing. you pant, arching your back as he sucks your clit into his mouth, hollowing his cheeks as he pulls and tugs at the sensitive bud. it makes you cry out. 

“fuck yes, could be here all the time,” jake mutters out against your now soaked pussy. “do you like my mouth on you, y/n? like the way my tongue fucks you?” 

you feel a wave of arousal wash through you and head straight to your core at his words. you’ve never seen this side of him before. and you’re already enjoying it so much. 

"yes...feels so good," you manage to utter, “i love your mouth on my pussy so much. i had no idea you were this good at it.”

jake moans in response, the vibrations sending shocks of pleasure throughout your body. he adds a finger, then two, thrusting them into your tight hole as he continues to work your clit with his tongue. you buck your hips, riding his face as waves of pleasure build within you.

"oh fuck, I'm getting close," you warn him, your body trembling on the edge. "don't stop, jake! please!" the use of his full name makes him eat you out faster and harder. 

He grunts in response, holding you firmly in place as he eats you furiously. and then, with one final swirl of his tongue and a hard suck on your clit, you explode around his mouth. your thighs tightening around his head. "hh god, jake!" you scream, your pussy clenching and pulsing as you ride out a powerful orgasm.

jake laps at your juices, reveling in the taste of your release. he continues to lick and kiss your sensitive flesh as the aftershocks of your orgasm ripple through your body.

"that was...incredible," you breathe, before he leans up and kisses you, without even needing to ask– it turns you on more. you can taste yourself on his lips, a wicked reminder of the pleasure he just gave you.

“i’m glad you liked it, baby,” his pet name for you makes your legs squirm, “but i really want to know what your mouth feels like wrapped around my cock.” 

you smirk up at him, loving this side of him. you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss that is rougher and sloppier than the other ones. 

you pull away first, a thin string of saliva connecting your mouths before it snaps. his breath comes in sharp gasps and you know he's eager for more. with a slow, deliberate movement, you reach for the button of his jeans, popping it open before tugging down the zipper. his hips help you ease his pants and boxers over them, freeing his hard cock.

"fuck, yes," jake breathes, his eyes fixed on your face as you take him in your hands. his length is impressive, thick and veiny, the head slick with pre-cum. you give it a teasing squeeze, enjoying the way he bucks slightly into your grip.

"you like this, baby?" you coo, stroking him slowly, teasingly. "you like the idea of my mouth on you?" without waiting for an answer, you lean forward and swipe your tongue across the tip, tasting the small drop that beads there. "mmm, delicious," you hum, taking him deeper into your mouth, sucking gently.

jake's hands thread into your hair, guiding but not forcing. "fuck, baby, that feels so good. I've fantasized about this for so long. your pretty mouth wrapped around me, sucking me dry." His voice is hoarse with desire, his hips twitching as he tries to suppress the urge to thrust into your hot, wet mouth.

you hollow your cheeks, taking him deeper, your lips gliding over sensitive flesh. One hand cups his heavy balls, massaging gently, your thumb brushing the sensitive skin behind them. "You like that, Jake? Want more?" You hum against him, vibing your question straight to his groin.

he whimpers, his grip tightening in your hair. "yes, yes, don't stop. feels too good to stop." he bucks his hips, fucking your face gently, moaning as your tongue teases and flicks. "you're so good at this, baby. knew you'd be amazing." his words are punctuated by sharp intakes of breath as your tongue swirls and dances.

“hm, you’re such a desperate boy.” 

jake scoffs as he looks down at you, suddenly roughly grabbing your hair for you to look at him, “open your mouth wider, i’m gonna fuck your mouth.” he understands the game you want to play, understands that you want to see how dominant he can get. he knows you want to be forced into submission. 

you have to hold back your whimper at his words as they make your pussy clamp around nothing. 

you do as he says, opening your mouth wider for him to slide his entire cock inside of your mouth, reaching the back of your throat. 

“fuck,” a guttural sound leaves his mouth once you enclose your lips around his cock, your throat enwrapping his cock. he tangles a hand into your hair, slowly guiding his cock back out of you. “i wanna hear you gag on me, baby.” 

you moan around his cock, his words adding to the fire that’s lit in your abdomen. 

jake’s hips move gently at first, sliding in and out of your mouth, the head of his cock bumping the back of your throat every time. “that’s it baby,” he encourages, his voice harsh as he looks down at you, “take it nice and deep. that’s what i want.”

As his rhythm increases, you sense his building orgasm, and you hum, the vibration making his eyes roll back. his once quiet bedroom was filled with his grunts and curses and the wet sounds of his cock thrusting in and out of your mouth. 

you tap on his thigh and he releases your hair, letting your body lax on the bed and letting you catch your breath. you pull away, a stand of saliva connects your lips to his cock. 

“want you to cum in my pussy, jakey.” 

instantly, you can feel the atmosphere in jake’s room change. he returns to his awkward, shy self and he can’t look at you anymore. you partly wonder if he doesn’t want to have sex with you. 

“i mean, we don’t have to have sex if you don’t wan-” you start to give him an out. 

“- i want to!” jake cuts you off with a rush, and he immediately looks embarrassed, “i mean, i’d like to, if you want to.” 

you smile at him, “are you sure?” 

“yes, it’s just…” jake trails off again, having to gain the courage to say, “i’m a virgin.” 

your jaw unconsciously drops. you’re surprised to hear his confession. you thought he was experienced given how attractive he is. but his admission only makes him more desirable to you. 

"don't worry, jake. we can take it slow," you assure him, reaching out to stroke his cheek. "i really want this, and I want you."

he nods, his eyes nervous but full of desire. you can sense his eagerness, and it makes your pussy throb with anticipation. slowly, you grab the hem of your shirt and pull it off of your head, leaving yourself completely bare to his eyes. 

jake’s eyes widen as he takes in your body. you watch the brown orbs circle your entire core, watching as they move up and down your curves. it makes you giggle. 

“are you gonna get undressed too, jakey? or just me?” 

“n-no, i will,” jake stutters and takes off his own shirt. it reveals his abs that you’ve so desperately wanted to touch and lick the other week in the pool. so now that you’re alone, and you’ve given up some of your vulnerability to him, you reach out and trace the hardlines of his abs. his skin is warm and his chest is practically panting from being so turned on. 

“you’re really so beautiful, jakey.” 

you hear him gulp as he watches you touch him. it turns you on so much to see how quickly he can go from being in control, to being wrapped around your finger again. he’s so versatile that it makes your pussy throb with all the ideas you can do with him. 

you’re watching his adam's apple bob as he swallows, his eyes following your every movement. you push him down onto his bed so his head is on his pillow. you straddle his thighs, feeling the hardness of his dick pressed against your stomach. his hands rest tentatively on his sides, as if he's not sure whether to touch you or not. you take his hands in yours and place them firmly on your body, encouraging him to hold you.

"i want you to feel every inch of me," you whisper, grinding your hips against him. his dick slides against your clit, making you gasp at the pleasure shooting through your body.

"you feel so good," he murmurs, his voice hoarse with need.

you smile, feeling powerful and desired. you lean down, pressing your breasts against his chest as you capture his lips in a passionate kiss. his hands move eagerly over your body now, exploring your curves. you moan into his mouth, your tongue dancing with his.

breaking the kiss, you sit up straight, taking his hands and placing them on your breasts. "touch me, jakey," you encourage him, guiding his fingers to pinch and roll your sensitive nipples. "that's it… fuck. you know how sensitive my nipples are.” 

jake’s eyes are fixed on your breasts as he watches his fingers play with your nipples, making them harden even more. you arch your back, offering yourself to him, and his breath quickens as he takes in the sight.

"i want you inside me," you whisper, positioning yourself above his throbbing cock. you hover just above him, rubbing your swollen clit against the tip of his dick, making him groan and buck his hips instinctively.

"not yet," you tease, denying him entry. "i want to feel you fill me up first."

he nods, biting his lip as he tries to control his urge to thrust into you. you smile at his eagerness, loving how responsive he is to your slightest touch and instruction.

slowly, you lower yourself onto his shaft, engulfing his thick length inside your tight, wet pussy. you moan loudly as you sink down, feeling him stretch you deliciously. "oh fuck, jake... you feel bigger than i imagined," you pant, throwing your head back in pleasure. jake groans out as he fills you up. the way his name rolls off your tongue makes his cock twitch inside of you. 

jakee watches, mesmerized, as your body rises and falls, his dick sliding in and out of your slick core. "you look so beautiful riding me," he breathes, his hands gripping your hips as if he wants to pull you even closer.

you quicken your pace, riding him with abandon. your breasts bounce with each thrust, your nipples rubbing against his chest. "does my tight pussy feel good around your cock, jakey?" you ask, grinding your hips in circles.

"so good... so fucking good," he grunts, his eyes rolling back slightly as he loses himself in the sensations. "i've fantasized about this... about you..."

hearing his admission sends a thrill through your body. you lean forward, bracing your hands on his chest as you pound your pussy onto his cock, driving him deeper with each thrust. "you like my pussy, don't you?"

"fuck yes... it's so wet and hot... feels like heaven," he moans, his fingers digging into your hips as if he wants to leave marks. he gulps and you can tell he’s thinking about saying something, your hips enticing him to say it, “you like my cock? the way it stretches you? fills you? i bet, ugh, you can feel how hard it is inside of you.” 

“mhm,” you whimper out to him, loving this side of him, loving when it comes out and makes your pussy squeeze around his cock tighter. 

you sit up straight, your hands reaching behind to grip his thighs as you bounce on his lap. "tell me if you're close, jake. i want you to cum inside me."

he nods vigorously, his eyes locked on where your bodies are joined. "i'm close... so close..." he observes how wet your inner thighs are as you bounce up and down on him. 

You increase your speed, your pussy juices coating his shaft as you slide up and down so quickly, “cum for me jake, fill my pussy with your hot cum.” 

jake grunts out, moaning your name, he arches his back, his body tensing as he releases his load deep inside of you. you feel his cock twitching with each spurt, sending ripples of pleasure through your own body. "that's it, baby... fill me up," you encourage him, continuing to ride him through his orgasm. your own orgasm following his. the twitching of his cock releasing his sperm makes your pussy clamp down, your body shakes and your hands grip onto his chest harder as the orgasm washes through you. 

finally, he collapses back against the bed, his chest heaving as he tries to catch his breath. you sit atop him, feeling his cum leaking out of your well-fucked pussy. you lean down, kissing him softly. "that was incredible," you murmured against his lips. 

he smiles, a mix of satisfaction and awe on his face. "you have no idea how long i've wanted that..."

you trail kisses along his jawline, a sense of power coursing through you. "i think i do,"

you slowly get off of jake and lay beside him, your chest starting to slow it’s movement as you catch your breath. you’re suddenly aware of the cooling sweat on your skin and the sticky mess between your thighs. the post-nut haze starts to lift as you register the reality of what just happened. you scan the room for your clothes, hoping to dress quickly and slip away. but jake is quicker than you. 

jake stands up and goes to the bathroom, wetting a cloth and coming back to your position in bed. he sits beside you, and looks you in the eye for permission to clean you. you nod silently, and let him open your legs. he gently wipes the saliva and cum off of you. the feeling is intense as he takes care of you. 

he presses a soft kiss onto your knee cap and you feel like your heart is gonna explode in your chest from sheer panic. this is all too vulnerable, all too intimate to what you are used to. 

when jake goes back to the bathroom to clean himself, you hurry and dress again. you beeline straight to the front door of the house– not looking at any family pictures on the wall, not being able to bear to see your best friend's face right now. 

padding softly towards the door, you stop to look back one last time. it was just sex, you tell yourself. and yet, you can't shake the feeling that something has shifted between you and Jake. 

just as you begin to pull the door open, you hear his voice call out, soft but insistent, “wait y/n!” your heart leaps into your throat and you turn, seeing jake standing there, fully clothed now. “i have to tell you something.” 

your heart feels like a lump in your throat as you swallow roughly, “what is it?” 

he takes a deep breath, his expression vulnerable. "i like you, y/n. i've always liked you since we were kids. i've just never said anything because i've been too shy and– and insecure. you deserve someone better than me."

your heart aches at his words. "jake, no. you're the best person i know. you don't deserve someone as awful as me." it breaks your heart to see him so insecure, especially around you. you've noticed how he is different when you aren't there, how he's more outgoing and confident.

he shakes his head, his eyes filled with earnestness. "no, y/n, that's not true. you're amazing, and i wish you could see that. i've always been afraid to tell you how i feel because i didn't think i was good enough for you."

"but jake, you are good enough. you're more than good enough." you squeeze his hand, trying to convey just how much you mean it. "i've been hurt before. that's why i don't get into relationships. i'm scared to be vulnerable, to let someone in."

"i understand," he murmurs, his thumb gently stroking the back of your hand. "but i’ll be here for you, whenever you need. i want to be with you.”

you swallow, "but what about joy?"

he hesitates, then says, "i know it could be complicated, but we can figure it out together."

you nod, feeling a mixture of relief and anxiety. "i like you too, jake. more than i realized. but i'm scared." 

jake smiles softly at you and wraps his arms around you. you let yourself melt into his arms, taking in his scent and warmth. you feel safe for the first time in your life. feeling safe and being held is all you’ve ever wanted. you didn’t want to be the one in control all of the time. jake allows your walls to be down– allows you to be vulnerable and safe at the same time.

"i'm scared too," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "but i think we can make this work if we try."

you smile, feeling a warmth spread through your chest. "i hope so."

you leave his room, your heart lighter but an anxiety settling upon you. you hope no one gets hurt in this. you’ve been hurt too many times and you would hate to see the ones you care most about being hurt. 

 as you walk down the stairs, you can't help but feel a sense of relief. maybe, just maybe, you could be happy.

you and jake have been seeing each other for a few weeks now, careful to keep things secret. it's not that you don't want anyone to know, but you're not sure how joy will react. she's your best friend, and jake is her little brother. the dynamic is complicated, to say the least. 

one evening, joy is hosting a small get-together at her place. a few friends from high school, some new ones from college, and, of course, jake and you. you and jake have gotten good at sneaking glances, sharing secret smiles, and brushing against each other in passing without anyone noticing.

but tonight, something feels different. the tension between you and jake is palpable, and you catch joy watching you both a few times with a curious look in her eyes. you try to play it cool, but it's hard when all you want is to be close to him.

at some point, jake and you meet in the hallway, away from everyone’s prying eyes. jake takes this opportunity to slip a hand into yours, giving it a gentle squeeze. you smile at him, your heart fluttering at the simple touch. everything he seemed to do made your heart ache more for him. 

"what's going on here?"

the voice makes you rip your hands away from each other. but when you turn and see your best friend, so visibly angry and confused, you know it’s too late. 

you and jake freeze, exchanging a quick, nervous glance. you clear your throat, trying to come up with an explanation, but nothing comes to mind.

"uh, nothing," you stammer, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks.

joy narrows her eyes at you, then at jake. "nothing, huh? because it sure looked like something."

jake sighs, realizing there's no point in hiding it anymore. "joy, we need to talk."

joy raises an eyebrow. "yeah, i think we do." she crosses her arms over his chest, her eyes glaring at you both of you. 

jake takes a deep breath and looks at his sister, "joy, y/n and i have been seeing each other," he says, his voice steady but nervous.

joy's eyes widen even more. "what? since when?"

"a few weeks now," you admit, feeling the need to finally be honest.

joy looks between the two of you, her expression a mix of surprise, anger and confusion. "why didn't you tell me?"

"because we didn't know how you'd react," jake explains. "you're my sister, and y/n is your best friend. we didn't want to make things weird."

joy stands in her place, her gaze flickering between the two of you, “i can't even look at you right now, y/n. i have to go."

panic surges through you as joy turns to leave. "joy, no please, we can talk about this." you reach out and grab her wrist, desperation in your voice.

she snatches her wrist away, glaring at you. "talk about what? that you’ve been lying to me for weeks? i thought we told each other everything, y/n. this is too much."

without another word, joy storms off, heading back to her room and leaving her party and guests behind. the music and laughter feel distant and hollow as you stand there, guilt and regret washing over you.

you glance at jake, his expression mirroring your own feelings of hurt and regret. you both know the pain you've caused joy. the pain you’ve caused the only person who has stood by you your entire life. 

but jake grabs your hand again, comforting you. you know that you can’t leave this relationship with jake behind. you need to find a way for you to be truly happy with both siblings in your life.

the next day, you find yourself knocking on joy’s bedroom door. the air still heavy with unresolved tension as she opens the door to see you. she groans and walks towards her bed, leaving the door open for you to enter. 

you sit across from joy on her bed, her expression softening as she takes a deep breath.

"i'm sorry for walking away like that," she begins, her voice quiet but sincere. "i've had some time to think, and i realize now that i wasn't upset about you and jake dating. i was upset because you kept it a secret from me. our whole friendship relies on knowing everything about each other."

you nod, feeling the weight of her words. "i'm sorry too, joy. i've been a bad friend. i didn't want to hurt you, but i didn't even know my own feelings towards jake. everything happened so fast, and i was scared."

joy reaches out and takes your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "i understand. i just felt left out and betrayed, but i get it now. we all make mistakes,” she nods understandingly. 

"i promise i won't keep anything from you again," you say, your voice filled with determination. "you're my best friend, and i don't want to lose that."

joy smiles, a genuine warmth returning to her eyes. "i forgive you, y/n. let’s move past this, okay?” she opens her arms up, letting you wrap your own arms around her. the hug is tight and loving, like usual. 

as you both pull away, you notice jake standing at the door, a sheepish look on his face.

"i overheard your conversation," he admits, stepping into the room. "i'm really sorry too, joy. i never wanted to come between you two or cause any problems."

joy looks at her brother, then back at you, and smiles. "it's all good, jake. just promise me you'll take care of each other and be honest with me from now on."

"we promise," you both say in unison, causing joy to laugh.

"well, at least we will be sister-in-laws someday," she jokes, making you all laugh.

the thought of marriage might be far too soon, but as you stand there with your best friend and jake, the idea doesn't seem so far-fetched. the three of you hug on her bed. 

you know that maybe someday your best friend would become your sister-in-law, and her little brother would become your husband. for now, you're happy, and that's all that matters.

@ taeghi, 2024. do not repost or reuse in anyway.

PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU ENJOY, AS LIKES MAKE IT HARD FOR WORK TO BE SPREAD AND ENJOYED BY OTHERS :)

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[hungryforhungergames]

The White Swan (part one)

Quick Summary:

He was the Head Gamemaker. She was a tribute meant to die.

Love isn’t forbidden in the Hunger Games — it’s fatal.

Author's note:

So this is a story about the 21st Hunger Games. I apologize beforehand, the story is not going to be like entirely correct because I changed a few things. By the way, my first language is not English so I'm sorry for the spelling mistakes I probably made. Hope you like the first part xx

Iris Sierra Vale POV:

The sea was wild, ominous. A sign that something was about to happen today, and it did. The Reaping, the day when the fate of twenty-four young people is determined. The fate we cannot escape, death. One person would survive, but maybe death was better than returning home after all. Iris feels light as a feather as she allows herself to drift on the cold and refreshing sea water. The sun is at 90 degrees perpendicular to the sky and its rays warm her face. She doesn't want to think about it, but there is a chance she would never be able to swim in the sea again. When the mayor takes the piece of paper with her name, it's over. 

“Iris!”

She looks up when she hears her name. Kyle Donovan makes his way through the sea water, his clothes getting wet and it beginning to stick to his skin. They are neat clothes he always wears to the reaping. It doesn't matter that they get wet, because of the climate it will dry quickly.

“Your mother is looking for you.”

He tells as he stands close to her, or rather, swims. Iris sighs and closes her eyes, she doesn't want to think about this.

“The reaping is about to start, she wants to see you.”

Kyle continues.

“Do you think I'll be chosen?”

The silence that follows feels heavy. Iris feels like something is pushing her down into the water, like something wants her to go under and never come back up. 

“No, of course not.”

Brings out Kyle after a while. He seems unsure how to respond to her unexpected question. Iris remains silent, but slowly opens her eyes. Kyle looks at her and shrugs.

“Don't worry so much, your name is only in there three times.”

That's the last thing he says before swimming back to shore.  That's how conversations have often gone lately. Short and to the point, when Kyle felt everything had been said, he quickly left. Iris wonders what had changed between them; they had been friends since childhood. When they were little, they played in the sea together and made bracelets out of shells. Now that they were older, they often stood together in the market selling stuff.

“Wait Kyle!”

Iris can't just let him walk away, maybe one of them will be chosen for the Hunger Games. Kyle stops on the shore and waits until Iris has also swum to shore. Her wet clothes stick to her body and she wrings the salty water from her locks.

“'You said my mom is looking for me?”

Iris asks him to make sure he doesn't run away again. After all, she doesn't have anything better to say to him. 

“Yes, she asked if I knew where you were.”

He replied, wringing the water from his clothes. Drops feel on the sand, like tears on a pillow. They are absorbed and forgotten. Of course Kyle knew where she was, she's always here.

“Then I'd better go, or she'll hurt me.”

Iris still tries to keep things lighthearted, but the conversation continues to feel painful.

“Yes, I'll go back to my parents too.  They still want to see me before the reaping.”

Since their houses are both on opposite sides of the beach, goodbyes soon follow. Iris looks over her shoulder at Kyle one more time, but he walks down the beach at a hurried pace.

The town square is filled with everyone Iris knows. Her peers with whom she has met often enough, families who have invited her over for a bite to eat often enough. Everyone is tense for the reaping, faces are tight and everyone is wobbling a little uneasily on their feet. Her mother had hugged Iris extra tightly just before they were separated; after all, the parents had to settle on the sides of the square. 

“It's going to be okay.”

She had whispered in Iris's ear. Iris could only nod, even though she knew her mother couldn't promise that. Iris spotted Kyle, standing on the other side of the square. She didn't have much time to stare at him; her attention was soon drawn to something else. Someone from the Capitol came onto the stage, a middle-aged man dressed in a bright yellow suit. His hair was mint-green and his mustache was orange. The murmur lessened and soon you could hear a pin drop.

“Welcome all to the reaping of the twenty-first Hunger Games!”

He practically roars into the microphone. His enthusiasm is inappropriate for the terrible moment, but he doesn't seem bothered by it. 

“It's an honor to pick the two tributes that are for district four.”

He continues and smiles at the crowd. It remains silent and no one seems to know how to respond to this strange capitol man.

“As always, we start with the girls.”

He walks across the stage and makes his way to a large bin. Hundreds of papers lie in a mass in the bin, ready to be pulled. Iris's heart starts pounding faster as the man's hand disappears into the bin, drops of sweat falling down her back. It took a while before the man finally withdrew his hand from the bin, a paper clasped in his hands. A shiver runs through Iris's body, even as she stands sweating in the blood-hot sun. That shiver feels like a sign, she doesn't need to hear the name written on the paper, she already knows it. On the other hand, Iris can slap herself, why is she looking for it so much? The chances were very small according to Kyle, and he was right about that, right?

Cheerfully, the Capitol man walks back to the microphone, slowly opening the paper. He stops at the microphone and within seconds Iris' life is turned upside down.

“The female tribute from District Four is Iris Sierra Vale.”

For a moment it feels like her heart stops beating; maybe that was what she wanted. If she died here in the square now, she couldn't be sent into the arena. Everything is blurred, her vision blurred. She hears the voice of the man on the stage but she cannot respond. She has been chosen, the female tribute of district four. Slowly, everything becomes a little clear again. She feels the stares of everyone from the square on her and she wants to throw up. 

“Iris Sierra, come forward!”

She hears the man speak through the microphone. For a moment Iris thinks about running away, but she knows it's hopeless. Peacekeepers surround the square and she will be caught right away, who knows what they would do to her. So Iris begins to walk step by step toward the stage, her head bowed down. She feels defeated and terribly alone, even though she is surrounded by hundreds of residents of her own district. Carefully she climbs the stairs to the stage and the man in the bright yellow suit grabs her arm and takes her to the microphone.

“Here she is, Iris Sierra Vale.”

He announces and the audience begins to clap softly in pity. Iris lets her eyes slide through the audience, looking for her mother or Kyle. It takes a while, but eventually she finds her mother crying in the arms of another woman. Iris doesn't have much time to feel her heart breaking, as the capitol man starts talking again.

“And now for the boys.”

The man walks to the bin on the other side of the stage, the bin filled with bills full of boys' names. Iris has to suppress her tears; she doesn't want to burst into tears here in front of the rest of her district. It is difficult, as she now also spots Kyle in the crowd. His face is full of worry and he also seems to have tears in his eyes. 

“And the male tribute is...”

Iris is so drowned in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that the man had already pulled out a bill.

“Rowan Moore.”

Startled glances watch the boy step forward from the crowd, heading for the stage. The boy is twelve, just old enough to be chosen. A simple tear runs down his cheek and his eyes are full of fear of what is to come. Iris cannot imagine how she could forgive herself if this little boy dies in the arena because of her fault, if she is not there to protect him. It's cruel, but that doesn't make the people of the Capitol old. 

“I volunteer!”

Kyle's voice breaks her heart into even smaller pieces. No, he must not volunteer! The man from the Capitol brushes through his mustache for a moment before grabbing the microphone.

“We have a volunteer! Come forward, good man.”

The twelve-year-old boy is relieved and quickly runs to the arms of his family. Crying, he allows himself to be embraced by his father and mother. Kyle, on the other hand, walks to the podium with his head held high, as if he is not afraid of what is to come. Kyle shakes hands with the man from the Capitol and is then shuffled to the microphone to answer the question:

“What's your name?”

“Kyle Donovan.”

The audience claps a little louder than when Iris had been chosen, but she completely understands. Kyle has sacrificed himself for the little boy and for that everyone should clap. Kyle walks across the stage to Iris and looks at her with a guilty look. He knows she didn't want him to volunteer. There was no way, one of them had to survive at least. Iris wants to ask him what possessed him, but she knows she can't do that. Instead, she looks at him with a hurt look. 

“Well, here they are, the tributes of district four!”

The Capitol man croaks out. Kyle and Iris are waved to look at the Capitol camera, to please the citizens of the Capitol. In a second Iris knows what to do, she has to act like she knows how she is going to play this. No discomfort or uncertainty, no, she must not appear weak. so she disguises herself and changes the hurt face to an unreadable one. Yes, let them guess how she feels. She will not give the answers to them. After a few moments, he beckons for Kyle and Iris to walk with him to City Hall. There they would change trains and be taken to the Capitol. There is no time to say goodbye, or at least they are not given one. All Iris can do is quickly look over her shoulder to see her mother one last time.

Coriolanus Snow POV:

Coriolanus Snow knows everything about the Hunger Games. It is crucial to get the districts to obey the Capitol. It is a reminder of the war that had devastated Panem. After his time at the university through the Plint' Price, the world was at his feet. He worked for years to gain power and maintain the Snow family status. Three years ago, he finally got what he had dreamed of for years, the role of head game maker. Of course, becoming president was at the top of his list, but becoming head game maker was a step in the right direction. 

“Mr. Snow, how good to see you again today!”

Lysander Row walks up to Coriolanus smiling, dressed in a neat suit. Lysander Row is the director of broadcasting at the Capitol. He makes sure that everything is properly recorded during the Hunger Games, which makes for great entertainment. Coriolanus already feels his head beginning to pound from Lysander's enthusiasm. He didn't feel like socializing. Last night he was called awake to finish some last things for the Arena and the maids had forgotten to make coffee.

“Of course, where else would I be.”

So Coriolanus responds coolly, trying not to let his irritation show. Lysander laughs as if he just heard the best joke ever, then shrugs.

“No idea, but I'm glad you're here.”

 He beckons Coriolanus to walk with him to the large screen in the room.

“All the tributes have been chosen and I already know, they're going to be a spectacle.”

He continues to indicate and presses a few buttons to make images appear on the screen. Coriolanus walks behind him with his hands behind his back, ready to watch this year's tributes. The tributes do the same thing every year, most are on stage with tension in their eyes and shaky legs. Some are able to contain themselves and look furiously at the Capitol camera. His gaze glides over the various tributes of the districts. The tributes of district two appear strong and stand hand in hand on the stage. In district twelve, two young tributes stand on stage crying, their clothes torn to pieces and their faces dirty. 

“So, do you see anything pretty?”

Lysander asks, and at that moment he sees her. The girl from district four. Coriolanus falls silent as he inspects her. His mouth is not gagged by her beauty, even though he must admit that her face would fit perfectly in the Capitol. Her high cheekbones and slender face, paired with big blue eyes and blond hair. There is something else about her that catches his attention. Perhaps it is the way she stands there, looking not defeated but determined. As if she already knows how she is going to play this game. Does she? Or is she just pretending? When the other tribute walks up to her, Coriolanus spots a look of hurt. Lysander notices that Coriolanus has turned his attention to her and makes sure the girl is visible all over the screen.

“Iris Sierra Vale.”

The name keeps repeating in Coriolanus' head. Iris Sierra Vale. Iris Sierra Vale. Iris Sierra Vale. Iris Sierra Vale. Iris Sierra Vale. There was something musical about the name and it reminded him of someone else.

 Lucy Gray. 

The girl who had betrayed him in the forests of District Twelve. Coriolanus wanted nothing more than to forget her, but it kept gnawing at him. Yet Iris looked nothing like Lucy. She wasn't dressed in a rainbow dress or making a fool of herself on stage by singing. No, she had nothing in common with Lucy except her musical name.

“She has something.”

Coriolanus brings out and Lysander nods in agreement.

“Definitely, she's going to be the spectacle of the year. I can see it already. The audience will love her, the white swan in the bloodthirsty arena.”

Lysander seems to see it all before him. Yes, a white swan, indeed Coriolanus could compare her to that. Perhaps it was because of the white dress she wore, or her innocent facial expression. She won't stay innocent forever, people do horrible things to stay alive.

“And if she dies? God, then the Capitol will break loose. It will be the spectacle, the dying swan.”

Lysander continues, excited by the idea. Coriolanus snorts and shakes his head.

“Dying? I don't think she intends to die.”

He waves to the screen where Iris Sierra Vale is still pictured. Iris looks like she already knows how to get out of the arena, like she already knew she would be chosen. A good actress? Or a strong personality? Coriolanus had yet to find out.

“What do we know about her?”

He asks further and walks away from the screen, unable to look at her any longer. She triggers something in him, but he can't quite name it.

“Not much yet, after all, she was only elected ten minutes ago.But I will make sure you have the information available as soon as possible, Mr. Snow.”

Coriolanus makes his way through the main office. People greet him and wish him well in advance of the Hunger Games, while giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. He doesn't need it, everything is under control. At least, everything except Iris. The girl from district four continues to haunt his mind. He steps into the elevator and within moments he arrives at floor 9, his own personal floor. This is where he spends most of his working days, at his desk or in one of his conference rooms preparing for the new Hunger Games. He loves his job, but can't wait to become president later. His leather shoes tap the floor as he walks to the large window overlooking the entire Capitol. It is a fantastic view, the thriving Capitol with its prosperous inhabitants. The Hunger Games is the biggest entertainment of the year and this year will be another spectacle. One of his assistants walks into his office. He does not know her name, but he dislikes her immensely. The girl who is still fairly young has been trying to seduce Coriolanus for ages. The skirt she pulls up so high that her panties can often be seen when she bends over on purpose. Her blouse is often left open and she tries to look as innocent as possible. He hates her and hopes she soon realizes he would never be interested in her. Once again, her blouse is wide open, allowing him to see the color of her blood-red bra.

“The Hunger Games will be great, Mr. Snow.”

She says slimily and sets a cup of coffee on his desk. Coriolanus sighs and has no desire to respond.

“Send Elira Vux to my office.”

He tells her gruffly before grabbing the coffee cup and sending her out of the room. She seems somewhat disappointed but quickly recovers before quickly walking out of the office. As he waits for Elira Vux, the most talented clothing designer for the Hunger Games, his thoughts wander to Iris. What would she be doing right now? Was she already on the train?  Was she scared? The coffee does him good and he closes his eyes in delight as the warm liquid flows down his throat. He can hardly imagine life without coffee. He opens his eyes quickly when he hears the elevator open. Elira Vux, dressed in a short dress with purple snakeskin, steps off the elevator. Her hair is in a lavish hairstyle and her makeup also matches the rest of her look.

“So Mr. Snow, what can I serve you with today?”

She asks in a sarcastic tone as she tosses her bag into the corner of the room and takes a seat on the chair in front of his desk. It is a bold action, after all, he is the head game maker. Any other person showing this kind of behavior against him would be fired immediately. But he knows Elira and she knows him; this is the way things are between them. Even though Coriolanus would never want to be with her outside of work, during the Hunger Games they are a great team.

“I have an important task for you.”

Coriolanus begins and beckons to one of the Avox to pour her some drinks.

“The girl from district four, you have to dress her.”

He continues and Elira shakes her head.

“I'm already full, You know I only work with top material.”

She says and takes a sip of the water the Avox poured for her. Now it is Coriolanus' turn to shake his head.

“That's exactly why, she's top material. She's going to be the star of this Hunger Games.”

He tells her. Elira looks at him with a stern face and sighs.

“Fine, I'll dress her. But then someone else has to take over the male tribune of district seven.”

Elira says and he nods.

“Will do.”

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 14

WIP Wednesday is happening this week! I would've had it up an hour or two ago, but I ended up having to run an emergency errand for my mom to keep her friend's car from being towed. But it's all been taken care of!

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

Note: Anyone who still doesn't know which episode I'm basing this arc on should know by the end of this segment. I did realize I made a mistake, though. The invading ghosts are Walker's guards. In the episode, up to this point the trio never refer to them as such. The audience, however, sees Walker send them in. I took that as Danny and co didn't realize they were Walker's people. But as I was going through minute-by-minute while writing, Danny does call them Walker's goons. So he knew the entire time. I'm adjusting that going forward and I'll retroactively make the edits before posting to AO3.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.7k

-----

Everyone left Sam’s house at the same time. The Amity crowd had to get to school and no one felt comfortable staying at Sam’s house while she wasn’t home. As they ate a quick breakfast, Tim noticed Conner’s fingernails were painted.

“Looks good, Kon,” he commented.

“Thanks,” said Sam. “I did them last night while you and Danny were sleeping. Introduced him to actual music, too.”

Conner grinned. “She’s promised to burn me some CDs before we go.”

“A mixed tape is the only valid way to share music,” Sam agreed. “And if he’s gonna rock the punk look, he should know the punk culture, too.”

Tim laughed. “Well, looks like we know what we’ll be listening to on the way home. Will you need a CD player, Kon?”

“Is my laptop not good enough?”

Tim clicked his tongue. “Come to Gotham with me. I know I have an old one lying around. Nothing like listening to a CD while lying somewhere, wired headphones tangling up as you shift position. If you want the authentic experience, that’s the only way to go.”

Conner shrugged, clearly unsure. “If you say so.”

Danny yawned. “You’re giving him Dumpty Humpty, right?”

Sam snorted. “Am I giving him Dumpty Humpty? Who do you think I am? Of course I am!”

“Good. You can’t introduce someone to good music and leave out Dumpty Humpty.”

Tim nodded. “Yeah, you’ve gotten me into them. They’re fun. You’ll like them, Kon.”

“You played a song or two by them last night, right?” Conner asked.

Cassie nodded. “Yep. That’s who she was playing when Tucker, Bart, and I left to get some sleep in the other room.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right. I liked them.”

“Of course you did,” said Sam as she flicked her hair. “I have excellent taste.”

Tucker was typing away on his PDA. “So what’ll you be doing while we’re in school?”

Tim grimaced. “I was thinking of hitting up the local library. We want to learn more about the ghosts. But also B has said that a condition of allowing me to extend my trip is that I keep up with my own schoolwork. So I have some catch up to do.”

Danny waved his spoon at him. “And you get on me for not doing my work.”

“Yeah, but you want to graduate and, like, go to college and shit. The stuff I want to do doesn’t require a diploma of any kind. B’s just making me do it because he society has convinced him it’s important.”

Tucker’s PDA alarm went off. “And that alarm means if we’re not out the door in five minutes, we’re gonna be late.”

Everyone groaned as they pushed away from the table and collected their belongings. The walk into town was filled with music discussion. Bart and Conner mostly listened and took note of recommended bands and musicians. Sam tended to know the most obscure stuff, but Tim knew some foreign bands from his time in Europe that no one else had heard of.

The walk was, thankfully, not disturbed by ghosts, but Danny’s ghost sense did go off several times.

“Didn’t your parents make a device that can track ghosts?” asked Tim the third time he complained. “Would that help you locate them?”

Danny hummed thoughtfully. “Maybe, I’ll have to see if I can find it. My parents stopped using it when it kept zeroing in on me. It was too loud for stealth use, though, and loudly went off anytime I was in range. And it didn’t work great for a 3D environment. So Tucker and I would have to develop a new display that can tell me if one is above or below me.”

“I should be able to help, too. You know how good I am with computers.”

“If I can find the device or blueprints, I’ll take you up on that.”

Not long after, they had to say goodbye at the entrance to Caspar High. Dash and his friends also arrived at about the same time. The group stared at Danny, but didn’t move to interact.

“Think they’re still overshadowed?” asked Conner, mirroring Tim’s thoughts.

“God, I hope not,” said Danny.

“But knowing our luck…” Sam trailed off.

Tim sighed. “Keep your distance as much as possible.”

“I know, mom.” Danny rolled his eyes. The school bell rang and he adjusted his backpack strap. “Gotta go. Have fun at the library.” His sarcasm was very evident and he hugged Tim.

The gesture surprised him and his return hug was slightly delayed. “I think I’ll find more than enough to amuse me there.”

With a quick goodbye, the trio rushed off before they could be late.

“So,” said Cassie, “Sam and Tucker seem to have a ton of ideas about you and Danny.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Danny and I only met in person less than forty-eight hours ago.”

Bart nudged him. “And yet you’re already sleeping in the same bed and giving each other goodbye hugs.”

“I do the same with you guys.” He pulled out his phone to check the location of the library. “Come on, let’s just get to the library. I want to see if they have a digital subscription to the local paper we can use.”

Tim didn’t get much schoolwork done that morning, but he did find out Danny was originally named Inviso-Bill by the press and immediately began planning ways to prank him with that knowledge.

For the rest, he compared what was reported vs what had actually happened with past ghost attacks. One thing was clear, Danny needed much better PR. Hopefully being seen working with the Young Justice would help. And maybe Sam would actually listen if he tried to give pointers on how to manage public perception.

Shortly after noon and before Tim could even pretend he was about to switch over to school work, his phone rang.

“Hey, Danny. What’s up?”

“Tim! Do any of you speak Esperanto?”

“Uh… I don’t. Let me ask Bart.” He lowered the phone to ask.

“Esperanto? What’s that?” asked Bart.

“I’ll explain later,” said Tim. Back into the phone, he added, “Doesn’t look like it. Why? What’s going on?”

“So… You remember that wolf ghost with the collar? Walker’s goons are after him, too. I’m not sure why since he only speaks Esperanto. I got him away from both them and my parents. Think you can keep him safe until school is out? If I miss any more class I’ll be grounded until graduation. Senior graduation.”

Tim gestured to his friends to pack everything up. “Yeah, sure. Where are you right now? I’ll have Bart meet you first and the rest of us will follow.”

Danny gave him directions to a forested area behind the school which Tim relayed to Bart. As soon as the group was out of the library, Bart rushed ahead to Danny.

Over the phone, Danny let him know Bart had arrived. “Oh, and Tucker just got here, too. Excellent. He can speak Esperanto as well. Looks like he’s explaining things to big and hairy over here.”

“Great. We’ll be there soon as we can.”

“Can we fly there?” asked Conner.

Cassie nodded. “People would just think we’re more ghosts.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Superboy and Wonder Girl were seen in town just last night. No.”

Conner stuck his tongue out at him. “Spoilsport.”

“Relax. It’s not far. GPS has us in the general location in, like, ten minutes.”

“Fine, fine,” sighed Cassie. “We’ll be good.”

Tim elbowed her with a grin. “Now, I never said you had to do that.”

Conner laughed. “So, what is this Esperanto language, anyway? I haven’t heard of it.”

“It’s a conlang based on European languages that’s supposed to be easy to learn. The idea was to make a sort of common language for Earth without promoting a single language like English. It hasn’t gained a lot of traction, though. And if Bart doesn’t know it, then it likely won’t.”

“Huh, weird. Why do you think a werewolf ghost know an Earth-based conlang?”

“Oooh! I bet it’s because he’s the manifestation of some teenage girl’s OC,” offered Cassie.

Tim laughed. “Or maybe the OC of one of the people to create Esperanto.”

Conner shook his head. “You’ve got this all wrong. He’s from an alternate future where Esperanto did take off and a werewolf virus spread among humans.”

The ten minute walk was filled with more and more outlandish theories ending with the wolf being the reincarnation of Jesus who was trying to bring humanity together through the reinstitution of a common language like in the pre-Tower-of-Babel days.

At the edge of the woods, Tim nudged Conner. “Can you hear where they are?”

“Yep. Follow me.”

And then it was less than two minutes before Tim could see them. “Oi! Danny!” he called out with a wave.

Danny flew over to them and hugged him. “Thank you so much! You’re gonna save me so many detentions.” He grabbed Tim’s hand and pulled him towards Tucker and the ghost. “Tim, this is Wulf. Wulf,” Danny said while making eye contact, “Friends.” Then he slowly pointed to each person and said their name.

Tucker rolled his eyes and repeated the information in Esperanto. Tim recognized his and his teammates names and many of the words felt familiar. Likely since he knew or was learning a few European languages.

“So, will we just hang out here for the next few hours until you get out of school?” asked Tim.

“Yeah. It’ll only be about two and a half hours. That okay? Then we’ll go back to Sam’s place. We can hide in her basement.”

“We’ve hung out in worse places for longer,” said Bart. “This is practically cozy. And me or one of the others can run into town for food and supplies. Anything you want from your parent’s place? Food? Snacks?”

Tucker grinned. “If you could get some jerky, that’d be great. No meat at Sam’s.”

Danny laughed. “If we think of anything else, one of us will text it to the group chat.”

An alarm buzzed on Tucker’s PDA. “We’ve got to get back now.”

“Shit. Okay. I’ll fly us back. Bye Tim, everyone!” Danny picked up Tucker and flew away, turning invisible before he was more than a few yards away.

-----

Next

So, more banter and more plot! We're almost starting to get somewhere! This marks roughly the halfway point of the episode. And the arc is almost 25k words. This is why I take forever to publish anything. It always spirals out of my control. Even this section, I originally opened with them in the library. But then I remembered I wanted to have Sam paint Conner's nails and that led to me adding over 900 words to the beginning.

I no longer do tag lists for this fic, but if you make your way to the subscription post, you can set it up so you get notified when this updates.

[brokcnrunes]

★  ‧₊˚  ⋆  kelly reilly.  ciswoman.  she/her  …  now  playing:  fighter by christina aguilera  —  oh  ,  that  ?   might  be  harper baxter  ,  an  forty seven  old  owner of the velvet curtain  who’s  been  hanging  around  wicklow  ridge  for  forty years  ,  just  long  enough  to  stir  up  some  trouble  if  you  ask  me.  they’re  a  regular  at  cedarvale  orchard  &  winery  ,  always  going  on  about  “sometimes you have to be your own cheerleader, because nobody else is.”  like  it’s  gospel.  around  town  ,  folks  say  they’re  passionate  &  determined  —  but  when  they  think  no  one’s  listening  ?  it’s  more  like  ruthless  &  abrasive.  are  the  rumors  true  ?  maybe  not  …  but  it  sure  makes  life  around  here  a  little  more  interesting. 

muse summary :

harper is a mixture of a watered down beth dutton (yellowstone) and tess scali (burlesque). she is a head strong woman who does whatever she wants, regardless of how it may effect others. she's the type of woman you do not want to cross, however her fierce loyalty makes her perfect to fight your corner. she isn't afraid to speak her mind and you always know where you stand with her. she takes her role as owner of the local burlesque club very seriously and will not stand for any kind of misbehaviour towards her staff. as someone who holds grudges, harper isn't one to give second chances.

basics :

gender : ciswoman

pronouns : she/her

age : forty seven years old

sexuality : bisexual

ethnicity : white

nationality : american

occupation : owner of the velvet curtain

starsign : virgo

traits :

ruthless

selfish

strong minded

passionate

bad tempered

spontaneous

deceitful

cunning

loyal

punctual

resilient

intense

abrasive

possessive

jealous

aesthetics :

cigarettes and alcohol solve everything, act now and face the consequences later, trust fund baby, mom i am a rich man, grudges and diamonds are a girls best friend, organised shoe closet, this dress cost more than your monthly salary, lipstick stained coffee cups, i am the bigger bear, only gives respect where it's earnt, you only get one chance, supporting those you care about no matter what, always showing up when needed, a girl's girl

brief biography : - tw : alcohol

harper was born into a very rich family in los angeles, california. harper's parents loved nothing more than living the lavish lifestyle, always attending parties and going on vacations. the baxter family had homes all over the country, including wicklow ridge.

while harper had a happy childhood, filled with everything she could ever want, her parents did well in hiding their hatred for one another. harper's father was not a family man, often spending weeks away for "work," sleeping with other women and partying until he blacked out.

when harper was seven years old, her parents finally divorced and her mother moved them to the house in wicklow ridge. since her father stayed in los angeles, harper and her siblings didn't get to see him much. however, with a large monthly allowance thrown into her bank on a monthly basis, harper didn't care.

harper grew up spoilt and it's not something she denies. she got the best education and was set up to one day take over her father's lawfirm. she even studied law at college, having her entire life mapped out.

harper met her ex girlfriend just before heading to college. while normally, it took a while for harper to warm up to people, with her it was love at first sight. harper was besotted and the two went long distance while she headed off to college.

while she was in college, harper met a guy. in the beginning, he was nothing more than a friend. but only the few years at college, the two became closer and closer until harper developed feelings. this caused her girlfriend to make harper choose and she ended up choosing the guy.

after graduating college, harper and her boyfriend moved to los angeles, so harper could work for her father. however, mother nature had thrown a curveball at harper and she fell pregnant. harper didn't want to be like her parents, she didn't want to put her career first and essentially allow a stranger to raise her daughter. so, because of this (and after having a big argument with her father) harper and her boyfriend moved back to wicklow ridge.

with a quick wedding and a baby on the way, things were perfect for harper. harper chose the life of a stay at home mom until her daughter was a teenager.

at that point, harper decided to buy a burlesque club that had been closed down and empty for years. over the years she has built it up to what it is today, a thriving club for all to enjoy. it's something she takes great pride in and where she spends most of her time.

only a year ago, harper and her husband began to grow a part, eventually resulting in divorce and with him moving out of the family home. it wasn't until after the divorce had finalised that harper realised that for years they were both in a loveless marriage, just like her parents. now, harper is thriving in the single life, but the choice she made in her early twenties in one she regrets.

[cup1dxzs]

Paint It Blue

Sally Face X Reader

Chapter One- New Beginnings

Thud.

The sound of your luggage hitting the concrete floor brought you no comfort. It was a dull reminder of what you had to already leave behind, friends, after school clubs, and what little family you had left.

“Y/n! Hurry up, it's cold out here!”

The sound of Adrian, your brother, shouting was motivation, if that’s what you could even call it, to pick up the rest of your luggage which was two suitcases in total.

You wouldn’t say you weren’t bitter at the situation but you wouldn’t say you were totally cool about it. Moving states was a big deal, especially when you’ve never done anything of the sort but you understood why it was necessary. With your brother being your only legal guardian and sole caretaker he had to assume a lot of responsibility and that included keeping a roof over your guys head, it would’ve been fine if your aunts and uncles hadn’t decided to stop sending money claiming that the two of you were ‘leeching off of them and using the death of your parents as an excuse to be even lazier.’ As much as it bugged you that they’d even think to say that, a part of you wished it were true, that way you could have stayed in your hometown with your friends.

Now in Nockfell county you supposed you had to make the best of it even if this town seemed to be dead, the gloom and doom environment seemed to be enhanced as you stared at the sign.

Addison Apartments.

The building itself gave off an eerie vibe, almost as if you didn’t belong but the entire town felt like that so was it really much of a difference? The sound of your feet dragging against the concrete was the only other sound you heard apart from Adrian grumbling about something that you weren’t too interested in hearing nor knowing about.

Stepping into the building you immediately took notice of the stale smell. Oddly enough, the memories of visiting your grandmother in the retirement home filled your mind for a brief second. You missed the old hag even if she was a witch most of the time, you’d considered it to be tough love because she was the only person that really listened to you, apart from the fact she’d forget it all and yell at you to go grab her dentures.

“We’re in room 404, take the key and I'm gonna introduce myself to the owner.” Adrian spoke in a nonchalant manner, it was obvious no one was thrilled to have to move away and let alone into these dingy apartments. Taking the key from his hand you’d spot an elevator further down the hall and begin making your way towards it.

Stepping inside you took notice of all the floors, it was five in total. Pressing the fourth floor button the sound of a small ding went off as the doors closed, the elevator was old and you could hear it in the way as it went. It was creaky and loud, it could have also been considered whisp-y in the sense that you would have sworn that you heard people whispering. The thought made you feel dumb so you didn’t question it any further, until you swore that you had heard your name being called but by then the elevator opened and you stepped out, giving one last glance back inside out of curiosity you were met with nothing.

Shrugging you looked down the hall and spotted an almost black hallway, you knew it was the hallway where your now new home was because of the silver plaque labeled 403. Obviously you knew your room was just on the other side. Letting your eyes wander to the end of the hall was probably the most interesting part of seeing what the room looked like-

What the fuck is that.

Your hand gripped your luggage until your knuckles turned white. You were staring at a black figure with eyes redder than blood, it stood there and appeared to almost be watching you, clearing your throat you spoke up. Mostly due to the fact that this was possibly your new neighbor and you were already making a shitty impression by just staring at them like they were a freak and without even saying a word. Even if they were a little freaky looking.

“He-hello…you? I’m Y/N, I live in 404.” Your voice faltering while you spoke made you slightly cringe but you didn’t really care, the silence was eating at you while you stared at them. You slightly jumped when they walked to room 403, opened the door and just disappeared without saying a word to you or even acknowledging your failed attempt at trying to converse with them. Fair enough, you’ll try harder next time.

“Can’t win ‘em all, I guess…” Mumbling to yourself, you’d drag your stuff behind you and made your way to your apartment. The journey of getting there took way longer than you would have actually liked but it didn’t really matter anyways because you could finally just crash out and do nothing for the rest of the week.

You started your first day at a new school on Monday, today was Tuesday. Plenty time to unpack and mentally prepare yourself for your new and hopefully exciting life.

Walking into the room it was bland, no feeling that made it feel like home but you didn’t mind because as long as Adrian was there the two of you could make it feel comfortable in due time. You saw that the apartment had two rooms, a bathroom, kitchen, and of course a living room with just a single couch and other home goods provided.

Tossing your stuff to the floor you made a beeline for the couch and just threw yourself onto it, it was bouncy and comfortable so now you knew what you were going to be doing for the afternoon.

——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——— ——

To say that was going to be a quick Power Nap you’d be lying to yourself, you woke up sweaty and not knowing who or when you were. You knew your brother had been inside already because of the boxes that laid on top of each other. Unpacking was going to be fairly easy and quick due to the fact that there wasn’t much to unpack between the two of you. Moving away had been so sudden that all you could take were the clothes on your backs and other bare necessities.

Sitting up while simultaneously wiping the sweat from your brow, reaching for your phone in your pocket you’d check for the time.

“5:30 AM? Guess I was really tired.” You groggily state, kicking your feet off the side of the couch and looking around. Soon spotting one of the doors was open just ajar, assuming Adrian was in there you’d slowly approached it.

The room was dark so even when you peeked your head through it, it was hard to tell what was what. Stepping inside you saw Adrian asleep on a bed.

‘The rooms already have beds? Why didn’t I check…’

You thought grumpily as you walked inside and grabbed a blanket that had been discarded onto the floor and covered Adrian with it, half ass-ing as you tucked him into bed. Walking out the room, you literally had nothing to do since nothing was close to being unpacked and it was the ass crack of dawn.

“Time to explore this shit hole I guess…”

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Hey guys i definitely wasn’t gone for over a year and just dropping a fic from a different fandom *gulp*

Anyways on a different note I am back so I hope you enjoy this, love you all! 😽😽

-ChillyKitty

[justabigoldnerd]

Thank you so much @pippinoftheshire and @prettyboynapoleonsolo for the tags!!! 💕💕💕💕

I'll combine both your lists because I know I don't have a few from either lmao and also if I have a word in a finished work I'll use that too!!

My Words: molasses, anticipation, survivor, grace, sunlight, vitriol, gleam, sharp

Your Words: grass, veil, background, training

Molasses - "A Thousand Teeth (And Yours Among Them)"

The saloon is old. Some say it's the oldest building in town. That some lonesome cattle-driver erected a bar and four walls and the rest of the city oozed out from the bottles like fermented molasses. The railroad even carves a dark river past the bar and deep into the heart of the city. It's been a long time since anyone remembers the train stopping here, but every now and then an old steamer will rattle the dry-rotting walls and knock a poor drunk's glass onto the floor. Dust rains down around them as the midnight train roars past, coating every surface and leaving granules in Illya's drink. He scowls into the clouded amber liquid and makes a disapproving sound. Swipes his tongue over his teeth like he can taste the grit.

Anticipation - "Blood In Your Teeth And Mud On Your Hands"

“Point taken, Gaby,” Solo laughs breathlessly as she drags him by the hand through the crowd again. He finds himself scanning the gathered racers for a slavic giant in crimson and gold, but the throng is too thick. His heart flutters in anticipation of meeting Illya after things die down. “Point taken.”

Survivor - Nada

Grace - "Single Dad Solo / Ballet Instructor Illya"

None of that matters. The center of his universe blots out the rest of the people in the room, and he exhales softly as he watches her focus on perfecting her balance. Claire has the grace of a petal on a spring breeze, and her natural talent paired with her fierce determination makes Solo certain that she could become a principal dancer some day. In fact, he is certain that she will find endless success in any path she chooses to follow. Solo is so wrapped up in the warm glow of pride that he doesn't see the glowering Slavic instructor until he pauses near Claire.

Sunlight - "Domovoy"

At the end of an isolated, gravelly road, an old-wood cottage with intricate trimmings stands proudly. Sunlight filters through the trees that dot the property, spilling dappled light onto the beautiful latticework and shutters, painted white in contrast to the dark stained oak. It is cozy and not too big, with enough bedrooms to host his friends after dinner and too much alcohol. Solo sighs with enough content to fill the large box in his arms and shoulders through the front door. He finds it rather funny, actually. His whole life, he dreamed of owning a nice house, complete with a white picket fence and a family– the typical American Dream. And yet, where he found his home, his people, was an entire ocean away in the sprawling hills of England.

Vitriol - Nothin'

Gleam - "Which Side of The Wall Really Suffers That Cost?"

"I want to hear it from you. I'd like to know what's got you on edge this morning.”

Authenticity was not an accessory Solo often wore. Today, it sat gleaming in his eyes so brightly that Illya almost told him. Guilt gnawed at his insides as he stood up straight again and denied, “It is not your business.”

Sharp - "How To Cook A Wolf"

He scrawls his name in jittery letters, right on the line, then lets the pen clatter to the desk. He looks up at the man he once respected, even admired, with enough venom to kill him in half a second if Solo had fangs. Sanders only smiles wider in return, sharp like the straight razor that had knicked his carotid. A foreboding sense of dread settles deep in his stomach. “We done here?”

No pressure tagging @huggiebird @happybean17 @falling-into-peril @heytheredeann @bighandsforabigheart

@kcscribbler @mybelovedillya @cha-melodius @the-golden-comet @thattripleabattery

@too-young-to-fall-in-love @times-up-alone-tonight @vnyu73 @nicijones @fandom-meet-fanthem

And an Open Tag for anyone else who wants to join!!!

[blackbutlerfandomnerddomain]

September 25th - Masquerade / Puppets

The flowers of the City of Flowers were in full bloom of the autumn season, the dahlias were beautiful in various colors spread across the garden beds of homes, and beautiful reddish to yellow sunflowers stock the fields wildly like a fresh oil painting.

Little chimes of bells echo the cobblestone paths of the beautiful town rich in history as a little girl runs across. Her hair was dark as a raven’s wing, her skin a snow white, her adorable bare feet decorated in a little link of bells mimicking a fairy’s whisper in every step she takes.

A shadow flew above her before two strong arms scooped her up, earning a squeal from her tiny body. Emerald gray eyes look up, the girl giggles a fanged grin, “Papa!”

Footsteps walk forward, causing the two to look up to witness a group of people walking towards them. Two redheads, two blonds, two hairs of flame, two hairs of green, two separate shades of light, and two hairs of dark, each of them a child of two in toe.

Dark lips stretch into a warm smile as the royal back bends straight, cradling his child in his arms still. “Welcome my dear friends.”

The warm taste of French Vanilla lotte dances across taste buds as chocolate and bread fills the sense of smell as sixteen males sit in a local cafe in the city eating a simple lunch as the autumn shines above.

A heavenly sigh is sounded as a man with short hair of gold leans back, “Comme c'est beau, to be blessed to see such beauty in a beautiful city, the red trees a perfect backdrop for my dear Roi Du Poison’s gorgeous complexion~” He said, looking lovingly at the man next to him who calmly sits his cup of coffee with little bashful reaction towards the sing-song tone of love beside him, his golden and lavender hair curled inward to a simple bun with a lone black velvet ribbon that works well with the dark turtle neck he wears.

A giggles leaves the Prince of Fae across the table, “You never change, don’t you Rook.”

Lots of things have changed since Night Raven Collage, lots of emotional changes to be more specific alongside the physicals.

Many shocking relationships began beside the obvious of Riddle’s and Ace’s, during that same time Azul Ashengrotto and Idia Shroud announced their own romance blossomed in time of Idia’s preparations of graduating. Thanks to their love, Azul’s physical appearance changed in a nice way, he looked more fed and had this happy glow about him, while Idia’s social skills have gotten so much better in both a friendly sense and business sense. The two even worked together after they both graduated their universities, with help from the Shroud family who were very happy to hear the word their eldest was in love with someone, they make about 12k Madols a year living in a lovely home by the water with their three children, twin daughters Vanessa and Melody and their son Thanatos or Than for short.

Another shock couple was actually one that to many besides the dorm leaders and those closest to them were aware until the announced wedding a full three years since graduation, Malleus Draconia, Prince of Briar Valley, most magical mage of the entire world of Twisted Wonderland, and Rollo Flamme, a once strong willed man who slowly let down his armor and hatred to all magic one faithful autumn day as today.

The pair seemed to have sensed that spark many saw the night of the beautiful masquerade event the school was invited to, but neither were ready to fully accept it. They messed with the idea a bit, yes, but it was until Malleus was getting ready to rule his kingdom did they finally accept the obvious: They were in love.

Outside of being a now crowned king, Malleus works alongside Rollo in a quaint bakery and bookshop in the countryside Briar Valley and the Shaftlands, sending nice memories and knowledge to those who leave their store. He’s a simple dragon after all, only wanting his research of gargoyles, his love, and his cottage in the forest to make him happy alongside his family including their son Philip and their daughter Esmerelda.

The least shocking of all relationships to come from the magical school was Vil Schoenheit, actor, model, icon of the ages, and Rook Hunt, proud lover of all things beauty in many ways. If you saw them in the walls and assumed they were completely platonic you were to be deemed a liar on the spot! They were constantly arm and arm, cheering meals, and even spot kissing hands or pressing their foreheads together. “But that’s just how Rook is—” People would argue then, but as soon as the posts on social media of Vil, now becoming a scriptwriter alongside his acting skills, and Rook, who has grown to be a man who travels around the world photographing and filming all the beauty not many can dare see did people suspect more to their story.

The only thing that grew as a shock was what happened after the wedding of Prince Leona Kingcholar of the Sunset Savannah and his loyal once-Vice Dormhead of Savannaclaw Ruggie Bucchi, an affair many had raised eyebrows already due to the social status clashes. . . When the blonds moved into the pleasant chateau with the recently married couple.

And there they remained living comfortably with two children to love and care for, little Princess Nahla, and brave adventurous boy Kovu who many are trying to figure out if the blond hair tied to princess’ dark hair is tied with Ruggie or one of the two or if Kovu’s dark hair was merely a chance of surprise.

Only the lab who helped them be born can now.

Now, the most shocking couples to come were the Leech twins. Yes, they are handsome, and yes they indeed come from well off families, but no one truly expected them to find anyone ever!

Well, that was until the final years of both their years did they announce the relationships of the crowned then-Prince of Briar Valley’s human family member and star of films and Fairest One of All from Royal Sword Academy.

Jade and Silver were a bit of a shock but not very surprising after graduation, the pair traveling to new adventures jotting down research and pressed plants and writing history that was long lost. Currently they live near the edge of the Queendom of Roses by the coast with their little one Bryony.

Floyd and Neige on the other hand, that was a shock the world was not ready for. After a scandalous picture of the two kissing in the street after their senior year, the world had many MANY questions. Where did they meet? What started the relationship? What drove you to him? Why him?? Etcetc.

But…in the end…they simply just… work… Them and their cute little girl.

Speaking of which—

“Serena, be careful with the doves sweet heart!”

The little girl in question looked towards her father with ebony hair and giggles before running to the kids again by the fountain.

Floyd snorts and pulls Neige back in a snuggle. “Oh relax, harp seal~” He cooed, nuzzling his sharper face, “Let her get her energy out before the wedding.”

Ace sighs, stirring his coffee with a chuckle, “I still can’t believe they’re so good together.”

Riddle quirks a brow, “Better than us?”

“Oh are you going to start an argument now?” Joked Azul, his chin resting on his folded and locked fingers with a smirk.

The adults chuckle and playfully bicker back and forth. Tales of memories are swapped.

For some it was the party that was held here in this fine city years ago while for some it was something connected to the said wedding they’re traveling for—

“But seriously, how were you so in the dark with you two?” Ace asked, his hands presenting Ortho, now much older, feeding a slice of a chocolate cake slice to a cat beastman with red wood tuff for hair.

Ah, yes, the most shocking couple. Actually, if you want to give credit, the very same couple who started two the same night. . .

8 years ago, right down to the day, a year has passed since the masquerade party of Nobel Bell Collage, a bit of a magical adventure came to present itself in front of Ace and a group of others either in need of fun or simply was dragging themselves along were whisked away by a very convincing wildly fox named Fellow Honest and his companion and cat brother Gidel with promises of everlasting fun and wonder in their carnival of nostalgia and magical dreams.

It wasn’t as whimsical as promised however, that’s how scams are at times. But, somehow, in the aftermath of it all the little robotic Shroud and the mute feline discovered they had more things in common than meets the eye.

Cue some hangouts, cuddles, some dates, and imminent approval of their older brothers until the two began a mostly secret relationship. With Ortho’s help, Gidel was able to be fed and learned to read and write much better. And with Gidels help, Ortho was able to rebel once and a while and act more like his age than before with things like ding-dong-ditching and spending a whole night watching the stars swinging on some swings in the closed parks in town.

And cue the first six months of them starting was the day a certain eel invited a certain card soldier to the Mostro Lounge for a discount, leading him in search of a plus one to join, getting turned down by Ortho since he had a mystery date that weekend, and soon leading him to asking out a certain red haired dorm leader.

And cue that date being one magical night that triggered the first romantic gesture of many between a certain merman and a certain shy gamer who was doing a helpful favor for a friend and crush and working together on making the redheads’ date more special...

"But, I guess I have to thank you, Gidel..." Mumbled Ace, his shy face a nice refreshing sight for the table since they've been used to his rebellious face for years now.

Gidel, now long since grown taller and stronger thanks to Ortho's support and the hard working job of puppet making he has now, smiles a sweet freckles smile. He brings his hands up, "[You are most welcome Ace,]" He signs, his smile never leaving his face, "[You two honestly are a great pair. And if it wasn't for you being you I wouldn't have never found my Wish Come True.]"

Ortho giggles, planting a gentle smooch against his fiancé's cheek.

OKAY, DAY THREE IS DONE!

I am currently editing this in 12:56 AM and am tired so if there's any misspellings I am sorry!!

I didn't have time to draw ALL their kids but here's Serena!

The first half was originally for the Free Day LAST YEAR so I decided for this prompt to do this as a call back among other stuff.

So the canon couples in this AU are:

Riddle and Ace

Deuce and Epel

Jack and Sebek

Ortho and Gidel

Kalim and Jamil

Malleus and Rollo

Vil and Rook with Leona and Ruggie (Yes that means they're poly I love Leovil but also adore Rookvil so MLEH-)

Trey and Cater

Azul and Idia

Jade and Silver

Floyd and Neige

Crowley, Divus, and Sam

And last minute, Fellow and Vargas. (I just think they could be a funny cute couple)

The reason only some would've been drawn is cause Esmerelda wouldn't go to NRC since she attends a school in the City of Flowers, same goes for Melody and Vanessa, and I didn't have time to draw everyone else sorry!

I do have fic PDFs ready to share/in middle of editing to share if you're curious, it's mostly stories/drabbles of the other couples, some NSFW just warning ya. Just shoot me a DM and I'll share a quickly as I can after I crash upon posting this to be Qued

EDITING RAE HERE: FORGOT THE TAG! @ridoaceweek

[lavender-at-heart]

Velvet and Lace

Part 1 : The Invitation

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Pairing: Aro Volturi × fem!OC

AN: while this is a oc series I am purposely limiting descriptive elements so it may be read as a reader insert. I don't know how long this series will be, I also haven't posted on here in so long. Please give me feedback and wish me luck! Thanks for reading/engaging!

Warnings: none for this chapter

Word count: 710

Masterlist

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A year. I haven't been to Forks in a year. I spent my entire life thinking that it was everything, now I'm not so sure. I miss my home more than anything, but the wonders I have seen while away. I can only imagine what those quiet town folk will think of my stories. My reason for returning? An envelope that arrived to my hotel room in Bankok. Simple, off white paper with silver etchings that read the following:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Isabella Marie Swan

And

Edward Anthony Masen Cullen

Together with their families, request the honor of your presence at the celebration of their marriage.

Saturday the thirteenth of August, two thousand and eleven, five O'clock in the evening

420 Woodcroft Ave

Forks, WA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I could hardly believe the words as they spilled from my mouth. My sister, married? My sweet, anti-social, 18 year old sister? Yes I'm aware that she had found herself a boyfriend, our phone calls over the past year have been of nothing else, it seems. It's so unlike her, but nevertheless I am giddy. Later that evening I recive a phone call from the bride herself, bestowing upon me the title of maid of honor.

When I first met Edward Cullen, I was surprised. I never had any classes with him since he was a grade bellow me, but he always seemed off. His whole family did, which became the talk of the town for months and months. The rest of his siblings seemed relatively well rounded, with sharp minds and passionate interests. I became acquainted with Emmett and Rosalie during our shared English class. Rosalie, while much more reserved than Emmet, was always helpful and kind. We never became friends outside of school but I was shocked to find out that she had a disdain for Bella (I would later realize that this was due to me not trying to stick my nose into vampire business, although I would have if I had known that the Cullens were supernatural beings.) Emmett was very sociable, we didn't have much in common but I was glad to have such a friendly classmate.

After the shock of the wedding died down, I booked a plane ticket home as soon as possible. My father, Charlie, would pick me up from the airport. I would get to see Bella. Gosh. I haven't seen her in person since I left. Bella, one year younger than me, has always lived with our mother. That was the agreement. She went of to sunny Arizona and I started in the rain. I always liked the rain though, and I always liked Forks. Right before I started grade 12, Bella moved here. And I loved it. I had never been happier. But that only lasted so long. Bella got caught up with her vampire-like boyfriend and I started feeling a horrible longing to leave. I made the decision, much to my father's dismay, to take a gap year. Travel. I had been working at the diner after school since grade 9 and I had saved almost all of the money I made. My favorite thing about Bellas new beau was his family. They were quite lovely people, although strange, and they helped me quite a bit with my travels. Alice, the only one who I had become moderately close to, aswell as Mr. and Mrs. Cullen, had filled my mind with many inspirations for my travels. They also gave me some extra money to help make it as fulfilling as possible, despite me protesting about 100 times. By the end of grade twelve I was itching to leave. My itinerary was stacked, I planned to stay in Europe for two months and the rest in Asia. I cherished the cathedrals in Germany , the busy streets in Mumbai, the quiet ashrams in India, sights of Nepal, Vietnam, Italy, France, and now Thailand. I have come away from this trip with a bigger sense of the world, and myself. But now I've grown rather homesick from shuffling village to village, my sense of adventure has been filled and I'm ready for peace and simplicity. I think I'm ready to go home. Little did I know that returning to the middle of nowhere, Washington, would lead me on the greatest adventure of my life.

END

Thanks for making it to the end! <3 -CC

[corruption-special-au]

Chap 1 🎭 Fool's Folly

Surprise! I came back to continue the prologue fan fic for the Masked Special AU plotline.

Here is the prologue told from Silver's perspective 👉

This one however is from Gold's perspective and starts off a few days after the prologue 🤙 take care! have fun! have some trigger warnings before hand tho.

⚠️ minor violence, mention of blood, threats and themes of manipulation and kidnapping

Days had passed since the event at the local research lab. So many changes in such a little amount of time! Not only had Gold found a new addition to the family, he also uncovered a goal. Tracking down the thief who stole Exbo’s friend. Clearly the little fella was worried, and even with all his mother's expert methods of introducing a Pokemon to a new home hadn't seemed to work thus far. The little fella still only seemed to peck at his food and separated himself from the rest of the group. By the second day, and no word from the local police; it was decided. He would take things into his own hands! Of course his mother didn't really have to know exactly why he planned on going, just to visit Violet city and return the morning after.

Besides, this crook couldn't have gotten far. He made sure to prep well for his journey, if the two were to battle again Gold was going to be sure it was on equal footing this time. He had made another journey to Violet City just this past spring, accompanied by Aibo and a few of the other rescues kept at home. So he was somewhat familiar with the city, or at least his pokemon were. With these guys behind him, there was no way he would lose again! Typically trainers only carried six teammates with them, but his mother made it very clear she felt a lot better if the family accompanied him this time.

The incident at the lab must have freaked her out…

He was used to scraps and squabbles, after all most of his time was spent around Pokemon. And his mom never seemed to pay any mind to the numbers of bruises and bumps he had somehow managed to obtain over the course of the day roaming the town and woodlands. However this time…. Perhaps it was just the involvement of the police that had her on edge. They never were a fan of them anyway, the handful of cops in New Bark often referred to Gold as “little trouble-maker".

It was nearing noon now, the sky painted with stunning hues of pink and orange as the sun drifted down over the horizon. He flipped open his Pokegear, still left on the map. Not too far now. “You hear that Poli?" From his backpack, the small tail of his poliwag sleeply shifted in place. “Once we get there we'll find a pond for you to cool off in." Summers felt like they were getting hotter and hotter each year. The rest of the gang seemed to be just as eager to find a stopping point soon. But Gold knew not a single one would retreat to the comfort of their pokeball, not after mom had sent them to watch after him. Sheesh, she has no faith in me huh? Not many people in their town did, how could he blame her.

“Just a bit farther and we can rent out one of those sweet inn rooms and get some snacks from the stall! C'mon guys!” With the promise of food a few in the pack seemed to perk up with glee. Onward the group trooped, only arriving at the gates of Violet City by nightfall. Good thing too, he would never in his life would admit it, but walking the trail at night gave him the creeps. Not to mention, the entire way up the path he felt as though he was being watched by something not too terribly far off in the trees. Probably just a curious wild creature from the area, nothing more.

Yawning, he gazed around the street, lacking the city folk he was used to seeing fill this place. Well I guess it is pretty late… Sleep gnawed away at him, growling from his stomach following after. Right. Food, inn, and tomorrow he would begin his search. He was positive the thief was lurking about in this area. The pack wandered corner to corner in search of a stall still open for business. Sadly with no luck.

Man this blows…

It seems they had gotten here too late in the day, partly because of the late start this morning. He wasn't much of a morning person, who gets up before 10 anyhow? Aibo tugged at the disgruntled boy's hoodie, gesturing towards the Pokemart illuminated on the other end of the corner. “Ah! Good eye Aibo!" Barreling towards the doors, the group was stopped mid cheer by a hand. "Eh?” Before him, the shop keeper, a rather jaded middle aged looking man glared down at him. "I just mopped up for the night, no way are you bringing all these critters in here to rummage up my floors again. The pokemon stay outside if you're coming in to shop.” Rummage? Who uses the word rummage anymore? What a prick… But his urge for a warm cup of soup and the pitiful eyes of each of his pokemon overpowered his annoyance, and with a huff he agreed. They wouldn't be out there long anyway, he just needed to grab a few for the gang and pay. “I'll be back, just wait here ok? Aibo is in charge."

Inside the store was quiet, with only the soft mart music playing overhead and the squeak of his sneakers to fill in the silence as he searched for the food aisle. Smells like a doctor's office in here. Various snacks decorated the shelfs as he scanned in search of the instant ramen cups. Ah, there near the bottom. Maybe he outta grab five to share between all of them. Just to be sure. From the other end of the store the door dinged once more, and he could hear the disgruntled worker from before set down whatever box he was carrying and make his way to the front. “Hey kid, I said no pokemon!" Eh? Is he talking to me? Before he could even reach the register, Exbo skidded into the side of the shelf in a panic, racing towards him. Something was wrong. Concern creeped over him as the small monster tumbled into the boy, obviously panicked. As they fell backwards, a few items were knocked from their spot and went rolling across the tiled floor. “Hey! What's wrong with you? Where is Aibo?” As if to answer his question, the eerie distressed yet familiar growls of multiple Pokemon echoed from the door outside. Abruptly stopped as the glass doors shut back on themselves.

Without a second thought he jolted from his place on the floor, tucking Exbo between his arms as he sprinted for the exit. Brought to a halt as he raced outside to an empty street corner, void of any life. Some kind of grip wrangled his heart as he anxiously looked around for any sign of his family. “Where-where did they go? Where did Aibo, and Poli?” An uneasy shakiness had riddled his voice, and caused his feet to go numb as the reality of the situation started to set in. What? What just happened? He felt frozen in place, stunned by the suddenness of it all. Only the distant echo of some kind of fight snapped him from his trance, they were still here! As if his legs moved on their own, he rushed towards the sounds. Struggling to pinpoint exactly where they were coming from. Yet as soon as he thought he had found it, another cry from a completely different direction sent him scrabbling down another walk way. Where are they? Why can't I find them?

Blood started to rush in his eardrums, and panic took hold of his mind as he continued this little charade until… silence. The various cries of fear and anguish all at once stopped. And nothing but the cold night breeze whistling away filled the disturbing quietness. His eyes, stuck to the concrete ground, traveled upwards until they finally landed on some kind of tower just over a small bridge. Swaying back and forth in the wind. Something about this place, it didn't feel right. From his arms, Exbo wiggled loose and took off towards the old wooden tower with an unusual determination, “Hey! Wait!"

Just as they entered through the all but withered away door; something rather heavy came slamming down mer itches behind them. Encasing the pair in complete and utter darkness. It was cold in here, freezing actually. A shiver was sent up his spine, it felt as though needles were prickling his skin. “Ex-xbo, you there?" His voice didn't even sound like his own. Chittering and full of worry. The flicker of a flame that grew bright enough that he could see the small creature in front of him, standing alert against something further off into the darkness. The short fur from its head standing on edge, unnervingly still. “Exbo?" It did not seem to hear him.

The floorboards nearby creaked, causing Gold to snap his head towards the noise in surprise. It was hard to see but he thought he could make out the shape of a rather tall and lanky figure looming from the shadows. “When Silver came back, empty-handed…” Slowly, a pale white mask came closer into view. Spikes protruding from its jawline, and rugged hair draping from its head. “I expected a more formidable trainer… Not some nosy little brat.” There was a wicked smile carved into the wooden face, despite the bitterness the tone of the man carried. “And here you are. Still poking around in matters that don't concern you. What a fool."

"Buzz off creep!” Exbo flashed the wave of flames from its backside, a low growl rumbled from the small pokemon. Their threats were only met with a chuckle before the figure disappeared back into the darkness. “Exbo, now!" At his command, cyndaquil took a deep breath in and let out a hefty ball of fire. Only to be blown away by a powerful blizzard wind that sent the pair flying backwards, smack against the wall. The cold in the building had gone from frosty to stabbing in the matter of seconds, nipping at his skin. As he scrambled to get up, his legs gave way and only then did he notice the various slashes he had received from the attack. Shit! “Exbo!" His voice sounded very wheezy, and foreign even to himself. With Exbo's fire extinguished, Gold found himself stumbling through the darkness in search of his friend. Once he felt the limb body of the small creature, came the scattering of multiple different enemies surrounding them. Circling the two just beyond his line of sight. Not often was it that Gold found himself fearful of his situation, it was not something common to him in his hardheaded nature. But as the deep growls and grunts of monsters drew closer and closer, all he could think of was how badly he wanted to turn tail and run.

Under his feet frost crackled, infesting the area around him. Where was he supposed to go? Where could he go? “I'm not afraid of you!" Clutching Exbo in his arms, he prepared for the worst. Ice had begun to creep along the sides of his shoes, gluing him to this spot. Even as he restlessly shuffled in place, hoping to knock some of it off, it held. Strong as steel. Just a few itches in front of him, honed fangs and embers from a houndoom. Nearing him with eyes narrowed, locked directly onto him. Even in this gloom, he could see the beast was ready to jump at any given moment. “You live in New Bark. Just a small ways from the kanto johto border. These pokemon you brought with you live there too I suppose? ”

“Where are they? What did you do?"

From his right, a lantern from the wall brightened the atmosphere around them. From both sides, lurked two hondours accompanied by the same houndoom from before. Gold tucked Exbo deeper into his arms, eyes moving from one snarling beast to the other. Heavy boots strolled forward, and before him stood the towering figure from before. Dressed head to toe in a dark cloak, torn and aged. A gastly smog had started to drift around them, making the air in the room feel thick. “Do you have any idea what you cost me with your little stunt?”

“I don't even know who you are." Gold muttered through gritted teeth. He could feel a faint yet present rise and fall of Exbo's sides. This brought him some sense of relief, minuscule though it be. An uneasy silence fell across the two. Their eyes locked in place, Gold waited with baited breath for even the slightest hint of movement. “Still. You somehow managed to get the best of one of my students. That is nothing to scoff at. You have some kind of potential, it would be a waste to see it end here." Very faintly behind the cloaked figure, Gold thought he spotted two ghostly balls of smoke and vague yellow eyes revolving around the room. Sinister and inhuman laughter accompanying the mysterious ghouls. He began to feel rather lightheaded. “I'll make you an offer. Help me correct the mess you've made of my work, and I'll give back all those little weaklings you seem to be so fond of. After I have what I want, you're free to go.”

"And if I don't?”

Irritation coincided with his words as the masked man took a few steps forward, each step causing the floorboards to grate. “If you don't… Well I suppose no one wins in that case. I can't have you just skipping off down to the police station to open up a case now can I? And of course I'll have to take care of all your little buddies here you brought along for the ride. And that poor mother of yours…” At the mention of his mother, his throat tightened and his mouth ran dry. “Well, she would be left to fend for herself. A shame really, a kind person like her who rescues and cares for strays off the street.” Vile anger and insults burned in Gold's chest. Who did this guy think he was? Threatening his family? His mother? However, the situation was not at all in his favor. As loathsome as it was, he was at the mercy of this worthless scumbag. With not even the slightest idea where the rest of his Pokemon were being kept. On top of that, the room began to feel like it was spinning. Purple fog growing thicker and thicker by the moment. Struggling to keep his eyes open, he could barely hear his own voice. “... Not much choice in the matter, is there?"

"Glad to see you've come around." And with that, his eye lids finally gave out. Everything faded to black, the world sucked away as he slipped into unconsciousness.

[taeghi]

your little brother, my little secret | teaser

FULL RELEASE : READ HERE

yn and joy share every secret, until yn returns from university to find joy's little brother jake has become irresistibly hot. maybe keeping just one secret from your best friend won't hurt… right?

PAIRING : best friends little brother!jake x reader

GENRE : smut & angst. jake's (shy) a sub for majority of it. dirty talk, masturbation, degrading + humiliation, & y/n is a menace.

WC : 14k

TAGLIST : ????? (if ur on my perm taglist u dont need to comment) <3

mdni

you’ve been counting down the days until summer for what feels like forever. you’re returning to your hometown for the entire two months you have until university starts again in september. 

you’ve been driving for miles now, just having to go to a university two hours away from your small hometown. but the summer air is thick and humid, and it blows throughout the car as all the windows are down. 

your best friend, joy, sits beside you. you’ve known her for just as long as she has moved into your small town when you both were ten. since then, you’ve shared everything together; every laugh, every tear… every secret. her family feels like your own, summers spent in their backyard, evenings filled with board games and cards. some nights in high school even included sneaking out to a party and drinking until you thought you’d throw up. 

last summer was different. you were abroad doing an internship for university. and you didn’t get a chance to stay long during christmas break. so, it’s been a while since you’ve actually stayed in your hometown with all its familiarities. 

“jake will be home when we get there,” joy says, loud enough to be heard over the wind and faint music. 

“oh right, how’s he liking university?” 

jake is joy’s little brother. he’s always been shy, introverted, prefers to stay home and play video games instead of going out like you and joy. you remember him as a cute kid, all wide eyed and shy smiles. you don’t remember him having much friends, he’d rather be alone in his room. it’s hard for you to imagine him navigating the crowded university, but you suppose he’s all grown up now. it’s been so long since you’ve seen him, and the thought of how much he changed lingers in your mind. 

“he likes it,” joy says, her long black hair blowing out the window, “he’s excited for summer like we are.” 

you nodded in response, thinking maybe jake would go out with you guys now instead of playing video games in his room all summer. 

“we gotta go to hyunjin’s this week!” joy declares, her eyes lighting with anticipation, “you know he’s throwing a big party this week. and then, there’s that new bar that opened downtown. we have to check it out!” 

you agree with joy. her energy is infectious despite her brash (sometimes too brash) exterior. joy has always been more straightforward and perhaps blunt than you are. when sometimes you can be a people pleaser and a pushover, joy is there to say the words you wish you could say. 

“i can’t wait,” you reply, “it’s been too long since we’ve had a proper night out.” 

joy shoots you a mischievous grin, her confidence unwavering, “oh trust me, yn. this summer, we’re going all out.” 

you roll your eyes at your pretty best friend, pulling into her family’s driveway swiftly. 

you and joy step through the front door of the house, a place that is more familiar and comforting than your own. the place smells like a home cooked meal and you are instantly greeted with joy’s parents’ smiles. joy’s mother envelops you in a hug, her warmth and kindness instantly easing any fatigue from the long drive. 

"oh, yn, joy, it's so good to see you both!" joy's mother exclaims, her smile radiant. "dinner will be ready shortly. you must be exhausted after the drive. please, sit down in the living room and relax."

joy's father joins in, his jovial voice filling the room. "how was the trip? traffic wasn't too bad, i hope?" her parents' genuine concern and hospitality are a stark contrast to your own parents. 

"it was fine, dad," joy replies, her tone affectionate yet tinged with a hint of impatience. "we're just glad to be home for the summer."

you smile over your shoulder at her parents as she drags you to the living room. it looks the same as you remember it; comfy fabric couch, family photos on the walls, lit candles around the room that mix with the smell of dinner. 

joy props her feet up on the coffee table as she starts to scroll her phone. a nonchalant smile plays on her lips, “can’t believe we’re back here.” she says with a sigh.

before you can respond, a sudden noise draws your attention towards the backdoor. two figures emerge, their arms swaying as they laugh and push each other. 

“hey guys,” joy's casual greeting halts their antics momentarily, but it's the sight of you on the couch that freezes one of the boys in his tracks. he stands there, awkward and unsure.

the other boy remains cool and confident as he greets joy and walks over to you both on the couch. he stands in front of you, sticking his hand out in front of your face, “i’m heeseung.” 

you look up at him as he stands, his features are chiseled. his eyes are a deep shade of brown. his smile is almost cocky, but disarming as he flashes it effortlessly. there’s an aura of assurance about him, that he knows he’s good looking and he’s confident about it. 

your hand meets his, “i’m y/n.” your eyes flicker back to the boy who remains rooted to the spot, his expression unreadable as he almost quiets away into the wall. 

“are you gonna come hug your sister, jake?” joy squeaks from beside you, she octaves her voice higher to be annoying on purpose. 

it’s then that you realize who is standing there in the corner– you almost didn’t recognize him. 

the shy, nerdy kid you once knew is now standing before– transformed in a way that catches you off guard. where once stood a lanky teenager, now stands a man that is toned and tanned. his hair is longer and tousled in a way that accentuates his features. he’s taller and broader. 

as you take in his appearance, you can’t help but be struck by how insanely hot he has become. 

he shifts nervously, perhaps sensing your gaze. his eyes turn to joy, “no way in hell am i hugging you.” 

joy's mother breezes into the room with a warm smile, "oh jake, give your sister a hug."

joy springs up instantly, tackling jake in a bear hug that's both affectionate and overly enthusiastic. jake groans, awkwardly patting joy's back as everyone chuckles. heeseung, settles down next to you, a confident smirk playing on his lips, his eyes holding a hint of nothing other than flirtatious. 

"right, yn," joy's mother continues, her tone gentle yet teasing, "heeseung here has been keeping jake entertained since you left."

heeseung chimes in, his voice dripping with sarcasm and humor. "yeah, we're inseparable now," he says with a grin.

you laugh, unable to resist teasing. "oh really? i remember jake having no friends at all."

joy joins in, her laughter ringing through the room. "seriously, all he did was stay in his room playing video games."

"be nice, girls," she says playfully. "joy, come help me with dinner. set up a place for heeseung, too."

heeseung stands up with a mock bow. "don't worry, i'll set up my own place."

joy groans at having to help, leaving you and jake alone in the living room, complaining about why she has to help but jake doesn’t. 

jake settles into the chair directly across you, but his body language shows he’s tense and restless and it suggests that he’d rather be anywhere else. he fidgets slightly, fingers rolling over each other in his lap, his eyes darting around the room and avoiding you.

@ taeghi, 2024. do not repost or reuse in anyway.

PLEASE REBLOG IF YOU ENJOY, AS LIKES MAKE IT HARD FOR WORK TO BE SPREAD AND ENJOYED BY OTHERS :)

stay safe everyone :)

[astralfms]

[ … ] ❀ you’re not from around here , are you? i figured because you totally just missed { VERONICA LEE } walking by. don’t tell me you don’t know who { SHE } is ? they kind of look like { LISETTE OLIVERA } and i could be wrong but i think that they might be { 26 } years old right now. they’ve been living in palmview for the last { 13 YEARS  }. and i don’t know if anyone has ever told them this before but they kind of remind me of { CECELIA PAREKH } from { NEW GIRL }. if you stick around the town long enough you might catch them in action working at { MANGO BAY ART DISTRICT } as an { INDEPENDENT ARTIST }. you see this town isn’t really that big of a place, some folks like to call them the { THE AESTHETE } of palmview! they took a liking to the name too after a while, go figure. oh crap, they must have heard me yapping. they’re coming this way. i got to warn you though, rumor has it they can pretty { CALLOUS } at times. i wouldn’t take it too seriously though, from the times i’ve spoken to them they seemed pretty { IMAGINATIVE } to me. we see each other all the time since they live in that { 2 BEDROOM } apartment beside me over in { SEAGLASS HEIGHTS }. i better leave you to it. it was nice meeting you!  { MARCY. 26. SHE/THEY. CST. }

statistics:

full name: veronica lee

nicknames: ronnie, ron

birthday: august 27, 1996

hometown: miami, florida

occupation: esthetician, aspiring artist

hobbies: upcycling thrift finds, embroidery

lives: sunny shores

background:

growing up the child of a famous boxer certainly had it’s perks, giving ronnie a taste for a life of luxury she would soon realize she loved. an absolute daddy’s girl at heart, her mom made sure she was there to celebrate after every match. the time not spent at venues or gyms was dedicated to family trips, both parents ensuring that ronnie was always certain she was the center of their world.

trying on her mom’s clothes and putting on fashion shows for her and her friends soon became ronnie’s top hobby, encouraging her mom to start letting her put together outfits of her own and picking items when they went shopping. fashion was clearly an outlet for her, learning to use a sewing machine proficiently by nine and following complex patterns by ten.

though she has a knack for it, the process of designing and making clothing and accessories was never her passion. she much preferred to wear them, loving the way certain pieces made her feel and loving even more how people thought they looked on her. upcycling became a side gig through high school, her parents wanting her to have a job to learn responsibility after moving to palmview for a quieter life.

her true passion however, lies in art. her favorite class since elementary, ronnie seemed to find a different side of herself on canvas. family trips included frequent stops for ronnie to pop out a quick sketch, filling more sketchbooks than she had years alive. these sketches were turned to canvases when they returned from their trips, and filled nearly the entire art room her parents set up for her. her parents and teachers encouraged her to enter them into local art competitions, which she did, and often brought home gold. painting gave her a way to express herself in a softer way than words, which typically came out harsh.

as she approached the age for college, she begrudgingly applied for universities close to home, the need to please her parents deeply engrained. it was here she met her best friend, each never seen without the other. those around them always wondered, but the rumors were baseless until sophomore year when the two shared a kiss, leaving ronnie out of a best friend and full of regrets. she dropped out soon after winnie cut contact, much to her parents dismay, and pursued esthetician school which she practices part time while chasing her art career.

in her free time, she’s found in her art studio, commissions to be filled, or, a new project always at the forefront of her mind. most of her time is spent trying to get more exposure, the esthetician job mostly a side gig at this point for her. while she loves her clients and coworkers, it’s simply a means to an end until she can live her dream life. she’s received a few offers from galleries to showcase her work, but the ultimate goal would be to own a gallery of her own, filled with her art and spaces for aspiring artists to showcase theirs.

[ghvstgear]

┊ ✧.* { LOVIE SIMONE, 27, CIS-WOMAN, SHE/HER. } - was that DEVYN ANTWI i saw around town today? i heard that they were part of the CLASS OF 2016 and now works as a DESIGNER. they were voted as THE MOST LIKELY TO DIY THEIR ENTIRE HOUSE. upon graduating and has a reputation of being CREATIVE & CHARISMATIC, but also NIT PICKY & STUBBORN people in town usually associate them with GLITTERY MASCARA, PERFECTLY SMUDGED EYELINER, ALWAYS WATCHING - ALWAYS SMILING. they used to be a KOOK & had a NEGATIVE view on the rivalry. let’s see what’s in store for them at this reunion!

BASICS ...

𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄:  devyn antwi

𝐍𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄(𝐒):  dev

𝐀𝐆𝐄:  twenty7

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑:  cis woman

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐒:  she/her

𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍:  heterosexual

BIOGRAPHY ...

devyn grew up in a household where the word 'no' didn't really exist. her parents, both famous realtors, always doted on her and made sure to give her everything her little heart desired. and her older brother was always there to protect her, scaring away anyone who might mean her harm. it was safe to say devyn was used to the world bending in her favor.

cheerleading, school plays, party planning committees - devyn was everywhere through her high school years. she was confident, loud and proud, which some admired her for, while others couldn't stand it.

her escape from reality, and the place where she didn't need to impress anyone was her art. her childhood bedroom was always filled with unfinished canvases and ripped sketches. her parents did everything in their power to make sure she'd succeed. from buying every supply she'd ever need, elite programs to better her skill to funding her move to new york for design school.

devyn moved back home a little over a year ago to be closer to her family, though if you were to ask her on a deeper level, life in the big city was different. nobody really cared who you are, but home she mattered, she was someone.

HEADCANONS ...

she's always struggled with apologies. the right words are never there and she finds it easier to do it by buying gifts or giving a piece painted by her in hopes to earn someone's forgiveness.

devyn loves attention, and she hates more then anything when someone ignores her.

she loves parties, and she's a sucker for themed parties specifically. every holiday party with her friends is spent at her place where she goes all out.

she says she doesn't do drama, but somehow she is always aware about the rumors going through town. in her defense, she wasn't the one spreading them to begin with.

her apartment is covered with her own art-work. she also loves to gift people her own art. she believes nothing can beat i created this while thinking of you.

her brother is one of the few people who can call her out without devyn falling into a crisis. he also frequently receives 'SOS' texts in the middle of the night, and it's never anything serious.

WISHLIST IDEAS ...

someone she used to be best friends with in high school. they used to get each other and knew everything about one another, until something or someone got in the way. maybe petty drama, just rumors or a boy.

someone who sees her past the attitude. they're unimpressed and will call her out. their friendship is build on realness and devyn really does cherish them. maybe she doesn't show it in the best ways, but they know.

if anyone asks they hate each other, but there's always been undeniable tension between them.

they used to date, maybe back in high school, maybe after. their love was intense and their break-up just as messy. she claims she's over him, but just the mention of his name changes her whole vibe.

ride or dies

drinking buddies

art friends

old school friends

everything pls

[kissmejusttokiss]

It's the summer of 1986, the world has never heard of Vecna, and, somehow, Steve and Robin are still working at Family Video. (Only for the summer though. They have big plans for a cross-country road trip as soon as the kids go back to school and they officially hit a year without the world ending.) Well, working.

Somewhere between the world ending for a second time and them realizing that Keith would rather burn the store down than have to take over their shifts, they stopped caring that much about doing a good job and focused more on doing a job.

(And maybe they started letting things slide... Maybe they just believed people when they said they had rewound the video before returning... Maybe they only sometimes bothered checking that the videos had been returned at all...)

(And maybe they should have realized that this wasn't a sustainable system before the angry mom came storming back into the store with a copy of The Neverending Story that had been filled entirely with Kraft Singles...)

Long story short, they're tasked with checking every. single. video case. in. the. store.

Which is exceptionally boring until Steve starts to find a bunch of notes and doodles inside the videos from the Horror and Fantasy sections. Nothing really to suggest that any of them are related other than the same scratchy handwriting and handful of inside jokes that keep popping up. They're not even reviews, really. More like streams of consciousness that occasionally connect back to the plot of the movies.

And Steve doesn't mean to keep them. He just shoves them in his jeans pocket and carries on, overly irritated that some asshole has gone out of their way to make his job harder, but then he gets home and he just doesn't throw them out. He thinks about it. Thinks about emptying his pockets into the trash and forgetting they ever existed. But then he does the opposite.

He reads them.

There's a lot of them that he doesn't quite understand. Half-baked opinions about movies that he hasn't seen and references to things that he's never heard of. There's also a lot of stuff he wishes that he didn't understand. Paragraphs about loneliness and longing and how utterly terrifying it is to be something so fragile as a human being.

And he doesn't mean to still keep them after he's read them the first time. A big part of him wants to forget them entirely. To burn them in the fireplace his parents never use and move on with his life. But he can't. He re-reads every note. Dissects the meaning of every word. Rents the movies that he hasn't seen and seeks out the sources to every reference he doesn't understand.

Somewhere along the line, he starts talking to this invisible stranger. Throwing out comments while he watches the movies. Whistling along to the cassettes he went out of town to buy. Building arguments to the notes he disagrees with. And, slowly but surely, this stranger becomes just as much a person as everyone else Steve knows and cares about.

A month passes before he manages to tell Robin. Mostly because he feels stupid about the whole thing. It's not like him to get so caught up in something like this. But Robin shakes her head and tells him that the only stupid thing about it is that he didn’t tell her sooner. She asks him if he wants to meet the stranger and, after an agonizing afternoon, she checks the rental history for the store and finds a name.

The next day, Steve is parked outside an old trailer on the other side of town.

He doesn’t know what he expects to happen here. He’s heard about the Munsons before. True stories and tall tales that all seem to agree that they're not the sort of people you make friends with. He remembers Eddie Munson vaguely from parties and rushed deals in the school parking lot. Not exactly someone Steve expected to want to see again after high school, let alone talk to about movies and the oppressive weight of being alive.

But, other than Robin, no one else has ever really seemed to get it before. And, sure, maybe Steve is putting too much meaning into Eddie's words, but what if he isn’t? What if he opens the door and sees familiarity in Eddie's eyes. Someone who understands how truly hard it all is.

So he sucks up the weirdness of it all and knocks on the door. He’s practiced his little speech. (It’s not like he can just open with how much he related to the scariest part of The Shining being the idea of being trapped in the middle of nowhere with his father...) He decided to keep it simple. Centre it on returning the notes and use his neverending charm to entice Eddie to talking to him about the rest of his opinions.

A flawless plan if Steve's ever heard one, even if he is saying so himself.

Except Eddie Munson doesn't open the door.

His uncle does.

“I’m here to talk to Eddie,” Steve says. “He here?”

Wayne lets out a deep breath and, in any other world, he’d probably look intimidating. But, in this one, he just looks tired. “I thought I told y’all to leave us be.”

“I don’t understand?”

“Haven’t y'all done enough?”

Steve feels control slipping away from him so quickly that he doesn't even try to explain before pulling the notes out of his pocket. “I work at the video store, I think-” he stops “that these are Eddie’s... I just wanted to give them back.”

And, upon seeing his nephew's writing, Wayne deflates.

“You don’t know, do you?”

“Know what?”

Steve feels it in his bones before Wayne even answers. Sees every conversation he’d planned disappear in his mind. That connection he’d felt so strongly, the chance of understanding, he doesn’t even hear the words, he just feels them.

He ends up spending the rest of the afternoon talking to Wayne. Nursing a lukewarm beer as he hears about the real Eddie. The Eddie he’ll never get to meet. The guy who got so sick he couldn’t move & still spent his last weeks prepping a campaign so he didn’t abandon his group. Who never got to finish high school but had vague dreams about traveling the country once he did. Who sold off his things and worked extra for Rick so that his uncle wouldn’t have to worry about paying for his funeral. Who couldn’t even be left in peace when he was gone.

And, sure, he wasn’t perfect but who was? He was complicated & real & how is Steve supposed to grieve this guy he never even got the chance to know?

Later, Steve goes home to his big empty house & replays the same video until his eyes are blurry. He doesn’t know what else to do.

But time passes and so does the grief.

Steve still thinks about the Munson’s sometimes. Thinks about movies that Eddie would have liked and the albums he would have been excited to hear. Thinks about him rewatching his favorite movies before the end. About how he might have felt knowing the end was coming no matter what.

He hears about Wayne moving away. He hopes he finds some peace wherever he ends up.

Months after he finds the first note, Steve finds the last. It’s in the last video Eddie rented. One they were almost positive had gotten lost. It’s shorter than the others, writing is less legible. But it’s also written for Steve. Well, not intentionally. But still.

It’s simple. An apology and a request not to fine his uncle for his notes. “I heard somewhere that you don’t actually die until that last person forgets you. Can’t blame a guy for trying to be remembered a little longer, can you?”

And, no, Steve can’t. Not even for a second.

[cardinalhq]

PLOT DROP 06; 02/05/1991

The winds howled through the narrow streets of Cardinal Hill, giving the impression that the sky itself was enraged. They whipped around corners, rattling windows and biting through the air. Snowflakes, light at first, quickly thickened, swirling down in dense, constant flurries. The town was soon blanketed in a thick, white snow that quickly settled on rooftops and drifted across the quiet streets.

That morning, before the snow had begun to fall so relentlessly, Sidney Matthews had been watching the streets through their blinds, as they often did - and even more so after an attack on their neighbor earlier that year. Sidney had always believed in doing their part to keep the neighborhood safe, and after Dianne’s brutal injury, they found themselves by the window more than ever.

Sidney was one of the few residents who had been able to breathe a sigh of relief when they saw Dianne return home, battered but alive, just a couple of weeks ago. Though still in poor condition, Dianne had refused to leave her house since. Sidney couldn't help but feel sorrow for her; such a vibrant person now confined to her home, either out of fear or due to the lasting effects of the attack. At least she had survived, but it was hard to shake the sadness that lingered in the air whenever Sidney thought of her.

Just as the wind began to pick up, and before the snow had fully blanketed the streets, Sidney saw Dianne for the first time since her return home. It wasn’t just Dianne, however, but instead the entire Jones family was leaving their house across the street, packing a large truck with all of their belongings. They were leaving town - Sidney could tell that much even through the steadily thickening snow. But what struck them as odd was that the family hadn’t even put up a ‘for sale’ sign.

The situation felt strange, but as the snow picked up outside, all Sidney could do was stay inside, mulling over the mystery of it all. It might have been curious, seeing a family suddenly pack up without so much as a word about it to any neighbor, especially one they'd known for years, but after what had happened to Dianne, Sidney could understand the urge to leave, even if it wasn’t fully explained.

As Sidney’s mind lingered on the Jones family, the snow continued to fall, and by mid-morning, residents all over Cardinal Hill awoke to a thick blanket of snow that only seemed to grow heavier. News broadcasts on radios and television sets soon warned everyone to stay inside, urging caution as conditions worsened. By the time the snow really started to pile up, it was clear that many people had underestimated the storm. What began as a quiet snowfall quickly escalated into a blizzard that trapped residents wherever they happened to be.

Those who had ventured out for work or errands found themselves stuck in places they never imagined they'd be for long. Shops, cafes, and gas stations, which normally buzzed with activity, now sat silent, their windows fogged up as employees huddled near small heaters, chatting in an almost surreal calm. Some residents even ended up stranded in the homes of friends and family, unexpectedly snowed in for the night. As the storm continued to rage, it became evident that Cardinal Hill was caught in the kind of isolation only a snowstorm of this magnitude could bring.

The streets, once familiar, had vanished beneath deep drifts. Cars were buried in the snow, their once-visible outlines now completely obscured. What little traffic there had been came to a halt, the snow quickly filling the tire tracks, erasing all signs of movement. As the hours passed, the wind howled louder, pushing the snow into eerie, shifting dunes that blocked doorways and windows. No one could get in or out. Even the brave few who tried to venture out found themselves quickly overwhelmed, their steps swallowed by the snow as it piled up at an alarming rate.

The town had become a snowbound ghost town, with only the faint outlines of homes and buildings visible through the swirling white. Cardinal Hill, usually so vibrant with its small-town energy, was now trapped in a quiet, almost haunting stillness. No one could reach anyone else unless they happened to be nearby, and even then, the roads were impossible to navigate. The power flickered on and off, causing temporary lapses in most of the residents' sources of heat, and most phone calls consisted of mainly crackles and odd hums.

By the time night fell, every home had been turned into a shelter, the glow of lamps and candles casting warm light through windows covered in frost. Residents settled in for a long night, knowing that this wasn’t just another snowstorm, feeling deep in their guts that something was wrong, that something felt... off. Cardinal Hill was cut off, at least for the time being, from the rest of the world. The storm raged on, indifferent to the lives it had trapped within its icy grip, and all the residents could do was wait.

[electrospherevaults]

Imbalance

[Find other stories from the 2024 Friday Writing Challenge here]

“What do you want to see most in the world?”

She looked up to the skies. They were filled with stars, shining distant and bright, dancing alongside waves of lights that graced the atmosphere above their heads. You could not see them that easily back home, even if the home itself was remote and the skies were a deep dark that allowed the mysticism of the cosmos to unravel above you – tendrils exploding in a canvas of deep golds and bright greens. Aurora borealis, was it not? She never paid enough attention at school.

She sat by him next to the tall grass, a rushing river just below their feet, and the bridge just a few klicks away. It was not a long walk to the village, but a longer one to the rooftop of his place. And even longer to the next town over. There was a bus station there. Well, there were in fact two but only one mattered. That one had an old man stationed, grumpy as they come, perpetually stuck at least three days from retirement since she met him on his first day at work seven years ago. He would stare at the calendar and mark the days the charter busses would come about, the ones that went out of Isorropa and into the greater territory. Benefits of living near the border – it held more opportunities for escaping its clutches.

She did escape once. It was during one of the field trips with her own mother. They were as close as they come, her upbringing by a travelling saleswoman, crafting jewelry and cutlery, and pretty little golden trinkets, instilling the sense of wander she felt for this world. And on that day she got lost, she wandered all the way to the city centre, and she saw a cosmodrome with her own two eyes. A slingshot to outer space. A gateway. She tuned everything away, just sitting by idly, watching chemtrails pierce the skies, leaving her behind. Her mother was not very happy about leaving her behind either.

She soon found out all things shined just about the same to the people outside; they were the ones that could pay for pieces of art they saw fittingly exotic and mystical, all whilst unable to tell a keyring chain that joined and showcased familial love to an engraved earring that indicated lustful passion. This one symbolized love and had to be worn on the left ear, that one with the chain was about family and you both had to wear it. Times were not tougher than usual, and you could always use a little shine in your life. Now, come along, come along now dear sir, dear madam! Do not cheapen out!

They always cheapened out.

Her village by the border had its own problems; too many fields to tend, not enough hands to work them. But gold shined as both a mineral and a grain, and their fields stood tall next to the grass. A dance of gold and green, not much unlike the stars she observed above her head. Unlike them, these fields were finite. She could count them, and not lose track. The border never shrunk. It never moved. More of those gentle giants outside would trickle in as the years passed her by. It was said to not be easy to live in those big cities of the towns beyond, but when you see the pretty dresses, the fancy cars, the wide roads with tarmac and brick, and the tall buildings, it does leave you wondering what kind of problems led them away. And they, bulky and large as they come, had tender hands that the fields welcomed.

A family of theirs moved close enough by. His rooftop stood next to an old tall tree, same one her mother used to climb as a kid, and it overlooked the entire valley. It was not big by any of the means that came to indicate wealth or status – it was just an abandoned old oak that could have used the renovation. They did become friends, and she did offer him an earring – a token of their friendship – and she would come visit often, late at nights when the lights were out below, and the lights were out above. They would sit on plastic molded chairs, their backs laying across with an endless sight to behold and a kettle of tea brewing; a more then perfect companion for discussions of existence, passion, understanding, identity. They would discuss the universe frequently, it laying so effortlessly overhead. He appreciated its beauty, but it was too big for him. Too vast. Too chaotic. Datrakan, his home, his planet, was enough. Maybe she could be enough too.

She thought otherwise.

She stared back down now, looking at her own two feet, firmly planted in the soft soil, whose colour now they matched. Her arms, blackening similarly as you would go about lower and lower from the collarbone to the fingertip, shimmered by the moonlight, as did the waters in front of her eyes. Both reflected a fate she could not deny.

She turned to look back at him.

“More.”