#how did we go from virtually no content to this in one day?

[sfwregressionfanfictions]

Aaron Hotchner X Little! Fem! Reader: Danger Close to Home Pt.1 

Summary: Littles have been going missing, and hotch ends up breaking his rule against meeting online strangers. (This can be any season, also I imagine the reader working as a baker) WC: 2k

TW: Mentions of childhood trauma/abuse, cursing, murder, torture, and Criminal Minds Level Gore/Violence. IF YOU ARE TOO LITTLE TO WATCH CRIMINAL MINDS, YOU ARE TOO LITTLE FOR THIS.

Aaron Hotchner was always careful online, tried to not get sucked into online conversations, communities, and even friendships. There was one community that he was unable to avoid, it drew him in like a siren’s song. He kept going back to age regression boards and community pages.

He didn’t mean to care so much about this community he found himself a part of, however, he found that he wanted to care for someone as defenseless and tiny as the littles he met. He was always meant to protect others, whether it's from unsubs or from a little nightmare. He became attached to this web page about 4 years ago, since then he slowly started engaging with the community.

The progression was slow; first, He replied to a few posts and threads. Second, he posted something of his own. Third, there were a few DMs and genuine conversations. He didn’t mean to become attached to one little in particular. 

Hotch became the online caregiver for a little, who happened to live only over the border in Maryland. Only 1-3 hours away, they didn't share location or super personal information. Hotch was paranoid about sharing personal information and made sure his baby was using proper safety precautions online. 

Aaron’s phone buzzed in his pocket as he was splayed on his couch. With a huff, he answered the call. Once the phone was connected, he heard the small voice of his baby; “Aaron…?”

“Baby? Hi, how was your day, little lady?” Hotch said into the phone, whispering as if she was lying with him.

“Hi, I… I am okay. I wanted to ask you something…” She mumbled, their voice cracking. She was worried.

“Okay, what is your question?” He said quickly, she needed help. 

“You know how we have rules about stranger danger, and no oversharing on the internet?” She asked, only receiving a hum of agreement, “Well, I have a few friends and they don’t have anyone to take care of them, and sometimes they overshare, and what happens then?”

“Baby, you can help tell them about the importance of being mindful of social media presence and the information they share.” He said, glad that she was so worried for her virtual friends and the fact she remembered about their oversharing rules.

“Well, I tried to, but they stopped replying. I think they are mad at me.” (Y/N) replied, huffing as she climbed into bed.

“They are probably just busy or upset at the moment. I am sure they aren’t mad at you,” He said, sitting up from the couch. “Baby, are you getting ready for bed?” 

“Yes papa,” She says, grabbing her stuffy.

“Did you brush your teeth?” a confirmation. 

“Did you lock your door?” a confirmation.

“Do you have your PJs on?” a confirmation. 

“Do you want me to read you a story?” He asked, only to receive a hum. She was asleep by the time he said ‘once upon a time’.

Hotch hummed in contentment as he hung up. He had to get ready for bed. Or so he thought, JJ was calling. A case. 

His head turned towards the clock. 9:37 PM. Less than 3 hours since he left work. 

“Hotchner.” He answers. Dry, like he had to be during cases.

“There have been 3 missing persons in the last 3 weeks in Maryland, most recently reported 10 hours ago. No bodies found yet.” JJ said, “All were characterized as having (describe you but generic enough to apply widely).”

“I’ll call the team, prepare the cars.” Hotch was annoyed already.

The team only took 30 minutes to get to the station and loaded up. Garcia was in her cave in 15 minutes. The drive was an hour. It was past 11 pm when they arrived to the station, only evening shift cops were there. 

Spencer was quick to pin up pictures. Hotch and JJ spoke to the police that were there. Emily and Derek called Garcia to find connections. For being past 11pm, everyone was rejuvenated as if they got their full 8 hours. 

“Chocolate thunder, I hate to break the party up, however, all 3 missing people are connected by the same online social website usage.” Penelope stated. “They all seem to be from an Age Regression social board.”

Hotchner came to a full stop, turning to the computer. His eyebrow quirked. This was a cue for Penelope or anyone to share. 

 However, Spencer was quick to share some facts, “Age Regression is a form of therapy used primarily in cases of trauma at a young age. This has actually been widely seen historically, one prominent case was Angelica Hamilton after the trauma of losing her brother, her father, and becoming sickly.”

When Reid stops to take a breath, Derek breaks in, “Okay so what is it exactly?”

“These are adults, who revert to earlier stages of their development to try to protect themself from whatever trauma or stressors they have.” Spencer said, no judgement, just a fact.

“Okay, Garcia, what information can you find about the website and about their usage?” Hotch asked, he was whispering to himself to control his microexpressions and behavior.

“I can find everything, just give me more time to search through everything they have said and done.” She said, hanging up to get hacking. 

“Okay, It is almost 1 AM, let's get a few hours of rest so we can go talk to the friend” Hotch said, luckily the hotel was almost right near the precinct. They walked 5 minutes to the hotel and split for the night. 

Hotchner typed and deleted a message multiple times to his little lady. He finally made a choice and sent it.

Aaron: Hey my little lady, I know I said don't share personal information, but I am in Maryland for work. I need you to promise me you won’t talk to anyone new online. I would like you to not post for a bit either if possible. I need you to be safe.

He knew it was too much, and he shouldn't have sent it. He couldn't help himself though. With it sent, he slept a little easier than he did before. 

The next morning, the work began. They had pulled the missing girl's most recent posts and messages. They all posted their regular content, with no change and no overly detailed information.

Only one conversation stood out to them, a conversation between the 3rd victim and an online friend on the website. The message read: I am so excited to meet him, he gives daddy! I think he wants to be my CG, like its not a question of if but a question of when!

“I need you to search for a message between her and the man she was meeting and see if he is connected to the other victims.” Hotch stated, he was going to put this piece of shit in jail for a long time. This case was relying on Garcia and her ability to hunt them down via hacking.

“There have been no messages in the past few weeks on the website about meeting up. I am running an algorithm to search for any matching messages, like names, numbers, from the same IP address, or even small matches. I will find him, just give me 5 minutes.” With that Garcia was gone, she was more determined than ever. 

Hotch wasn’t one to partake in personal communication, however, this case was different. He knew (Y/N) replied to his message this morning but he ran to get to work. He was set on saving every little like her without a daddy to save them. 

(Y/N): Daddy? What is happening? What do you mean? 

(Y/N): You are scaring me

Aaron: I didn’t mean to scare you. I shouldn't tell you any of this, but remember how daddy travels a lot for work so sometimes calling can be hard? I work as an FBI agent and there is a bad guy in maryland. I don’t know if its even close to you but they are all littles so I’m a little shaken up.

The response took a little time, as it was now the middle of a work day. Morgan and Prentiss was sent to talk to the friends of the missing people, only to come back around 3pm. Hotchner found himself glancing between his phone and the board, until (Y/N) flashed across his screen.

(Y/N): Aaron…

(Y/N): What do I do? How do I stay safe?

Aaron: I don’t know, but you need to not talk to strangers and not post. I need you to be sure to lock the door and be sure to have your phone by your bed. Be sure to lock your windows too. Don’t go out late alone and remember stranger danger. 

(Y/N): I’m scared

(Y/N): I don't wanna be alone! 

Aaron: Do you trust me?

(Y/N): Yes.

Aaron: After work, I want you to come stay at my hotel with me. I have a spare bed and can be sure of your safety. [Address]

(Y/N): Daddy, I work 5 minutes from that hotel

With that Hotchner was locked into the exam. Garcia found a matching message with different numbers, all were tracked and all were burners. These Littles were taken by the same person. The team was locked into the case until sundown only finding other littles that received the same message. This led to contacting all contacted littles, including (Y/N). 

Hotch was trying to stay calm, hide how angry he was. Morgan could tell though, not sure why this case was hitting so hard until 5pm hit and (Y/N) came into the station with baked goods. Morgan saw the look on his boss's face.

“I was called about missing people… I never texted the number I was sent, but I wanted to help, cause… cause what if one of my friends did…” (Y/N)’s voice cracked as she dropped the baked goods on the table.

“(Y/N), would you like to sit down and tell us what you might know about some users on [website name]?” Hotchner said gently, pulling out one of the chairs. 

“Um yes sir, i'll tell you everything I know.” (Y/N) knew she wasn’t on trial, but all the questions were wearing her down. She wanted to cry as she realized she was following or mutual with all 3. 

Out of earshot, Morgan, JJ, and Prentiss stood staring at their stern boss and this Little. Hotch was rubbing circles on her back, just as he would a child. He was gentle, soft, and almost smiling as (Y/N) explained her connection and friendships with each missing person.

“I didn’t know Hotch was so open minded…?” Morgan said to the ladies.

“Hotch reeks of ‘daddy’ so I guess it comes natural to him.” Emily replied.

“It seems more than a first time interaction right?” JJ says.

“JJ is on to something, look how open Hotch is,” Emily said.

“Look at how she is staring at him and leaking into him for comfort as if she knows he’s safe.” Morgan adds. 

“Oh, there will be questions on the drive home.” Emily snarked.

“Have you ever noticed Reid sometimes exhibits behaviors similar to her?” Morgan said.

The team zoned back into the interaction in front of them, Hotch was placing his suit jacket around her shaking body. Garcia pops up shortly after the information was sent to her.

“I FOUND THE BASTARD!” Penelope says loudly to the unprepared room. Hotchner’s face turned stern, hands covering (Y/N)’s ears. 

“Garcia.” Hotch said.

“OH- I’m sorry, sir. And little one.” Garcia said, “All information leads back to a Jason Smith at (address). Being sent to your devices.”

“Everyone load into the SUVs, (Y/N) will stay with Officer Laher,” Hotchner said as they raced out of the precinct. (Y/N) sat picking their nails at the sight of the man who cared for her rushing towards danger.

[kalims]

he's a ten but he...

premise. sometimes certain bad habits of theirs make their overall rating just a tad bit lower—besides the fact that they keep doing it.

characters. dorm leaders

content. gender neutral reader

malleus (doesn't have a sense of space)

"look beastie, that flower is a native of ours,"

"I agree mal, but I didn't think you taking up the entirety of my seat will make me see it better,"

he blinks, then shrugs.

like i said, has NO sense of space.

if an average person would make an excuse to constantly be in physical contact with who they admire, then malleus is the complete opposite. well, not entirely but he doesn't even bother to construct an explanation as to why he's literally sat over your seat when you coincidentally get put in a table together.

if you start questioning him about it the most you'll get in a very outright 'because he wanted to.' it's not even one of those sarcastic replies he's 100% serious!

cause he believes there's no use in lying about things to be honest.. to further emphasize that, if he ever acts like he does hold fondness for you that surpasses the platonic meter but doesn't mention it he probably hasn't realized yet.

if he did he'd already walk over and bluntly tell you about it.

(I wish I could be that unbothered.)

lilia thinks it's the cutest thing though. you swear you see flashes of light for a split second from the ceiling but when you look up there's only a suspicious swinging chandelier.

^ totally has his own album full of pictures.

if malleus ever discovers it he won't even be disturbed, probably would ask for a copy 💯

since human lives, and their bodies are so fragile he'd taken it upon himself to protect you from harm. even if it means trailing behind you everywhere way too close for comfort, or standing a bees wing away.

while he is respectful most of the time, he's encouraged if you don't comment. if anything, he seems pleased you dont seem to be bothered! (and it'll get harder to tell him to stop when he's so happy the more you let it happen..)

"child of man, have you slept?"

*starts leaning his body forward, to squint at your eyes.* practically right in front of your face.

"WTF."

not even a warning or anything! but atleast he's concerned?

idia (won't even show up for anything and insists a 'virtual' date is better.')

user: where tf r u??

ghoul666: WDYM? at the dorm?

user: IVE BEEN WAITING HERE FOR 20 MINUTES

unintentionally stood you up 💀

you literally have to tell him that you're waiting for him to arrive at the specified area you discussed where your date would take place but would end up vastly irritated when he questions if you guys even did.

ghoul666: we do??

user: I'm taking my minecraft bed away from urs.

ghoul666: NO PLS

ghoul666: HELLO????

next time you log in minecraft it's probably because he begged you to play, you WILL end up seeing some kind of structure that probably took days to make. that's not even the entire thing cause the inside is entirely decorated to your taste.

in short: he constructed some kind of venue for a wedding.. even changed his skin to wear a tuxedo ��

though he has sparked your pettiness, hence the ignoring him period. even you have got to admit that it's freaking adorable...

big sign, emphasis on please: Im sorry pls put ur minecraft bed back I can't sleep w/o u and I have to wait entire days for it to turn into morning :(

with what he's built you're sure it's 65% true.

if you do end up forgiving him, few weeks later attempting to schedule another date will only end up in naught.

ghoul666: can we not go there

user: 😐

user: you are testing my patience love

ghoul666: 😓 (he is screeching about the term of endearment part btw KABSJAJSAJA ortho would enter his room very concerned.)

ghoul666: how abt

ghoul666: mimic together? call

user: sighs

user: I'm only agreeing cause I want to spend time with you

queue more screeching from his end that you're completely oblivious to.

the only screeching you're gonna hear though is when you guys do get into call as you play, and it's mainly out of terror when his soul gets sent to the void ascending when the entity pops out of a corner and starts chasing him.

"I GOT THIS. ILL CARRY U THIS IS FINE" *screams again* but really wants to impress you so he pushes through.

unsurprisingly does carry you.

asks to match avatars right after (idia love languange)

vil (frets over you way too much.)

"vil, did you see the chocolate in the freezer?"

"oh, that? I noticed that you've already gone through the ideal number of bars this week so I took it upon myself to make sure you don't go sick on me,"

"I love you but please give it back—"

"I love you too, and no."

disclaimer: he does this for your own good 😜 (average mom excuse.)

looks out for you more than he does for his own dorm residents. everyone is wondering where he ran off to after class, especially since he's the one that scheduled the pomefiore meeting every fridays!

and to think he was the one getting irritated over the more newer first years for being late..

*shows up literally half an hour in*

why you ask? you simply shouldn't have texted him about abandoning your daily walk together through the gardens in favor of catching sleep since you called in sick (you're suspicious if crewel really did go in to check for proof, and not concern.)

vil's really feeling the absolute regret of not checking his phone during classes.. well, he only saw the message which was coincidentally sent like somehow ONE minute after the lecture started and he's only seeing it 59 minutes later.

oh you poor thing!! though the lunch break is short, he has about 5 minutes for a trip to the mirror chamber..

you'd think the 'seen' icon below your message was a weird omen for something you're not sure but it must be doom cause vil is right at the front porch of your crappy dorm. at his own expense?! looking more disheveled than you've seen him before.

if a few stray hairs was disheveled at all. more importantly, he still looked drop dead gorgeous!

you probably looked quite terrible with the blanket draped around your shoulders looking like you just crawled out of your grave, because he looked absolutely mortified at your state.

"oh great sevens.." he looked like he was faint, huffing and fanning himself with his hand. "look at you, why didn't you tell me sooner, darling?"

you blink, swallowing to make your throat less dry but your voice still comes out raspy. "I did, like an hour ago—" without your invitation whatsoever, he steps in. promptly shutting the door behind him (which surprisingly still stands sturdy.)

vil takes a hold of your shoulders before reaching his hands upwards to tilt your face around. "you should have sent earlier," he says. you keep in the comment that you were sleeping during it, and you told him about it during second period so.. "your face is so pale."

you sigh.

"yeah, I just saw. I know, I look hideous right now."

vil frowns at you, stopping to angle your face at him. "don't ever say that. I always find you beautiful even if you are.." he glances at you from face to toe, then back up. "sickly."

"... I feel offended."

"hmph, shush now. let me draw you a bath then I know something that will boost your system."

after much coaxing in his end, you reluctantly take a warm bath in the hopefully hygienic bathroom. true to his word, vil did... concoct something. though it looked pretty the random steam that flew from it was really suspicious.

the residents don't dare to question, except rook of course. who already knew what transpired! :)

epel: 😃 (atleast vil wasn't around.)

"roi du poison~ tell me, tell me! is the trickster well? have you cured them with your love?"

"rook, you have 5 seconds to get out of my face."

rook giggles away.

kalim (thinks money will buy anything, including your forgiveness.)

"here!" there's a suspiciously bright smile on his face as he hands you.. some keys?

you deadpan, jingling it in your hands. it weighs heavy than the average, probably because of the fact that it's literally made of gold. "... kalim what is this?" you emit a sigh, from suspicion and concern.

"a gift!"

"wait why does it say lot 111--"

as you can already, that was an actual, literal house. which you imagine would probably be a lots more grand, and new compared to your old baby ramshackle.

but you do love it despite it's love for falling apart at the most inconvenient of times..

fighting with kalim was rare but it was hard to even argue with him because the notion of disagreements are so bizarre to him that he unintentionally doesn't treat you seriously with your concerns, accidentally downplaying them aaaand now you're upset.

after the ranting to jamil about how you must be busy with a lot, since you haven't even talked to him in the past 2 days. all it took was a side glance to his friend in denial and jamil immediately knew.

"what do you mean they're mad!? D:"

"just.. go apologize, I don't want to get caught up in this."

if his definition of an apology is buying you an entire house...

( ^ it is btw.)

kalim really doesn't mean any harm. he just really wants to sate whatever anger you held for him <- maybe he's overthinking it but it's kalim so he's 99% sure it's his fault! even though it hasn't even been confirmed from your end he'd probably accept it whole heartedly.

he wanted you to talk to him again so badly that he wouldn’t mind showering you with houses... since your living situation doesn't live up to your kindness (sorry ramshackle love u xx)

you know what. he wouldn't even notice he's the reason you're upset at first even though he's been asking around on who put you in that mood. despite himself being the perpetrator but he didn't really know that did he?

the only reason he does is because he assumed you were just because you avoided him like some sort of.. cockroach! (he dislikes those.) and he couldn't take it anymore.

was probably 1 sec away from barging into your dorm which wouldn't take a lot of effort since one ram to the door would probably break it.

bless jamil for jailing all the carpets so kalim doesn't find them.

even if said carpets fling him off when he's riding them.

"kalim, why would you buy a literal house... and you also got a rare address paid--"

"for them! ;D"

"... you do know they'd be more offended by the fact that you'd try to replace that.., ahem. dorm, right?"

"oh... should I buy them a vehicle then?"

you only promise to forgive him once he takes back the keys, and the house entirely...

(grim begged you to keep it, 'house for him apparently.')

azul (keeps trying to offer you discounts thinking it's a good excuse to have you over.)

"I assure you. you'll find no deal better than this."

"I'm not even that hungry for sea food, actually I'm craving some--"

"you're in luck then! ahem, it's 26% off due to a special event for today."

pro tip: keep insisting to eat at other places cause he's gonna keep increasing the discount by 2% until you eventually relent. once, you made him go to the point of 75% off, it's almost hilarious if not for the fact it only worked once.

now he won't go last 50!

ahem. if you look closely you can almost spot tiny cracks accumulating with each denial you respond with, and each increase of his discount. he's grown to be wary about the bullshit 'lucky' promos you just happen to stumble on.

last time you did he practically lost a week's worth of the presumed income he's predicted cause you actually went around and told your first year friends about it... who.. in turn told some, other friends of theirs about it and you could guess.

love must hurt.. and unfortunately it's his wallet wailing.

but azul is not so easily swayed by this! for you have swayed him first! *wink wonk*

but azul has another trick up his sleeve... keeping on roping jade and floyd into it; whom are far too enthusiastic cause finally— something fun to do! someone to bother! not only have you got the most stubborn octopus having frequent suspicious 'deals' but here are his equally suspicious lackeys.

who keeps.. talking about fried octopus..

yeah, you're not sure if preaching about azul’s species is the job they were assigned.

they're fairly easy to point in the right direction anyways. the tweels have always associated you with the word 'fun' so just a little, friendly suggestion from and they were off to their merry way. mortifying every single person you come across with their sudden attachment.

one of their tricks? following you around. and just somehow, every single place you enter is just mysteriously full even though you peered inside and there was like 7 tables empty. what are they hosting? ghosts? spirits?

...

they do look like they've seen some though..

jade rn: "a shame indeed, you must be hungry. why don't we escort you back to monstro lounge?" :)

long story short you can't even reply cause the sleek eel is already guiding you around by the use of his hands on your shoulders. just to make sure you don't stray away from the destination, he says.

"didn't you say that yesterday's promo was like, a one day thing?" you quirk a brow, and you almost fool yourself into thinking he flinched.

azul clears his throat. "well—today is.. the month before you've graced octavinelle with your assistance—"

he praises himself for his quick thinking.

COME ON! it doesn't matter if you're sick of eating stir fried shrimp, or the butter one, or every single dish they serve that includes shrimp! (also do not mention that you ate somewhere else before you just decide to visit his dorm because that establishment just mysteriously got filed a non-legal business report.)

then you've got floyd chasing you around with a fork. which is more terrifying because he's holding it in a notion that would seem like he'd just stab down at you when he catches up with your little goose chase.

it's just.. you're not sure if your stomach could take another bite of the poor food he stabbed into, and is now chasing you around with.

you screech. "JADE PLEASE."

the man shrugs. "it's a free taste."

"AZUL."

"... only on a condition of course."

frankly. it took all the balls he had to actually sputter out the most simplest sentence ever, cause during the time he rehearsed that in front of his mirror it just plagued him with embarrassment but he's getting desperate.

'I'd like to take you out to dinner, somewhere else of course.'

actually, maybe obliterating any possible craving for the food of his lounge just might've been part of his plans to ask you out..?

leona (prevents you from actually being productive via dragging you down to 'nap' every. single. time.)

"I will literally fail if you don't let go of me right now."

"hmph. so what? it's not like failing a grade killed anyone."

"leona just because you've lived through a lot of fails doesn't mean I have to, we're not all rich enough to not finish school."

to which he'd retaliate that all you'd need is to marry him and you'd be set for life.

there is no winning an argument with leona when it comes to his naps. if he states that you're to be next to him as he sleeps, its final. no buts, no retaliations, cause apparently they're all invalid according to him even if you drag him to court.

rhetorically of course, that if its a comical court scene his only statements are; 'well you're wrong', 'who cares', and 'i dont care'. one way or another he's still gonna win you over and now you're fit snugly in his arms, lamenting.

and if crowley chastises you for not doing the errands (via leona's common interference.) the only thing you need to honestly do is to complain to leona about it and suddenly crowley has the kindness to forgive you for your 'laziness' then says something about enjoying your time together?

leona's work no doubt.

you suppose he does has its perks. even if most of it isn't exactly ideal.

if you're being smart then you should give him an ultimatum or something, or bribe him. but... that really has no guarantee to work either cause you're ending up defeated, or just defeated and flustered since he's somehow unconsciously flirty.

at the end of the day you can't really hate him cause the following day you find out he sent an already sleep deprived ruggie to do your work. 'so you can shut your fussing up and let me enjoy you.' he says, and you quote.

it goes something like;

"if i finish my work i'll stick by you all day."

a stready flow of confidence keeps your voice firm as you glower down at the blank-faced leona sat on the grass. he merely tilts his head, raising a brow at you and seemingly pondering from the way his eyes fly to the sky.

you'd think that maybe your plan actually worked but he merely grunts and flops backwards, holding the back of his head with his palms as he laid. and! he ignores you.

...this little greedy man... "why should i care whether or not you finish your work?" he huffs, like the evil, arrogant spawn he is but you can't really defend yourself cause said evil spawn bewitched you so much that you actually still like him.

"because you care about me?"

"...fine," he scowls, releasing a breath you'd mistake for irritation. "then, do you really think i need you to finish your work when i can just keep you right here?"

you sulk. "i'll do anything you want?"

he deadpans as if you said something stupid. "i don't need you to anything else but sit still and be pretty."

...

...

see what i mean about him eventually winning you over? yeah.

next morning there's a rebellion in savanaclaw about overworked residents and ruggie is the head of them.

"he said that he doesn't need you today." <- ruggie, steering you away.

"really?" <- you, confused

riddle (overthinks TOO HARD.)

“I'm just a little busy.”

“I understand,” riddle says.

“I'm just a little busy.” he understands.

“a little busy.” its just… a small thought…

“I'm just busy.” his mind is a hazard at this point. 

for someone as supposedly maintained as riddle—you'd think his mind is as composed as it is organized. like the pens you'd perfectly align in correlation to order of colors, or the neat pile of clothing folded neatly, tucked in some corner in your closet that is farther in since it's used less.

that's just how he is, or at least seems to be. a bundle of organized thoughts, every thought connected to another. a mind too clean to be going on haywire (when he isn't in a particular mood, that is.)

you're just busy. he thinks. you said it yourself, with that agonizingly nice smile that must be sprinkled with some kind of spell from the way it just eradicated all the protests in his throat upon sight. he isn't one to question it, he wants to help but not if you don't ask.

he can only stare with resigned acceptance at your insomnia induced eyes.

but when the curtain of darkness befalls night raven college, even in the comfort of heartslabyul is he still thinking about that thought–and he can’t help but wonder; why exactly are you busy? its not that he’s suddenly hyper aware of your lack of presence since you’ve been attached to the hip the previous week and now you’re just.

…busy…

riddle likes to think of himself as a level-headed, private person. like the boy he raised himself to be and therefore proud of. but its way past 10AM. which is usually the time he sleeps, and let me tell you that he’s never once broke the cycle for years. yet here he is, a frown of frustration present on his face as he wills his mind to sleep.

somehow closing his eyes felt forced, he immediately snapped them open once his mind decides to conjure an image of you even in the darkness his lids offers.

“THIS IS ABSURD.”

and the yell promptly woke up the entire dorm from the ferocity of his scream. (and of course gave them the flashback of their year.)

that night was one of the worst he’s ever had because he woke up with red rimmed eyes and a pounding headache that ensured his bad mood the rest of the day.

everyone noted to steer clear.

and he unknowingly steered clear of yours since you were ‘busy.’

“why are you sulking?” a voice queried, spoken as though they were eating something as they asked. a reprimand rises in his throat, but it all just dies down once his sharp eyes settle on you, slipping into the seat in front of him then raising a brow and the traces of irritation practically evaporates from his eyes.

he feels the need to cough–so he does. “i’m– i’m not.” he clears his throat, avoiding your eyes but still sneaking in glances, something he notes is that you’re still looking everytime he does. (and boring an unimpressed face because he knows you don’t believe him at all.)

guilt rises in his mind, because he feels a slither of annoyance and its the presence of pettiness that bothers him. riddle knows you’re not at fault, just his mind at convincing that you just somehow decided in the span of a day that you might not like him anymore–so he can’t help the bite. 

“why are you here?” a glance not intended to look mean.

“i thought you were busy.” he adds.

your brows raise, he spots your teeth holding your lips back from showing your grin and he feels warm. “what?” he hisses defensively, despite you not even having replied to him yet.

he leans backwards, straightening up in his seat when your chin leans forward, resting on your intertwined fingers. you flash him a smile. 

“mr. rosehearts, are you perhaps… sulking because i’m busy?”

“no!”

silence.

“no.” he repeats, weaker.

“well,” you continue, beaming. “i heard from ace that you were awake the entire night, and that you kept him awake too. are you alright?” 

he sputters. “it wasn’t because of you!”

you snort. “i didn’t even say anything about me.”

so you incline to following riddle around, poking fun at him and still trailing after the seemingly enraged red head because despite his angry protests, demanding you to go away because you’re annoying he keeps glancing back to see if you’ll follow,

so cute…….

[littlemelanintales]

Aftercare

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, Soft!Bucky, cock drunk reader, after care, no smut

Your face was still mashed into the mattress beneath you. Ringlets voiding your full vision with the taste of salty sweat creeping past your huffing lips. You felt kisses placed on your hot shoulder blades and the curls being swiped from your face.

Your eyes were unfocused but centered on the lightly breezy curtains,

"Speak for me."

"Mmm." Was all you could let out. Bucky got up from the bed and crossed the hardwood to the adjacent bathroom. You could hear the sink running and the medicine cabinet open then shut again. The loud padding of his weight crossing the floor filled the otherwise virtually silent room.

He squatted to your eye level, bringing the cool towel to gently wipe the night from your brow.

Your breathing relaxed further, drinking in the sparkle in his eyes and the gentleness he has with you.

"There she is he said softly.

"Sit pretty for me, Baby. Can you do that?" You nod and slowly started to sit up and turn yourself over. Small squeaks and groans escaped your lips as the buildup in your triceps tensed up. You leaned back against the headboard, taking a deep breath. He started to bring the duvet up but you declined,

“ ‘m hot." He smiled, leaning in and placing a kiss to your forehead. Bucky grabbed the 2 Tylenol and glass of water from the night stand. He lifted the cup to your lips and placed his cold, hard index finger under your chin to guide your head with the water. You took and swallowed the medicine before resting your head back. He placed the cool towel on your forehead before standing,

"That needs to be empty before you go to sleep." he said behind him as we went back to the bathroom. He re-entered with another cloth in hand. He sat beside you and ran his hand up the length of your leg. You twitched when he reached her inner thigh and he left out an breathy laugh.

He gently separated your legs, lightly lifting it and placing himself on his stomach between them.

He leaned in and softly left open mouthed kisses to the insides of both your thighs. He closed his eyes and sighed at the smell of you; sweet left over arousal and sweat. When he opened them he was eye to eye with your sticky, wet pussy. The sight of your juices and his cum secreting from your used hole left him in a trance.

"Ohhh, Baby. You did so well for me," your heart rate started to increase just slightly, "the best girl I could ever have. So needy. So obedient. Drink your water, honey.

You brought the cup to your lips and Bucky brought the new warm cloth up from his side. He started with a single swipe. You arched your back at the sensation the courses through you. You placed the cup down, mesmerized by him.

"You made me feel so good. Did I make you feel

good?"

"Yes, Daddy," you said as you smiled down at him and ran your fingers through his hair. His grip on your left thigh tightened just a little bit, his body unwillingly notifying you that his heart skipped a beat.

He finished cleaning you up and got up from the bed. He pulled the duvet over you without asking this time. Bucky lifted the cup one last time and you happily drank the rest of it contents. He threw the towels in the hamper, grabbing a shirt from the dresser in the process. He walked back over to you and let you settle into your pjs.

He walked to his side and climbed in, immediately pulling you as close as possible. He left kisses on the back of your neck while he whispered about how he wants to spend the next day.

"I love you, YIN."

"I love you too."

seen this before? tumblr deleted my other account so i have to rebuild

[crowsofdarkness]

Cam Boy! Bill Skarsgard: Someone wants to collaborate with Bill-Part Five

-pics not mine.-

Pairings: CamBoy!Bill Skarsgard x Viewer!Reader

Summary: Bill isn't ashamed of the work he does, showcasing his body online for anyone willing to pay. His number one rule was never to make a connection with anyone who either sent him messages or paid for private one-on-one video sessions. That was until you decided to request a certain private session.

Content Warnings: 18+ smut which includes Bill having an only fans page, masturbation, phone sex, virtual sex, and language.

Authors Note: this is a limited mini-series, just a bunch of blurbs that take place in this universe. i'm not sure exactly how long this will be. tags will be open for this if anyone is interested!

The smut in the next part will make up for the no smut in this part!

Tags: @loushaw131460

CamBoy!Bill masterlist.

Letting out a deep sigh, I buried myself deeper into the comfort of my couch while I aimlessly watched the trashy television show. I hadn’t moved from this spot in over six hours, my lazy Sunday afternoon bleeding into the evening. I had no desire to get up and do anything productive, which included looking at my phone. For the last couple of days, my phone has been blowing up with people following me on Instagram and messaging me. Either they wanted to know more about Bill or they were rude messages saying I don’t deserve him. 

I ignored every message because these people didn’t know me or the relationship Bill and I have. Well, more so had. Although it wasn't quite a relationship, the sexual part of it ceased ever since he moaned my name on stream a few days ago. Bill continued to text me but I didn’t respond much, claiming I was busy with work. He tried to facetime me earlier this morning but I lied, saying I was sick in bed. 

I absolutely hated lying to him because over the few weeks of us talking, I found myself becoming fond of him. Bill was not only a good friend but feelings began to grow which deep down scared the hell out of me. He moaned my name while on stream and it had some of his fans in an uproar. What would happen if we were to become official? I was afraid to find out. 

During a quick ad break from my show, I tossed off the heavy blanket from my lap and dragged my feet into my kitchen to look for a snack. My phone had been plugged in on the counter for the last hour. It was on DND so I hadn’t heard any notifications go off. But when it lit up as I was rummaging through my cupboards, curiosity peaked and I reached for my phone. 

Bill: Hey, how are you feeling? I miss seeing your face and want to make sure you’re alright with the news.

Biting my lip, I thought about what I should do. Truthfully, I did miss talking to him and seeing his face. With everything going on, I didn’t even watch his new videos or his most recent live stream. There was also another huge reason why I’d been distancing myself. 

Bill was going to collaborate with someone for some new content. 

He brought it up to me in a text yesterday, wanting to make sure I was fine with it. But what could I say?

No, don’t have sex with someone for content because I’m jealous even though I have no right to be since we're not dating?

Even thinking that thought sounded crazy so when Bill asked me if I was alright with it, I replied with a simple yes and a thumbs up emoji. 

Making a last minute decision, I finally texted him back. 

Me: Hi, I’m doing fine. Sorry I’ve been kind of in and out of conversations. I’m dealing with some stuff.

As I made my way back to the couch with a bowl full of random snacks, I snuggled back underneath the blanket when my phone buzzed. 

Bill: Don’t apologize. Did you want to talk about it?

Once again biting my lip, I weighed my options. I could continue to lie to him, tell him I was fine with the idea of him doing sexual stuff with someone else and let it eat away at me. Or I could be completely honest with Bill. Tell him the idea kind of unsettles me only because I want to be more than virtual sexual partners. Then depending on how that conversation went, I would mention how him moaning my name on stream made me feel. 

Me: When is the collab happening?

Bill: She’s actually on her way over now so we can film. The video will be posted next week. 

My heart dropped to my ass at the news and I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek to keep the tears at bay. Why did it affect me so much? We weren’t dating, we both could have sex with different people. 

Because you like him, dumbass. 

Me: Oh, cool. Have fun. I won’t keep you. 

Before I could put my phone down, Bill replied. 

Bill: If you’re not comfortable with this, let me know. I know we’re not technically dating but I do want to take your feelings into consideration. You mean a lot to me, Y/N. 

Fuck, why does he have to be so sweet? It makes this decision so damn hard. 

Me: I promise I’m fine with it. It’s your job, Bill. It would be wrong of me to keep you from doing something that will bring you money. We’re just friends, you can sleep with whoever you want.

Me: I have to go. I’ll text you later. 

With that, I put my phone back on DND and tossed it onto the other couch so I couldn’t be tempted to look. 

I sat on one of the stools at my kitchen counter, eyes boring into the dying roses that were resting in the vase. The water had turned murky, showing that it was probably time to throw them out. But I couldn’t, all I could do was look at them while reading the week old note. 

I want to bring a smile to your face since it seems like you’ve been down. I’m still here if you’ll let me.

Bill. 

The morning after his collab, Bill sent me roses to which I thanked him with a simple text. We texted for a while after that and it felt like how it used to be between us, before I let my own fucked up feelings get in the eway of it. Then I got the notification that he posted a new video to his only fans. The one with a popular female only fans star. It was one of his most viewed videos now a week later but I couldn’t bring myself to watch it. According to what people were saying online, Bill and this woman seemed to be the perfect pair. Their sexual chemistry was insane and fans were calling for more videos between them. 

I wanted it to be me. I wanted to be the one that gave him pleasure. I wanted to be with him, more than this virtual sexual relationship we had. 

I almost admitted that to him until the voices in my mind began to spill further doubt. If Bill wanted to be with you, he wouldn’t have done that collaboration. If you meant more to him like he claimed, he wouldn’t have fucked someone else. 

To which I constantly fought back with the voice. I told Bill to do the collaboration. I promised him I was fine with it. We weren’t dating. We could do whatever we wanted. Whoever we wanted. 

Which is why I had a date later tonight, something I was trying to get excited for. It was a fellow coworker and I did have to admit he was attractive. So when he asked me out for drinks, I agreed. Not only because I was desperate for a night out but because I needed to try and get over these weird feelings for Bill. 

When we first started talking, I was desperate for that communication but never expected to start falling for him. The way my heart broke when he collabed with someone for his sex work, I knew that a relationship was out of the question. This was his line of work, I couldn’t get in the way of that. 

A little while ago, I posted a picture on my instagram story about the new set of black nails I had done for my date tonight to which Bill replied with something that made my body ignite. 

I’d love to see how they look wrapped around my cock. 

I tried so hard to push the thought of how my hand would look wrapped around him while I worked out a new text to him. It was time I was honest with Bill, for my own mental sake.

Me: Hey, I’m so sorry for not being one hundred percent in our conversations lately. I felt the need to be honest with you. I know in the beginning, we said this relationship was to be friendly but the thought of you being with someone else doesn't sit well with me. When you moaned my name on your stream, I wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. Maybe you wanted more between us but then when you told me you were going to collab with someone, I felt like everything between us was a lie. I know I have no reason to feel this way because we’re not dating. This is the kind of work you do and it would be extremely wrong of me to tell you to stop. So, I think it would be best if we stopped whatever this sexual thing is between us. I believe it will only lead to me getting hurt. If you want, we can still remain friends. If not, I understand. 

When Bill didn’t respond right away, I spent the next hour getting ready for my date. It wasn’t until I was grabbing my things on the way out, I noticed he replied. 

Bill: Is that what you really want? 

No. I wanted him. 

Me: Yes. 

Bill: I’m sorry for making you feel that way. It was never my intention. I do care about you, Y/N. 

Bill: Fuck, I feel terrible. Can we facetime? I need to see your face. 

I glanced at the door of my apartment, knowing that I needed to leave now in order to make my date in time but the thought of staying home to facetime Bill made my heart flutter more. 

Me: I have a date. 

With that, I tossed my phone in my purse and scurried out of the door, not knowing that this was about to become one of the most interesting dates I’d ever been on.

[danieyells]

Could I pretty please ask for any Haru stuff you found? 🥺 I've been afflicted with the Haru simp disease and only information/content of him can cure me 🛐

HARU'S CHANGED MY FEELINGS ON HIM not that i disliked him at all before but like. . .you know how he acts like the team mom? His voicelines make this worse. I thought he was more like a meddlesome but chill guy with a lot of energy. The truth is this poor man is a single mother with two unruly kids, a house full of animals, and VIRTUALLY NO HELP BESIDES YOU. No wonder he drinks nearly every fucking night. I get why Jabberwock doesn't have ordinary students but jesus christ please get some helpers in here. My man is overworked.

I ended up putting almost all of them in because. . .he is struggling poor boy. I have officially edited this to contain all of Haru's voicelines! Sorry for the wait!!

Hello: (the first time the game is opened after that character is set as home screen NPC. Only happens once per day, unless the character is switched out and back.)

"Hey, nice timing! One sec, I've just gotta finish feeding everyone."

You've Got Mail: (whenever there's something in the inbox, usually Arena rewards)

"You've got some letters! Better open them before that goat lookalike makes a meal out of them!"

Default: (requires no affinity, has no time constraints)

"Folks are going wild over the Anomalous Animal Back To Nature Tour, and this is your chance to experience it at a discount rate! C'mon, help me hand out these fliers!"

"Everyone stuffs up sometimes. Don't let it get to you—just think of it as a funny story you can pull out later and laugh at! Gahaha!"

the only way he knows how to cope with his pain is to laugh at it. . .my therapist told me that was good actually! he's well adjusted! disregard the nightly drinking.

"You sure are fond of {PC}, aren't you, Peekaboo? You did nothing but bite me for the first three days after we met."

tbf you were from another house and it was probably fresh after the clash. . . .

"You reckon I work hard? Nah, this is nothing to write home about. All right, let's head to the next zone!"

"Hey, nice work out there today! Let's knock a few more jobs off the list then take a break, hey?"

oh my god you take breaks? or are you telling the player to take a break while you keep overdoing it. . . .

Affinity 1: (between 5am and 11am)

"Morning! Let's get this show on the road!"

Affinity 2: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Hey, {PC}! What a coinkydink! I just finished my rounds."

Affinity 3: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Ren? He's working at that whacky restaurant again. I'll have to go pick him up later."

Affinity 4: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Towa's off to that hill again? I was gonna ask him to hold down the fort... Guess I'll have to stay put tonight."

Affinity 5: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Am I tired? Nah, don't worry, if there's two things I have confidence in it's my stamina and my bad luck!"

Affinity 6: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"The Sinostra folks are causing a kerfuffle again... I don't need any of that! You should take care not to get dragged into their mess too, you hear?"

Affinity 7: (between 11am and 4pm)

"You wanna know how to get the animals to like you? You just gotta show how much you love them, like this— Ow! Don't bite me, Peekaboo!"

Affinity 8: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"None of our critters have warmed to Ren at all, even though he spends all day with them... Guess that handsome face only works on humans."

Affinity 9: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Phew, time for a bre— Hm? That sounded like the Capybus! I'm gonna go check on her, watch Peekaboo for me!"

Affinity 10: (between 10pm and midnight)

"All right, the kids are all in bed. I'll just ask those two to hold down the fort, then I'll head out for a little walk..."

Affinity 11: (between 5am and 11am)

"I went to wake that sleepyhead Ren up this morning, but it was like he couldn't see me even though he was looking straight at me. Reckon his eyesight's bad?"

Affinity 12: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Course I eat, don't worry about that! Just earlier I pinched some of Peekaboo's veggies when I was making his lunch and had them with a piece of bread!"

Please eat food. . . .

Affinity 13: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"So much to do... Gotta take in the washing and get the shopping done... Argh! There's not enough hours in the day!"

Affinity 14: (between 5am and 11am)

"This? It's an energy drink. Don't feel like the day's started till I have one. (gulp) (gulp) Pwaaah!"

PLEASE EAT FOOD AND SLEEP. . . . . . . . .

Affinity 15: (between 5am and 11am)

"Ah man, there's soap all over the walls again! You're so good at playing with the animals Towa, if you could just learn how to clean up after you'd get full marks..."

Towa i love you but please help your mother boyfriend captain. . . .

Affinity 16: (between 11am and 4pm)

"Ah! I can't do dogs! How'd you get in here?! Towa!! Come here!! No!! Don't bite me!!"

He is terrified of dogs????? Towa absolutely electrocuted the shit out of that dog. Rip in pieces. That dog truly fucked around and found out. It will never go in the dorm again.

Affinity 17: (between 10pm and midnight)

"Thanks for helping out again today, you're a real lifesaver. Sorry I can't walk you back..."

Affinity 18: (between 8pm and 5am)

"You reckon I look like an acrobat when I'm using my stigma? Gahaha! Maybe I'll practice balancing on a ball then!"

Baby no you are not a clown please what if you break something again--

Affinity 19: (between 10pm and midnight)

"...(gasp) Crap, I fell asleep... Did you put this blanket on me? Cheers... Maybe I'll grab a few more minutes..."

Affinity 20: (between 5am and 11am)

"I swore I'd take responsibility for protecting all the lives in this park. I can't let anyone die on my watch."

Affinity 21: (between 11am and 4pm)

"I don't know where I'd be without all the critters in this place if I'm honest with you. Well, gotta be my animal magnetism that's keeping them here anyway! Gahaha!"

Affinity 22: (between 4pm and 8pm)

"Hm? There's some critters whose nails were getting dangerously long so I was giving them a clip. Come here, I'll do yours too if you want!"

Affinity 23: (between 8pm and 5am)

"Oh, off for a cheeky night out? Gahaha! I know a good place, want me to take you?"

get wasted with him and give him somebody to talk to!! he needs someone besides romeo and rui to listen to him rant sometimes!

Affinity 24: (between 10pm and midnight)

"A soft bed to lie down in and someone to chat with till I drift off... I'm really living the high life here."

He's a simple man. . .it's easy to imagine him holding your hand here while he dozes off. . . .

Affinity 25(max): (no time constraints)

"Really learned the ropes here, haven't you? Once we have a little cash to spare, I'll buy you your own Jabberwock uniform!"

they must be expensive if it takes until Affinity 25 to get you one! He's so conscious about his finances(disregard all of the stuff he buys and never uses--) that being given a purchased gift is surely the highest tier of affection from him haha. But also. . .he treats the anomalous animals and oftentimes even the other ghouls in Jabberwock like they're his kids. This is his way of saying 'you're part of this family too.' Which is very sweet.

Spring: (March-May) (between 5am and 11am)

"Today's shearing day for the fluffy squad! It's actually a pretty hefty task, so I've gotta hop to it if I want to be done before summer..."

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Bucket, check. Trowel, check. Me and Towa are heading to the mountains to pick some veggies. You wanna come?"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"We've been getting a lot of balmy days lately, and the sun's up longer. Can't help but dilly-dally when I'm working..."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"I've gotta clean out all the sparrow nests soon or they won't be able to look after their kiddos properly. Looks like there's... 61 nests total..."

Summer: (June-August) (between 5am and 11am)

"A lot of customers have been saying they wanna stay cool in the summer so I changed up the course. Now we have a special summer-only waterside tour!"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"It's hot so I invited Ren to go fishing, but his face screwed up like a prune and he yelled at me. What's he got against fish?"

Probably the same thing you have against dogs. . . .

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Phew... Finally finished harvesting all the feed crops for the day... Everyone's health is dependent on their quality, so now's the time to do it right."

(between 8pm and 5am)

"Lotta bugs around this time of year... But they're important for the food chain, so I've gotta take care of them... Argh!! Give it a rest with the buzzing!"

Autumn: (September-November) (between 5am and 11am)

"Hey, nice timing! I'm about to make a fire with the dead leaves I collected so I can bake some potatoes, take a seat!"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"I like the Jabberwock uniforms. They're made out of high-performance fabric that keeps you warm when it's cold out and safe when you're handling venomous critters!"

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"The hibernation squad's gonna start eating us out of house and home this month... The food bill's gonna be rough... Eeek!"

(between 8pm and 5am)

"You reckon that's a rabbit on the moon? No way, it's a toad! C'mon, look closer!"

apparently the pareidolic toad in the moon is a Chinese myth! I wonder if they mean to suggest Haru is actually Chinese.

Winter: (December-February) (between 5am and 11am)

"Rounds are quicker in winter since some of the critters hibernate. Makes things a little easie— Why's the kitchen on fire?!"

(between 11am and 4pm)

"Brr... Can't help but get green-eyed looking at the furry critters when it's this cold..."

(between 4pm and 8pm)

"Nice and toasty... Hm? I'm talking about Peekaboo! He's better than a hot water bottle in this weather!"

Haru putting Peekaboo on your tummy when you're having cramps or just in pain in general is a cute mental image, especially since Peekaboo likes you lol

(between 8pm and 5am)

"It's cold outside so some of the critters have been sneaking into our rooms at night. You heard Ren scream just now, right?"

His birthday: (September 20th)

"It's my birthday?! Oops, totally slipped my mind... Thanks for remembering!"

Your birthday:

"Happy birthday. The Capybus is all yours today—I've got a custom birthday tour all planned out for you!"

New Years: (January 1st)

"Happy New Year! How'd I ring it in? I was milking the cow and when I looked up I'd totally missed the first sunrise! Gahaha!"

Valentine's Day: (February 14th)

"You're kidding, I can really have this?! They say a little sugar helps sweeten a tired day! Thanks a million, this'll keep me going a while!"

White Day: (March 14th)

"Ta-da! I bought you some hand cream, for the chocolate you got me last month. Thanks for everything you do here."

hand cream when you do all of that manual labor and probably have to wash your hands a lot is a really practical gift actually, gg haru

April Fool's Day: (April 1st)

"Can you believe this? Ren got up early, and Towa fed everyone for me! ...Tried to make a joke for April Fools but it just made me feel empty inside..."

Halloween: (October 31st)

"Check it out! The pumpkin Capybus, in town for three days only! I sacrificed sleep and some of our budget to get her ready!"

If it's painted I really hope that paint is waterproof. . .never know when Towa's gonna make it rain. . . .

Christmas: (December 25th)

"Merry Christmas! This is a reindeer, she lives up in the mountains! And I'm Sagara Claus! Gahaha!"

just don't let romeo see it lolol

Idle: (about 20 seconds without interacting with the game) (below 13 affinity)

"Hey there, miss! Looking gorgeous as ever! ...Wait, I was kidding! Come back!"

(13 affinity and above)

"You seem pretty flat out today... Nothing for it, I'll get a few other things out of the way while I wait for you to get back."

Absent: (logging in for the first time in 2 or more days?)

"Phew, that's a relief... I was worried one of ours ate you... Glad to see you back."

Once again. . .an absolute sweetheart. And a single mother who is desperately in need of some help around the house. That April Fool's line really got me lolol poor guy. All of his have a lot of energy to them so i feel like i posted more than Haku, who's kind of a more low key guy lol. . . .

[littlemelaninfics]

Bucky aftercare please!!

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, Soft!Bucky, cock drunk reader, after care, no smut

Your face was still mashed into the mattress beneath you. Ringlets voiding your full vision with the taste of salty sweat creeping past your huffing lips. You felt kisses placed on your hot shoulder blades and the curls being swiped from your face.

Your eyes were unfocused but centered on the lightly breezy curtains,

“Speak for me.”

“Mmm.” Was all you could let out. Bucky got up from the bed and crossed the hardwood to the adjacent bathroom. You could hear the sink running and the medicine cabinet open then shut again. The loud padding of his weight crossing the floor filled the otherwise virtually silent room.

He squatted to your eye level, bringing the cool towel to gently wipe the night from your brow. Your breathing relaxed further, drinking in the sparkle in his eyes and the gentleness he has with you.

“There she is,” he said softly.

“Sit pretty for me, Baby. Can you do that?” You nod and slowly started to sit up and turn yourself over. Small squeaks and groans escaped your lips as the buildup in your triceps tensed up. You leaned back against the headboard, taking a deep breath. He started to bring the duvet up but you declined,

“ ‘m hot.” He smiled, leaning in and placing a kiss to your forehead. Bucky grabbed the 2 Tylenol and glass of water from the night stand. He lifted the cup to your lips and placed his cold, hard index finger under your chin to guide your head with the water. You took and swallowed the medicine before resting your head back. He placed the cool towel on your forehead before standing,

“That needs to be empty before you go to sleep,” he said behind him as we went back to the bathroom. He re-entered with another cloth in hand. He sat beside you and ran his hand up the length of your leg. You twitched when he reached her inner thigh and he left out an breathy laugh. He gently separated your legs, lightly lifting it and placing himself on his stomach between them.

He leaned in and softly left open mouthed kisses to the insides of both your thighs. He closed his eyes and sighed at the smell of you; sweet left over arousal and sweat. When he opened them he was eye to eye with your sticky, wet pussy. The sight of your juices and his cum secreting from your used hole left him in a trance.

“Ohhh, Baby. You did so well for me,” your heart rate started to increase just slightly, “the best girl I could ever have. So needy. So obedient. Drink your water, honey.”

You brought the cup to your lips and Bucky brought the new warm cloth up from his side. He started with a single swipe. You arched your back at the sensation the courses through you. You placed the cup down, mesmerized by him.

“You made me feel so good. Did I make you feel good?”

“Yes, Daddy,” you said as you smiled down at him and ran your fingers through his hair. His grip on your left thigh tightened just a little bit, his body unwillingly notifying you that his heart skipped a beat.

He finished cleaning you up and got up from the bed. He pulled the duvet over you without asking this time. Bucky lifted the cup one last time and you happily drank the rest of it contents. He threw the towels in the hamper, grabbing a shirt from the dresser in the process. He walked back over to you and let you settle into your pjs.

He walked to his side and climbed in, immediately pulling you as close as possible. He left kisses on the back of your neck while he whispered about how he wants to spend the next day.

“I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too.”

[beanarie]

fic writer asks: 23, 29, 30!

(Yes, I am angling for a pic of Reggie!)

also including questions from other darling folks @nzchance @queermccoy @eidetictelekinetic @emphasisonthehomo thank you! ☺️

(6) When do you title your fics? Before you write them? As you write them? While posting to AO3 and that “Work Title” field is staring at you?

hm, sometimes a title clicks a chapter or two into writing, usually from my chill vibes playlist, but all too often i have a finished fic in front of me and i'm like "...shit" then i've got the ao3 post in one tab and wikiquote in the other. that happened with "an awful and dreary blank" and "got my head check by a jumbo jet" came close.

(7) Navigate to your complete list of works on AO3. What are your top 5 Additional Tags?

hurt/comfort, whump, hurt [character name], emotional hurt/comfort, major character injury. i have a niche okay!

(9) The two fandoms you’ve written the most have been suddenly crossed with each other! What AU are you writing?

elementary/9-1-1 let's gooo. i flipped a coin to decide which cast gets home court advantage and elementary won, so bucktommy are in new york for this thing going on with knicks (playoffs? idk). buck spies something going on outside the garden, jumps in to save the victim, and he succeeds, but the victim is weird and hostile to him in front of a hundred witnesses, and buck gets taken in for questioning the next day when the victim turns up dead.

sherlock & joan take an interest in the case because bell tells them about how their prime suspect is a puppy of a guy with a decorated history as an la firefighter. bell knows about some of this because tommy came to the precinct like what the fuck are you people doing this man flays himself when he hurts someone's feelings, he's not a murderer. joan looks at the victim's pocket square and clocks him as a diplomat from luxembourg or where tf ever, setting off an academic lecture about thread content from sherlock to bell that makes him roll his eyes. joanlock go down a rabbit hole while buck stays at the brownstone (the hotel banned him for being a possible murderer) and babysits arthur.

(12) Do you write in order, jump around the draft, or a mix? Something else?

i've seen my style described as dessert first. i virtually never write in order.

(21) Without getting into any discourse, just thinking as a writer approaching characters, would you ever write about your NOTP? If you did, do you think that would change how you feel about it? (If you’ve done this, how did it go?)

not as a main focus, but i've incorporated canon notps to explore ripple effects on the characters i'm actually writing about, how joan felt about mycroft, what people think about tommy and abby, etc. it doesn't make me suddenly positive about the pairing, but forcing it to be part of the world and the history of the characters helps nudge it into being more of a neutral thing.

(22) Do you have a fixed writing routine, or do you write when you have time? Is there a time of day when you prefer to write?

my routine is chaos. ideas flow through my brain and dry up so quickly that i basically just keep the app open on my phone constantly. for "the safety that's evaded me" i had a rough plan and for the first two weeks i was able to limit myself to a short burst once a day, closing the app when i had a scene or a decent chunk of one down. that was nice. i didn't fuss quite as much about editing and making it perfect.

(23) What is your #1 distraction when you’re trying to write? If it’s a pet, post a pic

herself regifer wrecks (no angling required. i will send you photos any time❤️)

(29) Have you ever actually remembered one of those 3am “I’ll remember it in the morning” ideas?

once or twice! usually when i write it down though it's choppy and doesn't flow anywhere near as perfectly as it did in my head. love brains!

(30) Finish this sentence with your fandom’s variation(s): No beta, we die like _________

i've seen "like buck did for 3 minutes and 17 seconds" but i propose "like bobby did. no really. i'm sad too but firedad is in the ground"

[illusivesoul]

Morinth and Warlord Okeer

Was thinking about what some truly renegade companions would be in ME2, and to me, the perfect renegade squad would be Morinth and Okeer, the warlord who created Grunt. Imagine a renegade Shepard walking somewhere accompanied by an Ardat Yakshi and a krogan warlord.

Problem with Morinth is that she has almost no content for her ingame and then you fight and kill her in ME3 cause she becomes a banshee offscreen, so theres pretty much no reason to chose her instead of Samara, but if she had gotten more development and more interesting writing, I feel she could have been a quite interesting character.

Maybe she could talk about her life on the run, how life on the monastery was more brutal and harsh than it seemed, how cruel Justicars are, etc. Obviously what she says would all be questionable cause she is known for manipulating and lying, but I feel she had more potential. Her loyalty mission could involve her wanting to break her sisters and other Ardat Yakshi out of the monastery, having to fight the guards and staff there and at the end maybe having a boss fight against an asari justicar. And it'd be like with Zaeed's mission, where you can choose not to help her and fight her (and maybe even leave her to be taken prisioner by a Justicar, which would pretty much be a death sentence).

The other one is Warlord Okeer. As much as me and almost everyone else in the fandom loves Grunt, Grunt's whole character is represented very well by his quote "I fight, doesn't matter who". Hes a literal grunt whose only interest are to fight.

Okeer, on the otherhand, could have given us a new perspective from the krogan. He's the first and probably the only krogan we meet that doesn't want to cure the genophage, but instead use Grunt as template to create basically krogan super soldiers, who wouldn't rely on hordes like they did during the Rachni Wars and Krogan Rebellions, but instead be a virtually unstopppable force in combat. Like a krogan version of the asari commandos.

He would tell us about what it was like to live and fight during the Krogan Rebellions, how he started his experiments, talk to him more about the genophage (I would love to hear him talking with Mordin about it, especially if you took them to their respective loyalty missions), we would know what has he done that made his name a very hated one like Wrex says when we go to Tuchanka and there'd be so many potential interactions he could have had there. I can see him sassing Wrex with things like "Your father was more of a krogan than you'll ever be" and Wrex basically having to stop himself from killing him just cause he is with Shepard.

With Wreav however, it'd be the complete opposite. Wreav talks "nicely" about Okeer when he's leader, mentioning how him being so hated could earn more influence for Urdnot. Maybe after the Suicide Mission, if he survives, Okeer says how Wreav offered him a position in Tuchanka as head scientist, and how he looks forward to meeting Shepard on the battlefield one day.

Then you find him again in ME3 and depending if we helped him or not, he could have achieved his vision of the krogan super soldier and is ready to unleash them on the Reapers (and later on on the rest of the galaxy) or his research could be more delayed if we didnt do his loyalty mission. And his krogan soldiers give more war assets to the krogan in general, and it'd add more weight of wether you cure the genophage or not knowing the danger that Wreav and Okeer represent.

I also feel they would both encourage Shepard to keep the Collector Base at the end of the game, seeing it as necessary to use it to defeat the Reapers.

I feel there was a lot of potential for these 2, and I wish we could have seen it ingame.

[py-dreamer]

So... I know I'm late...

But yea! I said I was coming back with some stickers and I kept my word! I would've hoped that I could've completed the sheet in like a day but as you can see...that didn't work out

I know I've been a bit MIA lately but burnout sucks. I do have a lot of WIPS I really want to work on but again, it seems that the ProcrastiNation hath struck my feeble mortal brain again.

But anyways:

I headcanon Aroace Mei, just a personal headcanon (disagree if you like) I also like lesbian Mei but thought I'd give some aroace appreciation

Silktea was only given 1 episode but OH BOY did it fuel our wild shipping habits. And I jumped on the bandwagon. It's a reference to that scene in She-Ra where Scorpia tells Catra she 'didn't want to do this' then wraps kitty up in the blankey and cradles her like a wee baby. And Sandy would do that for any friend, I will die on this hill

Saw a fanart where Mk had a pig nose themed pacifier and I just yoinked that idea. The pig hoodie and the pacifier seems like something Tang would do for Pigsy (also to get away with free noodles cause who can say no to that face?~)

Mac showing Wukong the lantern. What can I say, mans' fascinated by them pretty lights. Though our little performer's eyes seem to be straying from the show (^u ')

I know many people have issues with shipping with Nezha and such and I know the two had a rough history but y'know what fans do; they love to make the people who kill each other soulmates (platonic, romantic or otherwise) Even if it wasn't romantic, I still love the idea of them being buddies and just chilling, the danger noodle prince and the angy prince snuggle and watch a movie (mainly from Nezha 2019 but I also saw New Gods and can I just say, I want those two twinks to bicker then kiss awkwardly and I want Yun Xiang to BEAT. HIS. ASS) but in case anyone asks, I do perceive Nezha to be a consenting adult in general outside shipping drama and if the two are adults, it does make my heart squeal when I see these two hold hands and whatnot

HOW COULD I EVER FORGET MY SPICYBOIS, inspired by that one Ponyo kiss scene. I was actually gonna make a bigger piece but then I saw someone do it already in a much better fashion than I ever could and I just gave up on the idea but Ig here, its just like the two cakes mentality and I gave it a go. Hope I could do the concept justice

Have spider queen or scorpion queen ever interacted before? No. But they are both queens and I believe Spider Queen's confidence could rub off on Scorpion Queen and she'd appreciate the company of Spider Queen's children henchmen. Also she give yummy food so lesbian venomqueens for the win

Redraw of that moment with Peng and Azure. I normally detest that bird but these two do get some gears grinding and whatever anyone says. Neither of those two are straight. I'll tell ya that.

Toxicinsanity is another rarepair that had like 1 sec screen time. I don't think they'd ever work out in canon and had virtually no chemistry. I still love all the fluffy ship content I can find of them though and if it ever were to happen. I think the mayor would scare the sh!t out of Syntax

Let's get at least one hetero couple here, Chang'e and Hou'Yi are a couple of favorites ngl, I took most of their outfits from Over the moon cause both of them looked stunning, Chang'e especially. I've seen people ship mah girl with other people and while I do agree it's healthy to move on, in my heart she will always long for Hou'Yi

Also irl, on valentines, my mum took us out for lunch, she treated us to bubble tea and donuts. We walked home so I waited to drink mah drink in my room while I drew and I accidentally finished it all... I'm so sorry mum

f*ck I forgot ironbull. Uhh....I'll draw something later, rn I need to go to bed before I get yelled at...

click pic for less sh!ty quality!

[pjmmania]

To Be a Viper - Part II

Content Warnings: References to sex, mentions of suicide, grief

Author’s Note: Hey everyone! Thank you for supporting this work so far. It’s been really awesome to watch the numbers climb little by little, especially for a small account like mine! Let me know in the comments what you think - I’d love to hear from you. Thanks again and enjoy Part II:)

—————

Jimin pushed himself off the rock wall with his right foot. He let out a breath, as if he’d been waiting to hear you say those words all day, that you were ready to give him whatever information he needed. He tilted his head towards the house, gesturing for you to follow him back the way you came.

“It’s a simple question,” He said, “And it’s alright if the answer doesn’t come to you right away.”

“Okay.” You replied wearily.

“What I need to know, and what Yohan would like to get out of you, is where your parents were stockpiling the weapons.”

You were at a loss, "How would I possibly know the answer to that?"

"Like I said, it's okay if it doesn't come to you right now," Jimin was being gentle, even encouraging, "But you likely do know the answer. When my father was explaining everything to us, right after we left home, he told us that he suspected the weapons were being taken out of the country, possibly to a remote location."

"What made him think that?"

"Well, because it would make sense, wouldn't it? Our parents were so close for so long. They knew virtually everything about each other. So if one party needed to keep something hidden, then that hiding place would best be somewhere far and unexpected."

You crossed your arms as you walked along lazily, deriding him, "No offense, Jimin, but that seems like a pretty loose theory. It's based on nothing but conjecture."

He looked at you and smirked, "Great minds think alike. I thought so too at first, but then I remembered when your father took you on that one spontaneous trip. Remember? It was our freshman year of high school, so the timeline matches up fairly well."

"Yes," You mumbled, trying to piece something together in your mind, "He wouldn't tell me where we were going, saying it was a surprise."

Memories replayed in your head. You remembered your impromptu getaway with your father. Jimin was correct - it was right at the beginning of high school. It was a fond memory of your father, until now. You were so giddy about it when it happened. He gave you only a day to pack, increasing your wonder and excitement. When you discovered you were heading to America, you were overjoyed. You'd always wanted to visit.

Jimin nodded, "Probably because he didn't want you to tell me, for fear that it would get back to my parents. And I recall you being secretive about it when you returned, which was strange. It was one of the only times you kept something from me.”

"Right...Before we left, he told me that it would be nice to have this one vacation just between us, as father and daughter. I guess I was happy to play along. We didn't have anything like that, a fun little secret just for us."

"Where did you end up going, Y/N?" He nudged you cautiously, eager for the information but careful of your emotions.

You recalled the exact spot. You could see it, you could smell it. That charming little cottage on that gorgeous lake in the mountains, birds chirping in the western hemlock treeline surrounding you.

But you couldn't remember the name of that place.

Jimin noticed your eyes darting around as you wracked your brain for something. He was going to be patient with you on this.

"I-I don't know what it was called," You got frustrated with yourself, "I can see it so clearly, though. I remember that trip so well. We were somewhere in America. There were mountains nearby, and we stayed in a cottage on a lake. The lake let out to a bigger body of water. I don't know the name of it for some reason. It was really secluded, not a place that people...that people would know."

You closed your eyes, almost embarrassed that you just confirmed his whole theory in real-time.

The mafia boss was losing count of how many times you’d managed to weaken his resolve since the morning. He felt the pull to put his arm around you, just as he had countless times in a past life. Caving to this impulse, he placed his arm around your shoulder and walked you along.

“It’s alright,” He assured you, “The name will come to you. Thank you for telling me this.”

Feeling his semi-embrace came with so much nostalgia. It was precisely what you longed for in that moment, a glimpse of what life used to be - not only before this terrible day, but before your father died. When you and Jimin were close, when you had someone you could lean on for anything.

It was a cruel predicament indeed, where the man who had just blown up your life was also the only one who could console you.

You allowed your body to lean on his as you traversed upon the sand.

“So is this all your life is?” You inquired quietly, “Just guns and schemes and always having to watch your back?”

He chuckled and squeezed you closer in a manner that resembled a familiar playfulness, “Of course not. I still enjoy my life, all of us do. We have to do a lot a dirty work, but it has its perks. We get to travel. We have fun.”

“When did you meet all those guys?” You asked.

Jimin shrugged, “They all came aboard at various times. Picked them up as I’ve gone along. Their backgrounds are pretty diverse. Namjoon is one of the sharpest people I’ve ever met and the first one I brought on board. He worked for my parents, actually. Helped connect them to firearm manufacturers that were willing to help in their black market sales. Jungkook, Yoongi, and Hoseok all come from different street gangs. Jin came from a rich family, super smart. He went to medical school but got kicked out for selling drugs right out of the hospital. He’s saved a few of our lives before, sewn up some bullet wounds here and there.”

“Have you been shot before?”

He nodded, but it didn’t seem to bother him, “Once, yes. On my left thigh, but thanks to Jin’s expertise I was able to recover pretty quickly. One of Yohan’s little cronies did it. Got me while I was leaving a nightclub. I haven’t let myself be that careless since.”

You didn’t know what to say, “I’m sorry.”

Jimin smirked, “I’m not. That fucking sleaze accomplished the opposite of what he intended. I became more alive then ever. I got tougher, more refined.”

There was a period of silence. The breeze weaved through the gap between your bodies, its subtle whistle filling your ears.

Then you thought of the one member of the group he hadn’t talked about, the one who currently could not have ranked any lower on your scorecard.

“What about Taehyung?”

He looked at your face, detecting some malice in your conviction, “I met Tae almost a full year ago at a, shall we say, gentlemen’s club.”

It could be interpreted as warped, but that made you giggle a little. Your system needed to be lighthearted, it needed something to laugh at, “That makes perfect sense.”

Jimin was confused at your change in attitude, yet welcomed the sound of your genuine laughter, “Oh it does, does it?”

“Yeah,” you chuckled, “The one you met at a strip club was the one you sent to be all slimy and flirtatious with me. The womanizer.”

He smiled and laughed a little too, “When you put it that way, I guess it is a bit on-the-nose.”

Your mood sobered shortly after you got back inside the house. The remainder of the day was spent in a limbo. Jimin showed you the rest of the Safe House just to pass some more time. Eventually, you simply retreated back up to your assigned room.

The guys and the staff gave you your space. After the story had been told, it felt like it was alright to call it a day. You had taken in all that your body could handle. Not even hungry for dinner, you remained in your room for the rest of the day and fell asleep early.

The following morning, the boss went about the typical routine. He got out of bed and padded into his bathroom to shower and brush his teeth.

Looking into the mirror, Jimin examined his slicked-back hair. He noticed how far his dark roots had grown and realized it was time to dye it again.

It was something he’d done periodically, to change appearance. He’d been blonde for a long time. Perhaps he was due for a new color, but he set that down for now.

He went downstairs, where Bongcha was scrubbing the floors on her hands and knees.

Jimin went and crouched down in front of her.

“Good morning, Sir.” She smiled with labored breath. She swept a piece of hair out of her face.

“Morning,” He shared his own friendly grin, “Care to tell me what you think you’re doing?”

“Cleaning the floors,” the maid said innocently, knowing the question was well-intended, “I didn’t have the time to do it before your arrival, so I thought I might-”

Jimin cut her off, stopping her sponge-clutching hand from moving, “No, this kind of manual work won’t be your burden for the time being. Not in your condition.”

Bongcha seemed relieved yet concerned.

The boss knew exactly what she was thinking and squashed it immediately, “Don’t worry. I have a household full of healthy men who are quite capable of doing their fair share of chores.”

The maid let out a sigh, but smiled with a nod, “I think I have to agree with you on that, Sir.”

Jimin chuckled and helped her to her feet, “It’s about time we all stop being a bunch of bums around here, huh? Come have breakfast with me. I know you haven’t eaten yet.”

Bongcha agreed. This was the side of this man she was trying to tell you about the day before. Fiercely loyal to and caring toward those in his inner circle.

They sat in the dining room together and ate Eunji’s delightful cooking. Both of them would attest that she made the best scrambled eggs on the planet. Jimin had coffee, and she had decaffeinated tea.

The boss took this opportunity to ask her an important question, “How has he been with you as of late?”

She swallowed her bite and tilted her head candidly, “Not too bad.”

“That’s not good.”

“I think he’s just still getting used to the situation,” She said, “I understand it will take some time. He’s been kind, just a little standoff-ish compared to before.”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “Well he needs to realize that he doesn’t get to take his time. You don’t. You’ve been dealing with it day in and day out for…how many weeks has it been now?”

“Nine, Sir.”

“And you still plan on keeping it?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

“I will talk with him.”

Bongcha set her fork down, “Please do not chide him.”

He raised his brows with a grin, “I didn’t say ‘chide’, did I? We will talk.”

The maid was feeling a little squeamish and decided to change the note of this little morning chat. After a few moments of comfortable silence, she said, “I think I can see how you and Y/N used to be friends.”

The boss hummed a laugh into his mug, “Is that so?”

“Quite,” The young woman replied, “Your personalities are very similar.”

Jimin had to express his amusement once again, “Though I usually align with your sensibilities, I really don’t think you have your finger on the pulse this time, Bongcha. We are very different people. Perhaps in a past life we were alike, but certainly not now.”

She sipped her tea elegantly, “Well, I can only speak to what I’ve seen so far, which granted is very little, but I’d argue that my position here had given me a keen eye when it comes to these things.”

The leader let his mug rest on the table, “Okay, then elaborate.”

Bongcha started to poke the eggs on her plate to gather another forkful, “She is headstrong, but tactfully so. Kind at heart, but intolerant of disrespect. Her tongue can be sharp, but never loose.”

“You mean to say she is calculating.”

The blonde woman tilted her head. That word sounded too negative, “No, Sir. I’d rather go with…discerning.”

Before he could respond, Jimin heard another set of footsteps coming their way.

It was Hoseok, with disheveled hair, baggy sweatpants, and a wrinkled white t-shirt. He entered the room with a yawn, using his pistol to satisfy an itch on the back of his neck.

He gave the pair a nod, “Kids.”

He sat down perpendicular to Jimin, who was at the head of the table. The boss grimaced, “You reek of Macallan.”

The elder couldn’t have cared less, “At least I reek of a top-shelf brand.”

The boss became aggravated, “Jesus Christ, go fucking shower.”

He then looked at the maid, who was trying to seem disinterested in the conversation by looking down. Jimin grinned at her and then turned his head back to Hoseok.

“And after that, you can clean the floors.”

Bongcha pressed her lips together to conceal her amusement.

Hoseok let out a guffaw, “You’re joking.”

“Not at all,” Jimin taunted him while leaning back in his chair with arms crossed, “Have Kookie join you too. A little manual labor, to put some hair on your chest.”

After he ate and got some coffee in his system, the hungover member began his assignment. He picked up where the maid had left off, right by the staircase. An inconvenient spot for his pride, as all the others got to make fun of him as they came downstairs.

The only way one who didn’t get away with it was Jungkook. He wasn’t pleased when he learned that he had to help with the task, at Jimin’s insistence. As the youngest of the seven, Jungkook was a little more sensitive to performing duties he believed were below his station. Of course, his boss was aware of this, but he needed some humbling from time to time.

Soon it was the middle of the morning and the house was wide awake. These kinds of days were the best for the group. No jobs to do - just tucked away in a secluded part of Jeju Island with some relaxation time to be absorbed.

Jin and Namjoon sat in the living room, enjoying a screwdriver and Irish coffee respectively, while the others ate breakfast. Jin noticed the boss meandering around the first floor with his mug of black coffee. This wasn't atypical behavior, especially when he had much on his mind.

Keeping his volume discreet, he remarked to the other, "Apparently he told Y/N everything yesterday. Even asked her the question we all want to know the answer to."

Namjoon glanced back at their leader, observing the same thing, before turning back to face Jin, "Good for him."

"No, he looks distraught," Jin sighed at the younger man's nonchalance, "I thought he'd be the opposite by now. We have the girl, he offloaded all the information he needed to tell her. He should feel relief."

Namjoon made sure his voice was lowered and leaned in a bit, "Take it from me, since I worked for his parents. Though I rarely ever saw Jimin and never met Y/N during those days, his father mentioned how close they were. Once he even told me that Jimin favored being around her over all others. All others. Like, over girlfriends."

The elder cocked a brow as he swallowed a gulp of his screwdriver, "You think he was in love with her?"

"I don't know. Jimin has certainly never said that, but you remember how it was to be a teenage guy. We're all fucking idiots at that age, often so dumb that we can't even realize our own feelings." Namjoon explained.

The other chuckled, "Well that's a cute sentiment and all, but what does that have to do with him being stressed out right now?"

"I think he's just feeling paranoid and guilty that he had to do this to her. Obviously he cares about her a lot. I'd wager that it's pretty fucking hard to bring someone you care about into this kind of life. But he'll get over it, just like she will. Because they both have to. And that's all there is to it, hyung."

Jin laughed, "As if it's that simple."

Jimin began to feel your absence as the morning went on, but understood that you needed a decent rest. You were recuperating from the longest and most emotionally draining day of your life.

But you weren’t resting. You were lying in bed and staring at your the lock screen on your phone. The background photo was of the River Thames in London. You captured it from the street during one pretty sunset the previous summer. The London Bridge was standing proudly over the calm, reflective water.

You’d give anything to be able to go back. Back to a charming life in Europe, back to the career you adored.

The lock screen also showed endless notifications. They were calls and texts from your family. You hadn’t turned off your location, and more damningly, you hadn’t returned home last night like you said you would.

Their texts were panicked, asking if you were in trouble. You wondered if they had put the pieces together by now. Did they suspect you were with Jimin?

Your nerves escalated, forcing you out of bed. You just needed to move and focus on something else.

Subconsciously, you ended up standing at the windows. The sky was blanketed with clouds, and there was no wind to move them. From your viewpoint, you could look down on the back deck. There was zero activity and motion below, until you saw someone emerge.

You could decipher that this was Jimin by the light hair and distinguished gait. He had a black leather jacket on, and hands in his pockets to deal with the nippy early spring climate. At first, you expected to see someone follow him out the back door, but after a few moments, it became clear that he was alone.

He ambled around without intention, as if he was sleep-walking. This was a habit of his that you recognized, the aimless pacing of a man with a lot on his mind. Although this time, it wasn’t due to nervousness for an upcoming school exam.

You could gather that his life now came with a whole different kind of weight on his shoulders. He had men to look after, staff to keep safe. He was locked in an arms race that would cost him his life, if he lost.

You found yourself pitying him, despite all the heartache he had caused you in the past twenty-four hours.

Your phone began to buzz again. You looked down to see Uncle Yohan’s name and photo come up on the screen. You let it go unanswered.

You needed to remember where you and your father went on vacation, all those years ago. It was your ticket out of this mess. Jimin didn't need to spell it out for you - you could put two and two together. Whoever reached this hidden trove of weapons first would gain a crucial edge over the other, guaranteeing more security, if not the end to this cut-throat rivalry.

Then you saw another guy join Jimin outside. Black hair, a round face, muscular stature. Most likely Jungkook.

He must have called Jimin's name, making him turn around. In doing so, he noticed you standing at the window, gaze locking with yours immediately.

You felt frozen, unable to offer a wave or a smile.

Curious to see what his brother was staring at, Jungkook also turned his head. When he saw that it was you, the youngest member looked back at Jimin. He observed a perfectly calm, perhaps even pleasant expression on his face, as if just laying eyes on you brought him solace.

You uprooted from your spot and removed yourself from their sights, heading into the bathroom to wash up.

Jimin returned his sole focus to Jungkook. He noticed his sleeves and knees all soapy, which forced him to cross his arms over his chest and attempt to cover up a laugh with one hand up to his lips.

The younger didn't find it funny, "Might I ask when it became my responsibility to scrub the fucking floors?"

The boss smirked, "You may, although I'm not sure you want to have this conversation."

"Oh, I do." Jungkook challenged.

He had no clue what was coming his way, but if he was insisting, then so be it. Jimin dropped his smug attitude and agreed, opening his arms and gesturing to a set of chairs along the pool. Their frames were wooden with ivory cushioning on top.

Jungkook reclined back and put his arms behind his head, while the leader sat upright facing him, elbows propped on his knees.

Jimin was already bothered by how airy and indifferent he looked.

"Well go on," The younger sighed, "Let's have it out."

The older man laughed out his frustration, shaking his head down at the ground, "You are a damn fool sometimes, you know that?"

"Enlighten me, hyung."

"I had you clean the floors because it wouldn't kill you to learn to take some accountability around here."

"That's all fine and good, but you have a maid to 'take accountability' for house chores."

There it was.

Jimin had it. His tone dropped a level, hardening against his subordinate, "You're right. If only my maid hadn't been fucking impregnated recently."

Jungkook met his cold stare instantly. His unbothered expression soured as he exhaled in a dramatic groan, “Jesus Christ, hyung. That’s what this is about? Real clever of you to sneak that in there.”

“I didn’t sneak shit. You’re the one who inquired in the first place, and you’re the one who had to get your dick wet.”

The accused shot up to his feet, “I don’t have to listen to this.”

“That’s the fucking problem, Jungkook,” Jimin became even more elevated, “You can’t run from this one.”

He began to walk away, forcing the boss to his feet. In a swift maneuver of dominance, Jimin used his arm to block Jungkook from passing. He shoved him backwards a few paces and got in his face.

His eyes were deadly serious, bearing into the younger’s so fiercely that it was like a form of mind control. Despite being shorter in stature and leaner, Jimin had an uncanny way of asserting such power. But then again, it was in his blood.

His voice was hushed, coming through a clenched jaw, “Did I say you could walk away? Hm? Sit the fuck down.”

Jungkook had a temper of his own that he had to keep in-check. Breathing slowly, he lowered himself back into the chair.

Jimin remained standing and put his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky for a moment, “I won’t tolerate this little act of yours any longer. You don’t get to knock up my leading maid, who I thought you had feelings for, and then pretend like it never happened. I can understand that it’s not what you wanted or planned for, but it’s time to step up.”

“Hyung,” Jungkook sighed, “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you have no fucking idea what this feels like. Would you feel ready to be a dad?”

“It’s not about readiness, it’s about responsibility,” The boss snapped, “And for the record, I do know what it feels like. Do you think I felt prepared for this life when it was forced on me? Do you think I wanted this? Sometimes things just fall into your lap and you need to rise to the occasion, Jungkook.”

The younger buried his face into his hands, “Fucking Christ…”

Jimin sat back down and put a hand on his shoulder, “There are worse fates than being a father.”

“As if I’d know anything about that.”

It struck a chord. Jungkook never knew his father. There was no model to imitate, no rule book to follow. A silence was cast between the two men.

After a few minutes of sitting and listening to the gentle breeze, Jungkook muttered, “What the hell does any of this have to do with making me scrub the floor again?”

That made the boss laugh. He patted the back of his good friend heartily, “You can ask Bongcha about that. It seems like the two of you need to have a long discussion.”

“She asked you to make me do it?”

Jimin grinned, “You know she’d never do that.”

Jungkook knew he was right. No one who knew Bongcha would think she’d go behind someone’s back like that. She was far too gentle a soul.

Then the superior recalled finding her on the floor, overworking herself, and he frowned.

“But,” Jimin said, “I didn’t feel like I had a choice other than to speak with you about this. Someone had to take over for her. When I came downstairs this morning, she was trying to do it, breathing hard and looking exhausted. I wasn’t going to let her continue. That’s my responsibility.”

The black-haired man looked down, feeling shame for the first time in a long while. He rubbed his palms together as he pictured it - the woman carrying his child slaving away like that. Regardless of where their once blossoming relationship stood, that just didn’t sit well.

Jimin could see the gears turning behind his lowered eyes. He was starting to get it.

“I’ll talk to her.” Jungkook said.

He received another firm pat on the shoulder, “Good man. Let me know what comes of it. If I need to make other arrangements for Bongcha, I will.”

There was a mutual understanding of what he meant by that. This wasn’t the best environment for an expectant mother, let alone a baby. If she would feel safer in a different location, perhaps a new apartment somewhere, then Jimin would provide that.

They got up from their chairs and proceeded to head back inside.

Jungkook promised, “I’ll keep you informed, but don’t put all your energy towards this. We’ve got bigger problems.”

The boss glanced back up to your window, “Trust me, I’m aware. That’s why I’m calling a meeting, right now."

You were brushing your teeth until your gums bled, preoccupied with the same swimming thoughts. You were trying to clutch every single moment of that trip to America, hoping to come out the other side with a name.

Meanwhile, your phone rang again. It was an unidentified number, but you were too nervous to pick up. It very well could have been your family, trying to trick you into speaking to them. The vibration of the device caused it to move on the countertop near the sink. Unfortunately, it was already slightly over the edge of the surface. The buzzing moved the phone just enough to cause it to fall onto the floor.

It landed on its side, causing the case to pop right off.

You instantly turned the sink off, spit into it, and wiped your lips. Then you crouched down to pick up your phone and, more importantly, the photos you kept safe behind the case. They had fanned out on the floor, making your stomach drop. These photos were too precious.

You took a minute looked at them. One was of you and your mother. You were a small child, nuzzling into her chest with a sweet toothless smile. It made you remember her scent and what it felt like to be in her arms. You began to tear up, now understanding the context of her suicide.

The second was one of you and your father. You were older in this photo, a teenager. You were standing together, arms around each other in the middle of the giggles. Knowing your father, he probably had just said something to make you laugh. For some reason you remembered taking this one - you had set your phone against a tree trunk and put it on a timer. There was no one else around to take your picture because it was just the two of you there. On vacation, with a lake in the background…

It hit you. This was the place.

You sank down onto your rear with a thud, brows furrowed as you scanned the photo for any evidence of a name. There was nothing else in the background besides the lake, a long dock with yellow poles, and a hilly tree line.

Hastily, you flipped the photo over, and there was your answer, written in your own handwriting:

‘Trip to Lake Lauko’

Lake Lauko.

Lake Lauko.

That was it. You were positive. The timeline matched up with what Jimin told you, given your age in the photo. To your surprise, you were elated to have found the answer. This knowledge gave you leverage. It made you feel like you finally had some power in this situation.

You quickly changed into some medium-wash jeans and a faded green sweater. You needed to share this with them as soon as possible.

With damp hair and bare feet, you practically flung the door open and ran downstairs with the photo pinched between your index finger and thumb.

“Jimin!” You called as you descended on the staircase.

You made your way into the living room, expecting to find people there, but it was to no avail. In fact, the entire floor was quiet. There was no sign of life until Bongcha rounded a corner from the other room.

“Is there something you need, Miss?”

“Yes,” you panted a little, “I need to see Jimin. Where is he?”

“He has called a meeting. The men are gathered downstairs in the Game Room.”

“The ‘Game Room’? Like for video games and stuff?” You asked.

The maid giggled, “No, Miss. That’s what they call their conference room.”

You recalled Jimin referring to this business as a game, so you supposed that made sense.

“Am I allowed to go down?” You tilted your head a little.

“I’m not the judge of that,” Said the blonde woman, “But if it’s important-”

You pressed eagerly, “It is.”

Bongcha smiled cordially, "Then I will take you. Follow me."

You let her take the lead and went to a door you hadn't seen yet. She opened it, revealing a staircase that went to a below-ground level of the house. The lights were already on down there, revealing a lower floor that was every bit as nice as the others. The main portion of it looked like a smoke lounge, complete with an enormous bar. The sight of all of that top-shelf liquor was nauseating, after the hangover you had yesterday.

An open door to the left showed another room, which appeared to be a gym. Though the lights were off, you could make out the weights, treadmills, etcetera.

Bongcha headed past all of that and took a right, coming upon a closed door with a numeral pad mounted on the wall next to it. The pad had a red light, presumably meaning that the door was locked. You couldn't see which numbers she pressed, but you heard a small beep with every digit being entered.

Then the light on the pad turned green, followed by the sound of a lock unhatching from within.

Your guide opened the door and went in. You found Yoongi and Namjoon's eyes landing on you from their black leather chairs.

Jimin's voice could be heard, "Yes, Bongcha?"

Before she could answer him, you paced into the room behind her, making the other guys swivel their chairs in your direction. Jimin stood up from his seat at the head, fingers keeping contact with the long twelve-seater table. Your newly-showered and unfinished appearance brought about concern. Plus, your face expressed urgency.

He glanced at the small object in your hand, "Y/N, what's wrong?"

By the look of interest on her boss's face, Bongcha had no doubt that they would hear what you had to say. She discreetly exited the room behind you and shut the door. It automatically locked again.

Your eyes were darting across all of the faces now staring you down.

Jimin asked you again, "Y/N? What happened?"

Your attention snapped back to him. You slowly raised the hand that held the photo of you and your father, "I-I remembered the name. I know where the weapons are."

All of the guys shared looks of astoundment, gazes flitting back and forth between you and the boss.

His face told of both curiosity and relief, "Already? You're positive?"

You nodded and made your way across the room to him. You handed him the photo, "I know for a fact that this is the place we were talking about. And check the back."

Jimin cracked a grin. He flipped around the image and read aloud, "Lake Lauko, huh? Namjoon, pull that up."

Namjoon followed orders, typing away on the laptop in front of him, which seemed to be hooked up to the large television screen on the wall opposite the head.

In the meantime, Jimin asked you, "Where did you get this photo?"

"I keep pictures of my mother and father in my phone case." You said quietly, uncomfortable with all of the others hearing such an intimate detail of your grief.

He nodded with a hum.

"Here we go," Namjoon announced, directing everyone's attention to the screen, "Lake Lauko, located slightly east of the Puget Sound. State of Washington, United States."

There were images of the lake blown up for everyone to see. It was a beautiful place, just as you remembered. The group was observing keenly, including yourself.

"Looks remote, just as we thought." Yoongi remarked.

Jimin kept checking between your photo and the images on the screen ahead, looking for any signs of similarity. They needed to be able to pinpoint the exact spot.

"There," He eventually called out, pointing with his other hand, "Right there. Pull up that one on the bottom left, Joonie."

You noticed the same thing as soon as the image became enlarged. It was a picture of the lake from a higher angle, showing the same dock that was in your personal photo - the one with the yellow poles.

Jimin passed your belonging off to Hoseok, who then passed it to Jungkook. It began traveling around the room, making you uneasy. You didn't want these men having visibility into a private memory of yours like this. It felt like an intrusion, to allow them to see the younger version of yourself with your deceased father.

"It's the same dock." Jin nodded.

Jimin smirked, gesturing to the large screen once more, "That's it, gentlemen. That's exactly where we want to go. We leave in one week."

There was an uproar of clapping and celebratory noises. They were patting each other on the back and whatnot, grateful that they finally had the answer. The boss watched with gratification written on his face, enjoying the sight of his men getting to have this weight lifted off their shoulders.

He then smiled at you, "Thank you."

But the zeal you possessed when you first made the discovery had been drained from you. You weren't happy. You weren't eager. You weren't even relieved anymore.

All you felt was that you had just betrayed your own family. The thing that could have helped them win this long-drawn war, you had just given away to their enemies. You thought of your dear parents. Your father, smiling joyously next to you in that old photo. Would he be ashamed of the fact that you had just broken faith with Uncle Yohan, his brother?

You pursed your lips together, looking down at the floor. A nod was all you could offer Jimin in return, before making an excuse to leave the room, "I just wanted to let you know. I'll, um, go back upstairs now and get something to eat."

You turned and walked out of the meeting, and no one followed.

Luckily, finding your way back to the main floor was uncomplicated. You aimed to head into the kitchen, where you hoped to find something small to eat. What you told Jimin wasn't entirely a lie - you were starting to get hungry.

You walked in on a conversation between Eunji and Bongcha.

"No," The maid sounded like she was whining, which was strange, given the graceful composure she'd been showing you thus far, "I'm sorry, I just can't eat kimchi right now. Even the smell of it makes me nauseous."

Eunji saw you and cleared her throat, warning Bongcha to stop.

Both women looked at you and put on their smiles. The cook wiped her apron and said, "Can I get you something to eat, Miss?"

You sighed, "Anything. You don't need to make something fresh. I'll take leftovers."

The woman could tell you were in distress, so she offered you a smile, "Leftovers? I cook for seven men, Miss. There are never leftovers in this place."

That made you laugh a little, fostering more appreciation for her, "I guess it was a silly proposition."

The maid left the kitchen soon after and Eunji whipped up a rice bowl with veggies and beef for you. As you ate and the cook cleaned up, you asked her, "Is Bongcha sick?"

Eunji paused, but then shook her head, "No, Miss. She's expecting."

Your chewing ceased for a moment before you swallowed and remarked, "Oh, I didn't realize."

"She isn't showing quite yet," the cook dried a pan she had just hand-washed, "Don't say anything to her unless she tells you, Miss. I'm only informing you since you would have found out eventually."

"Why can't I congratulate her?" You asked, "Oh, does she intend to...you know...?"

Eunji quelled that concern, "No, Miss. In fact, she's quite excited about it. She's just having some trouble in the early stages."

“I see. Who is the father?” You asked. Perhaps you were prying too much, but you couldn’t say no to the opportunity to focus on a situation that wasn’t your own.

The cook closed off, “Oh, I-I’m afraid that isn’t for me to say, Miss.”

The way she seemed to earnestly search for another task to perform made you all the more intrigued. Why was that such a touchy subject?

Then it dawned on you. Bongcha lived and worked full-time here. With Jimin and his men. You remembered the day before, how kind Jimin was with her and how highly she spoke of him. He had also told you quite openly that he’d been to strip clubs before. Was it that far off-base to think that a mafia boss in his sexual prime would fornicate with female members of his own staff?

You didn’t ask any further questions.

It was dark outside now, and you were sitting out on the back deck alone. The temperature had dropped, leaving you huddled on one of the sofas in one of the warm sweat sets Bongcha got for you.

You weren't opposed to the cold. You had a lot on your mind and it helped you think.

There was a battle being fought in your head. One side knew the safest thing to do was to join Jimin, and the other wanted to believe your family was redeemable.

Your family had undeniably been dishonest with you, while he had told you the truth. It was clear who you could trust and who you couldn't. You should have been feeling good about your decision to stay here, and you were, until you gave them the information. Something about taking real action against your own flesh and blood made your skin crawl.

Was it because their manipulation of you was that deeply engrained? Was it because it directly contradicted the values your late parents had instilled in you, to be loyal to your family?

You had taken sides with a man whose family destroyed yours. They were responsible for all of your heartache, and yet here you were. Was it a cowardly act of self-preservation, or were you simply being smart?

Thoughts and memories attacked each other, fueling the opposing sides.

You let out a small groan and buried your face in your hands. It felt like you were going into overdrive, collapsing under this monster that was gnashing its teeth at you.

"Hey you."

You sighed into your hands, not exactly in the mood to speak with him, "Not now, please."

"That's alright." He said. You looked up to find Jimin standing over you, holding your photo in his hand and extending it out to you, "I just wanted to return this to you."

You were so upset before that you hadn't realized that you left it behind in the Game Room, "Oh...Thanks."

You looked down at the photo, the lighting from the surrounding outdoor bulbs and lamp posts allowing you to faintly see the image. It flooded your heart with so much love and pain that your chest felt physically heavy.

Jimin began to leave you, abiding by your request. Then you had a feeling that pissed you off - you wanted him to stay.

"Wait," You huffed, causing him to turn around, "I changed my mind."

You scooted over, making room for him. Jimin smiled gently and sat next to you. He was in a charcoal grey hoodie and comfy black cargo pants, his lounge-around attire, apparently. The pair of you overlooked the rest of the back deck for some time, taking in the stillness of it all.

That is, until he said, "I'm sorry for how it was in the Game Room earlier. I know it wasn't easy for you to give us that information, and for it to be treated with celebration rather than respect hurt you."

Staring dead ahead, you replied, "Actually, it was easy for me to tell you. I found that photo and bolted downstairs. After we spoke yesterday, I truly believed that it was the right thing. I believed that you had my best interest at heart and that you were being honest with me. It's like giving you that crucial information meant fully committing to joining you all here. And I thought I was ready to do that. Evidently, I was wrong."

Jimin's expression went from remorseful to perturbed, "And do you still believe that I have your best interest at heart, and that I've been honest with you?"

You looked into his serious dark eyes, "Yes. It's just...They're my family. And I betrayed them."

He gave you a sullen look, "Can I let you in on a secret?"

You nodded.

Jimin put his calloused hand on your cheek and used a sympathetic tone, "You didn't betray your family, Y/N. They betrayed you. Yohan, Aera, and Eoduun knew the circumstances and didn't tell you, not because they wanted to spare you, but because they were priming you to hand over the same information you just gave to me. And although they loved you and might not have known it, your parents betrayed you by setting you up for this life. So did mine. But if I've learned anything over these past eight years, it's that you're not a bad person for doing the best you can with the cards you were dealt."

You felt like crying, your voice almost in a whisper, "And these are the cards we were dealt."

He nodded slowly, "These are the cards we were dealt. And one more thing."

"What?"

The mafia man put his other hand up to your other cheek, "You choose who your family is. All of us here, we can be your family if you want us to be."

His words were genuine and warm, filling your heart with loud echoes of the past. You wrapped your hands around his wrists and held his hands there. A tear rolled down your cheek but was derailed by his palm. It felt like you were seeing him anew. There were hints of the old Jimin before. Now, he was fully there. Mafia or not, you could see him sitting before you.

You shook your head, still holding his wrists, "I can't believe you're here right now."

Jimin took the chance to tease you and lighten the mood. He chuckled, "You can't believe that I'm here at my own house?"

You broke into a giggle, but it died down quickly, "No, I can't believe that you're here at all. You just vanished from my life. I mourned that loss as if you had actually died. It's like you've come back to life."

He smirked, “I’ve come back blonde and tattooed.”

You laughed slightly. He was smiling into your eyes, and yours into his. You then wrapped your arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. His sweatshirt smelled faintly of oranges and whiskey. Jimin held you around your back, soaking in your embrace.

“I missed you.” You said.

He closed his eyes, “I missed you too.”

Your taste of happiness was interrupted by the back door opening and closing. More of the guys were coming outside.

Jimin pulled away from the embrace and sighed, “Here they come.”

Hoseok called out to both of you, “Hey, we’re having a bonfire. You guys want to join?”

“Be there in a few minutes!” The leader responded. You glanced in their direction, seeing the reflection of light bouncing off bottles of dark liquor. A few of them sounded drunk already, judging by their laughter and volume.

Jimin seemed like he wanted to be with them, but he remained at your side for the time being.

“You know,” He nudged you with his side softly, gesturing to the photo in your hand, “I had a similar moment of clarity when you handed me that picture. The past couple of days have been hard for me too. I’ve felt this overwhelming guilt, even though I know that we had to bring you here. But now that I’ve seen this…The girl that I knew in another life, I don’t regret it anymore. She was the one I thought of all these years, when things became unbearable or when I needed to be reminded of something good in my life.”

Your focus went from the photo to his eyes. For the first time you saw something desperate in them. He had lost his entire family in a pool of blood, his life was cut to shreds. But you were still there, so he had a reason to keep going. He had been clinging to the idea of you.

It was your turn to lighten the mood, “You thought of a high school version of me? Creep.”

Jimin threw his head back and laughed. Oh how you missed his authentic laughter. It was a few octaves deeper than it used to be, but its cadence was the almost the same. It made you laugh along with him.

“And just like the high school version of yourself, you are still impossible.” He said with a little wink and a partial grin.

It was a minuscule, subconscious action, but that little wink translated differently than it would have in the past. While you’d recovered a part of your friendship, there was still twelve years of distance between the two of you. You couldn’t simply pick up right where you left off, so the wink of his eye didn’t read as platonic. As if that didn’t feel strange enough, you were just as confused to find yourself enjoying it regardless.

In the dim yet proficient lighting, you began to notice how handsome he was. He was your old friend, yes, but now you were starting to view him as a man. A little rugged yet distinguished. His jawline was the biggest change from his younger self - now sharpened by the aging process. And God, did you finally see what all the fuss was about his lips back in the old days. They were sultry and pillowy, perhaps even inviting.

Likewise, Jimin was seeing you through a new lense. Your features still brought about a familiar comfort, but he saw them as utterly gorgeous. Your eyes were twinkling in a way that pulled him. Your body had developed more - desirable according to any man’s standards. You were every bit as adorable and kind as that girl in the photo, but now there was something else too. Something striking.

All of this mutual observation lasted but a millisecond. Then, both looking for an escape, you made your way over to the bonfire together. Whatever you had just felt, you shook it off.

It was a gorgeous fire pit area. The flames were nurtured in a round stone table, surrounded by plush ivory seating with rattan framing. These included a four loveseats covering all sides and four arm chairs. It was another twelve-seat arrangement.

You plopped down next to Jimin on one of the loveseats, to no one’s surprise, but this gave you the opportunity to get to know the other guys a bit more.

As they drank and cracked jokes, some of them quite dark, you laughed along. At first, it felt very much as though you were force by yourself to enjoy their company. But, as the hours passed, it got easier. You were able to perceive their individual personalities better, and they got to see a tiny bit more of you. Your guard was still mostly up, but it was at least a start. And you certainly didn’t join them in drinking.

It got late and you decided to go to bed, the first out of the group to do so. The exhaustion washed over you as soon as you walked back into the house, and took you under shortly after your head hit the pillow.

You had a long road ahead of you if you wanted to feel truly content here, but today was a start.

[hopeymchope]

I wish Spike Chunsoft would just go full "Persona" with Danganronpa and milk it with tons of spinoffs.

I'd be there for every goddamn one of them on DAY ONE, you know. Pick your genre! The minute they figured out how to make a decent third-person DR action game with Ultra Despair Girls, that should've opened the floodgates wide IMO. In fact, if you take any given Persona spinoff, I can tell you how easily/naturally they could develop (and I could get super-hyped for) a Danganronpa equivalent.

Danganronpa Arena is SO obvious. It's the MOST obvious spinoff, and it has been sitting there waiting to be creating for seven goddamn years now. Ever since Kodaka said he wants a DR fighting game. Hey, remember that official DR3 Staff Book art that showed Nanami dreaming about it? Many of us have shared fan ideas for the story and/or for character moves. COME ON, y'all. What's the holdup?? DO IT! DO IT NOW!

Danganronpa: Dancing? FUCK YAS. I mean, there's already some wicked dance remixes of the game soundtracks in that Crypt of the Necrodancer DR content, so why the hell not?? And I recall that @dreamrlu did some great fanart (1) for how the (2) V3 crew could dress (3).

Danganronpa Q, a dungeon crawler? Despair Dungeon already exists, so it's COMPLETELY NATURAL. It's just a higher-quality production of that same concept! And if you haven't seen that fanmade version of the first "Persona Q" opening where it's the casts of DR1 and DR2 meeting up? It's AMAZING.

Danganronpa Tactica? Imagine leading squads from the Future Foundation (including DR1 and DR3 cast members) in missions against remaining Remnants of Despair. I've been playing a lot of tactical RPGs lately, and there's a lot of room to tell a ton of story in this format... plus it's not like you even have to make complex graphics to make it work, so SC doesn't have to worry about struggling with 3D renders if they don't want to. Just consider how Digimon Survive pulled this off with 2D sprite art!

Danganronpa Strikers is, uh, maybe the hardest to justify — but if you set it in the virtual world, that could make it easy! Since Danganronpa S already took place entirely in VR and contained a load of combat encounters, why the hell not do a similar setup for an action game? And if you prefer to keep in the real world, there are still a number of characters I could easily justify making playable in such a scenario — Genocide(r), Sakura, Asahina, Mondo, Nekomaru, Peko, Akane, Great Gozu, Seiko, Munakata, Maki, Gonta, etc. I can even picture some more-unlikely candidates such as Kimura slotting into the roster. I don't even like musou games that much, but ofc I'd play the SHIT out of this one.

Look: I know I'm an insatiable fan who just wants more precious content with these characters. But you can't convince me that these things wouldn't also SELL. The brand reached new heights of awareness and sales with V3, and they haven't really capitalized on that at all aside from giving us "Danganronpa S." We haven't even gotten a new anime since DR3, FFS!

And I'm confident that any one of the ideas listed above would sell far better than a weird digital board game with RPG combat set inside VR, frankly. :P

[adviceformefromme]

Love all content! And as someone who really wants to improve their lifestyle and actually achieve what they’ve put on their vision board, I feel like my lack of discipline and inconsistency will never leave me. I’m a planner by heart and love making plans, sorting things out and getting inspired by those day in the life vlogs but when it comes to implementing and actually going on with the plans I make for a long period of time. I SUCK and I admit it. I’ve tried everything I could think of but I can’t seem to be able to create an actual routine that is easy for me to work with. Any suggestions on how can I navigate this? One example is getting my driving license, I’ve signed up last May and only managed to go to the lessons/practice (6 times) and it should take 2 months to get it but I’m so lazy, (same thing goes for having solo dates) 🥲

Hey sweetie, I feel you! The thing is you just have to keep pushing forward and trying. One day it will just click. You'll just be in the cafe, reading the book on the solo date. You'll be waking up early, heading to the pilates class. Like wow, how did this even happen? But it will, and that’s because you’ve been speaking your vision into existence for all this time. Sometimes we hear the stories, and read the level up content and think it’s an instant click your fingers action and results, in some cases yes, but more often its years of prayers, mental conditioning, affirmations, trying to change, trying to be better, getting back up and failing, over and over and overrrr again. But its the persistence, the trying something new. My advice is to keep studying yourself more and more so you connect your habits to your failures, you can pivot quickly, you can catch yourself and do better next time. As long as you are growing there is no failures. 

Practical things that really changed the game for me: 

Atomic habits - continually going back to this as a reminder to stay on track with practical steps.

Always being mindful of what I’m speaking into existence, a friend told me a few months back I keep speaking about what I don’t want. Re-frame your sentences, stop mid sentence. There is so much power in the tongue. 

Reassess your diet. This single-handedly could be destroying your energy levels. I quit carbs and moved over to high protein / veggies diet and my energy levels and mental focus transformed. 

Cut the distractions. I had to cut daily voice notes with a close friend who was in lack constantly, because this was impacting my energy field. We still speak but daily voice notes, and I am intentional about our conversations not being dragged in the dirt with low level thinking. 

Invested in high level community, conferences, events, virtual groups. I actually randomly joined a free 11 day coaching course with Aaron Doughty on YouTube, and the energy I felt to transform my life was overwhelming. There were 1000s of people on the zoom doing visualisations, and this was a free programme! (Of course they tried to sell at the end), the point is finding your community from wherever you are in the world.

Pray, and stay close to God throughout each day. This also single-handedly has completely cleansed and purified my soul. It’s a constant communication, a constant gratitude, as you go for a walk, wake up, check your account. It’s listening to the internal wisdom pouring into you, and being in obedience to that voice. 

And finally, exercise, even if you don't have the energy to run, start small. Start with putting those clothes on daily. Put the gym clothes on and go for a walk down the road and back without your phone, or listening to something motivational / inspiring. I recommend Women of Impact - by Lisa Bilyeu. The movement of your body, allows the energy to flow, and then suddenly you are in the flow, the more you can do this, the more alive and focused you will feel!

I hope these help sweetie xoxoxo

[optimisticgrey]

Echoes of the Thread - The Finale

virtual library | playlist | ao3 |

summary: We are here for the big finale: Gortash, the Emperor, the Netherbrain - and the Crown of Karsus

author's note: Thank you for sticking around, commenting, discussing and reaching out. It truly means the world to me. 🥺😭🫶💜🫂

This has been a fun ride and I am a bit sad it's over.

content warning: Spoilers. All of them.

word count: 2k

Start at the beginning

AO3 Link

Standing in front of Gortash always sends a tremor through your legs. Not because the so-called Avatar of Bane is a figure of awe or because his politicking has earned your respect - he hasn't, and it hasn't. No, it’s because Karlach stands beside you, her fury barely contained, her entire body wound tight with a storm’s worth of grief and rage. You can feel the fire beneath her skin, so close to breaking through, and you know, she is seconds from erupting.

But she doesn’t. Not yet. She holds her ground, burning with fury, every breath a struggle for composure. She waits.

For you.

And when the moment comes, when the fighting begins in earnest, you let her go.

This battle isn’t yours to lead, even if you need Gortash’s Netherstone to defeat the greater evil ahead. It’s not about strategy, not for Karlach. It’s personal. Deeply, achingly personal. But his death won’t mend the pieces of her shattered hope. It won’t give her peace. You know this, but she doesn’t. Not yet.

Still, you stand back, handling the guards and giving Karlach the space she needs to face him. The others support her, each in their own way, and together you weather a fight that feels as if it stretches across lifetimes. In some ways, it did.

It is brutal. Messy. Long. More than once, fear claws up your spine, cold and merciless, but you keep going. You have to.

When the last of his men fall, a wave of relief crashes over you, so strong it nearly drops you to your knees. You want to reach for Karlach, to wrap your arms around her and hold her tightly. But you don’t.

You let her speak. Let her scream. Let her mourn. And when she asks you to drink with her, you accompany her without hesitation.

That night, you climb to the terrace atop the Elfsong Tavern. You listen. You sit beside her in the quiet, beneath a sky that doesn’t know how to mourn her pain. She thought she'd feel lighter, free. Instead, she grieves. Not just for Gortash, but for herself - for a heart that burns too hot, for a future that was never truly hers to dream of.

The others join you in time, one by one, bringing laughter, comfort, shared silence. It becomes a night of release, of drink, of weary smiles, of held hands and long overdue hugs. For a few fleeting hours, they are just people who love each other.

You laugh. You exhale.

And when the moment comes, you curl into Gale’s embrace, burying yourself in the familiar rhythm of his breath and the warm scent of home that is his scent.

You wish for peace, for this to be over. But a few days later, your boots splash into ankle-deep blood as you tread the path toward the temple of Bhaal. Each step feels heavier than the last.

You don’t want this. Not yet. You wanted another night tangled with Gale, another lazy morning waking up surrounded by warmth and trust and the soft-spoken quiet you only share with him.

Instead, you are marching toward a nightmare. Toward the place where everything went wrong. Too many times.

This is where you failed before. Where you screamed yourself hoarse trying to stop her. Where you watched, helpless, as Orin tortured and killed, laughed in your face.

You remember the pain in their eyes, the betrayal, the despair. You remember every death. Every failure. Every moment she took from you.

You cannot fail again.

You don’t scream now. Not outwardly. But inside, you are nothing but fear. Your heart thunders in your ears, your fingers twitch with panic, your palms slick with sweat. The fight begins, and you cling to your resolve like it’s a lifeline.

You can do this. You will get it right this time.

The others push forward with relentless focus - you do your part, casting, supporting, refusing to fall apart.

But your hands shake. Every spell feels like it’s on the edge of fumbling. And both Gale and Halsin notice. Halsin stays close, protective, calm. Gale doesn’t say anything. But you can feel the question in his gaze like pressure on your skin.

Orin dies.

It’s slow. Too slow. You watch the life drain from her with no triumph in your heart. Just a hollow ache.

You scoop up Yenna the moment she wakes, her arms thrown tight around your neck, her legs wrapping around your waist as if afraid you’ll vanish. You hold her as you carry her from the nightmare, clinging to her as tightly as she clings to you.

Back at the Elfsong Tavern, you brew tea with shaking hands. Yenna accepts it silently, still trembling, and when Halsin offers her a bedtime story, she nods and gathers up Scratch and the owlbear cup. She disappears into the safety of routine.

You sit in front of the fire. Let your body go slack. Let the tension bleed from your spine and limbs. Astarion presses a kiss to your hair on his way out to hunt, Karlach and Wyll curl up nearby. You realize, absently, that Lae’zel is gone again.

Gale joins you quietly, passing you a cup of wine as he settles beside you.

“Talk to me,” he offers gently, not demanding but not asking either.

You sigh. “I’m alright,” you lie. “It’s just been... a long few weeks.”

He tilts his head. His eyes move over your face, searching, reading. He doesn’t call you out. Just rests a hand on your back. You lean into him, eyes closed, smiling faintly.

You want to tell him. Everything. About you failures. About the deaths. About how many versions of him you’ve loved and lost. How many times you failed, how many times you died. How many nights you’ve begged the stars for this to be over.

But you do not. Not yet. You cannot.

He’s still thinking about the Crown, haunted by it. You see it in the way his eyes stray toward the horizon, in how often he reaches for silence when before he would’ve reached for your hand. You need him focused. Clear. Grounded. Not lost in the tangle of timelines and impossible grief.

You’ve never made it this far before.

That terrifies you more than anything else.

When the time comes to make your final stand, a speech is expected. You are not prepared. You haven’t written anything, haven’t practiced. So you do the only thing you can: you speak from the heart. It’s messy. Honest. Vulnerable. And somehow, it’s exactly what they need.

They cheer. Every person you have helped, every friend who chose to stay by your side roar their approval and join you for the battle.

And still, your stomach churns.

The Netherbrain looms ahead. Vast. Overwhelming. You know its size. What you didn’t expect was the pressure. The weight of it pressing down on your thoughts, twisting into every crevice of your mind.

At some point, your nose starts to bleed. The pain is excruciating.

You’re terrified—not just for yourself, but for all of them. This is the unknown. The unwritten. You do not know what happens next.

And then you see them. The Emperor. And his companions. It takes you a moment to understand, these are your Dream Guardians.

The battle up the brain is harrowing. Each fight a step closer to something you don’t want to face. You aren’t thinking about victory. You’re thinking about what comes after. About Gale. About the Crown.

Mindflayers swarm. A red dragon dies, too slowly. The sky is filled with Nautiloids. Your panic grows.

Continue on AO3

[crowsofdarkness]

Camboy!Bill Skarsgard- Bill sends you a gift and wants you to use it while on facetime with him-Part Eight

-pics not mine.-

Pairings: CamBoy!Bill Skarsgard x Viewer!Reader

Summary: Bill isn't ashamed of the work he does, showcasing his body online for anyone willing to pay. His number one rule was never to make a connection with anyone who either sent him messages or paid for private one-on-one video sessions. That was until you decided to request a certain private session.

Content Warnings: 18+ smut which includes Bill having an only fans page, masturbation, phone sex, virtual sex, and language.

Authors Note: this is a limited mini-series, just a bunch of blurbs that take place in this universe. i'm not sure exactly how long this will be. tags will be open for this if anyone is interested! TWO CHAPTERS LEFT AFTER THIS ONE.

Tags: @loushaw131460 @hatterripper31 @felicity-lemons-thoughts @malenoradgn @unlimitedlust @voidofsunlight @muchwita @amidthechaos

CamBoy!Bill masterlist.

“Bill, what is this?” I asked, a slight waver in my voice as I peered down into the box which was currently holding my new gift. 

His wolfish smile appeared bright on my phone screen. “Well, since we’re going to meet in person, I thought to send you something to get prepared.”

My face reddened almost immediately when I opened the box he sent me. I knew what it was yet I wasn’t sure why he was sending it to me. 

“Wait,” I blinked away from the large object inside of the box to gaze at my phone which was perched up against my pillow. “You sent me a dildo to get prepared for when we meet?” 

“It’s true to the original,” Bill winked. 

“T-to what original?” I asked, now my crimson blush streaking down from my cheeks to my neck. 

“My cock.” 

My heart was beating so loud in my chest, I could hear it in my ears. Why did Bill sending me a dildo that was true to his cock, in size and girth, turn me on so much? My cunt ached with the need to try it out. 

 “You sent me a dildo that is a replica of your cock?” 

He placed his thick arm behind his head to prop himself up more on his bed while holding the phone with the other. “So you can get your pretty pussy ready for my actual cock.” 

My lips parted in an O shape as I tentatively took out the dildo, which also was true to skin color, and weighed it around in my hand. It was long and thick, but just enough that I could wrap my hand around it comfortably. Images of me using it flashed in my mind and instantly I felt a surge of heat blaze through me. 

Things between Bill and I have been wonderful, even though we were doing the whole long distance. We still haven’t chosen an official date for when we would meet mostly because I didn’t have the funds to buy a plane ticket. We did agree, however, that I would fly out to him. I was extremely nervous, hell I still am. I was going to fly out to Bill where he would pick me up and I’d stay at his place; if I was comfortable with it. 

I was. 

We talked all day, everyday. Our connection grew immensely these last couple of months, and I wanted to spend every second with him when I arrived. I would stay for about a week before having to fly back home. I wanted to stay longer however I couldn’t afford to be off from work for more than six days. 

“So, you want me to fuck myself with it?” I asked Bill, somewhat surprised at how I didn’t blush at my words. 

The time we spent together, albeit virtual, he helped immensely by bringing me out of my shell. And the virtual sex? Hot as fuck. My skin ignited to life with the ideas of how our sex life would improve once we finally met. 

Well, so I hoped. I would actually die if our sex life became mediocre once we met. 

Bill nodded with a fox smile. “You’re going to fuck yourself with it while I watch.”

I tweaked my brow. “Just watch, huh?” 

“Fine,” he rolled his eyes with a playful sigh. “I’m going to fuck my doll and pretend its your cunt.” 

Internally, I frowned. “I wish that doll was true to my pussy.” 

Heat flashed in his eyes. “Trust me, angel. If there was a way I could do that, I would have.”

Bill had this silicone “doll”. It wasn’t really a doll, more so mold of the lower half of a female body; pussy and ass. He’s used it quite a few times on his stream, something that was extremely popular with the viewers. I wasn’t a viewer anymore because Bill sent me content for free. I felt terrible being subscribed to my boyfriend's sex pages when he sends me better content for free. He’s actually sent me plenty of pictures and videos of him using this doll and every single one was hotter than the last. 

It took a bit but after some time, Bill was set up on his end while I was on mine. He suggested I use some lube to help the dildo slide in easily. I was on my bed, spread legs towards my headboard which my phone was propped up against, my head close to hanging off the edge. 

Bill was set up almost the same with his phone against his headboard facing him as he propped himself in front of the silicone pussy. I let his soft words urge me on as I slowly pushed the dildo inside of me, nearly cursing at the size of it. I quickly bit on my bottom lip as the pain speared inside of me. 

“Take it slow, angel. Go at your own pace.” 

Letting out a deep breath, I eased my body more into the mattress while pressing the final few inches inside of my cunt and let out a low moan of pleasure. I felt so good, so full. 

“This is how your cock is going to feel?” I asked in a breath. 

Bill grunted. “Mine’s going to feel even better because you’ll feel every pulse and vein.”

“Fuck,” I moaned, now moving the dildo in and out of me in a pace I knew I liked. 

The wet sounds coming from not only my room but my phone as Bill ruthlessly fucked the silicone pussy made my head spin in desire. Every so often, the echo of a spank would sound, causing me to bite the inside of my cheek, pretending he was smacking my own ass. 

“Taking my cock so well.” 

“You feel so fucking good gripping my cock, angel.” 

“God fucking damnit, Y/N. I can’t wait till I can feel the real thing.” 

“I can’t wait to watch you come undone underneath me.”

“Bill,” I whined as my pussy spasmed around the dildo. 

My orgasm was close, cresting so fucking high, it felt as if I was dancing on the clouds in the sky. The bottom of my belly warmed and my body pricked with tingles all over my sticky skin. 

“Say my name again,” Bill demanded, his voice heavy with lust. 

I turned my head slightly to the side, still fucking myself with the dildo, to see him fucking the silicone pussy deep into his matress and I found myself jealous it wasn’t me.  Sweat gathered on his mustache but he made no effort to wipe it away, afraid that if he stopped his thrusts, he would lose his own orgasm that was about to tear through him with a scream. 

“Bill!” I moaned again, this time louder when my own release washed over me in a warm rays of sunshine, the bright light from it blinding me. 

“You look so fucking beautiful coming apart on my cock, angel. I can’t wait to paint you with my cum,” he let out a deep, guttural, moan, before his abs constricted for a second, then he spilled inside of the silicone pussy. 

We both took a few minutes to come down from our high before I tossed the dildo on the bed next to me, making a mental note to clean it, and reached for the phone. Bill was laying down with a sad smile on his gorgeous face. 

“What?” I asked. 

He shrugged. “I wish you were here with me right now.” 

Now it was my turn to frown and I pulled my blanket close to my chin, easing deeper into my bed. I was still naked and somewhat sticky from my arousal and the lube between my legs, but I didn’t want to stop talking to Bill to go shower. 

Oh please, you’ve facetimed him before while you were in the shower and he jacked off to it. 

“I know. But I can’t afford-.” 

“Let me buy your ticket, angel,” Bill cut me off before I could finish. 

“No, Bill. You’ve already spent so much money on me,” I shook my head, not wanting for him to drop another large amount of money on me. 

I looked into how much it would cost for me to fly to him and it wasn’t cheap. 

His voice was soft as he called my name. “Will you let me do this, please? I want you right here next to me. I want to be able to fall asleep with your head against my chest. I want to be able to wake up with my face buried in your neck. Or your cunt.” 

A bright red hue covered every inch of my body at his words. I wanted to disagree because the guilt was strong but seeing how adorable he looked with those large hazel sad eyes quickly had me crumbling. 

“Okay,” I agreed, not being able to hide my smile. “We would need to figure out what days-.” 

“Check your email,” Bill interrupted, again. 

I blinked. “Bill, what did you do?” 

He repeated his words a few more times, until I agreed with a sigh. With our facetime call still up and active, I checked my email and damn near fell through my bed. Bill already bought my plane ticket. According to the time he sent the email, he bought it hours ago. But that’s not what had my heart lurching into my throat, excitement coursing through my veins. It was the departure date. 

I was flying out to meet him in two days. 

“I wanted to have you fly out tomorrow but I thought to give you more than a few hours to pack and get ready,” he said when I brought our phone call back to full screen. 

“I can’t believe we're finally going to meet,” I said, still in disbelief that this was finally happening. 

We talked about it for so long, I was afraid it would only be that; words. I never thought we would actually get to this moment. 

Bill wore a wide smile as he ran a hand through his hair. “Get ready, angel. I’ve got our whole week planned and I’m never going to let you go once you arrive.” 

Somehow, I didn’t doubt that he would never let me go. 

[thegettingbyp2]

Go. New follower here.

Are you still taking Aaron Tveit requests? I have one. The reader was and actress in the harry Potter movies (small cameos) and she loves musicals. She got lucky getting the role of Eponine and immediately clicks with Aaron. They really like each other and between takes, they're caught making out hot and heavy ☺️☺️☺️☺️. After work, they're watching moulin rouge in his hotel room that leads to something more.

Sorry for a long one, but I can not get it out of my head. Thank you.

Since the Day We Met

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The moment you stepped on set, you knew that you were walking into something incredible. It had been your dream to be an actress and so far you’d manage to bag a couple small roles in the Harry Potter films but that was it until you decided to go for it an audition for the new film adaptation of Les Misérables, not expecting anything to come from it. So, when you got a call that told you you’d bagged the role of Eponine, you were over the moon.

As excited as you were about getting the role, you couldn’t help but me a bit more excited about the fact you were going to be meeting and working with Aaron Tveit. Aaron had been your big Broadway crush for as long as you could remember and you never thought that you’d get the chance to meet him, let alone work with him.

You’d never forget the first time you met him. You were heading to the set from your trailer for the first day of filming on the barricade and you were so excited that you were practically running to set, almost running right into Aaron. The coffee you were holding leaving your hand and crashing to the floor. The two of you were quick to jump back to avoid getting coffee on your costume and you both looked at each other for a couple of seconds before bursting out into laughter.

‘That was close,’ he said as your laughter subsided before he took a step closer to you and held out his hand. ‘I’m Aaron, by the way.’

‘I know,’ you replied automatically, visibly cringing at yourself before taking his hand and shaking it gently. ‘I mean, I’m (Y/N).’

‘Let me guess,’ he said, looking at your costume, ‘Valjean?’

‘How did you know?’ you played along, laughing as you spun around.

‘I guess you just really look the part,’ he teased. ‘You heading to set?’ he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the set.

‘I am,’ you said and you both started walking together, getting to know each other as you went.

---

Ever since that first meeting, you and Aaron became virtually inseparable, always meeting outside one of your trailers to head to set and spending all of your breaks together. You’d managed to keep everything friendly until the day you were filming Eponines death and the fall of the barricade. At first you put it down to it being a highly emotional day because of the content of the scenes but for some reason, you couldn’t help but start looking at him a different way. You weren’t sure if it was the way he looked with wet hair after filming A Little Fall of Rain, but you wanted him.

You had a break in between scenes while the water was cleared from the set and you found yourself tucked into the barricade, balancing on one of the beams, content to just sit and listen to the sound of people talking around you.

‘Who are you hiding from?’ Aaron asked as he walked over to you, hair dry again and coming to lean on a beam opposite you.

‘Just enjoying the quiet before we start filming again,’ you replied, closing your eyes and leaning your head back, a soft smile on your lips.

‘Mind if I join?’

‘Thought you already had,’ you teased, grinning up at him. Aaron chuckled lightly sat down next to you, your arms brushing against each other.

‘You did a great job in the scene earlier,’ he said quietly, looking at you.

‘Thanks,’ you replied, all of a sudden feeling shy around him.

‘You know, the day we met, it felt like I’d known you for ages,’ he said, speaking quietly and leaning his head down so no one else would hear.

‘I know what you mean,’ you replied.

Aaron just looked at you for a couple of seconds and only when you opened your mouth to say something did he lean in and press his lips against yours. You gasped against his lips, allowing his tongue to swipe across yours and you felt yourself surrender to the kiss, your arms coming up to wrap around his neck as his hands settled on your waist, pulling you into him. It felt as if you couldn’t get any close enough to each other as your lips refused to part.

Only when you heard the sound of a throat being cleared did the two of you spring apart, heads turning to where the sound came from only to see Eddie standing in front of you both, grinning from ear to ear.

‘Don’t mind me,’ Eddie said, turning back around. ‘We were all wondering how long it would take before something happened between you two.’

The second he was gone, you and Aaron looked at each other before bursting into fits of giggles and you buried your head in his chest to try to muffle the sound. Aaron put both of his hands on your cheeks and tilted your head up to look at him before pressing your lips together once more. ‘Why don’t you come to my hotel room tonight when we finish up here? We can stick a film on or something?’ he spoke against your lips.

Not wanting to break the kiss, you smiled against his lips and nodded.

---

Later that evening, you found yourself and Aaron curled up on the bed with Moulin Rouge playing in the background, but neither of you could say what had just happened, too wrapped up in each other, both emotionally and physically. He was hovering over you as you were spread out on the bed, your fingers tangled in his hair as his lips fused to your neck.

‘Been wanting to do this since the day I met you,’ he mumbled into your skin before looking up at you, brushing a strand of hair out of your face.

‘I mean, I thought you were alright when we met but - ah!’ you were cut off when Aaron grabbed your thigh, lifting it to rest across his hip and ground his hips against yours.

‘You were saying?’ he asked, smug.

‘Nothing,’ you replied quickly, wrapping both of your legs around his waist and using your grip on him to pull your body up until you were chest to chest, one of his hands coming down to rest on your back, keeping you in place.

‘That’s what I thought,’ he replied, leaning back down to kiss you.

You both moaned softly into the kiss as you let your hand rest on his bare chest, tilting your head to deepen the kiss. Your hand slid down his chest to the waistband of his boxers, dipping your fingers underneath and earning a sharp intake of breath from Aaron. ‘And what do you think you’re doing?’ he asked, his lips twisting up into a smile as your eyes fluttered shut when you felt his breath fan across your face.

‘Something I’ve wanted to do since the day I met you,’ you replied, pushing him off of you and climbing over him to straddle him. Your fingers hooked in his boxers and slowly pulled them down his legs, his cock standing up straight as you wrapped your fingers around him.

[vidding]

On June 23, 2021, You Tube announced that any Pre-2017 unlisted videos will be made private on July 23, 2021. Why? BTW this is an attempt to raise awareness about an event few fans may even know took place and highlight the importance of supporting archiving projects. It's written by those directly involved - any re-blogs are appreciated. An example of a rescued vid is at the end. Security update: Why? You Tube screwed up when it first developed unlisted videos. There was a loophole. Any unlisted video that was added to a playlist would automatically be made public. Oops! June 23, 2021 was when they made a formal announcement about their efforts to rectify it. You Tube's Solution? - Blanket privatization of ALL pre-2017 unlisted videos & then apply the security update for all new unlisted videos going forward. What if you don't want your pre-2017 unlisted videos to be made private? Filling out a form telling You Tube to do nothing is one option. Great for people who don't mind filling forms to send to You Tube. Make your videos public. 🤨 or download them and reupload them then make them unlisted with the new update. 🙄 You can watch the video below for descriptions of all the options. Most not ideal. Official Video: Released June 23, 2021. You can watch it whenever if you want to, but I must say contrary to what one would expect it is a very clear explanation without too much technical jargon. However, it doesn't really explain the obvious ramifications of this.

What are the freaking Ramifications: You Tube is 18 years old. What?!?!! 😲 Yeah, I know. Any pre-2017 videos would account for more than half of You Tube's history (11 years) and therefore fandom's history on You Tube. How many fans would be aware they had a 30-day notice and could act in time? Were you even aware of this?

More Issues: More importantly, how many users with abandoned accounts with noteworthy, valuable unlisted fanvids are no longer around to fill out a form. How many "Dead Embeds" would be the result of this when the videos go private. Many prefer to Unlist and Embed on other sites. Unlisted is not the same as private. It only means the videos can't be searched and found on You Tube but is available to anyone with a link or Embed. Private basically means no longer accessible and limited to people who were emailed a link directly.

There were only 2 people in Fandom (to my knowledge) who worked on rescuing content like that. We had about 2 weeks before the July 23, 2021 deadline to archive about 11 years of Pre-2017 unlisted fanvids and ask questions later. One of those people was Morgan Dawn and the other was myself. Other archive teams did work on this but their focus was on other types of videos related gaming, political history, anime, etc. Essentially non-fandom. In a nutshell, our collaboration led to the rescue approximately 12K unlisted fan videos. 12K fanvids that would have been made private forever and unable to be seen. The Work About 50% of that total came from accounts that had never uploaded a video since 2018. The work involved required more technical knowledge & resources than we had ever used before on any prior archive projects. There were several brand-new archive techniques we developed specifically out of necessity during that intense time period. One example was renting multiple virtual machines to sift through thousands of playlists just to find a fraction of unlisted videos. There was so much at stake. What happened with the content that was archived?

To my knowledge, there isn't an Open Doors for fanvids. There is just a few dedicated individuals who may be bad at promoting their work. Let's face it, when there is a fire at a library you marshal all resources to save as many books as you can and worry about everything else later. If archiving speaks to you whether that is fanzine, oral history or fanvid related, then there are certain things you can do:

Follow this Tumblr (we will post about relevant projects here)

If you have time, ask us how you can volunteer on projects and see if what we offer works for you. You can always opt out.

Re-blog this so that maybe someone who does have time sees this.

If you don't have time support our Patreon https://patreon.com/vidding

If you don't have time or money like this post acknowledging you appreciate that this work is being done even if you can't assist in those ways.

Choose whichever options work for you if possible.

This kind of work is done by very few people and not necessarily by those you would think would do this type of work. It can fly under the radar and so can support. This is an attempt to raise awareness which sometimes we are too busy to take time to do. If support doesn't go to the right places projects like this may never have happen or may not be as successful as they could be. This Unlisted You Tube Project is a perfect example of something a lot of fans may not be aware even took place. Thank you for whatever method of support you choose. The following experience was brought to you by archiving.

The following vid is one of the 12k saved. It's a Kirk/Spock vid. You will not find this vid anywhere but here. I know. I went to the original vidder's You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@xKelociraptor and they have other vids on there. Last vid uploaded 11 years ago and no contact info. You want to know the kicker? I looked at all the other vids they have available but the best one (in my opinion) is the one that was unlisted & rescued. Unlisted vids are not necessarily unfinished projects or bad takes of a final version that should not see the light of day. They can in some cases be the best vids you will never see.

If you liked this post you might like this:

The last vidder friendly hosting & streaming site?