#//HOORAY FOR OPEN ENDED RESPONSES

[jsluvtzu]

who’s protecting who?

park jihyo x fem!reader

summary: in the midst of attempting to keep jihyo from getting hurt, you ultimately forget about yourself

cw: none, men dni

wc: 5k

a/n: first fic in a while hooray!! my friends and i beat the pickleball pandemic and caught the volleyball virus instead, so enjoy this fluffy vb themed fic :p (this might be my longest one yet)

as you finished ringing up the last customer of the usual lunch rush, you felt your phone buzz in your back pocket. hurriedly assuring the customer that their order would be out soon and excusing yourself to the back, you asked your coworker to take over the counter for a bit while you took a small break from standing for so long.

pulling your phone out of your pocket and into your hand, you saw a text message flash across your screen, slightly blocking the lockscreen picture you had of your girlfriend kissing your cheek.

jihyo 🩷

y/nnn i think i wanna try volleyball and learn how to be as good as u :pp

smiling as your eyes flickered between reading her text and reminiscing on the exact moment the photo on your phone was taken, you tapped on the message and replied.

okay love i"ll teach u lol

knowing jihyo had a busy schedule consisting of both work and her 12 different hobbies, you didn't want her to overwhelm herself by taking on yet another one. nonetheless, you were excited to have her join you in something that you've always imagined the two of you doing together.

u sure ur not too busy tho?

it'd been about 2 years since you first picked up the sport as a pastime with a couple friends. eventually it turned into friendly tournaments on the weekends at the local community court with other groups, which then turned into trying out for professional leagues and miraculously making it into one.

jihyo 🩷

i can always make time silly

unfortunately, your break time was now quickly coming to an end, so you rushed to type out a response and carelessly shoved your phone back into your pocket.

we can go after i get off work then :) wear something u can freely move in and put on ur most comfortable shoes. i love u see u soon ml

speedrunning through the last few hours of your shift was excruciating when all you could think about was finally being able to show the girl you loved most how to play the sport you loved most. the anticipation of coaching her into becoming a better player than you made it impossible for you to focus on making a drink as simple as an iced latte.

"oh shit-" you whispered to yourself, realizing that you'd almost overfilled the cup with the caffeinated liquid.

as you clocked out and drove home, you couldn't stop yourself from mindlessly humming and calmly dancing to the music you had playing in your car. your coworkers even stopped to ask you, "what's got you in such a good mood?" multiple times.

and to no surprise, jihyo was already packed and ready to go the minute you opened the door to your shared apartment. the oversized backpack on her shoulders was filled to the brim with snacks and water for the active evening ahead. her sporty outfit was exactly what you'd imagined your girlfriend would wear. a slightly loose fitting muscle tee, athletic leggings, and her new favorite pair of running shoes on her feet to top it all off.

you couldn't help but melt at her eagerness as you took your shoes off and set your keys down onto the table by your shoe rack.

"hi baby," you said amusedly, "you're well prepared i see."

she beamed at you with her doe eyes and hummed in agreement as she skipped towards you to greet you with a kiss. her warm lips made contact with yours in a desperate manner, almost a silent message to relay just how much she'd missed you since you left for work early in the morning. you pulled away just enough to where your lips barely grazed each other, "let me change first and then we can be on our way, okay?" you pecked her lips again and once more to her cheek as you walked away to your shared bedroom to free yourself of your coffee reeking clothes. jihyo quickly set her backpack down onto the couch and followed behind you shortly.

you changed into your team's white long sleeved compression jersey with your custom number on the back; a bright pink "21" for jihyo, of course. soon after, you slid into your spandex shorts and turned your head to the side to see jihyo leaning up against the wall next to you. the sunlight shining through the open blinds accentuated her features perfectly. she was smiling proudly as she watched you morph into a different version of yourself that she only saw at your games.

"what're you looking at.." you said shyly, suddenly feeling self-conscious under your girlfriend's gaze.

she only giggled in response and lifted herself off the wall to fill the room with a loud smacking sound as she slapped your ass and made her way over to your bed, plopping down and facing the ceiling. you immediately let out a loud "oww!!" and rubbed over your burning cheek to soothe it.

"so, who are we playing against today? anyone i should be worried about?" jihyo asked. you walked over to the full-sized mirror in the corner of the room before answering her question, still focused on the stinging pain she left. "hm? oh, actually we aren't playing a real match today. i'm just gonna be showing you the basics and whatnot," you replied, tying your hair into a messy low bun at the same time.

a couple seconds of silence passed, concerning you enough to make you look behind you through the mirror and see your girlfriend who once laid flat down suddenly pin-straight up glaring at you. her posture was something out of a horror movie the way her back was perfectly aligned and her hands were beside her knees. you gulped and almost genuinely got scared until you glanced down to see her feet barely touching the floor. that's when you choked back a laugh at how cute her attempt at intimidating you was.

you finished up doing your hair and walked towards your pouty girlfriend. "what's wrong? why are you making a face like you just came out of one of those insidious movies?” you asked, pulling out a few strands to frame your face.

she whined in response, "i don't wanna learn the basics.. that's so boring. i wanna learn how to really play volleyball. not that kiddie stuff for the youth age group." you reached a hand up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "hey! that 'kiddie stuff' is really important, you know. you can't just go right into spiking without knowing how to hit and jump correctly first," you grumbled. jihyo looked at you confusedly, "..spiking..?" "exactly," you huffed.

jihyo groaned as she launched herself backwards onto the bed, the sheets rustling under her and beginning to surround her as she sunk further into the mattress.

"trust meee, it's for your own safety, love. i just don't want you getting hurt if i let you go right into a game not knowing what to do, that's all. a one-on-one session is always the best option for beginners," you reassured her, grabbing both of her arms and slowly pulling her up towards you. when you heard your girlfriend groan at you again, you realized it could be something else bothering her.

"ohh, or are you just annoyed that you have to be alone with me?? is that what this is??" you asked teasingly. but as soon as she heard that, jihyo stopped her whining immediately and scrunched her eyebrows up in a questioning manner, shaking her head aggressively.

"w-what? no! why would i be not wanna be alone with you! i just wanna be good already! just like.. let me skip the tutorial or something pleaseee," she pleaded. jihyo removed her arms from your grip and wrapped them around your waist, pulling you closer to her. you mockingly nodded your head and sarcastically spewed out "uh huhs" and "mhms" repeatedly, letting your girlfriend continue tightly hugging you and begging you for a free pass.

-

during the whole car ride there, it was impossible for you and jihyo to spend more than 2 seconds without touching each other in some way. whether it be her insisting she hold your hand while she secretly gushed at how attractive you look driving one-handed, or her switching to playing with your fingers while she asked more volleyball questions, or even kissing at each red light, there was never a single moment in that car where you two weren’t expressing your love in a form of touch.

as you pulled into the parking lot of the court complex, jihyo remembered the long nights and hours upon hours you would spend at these courts — it was practically your second home. that thought suddenly worried her that she might’ve been taking away your precious practice hours.

“baby, don’t you have practice today? if you do, you have to focus on that, not teaching me how to play. we can always do that some other time,” jihyo rambled.

you softly laughed at her flustered state knowing that you never told her the season was over yet. “no, love, don’t worry. it’s off-season for now, i don’t have any practices to go to,” you said reassuringly, squeezing her hand in yours to help settle her down. “plus, i would skip out on practice any day if it meant i could be with you.”

she sighed contently as you parked in an empty spot and turned the car off. before jihyo could even reach to click her seatbelt off, you teleported over to her side, opening the door for her and holding your hand out to help her up from your low sedan seats. your girlfriend mewled at the chivalrous gesture, grinning from ear to ear as she peeked her head out of the door. and to make sure she didn’t bump her head against the doorframe, you shielded her head with your hand as she came up.

popping the trunk open, you grabbed your backpack that was filled with volleyball gear and swung it over one shoulder. you made sure to grab jihyo’s as well, throwing hers over your other shoulder.

“you see that building over there with the big 2 painted on it?” you asked, pointing to the right side of the complex, “that’s where we’ll be. it’s a smaller court though since it’s only a practice gym.” jihyo looked in the direction you pointed at and hummed as she took in the size difference from the competition gym on the left and the practice one you mentioned.

while you were leading her to the unlocked doors of the practice court, jihyo kept pestering you to let her help you with one of the bags you were carrying, but of course you never let up. it even got to the point where you accidentally whacked your poor girlfriend with her own snack-filled bag while twisting and turning in protest of her need to help you.

“oh fu- sorry! i’m sorry, it was an accident i swear!” you frantically apologized, pulling jihyo into a messy hug. the heavy bags on your shoulders slipping off your arms as you held her close to you.

jihyo faked a hissy fit and jokingly pushed you away, “no i get it, you just hate me,” she said firmly, turning her head sharply and crossing her arms.

you paid no mind to your girlfriend’s antics, only catching up to her to hold open the door and watch her stomp past you in a sulk.

“i love youuu,” you chuckled.

her reply was barely audible, but you heard her mumble out an “i love you too” back.

-

setting your things down on the floor along the sidelines, you grabbed out an extra pair of knee pads you'd packed for jihyo. "come here love, let me put these on you," you ordered. it was difficult to slide the pads onto her legs with her shoes still on, so you helped her take them off for the time being, placing the pair neatly beside you.

kneeling down in front of her, you gently lifted one of jihyo's legs up at a time, skillfully adjusting the protective pads around her knee and taking extra precaution to make sure her legs were still able to move properly. you then sat back on your knees and admired your work, wondering why you felt like there was something missing.

"hmm.. i think.. i have something else for you to try on too," you pondered, digging through your bag once again to discover an old pair of extra small knee pads that didn't fit you anymore.

standing up with the gear in your hands, you held your girlfriend's forearm out as you stretched the material to enclose around her limb.

you snickered slightly at your spontaneous idea, "these are makeshift elbow pads specially designed for you." the pads were big enough to fit comfortably around her arms, protecting her exposed elbows from any potential harm.

jihyo allowed you to put them on her with no complaint, but soon began her whining when she began to feel the restricting feeling around her arms that was slightly limiting her movement.

"noo y/n, i don't need these. and they're so uncomfy!! i think i would play better without them.." she argued, scratching at the inside of her elbows to relieve the itching it caused.

knowing that your girlfriend was bound to try something outside of her comfort zone once she got into the flow of things, you decided it was the right decision to do everything in your power to help keep her from hurting herself while doing so. "just wear them please ji, i would feel much better seeing those on you," you refuted. it was true. you felt at peace knowing at least your girlfriend's precious joints were protected if not anything else.

she sighed out annoyedly, but ultimately complied to your requests only because she didn't want you to worry about her.

"thank you, my love," you said in satisfaction. you then reached into the cart of volleyballs behind you as jihyo slipped her shoes back on, squeezing a few to determine which one had enough air in it. grabbing the one you felt was best, you warmed up your wrist a bit by dropping the ball in front of you and striking it straight down, catching it once it came back up a couple times.

"okay, so first things first. you're gonna learn how to serve the ball," you said, leading her to the middle of the court facing the net. "the goal is to hit the ball over the net and onto the opponent's side of the court so that they can receive it and keep it in motion," you softly explained, repositioning her arms and legs into the perfect position for a proper serve.

jihyo picked up the skill quickly as you explained each step to her in full detail, making sure to critique her mistakes and show her the better way of executing her moves. within about 15 minutes of the first lesson, your girlfriend was already on her way to becoming the next star player for your team.

once she got at least 3 serves over the net, you decided she was ready to move onto the next step; receiving the ball. you showed her the proper way to hold her arms together and how to position herself under the ball to pass it to a teammate in front of her. you could tell jihyo was a natural at the sport as she was with any other activity she's ever tried.

after about an hour or so, her form was starting to get smoother and her reaction times were getting faster. but your energy needed replenishing and so did hers.

taking a short break together on the bleachers, you both had a water bottle in hand and shared the protein bar that jihyo had prepared earlier.

"do you wanna try peppering with me? i think you could be pretty good at it at this rate," you asked, sensing the way she was getting antsy to move onto something more advanced.

jihyo had no idea what exactly it was that you were asking her about, but she was eager to try it anyways. you put it in simple terms for her, explaining that it was a back and forth process of hitting and receiving the ball to each other. and just like that, hearing that she would be able to play against you in a way got jihyo excited again, the adrenaline giving her more energy than that protein bar ever did.

"okay! let's do it! come on!" jihyo exclaimed, throwing her bottle to the side and skipping back to the court while grabbing the ball. you smiled at how endearing she was and followed her soon enough, joining her across the same side of the court.

after another hour and a half of you two going at it, jihyo was seriously improving with the minimal coaching she had from you. it was honestly impressive how quickly she adapted to the flow of the game, but you expected nothing less of her.

deciding it was alright to push her a little further since she had all the protective gear in the world on, you picked up your pace a bit and spiked the ball harder, giving her less time to react and training her reflexes. obviously, jihyo played along effortlessly, getting herself hyped up by her newfound skill at volleyball. you could hear her cheer for herself everytime she successfully received the ball and sent it back in your direction.

but what you soon failed to realize was that the once amateur jihyo you knew 3 hours ago was gone. her alter ego had now taken over and fueled her with that insane ambition she had hidden away. as your eyes were too focused on watching her in case she fell, you completely failed to see the flying ball coming at your face at the speed of light.

bam.

you don't really remember what happened next, but it seemed like everything was happening in slow motion. the world faded into a quick darkness as you felt something pushing against your face. that's when reality hit. or better yet, that's when you were hit.

jihyo had gotten carried away with her strength and sent the ball directly towards your lovely face with a perfectly executed spike. not knowing she was capable of that, she screamed out in pure terror when she saw your body fall backwards onto the shiny hardwood floor.

"holy shit! y/n!! oh my god, oh my god!? are you okay??!" she panicked, sprinting over to your side and crouching down to lay you onto her lap.

you could only croak out in pain and kept your eyes sealed shut as the bright fluorescent lights above you were too intense to take in at the moment.

jihyo repeatedly muttered out small apologies and cradled you as she looked over your face to see a big red spot that she left across one side.

"y/n, please.. i'm so sorry baby, please talk to me. do you know who i am?! how many fingers am i holding up?? what's your name? how old are you!" jihyo cried in distress. she cupped your cheek and gently tapped it with her thumb to try and get you alert and awake again.

slowly opening your eyes at the feeling of her soft touch, you blinked your eyes slowly as you adjusted to the bright lights, making out the faint figure of your girlfriend in front of you. "i'm fine, ji, don't worry," you whispered in between groans. you reached a hand up to your forehead, feeling the tenderness as you ran your fingers over the surface. wincing slightly, you regained enough composure to inch your way up off of jihyo's lap, her arms coming behind your back to support your body.

"is there anything i can get you? maybe an ice pack or something?" jihyo said meekly. you could tell even through your disoriented state that she was feeling guilty. before you could even think of an answer, you could only bring yourself to thoughts of hurrying up and recovering so you could show her that it’s okay.

"uhh, yeah. yeah, there should be a um- gel pack in the freezer in the uh.. coach's room across the field," you stammered, squinting your eyes closed when the lights became too much again.

with no hesitation, jihyo got up and ran towards the door to follow your directions as you told her where to get the ice pack.

"you stay right there, okay? don't move," jihyo demanded. you could only nod your head weakly, shifting yourself to slowly lay back down on the cold tile beneath you. the sound of the metal door closing behind jihyo reverberated throughout the open space.

the pain across your face was getting worse as time went by, the throbbing you felt on your eyebrow in sync with your heartbeat.

as your mind started to process what just happened, your brain began to flash images of the ball smashing your face in repeatedly, making you cringe at how dumb you probably looked. with your knees propped up and your feet on the ground, you held your hands to your face and rapidly kicked the floor in a temper tantrum, simultaneously wailing at the replaying moment in your head.

you silently cursed yourself out for allowing yourself to be so careless and possibly giving your girlfriend the ick by seeing you get your face contorted with the sheer force of impact.

shooting your body upright, you slid backwards on your hands towards the wall, leaning against it and rummaging through your bag to find your phone. after you found it, you quickly switched to the camera app to check the damage, already sensing how big the knot on your forehead was going to get in the next hour. sure enough, the large red and tender spot on the left side of your face was growing a lump. being in pure disbelief, you moved the camera further away to get your full face in frame, staring at yourself in shame and embarrassment. after a couple more seconds of examining yourself, you could only conjure up a scoff and put your phone down as soon as you heard the door open loudly again.

jihyo, who came in sprinting to your aid with an ice cold gel pack, was leaving a trail of condensation behind her as it was thawing in her hands. once again, you could only think about how dangerous it would be if she were to slip and fall on the water, but the continually throbbing pain on your face was making it difficult for you to speak up and scold her to be careful.

"here, put this on it for now. it should help the swelling go down," jihyo panted, clearly out of breath from running around outside trying to find the coach's office while being worried sick about you at the same time. she ran her thumb over the small bump forming on your eyebrow and cooed at how much pain you must've been in.

she gently pressed the ice pack to your forehead and kept whispering small apologies, her pretty face scrunched into the cutest concerned look you've ever seen. you weren't usually the type of person to like being taken care of like that, but seeing jihyo like this only made you want to get hurt again just to see that look on her face. but looking down slightly at her arms, you couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous she looked with those makeshift elbow pads she still had on.

"what's so funny? do you really think you should be laughing right now?" jihyo reprimanded.

you almost cackled in her face at her sternness, but quickly stopped and winced in pain instead when the pain in your face prevented you from forming a real smile.

jihyo tsked at you and told you to shut up, adjusting the ice pack to cover more area on your skin. "stop moving, would you?" you cleared your throat, "sorry it's just- you look crazy with those elbow pads on," you said, stifling a laugh. suddenly a slap landed on your shoulder which you didn't see coming since jihyo had both of your eyes covered with the ice pack. "don't be annoying right now, y/n. you were the one who made me wear them anyways.."

she took the ice pack off your face to quickly slide the stupid pads off her arms, which she struggled to do. you helped her wiggle them off and threw them to the side as she pressed the cold pack back to your skin again.

"alright, alright," you surrendered. "wait. isn’t it me who’s supposed to be the one mad at you right now? given that you were the one who hit me in the face in the first place.."

your girlfriend paused and rolled her eyes at your smart comment, "why don't you just shut up and hold that to your busted ass face, how about that?" she said sarcastically, grabbing your hand to take over holding the pack against your head.

jihyo was pretending that she was okay by making jokes and getting annoyed at you, but in reality, you knew that she was beating herself up inside with the guilt of getting too carried away and hurting you. she's always wished that her competitiveness wasn't so intense since it could result in someone getting hurt just like you did.

besides the point, jihyo helped you stand up and grabbed your things and hers, sneaking away your keys from your bag's outer pocket with her empty hand.

she linked arms with you while your other arm was stuck covering the left side of your face with the freezing cold pack of blue gel. "let's go home and get you fixed up," jihyo said, reassuring you that she would make you feel all better. "oh, and i'm driving us home," she added, clearly not leaving any room for an argument.

"what? no. i'll drive," you argued anyways.

"y/n are you insane? you can't even see out of one eye right now, angel. i'm driving." jihyo made sure to emphasize the last part to you, unbeknownst to you as she already had your keys in her pocket.

the both of you continued arguing the whole way to the car, jihyo ultimately winning as she managed to get you towards the passenger side. but in the middle of your bickering, a familiar voice stopped you dead in your tracks.

"oh! isn't that?-"

it was the same friend who you ditched earlier with the excuse that you were "too tired" to join her and your other friends in a scrimmage today.

"hi, stacy!" jihyo greeted, waving at your friend enthusiastically.

you hid your face away from stacy as you heard her voice get closer, already expecting her to tease you about your injury.

"hellooo, y/n! what are you guys doing here this late?" she asked innocently, inching her neck downwards to make eye contact with you since you had your head held down. "and- what happened to your face?"

you sighed, knowing there was no escape from this now. "oh i just.. i…" you stuttered, looking to jihyo for help.

she picked up your signal immediately, "oh! that? y/n just fell and hit her head, that's all," jihyo laughed awkwardly.

"uh huhh. so this is why you were 'too tired' to scrim with us tonight then, huh?" stacy asked sarcastically, getting uncomfortably closer to your face.

while snickering, you slapped the gel pack on stacy's face, causing her to wipe her face and gasp out in shock.

"shut up," you teased, playfully pushing your friend away.

after a few minutes of catching up, you three eventually said your goodbyes and waited to see stacy drive off before turning to open the car door.

"wait- what did she mean by you were 'too tired?'" jihyo asked, pulling you back by your arm.

"oh, yeah. i told the group earlier that i was gonna take the day off since i was tired. we were supposed to play a practice match against some teams today, but, i got to spend my time doing something better instead," you said, smiling down at her and admiring the way the moonlight reflected against her glassy eyes, moving a sweaty strand of hair from her forehead.

jihyo couldn't help but pull your face towards hers and smash your lips together, completely forgetting about the fact that your whole face was in the early process of bruising. your eyes widened and you moaned painfully against her lips, attempting to pull away from the grip she had on both of your cheeks.

luckily, she realized it and released you, apologizing hectically once again. "oh shit- oh my god i forgot! i'm sorry baby, you were too cute and i couldn't help myself," she explained.

"haven't you hurt me enough today??" you asked in an annoyed tone. you quickly regretted it though once you saw the pouty look on her face and the way she said she didn't mean to in that little whiny voice.

"i knowww, i know. i'm just teasing you, love," you reassured her, pulling her sweaty body in for another hug.

"you know, maybe you should wear the elbow pads next time. seems like you need them more than i do," jihyo mumbled against your chest.

her comment made you scoff incredulously, "i-" but before you could even formulate a comeback, she opened the car door and forced you into the seat, blocking out whatever you managed to say with ''lalala" and shushes instead.

as she closed the door on you and made her way over to the driver's seat, you sulked into the leather cushion and chuckled at the way the tables turned on you.

turns out you were the one needing the protecting that night.

[lieslab]

Kill this love

꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎ ꘎♡━━━━━♡꘎

Pairing: Chan X gn reader

Summary: After a rough day, Chan's anger is taken out on you and it tends to bring up unhealed wounds from your past relationship.

Genre: Angst without a happy ending

Word Count: 2.2K

Trigger warning: Anger, implications of post-traumatic-stress-disorder, domestic abuse, and a panic attack.

A/N: This one was a request and I finally got around to it. Hooray!! I might have cried a little while writing this and I never want to ever write Chan angry again because this is the second one and it makes me feel bad, but here you go <3

_ _ _

It was hard to be a leader. It meant stepping forward and being a pillar on your worst days. Going the extra mile, even when you just wanted to collapse into a ball and cry. It meant carrying the burden for your members, trying to keep everything in order, and keeping your image squeaky clean. 

The media is ruthless. One new article can destroy a career. One dating rumor can fuel acidic hatred. One fuck-up can destroy you in the eyes of your fans. When your number one fans morph into number one haters. When words of praise and smiles become scowls, glares, and castigation. 

There was always a blooming anxiety overhead. Storm clouds that threatened to downpour at any moment and when your company was constantly chastising you, well…being a leader was hard. 

It was a privilege to be a leader, but lately, it had been nothing, but a burden; a sheet of plastic wrap that was far too tight for him to breathe in. No matter what he seemed to do, it just wasn’t working lately. He couldn’t please the company, the fans were whining about something far from his control, and the members weren’t listening. He loved them, but sometimes they just wanted to bicker and screw around instead of cooperate. 

“What is going on today?” Minho mumbled beneath his breath. 

“You’re telling me,” Chan grumbled in response. The pair were attempting to teach yet another challenging dance, but nobody wanted to take the time to listen. 

After traveling out of the country and coming back this week, the company only gave them one day to rest. It was one day too little. The guys were exhausted and whiny. Nobody wanted to put in the effort to learn the dance and everyone just wanted to go home. 

“Hello?” Minho called out, a weak attempt to put the spotlight back on him, but it didn’t work. “Guys?” 

Seungmin and Felix were missing from the group. The two of them said something about using the bathroom, but that was nearly twenty minutes ago. Changbin had Han pinned down onto the floor. I.N was sprawled out over the couch and Hyunjin was bouncing on top of him while I.N weakly attempted to shove him off. 

“What’s the point of attempting to teach the dance if they won’t listen?” 

“Guys!” Chan’s sharp voice shot through the air. 

That drew their attention towards him rather quickly. Four sets of eyes met him and he crossed his arms over his own chest. “Get up and knock it off! We have work to do and w-” 

He was cut off by the door to the dance studio opening. He assumed that it was Felix and Seungmin, but when you headed over towards him with a frown, he only assumed the worst. The water bottle in his hand went flying out of anger. To your surprise, it swung past your head. 

Your eyes went wide at the sudden reaction. Chan took your breath away in multiple ways during the relationship, but for once, you really couldn’t breathe. You were sucked back into your past relationship. The vacuum of your brain pulled you in before you could do anything. 

You couldn’t breathe and you couldn’t scream. Everything you tried to rebuild, it crumbled; your self-dignity, self-respect, and self-love. They had been stacked on a pile of styrofoam and now it was melting. 

Chan began to yell at you, but you didn’t hear him. You were aware of his hands waving and his lips moving, but you couldn’t hear anything he was saying. The words never reached your ears as the memories from your last relationship came flooding back. 

You still remembered the scent of tobacco from them. The way it was always overpowering and seemed to burn your nostrils and coat your tongue. Even now without them, you could smell it again. You suddenly felt nauseous as your stomach twisted and churned. 

The rest of the guys sat shocked as Chan yelled at you. They knew his anger came out in rough ways sometimes, but they never thought he’d take it out on you. After all, the two of you had been dating for quite a while. 

You spun around and rushed out the door. Down the hall you flew and you didn’t stop. When Felix and Seungmin were giggling as they turned down the hall, you shoved your body between them and bumped into their shoulders. There wasn’t time to apologize, you just rushed away. 

Felix tried to call after you, but you didn’t stop to listen. Instead, you ran back towards the entrance of the building. Your heart was a hammer in your chest and fear clutched your heart. 

Sometimes people were fragile and vulnerable. You didn’t work up the courage to tell Chan because the truth was that you were terrified. When people hear about the abuse that occurs in romantic relationships, quite often, the first response is “why didn’t you just leave?” It’s never just that simple. 

Domestic abuse tends to follow the cycle of abuse. Everything seems okay for a while and suddenly things begin to get tense. Every action you take seems to be a ticking time bomb. You’re walking on eggshells and then you hit a landmine. 

You could still remember the redness of your past lover’s face. The way that a vein bulged in their forehead as they screamed at you until their voice gave out. Then came the sorrow filled apologies. 

“I didn’t mean to, I swear.” 

“It won’t happen again, I promise.” 

“I was just angry, I’m sorry.” 

And because you wanted to believe it was a one time thing, you believed them, but then it just kept happening. Over and over and over and over again. They call the peace after that burst of aggression the honeymoon phase. 

The kindness you experienced, you fell in love all over again. The occasional candybar you’d get. The apology with flowers and a handwritten card. The bags of greasy fast food with hushed promises to do better. 

Words without actions are meaningless. Promises mean nothing, if you keep breaking them. Just when you thought it was safe for you, your significant other burst again. You thought you were free of it, but here you were again. At least, at the beginning of it, and now you were terrified that it was going to happen all over again. 

When Felix and Seungmin got back to the dance practice room, it was oddly quiet. Minho glanced up when the pair walked in, but he didn’t feel like teaching anymore. The fear on your face when the water bottle was thrown your way, he couldn’t get it out of his head. 

“Why are you all so quiet?” Seungmin asked. 

“Chan, did you see-” 

“I don’t wanna talk about it!” He snapped. “Let's just learn this stupid dance, so we can all go home.” 

“Did something happen?” Felix asked. 

“He chucked a water bottle at his significant other’s head,” Minho blurted out. 

“You…you what?” 

“It’s not like I meant to! Like you haven’t done dumb shit before!” 

“I’d never throw something at the love of my life, you asshole!” 

“Fuck off, Minho!” 

“Wait! Shut up for a minute!” Seungmin interrupted. “Did you seriously throw a water bottle?” 

“No, he also yelled at them and made them cry,” Hyunjin added. 

A look of terror was shared between Felix and Seungmin. Chan’s angry demeanor dropped instantly at the sight of it. “What was that? What did you two just do?” 

“Why would you ever do something like that? You know that they’ve been in an abusive relationship and now you ju-” 

Chan’s eyes widened. “They what? What are you talking about?” 

“You…you don’t know?” Felix’s voice softened. “They never told you, did they?” 

“Say you’re kidding.” 

“No, I thought you knew. They talked to Seungmin and I one day when they were struggling. They were looking for you, but came across us instead and they were having a mini breakdown about it and…” He trailed off. “God, you really did it now.” 

“What are you waiting for? Go after them!” Seungmin reached over and gave Chan a small shove. “Go try to win them back now that you fucked up your relationship. Don’t come back until you apologize.” 

Chan stumbled, but he didn’t fight Seungmin’s suggestion. Instead, he jogged to the practice door, swung it open, and disappeared outside. He cursed himself beneath his breath. How could he fuck it up this badly? 

Meanwhile, you rushed into your apartment with tears in your eyes. Your bottom lip quivered and you hugged yourself tightly, a weak attempt to soothe your soul, but it wasn’t working. The warmth of your hands rubbed up and down your arms, but it still didn’t help. 

You barely made it onto your couch before you curled into a ball and pressed your legs against your chest. How could he do that to you? He didn’t know, but how could he? Even when you were angry and outraged, you’d never imagine throwing something at someone. It was hard to wrap your head around. 

All those feelings from the past relationship were bubbling up again. You thought it was a one and done thing. You didn’t think the hurt would linger so much, but it did. The sting of betrayal and the hurt overflowed your heart. You were drowning in the feelings that you thought had washed away. 

You wanted the warmth and comfort of Chan, but now you were scared. The warmth you once craved became a fire. Too hot to touch and too dangerous to love. What if he did it again? What if next time, it turned into physical assault? What if? What if? What if? 

You squeezed your eyes shut and buried your head in the floral cushion. He was supposed to be your safe place, your rock, and your world. What happened now that it had fallen apart? What were you supposed to do? 

The idea of breaking up with him was unbearable, but you were so scared. You promised yourself you’d never settle for anything like the last relationship. What if it continued? The thought haunted you like a ghost. 

When the front door to your apartment slammed open, you jerked up on the couch. Your heart bucked wildly and your eyes widened when Chan rushed into the living room. When your eyes met, you felt yourself unable to breathe again. 

“Baby, I’m so sorry I-” He started to come towards you. 

“Don’t!” You barked and pulled back. 

“Let me just-” 

“Stop!” You cried out as you climbed over the arm of the couch. “Stop it, you’re scaring me!” 

He suddenly stopped with his arms outstretched towards you. “Please don’t say that, I just want to touch you. I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. The guys were being a pain in my ass and I had no right to take it out on you, but I did. Please let me hold you.” 

“I-I can’t.” Your voice quivered and tears built up in your eyes. “I’m so afraid. I-I…please…” You sucked in a shaky breath. “Just stay over there and don’t come closer. I should have told you, but I-I was scared and-” A sob threatened to escape your lips. 

His heart broke all over again. It was like glass shattering over and over and over in his ears. What had he done to you? What did he do?

“About your past relationship?” He sank to his knees on the floor. “I found out from Felix and Seungmin. I didn’t know and if I did, I would have never done what I did. I shouldn’t have done it in the first place and there’s no excuse for it.” 

“Can’t you just get out?” 

“W-What?” 

“I don’t want you here right now. I need time and I-” The image of him blurred from your tears. “I need to think and I hate to say it, but I’m so scared you’ll do it again.” 

“I won’t. I’m not going to hurt you. I-” 

“Please!” You cried out with desperation. “Chan, please, I can’t do this right now, I-” You struggled to breathe. It was a fight to capture air in your lungs. 

He knew a panic attack when he saw one from you. They didn’t happen often and they were rare, but he used to comfort you during them. He used to rub your back and speak softly. The warmth of his breath on your neck as he helped coach you through deep breaths. 

“Sweetheart, don’t do this to me. I know you’re struggling to breathe, so just let me-” 

“Get out!” You shrieked. “Get the fuck out of my apartment! Get-” You sucked in a shallow breath. “Out!” 

His own tears began to fill his eyes. You were a wreck and it was all his fault. When he hesitated, ragged sobs fell from your body as you collapsed to the ground. It was as if someone was ripping up your heart. Your brain was fighting comfort and fear at the exact same time. 

“Please,” he whispered. 

When you shook your head with those watery eyes, he knew he had to go. His presence here was just making you worse. He couldn’t help you, no matter how much he wished he could. 

He pushed himself to his feet and took a final glance at you. You were curled up and half-hiding behind the couch arm for security. His eyes met yours and he managed to get out an “I love you.” 

And the worst part? 

You couldn’t find the strength to say it back. 

| ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ | ♡.﹀﹀﹀﹀.♡ |

Taglist: @lina-linny @straykidsstanforeverandever @seungnishi @stellasays45

Masterlist

Taglist and inbox rules

[bad268]

hooray! maybe you could do about their acl injury recovery journey together, or them winning a trophy (in their respective leagues) and celebrating together, or fans finding out about their relationships + their reactions. those are just a few ideas x

Snapshots (Pablo Gavi X Barca! Reader)

Every Step of the Way universe

Fandom: RPF/FCB

Requested: Clearly (AHHH I LOVE THEM I LOVE THIS)

Warnings: None

POV: Third Person (She/her)

W.C. 1662

Summary: Snapshots of Gavi and Y/n's recovery

As always, my requests are OPEN

MASTERLIST // HITLIST

~~ (^Pinterest)

Recovery

Recovery is a strange thing. Half of the time they spent thinking they would never be able to step on the pitch again. Other times were spent thinking they were SO ready to get back to playing. Usually, it would alternate days as if the universe was saying, “Hey you’re doing great!” and then immediately switching sides.

Her recovery was different from Gavi’s entirely. The tear on her ACL was substantially more serious than his. The fact that her injury occurred a month prior did help in her favor because they were almost on the same healing schedule at that point. They took their first steps together, walked onto the grass together, and were cleared to play within days of each other.

Most of their days were spent in the same cycle. Rehab and not fucking up their legs any more than they already did. There was one day when they both thought it would be okay to gently kick a ball back and forth while sitting. However, neither midfielder remembered how competitive the other was.

“That was so close!” She shouted as she moved around in her chair after the futbol hit the leg of the chair before rolling to the side. “I was this close!”

“How could you miss that?” Gavi teased as he stretched his good leg to get the ball back in front of him. “I wasn’t even watching.”

“Oh shut it,” She seethed in joking rage as he kicked the ball with a little too much speed. She could not help it. Instincts kicked in, and she immediately used her injured leg to kick it away. Just as quickly, she regretted it. She clutched her leg as she let out a curse, “Shit!”

In response, Gavi moved to help her and consequently learned just how much pain she was in as he put pressure on his leg. That was when they both knew it would be a difficult recovery.

First Steps

Their first steps were taken together. Sure, they did not look pretty, but they were together. They stood side by side holding hands until Gavi’s knee gave away, causing both of them to crash down. Neither was injured further, but it made for a funny story afterward.

The first time they were both able to make their first steps was a different story. As a joke, Y/n sat at the end of the bars that Gavi was walking between and semi-holding himself up on.

“This reminds me of when I was helping my sister teach my nephew to walk,” She joked as Gavi took cautious steps toward her.

“Did you just compare me to a toddler?” Gavi snapped back in disbelief. “I’d like to see you try it! It’s not as easy as it looks.”

“I’ll gladly show you up,” She laughed, standing up and swapping places with him with the help of their physical therapist. “Watch and learn, baby.”

Her first steps did not look perfect by any means, but they were first steps without the bars holding her up. They looked better than Gavi’s attempts, and that was all that she cared about.

“This shit is easy peasy, pumpkin peasy, pumpkin pie, motherfucker!” She laughed as she flopped down onto the chair as soon as Gavi stood up to try again. “Beat that.”

“What was that? Three steps?” Gavi teased as he briefly kissed her lips before turning around and walking four steps away from her without the bar. Then, he turned around and smirked at her, “I think I beat your record.”

First Game Back

It was the same situation for the two of them Their teams wanted them to sideline them for an extra few matches as a precaution. The two midfielders had some objections, but ultimately, it was probably for the best.

The first game back for Y/n was in Barcelona. She did not make any sort of announcement about her return to the green. She just let the journalists pick up on her walking into the stadium and let it all go out naturally. Her socials began flooding with mentions and support as soon as the pictures dropped.

It felt good to be back with her team. Sure, they all hung out outside of the game, but it was just a different feeling being on the grass with them. 

Neither of the midfielders were playing. They were to sit on the bench and be cheerleaders basically. It was funny. Not something either player wanted, but it was the closest they could get to being on the field and playing.

Plus, they got to cheer on their friends. What’s not to love about supporting their friends? There was also a multitude of videos and edits of them doing the same things from their respective games. Some fans put the two clips side-by-side to show the similarities. 

One in particular was when Pedir and Y/n’s closest friend scored a goal in their games, and both Gavi and Y/n jumped up to congratulate them. However, they both jumped on their legs wrong and sent a jolt up their leg. Like clockwork, both players immediately felt the effects, and slowly sat back down.

First Goal

For the first few games back, both teams were afraid to pass the ball to Gavi and Y/n. It was not because they thought they were not ready. They were just scared the two would get injured once again. Every member of the team saw the flashbacks of their valued midfielders, and they would always hesitate to pass the ball their way.

That is, until the semi-finals. Both teams made it, and they were fighting their own battles. Yn’s team was about to draw. Both teams had been incredibly competitive, and neither team was able to get a goal in. Y/n knew they could not end in a draw. If they did, their team was sure as out of the cup.

Y/n decided to do a semi-risky move and took off down the field. She ran away from the opponents just as one of her teammates gained control of the ball. Y/n was the only one open, so the team held their breath as the ball was passed to her. Just like before her injury, she took off with the ball and got it into the net without anyone catching her.

Y/n did not even realize the time had run out as her teammates swarmed her and the fans stormed the field. Her goal secured their spot in the finals. It was not until Gavi grabbed her and lifted her off the ground that she noticed everyone around her. That goal went down in history.

Gavi’s first goal, on the other hand, had a slightly funnier take. It was not like his team did not have faith in him. He was nervous to screw up. He was throwing every single one of his practice shots, and the team was starting to get worried. They needed him in this game, and if this was how he was performing, they were screwed. Gavi ended up getting pulled aside by Pedri who tried his best to give Gavi a pep talk, but it was interrupted by the start of the game.

Once he stepped foot on the turf, it was like all of his insecurities vanished. He started off strong and finished off strong with one goal and one assist. That was all he needed to get out of the slump and back into the right headspace for his team.

Not to mention, he and Y/n celebrated after their respective games back.

Back to the Grind

During the off-season, the two did not stop training. Obviously, coming off of a possible career-ending injury, they both wanted to be in peak physical condition for the start of the season. They did, however, take a small getaway right after their last matches. Fans and teammates thought of it as a celebration of the end of a good season since many of the other players also took a holiday during the same time.

Many of their teammates went to parties together, some went to see their families, and some went to just go somewhere. Gavi and Y/n, though, went alone to a remote beach. They may or may not have rented out the whole resort of villas, so they would have the privacy to just relax without the eye of the public on them. After having a very public injury and recovery, this was something they knew they needed to get back into the mindset for the incoming season.

And maybe a certain someone had something up his sleeve. Maybe something to do with how to thank a certain someone.

When they showed up at the stadium for the first time since the season ended, everyone was excited to see them. Mainly because they were off the grid for the good majority of the break, but also because a certain eagle-eyed friend spotted something shiny on their fingers. Specifically, their left ring fingers.

“Did he finally man up and propose?” Pedri teased as he pushed himself between his two friends. “He’s only been talking about it for the last - how many years?”

“Years?!” Y/n gasped, leaning forward to look at Gavi. “You’ve been planning this for years, and you waited for us both to be injured to do it?”

“I was going to do it on our anniversary, but I couldn’t really get down on my knee now could I?” Gavi replied sarcastically as he backed up, pulling Y/n with him, so Pedri was no longer between them. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his as he left featherlight kisses around her face, disregarding the sound of their combined teams. He finished off by placing one on her lips after whispering, “I’m just glad I get to have you by my side through thick and thin.”

~~~~~

© BAD268 2024. DO NOT REPOST WITHOUT PERMISSION.

[gravehags]

dream (a little dream of me)

Pairing: Aether x f!Reader

Rating: Explicit, 18+ ONLY MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

Tags: somnophilia (with consent), dry humping, Copia briefly cockblocking, plus size reader, quintessence magic

Words: 1,664

Summary: It's been a long, successful day for you. Perhaps a nighttime visit from a certain Quintessence ghoul will be the cherry on top.

a/n: Hooray for the first fun thing I've written in like a whole ass month jfc!! Once again, a concept that came to me in a dream. A Satanic portent if you will. I am the pythia of the Ghost ministry. All my cirrus x aether x reader lovers...i hope you enjoy that ending lmao

divider by @ghuleh-recs

You don’t remember the last time you were this tired.

You’re already stripping as you push the door to your quarters open, dropping garments on the floor. Making your way into the room, you groan as you remove your bra and fling it somewhere where you think it knocks something over but you’re too exhausted to care. Leaning against the wall you unlace your boots and shimmy out of your trousers and underwear until you’re standing in the middle of the room stark naked and staring lovingly at your bed. You know you should shower, should remove your makeup at the very least but the soft covers of your duvet and fluffy pillows call to you like a siren’s song. Sathanas, what a day. You spent most of it cleaning the chapels and attending Papa Copia at mass, your most favorite task. Your devotion to the Olde One ran true, and attending services always moved you deeply whether you were participating or merely a devout spectator. Vaguely you recall something about Aether texting you earlier in the day, asking you to check in with him when you got back to your room so you fumble around in the pockets of your discarded pants for your phone.

I’m here, very sleepy. Coming over?

You think of the towering form of the ghoul, the way his strong arms encircle you when you bury your face into his chest. The rumble of purrs that come out of him when you rub your hands along his broad back. The sounds you can tease out of him when he’s at his most vulnerable, large hands gripping at your hips and his wonderfully thick cock pulsing inside you. Your lips curl up in a soft grin as you await his response, a rush of warmth spreading from your belly to the apex of your thighs. Before it can truly grow into anything more, your brain reminds you how exhausted you are and you feel the edges of your vision start to blur with the need for sleep. You hesitate only a moment before typing out an additional text.

Gonna go to bed. If you want me you can have me…

He responds right away and you nearly laugh at his eagerness.

On my way over right now

Walking over to your bed with a smile, you plug in your phone to the charger, fling back the covers and crawl in, sighing deeply when your head hits the pillows. The cool sheets and comforting weight of your blankets immediately sets you at ease and before you know it, your heavy eyelids shut and you drift off to sleep.

Twenty minutes have passed since you sent Aether the suggestive text and he is finally at your room after being waylaid by Copia in the hall who, in his peculiar way, began complimenting you and your devotion during the service that day. The conversation went on for far longer than Aether wanted, but finally Copia let him go with a wink and a little elbow-shove about how you’re probably waiting for him. Aether tried not to look too eager when he walked away from Papa, but Copia looked at his retreating back with a suggestive eyebrow waggle all the same. When he opens your door, he’s met with dim lighting and nearly trips on your discarded items of clothing strewn in a trail from the entryway. He smiles fondly when he spies you, bundled up in your blanket and softly snoring, and he immediately begins to strip. When he’s fully nude, he slips in beside you, groaning at the cocoon of warmth you’ve created. He wraps an arm around you and pulls you flush against him, a purr rumbling in his chest when your naked flesh meets his. He gently leans in and nuzzles your hair: you smell like the incense Papa uses in his masses and the unique, sweet, intoxicating scent he’s come to know as you. Unconsciously, his hips shift forward and his half-hard cock brushes against the curve of your ass. You’re so kind, so good to him, always giving and loving. He thinks about the text you sent earlier and a flood of warmth begins to rush through his veins.

If you want me you can have me

He can’t lie, he’s often thought about having you like this. Fucking against you or into you as you sleep, watching you shift and moan even through the haze of slumber. Slowly, he slides one of his large hands up your side, squeezing the meat of your hip briefly before moving over your belly and up to your breasts. When he cups one, thumb brushing over the nipple, you make a small noise in your sleep and shift your hips backwards against him, causing him to groan. He lowers his lips to your shoulder and begins mouthing at the warm skin there, tongue tracing up the curve of your neck as he gently pinches your now hardened nipple between his thumb and forefinger. His cock, now profusely leaking precum onto your skin, ruts against you slowly, every roll of his hips in sync with the movement of his mouth on your flesh. He pulls you closer, if that’s even possible, and with steady, firm movements begins to fuck himself against you. His breath stirs the hairs strewn around the side of your face and his hand abandons your breast to grip at your hip.

“So good for me, even in sleep,” he growls lowly, face buried in your neck. “So fucking soft.”

You’re providing so much pleasure for him, he thinks, but receiving none in return. That simply won’t do. With his hand wrapping around your body to cup the curve of your belly he concentrates his quintessence on your sweet cunt, making you feel the presence of his cock within you even as he ruts against you. He’s sure he’s woken you from your slumber when you let out a long, low moan but your eyes remain shut even as your breathing becomes unsteady. With every thrust, every drag of his cock along your skin he imagines being inside you, stretching you just how you like, the way you clench so tightly around him. He visualizes hitting that glorious sweet spot within you and when he slides his hand down to the juncture of your thighs, he moans loudly when he finds you sopping wet. Even as his phantom cock thrusts inside of you, he toys with your swollen clit, making you whimper and your eyes dart around behind your eyelids. Your breathing comes out in soft pants punctuated with beautiful little mewls as he presses his forehead to the back of your head, concentrating on your softness as his hips begin to jerk forward with more fervor. 

“Fuck, my love,” he groans, fingers sliding through your slick to rub at you, “fuck, you’re perfect. So perfect just - ah! - just for me. My sweet girl.”

He imagines how you must feel, mind drifting through subconscious thoughts even as you’re filled with the stretch of him. He wonders what you dream of, if it’s of him. His thrusts become shorter and faster as you tip your head back against him, mouth hanging open. With a gasp, you moan one word with your back arching, hips bucking into his touch.

“Aether!”

It’s all he needs to drive him over the edge and suddenly he’s coming, hard, all over your ass and lower back. He barely notices that you’re stirring, cheeks flushed and eyes blearily looking at your surroundings as he fucks himself into overstimulation against you. He only stops when your hand shifts behind you and grabs at his hips, stilling him. Sweat slides down his forehead as his seed cools on your skin and you hold him flush against you.

“I’m sorry,” he pants quietly, hoarsely, “I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Mmmm don’t be,” you say sleepily, pushing your own hips back to brush against his softening cock. “That was gorgeous.”

He smiles against your hair and tells you not to move as he gets out of bed and heads to your small bathroom. After a moment he returns with a warm, damp washcloth and tends to the mess he’s left on your skin. Half of it has slid off you and onto the sheets - a problem for tomorrow.

“Thank you,” you murmur as he discards the cloth in your hamper. Reaching out, you make a needy grabby hand gesture, beckoning him back to bed. When he slides back in alongside you, you roll over to face him.

“How’d you do that?” you say with a yawn, sleep clearly falling upon you once more.

“Hmm?”

“How were you inside me while…not being inside me? That was…wow.”

“Ah,” he says, leaning forward to kiss your forehead, “quintessence magic.”

You waggle your eyebrows suggestively and reach up to stroke the base of his horn while his tail pulls you closer under the covers until you’re nestled against his chest.

“Felt amazing,” you whisper, fingers carding through his chest hair, “like being fucked on a cloud. You were so close but still far away. Weird feeling.”

“But you liked it?” Aether asks, looking down on you with his brow furrowed.

“Mmm fuck yes.”

“You’re not upset with me?”

“Love, the only thing I’m upset about is you not using that magic earlier. You were holding out on me.”

Your eyes are shut but your lips are curled into a mischievous smile and he strokes your hair.

“I’ve got all kinds of tricks up my sleeve. Maybe Cirrus and I will show you…”

You make one last noise - a mix of intrigue and contentment - before sleep overtakes you once more. Aether holds you close, the spade of his tail drifting up and down your leg under the covers.

Before his own eyes slide shut, he reminds himself to thank Papa for including you in his mass today. Maybe he could tire you out more often.

[discount-shades]

Sleepy Baby Part 9

a/n: It’s the weekend, Hooray! 

Pairing: Jake “Hangman” Seresin X reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1300 ish

Summary: Jake doesn't listen.

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Despite living in San Diego for close to a year you still did not know many people. When you had first arrived you had still been isolating yourself. In time you slowly began to rebuild your sense of self after the betrayal and death of your fiancé. It felt good to be in a new city. Your coworkers didn't know of your past so they had no reason to treat you like you were about to shatter.  

When you had begun to open up to people Jake had arrived in your life and taken over. You spent most of your free time together, and when you weren't alone with Jake you were with his friends from the Navy. After he told you he loved you Jake had begun to invite you to more of the team's activities. You found yourself caught up in his life and with his friends.

Everyone was welcoming to you as Jake's girlfriend. The running joke was that Jake was much more bearable since the two of you got together; you did have a tendency to tease Jake every time his ego got a little out of control so there was probably some truth to it.

As nice as everyone was, you were relieved when your coworker Grace had invited you to join her and a group of friends on a hike to Eagle Rock one weekend. You had almost been giddy with excitement when you told Jake about your hike. You felt like Grace was one of the first new friends you had made. 

The Friday before the hike found you and Jake once again hanging out with the Dagger Squad. You were sitting next to Bob on the couch telling him about your next day's hike and he was giving you advice on staying hydrated in the desert. You grew up hiking in the Pacific Northwest, but hiking in the desert was new to you and you were always willing to learn from someone with more experience. 

Jake walks over and flops on the couch beside you. “Hey, tomorrow we are going to the Hard Deck to play dogfight football, it’ll be fun.” He kisses your cheek and you roll your eyes at his forgetfulness. 

“No, you can go play football, I’m hiking out to Eagle Rock with Grace,” you pat his cheek fondly. “We will see who is more tired at the end of the day.” 

“No, I’ll take you to Eagle Rock on Sunday or next weekend,” he wraps his arm around you casually and you immediately tense. Jake can feel the tightness in your shoulders and goes to speak again and you cut him off.

“Let's talk about it later.” You pat his leg and smile stiffly, keenly aware of Bob watching the interaction between you. You can feel Jake's eyes on you all evening and try to relax and act natural.

On the drive home Jake was telling you all about dogfight football. “You’re going to love it.” 

“I’m sure I will,” you tell him as Jake parks his truck in his driveway next to your car, “next time you guys play.” the two of you get out and walk inside. 

“You have to come, I told Rooster that both of us would be there.” You roll your eyes. Jake is too used to you always being free.

“You are just going to have to tell him you forgot I was busy,” you try to stay calm. It is not up to you to make Jake remember things. Bradley would get over you not being there, he was still a little salty over you beating him at poker.

“I didn’t forget, I thought we could just go hiking another day.” Jake's response makes you freeze. You can feel the warmth of frustration rolling up your neck and settling in your cheeks.

“But I told you I was going with Grace.” The two of you are standing apart from each other in the middle of Jake’s living room. 

“Yeah but I will take you another day,” Jake just shrugs as he sits down on the couch. “It will be more fun if we go together.” 

“But I made plans to go with Grace,” Jake's casual reaction causes anger to overtake your frustration and you take deep breaths to try to keep yourself calm.  

“Yeah, but she has others going with her so you can go with me.” Jake says in a very placating manner and it has the opposite effect on you. 

“I said I’d go with her and her friends!” You feel like a skipping record the way you keep repeating yourself but your mind feels scrambled. You are never very coherent in an argument and in your frustration you can't think of what to say to make Jake understand. “I want to go with Grace.” 

“Yeah but the Squad will be expecting you to be there.” 

“Who’s fault is that?” you snap. “They are your friends Jake!” He is taken aback by your outburst. 

“Kisses, they like you too,” Jake says soothingly, “They are fine with you being there.” 

“That’s not the point,” You stomp your foot in frustration and immediately feel foolish for doing it. “My friendship with them is completely dependent on my relationship with you.” Jake is silent staring up at you. His brow is furrowed. “I don’t have any friends!”

“But the squad—.” 

“NO JAKE!” Your shout catches both of you by surprise and you can feel tears prickle the back of your eyes. Arguments always make you cry and your emotions are quickly spiraling out of control. 

“You’re not listening, I don’t have a life Jake, I have you, a job, and your friends.” You can feel the tears falling down your face. “I’ve done this before,” you are now frantically trying to wipe your tears. “I shared everything with Ian and when he was gone I lost everything and I told myself I would never do that again. 

“Don’t compare me to that asshole!” Jake is not yelling but he is loud and indignant. He is on his feet and you have never seen him so upset. “I would never do that to you.”

“I’m not comparing you to that asshole,” you say, matching Jake's tone. “I’m comparing ‘me with you’ to ‘me with him’,” you gesture emphatically to your chest every time you say ‘me’. “I promised myself I would be different this time, I need to have my own life.” 

There is silence after your confession. “How do I fix this?” Jake is now starting to tear up. Your energy is feeding into his and he begins to pace the room. “What do you want me to do?”

“Nothing!” Jake stops and stares at you. “It’s not about you! I don’t want you to do anything, I want to have my own friends and go hiking with them!” You are crying and stomping your feet again. 

All your resentment and anger and grief at your past is coming up and bubbling out of you. “I want my parents alive again! I want my fiancé to have not cheated on me with my best friend!” Jake shoulders slump and he is staring at you with a defeated look. 

“I want friends that didn’t lie to me for almost a decade!” You take a breath but you can't stop. “I want to not have had everything ripped away from me! I want Ian's parents to not blame me! I want to be able to trust people! I want to be able to tell you that I love you without being terrified it will hurt more if I say the words.” 

You press your hands to your lips at what you have just said and Jake's face is a riot of emotions. Elation and heartbreak being the main two. “Kisses,” his voice is a soft murmur and he moves slowly toward you, reaching out, scared that you will pull away. 

“I want to sleep at my place tonight.” your voice is panicky and barely above a whisper when you turn and run.

You are already reversing out of the driveway when Jake runs out. You try not to look at him as you speed away and you feel as if you’ve ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to you. 

[tgrailwar-zero]

We should probably call/zoom the others now that everything's done here. Oh boy.

We should perhaps brace ourselves...

You opened up the telepathic link, bracing yourself for the inevitable storm. The first voice you heard was CONSTANTINE's.

CONSTANTINE: "There you all are."

His voice was firm, but not angry.

CONSTANTINE: "I was worried-- we were worried. Then I was terrified… Now, I'm mostly just relieved."

CONSTANTINE: "Kukulkan and Giuseppe explained their part of the situation to me a little while earlier. It helped calm me. Most of that was entirely out of your hands… I'd probably be more upset if you tried to resist the Valkyrie and ended up getting hurt that way. If I had to levy my frustrations anywhere, it'd be towards the Lair Servants for putting you in that situation. You were ostensibly blindsided, and you managed to make it out… relatively unharmed."

KUKULKAN: "Well…"

GIUSEPPE: "They did ask for their own legal counsel. Frankly, if they hadn't, I'd have found a way to sneak out and served as their lawyer myself."

NERO: "Wouldn't the Valkyrie have recognized you?"

GIUSEPPE: "No."

He said it with such confidence that you didn't really feel like disbelieving him was even an option there.

MUSASHI: "That's kind of scary…"

CONSTANTINE: "Hm. Maybe you haven't realized it, but you have gotten more responsible. At least a bit. It sounds like you made a lot of good choices there too. You were dealt a difficult hand, and handled it efficiently... 'dying a little bit' is far from ideal and is quite distressing, but if Lady Brynhildr handled it, there's not much we can do now. We, as Servants, just need to work harder that you don't die at all later."

CONSTANTINE: "I'll probably see you tonight once Antecessor Nero finishes her project. If not, then tomorrow morning. If you want to talk more, that will be better than trying to do it entirely through telepathy. Stay safe until then, alright? Please?"

NERO: "Constantinus said most of the things I would have. When we felt the mana flow drop, Mister Giuseppe had to convince us to stay our weapons before we went on the offensive."

SALIERI: "…Despite what Cagliostro said, I'm still considering it."

Despite saying the least, you felt the heaviest pressure from AVENGER's message.

MUSASHI: "In other words, you're not grounded! Hooray! We did have to talk Rider out of giving you a curfew, though."

MUSASHI: "As if there was any doubt. The round lasted longer than I expected, but that's just because Orion kept floating up into hard-to-reach places and throwing stuff at him. Assassin got there eventually, ended up punting that bear into a river."

[oh-saints]

sweetest devotion (pt. 7)

maybe getting himself involved in a marriage of convenience wasn't a bad choice, after all...

playboy!mason mount x princess!OC wc: 3.7k tw: as mentioned in the masterlist only but there's none for this particular chapter (hooray!) note: this got to be the longest chapter for this series so far but i had my better days a while ago so here we are (?) hopefully this fits you all, dear mason x serena gang! but as usual, i wrote this around dawn so ofc not beta-read yet. tags: @pingyu-in-wonderland @808heartz @ironmaiden1313 @myreveriie @missgaygurl (let me know if you want to be added too!) part 6 here - part 8 here sweetest devotion masterlist

“I see you’re taking a liking towards going home early,”

while the rest of mason’s team actually paid attention to the young footballer’s recent change of habit, to actually make césar azpilicueta comment on it was another and completely different thing. the captain was well-known to be an observant most of the time, only commenting on and when necessary.

the result of his observation, though, managed to put a small smile on mason’s face.

it was rather understandable for mason to clock out earliest possible because serena was still under the doctor’s watch and jasmine, being a fellow pregnant lady, was unable to stay over for a long time. but the habit apparently didn’t undergo a drastic change, even after serena was given the green light to be released from the hospital. mason even pulled out a small trick to come home with a bouquet of different flowers every two days, in a (faux) lieu of “so the kitchen doesn’t smell bad when you’re done cooking.”

mason didn’t realise it, at first. but before the spaniard’s comment, ben chilwell actually managed to call him out first when he was ending his call with serena, asking if she needed anything else to be bought for dinner—and it took mason a long while, as he sat in his car after ben’s remark, to digest that it was indeed no longer a guilt eating him alive.

he thought of feeling guilty whenever he saw serena lying peacefully on her hospital bed, he even thought of any other possible emotion that could mirror guilt whenever he thought about serena and their child. but with elena now being legally processed for a trial, and mason kind of always made time for a dinner together with serena, the soon-to-be father realised that he wanted to come home as soon as possible.

“is your wife treating you well?”

“more than well,” mason could no longer hide his smile, albeit still smaller than the one the defender was throwing him. “I kind of understand why you guys get married.”

“good,” the senior player patted mason by the shoulder. “I like this version of you better. I hope you’re always happy with your wife.”

“me, too, césar,” and not an ounce of deceit was included in mason’s response. “me too.”

if someone had said to him marriage indulged how nice it would be to have someone waiting for you by the door as you stepped into the house, how stress-relieving it would be to see your wife’s cooking and ready to be pounced on at the end of every exhausting day… mason would’ve considered skipping countless parties till dawn peaks out from the horizon and followed declan’s footsteps of settling down early instead.

but probably, mason would’ve been tied down to the wrong person if he did that. god knows, maybe mason would’ve ended up behind the bars too, following the footsteps of his ex, if he did.

mason shuddered at the thought, pressing his eyes tightly when the red light came into view, in hope he could shed the once-wonderful dream of his to marry elena. he only opened them back when a ring broke the lonely ride home.

speaking of the devil… “mason?”

it was always funny to mason how serena would always start a phone conversation with a clarificatory question as such. “serena, I was about to call you.”

lies, because mason would always call her five minutes earlier than now whenever it was grocery days.

“are you done training?”

“I’m turning left to our block as we speak,” damn it, it would be quite a hassle if serena decided he should head for the nearest supermarket. all because he’d forgotten to call her before he started his engine, and all because he’d been thinking about her. “do you need something?”

“ah, okay then.”

but the disappointment that laced serena’s voice was indispensable. “what’s wrong?”

“no, I just—I forgot to cook today.”

mason really couldn’t help but let out a cackle over the phone as he pulled up in his garage. “seriously?”

“yes…? why are you laughing?”

“serena,” serena had opened the door and was now standing by the door as mason unfastened the seatbelt. from his point of view, serena was visibly upset. “you know we can always order in, right?”

mason didn’t leave a space for serena to reply him as he hung up the call and stepped out his car.

“but I want to cook for you,” the pout remained and mason had the sudden urge to kiss away that pout. damn it. “what kind of wife am I?”

“the best, of course,” mason grinned wider as serena turned into a shade similar to a beetroot. “definitely better if you give me a hug right now.”

mason would’ve laughed at anyone who put a bet on him falling for serena an eon ago. but now, it was rather something he looked forward to the moment he stepped in the house.

it might not be much, but it was still a start for them both, considering the beginning of their relationship looked like. it was still something for mason too because he was sure, in other circumstances, he would not dare himself to ask such thing to a stranger.

but serena was no longer a stranger, right? not when she’d seen him in desperate need of comforting embrace after chelsea’s loss against another big 6 club. right?

“come here,” and mason didn’t hesitate to take the invitation. anyone who knew the nature of their relationship—an arranged marriage, mind you—would be surprised how fluid mason could fit himself to serena’s every crook and nook. “did you have a good day?”

mason breathed in the lingering scent on serena’s shirt, a mixture of jasmine and comfort similar to the linen sheet. mason breathed in deeply because with the question and the fragrance combined, he couldn’t help but think of all things he never got to have with elena, despite being in a romantic relationship longer than the time he spent getting to know serena so far.

mason breathed in his reality.

but it seemed that his wife thought he wasn’t having the best of a day. “do you wish to talk about it?”

“I’m fine, actually,” mason grumbled against the fabric. “I just wish you’d stop being stubborn and let me hire a chef for us.”

serena pushed away mason lightly, her eyes lit up in mirth. “we’ve talked about this, mason…”

and indeed they had, mason laughed along with her at the brief reminiscent about several days after her discharge, which meant several days watching her juggling to do chores on her own after sam’s dismissal for the day. “we have enough third persons in this house, don’t you think?” mason remembered her saying nothing but the truth, but a slight pang to his chest was inevitable, nonetheless. “besides, I’d like to make myself useful in this household.”

“serena,” mason remembered thinking her last comment was so ridiculous that he had to grasp her by the shoulders, before grazing her now-slightly bulging belly when she’d stayed in place. “you’re the most useful person in this household.”

this woman went back and forth, from hell and back, for him and their child. this woman, beside her status of a princess, was everything elena could never have and could never be. how could she possibly think such thing?

“alright, you win,” mason ended the futile debate he’d always been since that day, complete with the small smile and a finger tucking in a strand of her hair behind her ear. “but I think I’ve eaten too much today. is it okay if I skip dinner tonight?”

“I forgot to cook tonight because I was actually making an apple pie this afternoon…”

“I hope you left some for me,” mason was still chuckling at serena’s demeanour shifting into a sheepish one. how could someone so calm and collected and regal in the eyes of the public, be this cute and endearing behind the curtain? “but let’s call it a night, okay? good night, princess.”

serena was certainly more than glad mason called it that way because she couldn’t afford him to see her blushing at the moniker he called her with.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

and good sleep indeed it was.

serena couldn’t even recall the last time she slept so soundly since she moved into this house she got to call home at least until after the baby was born. there’d always be endless train of thoughts, rushing in a lighting speed even, that kept her up most of the nights.

on sundays, especially. there was a time where she couldn’t find sleep because she knew elena would be coming to the house, barging in like a truck going mad on the highway.

now that the particular problem was out of the way and more like into her way to jail, serena went even as far as oversleep last night. she woke up with a jolt when her eyes zeroed down to the number 9:00 AM flashing across her screen.

crap, she hadn’t prepared anything for mason this morning! did he leave already—“mason?”

despite her growing stomach, serena was glad she still retained her ballerina balance on her feet. if not, she would’ve stumbled upon a lying mason, right in front of her door, with a Parenting for Dummies hugged tightly to his chest.

cramped in a rather awkward position and messy locks sprawled across the carpeted floor—now-carpeted floor because mason thought it’d do good to pregnant feet than cold flooring—serena would be lying if she didn’t think the sight was endearing for her standard. “mason?”

the footballer groaned when called, bringing the parenting book closer to his chest. as if it was his plush toy. for god’s sake, he was soon to be a father, he shouldn’t be allowed to be this cute.

“mason,” serena crouched down beside her husband, shaking his body as ferocious as her frail body could because she didn’t want him to wake up with a sore body. “mason, wake up. you’re late to training.”

he hummed as a response, but it seemed that the last sentence was working well because suddenly his eyes shot open. serena stepped back and laughed at his comical reaction, to which mason responded with a whining groan. “why didn’t you wake me up?”

“excuse me, am I not waking you up now?” serena’s eyebrows furrowed accusingly but her smile was anything but. the glint in her eyes was close to a mirth, too, and mason decided he could now truck through the gaffer’s upcoming long speech on his tardiness. or any other berating session, if it meant being granted by this same sight every morning. “but mason, what are you doing here?”

mason scratched the back of his neck, sheepishly. “I fell asleep here.”

“no, I mean, why are you sleeping here?”

“I’m making sure no one barges into the house and attack you again,” the regret lacing mason’s eyes deeply radiated down serena. the woman would very much like to envelope him in a warm embrace if she was given the chance. “I don’t think I can live through the pain again.”

“mason…”

“I mean it when I said I’m truly sorry, serena,” the princess had to hold back her gasp when she noticed the shift in his eyes, glazing regret to determination in a split second. “I know you said you forgive me and all that jazz, but I know when I said to tell me how I can make it all up to you.”

serena had to remind herself to breathe, as she was unable to look away from the intense wave of emotion mason was showcasing. the reminder resulted in a shaky intake of air, depicting perfectly what she was feeling inside.

serena wanted to put the entire blame to her pregnancy hormones but she knew better. she needed mason to be acting nonchalantly towards her existence if she wanted to survive this marriage unscathed—no physical scars, no emotional damage inflicted, and certainly no broken heart to mend.

“how about you give me a ride to the hospital today, hm?” serena lightly cough to cover her nervousness as she tried to lift herself to stand. “least you won’t lie about dropping me off first.”

unfortunately, one cannot change overnight and therefore she had mason on his feet first so he could help her stand up, lifting serena by the waist as if she didn’t resemble a whale at this point. “how about I skip practice for the day and come with you wherever you want to go instead?”

while his arm was around her waist and his hand was grasping her hand tightly so she wouldn’t fall, serena glanced up in disbelief. is he joking? I hope he is because the last time he came with me, he left me stranded…

the rare slip of emotion—going from disbelief to disappointment—on the princess’ ever-composed face didn’t escape the corner of mason’s eyes, and he knew immediately what she was thinking of. a little smile, pressed by the guilt of having mistreated her, shadowed against his demeanour.

“I have an overdue visit to see my little man, don’t you think?”

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

“there he is!” the doctor proclaimed rather excitedly—gone was her frightening exterior the last time mason and serena met her shortly after elena’s mess. “I see he’s rather happy inside there, look at that smile!”

while serena and the doctor shared some laughter between them, mason could only stand there, frozen like a fridge in the wrong place, sore like a misplaced nail. he couldn’t believe his eyes—flashed before him was the black and white, 3D picture of his son. for the first time, mason got to see the lid of his eyes, the sharp nose, his pouty lips. the footballer could even see the weird combination of him and serena, despite the lack of colour and shape from the photo.

for the first time, mason could finally put down the literal meaning of his flesh and blood, his ultimate treasure,and it was nothing short of an incredible feeling.

it was a rather pleasant feeling, wonderful like mason could now burst in the sky happily… yet he also had to overcome this protective urge inside of him so no one could put his mini-me in danger. he’d never wanted to even punch himself for all the things he’d put the little guy and his mother through.

why didn’t he come to see this sooner?

mason had to press his lips tightly, in order to keep his emotions in check. he couldn’t cry—he shouldn’t—not when he was the one who’d once put the both of them in a game of death with god. not when he hadn’t earned his forgiveness, not when he knew he had a thousand pile of work to do to ensure both serena and his son lived without having to go through another ounce of pain in their lives.

“you’ve done well too so far, you’re doing so well,” mason whispered gently to serena’s stomach, the way he’d been doing every chance he got and every chance he was allowed to, when it was back to the two—or three—of them in the room. “we’re nearing the end, my boy. please hang in there because I can’t wait to see you,”

serena would be lying if the sight before her didn’t send warmth all over her body.

“thank you, serena,” mason whispered to her this time, his eyes met hers while he was crouching down, as he wiped off the ultrasound gel from her protruding belly. now that he got a closer look, he could point out some bulges showing up here and there momentarily and he smiled wider—despite the initial pursed lips—because that’s some strong kick, my boy. “thank you for everything you’ve done for our little guy.”

from the look mason casted to her, serena could pick out the fact he was being earnest and as genuine as his actions post the incident with elena. at that moment, despite whatever would happen between the two of them, serena concluded that she was glad mason mount was the father to her baby and pleased that she got to share her first pregnancy with someone that truly put her needs above anything else, someone who actually understood the job a father entailed, and not just merely words promised.

despite whatever was going to happen later on, serena was filled with warmth and happiness because she knew, mason would never let her fight alone, at least for things concerning their son.

“mrs. mount—I’m sorry, I’ll be back later!”

the nurse’s sudden entrance snapped the intricate moment, and serena was rather relieved because of it. god knows what would happen if the silent continued and allowed her to think of things she would rather forbid herself from pondering, considering their contractual relationship and all…

she shouldn’t be thinking about the extent of mason’s outmost care. it definitely didn’t include her, and she agreed herself that he was a wonderful father. of course it was only limited and directed for their son.

“no, no need,” serena instantly tried to sit herself up but mason—fortunately not being the one carrying the baby—beat her to it, and before she could do it her own, mason had already stood close by behind her, steadying her body as serena slowly gained her balance in sitting. “is there anything I forgot?”

“just want to remind you that your counselling session’s in 15.”

both mason and serena halted their movements. serena from the realisation that she had indeed forgot there was another place she had to visit—being around mason lately kind of put such urgent matters aside because he was almost everything she could ask for—and mason from the shock that serena submitted herself to seek a professional help, something he didn’t know of.

what kind of husband, especially the father-to-be, that didn’t know his own wife’s health record?

what kind of husband, especially the father-to-be, put his own wife to a condition that required her to seek help?

a terrible one, for sure.

and he vowed to change that.

it was the very least mason could do, after all things serena had gone through due to his recklessness. mason should make her life easier—if he couldn’t do that by far, he should do it for the remaining of the pregnancy. he should buy her the best stuffs, he should make her the best meals, he should take her to the best places…for the sake of the baby’s prenatal environment, mason replayed the sentence all over again like a broken mantra.

but of course, we knew better.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

“what do you think of the bridge?”

it was another dinner shared over the countertop of their kitchen but considering mason had a home game tomorrow and therefore forbade mason from consuming nothing else than his strict diet, the footballer took control of the wheel. so instead of serena cooking from behind the corner, mason could be found channelling his inner masterchef self.

“I’d rather not say anything that can offend you, being a childhood fan and all,” serena put her chin on top of her palm, resulting her cheeks to be squished due to the friction against two surfaces of her skin, and mason wondered if a pregnant lady could be this endearing. “because I’ve never been.”

mason’s face contorted to all ways in utter shock. “never? at all?”

serena laughed at his comical response, as she always does. mason was effortlessly funny in her standard.

“okay then, it’s settled,” mason decided firmly when serena shook her head to answer his question. “you’re so watching me tomorrow. would you be comfortable going out?”

serena’s mind went blank for a couple of seconds. while her trauma of seeing people she didn’t know was now growing less and less each day, she doubted her ears. mason despised the idea of being in a public place with her in tow unless it was an official event occurred by the palace.

but she couldn’t shake off the giddiness inside of her because she would be going out, after all. mason being more protective since the incident with elena surely should be cut off a bit, or serena would go crazy being confined in the mansion alone for far too long.

and that mason also knew she’d always watch his matches from home. now that he was offering her to watch live, up-close and personal, serena couldn’t also shrug off the niggling feeling in her stomach…

is he being kind because he now knows I’m under a psychological watch or something?

“do you not want to go?” it was serena that had all these sort of uncontrollable thoughts and yet mason still ensured she was on board with his idea. it was getting harder each day to believe what mason said about trying to be a good father when he already projected himself as one. “if so, that’s also fine.”

“I—I—I do want to go,” serena tried to gather herself as quick as possible. if the palace found out about it, she’d definitely be enrolled again to the public appearance etiquette class. “but do you really want me to be there?”

mason tilted his head in confusion, not seeing where the problem was. “I wouldn’t be asking if I don’t want you there.”

“why would you want us to be there?”

“why wouldn’t I want my wife and child to be there?”

mason might be shrugging as he went back to cook the simple, healthy meal for the both of them, as if his answer was to be expected, but serena had to swallow the bitter bile down her throat. mason might be shrugging, as if it was the most natural thing for them, as if they were real, as if he just didn’t stir something inside of serena—of what, she didn’t know.

and frankly she didn’t want to know, for she was afraid it might not be as what she hoped it was.

next chapter contains:

what if i tell you we're no longer far apart? serena's heart skipped a beat. what the hell was that supposed to mean? look around. and there he was, dapper and dashing as if the look didn't obliterate her poor heart.

[nervoushottee]

IMPORTANT: This blog is 18+ MDNI!! If you don’t have age on your blog then I will block it.

*Inbox and messages are always open!*

Joel Miller

Series:

Flaws and All: You and Joel get caught in a blizzard while traveling. Cooped up in a cabin that is a bit of a fixer upper, the two of you learn how to grow with one another. In the process of waiting out the blizzard, you both have no choice but to accept each other, flaws and all. And maybe, just maybe find more in each other than just a travel partner. Will be Explicit in future chapters

A Solemn Promise: Joel thought he had lost it all. That the cruel bitter world had taken away his heart and soul piece by piece until there was nothing left. Everything he cared so deeply for gone. Turning him into a complicated man with a complicated heart. But when he has to travel across the country with a young girl and his girlfriend that he thought was dead. Maybe, just maybe his broken heart and soul can mend.

Oneshot

A Shot of Whiskey: (Explicit) You didn't think Joel would take you up on your offer. But here you were getting fucked in the bathroom stall of the bar.

Lucien Flores

Oneshot:

Kill the Lights: (Explicit) Lucien Flores is your older brother's bestfriend and to you he was always off limits and vice versa. Until one night that changes... (insipred by the song "De Selby part 2 by Hozier")

Frankie "Catfish" Morales

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Santiago "Pope" Garcia

Series:

Good Trouble: You and the Miller brothers have known each other since childhood. But the years go by and time moves on and the three of you are grown up. But what happens when they come home to visit and the two friends they bring along with them catch your eye?? (Frankie/Santiago/Reader)

Stranger Things

Steve Harrington

Series:

The Summer Before: You and the gang decide to take a trip together before you all go your separate ways after summer is over. You’re excited for a reset away from Hawkins. Away from your problems and responsibilities. But one of the problems that you can’t seem to find the answer to went with you and it’s Steve Harrington. Conversations about old times and second chances wasn’t something you really planned on doing but here you are.  The days will be light and warm. Trips to the lake and burgers on the grill. The nights will feel long filled with laughter, beers, unwanted truths and tattoos you won’t remember getting the next day. Secrets will be spilled and tears will be shed.  A last hooray at the end of the summer while everyone was still together.  This should be fun. Right?

Oneshot:

Take Care: Steve wakes up from a nightmare that scares him a lot more than usual. The two of you frantically decide in the middle of night to get out of Hawkins. Even if it’s just for a little while.

Go For It: Steve has been your “movie guy” at Family Video for a while now. Little does he know that the main reason you’ve been buying these movies is to flirt with him and just maybe ask him out…

Illicit Affairs: You wish you were enough for Steve, but he will always want Nancy. (inspired by "Illicit Affairs by Taylor Swift")

Eddie Munson

Oneshot:

• never like this: your house never feels like home, but Eddie does.

Steddie

Oneshot:

This or That: (Explicit) You can't seem to figure out what you like better between Steve and Eddie.

MISCELLANEOUS

Series

Folklore: In which nervoushottee creates a series of fanfics insipred by the songs from Folklore by Taylor Swift

Oneshot

Paul Atreides

With Want: (Explicit) Paul Atreides always had dreams. But from the very beginning, there was an invisible string pulling him to you.

COD MW11

Captain John Price:

More: (Explicit) You’re stressed out of your mind and John knows exactly what you need to relax

141:

Just thinking about you doing the “Sorry, I’m not into short guys” Tiktok trend with The 141 boys

House of the Dragon

Alicent Hightower

Series:

Queen Alicent’s Maid: In which Alicent gets a maid after becoming the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms…

dividers by @saradika

[tobiasdrake]

And here is where it all shits the bed. Let's talk about that third act and its open embrace of the idea that mutants should be suppressed.

Like. Right from the get-go, The Last Stand sets up a conflict that leaves our heroes in a very uncomfortable position.

The X-Men are here to reinforce a military force armed with genocide blasters designed to ethnically cleanse their race, in order to protect the "mutant cure" from Magneto's assault.

Y'know. The cure created by that guy who tried to coerce and even violently force his own son into conversion. We're defending him.

That's not even an exaggeration, either. A portion of this act is dedicated to protecting him, specifically.

Yay! Warren saved the life of the guy who created a way to purge mutation, and who tried to coerce him into chemical conversion for the sin of being a mutant. A lot of people are going to get fucked here. Even his assistant was killed. But that guy gets to take all the hate in his heart and fly off happily into the sunset with the son he scorned, taught self-hatred to, and ultimately rejected.

What a heroic moment!

The film made a big deal earlier about how the government immediately weaponized the cure. But that was just Magneto's opinion. These guys have cure missiles that can ethnically purge hundreds of members of the mutant race at once, but the X-Men are on their side so I guess that's a cool thing to have. Hooray for weaponized ethnic cleansing!

Magneto calls the X-Men:

And. Like.

Is he wrong? We are now fully acting as Warren Worthington II's private security team. Right down to embracing his methodology. The film has two major antagonists and this is how it resolves them.

How do we deal with Magneto? Well, the X-Men notice some Cure Darts lying on the ground from one of the weapons Arclight destroyed.

And they're like, "Fuck yeah, let's go purge some mutations."

Enjoy being stripped of your race and identity, fucker! Should have been more responsible with it and maybe that wouldn't have happened to you! We're the X-Men! We believe in suppressing mutations we don't like! That's what Xavier taught us!

Speaking of which. Jean.

Logan tries to talk Jean down, but then our boys we've been protecting show up and shoot Cure Darts at her because of course they do.

Much like with Xavier, Jean gets violent in response to violence directed at her. She's just been standing there in the back and hasn't participated in this battle at all. But once they attack her, she starts fighting back.

This is supposed to be the big "Jean Loses Control" moment as her powers are unleashed in their totality.

But, again, this is a direct response to being attacked. This doesn't hit me as Jean's powers taking control of her; This feels more like deliberate retaliation. She is attacking everything in her immediate surroundings because they attacked her first.

She was fine up to this point.

Nonetheless, this winds up being the final statement on Jean. Magneto recants having ever sided with her to begin with.

Jean begs Logan to put an end to it.

And Logan kills her.

I guess she really did just have too much telekinesis all along.

So the final statement is that actually Warren was right all along. Sometimes mutants are just too dangerous and must be purged.

Magneto? Too dangerous. Had to be purged.

Jean? Suppressing her mutation was a good thing, actually, and if Xavier isn't around to control her then she must be destroyed.

Warren? Flying off safely into the sunset with the son he despises. He gets to live and be free and happy because I guess he did nothing wrong.

Oh, and don't think I forgot about Rogue. Here is Rogue's entire character arc.

I mean, she could have said that she, Rogue, has wants and desires of her own and this isn't just about Bobby. But no, Rogue hates herself because all men are sex fiends and she can't deliver.

Then she sees Kitty and Bobby ice skating together and holding each other for stability, after Bobby did a really nice thing to get Kitty out of her sadness spiral.

They do at least fix the cock-up of that first scene at the end, so that's a plus.

So that's Rogue's journey. She hated herself on Bobby's behalf because she's bad at girlfriend stuff, but over the course of the film she learns to hate herself on her own behalf. And then Warren purges her mutation for her.

Isn't that great!?

In fact, the X-Men do such a great job protecting Warren's mutant-purging business that it ends racism.

Now that Magneto's gone and the President has guns that can erase any mutants he likes, there's no longer any racial tension and we can all live happily ever after.

God, what a net-positive for the world the ability to suppress people's mutations is! It's the answer to Magneto, the answer to Rogue, the answer to systemic persecution of mutants, and it was the answer to Jean until Xavier lost control of her. Purging mutations is the best idea ever.

The end.

[tethrras]

12. candles, for amos/alistair (or a pairing of your choosing, if you'd prefer!) 💚

micro prompts

-

"Amos."

No response.

"Aaaaaaayyy-moessssss."

Still no response.

"Moody!"

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"Ha!" Alistair tightened his arms around Amos's waist and pressed his mouth into the other man's shoulder so the next words were muffled against his skin. "Knew you weren't asleep."

"It's hard to sleep when you make so much noise."

"You're mean, you know that?"

Amos grumbled something unintelligible and pressed himself back into the warmth of Alistair's chest.

The Frostbacks were near inhospitable. Since the group had started their long trek to the village of Haven, the snow and cold wind had been relentless. Neither them nor their travelling companions spent time outside their tents after camp was made for the night, and spending hour after hour in such cramped quarters with another person was starting to drive Amos mad. He liked Alistair. That wasn't the question. The question was how he was supposed to get enough sleep when Alistair liked talking so much.

But he was warm and smelled good, and he did like talking to Amos despite Amos's aforementioned moodiness and standoffish demeanour, so he supposed there were worse people to be stuck in a tent with.

"Did you need something?" Amos asked finally. For all his faults, Alistair wouldn't wake Amos up from what he thought was a deep sleep unless it was important.

"Yes." Alistair pushed himself up on his bedroll, the sheets rustling as he did. "I need... uh... I forgot where the door to our tent is."

Amos turned to face him. "What?"

"It's so dark out. And... dark in."

"Alistair."

"Open your eyes!"

Amos did. He was surprised to find that there was little difference - in fact, if he was unable to feel his eyes opening and closing, he would've thought nothing was changing at all.

"I need you to light a candle for me," Alistair said, "so I can get up to pee."

Amos pushed himself up from the ground and rubbed his eyes. "Can you find a candle?"

"Of course!"

Sure enough, Alistair started feeling around the floor of the tent. He grazed Amos's foot at least three times.

"Do you need to pee, too?" Alistair asked while he searched. "We could go together."

"No, I don't."

"Okay, but... you could still come with me."

Amos smiled and was glad Alistair couldn't see it. "Don't tell me you're scared."

"I'm not scared. I can't sense any Darkspawn nearby - though would we even be able to sense them if they were frozen solid? Do you think the cold can kill Darkspawn? Aha, there's the candle!"

There was a moment of silence before Amos felt Alistair pushing it against Amos's knuckles. Amos took it with his other hand and lit the end of the candle with a small, flickering flame.

"Thanks." As the fire started to grow, so did the range of its light, and after a moment, Alistair's face emerged from the darkness. He looked so handsome and hopeful as he asked, "Are you sure you don't want to come pee with me?"

Was he sure? Amos didn't know. It was safer in numbers - plus, the tent would feel a lot colder without Alistair in it...

"Fine," he said. "I'll come."

"Hooray!" Alistair grinned and then stopped grinning just as fast. "Oh, do you know what the best part of having this candle is? Now, I can do this."

He leaned through the open space towards Amos and pressed his lips to the other man's. Long and slow and deep - that was how Alistair liked to kiss. Like a vow. Like he loved Amos more than Amos thought possible. When Amos pulled away, he blew the candle out before Alistair could open his eyes and see the flush on his face.

"Hey! What happened?"

"The flame went out," Amos lied. "I'll relight the candle in a second."

"Okay." It sounded like Alistair was frowning. "But don't wait too long, okay? I really do have to pee."

[sergeantsporks]

You ever wonder what might've happened had the Day of Unity succeeded?

Well, in that hypothetical scenario, I'm going to make a couple of assumptions. 1) that King never found/freed the Collector, and 2) that Belos went through the portal.

Best case scenario, obviously the Hexsquad didn't get killed. Maybe Belos realized the portal was running out of juice, and decided to scoot on through rather than taking the time to kill them, or they jumped out that window behind them and flew to safety. Worst case, he killed them, but we're just not going to assume that, because that makes things boring!

HOPEFULLY they'd realize that getting rid of the sigil would stop the draining spell, and Hunter would join Eda in the one-armed club. Either that, or they escape Belos, only to watch him die in their arms. Hooray!

On Eda's end, hopefully she'd have the wherewithal to realize that she can stop the draining spell the same way Raine stopped it for her-- arm-destruction. I think she'd try a fire glyph first, to see if just destroying what's on the surface would do it, but honestly, I'm assuming if they were that easy to get off, joining a coven wouldn't be such a big deal. So, ideally, she has the energy to transform into her harpy form and start ripping arms off. Lilith would obviously be the easiest, and she could save her sister even if she COULDN'T turn into her harpy form. Probably she'd save the rest of the CATs. Most of the Isles' adult population is toast, though. And those she does save are out of commission for a bit on account of not having a limb-removal curse that makes ripping off arms a bloodless, painless affair.

As far as large-scale thoughts go: the Isles will be fine. We know that no one at Hexside, at least, had a sigil. It's possible none of the children at the other schools were branded either, but for sure not the Hexsidians. Presumably most toddlers and babies wouldn't have a sigil on them. That to say: there would be a massive decline in the Isles population, but there are enough witches at Hexside/any surviving toddlers and babies that there would be a pretty big generational gap, but the witch population WOULD recover. Witches would not forever be wiped out on the Isles. Most of the survivors would likely move into a smaller area to stay close, so a lot of the cities on the Isles would go to ruin, but witchkind would survive.

That being said, we know how well management of Hexside went without the adults, so hopefully, someone would overthrow Boscha pretty quickly, the CATs/whatever other surviving adults would take the reins, or without Kiki, Boscha wouldn't be as bad of a ruler. Regardless, things would SUCK. All of these kids would have just lost their parents, heck, they'll have lost pretty much all of their family, except for the ones that have siblings/cousins under the typical sigil age (the Blights are pretty lucky in that regard). Some of them would have watched teachers or family die in front of them. Maybe a few of them got desperate enough to try arm-chopping. At large, though, the majority of the Isle's population would now be orphaned babies to teens.

On the plus side, the door wouldn't be destroyed, so hypothetically, any titan's blood could reopen it. I'm not sure if King's blood would be enough to open it at this age, but if it was, then at least they could travel back and forth. First order of business would be killing Belos before he figured out that there's still a very small, VERY vulnerable population of witch kids left on the Isles. Hopefully, they could get aid from the human realm in rebuilding. I'm sure there's some people out there that would be okay with moving to the Isles and being parents to some displaced witch kiddos. Luz could reunite with Camila. And she'd live forever with the guilt that she "helped Belos meet the Collector" and would forever feel responsible for the deaths of all those people! Hooray!

If they couldn't get the door open, well, sucks. I think the CATs would be VERY busy. And, uh. They'd have to do something about all those bodies, which. Would not be pleasant. Absolute horror show. All in all, ack!!!! Terrible!!!

[anony-man]

Hooray for unofficially reaching 50 drabbles! Hope you all enjoy this one!

Chubformers drabble #50!

Character: Starscream (and Windblade - IDW)

Word count: 641

“I’m starting to get worried, Starscream.”

The door had been locked (emphasis on had) prior to Starscream settling in for his lunch break. By some miracle, Windblade had somehow managed to break her way inside. Now, with her arms crossed over her chest and her expression twisted in that irritating, worried stare, Starscream was left to sit in his office chair and take her scrutiny.

Really, who was she to judge? Now that the war was almost over, things were different. Starscream may have found himself falling back into old habits, sure, but that was his business… and Bumblebee’s, of course. Windblade of all bots didn’t deserve to know every detail of his private life, so why the hell was she so adamant about trying?

“That’s a new one,” Starscream said with a roll of his optics before reaching for the cube on his desk.

Before he could even blink, Windblade’s servo was there, blocking the path. Starscream was ready to protest, scathing remarks on the tip of his tongue, but she merely slid the cube further and further out of reach while keeping that awful, judgy stare.

“I’m serious,” she said, speaking louder this time, more urgently. It was as if Starscream were on his deathbed… but he wasn’t. “Ever since Meg—“

“Don’t,” Starscream snapped, earning him a startled gasp from Windblade. Good, he thought. She should be scared of him. “Don’t… say his name. Please. I’d much rather sit in peace on my lunch break.”

“With a cube this size?” Windblade asked, lifting up the container. “There’s no point in lying. I know you’re not well.”

Well, that was a first. Starscream could count on one servo the amount of times anyone had been concerned for his wellbeing—and that included the two shocking statements Windblade had already dropped.

In a way, she was right. Starscream had gained quite a bit, he supposed. But Windblade had, too. It was to be expected, of course; their choice of occupation was known to be awful on the system.

Unlike Windblade, however, Starscream’s rapid increase in mass wasn’t just rooted in the stressors of the job. His troubles stemmed from cracks that ran far beneath the surface. Unlike Windblade, Starscream’s issue wasn’t a problem easily uprooted by a simple solution. In his case, a whole factory reset would probably have been a lot more successful.

While Windblade may have grown a little chubby around the edges, Starscream was utterly massive in comparison.

“Holding my meals hostage isn’t going to do much, you know,” Starscream said, scooting his chair closer to the desk. The mound of fat that spilled from his belly onto his lap barred him from getting very close, and he did his best to pretend he didn’t hear the pitiful groans of the poor chair beneath him. “I’m afraid it’ll just make me that much less cooperative.”

Windblade was silent for a moment, visibly contemplating the statement. Whereas Starscream was spitballing every snarky statement that came to mind, the fellow flier seemed intent on picking it apart piece by piece in search of any hidden meaning. In the end, she merely sighed, setting the cube back down within arm’s reach.

“Why am I not surprised?” was the muttered response she gave before turning and storming out of the office, her frame narrowly missing getting caught by the slim doorway.

Starscream watched her go, waiting until he could no longer see her silhouette before leaning back in his chair and cracking open the cube with a sigh. He drank slowly, savoring the taste of rich, bubbly energon on his tongue.

Really, why was she not surprised? It was Starscream, after all. Why expect him to let down his guard when he could instead bury eons of troubles under the weight of a flabby belly and big glass of fuel?

[zecretsanta]

A Brother's Burden

Instead, Light tried to imagine a different scenario: how exactly would he react if he thought Clover was dead?

…He would pry open the gates to hell, drag the bastard responsible down into the depths, and force them down into the fire, holding them to make sure they burnt. Such was the strength of his love, such would be the force of his rage.

Was he to imply that Clover loved him any less?

or: Light during the Axe End.

Read on AO3

to: @wherestarsarestillasleep

from: @kayzero

Happy New Year Starsie~ It’s not quite finished yet, but you know what, that just means you get a delayed second present when the other chapter goes live! Hooray!

[otomefiend]

Victor

Story Event: Black Wedding (part 2)

Chapter 3 Premium

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3 Bitter

Victor's pov. I love the unsettling feeling his stories always give me.

~~Part 1~~

(This is the end of the mission. Then...)

Victor: "Kate, will you marry me?"

Kate: "....."

Kate: ".....eh?"

(Huh?)

I repeated my words, which made her blink in surprise.

Victor: "Let's get married, Kate."

Kate: "Um, that's..."

Victor: "The believers will wake up soon, won't they? They'll want to proceed with the wedding ceremony in the afternoon."

Victor: "If the bride and groom suddenly disappear..."

Kate: "It'll make them anxious...?

Victor: "Exactly."

My words seemed to finally reach her, and she nodded in agreement.

Victor: "I left you your wedding dress. Go and get changed."

Kate: "R-right!"

~~~

A few hours later, our wedding ceremony began in the chapel as originally planned.

Believers: "Congratulations....!"

The door opened and Kate, wearing a jet-black wedding dress, slowly walked in.

Looking as if she had donned the night itself, she effortlessly stole my gaze.

Victor: "Kate. How beautiful..."

Victor: "Just as I imagined... no, much more beautiful than I imagined."

Kate: "Thank you very..."

She was about to say something but stalled with a startled look on her face.

In her line of sight was a figure of a man standing in front of the altar.

(No wonder she's surprised)

The man with the veil over his face looked exactly like the guru we confronted not so long ago.

~~Part 2~~

Victor: "It's okay. This is the new pastor I brought with me."

Kate: "New pastor....?"

Victor: "You know, the congregation here simply believed in a man who said that love was eternal."

Victor: "Worship doesn't have to be a bad thing. It can be a source of comfort."

Kate: "... Victor."

Everyone had the freedom to choose what to believe and live for.

Victor: "From now on, they should provide genuine support to couples seeking eternal love."

Pastor: "Ahem... Can we move on to the vows now?"

(Oops)

Kate and I looked at each other and smiled.

Victor · Kate: "Yeah, sure." · "Yes, of course."

Priest: "Vows from the groom to the bride."

Victor: "Kate."

Victor: "I hereby swear to you that I will protect you for the rest of my life."

Victor: "My jet-black bride, will you promise yourself to me for eternity?"

Naturally, the vow I delivered was a lie.

Whoever was going to make a real promise to Kate one day was undoubtedly a lucky man.

Victor: "May I get a reply?"

Kate: "Ah, yes! Of course. I swear to love you forever."

Victor: "Haha, thank you for your enthusiastic response, Kate."

(Even though it's a false vow, it makes me so happy..........huh)

Pastor: "I hereby acknowledge you two as lovers and grant you the promise of eternal love. Now, you can seal your vows with a kiss."

(Uh-oh.....what now?)

~~Part 3~~

Marriage vows were always accompanied by a kiss. Our fake wedding ceremony was no exception to this rule.

When I looked at Kate standing next to me, I could clearly see her body was tense with worry.

(Truly, this girl... she's honest, sincere, and lovely to boot)

Victor: "...Kate, turn this way."

Kate: "Huh..."

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to me --.

Then, I covered her mouth with the palm of my hand and kissed her.

Believers: "Wow. ...... ! Congratulations!"

Believer with glasses: "How splendid. You look so good together..."

Believer with brown hair: "Truly. I wish you both eternal love."

Victor: "...a real kiss belongs to the person you're going to marry."

I whispered softly and gave her a smile that meant it was our secret.

Victor: "All right! I have to thank you somehow for such a beautiful wedding."

Believer with glasses: "Thank us...?"

Victor: "Now, ladies and gentlemen. Pay attention to me!"

Victor: "I'll flap this jacket like this..."

I proceeded to do so, making sure that all eyes were on me --.

Victor: "Then...!"

Victor: "Yes, a white dove...!"

As promised, a beautiful white dove flew out of my jacket.

Victor: "Hooray, today was a huge success!"

~~Part 4~~

Kate: "Heh, ha ha ha. Victor, once again it's hard to tell whether you've been successful or not with those doves."

Victor: "Ah...."

Believers: "Hahaha!"

Victor: "One more time! Let me regain my honour. What would you like?"

Surrounded by members of the congregation, Kate was smiling.

(...I'm so glad to see her happy face)

I was a man who could `never` promise her eternal love.

(Is it right to at least make her smile at this very moment?)

~~~

Victor: "It was a fun wedding, wasn't it, Kate?"

Kate: "Heh, yes. Your magic tricks were a big hit as well."

Victor: "It's more likely that everyone just pitied me, but since they were laughing, I guess it's okay."

Kate: "Right."

A soft breeze ruffled her hair.

(...the wind is getting colder. Can't let Kate catch something)

(Should we call it a night?)

As I was pondering over it, Kate suddenly spoke up.

Kate: "Victor, can I have a reward for completing my mission successfully?"

Victor: "......."

(It's rare for her to say something like this. No, isn't it the first time?)

When a girl such as her wished for something, I wanted to make it happen.

Victor: "Yes, of course. Whatever you want, I shall give it to you."

Victor: "Now, tell me. What would you like?"

~~Part 5~~

Kate asked for a reward for successfully completing the mission.

Victor: "Yes, of course. Whatever you want, I shall give it to you."

Victor: "Now, tell me. What would you like?"

She looked at me with a solemn expression.

Kate: "The right to listen to you whenever something sad or painful happens."

Victor: "Kate..."

(Oh, I see)

*flashback starts*

Victor: "Because I, you see dear Kate, I may have tasted enough pain and suffering to last a lifetime."

Victor: "That's why I'm feeling tired of being trapped by such things."

*flashback ends*

(You remembered what I said back then, didn't you?)

Kate: "Ah, I don't mean to... force it. I know there are things you wouldn't want to say."

Kate: "But on days when it's too much to handle things on your own, could you talk to me?"

Kate: "I'm not as good at listening as you are, but I can be silent as a grave."

Victor: "Heh, ahaha! A grave!"

Even though Kate was serious, I couldn't stop myself from laughing.

It was too much to see her so cute and admirable.

Victor: "I don't think I could ever compare such a lovely girl to a grave."

Victor: "I'll call you by your name."

Victor: "Then, when that time comes, will you be my companion?"

Kate: "Y-yes! Of course, Victor."

She showed me the biggest smile of the day.

(Are you smiling like that just because you've learned that you can help me?)

Victor: "A young girl like you..."

Victor: "If you keep saying such cute things, I'll snatch you away into the darknes, you know?"

(I'm the kind of guy who could easily take everything from you)

(I'll just leave you alone--)

Victor: "Kidding."

When I assumed my usual `Victor, the Queen's Aide` expression, Kate visibly relaxed and smiled in response.

(There are so many things I can't tell you... I'm a troublesome man)

Victor: "It's a shame to end the night here. Shall we enjoy each other's company a little longer and then go back together?"

Epilogue

[yunyebai]

Hello! my name is Page [21+, PST/UTC-8] 🎔 I wanted to get something posted! First of all, hooray for opening! Secondly, I'd like to plot! Like that's sort of the main thing. I am totally willing to try and make Tumblr messages work if that's your preferred method of communication, but I'm definitely more responsive on Discord! If you want to plot, like this post and I'll hop on over to your DMs! I've got an embarrassing number of muses I'm bringing in and didn't want to make a thousand different intros to be totally honest, so I've got my first batch with some information below the read more, and I'll post for the second group over the next day or so! Click the banners to see their profiles if you want more info.🎔

Yebai moved to Korea when he was a child after his mother remarried. His mother is great, and his stepdad is a sweetheart, but nevertheless, as the leftover kid and with a pair of younger half-siblings, he has always felt like a moon in orbit, wanting nothing more than his feet on the ground. He's done well enough for himself, going to school for graphic design and digital art and getting a foot in the door in the industry, doing jobs here and there on top of doing the art for an indie games studio, but he's never stopped wanting more friends and more validation and a little more adventure.

Plotting Points: Yebai is a huge NewAve fan, with a Twitter account devoted to posting chibi comics and occasionally more fully-rendered fanart of his biases. Tweets at least once per month about the two fancalls he's had with his fave. Once collaborated with a fansite to design a plush doll of said member. School friends? Or school enemies. Coworkers? He loves to go out into public and sketch scenes and people. Frequents cafes and parks. Very outgoing.

Hyeji was very nearly an it girl, placing second on a popular idol survival show in 2016. A rigging scandal brought her two year-old group (and a planned franchise) to an end, and for a while, it seemed as though her career had fallen victim to his as well for a time. Her company debuted her as a soloist, but they were ill-equipped, and perhaps hesitant to promote her. She languished in lack-of-release limbo for a few years, picking up a few bad habits in her downtime during overly long hiatuses. She's sober now, if only barely, and has in the last year or so signed to Canvas Labs after her contract with her last company expired. As she puts together her debut album, she's also in the process of piecing together her identity. She's not sure that she knows who she is, if not a party girl.

Plotting Points: She's fairly well-known amongst a certain demographic of young people (especially women) in their 20s and international Kpop fans and does a lot of CFs and promotions even though her musical releases have been scarce, occupying a niche somewhere between Sunmi and Chungha and Somi. Canvas Labs employees and idols. She has crawled half of the clubs in Seoul by this point. Exes? Situationships that got a little complicated? Friendships that got messy? Maybe more than that, if there's chemistry?

Katrina lives with her grandmother in Seoul while she attends school, aiding the increasingly less-mobile woman with her chores. Originally from San Francisco, her mother is the charismatic pastor-president of a luxe, modern church, and her father is a plastic surgeon. Growing up, she's known nothing but strict rules governing femininity, womanhood, and the role she was to play in the world if she was to be saved. Korea confuses her. Here, a lot of those lessons ring true, and yet, freed from the covenant eyes of her parents and church community, her previously well-defined sense of self, and of the world, has begun to fray about the edges.

Plotting Points: Volunteers at animal shelters and community food-security orgs semi-regularly. People she's met at school? Someone who frequents the same thrift shops and tea shops she does? Has tried to attend several different churches in Korea and been weirded out by each one. Has an interest in musical theatre and is secretly obsessed with a couple of 40 year old musical actors. Has done some modeling for random little clothing brands.

[bonebabbles]

So since my rose-colored Gray Wing glasses have been torn of my face and stomped into tiny pieces, I’m now wondering if my perception of Clear Sky’s arc is also skewed. I thought his redemption arc was well done (until Star Flower came back) because he was sincerely trying, wasn’t expecting forgiveness, and (unlike a lot of redemption arcs) was not forgiven by most of the characters right away because of how bad his actions were. Until he got with Star Flower, I thought his redemption arc was damn near perfect. Do I have on rose-colored glasses for his redemption arc?

Clear Sky's "redemption arc" is one of the most incompetent bits of writing that has ever blighted the entire series and I promise you I'm not doing hyperbole. It is so bad that it drags down everything it touches, including Gray Wing, Thunder, Acorn Fur, and the entire concept of StarClan.

And, unfortunately, both things you cited there absolutely did not happen, I am going to have to eat your glasses. I'm gonna munch. I'm gonna cRUNCH

"He was sincerely trying"

He wasn't. He just stopped actively shredding random people on his border and then whines that he's "Trying So Hard," using it as yet another guilt trip tactic because he's still an abuser.

The SECOND anyone gives him any criticism (FOR BRINGING A WIFEBEATER INTO HIS CLAN MIND YOU), he twists the fact they're supposed to "forgive him" against them, starts calling Gray Wing slurs for having asthma, and gets offended at a warning while huffing, "no one tells me what to do!"

Like a big fucking baby

And he only let Tom into his clan (even implying he's not a REAL cat because he's fat + an ex-kittypet) because he promised he could show him how to "fight dirty."

AND ALSO he is fully aware that this man kidnapped children in a previous book; but Blazing Star completely forgets major details of the previous three books in a way that is absolutely unacceptable. You are practically reading a new continuity.

"He was not forgiven by the other characters right away"

He was. He was literally, immediately forgiven in the very opening of Blazing Star. By Gray Wing and Thunder, because the narrative decided that Everyone Is Responsible.

Even back in First Battle, right after the fight ends we get a line that gives Bramblestar a run for his money. "WE let it get too far." The narrative even scrambles for some reason to make a woman responsible and grabs Tall Shadow for some fucking reason.

Acorn Fur doesn't even mention that CLEAR SKY WAS STARVING HER FATHER before she decides to move in with him, because she would miss her parents too much on the moor... those parents who just died. In the battle Clear Sky started.

Everyone immediately forgives him and kisses his butt because "The guilt will hurt him more than any actual consequences :((( He was just under so much pressure of leading guys.... which is why he should continue to lead............"

I've actually had a hard time continuing my reread because I've actually been fucking enraged at how Thunder is swooning over his daddy "finally looking at him" uwu

This is painted like a good thing. This is a sweet and nice thing that finally, the abusive ghoul who shoved his face into a festering wound and said he shouldn't have been born just before trying to kill him and all of his friends 'respects him.' Oh Joyous Day Yippee Hooray!

How this ruins the other characters

It destroys Gray Wing because it makes ALL this dogshit behavior that he displayed for the first three books correct. In spite of how GOD awful this "Redemption Arc" is, you are supposed to believe that there is good "deep down" within Clear Sky. That all of this abuse apologia was wisdom. Gray was, and IS, right to take every insult and understand it as humility, and the Clear Sky on the page is actually a Good Boi who Really Does Love His Clan.

It ruins Thunder because even after ALL of that physical and emotional abuse and neglect, he's still supposed to honor Clear Sky as "You'll always be my father." These destructive impulses to want his approval are good and natural in this narrative, not something to confront or fundamentally question.

Fuck, just look at the Tom Redemption. The writers LOVE abusive parents. Even if they beat the shit out of your mom, get her killed, kidnap you, and had no part in raising you, "they still love you and would die for you." Tom's Redemption and Clear Sky's Redemption are just different lines in the same song.

Acorn Fur moves in with the guy who held one of her parents hostage and ultimately got both of them killed

And STARCLAN forms to "tell clear sky what to do," because in the baffling Fear vs Greed Dichotomy this series thinks is some kind of thesis, Clear Sky was just "afraid," not "greedy," and that means his fucked up little head can be fixed by the comfort a religious force can bring. He wasn't abusive because he loves having power over people, the thing that is right there on the page, nope, he really was just worried about death or responsibility or something.

This isn't even getting to the person he is in later material. He's a MONSTER in Moth Flight's Vision, as if his growth never happened.

And this is taking him all at face value-- in a meta sense, the sheer amount of female characters that get brutalized just for his man pain is legitimately dizzying. 2 mates die, 2 innocent women slaughtered, a child beaten and another starved to death, and even pregnant Star Flower gets pinned to the ground and licked on the face as her assaulter talks about how much he wanted her as a mate

This is the worst arc in the entire Warrior Cats franchise and it is spinning on the crap-axis that is Clear Sky's 'redemption'.

The arc is bad BECAUSE it is working towards this idea, that the best villain the series ever wrote has to become the writer's Poor Little Meow Meow halfway through 6 books, so we can get to our regularly scheduled Born Evil Foreigner Villains Who Hate Love And Friendship.

Imagine TPB but Fireheart cries that self defense against Clanborn cats makes you Just As Bad, Tigerstar was just scared or something, and you get two Diet Scourges. That's DOTC.