#(will open order again once the charms arrived) ((if you care))

[grindingsugar]

its dangerous to go alone! take thisヾ(≧▽≦*)o

the PNGs 🥺🤲💕

[awearywritersworld]

i have for the first time found what i can truly love—i have found you

sukuna x reader summary: you and sukuna go out for a late night meal. gojo finds out about your... relationship. sukuna is forced to take care of you when you come home drunk. w/c: 2.85k tags/warnings: enemies to lovers. fluff. lots of banter. cursing. jealous/protective!sukuna. gojo being a flirt. aged up!yuuji. features a teeny bit of yuuji x reader. drinking and drunk!reader. not canon compliant. fem!reader. no use of y/n. no manga spoilers. a/n: i think i like how this turned out! also, the first two sections could def be read as a fluffy lil stand alone. idc whats happening in the canonverse, sukunas just a tsundere who adores us very much<3 series masterlist // masterlist

"maybe if you stare long enough, food will magically appear," sukuna calls to you from the kitchen table.

"this is no joking matter," you scold from your place in front of the fridge. "i'm starving."

"well, here's an absurd idea— let's go eat."

you turn toward him, finally closing the fridge, and tilt your head to the side. "you eat?"

"of course." he leans back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. "i typically prefer babies, but hell, i'd even go for an old man right now. i'm famished."

your eyes widen and your mouth falls open. he lets the panic simmer on your face for a few more cruel moments. "i'm kidding, idiot. i eat food, same as you."

"i knew that," you assert. the way your shoulders sag in relief tells him otherwise.

"right," he smirks. after standing up, he grabs your purse and tosses it in your direction. "where to? you're buying."

with only so many places open at midnight, you begin your journey to a 24 hour ramen shop.

you've hardly interacted with sukuna outside of your apartment, so this is certainly an experience you didn't anticipate. and in fact, you're shocked at how normal it feels— almost as if it's a date.

as you walk down the street, people eye him suspiciously because of the dark lines they assume are tattoos. it doesn't bother you though, nor does the lateness of the hour. you know that you're safe because you're with him.

your hands keep brushing against one another's, and you're hoping that he'll eventually take a hint and reach for yours. he doesn't (i mean come on, do you even know who you're dealing with?).

he does at least pick up on your pouty expression with impressive ease. "what now?"

"nothing," you huff.

"don't be a brat."

you sigh dramatically. "you're supposed to hold my hand."

"sure princess," he says condescendingly, lacing his fingers through yours. "maybe use your words next time like a big girl."

he doesn't fail to notice the ensuing skip in your step, and he kicks himself for regarding it as cute.

when you arrive at the ramen shop, sukuna orders no less than three bowls, which earns him a glare once the waitress walks away.

"when i agreed to pay, i didn't know what a glutton you are."

"oh yeah? cause i'm just the picture of temperance any other time?"

you scoff. "well you've got me there."

a sly smirk settles onto his face before he speaks again. "maybe one day you'll learn how greedy i am when it comes to the things i've deemed pleasurable."

you choke on the water you'd just brought to your lips, your face heating up as if it'd been bathed by fire.

wiping at your mouth, you try your best to recover quickly. "whatever, you hellion. as long as that doesn't involve a fourth bowl of ramen."

you're no more than 10 steps away from the shop when you hold out your hand to him. "ahem."

he grabs it roughly and not without rolling his eyes.

"what?" you ask innocently. "that was a word."

"hardly," he jeers. "for as much as you read, i'd expect you to be more fluent than a child."

"and at 1000 years old, i'd expect you to be more charming than a teenage boy, but i guess we're both making concessions."

"see, this is the part that puzzles me. you never seem to have trouble with your words when you're being insolent."

"maybe it's a sign," you begin whimsically. "the universe decided you need to be taken down a peg."

"ah, yes. you as the executor of the universe's will. i don't know why i couldn't see it before."

you giggle, rather delighted that he's elected to play along with your quips. there's something that feels so warm and pleasant about it.

as you wonder if he feels it too, your hand tightens around his.

you're not quite ready to head back to your apartment just yet, because you're scared you'll lose the atmosphere surrounding the two of you. in truth, it's a bit intoxicating.

the perfect opportunity arises when you spot a small park up ahead. lights are strung around the trees, all of which are situated around a small fountain.

"we should stop at that park!" you hardly finish speaking before you take off in that direction, tugging him along behind you.

after you plop down on the fountain's ledge, sukuna takes his place beside you.

"let's sit here for a little while."

he doesn't respond and you take his silence as agreement. he's not really one to stifle his grievances.

as the minutes pass, the rush of the fountain is the only noise that fills the air, while you gaze at the trees with a serene expression.

sukuna, however, is looking at you. the only care he has for the trees is the way their lights reflect in your eyes. otherwise, he's fully occupied by the curve of your nose and the fullness of your lips.

"isn't this pretty?" you finally ask.

"it's pretty," he agrees, even when such a soft word feels foreign on his tongue.

his eyes still haven't left you, and you seem to be oblivious to this fact until he reaches up to stroke your cheek with the back of fingers.

when your gaze lands on him, the fondness written all over his face catches you off guard and you realize how close the both of you are. without really thinking about it, you lean into his touch.

"very pretty," he repeats lowly, as if he's talking to himself.

your heart lurches once in your chest, then hammers away at your ribcage without respite. he leans toward you a fraction of an inch, his eyes flicking down to your lips for a brief second.

truthfully, sukuna has never felt the way he does in this moment. it's a sincere sort of desire. he doesn't want the mindless devotion he once thirsted for from his followers. and he doesn't want the sex he used to crave from his concubines.

no. he just wants you— in whatever capacity you're willing to have him.

the way he's looking at you is just too much. there's a dull thudding in your ears and you swear your thoughts are moving at a million miles a minute.

so naturally, you blurt out the first thing you can manage. "we should take a selfie!"

his face shifts from whatever that expression was to one of confusion. "take a selfie?"

some twisted mix of relief and disappointment crashes through you.

"yeah, a selfie. a picture together. ya know, since the park is so pretty," you ramble.

he pulls away from you. not all the way, but enough that it gives you space to finally breath. he chuckles and it doesn't sound lofty like it so often does. in fact, he seems genuinely amused by you.

"a selfie," he deliberates. "that sounds great, but to the best of my knowledge, hell hasn't frozen over."

and just like that, your dynamic feels like it did during your walk from the ramen shop to the park— comfortable and fun.

"well i guess you would be one of the first to know."

ignoring his protests, you take out your phone and hold it far enough away that the camera captures both of your faces. you can see on the screen that he's put on an expression of complete boredom.

"c'mon," you nudge him with your elbow. "you look like you hate me."

the corner of his mouth curves upward. "that's because i do."

you think back on the way he was gazing at you just moments ago and laugh. "you're so full of shit."

then, without warning, you press a kiss to his cheek and click the button.

you decide that his vague look of contented surprise will just have to do.

when you and yuuji walk into the bar, you immediately spot one of the people you're there to meet. he's sitting at a hightop by himself, his snow white hair pretty hard to miss.

you tap his shoulder and his face breaks out into a grin. he slides out of the barstool. "if it isn't my favorite civilian!"

as he pulls you into a hug, you wonder if he's ever going to get tired of that joke. "if it isn't my favorite old man."

"35 is not old," he argues, moving to greet yuuji. "i'm still in the summer of my life, thank you very much!"

"gojo you're 36," the pink haired man remarks.

"gah! such betrayal, yuuji!" he presses his hand to his forehead and takes a deep breath. "now i'm going to need another round."

"i'll go and get drinks for all of us," you offer. "you two stay here so no one takes the table."

before either of them can respond, you turn and begin making your way through the crowd. you don't hear gojo when he calls out, "but darling! i should go with you!"

he takes a step in your direction, but stops when sukuna's mouth appears on yuuji's cheek. "you certainly should not, you insufferable half wit."

"relax, dude. he flirts with literally everyone," yuuji informs him.

gojo scoffs. "i am right here—"

"as if that makes it better?" sukuna barks. "she isn't some toy to be played with."

"of course she isn't! you can't honestly think i'd believe otherwise."

gojo is left forgotten for a moment as the other two bicker, so he interjects once there's a lull in the conversation. "do either of you care to explain what the hell is going on?"

yuuji turns toward him, trying and failing to hide the embarrassment on his face once he realizes that gojo is, in fact, still standing there.

his eyebrows are raised above his sunglasses and it's clear he is inappropriately amused by the situation (what else is new?). he moves to sit across from the younger man, looking at him expectantly.

having no way to talk himself out of this, yuuji relays the recent events regarding you and sukuna, sparing some of the finer details. gojo's face doesn't really betray much emotion throughout the story, though he does look thoughtful by the end of it.

leaning forward, he crosses his arms on top of the table. "maybe your feelings for her are influencing his own, forcing a sort of bond between them?"

"i don't think so," yuuji contends honestly. "other than her, you're the person i admire and respect the most, but he thinks—"

"that you are perhaps the most imbecilic rampallion i've ever had the displeasure of coming across."

gojo jerks back, as if the insult had hit him squarely in the jaw. the look of giddiness from yuuji's compliment, followed by the shift to indignation at sukuna's insult is almost comical.

he stretches his neck forward, cupping his hand around one side of his mouth as if it'd keep sukuna from hearing. "what'd he just call me?"

yuuji shrugs. "beats me, but i don't think he was singing your praises."

"i see your point." gojo pauses, glancing over his shoulder. you're approaching the table, so he turns back to yuuji and quickly adds, "we'll talk more about this another time, but for now, keep this between us."

a few moments later, you appear in front of them and exclaim, "look who i found!"

megumi and inumaki situate themselves around the table too, offering their greetings. you slide yuuji and gojo their drinks, both of which are filled to the brim of the glass. "now then gentlemen, shall we?"

when gojo teleports you and yuuji back to your apartment that night, it takes everything in you to keep from yakking all over your carpet.

"ta ta, hooligans!"

you turn to request that he never do that again, but he's already gone. taking one step forward, you promptly fall on your ass in the entryway with an unforgiving thud. yuuji staggers toward the couch, making it there just in time to face plant into the cushions.

looking down toward your shoes, you're dismayed to find that each one appears to have two sets of laces. you're fumbling with them determinedly when someone crouches down in front of you, their elbows resting on their thighs.

he doesn't say a word. brushing your hands away, he unties your shoes and carefully pulls them off your feet. you're lifted from the floor before you can register the arm that's looped under your knees or the other that's securely around your back.

"careful," you hiccup, your head falling into the crook of his neck. "'m gunna p-puke."

"i'd rather you didn't."

you groan. "s'not like i 'ave a choice in the matter."

he hums. "how much did you drink?"

"dunno. sss'much. nobara—" you hiccup again. "nobara n' maki made me."

he chuckles, placing you down on what you figure is your bed. "right, i'm sure you had no choice in the matter."

"tha's correct, yes."

unbuttoning your jeans, he tugs upward on your belt loops. "lift."

you do as he says, lifting your hips from the bed so he can slide your jeans off your legs. he knows you won't remember this— hell, your eyes are already closed— but he looks away as he does it anyway.

pulling your phone from your pocket and putting it on the charger, your pants are discarded off to the side. he only turns his head back in your direction once he's pulled the blankets up over your body.

"tuck me in?" you request.

sitting down on the bed beside you, he does so without protest.

he stares at you for a little while, worried about how poorly you're probably going to feel in the morning. he presses a kiss to your forehead, intending to get up and grab a water bottle for your nightstand.

instead, his body freezes when he hears you mumble, "i love you s'much."

his heart clenches so painfully, he honestly considers ripping it from his chest— it would probably be less agonizing.

but a thought that makes him feel like a fool occurs to him. of course it's not him that you love. "i'm not yuuji."

"well, duuuhhh. you're s'kuna." you're peering up at him through tired, hazy eyes. it's the first time you've ever seen him look bewildered, so a small giggle erupts from your throat. "s'okay. you don't 'ave t'say it back."

your eyes flutter shut and your breathing evens out before he even thinks to respond. all at once, it's as if his head is empty and as if it's about to explode.

love?

what does he know about love? it's a sentiment he's cursed for so long, but sitting here beside you, he can't quite seem to remember why. one thing he is sure of, however, is that there's never been a thing in the world he's loved.

suddenly, he's struck with remembrance of a quote from jane eyre you had emphasized with messy underlines:

"after a youth and manhood passed half in unutterable misery and half in dreary solitude, i have for the first time found what i can truly love—i have found you. you are my sympathy—my better self—my good angel. i am bound to you with a strong attachment. i think you good, gifted, lovely: a fervent, a solemn passion is conceived in my heart; it leans to you, draws you to my centre and spring of life, wraps my existence about you, and, kindling in pure, powerful flame, fuses you and me in one."

rochester says it as he begs jane to stay at thornfield with him, an act sukuna had previously regarded as ridiculous, but is that still the case?

were you to ever scorn him, would he fall to his knees and plead with you to change your mind? or if you were in danger of dying, would he drag himself to a shrine and pray to the gods he doesn't believe in?

is that what love is?

could he stand to be apart from you? are you special to him? does anything else in the world compare to you? does he seek out your company? is he consumed by you? can he know himself without knowing you?

does the definition of love lie in those questions?

sukuna hopes not, because he's terrified of the answers. being in love is not his way, nor is it in his nature.

he buries his face in his hands as realization settles into his bones. it feels as if they're splintering beneath the pressure, trying resentfully to stave it off.

he transcends any imaginable scale of power. he's bled entire villages dry, he's commandeered death, he's the king of curses.

so why now? and why you? is it divine retribution? a sick sort of joke that even he couldn't have dreamed up?

gods, you were right. the universe has sent you to carry out its will and he's completely powerless to stop it.

the worst part of it all? he doesn't want to.

taglist: @96jnie @ay0nha @sad-darksoul @bbysatoruuu @luciiferian @thepup356 @risuola *users in bold could not be tagged

[anika-ann]

Underneath the Christmas Tree (A.B.)

Type: one-shot, drabble-ish, floof

Pairing: Andy Barber x reader WC: 1100

Summary: Your Christmas might not be perfect, but the person you celebrate with is.

Warnings: 18+, nsfw for allusions to smut, clichés and huge amount of fluff, mentions of insecurity in reader, celebrating Christmas

A/N: a little something to raise the holiday spirits, in the honour of @stargazingfangirl18 who slipped into many inboxes to spread the hoeliday cheer 💕I hope she and all of you can profit from a sweet moment with one mister B🎄// divider by @firefly-graphics

“You’re being a grinch,” he teased you lightly, thick arm wrapping around your waist from behind to keep you flush to his front.

You only frowned harder as you placed the single box under your Christmas tree. It looked absurd among the five boxes from your lovely devoted irritating fiancé – of course you’d be a little grinchy about it.

This Christmas was supposed to be perfect – because Andy Barber was and he deserved nothing less than that in return. You had prepared three presents for Andy in total – or you had tried so. Until the most important one, one you ordered and had custom-made took longer than expected. You ordered two months in advance, so proud of yourself for figuring out the gift for the man who stole your heart without intention of ever giving it back… and then came December, than half of it went, and then the day before Christmas Day arrived, ten a.m., three p.m., eight p.m. and since the clock was about to struck midnight, something told you your package wasn’t about to arrive in time. All your insecurities about deserving the wonderful man momentarily soothing you in his generous embrace resurfaced, making you feel inadequate and just… not enough.

So yeah, you were scowling a little. Especially since Andy was maybe not laughing at your misery, but was definitely at least slightly amused by the way you were expressing it.

“It was supposed to be perfect,” you echoed your thoughts wearily, feeling the stupid tears gather in your eyes. Dammit.

It was just… Andy truly was your Prince Charming. Your one. A kind, caring man with the biggest heart you had ever encountered, a bit dorky, but with maturity most men at any age couldn’t even dream of, and with sweet, almost gentlemanly ways that went out of the window once the door of your bedroom closed behind you. Assuming you’d make it as far as the bedroom. Or even into your house.

He deserved everything that was good in this world and more and there were times when you doubted you were the one able to give it to him.

You felt him smile against your cheek as he pressed a soft kiss there, pulling you back from your thoughts – and to fall on your ass – to sit between his legs on the floor with a tiny yelp on your part.

“It is. ‘cause you are, sweetheart,” he whispered to your ear, causing you to side-glance him at his sappy ways.

A soft smile was playing on his lips indeed, serene face illuminated by the warm lights on your Christmas tree, eyes shining with contentment.

Your heart fluttered in your chest, suddenly at peace. Damn, he was gorgeous. Ruffled hair, pretty lips framed by his perfectly trimmed beard, white tee and simple grey sweats, like a god of domesticity and happiness in the most ordinary moments. How could you protest, how could you doubt anything at all when he was like that?

“I love you,” you said instead, earning a soft peck to your lips, a whispered declaration in return. “I just… I was really excited to give you the present you deserve.”

Andy’s plush lips stayed but a breath away, closing the distance again at your admission, last remnants of your gloomy mood evaporating as he kissed you again, this time slowly, deeply, loving.

Then, he inched away, your eyes fluttering open only to meet the mischievous sparkle in his eye.

Your heart skipped a beat. Ah-oh.

“What-“ He reached for the single gift you had placed under the three, pulling at the bow and stealing it for himself. “Andy!”

He laughed at your scandalized expression, taking your left hand – the one adorned by a charming ring he had placed there barely a month ago – and swiftly wrapped the ribbon around your wrist, tying another perfect bow.

Your shoulders sagged, your face probably revealing as much of your exasperation as adoration.

“Here. My perfect gift, in all its glory.”

“You, mister, are an old sap.”

He grinned. “And yet, you agreed to marry me.”

Your gaze flicked between the bow and the gorgeous diamond on your finger, the widest of smiles tugging at your lips. “Yeah, what was I even thinking-“

“Hey!” he protested, deft fingers sneaking under your silky bathrobe in a vicious attack at your most ticklish spots, having you try to squirm from his hold – only accomplishing changing your positions until he trapped you under him lied flat on the fluffy carpet, his weight on you as warm as his gaze.

“See? My perfect gift, now even lying under the Christmas tree, all mine to unwrap. I’m a lucky man, aren’t I?”

His fingers sneaked lower, brushing over your hips and to your thigh, his hand freezing. The sweet warm gaze turned heated, drawn to your lips as your tongue peeked out to wet them. You felt your face flush with heat, even as your chest puffed with pride.

Cat got his tongue now, did it?

“Sweetheart?”

“There’s… I thought we might cheat a little. I didn’t wrap this one,” you admitted, a little disappointed when his weight disappeared and he only straddled your thighs – but the feeling was quickly replaced by satisfaction when Andy tugged, peeling your robe off, eyes feasting on your body adorned with the new lingerie you had bought, your nipples instantly hardening under the see-though material under his appreciative gaze.

“So…” you hummed innocently, fully aware of the way his sweats barely hid his growing arousal, just like your excuse of panties couldn’t hope to hide the growing wetness of your core, “what do you think?”

Andy’s lip curled in a smirk that had you stomach somersault, his eyes dark as coal, soft fingertips trailing over the soft curve of your breast, brushing your nipple with clear intent.

“Well, sweetheart, I think you just almost made it to the naughty list,” he mused, his other hand toying with the little ribbons on the side of your panties, lightly puling on it until fell apart smoothly.

Your breath caught in your throat, heat pooling in your belly as his fingertips followed the pattern of lace above your mound.

“Almost?”

Andy’s smirk was positively devious as he leaned down to press a kiss to your cleavage, dextrous fingers undoing the bow on your other hip as well, baring you to his greedy touch.

“But when I’m done with all the things I want to do you, sweetheart, when you let me do every filthy thing I have on my mind now… I promise you that’s you’ll be right on the top it.”

And Andy Barber was a true gentleman; when he made a promise, he always always delivered on it.

Misc characters masterlist

Full masterlist

Again, many thanks to Siri - and happy peaceful holidays to us all 💕

Thank you for reading 🥰

[rosie-zia]

Luxiem Drabbles

Scenario: Luxiem's significant other turned into Luxiem’s own fan mascots. Word Count: 3.3k+ all in all Genre: Fluff, comedy, & comfort. Note: I apologize in advance if the Luxiem boys are a bit OOC. I tried my best, and I hope you enjoy!

Vox Akuma:

Around the palace of the voice demon, you wandered the great long corridors, admiring every single detail and structure of the castle. As you walked in the halls, you would check each of the rooms to see if everything was in order before Vox Akuma returns home.

By the end of the hall was a door that you have never seen before. Curiosity has drawn you into the room. When you opened the door, it was an isolated room. You only saw some things that might have belonged to Vox. An album, a samurai sword, and other trinkets that you could possibly find. You felt like you were crossing Vox's privacy, so you tried to leave the room quickly.

However, you heard a small voice enter your mind. You turned around and no one was there. You looked around again just to make sure no one is in the same room as you, but you noticed red mist surrounding you. You looked for the source of this mysterious smoke, and the mist comes from the shiny Oni mask displayed on the left side of the room. Inhaling the smoke made you draw closer to the mask. There was no holding back anymore as you touched the mask before you fell unconscious.

A few moments later, you wake up in a random room and see Vox's trusted assistant, Oni Giri, trying to wake you up. Oni Giri explained about what happened to you, and how you passed out all of the sudden from the curse of the mask. Now, you turned into a biblically accurate fallen angel with eight dark wings, a huge eye, a pair of black horns with horizontal golden lines, white hair, and extra two white wings. Your new transformation made you look like one of his Kindreds. At first, you weren't able to process it properly, but when it did, it hit like a truck and made you panic. You worry about Vox's reaction.

It didn't take long before Vox arrived hurriedly in the scene, as it was right for you to worry because he tries to hold you like a plushie and examines you for any wounds.

"Darling, who did this to you? I swore if I ever find this person, I would absolutely hunt them down!"

Before things could even get dirty, Oni Giri explained the whole situation which calmed him down, but still wary about how you are feeling at the moment. Once you two are alone, Vox holds you in the most gentle way possible.

"It's alright now, my beloved, I'm here now. Let me take care of you like how I take care of my other Kindreds."

Soon enough, he leads you to a room filled with lots of friendly Kindreds and also locks the cursed room to keep you safe from the curse hitting you again.

Kindreds take one of the unique form as they appear like biblically accurate fallen angels. Their form can spook or scare someone, but Kindreds are sweet creatures. Kindreds are known as one of the most loyal species to their owner as they were drawn to the demon's sophisticated and alluring voice. At first, Kindred thinks very highly of their owner due to his elegance and his royal-like demeanor. Now, they still look up to him but in a different way that they got to see his true self free from expectations. Also, Kindred would work hard in helping whatever they can to do to show their gratitude to Vox. Whether someone is a Kindred or not, no one can resist the demon's charms and wit, so they will always fly back into his arms.

Luca Kaneshiro:

In the four corners of the manor, you waited for your boyfriend and mafia boss to come home from an important mission. It was getting too lonely whenever he had an errand to take care of in the mafia, so you had to find new ways to entertain yourself for the time being when he's gone.

This time, you were drinking some tea in your bedroom with Luca's lion cub, Augustus, idling away and enjoying the peace you have to yourself. The tea you were drinking was a gift from Shu since you want to try and explore different tea blends. Halfway through drinking the tea, you were getting a bit dizzy, and Augustus noticed it. He kept nudging you, but you assured him that you were fine. You don't know if it's from the tea or just from the times you spent with so much passion with Luca on the bed, but you can't keep your eyes anymore that you ended up passing out on the bed.

You woke up feeling normal but still groggy, trying to recall what happened before you passed out. You looked at the time and it's five in the evening. You feel like it's still too early for Luca to come home, so you will be expecting him sooner or later. Augustus saw you were awake and kept licking your face.

"mmm... Augustus, you know I'm sleeping. You can wait for Luca to come home and play with you."

Usually, you would get up from the bathroom and wash up after your nap, but something doesn't feel right when everything in your vision looks a bit bigger. You didn't feel like going to the bathroom this time, so you reached out to your pocket mirror by your nightstand and saw you turned into a small lion cub like Augustus.

"Wait- Augustus, what happened?! Why am I small and I look like you?"

You examined your features before reaching out to your phone and contacting your boyfriend. Although you know he's on the mission, it won't hurt to call him in the middle of his work, right? Surprisingly, he picked it up immediately.

"Oh, hey, babe. What's up?"

"Sorry for bothering you, Luca, but can you come home a bit earlier?”

“Oh yeah, I’m already on my way home, Y/N. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Alright, see you soon.”

You hung up as you slouched on the bed. While waiting for Luca, you played with Augustus. After exactly ten minutes, Luca barged into your room feeling a bit upbeat.

“Baby, I’m home! You sounded like you were panicking through our phone call. Are you alright?”

He expected to meet his partner on the bed, but he was surprised to see that his lover, you, turned into a Lucub. The young mafia boss may look amused about your transformation, but don’t let his expressions fool you because he’s clenching his fist.

“Alright, who did this to you? I just want to talk-”

“NONONO, it’s alright, maybe it’s temporary.”

Before you could explain yourself, Luca was already calling his friend, Shu, to ask him what to do in this situation you are in. He eventually hung up after talking to the sorcerer.

“Shu said you’ll be back in your own physical form tomorrow. Don’t worry too much, okay? It’s not good for you.”

As much as you were worried about how you will turn back to your normal self, you can’t help but listen to Luca. All your thoughts disappeared as you felt your man’s hand petting you.

“You look so adorable, and you really are fit to be a Lucub.”

You laughed at what Luca said and his bright smile made your worries fade away.

“Well… I’m your biggest fan.”

“Haha, Pog!”

From there, you and Luca played games and talked all day together along with Augustus by your side. It’s always nice to be with your number one himbo.

Lucubs are similar to lion cubs and the spitting image of Augustus. Additionally, Lucubs took an oath to work as bodyguards under the Kaneshiro mafia. They tend to be very huggable and lovable towards their owner as they really cherish him to the point they would kill everyone in the room and then themselves. Their owner may describe himself as the “mean and evil” mafia boss, but they try to prove him wrong and call him a “himbo.” Whether one is a Lucub or not, one will always ask if they are now facing the sun due to how bright his smile and personality is.

Ike Eveland:

It was an ordinary day as you cleaned out your boyfriend’s streaming room. Ike was out for the day to buy some groceries for the two of you, so you wanted to return the favor by cleaning his room. You were simply dusting his novels when suddenly a book fell off the shelf. It was an odd-looking book with an ancient design. You decided to open it, and the book glowed which then blinded your sight of vision.

After a while, you opened your eyes, and everything around you turned big from your perspective. You looked into your reflection on the marble floor and suddenly, you turned into a huge white ball of fluff with a blue feather on top. You were panicking, but you even panicked more when you heard yourself only saying small squeals and soft noises. After a small breakdown, you decided to wait for Ike to return home.

A few moments later, Ike returned a bit frustrated from driving to your shared home; however, his road rage somehow disappeared when he saw a huge white ball of fluff with a huge blue feather sticking out on top of it. The novelist pauses on his tracks and tries to have a double take if he is seeing things correctly and not just being delusional. Knowing that you cannot explain things by words, you picked up a pen and a paper to describe what happened.

“So you’re saying that you turned like this by a book from my shelf?”

You nodded apologetically while Ike picked up the same ancient book that turned you into a Quilldren. He scanned the book and then placeed it back on the shelf.

“Ah, this must belong to Shu. It says here the spell will just last for the whole day. Tomorrow, you’ll return to your own self in no time. Don’t worry too much, okay?”

As much as you wanted to speak with words, you let out sad noises and looked down on the ground. Ike sensed how you felt bad for troubling him, but it’s no trouble for him at all. He wanted you to at least cheer up, so he sat on his gaming chair and patted his lap, inviting you.

“I’ll be having my Zatsu stream today. Would you like to sit on my lap, älskling?”

Hearing those words from him made you so happy that your feather perked up in excitement. You made your way to his lap, and it felt like heaven. Ike started streaming and talked with chat about his usual day and some random topics to throw at. From time to time, your boyfriend will give you head pats and head rubs to assure you he’s there to hold you secure and safe.

The highlight of Ike’s chatting stream was when chat starting to ask for “lap rights” and he gave in after some persuasion from you and other Quilldrens. When his stream ended, Ike laughed and patted you once more.

“You and the Quilldren are a feisty bunch aren’t you? Hehe, never change, my älskling"

Quilldren come in various sizes, but they appear like fluffy cotton balls with a blue feather on top. Mostly, Quilldren can convey their feelings through their feathers similarly to a dog’s tail. These cotton balls may be endearing and sweet but won’t hesitate to bite back to their owner. Despite their different behaviors, they will unite as one to demand “lap rights” from their owner until they get what they want.

Shu Yamino:

You and Shu live together in the comfort of your shared home just chilling in each other’s presence, and you two will always help out each other. One day, he asked for your help. You were planning to do something else, but you were persuaded by your boyfriend and had to bribe you with extra food which led you in helping him with his chores.

Currently, you two are sorting out his spell books that he keeps in the basement. Most of them are collecting dust for being there for too long, so you tried your best to clean them.

"Is it really safe to keep them here? How about you just keep these books in your room?"

"I think it's safe enough as long as I don't chant or activate any spells from the books, and I can't put my spell books in my room because it doesn't fit anymore in there."

Shu smiles while you roll your eyes at the sly sorcerer. You both then get back to work, and you've finished cleaning Shu's bookshelf of spells.

"Alright! We're finally done. Now, where's the food that you promised?"

"Yeah yeah, I'll order the food you want. Just tell me what you want, and I'll order it for you."

As you two left the basement, your foot hit something from the ground and it's a thick book.

"Hmm? I think we might have missed this one. Hold on, I'll just put this back on the shelf."

"WAIT, Y/N, DON'T-"

Before you could even react, there was a glowing and blinding light inside of the basement like your whole life was flashing in your very eyes. You close your eyes for a moment, and then open it. Everything was blurry at first, but it was all clear when you looked in the mirror and you became... a banana?

"AHHHH SHU, WHY DID I BECOME A BANANA?!"

Shu also opened his eyes and saw your sudden transformation. He was silent at first, trying to process the current events unfolding before laughing so hard.

"Eyyyyy, you're a Yaminion now!"

"SHUUU!"

"Don't worry, don't worry! The effects are just temporary, you'll be just fine."

Throughout the whole day, Shu tried to compensate for what happened with a lot of your favorite comfort foods and lots of pampering. Your boyfriend does tease you from time to time though, but you don't mind as long as he keeps paying you back with food.

Yaminions take the form of bananas with stick-like arms and legs, occasionally wearing sunglasses to represent their swag. Unlike Quilldren, Yaminions are on the cooler side of things like their owner. Though they are chill, they don't experience much "fanservice." They go through means in order for their owner to give them some crumbs of affection to go throughout their day. If ever their owner would give a once in a lifetime pick-up lines, who knows what would happen to the hearts of the Yaminions.

Mysta Rias

At present, you are in Mysta’s apartment because he called you to come over. When you arrived, you saw a small note and it was written by your boyfriend, saying he had to leave urgently because of a serious investigation. At the back of his note, he added something and asked a favor to you to look out for his pets “Mystakes.” You sighed, concerned how hard he’s working, but that’s one of the reasons why you fell for him. You opened the door to Mysta’s apartment with one of his spare keys that he gave you.

Once you entered in, all of his Mystakes pounced on you. You almost tripped, but you were able to balance yourself.

“Hey, guys! Hehe, it’s nice to see you all again! Did you miss me?”

The foxes nodded happily as they helped clean Mysta’s room. Looking around at his apartment, there were boxes and some luggage lying around. You were wondering why they were packing Mysta's stuff until you remembered he was moving out to another city. As you watch them pack his things, you can't help but notice how sad they look, so you try your best to cheer them up.

"Awww, don't be sad. It's going to be alright, guys. I know you will miss him, but he says how much he loves you all. Wherever he goes, he'll always carry his Mystakes in his heart."

Some of his foxes are crying while the others are happy for him, but they just want the best for him at the end of the day. You let them process their emotions first before speaking up to give your idea.

"There are still a few days left before Mysta moves out, so better make the most of it with him and just have a blast!"

The small foxes looked at each other before looking back at you mischievously, certainly planning something in mind. This made you a bit nervous when you saw how the Mystakes kept approaching you until they threw themselves and piled on top of you.

"h-huh? w-what are you doing, guys? HEY WAIT-"

Those were the last words you uttered before chaos struck because somehow, you are now in the same physical form as them.

"I'm a Mystake?! How is this possible? Please change me back!"

Mysta's sly pets looked at you feeling proud of their work. It seems that they don't have any plans in changing you back to your original form, so you texted Mysta to just come home ASAP without telling him any details.

This led your boyfriend to get frantic when he read your message. After a while, Mysta finally returns home with a concerned expression on his face. He thought something serious had happened to you, so he ran home as fast as he could. The detective barged in the room and kept screaming your name.

"*huff* *pant* *pant* BABE?! Where are you? I tried to come home as fast as I could after receiving your text. Answer me!"

Looking now at the events before him, his face turned into a blank expression as soon as he understood the situation.

"Ah! Mysta! Thank goodness you are here. I became one of your foxes. Help me change back!"

"Ayo, they changed you into a Mystake, huh? Not surprising though since they can really pull tricks out of their sleeves."

"Will I be like this for a long time?"

"Nah, It will just last for a day. You'll be fine, trust me. I was turned into one of them, and it's not that bad."

You give him a suspicious look before trusting him and letting your boyfriend take care of you. You two, along with the Mystakes, ended up playing some games, chilling, and enjoying each other's company. It was just a usual day for Mysta streaming, but the smallest and simplest things count as precious memories.

After a day of gaming, Mysta ended the livestream and helped you prepare for bed. Even being in a form of a fox right now, Mysta didn't mind snuggling into you for the night. You two then eventually fell asleep in each other's arms.

In the morning, Mysta opened his eyes as he felt the morning light hit his eyes. When his eyes were fully opened, he saw now how you finally turned into your original human form. As much as Mysta wants to wake you up to tell you that, he held himself back to look at your peaceful figure.

Your boyfriend brushed away any strands blocking your face while whispering the words he has been keeping to himself for a long time.

"You may be one of my Mystakes, but I never made a big mistake in loving you."

Mystakes are sly and mischievous foxes who tease and joke around their detective, but their behavior represents as a sign of affection towards their beloved owner. Foxes are known to form strong bonds with their owner or to their loved ones, and Mystakes show how loyal they can be to their owner. They don't hesitate to tell their owner how comfortable they are around him until his final moments. From the start until the beginning of the end, Mystakes stood up as strong ones, wanting for their owner to be happy and live his life to the fullest.

Fin.

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

A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for reading my work and for your support >_< Sorry I took so long. This is dedicated to the boys of Luxiem, especially to our beloved detective Mysta Rias. He taught me to stay strong and keep smiling in times of hardships and difficulties. He became a part of my life that I will never forget. Mysta, wherever you are, I hope you are living the best life. I will always pray for you and your safety as you solve the next case. Good luck on your work, detective! Spread the love!

[svechnikovvv]

3 is the magic number

pairing: jamie drysdale x fem!reader

warnings: nothing but fluff

summary: jamie always did things in sets of threes and you’ve always wondered why

a/n: i’ve had this idea in my notes for a good bit

masterlist: here

jamie always did things in sets of threes. it was something that you picked up very quickly when you two began dating.

i. kisses

kisses were his favorite thing to give to you. he was a really big affectionate person. anyone could see that that was his love language.

every time before he left the house, he’d always give you kisses. claiming they were his “good-luck charm.” he’d place one on your lips—given. then one on your nose, and then one on your forehead. sometimes he’d switch the order of which he did them, but always in the same spots.

you once asked him why he never kissed you on your cheek and he simply said, “that’s something you do in middle school relationships.”

sometimes he’d kiss your forehead first, then your nose, and then your lips, simply to tease you.

jamie was about to leave the house, but then he stopped himself.

“i need my good-luck kisses, baby.” he softly pulls you to him and places a kiss on your forehead, then your nose. which, that one elicited a giggle out of you. then he placed a tender kiss on your lips, letting it linger.

“okay, now i’m good to go.” he tells you goodbye before he’s out the door and heading to his game.

ii. knocking

one thing that you and jamie both shared was a mutual respect for one another’s privacy. it was something your past relationship didn’t have much of, and when you got with jamie and he was understanding of your wishes, it shocked you.

you were lying in bed watching tv when jamie came home from practice. like clockwork, three knocks sounded through the room.

it didn’t matter that you two shared the room, he always knocked.

“come in!” the bedroom door opens and jamie walks in, looking tired. however, he smiles when he sees you all cuddled up under the covers. he walks over to you and leans down, pressing a kiss on your forehead, then your nose, and finally your lips.

“how was practice?” he takes a seat on the edge of the bed, huffing out a sigh.

“missed you the whole time.”

“you’re such a softie, drysdale.”

“for you? always.”

iii. holding hands

as established before, jamie loved physical touch. other than kisses, his favorite form of showing you affection was holding your hand. he didn’t care who looked at him or took a picture, he was proud to call you his and show you off.

he was holding your hand as you made a target run together and he squeezed it three times. something you’ve noticed he does. you never knew why he did it, but he did.

you honestly never knew why he did any of the things he does in threes, but you loved it about him.

“jaim?” you slightly swing you guys’ hands back and forth as you walk through the store. “why do you always do things in threes?”

“what do you mean?” his brows furrow at your question.

“every time you knock, you knock three times. never more, never less. your kisses; you always give me three. and when we’re holding hands you’ll squeeze mine three times. is there your lucky number?” his face heats up slightly

“there’s more to it than you think, but i’ll tell you when we get home.” you give him a nod and the two of you continue shopping.

you arrive home soon and put all the groceries away and you and jamie are lounging on the couch, you cuddled up into his side.

“want to know why i do everything in threes?” you nod against his chest and sit up to face him.

“it because, i know we haven’t said it yet, but i love you. i do. and i wasn’t sure if we were at that stage in our relationship, so i just did things in threes because ‘i love you’ is three words. to show you that i do love you without saying it.” you internally melt at his words and cup his face, giving him a sweet kiss.

“jamie drysdale, i love you.” he smiles wide and laughs, pulling you into another kiss.

“say it again,” he whispers.

“say what?” you ask, feigning confusion, and he rolls his eyes before you smile and repeat the phrase.

“i love you. i love you, i love you, i love you.” you peck his face with a kiss after every time you say it and he can’t stop smiling.

“i love you. more than anything in this world.”

“more than top gun?” he chuckles and nods

“more than top gun.”

tags: @jackhues @jackhughesily

a/n: i love jamie drysdale <3

[sylvanian-cat]

𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐧 | 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐

masterlist!

Disclaimer - This part is still apart of the second chapter, I just wasn’t able to copy and paste the whole thing in one post so I had to break it into two parts. Please read Chapter 2 in order to understand this section. This is not a third chapter. The full version can be found on my Wattpad - sylvanian_cat.

PAIRING - Daniel Larusso x Reader

TAGS: Friend to lovers, kissing, violence but only hitting and punching, karate kid, angst, fluff, characters fall in love, heartbreak, characters break up, happy ending, slow burn

SUMMARY: Waking up in Daniel’s arms is quite alarming, even on your first day of meeting each other. But the only thing even more alarming than that scenario are the bruises and cuts that litter his face.

When you woke up, the first thing that you could feel was the tapping of a finger against your plush thigh.

The action was small and once your eyes fluttered open, the first thing that came into your vision was Daniel's smooth and soft face smiling at you with a sleepy but happy smile, a smile that scrunched his nose and turned his eyes into the shape of little crescent moons.

Your body sluggishly started to get up and your hands reached to rub the sleep out of your eyes.

"Daniel...where are we." your words were lazily slowly streaming out of your mouth. To be honest, you didn't truly care where you were, you knew that with Daniel you most likely would have been safe. But the only thing you could truly focus on right now was the ache of your legs and the punctuating strain that was very much prominent in your neck.

You twisted your neck side to side hoping it would relieve the tension. Both of your hands were still resting on Daniel's back and as your mind started to clear, you looked around and realized you two were both back at the entrance of the apartment complex.

You turned back to meet Daniel in the eye and he was still giving you that terribly cute sleepy smile.

Did you fall asleep on your way here? You must've had to there was no other possible explanation.

Oh gosh...you hope you didnt drool on Daniel and now he thinks you're a weird freak who enjoys canoodling inappropriately on peoples backs!

"Daniel, I um, I'm so sorry that I slept on the way here. I totally forgot that you still needed directions to the apartment and it was inappropriate me to lay myself on your back like that. I uh, I know your personal space must have been disrupted and-"

His comforting words cut off your ramble with his own and he now turned so that his stomach was now facing you. His hands were now cupping your elbows, just as the first time you two had met,  and his eyes held a tired but sympathetic warmth in them. His charming grin was now replaced with a small lipped smile.

"Hey hey hey, don't sweat it, it's alright. And- I let you sleep on me on purpose because on the bike ride coming back, I knew how tired you were and I didn't want to wake you. Besides, I'm a big boy. Sooner or later I'm gonna have to figure my way around this city anyways"

he playfully rolled his eyes and he held that charming grin again. The words that were coming out of his mouth were like a soft warm blanket on a cold night, a warm soup on a rainy day. Of course he would understand, why did you expect any less from him?

You must've dazed off from paying so close attention to every little detail of his gaze that you once you started to come too, his hands were now pulling you up from the bike by your wrists and you two were now heading upstairs to apartment 15-your apartment.

Once you two arrived at your door, you noticed that he was still holding your wrist with his warm hand, he turned to face you and suddenly, you remembered all about needing to patch him up.

"Oh...Daniel come inside. I still want to treat that erm, black eye of yours..."

He let go of your wrist and you put your focus onto quickly unlocking your door as fast as you could. You still were unaware about how Daniel felt about coming inside your home and you didn't want to scare him away so quickly right now, not when he was so close to entering your apartment.

"Y/n it's kinda late don't you think... I don't um, I don't wamna bother you. I saw how tired you were just a few minutes ago and I think it's best if you get to bed..."

Oh no, he wanted to leave and you knew it. But you didn't really care what he wanted right now because right now, it was best if you just took him inside and got him fixed up.

You made a small exasperated noise. "No no Daniel it's fine, really. Let me just put some treatment on those cuts of yours and you'll be out of here in no time. I promise!"

He made a small sigh and gave you a small pat on your back, as to not want to worry you any further.

Once you unlocked your door, you quickly, but very quietly, led him inside.

As you tried to silently close your door in an attempt to not wake your parents, Daniel stood there waiting for you; looking around and observing your house with his eyes.

You took his wrist and you placed your pointer finger on your mouth, giving him a signal to be quiet. He nodded his head in agreement and you both started making your way around the apartment to your room.

You didn't realize how intimate it was being in your room , your room where you expressed your thoughts, your room where you cried and laughed and slept. You started to feel a little self conscious. What if he thought you two were moving too fast? Maybe he thinks this is insane and wants to bolt right out of here?

Trying desperately to ignore your overbearing worrisome thoughts, you made a silent command to Daniel to sit on your bed.

Of course, he sat there. And the sight was quite funny. He looked like a bull in a China shop, a zebra in a tropical island.

Comfortably there but comfortably out of place.

His shoulders were uncomfortably tight and as if he was trying to avoid eye contact, he kept glancing around, looking over and observing your room.

You sneakily made your way to your bathroom and quickly gathered all your supplies you needed; band aids, ointments, and creams you would all apply on Daniel's poor bruised and scratched up face.

"Are you real sure you need all that? Please y/n,  I really don't wanna bother you" Daniel's tone was a bit sluggish, he must've been as tired as you were right now.

"Please Daniel let me do this. You're already here so there's no point in leaving now."

You didn't want to come off as too commanding but right now, you were too tired to argue with him so honestly, it didn't really matter what your voice sounded like.

He sat there silently as you stared to apply an ointment on his cuts. Occasionally, he would wince in pain of pinch his thigh when he felt as of the pain was too overbearing.

Finally, it came to the big part. The huge purple black eye covering most of his right eye.

"Daniel, I'm going to put some cream on it then cover it with a bandage. This is gonna hurt so please, try your best to not move around too much." You pleaded with an almost worried tone.

He gave an almost exasperated mumble under his breath. "Yes Ms Doctor.Y/n" he almost cutely putted out of his lips then turned his focus to an aimless area in your room.

As you started applying the cream and ointment, he would huss and whine in pain. Sometimes, he would even swiftly grab your wrist when the pain felt too much.

His eyes were squeezed shut and his mouth was in a tight, lipped line. "Where did you um-argh-where did you learn to do this-ow."

You tried to hold off your laughter from the silly noises he was making. "I learned it from my family friend, Mr. Miyagi. He lives in the apartment complex here but one day I came up the stairs, leaping with a scratched up knee and he saw me and put this foamy liquid on it. I asked him how he managed to do it and he showed me all of his medical miracles." You mumbled the last part of your words, you didn't want to seem like a mumbler. And you felt as if you didn't need to tell him a lot about Mr.Miyagi anyways because he was probably going to one way or another meet him.

As you finished applying the ointment, you started covering the huge bruise with a large cotton bandage.

"His medical miracles huh? I guess maybe next time Johnny and his entourage come back and kick my ass again, I should just come back running to you." His right eye was squinting from the large bandage you were still applying and he was holding that cheeky grin again.

You made an almost playfully annoyed face. "Well maybe there won't be a next time if you stop interfering with Johnny and his said "entourage". Your face was showing signs of teasing but your words held hints of malice in them.

It was true, Daniel wouldn't be here, sitting on your bed, being aided by you in the middle of the night. And you wouldn't be here, standing in front of Daniel playing doctor if he just avoided Johnny and Ali's situation. He shouldn't have been trying to play Ali's knight and shining armor, her savior while Johnny was around.

But you guessed it truly didn't matter. It was stupid of him to jump in like that but it showed his immense courage and his need to help others. That was the only part of him you enjoyed during that whole fiasco.

He bubbled out a sigh and as you finally finished the last piece of bandage, he slowly got up, almost as if he was an old man, and stabilized himself by propping himself up with his hands behind his back.

He gave you a warm smile and his eyes were back to looking tired again. "Thank you y/n. I know I already told you this but I'm glad you're my friend. I know it's cliche but... it's fine." His grin was now slightly lopsided, but yours must've been too. You were both feeling the effects of lack of sleep.

"It's alright Daniel. Anytime, I promise if you get hurt like this again you can come see me. But let's hope there's not a next time where we have to be in this same position again."

You held out your pinky finger and for a split second, he looked slightly puzzled until he gave you a cheeky smile and tightly interlocked his pinky with yours.

You led him out the door and watched for a couple of seconds as he continued to limp toward his doorstep and entered his apartment. You wanted to make sure he got there safely..

As quickly as you possibly could, you got ready for bed and almost leaped onto your mattress if it wasn't for your parents sleeping in the next room.

Even though you took that peaceful nap on Daniel's back, you knew a 15 minute rest break could not compare to the peace of a full 8hr sleep.

Before your body could even dwell into a state of peace and serenity, a sudden thought that the next following day would officially be the day when Summer break ended and school started.

You weren't quite sure if you felt pleased about the new school year. Angry, heartbroken, or anxious. Maybe all of the above was what you were feeling right now. But the only thing you knew for sure was that there was this small feeling inside your chest silently hoping that Daniel Larusso would be able to accompany you in this long, long school year.

[mintchanniemint]

≫ A stolen frappuccino, a stolen kiss.

pairing: Lee Minho x (fem) reader wordcount: ~3.3k -fluff, it gets a bit chaotic lmaoo

It’s a lazy afternoon, you luckily got a day off and it was quite surprising that it wasn’t raining, since the weather has been quite cold and cloudy for the past few days. You were cleaning around your apartment, your phone on the kitchen counter as you left a random playlist filling the place, becoming the background music to your chores. You were quite absorbed, holding the broom as if it was your mic, when suddenly the hook of the song got interrupted by a loud ring and buzz– someone’s calling you. You snort, walking closer to the counter, peeping at the screen of your phone. Minho is calling. You let it ring a few more seconds, before he would decide to end the call, and pick up, clicking quickly on the speaker button.

-Hello?–

-Why does it always take you so long to pick up!

-Yeah, it’s really a great day, isn’t it? What do you want, I have a lot of stuff to do–

-Oh, c’mon. We both have a day off, let’s go somewhere! It’s so sunny outside, let’s go to that one cafe close to the park.

-But Minho–

-I’ll come pick you up in… fifteen minutes? I don’t care what you wear, you look like you’re in your pajamas no matter what anyway.

You gasp at his comment, making him giggle in response. You agree to the meeting, quickly ending the call and sighing.

-What a guy…- you mumble to yourself as you finish sweeping the floor before heading to your room and changing into a pretty cozy outfit. No matter what you’d wear, you knew Minho would have shot a random sarcastic comment just to irritate you, before complimenting you properly.

Since you were quite used, at this point, to his antics, you mastered the ability to get ready in no time. You just grab your bag when suddenly, an insufferable knocking starts at your door.

-Just a second, Minho! I’m ready, stop it— You whine loudly, as you quickly approach the door and open it, welcoming him: his soft, purple dyed hair is a bit messy but looks cute anyway. You notice he started wearing more dangling earrings after you once said that they looked quite good on an actor you saw on TV. His T-shirt was hidden behind a warm, burgundy hoodie and he looked even cozier than you did–

-As I said, you look like you just woke up.

-Thank you, Minho, you’re always filling me with compliments. He grins and nods, satisfied at your reaction, and follows you as you walk outside, closing the door of your place behind his back. 

The drive wasn’t too long, the two of you were singing along to the songs playing on the radio, sometimes interrupting the singing to curse at other drivers, sometimes making up silly radio ads whenever one was playing.

You arrive at the cafe, the usual one, the one where you either spent desperate evenings preparing for exams in university, or where failed dates happened– you had to admit, though, that going there with Minho started to make you associate happier moments with it. You sit at the usual table, next to the glass window, having a pretty view of the park right in front of the cafe. You order your usual, you were in the mood for some cookie frappuccino, and this time Minho copied your choice, too. You look at him, raising an eyebrow.

-The first order that arrives is mine.

-Minho, they most likely will arrive at the same time.

-Same thing, same thing. 

You shake your head, not able to stop a smile from appearing on your lips, and you look away, your eyes focusing on the pink trees that are adorning the nearby park, not able to notice how piercing Minho’s eyes are, looking at every single feature of your face. Your orders arrive, of course he had to pretend that both drinks were for him, then make you choose which one you wanted and, once you picked a random one out of the two (they are, again, the same exact order) he acted all dramatic, as if you stole his order.

-You’re so silly, sometimes.

-Mh, I guess that’s my charm.- he winks at you as he takes a sip from his drink.

-Is it, though?- you fire back, as you start tasting your drink as well.

You spent nearly an hour, if not more, in that cafe. You chatted about your job, his job, and how lucky it was for the two of you to have a day off on the same day. You had to admit you were quite happy to see him again, although you talk nearly every single day, it feels like the last time you saw each other was barely a day ago.

-Okay, I have an announcement- he interrupts your train of thoughts, sighing loudly and playing with the straw in his drink. You look at him, already trying to predict what he would say.

-I am really, tremendously, bored. We have to go somewhere else before I order another five of these drinks.-

Of course, of course he’s bored. 

-Minho, you were the one that decided to come here.

-Yup, I sure was! And I’m the one that decides that it’s now time to go!

-Go where, though? Are we going home already?

-Aw, “already”? Darling, just say you love my company so much! I won’t get offended by that!- he giggles, dramatically resting his hand on his cheek, as he looks away, pretending to be shy.

-Pft, stop it. Let’s go, then.- you fight the urge to throw your bag at him before you stand up and leave the cafe with him.

-Oh, those trees are so pretty, give me a second– I need to take a picture!- he gets his phone and quickly snaps a few shots of the park. You look at him, smiling, and can’t help but try to ruin his pics by photobombing, either by throwing peace signs or jumping right in front of him.

-Stop, you’re ruining it!- he whines, frowning and looking at you, shaking his head in fake disappointment. You stick out your tongue at him and shrug before you pull on his arm.

-Let’s go somewhere else, though… You made me leave so quickly I don’t wanna go back and do chores.

-See, just say I saved you earlier!- you hit his arm lightly, and look around while walking with him right next to you.

-Oh, wait. Let’s go there, then?- he points at a store on the other side of the street.

Arcade Games Station

-Why not! Let’s go, Minho, let’s go!- your eyes sparkle at the thought of playing some of your favourite games, though when you enter you’re welcomed by new arcade cabinets you’ve never seen before.

-Why did your energy fade so quickly, what– he comments as he stands right next to you, checking all the various games in the room. 

-You like rhythm games, right? Let’s go try that one! It looks like it could give me an epileptic fit with all those colours so I guess that’s one of those games you like.-

You elbow him in the arm because of his comment. Sure, you did like arcade games and you admit you used to neglect your studies by spending an inhuman amount of time at the local arcade games station playing rhythm games, yet you didn’t want your legacy to be that.

You have to be honest, though, and admit that the game he pointed out did, infact, look like something you’d play. You’ve never seen it before, but it looked really cute: you could choose the cute anime idol to be in your team and even see the whole group dancing throughout the whole song! How cute is th–

-Can you stop staring at it? I’m gonna get you a coin, I got it.- Minho taps on your shoulder, destroying once again your wall of thoughts that slowly built in your mind. You shake your head, thank him and walk in front of the arcade cabinet. You’re not familiar with the system, though, the buttons are all around the screen so, the wisest choice was to surely start with a song in Easy Mode.

Minho quickly walks close to you, his eyes examining the colourful, cutesy screen right in front of him nearly stunning him. You didn’t mind him too much, you got the coin and inserted it, being now able to play. You looked at every idol and chose one with purple hair, realising that she had a way-too-cute way of talking, ending all of her sentences with a meow-like sound. 

-This is hurting me.-

-Minho, which song should I choose? They all sound so good–

-Let me do this.- he pushes you aside, his hand now on where yours was just a few seconds ago. He plays just two seconds of each song, mumbling random comments until he accidentally changes the difficulty of the songs.

-No, hey Minho, I don’t know this game so go back to Easy Mode!

-Hey, hey. Take it easy, darling, I’m just looking!

You start bickering with each other: Minho does not move from his spot, he actually starts checking the higher difficulties sections, going through all the songs, without even letting the previews play properly. You sigh desperately, and accidentally elbow his arm.

“Okay, let’s go meow!~”

Minho and you look at each other, horror gradually filling your faces. None of you dare to talk, you just– look at each other, the cutesy energetic beat playing in the background as Minho’s eyes slowly fill with desperation.

-Minho what… what did you choose– you catch a glimpse of the screen before it fades to black, the words “Expert mode!♡” in bright orange are burning your eyes. The screen is now on loading mode, those few seconds were long enough to let despair spread between you and Minho.

-This is your fault!- he complains, laughing a bit too nervously.

-What do you mean my fault! If it wasn’t for you checking the Expert Mode, I would have finished four songs already!

-You elbowed me, though!

-Not on purpose!

“Are you ready, meow?♡”

-Do I look like I’m ready?!- you yell at the screen, obviously going through it.

-Okay, okay calm down. Uhm… you’re the expert here, how do you play?- he tries to click some of those big white buttons but nothing happens, only a faint tambourine sound playing at each press.

-I… I have no idea!

-What?!

“Everyone, let’s go, meow! Five… Four…♡”

The two of you have always been quite tight-fisted. Although one coin wasn’t that expensive, it was still money and it couldn’t go to waste.

“Three…♡”

-Minho, you play those buttons, I play these–

“Two…!♡”

-I could leave you do everything by yourself, though, since you were the one that kicked me so violently and–

-Oh no, no. You’re already changing the narrative! 

-It’s your fault, though!

-Whatever, whatever! The song won’t take too long so just… focus on those buttons!

“One…!♡”

-I want something in return to this, since I’m also the one who paid!

-Sure, whatever you want! Why do you have to be so annoying at times like this just shut up–

“Here we go meow!♡”

-Okay then, I want a kiss.

You didn’t have enough time to process his words because the song started playing and you had to do your bestest best to clear the level. It probably lasted less than two minutes, but it felt like that game sucked nearly four years of your life. 

-Oh well, we did it.- Minho stretches his arms, checking the bright screen in front of him. You are at an arcade games station, so why is it feeling like you just worked out for a whole forty minutes?!

-At least it wasn’t an instant game over, that’s good.

-Let’s see who other weirdo decided to try this song.

-No need to check the rank list, I doubt we’re in anyway… I couldn’t keep a combo to save my life! All those years of rhythm games… for what?- you sigh, dramatically, while Minho was furiously tapping on the menu buttons.

-Just let me add a name, we’re 18th in the rank, but look! We beat whoever this “Dwaekki” dude is. Pft, by one point! Bet the guy is gonna be so mad at this, heh.

-How the hell can you get competitive with someone you don’t even know…

-Yeah, yeah. Next game, you pay! Give me some money, we need more coins! More coins!

-Sure, sure, here. I guess this will be enough.- You give him your coin purse and look at him walking to the exchange machine. His eyes move from the screen in front of him to you for a split second: he just smirks, raises his eyebrows and looks back at the machine, leaving you blushing a bit and looking away out of embarrassment. Dork. He comes back and drags you to one of the car racing games cabinet. 

-You’re gonna eat my dust this time.

-Says the one who doesn’t even have a license–

-Shut it! You know I have it.

-Oh, right, my bad: the one who has a license but always makes me drive her around.

-Gosh you’re so annoying.- he laughs and hands you a coin, wishing you good luck before the two of you start choosing characters and cars and get ready for the race. Silence falls between the two of you, so focused on your game, the synthwave music filling your ears as you skillfully drive past the other players. You notice you overtook Minho and you smile, proud of that little achievement.  The lapses were done quickly, and, as you predicted, you came in first.

-Woohoo, I won! Eat my dust, eat my dust, eat my dust!

-Yeah, it was just luck, don’t worry, I’ll get my revenge soon!

-I have to claim my reward first, though!

-Wait, when did we start doing this?

-You started, silly. I want to take some photos at the purikura photo booth later!- you point at the photobooth in the corner, a bit far from where you are, and then point at Minho. He looks at it and sighs.

-But isn’t it expensive? That’s like… eleven coins…

-So what? If we gotta spend the whole day here, we have to take at least some cute pics! I don’t care, we’re doing it later!- you smile at him and drag him around, trying some more games together and challenging each other.

You had so much fun you didn’t even realise it was nearly evening. You’re starting to feel a bit cold, the light spring breeze is now quite freezing. Minho, noticing how you were shivering like a leaf, leaves his jacket on your shoulder, covering your eyes with the hoodie. You accept it and wear it, fixing your hair with your fingers.

-Okay, you might be annoying as hell, but I had a lot of fun. Thanks, Minho.

-Mh mh… say it better!- he shakes his head, his hand now right in front of you, mimicking some sort of mouth. He tries not to laugh, suggesting he is most likely going to do something stupid. He starts opening and closing his hand, clears his throat a few times before starting to talk in a really high-pitched voice.

-Thank you so much, Minho, for making me leave my own hideout during such a pretty and sunny day, and for being absolutely amazing, fun, entertaining and– You blow a raspberry at him in response, interrupting him. A giggle leaves your mouth as you drag him closer to the photobooth, your pinkie locking with his. You insert the coins, hearing Minho sighing dramatically, and enter the booth: as expected, there’s not enough space so you find yourself sitting on his lap. You look at the instructions on the screen, skipping everything as you’re quite familiar with it, and decide to go for six photos in total. The robotic voice starts the countdown for the first picture.

-Okay, smile!!- you look at the camera, excited, and close your eyes as a wide smile paints your lips. Minho takes the chance and decides to sign bunny ears right behind your head.

-Oh, now the second one!- he giggles and, hurried by the countdown, pokes your cheek. You laugh and poke his, too. 

-Okay, another one!

-Hey, Minho.- you smile, your hand now caressing his cheek, inviting him to get his face closer to yours. You did catch him a bit off guard, but he didn't want to make it that obvious. His soft lips are curved in a light, gentle smile, his eyes are half closed, as if he’s anticipating that moment. He did ask for a kiss earlier, so you assumed the best moment to give him that reward would be now.

The countdown for the third shot starts, and at the last second, you pull him closer, letting your lips meet in a soft, gentle kiss. You could feel your cheeks getting warmer and warmer, Minho’s hand now gently stroking your cheek, the fourth countdown starting for another photo.

-Silly.- he mumbles, a smirk not able to leave his lips, his cheeks probably as red as yours. You can’t even process such a pretty image you had right in front of you, the fourth photo was already taken. 

-Gosh, I’m gonna look absolutely ugly in that one!- you whine, and try to pose cutely for the fifth one. Minho laughs, now jokingly keeping you in a headlock and ruffling your hair.

-Minho!- you scold him and laugh at the same time, before you could say anything else, his warm lips were gently pressing on your cheek. Click. Last photo taken.

You leave the booth, now checking the screen in order to edit the photos you just took. They were a complete mess, but it was fun. You two took the tablet pens to doodle on the pics: you started by adding little evil horns on Minho on the first pic, while he scribbled a “stupid!!” followed by an arrow, pointing at you. You moved to the fourth one: you had your eyes closed, Minho a really stupid smirk on his face. It was right after you kissed him, you could feel your heart beating so fast as you look at it again, and shyly add some cute blushing lines on both of your faces. You finish with the doodling and you each get a copy of the photos taken. You leave, the fresh breeze gently caressing your warm face, your hands now in the pockets of Minho’s jacket you're still wearing. 

-The day flew by.

-It sure did, Minho. 

-And–

-Do not start with the bragging!- you jokingly kick his leg.

-Oh, no, she’s now anticipating my moves! This is dangerous.

-Shut up, silly.-

-My bad, my bad. Wanna go grab a bite somewhere?

-Or maybe we can order something and eat at my place?

-Oh, whatever the lady wants!- he winks at you, smiling.

-Pft, okay, okay. The lady asks for your company for dinner, then.

-Oh, that’d be an honour, reall–

-And for a drive!

-Look, here we go again, you taking advantage of me, as always!- he laughs, trying to keep a dramatic act, following you as you walk back to his car.

-Shut up and drive me home!- you laugh, holding his hand as you walk across the street. 

Yep, you did spend a great day with him. And you were so grateful that you could share such little moments with him. Your fingers gently intertwine with his, and he leaves a gentle kiss on your forehead before he gets in the car. 

-Make sure to choose what to order already! Or we’re gonna starve for hours before you make up your mind.- he jokingly scolds you, as he turns on the engine.

-Oh, stop it!

[parad-ice-lostandfound]

Replaced MC AU: Alternate Ending to Breaking of the Pacts

Prompt:

Pairing: NA

Genre: Angst

TW: Mc is not nice :(

You stared at the cup of hot chocolate that Luke had whipped up for you. Diavolo sat on the chair in front of you, while Barbatos stood aside, waiting for you to consider what he had just said.

“Y-you want me to-”

“Pardon my insolence my dear MC, but I think it would be the best course of action right. Removing pacts is a permanent process, and one that must not be done so hastily, without thinking everything through,” Barbatos said, bowing slightly. Even through his mask of formality, you could see that he truly cared about you. No, you knew everyone in the room cared about you.

You nodded. “Very well. I wish to leave Devildom.”

That was five years ago. Now, as you stood in your breath-taking outfit in front of the mirror, you marveled at how far you’d come.

After you’d left the Devildom, Solomon had taken you under his wing as his apprentice. You became adept in magic, your magical signature rivalling the sorcerer’s in sheer power and magnificence. Luke and Simeon had also been a major help, the former having mentioned you to Michael when he met him. You had even been to the Celestial Realm, where you had the privilege of meeting the Seven Holy Virtues, the counterparts of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Your natural charm and strong sense of right and wrong led to the Virtues making covenants with you, after getting permission from the Heavenly Father of course. Covenants were similar, yet quite different from pacts. For one, they didn’t have physical markings, but rings that could change their appearance as and when required. The requirements for using those rings and as an extension, the power of the angels themselves were the same as that of the pacts. And you swore to never misuse them, knowing full well that you’d keep your promise.

All through this, you had not once used the power of the pacts you had with the demons, determined to make yourself powerful without their help.

As you made some last minute adjustments to your outfit, you were reminded of how one of Solomon’s experiments ended up lengthening your lifespan. You weren’t ensnared by the chains of immortality like the sorcerer, but rather you were made to hard to kill. That had come in handy while dealing with witches and supernatural beings who tried to harm you as a means to hurt the sorcerer. You were basically invincible, a bridge that now connected the Three Realms. Solomon often joked that you were now the monarch of the Human Realm, even if other humans were unaware of it.

“MC, are you ready?” Solomon’s voice rung through, pulling you from your daydreaming session. Glancing at the mirror one last time, you nodded. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

Lucifer only talked with Diavolo and Barbatos at the party, keeping an eye on his brothers as well. He was quite curious as to why Diavolo had insisted on having his brothers accompany them to a party in the Human Realm. The party was thrown every 5 years by supernatural beings as a means to form new diplomatic relations. Usually, it would only be him, Barbatos and Diavolo coming up to the Human Realm, but when the Prince basically ordered him to get his brothers as well, he was surprised.

Lucifer made sure that his brothers were all in his vicinity, so that they wouldn’t get in trouble, but he couldn’t help but feel restless.

Lucifer

Just what exactly is going on?, the prideful demon thought to himself, Barbatos’ slightly chipper attitude not going unnoticed by him. As the doors to the ball room opened once more, indicating the arrival of new people, silence fell across the room. Garnet eyes flew over to the doors, inspecting the new arrivals as a low murmur of voices started up again. He could hardly believe his eyes when you walked in, hand-in-hand with the sorcerer he remembered pestering him for a pact during his stay in Devildom. “MC…?”

Lucifer was left gaping at the change in you, who had become considerably stronger than the last time he saw you.

Almost as if you had heard him, your eyes met Lucifer’s. You were different, Lucifer noted, different than the last time he saw you. He watched as you made your way to Diavolo, not glancing at him or his

brothers even once. You carried yourself with an air of establishment, like you had achieved something no one ever had. “Hello MC,” Diavolo greeted you, Lucifer’s heart clenching in his chest when you gave the prince a soft smile, the same soft smile you would have given him and his brothers 5 years ago.

Mammon

Mammon had not noticed your arrival until he heard Diavolo greet you. He turned swiftly, eyes widening when he saw that it was indeed you, and not a figment of his imagination. “MC!” he called out to you, your eyes flitting to him. He watched as the surprise in your eyes quickly turned into something cold, something horrible. “It’s… a pleasure to see you again, Avatar of Greed,” you said in the politest tone you could muster, not having forgotten how he had betrayed you 5 years ago.

Mammon’s heart was crushed at the cold tone of your voice, the words like a dagger to his heart.

Levi

Levi shied away from you, your powerful aura and the way you carried yourself so different from the person he had known. “H-henry, you’ve changed…” he muttered, flinching slightly when you replied, “But of course, Avatar of Envy. A person can change a lot in 5 years.”

Levi internally berated himself for upsetting you, and mourned for the loss of his Henry, his true friend.

Satan

Satan could feel the poorly concealed rage in you bubbling at the sight of him and his brothers. Of course you would be angry at them. If it were him in your shoes, he would have been much more curt and disrespectful. However, he was not one to lose hope. With Lucifer left tongue-tied, I guess it’s up to me to de-escalate the situation, he thought as he said, “MC, could I talk to you, alone?”

Your temper flared at his honeyed voice. “If there’s anything you wish to say to me, I prefer if it were to be said here, in front of everyone.”

Satan was left at a loss for words, and you internally smirked at your victory.

Asmo

Asmo recoiled at your words. The Avatar of Lust could almost feel the venom dripping off of each word you said, each syllable sharp as a dagger. He watched as your eyes fell on him. Never had he been as terrified of a human as he was now. Even Lucifer’s anger didn’t hold a candle to the way you were glaring at him. “MC…” he started, the tilt of your eyebrow compelling him to continue, “I- I’m terribly sorry for what happened that day. I should have-”

Your chuckling cut him off, a weird and uncomfortable feeling growing in his gut as you looked at him with what he could only describe as pure hatred with a twinge of regret that disappeared as fast as it arrived. “You shouldn’t be. After all, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. And thanks to what you said that day, as well as your brothers failing to stand up for me, I am now more powerful than I ever thought I’d be.”

Beel

Beel watched in discomfort and sadness as you said those words to Asmo. Why hadn’t he stood up for you that day, he asked himself, the plate of food in his hand no longer appealing to him. “MC, c-could you please let us make it up to you?”

Your eyes softened considerably as they landed on Beel, but you couldn’t forget that day. “If you break a vase once and glue the pieces back together, it’ll never be the same. So even if you try to make it up to me, I wouldn’t be able to trust any of you as unconditionally as I did before,” you explained, watching as the demon’s shoulders sagged in resignation.

Belphie

Belphie silently watched the entire thing. He could care less about his older brothers, but what you said to Beel was unforgiveable in his eyes. As you turned to greet some nobility, he said, “I miss the person you used to be.”

You stilled momentarily, turning back slightly to give him a sly smile as you replied. “Many will.” You reveled in the shocked faces around you, continuing after a moment’s pause, “They were easier to kill.”

[furbygoblinxiv]

So I made a quick oneshot (and accompanying sketch) to get back into the swing of Writing Things, which I've called The Quest For Monster Energy. Featuring three peak lords (tired doctor Mu Qingfang, eccentric brew master Zhang Qingyan, and definitely-not-suspicious logistician Shang Qinghua) coming together to make an energy drink concoction akin to Monster Energy in order to stay awake and complete their tasks.

(I definitely lifted the brewing peak lord name and the beast keeping peak name from this @/tossawary post: https://tossawary.tumblr.com/post/649140398750580736/im-sorry-this-feels-real-weird-but-i-love because Convenience and they've said it's fine before)

Nothing with shipping, nothing explicit or mature, just 4k words of "what if a Victorian child got a hold of monster energy" vibes:

Mu Qingfang had a quest, and once a month, there was a meeting to try to fulfill it.

Shang Qinghua, punctual as ever, was the first to arrive at Mu Qingfang's leisure house right at dusk. With as much time as he spent in the clinic or his personal lab, it was the least used – and thus least cluttered – of the small group's houses. The disciples who cleaned it twice a day were there more than he was, some weeks.

"Shang-shixiong, it is a pleasure as always," Mu Qingfang greeted as the other man sat down and began to unload various small pouches onto the table, next to where Mu Qingfang had already set an assortment of jars. One package had blood splatter on it, which Mu Qingfang ignored. "Has that pain reliever this one sent over worked well for you?"

Shang Qinghua flexed his wrist as he set the last package down, showing off his mobility. "Worked like a charm! No more stiffness or carpal tunnel here!" He grinned, which in the dim lighting, gave an almost menacing appearance when paired with his eye bags and mustache. "How late do you wanna bet Zhang-shimei gets here?"

Zhang Qingyan, lord of the Zui Xian peak of brewing and alchemists, had an unfortunate tendency to lose track of time. She wasn't often intentionally late (ignoring occasions where she was being petty, at least), Mu Qingfang just knew first hand that her laboratory had many small timers yet no overall time keeper. She once claimed that it was just a distraction, whatever that meant.

"I suppose it depends on if she had another chemical explosion," Mu Qingfang responded. "And if she decides to stick around afterwards and clean it, or if she just delegated it onto-"

"HELLOOOO!" Came a cry as the door slammed open, cutting the doctor off.

Zhang Qingyan, one for less propriety than even Shang Qinghua at times, made her grand appearance as if the entire front half of her body was not covered in soot and her hair was not burnt at the ends. Mu Qingfang was only a little shocked she wasn't fully covered, and also wasn't showing up even later. He’d almost call this early for her.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, there was an explosion in the lab again and I had to assign disciples to sort out the mess before I could arrive," she explained as she dropped into her spot at the table and began removing bottles from her bag. "It was necessary to work until the last moment to ensure I was fully prepared for this meeting." With a grin, she removed the last, and largest bottle from her bag. It had a glowing orange liquid in it.

"How are your disciples?" Mu Qingfang inquired politely, though he couldn't tear his eyes away from the strange glow of the bottles that she was sorting on the table.

"The same as always, I suppose! The younger ones have broken a record this year on glass vial breaks, and I caught one of my inner disciples in the middle of a challenge to lick acid yesterday, so they're coming along nicely." She had an eccentric yet caring attitude towards her disciples. If asked, Mu Qingfang knew she'd say she's proud of their tenacity and willingness to test new things. It's part of why she tended to try out new experimental potions on herself as opposed to them the way her predecessor had.

Mu Qingfang wished his lack of student experiments were for the same reason, but his was less out of compassion and more because he couldn’t seem to keep the same group of inner disciples for a long enough period of time to even try to experiment on them. It would be a valuable learning experience for them! They loved being the experimenter, but an important part of being a medic was fully understanding the effects of things! Unfortunately, the moment he thought to ask who would like to test out experimental medicines or new qi blocking techniques, half of them would leave the mountains for personal study or to become an assistant to a specialized peak elder instead. His head disciple refused to even potentially be taken out of commission after lasting this long, and the outer disciples had learned to avoid him when he spent too long on his research.

It was fine, he was okay with going through official channels for human experiments, the slower ones that disciples could opt into for experience. And when that wasn’t an option, well, then he turned to personal experimentation.

"Are they still making a game of sneaking into the alcohol storage cellar?" Shang Qinghua asked, as if he had never done that as a disciple with only Mu Qingfang as an accidental witness. He would have gotten away unseen had Mu Qingfang not been sent there on a dare by his shixiongs for the same purpose.

"With those talismans and arrays that Shang-shixiong helped me with, the new challenge is just finding the cellar in the first place." With a dramatic eye roll, she finally finished sorting the bottles the way she liked. "And you'd be surprised how much that's deterred them."

Shang Qinghua shook his head. "Kids these days know nothing of sleuthing and sneaking," he declared, Zhang Qingyan nodding along.

Mu Qingfang just wished that disciples would stop getting black out drunk and falling off their swords before they even had fully developed brains.

"Enough about the children though!" Zhang Qingyan said. "They're cleaning up the results of my latest and greatest creation! This should act as the perfect base for our concoction," she said, dramatically gesturing to the literal glowing bottle in front of her. "These other bottles are other chemicals and potions that may complement the mixture well. What have you all brought to the table?"

Mu Qingfang gestured to the jars of herbs and small monster parts in front of him. "Since last month, my experiments have shown that Leeching Three Eyed Serpent eyeballs have positive effects on energy and awareness. As well as that, some variants of the herbs I have been cultivating in my gardens have shown enhanced energy signatures when paired with the selectively bred tea leaves this one has been growing."

The other two nodded, both unphased by the strange contents of the jars for entirely separate reasons, so he continued. "This one, however, is still unsure as to whether the presence of the serpent eyes will have an averse or negating effect on the tea like the Sleepless Rhino Explosive Boar horns did last month."

All three of them shuddered at just the thought of that meeting.

Shang Qinghua was up next, and he unloaded an assortment of small items from his pouches as he explained them. "After some talks with a merchant contact, he willingly parted with a stack of talismans designed to keep the victim awake long enough to be tortured." He paused, waiting for any outcry at the torture mention, before he went on and clarified, "I definitely didn't blackmail him for them."

Mu Qingfang, well aware of Shang Qinghua's questionable habits and tendencies by now, simply nodded and stroked his mustache in thought. His shixiong may be shady in his business dealings, but he brought great financial benefits to the sect, and didn't seem to have it in him to betray them. He was a good man, Mu Qingfang wasn't worried. Zhang Qingyan, meanwhile, didn't even seem to pick up on there being anything wrong with what the other man said, instead inspecting the markings on a talisman she took from him.

Moving onto the next pouch, the logistician pulled out a strange trinket, a small blue object with sharp edges. "This, from what I understand from my, uh, readings, is an Everwaking Star Fragment. If this is the object from legend, then it's said that it can dissolve in any liquid, and whoever drinks it is cursed to never sleep again. The last bearer of it, however, was asleep when I found it, next to them and not on their clothing of course, because I would never pickpocket someone who fell asleep poisoned or drunk at a bar. I’m not sure if they had used any of it before then."

Zhang Qingyan's eyes lit up at that, and she snatched it from his hands before he could even protest. "So if the entire thing dissolves in liquid, then what about one small portion of it? Could taking off just the corner of one spike cause eternal wakefulness for just a few days?!" She brought the object up to her eye level as she excitedly murmured to herself about the possibilities.

Of course she was too distracted to pick up on the implication of their shixiong pick-pocketing a drunk person, but again, he was a good guy, and that was none of Mu Qingfang's business.

Shang Qinghua wrapped up his presentation with his usual offerings of vitality enhancing incense sticks (which Mu Qingfang suspected he got from succubi) and what Shang Qinghua called "ground up coffee beans" that he got from trade in the south, but insisted were lackluster alone.

"Should we use Mu-shidi's strongly brewed tea as the base, or Zhang-shimei's great creation?"

Zhang Qingyan thought for a second, staring at the orange glowing bottle in front of her. "The tea. This stuff is pretty strong on its own, and will need to be diluted so that it doesn't automatically stop our hearts or melt our golden cores!"

Mu Qingfang poured the specially brewed tea into a container in the center of the table, and their experiments began.

Once a month, the peak lords from three of the most overworked peaks got together for a late night meeting. Their goal? Create a concoction that gives the drinker both wakefulness and energy to keep going and complete their mountain long list of duties and obligations.

Shang Qinghua called it a quest for the "Monster Energy Drink", which seemed like a fitting name in Mu Qingfang's opinion.

It had started a few years ago, with the doctor approaching the alchemist for something to enhance the tea he already took to keep himself awake for days on end. Things had snowballed when he had accidentally served it to the logistician after helping repair a broken leg. From there, an alliance was born.

Mu Qingfang was a doctor. He knew that it was important to maintain one's body, and that rest and rejuvenation were vital to keeping one's mind sharp. He said as such to Liu Qingge every time the man crashed into the clinic. But Mu Qingfang was also the head doctor of a peak of learning medics, peak lord on a mountain of reckless disciples (and peak lords), in a region of land where people were constantly getting infected or sick.

As much as he knew rest was important, he knew that sometimes, working and saving lives was even more important.

And thus: monstrous energy drink.

Adding the glowing orange liquid into the tea, even just a few drops of it, made the tea go from a dull brown to a glowing dark green. As Zhang Qingyan used her spare potions to work out the right consistency, Mu Qingfang removed some of the monster eyes from a jar and ground it up in his mortar and pestle, and Shang Qinghua attached the energy talisman to the side of the experiment container and dropped a few ground coffee beans in. A moment later, he lit one of the incense sticks and fanned the smoke into the container for a moment before extinguishing it.

After adding the crushed eye to the mixture, it became a brighter shade of green. And when Zhang Qingyan chipped off a corner of Everwaking Star Fragment into the mix, the glow began to pulse.

Having added all they wished to add, and the liquid having not exploded on them yet, they stared at their pulsing creation in awe. Mu Qingfang felt like they had created a forbidden substance.

"That genuinely looks radioactive" Shang Qinghua muttered to himself, like that was a word that made sense. "If a disciple drank this, they'd probably never close their eyes again."

"If a disciple got their hands on this, they would either qi deviate on the spot or enter a coma with their eyes frozen open," Mu Qingfang replied to the only part he actually understood. He couldn’t even begin to fathom how he’d treat that level of…poisoning? in his clinic beyond drastic measures.

"Well, we added all we planned to this beauty and didn't stop to test it along the way, so who knows if it's safe," Zhang Qingyan said as she scooped an empty bottle into the container. Shang Qinghua’s bagged eyes went wide at the sight of the bottle in her hand having the same bright green pulsing glow as the source potion.

"Zhang-shimei, I'm not sure you should-" Mu Qingfang tried to warn, but as always at these meetings, his warnings were not enough to stop the brewmaster from closing her eyes and taking a swig from her glowing bottle.

Shang Qinghua, who usually had pretty controlled (if extreme) facial expressions, seemed to mirror Mu Qingfang's open shock and horror at the move.

A full body shudder racked through Zhang Qingyan, and her eyes flew open with a start. Her vision was unfocused, but then her expression slowly raised to an almost unhinged grin as she stared at the bottle in front of her. Her breathing had noticeably sped up, both audible and from how her shoulders heaved with the motion.

"Boys," she started, not removing her hazy eyes from what she clearly considered her magnum opus. "Prepare to never need to sleep again."

She raised a hand to wipe away at her lip, and already it was shaking so badly that she had trouble aiming for her face.

Mu Qingfang reached for the notepad he kept in his pocket, and recorded down what had been added to the mixture and the immediate side effects. He made sure to note down the violent shaking and lack of focus it had brought his fellow peak lord with three lines under it, and an arrow for good measure.

Shang Qinghua also noticed the quivering. "Oh. Hm. Well, I can't have hands that shake that badly, or I'm gonna have some trouble filing our taxes," he said, laughing as if that were a joke. He pulled some melon seeds out from a bag in his pocket and began to snack and think.

Mu Qingfang was also thinking. There must be an herb or something in this house strong enough to make an impact in this hellish drink they created, one that could stabilize hands and make the sudden onset of energy less overwhelming.

Zhang Qingyan likely was not thinking of solutions, as she was clearly too busy acclimating to the energy rush to think at the moment.

Hand paused halfway to his mouth, Shang Qinghua got an idea. "Mu-shidi, didn't you work with Lin-shimei to make a calming supplement for some raging beasts on Xi Jiao a week or so ago?" He asked, despite having organized the material transfer and thus knowing the answer.

Lin Qingpen, of the agricultural peak Min Nong, was a major help with Mu Qingfang's herb gardens. While her peak covered all kinds of vegetation as opposed to Qian Cao's medicinal focus, her affinity towards plants made it possible for Mu Qingfang to selectively breed for specific attributes of his herbs and plants in the first place.

Reaching into one of the main spacial pouches that he kept on his person, the doctor pulled out the package with Lin Qingpen's note of well wishes still attached. "Shang-shixiong is correct, and this one does in fact have some left over."

Shang Qinghua's eyes lit up at the sight of the pouch, and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation as he smiled. The gesture, for some reason, reminded Mu Qingfang of the over the top villains of the plays he used to watch as a child.

He has been planning on using this powder for experimenting on calming herbal remedies for troubled patients, but he can always request more from Lin Qingpen tomorrow. Mixing a pinch of it into a cup of water, he handed the cup to a still shaking Zhang Qingyan, who downed it without question and only minimal spilling.

"She's got more guts than I do," Shang Qinghua admitted, as if one's guts has anything to do with this experiment process beyond likely being damaged.

After downing the herbs strong enough to calm a rampaging Fire Tailed Dragon Horse down, the effects were almost as fast as those from the initial potion were. Her hands stopped shaking as badly, and her breathing slowed down. A few moments later, her eyes regained focus.

Eventually, she was in a normal enough state that it wouldn't be malpractice if Mu Qingfang needed to perform surgery while under this drink's effects.

"Oh yeah, it definitely needed something to act as a counterbalance, good call," she said as Mu Qingfang recorded the side effects down. "One of you should probably try it with the Restful Temperament leaves mixed in beforehand so we know if those should be taken separately or not."

There was a brief moment of uncomfortable eye contact between himself and Shang Qinghua. The doctor knew that, as suspicious as his business dealings and as often as his physical injuries, the man across from him at the table was a coward. Light glistened off of his face in a way that Mu Qingfang swore was dripping sweat, but he had no way to confirm since the light of the candles and the glowing energy drink were rather low. It was kind of pathetic to watch, in a way.

Sighing, he took an empty bottle from Zhang Qingyan's side of the table and scooped his own helping of the concoction. Dropping a hearty pinch of Restful Temperament Leaves into the bottle, he mixed it for a moment as he tried to wrap his head around what he was about to do. At least it caused no visible changes to the already strange looking drink…

Stored in a hidden pouch against his breast were a handful of incredibly rare panacea style substances that fully cured the body of any curse or poison that may be contaminating it. It didn't work on injuries, and the peak lord only used them for what he deemed catastrophic level emergencies.

He wondered if drinking a glowing liquid in the name of science and staying awake counted as an emergency.

"Oh come on Mu-shixiong, don't back out now," Zhang Qingyan crowed with an almost predatory smile, sensing his weakness. "We've definitely drank way worse drinks at this same table before, right Shang-shixiong?!" She leaned over and elbowed the logistics peak lord, who looked like one more strong elbow to the side would knock him down for good. The other man nodded with a nervous looking smile, still staring at the glowing creations before him.

Staring at the ominous elixir in front of him, he let out a sigh. He couldn't believe he was sometimes referred to as the most responsible of the peak lords.

He took a drink from the bottle.

The first thing he had to note: it tasted abhorrent. He knew it wouldn't be pleasant, given the mix of random plants and monster parts that had been added, but this was leagues worse than even his worst expectations. Despite having a strong stomach, he fought off the urge to throw up and demand to know what Zhang Qingyan had put into the base potion.

Instead, he forced it down with a grimace and mentally mapped every place in the leisure house that stored medicine to help soothe stomach issues. He could have sworn he felt it bubbling all the way down, despite its lack of bubbles, and felt his veins and bloodstream light up as if electrocuted. The fact that Zhang Qingyan had downed this with a straight face was both terrifying and impressive.

Luckily, his mind stayed as sharp as ever, and his hands had no notable shake to them. He made sure to note down these effects and mix some of the Restful Temperament Leaves into the base container of the substance.

"That seems to be as good of a balance as we are going to get," Mu Qingfang announced to both of the peak lords watching him in anticipation and dread.

Zhang Qingyan let out a cheer and took another swig from her Restful-temperament-free bottle, immediately causing her hands to start shaking again.

Shang Qinghua let out a sigh of relief as he bottled his own share of the energy granting monstrosity they had just created. With a quick sip, he muttered “tastes almost like actual monster energy” while shuddering. "Of course, we'll have to keep in touch about potential side effects," he said louder, staring at his bottle and likely calculating ways to market, mass produce, and sell it off if it didn't cause deadly effects.

Mu Qingfang knew that Zhang Qingyan had some pretty strong hangover cure potions that she had amplified, and that Shang Qinghua had poison curing artifacts from grateful trade partners. If there truly were adverse effects, they should be fine, but it'd be important to note for the next time they made an experiment or if Shang Qinghua decided to sell it.

Zhang Qingyan bottled the rest of the container and divided it up between the three of them. "Well boys, barring any unknown side effects, I think we just stumbled across the perfect energy drink." She declared.

Mu Qingfang knew better though. He knew they would find even better energy and sleep alternatives before the month was over. "Same time next month?"

The other two, stashing away their personal bottles, started to pack their things. "Oh yeah, this was just the prototype," Zhang Qingyan laughed as she stood from the table. "Improvements can always be made, we can't be falling asleep during next month’s Immortal Alliance Conference, after all!"

Shang Qinghua let out what may be a nervous laugh as he agreed, but Mu Qingfang was sure it was just the lack of sleep getting to him.

"If we don't see each other again, I'll see you all at the immortal alliance conference," he promised, with affirmations from the other two as they made their way out into the night.

With pleasant calls of farewell made and his leisure house evacuated, Mu Qingfang stared down at the concoction in front of him.

He was a doctor, he knew how important sleep was, and how vital it was to not drink random glowing potions of haphazard mixes of items. And he knew that, as an immortal, he didn't truly need to sleep. But he did need to focus, and he did have work to do.

He took a second swig from the bottle and stood, clearing everything else off of the table. He had the feeling some emergency would be calling him to the clinic any minute now, despite it being well into the night. It had been too calm for too long, which typically meant trouble on Qian Cao.

Extinguishing the lights, Mu Qingfang headed off into the night. His exit left nothing behind save the energy drink, alone and glowing on his table, a soft pulsing light beckoning to any unfortunate disciples who may see it come morning.

[sugar-petals]

sub!Xiaojun║🄰-🅉

↳ nsfw alphabet x femdom!reader

8k words | domestic au ♡ | sub!idols m.list

⚠️ rated m, smut & fluff, anal fixation, bondage, bi undertones, cheating mentioned (they don’t), creampies, kinky but also vanilla sex, pegging, poly mention, ruined orgasms, toys, unprotected & protected sex, mdni

↦ NOTE. | the xiaojun pretty boy agenda has arrived! 💥 includes not just 18+ notes, but romantic ones, too. enjoy the ride 👀

[★ read the alphabet on ao3] 

© 2017-2022 sugar-petals. all rights reserved, no reposts allowed. all depictions are fictional and for entertainment purposes only.

A ⇥ Aftercare

Honestly? That can take a whopping half an hour. Y’know, soaking your adorable lil’ mess of a honey bun in the bathtub. And, self-care is for tops too, joining yourself once he’s all soaped up. Sure, Xiaojun likes a little spoiling. But then again, he will never say no to some proper face-to-face cuddles and mumbled conversation in bed. Running an entire aftercare bath is sometimes too time-consuming. Especially in a moment when you should be snuggled together, which is the all-time classic that your boyfriend can’t go without to feel gentleness and safety.

It’s not like you can open the tap and tell each other okay three, two, one — right when the tub is full and the water is still warm we literally just came and the afterglow propels us to walk across several rooms! Sex planning doesn’t work like that, and you’ll be way too exhausted anyway. That’s not just shallow pleasure we’re talking about. Making love with Xiaojun is never 50-50. So, the foam crown is for special occasions and later afternoons, not evenings. Taking a bath can make him even more sleepy, we’re talking limbs like jello, than just having had one massive prostate orgasm alright.

So, pillow talk it is. You’re loving that. He talks with great clarity otherwise, but murmuring is a great way to come down. As much as he savors your minute-long back hugs when standing, like in a queue or going by public transport, facing each other when laying down feels much cozier in those golden hours. It’s very warm and it’s very chill. Snogging half the night away with your big ole blanket, covering both of you up to the shoulders, is a staple. He likes personal attention, being doted on, someone caring for him, and feedback. Xiaojun wants all that communication. You know how enormously picky he is with personal space, who he grants and gives it to. So wow, consider yourself the chosen one. The dog’s sure to join, Bella will accompany you on your way to the dreamland like a lucky charm.

B ⇥ Body Part

So you want to know all about the touch me, tease me, feel me up he’s got to offer. Understandable. Xiaojun is an absolute looker. Guess who’s bringing every pretty boy benchmark to the table? Like everything. At the same time. Slender legs, shapely arms, sparkling smile. Small ass waist, elegant neck, sculpted hands, ethereal face, a voice for the gods. His build is stunning, too. Luscious silky hair on top, some pretty impressive brows, smackable cheekbones (uh-huh), maximum huggable body, capacity to look good in any style, everything.

He’s not a snack, he’s not a menu, he’s the entire 5-star restaurant chain. Gotta thank his parent for what they’ve been cooking up. And yes, to add the cherry on top… A little hack: Watch for those smackable peach cheeks. You don’t have that information from me. You’ll be surprised what you’ll find in those pants, and he’s not shy about it. Come on, every good sub has confidence in their ass. It’s your free pillow, stress ball, massage pad, hand rest, and even the occasional seat. Given all those delectable features and dazzling appearance, what more can I say, though. Two words: Full package.

Xiaojun is one sight to see. He also fulfills the height requirement. As far as I’m concerned, and I know others have their own definitions: In order to be an extraordinary pretty boy, you must be below 5’10. Anything significantly above, if you’re a tower, that’s a glamazon in my book. Different category. Think Huening Kai or Hwang Hyunjin. Xiaojun being tiny? Means he’s easier to reach for kissing, hugging, carrying, pinning, looking at his face, the list goes on. His height contributes to the whole picture. It’s simply not enough to nominate one best body part about him. You wake up looking at this eyebrowly masterpiece and can’t decide where to kiss him first.

Like, how good-looking is he. We as a society need to admit that we’re talking about the overall head-to-toe prettiest member of Neo Culture Technology. Whatever neo technology happened to create his molecules, it was indeed a good one. The sexy, cute, hot, and handsome men are plenty in NCT, and the V in WayV stands for Visuals, but only one can be SM’s effortless hottie guy short king incarnate. You know, the one that’s not a little bit of everything (like Taeyong, the true jack of all trades), but straightforward simply pretty. Xiaojun is just that. No matter where you’re looking, there’s a treasure at the end of the rainbow. Imagine hitting the jackpot and nobody talks about it. Though everywhere you walk and talk as a couple, chaos and silent envy ensue.

C ⇥ Cum

I don’t have to tell you that he has a nice opaque texture. The one that has you like oh boy, keep it coming. We need more of this. You’re both on the same page here: Tender-loving sex with endless, endless creampies all night… Xiaojun’s biggest sinful dream. Going at it, maybe two is realistic until both of you feel the need to pause from discomfort, go to the bathroom, and start afresh some 20 minutes after. If it’s very late and the day was rough, he can’t knock himself out five times, y’know. Xiaojun likes a degree of pain, but he’ll also tire and be sleepy in your arms at some point. Which makes him look beautiful, and Xiaojun loves resting with you, but he still wishes he’d not collapse as soon.

His head’s not in the clouds. Xiaojun is well aware that you gotta go pee not to get an infection. And also, if you’re fucking him dry and milking and squeezing the shit outta him, so be it. C’est la vie. That’s what he’s there for. He won’t accuse you of draining his dick so much. But with himself, he’s kinda disappointed in himself for needing longer breaks. He’s the ambitious type, he wants to know he did a good job (!), and wishes bodies would work a little differently (don’t we all) — although he understands that most of nature’s peculiar anatomical design just works the way it does and has a solid reason behind it. It’s more of a sentimental issue: What he thinks he should resent himself for the most is that in his eyes, if only he loved you enough, things could be more consistent, and he’d last the extra rounds rather than passing out where you would fall asleep more slowly than him.

Long story short, two gotta suffice. Hell, nobody’s complaining except him. You think he does a great job. You know you’re loved. It’s good, he satisfies you well, and being vanilla with him is amazing. You really can’t blame your boy for his dripping fantasy and romantic streak, because he’s genuinely talented (as if nobody expected that — he’s Xiaojun, for goodness sake). And honestly. With your pussy wet like that, it feels almost like an extra creampie. Worry not, Xiaojun is definitely seeing the vision. Can you imagine how happy he is knowing you’re so hardcore turned on by his body? Yeah, he admits it, it strokes his ego. But, the knowledge of having a comfortable partner is great in and of itself. He really wants you to be happy and enjoy yourself. Which is why he’s making drama about his fatigue and overworking in the first place. It boils down to Xiaojun wanting more energy to dedicate to you. 

On exactly those more energetic days where you got yourself some of that sloppy prime dick, and it’s gorgeous, he’s more than eager to help you clean it all up, and very careful not to overstimulate you. Xiaojun and you sort of switch contraception around as you see fit. It’s basically a mix of everything and what works the best, however you see fit. He likes wrapping it, he likes the semen on his stomach, he likes cumming inside of you. If he does, you don’t need to crook one finger. Xiaojun will make due amends for causing this mess. He’s not a wildass whore like Yuta who will slurp his own jizz right out of you and get spit in his mouth for some proper seasoning on top (Lord knows how much of Yuta’s protein intake comes from sexual activity). Xiaojun prefers the gentle version of having a soft wet towel ready and helping you use a bidet if needed. And if he knows he’d be too tired to be a good boy and clean up, he’ll down a coffee and defy the odds, easy as that.

D ⇥ Dirty Secret

Something that can’t quite be kept so secret: Well… Boners. For your information — he has a lot of ’em. Loose pants working overtime. Yes, he’s horribly flustered.  Almost ashamed. He wants to keep it classy, there it goes again. You’re just such a turn-on in his mind and eyes, and his libido is as spontaneous as it gets. The things he has done to hide his erections. Very weird things. Now here comes the real secret: bratty Xiaojun won’t say no to being disciplined for his horny attitude, and getting his orgasms messed up in particular. He wants to go a little crazy and masochistic. Such a practical thing you fancy Xiaojun acting all out on all fours getting a due spanking. He masturbates with you filming the whole thing and giving him orders on whether and when to stroke or not. Every time he won’t obey immediately, that’s one day without sex. If he complies, it earns him another slap on the ass. Oh honey: You know exactly how to do punishment and reward. He does exactly as you say and suffers. Very good. Horny Xiao is taken care of.

Bonus! Another little secret, I know you’re curious… Xiaojun owns a hidden black notebook. Kept safely under his bed. Not the kind these people have in movies, you know the one, where they list and rate their sex conquests. It’s something else. In his book, one will find whole blocks of text, everywhere for pages and pages. Truth is, Xiaojun has been writing yet-undisclosed songs about you. I mean, not how he’s been sucking your tits. That one is replaying in his head already, he doesn’t have to write it down. It’s more intimate and sentimental stuff than that, thoughts he doesn’t find the words to say yet. This book remains tucked away. He might be a Leo as per his zodiac, but he doesn’t broadcast literally everything he does everywhere. The image of him in his gold-lined glasses, sitting on his bed with a pen, that’s pretty memorable. If you ever find out that the black notebook exists is up to him. Little do you know he deliberates whether to gift it to you as a birthday present. Now that’s an idea.

E ⇥ Experience

He’s still 22, man. Merely four years since turning legal, his foundation is literally still building, he’s growing into his sexual nature. Since Xiaojun is so slept on, he did not readily have someone to quite literally sleep on him a lot. There really should have been an older person to mentor him, or anybody ready to take him under their wing like you do now. He had a hard time finding somebody on eye-level who would be equal parts affectionate and sexually compatible.

Humor-wise, too: Very important. Vibing together. Being besties and not just being on a one-week hormone high that would crumble like a house of cards. Bickering with someone is all nice and good, he can be mischievous when flirting, but feeling natural and just clicking is a way different league. It’s better than too much tension and always being close to a fight. The idea of experimenting and becoming less clumsy had a great appeal, but the reality of other people’s complicated personalities and chaos-laden lives, that’s a different thing. He can’t treat those things as separate realms that have nothing to do with each other. Xiaojun sees his partner as a combination of those things, not just through a relationship lens.

Hit and run might feel tempting and many people think it would suit him (they just want a piece of the cake), but Xiaojun was always the skeptical type. He doesn’t want the peculiar encounter of a one-night-stand where a person is in their own world and he remains in his, and he just takes their body to get himself aroused. Thanks, he’d rather take his pillow and go. Wasting himself away is not on the list. He knew he would have been naive buying the praise of the person. He hears superficial and manipulative comments about his looks all too often, although the thought and late-night flirting at countless bars had been promising. Still, Xiaojun is not the type to be walking around open mind open heart, he learned the hard way that you can’t force chemistry, and he’d been too shy and awkward to just fuck everything that moves his way, whoever that may be. He’s clearly told you that his heart has been very selective and closed off.

You’d think people would have been queueing in his text messages and social media DMs, but the most he got? Teasing comments from friends and hyungs or the occasional entitled hookup request from whatever self-declared sexiest person alive which he blocks immediately. Xiaojun can’t stand rude texts, haughtiness, and always suspects people are just using him. Rather, he’d put up an emotional wall and be bitter, frustrated, by himself, distracting his mind, you name it. He wants to read something genuinely nice and not waste his time. He himself texts with a :) at the end of his paragraph, or a 🐶❤️ obviously. A little goes a long way, and he picks up experience bit by bit with you. He wants the strings attached kind of deal, that takes its time to fully form, establish, and settle.

F ⇥ Favorite position

Anything to show off his fantastic back arch. Do the math on which options apply. If you want a hint: It starts with P and doesn’t end with ENIS you dirty mind, but EGGING. You can drive it home like it’s his last, I swear. Xiaojun can deal with some decent girth, but it’s more about the length to reach deeper and deeper. He’s truly fearless. And good at letting go. Your view from behind? C’mon, everyone knows that some of the most beautiful landscapes are found in China. It’s nothing short of magnificent. Xiaojun moves like a champ. You’ll be shocked at how lusty he can get. The moans constant and exasperated, the waist busy busy, and his ass getting to know your hips a little more. Fancy that? Who wouldn’t. Xiaojun would break the Internet if any footage like that would see the light of day, which is exactly why you use a separate hacker-proof camera to tape him.

And, for any non-toy-involving encounters: Any position that is the most pleasant to you. I know, duh. Groundbreaking. Xiaojun’s rule of thumb: If it increases your stimulation and it’s easy to maintain, it’s a good one. If it feels weird and straining to you, or awkward, it’s a bad one. Those are the kinds of things that can’t be decided with rock, paper, scissors. You decide which is which for yourself, and he will adapt accordingly. Xiaojun’s brain works like this: He dismisses everyone else but when he loves someone, he goes like: Just do whatever darling, inspire me,  twist me all around as you wish. Whipped Jun, needy Jun, that’s so sexy.

As of lately, standard cowgirl with you bending a little forward (yay to kissies) is the unbeaten favorite for the two of you. First, a lame joke reason I know, because Xiaojun is totally into the renaissance of cowboy culture. So, he likes the name and idea of it. You really took your horse to the Jun Town Road, let me hear you say howdy. Second, it gives you control. No-brainer, the pace is yours and you can roam your hands all over that good good underneath you. All-access pass, well except for the legs but you can always change directions. Reverse cowgirl is only on the menu when he’s sitting down though rather than lying flat. That way, it’s easier to hug and your heads are closer together. And, the tempo is slower, which goes easier on his dick from that more difficult angle.

Third, because he can concentrate on his stamina and breathing rather than moving around like crazy himself. Xiaojun hustles real hard dancing and singing and doing social networks and full-body variety. He might feel a bit weakened by his schedule at the end of the day. Bugs him, but you find ways to work around that. It’s not like you want to be thrown in all directions, nor does he want to do that with you either. Cowgirl is super laid-back. Fourth, the penetration is not too deep nor too shallow. He neither wants to stir you up nor keep you understimulated, so it’s a healthy middle point to get your dick appointment on his pretty lap.

Fifth, every time you sink down on him, your clit makes brushing contact with his pubes. Guess why he keeps it bare and waxed right there. All those fake ass ball shaving ads can eat their heart out, Xiaojun did it before it was cool. No stubble, no straw effect (leave it to the cowboy barn), and enough place for extra lube. Sixth, Jun has that big ole biceps, it doesn’t just exist to look nice and sexy. He can always help you out. No worries running out of leg strength. He’ll make sure you can still walk anyway. Actually, float on air. When he slips out and you wind down smooching, you’re like wow… I’m thoroughly relaxed. Sex is supposed to feel good afterward, not hurt you. Xiaojun abides by that and has your back, and cooks you a tasty noodle soup after making you cum. Sounds like good fun? It is. All while you can look at that unreal face.

G⇥  Goofy

Very much so. He’s funny, reacts to praise by melting and doing a little dance. Ultra adorable. You often feel like he compares quite uncannily to a rabbit. He picked it up from Bella, and it’s weishenculture to be upbeat and clown around. He plays with her so much, it’s so lighthearted, cutest dog dad ever. On the other hand, goofing it up with the kinkiness like the spirit of Taemin and Baekhyun entered his body? Not so much. Xiaojun can be quite measured and ambiverted, level-headed about sex, while at the same time being more emotional than rational.

So, he’s pretty much both. Silly and anticipating. He’s intriguing to say the very least, a personality onion. But mostly, he’s simply itching for a good embrace. He often throws himself into yours out of seemingly nowhere. And he swoons a lot over you, which he reserves for his favorite people only. Mid-sex, it’s either serious or a random joke out of nowhere. He’s bratty enough to earn your reprimands („Xiaojun. Stop acting like a stripper.“), but he also got some major tunnel vision when it comes down to it. Yeah I know, another vision pun snuck in there.

H ⇥ Hair

Groomed, snipped, razored, cropped, buzzed, shortened, clipped, waxed, trimmed, plucked, lasered and conditioned. He takes care of himself. Your boyfriend smells very, very, very good, like raspberry lotion. There’s a pragmatic reason why Xiaojun is such a depilation enthusiast and goes the extra mile is not just for aesthetic reasons. Yeah, he doesn’t like his happy trail. He walks up at the dermatologist to get rid of that. But it also means less effort for post-coital cleaning sessions. He needs his kitchen counter smooth to cook you dinner. You know what I mean, man. Wiping a flat surface is easier when you’ve been creaming all over him, okay.

As much as the look of his super-trimmed pubes is sexy, and keeping it longer is more hygienic — no cuts, burns, ingrowns, irritant shaving balms and whatnot — Jun can’t stand the friction. Even with a lot of lubricant, the stubble would clearly scratch and hurt you. So, that’s off the list. Begone, hair. Same with pits and hairy toes. Taemin Jesus Lord and Savior lend us strength, why does humankind still have that. A quick dry shave can handle those when he’s in a hurry. To your house, what else. His eyebrows stay untouched. They’re fucking great. Best in the world. If I were you, I would paint them and put it in a museum. Thank heavens they’re out there for the world to see because this beauty needs to be displayed.

His actual head’s hairstyle is frequently varied, he’s trying things out. Xiaojun posts selfies asking what you prefer. This, or this, maybe this? He wants to get acknowledged by you and gather opinions. You think that dark brunette tips with dark roots is the best, he pulls it off. Straight or curled, you think both is attractive. It’s the hair dye that matters. In your eyes, too much bleaching and fancy crayon color isn’t his kinda thing. It also destroys the silkiness of his hair, you don’t want him to damage his scalp that way, plus it makes it look like you’re dating a different person. Which is way too strange even if it’s clearly Xiaojun, he fixes his bangs the same way, the way he talks. His signature debut look, you’re rooting for it.

Super white hair ain’t bad on him, sure. But you’ll leave that to old age. Gotta enjoy your black hair while you still have it. Xiaojun takes the advice and is flattered by the thought of you „still liking him as a crinkly old Chinese uncle sitting on the WayV dorm porch with his back problems“ as he puts it. „Handsome crinkly old uncle“, you correct him. Though, he might indeed get back problems from that amount of riding and rug burn. Rest in pieces, Dejun spine. The pros of aging on the other hand? Xiaojun’s cheeky boner will finally be back to normal. Though, he says you’ll still be a hot old auntie, so.

I ⇥ Intimacy

…comes with fewer words and very unambiguous movements. He’s better at telling you how he feels by moaning and dramatic groaning all over the place, and he keeps his talk to a minimum on some days because he’s in such a groovy indulgent mood. Granted, Xiaojun can talk that talk and shower you with compliments as much as you shower him. Regardless, it’s often just a string of „yes“ and „more…“, „here“, and „oh please, oh please“. It’s charming, and it’s hot.  You can’t ask for more. He’s keeping it simple, and he’s a master at whispering the good stuff in your ear to keep you on your toes: „Oh shit that feels the best, please do it again“ being one of his gems.

As a submissive who tends to be more delicate, Xiaojun doesn’t like being degraded verbally — physically humiliated yes, but not degraded by talking, big difference — so your dirty talk needs to be a little softened up. For comparison. The likes of Lee ‚Super-Sub‘ Taeyong, Yuta ‚A+ Ahegao‘ Nakamoto and Jung ‚Closet Freak‘ Jaehyun are fine with having their hair pulled all night long, and getting called a stupid slut at maximum shouting volume. Yuta’s just gonna say, is that everything? Are you sure? Don’t you have something wilder in stock? Xiaojun on the other hand likes his hair pulled (heh), but can go without being yelled at. A quick instruction — „bend over, spread your legs!“ — or some rules to abide by are enough for him to submit well.

Another thing. Intimacy is also about understanding to him, right. He took his time to figure out your love language to a T, which is so cute, and vital, and always helpful to avoid misunderstandings. This man, and I know it’s rare these days, still got some logic in his head. Sure thing, he’s pretty enough to play pretend being your guy bimbo if it comes down to it. Hanging onto your every word, enjoying how you’re dolling him up with sexy makeup. He wears it well. But at the end of the day, he takes these things outside the bedroom super seriously. He wants to figure out how you roll and what daily life intimacy looks like in your eyes. Very attentive listener.

J ⇥ Jack Off

Ruts against the bed, or your hips. Or the inside of your thighs, all with his cozy clothing still on. Yum. His boner problem quite frequently meets its violent means and consecutive end in his palm (not his favorite, but it will do) or a particularly aggressive fleshlight you picked out for him (his actual favorite). That’s the kind of „Ok I’ll just close my eyes and stick it out“ kind of orgasm. Well, literally sticking something out. Let me tell you, he doesn’t have any problems with circulation. Ain’t nobody ever call him Xiao Limpjun. He’s a shower rather than grower, and nicely firm rather than those oddly elastic dicks which are just ew. He knows it comes with a bigger risk of breaking his dick off somehow if the angles just aren’t right, but it immensely helps with choking the junior.

Xiaojun once losing control with his sexy hands has landed him in the nasty situation of shooting his cum everywhere, which he sheepishly cleaned up without anyone ever knowing. Can you imagine a sweat-faced, half-naked mess crawling around the room to scrub furniture? That laundry basket was a walk of shame. He vowed to take precautions next time, hence he wound up using the rather practical toy he got from you. It reduced the chance of blasting all around at a serious rate, does the work for him so his wrist won’t go numb (hello, he wants to jack you off later, he needs the energy), and it’s a quick fix.

K ⇥ Kink

Although he likes his fair share of loving body worship, Xiaojun has a thing for callous and sarcastic dommes who whip, smack, and choke his entire brains out every once in a while. Like, someone to put a boot on him. He likes to take a lot. Being at someone’s complete mercy gives him all kinds of vivid dreams. You once found him on the couch sleeping with his arms perched under his hoodie to pinch his nips, and he was whispering something like „Harder. Harder, please“, and it didn’t catch you that much off guard. Whenever he does that, it’s guaranteed that he’s having one of his sadistic gf fantasies.

Talking about your own kinks. He knows you like his arms and hands a little too much. Or is there such a thing as overdoing it? You literally almost pride yourself in perving over them. Xiaojun wants to cater to that. You know, as a treat. He’ll deliberately wear either too-revealing tank tops to make your eyes fall out — he’s here to take his honey’s mind off her worries — or the opposite. Baggy sweaters to conceal the goodies. Especially on days where you have some kind of appointment or serious thing going on. He’d easily distract you otherwise, or add horniness to the stress. Also: His harness collection stays in his wardrobe unless the mood is right, he promised. It’s a tiny little cardboard box, but it’ll grow in the future.

So, you appreciate Xiaojun for adapting his dress code to current situations. When you’re invited to a friend’s garden party? He’s letting it all hang out. Crop top alert. Cleavage, Xiddies (Xiaojun’s Tiddies), half the ribcage, collar bones, neck, shoulders, everything. Or a dangerously transparent muscle shirt that just. Shows even his areolas peeking through. All to spice up any upcoming ‚several people stand in a circle and talk about needless things‘ boredom. With you present, Xiaojun knows how to show off his sexiness in public so you will feel the rabid jealousy of people, which he knows is also something you wanna bask in. Going out by himself, you guessed it: He dresses in like three, four layers, and a big hat or hood on. Sunglasses are a must: Xiaojun’s got some major Medusa eyes, my friend. Looking at them would leave strangers enamored and petrified.

L ⇥ Location

Depends on the moment, but he’s readier to branch out than most. If the surface is even enough, or can be made even, Dejun won’t discriminate. Getting off with you is priority. If it’s steel or concrete, he will use his body as a shield so you won’t need to put your shins, shoulders, butt, or hands on any cold hard surfaces. His dick is the only hard surface at your disposal, the rest can go home. Jun won’t let you kneel on gravel, streets and shit. He doesn’t roll like that. If his back is against something unflexible, he will still manage and endure, best by focusing on you. The hood of your car might be his favorite to lean down against, it’s sturdy yet smooth enough to tolerate some downward movement. The wheels being spring-loaded most definitely helps as well.

He’s balanced enough to get in on inside a little garden house, your underground garage, the dry edge of the bathtub, the shaded balcony with a mat underneath, perched behind a steering wheel, a remote picnic spot between grass, or on clean kitchen surfaces of your choosing. If Xiaojun had a yacht, you’d be making out on every little nook and cranny, the wooden floorboards under the sun, any existing pole, well maybe not the guardrail. But he’s still an expert in having sex while standing, so. You get the idea. He’s flexible. He’s stable. He’s small enough for you not having to climb up a whole tree trunk, and he can lift you up and down for extended periods of time. So, any standing spot can be turned into a juicy ride.

As for the other neos being in the vicinity: They’ll probably lift an eyebrow at him carrying out his business right in front of their salad. Think about how confused Mark is gonna be. So, Xiaojun will avoid letting over 20+ people at once know what he’s usually like moaning. WayV on the other hand doesn’t even care, they’re so used to it. You want something, water, snacks, condoms running out yet? That’s the energy. Long as things aren’t messy and destroying furniture, free pass to fuck however you want. They think it’s fun, and they’re surprisingly unbothered. They’re used to you being a horny couple, and Ten has done things in there ten times as wild hence his name, they treat it as normal and no big deal after some time. Incredible, right. As much of a tease they are, they won’t get in the way of Dejun doing his thing, and you doing yours. They like you.

M ⇥ Motivation

When the curtains close, Xiaojun is deeply romantic and extremely kissy, but his heart is also beating damn fast in your presence. He seeks relief from the burgeoning curiosity, yet remains a little caught inside his shell. Some prodding does help. „Xiaojun? You’re all stuttering again. What’s on your mind, hm?“ Adrenaline aside. When it comes down to it, bonding and healing time is what drives him the most to ask if he can drop by at yours after he’s done practicing. He’s very comfortable with you. Sharing a living space is a good solution, as is the quality time that results. Neither of you regrets that Xiaojun moved in with you.

N ⇥ No

Gazing sideways when the other person doesn’t look. Oh, no, no. Loyalty is key. His opinion is pretty set in stone here. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he doesn’t like entertaining even the faintest thought or flirt with cheating. You, in several ways of the word, are his bias, and he is yours. And we’re not talking monogamy. We’re talking the big dupe. Conning, deceit, lies. It’s okay if you both invite someone real cute for a three- or foursome, or five for the sake of the argument. He’s no prude with that, he’s not possessive. He doesn’t deny that other people are also attractive (although, statistically, 95% of individuals fade into the background standing next to your boyfriend). And Xiaojun can take two dicks up his ass, okay. That’s not the problem here. He doesn’t even stretch that wide, he’s super tight, but he can handle.

Dejun knows you have great taste in people, too. You trust each other sleeping with a third party together. If you want another WayV guy to come and join, he’d be excited. You want Yangyang? You get Yangyang, and he’ll talk German to you between French kisses. But anyway. After all: They arrive for a night, it’s all planned out with consent. You both picked these lovers with care, took them home together, you are both in the know. Dating behind each other’s backs to alleviate emptiness, restraint, or boredom however: He’d not take it well and panic, and blame it all on himself. A concealed love interest operating in the shadows would terrify him. Whether that be someone he himself entertains or someone you have a full-fledged second life with, without him having a clue.

Checking out strangers in the streets or among either of your social circle… Xiaojun just does not let his eyes roam, and he doesn’t crush on others. He just can’t. Too much infatuation with you. If you loved and had sex with someone else behind his back, he’d be in limbo and sheer despair for months, feeling like an entire failure, and disappointed in what you created together. If he found himself sneaking out in the middle of the night, when you were supposed to be fucking or in each other’s arms, the guilt would drive him to consider punishing himself in some way. Even the idea of cheating gives your boyfriend hives, alongside a weird feeling of sadness mixed with disgust. He can’t stand betrayals and unfaithful lovers and pays special mind not to suddenly becoming one himself, leading by example. To sum things up: It’s about devotion.

O ⇥ Oral

Secretly enough, food play is his kinda thing. You found out by seeing him spend minutes at the fridge thinking you didn’t look. Nothing gross though, we’re not talking spaghetti acrobatics with the tomato sauce spilling everywhere. Just regular fruit, like watermelons, that he munches deliciously. Or maybe a big white creamy cake, you can imagine how arousing it is to watch him lick the icing off a generous slice. Cheat day is sexy day. But yes. He likes the dripping juices of fruit. The feeling of his lips enclosing something, the sweetness on the tongue. What kind of literal juicy secret might he be hinting at, let us all wonder? The answer is, he’s good at giving all kinds of head. Xiaojun is very concentrated and enjoys the challenge of coordination. He makes pretty expressive faces that you haven’t seen before, too.

Your boyfriend is chill all the way, he prefers giving over receiving. Some teasing, dragged out licks can make him whine during foreplay or while he’s laid down in full-body bondage. A slow blowjob will unwind and reward him after he took your crazy toys so well without being allowed to cum. Orgasm control all the way.  Gotta make his eyes roll back. But at the end of the day? He has an inner eat-pussy demon telling him to jump the gun and just ask: If he can wake you up, should you be okay doing that, with head on days he finds you tightly big spooned around to him in the mornings. Um, basically grinding all over him. And groping his ass. And even biting his ears and neck and arms. Especially biting. Which is usually the surefire sign that you’re already horny in your sleep. Xiaojun doing his daily warmup this way and counting one and one together offering his pretty pink tongue is more than welcome. His face absolutely is too gorgeous not to be between your legs, and the release is perfect to start your day.

P ⇥ Pace

Xiaojun is sure to be passionate, though most of the time, you won’t find him in raging hoe mode losing his composure. Steady riding, steady grinding. Thighs on thighs. Thighs in thighs. Forehead to forehead. In case you’re extra turned on and go buckwild, he can take it with his teeth clenching shut. If you ache to blow off steam and want him to really go at it from behind, his arms will do the work, and he can snap those hips for ya. But if you ask Xiaojun’s personal opinion: He’d prefer rhythmic, gliding strokes over slipping out every other second. That’s just stupid to him. It’s interesting because his dancing style can be very accurate. Super clean, geometric lines. Sleeping with you brings out his more sensual way of gyrating himself between your legs. Again, he leaves nothing to chance.

He’s very good at directing his thrusts rather than messing up your insides from all directions. Jun is intensely exact, and both of you direct your eyes downwards to witness every drop of wetness running down your lips from it. His hands adjust the angles via your hips. Easy business for him after the initial learning period. You always notice how Xiaojun exercises some major gym-inspired self-control, something that you on the other hand have discarded a long time ago. If you want to ravage him, you do. Pounce, he’ll be ready with his arms open and see for himself how he’ll survive the scratching. Where you mark him down, Xiaojun would be the kind of lover to lay his palm flat and hold on. If you were to describe his pacing in one word, it would be: elegant.

Q ⇥ Quickie

Hey Xiaojun you’re so fine, can we spend a little time? He’s great at quick romps and down for whatever you want. Backseat of the car with you enjoying a five-minute ride, back against the wall with your knee lifted against the side of his heavenly body, or classically in the shower when the room is warm enough. You’re keeping up strong eye contact and the speed is actually pretty tame. Neither he nor you would go at it like rabid animals right away. Kisses for warmup, hands for warmup, his sexy moaning, and the way he throws his head back, that does the rest. He knows exactly how to rub your clit for maximum pleasure, so you always allow his legendary hands to multitask.

R ⇥ Risk

Will risk it all for his noona kink. Who are we kidding. His Mars is in Scorpio, baby. He could steal the Declaration of Independence and nobody would notice. Xiaojun’s idea of danger is hidden behind heavy doors. Literally, drag this man’s ass to a dungeon already. Like moth to the flame, Xiaojun can’t deny he likes experiencing the thrill of a certain calculated panic. He’s okay being firmly tied down to something to the point of having to rely entirely on you. In fact, he doesn’t even consider rigging that risky. He blindly trusts you. Most probably, because he also wears blindfolds exceedingly well while we’re at it.

The only thing he’d consider too reckless is anything too advanced (say, that’s hooking up your sub to some electro-shocker device, or suspending them upside down) and banging on a piano. It’s too valuable for that, although he gets why that would be sexy. He can play for you as the literal fore-play.

S ⇥ Stamina

Even after everything we’ve established, come on: Xiaojun’s stamina is pretty banging. Just not very high /by his standards/ which are absurdly strict. You’re not gonna talk it out of him, he’s gotta realize himself. But don’t underestimate his self-improvement and athletic ability. Those gym hours also count into his superb Greco-Romanian physical form. Okay I’m exaggerating, but he does look like a statue, and he’s super fit.

He’s also good at creating a great transition between rounds and makes for an amazing lay when it comes to lazy sex in the middle of the night. In one phrase, Xiaojun is the expert of the intermezzo. Which is very underestimated. If you don’t know what to do in breaks and transitions, you will have a lackluster experience. Xiaojun is big-brained enough to know those essentials. Let me put it like this: You don’t walk out of that bedroom having to lie to yourself.

One of his biggest pros is that Xiaojun does not get sexually bored. Why? Because he knows how to enjoy making love. It’s not about going from one position to the other in record time, or pounding the living hell out of you in twenty seconds. He’s extremely, and I’ll emphasize it again, extremely deliberate. He has a lot of zen going and that’s good for him. And: Good for you. Nobody is as fixated on getting you off consciously as Xiaojun. He also doesn’t lose appetite for some delicious making out and doesn’t demand to go more and more and even more extreme as time passes. He might dream about improving his third-round skills a little too much, but other than that, he’s down to earth about his wishes. You really like that your boyfriend stays grounded, or doesn’t pretend he’s Ten on a Friday night. Kun would be proud.

T ⇥ Toy

Xiaojun’s showing his inner geekin’ weirdo when costumes are involved, but this is about toys, not roleplay. He needs something way up his ass. As we know, he has an ass to talk about, not the absolute jiggliest, but it’s there. He’s down with the feeling and you’re convinced that his prostate must be like overactive or something. The doc says he’s fine, so the only answer is called nicely-shaped silicone toys.

The very spot needs constant heavy-duty stimulation. Xiaojun can’t help his peach fixation and dicks himself down with lord knows which vibrator when you’re not around, but hey: Nobody clean as him. Knowing how to prepare is his specialty. He comes to rub and tease his ass on your lap whenever he senses that you’re in the mood for something. Xiaojun, quit twerking. Just pull your pants down.

One time you decided that the tables were turned, and you made him give it to you doggy style with a fuckton of lube, hands clinging on the sides of your ass. Since Jun is not working with a massive tool, you can imagine how well he slipped in. The stimulation was pretty sweet and perky, it surprised you. Xiaojun on the other hand, he did not come very far. Literally. He came. In one and a half minutes. You think his brain must have imploded and he lost it. You know that feeling when you’re loving something but it’s too much? He had it.

U ⇥ Unfair

Nope. Xiaojun, ever the trickster you think, is damn fair with his lover. He pays a lot of attention for things to be equal. If you want unfair choose Ten, or if you look for a lunatic sub, the crazy motherfucker Yangyang. Xiaojun on the other hand has a surprising code to go by. A favor he will return, a teasing he will follow up with the real deal, and if there’s a way to masturbate you when he’s already finished, he will never hesitate.

V ⇥ Volume

Aside from the fact that he’s vocal in several languages at once? In typical fashion, Xiaojun has even more tricks up his sleeve just because. But more on that in just a second. We need to talk about how he expresses himself first. Definite big yes. You love listening to him. Call it Love Talk, honey. He’s the type you wanna record on your phone so you can listen to it again way later. Technology’s useful in kind of immortalizing him, actually. One language is already hot enough, and he just comes at you being this sexy polyglot? Now that’s a turn-on. Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, English. Let that sink in. He can set any mood he wants.

When we’re talking date night noises: Gives you the whole range like he’s Mariah. Silent and breathy, faint and whimpering, loud and in pain, opera singing… I’m just kidding. It really is just all about going with the flow. Xiaojun isn’t really cookie-cutter in bed, it’d be hard to generalize how he sounds, with a vocal skill like that anyways. As for you, he has an inexplicable schtick for someone who can be stern and silent. A stoic top, if you will. He doesn’t need you producing a whole novel or talking like there’s some kind of script. Xiaojun got eyes to read your body language, and the rest of his senses to know everything else. He’s audible enough — and on pitch, of course — to fill the room himself. His moans are like therapy. He’s very easy on the ear.

But the loud and painful one, we need to get back to this, though. I’m gonna hit you with a psychology trick. Know a man’s playlist and you know who he wants as a partner. Know a lady’s, and you know who she wants to be. The fact that Xiaojun loves none other than Red Velvet tells you everything. Like listen. He believes in femdom supremacy, heavily armed supernatural girlfriends going psycho, strong female character fight mode, bad boy slander, bfs under control, toxicity,  weirdness, obsession, witches, unhinged sorority violence, spooky girls kicking and beating up men, shooting them, axe murdering them, deceiving and trapping them, or maybe torturing those petty boys if they’re merciful enough. You name it.

Show me one major Red Velvet music video where guys are treated and sang about nicely. Last time I checked, they went Robin Hood on some pizza delivery dudes while running their coven. Your guy Xiaojun is literally vibing and dancing to this for fun. Ask yourself what it means. I guess… you don’t really have to bring out a vile, predatory, and murderous side of yours and acquire a real body count. It doesn’t need a whole femme fatale makeover. I don’t think you need a whole crossbow either (perhaps a riding crop instead, scaling down a little). But maybe he likes to be handled a little roughly, or, say… some expertlyly done knife play makes him scream out loud. Just saying. He likes Red Velvet. Something is up with that.

W ⇥ Wild Card

You found out that the kinky side of Xiaojun is a dog on a leash kinda submissive. In a world of catboys, he is the puppy. Don’t get me wrong. You can never have enough kitties. Taeyong and Ten are legally permitted to wear as many cat ears and say as many meows as they want to. But Xiaojun is taking sides. You think he’s into weirder ways of dressing up, like this man walked up in a skintight slutty Venom costume once and stuck out his booty. And you went like, are you a certified monster fucker, do I need to grow some big throbbing tentacles after consuming a magic potion?

But he’s surprisingly different behind closed doors. He’ll crawl on his knees or caress his cheek against yours. Sometimes, he likes to stick his tongue out in weird ways, not even noticing it until you take a picture. So, that’s pretty cute. Xiaojun is a preppy kind of boyfriend in terms of fashion anyway. Lately, you buy him presents that all have to do with either personal care or clothing items. Xiaojun getting all pampered with gifts like perfume and satin chokers and delicate chain necklaces, you can imagine that he’s gonna wear this weekly, if not more often. So, a leash is not the only way to adorn him.

X ⇥ X-Ray

As nice underneath his clothing as what you can see clothed. After all, Prince Xiaojun is pretty all over. This is no exception. He doesn’t sparkle, but it’s close. His dick is perfectly small-to-moderate and compact, straight throughout and only slightly bendable, but otherwise flexible at the very base. So that’s interesting. No major veins to be seen. The tip is rather flat but fleshed-out like a rosebud, and hell yeah, he’s properly cut. Like completely. Which is very nice and feels twice the heaven. The entire shaft has a nice symmetrical texture that’s part vertically structured, part fine and smooth, the skin isn’t extremely thick. If it couldn’t get any better, his balls are nice and rounded, being all snug next to another. You get what I mean, rather than oval and strung together by excess skin. In other words: Very plump and full. Something you appreciate.

Beside the ass pics and selfies, they constitute the bulk of pictures you have of him on your phone because frankly, you’re obsessed. Covered in your cum, his cum, fake cum, clear lube, his spit, your spit, the fabric of his tee, or nothing at all fresh out of a warm shower, which means they’re kinda swollen. Makes it even better. Gotcha. You’re one picture away from putting that into your damn wallet. You love sitting down on them, you love feeling them, you like to squeeze and pinch and bite your heart out. Needless to say, Xiaojun is shy about that, and of course sensitive, but he got used to you being extremely zealous. You haven’t exactly had a passion for balls before meeting him, and you doubt someone else could be this appealing. But Xiaojun’s equipment seriously changed your mind. He simply doesn’t compare.

Y ⇥ Yearning

You mean, in today’s perfectly elegant terms, simping. Your soft-spoken, slightly extra honey deer Xiaojun has perfected the please-please begging pupper eyes, but will only use it on things you gladly like to give to him. Such as a little squeeze to the bum. Or a firmer one, on hornier days. Grab it like it’s pizza dough, you only live once. Booty aside, he really misses you a lot when you can’t be together for some work-related reasons, damn you capitalism reason number 507,063.

If your job has you traveling somewhere for two weeks, Xiaojun is pretty preoccupied during the daytime, but it’s still unusual. His bedroom eyes have nowhere to go, what to do? At night, the full realization hits and he’s miserable slouching in your sheets. And mighty cranky that he feels this way. He takes those things out on writing something, but it never satisfies. He needs company, you to giggle with. He can depend on himself, and he has friends, but it doesn’t cut.

Although he has a routine — he can game, he can work out, he can dance, he can eat — Xiaojun really falls into a rut being by himself. He might call up Ten and get sound advice because Chittaphon is a wise man, but a few phrases still can’t substitute for your presence and cuddles, nor your tone. Which is why you leave him voice messages pretty often. He really is obsessed with the way you speak, by the way. Xiaojun’s hanging on your lips.

Z ⇥ ZZZZ

Sleeps like a very exhausted angel. Xiaojun needs his green tea before sleeping, it’s his habit. Is very silent, turns often, and frequently has his eyes deceptively open but he’s not awake. Takes deep breaths and sleeps in lots.

[★ read the alphabet on ao3] 

++ FINAL NOTE - hope you enjoyed, i wanted to go wild & create a more lengthy and in-depth version of his classic format. makes me want to write more about nct, this group got so many subby gems in it. i’ve written stuff with ten sporadically but it’s my first time publishing something so long about wayv so excuse any mistakes ✊

[ masterlist ]

© 2017-2022 sugar-petals. all rights reserved, no reposts allowed. all depictions are fictional and for entertainment purposes only.

[feverista-11]

first date with caitlyn (piltover!reader)

i adore her sm jwjsjsjwjws

this song reminds me of her so much you don’t even understand

to say that caitlyn was nervous as hell to ask you out would be an understatement

a huge understatement

she was in and out of herself for weeks before it actually

cared enough to ask ALL of your friends for your 3 favorite flowers

usually sneaked out of her posts just to see you take a walk in your breaks

you two do see each other regularly, she usually takes you on “hangouts” at the local cafe

literal dates disguised as casual hangouts within friends

back to the date tho

spent hours deciding how to please you with the setup

decided to take you to piltover’s finest restaurant

was determined in making it perfect for you

and so she did

the day before,she got off her shift early just to meet you as you ended your noon classes

“cait, it’s so rare seeing you here! you don’t usually come around” “oh, right, the weather’s just nice to talk a walk, isn’t it?” “sure it is… is something up? you seem, weird” “right! I just wanted to ask you a little question actually” “yeah, sure, what’s up?” “I was just wondering if uh… you’d like to have dinner with me, just us two.. tomorrow?” “you mean like a date?” “No I- yeah.. a date I guess, I mean if you wouldn’t want that it’s o-” “I’d love to go on a date with you cait, don’t worry” “really?! Well then! I’ll come pick you up tomorrow at… 7, does that sound alright?” “It’s perfect, I can’t wait to see how you’ll charm me, kiramman”

and as punctual as she can be, she’s at your doorstep at 6:59pm, ringing your doorbell

you hurriedly put on your heels as you opened the door

the look on her face was just hilarious

she was taken aback on how breathtaking you looked

but composed herself and smiled at you

taking your hand in hers, leading you to the car (with a chauffeur cause my love here is yet to learn how to drive😭)

when you got to the restaurant, she got out first and offered you her hand, while she got a very well hidden bouquet with what were your favorite flowers

“cait?! how’d you know???” “well, I did quite a lot of digging hehe” “this is beautiful… you sure got the charm, kiramman”

you walked up the steps with your hand in hers

then she led you to the beautiful private table she’d prepared for you two

you sat across from her, sharing ever so gentle strokes of the hand, or loving glances every now and then

she’d order your favorite wine beforehand, so it’d be cold by when you arrived

you both ate, conversed for about an hour about sweet nothings with few most casual brushes of her bare leg against yours

“and how have your classes been lately? have you gone by easily?” “actually yes, I hope I’ll be able to finish the year early to get working as soon as possible” “what would your job of interest be then?” “well I was thinking in becoming a lawyer like my mother, I mean, these 4 years of law school haven’t been all for nothing” “you know, i really find it fascinating how you’re so smart yet so charming all at once” “well, it’s not for no reason that I managed to get caitlyn kiramman oh so wrapped around my finger” “sure thing..”

her attempt at making you fold failing once again, as she was left a giddy, blushing mess

after a while of her goofing around with the asparagus that you didn’t eat, it was time to go home

you walked back to the car with your arm locked with hers while laughing about stupid anecdotes

as the driver took the turn for your house, you noticed a road block, well shit

caitlyn looked at you expectantly, almost saying the words with her eyes

“wanna come over?” “well there are not much options are they” you chuckled lightheartedly as the taller girl yawned lazily

when you arrived at the kiramman manor, you had quite a hard time shaking the now asleep caitlyn off your shoulder

she sneakily unlocked the door, but was met with a very worried cassandra and tobias

but once they figured the whole situation out, they were very pleased

you’d met them before, with your mom helping them on a few occasions

they absolutely adored you, to Caitlyn’s relief

the night was short lived, both of you falling asleep rather quickly

you slept on a pair of pajamas she’d lend you

and you shared a bed, quite far from each other yet still hearing each other’s breathing

you woke up to a sight to see

Caitlyn curled up with her head on your chest and her hand locked with yours

[nxtsnw]

THE GIRL OF THE KISS

barista!mitsuya x reader

for the collab dreamescape made by @hanemiso

fluff !!

words count: 1.5k

Finally, summer arrived. The temperature in the morning was tolerable, but the best part was that you could finally wake up whenever you wanted, free from the pressure of assignments or class. Despite this, you had decided to wake up early and eat breakfast at your favorite place.

You moved quickly, more excited than ever to enjoy your beloved brioches and coffee.

You then went into the tiny space, where you were hit by a delicious sweet smell. similar to a morning hug The place was made more inviting by the wooden floor and walls as well as the soft lighting. Due to the bar's recent opening, not many people were seated. You searched the area for a table to sit at but finally chose the one that was, fortunately, free at the time.

Despite already knowing what you would get, you picked up the menu. After less than five minutes, a guy arrived ready to take your order. When you looked around, you noticed that his eyes were cerulean with a purple tinge that you had never seen before. They were really beautiful yet had a unique shape. As you turned your head, you first noticed his pretty smile and then his hair, which matched the color of his eyes. 

He smiled and said, "Good morning, what can I get to you, miss?" His eyes also smiled.

"Oh yes, I would like to give you an empty croissant and a Kiss, please."

You noticed the confused expression on his face: but he added right away.

"No problem! I'd also want a Kiss", and you point out what you meant by "Kiss ** on the menu.

Your specific action of indicating the "Kiss," or coffee with chocolate and hazelnuts, had escaped his notice.

"I'm sorry, I've only lately started working here. Uhm would you like a kiss? From who?? " He laughed at that point and touched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh no, wait don't worry.   I was referring to the chocolate and hazelnut-flavored drink."

His face consequently got a vivid red. His ears' tips even got red.

He mistook it for a kiss request...

"I'm embarrassed. I'll immediately bring you everything." And then he left.

You chuckled at the misunderstanding after when you reevaluated it. A kiss from him, however, might not have been that bad...

These ideas also caused you to flush. 

Soon after, the same boy constantly showed up.

"Here you go, the girl of the Kiss" and after giving your order, he left.  You smiled at the funny nickname, which sounded almost sweet when he spoke it. You took a few moments to stop and observe him. Your focus was drawn to his hands as you studied his long, lean frame and light skin. Although they were well cared for, some scars made you wonder. Your eyes occasionally locked, but each time, you both looked away.

After paying, you left feeling a little sad about not talking with the boy, whose name you still didn't know.

Thus, that day and the one following it went by. Though the memories of that day vanished, you decided to return one day. 

Aware that you might not have seen him again.  You had only ever seen him once in the morning. He may have worked early shifts throughout the day, making it impossible to find him in the afternoon.

You entered that place after 5 p.m. When you didn't see him, you may have been a little unhappy and went to sit down.

"Oh, welcome back Girl of the Kiss." You were jolted back to reality by a recognizable voice. It was him. "Mitsuya Takashi" was the name he had scribbled on the card. That was his name.

"Good evening, Mitsuya" you replied smiling.

His gaze was confused for a moment, but he promptly asked what you wanted to take and quickly returned with the order.

Charming. This is the term that describes that boy the best.

You began to make assumptions about the man. He was good with people and didn't appear stupid. The scars on his hands were probably some manual work, but you never guessed you were next to an aspiring stylist.    

Mitsuya changed out of his uniform for other clothing and sat at the table next to yours with just a pencil and a pad of paper when his shift was over.

Your curiosity only grew as his level of focus increased. Who knows what he was drawing? Except to occasionally stretch his neck, he kept his eyes fixed on the paper. You had been staring at him for at least five minutes. You were careful not to sound scary. But as soon as his eyes caught yours and he looked up, you moved it. You felt that it remained difficult to make eye contact. 

But as soon as he looked up and met yours, you moved it. Eye contact was still complicated, you thought. It was almost like a game of glances at one point when he also turned to look at you.

A few chuckles escaped. Later, a different waiter approached him and spoke to him in his ear. He continued to smile while gazing at you. You felt embarrassed, wondering how long you had been attracted to that boy.

When you finally decided it was time to leave, you started to stand up. However, the boy followed suit. After paying, you both made your way to the entrance. It was almost as if all of your minds had agreed to leave.

He held the door open for you in a true gentlemanly fashion. And you two moved forward together as you walked. It appeared to be a scene from a movie where the two protagonists are unable to make the first move.

Although your eyes were on the ground, you were conscious of his concentrated attention on you.

Without ever speaking to each other.

You were close to your house. You took the courage to look up, and look at him too. Surprised by your move, he smiled at you.

"We can use our voices or just keep looking at each other only, and that's it. Mitsuya?"

"You can choose. Also, girl of the Kiss, you can call me Takashi."

"And you can call me at Y/n".

"Oh, I see now. Even though I must admit I liked the nickname, you have a lovely name."

When your eyes finally connected for the millionth time, filled with embarrassment, fun, and maybe even a few traces of joy, they made you laugh out loud. Your laughter spoke for itself; it seemed that your hearts joined you in laughter.

Anyone who saw you would have mistaken you for a young couple happily in love.

In the meantime, he had approached you, and his presence had not caused you any sense of discomfort.

Before you parted, you decided to exchange your phone number as well.

It was by now in your routine to pass in front of that place. The crush developed for the boy was now clear.  Likewise, he had been teasing you, in an effort to keep his feelings for you a secret. Takashi gave you details about his shift times, so you would know when to go there and meet him.

Winter then arrived. Prepared to see him again, you sat down. Strangely, when you saw him, he wasn't dressed in his bartender uniform, but rather in casual outfit. He approached you and requested respectfully if he might sit with you.

"It's good to see you again, girl of the Kiss " she told you.

"The same goes for me" you replied

"Stop looking at me like that. I feel like an idiot..."

Like what??

Before you could say anything, two girls, who must have been between 12/14 years old, with hair and eyes the same color as Mitsuya, entered the bar. The boy turned to look at them.

The two immediately ran to meet him to hug him.

"Luna! Mana! What are you doing here?" Mitsuya asked to them.

"You forgot this at home !!" The oldest said, handing him a little box.

The youngest pointed at you and asked, "Big brother, is she the girl you like? Is she the girl of the kiss?!?" before you had a chance to respond.

He looked you with some anxiety at the prospect of your reply. However, your heart had already started to race, and you were unable to speak.

"I apologize. The last thing I wanted to do was to scare you." His eyes had been sparkling up to that point.

"Please give me a chance, Y/n. Knowing us better, I'll be able to explain things to you and perhaps even win your heart." You heard the final words, despite the fact that they were muttered.

You smiled and nodded.

Knowing that by this point you too had a feeling for that boy...

As you two strolled through the city streets that evening, his heart had softened, and you two had joined the hands of yours together. Your hearts began to shine together again when the moon appeared in the sky.

I can't forget to mention Hakkai, the blue-haired Dia boy, and the two DJ Mitsuya sisters, who silently followed you throughout your date ...

** Where I live, the "Kiss" is an ice cream flavor!! Made up of chocolate and hazelnut. In this story it represents a type of coffee, so I hope you now understand why Mitsuya misunderstood your request. :)

taglist: @mrssunasimpowo @elychee @frosttea + click here If you wanna join my taglist <3

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[randomwriteronline]

The kid is small.

Probably eight, or nine. Somewhere between those two terminals.

He has heard of them of course - through hushed whispers between guards and villagers while the Commander and the Captain handled them.

Something about that age tells Emmet that it's not quite the right time for them to be going around the place like that, as far as he knows; then again, other regions might let children that young engage in this vague, character-shaping quest he can't quite remember the details of.

He is a foreigner, after all.

When they first arrive to the gate, he takes in just how tiny they are.

All swaddled nice and cozy in the large survey corps jacket that drowns them, with a nice red scarf stuffed into it and a hat that the Professor must have put on their little head to shelter their eyes from the sun, sitting snuggly on the handkerchief keeping their bangs out of their face.

They hold the Professor's hand tight, trying to hide behind him.

"Hello," Emmet smiles nicely at them, bowing a little. His wide hat tilts with his head: "I am Emmet. What's your name?"

They mumble something that sounds like either Okehri or Acrei.

"What a nice name." he nods honestly. He remains tilted forward a little: "I can take you wherever you like."

That's only partially a lie -- because he knows the sentence was a test to be performed in the Obsidian Fieldlands, but he could indeed easily escort them wherever they would ask - rather easily too.

After a pause, they speak a little louder: "I want to go home."

Hmmm. That might be hard.

What with having fallen from the sky and all.

He sits - with a little difficulty, due to his bad leg - on his heels.

"Do you know where it is?" he asks.

"Twinleaf," they answer.

"Do you know where Twinleaf is?"

They mumble a moment.

"Near the Lake," they reply, "The one that's... Not the cold one. Near, hm. Forest."

"Aaah," Emmet nods: "Lake Verity."

They nod back at him.

"That's a verrry dangerous place," he comments. The way he rolls his Rs makes them smile a little bit. "I can take you there! But first, you need to train hard so you can be safe. The Obsidian Fieldlands are a good place to start. The Lake is close, too. So you can still see from the shore."

That is a good enough compromise; the child nods.

"Very well!" Emmet straightens up so stiffly and suddenly that Okayri laughs a little at how cartoonish it looks, arms springing into position as they point to the horizon behind them: "All aboard!"

A hand lowers and opens for them to take: "Please do not become uncoupled from me."

The kid's hand is small and warm.

Twinleaf... What a strange feeling it gives him, to think about it as they walk to the camp. Twin leaf.

"I had a twin," he says, and doesn’t go on.

Acory hums in reply, and doesn’t go on.

Emmet is verrry grateful that they don't question his use of the past tense.

-

Mistress Calaba’s foul mood was the first thing that clued her in on something not being quite right.

The next thing was, of course, seeing those brigands trying to sneak back to their camp without noticing her, carrying around a large slab of stone.

Then there was a little kid looking very scared as the Miss Fortunes cornered them and threatened them with a three-against-one battle, and at that point Elesa had quite enough of them already.

Clover yips when a huge metal shell knocks her Abosmasnow straight out, her and Coin turning around in genuine terror as Goodra unfurls before the very mesmerized child they tried attacking; when their eyes meet Elesa’s, they struggle to regain their fiersome snarls at the positively furious glare the foreigner shoots right at them.

Charm remains collected, of course.

“You again?” she groans, annoyed.

Grabbing her younger sister’s arms, she turns Coin back to the kid: “You take care of that runt,” she orders while her Rhydon growls at the dragon: “I’ll make sure to cut down this fake diamond once and for all.”

Good luck with two Pokémon weak to Steel, Elesa quips back in her mind.

It’s not even a fair fight, honestly. It takes no time at all for her to handle the oldest, no matter how angry she might be or how loudly Clover encourages her.

More importantly, the child -- oh!

She’s rather pleasantly surprised to see Croagunk fall to the ground just before slinking back into Coin’s Pokéball.

The three brigands blabber something that frankly doesn’t matter and disappear, so livid at their defeat that they abandon their loot, and Elesa looks the little kid over to assess any kind of damage that could have been done to them.

They seem pretty alright from what she can see, if rather shaken.

She searches for a potion to help heal their partners, but they already have quite a few; she passes them instead a sweet Nanab Berry, to steady their nerves.

“Thank you,” they mumble very quietly and a little embarassed.

Their cheeks are a little red when they hide in their scarf.

She waves gently to assure them everything is alright. With a stick, she writes her name down in the soft ground for them to read.

They squeeze their eyes a little: “El- El-e-sa.”

She nods, and points at them inquisitively.

The kid gives a little ‘oh!’ and answers with a mouthful of munched berry to muffle their words: Kroei, or Akme, or Ecoli.

She still gives them a thumbs up.

Pointing at the Pokéball peeking from their bag she makes a motion with her arms, as if to say: Your team is strong!

They sway their whole body happily, flustered.

Once the berry has completely disappeared in their tummy and the shock has passed, they try to lift the slab of rock on their own; Elesa grabs it for them, holding it against her back almost without breaking a sweat, and they look at her in awe for a moment, mouth agape.

She tilts her head, nodding towards it a little: What now?

They point to the other shore: “It’s for the old lady,” they explain.

Ah, that makes sense. No wonder the warden was so upset today...

Following their lead, Elesa glaldy helps them take the slab back to where it rightfully belongs.

She finds herself sad that the kid is so young.

They can’t challenge her yet.

-

Old man Ginter told her to keep an eye on Volo.

Because he’s afraid that boy will end up killing himself one day, through one mean or the other.

The weird lady who lives alone in the middle of nowhere and dresses like some kind of mistress of the night style sorceress also asked the same of her, for the same reason.

It’s not exactly like her job (what was her job?) but if it’s for the safety of a passenger she can juggle aggressively selling goods to anybody she meets and keeping an eye on the young man entrusted in her care like a Staraptor waiting for the right moment to snatch a Buneary.

The main problem with that is that Volo himself hates being followed.

Ironic! As he constantly follows others and pesters them.

Including a baby now, apparently.

Briosa doesn’t scream at him to get his ass back down to her if he isn’t going to be selling anything to trembling brick of a man who lives in the dark blue tent at first, when she sees him on top of a hill with a toddler-sixed unit made up entirely of what she can only assume is sweat and dehydration, because the sun is shining hard enough to split rocks in two and this kid is over here bundled up in Bibarel fur with a hat which she imagines is made of felt or some other extremely not good material to be wearing in this weather.

“VOLO,” she finally shouts, making him jump six feet in the air.

The kid turns too, not as scared as they could be. If Volo is constantly around them, they might know her by voice.

“ARE YOU SELLING THEM THINGS?” she asks him.

He takes a very deep breath and shakes his head.

“ASK THEM IF THEY HAVE SNACKS,” she keeps yelling from the foot of the hill, disturbing Aipoms and Wormadams without a care. “KIDS ALWAYS GOTTA HAVE SOME SNACKS ON THEM. FOR ENERGY. HOW MUCH MONEY DO YOU HAVE, KID? SHOW WITH YOUR HANDS.”

The child pulls back their enormous sleeves; they fall back on their hands. Volo helps them roll them up, they and start opening and closing their fists.

Ten, twenty, thirty, fourty, fifty, six seven eight nine hundred ten two three four fivesixseveinine two hun onetootreefofisiseveini three hun-

“DO YOU HAVE MORE THAT A THOUSAND?” she asks to speed things up.

The kid nods.

“SELL ‘EM RICE CAKES FOR SIXTY-FIVE EACH,” she instructs Volo, “THAT’S A GOOD PRICE FOR A BABY. SELL ‘EM LIKE FIVE. I HAVE BERRIES TOO, YOU WANT BERRIES? I GOT NANAB.”

The kid shakes their head. Then thinks about it; puts their hands around their mouth to shout back at her.

“I’M DEAF,” Briosa yells. “I CAN’T HEAR ANYTHING.”

The child motions for her to come closer: she does, and they sign, Oran?

Holy shit, Briosa thinks as she gives them thumbs up and begins searching for oran berries in her backpack, this kid signs, that’s fantastic. She introduces herself and asks for their name with her free hand: they’re not that good at spelling, so what comes out is something that could be anything between Nroki, Ankara, and Ray. Good enough.

She points at Volo: “He follows you around?” (she can see him mouth hey! rather piqued).

The child nods (another hey!, a little less venomous).

“If he’s always around you, teach him sign language sometimes,” she tells them as she watches them make a few potions for the road: “It gets boring with no one to talk to and I’m too busy to do it myself.”

They sort of giggle behind their scarf.

By the by, why does he bother you?, she asks.

They answer with a single sign. Then they note: Was telling something. Can continue? I was curious.

With Briosa’s approval as she wordlessly convinces the kid to at least lose the heavy jacket in the warm climate, the Gingko merchant manages to get back on his train of thought (whatever a train is) and continue on rambling about who knows what with a sweet smile and dulcet tones.

At least, she imagines his words are spoken nice and saccharine, because that’s how his face looks like.

The kid at least seems interested in his spiel.

Both watch the child while they head out to the hand of the coast once they’re done getting their ears chewed by the merchant’s ramblings.

“So,” she says and signs at her ward. “Plates, huh?”

Volo jolts, surprised, as if he was caught doing something bad; in a moment he is back to waving a hand dismissively with a huff, and starts going down the hill.

Briosa looks back at the kid before following her ward.

A minor shouldn’t be boarding such a ride alone.

She’ll keep an eye out for them, too.

-

He reasoned that going was only the polite thing to do.

Granted, he had a bit of trouble following the Commander’s words, what with the lingering drowsiness and the slow spacing out blocking his words - but he understood the assignement well enough.

And besides, getting to go to this settlement the news of which had greatly intrigued him and meeting the person doing so much good for the Nobles?

He’ll gladly go wake up someone so kind.

When the door opens, though, Ingo is immediately puzzled.

This... Is a child.

He waits a moment to take in just how tiny they are.

All swaddled nice and cozy in the large survey corps jacket that drowns them, with a nice red scarf stuffed into it and a hat still in their hands that they quickly put on their little head to shelter their eyes from the sun, sitting snuggly on the handkerchief keeping their bangs out of their face.

How have they dealt with the Nobles, exactly?

Perhaps talks of battling were imagined; since they belong to the survey corps, they might have found a safer alterative method, or simply distracted the struggling Pokémon with a calming gadget and sat on the sidelines, observing their behaviour and taking notes until the frenzy finally passed.

“Good morning, young one who came from the sky!” he bellows anyways, politely. “Commander Kamado told me to let you know he awaits your arrival in his office.”

The strength of his voice wakes them up fully.

And their eyes light up.

That... Is new.

Usually, people aren’t very keen on his yelling.

Miss Irida and a member of the security corps fill him in on their situation a bit more properly while the Commander and the child talk - about how they fell from the sky like him, and how they’ve latched themself to the Professor and his young assistant like glue. Something sticks out to him in particular: that they were apparently greatly saddened by a small announcement they received yesterday, regarding a chaperone.

Seeing as they are so young...

He waits patiently for Miss Irida to introduce him, to explain his role and their similarities. He hopes the lack of a smile doesn’t put them off when they turn their big black eyes to look at him.

“I apologize, I don’t believe I’ve caught your name,” he says.

Their reply is muffled by their scarf: what comes out could be Raise, Eh, or maybe even Armory.

“What a nice name.” he nods honestly. He pinches the brim of his cap between index and thumb to tip it at them, which makes them grin: “To reach Electrode, you will need the help of Lady Sneasler - though I’m rather certain she will be glad to lend you her claws since you’ve proved yourself to be so kind and helpful to her fellow Nobles. More importantly, I’ve been told your usual conductor is unfortunately unavailable at the moment, which has rather upset you.”

They nod deeply, importantly. Like they know Ingo perfectly understands how sad that makes them.

“I am aware it would be a momentary replacement, but if you would allow me I’d be more than glad to escort you and the Professor to the Highlands myself.”

The way up the mountain is rather dangerous after all, and he would feel much calmer having undeniable proof that such a young passenger arrived at their destination safe and sound.

Seeing as the child wastes no time seizing his free hand and beams up at him with unbound excitement and a smile as big as the moon, they like the idea.

He just didn’t really expect them to pull him to go so quickly

“Oh - very well!” he exclaims, his back fixing upright with a loud pop as his free palm extends to point at the gate he can see at the other end of the village, legs all straightened out in a long step as the child giggles and drags him away under Irida’s amused gaze: “All aboard!”

Their little legs can’t sprint too far.

By the time everybody’s on the way, they are tired of running already; they still hold him in their little warm palm, scampering by his side, happy as can be.

“You look a lot like him,” they say suddenly.

“Like your chaperone?” he asks.

They hum affirmatively.

Ah, Ingo nods: “It’s the sideburns, is it not?”

They laugh. It makes him almost smile.

[soutaichou]

I demand a date night! Surprise me.

A date night, was it? The message delivered by the jigokucho was received and he murmured a soft reply to the insect before sending it winging towards the Thirteenth's grounds. Nanao had tracked him down and bullied him into going and doing some proper work but he wasn't fussing too much. He knew she worried about him when he spent an overtly long time at the Thirteenth, worried about the regulations and edicts of those stuffy old men in Central 46 and about how Shinigami were never allowed to do this or that. He wasn't too worried, however.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, was it? He did worry - but seldom about himself. But he was quick to plop his brush into the nearby holder and rise to his feet, scooping his hat up in his hand. It was a beautiful spring day and the nights were getting far warmer than they had been. That brought an idea to mind and he knew it would work out just fine. Yeah, best to go get the preparations started now, early in the day. It'd give hm enough time to make the arrangements that he had in mind for himself and for this date that his lover was asking for from him. So off he stepped towards the entrance of the division, a hand lifting up to wave at her almost lazily as he spoke up.

❝ I'll see you later, Nanao-chan.~♫ Something came up. We'll talk then! ❞

Before she could even begin to protest, he departed in a flash of shunpo. A date night was something he had to plan for, something that he was very much going to indulge in. And already his mind was full of an idea that he was sure would suit his partner. So he took a few minutes once he was well away from his division to summon up another jigokucho and sent it winging off to find the other man. That done, Shunsui turned himself towards one of the larger markets of the Seireitei, descending upon it in a swirl of flowery kimono and warm smiles that made cheeks flush as far as shop owners went as he charmed them endlessly.

Some other preparations were in order and with a skilled concealment of his reiatsu, he moved with his procured goods off to his favorite hilltop. The grass was growing wildly in its joy of spring coming once more, becoming a welcome blanket of soft green. Perfect. The blanket he shook out first, spreading it out, before stones were used to weigh down the corners. No need for it to go flying off if a wind caught it just right. That done, he took some care in ensuring the grass nearby wouldn't be likely to trip anyone up.

He did return once he was satisfied to the division, accepted his scolding, and then diverted his lieutenant with a simple question about some recent expense or another that he had spotted recently and could she check that out, please? He knew that she knew he was playing with a diversion, but the twinkle in those gray eyes said why he was; obviously she knew. That worked well enough, certainly.

Finally, he returned to the markets to select a variety of foods for the evening; in went marinated eggs with custard-like yolks, noodles, everything he'd need to cook up a meal while they were out on that hill. Something easy and deliciously filling. He even picked up a bottle of the pricier brand of sake for the evening, planning on sharing it, and absconded out to the hill again to get all of that set up. A couple candles that would be lit only when it was dark enough completed everything and he glanced at the setting sun with a hint of a smile.

Finally, he was moseying to the Thirteenth, giving the lieutenants a polite nod and smile, and moved to knock lightly on the office door before sliding it open with a murmur of ❝ it's me ❞ even though he knew Ukitake was likely expecting his arrival. That done, he moved over to the desk and bent down to kiss the other man, a playful flirt of lips on lips.

❝ Come on -- it's getting towards night. You're now officially on a date, Juu. We're going to go spend the evening stargazing and I'll even make us dinner. ❞

A wink of one eye and he grinned, holding his hands out to the other man.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Translation:

Sam Heughan: "A romantic comedy set in Madrid would be very passionate"

We went up to one of the most representative domes of the Madrid 'skyline' with the Scottish actor to talk about superpowers, time travel, Madrid and the characters in his life, such as Jamie Fraser from “Outlander” or the journalist from “ Love Again”, the romantic comedy that opens in theaters on May 12.

By Ana Pérez and Photography: Alfonso Ohnur / Styling: Jesús Cicero

04/19/2023

"A coffee and in five minutes we are ready. He's in a very good mood, by the way,” says Wendy, a cheerful and charming middle-aged Scottish woman who is featured as the hair and makeup manager in today's session, although we soon discover that she is much more than that. She belongs to the actor's circle of trust, so she goes down in advance to see that everything is in order. The Esquire team is already prepared in the spectacular 300 m 2 suite that the Four Seasons in Madrid has given us for the occasion. There are nerves, because it's not every day that you have a star like Sam Heughan on your hands(Galloway, Scotland, 1980) and everything has to go perfectly. While he goes down, the team from Sony Pictures and Movistar Plus+, the producer and distributor in Spain of Outlander , respectively (the series that has catapulted him to fame), review the outfits so that, once we start, everything goes smoothly.

Fendi trench coat, and Pedro del Hierro shirt and pants.

Finally Sam arrives at the suite. He is serious, but so charming that the nerves dissipate. Everything happens with astonishing agility under the watchful eye of Wendy, who reviews each shot with efficiency and alternates her suggestions (all of the most sound, really) with her enthusiasm for the work we're doing. There is nothing that this herculean Scotsman of almost two meters in height does not defend with solvency. He doesn't care about a modern Prada trench coat with green squares or an impeccable summer suit from Emporio Armani. Once the photo session was over we went to the suitepresidential, overlooking Calle Alcalá, where the interview will take place. “On my next trip I want to stay here!” She says, joking for the first time, as she crosses the threshold. We settle into some seats, facing each other, and I have to confess that when Sam Heughan gives you all his attention, he's intimidating. I perceive an obvious barrier of shyness, so I try to break through it and reach him through his characters.

Tell me, Sam, what is the first memory you have of being on stage?

I went to a very creative school, where the arts, music, theater were very encouraged... My first role was Bill Sikes, the drunken villain in Oliver Twist , in a school play. He hadn't acted before and he wasn't very good, but I vividly remember having a lot of fun on stage. Later, my first professional role was Romeo, in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , already at acting school.

You became known to the general public with the Batman from the musical Batman Live . What was your favorite superhero as a child?

Batman , without a doubt, a very dark character who lost his parents very young. He dresses up as a bat, but in reality he is not a real superhero. He's just an ordinary human being, who has had privileged access to a lot of technology. And yet I think it's very interesting.

"Teleportation would make my life easier, because I would no longer have to travel continuously."

And if you could choose to have one superpower that you could use in real life, what would it be?

Perhaps teleportation, so he can travel wherever he wants. It would make my life easier, because I would no longer have to travel all the time. It would allow me to be anywhere in the world in a moment.

After Batman, Outlander and Jamie Fraser come into your life. What has this character meant to you?

Jamie has changed my life. Since I started playing it eight years ago, everything has completely changed. Until then, I was a normal actor; you know, towards theater, television... But Jamie really changed my world, he's given me a lot of opportunities, I've been able to create my own projects, write, produce... He's an incredible character that I've been growing up with, living with many experiences, I have grown old with him... It has been an incredible challenge to play him.

Sam is wearing Giorgio Armani total look . ALFONSO OHNURESQUIRE

And what do you think is, in your opinion, the secret of the success of this series?

I think the incredible relationship that Jamie and Claire have, without a doubt; their romance, which never dies despite all the obstacles that come their way. No matter what, their love endures and I think that everyone would like to have a relationship like this. But this is to the credit of Diana Gabaldón [the American author of the saga of novels on which she is based]. She created these characters, who people love and season after season are waiting to see what will happen to them.

“Jamie has changed my life. Since I started interpreting him, everything has changed completely ”

In the seventh season, which premieres in Spain on June 17 on Movistar Plus+, will Jamie be alive from start to finish?

We are studying it... [laughs]. Yes, this story has to last even longer [recently it has been confirmed that the eighth will be the last season of the series]. Diana has written a tenth book, so we still have a long way to go.

If you could travel in time , as Claire's character, your wife, does in the series, what era would you travel to?

Wow, so I would love to go to Ancient Egypt, to Rome, and maybe I would also like to travel to the future to see what will happen in a hundred years.

Sam Heughan, in the dome of the Four Seasons hotel in Madrid with a total look by Zegna.

Although Heughan has often stated that it doesn't have much to do with his character in Outlander , what he does have in common with him is his Scottish origin, something he wears with pride, to the point of becoming its ambassador worldwide. In fact, in parallel to this series, he stars in another, Men in Kilts (its second season will also be available on Movistar Plus+ in the coming months), in which he tours Scotland accompanied by Graham McTavish (Dougal MacKenzie, in the series), to divulge the secrets of their culture and customs. And he also makes his own whisky, which he has named Sassenach, after the Gaelic word for non-Gaelics and Jamie for his fictional partner.

Outlander has been very successful in Spain. What do we Spaniards and Scots have in common?

I think the energy and passion in Spain is incredible, similar to ours. Scots and Spaniards have many things in common: we are very warm, friendly, passionate about sports and we also like to party. We are very similar.

The first thing you premiere now is the romantic comedy Love Again (Sony Pictures) , on May 12, in which you share the bill with Priyanka Chopra and Celine Dion herself . What can you tell us?

The film revolves around a great romance, although underlying it there is also a tragedy: the protagonist loses her fiancé and writes text messages to his old mobile number, which my character has, a journalist named Rob Burns who falls in love her. It is tragic, but also very beautiful. It's a very sweet film, with the presence of Celine Dion, an authority on romance [laughs]. I think people are going to have a lot of fun watching it.

Sam Heughan and Priyanka Chopra in a scene from Love Again. LIAM DANIEL SONY PICTURES

[Notice to fans: Watch out for Heughan singing Celine Dion's It's All Coming Back to Me Now while taking a shower.]

In the case of the characters in the film, technology is crucial to finding each other. What do you think about using technology to find love?

I think technology helps us communicate and allows us to connect people who might not otherwise be able to, like the two characters in the movie. Dating apps and social media allow for more interaction, but maybe sometimes we rely too much on technology and hide behind it. I think an in-person connection is always better.

Perhaps Madrid could be the setting for your next romantic comedy... Where would it take place?

I love Madrid, it's great, romantic and full of energy. A romantic comedy set in Madrid would be very passionate. Perhaps in the Royal Palace, with a prince who meets a girl in the El Retiro park, but finds out that she is actually a professional soccer player. They see a game at the stadium and end with dinner and dancing in the San Miguel market.

Prada trench coat and Paul Smith pants. ALFONSO OHNURESQUIRE

In addition to work, you lead a project, My Peak Challenge, with which you collaborate in various solidarity initiatives. What is it about?

It is an online fitness program . The peakers , which is what the members are called, pay a fee for daily training, adapted to each one. They include yoga, mindfulness , nutrition program... In addition to the fee, 15% is contributed to charitable causes. It is about working for your health, for yourself, and at the same time helping others.

And what is the peak or challenge that has been the hardest for you to reach in your life?

Perhaps the large number of projects I have on my hands. Finding time to dedicate to all of them, but I am very lucky to be able to get them going.

After this interview, Waypoints came into my hands. My Scottish Journey (recently published in Spain by Principal de los libros), a kind of memoir in which Heughan alternates reflections on his life, parallel to a trip along a complicated hiking route, the West Highland Way, in the homeland of he. Among other things, he tells that he grew up without a father (he abandoned him at 18 months) and gives some clues that explain the man behind the actor. In fact, he is perfectly summed up in this fragment: “According to my mother, he was a little adventurer, although he could also be quite sensitive. When left to my own devices he could lead any attack, but in company he preferred not to be the center of attention. He wasn't shy: I just felt more comfortable watching from the rear."

Photography assistants: Dani García and Elisa María Lozano · Styling assistant: Aline Patiño · Makeup and hairdressing: Wendy Kemp Forbes · Tailor: Maribel Madrid · Photography editor: Carolina Álvarez · Production: Marta Sánchez · Acknowledgments: Hotel Four Seasons Madrid.

*This report appears in the May 2023 issue of Esquire magazine, on sale since April 21.

Now it is understood why Wendy Kemp Forbes was part of SH's speech in Madrid last year. His improvised speech was not for social reasons. His interest in women's participation was very doubtful. The credibility of his speech was put aside by his opportunism 🤨

[lenific]

OUAT. Rumbelle + Baelfire. Impossible Things

@lotus0kid

Hello! It’s Santa finally arriving with her calendar made a mess, but hey. The story is here!

A bit of intro to this one with three questions: What if Rumpelstiltskin didn’t offer Belle a way out before she realized she was in love? What if, together, they thought of the realms that were available to search for Bae, and rescued him from Neverland? What if it was too late to change Regina’s mind? IMPOSSIBLE THINGS (for @rumbellesecretsanta)

In the Enchanted Forest

The light steps outside made him snap his eyes open. He had gotten used to the heavy thread of armed guards, whenever they decided he needed to be fed.

These steps, Rumpelstiltskin had learned after years together.

“Belle,” he whispered, even as he slipped out of the dark corner at the back of his cell, careful not to touch the spelled bars. After his second attempt to escape, Blue had finally landed on a spell capable of containing him.

It would fade eventually.

It would be too late.

“Darling, I told you not to come.”

Belle smiled back.

His first sight of her in weeks, and she was smiling. He really didn’t deserve her.

“Did you, really?” she said as she came close. “Your meaning must have gotten lost among the yelling.”

Had they been at home, he would already have made some huge gesture to get back in her good graces. Baelfire would either giggle or roll his eyes, depending on how silly it was, and Belle would laugh and forgive him.

Here, he gave a small shrug. “I’m sorry, Belle.”

“I know.” She stood before him, her hands against the invisible barrier. “What do we do now?”

That was easy.

The die had been cast from the moment Regina guessed at the last ingredient for the Dark Curse. And despite Blue’s suspicions, she had guessed. Because even though that smug fairy was right, and Rumpelstiltskin could have made a deal in exchange for a clue, he hadn’t.

Punishment enough to doubt his choice, and then doubt again.

He reminded himself that there was no choice. Not really. He had once chosen the easy path, and it had led him to lose his son.

Never again.

 Where Belle would one day understand why he had needed to break her trust in order to keep his family safe, he couldn’t gamble on Bae’s willingness to forgive him again.

“We wait,” he said quietly.

Belle swallowed, blinking the fear away. Brave woman, his Belle. “Regina might not—”

She broke herself off at his headshake.

“Don’t kid yourself, sweetheart.”

Belle couldn’t think of anyone harming their family. She still loved her own father, despite everything. She would protect Maurice even though the man wouldn’t as much as open one of her letters. 

To kill a father who had followed their child down the darkest paths?

No, Belle would never understand.

Even the Charmings, who knew intimately the depths Regina would go to, had decided to be optimistic. Bright-eyed and confident that love was the ultimate power, they couldn’t believe that even the Evil Queen would kill the last person who loved her.

Rumpelstilskin knew better.

Curses were meant to be cast.

Henry could be spirited away, tucked behind as many barriers as the fairies could hold, but Regina needed a happy ending more than a father’s love.

When the moment came, the old man would open up his own chest, if it made his little girl smile.

Fathers were foolish like that.

“We will be alright,” he reminded Belle, faking a smile. “It won’t be forever.”

Belle’s own smile said she was trying to believe him. She searched her pocket, bringing out the small talisman he had given her. “And we will be together.” She clutched the teacup to her chest. “I’m not letting go of this, so we will be together.”

Not even his power could twine more than two fates together. Bae and Belle were as safe as he could make them.

How Regina’s curse would entangle him was a worry for when the Savior arrived.

“Of course, sweetheart,” he lied.

He refused to place another burden on her, when it was all so hopeless. After the Savior had done her work, after he admitted that there had never been a choice, Belle would forgive him.

“In the meanwhile, you are coming back with us,” Belle told him, tucking the teacup out of sight, and bringing up a book instead. He let out an impressed whistle when he recognized the title.

“I thought there was only one copy.”

Blue had bragged about that, as she cast the barrier over his cell.

Belle’s eyes danced with mischief. “There is.”

Rumpelstiltskin laughed, wishing he could kiss her smile. “I trust you, love.”

Belle blushed. “I will find the counterspell,” she promised. “Then you’re coming home with us.”

As Regina was taking her time finding her father, Rumpelstiltskin let himself hope. Waiting out the Dark Curse in his castle would be infinitely better. “I’d love that.”

---

When the curse swept into the dungeons three weeks later, Rumpelstiltskin refused to be afraid.

Baelfire was safe with Belle.

Anything else, he could survive.

28 years later.

Over the threshold of the sheriff’s office, freedom started with a panicked gulp.

Lacey tugged at his arm, her usual determination overshadowed by dread. “Why tonight?” she muttered, visibly shaken. “Of all nights for this shit to happen….”

His first thought was to reassure her, but practicality dragged him forward. Away from trouble and toward - 

“Papa!”

After so many weeks apart, Gold felt the world realign. “Neal,” he breathed.

Why was his boy behind the wheel?

Lacey noticed at the same time. “Forget about it, shrimp. Backseat, now.”

Neal stuck his tongue out, but he squeezed between the front seats and waved at them from his new position.

Gold forgot the chaos of the moment, and let himself laugh. He walked faster to the car despite the dubious balance of the cane Lacey had just brought for him.

Beside him, she kept glancing around them, her smile nervous.

Despite the situation, Gold only had eyes for the fifteen-year-old in the car.

“I found him at my doorstep,” Lacey said, following his line of sight. “I know you wanted to keep him safe to the last minute, but when has the kid ever listened to you?” Her voice was less peeved than she probably meant. She wasn’t one to follow instructions either. “He said the nuns won’t check until morning, and after so many times he’s snuck out, I’m hoping they haven’t decided to wise up tonight. I wouldn’t count on Astrid giving me the heads-up. Not for this.”

Gold grunted. That Lacey had found a nun willing to give him the benefit of the doubt was miracle enough.

She must have taken the sound as a complaint, because she scowled back. “I told him to stay put. I swear I did.”

His boy could out-stubborn anyone.

“It’s all right, Lace,” he said, reaching for the passenger door.

“Best that he’s here, anyway. We can leave right away.”

Once inside the car, he pulled Neal into a tight hug.

Both chuckled when they realized neither would loosen their grasp.

“Missed you too, Papa,” Neal said, still holding on.

Gold laughed, surprised by the easy affection. Neal had once been a sweet kid, but high school had changed him. The moodiness of his early teens had grown into a wave of anger and disappointment that had driven them apart.

He had hit his lowest point the day Neal had run away.

The months spent looking for his son had been bleak. An endless ocean of darkness. He hated to remember the measures he’d taken in his search. The only bright spot had been crossing paths with Lacey, and even their relationship had taken a few bitter twists before Neal had finally resurfaced.

For a little while afterward, life had been bright for the three of them.

Until Spencer called for his arrest.

(Or rather, someone placed above Spencer did, as the district attorney wasn’t fool enough to bite the hand that had hidden so many of his sins.)

Gold bristled at the thought of this unseen enemy, but at the moment he chose to focus on Neal.

“I missed you too, son.”

“Yeah, yeah. We love you and you love us,” Lacey grumbled with a pronounced eyeroll as she dangled her keychain over their heads. “Can we hurry it up?”

Neal made a half-hearted attempt to reach the car key. “Am I driving this time?”

“No!” chorused Lacey and Gold.

Neal gave an impressive eyeroll of his own, and with a shrug, he settled back as Lacey started the car.

Gold was glad to see the ease between them.

His son and his girlfriend had little in common, but they had stuck together in the weeks since Gold had been brought up on charges. They had even shared an inside joke or two the last time they had come in together. After that, once Neal had been forbidden to come, Lacey had sounded fond of the boy. There had been no reluctance to recount stories about Neal, and she’d stopped being upset when he redirected the conversation to his boy.

Neal raised his hand for a high-five when they reached the main road. “Next stop: New York!” 

Neal’s enthusiasm made Gold smile. 

He glanced at Lacey, ready to share in the moment, but her expression revealed that her nerves had caught up with her.

“Lace?”

“It’s okay,” she said too quickly. “I’m okay, really.”

Gold tried for a reassuring smile. He would move to the front seat at their first stop. Maybe take over the driving when they were far enough. Lacey had taken a nasty shock in the sheriff’s office, but she would be back to normal after a nap.

(Hopefully. He had no idea how to help her otherwise.)

Neal didn’t know to wait. “Are you, really?” he pressed.

“Sure! Ready to get out of here yesterday. That’s all.”

Neal looked between the two of them. “What happened?” He frowned, then peered at Lacey’s reflection on the rearway mirror. “You are more stressed now than in the afternoon. Which makes no sense, because you didn’t really think this would work.”

“Of course I’m sure,” Lacey insisted, with the tone of a well-rehearsed phrase. “Always was.”

She was a poor liar, when faced with people that mattered to her.

Neal huffed with pointed disbelief. “And you,” he continued, turning to point at his father. “You should be grumbling at us  for altering your plan. Drive back to the convent and pick me up there, wasn’t it?”

“There was a chance we’d get caught,” Gold explained quickly.

Neal pressed his lips together. “So why aren’t getting grounded for risking being caught along, and why does Lacey look about to cry?”

Lacey shook her head. “Am not.”

Gold had promised not to lie ever again, so he volleyed with another question. “Do you want to get grounded, son?”

An unimpressed look said Neal wasn’t distracted. “What happened in there, then?”

His boy was smart, Gold consoled himself. 

“There was a hiccup,” he started, figuring out the balance between the truth Neal deserved and the innocence he was owed.

At the same time, Lacey laid it out without hesitation: “The sheriff decided to get murdered just before we left.”

The hard part over with, Gold made a helpless gesture at Neal’s shocked look. “It wasn’t me.”

Neal buried his head in his hands. “This is bad,” he muttered.

“It really wasn’t me, son,” Gold insisted.

“I know! But everyone else will think—”

“Neal, we’re leaving. Stop worrying about what they think.”

Storybrooke had been supposed to be a new start for them.

A new business for him, a new school for Neal, and a new home for Lacey. He had even toyed with the idea of presenting Lacey with a huge diamond ring, making their relationship as concrete in strangers’ eyes as in their own.

His reputation, however, had followed him.

He wasn’t ashamed of the monster he’d been. Tracing Neal’s flight had been more expensive than his modest business could be expected to afford. Gold had tried. He had. But money flowed more easily among darker waters, and he had plunged in as deep as he’d needed until he had recovered his son.

Gold had also been willing to leave it behind.

A promise he couldn’t keep.

In hindsight, it had been naive to think he had a chance.

He never lived up to his son’s expectations.

His past caught up with him, had him dragged him away from their house and stuck in jail.

Spencer had been hypocritical enough to deny him bail, and the judge had folded as if Gold didn’t hold secrets over both their heads.

Both attempts to call the fools to heel had failed, and somehow that had called the attention of the church.  The Mother Superior’s decision to meddle into his affairs still surprised him.

When he had been notified of Neal’s placement under the nuns’ supervision last week, Gold had despaired that he’d lose touch with his son. 

Even phone calls had been taken off the list.

In hindsight, threatening the nun hadn’t been his best idea. Taking the convent from under her feet would be easier without warning her beforehand.

With his bag of tricks out of reach, Lacey had stepped forward.

From what the Sheriff had told him, Lacey had badgered the head nun into allowing Neal’s visits. When Mother Superior had sneered even at the idea that father and son should at least exchange notes, Lacey had decided to bribe one of the younger nuns.

How that conversation had turned into friendship, Gold couldn’t explain.

Lacey had shrugged off his questions, saying only that she had more in common with Sister Astrid than she’d have expected.

Knowing what he did about Lacey’s past, he hadn’t delved further. 

Then Sister Astrid had come forward and admitted that Neal had been scheduled to leave for a foster house outside town.

That had been the last straw.

Within a few days, Gold had set this plan in motion.

A new life.

Modest, in comparison to their old one; but after months of his case being dragged into nowhere, Gold wasn’t ready to bet on the justice system being inclined to be bent to his satisfaction before Neal was lost to him.

There was someone stalling his more subtle attempts to throw off those tax fraud charges, even before they added that  idiotic murder.

As if a school teacher could have been a threat.

Soon he would discover their identity and make sure they understood who kept the upper hand across town. He knew too many secrets and had made too many deals with the foremost people in town, to stay behind bars. But right now… Right now he was a desperate father with a single goal in mind.

Said goal had a determined scowl on his face. “We are going back, Papa.”

“Neal….”

“If we don’t prove you’re innocent, we’ll never stop running.”

“The shrimp has a point,” Lacey muttered.

Gold glanced between the two of them. “A fine sentiment, thank you. But considering that I’m guilty, we might not count on that.”

“I don’t care about the money,” Neal said.

“I like that part, actually,” Lacey piped up, always unashamed of what had first drawn her to him. She was attracted to power, and Gold sometimes had to remind himself that she’d stayed even after he’d lost a chunk of it.

“Ew, stop looking at her like that.” Neal clicked his fingers in front of his father’s nose. “And Lacey, please keep your eyes on the road.”

Lacey winked before she focused back on the driving.

“As I was saying,” Neal continued, “I can understand that. But if we run from a murder charge, they’ll never even look for the real killer.”

“Oh, son. If I’m there, they won’t look further either.”

“It looks bad,” Lacey added. “I was there, and I would blame your father if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes.”

Gold closed his own, trying to repress a full body shudder.

The sheriff had been a decent man, when he remembered to crawl from under Madam Mayor’s thumb.

Usually, they would be playing their usual charade where Graham reminded Lacey that visiting hours were over, and Lacey tried to tempt him into giving her the keyring…

But tonight Lacey already had a copy of the key.

Instead the sheriff’s office had been dark, as Graham prepared to leave.

Gold’s first clue that something was wrong was the thud of a body against the floor. One moment, he was breaking up with his girlfriend over the phone, and a minute later he was dead.

Lacey had looked for a pulse.

They had hesitated for so long that they should have heard the ambulance coming. If the girlfriend had called emergency services.

Which she hadn’t done.

“Papa, please,” Neal said. “Graham was okay.”

Gold never could live to his son’s expectations.

He still tried.

“Lace?”

Lacey wore a troubled look. “I just want us to be together,” she said, her longing almost tangible. Then she shrugged, and halted the car. “But good men deserve justice.”

Gold glanced out at the welcome sign by the road, thinking of the few yards that separated them from freedom.

He didn’t owe Graham any favors.

Dead sheriffs were even less useful.

“Fine,” he heard himself say, working out the details as fast as he could. “We stay.”

Neal’s proud eyes cemented that choice.

Lacey reached out for him, entangling their fingers together. “Okay. This still isn’t the worst decision I’ve made.”

Gold laughed, then set down a plan. “We go to the cabin and regroup there. You two will need to return to town, act surprised when I’m not at the sheriff’s office.” Lacey nodded, and though hesitant, Neal did too. “Graham had a girlfriend, so if whoever comes to investigate doesn’t pay attention to Graham’s love life, make sure to point them that way.”

It was Lacey’s turn to hesitate. “I thought they’d just started dating. Poison as a second date doesn’t seem likely.”

Gold shook his head. “No. This has been going on longer than that.” After a while, the sheriff had more or less considered him as part of the furniture. “I’ve overheard enough phone calls to know that.” 

Lacey raised an eyebrow. “Give me a bastard anyway,” she said, bringing their joined hands up for a quick kiss. “It’s the quiet ones who are trouble.”

Neal grimaced. “Ew. Again.” He made a show of rolling his eyes toward the roof, away from them. “And what do you mean?”

“That good, sweet Sheriff Graham had two girlfriends. Because that first date I was talking about? She arrived in town only a couple weeks ago.”

“Still a suspect.”

Lacey shrugged. “Maybe. But poison isn’t like her.”

“Too innocent?”

“Too tough,” Lacey said. “She is upfront about everything. She would have kicked the cheating prick where it hurt, and then maybe set a bullet through his heart. Wouldn’t blame her for it, too. If I found out—”

“A real charmer,” Gold cut in before Lacey could go into details. He preferred to admire her bloodthirsty ways without his son’s attentive ears taking every word. “But if you know this woman, that’s great. She’ll need a shoulder to cry on if she doesn’t know.”

“Or a free round of drinks when she finds out.”

Gold glanced at her. First Sister Astrid and now this newcomer. He’d forgotten how easily Lacey made friends. “Just make sure she doesn’t add anything to your drink.”

Lacey scoffed, turning the car around. “Nah. Don’t worry. Emma is okay, really.”

Gold blinked.

Rumpelstiltskin took a moment to consider the situation. His son was here. His true love was here.

The Savior was in town.

“Yes, sweetheart,” he said, throwing an arm around Baelfire despite the boy’s half-hearted protest. “I’m sure your new friend won’t disappoint.” The End 31/12/22