#Didn't wait for an answer before saying 'fine I guess I'll do it myself'

[dashofmonsters]

Dreamers & Delusions- Pt. 9

merman x female reader

Tao:

"Who is it? Who did you chose?"

Those words ring in my head over and over again. I had no intention of bringing this up so soon. Hadn't wanted to talk about this just yet with her. But that tired desperate look in her eyes...

I feel my chest tightening as her fingers shake and her lips quiver.

Jes had stopped by the beach before I came home yesterday and had a long talk with me. She reconfirmed that my dear little shoal mate does have feelings for me but she's afraid. Afraid of getting hurt because I may reject her and chose a fated mate that may or may not exist. And then her grandmother came by and made it worse.

I omitted much when I told her what she said since I still had a hard time digesting it myself.

"You two are so different, how do expect to live a life together? She might want to go off and travel one day? What then? What would you do? You can't go with her, not unless it's close to a body of saltwater. You're ruining her, giving her hope when there's none."

A part of me didn't want to believe her, didn't want to there to be any truth to it, but deep down I knew it hurt because there is some truth to it.

"Who...?" She repeats, her voice lower than before.

"I-I can't," I stutter.

"Please Tao, who is it?" She asks again, feigning being composed.

I bite my tongue, bitter blood coating my mouth as it mixes with a taste of a lie I've yet to speak. I swallow both down though, tired of lying, tired of hiding. I don't know if telling her will free her or further trap her in a hell of emotions that I've unintentionally dragged her into, but I need to say it. Just not here, not now.

I exhale and cup her cheeks in my hands, "I'll tell you, just not here, not now. You're tired and still healing and I'm... I'm honestly not doing very well myself."

Her lips purse and she lowers her gaze as I open up with what I've been dealing with. I hadn't wanted to burden her with it but it's not fair to either of us if she's the only one willing to talk.

For the first time since I met her I just talk, taking every filter off. Every complaint I held in, every frustration, annoyance, or sorrow. Everything that has brought me joy or has humored me in some way.

I start pacing in my tank, the end of my tail brushing against the walls as circle maddeningly as I vent. I stop when I catch a glimpse of her out of the corner of my eye holding onto one of the larger rocks for dear life.

I've accidentally and very much idiotically have created a vortex. I wait out the the push and pull I've cause and swim to her once it's died down.

"Are you alright? I-I didn't me to-"

"Fine, I'm fine Tao. Well not really, but I guess we both aren't huh?" she cracks a half smile that fades quickly.

"No, we are not," I agree.

"So what now?" she shrugs her shoulders and flattens her lips.

"We both need to rest. I have the next few days off so during this time we'll get you moved in. But for today, I think it's best if we give each other a little space and try not think about anything but our health. If you can do that for me, for yourself, then and only then will I answer your question. Ok?" I tell her.

She nods and I can see her eyes tearing up as she swims up to me and wraps her arms around my neck. She mutters a string of apologies but suddenly stops and I hear her choke.

My spell has worn off.

I take hold of her and swim her up to the surface and toss open the hatch. She coughing and her breathing is ragged as she crawls up and flops on the floor. For a few brief moments I think she might start crying again but to my surprise she bursts out laughing.

She talks about the last several days and how things have just stacked up and she really hasn't given herself time to actually heal or feel comfortable. I grit my teeth knowing I've contributed to it, knowing how she feels and expressing my feelings for her without being clear.

Jes chastised me, saying I shouldn't play with someone's feelings but I was either too stubborn or too stupid to understand what she meant. The kindness, affection and care I've displayed in hopes of her being more comfortable with the idea of staying here, staying with me... It's only caused her stress, confusion and pain.

"Can we just get me moved in today Tao? I don't think I can wait anymore. I just... I'm done. I'm done being at everyone's mercy, I'm done humoring people who don't deserve it and I'm done with being stressed and tired all the damn time," She groans and turn over to look at me.

She pouts her lip and I see a mix of pleading and playfulness in her eyes. I want to laugh because all she had to do was ask.

I roll my eyes and pull myself up till I'm sitting at the edge of the hatch, "On one condition, get five more hours of sleep and in the nest room. I don't want to ever see you sleeping on my couch again."

"Or what, you'll get rid of it?" she jokes.

"No, it's a perfectly good couch. I'd sell it," I smile.

She laughs thinking that I'm playing along with her joke, but it's not. I'll fucking sell that couch if I ever see her sleep on it again. Then buy an actual bed to replace it. If she needs space, I can only do my best to grant it to her. I just hope she'll confine in me more instead of bottling everything up.

"I guess I should try and sleep then. What about you?" she asks.

"I had a good four hours, if I sleep anymore I might be useless," I admit.

She gapes and then I see her brows furrow, "But that time at my grandma's house?"

"I sleep longer with others," I nod. "By myself, three hours is more than enough. I usually just jostle awake from the instinctually feeling of drowning. But with others, there's a natural feeling of support. So when we shared a bed, my body felt relaxed enough to sleep longer."

"That actually makes a lot of sense. So what will you be doing?" She asks again.

"I'll call and get a moving van scheduled and buy some boxes and tape. We'll figure out where to put your things once they're here. I also need to send word to my sponsor that I'll have a roommate for the foreseeable future," I tell her.

A hand flies up to her mouth and her eyes widen, "You didn't say anything to them yet? Tao!"

"It'll be fine, he's not a real stickler for the rules and beside, every time he visits he asks about my romantic life," I sneer as I think about my last meeting. He had asked about her number in my phone over and over until I relented and just said she was a friend. It was the first time calling her that to someone else and it tasted horrible. He saw the disgust on my face and grinned as he caught my lie.

"Sounds annoying," she shrugs.

"He is," I agree and reach for the nearby bench, flipping the seat up and grabbing a towel. "Now if you don't mind, I'm about to be naked and would like a little bit of privacy."

The taste of that lie makes me want to vomit.

"Naww, I'm kind of comfortable here," she jokes and smirks at me.

My tail flinches and I glare at her. She keeps smiling at me like this is a joke so I'll play along. I gather my magic and command some of the water to move out of the tank and into the palm of my hand.

Now she's glaring at me, "You do realize that I'm already wet?"

"I do," I grin as I place the tip of my nail into the watery mass. "but you're not covered in ink."

"You wouldn't," she seethes.

The ball of water turns a vibrant almost neon blue. I roll it from one hand to the other as I give her one last chance, "One."

She doesn't move.

"Two," I start to aim the water ball at her.

She scoots back just a little.

"Th-"

She dashes towards the couch and grabs a pillow and launches it at me.

I manage to dodge it but lose track of her somehow. For a moment I think she's retreated and toss the water ball back into the tank, the ink will fade on its own so I don't mind. I move to get up but stop when something soft hits my head and rolls next to me.

"Really?" I yell.

But she doesn't reply, instead another pillow is thrown at me from another angle. I pull the rest of my tail out of the tank and quickly wrap the towel around my waist as I feel my lower body split into legs. I'm about to stand up when another pillow smacks my chest.

I grab the yellow polka dot pillow and tuck it under my arm while I secure the towel around my waist with a bit of magic. Then I wait.

I tune in on the quiet steps she's taking and I swear I hear the faintest bit of laughter as she pauses. I turn as if I think I hear her at a different direction and the moment I do I she attempts to launch another pillow at me but I catch it in time and toss one at her. Which seems to have been a grave mistake.

The pillow smacks her dead in the face and she lets out a sharp cry. I feel my heart drop at the thought of hurting her and quickly run to her side. Her hands are covering her face and she's shaking. I apologize over and over but I don't think she hears me. I kneel down and take her hands in mine and pull them away and-

She surges forward and kisses me on the cheek and laughs.

For a moment I'm too stunned to say or do anything until she tries to pull away from me. I quickly retaliate and scoop her up and haul her over my shoulder. She laughs and pokes at me asking to put her down but I won't, not yet.

I take her to the bathroom and flick my finger at the faucet making the ice cold water fill the tub. I wait a moment before carefully dropping her in. She hisses and shrieks but she's still smiling.

"Tao you bastard!" She yells at me. "It's fucking freezing in here."

I smile at her as I yank a large towel off a hook and offer it to her. She quickly stomps out of the tub and starts peeling her clothes off. I quickly close my eyes when an interesting thought occurs to me... I hold the towel up and wait.

"Really dude?" She sighs.

"I'm sorry, I can't see you," I grin.

I hear her jump and groan before she pinches my side which makes me wince.

"Dude I'm.. I'm fucking freezing. Just give me the towel," She huffs. I can hear the shiver in her voice this time and I relent.

She snatches the towel right away and quickly wraps herself up.

"You can look now, everything's covered up Tao," she says.

I open my eyes and look down. Her skin is covered in small bumps and she's shaking.

"You should get to the nest room and warm up. I'm going to shower real quick and I'll make breakfast for us afterwards," I nod.

She looks down and sighs, "Sounds good but uh... I mean I kinda wanted to shower too. Salt water isn't that good for my hair."

I think about letting her go first but it will take thirty minutes for the hot water to reset. I could use my magic to make the shower water I use warm but any spells involving heat will deplete my day's magic since I'm cold blooded. And I don't like going without an ample amount of magic anywhere.

"Tao?" she asks. "You ok?"

"Just uh..."

"It's the hot water situation huh?" she makes a face and crinkles her nose.

I nod and cross my arms, "The only other option I can think of is highly inappropriate..."

She snickers, "What? Us showering together? Dude if that's the only way we can stand back to back or take turns doing a quick five minute shower each. Whatever you're comfortable with."

I groan because I hadn't thought about just taking a short shower since I usually stay in until the water runs cold. Back to back still seems too much but at the same time... I shake my head and chase out those impure thoughts of mine, now's not the time for that.

"We can try back to back only because... because I want to check your injuries. You said they felt fine but I've noticed you've been itching your back a lot lately," I sputter out.

She purses her lips and turns around, lowering the towel to her waist. I try and look away but quickly notice a large angry bruise and scrapes near her hips and a large scab in the middle of her back. But nothing could have prepared me for the scar of the back of her neck.

How have I never noticed that?

"Oh gods," I whisper.

"Is it bad?" she responds, concern lacing her voice.

It takes me a moment to come back to myself and quickly respond about to scrapes and bruises.

"I guess it would probably be a good idea if you could get my back... I mean only if you're ok with that," she says.

"Yes...-" I blurt and quickly clear my throat. "I mean it might be a little uncomfortable but I uh-" I pause feeling the sickening taste of the lie I'm about to tell. "I would rather be uncomfortable for a little bit than you acquire some sort of infection."

She nods her head and so do I and we sort of just stand there for an awkward moment until she lets her towel drop and scurries to the shower.

"I'm uh going to get the shower started," she says before turning the faucets and pulling the shower tab.

I'm too stunned to move, too stunned to say anything, too stunned at seeing her perfect body.

Goddesses of the winds and seas give me strength.

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

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

Shit.

You curse yourself for making such a stupid, impulsive and asinine suggestion. You know you could have waited in the nest room, ate breakfast and then take a shower but no, you just had to open your mouth.

Now you're about to shower with a six foot something life guard merman who you just realized you're in love with.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

Shaking your head you feel the water getting warmer to the touch and quickly step in and then turn to face the wall.

"Ok, Tao... Your turn," you say.

You hear him shift and what you can only assume is his towel dropping. You suck in a deep breath as you feel your cheeks getting hot.

Tao carefully steps into the shower, his arm gently brushing against yours which causes the both of you to jump and look at each other.

His eyes widen before they quickly look away and he offers a quick apology.

You turn around and nearly bump your ass against him but manage to dodge any skin to skin in the last couple of seconds. The warm water is helping the shivers and goosebumps you had earlier but it's doing nothing for the full body blush you're feeling right now.

Taking another deep breath you run your hands through your hair and ask Tao for the shampoo he had bought you recently. But instead of handing the bottle to you he asks if he can wash your hair.

"Is uh this another cultural thing?" you ask, your nerves practically on fire.

"Yes and no. It's something you can say no to but it would be very nostalgic for me," Tao admits, his voice a little calmer.

"How so?" you ask.

"In my old shoal mates would help each other with their hair, either cleaning and brushing it out or styling it with beads, jewels, and strung pearls. My step father would spend hours lovingly braiding beads and jewels into my mothers hair even though she wasn't a fan of those intricate styles. But she knew he loved spending that time with her and she eventually fell in love with him," Tao sighs and your chest tightens.

You place a hand over your heart feeling a strange pain their that's not entirely yours. Normally you'd give into his requests but after what happened earlier, after he dodged your questions so nicely, you're not sure if you can give into him or should anymore. Especially anything to do with mates.

"I-I um... can you give me the shampoo Tao?" you ask again.

There's some slight hesitation but eventually he hands you the bottle. You hear him grab for his soaps while you sudds up your hair and the pain in your chest grows till it's almost unbearable. You feel yourself slipping and quickly catch yourself on the shower bar.

"Are you ok?" Tao quickly turns to you and the ache in your chest lightens but your cheeks feel much much hotter all of a sudden.

"Yeah uh...just a little dizzy I guess," you keep your eyes respectfully on the bar but that doesn't last too long. You feel yourself being carefully lifted and places right back on your feet. One of Tao's large clawed hands snakes around your throat and tilts your head back.

"Let me rinse your hair out and wash your back, then you can get out. I don't want to risk you falling over and injuring yourself further," Tao says as he pulls the shower head down and starts rinsing out your hair.

You stay stock still as he carefully untangles your hair, his claws able to work out each knot with ease. Once he's down with your hair he places the shower head back and slowly removes his hand from your throat.

"Good girl," he whispers to you and your face feels like it's about to combust. "Stay still if you can while I get your back."

Knowing Tao, he's got to be oblivious to what he just said and how it affected you because damn. You squirm a little bit, your nerves making you twitch a bit but Tao's firm hands gently still you just a bit above your hips.

"Be good and stay still," he repeats as he kneels down behind you. You feel the lightest touch of a washcloth as he slowly and carefully scrubs your back. When he barely touches the middle where that annoying itch has been you can't help but to tighten up and shake a bit which makes it hard for you to stay still.

"Sorry I uh... Oh uh Tao, what are you doing?" you ask as his comes to rest against your stomach.

"Holding up right. If it hurts and it's making you writhe you could possibly slip and-"

"Injure myself again, gotchya," I roll my eyes at the continuous ridiculousness of this situation. Tao is obviously being a lot more mature about this than I am.

He's slow and methodical with how he's cleaning my back, taking great care at the bruised spots but somehow he keeps going back up towards my neck... Did I get cut there too or...

Oh god, he saw it... He must have saw it... There's no way he wouldn't have, especially with how close he was.

I feel my heart beating a mile a minute and everything feels light and heavy all at once. I want to turn around and tell Tao to stop, yell at him for touching my neck and giving it any sort of attention at all. But it's not his fault, it's mine and I have no one to blame but myself...

"You're shaking... are you ok?" Tao asks but you don't say anything.

For a few moments you just stand there, wet, sad and holding yourself because you know if you let go you might fall apart.

"I..." you start but it takes you a few too many breathes to continue and when you try and talk again you feel the words sticking in the back of your throat.

Tao moves quick and picks you up in his arms and takes you out of the shower before grabbing a towel and covering you up. Your mind goes blank then, everything is a blur and before you know it you're asleep.

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

When you finally wake up you find yourself wrapped up in the nest room and the sun is going down. You try and sit up but your body aches and you feel things pop and pull. So you settle for a quick stretch and sigh.

You ended up sleeping all day. You probably needed it being emotionally exhausted but this was too much. You try again to sit up when the door opens.

"Looks like sleeping beauty's finally awake. How you feeling?" Jes asks as she comes in to sit beside you.

You gawk at her for a moment and she laughs.

"I came by to check on you and drop off some pie, Blake baked too much and they weren't selling as well as the cheesecake," she shrugs.

"But you're still here," you raise a brow at her.

"Tall dark and stupid was having a panic attack when I got here so I knew right then and there that I couldn't leave you two alone. I got him to calm down after a bit of talking and a couple cups of strong coffee. He's worried about you and so am I. He told me everything by the way, left nothing out," Jes pinches her brow and shakes her head.

"I couldn't take it anymore, it's starting to really fuck with me. I can't just pretend that I don't like him anymore. It's only going to get worse if I do and I don't know... maybe it'll be easier for me to move on once he rejects me, once he fully fucking breaks my heart it'll be easier to fall out of love with him...right?" you start crying and Jes pulls you into her arms.

"Hush you, you know that big idiot wouldn't hurt you like that," she pats your back and squeezes you.

"Not intentionally but he will...," you mutter as the tears continue to flow.

Jes continues holding you and listening to your woes as you cry. Time eventually passes and you're emotionally drained again and as limp as a wet noodle. She carefully lays you back down as she leaves to go get you some hot tea and soup that Tao made while in panic mode.

You curl up in a ball then, too tired to sit up again and too sad to think. But you do anyways.

Thoughts of Tao introducing his chosen mate to you enter your brain uninvited. There's a vile disgusting taste in your mouth that has you gaging as you imagine who he's chose. You can't stop your thoughts nor your gut and slip and trip towards the bathroom in a mad dash to empty the contents of your stomach.

Since you haven't eaten anything in hours it's mostly acrid bile which makes you feel even sicker. Jes finds you shortly after you've puked your soul out and helps you clean up. She carefully escorts you back to the nest room and wraps you up in a comfy blanket and hands you some water.

"You look clammy as fuck sugar pop, I think all this stress is making you sick. You should probably get checked soon." Jes presses a warm hand against your forehead then cheek.

"I would if I could but I don't have insurance," you grimace then take a swig of water. It's cold and kind of stings your throat but overall it's a lot more pleasant than the burning acid.

"At least let Merjerk Mcgee take care of you then. I can come by and bring some medicine and shit before my shift tomorrow. Your stuff should be moved in by then too. I have Arty and my brother Kirk helping him with the moving van," She says as she picks up the tray with the soup and tea.

Your eyes widen and you stutter for a few moments too long, "Jes... please tell me that the three of them are not going to my grandmother's by themselves."

Jes looks down before her eyes widen as she realizes the mistake that's about to be made.

"We should go," she whispers. "Right now."

[wosoluver]

To undo a mistake

Part 4/17 - previous - next

Lena x Bayern player!reader, Ana Guzmán x Bayern player!reader

Lena Oberdorf Masterlist

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

That therapy session was... something. To say the least. Your eyes puffy once again.

We didn't talk much. I practically just dumped all my problems to her. But it felt good to get everything out, to someone who wouldn't judge you but also wasn't allowed to give too much of her opinion.

When you walked out, Ana wasn't there yet. So you just decided to sit and wait.

It took her around 10 minutes to show up.

"Hey. Have I made you wait for too long?"

"No, not at all. So do you want to go get some coffee? I'm out of practice today and you probably don't have many friends here yet."

"Your the one that looks like you could use a friend. Let's go. You drive, I don't have my license yet."

"First of all, ouch. Second of all, let's go. You'll be my passenger princess." - You said it excited.

Lena never really let you drive, you were always the passenger princess.

And you quickly tried to wisk the memory away.

You were both in comfortable silence in the car. Only the sound of Ana's music playing in the back. And yes you were forced to give her the rights to dj. Passenger princess' rule number 1.

You stop at your favorite place. It was never too crowded, which you were thankful for.

"I'll go order, what do you want?"

"Whatever your having, is fine."

After ordering and getting your coffees you go sit on a quiet corner.

"So, how are you adapting to Germany?"

"Oof- it's so fucking cold here. Not even in the coldest winters we get this temperature in Colombia."

"You'll get used to it after some time. A few jackets and coats and you're good."

"And you? Had a nice time in therapy?"

"Oh yeah. So much fun!" - you answered equally as ironic.

"I can tell by your puffy eyes.

I think today was my first time not crying in there."

"Must be hard. I've never had a bad injury. But it seems like the worse. Lena went through-" - you cut yourself off before you could say anything else. Your face dropped. Here you were again. Everything you think of, brought up Lena, one way or another.

"And Lena is-"

"My ex. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking when I said that."

"It's fine. Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." - but then you proceeded to dump everything that had happened into the conversation. - "It's just, my head is still trying to wrap around everything. She already has a new girlfriend. And I'm still dealing with my feelings.

She broke up with me, over the phone can you believe that? I never felt so meaningless, so betrayed. Our five month relationship thrown into the trash. All of that, because Munich is too far from Wolfsburg for her taste."

"Wow, you had a lot to say for someone that didn't want to talk about it." - she said that hoping it would easy the anxious face you had going on. - "It's okay. Time works differently for different people. You have the right to mourn your relationship.

Is that what has been driving you down?"

"Yeah, I just wasn't ready to see her. I'm still in love with her. I mean was. After what happened Saturday, I think it might be time to except it's over."

"You still had feelings for her? Even after what she did?"

"Yeah. I guess I was just hopeful. I felt like in some way things weren't over yet. I just- It just didn't make sense. Lena is not that type of person. She would never do that."

"But she did. Look, if she meant to hurt you or not, you'll probably never know. Unless you talk to her."

"I am not going to talk to her."

"Then you'll have to settle for the unknown."

"I think I will. Can we talk about your feelings now? I've humiliated my self enough."

"Fine. You were right when you said I needed friends." - she let out a deep breath. - "When I first got injured. I was very hard on myself. Specially after hearing the diagnosis and that I'd have to go under surgery. I stressed my self over when I shouldn't have.

I pushed everyone away.

The hardest thing, when we are hurting, is to remember others are most likely going through something too."

"But that's kind of natural I guess. To be so into your own head you forget about others. It's just- there is such a thin line between being compassionate towards people and putting their needs and feelings before yours. To be honest I've never been good at navigating though it either."

"Yeah, I've been getting better about it I think. Therapy has helped me understand a lot of things. The most important of them, I think it was acceptance.

I feel so much better since I accepted that I have no control over this type of things. I couldn't change it even if I wanted to. I just have to go through it. And soon enough I'll be back playing once again."

"It's good to know your coming out better from this one. Sometimes things happen for a reason, and sometimes it's for the better"

"It's getting late, we should get going."

"Yeah. I'll give you a ride home."

For the rest of the day all you could think about was what you two had talked about.

Maybe you could use some acceptance yourself. Of how things were, and not what you think they should be.

And stop worrying so much about what you had no control over.

That's how it works when you live right? Life happens.

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

Have you guys been wondering what's been like for Lena? Well next chapter is Lena's pov!

It's still an Obi fic I swear.

I think from this chapter on, it's finally going to be good writing. I wasn't liking how things the previous parts came out.

[clarisse0o]

Camp Wiegman - Part 8

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternate Universe : Military School

Words :

TW: Alcohol

Masterlist

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Saturday, October 24; 9:05 AM - Ona's Room

I try to get out of bed without waking anyone around me. Damn camp habits. Bronze had warned me that I'd get into a new rhythm. Now I'm like clockwork at ridiculous hours. I used to wake up around noon, not nine! Once I'm out of bed without a hitch, I grab some clothes from my closet and lock myself in the bathroom. With everything that happened last night, I didn't have the courage to take a shower before bed. So, I start my day by letting myself relax under the warm water jets. I take my time since the Mapi and Joan certainly won't be awake for a good hour. It's the calm before the storm. Joan promised me a surprise if I came back. That's probably still on since the others knew I was coming back. Hopefully, he hasn't invited the whole family. He loves everyone, unlike me. I get out of the shower after fifteen minutes. I don't risk turning on the hairdryer with the two sleepyheads, so I dry off with just a towel. I get dressed and brush my teeth. I finish with a touch of makeup before going downstairs. It's time to see the others. I'm glad not to run into my mom or Marcus on the way. However, I smile when I see Samuel and Sofia in the kitchen. My smile widens at the sight of their faces.

"Oh my God,Ona!" says Sam, hugging me. "Happy birthday!"

"Already awake!?" Sofia is surprised. "Happy birthday, sweetie."

"Thanks, that's kind of you," I reply, hugging her in turn. "I missed you guys."

"And we missed you! Everything's been so quiet since you left."

"No one to bother us," Sofia adds.

"I'm only here for two days, but I plan to make up for it," I tease them.

"No doubt," laughs Sam. "Do you want your breakfast now, or are you waiting for the girls?"

"Given when they'll wake up, I'll have it now."

He nods with a smile and gets to work. I find my spot at the bar. I no longer insist that I can cook for myself. He always brushes me off when I do. He keeps telling me it's his job. It's true, but it makes me feel like I'm being pampered. I hate that idea because it reminds me that I won't be able to do anything when I leave home. I won't complain either. His dishes are delicious. They have nothing to do with camp food. Besides, it's nice to do nothing, so might as well enjoy it.

"Since when do you get up so early? That's not like you," Sofia comments.

"I've been like clockwork for a week. Curfew at ten PM and wake-up at six. I guess I haven't lost the habit."

"Isn't it too hard?"Samuel replies

"No, it's fine. I prefer it this way. »

"Seen like that... Knowing you, you probably slept the whole way."

"Yeah," I chuckle. "Thanks," I say when he places my breakfast in front of me.

"You're welcome, miss," he teases with a wink.

He made me a cup of hot chocolate and a homemade croissant. Everyone would say there's not much difference from my camp breakfast, but for me, it's a big change. Sam knows how to perfectly dose my hot chocolate, and his homemade croissant is life. I savor it all, letting out a sigh of satisfaction.

"Did you miss it?" he chuckles.

"Totally, yeah!"

"I'm flattered," he says, making me smile.

"Have you received any birthday messages?" Sofia asks.

"I was about to check now."

"What? You haven't checked yet?" she exclaims. "My God, what have they done to our Ona?"

I chuckle lightly. I was asking myself the same thing, actually. I'm much less on my phone. I no longer have the reflex to check it upon waking up due to our fifteen-minute preparation time. I suspect the school did it on purpose to give us such a short deadline. I should have asked Bronze; she would have answered me. It's like the shower. We had to change our habit with Alexia and take it in the evening to be at ease. Anyway, I decide to take out my phone, which is swamped with social media notifications and messages. I start with the messages. Alexia, Leah , Alba... All my camp friends thought of me. They're so sweet! I also have other messages from old friends here, which really pleases me. I take the time to reply to everyone while chatting about trivial things with Sam and Sofia . I talk to them about my new life while they tell me about Joan's antics since I left. It seems he doesn't stop. He's decided to avenge my departure by being a perfect little rascal. He throws fits over nothing and barely listens to my mom or Marcus. Sofia or Sam often have to step in. I think he's decided to follow my example, which I don't really like. I'll need to have a little chat with him. Speaking of him, he just walked in and immediately comes over to me.

"Hi Oni ."

"Hello little rascal. Slept well?"

"Yes! Mapi is still sleeping."

"Let her sleep, she'll be down soon."

"Can I have my breakfast please ?" he asks Samuel.

"I'll bring it to the dining room in five minutes."

"Can't I have it here?" he pouts. "I want to stay with you!"

"Of course you can. Come, I'll put you in the chair next to me."

"I want to sit on your lap!"

"Alright, alright, as you wish," I laugh. "Come here."

I lift him under the arms and easily place him on my lap. I hold him with one hand and grab my cup with the other so Sam can put Joan's plate instead of mine, which is now empty. I smile as he starts telling me about the weeks I missed while eating. Of course, I don't hear any of his mischief from his mouth. I prefer not to spoil the moment and deal with that problem later. Mapi finally shows up around 10:30. I expected to see her later.

"When did you get up?"

"Nine o'clock."

"Good God, they must have brainwashed you," she grumbles, sitting next to me.

"Don't you start too," I laugh.

"Are you staying for breakfast, Mapi ?" Sam asks.

"What kind of question is that!"

I giggle, finding the question as silly as Mapi does. She's like the third daughter of the family, after all. I wait for her to finish her breakfast while chatting. Joan abandoned us halfway to go upstairs. I don't comment on it, but I feel like something's up.

"Maps?"

"Hmm?" she replies with her mouth full.

"What does Jo have planned?"

"Nothing, why?"

"We both know you can't lie."

"Stop being impatient, you'll see."

"Mapi..." I say, making puppy dog eyes.

"No, no need for that face! I'm not telling you anything!"

I sigh, pouting, making her smile. She used to be easier to convince, in my memories.

"By the way," she says.

"Yeah?"

"We're going out tonight."

"You're not serious?"

"I am, and it's non-negotiable. You haven't been to a party since-"

"A year and a half," I finish her sentence.

"I was going to say a century, but it's almost the same. Come on, please! It can only do you good!" she says, giving me puppy dog eyes.

"Stop imitating me," I say, her expression worsening. "Oh, you're annoying! Fine, you win," I grumble.

She lets out a cry of joy and does a dance in the middle of the kitchen. It stops quickly when my mom enters the room. It's the first time we've seen each other since my troubled departure, which didn't end particularly well.

"Oh, hi Abby," she blushes.

"Hi Mapi, it's been a while," she says before turning to me. "Happy birthday, Ona," she says hesitantly.

"Thanks."

I won't ruin my birthday by venting my hateful thoughts. My voice betrays me slightly. It's not like we have a good relationship to begin with. Everything just got worse when she decided to send me across the country.

"How's school?" she asks.

"Oh, great, Mom," I say sarcastically. "If you wanted me to be monitored all the time, you nailed it!"

She sighs at my anger that I couldn't hold back any longer. What a question to ask! She finally gives up on the conversation and turns to Mapi.

"And you, Mapi ? How's your leg?"

"Good, I'd say. I still don't have any pain for now."

"That's at least some good news... See you later, girls," she finishes, leaving the room.

My mom has been Mapi's doctor since we met. She had an accident with her parents when she was little. She came out with a slightly disabled leg. They developed a special bond. My mom is certainly closer to Mapi than to me. It's ironic, given that Mapi doesn't have this bond with her parents. She left their house at the first opportunity. I'm glad she found this bond with my mom, but I'm also jealous. She got the maternal instinct from my mom that I didn't get. As long as it doesn't stop Mapi from listening to me when I complain about my mom, I don't care about their relationship.

"Shall we get ready?"

"I'm already ready, Mapi."

"Are you kidding? Your hair is a mess. And don't tell me you're going to spend the day in jeans and a shirt?" she criticizes, looking me over.

"Hey! My outfit is perfect!"

"There's no way you're staying like that on your birthday! Come on, get up!"

"Oh, please Maps, shut up. You sound like my camp supervisor."

She forces me off my chair, laughing. I let her drag me to my room. I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not going to enjoy what's next.

Saturday, October 24; 11:35 AM - Ona's Room

Mapi has been hogging my bathroom for a while now, even though the shower hasn't been running for some time. Knowing her, I probably have a bit more time before she comes out. She made me put on a dress. Me, in a dress! It's been ages since I last wore one. But that's the least of my worries right now. I was lying on the bed, enjoying the quiet, when I had the brilliant idea to charge my headphones for the return flight. So, I took them out, but I also came across another gift that I had completely forgotten about. Bronze's gift... I wondered why I listened to her and didn’t open it right away. I could have easily done it in the taxi without her knowing.

"What's that?" Mapi snaps me out of my bubble.

"A gift."

"Thanks, I figured that out," she replies sarcastically. "From whom?"

"My supervisor," I sigh.

"Sexy commander?"

"Stop calling her that," I scold, giving her a dark look.

"Oh my! What are you waiting for to open it?"

"I don't know."

"Want me to do it for you?"

"No!" I reply much too quickly.

"Well, do it then."

I feel ridiculous for not doing it, but I'm disturbed. I don't know what to expect; she doesn't know me. I sigh and start to carefully unwrap the paper under Mapi's watchful eye. Besides, she already contributed to the headphones. It's silly for her to give me a second gift. Mapi mocks my slowness, but I don't let it bother me. I frown as I finally see the contents. For now, I'm only paying attention to the small card placed on top of the box. I turn it over to find a note. I smile, recognizing her handwriting that I've seen several times during my tidying in her office.

"After so much effort... A well-deserved reward! Hoping you'll continue down this path. Happy birthday, Ona. - L. B."

My smile doesn't leave my face. L. B.? So her first name starts with an "L"? The "B" surely stands for her last name. I place the card next to me on the bed and remove the lid of the box to discover the rest. I'm left speechless.

"Wow. Sexy Commander really went all out! This stuff isn't cheap, is it?"

"No... She’s insane!"

I can’t believe my eyes. It’s my favorite brand for drawing supplies. One of the most expensive for its quality. Even Mapi recognizes it, having come with me to buy it before. It's a set with different pencils, pens, and brushes of all sizes. She also included a sketchbook underneath. There’s everything needed to create artworks. It's a real treat for an amateur artist like me.

"She must really like you to give you all this."

"That's not really the case," I laugh. "We were at war for three weeks. I even went so far as to trash her room. Didn't I tell you?"

"Yes, you did," she laughs. "But she wouldn’t have given you such a gift if she didn’t like you at least a little! Seriously, this stuff costs a fortune!"

I can't argue with her. She must have spent quite a bit. Not to mention her contribution to the headphones. They’re worth at least two hundred euros, and I doubt the others managed to pitch in that much between the six of them. We’re interrupted by my brother entering my room without knocking.

"Ona? When are you coming down?"

"We’re coming right away," Mapi answers for me. "Just let your sister put away her new toys."

"Ha ha ha!"

I remove the wrapping to throw it away before packing my new supplies into my backpack. I plan to take this one to camp. I have everything I need here, unlike there. I unplug my now charged headphones and put them in the bag.

"We can go."

Nothing could make my brother happier. He pulls me as hard as he can out of my room. Mapi follows behind us after closing my door.

"Hurry up!"

"Calm down, Joan. There's no rush!"

"She’s using my old expressions!"

I look up as my foot touches the ground floor. The shock stops me in my tracks. I’d recognize that voice anywhere. My eyes well up when I see him in person before me. I never expected to see him here again.

"You're ruining your makeup," Mapi whispers to me.

I ignore the comment meant to make me laugh. I don't want to spoil this important moment. I go to my grandfather, who takes me in his arms. It’s been two years since I last saw him. All my emotions pour out once again.

"Grandpa!"

"You haven't changed a bit," he says, making me smile.

I can't believe he made the trip from Portugal just to see me. It’s insane! I’ve always been very close to him because he bears a striking resemblance to my father, both physically and mentally. We share a very special bond, just like I did with my father.

"What are you doing here?" I ask.

"Did you think we’d miss our granddaughter’s birthday?"

I turn towards the other voice to see my maternal grandmother. I smile warmly at her. It’s not that I love her any less, far from it. She’s just as adorable as my grandfather. But she lives in Barcelona, so I see her much more often than him. I still greet her with a hug, happy to see her here.

"How about we celebrate Ona’s birthday and chat over a drink in the living room?"

We all agree to Marcus' suggestion. I hadn't even noticed him enter the hall. Joan impatiently drags me to the next room. In the end, I might really enjoy this birthday. I'm still on bad terms with my mom and Marcus, but I put my resentment aside for this moment. The atmosphere was tense at first, but Mapi is here to lighten things up. She’s great at diffusing awkward situations. Joan also helps by talking non-stop. That’s how the conversation topics emerged. We talked about daily life and then reminisced about past years. The festivities were kicked off by my grandfather sharing stories from when I lived in Portugal or visited on vacations. Mapi had a good laugh at some of the stories. I'm the first to laugh as I remember them. We’re interrupted by Sam announcing that the meal is ready. We move to the dining room where a perfectly set table awaits. The only times I’ve eaten here are for celebrations like today. I can count them on my fingers. I smile when I see the dish. Sam prepared paella, one of my favorite dishes. He knows my tastes well from cooking for me. The good mood continues through dinner. It’s the first time there’s been so much cheer in this room. Usually, it witnesses crises or arguments. That’s one reason I rarely set foot in here. It’s where I learned about my departure to Manchester , for example. I'm delighted that today’s event changes things for this place. I’m happy to be surrounded by my loved ones today.

Saturday, October 24th; 9:30 PM - Barcelona Street.

I sigh for the umpteenth time since we left the house. I try my best to keep up with Mapi, who is ahead of me.

“Slow down!” I shout. “It’s bad enough that you made me come out, but you’re also making me wear heels. The least you could do is wait for me! These things are a death trap!”

“Didn’t they teach you to complain less in that damn school of yours?” Mapi teases.

“Ha ha ha! Very funny. You know it’s my specialty, and it will never be taken away from me!”

Focusing too much on my feet, I bump into Mapi’s back as she suddenly stops without warning. I look up and realize we’ve arrived. It’s not hard to figure out with the loud music blasting from the house across the street.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. This is our Party?”

“Yep!”

“A college party, really? At our old high school friends’ house, no less?” I grumble.

“I figured going to a familiar place would be best… Oh, come on, don’t make that face! I told them about your big return, and they were all thrilled to know you’d be coming tonight.”

“Damn it, Maps…”

“Relax a bit. You need this night out, and we both know it.”

She stops me from protesting by pulling my arm. I attempt to walk as normally as possible in my heels. I hate wearing these things. Mapi knows I never walk very straight in them. I’m usually all about flat shoes. As soon as we step inside, the music pounds in my ears. I wonder how I ended up here. I doubt it’s a good idea. It’s been so long since I’ve been to a party. I already regret giving in to my best friend’s puppy-dog eyes. I regret it even more as we approach the host and my old high school friends, whom I abandoned years ago.

“Hey, look who it is!”

I timidly step forward from behind Mapi, who is still holding me firmly. She must know that if she let go, I’d already be running away. Especially since Nathan Miller, the host, makes me uncomfortable with his comment.

“Hi everyone! As promised, I brought our favorite girl.”

“Hey…” I say timidly. “Good to see you all…”

“You too, sweetheart. I hope you haven’t forgotten us after all this time!”

Why was I so worried? They have every reason to hate me, but they don’t. Maybe because they’re all guys. Let’s face it, they’re less complicated in friendships. I smile at Kyle’s comment and feel the pressure lift from my shoulders. I didn’t expect to see him here. I eagerly await Mapi’s explanation for this. They all surprise me by wishing me a happy birthday. Mapi must have reminded them before we came. It still makes me happy.

“Ana didn’t come with you tonight?” Bryan asks.

“No. She was supposed to, but she ended up at another party. She wanted me to go with her, but I chose to spend the weekend with Ona. By the way,” she says. “She wants to meet you when you come back,” she tells me.

“No problem, I’m looking forward to it.”

“She’s a real nutcase, don’t be too eager to meet her,” Connor whispers to me.

“Hey, I heard that!” Mapi retorts. “Don’t call my girlfriend crazy, or you’ll see!”

“Well, you have to be a bit crazy to date you, don’t you think?”

“Are you implying you’re crazy, by any chance?”

“Oh, but I’ve always claimed that, haven’t I?” I join in.

“All right, 1-0, Batlle,” she says, making me smile. “We’re going for a walk, we’ll catch up with you later.”

“No worries, see you later, girls,” Nathan replies.

I just lifted a weight off my shoulders seeing them. We hadn’t seen each other since the end of high school, yet nothing has changed. They were my last group of friends before my downfall and ghosting them. I thought no one would want to talk to me anymore, but they don’t seem to hold it against me.

“What’s Kyle Wick doing here? Have I missed that much?”

“Oh yes,” she laughs. “Let’s get a drink before we go outside to talk. Does that sound good?”

I nod, and we head to the table serving as a drink buffet. Numerous red and blue cups are arranged there. We grab two clean red cups, and I let Mapi serve us. That was always her role when we went to parties. She probably knows my tastes in alcohol better than I do. She hands me my cup and surprises me by also handing me a bottle of coke. I smile, seeing that she’s holding a bottle of orange juice and vodka under her arm. Well, she’s right. Might as well enjoy it if I’m already here. We head outside, where there are fewer people. Luckily, two lounge chairs by the pool are free. We sit next to each other. I finally take a big gulp of my drink, closing my eyes as it burns my throat. Mapi laughs at me. There’s a reason to laugh. I haven’t had a drop in a long time, and it feels great!

“So, what do I need to know?”

“Hmm, well… let’s see…” she pretends to think. “First, Miller and Bryan are dating.”

I spit out the liquid I was supposed to swallow. My head quickly turns to Mapi. She answers before I can open my mouth.

“Yeah, I was as shocked as you are,” she giggles. “They confessed their love for each other a year ago now. We were all stunned. I chose not to tell you at the time… You were in the middle of… well, you know.”

“Yes, I understand… Oh my god,” I laugh in shock. “I didn’t see that coming and, I didn’t expect to see him here.”

“He’s become friends with my friends,” she shrugs. “I can’t blame him. »

“And Connor?”

“Not much on that front. He brought a girl recently, but it didn’t lead to anything.”

“I didn’t think you’d still be hanging out with them,” I admitted.

“Except for you, we all stayed around for college,” she shrugs. “We just kept in touch, I thought it was good.”

“It’s true,” I say, lowering my head.

“You don’t have to feel guilty, Ona. We don’t blame you. We know it was hard for you.”

I hide my sadness behind a smile. She shifts to a few juicy stories from parties or other events during my absence. I regret not being able to join in. The stories were pretty funny. An hour and a half later, after finishing three-quarters of the bottle between us, we decide to join the others around the patio table. I’m tipsy enough to agree to play silly games I would have hated if I were sober. My state doesn’t improve after several shots during “Never Have I Ever.” Mapi took the opportunity to drag me to the dance floor right after. She knows it’s the only time she can get me there, thanks to the confidence alcohol gives me. We have fun dancing closely. After a while, I notice the boys have joined us. They must not be in a better state than me to have come. Fortunately, Miller offered for us to stay the night if we wanted. I wouldn’t have had the courage to walk home in this state. I tell myself it’s my birthday, so I have the right to enjoy it! Midnight must have already passed, but it doesn’t matter. I lost track of time since my phone died. It’s been ages since I had this much fun. Laughter keeps ringing in my ears. A body presses against my back during a dance, but I don’t pay much attention. I even have fun dancing closer to her. From her build, I’d say it’s a girl. Everything was going great until I feel her hands on my hips and her voice chills me to the bone.

“I missed you…”

I snap back to reality in less than a second. I stop dancing and quickly pull away from him. I need to see to believe it. Unfortunately, it’s real.

“Feli…” I whisper.

“Ona-”

“Don’t come near me!” I scream.

“No, wait-”

She tries to grab my arm, but I flee outside. I thought she’d understand I don’t want to talk to her, but her voice calling me from behind as I head to the back of the garden tells me otherwise.

“Leave me alone!”

“Please, listen to me!” she yells back.

I sigh, realizing I’ve trapped myself against the hedges. I turn around, pointing a finger at her.

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

To my surprise, she stops a meter away. Just seeing her in front of me makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I never thought I’d see her here.

“Please,Ona-”

“Shut up! I’m the one talking here,” I shout. “What are you doing here?”

“A friend of your friend.”

“I don’t want to see you anymore, Feli. If I wasn’t clear when I left, I am now!”

“Ona, please, let me speak.”

I look at her for a long time, trying to judge her. I try to discern the truth in her. One thing is for sure, her sad face doesn’t help at all.

“Two minutes,” I relent.

“I’m really sorry for everything I did,” she begins, knowing I’m serious. “I wasn’t myself. You know drugs make us do things we wouldn’t want to... I know I crossed the line more than once with you, and I regret it. I never wanted to hurt you, quite the opposite... I love you, Ona. I always have, and I know I messed up. I really lost it, and that’s why I asked for help... I’m seeing a therapist,” she admits, lowering her head. “He’s helping me get better, and so far, it seems to be working. I’m not asking for your forgiveness... I know it would be too hard for you, but I’d like you to give me another chance when you feel ready... I-... I’d like to be part of your life again...”

“Let me stop you right there. Get the idea out of your head that we can be together again because that will never happen! Is that clear?!”

“OK, OK,” she replies quickly. “M-maybe not a relationship as I’d like... B-but maybe a friendship, or-or...”

I laugh bitterly. Damn, why did I have to run into her. I run my hand over my forehead and push my hair back.

“No.”

She looks at me with wide eyes. She doesn’t need to act surprised. She ruined my life.

“In your pathetic speech, you’re right about one thing, Feli. I can never forgive you for all your damn actions,” I say, enunciating each word. “I trusted you! You told me you’d give me a better life, but in reality, you’re just an asshole! You have no idea how many scars you left on me! I wonder why I’m even talking to you, damn it.”

I step closer to her, pointing my finger at her chest.

“I forbid you from approaching me again, or it will go very badly for you.”

I keep my composure as best I can. The alcohol helps me hide my anxiety in front of her. I give her one last look before leaving her without regret. I’m not going to ruin my evening because of her. Mapi doesn’t even notice my absence since she asks me to join her at the drink stand as if nothing happened. She keeps dancing and singing while pulling me along. Instead of pouring myself a drink, I grab a bottle of tequila and head to the kitchen. Mapi looks more than happy with my initiative and shouts for the guys to join us. I plan to finish my night as it started. I’ll have plenty of time to regret it tomorrow when I return to harsh reality.

[fantasy-things-and-such]

OC questionnaire

Thank you for the tags Here, here and Here by @the-golden-comet, @the-ellia-west and @willtheweaver. sorry for being late >~<

My questions:

1. What is one hobby you have that may surprise others? 2. What is one possession that you would not part with under any circumstances? 3. What is one supernatural ability you wish you had? 4. Who do you trust the most? 5. Where would you like to live, if you could choose? 6. What keeps you motivated 7. How much water do you drink on average? 8. Favorite phase of the moon and why? 9.Who's your favorite person and why?

Lets get started!

1. What is one hobby you have that may surprise others?

Lilli: "I weave. People aways find that surprising 'cause my hands are soft."

Tira: "uh... I play the guitar! I don't come off very musical, though."

Camellia: "Singing." *Lilli laughs* "What?! Cheverouse likes it too."

Erain: "Hobbies? man... Its not really a hobby, but I dooo bake."

2. What is one possession that you would not part with under any circumstances?

Lilli: "this pendant. It's the only thing i have from my mother."

Tira: "hmm... oh! Probably this

Camellia: "don't be ridiculous."

Erain: "one thing? Practically, the E.S.K- but if we're talking personal belongings, this little doodle that my baby sister drew before i left. I keep it right here, in my shirt pocket. For good luck."

3. What is one supernatural ability you wish you had?

Lilli: "healing."

Tira: "Flight! well, i guess its not really a wish anymore."

Camellia: "Foresight, i guess."

Erain: "healing. by far the most useful, in my eyes."

4. Who do you trust the most?

Lilli: "...Millie, my sister."

Tira: "the most? mmm... Lilliwiess is a contender, for sure. I think she's number one, actually."

Camellia: "is 'myself' an acceptable answer? no? fine... i guess anyone in my squad, then."

Erain: "Jayson. He's a good leader."

5. Where would you like to live, if you could choose?

Lilli: "with Tira, so probably Eastern tarn."

Tira: "With Lilli! ...she said with me, didn't she."

Camellia: "er... i dunno. home? I've never thought about it."

Erain: "Northern or eastern tarn. actually, Kjerag might not be too bad...hmmm."

6. What keeps you motivated?

Lilli: "my squadmates."

Tira: "My unborn sister. or brother, i don't know, actually. I'll get to see them once I graduate here... I cant wait."

Camellia: "spite." *Tira and Lilli both laugh.* "of these two fuckers. i swear."

Erain: "Family. gotta keep pushin' for them, y'know? its the least i can do after everything they've done for me."

How much water do you drink on average?

Lilli: "uh... alot. im not sure. I drink when I'm thirsty and after sparring, so..."

Tira: "oh, probably... 4 liters? rough estimate? that feels like alot, is that a lot? I'm probably totally wrong."

Camellia: "fuck if i know."

Erain: "based on the amount of excercise we do as knights, probably alot. i'd say alot, though, mabye somewhere in the ballpark of 3-ish liters."

Favorite phase of the moon and why?

Lilli: "mmm... Full. its majestic."

Tira: "...I dont like the moon, actually. it.. has some bad memories. so New moon, i guess?"

Camellia: "probably half moon. I was born under a half moon."

Erain: "Half moon, mostly for practical reasons... it gives light on a good night. Plus, it's damn pretty to admire."

Who's your favorite person and why?

Lilli: "Tira. why is this a question?"

Tira: "...Why is this a question...? my answer's obviously Lilliwiess, but..."

Camellia: "favorite person? fuck me... Cheverouse isnt too bad."

Erain: "uhhhh.... My baby sister. she's just... so cute."

Your questions:

What's your favorite letter? do you read? if so, what's your favorite book? Who's your favorite Least-favorite person?

Tagging(gently):

@wyked-ao3 @aesthetic-writer18 @emilynotfound @agirlandherquill +open tag

[dollyyun]

𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬 | 06

SYPNOSIS: wherein Hwang Stella's life is tangled in a predicament involving her clandestine identity as a racer, her seemingly daily life as the official heir to the Hwang Empire, and seven guys with whom she has a complex history with. PAIRING: non!idols enhypen members x fem!oc. GENRE: 18+ (mdni), reverse harem, chaebols, semi-college, racing, eventual adulthood, eventual enha being f1 drivers, multiple povs and written in fic. WARNINGS: slight violence, expletives, trauma(?) WORD COUNT: 5k+ TAGLIST: @aishigrey @kgneptun

✘ SERIES MASTERLIST ✘

After I revealed the truth to some of the guys, they needed some time to grasp the revelation, and I decided to leave them to it, making my departure. Till now, I haven't received anything from Ni-Ki, Sunoo, or Heeseung. I wonder how they took the truth, as I couldn't decipher what they were thinking yesterday.

I mean, aside from my unfinished feud with Jay, will we finally reconcile and be the way we were before? Truth be told, I miss us. Things were simpler back then.

As for Stella, I guess she didn't have the heart to hear the full truth, given how she quickly took off running. I sigh. Until when will she keep running away? And why the hell do I care?

I brush away the thought, and at the same time, my phone goes off ringing. As I am lying on the couch, I lazily reach out for my phone on the coffee table before looking at the screen. My eyebrows furrow upon seeing an unknown caller.

I decide to answer it anyway. "If this is some scam call, you'd best to hang up before I track you down and make you sorry for even thinking to scam me."

There is a protracted pause before the caller speaks. "It's me, Stella."

I abruptly sit up, my eyes widening, before composing myself. "How did you get my number?"

"Sunoo gave it to me when I asked." Fucking Kim Sunoo.

I rub my temple. "What do you want, Hwang? Need me to tell you how I'm your heroine for saving you that night?"

I can already imagine the scowl on her face. "Now I'm regretting my decision to call you."

"Fine, fine." Curiosity gets the best of me. "What is the purpose of you calling your arch-nemesis?"

I can sense the hesitation. "I need your help."

I don't bother to hold back my chuckle. "My help? I'm honoured, but do pray tell why?"

"If I want to beat Rena, I need to be stronger than her." The fierce determination in her voice sparks something within me. "According to Sunoo, you're great at combat."

A soft smirk unfurls on my lips. "I'm flattered. But why me? I'm not the only one who is great at it. Jake and Jay are great at it too."

The three of us used to head to either mine or Jay's personal gym, and we used to work out and combat against each other.

"You already know why I can't ask them!" She says exasperatedly. "If you don't want to help me, just say so."

"Hold up, Princess. I never said I wouldn't help you."

"So you agree to help me then?"

"With pleasure." My smirk widens. "But you owe me."

She sighs. "What is it that you want?"

"When the time comes, I'll tell you." I glance down at my wrist watch. "It's settled, then. Meet me at my place at eight o'clock sharp. Bring along your swimsuit."

"What? But why─"

"I'm your coach now, aren't I?" I ask mockingly. "As my student, heed my instructions and don't ask any more questions."

It is peculiar yet interesting. Hwang Stella wants to be stronger than Hwang Rena. Even though I'm not one to snoop around, there's a part of me that is itching to find out what dysfunctional relationship Stella has with her family, which lies beneath the picture-perfect facade the Hwangs constantly display to the media.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

I don't want to display my avidity for Hwang, but the thought of me coaching her brings a smirk to my lips. I know for a fact that I can't wait to train her and berate her if she doesn't meet my standard.

Oh, Hwang Stella, you're in for a ride.

"I still don't understand why I need to wear a swimsuit." Stella's annoying voice as she complains brings my attention to her.

I try to view her respectfully, but holy shit, has she been hiding and gatekeeping her curves all this while? I can feel my jaw going unhinging. She is donning a navy blue long-sleeve zippered swimsuit that displays her slender legs and accentuated curves.

"Hey! Sunghoon!" She snaps her fingers in front of my face, bringing me back to reality. "You haven't answered my question."

"As I said," Oh shit, my voice cracks a little. I clear my throat, hoping she won't notice. "Do not ask questions. I'm your coach, so I know better."

"I'm not moving until you tell me why we're here to swim when you know I can't." She ardently says with her arms crossed.

Hwang Stella and her stubbornness will be the death of me.

Nevertheless, I yield and sigh. "The more reason why we should start off by getting rid of your fear of pools first."

"And whose fault was that?" She asks rhetorically, glaring at me with a familiar sentiment.

"Consider this as my repayment." I sigh once more. "But the point is, you have to learn how to swim. What if something similar to the other night happens to you again? What if Hwang Rena succeeds in drowning you the second time and I'm not there to save you?"

She begins to waver at the mention of Rena. But then determination is like fury in her eyes. "I'm not going to let Rena succeed again."

"That's the spirit." I walk towards the pool before descending the stairs, the cool water hitting my skin as I go further down. I turn around to face her. "Let's start off by taking small steps." I extend my hand to her. "Go on."

No matter how much she tries to conceal it, the fear flickers in her eyes, but she eventually descends the stairs, though painfully slowly.

My patience starts to run thin. "We don't have all night, Princess."

She wobbles lightly. "I'm trying!"

I let out a sigh of annoyance before taking steps forward, and before she knows it, I pull her with me as she yells out. "What the hell, Park?!"

"Hwang, we're only like this deep." I show her the current height of the pool, which is like around her waistline.

I can see that Stella is trying her best not to touch me, but her hand always finds itself latching around my bicep. I feel how visibly shaken she is.

Before I can ask, she interrupts me with a firm voice. "Okay, let's go." She slowly removes her grip on my bicep.

"Follow my lead." I don't turn my back on her as I walk backwards, examining her. It feels like I'm teaching a kid instead.

"S-Sunghoon!" She stammers, halting her steps. "It's getting deep!"

I cock my eyebrow at her as I stop. "Of course it is. How are you going to overcome your fear if you're just going to remain in that position?"

The panic in her eyes does something to my heart before I relent and step a little closer to her. "Hold my arm."

She complies, her grip on my bicep tightening with each step I take. Since her head reaches around my neck, the height of the current pool is deeper for her.

"Sunghoon!" The fear in her voice is more than apparent before I am taken aback when she latches her limbs around my figure.

Instead of getting annoyed, I find myself smirking down at her, stopping my movement. "Enjoying ourselves, are we, Princess?"

Stella looks up, the fear in her eyes doesn't fade while her grip on my body tightens. I ignore the fact that I feel her breasts press against my chest. "What do you mean─" It seems that realisation finally hits her as she looks between our bodies. She attempts to let go, but immediately latches her arm around mine, probably realising how deep we're already in.

"Park!"

"What?" I chuckle, slowly moving further. "I quite enjoy this."

"Well, I don't!" She hugs my arm tighter. "I swear I'll kill you in your sleep!"

"You can't kill your coach!" I don't know why the fuck I enjoy this when I should be disgusted by her touch. "Now, slowly let go of me."

"No!"

I sigh. "Hwang, trust me. I'm here with you."

Stella forces out a chuckle. "Trust you? A bit ironic, isn't it?"

"If you didn't trust me, then you wouldn't have called me earlier and pleaded for my help."

Stella seems to be contemplating, as she remains silent. It isn't long before she lifts her head to look at me. I nod my head at her in encouragement before she slowly lets go of me. The height of the pool now hits above her chin. I can see that she's trying her best to fight off her fear.

"Sunghoon." Her lips quiver, and the tone of her voice is something I've never heard her call me before.

"I'm here. Relax." I assure her as my voice comes out soft. "Now, dip your head into the water and try to hold in your breath for as long as you can."

Shaky breaths leave her pink lips before she does what I instructed her to do. I wait for her, my eyes remain fixated on her figure. I begin to count, and once I stop at seven, she quickly rises up to the surface and gasps for air.

But a frown tugs at my lips when I see how panicked she genuinely looks. "Stella!" I try to hold her, but she seems to be fighting me off. It is as though she is reeling from some nightmare. I firmly hold her by the shoulders. "Stella! Hey!"

She stops, and she heaves heavily while her glistening eyes meet my concerned ones. "You're alright, Princess." I tell her firmly, yet I handle her with care as I slowly back her up against the wall.

"I'm sorry, Park." Disappointment is written across her features.

With ease, I lift her up and place her on the edge of the pool. "It's okay. You did great for a newbie."

"But that wasn't enough." She counters, frustration laces her tone. "How the hell do I get stronger if I can't face my fears?"

I stare at her in a new light, an unfamiliar sentiment squeezing my heart. My great nemesis, in front of me, displaying her vulnerability and even trusting me enough for her to want my help. Who would've thought?

"Baby steps, Princess." I tell her, bringing myself to sit next to her. "You can't expect to be good one night. Things take time, especially when you want a perfect result."

Stella takes a quick glance at me before looking back at the water as it ripples. "You're right. I hate that you're right."

Chuckles escape my lips before I can stop them. "I'm your coach, aren't I? A good coach would want the best for his student."

Stella goes silent for a moment before she looks at me again with a faint smile. "You've never called me 'Stella' before."

"And you've never called me 'Sunghoon' before." I counter. "Do you want to continue or end the session?"

Hesitation resides in her gaze before she gives me a firm nod. "Let's continue."

I know better than anyone that bottling up pent-up emotions does no good to me. I tried smoking, but it didn't work. I know that I need to unwind at the gym. Alas, my personal gym is currently under maintenance. I'd usually head over to Sunghoon's gym, but given our fallout, I don't know if he'd welcome me there.

I need to punch something, anything. After what happened two nights ago when my parents suddenly invited me to dinner, I knew that they were up to something. Usually, I would keep up with their schemes, but this time, they've gone too far.

"We know that you've been sneaking around with that Hwang girl." My mother expressed her distaste while her sharp eyes looked at me disapprovingly.

I rolled my eyes as I put down my fork with a loud thud. "You're late to the party, mother. We've already parted ways."

My father cleared his throat, intervening in the cold-staring contest my mother and I were having. "That wasn't the point, Mila."

"That was the point, dear." My mother gritted her teeth. "Our son had been involving himself with the Hwang girl! What would've happened if the media decided to publish their scandalous relationship?!"

"For fuck's sake," I utter under my breath as I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Stella and I were not in a relationship. Even if we were, things between us have long since ended."

I swallow the painful lump in my throat while my heart clenches in dejection. It's been weeks, and I still can't bring myself to go about my day without thinking of her. We weren't anything beyond friends, but why the hell does her leaving hurt?

"If this dinner means the two of you berating me about my own dating life, then I'll gladly leave now."

"Sit down, son." My father ordered sternly, to which I had no choice but to comply. "My goal is not aligned with your mother's."

My mother gasped, clearly offended. "Dear!"

My father ignored her as he kept his piercing gaze on mine. "As you are clearly aware of how the Hwangs have many enemies who desire to bring downfall to their empire, including us, we, as in some of my fellow business associates and I, have made a collective decision that in order to do that, we must eliminate their heir."

My eyes went wide as a socket while a scoff of disbelief left my lips. "Are you suggesting that Hwang Stella be killed?"

"Son, listen─"

"You're fucking mental!" I abruptly stood as my chair screeched on the floor.

My father, however, remained collected. "We're not getting Hwang Stella killed. You see, she is known for her intelligence and her capabilities in the field. She is certainly a unique individual, so that's probably why the Hwangs chose Stella instead of their youngest, Rena, as the official heir."

My frown deepened. "I don't get where you're going with this."

My father leaned forward with two hands clasped. "What we want for her is to be distracted and astray from her duties."

I don't want to continue what my father ordered me or the fact that he threatened me, but he is downright mental. How could he? However, if I don't do what he orders, I'll face the consequences.

I ruffle my silvery blond locks. I'm already stressed out with my issue with Jake, and this adds weight to it. Jake Sim, that asshole. I don't know how long he thinks he can avoid me.

You know what? Fuck it. I press on Sunghoon's contact before putting it on speaker mode.

"Jay?" Sunghoon sounds genuinely surprised.

"Can I head over to your gym? Mine is currently under maintenance."

"Sure." Surprisingly, he agrees, but I can sense that he is hesitating. "But─"

"Thanks." I end the call before he can continue. I turn on the ignition of my Ducati Panigale V2 and pull down the visor of my black helmet before speeding off.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Arriving at Sunghoon's garage feels familiar. He used to have a massive corner where there was a couch that would fit five people, a mini television, and a mini fridge. But as my eyes trail over to that corner, my heart clenches as it is now an empty spot.

We used to hang out there after we ended our last lectures. I miss how things were much simpler back then.

Knowing my way around, I head inside, walking to the gym, which is facing the swimming pool. As I reach outside the ajar door, I hear music and some muffled voices, which brings a frown to my face.

Am I interrupting something? Is Sunghoon having a girl over?

I shake my head at the thought. He would never do it in the gym, and he certainly would've told me if he had a girl over. Lord knows that I needed headphones to block out the unnecessary noises. Even Stella and I weren't that loud. I've been traumatised once. Never again.

"I don't want to see you stopping, Hwang."

"Give me a break, Park! We've been at it for half an hour now!"

I freeze in my spot as soon as I open the door. Not only do I hear her voice, but with the mirror on the wall reflecting, I see her in the ring with Sunghoon, seeming to be boxing each other.

Pure confusion clouds in my head. Since when did Stella box? And since when did she and Sunghoon get along with each other?

I know I shouldn't pry and just mind my own business, but my curiosity gets the best of me as I head further inside the massive gym. I don't stop until I'm near the ring, garnering their attention with my presence.

"Jay." Sunghoon greets, donning a white tee that is transparent enough to make out the lines of his abdominal muscles, sweat trickling down his skin.

"Sunghoon." I return the courtesy before my eyes shift to Stella, and my heart instantly beats fast. She looks good in her gym fit, consisting of a tank top and black tights. Her lilac hair is pulled back into a ponytail. She looks as beautiful as the day I met her.

Instead of ignoring me, her eyes meet mine. She doesn't seem surprised or anything. In fact, she's hard to read now. But after maintaining eye contact, she looks away from me and returns her attention to Sunghoon. "Again." She says with fierce resolution.

"Feel free to do whatever you want." Sunghoon brushes me off before he starts to charge towards Stella.

It's great that Sunghoon hasn't shown any hostility towards me, but oddly, I can't stand the sight of them being together.

I heave a sigh before heading to the changing room.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

My muscles are screaming at me for a break, but I don't relent. Instead, I pour the remaining pent-up emotions into this impenetrable punching bag with such vigour. It's been awhile since I had properly worked out, given the amount of duties and responsibilities of an heir, which has kept me occupied.

Delivering one last hard bow, I decide to take a little break as I make my way to my water bottle. I wipe the sweat that is trickling down my chin with the back of my hand before I unscrew the bottle cap and down the content.

"Jay." Sunghoon calls for me from behind, prompting me to turn around.

I raise my eyebrow as I see Stella with him as well. "Is it time for me to get kicked out?"

"What? No." Sunghoon eyes me incredulously. "I was wondering if you could be Stella's opponent. As her coach, I need to evaluate her skills."

More and more surprises. "Coach? Since when are you her coach?"

"Been for awhile." A smirk tugs at his lips. "It's fun. I get to annoy her relentlessly with my observation notes and criticisms."

"Haha." Stella rolls her eyes, though she seems to be avoiding my eyes.

"But why?" The question leaves my mouth before I can even stop it.

"Because Hwang here wanted to become stronger." Sunghoon tells me.

Stella lets out a loud sigh before throwing her hands up. "Are we going to spar or not?"

"Patience, Princess." My eyes unknowingly twitch upon hearing his nickname for her. "You don't want to be too confident. Jay is great at combat."

"I'm kind of rusty at it." I place down my water bottle. "Let's go, then."

Even though the distance between Stella and me is discernible, I can't help but look forward to sparring with her. I'd love to see what she has planned in her sleeves.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Despite the fact that my combat skills are a little rusty, I am tactic enough to block her blows and deliver hits to her, though I am careful enough not to bruise her delicate skin. We circle around each other, my eyes trained on her every movement keenly.

We haven't spoken since we started to spar ten minutes ago, but it seems as though we speak with our eyes instead. Stella looks at me as though I'm just a stranger to her. She doesn't hold back with her attacks and schemes, either.

In fact, she manages to get a good piece of me, landing a hit to my rib. Though my pride is wounded, I can't help but feel proud of her. The Stella I used to know wouldn't dare to hurt a fly.

"You're holding back." Stella takes me by surprise when she decides to break the ice between us.

"I'm not." I deny, appearing nonchalant, but she shoots me a scowl that looks rather adorable.

"He's holding back, isn't he?" She asks Sunghoon without tearing her gaze off my face.

Sunghoon leans against one of the corner poles with his arms crossed and his eyes assessing us. A grin appears on his lips. "Yeah, he is."

"Don't go easy on me, Jay." In a blink of an eye, she delivers a punch, going straight for my face, but I swiftly block her attack, and before she knows it, I lock her arms in my grasps, with her back hitting my chest.

My lips unfurl a smirk as I lean down to whisper in her ear while she struggles valiantly in my grasps. "Are you sure about that, babe?"

"Yes, I am." She grits her teeth and attempts to nudge my stomach with her pointed elbow, but I manage to withstand the pain. "And I'm not your babe."

I release her, and she is quick to turn around before relentlessly attacking me. As I dodge and counter her attacks, I find myself admiring her in this new light. How truly confident and impressive she really is.

"Come on, babe," I can't help but taunt her, finding her being frustrated cute. "Is that all you got?"

Stella charges towards me with the intention of winning, but unfortunately, I've seen this move before. With less effort, after dodging her attack, I quickly grab her with my leg interlocked around hers before I have her pinned to the ground with a thud.

"Give up?" I ask, still smirking as the distance between our faces decreases.

"Never." She grunts, struggling with my strong hold on her body.

"You're playing hard to get." I sigh, enjoying the close proximity between us a little too much.

"Fine! Fine! I yield!" She throws her head to the back and closes her eyes, while her chest heaves up and down from the intensity of our spar.

With reluctance, I release her once more before I offer her a hand, which she accepts as I help her to rise.

"Tsk, I expected more, Hwang." Sunghoon approaches us with a small white towel before he throws it at Stella's face.

Stella shoots him a scowl and uses the towel to wipe the sweat from her face. "But I wasn't bad for a newbie."

"Complimenting yourself, I see."

"She's right." I tell Sunghoon before looking at Stella with a smile. "You did pretty great."

Stella doesn't seem to be expecting my compliment. As if she has transformed into a different person, she looks away from me with a tint of blush on her cheeks. "Thanks."

"Hey, man, thanks for letting me borrow your gym." I pat Sunghoon's shoulder. "I'll get going now."

"Wait." Sunghoon makes me halt my steps. "Do you want to join us for dinner? I ordered for us Chinese takeouts."

"We're having dinner here?" Stella asks Sunghoon with wide eyes.

"Of course. I want my student to have well-balanced nutrition." He gives her a boyish grin before looking back at me. "What do you say?"

"Sure." I find myself agreeing eagerly. Not only do I get to spend time with Stella, though she might ignore me, but also with Sunghoon. I do hope that Sunghoon and I will finally have a talk.

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

Sunghoon and I exchanged very few words after we stepped out of the gym. All the while I keep to myself and slurp these scrumptious black bean noodles, Sunghoon and Stella often engage in banter. It's a weird sight, because almost everyone knows the two hate each other's guts and can't stand each other.

But I do feel a little jealous of Sunghoon. He doesn't have to be on guard or even worried about being around Stella, whereas I, on the other hand, hesitate to start a conversation with her.

Do I even have the right to speak to her? Will she hate me if I speak to her?

I stand by the balcony on the second floor, taking a smoke break. I inhale the familiar toxic substance, my tongue playing around with the smoke before I blow it out.

"Mind sharing the stick?" Sunghoon appears out of nowhere, startling me. He settles himself next to me.

I raise my eyebrow at him before bringing the stick to my lips. "Get your own."

"I did order for you food as well, so technically you owe me."

Fucking bastard. "Here." I give the stick to him.

I look straight ahead, with nostalgia hitting me. This feels like old times. As much as I hate what happened between us and the cause of it, I miss Sunghoon.

"So, you and Jake?" Sunghoon breaks the ice between us.

"It's been weeks since we last talked or even hung out." I say quietly. "I get that it's my fault for going after his girl, but he's dating his ex's sister, so it's hypocritical of him."

"Were you, though?" Sunghoon gives me a knowing look. "Friends with benefits aside, were you really after his girl?"

Was I? I mean, I always found Stella attractive, but it's her mind and her personality that truly charm me. I didn't want to break the bro code, but I couldn't help with my attraction towards her. I guess I really do like her.

"You don't have to answer me. The look on your face tells me enough." Sunghoon chuckles breathily before stretching out his hand. "First, Jake. Now you? At this point, I could become a fucking therapist."

"What do you mean by 'first, Jake'?"

Sunghoon quickly runs me down about what happened, not missing out on any details. I did envy him a little when he told me that he and Jake had started talking.

"And you know what's funny? It's the fact that everything revolves around Stella now." Sunghoon sighs. "Even the other guys seem to take a liking to her."

"Oh, really?" I ask, clenching a fist. I know I have no right, but I feel fucking territorial right now. The thought of others liking Stella, or worse, getting together with her, feels like a blow to the stomach.

"Yeah." Sunghoon scoffs. "What's so special about Hwang anyway?"

"Stick around her a little longer, and you'll find out." I offer him a smirk. "Careful now, Park. Your feelings towards her might change in weeks or months."

Uncertainty resides in his gaze before he masks it with his usual cockiness. "Trust me, Hwang is not my type."

"I said that too." I shrug my shoulders. "Look where it got me."

Sunghoon shoves me playfully, like he used to. We look at each other before breaking into fits of chuckles.

"I've missed you, man." Sunghoon confesses with a smile after we calm down. "I don't know why the fuck we fought months ago. It's all because of our fathers."

"Agreed." I nod my head. "If they hadn't dragged us into their feuds, we wouldn't have split up."

Sunghoon extends his hand towards me. "Friends again?"

I reciprocate the handshake firmly, warmth fills my tummy. "Friends."

Sunghoon grins at me. "Come here, you." He pulls me into a hug—a hug that I never knew I needed from my best friend.

We hear Stella clearing her throat before we turn to see her approaching us slowly. "I couldn't help but eavesdrop earlier. So, you two are friends now?"

"Sure, it looks like it." I answer her with a grin.

Her eyes flicker at my lips before looking back into my eyes. "I'm happy for both of you."

"As my student should." Sunghoon slings an arm around my shoulder. "It also looks like you have another coach to train you in combat."

"Great. More headaches." Stella rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips.

"Actually, can I speak to you in private?" I ask, taking a step towards Stella.

Before Stella can reply, Sunghoon interjects. "I'll give you two some privacy instead, but no funny business." He warns us before making his way towards the stairs.

Whereas Stella appears awkward, I don't. I step towards her a little closer, and she remains in her spot.

"I know that we have already cut ties, but I couldn't stop thinking about you." I start off. "I meant it when I said I didn't care that we're no longer friends with benefits, but I still wanted to be your friend. I wanted to be able to talk to you without any complications."

Stella sighs and looks down. "Are you really sure you want to be my friend?"

"Positive." I answer firmly. "I hated how we ended things."

"I'm sorry." She looks up and smiles sadly. "If you knew me, you should've known that I always ran away from my problems or had to face something."

"If you're with me, you won't ever have to run away from anything." I hesitate as my hand stops mid-air, but seeing that Stella doesn't flinch, I brush a fallen lock out of her frame. "I know you're already capable of defending yourself now, but allow me to protect you."

Her eyes flicker down at my lips momentarily. "Jay...."

"Please."

She sighs softly before wearing a small smile. "Okay. So, friends?"

The word itself feels like a cut to the skin, but I force myself to reciprocate the smile. "Friends."

PREV CHAP | NEXT CHAP

[dandylovesturtles]

Donnie and Raph treat

I didn't really have anywhere to state this exactly but this is set pre-canon, Raph is 13 and Donnie is 12 here.

---

Raph's halfway through his workout when someone knocks on the wall outside his room. "Buzz off!" he yells.

The knocking becomes more insistent. He grits his teeth, not putting his weights down.

"Whatever it is, deal with it yourself."

"Oh Raphala," comes Donnie's voice through the curtain. "I require the assistance of my one and only older brother."

Raph sighs and puts the weight down, getting to his feet and yanking the curtain back with a snap.

"Someone better be dyin'," he says, before his eyes trail down from Donnie's face to the ziploc baggie he's holding in his hands. "...Is that hair?"

"Fur, to be precise. Rat fur." Donnie shuffles his feet. "...Splinter's fur."

Raph drags a hand down his face. "What did you do?"

"Well, I've been testing my new DNA analyzer. And Papa wouldn't give me a sample of his fur, so I thought I would procure one myself while he was taking his post-milk and cake nap, and... it would seem I... miscalculated and cut too much." He half-bows, imploringly. "I need your help to fix it."

"Yeeeaaah, this doesn't sound like my problem," says Raph, turning to go back into his room.

"Raph, wait! If Splinter finds out about this, he won't take me to the junkyard later! And I need parts for my new battleshell!"

"Still not my problem!"

"You're really going to abandon your little brother to his fate?"

"Yep."

"...Well, I didn't want to do this, but you leave me no choice: I'm telling Dad who broke his life-size Lou Jitsu cardboard cutout."

Raph whirls on him. "You swore to secrecy!"

Donnie crosses his arms. "That was before you turned me away in my hour of need, brother."

"...Argh, fine!" Raph waves Donnie forward. "Let's see the damage."

Immediately, Donnie is smiling. "Thank you for your cooperation."

Raph follows him to where Splinter is asleep in his chair, his snores echoing through the room. On his forehead is a very noticeable bald patch, jagged and uneven from Donnie's hack job.

"Why did you need to get so much!?" hisses Raph, voice low.

"I wanted to run several tests," Donnie answers, doing a terrible job at volume control. Thankfully, Splinter is too deep under to rouse at that.

"You couldn't just take it from his back!?"

Donnie holds up a finger and opens his mouth, then seems to think it over. Raph watches the gears turn, impatient.

"...An excellent suggestion that I'll remember for the future."

"Fine, whatever." Raph rubs at his temple, trying to think of a solution. He's too young for the wrinkles he's already getting. "Look, just... go to Mikey's room and grab some duct tape, then go to the bathroom and get that fancy hair gel Pops says he's saving for a special occasion."

"Duct tape, hair gel. Got it."

Donnie retrieves the items quickly enough, and Raph puts his plan into action. He folds the tape in a circle and presses it gently to the bald patch on Splinter's forehead, careful not to wake him. Then he sticks all the fur he can onto the tape. It doesn't all stick, but enough does that the spot is... mostly covered. Then he uses the hair gel to slick all the hair on Splinter's head down, so it's laying flat to match the taped part.

"There," he says when he steps back to admire his work. "It looks, uh... good?"

"I guess... it's not obvious... from a distance," says Donnie, uncertain.

"Look, it's just gonna have to work, because-"

"Mmwah... Purple? Red?"

Raph and Donnie both jump as their father wakes up, looking at them both suspiciously. "Why does my forehead feel... wet?"

"Oh, that's, uh... Donnie and I were just... givin' you a makeover!" says Raph quickly.

"What? Is that what we're going wi-" Raph elbows him quick in the side, and Donnie hisses a breath in before standing straighter and nodding. "Ah, yes! A makeover. That is definitely what we were doing, no ulterior motives here."

Splinter looks between them, his suspicion still evident. "A makeover...?"

"Uh, yeah!" Raph casts his gaze around, then grabs the first reflective surface he sees - an old hubcap they were using as a frisbee the other day. He lifts it, holding it out for Splinter. "See? Looks great!"

"Hmmm..." Splinter leans in, tilting his head this way and that in the improvised mirror. Raph holds his breath, and he can feel Donnie doing the same next to him.

"...Ahhh, I see!" says Splinter at last, grinning, and Raph sinks in relief. "I look even more handsome now. Thank you, sweet boys!"

"Heh, glad you like it, Pops!"

"I like it very much. I will look veeery spiffy for our trip to the junkyard." He looks at Donnie, still grinning as he tosses the hubcap aside. "Speaking of, I'll be ready to go soon, Purple."

"Yessss," says Donnie, doing some happy wiggles with his hands. Splinter nods at both of them, then hopes down from his chair and heads toward his room.

Raph watches until he's gone, then lets out a sigh of relief. "Can't believe he bought tha- oof."

He's cut off by Donnie suddenly throwing himself against his plastron, arms wrapping around him as much as possible. Raph can't help the rush of surprise at the gesture; Donnie hugs are rarer and rarer these days.

It's nice. Raph wraps his arms around Donnie and gives him a quick squeeze, only as tight as Donnie will allow, and thinks that maybe he doesn't mind helping him.

(In the end, his little brothers have him wrapped around their fingers.)

"Thanks, Raph," says Donnie when he lets go.

"Heh, yeah, yeah, just don't do it again." Raph shakes his head at him.

"I won't," says Donnie, and Raph knows that's absolutely a lie but doesn't call him on it. He glances back in the direction their dad went, and grimaces. "What are we going to do when he showers, though?"

"Let's just hope he forgets about this by then..."

...

It's the next morning when Splinter walks into the kitchen, still a bit damp from his shower and wearing one of his fluffier robes. Leo snorts as soon as he catches sight of their dad, bits of his frosted flakes spraying the counter.

"I didn't know rats got receding hairlines," he says, and Splinter glares up at him from the floor.

"What are you talking about, Blue?"

"I'm talking about your bad combover job," Leo says, his grin huge. "Come on, Dad, we're all bald, just own it."

Splinter frowns at him, reaching up to touch his head. "You are talking nonsense, Blue. I am not... not..."

He freezes when he touches the bald patch. Raph catches Donnie's eyes, but luckily Leo and Mikey are too busy looking at Splinter to notice their expressions.

"What... what has happened to my hair!?" Splinter yells, before running back out of the room. Leo cackles after him, and Mikey joins in with laughs of his own.

Donnie and Raph look at each other again, then both decide to become very interested in their cereal.

"BLUE!" Splinter comes back into the room like a whirlwind, leaping onto the table and smacking Leo across the wrists with his tail ("Ow!"). "What did you do to my hair!?"

"I didn't do anything!" Leo protests, but Splinter isn't having it.

"This is not a funny prank! You are grounded!"

"What!? But I really didn't do it!"

"No comics, no TV, no going to the surface!" Splinter continues, ignoring his pleas. "Not until my hair grows back!"

He storms out of the room, and Leo gets up and scrambles after him, continuing to protest his innocence.

Donnie crams one more big bite of his Cheerios into his mouth before looking at his bare wrist and saying, "Oh geez, is that the time? I have to go do something somewhere that isn't here." Then he flees the kitchen.

Mikey looks in the direction Leo and Splinter went. Then he looks in the direction Donnie went. Then he looks at Raph.

Grinning.

Raph sighs.

"There's ten bucks in my teddy bear stash."

"Thank you!" says Mikey in a sing-song, hopping off his stool and disappearing toward their bedrooms.

Raph runs his hands over his face.

Definitely wrapped around their fingers.

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.146 And so it begins

Chi Chi told us so many stories about Karmine as a baby, I thought I would never make it to bed. I hoped I didn't look crazy while I used every muscle in my body to keep my eyes open. If I was tired because of age, this adult stage and I were not going to get along. Around midnight, she finally left, freeing me to flee to my bed. I was cooked and didn't even remember changing my clothes. What I did remember was closing my eyes and being awakened abruptly minutes later by my phone. It didn't occur to me that it was too late for anyone to be calling because my brain was definitely still asleep. But I answered on autopilot. It was Mama. She said Dad had passed away and I should call her later to discuss funeral arrangements. I heard what she said, but I was too tired to really understand, so I said okay and went back to sleep, crashing harder than I ever had before.

I woke up feeling restless and sat on the edge of the bed, gripping my head in my hands, trying to make sense of it all, but I couldn't pinpoint what was troubling me. A sense of unease overwhelmed me because I had a nagging feeling that some unfinished business weighed heavily on me, but couldn't recall the details. I sat there, combing over my thoughts until it came to me. My dad was gone. I waited for something to happen, expecting a deluge of tears, a flurry of anger, a vast emptiness...something. But I felt nothing. How? Was this...peace? After all, we had a great, fulfilling relationship. I got to say goodbye. Was there really anything to be sad about?

Desiree called for me, so I shook myself out of my thoughts and made a bottle.

"Hey, sweetie. Do you remember granddad? He gave you your eyes. He taught me everything I know. He, uhhh...he's gone now, so he won't come see you anymore. It's okay if you're sad. Mommy and daddy are here for you."

I knew she had no idea what I said, but it just came out. Maybe it was my own inner dialogue, trying to convince me it was acceptable to display my emotions. Still, I felt nothing. After she was satisfied, I showered and waited for Sophia to wake up.

She giggled in her sleep a lot. I always wondered what she dreamt about and wished my sleep was as entertaining as hers. I loved her playful spirit. She might have tiny gray hairs sprouting here and there, and little lines creasing her face that weren't there before, but she was every bit as youthful and gorgeous as she was the first time I saw her. When she finally opened her eyes, she asked if I had been watching her, and I admitted to it.

"Like what you see?" she asked.

"I love what I see."

"Good. What's going on?"

"I've been waiting to tell you something."

"What is it?" she asked, her voice still heavy with sleep. She slid from under the blanket and sat next to me with worry and concern written on her face. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You need your rest."

"I'm fine, Luca. What's going on?"

"It's Dad. He's gone."

Her eyes welled up. At least one of us could cry for him.

"So soon?" As the news settled within her, her shoulders slumped, burdened by our seemingly sudden loss. "Oh, Luca. I'm so sorry."

She flew to me, squeezing even tighter than she did the other night, thinking I needed comfort, but she needed it too.

"I need to go to Mama's house for a few hours, but I'll be back."

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

Lately, it seemed all I did was leave Sophia and Desiree at home. I didn't like it, but that was daily life for many parents. Most men had jobs outside the home they went to every day and only saw their families at night. It was normal, but I still felt like I was abandoning them. I just wanted to be there with them, but life kept pulling me away.

I ended up at Dad's house on my way to Newcrest. I couldn't explain how I ended up there if someone asked me to explain it with a SimRay at my head, but there I was, standing on the sidewalk, gazing up at this place that used to be my home. It called to me, I guess, so I went inside and looked around. He didn't have much, like he said, but I was surrounded by so many good memories.

It occurred to me that I should look for his urn while I was there, but I never found it. I must have walked around that house three times searching for it, but it was nowhere to be found. How could we have a funeral with no urn? And if it wasn't there, where in the world was it? How would I be able to find it without knowing where he died? Defeat set in, but I refused to give up and hoped Mama could help me.

She met me at the door and threw her arms around me.

"I'm sorry for your loss, buddy. Can I do anything for you?"

"I'm oddly fine. Is that weird? I don't know if I'm at peace or I'm gonna fall apart later."

"It's not weird at all. One thing I learned from him and Mommy is sims grieve in different ways. Maybe yours isn't a loud, sobby grief. Maybe it's quiet and reflective."

"I went by the house. There wasn't an urn. How can we have the funeral without it, Mama?"

She averted her eyes.

"Ummm... You didn't find it because... Well...okay, he was here last night."

"He was...here?"

My second question was going to be what was he doing there in a suspicious tone, but he could have been hanging out with Alessia or helping with the babies. But he never once touched those babies, and he and Alessia didn't have that kind of relationship. And given how weird Mama acted, and how she'd been looking at him lately, and how much he'd been talking about her, my very educated guess was that neither Less nor the babies had anything to do with his late-night visit, and I didn't want to know anymore. Besides, now it made more sense why she was the one who called me.

"So, you have it then?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"...That's it?"

"It's none of my business, Mama."

It was all hands on deck later when the taxing trio were unhappy all at once. Less was outside swimming, so I went and got her so we would be evenly matched. Arvin seemed to be the easiest one to care for. He had a rather sunny disposition, only crying when he needed something vs. his brother who cried for just about any reason. He seemed to be really sensitive but didn't enjoy being held for long. I knew he was going to be a handful. Breanna was rather calm, but man did she love to eat. I tried to put her down several times after feeding her, but she kept crying for more.

Alessia and I must have been alike in our grief, because she seemed relatively okay too, not that I expected her to be all broken up. She loved our dad in her own way, but their relationship wasn't like ours. When Mama passes, it might be a different story.

[reashot]

After Fall + Lancaster

Jaune: H-hey are you okay. Do you need me to take you to the doctor?

Ruby: J-Jaune what are you... I mean why do you looks so young!?

Jaune: Uh you feeling okay? I mean I'm always been young. And how do you know my name?

Ruby: Jaune stop kidding around! What happened to me after I drunk the tea? Are we still in the ever after? And where is that fu***** Cat!?

Jaune: W-wait a moment. Tea? Ever after? And what Cat are we talking about?

The only thing I can answer is that we're in Beacon and I actually just enroll here so I can't tell you about this place. I'm sorry.

Ruby: You just enroll here... But that's impossible. Beacon is gone...

No way... T-this is impossible. Where - I mean, when are we?

Jaune: Okay... I think you might hit your head a little too hard after that explosion. Don't worry I will help you find the academy infirmary. Oh I know you already know my name but let me introduce myself anyway. My name is Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue....

Ruby: Ladies loves it...

Jaune: Uh... Have we met somewhere before?

Ruby: .... No. I'm sorry but I think I really did hurt my head so bad. I'm Ruby by the way. (*grabs Jaune's hand*)

Jaune: (*pulls Ruby up*) Then we better find the infirmary. To have you checked.

Ruby: Oh no, please there's no need. As you can see I'm completely fine now. I'm just a bit dazed after the dust explosion... Me being a dumb "Crater Face" and all. 😋

Jaune: You shouldn't called yourself "Crater Face." That would have been if I called myself "Vomit Boy" because I pu... Oh! You were at the Bullhead when I puked all over the ship! I'm so sorry for puking next to you.

Ruby: Oh you don't have to apologize. Motion sickness after all is a lot more common than we realize. 😊

Jaune: I know right! I can't believe there's no motion sickness pill inside the Bullhead. That's just asking for trouble if you ask me. I'm surprised that there isn't more people puking on the ship.

Ruby: (He's such a dork😏) Jaune this might seem to come out of nowhere, but do you want to be my friend? 🥺

Jaune: Sure after all stranger are friend you haven't met yet. That's what my mom said anyway.

Ruby: (I knew he would say that. Oh Jaune why did I never have the courage to pursue you back during the Academy.😞) Thank you (*hugs Jaune*) 🥰

Jaune: Oh. Usually I don't mind when a cute girl is hugging me. But isn't it all too fast?

Ruby: (He called me cute!!! I knew it, I knew he likes me! 😫) Didn't you said that stranger are just friend you haven't met? And Jaune you can pat my head if you want. 😘

Jaune: I guess I did say that...

Ruby: Eh, he, he. I'm never letting you go Jaune... (Never...)

Jaune: Oh stop kidding around Ruby. We have to find the rest of students.

Ruby: No need. I know where they are. How about we take our time before we meet the rest of them? There's some place I want to take you to.

Jaune: Uh okay, I mean you seems to know more about this place than me so lead on Ruby.

Ruby: (Yes! I'm finally going to go on a date with Jaune. Don't worry Jaune I will make sure things are right this time. I will make sure you never have to lose anyone ever again. I'll save Pyrrha, Penny and everyone. Maybe I start by killing Cinder first... He, he, he. Oh I can't wait to see the look on that bitch's face as I behead her. Oh and maybe I'll help with Jaune's training too. That way he can be the hero he always wanted and I don't have to be alone. Oh the possibility are endless. 😈)

C'mon let me show you around the academy....

The scene pans out as Ruby drags Jaune by his arm to show him what Beacon has to offer.

[lqbeo]

IN MY DREAMS ...

THIRTY TWO / The end

WARNINGS / angst WC / 1425

IN WHICH / You join the photography club to be with your crush, jeongin. But on the first day of the club you notice he wasn't there but instead his best friend, beomgyu, was.

Life was smooth sailing until it took an unexpected turn. Where did our daily exchanges of good morning and goodnight disappear to? Why did everything crumble away so suddenly? I honestly tried to move forward. But it's nearly impossible when every little thing triggers memories of him. From guitars to flannels to apples, I even gave up sipping smoothies and nibbling on straws simply because it reminded me of when he’d say, "Biting straws is not good for you." 

Flashback —

I sat waiting in a cosy restaurant for the blind date that Yunjin and Chaewon had orchestrated for me. While I waited, I could hear those two friends chiming in through the phone. "Take this one seriously!" Chaewon's voice came through with an emphatic tone. "Yeah, don’t turn him down if he wants to see you again," Yunjin added, but I couldn't help but chuckle. You see, they'd arranged blind dates for me in the past, but I had always found a reason to bail.

"I won't bail this time, I promise," I assured them. "If I do, I owe you all tickets to the new Marvel movie." Their excited, almost childlike screams of anticipation came through the phone. "I'll catch up with you later, I think he's here." I hastily ended the call as I spotted a tall, handsome man taking the seat in front of me.

“Hi, I’m sorry I’m a little late” He muttered and I shook my head.  “No, it’s totally fine” I reassured him, taking a sip of the coffee I'd ordered earlier. Awkward silence hung in the air, and I was starting to contemplate asking Jeongin to fake a phone call about a car accident. Thankfully, Beomgyu decided to break the silence.

“Oh uhm, I’m Beomgyu. Chae Beomgyu”

The smile on my face slowly dropped.  God, all the memories came flooding back in.  My first date with Jeongin when Beomgyu worked at that restaurant.  The time we took pictures together during the school’s air show. Our kiss in the storage room when we were in Seoul.  My eyes then swell up with tears.  “Uh, I don’t really know how these blind dates would work” He chuckles but all I could do was start to whimper.  I see the worried expression he displayed when I all of a sudden started crying.  “Yujin? Are you okay?” My loud cries I guess gave him an answer.

End of flashback —

Be proud that, after a few years, I stopped those intrusive thoughts that seemed to bring him to mind at the most unexpected moments. I could finally watch someone play the guitar without superimposing Beomgyu's image over them. I wore flannels without having to pretend they were his favourite black and white one. I even got back to enjoying smoothies without feeling like I was trying to hold onto a memory, and I didn't shy away from biting the straws. Companies started using paper straws, but I stuck with it.

It has been a decade since Beomgyu disappeared, I became an artist and my newest painting found its place in the city's most prestigious museum. As I crossed the threshold into the museum, eager to lay eyes on my painting for the very first time, the entire gallery captivated me.  Sculptures and paintings, each more remarkable than the last, beckoned me. Their artistry was a testament to human creativity and expression.

I got to the hallway that showcased my painting and it was the first thing you’d see.  A small smile grew on my face, I was proud of myself.  The painting was one of the pictures me and Beomgyu took during the airshow years ago.  Painting that piece was a key moment of the process of moving on.

Wandering down the hallway, I chanced upon an unassuming door. My curiosity got the better of me, so I surveyed my surroundings before cautiously pushing the door open. What lay inside was a room filled with screens and digital artwork. It wasn't crowded, but a few visitors were scattered about, engrossed in the videos and artwork on display.

Across from me, I noticed another door, marked with a stern "do not enter" sign. My mischievous spirit from high school stirred within me, and I couldn't resist the temptation. I opened the door silently and peered inside.

Inside, a small vintage TV sat, its screen entirely black at first. Then, it began to glitch, displaying blurred images of people intermittently. Suddenly, the screen glitched again, revealing an image identical to the one I had painted. It then went black once more.

The screen glitched once more, this time revealing a photo of the apple tree that Beomgyu once took me to. Another picture quickly followed, and to my astonishment, it was an image of me, hissing at the camera.

Flashback —

“You are good at one thing," He remarked, you turn to face Beomgyu. “You paint, right? I haven't seen any of your works, but I'm sure they're lovely." You tried to suppress the smile that threatened to spread across your face, but the blood rushing to your cheeks gave you away. “Really?" Beomgyu snapped a picture of the trees, capturing a moment of natural beauty. “Mhm, you should show me one of your paintings, especially the one of Jeongin—"

“Ya! Quit teasing!" you playfully exclaimed, playfully hitting his head this time. Laughter escaped his lips as he pointed the camera at you. You hissed at the camera, unaware that he had already taken another picture.

End of flashback —

I have moved on, ask my friends and they will say the same thing.  But moving on doesn’t mean forgetting every memory I had with him.  The next picture was the video of Beomgyu I took during the airshow.

Flashback —

You get off track, your hand absent-mindedly turn to camera towards Jeongin.  You admired him but you noticed Beomgyu swinging his arm around Jeongin’s shoulder.  Again, you absent-mindedly turn the camera towards Beomgyu’s face instead.  You stood still secretly watching how the frat boys interacted with one another.  Until Beomgyu’s eyes catch sight of the camera that was pointed at him, resulting in him tilting his head.

End of flashback —

The screen turned black once more before showing a video of Beomgyu beside a young boy.  “Look at the camera. '' He told the boy and my eyes started to water.  I missed his voice.  The little boy started speaking “Hi, Yn. Uhm..” I covered my face with my hands, trying to keep myself composed but obviously failing.  “Have a happy new year” I heard Beomgyu whisper in the boy's ear.

“Happy new year”

“Say it with more passion like this, Have a happy new year!”

“Have a happy new year!” The boy said with more enthusiasm, making me laugh.  I watched as Beomgyu gave the kid a high five.  “Yes! Amazing.” Beomgyu complimented.  

I began to recollect the memory of Beomgyu mentioning his younger brother. I suspected that the kid in the video was probably his brother. The joy they must have felt reuniting after many years was evident. His brother began speaking, "You know, the girl working with Beomgyu is really pretty—" Beomgyu swiftly silenced him by placing his hand over his mouth. His brother wriggled free from Beomgyu's grip and playfully proclaimed, "Mhm, it's true!" It brought a laugh from me.

Now, Beomgyu stood alone in the meadow under the night sky. The stars and the moon illuminated the scene. I observed as he took steps closer to the camera, bending down to fit the frame, ready to speak.

"I got out of bed just to show you this," he said, adjusting the camera to capture the moon and stars. Memories of our late-night drives and nights spent by the Han River, gazing at the sky, flooded my mind. Beomgyu continued, 

“Uh, it's two in the morning in Korea, so you’re probably asleep.  I know it’s about to be a year since we last saw each other but, hold one just a bit longer.  I’ll come see you soon, because I just know that it’s not gonna be an amazing year if I don’t spend it with you”

Those were his final words before the screen faded to black. I couldn't hold back my tears any longer. I was crying as intensely as I did on that blind date. I didn't care if someone found me; all I cared about was how Beomgyu could say those things but not come back. As I sobbed, I noticed the screen displaying:

In remembrance of Choi Beomgyu

(2001-2023)

MLIST / PREV

A/N: this is the end. Thank you so much for waiting. I apologise that it took too long. I started school again and everything just went chaotic. Anyways. Thank you so much for reading and I had a lot of fun creating this story. Thank you again for everything I love you guys saurrr much.

TAGLIST: @captivq @beomomb @flowerbe0m @rosenatorfirst @xtra-cheese @tya0 @catsyoon @woncheecks @ioszzn @kaeebtch @beoms-sugar @kaewonie @huening-ly @aernx @yumilovesloona @i2lain @myknifeyourlife @xrvrqs @sandhyaaa-aa @belovedxiao @beomsbeanie @yeonboy @beomies-world @tyigerz @ahnneyong @luvsoobs @eggeutarteuu @idgyuaf @ajakaashi @tae-ology @ikyuzies @marshmelle @wasteofoxygenn ( taglist is open )

2023 © lqbeo

[punsmaster69]

12/JAN/20XX

"......."

".........."

"Okay, but it's not past my bedtime technically."

"it is definitely-"

"wait, friday."

"Midnight bedtime, babeyy!!!"

i glanced at the time.

"alright, you've got about thirty minutes before i hang up."

"Thirty five."

"ok. thirty five. but do you wanna spend that five minutes arguing about what time it is?"

"No."

"anything specific you called for this time?"

"Uhh..."

"Wellness check."

".....𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬."

"Wellness check."

"like they do for the elderly?"

"You ARE the elderly."

"nuh uh."

"As far as I'm concerned, you are."

"is there a level past elderly? 'cuz both your parents surely hit that one."

"..Both my-?"

"......"

"hm?"

"I guess he kind of is.."

"old?"

"My parent."

"Visiting him feels almost the same as seeing, like, Undyne and Alphys though."

"And I usually call him Asgore."

"you referred to him as 'dad guy' for a little bit."

"Then stopped."

"Every time I would, Mom would..."

"make 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 face."

"Yeah."

"Someone else comes to mind when I think of who my 'dad' is, anyway."

"he sounds cool."

"Yeah."

"great, even?"

"............."

"he'd be a better influence, y'know."

"He's more like my awesome uncle."

"true."

"Plus, it doesn't make sense to call him 'dad'. He doesn't have the hots for my mom."

"wow."

"those thirty five minutes went by so fast."

" 'night."

"NO-"

it didn't last long.

my phone started buzzing once again.

"Sans."

"frisk."

"You can't hang up on me for that."

"i did."

"Was I wrong?"

"i will again."

"Fine, okay, we don't have to talk about it."

"Eventhoughit'sdefinitelytrue-"

"Just don't hang up on me again."

"we'll see."

"You never did answer the wellness check."

"Are you well... Ness?"

i gave them a long stare.

"Come on."

"It was right there."

"a n y w a y."

"sure. i'm of the wellness. having much well."

"The best answer you can give is 'sure'?"

"you want me to list every symptom, dr. frisk?"

they pretended to hold an imaginary clipboard.

"Yeees."

"Tell me everything, patient."

"is that your impression of a doctor?"

"Yes it is. Now, are you good or not?"

"i'm good."

imaginary pen scribbling.

"Noticed one of your eyes has been back on."

"indeed."

"That's good, but why just the one?"

"𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 supposed to tell 𝘮𝘦 that, doc."

"Oh."

"Uh."

"..Well."

"It was the left one that does the magic glowy stuff, right?"

"yep."

"And that's the one that blew up."

"mhm."

"Whatever Papyrus said happened when you did your special attack... probably worsened that."

"So that's why. I think."

"thanks for the diagnosis."

"what do you suggest?"

"Hmmmmm."

putting their fingers together in thought.

"Nighttime phone calls where you spill all your weird skeleton secrets..."

"at really abhorrent times, got it."

"And a big fat kiss from Mama Goat."

"goodnight."

"AAA-"

they called again.

i rolled over the other way.

——

at least twice a week, usually about three in the morning or so...

i'll wake up.

for seemingly no reason.

sometimes i can get back to sleep if i lay there for long enough, but tonight was not one of those times.

while in there for some cold water and likely a light refrigerator raid, something surprising met me in the kitchen.

actually, met 𝘮𝘦 isn't quite the right wording, considering 𝗶 scared 𝗵𝗶𝗺.

sitting on our kitchen floor, cradling the basically empty milk jug, was my brother; long limbs folded criss-cross on the tile.

his troubled gaze focused on nothing in particular, almost trance-like.

"hey."

he snapped out of it.

if not for being a skeleton, i'd say papyrus jumped out of his skin.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP AT THIS TIME??"

"wonderin' the same of you."

"I ASKED FIRST."

"i'm gonna raid the fridge. get some water."

proceeding to do just that, light from the refrigerator spilled into the darkened room. papyrus narrowed his sockets slightly and turned away from it.

"you?"

"....."

tapping his fingers on the side of the milk jug for a moment.

"I DON'T KNOW."

his glance to the side, followed by slight tensing.. it was all too familiar.

i parked myself next to him on the cold floor.

unable to be bothered with washing up an actual fork, i grabbed a plastic one and opened a container of leftover pasta.

"what was it about this time?"

"......"

"puzzle mishap?"

"underground again?"

"mtt's show cancelled?"

"NO..."

"I BARELY REMEMBER ANY OF IT."

"but you remember a little?"

"THERE WERE-"

"AROUND ME, I WAS..."

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING EXACTLY, BUT I KNOW I DIDN'T ENJOY WHATEVER I WAS BEING MADE TO DO. I'M NOT SURE WHY IT WOULD BE..."

"VINES, OF ALL THINGS."

".........."

a part of me flickered with anger, but it fizzled out just as soon.

i sighed.

"just a weird metaphor, probably."

"you know how dreams are."

"I GUESS."

"..gotta ask."

"what's with the milk?"

"OH- UH."

"WELL IT.. THERE WASN'T THAT MUCH LEFT, AND I FIGURED I WOULD FINISH IT OFF, SINCE I WANTED SOME ANYWAY-"

"too much effort for a glass, huh?"

"IT'S NOT A LACK OF EFFORT!!"

"IT'S MORE EFFICIENT LIKE THIS. I DON'T NEED TO WASTE TIME WASHING A PERFECTLY GOOD CUP WHEN IT IS ALREADY CONTAINED WITHIN THE JUG."

"i dunno. sounds like you were being lazy to me. not wantin' to wash a cup, drinking straight from the jug..."

"IT'S 𝘕𝘖𝘛 LAZY."

"if you say so."

"think i could get a swig of that before you finish it off?"

"HERE."

"thanks."

"alright, you can have your comfort milk back."

"SO LONG AS MY BONES ARE ASSURED TO BE STRONG, I WILL BE AS WELL!"

"you're always strong."

"AND HOW DO YOU THINK IT GOT TO BE THAT WAY?"

"daily training."

"....YES, THAT. BUT HAVING PLENTY OF MILK FALLS INTO THE REGIMEN AS WELL!"

"including the rest of the jug."

"THIS IS A ONE-TIME THING!!"

"so this where its been disappearing to at random all this time.."

"NO."

raising the jug to his mouth.

"LIKE I SAID, ONE-TIME THING."

"uhuh."

"I HEARD YOU SPEAKING A WHILE AGO."

"i was on the phone."

"WITH WHOM?"

"frisk."

"AGAIN?"

"yep."

"ISN'T IT PAST THEIR BEDTIME?"

"nah, it's friday."

"AH, RIGHT."

"suppose it's technically saturday now."

"REALLY? WHAT TIME IS IT?"

"uhh, let's see..."

after being in the dark for so long, we 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 turned away from my phone screen light.

dimming the brightness, i showed him the time.

"IT'S FOUR ALREADY??"

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE DOWN HERE SO LONG."

"me either."

"let's get back to bed, huh?"

papyrus silently leaned against me.

"...ok. sleeping bags?"

"JUST THE COUCH."

"i'll grab our pillows."

[weministertomonsters]

Minotaur-Demon Hybrid (Andolin)

Charlotte hit the ground with a bone-rattling thud. Her heartbeat thumped in her ears and the crowd roared curses and encouragement and everything in between. She was too winded to get up immediately.

I'm fine, nothing is broken, she decided as she took stock of herself. But gods be damned, she was exhausted.

"Charlotte," a warm, laughing voice boomed above her.

She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter despite the sand in her eye, but if she thought that would deter her opponent, she was wrong. 

"Do you submit?" He shouted.

The crowd settled into a hush, awaiting her answer. Charlotte gritted her teeth and yelled to be heard by the people.

"I submit!"

A good half of the crowd groaned because they would be going home with lighter pockets. Charlotte had been the reigning champion for a surprisingly long time, and now this buffoon had wandered in not more than a week ago and taken her title in just one match. Humiliating.

"Need a hand?" He asked and her eyes flew open.

The minotaur hybrid was leaning over her, ears pricked with interest. If he stood any closer, she'd be able to see all the way up his thighs and right under his loincloth. Charlotte sprang up, smacking his hand away.

"I'm fine!" She snapped and took a deep breath, steadying herself against the wall as the world spun. "I'm fine," she repeated, before limping out of the arena.

At least she hadn't gone easy on him either, and that was what she consoled herself with as she bathed and smoothed a minty salve over tender spots on her body. She brushed her hair out and put it up in a bun, before going to face the music. As soon as she stepped into the main room where the fighters spent their free time, she was overwhelmed by the others as they crowded around her.

"Own up, Charlotte," Midara the siren said in her melodic voice, her red mouth grinning.

"Yeah, no one forgot about the bet you made!" Eldin, the veteran lycan added, eyes gleaming.

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "I didn't think I'd lose when I made the bet," she said defensively. "Andolin is freakishly strong."

"So are you going back on your word?" Midara asked, adding slyly, "That's rather unlike you."

"No," Charlotte snapped, "I'll never hear the end of it if I do."

She turned and strode back into the hallway.

"Have fun!" Midara cheekily called after her, and Charlotte tossed a rude gesture back at her.

She found Andolin in his chamber lounging on his bed, leafing through a book. She leaned in the doorway and waited for him to notice her. He didn't, not until a slight breeze brought her scent over to him. He lowered the book and looked at her.

"You can read?" She asked. 

He tossed his head. "Minotaur's can't read, is that it?"

"Relax," she said. "I'm not poking at you. I never learned to read myself."

"What are you doing here?" He said, putting the book on a small table by the bed.

"I made a bet," she said, inviting herself in. "If I lost the match today, I'd fuck you."

Andolin blinked and his nose twitched. Not the reaction she'd been expecting.

"So I heard. Ballsy move by the way. What if I say no?" He asked flippantly.

"Are you going to?" Charlotte crossed her arms. "Because I'd like to fuck."

His eyes widened with shock at her blunt words. 

"You know, I was under the impression that you hated me."

"I just don't like how easy it is for you to best me, in the training ring and during the matches," she replied, stepping closer and reaching out to touch his face. "I don't like losing."

"Yes, that's obvious," he said in reply, turning his head to nuzzle his soft nose against her palm.

He shifted on the bed to make room for her. She stepped out of her shoes and lowered herself beside him. For a moment they sat there and breathed the same air and Charlotte could feel his hesitance. Did he doubt her ability to hold up the bet, or was he second-guessing himself?

"You know it's up to you-" She began to say, and he put a hand against her chest and pushed.

She tipped backward on the soft mattress, a small puff of air escaping her lips in surprise. Her cheeks grew hot as she looked up at him through her eyelashes.

I'm doing this because of the bet, she reminded herself. That's all.

This demon-minotaur hybrid was handsome, with red-spotted skin and impressive, curling horns. He possessed no wings, but he did have a spiked tail and claws that a minotaur certainly wouldn't have. And those red eyes of his! When he was in the middle of a match, they certainly did look demonic.

Charlotte had to admit she was curious. What was his story, and who had he been before he joined the arena? She had heard rumors that he had grown up an orphan.

She waited with her legs pressed lightly together. He had a look on his face; the expression of one who had never expected to get so lucky. That was often the case with creatures like him. Only a courageous soul would approach a minotaur's bed because most people couldn't handle having their insides nearly rearranged. But she liked a challenge and a little pain. Still, he was staring like it was a miracle. Maybe he'd forgotten this was a bet; she probably wouldn't have otherwise.

She covered her scoff with a small laugh. 

"I can undress if it will help," she said, slipping her shoulder strap down.

"No. It's fine," he said thickly, even as his eyes lingered on the bare curve of her shoulder. 

"It's fine," he repeated with a soft, heady sigh. "I don't want to trouble you any further."

Oh, you hesitant thing, she wanted to tell him. You're more than worthy of that.

She did rather like her lovers to let her take the lead. And with strong ones who could easily best her as Andolin had done, it satisfied her to ruin them in the bedroom. In all things, she always wanted to come out on top. She got on her knees, took his scruffy face in her hands, and kissed him tenderly.

It took him a moment to process the fact that she wasn't rushing to get this over with. It made him gasp quietly. He had an old knick of a scar on his cheekbone and another across his eyebrow, jagged and thick. His breath hitched when she kissed them.

"I must admit I like men like you," she whispered. "You're strong until you aren't..."

Her hands skimmed up his arms, fingertips caressing the muscles there that were rock hard to the touch. Always tense, always ready to defend. She could assume he had lived a life of fighting and fleeing and probably be right.

"So powerful, and yet so scared," she hummed and touched the bandage on his arm where she had gotten a good cut in earlier.

"Does it hurt?" She asked.

"Nah, all my blood is flowing elsewhere," he said cheekily, and she smirked and reached up to his horn.

She knew it was sensitive and tugged brutally anyway. His head was forced to tip back, baring his neck, which she nuzzled at.

"Fuck," he said throatily.

They knelt on his bed, facing one another. Still, he had barely touched her, as if he was afraid that she was too delicate, that he would crush her. Had he already forgotten her resilience when she faced him in the arena? She explored him with soft lips and the teasing press of her teeth. He trembled under her touch, his hands flexing against his thighs. She was certain that like this, she could devour him whole. 

She had to remind herself not to get carried away.

"Can I touch you?" He asked, eyes like pools of crimson lava, framed by soft, fluttery eyelashes.

The fact that he had asked first thrilled her in a way she hadn't felt before.

"No," she said. "Not until I say you may."

She took his bulky shoulders in her hands and pushed him back. He wouldn't have gone if he didn't feel like it, they both knew that. As it was, he played along and let himself be pliable for her, lying flat on the mattress. She tugged on the ties of his loincloth, which wasn't doing much to cover him any more. 

"Let's get this off." She said.

He lifted his hips for her, and she removed the article of clothing, so he was completely bare for her.

"You get excited easily," she commented, scraping her nails lightly over his thighs, watching his body shudder.

His cock was an interesting sight to behold. Heavy and ash-black, with dusky pink spots. His balls looked full and round. Because of his mixed race, he was huge down here too. Charlotte doubted herself for a moment, but she wasn't one to give up without trying.

She took him in her hand and he grunted, his hips flexing in response. Admirably, he didn't touch her,  opting to clutch at the sheets instead, huffing when she sat up and peeled off her clothes anyway, despite his earlier wish not to bother her. Charlotte wasted no time and straddled his hips, looking down at him.

"Are you sure?" Andolin blinked up at her sweetly.

She leaned over to the floor to get the small bottle of oil she had brought with her, grinning. She scooted lower on his thighs so that she could let the oil drip onto his cock, using her hand to spread it from head to base, then back up again, savoring the hardness of him. His precum leaked against her fingers and he moaned.

"Listen to that," Charlotte said. "The Champion sounds like a little bitch in bed."

His ears pricked and he quivered.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He said and yelped when she tightened her grip on him. "Fuck, I take that back."

"Don't gloat, I'm nowhere near done with you yet," she said.

When she deemed his cock to be as slippery as she could get it, she raised herself and teased the flared head against her wet pussy. 

That part alone will be a challenge to fit in, she mused, rolling her hips as she worked him against her clit.

"Charlotte," Andolin whined impatiently, desperate and maybe a little sulky.

She finally pressed him to her center and lowered.  There was a minute resistance, and his cock popped into her. She paused and sucked in a breath.

"Gods, I already feel full," she muttered, planting her hands on Andolin's chest to balance herself.

Andolin shivered, straining not to thrust into her. The white of his eyes showed as he pressed his head back against the pillow, his horns scraping against the headboard. Charlotte smirked and took him into her gradually, her glee giving way to awe at the way he filled her. 

"Okay," she panted when there were only a few inches left that couldn't fit into her. "You can touch me now."

Andolin pulled her close and kissed her deeply, rumbling in his throat as one of his hands clasped her hip and pulled her up gently, before pressing her back down. The other toyed with her nipple, cupping her breast. Charlotte moaned and squirmed when his cock reached her limit. She almost asked him to wait and give her more time to adjust, but she liked this a little too much to care. He drew back, only to push in again.

"Ah, you bastard," Charlotte sputtered, dizzy from the pleasure that was delivered with a hint of pain, a balance that was just enough to keep her from going completely dumb.

He pulled her in close, so they were face to face as he drove into her. He stared up at her, his pupils blown with lust. The bed squeaked ominously but neither of them could be bothered. Charlotte grabbed ahold of one of his horns to anchor herself and he snarled, quickening his pace.

"Gods," she whimpered, her head falling against his chest, nearly limp from the pleasure.

So this was what she had been missing out on these past few months. How had she forgotten just how good it could feel?

"Charlotte," Andolin hissed, his hands kneading her hips. "Fuck, Charlotte. I'm going to come. Do you want me to- should I..."

"Inside me," she instructed. "I want to have all of you inside me."

"Are you protected?" He asked, burying his nose in her hair and pulling her close as he thrust up into her.

"Yes," she responded breathlessly. "Can't risk it in a place like this."

He grunted in agreement. She braced her hands against the mattress and tilted her hips so that each thrust stimulated her clit. She shuddered and came with a loud cry half the arena could probably hear, and she would pay for that later. But right now, she could do nothing but focus on her pleasure, lacing her fingers with Andolin's as her body squeezed tight around him. 

With a great snort and a jerky thrust, he spilled inside her. There was so much of it that it seeped out of her and dripped against his furry thighs. More of it dripped when she began to laugh.

"If I wasn't drinking prevention potions each month, this would surely make me pregnant," she said, finally flopping on her back bonelessly beside him, her heart racing.

For a moment, they lay quietly together, and then Charlotte remembered that he was reigning Champion now, and staying too long might make it seem like she was bribing him to go easy on her, or something like that. Rumors got around easily. She began to sit, but he nudged her back down.

"Let me get you something to clean up with first," he said softly. "I'm not your enemy, Charlotte."

She smiled and plucked at a loose thread on the bedsheets. 

"I know," she replied.

[marzs-space]

Impartial sins

Extra scene: polar opposites

Warnings: language, short? I think that's all. M!list link

Previously

Next: extra scene

Recap: He grabs the demon and walks towards the door, “Solomon make sure he gets to his class, or.. their class” he says before he walks out. “I guess we're with you” I say, holding Azrials hand as we walk towards him.

“It seems that way, doesn't it?” He says, “yep..” I sigh.

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

Solomon was nice, kinda strange but nice. Plus tryouts… Will they tell me when practice is? Well obviously. Dumbass… “Ace, darling? Lucifer wants to see you” Asmo says as he stands in my doorway. Right, I forgot about that…

I sigh as I get up, “thanks asmo, I'll be in your room after” he nods and skips away. “Ok, come on Azrial…” splitting was always uncomfortable but the fact that we had to do it made it much worse. He lets out a shaky breath.

“Ok! Let's go!” He says as he drags me to Lucifer's study. He knocks on the door and waits for the soft ‘come in’ to open the door. He closes it behind us and walks us closer to his desk with diavolo and barbatos.

I hit Azrial on the head “ow! What was that for!?” He whines. “Your stupid emotions are spreading…” I say, “nervousness is a valid emotion right now!” he huffs. “Rich coming from someone that can't keep his emotions in check” I say.

“Rich coming from someone who can't feel emotions at all” he says. “How interesting! I assume we met you the first time?” Diavolo said, looking at Azrial. He nods, “yep! My name is Azrial! This is Ace, the one you meant to meet” he says.

“Hi, I won't be out too much because this is more of Azrials thing” I say. “Ah, but we did intend to invite you here for a reason, plus would it be wrong to simply use him to avoid doing something because it's not your thing?” he asks.

I hum, “maybe, but he says he doesn't mind” he nods “I don't! Ace can come off as rude to most people anyways because of how blunt he is” I nod in agreement. As much as it hurt Azrials feelings for them to see me as mean it doesn't bother me.

I wonder if it still bothers him? Hm… “well, since we've gotten Azrials opinion on the matter, what's yours? Do you like the exchange program?” Diavolo asks, looking rather.. What's the word Azrial said.. hopeful?

“Hm.. I don't think it's completely worthless. Still though, having your hopes up for something that will probably last a few years, and even if it does last, do you think maintaining it will be worth it?” I ask, looking at diavolo.

“That's the nicest thing Ace has said through this entire process!” Azrial says, a huge smile on his face. “How interesting!” Diavolo says. He didn't answer my question though… “oh, and Lucifer?” I say, getting his attention.

“Yes?” He says, raising an eyebrow. “If anyone for that matter hurts Azrial I can and will do 10x that. Demons or not, I'd rather not sit through him being confused for me, plus if he doesn't cope well, i don't cope well and that can get annoying” I say.

“It's true, he bit off a demon's thumb this morning” Azrial says with a smile, sadistic but easily confused for concern. “That's another thing I meant to ask about, demons have ‘tough skin’ so biting through? And tearing the thumb off?” he says.

“There's this thing called ‘adrenaline’ it can make a human have 3-10x their original strength. Typically in life or death situations, and him trying to crush our head is definitely that” I say, leaning on Azrial. He adjusts so he's holding me by my stomach.

“Hm… I see.. that demon will be punished accordingly” diavolo says. How disappointing… I was hoping to do that myself… while he is the prince of devildom, double punishment from the victim on top of whatever he's doing should be fine.

“What's that look on your face for? Are you perhaps feeling sad? Maybe scared?” Barbatos asks. Is he taunting me? “Only in your wildest dreams…” I mumble, “that look on his face means he's disappointed” Azrial says.

“Disappointed that the demon is being punished? Is he feeling remorse?” Diavolo asks. “Oh, no. Not even close, if Ace feels anything remorse isn't one of them.” Azrial laughs “He's disappointed that he didn't get to deal with the demon himself” Azrial says.

“How sadistic of him” barbatos says, “a charm of his” Azrials says, a playful tone in his voice. “A charm of yours too. Wish you used that charm more often though” I say. “Of course you do, you're sick in the head” Azrial says, shaking his head slightly.

“you don't deny having that charm though?” Lucifer says. “Hm? Was I supposed to?” He asks, I scoff “more or less” he hums in response. “Anyways, can we go now? I'm tired” I say, yawning “Azrial doesn't seem tired?” Diavolo says.

“Oh no, I am but it's just a side effect of forcefully splitting” he says. “Side effect?” Lucifer repeats, I nod and yawn. “Forcefully splitting strains the soul and our bodies, so getting tired is common as well as getting sick” Lucifer hums.

“There are more but those are the most common” Azrial says. “There's also… mm.. nevermind” I say, cutting myself off. “Come on Azrial, I'm tired” I say, pulling his arm towards the door. “Oh, ok! We'll see you guys tomorrow!” He says.

Fun fact!: Azrial can be extremely passive aggressive but because of his personality it's often taken as a joke.

Taglist:

@cuddlybelphie @doomsday-fae @a-crazy-little-goblin

[aerodaltonimperial]

(remember how i said i keep wanting to improve my dialogue skills well i have not forgotten that haha so this is just some practice that i tinkered around with. it's just slop, so it's going here.)

"Hey."

"Hey. Uh, hold on, I'm... I'm gonna find somewhere to talk."

"You in medical?"

"Yeah. Uh—hey, Nick. I'm gonna go take this. No, no, I'll be fine."

"Maybe you shouldn't be walking around. I can call back—"

"No. It's good. I'm heading to a hallway. One of the quiet ones."

"Alright. If you're sure."

"Yeah, of course. ... uh, how are you?"

"That's what I was going to ask you. I saw the match. On TV, I mean, obviously. I'm sorry. I know you wanted to have another shot at MJF."

"Not in the cards, I guess."

"Are you okay?"

"Uh. Well, my spine might be drafting divorce papers as we speak, so. I guess we'll see."

"Suppose you can't send it to sleep on the couch, huh?"

"Not so much. But I'll live. Pretty sure, anyway. ...and you didn't answer my question."

"Oh. ...I'm fine. It's... really boring, honestly."

"Yeah, I bet."

"It's, uh. It's quiet."

"You don't like quiet."

"... no, I don't. But..."

"You'll be back soon."

"... will I? Because, like, honestly, social media has just exploded and—"

"Okay, get off social media. I'm serious, log off Twitter. Right now. You do not need this. That place is where common sense goes to die."

"I... fuck. Yeah, you're right. Okay. I'll just... not look at it for awhile."

"Yeah, like, the next five years."

"Right."

"... look, with everything, it's been... I just never had a chance to see if you were okay after that match. With, y'know, losing the belt and everything."

"Ah. Yeah. Uh, it's fine."

"That's the kind of shit answer you give when it's not fine, Jack."

"Well, obviously it's not fine, but it is what it is, right? This is just... how it works."

"You'll come back, and you'll go for another one."

"Sure. Like the TNT, huh?"

"Maybe you could get this turtleneck fucker off my back."

"... they don't... uh, they don't happen to know we're talking or anything, do they? I mean, I'm not trying to say it would matter, and obviously, it's all bullshit, but—"

"They don't know we're talking."

"Oh. Okay."

"Actually... actually no one knows we're talking."

"... oh. Right. Because I'm the wo—"

"No. No. I know what you're going to—fuck. That's not what I—no. Jesus. I know you're going to take that the wrong way, and it's not how it is. I just... god, I just... I want something for myself, y'know? Something that's just mine right now."

"... Darby."

"Okay, I know that sounds... really fucked up, but I don't—"

"It doesn't."

"... it doesn't what?"

"It doesn't sound fucked up. It, uh... it sounds... Um. ...you want me to yourself?"

"... yeah. Um, yeah?"

"... really?"

"Well, I guess I just said all that out loud, so... oh boy. Yeah."

"I... uh, I feel like maybe we should talk about this? But not, like, when you're standing in the hallway half a second away from the polos figuring out where you've slipped off to."

"Heh. No kidding. Uh, yeah. I'll, um... I'll call you? Later? Once I'm back in my room. Unless you've something else to—"

"I don't."

"Okay. Well. You can... y'know, or you could put on those green panties you used to wear all over the place here and FaceTime me."

"I honestly cannot tell if you're joking right now."

"... not sure if I am or not, really."

"You're full of surprises, you know that?"

"Is that good or bad?"

"I guess you'll have to wait and figure that out when I FaceTime you."

"God, you're a dick."

"Hm, heard that before."

"Shit, medical's here. They found me. Alright, I gotta go get my spine snapped back into place. Again."

"Try not to die."

"Okay, I'll... talk to you later."

"Yeah. ...I'll talk to you later."

[tadcccallmyocs]

Bring back Tether part 2

Tether and Ashrani were still sitting together when the Portland opened again, and an orange furball rocketed through the portal and slid across the floor into the opposite wall. Ashrani hid behind her interdimensional sister as Tether stood to confront the strange presence.

Tether "wh--Who are you?"

Totes "Urk, that was worse than Caine's teleporting-- I'm Totes. And you must be Tether."

The ferret-person stood up slowly, looming taller than anyone Tether or Ashrani had ever seen. Needless to say, they were both intimidated. In spite of the newcomer's goofy smile.

Tether "h-how do you know my name?"

Totes "Well, it's a long story... one we don't really have time for right now."

Totes then reached for the zipper at the base of their neck, unzipping it to reveal a mostly empty pocket in their chest. It looked big enough to fit a person inside-- which, to Tether's horror, was the plan.

Totes "Alright kid, get in! I'm taking you home marsupial-style!"

Tether: "n-No way!"

Tether backed away from the strange animal, remembering her parents warning about going off with strangers. Besides the general bad vibes, this person reminded them just a bit of Jax between their toothy grin and mammalian appearance. She put on her brave face-- the one that was color-inverted-- and further confronted Totes.

Tether "Why should I trust you-- I've never met you before! Why would my parents send you, of all people?!"

Totes took a moment, smile falling away as they came up with an answer that would prove their intentions.

Totes "Well in truth it wasn't your parents that sent me... it was your best friend, Harley."

Tether "Then I don't-- did you say Harley?"

Tether's expression turned, and in doing so they notices that Tote's had also changed-- their serious expression had a touch of sadness to it.

Totes "Yeah, she's real worried about you. Every one in your server is, by the looks of it. Zooble was a bit too busy beating the [#$ಠ⁠益⁠ಠ!%] out of Caine for porting me in instead of you, so I went ahead and sent myself here. Which sure, maybe not the best idea, but how many servers have people with names that start with T? I have no idea what that chatterbox was thinking--"

Tether "Ok fine-- I believe you."

Tether gave Ashrani a quick goodbye hug and then climbed into the ferret's pouch. Once they were fully inside, Totes zipped the hole closed.

Totes "Ok, get comfortable-- oh, and if you find any chocolate bars in there, don't eat them. It's uh... mushroom-flavored."

Tether "Eww! Why would you have mushroom-flavored chocolate?!"

Totes "Well the flavor isn't really the selling point-- oh, here we go, portals activating! Hold on Tether!"

There was another lurch of teleportation, and once again Totes was standing in front of the same mix of half and full strangers. Kinger's finger was still pressing the recall button.

Kinger "Ah--! Sorry, wanted to see if it worked. Guess I pressed it too soon..."

Cathin "well at least you bring the guy back... but not the child"

Zooble "Where's my child, weasel?"

Gangle "Oh no, did you not find her in time?" Gangle asked, tears welling up from her eyes.

Totes "Relax, your timing was perfect-- and I'm a weasel of my word!"

Totes unzipped their pocket, and inside was Tether-- dazed from the teleportation, but fine.

Tether "h-Hi everyone. I'm really sorry about disappearing like that--"

Harley "TE-TE!"

Totes "Whoa!"

Harley didn't wait for Tether to get out of Totes, tackling both to the ground to hug her friend. Soon Zooble and Gangle joined in, and it became a group hug.

Harley "I'm so, so, SO glad you're ok! We were so worried when you started to abstract!"

Tether "y-You were?"

Gangle "Of course we were-- we love you Tether."

Zooble "You're still grounded... but, I'll count the days you were gone."

The hug may have went on forever, but then Caine hovered over.

Caine "Harley darling, your enthusiasm is delightful-- but it seems to have been a bit much for our new friend!"

They glanced over to Totes who-- between the disorientation of being recalled and the fall-- was out cold.

Harley "Oops... sorry."

Jax "Great, we're stuck with the weasel for a while.”

(totes and this writing is made by @enby-denby, this Collab has come to an end thanks to @spookykittyzzz to be so awesome to made this arc possible and I hope some of you have questions like Harley and Tether know what abstraction is or more things let me know have a nice day)

[legolasghosty]

"i hate you" "there's people coming" and now they're making out

for Boggie cuz... y'know. :D please?

Ooooo okayyyy! Hehe I love these two, I don't get an excuse to write them nearly enough!

Bobby ducked into an alcove and let himself fall back against the wall, trying to get his breathing under control. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. Nothing about tonight was going right.

In, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4...

Having someone on his arm tonight was supposed to get people to leave him alone. Sure, Bobby had known it wasn't a permanent solution to the constant nagging over his upcoming ascension to the throne and his lack of a partner to sit beside him. But he'd expected his family and the court to be too relieved that he was showing serious interest in anyone to tear into any issues about who his 'partner' was.

In, 2, 3, 4, out, 2, 3, 4...

"Hey, you okay?"

Bobby flinched away from the voice, one fist clenching around the edge of his tunic. "I'm fine," he said, tone flat.

"Well I guess I'll just come be 'fine' with you then," Reggie said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he slid into the alcove across from Bobby.

Bobby forced himself to meet the eyes of his friend and 'partner'. Reggie was sweet, too sweet to be dealing with this disaster of an evening. Bobby should never have dragged him into this. He'd barely known the man for two months, for heaven's sake!

"Sorry, I figured you were someone else," he forced out. "Are you okay?"

Reggie shrugged. "I'm alright, nothing I haven't heard before."

Bobby felt his shoulders tensing all over again at the thought of anyone talking down to Reggie like that at all, let alone often enough for him to be so accustomed to it. He wondered just how far away Reggie was from. It must be within the country. Bobby could likely have a whole squadron of guards there in under 48 hours, ready to destroy anyone who dared to hurt the angel of a man before him.

"I'm sorry," he said. No reason to voice any of his true thoughts. "For my family and for dragging you into this."

Reggie inched closer, fingers brushing against Bobby's knuckles. "Hey, I knew what I was getting myself into. It's all good."

"No, it's not!" Bobby snapped. "No one should be saying those sorts of things about anyone, but I knew they would and I still brought you here."

"They're just careful because they care about y-" Reggie began.

"No they don't!" Bobby interrupted. "They tear into everyone they see as 'lesser', regardless of how good that person is or isn't. They enjoy it. They don't care about me, they just care that I'm the one who's going to be sitting on that throne next year."

He felt like he was going to tear his clothes with how tightly his fingers gripped them, but he couldn't seem to stop. The words kept slipping from his mouth. He couldn't turn it off.

"I mean, why the heck do you think I haven't dated anyone? There's never been anyone that I cared about enough to make it worth the pain my family would cause them. Sure I'm interested in someone every once in a while, but 'interested' isn't enough to keep anyone around after them. I might as well just die alone and childless and let the kingdom pass to someone who isn't as polluted as I am."

He finally stopped, breathing hard. Reggie was just staring at him. Bobby waited for him to run. That was the only logical thing to do. But the young knight didn't budge.

"What would it take for you to let someone in?" Reggie asked finally.

Bobby blinked hard, trying to make sense of the question. Hadn't he just said that was what he would never do? What he shouldn't do? But Reggie's face is so open and curious, how can Bobby deny him an answer?

"I guess I would have to love them," Bobby responded.

"Then what does that mean you feel for me?" Reggie asked, voice soft. "If you would have to love someone to bring them here, what does that mean for us?"

I love you, Bobby wanted to say. But he couldn't. He couldn't subject Reggie to the pain that was the life he was trapped in. The people he was surrounded with. The constant nagging and prodding and needling to make everyone else happy. Reggie was good. He should be free. And this was never real to begin with.

"I hate you," Bobby said, the words catching on his lips like the jagged lies they were.

Reggie's eyes flashed with something Bobby knew he despised, though he couldn't fully read it before it was gone. Then Reggie's gaze darted past Bobby's shoulder and panic took over his expression.

"People coming," was all the explanation Bobby got before Reggie was crowding into his space, hands cupping his jaw as the knight's mouth met his.

Bobby tried not to melt into the kiss. It was just a performance after all. But Reggie's lips were warm and his hands were gentle and Bobby couldn't resist the urge to twine his own arms around the other's waist, pulling him closer. Reggie let out a pleased sound and Bobby was helpless against the desire to run his tongue over the knight's lower lip. And when he was allowed entry into his mouth, there was no stopping him.

He knew it was wrong. But it felt so good, so easy, so freeing to kiss Reggie. The guiding motions of the hand sliding up into his hair reminded him of riding through the fields, both of them spurring their horses to go faster and faster as the wind yanked at their clothes. The soft moans that passed between their joined mouths were sweeter than any symphony Bobby had been forced to sit through as a child. The steady weight pressing him against the wall was the best kind of drowning. It urged him to let go, to sink, to forget the world of before.

And then it was gone. Bobby couldn't breathe. Reggie leaned back, glancing past him.

"They're gone, sorry about that," the knight said, his voice hoarse.

"Don't you dare apologize," Bobby managed, still struggling for air.

"You said you hated me," Reggie pointed out softly. "And then I kissed you."

Oh yeah. Bobby said that. He should say it again. For Reggie's sake. But he couldn't. Not with all the memories if their adventures together at his fingertips. Not with his gentle words rolling over him like the tides. Not with the phantom feeling of their bodies entwined consuming his thoughts.

"I don't," Bobby admitted before he could stop himself. "I don't hate you. I should, but I don't."

A smile lit up Reggie's face, small as it was. "Yeah?"

"I want you to be safe," Bobby sighed, "and safest would be away from me. But I don't know if I can be okay with that."

"You don't have to be," Reggie promised, grabbing his hand. "We can make this work."

"It's not going to be easy," Bobby warned. But the war was already lost. They both knew it.

"I love a challenge," Reggie joked, like he had the first time they met.

This time, it was Bobby who kissed him first. It was softer than before, more honest. A promise to try. And Reggie kissed him right back, sealing the deal. Well this was a terrible idea. But Bobby couldn't bring himself to care.

[carlyyyyxbishhop]

Love me like I haven't changed // Shayne Topp // 4

four // Kate

It was raining the next Saturday. The day was gloomy with dark grey clouds that hung over my head. And yet, I was still on my way to the beach. To be honest, I didn't want to go this particular Saturday. I had just had a fight with my mother about coming home for my birthday and work had been a shit fight all week.

But as I approached the stairs at the top of the beach, I looked down and I saw him. I couldn't help but smile. He was the only reason I had dragged myself out of bed that morning, just to see if he'd come. He had his back to me but I could see he was drenched from the rain, just as I was.

"I didn't think you'd come," I said as I reached him. He turned around, already smiling at me as he did so.

"You said rain, hail or shine," His hair sat flat on his forehead and his face had droplets of rain falling from it.

"If I'm being honest I wasn't going to come today," I started, "But the thought of you possibly standing here waiting for me made me come." He frowned slightly.

"Are you alright? We don't have to swim today if you don't want to." He offered, his face serious.

"No, I'm fine. Honestly, swimming here is even better when it's raining. Let's just hope there's no storm." He held his stern face for a second before letting a small smile creep across his face.

"Only if you're sure," He reasoned. I didn't bother responding, just taking off my jumper as my final answer. He shrugged his shoulders in response and followed suit.

"Are we pretending to be mermaids this week?" He asked, trying to hold back a laugh.

"Well... are you still scared of the cold?" I replied playfully.

"No I guess not," He threw his shirt onto the pile of clothes I had just made, "But, I'm always down for a race." And with that, he sprinted toward the water. I laughed, following behind as he dove under.

When I came up for air he was already laughing.

"I don't know what it is about you but you make me feel like a kid again." He admitted playfully.

"I'm not afraid to act like a kid," I replied, "I mean I have to be so serious from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday, why not let loose on the weekend." I looked toward him with a smile.

"So I guess I'm a kid 24/7 then." I cocked my head to the side, realising I didn't really know a lot about the guy.

"What do you do for work, might I ask?"

"I'm an internet personality on a YouTube channel." He looked away, as if almost embarrassed to say it.

"Why did you say it like that?" I ask the unfiltered question.

"Like what?"

"Like you're embarrassed or something." He looked back toward me and then away again.

"I don't know... sometimes people have weird reactions when they hear that." He looked back at me and I smiled.

"Seems pretty cool to me," I offered, "I mean I would love to get paid to be silly." He smiled again.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool." He echoed back.

"I-" I began, but paused after a crack of thunder sounded over our heads. Shayne's eyes widened and his smile dropped.

"Shit, do you think it's going to storm?" He asked, looking toward me with worry painted across his face.

"The forecast didn't say anything about a storm," The thunder sounded again, "But maybe we should cut it short, just to be safe." I offered. He nodded in agreement and I followed him back to shore.

As we reached our clothes, the heavens opened and the rain started to pour down. He laughed for a second, and I smiled back.

"Do you walk here?" He asked, raising his voice slightly over the sound of the rain hitting the water nearby.

"Yeah, I don't live far from here."

"I'll drive you home." He said as he picked up his shirt and his keys from underneath, he then reached down and picked up my jumper for me.

"No it's fine, I'm already wet anyway," I reasoned as I pulled my pants up my legs.

"Don't be silly," He started, "Come on my cars just over there." He handed me back my jumper as I pulled my bag over my shoulder.

"Okay," I smiled and followed closely behind him. The rain didn't ease up as we made it to his car. He ran around to the passenger side, opening the door for me.

"Thanks," I said quietly, he probably didn't even hear it over the rain pounding down on the car. I put my bag down on the floor in front of me and grabbed out my phone as he ran around to the drivers side. It sounded silly but I wanted to have some form of communication with me considering I had met this guy 3 times before getting in his car.

He pulled the door closed behind him and turned to look at me, letting out a small laugh.

"My god, we're soaked." He choked out between laughs.

"Sorry about your car seats," I said, "They're gonna be soaking too after this." He turned to grab his seatbelt, I followed.

"Don't be silly, they'll dry." I watched as he put his keys in the ignition, turning on the windscreen wipers.

"Are you cold?" He asked, reaching for the air conditioning controls. I shook my head no, "I'll turn the heat on anyway, just in case." I nodded in response.

"So where am I headed?" He asked, briefly looking down at his phone.

"Here," I put out my hand, "I'll type it into your phone." He looked over and smiled before passing me his phone with the maps app open. I typed in my address and handed the phone back to him.

"Oh, I don't live far from you." He said once he saw the address. I smiled in response, "Do you like the area?" He asked as he put the car in reverse and pulled out of the parking spot.

"It's hard to say really," I looked out the window to my right, "I haven't lived there long enough to have an opinion of it." He nodded in agreement.

"I would say, having lived in many parts of LA, it's the nicest area I've ever lived in." He looked over at me with a smile. I watched him relax into his chair as he drove out of the parking lot, he dropped one arm to rest on the car door next to him. He was rather attractive when he was driving.

"That's good to know, I'm glad I chose one of the nicest places to live without having any prior knowledge of it." He chuckled.

"Had you ever been to LA before you moved?" I liked the way he took charge of the conversation, it seemed like he had definitely warmed up to me.

"No," I started, "Without going too far into it, my mother never left the state with me until I was 18 and had my own money to do what I wanted. And even then, I wasn't allowed to go far. My friends and I did a few road trips here and there, but never far." I answered truthfully.

"Did you drive here when you moved?" He asked.

"Yeah, I packed all my belongings into my car and drove by myself." He nodded with furrowed brows.

"Must've been a tough move then."

I sighed, "Yeah for sure." I looked out the windscreen as we neared my street.

"It's just the next left, and then wherever you can stop is good." He nodded, flicking on the indicator.

"So can I trust that you'll be at the beach again next Saturday?" I asked, trying to change the topic of conversation.

"Yeah," He huffed a laugh, "I think so." He looked over to me with a sly smile.

"Perfect," I answered, my hand reaching for the door handle as he slowed the car to a stop, "Well thanks for the lift. I'll see you next week." I looked back to him with a smile that he returned.

"You'll definitely see me next week Kate." We continued smiling to each other as I opened the door and picked up my bag. I turned around once I was out of the car and leaned down to look at him.

"Bye Shayne," His smile widened.

"Bye Kate." And with that, I pushed the door shut and gave him a small wave.