#also what is with my art being so dark and intimidating recently hello? hello | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

monsterfloofs · 2 years

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Kia Ora! I was just wanted to ask if we are gonna get any more content on Deimos, the eldest demon brother. Art or fanfics of him?

Ah! Hello, hello! Greetings from. . . New Zealand is that correct? (｡´◉ ꒳ ◉`｡) Heya!

Ahhhhh Dei-Dei my jolly intimidating boy!

You know I have not done anything recent but! I do have a work in progress lying around here somewhere! Let me go find it for you! I can't remember if I forgot it existed or didn't like it for some reason =//7//= ;;;; )

Since he lives in the middle of the other Brothers territory and is the scary big man who typically appears when you know you're screwed and you gotta pick a god and pray-- I was trying to write a different kind of story for him since he is the hardest to interact with.

One that was centering around the only hooman that was allowed to live in his territory.

I can send you what I have for that-- but since I have been working on this whole story and realm for a while now, the ideas or motivations behind the story may not be canon anymore. ^^; )

It's true that I also need. . . to make him a ref sheet orz

I remember being hesitant / a little nervous about drawing a proper ref of him, but I shall see what I can do (ง ｡꒦ິ∇꒦ິ｡)ง

As for the story -> It's unedited, unfinished and it's pretty old. It has a female reader pov, this was even before I changed my writing pov to be more inclusive I think. x///O

I will send you as much as I have solidly written and who knows! Maybe I will try to tackle this again or finish it ^//-//^ )/

Enjoy!

Demon (Deimos) x Female Reader

You were the only human who lived in the large cathedral that sat in the middle of the Kingdom. It's dark spires stretch upwards, protruding into the clouds, as if attempting to spear the very heavens. It was quiet as you walked along one of it's vast empty hallways, with only the sounds of your steps echoing around you. Panels of golden light streaming across the floor. It was golden hour, almost night.

Your feet come to a halt as you turn to look at the high arched crystalline windows. Gaze drifting out to the world beyond the glass, beyond these walls. You could see the faded outlines of different cities in the distance. From your limited knowledge you recognized the tall ornate buildings of the business district, and the small rounded structures that composed the Mystic one. During the many rounds you have taken walking the grounds you had been slowly able to tell each place apart by their architecture. You wondered about what it would look like if you were able to be up in one of the spires, looking down at the cities. If being up so high, you wondered if you would be able to see them all, like a patchwork quilt spread over the land.

You knew very little about these places, so you let your imagination wander from possibilty to possibily. From time to time you would catch glimpses of the large beings who ran each district. They were very different from one another, though all of them would appear to be tense or nervous when they came inside.

You stayed out of the way when they would come, skirting behind banisters or corners to hide, but not going far enough away that you couldn't watch them. You wished to know what they were like, but the biggest question you had was about the one who saved you.

You don't remember the details, but for that you feel blessed. Something traumatic had happened that left gapping holes in your memory. You don't remember the people who had scared you so much, but you remember someone vividly. Anger that radiated like roaring waves from a dark figure that rose high above you, towering over the small group of people.

And after that it all went black, the next thing you know is that you were here. Clean, safe, with wounds carefully bandaged and treated.

Terrified at first at the unfamiliar place, and there was a sickening dread that sank deep into your bones. You didn't have anywhere else to go, and the fear that sooner or later something bad was going to happen haunted your every waking hour. Your mind had been rampant with fear, the thoughts would tear you apart at night, and you would fall asleep with tears spilling down your face.

But each day was as quiet as the first, no one came after you, and you were taken care of with hot food outside your door, placed on a silver tray. The empty halls still and silent, your things tended to as carefully as they had been when you had first arrived. You were given clothes and other necessities, though whoever was truly caring for you. . . you did not know. There were only a few other creatures that would come and go. With orders to check on you and make sure that you were well.

Unless they came to visit you, you mostly had the place to yourself, it was all yours to explore. And once you had become braver, you did so with starry eyed wonder. Learning the vine covered windows and the cobble stoned path in the garden, memorizing the nooks and crannies, the quiet places that sunlight painted over with warmth. The places you could hide in, whisking away books to read, or places to have picnics in. Though you were very much alone, the single silhouette of your shadow trailing after.

You were given solitude and sanctuary, a place to heal in peace, but you had been left with loneliness in its wake.

Your hand falters to your neck, alighting upon a small silver necklace with a black stone embedded in the middle. It was something that was given to you when you had first arrived, you had been too scared to take it, but now you wore it with a feeling of thankfulness.

All you knew was a name, Deimos.

Deimos was the person who lived here with you, the person who kept you safe.

But you had never seen them, there was a place with large dark doors that sat in the middle of the cathedral. The place you had watched the other leaders go in and out, you had never been close enough to take a look inside. And the time that you had been quick on your feet, and were brave enough to take a peek. . . well. . . the room was disappointingly empty.

Once in a while, you could hear something, something that would make the very timbers underneath your bed creak. It sounded like footsteps, but you couldn’t have been sure. Your mind trailing back to the shadow that loomed up, blocking out the moon in the sky.

“There you are,” A voice makes you jump and turn, looking up to a little figure hunched up in the corner, their wings tucked around them as they hang upside down above you.

You smile up at them, "Hello Ivan. . . do you have a message for me?"

“Yeh-- It’s too bright out here,” The creature complains, scrunching up before they drop onto your shoulder, adjusting their leathery wings and rubbing their eyes. You laugh lightly, “I’m sorry, it will be dark soon,” You can feel their spaded tail lighting flicking back and forth, across your back.

One of the few creatures that would come here was a messenger who traveled around to the other districts named Ivan. He was some kind creature who had a lot of bat-like features, large ears that thinned into high tapered points, and a snubbed triangular nose. He had large wings on his back, and had taken to crouching on your shoulder with long crooked fingers that ended in delicate claws. His entirety reminds you of a rather furry gargoyle. He was normally about the size of a child, but in the sunlight he would shrink back to the size of a big house cat.

His wings stretched overhead, shading both of your heads from the sunlight. He keeps his snubbed nose turned towards his shoulder until you are past the large gothic windows. Ivan was who told you the most about the outside world. The person you exhausted with questions. You peek back at them, once you are back into the darker corridors of the Cathedral, Ivan sighing and lowering his wings in relief.

"When may I see him?" You ask patiently, and he’s blink, "Uh, who?"

"Deimos," You reply, then blink in surprise as

Ivan just about falls off your shoulder. "Deimos--?!" They splutter, "Why-- who-- what has gotten you on about this all of a sudden?? Whatcha wanna see him for???"

Your lips quirks into a smile, "So his name is Deimos?" Ivan's mouth snaps shut but they look guilty. "How come I'm not supposed to know about him? This is his home right? He was the person who rescued me. . . right?"

He looked begrudging, "Nu-huh, I told yeh too much already!" They cross their wings and snub their nose up into the air.

"Please? What's he like? Can you just tell me that?"

Ivan glances at you dubiously, "I don't think you'll like the answer to those questions. It's safer if yeh don't know."

"What do you mean by that?" You feel a twinge of annoyance, "How come?" but Ivan shakes his head, shifting from foot to foot. "Jus' don't want yeh hurt that's all! You really shouldn't nose around! He isn't the easiest to get along with--" His eyes bulge and he pulls at his jowls with his clawed hangs. "GUUUUUHHHHH-- Didn't I tell yeh not to pry?" He jumps up, flapping around your head agitated, and you close yours eyes, "You're gonna get me in trouble!!" He squeaks at you indignantly.

"I'm sorry--" You start but Ivan cuts you off in a rush, "Dinner's gonna be done soon so I'll see you in the dining room!! Andbegood!!" And with that, he swirls down the corridor and out of sight.

You fix your windswept hair pouting, anytime you ask about your rescuer, Ivan gets like this. All fidgety and nervous, you love Ivan but he can be so secretive. This whole place is one big secret, but you live here too! You huff faintly before your fingers fiddle with the necklace. At least you were able to learn a little bit more, fully knowing Ivan can be a bit of an accidental blabbermouth, you like to use this against him. You giggle faintly at your poor batty friend. You are sure he was told to keep an eye on you, and you make his job difficult. You do feel bad for that, but this is the only way you can learn about the world around you.

It’s a dark place that Ivan settles into, a dark place with high walls, far away from the dinner table, and the sunny skylight. He sighs, and scratches his ear in annoyance. “You know she’s asking more and more questions, yer not going to be able to keep her in the dark for much longer.” Ivan gulps and shuffles awkwardly as two purple eyes open, to stare steely daggers at him. “It’s for her own good too!” Ivan squeaks nervously, “I’m just s-saying, what if she thinks she’s held captive or something?”

“She could leave at any time she wanted,” Came a deep rumble, the voice dark and sultry. “I’m not keeping her here.”

Ivan shuffles from foot to foot, “Well I- uh- I don’t think she knows that--” The blazing purple eyes narrow, “What?” Ivan flutters his wings, gawking, his jaw working up and down as he frantically tries to form words, “W-w-well I-- m-maybeee. . . didn’t-- s-say anything a-about that yet?” Ivan grins wide as he shrugs helplessly, The gaze boring down at him narrows to slits before they open wide and roll in annoyance. “Then I shall do it myself.” A dark hulking figure raises from his seat, Ivan flutters eyes wide. “W-wait n-now?” Ivan squeaks, “B-but I th-thought you wanted to wait and--”

The deep voice sighs, “Not if she feels as if she is trapped here, I would never want that for her. . . after what she went through. . .”

You were in the dining room, picking up your dishes and carrying your tray back towards the kitchen, your head turning just as the huge dark doors start to slowly open. Your eyelids fluttering open wide, as your tray tumbles from your hands, falling in slow motion until it crashes onto the floor. Your dirty dishes burst into a million pieces.

Blazing purple eyes and dark grey skin, almost as tall as the ceiling itself. Deimos arches his eyebrows, as you stand frozen in time. Your lips parted as your head raises to look at him fully. “It’s you,” You manage to breathe.

Deimos gives a snort, the big man reaches you in only a few steps,

“You broke your dishes sweetheart,” His deep voice makes your ears reverberate, his eyes trailing to the mess on the floor, you gasp and quickly become animated, reaching down to grab the pieces of broken china. “I’m s-sorry! I’m so sorry!” Deimos eyebrow twitches, stopping you as a dark clawed hand traces over the shattered pieces. The pieces shivering before reforming back into the whole objects once more. “Don’t be.” He murmurs softly, “It’s an easy fix.”

You look up at him with wonder, “H-have you eaten?” You ask, keeping yourself from letting all the other questions in your mind run rampant.

“I haven’t, but I will get something later. I want to know about you right now,” Deimos smirks as you fluster, you heft the tray into your arms. “How have you been feeling?” Deimos purrs softly, “Happy?” Your eyes brighten and you nod. “You don’t have to stay here if you don’t want to sweetheart, I can get you a new home, would you like that? I unfortunately can’t take you back to where I found you.” His expression darkens as his lip curls in dark satisfaction, “That place doesn’t exist anymore.” When you visibly shrink back his pupils dilate and round out, “It wasn’t a good place for you anyway.” He growls quietly. “But I can get you a new home, a little bat has told me you spend a lot of time looking at the different cities, was there anywhere in particular that you would like to go?”

You think about this, about his proposal to leave the grounds. “Would I be able to come back. . .?” You ask slowly, “Would I be able to see you again?”

Deimos blinks, “Me?” He smirks in amusement, “. . . No. I don’t think so.” Your expression falls, “That’s very cute of you, but it’s much too dangerous to let you wander in and out of here.”

“Then may I stay?” Deimos expression is quick to turn sour as he scowls down at you, “. . . . . . . . .And tell me, why would you want that little girl? Aren’t you lonely here?”

“I’m s-safe,” You stammer, “I l-like. . .” You bite your tongue and meekly bow your head. “I like it here, I may be lonely. . . but I am safe. It h-has been my sanctuary.”

Deimos’ eyes widen, staring at you intensely before his eyelids droop. “If. . . that is what you wish.”

#floofyocs #floofyrambles #floofyasks #monster x reader #monster x human #exophilia #demon x reader #demon x human #wip #work in progress #the demon brothers #I just checked the date #OOF yeh this story is from May 2021 hopefully my writing has improved since then <:)))

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bubblesuga · 4 years

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Turning Page - Part 1

Summary: Sometimes you find yourself in the right place at the right time and unknowingly, you fall in love. Min Yoongi certainly didn’t expect that when he met eyes with you one fateful night in late July. Nor did he expect to end up naked in your apartment while you drew his body.

w/c: 7,302 genre: struggling producer!yoongi au, new relationship, fluff, smut warnings: oral (m receiving), dom!yoongi, switch!reader, raw sex, spanking, reader has a praise kink, yoongi has a dirty mouth (but lets be honest, what else is new?), slight exhibitionism, jungkook is too nosy for his own good

It’s not often that you find yourself at a 24 hour diner in the middle of the night with an insane amount of papers splayed out in front of you as eat your waffles while answering emails and trying your hardest to copy the manuscripts sent to you but for some god-awful reason it’s happened to you on more than one occasion this week alone.

The manuscript, which the author unabashedly decided to hand write instead of type in this day and age, was way too long and had way too much detail. Unfortunately for you, your boss only reads typed manuscripts and insisted that you copy every word and type it for her by Monday. You know for a fact that your boss is going to get three chapters into this absolute mess of a story and toss it but you have no choice but to listen to her.

This is definitely not how you expected being an intern to go yet here you are, wondering and waiting for the day that you can move on and start your own company like you’ve wanted to for practically your entire life.

“Can I get you a refill on your coffee?” A voice asks, and you glance up to see the waitress, an older woman with a smile that could light up a thousand suns.

“Yes please,” you smile, holding out your mug to her as she pours directly from the pot, “thank you.”

“No problem, I always see you working so hard so I figured you could use the energy boost.” she grins, patting your shoulder lightly as she begins to walk away and help the other few tables which also happen to be hosting tired college students and early risers or late sleepers.

Without even realizing it, another half hour passes by you quickly. Your eyes burn, but you count the remaining pages and try to push through. Quickly though, your ears spot the sound of dishes clanking together and you can’t help but pull your attention in that direction.

A man with blond hair and dark eyes is cleaning the table in front of you. He adorns an apron around his waist and a white t-shirt with black pants. The busboy wipes down the table, and you admire his side profile as he does so. His features are soft, a rounded nose and down-turned lips held almost in a pout. You have never come across a man so stunningly beautiful, it nearly causes your breath to be caught in your throat.

You’re staring for so long that the man catches on to your watchful eye, glancing over in your direction with a raised eyebrow. You smile sheepishly, “Sorry.”

The man smirks, shaking his head before hauling the bin of empty cups and plates towards the kitchen. Your heart sinks for a moment, but you shake the feeling to the best of your ability and try to finish typing.

A few more moments pass, and you hear someone sitting across from you. You glance up and see the man sat across from you, apron gone and a black jacket now covering his torso.

“Can I help you?” You question softly, clasping your hands together atop the table.

He bites his bottom lip, “I feel like I should be asking you the same thing.”

“Pardon?”

“You were watching me earlier, just curious what was on your mind was all.” He shrugs, his hands stuffed into his hoodie pockets.

You swallow, the way his eyes scan you causes your face to flush. Carefully, you stack up your papers and clean the table slightly while you try to think a way to dance around the answer to his question. He waits patiently, which only causes you to panic internally.

“I was thinking that you would be nice to draw.�� you finally settle on, and it’s true. He looks like a work of art, and you’d love to have had him as a model in your art class when you went to college.

He doesn’t seem to expect that answer, his eyes widening slightly as his head tilts, “So draw me.”

“Ah,” you immediately wave your hand dismissively, “I haven’t drawn in a couple years and I was never any good at it anyway.”

He leans forward, mirroring your position from earlier, “But if that was your first thought then surely you still have an interest in it.” The smooth cadence of his tone intimidates you to no end, yet it entices you and pulls you in even more. How can a stranger hold so much power over you?

“I’ll tell you what,” you say after a moment, suddenly gaining a brush of confidence when you see a twinkle in his eye, “you come to my apartment tomorrow night and I’ll draw you.”

“That sounds like a trap to murder me.” He remarks, a gummy grin stretching across his face and you have to hold back a small ‘awe’, your chest twisting at the sight.

“You want to get drawn or not?” you bite back, just as teasingly.

He shakes his head, a small chuckle leaving his pink lips, “Give me your phone.”

You raise an eyebrow, reaching into your bag and pulling out your phone. You unlock it for him and he takes it immediately, keeping the screen just far enough away from you that you can’t see what he’s doing. Soon enough, he stands abruptly and sets your phone down onto the table.

He smirks, “Text me the address, I’ll be there.”

The stranger wanders down the isle and towards the front door, and you watch in awe at his broad shoulders and shapely figure. Something about the way he carried himself made your mouth water.

Breaking out of your trance, you quickly unlock your phone and and see a newly added contact. At the top of the screen is a simple ‘Yoongi ;)’ titling the contact.

You blush, gnawing your bottom lip gently as he passes by the window and sends a wink your way.

~*~*~

He’s going to be here any moment. He’s going to walk through your door with his stupid fucking smirk and attractive eyes and he’s going to be in your living room, posing for a while so you can draw him.

And you’re freaking out.

After he left you immediately sent him your address, and since then the two of you have been talking non stop. It was mostly about small things, jobs, favorite foods and favorite colors... Although it may have only been a day, you feel like you know him pretty well. He’s funny and charismatic and oh so charming, no wonder you were so drawn in to his beauty because he’s gorgeous from the inside out.

You haphazardly through your jackets and shoes into the closet by the front door, only recently becoming aware of how much clothes you leave strewn throughout your home.

Just as you light a cinnamon scented candle in the center of the room, your doorbell rings.

You rush over to the door and glance in the mirror to fluff your hair and wipe away any runny make up. Exhaling a deep breath, you open the door and greet Yoongi with a smile.

“Hello.” you say simply, opening the door wider and motioning for Yoongi to come in. He’s dressed in a black button up and tight fitting black jeans, a stark contrast to his work attire. He carries with him a back pack and a bottle of whiskey.

He notices the way you eye the bottle, and he flushes slightly, “I figured it could help with your nerves. A- and mine, because I’m a little nervous as well.”

“Nervous?” you trudge into your living room with Yoongi following closely behind, “why are you nervous?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure if you expected this to be a nude drawing or not so I wore nice clothes but I’m also willing to take them off.” He scratches the bottom of his chin, watching as you set up the easel.

You pause your movements, eyes widening, “N- nude?”

“Yeah,” he chuckles, twisting open the bottle of whiskey, “isn’t that what you do in those fancy art classes? Draw nude people?”

“I- I mean, we did,” you stutter, your throat going dry, “but they were always women because I went to an all female college.”

“Ah, so you could use the practice,” he grins confidently, but it drops suddenly, “unless you’re uncomfortable with that. Then, fully clothed is fine with me.”

The thought of being able to see the gorgeous man nude excited you more than you’d like to admit, and seeing as you two were in the safety and comfort of your own home, you had no problem with him doing it so long as he wanted to, and by the way his fingers are itching to undo the first button of his shirt, you figure he is.

“Go ahead. You’re right, I can use the practice.”

Yoongi smiles and with trembling fingers he begins to take his clothes off. As he does so, you focus on setting up the rest of your supplies. The charcoal set sits idly on the table beside you and you finally sit down with a sigh.

As you turn your eyes back to Yoongi, you see that he is splayed across your couch with the bottle in hand.

Holy fuck, his body is just as gorgeous as his face. He’s lean, but you can tell he definitely works out his arms and his legs are long, a pinkish tint holds itself to his skin and you’re unsure if he’s being shy or if the alcohol has already taken affect on him. Eventually you let your eyes land on his hips, his pelvis presenting itself neatly between his legs. It takes everything in you not to drop what you’re doing and let him fuck you into oblivion.

“(Y/N)?” you hear, and you’re brought back to the current situation. Yoongi’s face holds a knowing smirk, and he leans forward to hand you the bottle of whiskey.

You take it gratefully, your heart thudding harshly in your chest as you take a sip.

“Is this position okay?” he questions, one leg bent at the knee and resting on the other one. His right arm rests extended on the back of the couch while his left hand plays dangerously close to his pelvis.

“Y- yes.” you breathe, picking up your pencil and beginning the sketch.

It doesn’t take long for you to get the basic sketch down, your love for drawing coming back in droves as Yoongi sits silently, watching your face as you continue to sketch across the paper. He smiles, your nose crinkling before you erase a line or your tongue poking out as your concentrating on a specific area.

After a little bit of silence, you speak up, “Do you want me to draw, uhm,” you pause your sentence and gesture towards his hips, to which he responds with a little laugh.

“My cock?”

His use of the word shocks you a little bit, but you silently remind yourself that you are a grown woman and are completely capable of listening to a man talk about his anatomy, even when you’re immensely attracted to him and have to continually swallow the drool that threatens to fall from your mouth.

“Yeah, your- your cock.” you nearly whisper, noticing the way his cock twitches slightly at your voice.

Okay, he’s getting just as much enjoyment out of this as I am.

“Yeah,” he chuckles, shifting a few inches, “I want you to draw my cock.”

You nod, turning back to your drawing and beginning the last details.

Yoongi doesn’t take his attention away from your face, gauging your reaction to his body. He likes the way you’re so attentive, and it’s taking everything in him not to harden, though he’s unsure how much longer he can hold off.

His mind reels with the possibility of you riding him right on this couch. After spotting you at the restaurant he knew that he wanted you. It’s been far too long since he’s had sex, and his pickiness has become more and more evident, especially to his roommates. However, the moment he saw you, he could nearly imagine the way you would feel around him and when he saw you staring he knew that he was in the clear to come over and talk to you.

This definitely wasn’t how he expected it to turn out but he has no complaints.

“I’m almost done,” you murmur, your brow furrowed in concentration, “you can move now. All I have to do is shade a little.”

Yoongi lets out a small breath, his fingers dancing across his hip bone as he lays comfortably on his back, “Do you need me to get dressed now?”

You glance up, your face mostly hidden by the sketch pad, “If you would like to.”

Slight disappointment hits Yoongi as he realizes that he’s not going to be able to touch you today. He sits up and reaches for his boxers, but you stop him.

“Or you could give me a minute and I’ll undress too.” you say casually, shrugging as you pick up a black pen and sign the bottom of the drawing.

Yoongi’s jaw drops, and there’s no stopping it now. He instantly feels blood rush to his cock and watches intently while you spin the easel around and show him your work of art.

Across the page, Yoongi sees himself displayed and detail lining every area of the sketch. He notices the way his eyes twinkle even in the drawing and if there were ever a time to think of himself as attractive, it would be now that he’s been drawn by you.

“Do you like it?” you ask nervously.

Yoongi grins, “I love it.”

“Good,” you whisper, and you stand up. You take a careful step over to him, and Yoongi doesn’t take his eyes away from you. As you’re about to slip your shirt over your head, he stops you.

“Let me, please.” he begs gently, and you nod. He stands up quickly and hooks his fingers around the hem of your shirt. You lift your arms and allow him to slip the material over your head. His movements are slow, tantalizing and teasing you but also drawing you into him.

He places his hand against your side, drawing small circles before leaning forward and pressing a gentle kiss to your lips.

It lasts no more than a few seconds, but you instantly miss the contact. He smiles, his nose crinkling as he does so and your heart can be heard from inside your chest, singing as he looks you in the eyes. He unhooks your bra, tossing it to the side and suddenly his lips are back on yours.

It’s much more feverish than before, the taste of the whiskey and his strawberry flavored lip balm mix together on your tongue. The combination is harmonious, and he tastes exactly like you thought he would.

Suddenly, he grips your shorts and pants, slipping them down your legs and softly commanding you to step out of them. You steady yourself on his shoulders and do as he says, your legs trembling with anticipation.

“Last chance to back out of this if you don’t want it.” Yoongi says, his hands cupping your jaw and using his thumb to swipe gently at your cheek. You smile, “I want this.”

He nods, “On your knees.”

You instantly listen, dropping to your knees in front of him and licking your lips hungrily at now being eye level with Yoongi’s now hard cock. He smirks, “You can touch.”

You nod hesitantly, then reach forward and pump him up and down a few times. Instantly, Yoongi’s head falls backward and a moan falls from his lips, gloriously loud and deep.

The sound sends tingles straight to your heat, and you tentatively stick your tongue out to lick the tip of his member. His hips flex and you open your mouth automatically to accept him into your mouth. He goes a little further than expected and you gag as you feel him hit the back of your throat.

“’M sorry,” he moans, “fuck your throat feels so good.”

He looked heavenly, sweat begins to line his forehead as you use your tongue on the underside of his cock, paying special attention to the pulsating vein.

His hands gather your hair up in his hands, “There we go, wanna see your pretty face as you suck my cock.”

Fuck.

You take him as deep into your mouth as you possibly can and hold him there, moaning at his dirty mouth and feeling yourself grow wetter by the second.

“Good girl,” he feels your hands begin to roam his torso, his muscles flexing beneath his fingertips, “gonna cum.”

With that, you pop off of him and see his eyes fall to you incredulously. “I was gonna-”

“I know,” you grin, “but wouldn’t it feel better inside of me?”

“You are so fucking hot.” he says, pulling you up to his level and slamming his lips to yours. You tug him down as you fall onto the couch, his cock brushing ever-so-lightly between your legs and causing both of you to gasp.

It doesn’t take Yoongi long to line himself up at your entrance, your legs wrapped carefully around his waist and guiding him in slowly. Yoongi watches the way your eyes roll backwards as he bottoms out, a moan falling from his lips as he steadies himself.

He had never felt as much pleasure than in this moment.

The eroticism of the entire situation made everything feel more sensual. Despite barely knowing him, you felt a connection to him stronger than anyone ever before. The way his cock seems to fit perfectly within you, stroking and massaging your velvety walls, immediately has you reeling beneath him.

“I’m not gonna last very long,” Yoongi starts, his arms shaking as he holds himself above you, “what can I do to help you out?”

“That’s okay, just fuck me.” You gasp.

You feel him reach a point inside you that sends waves through your body, your back arching off the couch. Yoongi catches the way your breathing has grown ragged, and reaches his hand between the two of you.

His thumb manages to find your clit, collecting your wetness and rubbing over it gently. His thrusts stay slow and steady, but even so you’re unable to hold back. As your orgasm approaches, you bring Yoongi down to your mouth and feel the way he nibbles at your bottom lip. Suddenly, he speeds his thrusts up and his thumb swipes fast and sloppy circles across your clit.

You feel your breath catch in your throat as your orgasm washes over you, a mewl of content leaving your mouth as Yoongi soon follows after, strings of hot cum coating your walls and adding to the sensitivity of your heat.

He collapses on top of you, his lips peppering kisses across your exposed chest while your hand caresses his hair.

“I would have been able to last longer if you weren’t so fucking good at giving head.” Yoongi nearly whines, his chest heaving while he attempts to catch his breath.

“It’s okay,” you smile, pushing his hair back and exposing his forehead, “we both got there in the end.”

Yoongi shrugs, making no effort to move off of you as he buries himself in your chest, “If you hadn’t, I would have no problem making you cum on my tongue.” His words are slightly muffled by your breasts which only causes you to giggle.

“Hm, I’m open to experiencing that on another day,” his lips turn up against your skin at your words, “but can I give you some pointers?”

Yoongi’s head pops up, his eyes looking at you incredulously, “you just said that we both got there in the end, what more do I need to do?”

“Be louder,” you whisper, his tone teasing, “I like when a man is vocal.”

His eyes glare jokingly, “Okay, you’re on. I’ll be as loud as you want.”

You giggle, pressing a light kiss to his nose and watching the way his face scrunch up at the contact.

His chin rests on you, his thumb stroking your cheekbone, “I like you a lot.”

“Are you basing this solely off of the fact that I made you cum?”

“That plays a part in it,” he chuckles, “but I want to see you again for sure. You seem cool, and I’d really like to take you out to dinner some time.”

“Ah,” you click your tongue, “we did it backwards.”

Yoongi laughs, a melodic sound that instantly makes your heart speed up.

The two of you lay there for a little bit, your hand stroking his hair as you talk about the most mundane tasks. He tells you a little bit about his job, how his friend owns the diner the two of you met at and Yoongi likes to help out every once in a while for some extra cash.

His real passion lies in music, which is why he was so hellbent to see you make art again. He loves encouraging people to create, to take charge and express themselves in the purest forms.

After what seems like hours, Yoongi hears his phone ding. With a groan of disapproval, he climbs off of you and reaches into his jeans for his phone.

You situate yourself on your side, watching the way Yoongi runs a hand through his messy hair and checks his phone.

“Seokjin wants me to come serve tonight,” he says with a sigh, “I’ll text you after I get off, yeah?”

You nod, “I need to finish up some work anyway.”

Silently, Yoongi begins to dress himself for the first time since he entered your apartment. You pout visibly as he slips his boxers back on, standing up and following suit by dressing yourself as well.

As soon as you’re both dressed, you carefully tear Yoongi’s drawing out of the sketch pad and reach out to hand it to him.

“You’re giving it to me?” He questions, taking it with a raised eyebrow.

You nod, “I don’t feel right in keeping it.”

He shakes his head, “You should keep it for a rainy day.”

Your eyes turn to slits while you inspect the drawing. You quietly slip it back into the sketchbook while Yoongi lets out another laugh.

You lead him back to the front door, your arms crossed over your chest. Different from previous hook ups, you didn’t feel dirty after everything that you did. Instead, you felt comforted by the fact that he didn’t just leave as soon as he finished. He seemed like he genuinely wanted to take care of you and that wasn’t something you came across often.

As he shuts the door behind him, you can’t help but touch your lips while you remember the feeling of his.

~*~*~

“Hey Seokjin,” Yoongi greets as he enters the diner through the back door.

Seokjin flips some sauteed vegetables in a pan and glances over at his younger friend, “Hey Yoon-” he pauses, setting down the pan, “you got laid didn’t you?”

Yoongi throws his head back, muttering a small ‘damn it’ knowing that he’s going to get grilled until Seokjin is happy with the amount of details he’s received.

“Yeah I did.” he sighs.

“Hm, well you don’t seem too happy about it. Was she awful or something?”

Yoongi whips his head towards Seokjin, “What? No, god no. She was fantastic.”

“Then why the long face?”

“Because I had to leave her to come help you.” Yoongi shrugs, chuckling when he feels Seokjin shove him lightly.

Shaking his head, Seokjin plates up the food while he talks to Yoongi, “Was it the cute editor you were talking about last night?”

Yoongi feels a twinge of jealousy hit his chest when he hears Seokjin saw you too, but it’s quickly replaced with triumph once he realizes that he got to you first.

“She’s an intern, not an editor quite yet, but yeah that’s her.”

“Good man,” he praises, “does that mean you’re back on your game?”

Yoongi scoffs, “Just because I fuck one girl doesn’t mean I’m immediately going to try and fuck every girl I’m attracted to again.”

Sure, Yoongi admits he went through a phase of... being well known. Especially in college, Yoongi was known to be a man of many special talents. After a while of random hook ups and making girls scream his name, he lost interest. He assumed it was because he got bored of it, but now he’s realizing that he was much more interested in having a relationship. Ever since he realized that, he had been waiting for someone to fall into his lap.

For some reason, the moment he saw you he felt some indescribable feeling that drew him to you. Like all that waiting had finally paid off and he needed to talk to the girl with laser focus and a cute smile.

“Oh, so you like this girl?” Seokjin says, glancing at the screen as another order comes in.

“Yeah, a lot. She’s an artist.” He grins, calling back from the locker room connected to the kitchen.

“Awe, did she draw you a picture?” Seokjin coos, a loud laugh following his teasing words.

Yoongi’s cheeks blush as he suddenly flashes back to the events of today, “Yeah, you could say that.”

Seokjin glances into the locker room, “I’ll question further later, for now you need to go to section A and help out Hwasa because she is drowning in tickets.”

“Yes sir!” Yoongi mocks a salute, walking out to the dining area.

~*~*~

From: Yoongi (received 16:34)

Be ready in 20. Dress comfortably.

Your jaw drops as you stare at your phone, rushing upward from your position on your couch with a bag of chips and blankets surrounding you.

You glance your at your reflection in passing and practically run to the bathroom to comb your hair.

It’s only been two weeks since the two of you met. Your comforted by the fact that your phone always has a good morning text and a good night text from Yoongi. The two of you have yet to have a dry conversation and even if Yoongi is stuck at work or working on one of his secret projects, he makes sure to send a text that he’ll respond as soon as he has the chance.

Previously you had never had someone so attentive, especially even in just the talking stages. At one point he called you, his voice rough and laced with sleep but the entire time he seemed lively and excited to talk to you. Your heart swelled with adoration the entire time and you’re safe in thinking that Yoongi feels the same.

Because you haven’t seen Yoongi since the day you drew him, you find yourself regularly looking at the drawing.

For the first time in what seems like years, you felt proud of something you had created. A constant rut that collapsed in on you like a black hole, drowning you in a state of constant despair, disappeared in half a day. Since then, you’re brain is reeling with creative thought and you couldn’t wait to show Yoongi what you’ve been drawing in your free time. He encourages you in a way that makes you feel like you can be whatever you want to be.

One thing you were most proud of was your self-portrait. Your legs laid spread in front of a mirror for hours while you tried to perfect a drawing for Yoongi, to give back since he allowed you to keep his.

“Why do all my cute bras disappear when I need them most?” you whine outwardly, your phone dinging again.

From Yoongi (received 16:48)

Oops, I’m early.

You smile.

To Yoongi (sent 16:49)

You’re lucky you’re cute Be out soon

Quickly, you slip on a simple blue laced bra and t-shirt with a red skirt. Hoping that you were still cute in your comfortable clothes, you let out a nervous breath and head to the door. You grab your sketch book before you lock your door, Yoongi’s car parked at the end of the breezeway. You spot him before he spots you, a black beanie adorned on his head with his gorgeous blond hair peaking out beneath.

You open his door and Yoongi immediately puts his phone away, “Hey.”

“Hi.” You greet, slipping your sketchbook into the back seat. Yoongi leans over the center console and holds your face in his hand, and he kisses you.

It’s short and sweet, not as feverish as the first one you shared but it made you realize how quickly you had fallen victim to missing his kiss.

“I have wanted to do that for weeks now.” He states as if he read your mind, his eyes closed in bliss.

“Why’d it take you so long then?” You tease, kissing him again.

Yoongi smirks, “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”

“Does that mean you’re fonder of me?”

He watches you pull the seat belt over your torso before he responds, “Definitely, I was thinking about you last night before I went to bed.”

You raise an eyebrow, “Oh?”

“Mhm,” he hums, a hand moving over to rest on your knee while he backs out of the parking spot, “you’re very talented with your tongue, even in my dreams.”

You don’t respond, instead you look down at his hand on your knee with a blush.

The drive consists of soft music playing of the speakers of Yoongi’s 2003 Kia. A choice of car you wouldn’t expect him to drive but it oddly fits his personality. It’s quiet and gets him just where he needs to be, a simple thing that Yoongi tells you he takes pride in.

It isn’t a long drive, but you take the time to admire the way Yoongi looks as he drives. The windows are rolled down and soft summer air breezes throughout the car while you drive across the countryside. The evening sun shines across Yoongi’s face, those soft facial features that drew you in still prominent, his nose curling upward while he laughs at a joke you told.

“Alright,” he says after about 15 minutes, “we’re here.”

Yoongi parks near a beach, where you spot a group of people around a fire. You tilt your head, “Are we meeting your friends?”

“Yeah, I hope that’s okay. It’s just a small get together to celebrate a friend’s promotion.” Yoongi scratches the back of his neck and lets out a nervous chuckle.

You survey the crowd, cases of soju surrounding them while they laugh among each other. One of them seems to spot the car, waving at the two of you enthusiastically.

Butterflies swarm in your stomach as you draw your bottom lip between your teeth, “Sure, I’d love to meet your friends.”

Yoongi rushes to the other side of the car to open your door for you, wrapping his arm comfortingly around your shoulder while he leads you to the group.

A log was left empty that had just enough room for the two of you. As you approach, Yoongi calls out, “Shut up everybody! This is (Y/N), be nice to her. I like her a lot,” instantly everyone quiets down, and Yoongi points to the tallest first man, “That’s Namjoon, Seokjin, Jungkook, Taehyung, Hoseok, and Jimin.”

“Hyung, why’d you say my name last?” Jimin pouts, his voice already slightly slurred. You giggle, following Yoongi to the log.

Namjoon reaches over, sticking his hand out, “It’s nice to meet the girl that Yoongi’s mentioned.”

“Mentioned?” Jungkook scoffs, “He doesn’t shut up about you. You’re all he ever talks about and it takes a lot to get this man to stop talking about music.”

Yoongi leans over and smacks his friend on the arm, his cheeks turning red at his admission.

You giggle, “If it’s any consolation, I talk about Yoongi all the time too.”

“Ah great, they’re both crazy about each other.” Seokjin jokes, a laugh unlike you had ever heard falling from his lips. His laugh causes you to laugh, and you quickly cover your mouth once you realize what you did.

“Yah! She’s already making fun of my laugh!” Seokjin remarks, his bottom lip jutting outward cutely while Jimin shakes his head.

“Take this and shut up.” Jimin reaches a drink out to Seokjin, who laughs and sends a wink your way to ease your mind.

The night continues on gleefully, exchanging stories among each other and getting to know Yoongi’s friends - and Yoongi - more and more.

At one point you could tell that Yoongi’s friends were grilling you in an attempt to see if you were a bad person. They were quite bad at it, though, seeing as Jungkook asked if you had ever killed a man and Taehyung was hellbent on trying to get you to say you liked country music. Though, you did admit that Carrie Underwood had a few good songs. Taehyung took this as a win and threw his hands up in victory while Namjoon told him to settle down.

Now that you were more than a few drinks in, you listened intently to every story that the boys were telling.

"Just wait until you hear about Yoongi’s parenting diary for Holly.” Hoseok spills, laughing so hard that he leans into Jimin who sits beside him. Jimin eyes disappear behind his smile, and everyone begins to chuckle.

“No way!” you gape, turning to look at Yoongi who holds a beer tightly in his left and draws circles in your back with his right, “Min Yoongi, you never told me you were such a softy.”

“I’m not a softy, I’m mean and scary,” Yoongi retaliates loudly, then he leans closer to your ear and whispers, “and I bite.”

A chill runs down your spine and you immediately turn away, rubbing your hands together in an attempt to conceal your chill. Yoongi chuckles low enough for you to hear, his fingertips reaching beneath the base of your shirt and massaging gently. You didn’t realize how rough his fingertips were, callouses from hours of guitar playing evident on his hands.

“Alright, children. I think it’s time for us to head out.” Yoongi says suddenly, interrupting a conversation between Hoseok and Namjoon.

He stands and pulls you up with him. You smile and wave, “It was nice meeting you all.”

“It was nice meeting you too,” Namjoon waves back to you, “excited to have you back around.”

As you say goodbye to the rest and walk away, you hear a patter of footsteps walking behind the two of you. “Hyung! Can I get a ride?”

Jungkook stumbles towards the two of you, and Yoongi glances at you in question. You shrug, “I don’t mind, it’s your car.”

Yoongi waves Jungkook over, the three of you walking towards Yoongi’s small car. Yoongi opens the door for you, bowing gently and humming while he walks over to the drivers side. In the few short seconds that you and Jungkook were alone in the car, Jungkook leans forward and rests his head on the back of Yoongi’s seat.

“I haven’t seen Yoongi this happy in a while,” he pats your shoulder, “thank you.”

You don’t get the opportunity to respond as Yoongi opens the car door and hops in. You swallow, smiling and biting your lip. Your chest swells with the thought that Yoongi is just as affected by you as you are by him.

The drive is quite, but suddenly Jungkook speaks up.

“Is this yours, (Y/N)?”

You turn your head back and instantly your eyes widen, Jungkook glancing through your sketchpad. You spot the edge of your Yoongi drawing sticking out, Yoongi’s face visible but Jungkook had yet to spot it.

“Y- yeah.” you say, praying that he stops flipping through the pages. Yoongi glances over to you, his eyes just as wide as yours. He simply shakes his head as if to say ‘stop him’.

“These are really goo- oh! You drew Yoongi!” Jungkook’s fingers begin to pull at the piece of paper which causes you to unhook your seat belt and take the entire sketchbook out of Jungkook’s hands.

He seems lost for a second, “Can I see the Yoongi drawing?”

“No!” you and Yoongi respond simultaneously, panic lacing both of your voices while Yoongi pulls into an unfamiliar neighborhood.

Jungkook raises an eyebrow, “You two doing something freaky?”

Yoongi coughs, “I was just a model for (Y/N) to practice with.”

“A nude model?” Jungkook asks in a sing-song voice, noticing the way you glance at Yoongi.

“Cool it with the questions, Kookie.” Yoongi scolds gently.

“Hey, I don’t judge. I posed nude for a sculpting class once, those girls got to look at my bits for hours and I’m sure they enjoyed it as much as you enjoyed looking at Yoongi’s-”

“Wow would you look at that, we’re home! Get the fuck out of my car.” Yoongi turns around, gesturing for Jungkook to exit. Jungkook holds a smirk on his face, “Be safe.”

As soon as Jungkook gets out of the car, you release a breath you didn’t know you were holding in. Yoongi rests his head on the steering wheel, laughing quietly to himself in both embarrassment and joy.

“Why did you have that drawing in the sketchbook?” He questions as he reverses out of the driveway.

You shrug, “I don’t know... I just wanted to show you what I’ve been working on since that day.”

“Like what?”

“A self portrait.” you shrug, opening the sketchbook and flipping to the most recently filled in page. You hold it up so Yoongi can glance at it while he drives, but you didn’t expect his eyes to bulge out of his head while he slams on the breaks and pulls off to the side of the neighborhood road.

Instantly, he reaches and takes the book from you, his eyes scanning over the drawing repeatedly.

“Gorgeous,” he breathes, “you’re so fucking gorgeous.”

You smile gently, pointing your finger to your chest, “I drew my boobs more even than they actually are so I’m not that gorgeous.”

Yoongi’s eyes turn to slits, “Well this is tainted now. How will I ever be able to hang this up when it’s not accurate to the real thing?”

You giggle, pushing Yoongi’s shoulder gently. His joking tone diminishes once his eyes fall back on the drawing, the smile dropping from his face while his finger traces the curve of your hips. “Gorgeous...” he whispers again, “Fuck, I love this so much. Thank you.”

He leans across the center console and presses a gentle kiss to the corner of your mouth.

That’s just not enough, though.

You slip the sketchpad out of his hands and close it, “You want to see the real thing?”

Your lack of touch from Yoongi these past couple weeks didn’t seem to bother you but now that you have him alone, you want to jump his bones.

Yoongi doesn’t hesitate to nod, unhooking his seat belt and leaning his chair back a little bit. You grin, slipping the t-shirt over your head and pressing a harsh kiss against Yoongi’s lips. He welcomes your lips, drinking you in while his hands begin to roam your now bare skin. He slips his grip down to your thighs, pulling you over the center console and causing you straddle his thighs.

Not breaking the kiss, you begin to grind yourself down onto Yoongi’s quick-hardening cock. He moans into the kiss, his hands kneading your ass roughly. You gasp when you feel his hand lay a hard smack against your ass, the sound resonating throughout the car and causing Yoongi to smirk.

“Oh, you like being spanked?” he peppers kisses across your neck, “have you been a bad girl?”

“Mhm,” you moan, “I’m your bad girl.”

“That’s right,” Yoongi growls, spanking you once again, “my bad girl.”

You toss your head back when you feel Yoongi’s hips begin to twist beneath you, his cock straining against the zipper of his jeans. You reach between the two of you, unzipping his jeans and threading his cock through the hole.

Yoongi sucks in a breath through his teeth while your small hand pumps him up and down carefully.

“No time,” Yoongi groans, “ride me.”

You didn’t have to be told twice.

The feeling of the slick between your legs was enough to show that you were ready, so Yoongi’s fingers push your panties to the side while he holds his cock and lines it up with your entrance. It doesn’t take long for him to slip inside, his hands gripping your hips and lifting you up and down while you moaned above him.

“You like my cock, don’t you baby? You’re gonna cum so good for me, aren’t you?” His voice is gruff, the encouraging tone causing your body to jolt with pleasure. You nod quickly, your mouth opening to respond but the only noise to leave your throat was a whisper of his name.

He feels the way your walls clamp down on him, leaning forward and nibbling across your breasts. “Fuck,” he curses while you speed your hips up, “your pussy feels so good around me.”

Yoongi’s words cause your orgasm to creep up on you, his name falling from your lips like a mantra as you pulsate around him. Yoongi bears his teeth as he cums, growling low and deep while his fingers grip your hips hard, sure to leave bruises but you didn’t mind.

You both sit for a moment while you catch your breath, Yoongi’s tongue licking a long stripe from your collarbones to your jawbone before he kisses your lips.

“Did so good for me,” he rubs soothing circles in your burning thighs, “was I vocal enough for you?”

You laugh, “Yes sir. Please keep it coming.”

You both wince as he lifts you off of him, falling into the passenger seat and sighing happily.

Your feet rest in his lap after the two of you are cleaned up, his hands gently massaging them while he tells you about a new song that he’s working on and how he hopes that someone will be interested.

It’s then that you realize that this is going to extend past the need for sex, because the two of you were both genuinely interested in each other’s lives. He speaks animatedly about his interests and listens intently to yours. It doesn’t take you long to begin imagining waking up beside him every morning with the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen.

As he drops you off at your apartment for the night, Yoongi walks you to your doorstep.You unlock the door and turn to give him a goodbye kiss but he stops you, grabbing your hand and stroking across your knuckles.

“So, do you think you’d be interested in being my girlfriend?” He asks nervously, “I- I wasn’t sure if you were just thinking of this as a friend with benefits situation so I figured I would ask before one of us gets hurt.”

You nearly coo at the man, watching the way his eyes dance across his feet.

You bring your arms around his neck and pull him down to your level, slamming a kiss onto his lips one more time. His hand grips the back of your shirt tightly, his tongue exploring your mouth while you lean against the wall. He pulls away with a grin, resting his forehead against yours.

“Is that a yes?”

You smile, “Of course.”

#min yoongi #min yoongi x reader #min yoongi x reader fluff #min yoongi x reader smut #yoongi smut #yoongi x reader #yoongi x reader fluff #yoongi x reader smut #bts #suga #suga x reader

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petersasteria · 3 years

Text

The Life of A Mobster's Wife || Arvin Russell

Russell || Main || Taglist

Mob!Arvin x Reader (Modern AU) Requested? Nah 9,818 words (pls send feedback bc this is the longest mob fic i've done and i want to know if it's alright or if i should just leave the mob au alone sksk) W: asshole!arvin, doesn't follow canon, curse words, killing, cheating, so many fucked up shit

* * * *

Being married to a mobster wasn’t easy. Everything has to be kept under wraps whilst having a lavish lifestyle. But when you’re young, you’re naive and you think that everything will work out and you’ll live happily ever after like some Disney fairytale. Everyone seems to forget that Disney princess stories were adapted from the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. You didn’t know that your life would take such a dark turn the moment you met Arvin. The second he smiled at you, you were a goner. You were hooked on him; addicted. Everything should’ve been a red flag and the people around you told you that something about him seemed off. That should have alarmed you, but you took what they said personally. One by one, they all left you and only Arvin was left by your side. That should have been a sign too.

You told yourself that you’d be happy and you were. You were together for six months and then you got married. Now, six years later, you have a son who just turned six and a husband who doesn’t even sleep in the same bed as you anymore. You didn’t know what went wrong, but everything suddenly changed.

Arvin made sure you and your son were away from him, so he bought a big apartment in the Upper East Side for both of you. Arvin would stay there sometimes, but most of the time, he was working; killing, kidnapping people for ransom, selling weapons, selling drugs, etc. He wanted you away from those especially, Hayden; your son.

You wanted for things to change because Hayden hardly ever sees Arvin and they don’t have a connection. You also wanted another baby and you felt like Arvin was too busy for that. Wanting to focus on your husband, you decided it was best to hire a nanny to attend to your son’s needs. However, it was difficult to look for a nanny when you’re keeping everything a secret. You were lucky enough to hire a personal doctor.

Amelia Avery Hudson is a trauma surgeon, but you hired her as your personal doctor to treat your husband and his men if they have wounds. The other doctors you asked turned down your offer. When you asked Amelia, she immediately agreed. Amelia didn’t really have a choice. She applied because she needed to pay her student loans back. Plus, she needed to keep a roof over her head and rent was expensive in New York. She’s a fresh graduate and she had trouble finding a job that fitted her career path. Your offer was perfect and she saw it just in time. She hoped that no one took the job yet and luck was on her side because she’s been your personal doctor ever since.

Amelia’s only there during the evening from 7PM until 12 midnight. Having signed an NDA, she had no one to tell about the things she’s seen. She knew that if she even tried, Arvin would somehow find out and kill her with no mercy. She didn’t want to risk it.

Amelia’s feisty, but she was nice. The poor girl had a terrible life. She kept moving from one foster home to another when she was younger. Because of that, she grew up strong. She’s a remarkable woman and you were glad that you met her. You weren’t close, but you had a good relationship with her. Sometimes, she’d entertain Hayden which meant a lot to you.

You put up a poster for the nanny position and a few applicants were interested. You looked through their resumes and interviewed them one by one. Out of everyone, only one person stood out. Her name was Celeste.

“Tell me more about yourself, Celeste.” You smiled at her. You didn’t feel comfortable interviewing people in your apartment, so you always made sure the interviewees met you in your favorite restaurant in the upper east side.

“I-I’m Celeste Regina Dela Cruz. Eighteen years old. Um-”

“I know those things.” You laughed. “It’s on your resume. Just loosen up and tell me about yourself. Would it make you more comfortable if I went first?”

Celeste nodded, clearly intimidated. You smiled and said, “I’m Y/N Russell and I never finished college because I got married. I dropped out and left everything behind to be with my husband. I was also pregnant when we got married, so we never really had a decent alone time. I volunteer a lot for my son’s school and I make sure that my son has everything. Right now, he’s on a waiting list for multiple colleges.”

“Wait, how old is he?”

“He’s 6 years old.” You said before taking a sip of water. “It’s nice to be prepared, though. At least we know that he has a slot when the time comes.”

Celeste nodded and you motioned for her to start talking about herself. She widened her eyes and opened her mouth to talk, but the waiter arrived with your food. You both thanked the waiter and began eating.

“Please continue, Celeste.” You said as you took a bite of your food.

“I’m Celeste and I’m from the Philippines.” She said. “No wonder your accent is thick.” You pointed out and nodded for her to continue.

“I was able to come here because my tita- ay sorry- aunt; my aunt brought me here a year ago. I graduated high school, but I can’t go to college yet because my aunt is sick and she’s the one who pays for my schooling. College is very expensive and we can’t afford it anymore because of my aunt’s medicines.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” You frowned. You felt bad, truly. Here you were, a college dropout but you’re living a luxurious lifestyle. Of course, that’s all thanks to Arvin. You were just lucky that you married a rich man. But as you sat in front of Celeste, you felt the need to do something nice for her. After all, in your mind, she was hired already.

“Oh, it’s okay.” Celeste smiled. “We’re getting by. My friend told me to apply to you and that’s why I’m here.”

“I understand.” You said as you folded your hands on the table. “When can you start?”

“Ha? What?” Celeste furrowed her eyebrows.

“You’re hired, Celeste.” You chuckled. “When can you start?”

“Um… as soon as possible!” Celeste exclaimed and you nodded.

“Pack your things and I’ll send for Pemberley to pick you up at your home address. I’d just like to confirm that your address on your resume is still your home, yes?” You asked and she nodded quickly.

“Okay. I’ll give it to Pemberley. He’ll pick you up at 9:30AM sharp.” You grinned. You both shook hands and continued eating.

The next day, you welcomed Celeste in your apartment and gave her a tour. She looked amazed at everything and it was entertaining to see. You told her that she wasn’t allowed in the master bedroom unless told and she wasn’t allowed in Arvin’s office.

You looked at your watch and gasped, “Oh, my! I’m late for a meeting. Make yourself at home and don’t forget to pick up Hayden from pre-school at 2:15. I have a note for you in your room. Please read it.” You quickly grabbed your bag and coat and left.

Celeste stood there and made her way to her room. After roaming around for 2 minutes, she finally saw her room and read the note.

Hello, Celeste! These are the rules:

Hayden can’t eat seafood. He is allergic.

No sugar-y or chocolate-y drinks before bed. Only one glass of milk with no sugar.

Sandwiches are not allowed to be eaten in his room because of crumbs.

If Hayden has no classes, you may take him to the park or the museum. As long as there are only a few people.

Stay away from crowded places. I beg.

Give Hayden a bath before bed.

Call me only when severe emergencies happen.

Your laundry schedule is the same as Hayden’s; TTh.

Always bring a small first aid kit in your bag and make sure you have a full container of hand sanitizer AT ALL TIMES.

Keep an eye on Hayden. He is your main priority.

P.S. Have fun! Eat whatever you want and if you need anything, please give Jose your own list before he goes grocery shopping.

Celeste taped the note on the wall next to her bed and started unpacking her things. She looked at her watch and realized that it was time to pick up Hayden from school. She quickly grabbed her small bag and ran to the front door.

Hayden’s school was just around the corner, so it was easy for Celeste to pick him up. There were many nannies waiting for kids to be picked up and Celeste was a bit overwhelmed that her job was actually starting. She never had training or anything.

A few more minutes of waiting, the door opened and out came a plethora of running and screaming children. During the apartment tour you gave her from hours before, she remembered you showing her a family picture that was recently taken. With that in mind, Celeste was able to remember what Hayden looked like.

Celeste looked around and saw a young boy by the steps, looking around. “Hayden!” Celeste shouted, causing the boy to look at her. Celeste walked over and said, “Hayden Russell?”

The boy nodded. She smiled, “I’m your new nanny. My name is Celeste.”

Using his manners, Hayden shook Celeste’s hand. Celeste grinned and took Hayden’s bag from him. She held his hand and they walked home. The walk home was short and quiet, but it was comfortable. When they walked into the fancy apartment building and into the elevator, Hayden spoke up.

“Can I call you ‘Celie’, instead? Like a super agent secret name? It’ll be cool.” Hayden said, causing Celeste to smile at him.

“Sure!” Celeste said.

When they arrived in the apartment unit, you were already home. Hayden ran up to you and you bent down to pick him up and hug him.

“How was school?” You asked as you kissed his forehead.

“It was fun! We learned so many things and we had arts and crafts and we-”

“That’s great, sweetie!” You smiled before putting him down. “You can play sudoku in the living room.”

Hayden made a face, “But I hate sudoku.”

“Yes, but it’ll help you stimulate your brain. Think of it as a mental exercise.” You grinned before softly nudging him to the living room where his sudoku book was waiting for him on the coffee table. Hayden begrudgingly walked to the living room and you turned to Celeste, “We need to talk.”

You turned around and walked to your husband’s office. He wasn’t there anyway and you had the freedom to speak business there. “Follow me.” You said without looking behind you. Celeste was scared shitless. She did the sign of the cross and prayed on her way to Arvin’s office.

“Aba Ginoong Maria, napupuno ka ng grasya, Ang Panginoong Diyos ay sumasaiyo. Bukod kang pinagpala sa babaeng lahat at pinagpala rin naman ang anak mong si Hesus. Santa Maria, Ina ng Diyos, ipanalangin mo kaming makasalanan ngayon at kung kami’y mamamatay. Amen. (Hail Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you amongst women and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners. Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.)” Celeste muttered under her breath. You opened the door to Arvin’s office and was immediately met with the darkness due to the closed curtains and lights that were not switched on. The only light present was the sun’s light peeping through the spaces between the curtains. You walked in and Celeste followed suit and closed the door behind her.

You sat on Arvin’s chair and read the papers that you previously laid there on the table. “Please, sit.” You motioned for her to sit in front of you and she did.

“I told you that I had a meeting earlier. I met with important people and we went through your records.” You told Celeste. Celeste knew that she didn’t do anything wrong and that she had a clean record, but that didn’t stop her from worrying.

Was she in trouble for declining her father’s call from the Philippines? Or perhaps she was in trouble for cursing her cousin. She wasn’t sure.

“And I’d like to applaud you for having remarkable and outstanding grades. Straight A’s?! I didn’t know you were smart. You didn’t put in your resume that you were a valedictorian.” You smiled sweetly. You were impressed.

“I didn’t put it because I don’t want to be hired because I’m a valedictorian. I want to be hired because you want me for the job.” Celeste said and you nodded in understanding.

“That’s very humble of you.” You smiled. “Anyway, I submitted your records to multiple colleges and they immediately got back to me.”

You opened the drawer and took out at least ten envelopes from well known universities. You handed the envelopes to her and motioned for her to read each one.

Yale University

Stanford University

Harvard University

New York University

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cornell University

Brown University

University of California, Los Angeles

University of Pennsylvania

Columbia University

“I want you to look through those and read each one. You also have the freedom to check each university’s website to see what they look and what they offer and if what they’re offering is what you want, tell me.” You told her.

“That’s very nice of you, ma’am.” Celeste said, clearly overwhelmed with what you just told her. “I can’t afford it. It’s too- mahal. Ang mahal po kasi.(expensive. It’s too expensive.)”

You stared at her as she spoke to you in a foreign language. Not just any foreign language, her native language. She quickly realized what she said and said, “The tuition fee is too expensive.”

“You know, for a valedictorian, you’re kind of slow.” You joked. “Sweetie, you don’t have to worry about it because we’ll pay for your tuition fee.”

She gasped and squealed, “Thank you!”. She jumped out of her chair, did a small dance, and went up to hug you which took you by surprise. You smiled brightly and patted her arm as a sign of affection. It felt nice to do something good for once even though your husband does a lot of bad things. Sometimes you think that all the good things you’ve done are payback for all the bad things Arvin has done.

Celeste quickly let go of you and went back to her seat. She cleared her throat and apologized and you waved your hand and said that it was nothing. You debated with yourself on whether you should tell Celeste about your husband’s mob or not. You decided against it and told yourself that you’ll tell her when she asks.

“I’ll enroll you in any university you pick and I’ll make an arrangement that your tasks during the day until you pick up Hayden, are done face to face. Meaning, you’ll physically attend classes at the university of choice. Of course, that only applies here in New York.” You explained.

“Should you choose a university that isn't in New York, you'll be enrolled in online classes." You told her and she nodded.

"Yes, ma'am. Thank you so much!" Celeste said sincerely which made you smile.

"You're welcome. Study well and you can join Hayden in the living room now. I'm sure he's done with his sudoku. He should be reading his French book now." You said as you looked at the time on your phone before standing up. Celeste stood up too and held the letters close to her chest.

"I think my husband is coming home tonight, so we'll eat dinner at his favorite restaurant. Get ready at 6PM. Knowing him, he'll be late." You said and left the office with Celeste following behind. She closed the door and quickly went to the living room to check out the letters.

You went straight to your shared bedroom with Arvin and quickly went to your walk in closet that Arvin built for you. You scanned through the rack for dresses and scanned through multiple shoes to match your dress. You knew it was still 3:30PM, but you liked being prepared.

Your phone rang and you immediately answered it without looking to see who it was. “Hello?” You answered while grabbing a cerulean colored cocktail dress from the rack and holding it against you and checking it in front of a mirror.

“Y/N, honey, it’s me.” Arvin said. His voice was raspy and there’s no doubt that it’s because of his smoking habit. He’s trying to lessen it because according to him, he didn’t want to have cancer and he didn’t want his life cut short. Despite that, he still smoked… less than before. He was really trying. Key word: trying.

“You’re smoking right now, huh?” You asked, already tired of his shit. You loved him so much, but you didn’t have the energy of being his wife anymore. Probably because he doesn’t treat you like one.

“Mind your own business, woman!” Arvin hissed. You knew he didn’t mean it, but it still kind of hurt. “I’m just worried about you and you said that you’ll lessen the smoking.” You said calmly. You didn’t want to fight with him; it’s useless.

“I am. This is my third stick today and it’s late in the afternoon.” Arvin said, pushing his hair back. “Anyway, I called to tell you that I’ll be coming home tonight and I’m sleeping there.”

“Wow, it’s been a while. How long will you stay here?” You asked, hiding your excitement.

“I’m taking 7 days off. Starting tomorrow.” Arvin said. He gathered his things, got up from his seat and walked out of his office. “I’m leaving The Hamptons as we speak.”

“Alright. I’ll be waiting for you.” You said.

“What’re you up to right now, darling?” He asked, exiting the mansion and went straight to the limo. The door was being held open by Jeeves, the chauffeur. Arvin got inside and Jeeves closed the door before quickly getting in and driving.

“I’m picking a dress for tonight. I made reservations because you’re coming home.” You told him and he smiled.

“That’s sweet of you, darling. I’ll text you when I’m almost home, okay?” Arvin said.

“Oh, ok-”

Arvin hung up the phone and you sighed. You put the phone on top of the small chair before picking another dress.

Hours later, you received a text from Arvin saying that he was already around the corner and that he’ll just wait for you in the limo. You quickly finished getting ready and walked out of your room wearing a steel blue dress that you knew Arvin loved. You wore heels that matched it and wore dangling earrings that you wore on your wedding anniversary.

Celeste was wearing a polka-dotted blouse and a skirt that ran until her knees. She was wearing an old pair of Mary Jane’s and her hair was neatly combed. She had a hairpin to clip it back and on her shoulder, was a ‘nanny bag’ that you gave her. Hayden was wearing black pants and a button up that you bought last year. He was wearing black sneakers to match his outfit.

All three of you left the apartment and quickly made your way to the elevator. The elevator ride was short and before you knew it, you were in the lobby. Seeing the limo from afar, Hayden ran towards it causing Celeste to run after him. You walked quickly knowing that Arvin hated waiting.

Hayden opened the limo’s door and went inside to give his father a hug. “I missed you, daddy!” Hayden said with a smile and kissed his cheek. Arvin hugged back tightly and kissed the top of his head.

Arvin loved Hayden. The boy was like a copy of him and Hayden was Arvin’s most prized possession. He was the reason that Arvin worked hard and he was the reason that Arvin is sane. Although he doesn’t mind having more kids, Hayden was more than enough for him and he was content with that.

“I missed you too, buddy!” Arvin smiled widely and sat Hayden on his lap. Hayden started talking about what happened while he was away and Arvin was listening. Celeste went inside the limo and sat across from Arvin causing him to glance at Celeste up and down with furrowed eyebrows. You quickly got in the limo next to Arvin and closed the door. Jeeves asked if everyone was ready and you said yes. Jeeves started driving and he turned the music down a bit.

This caught your attention and you internally groaned. You looked at Arvin and quietly said, “Really? You’re playing this music again?”

Not leaving his gaze on Celeste, he said, “My limo, my music.”

You rolled your eyes and looked out the window. Arvin’s music played through the speakers and you decided to help yourself with a glass of champagne just to get through the night.

“Are you washed? (Are you washed?) In the blood (In the blood) In the soul cleansing blood of the lamb?”

The music filled the quiet limo, Hayden stopped talking a minute ago, finding the scenery more amusing than his own stories. Arvin nudged you and whispered, “Who the hell is the chick?”

“Hayden’s new nanny.” You whispered. “I hired her yesterday. She’s from the Philippines and-”

“You know what? I’ll interview her during dinner.” Arvin cut you off. “I already interviewed her and she’s qualified.” You hissed.

“Really? Doesn’t seem like it.” Arvin said. “I’ll do the talking. You already got to know her and it’s my turn now. I want the best for my son.”

“She’s very intelligent, you know.”

“I don’t give a shit, Y/N.”

“Daddy said a no-no word.” Hayden said, his eyes not leaving the window. “Also, can I get a puppy? Jason’s daddy bought him a new puppy and I want one too.”

“Tomorrow.” Arvin answered. “I’ll pick you up after school and we’ll buy a puppy.”

“Arvin, babe, he’s not responsible enough for a puppy yet.” You told him, but Arvin shrugged you off. He didn’t care what you thought. If his son wants a puppy, he’s getting a puppy.

You arrived at the restaurant and immediately got out of the car. You went down first and Hayden followed after. Arvin glanced at Celeste and motioned for her to get out first and she did. Arvin was last and he closed the door behind him. “Buy yourself some food, Jeeves.” Arvin said as he handed $200 to Jeeves through the driver’s side. “Pick us up when I text you. Don’t be too far, alright?”

“Yes, sir.” Jeeves said before driving off.

You all waited for Arvin and all four of you entered the fancy restaurant. The hostess led you to your table that had a small card that said: ‘Reserved for Mrs. Russell’ in cursive. All four of you sat down and the hostess provided menus for you, Arvin, and Celeste. A kids’ menu was handed to Hayden and he smiled and thanked the hostess. Holding a menu made Hayden feel like a real man. He wanted to be just like his father and that scared you because Hayden doesn’t know about Arvin’s job. Neither did Celeste and you felt sick to your stomach knowing that you brought two innocent people in danger. If things get worse, you’ll fire Celeste and let her go back to her family while you make sure that traces of her are gone. After all, if they find Celeste, she might get killed. Chances are, her family gets killed too. It’s all connected.

Anyway, all Hayden knew was that his father takes down bad guys. To him, Arvin’s a hero. But you knew better. Hayden will find out when he’s older. One day, he’ll understand that not all people who take down bad guys are heroes.

You all ordered and handed the hostess back the menus. Arvin took a sip of his water and cleared his throat before turning his attention to Celeste. “What’s your name, and where are you from?” Arvin asked.

Celeste stared at him in shock, “A-Are you talking to me, sir?”

“Who else would I be talking to? Of course, I’m talking to you.” He scoffed which made you slap his arm lightly. “Introduce yourself to me. We haven’t met and if my wife thinks you’re qualified for this job, it is also my right to see if you’re qualified as well.”

“U-Um, okay. My name is Celeste Regina Dela Cruz and I’m from the Philippines. My aunt brought me here last year. I only graduated high school and-”

“Alright. How did you find out about this job?” Arvin asked.

“My friend told me about it, so I applied.” Celeste said. A waiter came by and poured champagne on yours and Arvin’s glasses while he poured water on Celeste’s and Hayden’s.

Arvin nodded, “Alright. Were you a nanny before this?”

“No, sir.” Celeste answered.

“So, what makes you qualified for this job? Why are you here?” Arvin questioned.

“I’m here because… I want to work and I think that being a nanny is the only way.” Celeste answered and Arvin nodded before turning to you.

“Have you discussed her salary?” He asked and you shook your head. He nodded and turned to Celeste, “Will $100 a day be enough?”

“Yes, sir.” Celeste nodded furiously.

“Alright, then. $100, it is. I’ll give you extra if you’re good.” He said before taking out his phone and kept himself busy. You gave Celeste a tight lipped smile and did the same.

What Arvin said struck a nerve on you. You knew of his affairs and ladies, that’s why you never visited your mansion in The Hamptons. You knew there’d be a plethora of girls who are throwing themselves at your husband. You also knew that he wasn’t faithful and you knew that because he smelled like women’s perfume and sometimes he’d have a smudge of foundation on his white shirt. You stayed with him anyway.

“Thank you, sir.” Celeste said with a small smile. She turned her attention to Hayden and entertained him with stories from back home.

“How was work?” You asked Arvin and he shrugged.

“Nothing special. Rodriguez finally paid back what he owes, so that’s that. Also, dad visited me this morning. He said that he wanted to see Hayden. I told him I’ll think about it.” Arvin said with no emotion.

Arvin’s relationship with his dad, Willard, was rocky. It was no secret that Arvin preferred the company of his mom rather than his dad. Charlotte, Arvin’s mom, was the sweetest lady you’ve ever met. She helped you with your pregnancy and she’s the one who told Arvin to keep you away from the mob things. She didn’t want Hayden to grow up in such a bloody environment. Besides, it wasn’t safe. She’d occasionally visit you and Hayden when she’s not busy.

“How were things while I was gone?” Arvin asked.

“Same old. The only new thing was hiring Celeste.” You told him and he nodded. He moved closer to you and asked in a low voice, “Does she know?”

You shook your head and he nodded, “Good. It should be kept that way.”

“We’ll be paying for her college education.” You said quietly and Arvin’s head quickly turned to you as he glared daggers at you. You paid him no mind as you took a sip of your champagne. “We’ll talk later.” Arvin said sternly.

The waiter arrived with your orders and all four of you began eating in silence. Celeste was too awkward to start a conversation, Hayden didn’t know what to say, Arvin will talk to you later in his office, and you didn’t want to engage in a conversation nor start it.

After that, you ordered desserts. You initially didn’t plan to order any, but Hayden wanted the strawberry cake that he saw at the other table. Therefore, Arvin ordered four slices of that. As Arvin took bites of it, he chuckled which made you look at him through your peripheral vision.

“What’s so funny?” You asked, before eating the cake that was on your fork and chewing it. Arvin shook his head, “Nothing. I just remembered our wedding cake. It was similar to this.”

You smiled at the thought and nodded, “Yeah, they are similar.”

Your complicated marriage with Arvin made you stressed. You didn’t know how to act around him, but he was a great actor. He acted like he wasn’t cheating on you, he acted like he wanted the domesticated life, he acted like everything about his family was normal, and above all, he acted like he was still in love with you.

The truth is, Arvin isn’t in love with you anymore. But he loved you; he still does. He will never stop loving and caring about you. He just doesn’t get the same feelings as he used to. Before, one look at you gave him butterflies in his stomach and the world turned into slow motion. Now, he looks at you and he feels nothing. In his mind, you’re just his wife and the mother of his child. He didn’t know what to do anymore, but he knew he couldn’t leave you. Leaving you would ruin him because he knew you’d take Hayden away from him.

Being unfaithful wasn’t part of his plan, but it just happened. Then it kept happening with different girls and he hated himself every time. He knew that you knew. After all, he wasn’t discreet about it either. Both of you just pretend that nothing’s happening, it’s all swept under the rug and it’s killing you.

After dessert, Arvin texted Jeeves to pick you up as you called a waiter for your bill. After paying, Jeeves was already outside. Celeste got up from her seat and carried Hayden, who was falling asleep already. You and Arvin followed.

The ride home was shorter and quicker. When you arrived in the apartment, Celeste went straight to Hayden’s room with him fast asleep in her arms. Arvin cleared his throat which caught your attention. You looked at him and he nodded his head towards his office. He went there and you trailed behind him.

When he opened the door, he switched on the lights and went straight to his desk. You entered and closed the door. You sat in front of him and waited for him to talk.

“Since when were we paying for someone else’s education?” Arvin asked.

“Since now.” You answered boldly. He bit the inside of his cheek and nodded, “Why?”

“I’ve seen her records. She’s a valedictorian and she deserves to go to college. Her aunt can’t pay for it and I volunteered. It’s a little ‘thank you’ for taking care of Hayden. Taking care of a child isn’t easy.” You explained.

“That’s her job. Her little ‘thank you’ is her salary.” Arvin said with his thick accent.

“She deserves more than that.” You told him. “We have so much money, anyway. Paying for her college education won’t even cause a dent in our bank account. Besides, you told her that if she’s good, you’ll give her extra cash. Now, what do you mean by that?”

You and Arvin stared at each other in silence. The tension was thick. It was obvious that you both have problems that you refused to bring up.

“Let’s go to bed.” Arvin said after a minute. He stood up and you stood up too. Both of you left his office and he turned the lights off. He went straight to your shared bedroom and you went to Hayden’s bedroom. When you peeked inside, Hayden was already asleep and wearing his pajamas. You took off your shoes and walked to his bed. You laid down next to him and hugged him as tears streamed down your face.

Being Arvin’s wife wasn’t easy and it wasn’t like the fantasy you had initially thought. You wanted a happy family, but Arvin doesn’t even lay with you anymore. Your day was tiring and chaotic with a mix of high and low emotions. You knew that it would repeat the next day and you already dreaded it. For now, you’ll just cuddle your 6-year-old son and try to get some sleep.

The next few days consisted of doing your daily tasks. The only difference is, Arvin was home and he joined in various tasks. He accompanied Celeste in picking up Hayden at school and true to his word, Arvin bought Hayden a puppy.

Now, the puppy is part of your daily tasks too. Hayden named his puppy 'Jack' and he loved it. Part of his new daily life, Hayden always made sure that Jack was nearby whenever he did anything whether it be sudoku or reading his French picture books.

Arvin loved Jack too. He even swore to Jack that he'd come home often. You rolled your eyes at that, but chose not to say anything. While you thought that nothing in your marriage will surprise you, you thought wrong. After his 7 days off, Arvin came home every night solely because of Jack and Hayden.

'Perfect.' You thought. 'At least he's coming home every night.'

It was now Sunday which meant that Hayden had horseback riding lessons at the back of your mansion in The Hamptons. Celeste was watching over Hayden with her cheap sunglasses on. The skirt of her dress was slightly lifting up due to the wind. You offered your hat to her, but she declined. She said that she was used to the sun because of the weather in the Philippines.

You and Arvin were in his office looking over Celeste’s university of choice. You were making calls and Arvin was checking out the university’s website on his laptop. You were currently on hold and you grabbed Celeste’s acceptance letter from Arvin’s desk. The envelope was open and you sat down on Arvin’s desk as you took out the letter from the envelope and read it.

Cornell University

Celeste Regina Dela Cruz 2264 Oak Street Manhattan, New York 10021

Dear Celeste Regina:

Congratulations on your acceptance into the College of Engineering at Cornell University! We are very pleased to be welcoming you to this coming academic year.

Very soon, you will receive your official letter of acceptance from us in the mail. We are excited that you will be joining the Cornell community and know that you will make a very positive contribution to the university.

Best regards,

Amanda K. Bishop Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment Cornell University

ENROLL AND DEPOSIT ONLINE: Please retain the URL and PIN provided in the notification email you received, as well as the password you created to view this letter. You will need all three in order to log in again to complete the Enrollment Response Form and submit your enrollment deposit.

You finished reading and before you knew it, you weren’t on hold anymore. You began talking to the person in charge and Arvin glanced at you from time to time while scrolling through Cornell’s website.

“I think she’ll enjoy Cornell, darling.” Arvin said, exiting Cornell’s site and you glanced at him and gave him a thumbs up before turning your attention to the call again. After an hour, you end the call and turn to Arvin.

“They agreed to let her do online classes and occasionally attend classes physically.” You informed him and he nodded.

“Do you think Hayden will get into Cornell? It’s a nice university.” Arvin asked. “I don’t really care where he gets in. I’ll be proud regardless.”

You gave him a small smile and said, “That’s wonderful. Speaking of Hayden, his horseback riding lessons should be done by now. Let’s go.”

You left Arvin’s office and he quickly followed behind you. “Is there something wrong?” He asked and you shook your head, not saying anything.

Days went on that way. You talked to Arvin less and less and he was starting to catch on to that. He also noticed that you don’t sleep next to him anymore and that you always made sure that you weren’t home when he comes home from the mob business.

The party was in full swing and the children were having so much fun. Arvin wasn’t a fan of parties, but he decided that it would be nice to have other children around the apartment. Hayden’s friends and classmates played around and the nannies were all huddled in one corner as they watched the children. Some of them even played with Jack.

You were with the parents and you couldn’t find Arvin. It was time for Hayden to blow the candles and you wanted you and Arvin to be there beside him. You looked for him everywhere and you forgot to check his home office. ‘He’s most likely in there.’ You told yourself.

Without knocking, you walked in and gasped when you saw the sight in front of you. The back of Arvin’s chair was facing you, but you didn’t need the chair to fully face you to know what they’re doing. A young woman, in her early 20s, was sitting on Arvin’s lap and you could see her bouncing up and down. Arvin wasn’t even hiding the fact that he was enjoying it. You quickly left and closed the door.

You knew he was cheating on you, but seeing him in action made it so real. You told yourself that you weren’t going to cry, but the tears you held back were freely streaming down your face. You quickly wiped them away and Celeste saw you.

“Ma’am, are you okay?” She asked. She was worried about you. You faked a smile and nodded, “Yeah, I’m alright. I just can’t believe that Hayden is 7 already! Time flies by so fast.”

Celeste nodded and smiled, “Okay. Hayden wants to blow his cake now.”

“Okay. Tell him to get ready.” You told her and she nodded, quickly leaving you alone. You glanced at the door of Arvin’s office and debated on calling Arvin’s attention or not. You decided that you weren’t going to call for him. If he cared about the little family you made, he would have the decency to not cheat on you on your son’s birthday. With that in mind, you held your head high and walked to the kitchen where everyone was waiting. Hayden was sitting on the bar stool while his cake was placed in front of him, on top of the countertop.

You smiled brightly at him and stood next to him. You kissed his cheek and gave him a side hug. “Where’s daddy?” Hayden asked you, looking up at you with innocent eyes.

“He’s busy cheating on mommy, sweetheart.” You wanted to say so bad, but you held back. It wasn’t nice to bring personal problems to parties. Especially your 7-year-old son’s party.

“He’s answering an important call for work, buddy. He’ll catch up later.” You lied. Hayden frowned, but his mood changed when everyone started singing ‘Happy Birthday’ while some took pictures of you two. Celeste lit the candle that was shaped like the number 7. After the song, Hayden closed his eyes and made a wish before blowing his candle. Everyone clapped and you gave everyone a slice of cake.

When everyone was eating, Arvin finally walked out of his office with the young woman with him. He gave her $100 and whispered, “This is for not telling anyone and for spending time with me.” He winked at her and she blushed before quickly walking off to the kid she was watching.

Unbeknownst to them, Celeste saw the whole thing. She looked at you, Hayden, and Arvin and she looked torn. She wanted to tell you, but she was scared of Arvin. She thought that he was sketchy and she didn’t fully trust him. If she doesn't tell you, she’ll feel bad. So she quickly went to her room, called her sister and sat on her bed.

Toni, her sister, answered, “Oh, bakit ka napatawag? (Why did you call?)”

“May chika ako! Tangina, ‘di ko alam kung ano gagawin ko. (I have tea! Fuck, I don’t know what to do.)” Celeste said. She was panicking in her room and she truly didn’t know what to do.

“Ano ‘yon? (What is it?)” Toni asked.

“‘Di ako sigurado pero parang nambababae itong tatay ng alaga ko. Sabihin ko kaya sa asawa niya? (I’m not sure, but I think the dad of the kid I’m taking care of is cheating on his wife. What if I tell his wife?)” Celeste bit her nails nervously. Toni was quiet and said, “Ikaw bahala. Kung sa tingin mong kakainin ka ng konsensya mo, sabihin mo na. Kung kaya mong magkunwari na wala kang alam, edi ‘wag mo sabihin. (It’s up to you. If you think that your conscience will eat you alive, tell her. If you can pretend that you don’t know anything, then don’t say anything.)”

“Kung ikaw nasa pwesto ko, ano gagawin mo? (If you were in my place, what would you do?)”

“Wala. Kunwari wala akong alam. Saka ko na lang sasabihin pag tinanong ako. (Nothing. I’ll pretend that I don’t know anything. I’ll just tell her if she asks me.)” Toni answered.

“Sige. Chat nalang kita mamaya. Kailangan na ako sa labas. (Okay. I’ll chat with you later. I think they need me outside.)”

“Okay, bye!” Toni said before hanging up. Celeste took a deep breath and walked out of her room.

Some people were already leaving and Celeste immediately grabbed a big garbage bag to pick up the paper plates and paper cups that were left behind.

“Where have you been?” You asked Celeste sweetly. She jumped at the sound of your voice which was weird because she wasn’t jumpy.

“I-I went to my room to talk to my sister.” Celeste said. It was true, but she didn’t tell you why. You nodded and said, “Send her my regards.”

Celeste nodded and proceeded to clean up. You walked away and thanked your guests for coming to Hayden’s party. You’ve been avoiding Arvin for hours now and it was like he wanted to talk to you alone. You didn’t want to.

When everything was clean, it was already time for Hayden’s nighttime yoga routine. He quickly went to his room and started getting dressed in his yoga outfit. Celeste went to her room to grab her books, so that she could read while Hayden did his yoga. Jack went with them and Celeste was more than happy to know that the dog was joining them.

It was only you and Arvin in the living room. The tension was thick. You closed the door after the last guest left and Arvin started talking, “Why didn’t you call me when Hayden blew out his candle?”

“Was I supposed to?” You snapped and gave him a death glare which he seemed to return.

“Of course you were supposed to! I’m his dad and I should be there for him!”

“Why weren’t you present for most of the day, then? Where were you when I needed you? Where were you when I needed help with Hayden’s gifts? When I needed someone to give drinks to the adults, where were you? You weren’t around, Arvin. You were busy with God knows what!” You raised your voice.

“What are you saying?!” Arvin shouted.

“I’m saying that you’re not there for me and you haven’t been for a long fucking time!” You shouted back. This started a screaming match between the two of you. You didn’t even notice how loud you were shouting.

Hayden stopped doing yoga and looked at Celeste, “What’s going on?” Celeste looked at Hayden while listening closely. She sighed and told him, “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Celeste walked out of Hayden’s room not knowing that Hayden followed her out. She only realized that Hayden followed her when she heard Hayden shout, “Stop fighting!”

You and Arvin stopped to turn your heads to Hayden who was already crying at the sight of his angry parents. The sight of Hayden crying made you cry too. You walked towards him, but he ran away to hide in his room. He locked the door and Celeste was just standing there awkwardly.

You wiped away your tears and to your surprise, Celeste spoke up. “Ma’am, sir, um, please don’t fight anymore because Hayden will not like it. If you can’t stop fighting each other, do it for Hayden.” Celeste said softly as she looked at both of you.

“Hayden is a very nice kid and he’s very smart and he’s very obedient. He does everything you tell him to do even if he doesn’t like it because he knows that it will make you happy. He doesn’t deserve to have parents that are fighting all the time and he doesn’t deserve a family that has problems. If you have problems, just talk about it. Don’t yell.” Celeste told both of you. She was trying to be a peacemaker and both of you commended her for it. It wasn’t her job to be a peacemaker, but she’s being one right now.

“Sir, I saw you a while ago at the party with a girl and you gave her money. Being unfaithful is not nice. You should be faithful to your wife because she’s doing her best. If you don’t love her anymore, why are you here?” Celeste said. You knew she didn’t mean anything wrong, but Arvin took it the wrong way.

“Excuse me?” Arvin asked, offended. “I’m offended that you had to ask me why I’m here. I’m here because I live here. It’s my money, it’s my apartment, and everything here is from me! So don’t ask me why I’m-”

“She’s right, Arvin.” You said and turned to look at him. “I’m tired of all this fighting and all this pretending. From now on, I’ll sleep in Hayden’s room. If you enjoy sleeping with different women, you’re surely going to enjoy sleeping alone.” You snapped before leaving the living room to go to the bathroom to wash up.

Arvin glared at Celeste angrily and she said, “Sir, I understand if you fire me. It’s fine. I’m sorry for disrespecting you in your house. But before you fire me, think about what I said, sir. Also, think about your son. You can’t take care of him because of your job and your wife can’t take care of him because she’s busy with different things. If you fire me, no one else will look out for Hayden. Thank you for listening, sir.”

Celeste looked down and went to Hayden’s room in hopes that she could coax him into unlocking the door and letting her in.

Arvin sighed in distress and rubbed his face with his hands before going to the master’s bedroom and slamming the door.

Arvin didn’t know what happened. All he remembered was going to an event that was attended by his mob allies when all of a sudden, his rival mob attacked them all. A lot of shooting happened and he was sure that his mob friends were killed. He hoped they weren’t.

People were screaming and he heard someone crying at some point. His people were scattered everywhere and he didn’t know if they were alright. He didn’t get out scott-free, though. He got shot on his side and he was shooting his rivals all while trying to get out of the venue to get in the car and go back to his mansion.

When he arrived, Amelia was already on her feet and doing her tasks. She was the only doctor, but she pushed through and it amazed Arvin how Amelia could help them. He admired her and thought that she was strong. Her job isn’t easy, after all.

A few hours of taking out bullets from bodies and declaring one person dead on arrival, Amelia was finally finished with her job. She was in Arvin’s office to get her paycheck while Arvin wrote her salary on a check.

“$20,000” Arvin wrote before handing it to her with a tight-lipped smile. Amelia took the check gratefully.

“Thank you, Mr. Russell.” Amelia smiled before grabbing her bag and leaving. Arvin sighed and leaned back on his chair. He hasn’t been home for a while and Hayden didn’t want to speak with him whenever he called you to talk to Hayden. It broke his heart.

He put a hand on his gun wound and closed his eyes to rest for a while to think about his life. He never really thought that his life would turn out like this, but he knew that someday he’d have to take over the mob. When he took over, that’s when he met you.

In truth, he didn’t know how or what to feel when it comes to you. He’s confused. His thoughts were interrupted by his phone ringing which made him groan. He opened his eyes, grabbed his phone, and answered it without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?” He answered.

“Hello, Russell.” His rival, George, said. Arvin could almost imagine the smug look on George’s face. Arvin gripped his phone tighter, “What do you want? You killed one of my men. Isn’t that enough?”

“Quite frankly, no. I would send my condolences to the deceased family, but I don’t really give a shit. Besides, it would teach you a lesson from stealing from me!”

“For the last time, I didn’t steal from you!” Arvin shouted.

“Your men joined my mob and stole from me!”

“It’s not stealing if they’re getting what’s rightfully ours.” Arvin hissed. “If anything, you stole from me!”

George scoffed, “If you really think that way, fine. Just know that you’ll pay for it.”

“I’m not paying for anything, George.” Arvin chuckled bitterly before pouring himself some scotch with one hand.

“Not even for your family?” George asked. “Wow, that shit’s cold.”

“What’re you talking about?” Arvin asked with furrowed eyebrows as he took a sip of his drink.

“Oh, you’re not informed?” George said sarcastically. “Your wife and son are here with me. If you don’t give me back what you stole from me, I’ll kill them. You know where to find me, Russell.”

George hung up and Arvin yelled in frustration. He sat up and winced because of his wound. He ran a hand through his hair and thought about how he’ll save you and Hayden. Him and his men talked about plans and when they were able to finalize, they wasted no time in going to George’s place.

The plan was going to George and giving him a duffel bag filled with rocks, so that he’ll think it’s the thing he was looking for; the thing he claimed Arvin’s men stole. Arvin decided that it’d be best for his men to ‘give it back’ to George while he and a few guys would look for you and Hayden.

Arvin heard George shouting about everything being fake and he heard gunshots. In a span of a few hours, his mob was shooting people again. He heard Hayden’s familiar cries and followed it while being covered by Javier, one of his men.

When Arvin found the room where George kept you and Hayden, he gasped when he saw you lying in your own blood, unconscious next to a weeping Hayden.

“Daddy!” Hayden cried and it made Arvin’s heart break. He had so many questions running through his mind. How long have you been unconscious? Why are you unconscious? Did they hurt both of you? Where’s Celeste?

Arvin quickly untied Hayden and he didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around him. “It’s okay, buddy. Everything’ll be okay.” Arvin whispered and kissed the top of Hayden’s head. He lets go of Hayden and knelt beside your body. He untied you and panicked when he saw multiple gun wounds on you. He knew that if you stayed longer, you’d die.

Arvin turned to Hayden and said, “Listen to me, okay? Take care of mommy and don’t go anywhere. Got it?”

Hayden nodded and wiped his tears. “Are you coming back?”

“Of course, I’m coming back.” Arvin reassured him. He stood up and quickly left the room and shot every person from his rival mob. When he saw George, all Arvin saw was red and started beating the shit out of his rival.

George didn’t get a chance to defend himself because Arvin just kept throwing punches and hits. Arvin wanted George dead for bringing his family into their problems. Arvin didn’t care about George’s bloody and bruised state. Arvin pushed George to the ground and whipped out his gun.

“This is for my family.” Arvin panted. He looked at George in the eye and shot his head mercilessly. He looked at his surroundings and saw that almost everyone in George’s mob was dead and the few that were alive, are either unconscious or terribly bruised.

Arvin ran back to the room and picked up Hayden. “I told you I’d be back.” He said as Hayden rested his head on the crook of Arvin’s neck.

Arvin ordered one of his men to carry you and immediately drove to the mansion. Arvin called Amelia and said that he needed her ASAP.

“Mr. Russell, it’s late and it’s not my schedule.” Amelia said groggily. She was already deeply sleeping and Arvin disturbed her greatly.

“I know, I know and I’m sorry. I need you ASAP, Amelia. It’s my wife this time.” Arvin said frantically. They arrived at the mansion and rushed you to the medical room where Amelia was hours before.

Hayden was asleep in Arvin’s arms and he went to his room to let Hayden sleep there comfortably. He hears shuffling around on Amelia’s end as he did his best to tuck Hayden in.

“I’m on my way.” Amelia said.

“Okay, please hurry.” Arvin pleaded before hanging up. He looked at Hayden and smiled a bit at the sight of his son fast asleep. He quietly left the room and rushed to the medical room where you were being kept. He wasn’t a doctor and he didn’t know what to do. Time was running out and for the first time in years, he finally saw you.

He finally realized how important you are in his life. He finally realized that it would hurt him deeply if you were gone. He couldn’t imagine going on with life without you by his side. He didn’t notice Amelia walking in the medical room and he only acknowledged her presence when he was being escorted out of the room by her.

“Wait, no! I want to say, Am-”

“You know you can’t.” Amelia said sternly. “It’s protocol. You can’t be here. Just wait outside.” Amelia pushed the mobster out the room and locked it. The whole time he waited, Arvin was pacing back and forth. He was restless. Who wouldn’t be? If your spouse is undergoing a procedure, you’d want to know about them, right? Arvin had no clue how you were doing.

Three hours later, the door opened and Amelia stepped out of the room. She was clearly tired. Arvin stopped pacing and stared at Amelia who only said, “She’s okay.”

“Thank you.” Arvin sighed in relief as he walked towards the room.

“You don’t need to pay me. Consider it a freebie. I know what it’s like to grow up without a mom at a young age and I don’t want that to happen to Hayden. Take care, sir.” Amelia smiled softly before leaving.

Arvin went into the room and pulled up a chair to sit next to your bed. He held your hand and stared at you. It’s been a long time since he’s seen your face. You were beautiful. You always have been and always will. Seeing you unconscious scared him greatly and it made him realize how much he still loves and cares about you.

“Y/N, I’m sorry this happened to you. I mean it.” Arvin said softly. “I love you. I’m sorry it took me almost losing you to realize that. You don’t know how sorry I am, sweetheart.”

“I can’t imagine the pain you must have felt when Celeste came clean about seeing me and some other girl on Hayden’s birthday. But I know you, Y/N. I know that you’ve always had a feeling that I was unfaithful and I can’t imagine your heartbreak when you found out about it being true.”

“When we first got together, I promised I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. I’m sorry for breaking that promise. I’ll be better for you, Y/N. I’ll come home and I’ll stay with you whenever you need me. I’ll be present for Hayden and I don’t want to argue with you anymore. I want us to go back to normal and I know it’ll be hard for you, but I’m willing to try.” Arvin said with hope in his eyes.

“I also know that you’re awake and that you can hear me clearly.” He added as he looked at you. You slowly opened your eyes and looked at him, “I hate that you know me well.”

“I actually love it. It makes me feel like I’m still in touch with you. Lord knows I’d be heartbroken if I can’t read you anymore.” He chuckled lightly before pressing a light kiss on your hand.

“Did you mean what you said? Trying again?” You asked and he nodded. “Then, I’ll try too.”

However, some relationships work out and your marriage turns into something better than before. It happened to you and Arvin. He kept his promises and soon, you were blessed with a second child. Celeste was alright and you treated her like a sister you never had. In return for sending her to college, she did well in her studies and made sure to show you her grades which made you proud.

Everything was coming together and you were thankful that things took a nice turn. Your life as a mobster's wife wasn’t so bad, after all.

* * * *

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @cocoamoonmalfoy @parkerpeter24 @slutforsr @rumplebutterbaby @dummiesshort @quxxnxfhxll @bora-world @supred12 @more-like-reyna

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @holland-styles @trustfundparker @calltothewild @felicityparkers @hufflepuffprincess24 @tommysparker @justasmisunderstoodasloki @quaksonhehe @call-me-baby-gir1 @itstaskeen @theonly1outof-a-billion @lost-in-the-stars03 @justafangirlduh @piscesparker @speedymaximoff @miraclesoflove @lexirv @blairscott @getbywithasmile @pqrkerr @lavender-writer @blackbat2020 @hoodpankow @bi-lmg @emmastarz

#arvin russell #arvin russell x reader #arvin russell x y/n #arvin russell one shots #arvin russell blurbs #arvin russell fic #arvin russell imagine #in-a-lot-of-fandoms-tbh

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jeongyunhoed · 3 years

Photo

Past-Present-Future Black Dahlia

Two major tragedies bring Lee Mirae closer to the edge as she goes through the stages of grief in a more violent manner that would affect not only her relationships with her boyfriend Jeong Yunho and her half-brother Choi San, but also has her becoming closer with the immortal mutant Kang Yeosang. Fueled by rage, grief, and pain, along with a very rude awakening that has Mirae spiraling out of control and questioning everything she holds dear.

Group: ATEEZ Member: Yunho Pairing: Jeong Yunho / OC Genre: Action, adventure, angst, fantasy

Watch Out! : Violence, blood, death, grief and loss, major character deaths, use of weapons, some jealousy (but no cheating ofc), implied smut (not sure if there is any but i’m putting it out there nonetheless), mental illness (probably?), gambling and alcohol

Anything else? : Mentions of other idols of course as well as other characters. SuperM, Dean, Chanyeol, Zelo, soloist Park Jihoon to name a few.

Author’s Note: SuperM hello. Also, sexc car chase scene with Yeosang driving. This hasn’t been proofread much, so sorry for the errors you might see.

Listen to: Dark - Hans Zimmer

Masterlist

Chapter 4

Yeosang glanced over at Mirae, who was still blankly staring out the window. She had been that way in the first few hours of the drive. He wouldn’t admit it, at least right away, but with the silence coming from her, Yeosang was even more convinced that she was that sad. Dare he say it, he was beginning to feel a little concerned yet knew that sometimes the polite thing to do was not to say anything about it. The music playing on the radio acted as white noise between them, and Yeosang was hardly even listening to the songs.

Mirae looked down at her hands, feeling the deck of playing cards in her jean pocket. She barely had time to think about how expensive the clothes she was wearing were - Yeosang’s excuse was that the Dior boutique was the nearest. Mirae wanted to scoff right then and there, but she was impressed at how he got her clothes that fit her.

Her thoughts were going back to how she left Yunho. How she left him unconscious in Yeosang’s apartment while hoping San got to him, or anyone at least. A feeling of guilt was setting inside even in the midst of the overwhelming feelings of sadness and rage. Was it even possible to feel like this? She wasn’t sure. “How did you meet them?” She suddenly asked.

“Who, my dear?”

“The one you’re taking me to.”

“It’s not just one person. They’re a small group of people, people like us,” Yeosang replied, glancing at her from time to time as they entered a flyover, cars intersecting above and below them. “They felt they were above the place we lived in, so they uh, how should I say it? Created their own little world.”

“So how did you meet them?”

“I met them through another immortal. His name is Mark Lee. I’ve known him for centuries. We were rivals for the affections of Emperor Octavian’s daughter, Julia. Amazing woman in every way possible,” A smirk crept up on Yeosang’s lips as he remembered. “I nearly became an emperor if Mark hadn’t intruded that one night.”

“To this day, I still don’t know how old you actually are.”

Yeosang chuckled. “My dear Mirae, age is not important, especially my age. When I met Mark again, in recent… shall we day, decades? Or at least some few years ago, he introduced me to a group of mutants he was friends with. Some of them are quite powerful, one of them, I think, is an omega-level mutant like you.”

“I guessed as much, if they thought they were so superior,” Mirae looked out the window.

“We’ll see about that. Sometimes, mutants only intimidate others just by mentioning their powers, empty threats even though they could deliver on it, lessens the dirty work but it gets into their heads,” Yeosang said. Glancing at the rearview mirrors, he noticed three black cars in a formation behind them. “My dear, if you could assist me a little bit, I think we are being followed.”

Mirae looked over her seat at the three cars that seemed to move closer while Yeosang kept his foot on the gas to drive faster. “I wonder who they could be,” She watched for any signs of movement from the driver’s seats. Mirae saw a set of small rockets come out from the lights on the bumper. “They plan to kill us. Do you know them?”

“No I don’t, I promise you,” Yeosang swerved a few times past several cars only for the three black sedans to be able to keep up.

Mirae shook her head at the sight of the sedans keeping up, one of which was already across from them. There were spikes that extended from the rims of the wheels. The car bumped into them, Mirae clutching the armrest. “They plan on destroying your car while they’re at it,” She said, her eyes glowing red as she stared at the car next to them. The tires exploded, sending the car skidding, the rear hitting their vehicle.

“Damn,” Yeosang kept the car in its lane. “Very good, my dear Mirae. Perhaps you can do something about the other two?” He said, swerving several times so as not to bump into the cars surrounding them to get ahead.

Mirae took out one card from her pocket and threw it as hard as she could at the other sedan that caught up to them. The sedan exploded, the impact of the explosion moving them forward. “If they’re your friend’s bodyguards, then I think they don’t want us coming,” She said, her eyes still glowing. “Not that I care.”

She eyed the remaining black sedan that was following them that launched a rocket. Mirae looked at both the rocket and the car, both exploding in the middle of the road. The remaining cars began to cluster towards them. “Apparently, they were everywhere all along. The way must be heavily guarded, or that they don’t want us going,” Yeosang glanced at the rearview mirrors.

Mirae stayed still, staring at all the cars in front of them. Her eyes were glowing brighter than ever as she kept her gaze on them, the vehicles exploding one by one. She glanced at the rearview mirror on her side, the cars behind them exploding one by one as well, the smoke from the explosions blocking their view of the road.

“Thank you, my dear,” Yeosang drove on through the thick smoke in the air. “All this smoke means we’re getting close.”

The color of the smoke changed from the usual gray and black to white as he moved forward. The glow in Mirae’s eyes faded just as the smoke began to fade, only to see that their surroundings had changed.

Past the wide roads of the highway, they were at the entrance of a dreary lakeside village. “This is where they live?” Mirae glanced at him.

Yeosang chuckled. “No, they live up there,” He pointed to the nearby cliff. There was a white mansion molded in the usual 1930s art deco style that Mirae noticed in the immortal mutant’s apartment.

Mirae noticed that the residents in the village seemed to dress differently, as if wearing different variations of the hanbok. The anger seeped in again, knowing that they were approaching the home of who may have been behind the explosion of the Danger Room, behind the deaths of Chanyeol and Hyuk. Yeosang drove on, down the route of the mansion’s driveway, the sight of the house growing bigger and bigger until they finally approached the gate.

Two guards were standing by and stopped them. “Name?” They asked.

“Kang Yeosang and Lee Mirae. One of them is expecting me by now,” Yeosang replied.

The gates opened on its own and the guards stood by for their vehicle to enter the grounds. As soon as they pulled up, they saw someone standing by the front doors, dressed undoubtedly like he owned the place, but also that he was strikingly handsome. One half of his coiffed hair was blonde, the other side was red. His eye on the blonde side was also blue, the other a dark brown. He was smiling as they pulled up, opening Mirae’s door.

“Hello,” He said as she got out, taking her hand and kissing it.

“Taeyong, quite a greeting you’ve got there,” Yeosang pointed out, tossing the key to the valet.

The male with the name turned to Mirae again. “Forgive my manners, or lack of. I’m Lee Taeyong and I own this house. It’s nice to meet you at last.”

Lee Taeyong was an omega-level mutant like Mirae. Taeyong was an omega-level psychic that could not only read minds, but could also control a person’s mind and manipulate their memories. Taeyong also had the extraordinary gift of turning into organic diamond, making him almost invulnerable to harm and giving him added strength and a psychic shield. However, Taeyong’s limitation was the fact that he could not use his telepathy while he was in his diamond form.

Mirae glanced at Yeosang and before she could speak, he shook his head. “It’s not him you’re going to see,” He advised.

Taeyong smirked. “You must be jumping for joy now that you’re on a drive with the apple of your eye,” He glanced at Yeosang. Turning back to Mirae, he let go of her hand. “That’s what he was thinking. He thinks very loudly.”

“My thoughts are not for you to read, Taeyongie, as I’m sure your brother has taught you that much. Taemin, where is he?” Yeosang asked.

“He’s attending a business meeting. He won’t be here until tonight. But Mark is here, I guess you haven’t seen him in a while,” Taeyong replied. “Come in, come in, I can’t read your thoughts but I can read his and I know who you plan on seeing. Don’t bother taking off your shoes in the main area.”

He turned around to lead them inside. The interiors were decorated in shades of black, gold, and white on marble similar to Yeosang’s home. Mirae and Yeosang followed him further down the hall and they stopped in front of two mahogany doors. “At least one of us couldn’t be read,” She muttered to him.

Taeyong opened the doors, leading into what looked like a parlor, with red velvet couches and chintz chairs, mahogany chests of drawers in the same art deco style, and a crystal chandelier in the ceiling. They saw two people by the fireplace drinking champagne in crystal flutes, watching a drama on a tv that was placed above the mantle. Mirae felt her heart drop as the two figures, whose backs were turned, looked familiar.

“They’re here,” Taeyong announced, making the two people turn around.

Mirae’s eyes widened, looking like a deer caught in the headlights upon seeing their faces. “...Baekhyun? … Jongin?”

The shorter and paler of the two, Baekhyun, smiled. “Mirae, Mirae, Mirae, long time no see,” He said.

Byun Baekhyun was skilled in manipulating and creating light and light energy. Baekhyun was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat, specializing in hapkido. Kim Jongin had the ability to teleport, leaving a wisp of black smoke in his wake.

“It’s been years, hasn’t it?” Jongin spoke this time, approaching her. “You look like you’ve been through a lot.”

Mirae still couldn’t speak. She was too stunned to utter a word. All this time, Baekhyun and Jongin survived the Seoul attack but had never made themselves known. “Hello to you too, Yeosang,” He glanced at the vampiric-looking mutant, who nodded. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” He said to Mirae.

“I couldn’t blame her, we haven’t exactly seen her since that day,” Jongin patted her shoulder. “Do you like our new place? It’s not underground like the Center, but it’s here in this little village, it’s cozy,” He gestured for her to sit down while they did the same. “Mark’s here too, by the way, he’s probably off playing tennis or something.”

“So, what brings both of you here? I doubt it’s because the weather’s nice in this place,” Baekhyun poured her a glass of champagne. Mirae quietly accepted the drink, staring at the bubbles.

“Don’t act clueless, you know why they’re here,” Taeyong chimed in, giving the elder a look.

“Taeyong, it’s rude to read other people’s minds without their permission,” Baekhyun chided. “Even if I already know, it doesn’t hurt to ask to make sure. They might be misleading you, even in that respect.”

“I don’t have the capability to be paranoid when I can read everything like an open book,” Taeyong rolled his eyes. “Dinner is already prepared, by the way, I’ll call Mark-”

He stepped back when out of thin air appeared Mark himself. Unlike Baekhyun, Jongin, and Taeyong, Mark was dressed in a pinstripe suit. Yeosang’s expression stiffened upon seeing him. Mark Lee was, like Yeosang, an immortal mutant whose fortune over the centuries led him to own a business empire that had bases in both South Korea and Canada. Mark had the ability to teleport anywhere and everywhere he chose while also possessing a strong telepathic ability. Mark was also considered a doctor among his peers who studied Languages though he barely put that knowledge of his to the test as he usually tackled his businesses.

“No need,” Mark said, stopping at the sight of Mirae and Yeosang. “Brought her here to meet them, ‘Sang?” He asked.

“As a matter of fact, I did. Ruined anyone’s pursuits lately, Mark?” Yeosang shot at him, watching him take Mirae’s hand and gently kiss the back of it in greeting.

“As long as it’s your pursuits, which I can tell is this lovely woman in front of me,” Mark said.

“I’m taken,” Mirae pointed out.

Mark glanced at Yeosang. “Oh? You have pursued her? This is going to be fun.”

Mirae pulled her hand back, seeing Baekhyun and Jongin’s amused expressions. “I’m guessing you’ve been living your lives here all this time,” She said.

“Well, yeah, since the Seoul attack,” Baekhyun nodded. “Before you two arrived, we were all discussing a business venture we were looking to carry out in the capital. Maybe you could help us out, Yeosang?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, Mark and Taeyong have the capital to build it on, maybe some added manpower would help make the project solid. Let’s talk about this over dinner,” Baekhyun said, gesturing to the doors. Mark disappeared in an instant.

The dining room of the mansion had a view of what was outside. Yeosang and Mirae noticed that it had gotten much darker, realizing how late it was getting. Mirae still couldn’t believe that Baekhyun and Jongin were alive all this time, that they actually survived the explosion from the Seoul attack, the impact caused by her own powers. She was still trying to process this new situation.

Could they have been the ones who tampered with the Danger Room? The question reminded her of why she was there, having dinner with them, with other mutants who were also quite powerful, especially psychics as powerful as them. Mirae could only hope that Yunho would be able to read her mind at the moment, so he would know where they were.

“So, as I was saying earlier, Jongin, Taeyong, Mark, and I are looking into setting up a new business venture and Yeosang may be able to give it the added credibility it needs,” Baekhyun broke the momentary lull when everyone else tucked into the food. Mirae poked around the courses on her plate as she listened.

“Is that what you’ve been up to since the Seoul attack?” Mirae asked, glancing at him from time to time.

“Yeah, killing monsters and aliens wasn’t fun for me anymore, I’m sure you understand that,” Baekhyun smiled. “Knowing that Taeyong, his brother Taemin, and Mark are businessmen, when Jongin and I found each other and in turn found them, the business world seemed a little more interesting.”

“What kind of venture is it?” Yeosang asked. “I’d like to know what it is before I make any deal.”

“It’s called Project Apocalypse,” Baekhyun said with a grin on his face. “Project Apocalypse is going to be the next big thing among mutants and non-mutants.”

“It’s more of a think-tank. People come to us for answers, we give them the answers,” Jongin added.

“What kind of answers would those be?” Yeosang asked in between a sip of wine.

“Political answers, mostly, economic answers, diplomatic answers, you name it,” Mark replied. “You and I both have the experience for that. Didn’t you meet the adviser to Chun Doohwan during the uprising?”

“I have. I killed her,” Yeosang replied, both Baekhyun and Jongin looking surprised at how nonchalant he was about it.

“She could’ve been useful to us, you know,” Mark said. “Oh right, I see. You killed her because she was trying to get to Mirae over here,” He added, having read his thoughts.

Mirae sighed and ate a forkful of her salad instead. “You know, Mark and I can read everyone’s minds here, except for her. Why is that?” Taeyong raised a brow.

“Psychic shield, Taeyongie. I remember Junhong telling us about it when we first started training,” Baekhyun chuckled, glancing at her. “If you can’t read her mind, her psychic shield must be that strong.”

“We can’t read everyone after all, it would be too easy if we could,” Mark chimed in.

“How is Junhong, by the way? Has he been well? He’s alive, isn’t he?” Jongin asked her.

“Very well. Fixed my staff the first time we met again. He’s fixed a lot of other things, sometimes without me knowing,” Mirae replied.

“The three of you go a long while back and yet you’re acting like you don’t know each other,” Taeyong chuckled in his place.

“It has been a while since we last saw each other. We did, however, spend a few years together in the Center for Paranormal Research,” Baekhyun nodded, finishing the food on his plate. “I remember it was me, you, Minseok hyung, and Tao that were put forward because of our fighting skills.”

“Do you have any idea what happened to them?” Mirae asked.

“No idea. I thought I was the only one left, until I saw Jongin from the corner of the street, teleporting out of that place in time,” Baekhyun glanced at her. “I guess the same could be said of you.”

“Yeah, and Hyuk, and Chanyeol. Remember them?”

He smiled. “Why don’t we go take a walk? Just us, you can play catch up with Jongin after,” Baekhyun suggested.

“Yeah, I’ll tell you more about Project Apocalypse after we pitch the idea to Yeosang over here,” Jongin nodded eagerly, exchanging knowing looks with the older male.

Baekhyun and Mirae got up from their seats. Mirae eyed Yeosang, who had a look of concern all over his face at the suggestion. She followed him towards the patio doors and out into the well-manicured backyard of the mansion that had a swimming pool with a diving board and several patio chairs. The question was still nagging at Mirae as a silence came between them while they walked along the cemented areas of the estate. “To answer your question, I do remember them. Vividly, actually,” He said. “The tall dope and the guy I remember you used to like but is also your best friend.”

“Years have gone by since the Seoul attack,” Mirae said.

“I know. It changed everything. It changed everyone. You with that streak in your hair, still playing with the same stick you always used to lug around. It’s almost like a part of you, isn’t it? That staff of yours?” Baekhyun said.

“I never leave without it. Even when I go to work, it’s with me,” She pointed out.

Baekhyun nodded. “I see. No matter how much has changed, you still seem to be the same person. It didn’t help that when Professor Jang died, Ino took charge and started to play favorites.”

“You were one of them, Baek,” She said carefully, remembering the nickname he would often go by.

“That I am, Tao too. Minseok hyung too. We were like, how should I say it? Like the four horsemen of the apocalypse. We led the fighting for the rest of them,” Baekhyun grinned as he remembered. “Too bad things went the way it did, otherwise we’d all still be there, cooped up underground with all of those simulations.”

“That’s a memorial now. A lot of things happened since then, at least to me,” Mirae recalled everything, feeling her heart sink further upon remembering Jihoon, then Hyuk and Chanyeol.

They stopped in front of a ceramic bust perched on top of a small pillar. Baekhyun looked up. “What brings you here, then? You didn’t know I was alive, much less Jongin.”

“I came here because Yeosang told me I’d find answers here,” Mirae replied. “Chanyeol and Hyuk are dead now, and I find out that the Danger Room was tampered with leading to them dying. I’m trying to find out who did it and why.”

Baekhyun smiled. “I knew you were going to say that. Actually, Taeyong knew just by reading Yeosang’s thoughts over there. He was thinking of what you were going to find out upon coming here. I can hear him telling me now. Yeosang’s looking out for you, he’s kind of worried about what you will know, and how you’ll react when it’s all revealed.”

“You know who did it, didn’t you?” Mirae stared at him. “All this time, you were alive and you never meant to make contact? Not even with Junhong? You didn’t even bother to look for us in the places you figured we’d be?”

The male chuckled. “For a trained assassin like yourself, you’re getting pretty bad at stealth, aren’t you? I’ve come across you quite a few times since then, but you never saw me, much less took notice of me.”

She raised a brow. “Well I never got any message from you. Not even a hi or a hello.”

Baekhyun shook his head. He leaned closer with a satisfied look on his face. “No, no, no. My way of making contact with you was through the tragedies you have experienced. Jihoon, and now Chanyeol and Hyuk. To be honest, I was surprised at how I managed to hit two birds with one stone with both of them. The tall dope and the music producer.”

“What do you mean?” Mirae had a feeling she knew what he was about to say.

“It was all me, Mirae. Jihoon’s death, Chanyeol’s death, and Hyuk’s death? It was all me,” Baekhyun revealed calmly. “I am the author of all your pain, of all the grieving you were and still are doing.”

Mirae stared at him, feeling a chill down her spine at the revelation. “Jihoon was killed by those Utopian cult thugs.”

He shook his head. “I had a little help. I met Mark around that time, and when I told him what I wanted to do, he gladly possessed the body of the man who pulled the trigger on your dear friend, the friend you thought of as a brother,” He explained.

Mirae was still staring at him, as if prompting him to continue explaining. “Jongin, you know, of course, teleported me there once Taeyong found out the location of the so-called safehouse you put up, saw that Junhong was creating a simulation room like the one we used to have. With his help as well, I was able to make a few adjustments like rerouting some circuits to overload,”

“I was actually thinking of getting Chanyeol first, out of sentimental reasons. I knew him longer than Hyuk, so naturally I thought he should get the first strike. Little did I know,” Baekhyun smirked. “It would get Hyuk too. I doubt Junhong had a clue that the systems were hacked. Taeyong and his brother run a tech empire.”

She could feel her eyes well with tears at the explanations, the tension she was feeling slowly getting replaced by sadness and rage. “It was you all this time. Why? Why are you doing it?” She asked.

“Because I wanted you to know the pain and grief I felt after that attack happened,” Baekhyun replied, looking her in the eye. “My family thought I was dead when that came in. I was thrown into the ocean from the explosion you caused. They had given up on searching for me, in turn, they gave my brother all the money that was meant for me. Knowing you made the final blow to those goblins, all of the trouble I experienced, I knew I had to make you pay.”

Mirae looked away, fighting back the urge to break down the more Baekhyun talked. He sounded so satisfied. “And now you’re all alone, Lee Mirae. And you know the best part?” He tilted his head as he looked at her. “Ino knew all this time. Ino knew it was me. Yet he allowed it to happen anyway.”

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colorseeingchick · 3 years

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Hello, colorseeingchick, I hope you’re having a nice day, and congrats on reaching 200 followers! I wanted to say I really like your Kuroko no Basket posts. I was recently looking for some small fanfics of Kuroko no Basket and I am glad I’ve found yours. I am also looking forward to reading your “Oh! Baby Series” of Tsukishima.

For the 200 Follower event, I would like to request a Kuroko no Basket matchup. I’d prefer to be matched with a male and my pronouns are she/her. I am currently 16 years old, I have brown skin and dark brown eyes. My hair is a dark brown color(almost black), very curly, and it reaches toward my mid-back. I’m 5’2” in height and I am an Aquarius(For Midorima).

I usually like to watch anime and read in my free time. I really love chocolate and exercising. I dislike people that lie a lot, peanuts, peanut butter, pecans, almonds, avocados, and onions. My hobbies are writing, drawing, reading, watching tv, singing, and playing the Piano. I think I’m particularly talented at writing since everyone seems to like my writing very much and right now I’m practicing my creative writing skills.

Personality: When I first meet someone, I tend to be quiet and just observe everyone. If anyone comes up to me, I usually just introduce myself, and depending on who the person is I may strike up a conversation. If I don’t then the person that’s talking to me will usually make conversation and I will quietly listen. I would usually just nod or say things like (yea, right, mhm) to show that I am listening. If I begin to feel comfortable I will give my opinion on the subject or try to strike up my own topic. But once I get really comfortable with that person I can become very goofy. I’ll start randomly dancing in the hallways and make weird sounds when I’m with that person. And depending on the person this can either increase or decrease in weirdness. I’m very good at listening to people especially when it comes to a person talking about their passions. My friends and family tend to laugh at a few things I say. They’re never really jokes there just situations I’ve been in and Apparently, they’re funny. I don’t tend to touch people, the most I really do regularly is either is put my hand/elbow on the person’s shoulder(Doesn’t matter if they’re tall or short) or begin poking them in odd places.

Negative Things: If someone is sad or insecure about something, I don’t know how to react, I usually just stare at them while they cry to themselves. I would not suggest that any of my friends come to me for emotional support. Unless they just want someone to listen to them. I don’t know how to take compliments. Once someone compliments me I usually just stare at the person or say thank you very slowly.

Additional: Since me and my friends were in chorus, we would usually just begin singing our chorus songs very loudly. It didn’t matter where we were, we would just begin singing. There was a time where my friend called me super sweet because I was checking up on them during the pandemic. My friends also said I give the best presents and truthfully I struggle trying to find presents. I want to give my friends something they can use or they really like. For example, I gave my friend a drawing notebook and some art supplies since they like to do art. I’ve been told that I have a mean resting face and that I act more mature for my age. I also asked my friends to describe me and they said, “Beautifully, Creative, Loving, Silly, Writer, Fashionable, Pretty, Innocent, and Nice Hairstyles.”

I swear I don’t where they’re getting these nice compliments. Hopefully, this is not too long.

Hello noodleman!!!! This was perfect do not worry. They compliment you because you're amazing haha. I always see you in my notifications and it makes me so happy :) I’m very excited to do both your matchups! For KNB, I’ve matched you with…

Akashi Seijuro!

We all know Akashi is a powerful man who’s been through a lot. As a girlfriend, you would be the one to both compliment his power and balance out his emotional state, even if you don’t intend to. And that would be the source of the beauty of your relationship with him.

You were a student at Rakuzan who would mind her own business. Akashi was in your class (ranking at the top) for the new school year, and you two sat next to each other. Akashi (this is the OG Akashi- the nice one) would introduce himself to you, and you would do the same. You observed Akashi quietly. The way he was so put together. His calm demeanor. His pretty eyes and how they were keenly watching everything. You didn’t realize he was observing you as well. While you both were just normal acquaintances at that point, things were about to change.

One day, you heard Akashi talking about basketball next to you. You could hear how passionate he was about it from the way he talked. The person he was talking to walked away, but you couldn’t help but ask him about basketball. Watching him talk that way was so enticing.

He looked at you for a second before smiling kindly and asking, “would you like to learn about basketball?” From there, you two would have a very engaged conversation with Akashi fanboying in a way that was as classy as fanboying could get, while you were listening attentively. You had to leave for the end of the day, but you left with a smiling Akashi out the door of the classroom.

The next major interaction between you two happened a few days later. You were doodling in your notebook when you heard him speak. “You’re very talented at drawing.”

You smiled awkwardly at the compliment, unsure of how to respond, so you just looked at him. He didn’t mind though. He just smiled back. “If you draw again, I’d like to see.” He then left soon after.

While you didn’t doodle again, you decided that maybe you were comfortable around Akashi, more than you thought you were.

A major shift in your dynamic happened one day when you were writing down intensely into a journal, stopping only when your hand hurt, taking time to think about your next words when you felt a light tap on your arm.

“Excuse me, if you don’t mind me asking, what are you writing?” He genuinely looked interested, which caught you by surprise.

And so you explained the short story you were writing. Akashi asked questions about the characters, the plot, where you got the idea from- all sorts of things. You both didn’t realize everyone else had already emptied out. “If you would like to share your story with me sometime, I would love to read it. And if you’d like to come by and watch my basketball team play, let me know.”

He was surprisingly easy to talk to. And that was the point where you both got closer. As you got closer, talking and learning more about each other, you both started to fall bit by bit. You both had a long list of hobbies and talents, much of which overlapped. Akashi was mesmerized by your singing, though he knew you wouldn’t like to hear the compliment if he gave it to you. Instead, he just asked you to always sing and gave you his full attention when you did. It went without say he loved your writing. He was a talented musician himself, and you found his game pretty entertaining- the way he dominated on the court.

He asked you out after Rakuzan had taken a big victory before the winter cup. You’d come to watch the game.

“Will you celebrate with me?” He asked you.

“With your team?”

“No, actually.” He’d smile at you and step closer, but had not invaded your personal space. “I’d like to actually get some time with you, on a date.”

He was pleased you said yes. The date went well. He’d learned you were mature, which is what he was looking for in a partner. He already knew you were talented and a good listener. It wasn’t long before he asked you to be his girlfriend officially.

Your dynamic with Akashi was well tailored. Being the captain of Rakuzan, he had an image to maintain- one of power. And having a girlfriend who he knew to be intimidating as well (your resting face was intense) was a fitting situation. He knew you observed and listened well, which is why he could trust that you would be thoughtful- something that was also very important to him. You also cared for efficiency and purpose. But what he didn’t realize he needed so badly was your goofiness. After you two had gotten as close as you were, he learned how funny your stories were and saw you in your most comfortable states. He loved your fun goofy side. It helped him live a little, too. He enjoyed elbowing you back when you did it to him (it was the most innocent playful thing he’d done). It didn’t bother Akashi all that much that you didn’t know how to deal with other people being emotional. He wasn’t one to show negative emotions all that much and didn’t project that expectation onto you, which made it a bit easier. He knew that if he needed to talk it out and have someone listen, he could always go to you.

Overall you and Akashi managed to balance out on a lot of your ideologies, world views, hobbies, and life practices. While some were the same, others were different- but in a complimentary way. It’s quite a beautiful dynamic, really.

~~~

Ahhh I really hope you like it! Lemme know what you think hehe. I'm excited to do your MHA one too!

#knb #knb matchup #csc hits 200 #colorseeingchick milestone

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elisha-am · 4 years

Text

Hopeful Return

A/N: also on ao3

"How would you feel if I give you your copy in person?”

“I ‘d like that. Very much.”

“Guess he isn’t coming back, is he?” Tina talked to herself with the magazine clenched in her hands, letting out a sound that’s half sigh, half humorless chuckle.

She screwed her eyes shut before the tears could tumble out.

She dropped the offending material on the dining table, glancing at the empty chair across her. Though her sister didn’t leave any clue of her whereabouts, Tina was willing to bet her Auror's badge that she was at Jacob’s, where she spent most her day off recently.

In the past few months of the No-Maj man regaining his memory —— she really wanted to question a certain magizoologist how that was even possible —— and being back to her sister’s life, all she felt was worried. Worried about what would happen if MACUSA found out, worried if her sister would be left heartbroken if the magic, figuratively speaking, wore out. Yet she had to admit that Queenie was so much happier, so she tried to be positive about it.

But today, after her heart getting shattered by a single piece of article, the thought of her sister was happily spending time with the man she wanted to be with, brought out a rare emotion in her.

Jealous.

‘How dare she get to cozy up with her man when you just lost yours.’ The monster with green eyes taunted her.

She killed it without a second thought. This just wasn’t like her. And it was her baby sister, for Morrigan’s sakes. All she had been doing after her parents’ death was making sure her sister was happy and healthy.

"And he's not mine to start with." She mumbled to herself.

Tina decided to take a walk to see if she could clear out all the ugly thoughts before Queenie got back. With the current state of her mind, she had no confidence to stop everything from slipping through her occlumency. The last thing she needed now was hurting her sister and starting a fight that might leave a scar between them forever.

Tina wandered around the neighborhood with no particular destination.

When she noticed where she ended up, she swore. Her subconscious just had to do the trick on her and led her to the magic bookstore she frequented.

And the owner, the kind and accommodating Mr. Wolinski, just happened to be outside and cleaning the storefront, which would appear like a small No-Maj grocery store until you entered the right way like every other wizardry property in the city. He spotted her and hailed at her eagerly.

“Oh, Tina! Tina my dear! It’s good timing you come!”

She cringed, knowing what awkward situation she was about to face. If she knew back then, maybe she wouldn’t bring Newt here and introduce him in his short stay after the incident. She just thought it’d help his book sale to aquatinted with one of the biggest wizardry booksellers in North America.

“Hello, Mr.Wolinski, how’s your day?” She forced herself to smile.

“Oh never been better! Because the books of your British fella just arrived! And people are already asking ‘bout it nonstop!”

"Ah, no, Mr. Wolinski, he is not——" She tried to correct the man, but he was already pulling her into the store.

“Come, come! I saved one for you before every one of them got snatched up!”

“Mr. Wolinski——“

“Here, my dear.” He practically shoved the book into her hand, leaving no chance for her to refuse.

All her resolve to give the book back crumbled when the feeling of holding the hardcovered book with breathtaking golden cover art started to imprint on her fingers.

This was his book.

The book she witnessed him poured all his love into.

And he used the title she blurted out at the dockside half year ago. She thought it was a good fit not only back then, but now as it proudly printed on his labor of love.

“I will look out for it, Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them.”

Oh, Mercy Lewis. He might not be able to keep his promise, whatever his reason was, but she wasn’t going to break hers.

No matter it was a promise made between friends or more.

She dug into her pocket only to find it empty as she never planned to buy anything when she came out earlier.

“Oh don’t worry, we can put you on the tab! You are one of my favorite customers after all! And thanks to your British, we will have a nice flow for a while no doubt! So I can even give you a discount, good?” Mr. Wolinski assured her when she explained her lack of money.

She only managed to thank him before he was needed by other customers and excused himself. She didn’t get to correct the man about Newt being her British. Again.

She sighed and walked out of the store with the book holding preciously in her arm.

Too many on her mind that she didn’t notice she walked straight into someone’s step.

“Ah! Sorry!”

“Oh, I‘m sorry!”

They apologized at the same time, and the familiar voice made her snapped her eyes up.

The man who was the very reason for her distraction stood right in front of her, eyes widened.

“Tina?”

“Newt? What are you doing here?” With all the emotion that had been building up since she read the magazine, her question came out more like an accusation.

She watched his line of sight landed on the book in her arms, and then his face turned from shock to desperate.

“I, I thought you would want me to give you the book in person.” He started to fidget in that way of his when he was stressed. “ And I was on the way to MACUSA to see if I could catch you there. I don't think Mrs. Esposito would be too pleased to see me at your flat.”

"Shouldn’t you stay in London preparing for the wedding?” Great, all she could talk about she went with that.

“The wedding?” He repeated her last words in great puzzlement she thought he was making fun of her in some way.

“Your own wedding, Mr. Scamander.”

"My what?"Was he really going to make her said it? She knew he was somewhat oblivious, but never thought he could be cruel.

“Your wedding with Leta!” She burst out, maybe a bit louder than she intended, causing him to take a step back startled.

“I am sorry, Tina, but you are sincerely confusing me,” He said, clearly intimidated by her outburst. “I’m not marrying Leta.”

“What? But the magazine——“

Oh for the love of Isolt, could she be that stupid?

“Tina? What magazine?”

She didn’t answer, thinking showing it to him would explain it better than words. So she took his arm, like when she tried to bring him in all those months ago, into the nearest alley where nobody was watching and apparated them straight back to her living room.

With relief that Queenie was still nowhere to be seen, Tina picked up the magazine she left on the table, handing it to Newt and muttered the page number of the articles she wanted to show him.

She only realizes he brought the case this time as well when she heard the sound it was placed on the floor. Oh well, it was going to be fun if Madam Picquery found out since she specifically warned him not to bring it into the State again. Only Merlin knew what he brought with him this time.

Her musing was interrupted by a series of mumblings that sounded like swearing.

“This article is stupidly wrong.” He said with exasperation, “You have to understand, Tina, it’s My brother, Theseus, is going to marry Leta. Not me.” He turned the magazine around and pointed at the other taller man in the picture who stood behind Leta.

She started to see it now after he pointed out, that Leta, while her hand was on Newt’s arm, was clearly standing closer to the other man; her back was practically leaning on his chest.

“Oh.”

“I don’t know how exactly that reporter could make this stupid mistake as I told him, with clear words, I am the best man, not the groom.”

Under normal circumstances, his bewilderment would amuse her, but now she just relieved that he was as upset as this whole situation and glad that he wasn’t engaged.

Something he said caught up in her mind.

“Wait, your brother? And you are going to be his best man? You are fine with that? ” She promised herself if Newt’s brother or Leta somehow forced him into this position then they were going to have some serious problem with her. She didn’t care if she had to go across the pond.

“Yes?” He frowned. “ Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

They really weren’t on the same page today.

“Um, because it’s Leta, that you and her ——“

It took a few seconds, but he finally caught up what she indicated and smiled awkwardly.

“A bit hilarious I might say. But I don’t find any reason to oppose this matter.” Newt shrugged. “My brother and Leta, they suit each other, I think, and I am happy for them.”

She knew he meant it because she heard no resentment. Some degree of sadness about a long lost friendship——maybe one day he would share what exactly happened between them all those years ago with her —— but no anger or hurt.

“Then I am glad.” She smiled for the first time on that day. “Please send my congratulations to them once you go back?”

“I will.” He gave her that crooked smile of his.

In the next few moments, in the complete silence, they just gazed at each other--he did shift his eyes away many times, but it always came back to her-- both wearing shy smiles on their faces.

“I- I recall this is why I am here.” He was the one who broke the silence and scrambled to pull a book bounded in dark blue leather and golden cover print out from his pocket.

She probably stared at the book for too long and sent out the wrong message because he nervously pulled it back.

“I’m sorry, Tina, I forget you have already purchased one so you probably don’t want this anymore.”

She quickly dropped the magazine and held on the book before he could take it back fully.

“No, Newt, I would love to have this one as well!” She added a smile for assurance. “It’s just so beautiful, making it hard not to stare.”

“Oh.” Newt blushed.

“Could you autograph it for me?” Tina asked as she caught a glimpse at the magazine on the floor, remembering the picture was taken at a book signing event, so she assumed it wouldn’t be too much to ask.

He shifted his stance and blushed even harder.

“Ah, if you don’t want to——“

“It was already signed.”

She looked at him——making him averted his eyes again ——a little surprised, and tentatively opened the book.

“To Tina,

who I would love to help me find my creatures if they escape again.

Newt.”

She couldn’t help but laugh at the message he scribbled on the page.

Tina wondered how many people knew this playful side of this shy man.

She looked back up from the book and found him looking at her with a small smile.

“Let’s hope it won’t happen again, shall we?”

“I agree.” His smile widened.

“I will cherish it, Newt.” She said with the book holding tightly in her hands. Tina could already imagine herself reading it over and over again.

And then she remembered the other one book she bought earlier. She pulled it out from the pocket of her coats and hand it to him.

“Can you sign this one, too? Just your name would be fine.”

He nodded, took the book and sit down at the dining table.

She took advantage of the brief moments while he was occupied to pick up the magazine and prepare something to drink.

When she came back with two cups, tea for him and coffee for her, he had finished his small task and was frowning at his photo on the cover of Spellbound.

Her ears heated up with embarrassment. As a trained investigator, she shouldn't jump to the conclusion simply because a flimsy tabloid article said so. She seemed to lose all her judgment when it came to Newt Scamander.

"Newt," she started once she handed him the drink and settled beside him. "I want to apologize. For believed in that magazine so fast. I really should've asked you first."

"It's not your fault."

"But if you weren't here to explain, I would probably......" She didn't dare to think of the possibilities since none of them would end well.

To her surprise, he reached over and covered her hand with his.

"Tina, I want you to know," he paused, and she could hear him swallowed nervously, "I need you to know that Leta isn't the one I want to marry."

Tina gaped at him as she took in what he just said and what he didn't say. It should be too forward but at the same time, it brought longing into her heart.

They weren't even dating; all they had was months worth of correspondence. But she'd be lying if she said she didn't want them to move toward something more. Every letter she received from him, every word she laid down onto the paper in return, all stacked up in her mind and formed a picture of them.

Would she be the one? She hoped the answer would come soon, but not now.

"I will keep that in mind." She said and turned the hand covered under his, so now they were palm to palm.

"Good." he grinned.

#newtina #newtina fanfic #my fic

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stellahq · 4 years

Text

hello hello everyone , i’m yusi ! i’m so glad to be part of this rp ! my friend told me about it and i just had to come check it out . i’ve been out of the group rps for years now ( i come from that indie side ) so it’s a bit intimidating but also very exciting . anyways , i’m twenty - three , she / her and my timezone is est .

— && guests may mistake me as ( alexa demie ), but really i am ( stella marin + cis female + she/her ) and my DOB is ( 10/31/1997 ). i am applying for the ( secretary ) position as part of the EHP and would like to live in suite ( 208 ). i should be hired because i am ( daring & passionate ), but i can also be ( devious & impulsive ) at times. personally, i like to ( work out, do my make-up, & draw ) when off the clock, but that won’t interfere with work.

𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑳𝑫 𝑶𝑭 𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑨 . . .

at an early age , estella witnessed the effects of an unstable household . her father was a top shot business man who traveled to mexico for a business deal and met the most beautiful , raven - haired , doe - eyed , mexican woman and instantly fell in love . . . ( or at least thats the way estella likes to picture it) they were quickly married and set to the united states , and within a year estella was born .

there was a lack of affection in her life , her mother stuck in a love - less marriage and the product of that marriage . and estella’s father was barely around to have any solid connection with . at the age of nine , estella’s mom left and never turned back . estella . . . too young to understand never came to terms with her departure , going as far as telling her friends her mother had just stepped out or was at work whenever her friends asked .

estella was a lonely child , both at home and at school . making friends was hard and opening up and being real with people was even harder . she preferred keeping her distance focusing all her energy on what kept her close to her mother ART . . . until a group began to target her and eventually unmasked her lie about her mother abandoning her .

her father’s wealth quickly began declining due to his fallacious ways of dealing with his broken heart , estella had to switch from her very costly private school to a public school on her sophomore year . . . and she promised herself to do things differently .

she would never again be referred to as estella , she was from now on stella . her demeanor began to reflect her life and it reflect in a cold dark light . from the lonely yet sweet little girl that needed love , she became the school’s mean girl and doing the same that was done to her . that was her way of coping .

everyone wanted to be her friend , or just on her good side and even if it wasn’t real affection she began to slightly fill that emptiness she felt .

during this side , stella did more than questionable things for attention and to remain in the limelight .

after graduating high school , stella told everyone she was taking a year off to travel and see the world , when in fact she had to take the year off to work and safe some money for college .

retail worker , barista , waitress ; stella has been through every job but never fully commits . . . just like in life . now she is working as a secretary , it’s been three months . . . let’s see how that goes .

okay so some other facts about stella ,

her favorite holiday is halloween , cause it’s also her birthday .

no one knows she draws , but she’s actually pretty good at it .

stella speaks both english and spanish fluently .

NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO CALL HER ESTELLA , she HATES IT .

she recently found her mother on instagram and stalks her page her day , wonders if she should reach out .

stella is a scorpio ! so good luck !

stella’s makeup is a big outlet for her so it’s very bold and says more than she could express with words .

she is super impulsive and destructive , but under all that mean facade . . she’s actually a very lonely and scared sweet girl .

WANTED CONNECTIONS ;

any and every is welcome pls

maybe partners in crime

coworkers who ask friendly but really hate each other

someone from her past

ex - boyfriend ?

ex - friends ?

maybe a posse of mean girls , i’m here for the drama

fling ?

unrequited love

bad influence or even a good influence

someone who finds her drawings

but seriously ANY IS FINE !

#‘ ooc / malnatiooc .#‘ about / stella m .#it got longer than i expected #im sorry

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fatehbaz · 5 years

Note

Hello there! You’ve posted quite a bit about dark ecology, which I absolutely love as a concept. However, I’ve found Tim Morton’s work can be a bit dense for folks without a philosophy background — do you have any “starter” reading recommendations for people who’d like to learn more before diving headlong into Ecology Without Nature? Thanks!

Despite how over-the-top excited I was to see this great ask, I held-off on answeringimmediately because I wanted to make sure that I chose my words very carefully.Thank you so much for reaching out. (And I’m so sorry! I’m always very grateful forquestions and try to respond much more quickly!) Regarding how inaccessible Morton’sjargon-heavy and convoluted writing can be, I deeply relate. It’s dense, andafter 10 years of reading, I still cannot fully vouch for or clearly explainobject-oriented ontology; Morton can be floofy and difficult. However, I think I’m a relatively better acolyte of dark ecologyand Morton’s more overtly ecological material; I also think that Morton is much more accessible in interviews and when speaking in-person and in recorded lectures. Pertinently, the publishers of Morton’s latest book (Being Ecological - 2018) have added a kind of goofy, informal, and marketable subtitle to the book: “A book about ecology without information dumping.”

In my experience, it seems to me that most people with any kind of passionateinterest in ecology – whether or not they had access to a formal universityeducation – already intuitively understand much of what dark ecology proposes.This would include things like the intimidating scale and vastness of systemslike a local microhabitat, “the sea”, or a regional climate itself; the complex interconnectivity and interdependency of differentspecies; the fragility of the biosphere in the face of human activity; how an hierarchical mentality that devalues ecological landscapes willalso devalue human life; etc. I think a lot of people intuitively recognizethese things, even if not everyone can describe them or explain systems ecology in the most technical terms.Dark ecology might be of interest for those looking to more clearly discuss ordefine these “realities.” First andforemost, dark ecology is arguably about defining a more ethical and comprehensive approach to ecological thinking to specifically cope with the complexity of systems ecology, the social and environmentaldegradation of the Anthropocene, the climate crisis, and the sixth massextinction event.

Before I lose anyone’s interest with a wall of text: I think that peopleinterested in the global climate/ecological crisis; the Anthropocene; weirdfiction (!); anthropology; ethnoecology; the intersection of social injusticewith environmental degradation; capitalist realism and retrofuturism; biosemioticsand animal emotion; and ecology in general would be interested in checking out darkecology.I like that the dark ecology concept tries to grapple with the “apocalyptic” feeling of the current ecological crisis, and I also like that the concept tries to bridge the apparent gap between the humanities and ecology by describing how environmental degradation relates to social injustice.

In this egregiously long post, I’ll try to offer some accessiblereading recommendations on dark ecology and I’ll try to use the question as aspringboard to define dark ecology. Unfortunately, I, myself, come across asdense and convoluted, so if you want toavoid parsing through all of my text here, I’ve numbered each of the readingrecommendations/resources below.

Art installations from the Dark Ecology Project art sites - a collaboration with Timothy Morton - in Norway. The first piece is by resident artist HC Gilje.

What is dark ecology?

- Essentially, dark ecology is a wayto update ecological thinking for the Anthropocene and for the sixth massextinction event; for an era of “climate anxiety” and loss. It’s a conceptmeant to improve ecological thought and to correct older inadequacies in Westernnaturalism, which often assumes that humans are separate or detached observers fromthe landscapes that we study. - Dark ecology also involves the humanities, and anthropology especially. Thisis because the concept implies an acknowledgment that Indigenous and non-Western cosmologies (world-views) are legitimateand helpful frameworks for building sustainable ecological communities;understanding the egalitarian ecological relationships among organismsincluding humans; and acknowledging that other living things are deserving ofethical treatment. - The concept of “weirdness” is veryimportant in dark ecology, as is anxiety. (To learn more about this aspect of weirdness, see Morton’s article in Changing Weathers, linked below.)- Another concept originally coined and defined by Morton and centrally important to dark ecology isthat of “hyperobjects”: things sobig and/or abstract that humans struggle to conceive of their magnitude,something like “climate” itself or an abstract “object” like an “interspeciesrelationship.”- In dark ecology, there is an implied (and sometimes explicit) critique of the“extractivist” mentality and its friends (industrial resource extraction;monoculture farming). Morton sometimes phrases this as a critique of “agrilogistics”: the industrial-scaleover-harvest of natural resources backed by systemic social inequality, a sharedmentality prevalent in early hydraulic civilization, empires, the European feudalera, and the current era.- There is also an implied critique of socialhierarchy; essentially, dark ecology proposes that the problem of human/industrialmismanagement of landscapes and other species is closely tied with socialhierarchy and human mistreatment of other humans. Thus, dark ecology impliesthat sexism, racism, violence, etc., stem from the same worldviews thatpropagate environmental degradation.- Where object-oriented ontology arguablycomes most into play in Morton’s writing is regarding biosemiotics and animal/plant “emotion.” Dark ecology can be readas implying that every other living thing has some kind of subjectiveexperience and agency, even if it doesn’t translate into recognizable humanemotions or doesn’t resemble the sentience of humans. OOO suggests that othernon-human things are still “real” or “alive” at some scale. (This is the aspectof dark ecology that I understand least!)- This aspect of biosemiotics also unites dark ecology with the ontological turn in anthropology, arecent and still active movement to decolonize anthropological thinking. Theacademic discussion of OOO and dark ecology around 2007-2012 was very influentialon anthropologists working to validate non-Western cosmologies that perceive the natural world as a sort of collective, with cooperation among species.- Dark ecology is also useful for evaluating urban geography and urban planning in the 21st Century (“theera of the city”), because related concepts like “hyperobjects” help to conceiveof urban areas as vast entities with sometimes invisible influences overculture and ecology planetwide.- Playfulness and joy are important in Morton’s understanding of the relationship between humans and landscapes/animals/ecology. (You can read more about this aspect in a couple of the resources listed below, including the first video resource listed and the article about “dark ecological podcasts”!)- Mark Fisher’s “capitalist realism” is now a widely recognized concept, Morton has done something similar with the very popular concept of “hyperobjects”- Thinking of landscapes like this – animals being “alive” in their own uniqueway; ecology being complex and “weird”; seeing ecology and human/social justiceas interlinked – isn’t exactly new at all, especially compared to millennia ofIndigenous cosmologies and environmental knowledge.

Resource 1 - If you don’t want tobe confronted with this long post, one of the best introductions to darkecology comes from the person who coined and popularized the term, TimothyMorton. Since Morton’s really theoretical and sometimes convoluted whenwriting, listening to him speak and answer questions directly seems (to me) tobe an easier way to hear a clear definition of dark ecology and what itentails. So, I’d recommend checking out Morton in this hour-long interview.Here, he explores environmentalism; naturalism; ethical treatment of animals;industrial resource extraction; weird fiction; and the connection between environmentaldegradation and social injustice/hierarchy.

Timothy Morton in Conversation withVerso Books – Verso Books, on YouTube~

This is a great video! However, if I could recommend just one written exploration of dark ecology, it would be this article from Morton.

https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024548/www.changingweathers.net/en/episodes/48/what-is-dark-ecology (What Is Dark Ecology? -- TimothyMorton – Changing Weathers, 2016)

Resource 2 - Here’s a shortervideo (9 minutes) where Morton briefly describes ecological thought; biosemiotics;the development of the dark ecology concept; and the concept’s relationships toenvironmentalism and natural history. ~ Beautiful Soul Syndrome: Towards aDark Ecology (YouTube) ~

Resource 3 - It seems that Morton’smost influential texts are these 4 books:

-- Ecology Without Nature: Rethinking Environmental Aesthetics (2007)-- The Ecological Thought (2010)-- Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology after the End of the World (2013)-- Dark Ecology: For a Logic of Future Coexistence (2016)

You can read the entirety of Dark Ecology (2016) for free online,here.

Resource 4 – A good related book(with much more accessible writing!) is this: Shadowing the Anthropocene: Eco-Realismfor Turbulent Times – Adrian Ivakhiv – 2018

These are 6 “classic” books that explore dark ecology:

Resource 5 - One of the best andmost concise written explanations also comes from Morton himself. Ironically,this introductory was taken off the internet only one week ago, but you canaccess it through the Wayback Machine here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20180316024548/www.changingweathers.net/en/episodes/48/what-is-dark-ecology

~ What Is Dark Ecology? -- TimothyMorton – Changing Weathers, 2016 ~

And the original URL, which you can plug into the Wayback Machine:

www.changingweathers.net/en/episodes/48/what-is-dark-ecology

Resource 6 - A fun read – and agood example of the application of dark ecology, especially involving therelationship between ecology and weirdness/playfulness – would be this article. (It’sa good read even if you’re not a fan of the multitude of “spooky” and “AmericanGothic” podcasts that have been recently popularized.)

~ At Home with the Weird: DarkEco-Discourse in Tanis and Welcome to Night Vale – Danielle Barrios-O’Neill andMichael Collins - Revenant, March 2018 ~

A quick definition of dark ecology fromArie Altena:

We have indeed borrowed the term ‘Dark Ecology’ from the work of TimothyMorton. Over the past couple of years he has written a number of booksoutlining an ‘Ecological Thought’ that has no use for the Romantic notion of‘Nature’. He begins to explain this idea in Ecology without Nature (2007) – abook which is also about art and ‘environmental aesthetics.’ In The EcologicalThought (2010) he shows that the ‘ecological thought’ is not nice and green anda celebration of all things natural, but that to really think theinterconnectedness of all forms of life and all things (the ‘mesh’), is dark.[Morton says:] ‘Dark ecology puts hesitation, uncertainty, irony, andthoughtfulness back into ecological thinking. The form of dark ecology is thatof noir film. The noir narrator begins investigating a supposedly externalsituation, from a supposedly neutral point of view, only to discover that sheor he is implicated in it. The point of view of the narrator herself becomesstained with desire. There is no metaposition from which we can make ecologicalpronouncements. Ironically, this applies in particular to the sunny,affirmative rhetoric of environmental ideology. A more honest ecological artwould linger in the shadowy world of irony and difference. …The ecologicalthought includes negativity and irony, ugliness and horror.

In Morton’s own words (from “What IsDark Ecology?” – Changing Weathers):

The ecological era we find ourselves in — whether we like it or not, andwhether we recognise it or not — makes necessary a searching revaluation ofphilosophy, politics and art. The very idea of being ‘in’ an era is inquestion. We are ‘in’ the Anthropocene, but that era is also ‘in’ a moment offar longer duration.

What is the present? How can it be thought? What is presence? Ecologicalawareness forces us to think and feel at multiple scales, scales that disorientnormative concepts such as ‘present’, ‘life’, ‘human’, ‘nature’, ‘thing’,‘thought’ and ‘logic’. I shall argue there are layers of attunement toecological reality more accurate than what is habitual in the media, in theacademy and in society at large.

These attunement structures are necessarily weird, a precise term that weshall explore in depth. Weirdness involves the hermeneutical knowingnessbelonging to the practices that the Humanities maintain. The attunement, whichI call ecognosis, implies a practical yet highly nonstandard vision of whatecological politics could be. In part ecognosis involves realising thatnonhumans are installed at profound levels of the human — not just biologicallyand socially but in the very structure of thought and logic. Coexisting withthese nonhumans is ecological thought, art, ethics and politics.

An art project by Edward Burtynsky, at National Gallery of Canada exploring the Anthropocene (pictured is a scene from a coal mine in Westphalia, Germany - 2015).

Timothy Morton is a close colleague of Graham Harman – Harman being thetheorist who is most credited with defining object-oriented ontology. BothMorton and Harman were colleagues with Mark Fisher, the now-legendary culturalcritic and theorist who popularized the concept of “capitalist realism.” Thebranch of OOO that Harman and Morton subscribe to is usually referred to as “speculativerealism.”

OOO and dark ecology are closely related - at least in Morton’s work - and tend to be mentioned together(with good reason). An important disclaimer: OOO seems to be even more overwhelming than dark ecology asa concept; I struggle to articulate OOO and really do not understand too muchabout it (so I’m not sure I can provide the best resources for learning aboutit).

From an interview with Morton at WASH magazine:

OOO deals with concepts like “hyperobject” and “mesh.” Can you give us some brief definitions of these concepts?A hyperobject is an entity that is so massively distributed in space and time that you can’t point to all of it at once. Even if you use very advanced prosthetic devices like fast supercomputers, it might still be difficult to map one. The biosphere is a hyperobject. Climate is a hyperobject.The mesh is the interconnectedness of beings in the biosphere. Nowadays I have a higher resolution image for this: I call it the symbiotic real. It’s a loose network of precarious affiliations between beings where who’s “the top” and who’s “the bottom,” who’s “the friend” and who’s “the enemy,” is always in question. It’s a whole that is always less than the sum of its parts, however weird that sounds. (End quote.)

So, I am hard-pressed to define OOO, and I can’t personally critique it wellor vouch for OOO as a “good” framework. That said, I take more of a liking tothe dark ecology concept.

Art from the cover of Morton’s 2016 book, Dark Ecology.

Moreaccessible reading resources:

(7) - One of the best applications of the hyperobject concept is this fantastic essay on how urban megaregions and big cities function as ecological forces: The Urban Hyperobject - Lisa Bremner

(8) ~ Four Questions for the Author: Timothy Morton,Being Ecological – Orion Magazine –September 2018

(9) ~ Dark Ecology InterviewsTim Morton – Lucas van der Velden and Arie Altena – Dark Ecology dot Net – 2014

(10) ~ (Video) Timothy Morton:Dark Ecological Chocolate – YouTube –2017

(11) ~ A Mutable Cloud: On “DarkEcology” and “Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist and Other Essays” –Jennifer Peterson – LA Review of Books– 2017

(12) ~ ‘A Reckoning for our species’: The philosopher prophet of theAnthropocene – The Guardian – June 2017

(13) ~ A Polar Bear Called Susan: Interview with Lisa Doeland – De Groene Amsterdammer – 2013

(14) ~ Timothy Morton: Ecology Without Nature – We interview the philosopherTim Morton, author of “Dark Ecology”, who proposes that we rethink the way wesee ecology, anthropocentrism and art – Roc Jimenez de Cisneros – CCCB Lab -- December 2016

(15) ~ Timothy Morton regularly posts onand maintains a blog on Blogspot: EcologyWithout Nature

(16) Timothy Morton had collected a list of interviews with other ecologists, theorists, philosophers, etc. that relate to dark ecology. Available here.

Again, I think that a lot of people interested in ecology already intuitively grasp much what dark ecology entails. But, I guess it’s nice that the concept specifically tries to grapple with the Anthropocene and what is essentially an “apocalypse” of sorts. It’s a useful framework (at least, it’s been helpful for me).

OK. Yikes.

Very sorry for the ridiculous length of the post. I hope this is useful for someone.

Thanks again for reaching out!

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daydream-hobii · 6 years

Text

Wings | Poly!BTS | Part 1

Genre: Soulmate!AU; Poly!AU; SO FLUFFY AH!

Soulmate System: Everyone has a unique set of Wings, but somewhere in this world, there’s a matching set to your own, as they are your soulmate.

Pairing: BTS x Reader

Summary: In a world of soulmate systems, you had a pair of angel wings, the hardest wings for a soulmate to find. They’d change colors every now and then, but recently have been going crazy. Your best friend is certain that you have multiple soulmates, another rare occurrence, but you’re skeptical. Your regular at the cafe you work at is back again, but with a friend. The next day, the regular has six friends who become regulars. Who were these guys?

Warning: None!

Word Count: 1,506

// Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 [FINAL] //

Author’s Note: Thanks for the request!! That’s actually genius, holy cow!! I’m honored you trust me enough to write it for you! I made it a Poly!BTS AU, I hope you don’t mind~ I, also, think this is going to have multiple parts, at least 3! I have too many ideas on how to write this, thank you for the great ideas!! I hope you like it!! ^_^

You couldn’t be angrier. You were stomping down the street to your job, people staring at you with wide eyes or laughing, only fueling your anger. You were a barista at a small, hidden cafe in Seoul, your wings barely fitting through the alleyway.

You walked into the cafe, a couple customers eyeing your wings curiously. Your best friend was working your shift, and when she saw you, she burst out into laughter. You rolled your eyes, going to the back and putting on your apron. Your best friend entered the back with you, laughing more.

Her wings were absolutely beautiful. They were like Fairy Wings, and she had dyed them a lavender color. They were smooth with intricate details weaved along them, between the designs being almost transparent. Jealousy ran through your veins, but you shook it off.

You wings were similar to an Angels, with four layers of feathers. Angel wings were a lot more difficult than fairy wings in terms of finding your soulmate. Most Angel wings looked the same, so people relied on dying or small details. Your soulmate was actually crazy.

Your wings had changed colors in the past, but never like this. It was only ever one color, but this time, your normally white wings were spotted and striped with all different colors. The ones you saw were blonde, black, pink, red, brown, a tint of purple, orange… what the hell was your soulmate thinking?!

“Your soulmate seems… bold,” Y/BFF/N cooed, giggling.

“Not in the mood,” You growled out, shaking your head. “I mean, what the hell is this? Why is it so many colors?!”

“Y/n, we’ve talked about this, you probably have more than one soulmate,” She said with a smile, following your stomping form to the front counter. “You know that’s a rare occurrence.”

“Yeah, so I not only have the hardest wings to find, but more than one person to look for? Thanks, fate,” You growled, taking your notepad and walking over to a table where a new customer entered.

He had a similar pair of angel wings, which were a brownish black with a dark purple tint. This man had been in here plenty of times before, he’s a bit of a regular now. His wings, however, changed colors quite often.

“Hello, can I get you anything?” You asked kindly, changing your demeanor. The man had a black mask, a black hat, and some sunglasses on.

“Just a black coffee please,” He mumbled, voice hoarse.

“Okay, I’ll get that ready for you,” You said, giving a small smile. You walked away, going behind the counter and fixing the coffee.

The door rang and another person walked in, his wings also in the form of an Angel, but the color was split. One wing was blonde, while the other was pink. It looked really cool, and you had to force yourself to look away.

“Hyung, this is a cute place,” He said, voice deep and gravelly.

“Yeah, and normally quiet,” The other man growled. “I told you not to follow me.”

“Hyung, I know you’ve been having a rough time…. I thought I could help you smile,” The deep voiced man cooed, and you, yourself, couldn’t help but smile. You walked over, setting the black coffee in front of the dark man.

“Hi, can I get you anything?” You asked, smiling softly to the other man.

The man stared at you for a moment, looking at your wings and squinting his eyes, examining them. You felt a bit embarrassed, they were hideous, and this man was quite attractive from what you could see. He also worse a face mask, but his eyes were shining bright. His hair matched his wings, and looked just as cool.

“I like your wings. It’s like an abstract art piece,” He said, eyes squinting in a smile.

“Oh, thanks. It wasn’t my choice, my soulmate has a bit of a… bold taste.” You tried to hide the disgust in your tone.

“I’m Taehyung,” The man said, holding out his hand. His friend looked up quick, a bit wide eyed. You wondered why, but ignored it.

“Y/n,” You replied, shaking his hand with a smile. “I really like your wings, they’re so unique.”

“Thank you,” He replied. “I’ll take a muffin and a frappuccino please.”

“Coming right up,” You replied, walking away. Your friend was eyeing them both, and you heard them whispering an argument to each other.

“What’s their problem?” Y/BFF/N asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure. One of them introduced themselves, names Taehyung,” You replied, making the frappuccino.

“Hmm, sounds familiar,” She replied, biting her lip.

“Yeah, he must be crazy. He complimented my wings,” You said, chuckling.

“What?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, said it’s like an abstract art piece,” You replied, rolling your eyes.

“Oh my god, he’s flirting with you!” She exclaimed, gasping.

“No way, shut up,” You scolded, walking away from her and back to the table, setting the coffee and muffin in front of the man.

“Hey,” Taehyung said, leaning back and staring at you.

“Hi?” You questioned, smirking.

“This is my friend, Yoongi,” Taehyung said, pointing to the dark man, who was glaring hard at Taehyung.

“Pleasure to meet you Yoongi, you’ve become a bit of a regular,” You said with a soft smile. “It’s nice to finally know your name.”

“You’ve noticed?” He asked, looking at you. There was slight surprise in his eyes.

“Yeah, it’s a small cafe. Not a lot of people come through here, so regulars are few,” You replied with a smile. “If you guys need anything, just call for me.”

“Thank you, Y/n,” Taehyung said. As you walked away, you heard him whisper, “Y/n’s the reason you’ve been coming here so often?” You thought you heard wrong, so you simply ignored it.

The next day, you had a break, but you still had to go to the cafe to pick up your paycheck. Being an older cafe, it wasn’t one that made deposits to your bank account. Your best friend was working today, along with another guy.

You walked in and were surprised to see seven people sitting at one table. You blinked at them before turning away. There was never more than two or three people in here at a time, why the sudden change?

“Y/n,” Y/BFF/N said, making the seven men look at you, intimidating you a bit. “Get over here.”

You walked over for her to grab your arm roughly, dragging you to the back, making you wince from her grip. You pulled your arm away, scowling at her in confusion and rubbing it.

“What’s your problem?” You asked, shaking your head.

“Those guys from yesterday came back with five of their friends, they were asking for you,” She said, making you furrow your brow.

“Why would they be asking for me?” You asked, making her shrug.

“I’m not sure, Taehyung wouldn’t say,” She replied, making you sigh.

“Okay, whatever,” You said, walking over to where the envelopes of money were. You grabbed the one with your name on it and walked out, Y/BFF/N hot on your tail. “Listen, I’ll see you tomorrow, you got the day off, yeah?”

“Yup,” She replied, still a bit shaken from the seven men.

“Alright, we’ll hang out, yeah?” You asked, taking a moment to listen to the music. “Oh, good choice of song.”

“Lie by Jimin, just one of the best songs of our generation,” She replied, making you roll your eyes. “Maybe you’ll give me a chance to teach you their names tomorrow?”

“Not a chance, I don’t have time for glorified boy groups. You barely know them too, you just started genuinely learning about them as humans,” You said, turning towards the door. You jumped to see Taehyung standing in front of you. He had a mask on but it was resting on his chin and had on large glasses. You squint your eyes, a small smile playing on your lips.

“Hey, Y/n,” He said with a boxy smile. Cute.

“Hi, Taehyung,” You replied. “You bring Yoongi?”

“Yeah, he’s with our friends,” Taehyung replied, pointing to the boys. Yoongi was dark as usual and his ears turned red from embarrassment. “We were looking for you.”

“So I heard,” You replied, flattening your mouth. “What’s up?”

“Would you like to sit with us?” Taehyung asked, causing you to stare in confusion. “You just seem pretty cool, I’d love to get to know you. Yoongi would too.”

“She’d love to sit with you!” Y/BFF/N shouted, making you turn and glare at her.

“Actually, I have some errands I have to run,” You replied, looking at him and frowning.

�� “Oh, okay, maybe another time?” Taehyung asked, hope in his eyes.

“Totally,” You said, walking over to the door. “Bye Taehyung. Bye Yoongi!” You called to him, making his ears turn more red. You walked out, beginning your walk home. That was strange….

1K notes · View notes

thereinafter · 5 years

Text

Letter for Chocolate Box 2020 (cut for major wall of text; fandoms I requested are Dragon Age, Tortall, Darkest Dungeon, Original Work)

Hello, dear chocolatier, thanks for creating something for me! I’m thereinafter (isyche) on AO3.

I like both fic (any rating you want to write) and art (gen or romance or implied sex fine, no explicit porn), Prompts below are copied from my signup, followed by a long general likes list and then DNWs.

Dragon Age

Cassandra/Leliana: I love them and their long history/intimidating outsides/romantic insides/right hand-left hand balance a lot. some prompt ideas: a) on a mission pre-DAI and some forced-intimacy or h/c trope pushes them to admit/act on feelings b) escalating personal notes attached to official reports c) sneaked moments away from Skyhold d) fighting back to back e) either one convincing the other to take a break and do something fun, in her own way. Or anything from my likes list you find inspiring, get-together or established. For art: I’d love them being romantic or formidable together however you want to draw it.

Leliana/Josephine: I also love their history and friendship, and how Josephine can potentially light up Leliana’s tendency to darkness, and also how Leliana is playful with/protective of her. There are a lot of established-relationship missing-scene type scenarios I’d like for them, e.g., an excursion to Val Royeaux from Skyhold, a dance together at Halamshiral, Josie waiting up for Leliana to finish spy business, distracting each other from frustrating work, managing difficult guests. Or being drawn back together when Josie comes to the Inquisition after having been in the past. Or, again, anything else from my likes you’re into. I’d be delighted by art of them as well, if you want to illustrate any of these ideas or just draw them being cute.

and some gen ideas I’ve thought about recently and would like to read:

Cassandra & Vivienne: Since Vivienne is a knight-enchanter and thus technically a melee fighter, I’m curious about how and where she trains or has in the past for that, and I’d be interested to see her and Cassandra bond in some way through testing themselves against each other.

Female Hawke & Leliana & Morrigan: These three could have all potentially met in Lothering before the Blight, so write me something about that? Maybe they all get into a scrape together and have to cooperate? Maybe it was caused by Hawke’s or Morrigan’s magic?

Morrigan & Sera: I once drew Morrigan being amused by Sera stealing templar breeches and ever since I’ve kind of wanted that fic. Morrigan is entertained by Sera’s pranks on targets she dislikes and offers to help? Sera is suspicious/scared of her but eventually decides she’s all right? (Sera makes friends with Kieran?)

Tortall

Keladry of Mindelan & Baby Griffin: Having recently read the Kel books, I was really charmed by her heroic efforts to care for the griffin baby until its parents are found, and I’d like a little fic exploring that more, or maybe it coming back to find her later on? Daine and/or Alanna could be involved too if you like. I also am pretty sure this would make for adorable art.

Darkest Dungeon

I feel like there are potential stories around a lot of the mechanics in this game: the quirks and stress and breakdowns and need to recover through drinking or sex or gambling or religion, the weird trinkets and cultist groups, why new adventurers keep showing up to get fed into the dungeon. So, with this fandom I’m interested in fic playing with those things and building on what’s implied in the game (or art along those lines illustrating some offscreen scene, or creating a shippy moment).

I picked these three pairings because I thought they made for interesting dynamics, but if you want to include other characters or enemies, go for it (and use whatever names you want).

Antiquarian/Grave Robber: bonding over an interest in treasure and desire to stay alive and out of the melee? Getting lost on an unadvised side trip in the ruins?

Arbalest/Shieldbreaker: Arbalest takes Shieldbreaker under her wing and tries to cover her in combat/patch her up/help with her nightmares?

Hellion/Vestal: opposites attract, Vestal has impure thoughts about Hellion, and/or healer/fighter h/c?

Original Work

I pictured all of these in fantasy settings when nominating them, but some could also work as SF/space opera or historical.

Female Adventurer Lost in the Snow/Female Fire Spirit: Obviously she needs warming up, however you want to take that (does the spirit warm her and let her go like a grateful one night stand? Or a darker take where the woman lets the spirit consume her and make her one of them? or both at different times in her life?)

Female Armorsmith/Female Warrior Who Needs Frequent Repairs: This could go in either a funny “why do you come in here so much” or an angsty “why do you get hurt so often” direction and I’d like either (or both).

Female Knight/Female Bath Attendant with a Crush: I like knights and requited crushes and the sort of caretaking involved in baths, and would be happy with any cute/romantic or comfort/solace or sexy take on this combination.

Female Court Painter/Impatient Princess Sitting for a Painting: Maybe the princess is a flirty rake and the painter is a serious type with no time for her nonsense but secretly charmed, or vice versa? Or they keep falling out over how the portrait should go and then making up? Or they're in a secret relationship and the impatience is because it's the only time they can see each other?

Grumpy Lonely Sorceress/Female Courtesan She Hires for a Ritual: I pictured this as a lighthearted story where the situation starts awkward and ends more fun than expected for them. Why does the sorceress need to try this particular ritual/spell? (unexpectedly necessary for something she’s researching?) does it succeed? do they decide to collaborate again? up to you.

Anchoress/Woman Outside Her Cell: I’d be happy with either a historical medieval setting or a fantasy/SF invented religion. Here for the pining and inability to touch that the premise suggests; would prefer a hopeful ending to a super bleak one.

-----------

General likes (mainly a fic-oriented list, but if you do art for me and want to incorporate something here, great):

In case you want more inspiration in addition to the above. Take from it as you wish, all these things are good alone or combined

for both gen and shipfic: Lighthearted (romantic or friendship) fluff and humor Glimpses of how the characters manage everyday life stuff in canons where the focus is more on big dramatic events Canon divergence AUs in the “what if x event in canon turned out differently” sense Casefic if the characters do cases or missions or short adventures Epistolary or “found documents” stories, and other unconventional story structures Time loop stories, Rashomon-style stories, and other kinds of variations on a theme (including “five times” fic) Worldbuilding/exploration of the canon world and backstory, especially parts unexplored in the canon; also, in-universe stories, songs, mythologies, histories, etc. Holidays and celebrations and balls, masquerade or not, and dancing, romantic or not Characters doing things in disguise, whether they’re good or bad at it Heists and rescues/jailbreaks Court plotting, intrigue, spying Road or sea trips/wilderness survival situations Swordfights, duels, tournaments, sparring, training for all kinds of fighting Characters making things for others, whether it’s art or music or crafting or food or magic or whatever, and giving gifts Artists (in any art form), artistic rivalries, artist/muse dynamics, artists inspiring each other Competence and being very good at what they do (but perhaps awkward or lost in other contexts); relatedly, learning/practicing new skills

additionally for shipfic: Angst with happy endings Pining, preferably requited in the end Repressed feelings and extended UST, especially between working partners who are busy with something more important Loyalty/dedication/faithfulness/devotion, us against the world, knight/queen dynamics (either one-way or where both consider themselves the knight to the other), bodyguarding, love conflicting with other loyalties, noble self-denial and sacrifice, courtly love Stoicism and hidden feelings/bad at feelings but has a lot, or good at feelings and good at hiding them Secret/forbidden relationships as a source of angst and/or for the excitement of sneaking around Hurt/comfort, rescuing each other, fighting beside each other Snuggling/bathing/dressing/playing with hair/other caretaking Forced intimacy tropes like bedsharing, huddling for warmth, fake dating, marriage of convenience, handcuffed together, dreamsharing/psychic bonds, bodyswap Longtime friends to lovers, old friends meeting again, old enemies who aren’t really anymore and have to admit they like each other, rivals who respect each other Ascetic/hedonist or repressed/libertine or inexperienced/more experienced pairings

for sex scenes: cuddling, kissing, laughing, eroticized hands and voices, clothed/semi-clothed sex, complicated undressing, talking whether emotional or joking or dirty, curiosity/discovery, playfulness/inventiveness, eagerness/desperation, being overwhelmed by feelings, having to keep silent or hold still, interruptions and delayed gratification and intentional teasing/drawing things out, body worship, sex against walls, informal mild kink (e.g., tying up, holding down, blindfolding, taking direction, scratching/marking, tearing clothes, mutual roughness), sexy letter writing, one fantasizing about the other, decadence, voyeurism/exhibitionism, writing/painting on skin, sex pollen, magical or magic-enhanced sex

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

DNWs: unrequested setting AUs (like high school or coffee shop), non-canonical/unrequested polyamory, non-canonical/unrequested pregnancy and kids, non-canonical nicknames infidelity (unless it’s something like escaping a forced or political marriage) sexual violence/rape (eroticized/described in detail; I’m OK with, e.g., a character being a survivor or hunting down a rapist) a/b/o, formalized bdsm, daddy/mommy kink, underage, incest, shit/urine/vomit/spitting

#chocolate box exchange

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faintblueivy · 5 years

Text

Starting Again - BoruSara fanfiction

To you all lovelies, here I am with a new story!

First of all! This is my second Collab with lovely @benteja so please, do take a look at her GORGEOUS art!

And secondly, precious @mirachaann betaread this story for me! Lots of love and thank you to both of you!!!

Word count: 4.3k

Anon, I can't. 😂😂😂 That's TOO MUCH! Even for me, I swear! Although in this story j have used two from that prompt list!

Enough of my rambles! Please enjoy the story!

Starting Again

Walking across the hallway, Sarada's gaze jumped from room to room, eyes searching for the board of class ‘2 - A’. There were a few people moving around the large white corridors, but Sarada was not comfortable to ask them the required address. Rather, she was hyper-aware of the curious glances thrown in her direction, not sure how to deal with them, but internally groaning at the idea of socializing. She smoothed out her marron skirt in a pathetic attempt to look more presentable. Don't get her wrong, she was not an antisocial person by nature...but mingling with new people all of a sudden was not... exactly simple for her.

It has already been three days since she moved in to the new city of Konoha, and her life has completely been thrown off the loop currently. Arranging proper accommodations and living by herself was hard. Her parents were rich enough to buy her a studio apartment near her school and she was grateful to their endeavours to ensure appropriate resources for her. They have always been weirdly doting in their own ways.

After her first year in a local but renowned high school, in Takamatsu, she had taken up the test of one of the most prestigious education institution in the country - Konoha High, and passed with flying colours for her sophomore year with a full scholarship.

Sarada had been ecstatic at her admission in her dream school, but now, the intimidating ambience of the School was making her have second thoughts about coming.

Shannaro! You idiot! It's for the sake of your career!

She scolded herself mentally for being such a coward. She needed to have some self confidence. It was important to succeed.

“Oyyy! Watch out!”

She heard the shout and the sound of heavy and fast footsteps approaching before her eyes registered the person moving toward her. Too fast.

Her body was slammed against a larger and heavier one, and of course, it was enough to throw her off balance. She yelped and braced herself for the harsh impact of collision with the hard floor seeping into her bones but, thankfully, it never came. Instead, her eyes flew open when a firm grip clasped around her forearm, yanking her back to her feet. She whipped up her head and all she saw were a pair of oceanic blue eyes.

Gorgeous.

Her breath hitched. Those eyes...there was some inexplicable cognizance she felt at the moment. A misty echo.

Have I seen those eyes...somewhere... before?

The question floated inside her brain even before she wondered about it. She It took a few seconds for her to notice the guy entirely.

Yes, he had the sapphire coloured eyes, and also messy blond hair and haphazardly worn uniform. He was staring at her intently, eyes roving over her face with a odd unknown and unintended familiarity.

She internally cursed at her bad luck.

It was her first day at her new school, and the first person she gets to meet is the school delinquent.

Great. Just great.

She prepared herself for the string of curses he might spew out and the threatening that would come together with it. But once again, he manages to throw her off guard.

“I'm so sorry!”

Sarada blinked up at him, as he averted his gaze before crouching down in front of her to pick up her bag. She hadn't even noticed it falling off her shoulder.

“Er...really, really, I’m sorry. Was in a hurry -ttebasa. But still, shouldn't have knocked you down like that! Apologies!”

He handed her bag back carefully, raking fingers through his golden locks.

“Uh, I'll go now.”

He gestured vaguely before almost running off to his presumed destination. But suddenly, Sarada remembered that she needed help.

“Wait!”

She was surprised when the guy immediately halted and turned back to look at her.

“Um, can you please guide me to class 2 - A?”

His face instantly lit up, as if the prospect of helping her would help him make up for crashing into her. And he wasn't that far off the truth.

“You're on the wrong aisle. Don't worry, you just need to turn left and and then turn right in from the third turn. You'll see the board of 2 - A at once! Sorry, would've taken you there myself but I am just-”

“-In a hurry.” Sarada finished his sentence and he just nodded dumbly.

“Thank you!” She expressed her gratitude with a bow before walking off in the direction he had pointed her at.

“See you again!” He called out.

She glanced a look back at him, a little bewildered at his confident tone but he was already running away.

Maybe he's not a delinquent after all.

She concluded, an ease settling inside her chest.

Little did she know this meeting would later turn out to be one of the greatest serendipity of her life.

…

She understood what he meant by seeing her again when she entered the classroom with her teacher again, for a formal introduction and almost stumbled at his presence in the back seat of the class.

She deduced that he must have recognised her too because just now he gave her a small wave, eyes bright, piquing the interest of his seatmate. She went a little red, not sure if she was the subject of their conversation.

Probably I am.

She grimaced inwardly at the calculating look of his silver-blue haired benchmate. She was a little unnerved by the scrutiny of his golden eyes as well. Trying to distract herself, she boldly stepped in front of the class and proceeded to acquaint with her classmates.

After her introduction, she was offered a seat at the second row, close to a dark skinned and chubby girl.

“Hello! Chocho Akimichi here!”

She gave her a large smile accompanying mock salute and Sarada accepted it with a smile of her own. And in no time, she is ushered in a conversation to the group of girls surrounding them, Sumire, Namida and Wasabi. Sarada soon learned that Chocho is an unstoppable chatterbox and by the time lunch rolled around, she knew the backstories of more than half of her classmates. But she couldn’t deny that Chocho's cheerful enthusiasm burned away all her apprehensions regarding her entering in this new school.

“You're...Uchiha Sarada? Wait! The same Uchiha Sarada who had the perfect score in the recent entrance test?”

“...Yes?”

“Ohh gosh, girl! You gotta tutor me when the exams are here!”

Chocho was loud enough for others to hear their conversation and it took only a few seconds for their desk to be swarmed with new people she'd never met asking for help, screaming their names and talking to her. As Chocho made a futile attempt to manage the crowd, for a fleeting moment, Sarada's eyes travelled to the back of their classroom.

Right to her blond classmate who was apparently also looking...at her?

Their eyes met and the both of them abruptly go red to have been caught staring by the other. Sarada immediately tore her gaze away, squeaking mentally. She had wanted to be discreet and instead got caught red-handed.

This is embarrassing!

The rest of her day was spent wallowing up in self pity and otherwise trying to get comfortable with her new school and its environment. The school had a fierce ‘no phone in classroom’ and ‘no eating lunch inside class’ policy. But there were several other rules as well… like being a part of at least one club was compulsory. A lot of the regulations were similar to her previous high-school but in here they were adhered to much more strictly. Sarada didn't mind though. She'd always been good at being a responsible child. Following rules came easy to her.

Although...not everyone worked that way.

…

It was her second day at school and she realised that her first impression of her blue eyed classmate was not that off the mark, actually.

Their first class of the day was about to start and they were waiting for their homeroom teacher, sitting on their assigned seats. Imagine her surprise when the door of the room is slammed open and Shino sensei walked in... soaking wet. She's too dumbfounded at the scene that she barely registered Chocho sighing wearily.

“And… he's done it again.”

The teacher seemed to scan the classroom as if looking for the culprit and Sarada figured that he might have found the perpetrator cause his vision seemed fixated on someone. Though, honestly, she could only assume because his dark glasses obscured most of his facial features, especially his eyes. She is startled when he screamed.

“Uzumaki Boruto! Come with me to the Teacher's room this instant!”

She swirled her head in the direction of the boy addressed and he stood up, a mischievous, challenging smirk on his face before he raised his hands up in mock surrender.

“Alright. Alright. Coming.”

She watched him sauntering out of the door, with his shoulders squared as if he's done something of great significance. And Sarada just rolled her eyes at his antics.

…

It was her third day at the new school when she realised that just because he's a prankster or delinquent... whatever you'd like to call him... doesn't mean that he didn't have a heart of gold.

It was at the last few minutes of lunch break and Sarada was returning back to the classroom with Chocho and the girls when there was a loud crash, screaming and cursing just at the turn of the aisle. Sarada's eyes went wide as she met the alarmed glances of her friends as they hastily rushed to the scene.

There was a guy, probably older than them and a smaller person was lying on the floor, his glasses lying a feet or two away and definitely cracked. The larger buy grinned maliciously, before bending down, gripping the collar of the other guy, who looked terrified.

Sarada felt rage bubbling up inside her at the sight and she heard the girls exclaiming fearfully behind her.

“Oh no! It's him!”

“N-no. Denki-kun!”

Sarada knew she was new in this school and town, yes, and doing something reckless was only going to bring her lots of trouble later, but at the moment, she knew she had to intervene. Because the boy looked so helpless, petrified, and all these people surrounding them looked too scared to do anything about it. This seriously made her heart twist. Mentally bracing herself for the repercussions of her stupid involvement, her mind scourged up different scenarios if things got heated up more or maybe became even physical. She knew she was trained since a young age in martial arts, courtesy of her father - the commissioner of Kagawa prefecture. She was completely capable of defending herself when needed and maybe hold it out as long as the authorities reach them.

She almost stepped into the fray when he rushed past her, a flurry of rage and activity.

“Put him down, now! Iwabe!”

He yelled, stomping over and ripping the smaller boy away from the bully's grip. Helping him stand securely, in the protection of some of his other guy friends, he turned to glare back at larger guy.

“So here comes the Hero of Konoha High! Huh. Stop meddling in my matters, Uzumaki.” Iwabe mocked him, stepping in closer to domineer over Boruto. But of course, he didn't back down.

“Then stop bullying people around! I don't enjoy nosing in other people's stuff either. But seriously, you need to stay away from Denki!” Boruto said, with an detectable amount of hostility in his voice.

Iwabe scoffed. “And what if I don't?”

The atmosphere was immediately surrounded in a heavy, stifling silence before Boruto lips quirked upwards, in a feral smile, his eyes too sharp.

“Then meet me at the back of the school ground after school ends.”

“Deal.” Iwabe laughed snidely before walking away.

Sarada watched the restlessness among her peers grow as Denki clutched Boruto's sleeve in distress.

“Boruto-kun! You didn't have to do this for me!” He almost sobbed.

Boruto eyes softened immediately. And Sarada marvelled that the contrast between his light blue eyes now and the angry dark blue ones that he had just a few moments ago.

“Boruto, you've done masters in stupidity, haven't you?” Another boy - the person Chocho referred to as Shikadai - complained.

“Come on, Shikadai! It had to be done!” Boruto emphasized, before looking at Denki again,and saying lightly. “And I'm not just doing it for you, Denki. He needs to learn a lesson and someone had to stand up to him anyway.”

By the time teachers arrived, the crowd was already dispersed. Boruto had offered Denki a piggyback ride and taken him to the infirmary. The class started and it was later he strolled in as if it was a public park.

“Boruto! You're late again! Are you skipping classes? I'll need to inform Shino sensei of your behaviour.” The teacher grumbled, scolding him.

“Hai hai.” Boruto walked to his seat, doing an incredible job of ignoring the teacher, not even bothering to defend himself.

Sarada was confused. His behaviour was so inconsistent that it was mind-boggling. One second he'd be knocking down people and then the next he'd be apologising to them profusely. One day he'd be pranking his teachers and causing trouble and disturbing the class and the other day he'd be defending his classmates. Sarada was not even sure what to make of his ironed, wrinkle free clothes when he never ever followed the school code of dressing.

He seemed like a mystery to her. Someone who pretended to be as carefree as possible and yet felt the urge to be held responsible for the safety of others.

Puzzling indeed.

…

When the school day came to an end, more than half of their class was waiting at the grounds and even some people from the other classes who might've gotten the wind of the situation had arrived there as well.

Boruto was already on the designated battle ground, removing off his blazer and rolling up his sleeves when Iwabe walked in with his lackeys.

“Hope you're ready, pretty boy?” He pointed at Boruto menacingly. Boruto didn't flinch at all. Sarada was impressed as he brushed off Iwabe's insults at him as if they were a speck of dust.

The rules were then introduced - no weapons are allowed and the fight ends when one party gives up.

Sarada knew that the fight was going to be real nasty. And boy, was she right. The soft petals of cherry blossoms fluttered down, but her eyes were glued to the two boys in front of her exchanging blows.

Iwabe had started the battle, swiping at Boruto furiously. Boruto was being forced into defence, blocking his jabs and punches. In midst of dodging, he got an opening. Pivoting on one leg, he almost kicked his opponent on the side. But Iwabe was fast enough to block it with his arm, pushing Boruto's leg with enough strength to make him lose his balance. Boruto immediately rolled on his back to avoid coming in Iwabe's range.

It was clear to her trained eyes that Boruto was educated in battle styles and martial arts and was undoubtedly talented. Although Iwabe's extreme experience was nullifying his efforts visibly.

Sarada bit her lip when Iwabe was able to get a hit on him, throwing him across the hard ground. But before Boruto could move away in time, Iwabe was on him, delivering a harsh kick in the ribs and punching him quite a few times.

“Boruto-kun!”

“Boruto!”

“Boruto, you idiot! Get up!”

She could hear his friends calling out to him, as her fingers clutched the railing tightly enough for her knuckles to turn white.

“You're worried about him?” Chocho asked, eyeing her grip.

“Don't be ridiculous!” Sarada lied through her teeth, but was sure that Chocho didn't buy it.

Come, on. Get up. Use his own weight and throw him off.

She knew that sitting on the sidelines here and blurting out suggestions was much easier than being on the battle arena and facing the opponent yourself. But she was flabbergasted when Boruto did exactly the same.

Grabbing both of Iwabe's arms in a tight hold, he slammed his feet hard on his chest, and using the weight of his rival, he catapulted him over his head, right on the floor.

The crowd cheered for Boruto and Sarada almost released a sigh of relief. She wondered if it was noticeable to others or not, but he had a bleeding abrasion on his forearm, and probably a sprained ankle because she could see him limping. A pit of worry settled inside her stomach, for a classmate she barely even knew.

Why? Don’t even ask. She didn't know that. She just knew that she didn’t want him to get injured...or lose.

This time Boruto took the offence, managing to get several hits on Iwabe's face and chest and then a knee straight in stomach forcing him to cough out spit. Sarada gasped in shock when he immediately grabbed Boruto's thigh and pulled in violently, forcing him to tumble down. Iwabe took the moment to recover, closing in the distance and raised his leg high in air.

An axe kick?! No!

Sarada barely even remembered herself screaming at the top of her lungs.

“Dodge!”

She watched the exact moment his eyes flickered up to hers.

Blue eyes clashing against onyx.

An understanding passed between them in that instant. It was a fraction of a second when he rolled, just in time. Iwabe's attack barely grazed him. He flipped back, maintaining fair distance from his opponent. She could see Iwabe getting agitated. He was losing his patience and Boruto had already done quite damage. They circled each other, watchful of the other's posture.

But she could see it in his eyes. That burning determination. A smile graced her lips when she understood that it was going to be his last strike and he was obviously planning on winning.

Boruto lunged forward and she could see Iwabe smirking, probably thinking that Boruto was trying to land a blow. His hands were in front of his body in a gesture of defence, ready to block the punch aimed at his face. But, Sarada saw it. The glint in Boruto's smile. Iwabe looked positively stunned when instead of punching like intended, Boruto used his foot, tripping him off balance, that first attempt being merely a ruse. Boruto used that particular second of shock to use his arms and body weight to slam Iwabe on to the ground hard, using his fingers to press against his throat.

A triangle choke!

Sarada knew that the fight was over. Iwabe did have a larger frame in comparison to Boruto, but the element of surprise that Boruto had used was working well. And Boruto's technique was clearly refined. Just like she predicted, Iwabe gasped for air, his face going red from the lack of oxygen and then in a few moments, he gave up. The match had ended, with Boruto being declared as the winner.

She was pleasantly shocked when Boruto approached his fallen opponent. From here, she could not understand what they were both talking about but felt an immense pride blooming in her chest when Boruto offered his hand and Iwabe took it. He was smiling gently, even though Iwabe had a haughty look on his face, but everyone could see that begrudging respect in his eyes for their blond classmate.

“He's really cool, isn't he?”

Sumire whispered, hands clasped on her front, smiling softly. Sarada found herself agreeing.

He is...shannaro!

…

She was almost out of the school premises, to her way back home when he called her out.

“Hey! Um, can we talk for a bit?”

She staggered, turning back to look at him. He was standing a few feet away from her.

“You want to talk? To me?” she asked pointing to herself, bewildered.

“Yup?”

“...sure.”

He approached her carefully, looking here and there as if making sure that no one was in the vicinity. After convincing himself that it was just the two of them, he looked at her, smiling gratefully.

“I just wanted to thank you.”

Sarada was honestly overwhelmed at his sincerity. She guessed that was the reason why she was not sure how to respond to it.

“Thank me? For what?” She managed to ask awkwardly, shifting on her feet.

“For warning me? If you hadn't screamed at me to dodge, I would have probably lost.” He confessed, truthfully, unabashedly, and Sarada unknowingly admired him even more for it.

His eyes were so bright and expressive that she could read infinity in them. Perfect pools of blue, turning into an indescribable shade when the evening sunlight illuminated them with a soft glow.

For some reason I can’t fathom, they still appeared familiar though.

Sarada shook her head slightly, and looking him straight in the eyes, she answered.

“No, it was you. You’re the one who fought and won. I'm glad that it was you.”

A moment of comfortable silence passed between them, and she could see him searching her face for something. She didn't know what exactly, but she didn't mind. And it is then she remembered, noticing the scratch on his nose.

“Did you get your wounds treated?” she asked sternly.

“Eh? No? Wha-” he stammered at the sudden change of subject and her conduct.

“You're really reckless, aren't you?” She glared, jabbing him in the chest.

“Let's go back to school. You should go back to the infirmary.” she offered but he immediately jumped away.

“No! It would ruin my reputation, you know?” He spoke seriously as if it was a matter of life and death for him.

Sarada clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“Wow. Just wow. You boys and your stupid reputation. Great! But do tell me, what kind of reputation would you have if your wound gets infected enough to get you hospitalized or your sprain gets serious enough to get you in a wheelchair.”

“What the heck?!” He screamed, turning pale.“Why would you even say something like that?”

Sarada is unable to control her giggles at the aghast look on his face. He appeared to be clearly disturbed.

“And how did you even know I had a sprained ankle? Almost nobody noticed.”

His question was valid, she decided. With a secretive smile on her face, she replied. “Nothing escapes my vision.”

And just like that, he's cackling like a madman. And she too, dissolved in a fit of laughter. In midst of all that giggling, she grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

“Wait! I don't wanna go to the infirmary!” He whined like a little kid, still chuckling.

“Alright! I'm just searching for a bench.” She told him, shaking her head at his actions.

And soon they found one. Beneath a beautiful cherry blossom tree that reminded Sarada so much of her mother. She hoped that the tree would magically transmit her feelings to her mother. That she was happy here, making new friends and meeting nice people.

Maybe I'll call her tonight.

They sat on the bench, just on the sidewalk as Sarada pulled out a small box from her bag.

“Is that a first aid kit?” He asked, nonplussed.

“Yup. You got to carry one when your mother is a doctor. No excuses are acceptable.”

The next few minutes are spent with her applying antiseptics on his wounds, dressing them and then helping him to tie the crepe bandage on his strained ankle. Then she leaned in, grasping his chin and pulling it down at her level.

“H-Hey! W-What are you-” He stuttered, face turning a brilliant shade of red.

“You have a scratch on your nose.”

That was the only warning she gave him before slapping a bandage on.

“Ouch!” he howled before glaring at her with watery eyes. She just gave him a smug smirk.

“And do something about those bruised ribs.”

“Seriously?! What are you? Some doctor?”

“No. I'm not. But I told you that my mother is.”

He exclaimed how good she was in this stuff and she of course, bragged about her mother again. As she rearranged her kit all over, his voice reached her ears, tone quite tentative.

“Hey?”

“Yes?”

There was a pause, as if he was contemplating his thoughts and arranging them in a plausible explanation of his inner monologue.

“Our first meeting was not...very cool, was it? Better late than never. Let's start again, shall we?”

Sarada stared at him for a while, trying to gouge out his intentions but all she could see was that vibrant hopefulness in them. She smiled and then extended her hand to him.

“Hello. I'm Uchiha Sarada. Nice to meet you.”

Her heart thrummed inside her chest deafeningly, as he gave her the brightest smile she'd ever seen a person having. Incredibly beautiful. Bright enough to rival the sun. He took her hand delicately and smiled larger.

“Hey! I'm Uzumaki Boruto! Nice to meet you too.”

Now sitting on the bench, just like this, letting the soft, pink cherry blossoms fall on them was unexpectedly soothing. Boruto's companionship felt so familiar that Sarada was in bliss of tender warmth inside. It was beautiful moment. Something new but yet something similar to a memory deeply buried somewhere in her conscience. And that is why it felt like the correct moment to ask him something she had been itching to, since the moment she had met him.

“I want to ask you something.” She whispered.

“Yeah, me too.” he murmured.

And just like that, something clicked.

They grinned at each other, a thousand words flowing between them, eyes all bright and excited, before speaking out in unison.

“Have we met before?”

...

Tbh, I really, really enjoyed writing this story. Thank you once again @benteja for supporting me and my art so much! it means a lot to me! and all the other members of Borusara discord too! You guys are awesome! And omg, i cant wait to hear your thoughts everyone!

And I want to make a few things clear. I do not want you all to think that I hate Iwabe. No, not at all. Infact I enjoy his character. I just took a little inspiration from the canon, you see?

Please do tell me if you enjoyed this story! We needed a Borusara high school AU, didn't we? AHAHAHAHAHA!

#borusara #borusarafics #boruto x sarada #boruto and sarada #boruto uzumaki #sarada uchiha #boruto #sarada #borusara fanfiction #chocho akimichi #shikadai nara #iwabe yuino #denki kaminarimon #sumire kakei #well i'm not sure if i should tag mitsuki #boruto naruto next generation #adi writes

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