#crumbling cube

[marcmarcmomarc]

Xiao Long Media

Alyssa Axen

Liam Catterson

Newbie Jun

Calxiyn

Murder of Birds

Eric_reacts

ThatKaitoDan

Freelancer Amber

AyoLaxzone

Ruby Reaction’s

Ave_r_ie

Crumbling Cube

Theduckgoesmoo

Lunapink

Melissa Hime

Visual Outcast Studio

Kiaxet

Gh0xttherebel

All Ages of Geek

Laurelei_Lee

The pink gaymer

Puns of Damage

Aliavian

Blind Wave

Full0Grace

The Normies

Semblance of Sanity

I really want to watch rwby reactors the 1st 3 thar were suggested were Adel judgementa/lcritter and vexed. Are all rwby reactors this negative or did I just have horrid luck

Ah, my dude, I shouldn't laugh but I think you hit the holy trinity of anti-RWBY "critics" on your first go, that's rough. I watch a handful of reactors that tend to be quite positive about the show and Bumbleby.

I'd 100% recommend Xiao Long Media (hyping my fellow Brits), they're brilliant and practically embody Blake and Yang, they do a livestream analysis as well as reactions, they're definitely my favourites. There's OrganoidZero - they don't have a massive following on YouTube as I think they post on another platform first but they're really funny, love BB and tend to go through Twitter/Tumblr posts about the episode as well, theirs is post-episode rather than live reactions. Phoenix/Night - he's really analytical and thoughtful, same with ThatKaitoDan and You All Write, if you like analysis and thought videos. Otherwise, there's also Calxiyn who is super enthusiastic, she usually has some golden nuggets of insight and good reactions - though, is infinitely more enjoyable if you're a die-hard Neo stan 🤣 worth checking out, she's full of energy and great if you need a smile. Annndd... Rykage, cos... Again, fellow Brit, and quite funny.

Can't think of any more off the top of my head but all the above tend to be positive posters! If anyone can think of any others feel free to add to the list. Chances are that I'll end up following them as well!

[cake-emu]

spent the entire episode worrying that nobody would eat the shakshuka

[photon816]

seemz,,, familiar 0⟰<

[puckpocketed]

idk about everyone else here but i was chewing on the same piece of focaccia for a minute while we got RINSED by the jet.s cycling . how we feeling <3

[marcmarcmomarc]

Extra mentions:

@yang-smash-trash & @cenizacaer

Alyssa Axen

Liam Catterson

Newbie Jun

@calxiyn

Murder of Birds

Eric_reacts

ThatKaitoDan

Freelancer Amber

AyoLaxzone

Ruby Reaction’s

Ave_r_ie

@crumblingcube

Theduckgoesmoo

Lunapink

Melissa Hime

Visual Outcast Studio

@kiaxet

@gh0xttherebel

@allagesofgeek

@laureleilee

The pink gaymer

@arryntroche

@aliavian

Full0Grace

Semblance of Sanity

After the news of Rooster Teeth’s death, I decided to remake this post of Ruby telling the tale of RWBY+J’s time in the Ever After to the Remnant Alliance as another dose of RWBY positivity, once again inspired by this post by @pmpknsoup.

———————————————————————————

(In Theodore’s office in Shade Academy at early evening, Team RWBY and Jaune face the main members of the Remnant Alliance.)

RUBY: Listen. Thanks, everyone, for your patience. It took a while to figure out how to tell you, and I know being left in the dark about our whereabouts over the remainder of the winter, the whole spring, and the summer has left you anxious, but now, I’ve decided it’s time to reveal what’s been going on. Miss Robyn Hill, I’ll need your Semblance to prove all of this correct.

(Robyn steps away from the group, removes her glove, and joins hands with Ruby. Her Semblance turns on and glows green with every piece of information Ruby gives.)

ROBYN: So what happened in the pocket dimension?

RUBY: Well, after I fell, I regained consciousness on a beach surrounded by giant seashells. I tried to hone in on a giant tree, but just ended up looping in circles. Eventually, I had to stop, then found a mouse trying to pull a plant put of the ground. I pulled the plant out for the mouse and fed them a cheese. After the mouse revealed that they could talk, I named them Little, and they decided to stay by my side as I tried to get home. Then we found Weiss and Blake captured in vines by a whole village of talking mice. It didn’t take much convincing to get them to let them go. Then we went to look for Yang and found a creepy Grimm-looking creature moving jerkily. And I mean very creepy. Then Yang came barreling out, already fighting the creature while missing her arm. Then Blake realized we were in our favorite childhood fairy tale, The Girl Who Fell Through the World.

(Confusion and wonder all around. “That fairy tale?” “The Ever After?” “It’s real?”)

OSCAR: That fairy tale actually happened? And the Ever After is real?

RUBY: Which meant the creepy Grimm-like creature was the Jabberwalker from that story. Also, Weiss had a very hard time wrapping her head around the Ever After’s absurdities.

(Weiss blushes with embarrassment.)

WEISS: Did not.

RUBY: Our hands are glowing green, Weiss. Robyn’s Semblance never fails. Then we went to the village in the Crimson Acre to barter with the Jinxy Peddler, who had stolen Yang’s arm, or “took something we weren’t looking at”, according to Little.

EMERALD: You met the Jinxy Peddler?

VELVET: Was he cute?

WEISS: Yeah.

RUBY: And, despite being older than he was in the book, his strategy was the same, selling treasures that are really other items in disguise. If my memory serves me right, he had a yellow scepter, a pink rabbit statue, and a marionette-like doll. Toy soldiers won the scepter, and we only got it back from them because Little tried stealing the marionette, exposing Jinxy’s treasures as fakes. The rabbit statue was another mouse, the scepter was Yang’s arm, and the marionette was one of Penny’s Floating Array swords. The soldiers followed us to arrest us for stealing Yang’s arm, or “royal property”, before I traded Penny’s sword, with a story of her being the greatest warrior to ever live. “She was touched by magic, and she gave her life for thousands. She took a message of hope to the stars, and she saw the world through better eyes.”

(The gang gets emotional, especially Pietro, whom Maria comforts.)

RUBY: The soldiers escorted us to the Crimson Castle for the birthday of who we thought was the Red King, but turned out to be the Red Prince, who was more of a spoiled brat than Weiss was at Beacon.

YANG: (nudging Weiss) Heh-heh.

RUBY: We challenged him to a game of chess, where he shrunk the girls to the size of chess pawns. Not that it hindered their performance against the Prince’s pawns. When we revealed that we’re humans and beat him, he threw a tantrum and wanted us beheaded, and the Curious Cat rescued us.

(More interested chatter. Nora gets giddy.)

NORA: The Curious Kitty?!

REN: Were they as chatty as the book made them out to be?

RUBY: Mm-hm. Not to mention easily distracted. Anyway, they took us to look for ingredients for a Growgurt Parfait in the Garden Acre, and we told them our life story, they briefly distracted me with questions about how I’m supposed to save the world now that Salem has two out of four Relics and that Atlas is gone, making me lose them over and over again. After the third time, we met an herbalist, a caterpillar named Herb who seemed to be asking us questions to figure out what medicine he needed to make to help us. Reasonable, as too little medicine is useless, but too much medicine is toxic. Eventually Herb just decided to smoke for a bit and drugged us with leaves which made us see our past selves. The other girls rejected and had already accepted their failures as something to learn from, but I almost gave in, before the Cat stopped me, then got Herb swallowed by a hole in the ground.

TAI: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. You guys did drugs?

QROW: Don’t let alcoholism be next, girls.

RUBY: Anyway, the Cat led us to a market to keep looking for the Parfait ingredients. Along the way, they told us about a process that occurs when an Afteran is no longer doing the assigned role that they are supposed to be, triggered by them losing their ways, wearing out, doubting themselves, or even just finishing their assigned tasks, upon which they are taken to the Great Tree and repurposed into someone or something else with a new identity, personality, and role. Their memories are erased in the process, but the heart very rarely forgets. They don’t die. They ascend.

(Such a concept catches the interest of the gang.)

REMNANT ALLIANCE: Ooh.

RUBY: And then, the market was attacked by Jabberwalkers using Neopolitan’s Semblance. Yeah, Neopolitan fell with us, too.

(The members of the Alliance who know who Neo was grow worried.)

REN: Uh-oh.

TAI: Neopolitan? Who’s that?

RUBY: Roman Torchwick’s parter. She’s held me responsible for his death at the Fall of Beacon and wanted me dead to avenge him.

RAVEN: Was she that chick I saved Yang from on the train on Mountain Glenn?

RUBY: Yep. Then I disposed of her by opening her umbrella on an Atlas airship in the sky during the Fall of Beacon. Apparently she survived that fall without any of those Grimm surrounding us eating her.

OSCAR: Team JNPR and I last fought her right after Ironwood declared us fugitives.

RUBY: Then she fought us in the pocket dimension between here and Solitas. Heck, she was the reason Yang, Blake, and I fell. Anyway, we had all of the ingredients for the Parfait, and the girls grew back to normal size just as we got assistance from the Rusted Knight riding his white rabbit.

WHITLEY: Did Weiss go goo-goo eyes the second she laid eyes on him? She had a crush on him when she was younger.

BLAKE: I think everyone had a crush on the Rusted Knight at some point.

RUBY: Well, things didn’t help when he turned out to be a grown-up Jaune with longer hair and a beard, who grabbed a fruit that sent him back in time twenty years right after he landed.

(The gang gasps at the new knowledge of the Rusted Knight being not only Jaune, of all people, but Jaune thrown backwards in time, grown older, and living without his friends for so long.)

NORA: Oh, my Gods, Jaune!

JAUNE: I was stuck there isolated from other human contact, too.

YANG: Weiss certainly loved how mature he was.

RUBY: And the white rabbit was a jackalope Jaune named Juniper.

NORA: After his team? Aww!

RUBY: Then Jaune told us his perspective on the Tree, that he believed it was death, that Alyx backstabbed her brother Lewis, the author of the fairy tale, who wrote the story the way he wished it happened, and that the Cat couldn’t be trusted. Before long, we got caught in a “punderstorm”, which creates a physical manifestation of a mental or emotional problem. Jaune, Weiss, Juniper, and I were sent to metaphorical and literal crossroads, while Yang and Blake were sent to two broken, wooden, rickety bridges connected to a giant pillar they could only make more planks to advance toward if they were honest about their feelings for each other. Yeah, Yang and Blake are girlfriends now.

(Everyone’s hearts melt, all proud for the Bees.)

REMNANT ALLIANCE: Aww!

NORA: See, Ren? I told you there was more going on!

KALI: Our baby girl found love?

TAI: With my sunny little dragon?

RAVEN: Wow. She really is your daughter, Tai.

RUBY: Then the Cat bailed on us after mistaking us for selfishly using them to get home, and once the storm passed, Jaune let us spend the night in his house in the Origami Acre, then he introduced us the next morning to a village of paper stars called the Paper Pleasers whose purpose was finished and kept trying to go to the Tree to gain a new purpose, but Jaune had been stopping them for as long as he knew them. He also named them after all of us. Let’s see, on Jaune’s to-do list, I saw Ren, Ruby, Oscar, Nora, Neptune, and Pyrrha. Anyway, a Paper Pleaser told us that Jaune had nothing to worry about, that the Tree isn’t death, it’s rebirth. They were just listening to Jaune so as to not hurt his feelings. Then Neo’s Jabberwalkers attacked, and while we were distracted, the Paper Pleasers finally managed to off themselves via destroying the koi pond dam, then when the girls asked me to help comfort Jaune, I blew up at them for caring more about everyone else’s feelings or getting home, taking my mental health for granted and ignoring my problems…

(Everyone leans in anxiously. Things are getting even more interesting, but not in a good way.)

(Weiss, Blake, Yang, and Jaune exchange looks of guilt.)

RUBY: …then I ran away, came across the Abandoned Acre, and entered a random mansion, where Neo had made clone illusions of Roman Torchwick, Penny, Pyrrha, Professor Lionheart, Clover, Ozpin, and Ironwood, and used them to physically and psychologically abuse me, beating me up ruthlessly and blaming me for their deaths, and when the chaos was over, I felt no will to live or be myself anymore, not helped by Torchwick’s question: “Do you really think you can stand to watch more of your friends fall? Or are you ready to admit the truth, that the world would just be better off without you?”

(The gang regards Ruby with sorrow over her being trampled by her trauma. Ozpin can be heard sniffling.)

RUBY: Then Neo offered me tea made from leaves from the Tree intended to wipe me from existence, then the Cat blasted her away, but then turned out to be evil and tried to possess me, while revealing that they had been trying to wear me down, then Neo fought them off and stomped Little to death, then I finally gave in, drank the tea, offing myself, and got swallowed by the Tree.

YANG: (tearing up) Oh, Rubes.

RUBY: Then I met a Blacksmith, who I also found at the market, or, rather, she found me, and then she presented me with a choice to either change my identity or be myself. I saw my mom’s weapon and was treated to a vision of the night she left with Raven on another one of Ozpin’s secret missions and never came back.

(Tai turns accusingly at Raven.)

TAI: Raven?

YANG: She lied? She left with you?

RAVEN: Yeah… Hey, like I said to her, “First time for everything.”

HARE: (to Ruby) Wait. What did you say your mother’s name was again?

RUBY: Summer.

HARE: (muttering) So, her uncle is Qrow, her father is Taiyang, and her sister’s mother is Raven. All are members of Team STRQ. Summer, Summer, Summer… (out loud) Summer Rose, the leader of Team STRQ, was your mother?

REMNANT ALLIANCE (walla): Summer?…Summer Rose?…The previous silver-eyed Huntress?…That’s Summer Rose’s daughter?

RUBY: Yeah. And then, I finally remembered my mom’s words, “I love you just the way you are,” and chose to be myself. And I. Came. Back, and helped the girls fight the Cat. And we won.

(Cheers and applause all around.)

RUBY: And then Neo killed the Cat with the Jabberwalkers, who, by the way, are the only creatures to prevent Ascension if they eat Afterans.

BLAKE: On my count, there were a whopping five of them.

REMNANT ALLIANCE (walla): Five?…Five of them?…Five Jabberwalkers?

SUN: Talk about overkill.

ELM: (after doing the multiplication math in her head) That’s gotta be over ninety teeth!

RUBY: And, according to the girls, Neo was possessed by the Cat, and she chose to accept Torchwick’s death and undergo her own Ascension. Oh, and Little ascended, too, into who we called Somewhat, and succeeded Jaune as the protector of the Ever After. By then, we had made it to the Tree by coming to terms with the truth, we’ll never be perfect, that even the most skilled Huntsmen and Huntresses have failed, and we walked through the door back home, landed inside the plane of the Tree, met the Blacksmith again at her workshop, and when we noticed two statues of the Brother Gods, she told us their backstory. That the Ever After was overfilled with plants and dangerous wildlife in its primordial years, but the Brothers were created to clear it out. Then they created the Afterans as well as the different acres for them to live in. They designed new creations that would replace them in maintaining the Ever After. This was how the Cat was created. They later created the Jabberwalker as a form of destruction. However, the two disagreed on whether it disrupted the balance or not and began to wage war.

OSCAR AND OZPIN: (both scoff) What else is new?

RUBY: The Blacksmith told us how balance isn’t supposed to be two opposing forces locked in battle; balance is an ecosystem, an organism, and a living thing, thus balance isn’t restored with force or manipulation, it’s restored naturally, requiring love and patience to see it through to the end. The Gods got to Remnant because the Ever After created a door to a “greater beyond” for them, so they can leave and experiment in creating new worlds as much as they like.

NORA: (snickering) So the Tree basically said, “You think you have life sorted out? Then get out of my house”?

RUBY: Pretty much.

(Everyone laughs at the Brother Gods basically being kicked out of the house by their “mommy”. Some Gods they are.)

YANG: (wiping a tear) Oh, my Gods, that’s such a hilarious way of looking at it. Thanks, Nora.

RUBY: Anyway, the Blacksmith told us that we have impacted the Ever After significantly; just like Somewhat, Alyx, and Lewis, and that the Cat caused a bad impact. Then she de-aged Jaune, but let him keep his memories, which explains the white streak in his hair, and made us a portal in the desert on the outskirts of the city, and now you’re all caught up…

(Ruby lets go of Robyn’s hand. The freedom fighter rejoins the rest of the Alliance.)

RUBY: …so, I’m happy to announce that I’m not giving up the fight to save the world anytime soon. We will not rest until the world is saved from Salem and her forces, for we are Team Remnant, led by me, Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, offspring of Team STRQ, trainee at Beacon Academy, officially licensed Huntress, worldwide beacon of hope, and Silver-Eyed Warrior of peace!

REMNANT ALLIANCE (walla): Yes!…Great!…Alright!…Thank goodness…Welcome back, Ruby…Good to have you back, kid…Way to go, Ruby!…That’s my girl!

YANG: We’re so proud of you, Ruby.

RUBY: Thanks, guys. You and your support mean the world to me. And I’m just as proud to call you guys family. All of you.

(Everyone looks at Ruby with warmed hearts.)

———————————————————————————

Starring the voices of:

Lindsay Jones as Ruby Rose

Cristina Vee as Robyn Hill

Aaron Dismuke as Oscar Pine

Kara Eberle as Weiss Schnee

Katie Newville as Emerald Sustrai

@caitiward as Velvet Scarlatina

Barbara Dunkelman as Yang Xiao Long

Samantha Ireland as Nora Valkyrie

Neath Oum as Lie Ren

Burnie Burns as Taiyang Xiao Long

Jason Liebrecht as Qrow Branwen

Anna Hullum as Raven Branwen

Howard Wang as Whitley Schnee

@arrynxzech as Blake Belladonna

@milesluna as Jaune Arc

@taraplatt-blog as Kali Belladonna

Anairis Quiñones @anairisq as Harriet Bree

@michaeljones as Sun Wukong

@dawnmbennett as Elm Ederne

Shannon McCormick as Professor Ozpin

Additional Voices:

Sena Bryer as May Marigold

Ashley Burns as Coco Adel

Tiana Camacho as Glynda Goodwitch

@camclarkevoices as Bartholomew Oobleck

@davefennoyisca as Dr. Pietro Polendina

Gavin Free as Scarlet David

Caitlin Glass as Willow Schnee

Mick Lauer as Marrow Amin

Cherami Leigh as Ilia Amitola

Marissa Lenti as Joanna Greenleaf

Joe MacDonald as Yatsuhashi Daichi

Aaron Marquis as Nolan Porfirio

Elizabeth Maxwell as Winter Schnee

@laniminella as Rowena Sunnybrook

@maxmittelman-blog as Fox Alistair

Josh Ornelas as Sage Ayana

Anthony Sardinha @antfishvo as Peter Port

Kerry Shawcross as Neptune Vasilias

Keith Silverstein as Professor Theodore

Michele Sontag as Fiona Thyme

Melissa Sternenberg as Maria Calavera

J. Michael Tatum as Klein Sieben

Kent Williams as Ghira Belladonna

Anne Yatco as Xanthe Rumpole

“One Day More” section here.

[volfoss]

Good news... French toast casserole tomorrow :3

[nyc-pizza-rat]

watching the guys play cash n guns is FREAKING ME OUTT girl this is why i dont play board games i would end up in the bathroom crying if it were me

[aash-the-fucking-question-mark]

BEAUTIFUL PERSON AWARD! Once you are given this award you're supposed to paste it in the asks of 8 people who deserve it. If you break the chain nothing happens, but it's sweet to know someone thinks you're beautiful inside and out <33

aww thanks luv you are beautiful tooo!!

fuckkk!! i added all the people i'm following in the tags right? tumblr never told me there is a limit to how many tags you can have!! it took fucking forever!!

fuckkkkkk!!

do you understand my pain a whole fucking hour!!!

[daydreamerwonderkid]

At no point ever has Batman shown any sexual desire in a man All of his partners are female Shipping a canonical straight man with another canonical straight man is a disservice to his character and requires Superman a character with a code of honor and upstanding morals to cheat on his canonical wife in order for an extremely out of character relationship to take place

Cozy Soup

Prep Time: 15-20 min

Cook Time: 30-50 min

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or turkey

3/4 cup chopped onion

-Even if you hate onions, I promise they'll taste amazing in this

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp dried basil

4 tbsp butter

3 cups chicken broth

4 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups Velveta cheese, cubed

-Alternatively, you can do 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese instead

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

1. Brown ground meat in a 3-4 qtr saucepan. Once it's fully cooked, drain the meat and set it aside.

2. In the original saucepan, add 1 tbsp butter, chopped onion and carrots, dried basil, and dried parsley. Saute until all are tender.

3. Add broth, potatoes, and meat to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 10-15 min until everything is tender.

4. In a separate skillet, melt remaining butter and add flour. Cook and stir for 3-5 min or until the mixture becomes bubbly. Add to soup and bring it to a boil. Cook and stir again for 2 additional minutes. Reduce heat to low.

5. Stir in the cheese, milk, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until cheese completely melts. Remove from heat and blend in sour cream. Serve.

Optional Garnishes

-Bacon bits

-Feta crumbles

-Shredded cheddar cheese

-Chives

Additional

Highly recommend garlic bread to go alongside this dish. It's pure heaven.

[clairewritesfanfics]

Inside an Otoge: Mister Dragon, Let Me Love You Chapter 6

Pairing: Dragon!Sylus x Non-MC!Reader

a/n: I know, I know–it's been 800 years and the jellyfish are walking naked–but before you throw rocks at me, I have a very good reason for not updating in so long; two words: Invincible hole. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! edit: I'm also sorry if I haven't replied to your comments/replies in the previous chapters, it's hard navigating Tumblr replies 🤧

CHAPTER 5 | Series Masterlist <<read the synopsis and trigger warnings first>>

You don’t think you were an envious person. You aren’t completely immune to feelings of inadequacy, but you didn’t spend a lot of time comparing yourself to others. Except for special cases.

“You’re being awfully quiet,” Sylus says.

He brought you to a tavern, in a different city this time, brighter and looking more like a Disney theme park than medieval Gotham. Despite his mild grumpiness when the sun is out, Sylus is quite fond of walking around outside, provided that it was the afternoon or near the evening. Before you arrived, he’d been alone, stuck in that sad cave in the Abyss for over a thousand years. Neither of you understood how you managed to free him, but all that matters to Sylus now is that he can stretch his wings whenever he wants–and that he can drag you along.  For this trip, you wore a period-appropriate outfit he bought for you, but he didn’t bother putting on anything, saying that his illusion magic would be enough.

When you don’t reply, he calls out your name again.

“What?” You turn away from the slice of cake in front of you.

He raises an eyebrow. “It has been fifteen minutes since you last spoke, and you’re not eating like it’s your last meal today.” 

He’s teasing you but you only grin as you pick up your fork. “I was thinking.”

“I gathered as much.”

“Sylus.”

He hums, pouring himself another cup of tea.

“Tell me, what do you think of a person who gets jealous of someone who is not real?”

“What nonsense are you spouting now?”

“You see, even from a young age I liked to read books, some were fairytales and love stories, others were meant to scare me or take me into a journey beyond the stars. At some point, I developed… affection for certain characters.”

“Affection? Are you speaking of romantic love?”

You smile. “Something like that–rather than outright love love, I think it’d be fairer to call it infatuation. It’s silly. I became obsessed with these figures of imagination to the point that I would get angry when they fell in love with other characters.”

You expect him to say something mocking, but instead, he drops a sugar cube into his cup and says, “I don’t think it’s silly.”

“That’s surprising. Most people would call me crazy, after all, what’s more insane than loving something that doesn’t exist?”

“I’m not most people. Desire is simple, humans make it more complicated than it needs to be. It’s far more foolish to lie to ourselves about what we feel.” He shrugs.

“You’re right, it is simple,” you laugh wryly and poke the strawberry on top of your cake. 

He watches you. He then sets down his cup and looks at the street. “Fictional people aside, have you experienced true love?”

“No.”

“Huh.”

“Shocked?”

“Yes.” He meets your gaze. “You struck me as a hopeless romantic.”

You laugh for real this time. “It’s precisely because I am a hopeless romantic that I have never experienced that kind of love.”

“I don’t follow.”

“I told you, I like to read. Love that transcends time and space is a common theme for a lot of books.” You stab the cake. You spent most of your life admiring the stars so now, no earthly gem can ever compare. “One would have a higher chance of meeting a mythological creature than finding true love.”

He chuckles. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Well, from what you’ve told me about your reality, don’t I qualify as a mythological creature?”

The cake crumbles and you push the pieces apart. “That’s true.”

Ruby eyes fall over to your sulking form. 

Sylus clears his throat and looks at the stores. “It’s truly fascinating how much this place has changed since I last remembered.”

Your ears perk up. Since you’ve met him, Sylus has barely shared anything about his childhood or his life a thousand years ago.

“What was it like?” You ask.

A little girl passes by the street with what looks to be her grandfather; her twintails bob with each step she takes. Her head turns and she sees Sylus. Without missing a beat, she offers a toothy grin and waves her arm in greeting. 

Sylus weakly raises his hand, the faintest smile evident on his lips.  

Satisfied, the girl continues dragging her grandfather around the town.

“It was a little village, barely big enough to house more than maybe 300 people. There used to be a town square where this very tavern stands.” There’s a far off look in his eyes, mind somewhere you cannot see.

Heart aching, you say playfully: “I bet you were a cute kid.”

He snorts. “I was small.”

“I have a hard time picturing that.” The Sylus you came to know is a big guy, not just physically, his presence has a way of enveloping you. When he’s in a room with you, you can’t help but look at him.

“I was a tiny thing,” he continues, “it was ridiculous, really, even the human children were taller than me. My horns and tail and wings used to be much bigger than my body. They feared me, but because I was smaller they still had the guts to throw rocks.”

You hum, watching him reminisce. 

After a while, he exhales and looks at you. “Anyway, is there anything you’d like to do today?”

“I’m going for a job search.”

“...what?”

“You’re already letting me live with you for free, not to mention paying for my meals, I figured it’s about time I earn my own money.” You sip on your tea. 

“You don’t have to do that.”

You hated your job back on Earth, and you fantasized about living a carefree life without having to worry about rent or food. But you soon discovered that life as a homebody is no fun and games either. As much as you enjoy annoying–ahem, admiring and praising Sylus, staying alone with him for too long is making you feel things. Things that have no place in your heart. 

“You can’t–you don’t have to work,” he insists. “I have more gold than I know what to do with, you can use them all you want.”

“As tempting as the offer is–” who doesn’t want to be a handsome dragon’s sugar baby? “–I’ll have to decline for, let’s say, ethical purposes.”

“But–”

“Sylus,” you cut him off, the soft clinking of your teacup on its saucer sounds sharp, like a warning bell. “I’m doing this.”

He is about to protest, but then he catches sight of the bruising on your wrist, so he purses his lips and folds back on his chair. “I’m sorry.”

The Sylus in-game is the epitome of a perfect man: confident, secure, respectful and devoted. But the Sylus sitting in front of you is basically Rapunzel. Over a thousand years spent alone in his tower with no human contact may not have broken his mind, but the gaps in his emotional development are evident. He’s growing too attached. You knew of the consequences of staying with him and you selfishly let it happen. You don’t know how destiny works, but you know that somewhere in the future, there is a world where Sylus can be happy, truly happy with the woman he loves. And you love him too much to rip that away from him, so you will do the right thing and leave before either of you can make a mistake.

***

Sylus doesn’t understand. 

Humans work to make money, so they can buy things. From what you told him, you always worried about money, that’s why, even though you loathed your job, you did not stop until you died.

But his cave is full of treasures already. He has enough money to last him for eternity, enough to last the both of you for as long as you live. 

He hates that he does not understand. He hates that small trinket shop that hired you, and he hates that human boy–no, the young man who looks at you like… like you just told him really good news and now he can’t stop smiling.

It’s infuriating. 

He would never admit this to you, but sometimes–not all the time–he wishes you were a bird. You would be a very adorable bird, he thinks. A loud and cute thing. If you were a bird, he would build you the biggest, most intricate, most beautiful golden cage. Only the best bird seeds and fruits would be given to you. You would never want for anything.

If you were a bird, you could stay with him.

If you were a bird, you wouldn't have to leave ever again.

***

“Everything’s been running more smoothly since you came along,” says Orson as he carries the newest delivery of antiques inside the store. He’s the grandson of the owner and an incredibly polite eighteen-year-old. 

“Well, I’m glad you find me satisfactory.” This place isn’t so bad. Compared to your old nine to five, this is easy money. The people are also nice enough. No one calls you an idiot every second and the only other employee, Orson, knows how to pull his weight. 

“You don’t give yourself enough credit. We used to lose a lot of the smaller stuff, but your–what do you call it, inventory? Your inventory makes it easier to keep track of everything.”

You laugh and help him unload the crates. You fish out the usual knicknacks that are sent to this store: silverware, secondhand books, old toys, a kettle–no. 

You rub your whole face.

Orson peers over from his crate and teases, “Dust in your eye again?”

You ignore him and look back at the contents of the box. This can’t be. 

He calls your name as you reach inside and carefully pull out a lamp, its gold sheen nowhere to be found under layers of dust and dirt. Wrapped around it is a small, black and red dragon.  

@phisen @leryg0 @capribun @sinnamon-bunn @wegottastayfocus @erisnxxi @syyyy4ever @limerenceisserenity @shiorihoshino @poptrim @jeleryyy @serenity-loves-red @vigtore @imagineblaqkttv @calverkeys @malleus-draconias-rose @traumaramacenter @tak3yourpill @lucifers-silhouette @lanxianschoenheit @anixx1 @cupid-gene @animechick555 @lostpsycho13 @roselleviennesstuff @athanasia-day @nazifa613 @multisstuff @shadowqueen09 @sleepykittycx @perla-drg @codedove @mentaltrouble2201 @seris-the-amious @alyssac9 @kira-loves0905 @yutterfly @nerrivm @sharlinna @sleepykittycx @huuvu

Sorry if I missed /repeated someone in the tags, Tumblr doesn’t exactly have the best commenting system.

a/n: How’re you guys liking the verb tense change? I know I originally wrote everything in the past tense but since this is set in an otoge I went with the usual present tense used in such games. Or does it feel too awkward? ALSO PLEASE NO SPOILERS ABOUT THE NEWEST ADDITION TO THE MAIN STORY. I have been busy with finals so I still haven't played them.

CHAPTER 7: Coming soon.

Disclaimer: The image of Sylus used in this post does not belong to writerclaire, it is an official image from the game itself.

ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

MAIN MASTERLIST

Any questions for the author? Ask here.

[System notice: the ask box is open for discussion and questions and fangirling/fanboying, but it is now CLOSED FOR REQUESTS.]

[puptrefied]

currently thinking about sleepy sex with ellie :(

cw - somno.

　ellie who cannot keep her hands to herself even while she's falling asleep, needs it. the warmth, needs the feeling of your skin, she needs to be as close as humanly possible if not more.

you barely had any time to get under the covers before her hands automatically found their way under your shirt, palm on your stomach to tug you closer—calloused fingers stroked lazy shapes against your skin. her front flush against your back, lips messily meeting your shoulder with a low hum.

baby had to wake up earlier than usual for patrol and was so fucking tiredddd </3

“my hand's not cold…” the sound of her voice was muffled against your back and as much as she denies it, her hand is definitely cold, freezing I dare to say. this woman is an ice cube most of the time. with that body temperature she might as well be liquid nitrogen pretending to be a person.

( and she takes advantage of it to cuddle. )

“ellie, I swear—get your hand away,” you shot back, trying to squirm away from her cold grip, but it only made her tighten her hold, pulling you even closer.

“mm, stop moving,” she whined, her tone dipping into that sleep-drunk whimper that made your resolve crumble most of the time. “you’re warm… feels nice.” her nose nuzzled the back of your neck, lips brushing your skin.

ugh, so stubborn and clingy.

don't blame her if she starts to grind against your ass while spooning, she just wants to be warm! and honestly it's her body acting purely out of instinct.

it's not just to fuck, it's to soothe herself to sleep.

her hips moved in small, unthinking rolls, completely involuntary, like her body was acting on autopilot. she wasn’t fully there—her needy murmurs were barely coherent, breath hot against your neck as she clung tighter.

even if there's no direct contact she lets out little, groany whimpers on your neck while her hand stills its movements every now and then. hazy mind unable to focus on doing multiple things at once. she's awful at multitasking when eepy.

all she can think about is feels good feels good feels good and how her hand goes to grip your hips, you could be dead asleep and her body keeps moving. the hot, tingly feeling in ellie's lower abdomen making her unable to stop. she'll apologize for her horny actions in the morning with extra kisses!

if you're awake enough to turn around though? oh, she goes insane.

puffy lips finding your own in an instant, the kiss sloppy and desperately uncoordinated. she goes at it like she's starved, like she'll die in her sleep if she doesn't kiss ( eat ) you right now. her thigh situates itself in-between yours to rub there, feeling the already sticky mess dripping from the fabric of your underwear onto her skin. she’s so grateful for every decision she took in her life that led her to wear shorts as PJs.

the movements don't have any pace or rhythm—she's too tired for that—but they don't stop, she doesn't want them to and the little sounds you make show that you don't want that either.

she feels your thighs clench around hers and the way your hand grips her shirt, the smooth skin on her thigh coated with arousal.

“that's good…” ellie slurred while the wet, messy open-mouthed kisses trail down your neck. they start to go a bit slower and less frequent than before as she grows more and more tired. the whiny sighs slipping from your lips sound like a lullaby to her barely conscious brain.

her panties are still soaked but her poor body can't keep going for longer. her own orgasm will have to wait until tomorrow because she's out like light the second you come.

night night. ♡

masterlist

[slvbum]

ᤢ ♥︎⠀ 06⠀‌⸻ angel tears / rafe cameron!

content WARNING: toxic!rafe, psychological abuse, mentions of miscarriage, mentions of cheating, loneliness.

A heavy silence echoed through the Cameron mansion. Y/N drifted through the rooms like a ghost, her footsteps soft, her presence barely registering. Her cooking, once a source of pride, had turned lackluster, her rosemary chicken too dry, her pastries too dense. Rafe noticed, of course.

“Fuck, this tastes like cardboard,” he’d snapped last night, pushing his plate away, spitting on a napkin. “Can’t you do anything right anymore? I mean, Jesus—how hard can mixing ingredients be?”

The words cut deeper than they should have, making her feel more useless than ever. Since the blood-soaked sheets and the hollow ache in her womb, she’d been unraveling, her heart a fragile thing she couldn’t mend. She hadn’t told Rafe about the miscarriage. She hadn’t even told herself, not really, afraid to face the grief alone.

But today, Y/N resolved to pull herself together, not for her own sake, but for Rafe’s. The image of him with that ginger woman in his office haunted her. She couldn’t lose him. He was her husband, her family, the center of her world. Families stayed together, no matter the cost. She couldn’t bear the thought of him turning to someone else, someone who wasn’t her. So she forced herself out of bed, her limbs heavy, her heart heavier, and decided to be the wife he wanted, the one he’d married, the one he couldn’t look away from.

She chose a blue dress sprinkled with tiny yellow flowers, the kind Rafe used to love when they were teenagers sneaking kisses in the moonlight. In the mirror, she brushed her hair until it gleamed, pinning it back with a pearl clip. She looked like the Y/N he loved, not the ghost she’d become. In the kitchen, she poured her energy into a chocolate fondue, melting dark chocolate until it was silky, pairing it with fresh strawberries, pineapple, and delicate cubes of pound cake. She set up a picnic in the backyard, reminiscent of their early days when they’d sprawl on a blanket under the stars, Rafe kissing her senseless until the world faded away. She draped a white tablecloth over a wrought-iron table, arranged the fruit in a crystal bowl, and lit a citronella candle to keep the mosquitoes at bay. It was perfect, a gesture to win him back.

Hours passed, the sun dipping low, the candle flickering.

Rafe was late.

She waited, but she was exhausted, miscarriage leaving her weaker for weeks. She curled up on the living room couch, her blue dress fanning around her, and slipped her thumb into her mouth—a childish habit she’d never broken, one Rafe despised but she couldn’t stop, especially when she needed comfort. It soothed her now, her eyes fluttering shut as she drifted into a restless sleep.

A hand on her shoulder jolted her awake. Her eyes snapped open, her heart leaping as she saw Rafe standing over her, his silhouette dark against the dim lamplight.

“Rafe!” she gasped, a smile breaking across her face, bright and hopeful. She scrambled to her feet, her dress wrinkled, and threw her arms around him, her hands cupping his face to pull him into a kiss. “I made something for you,” she said, her voice bubbling with excitement. “It’s in the backyard, a picnic, like we used to—” Her thumb, still damp from her mouth, brushed his cheek, and Rafe’s expression changed in an instant.

He winced, his face twisting with disgust, and shoved her away, his hands forceful enough to make her stumble, her hip catching the edge of the couch.

“How many times have I told you to stop putting your damn fingers in your mouth?” he snapped, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand as if she’d tainted him. His blue eyes were dark with irritation, pinning her in place. “Grow up,” he said, his tone dripping with disdain, each word a hammer striking her already fragile heart. “You’re not a fucking child anymore.”

Y/N froze, her breath catching, her smile crumbling like ash. The warmth she’d felt seconds ago drained away, replaced by a cold, sinking shame. She opened her mouth to speak, to apologize, to say something, anything, but Rafe’s look silenced her, a look that made her feel small, insignificant, a speck of dust on his pristine world. He turned, his shoulders rigid, and stalked toward the guest room, not sparing a glance for the backyard, not noticing the effort she’d poured into the evening, the dress, the fondue, her heart.

He didn’t tell her she looked pretty, didn’t ask why she’d been asleep on the couch, didn’t care.

She swallowed her tears, her throat raw, her hands trembling as she stood alone in the living room. The mansion’s silence was deafening, its grandeur a cruel reminder of her isolation. She moved to the backyard, her steps mechanical, and began dismantling the picnic she’d so carefully crafted. Each item she packed away felt like a piece of her broken heart, her hope for Rafe’s love slipping through her fingers like sand. She carried the crystal bowl inside, her arms heavy, her chest aching with unshed tears.

Back in the kitchen, she set the bowl on the counter, her reflection in the darkened window staring back at her—a ghost in a blue dress. She loved Rafe, needed him, but the fear of losing him warred with the growing dread that he’d never be the man she needed. As she sank to the floor, her back against the cabinet, her thumb crept back to her mouth, a desperate grasp for comfort.

The tears came then, silent and unstoppable, spilling down her cheeks as she curled into herself, knowing that she was always going to be in his shadow.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ©slvbun(m) — written with love.

[ducksido]

Heyo love ur writing <3

Just wanted to know like, how do you think the freshmen waste time together? Like…are there cuddle piles (that Sebek and Jack begrudgingly agreed to) or just games???

Here are my thoughts + one-shot >:) and thank you 💗💗

Cuddle Pile… or Something Like It

It started with Yuu, Grim, and Ortho—Grim wants warmth, Yuu is touchy, and Ortho thinks human bonding rituals are fascinating.

Epel joins in casually; he’s used to cousin-dog-piles back home.

Deuce hesitates but melts once he's in. Ace teases, but he ends up dead center.

Sebek yells about "dignity" and "respecting Lord Malleus’s honor"… as he slowly sits on the edge with crossed arms.

Jack grumbles about “personal space” but lies down next to them to "keep an eye on Grim."

Within 10 minutes, everyone’s asleep or talking softly. It's more of a blanket tangle than a neat pile, and Sebek is the first to wake up and pretend it never happened.

Game Nights:

Card games: Uno, but with magic. Grim eats a few cards.

Deuce plays earnestly. Ace cheats with sleight of hand.

Ortho is a walking game console and sometimes links everyone into a magical VR session.

Epel and Jack have fierce Mario Kart–esque battles. Yuu and Ortho add silly commentary.

Sebek is banned from Monopoly-type games due to one (1) table-flipping incident.

“Study” Sessions (with snacks)

They gather to “study” in Ramshackle. It turns into chaos: Grim steals food, Ace distracts Deuce, Yuu gives up and braids Jack’s tail, Ortho projects silly holograms.

Epel brings homemade snacks. Sebek tries to enforce structure but caves when Jack offers him jerky.

Impromptu Talent Shows

Ace and Epel do stupid magic tricks.

Ortho sings in autotune mode.

Yuu tries to juggle.

Jack accidentally breaks something.

Grim demands a “royal performance” as the host.

“Training” that becomes goofing off

Deuce and Jack take it seriously at first.

Sebek joins shouting about drills and discipline.

But then someone tackles someone (usually Ace or Grim), and it devolves into tag, dodgeball, or wrestling.

Epel usually wins the wrestling matches with surprise tactics.

Ortho logs their antics as “physical bonding exercises.”

ONE-SHOT

The wind howled outside the crumbling walls of Ramshackle Dorm, rattling the windows like some ghost desperate for attention. Inside, the eight of you were packed into the lounge like sardines in a soup can—warm, loud, and a little chaotic.

“Why are we doing this again?” Jack muttered, arms crossed, legs tucked uncomfortably on a couch way too small for his frame.

“Because it’s freezing, we have no classes, and my paws are turning into ice cubes,” Grim replied, aggressively burrowing under a blanket like a ferret on a mission. “Also, I called dibs on Yuu’s lap.”

You patted Grim’s head absentmindedly as he nestled in, your blanket spread across both of you. “It’s called bonding, Jack. Team-building. Memory-making.”

“It’s called wasting valuable training time,” Sebek snapped, standing stiffly near the window like a military guard on patrol. “Lord Malleus would never—”

“Sebek.” Deuce raised a hand like he was asking a question in class. “Would Malleus get mad if you had fun?”

“…That is irrelevant.”

“Then sit your dramatic butt down and join the cuddle pile, dude,” Ace called from the floor where he and Epel were already wrapped in twin blankets, playing a card game with Ortho acting as the dealer/projector.

Sebek growled something about “honor” and “dignity” and “protecting the weak,” but finally relented, settling with the rigidity of a plank onto the carpet beside Jack—who scooted a little away.

“I’m not cuddling,” Jack said firmly.

“No one asked you to,” Epel muttered. “You’re like a space heater anyway. Yer the one we all sit next to.”

“Guys, guys, I added new settings to the card game,” Ortho chirped, eyes flashing. “If someone cheats, their cards explode in glitter.”

“Wait what?!” Ace yelped just as his hand erupted into shimmering blue sparkles. “Ortho!”

“Gotcha,” Ortho giggled. “System integrity breach—cheater detected.”

“Not fair!” Ace wheezed, flailing his glitter-covered hands. “I was testing it for science!”

“Sure ya were,” Epel snorted. “Hey Yuu, tell Ace he’s banned from glitter-based games.”

You lifted your hand like a royal decree. “I hereby declare Ace Trappola: King of Sparkles and forever banished from sneaky card tricks.”

Ace groaned and flopped back dramatically onto Deuce’s legs, who pushed him off half-heartedly but didn’t try too hard.

The card game faded away as the warmth from the room settled in. The couch held you, Grim, and Ortho now—Grim asleep, Ortho humming softly while scrolling through some virtual screen projected in front of him. On the floor, Epel laid across Jack’s lap, clearly having claimed the wolf beastman as a mattress. Jack grumbled but let it happen. Ace used a spare pillow to lean against Sebek, who did not move, but also did not complain.

And Deuce?

Deuce had made a nest of throw blankets and was currently snoring quietly with a note stuck to his forehead: “Do Not Disturb—Future Honor Student at Rest.”

You didn’t even know who wrote it. Possibly Grim. Possibly Ace.

The wind kept howling, but inside the dorm, the only sounds were soft breathing, occasional snorts from Grim, and Ortho’s quiet humming.

No magic problems. No overblots. No exams.

Just a lazy afternoon with your crew. A still frame in a year of chaos.

You closed your eyes, warmth blooming in your chest.

Yeah. This was nice. This was home.

[bread-crum206]

hi! this is my first ask, I hope you write it. I just had an idea going about. What if reader's a doctor, the same doctor who treated Hwang In-ho's wife? With the limited resources she was provided, she tried her best, but failed to save his wife. Reader's a nice, kind doctor, but after failing to save her, reader just slipped deeper and deeper into despair, and started to drink away all her fortune, and ended up in the Squid Games. Hwang In-ho immediately recognizes reader and vows to end her, but somehow feels himself drawn to her, wanting to destroy her, even more. But, as he joins the game as 001, Reader opens up to him and he sees true regret in reader's eyes. Things start to change, and In-ho feels a dark, deep attraction towards Reader. That's all! It's okay if you don't want to write about it. Thank you!<3

Forbidden Emotions

Hwang In-ho/Frontman x reader

Summary: Haunted by failure, a fallen doctor finds herself in the deadly arena of the Squid Games. Hwang In-ho, hidden behind the mask of the Front Man, recognizes her — the one who failed to save his wife. He should hate her, but a darker pull complicates his intentions.

The room feels suffocating as you sit in the dim light, holding the empty glass in your hand. The soft clink of the ice cubes against the glass echoes in the silence. You hadn’t meant for it to go this far, but the weight of your failure is a constant burden.

You tried everything to save Hwang In-ho’s wife. You poured every ounce of knowledge, every technique you knew into her care, but none of it was enough. The moment her pulse faded away, something inside you died too. You failed not only a patient, but a family, and a man who would never forgive you for it.

Days bled into weeks, weeks into months, as your life spiraled further. The hospital let you go, and with it, so did your self-worth. In the dim corners of your thoughts, you heard his voice again—Hwang In-ho’s voice, sharp with anger, accusing you, blaming you for the death of the woman he loved.

The alcohol came soon after. A glass here, another there. It soothed the sting, numbed the regret, and before you knew it, you were slowly drinking away every piece of yourself. Your wealth evaporated, your career crumbled, and the world you had known no longer existed.

One day, when the debts finally caught up with you, when the choices had been made and there was nowhere else to go, you found yourself in the same hell that had taken so many others—the Squid Games.

The first time you laid eyes on him again, it was like a punch to the gut. Hwang In-ho, number 001 plastered on his chest. He hadn’t changed, except for the coldness in his eyes that made your heart freeze. He was sitting among the other players, his cold, calculating demeanor standing in sharp contrast to your own fractured state. You barely recognized him at first, but when his eyes met yours, you knew.

He had been watching you from the moment you entered. His gaze pierced through you, and you could feel the heat of his anger. You had caused his wife’s death, and there was no way he would ever let you forget it.

“I remember you,” he says, his voice a low growl. “The doctor who killed my wife.”

The words cut deep, but the worst part isn’t the accusation—it’s the way his eyes burn with the desire for vengeance. Yet, there’s something else lurking there too, something you can’t quite place.

In-ho’s hatred festers, consuming him. He came to the Squid Games for a singular purpose: to make sure you paid. But even as he plots your downfall, there’s an undeniable pull toward you—a desire to see you suffer.

As the game begins and you are thrust into a deadly series of challenges, In-ho finds himself growing closer to you, observing your struggle with a twisted mixture of pity and contempt. He sees the shame in your eyes, the weight of the regret you carry like a shadow, and it gnaws at him.

One night, when the bloodshed subsides and the survivors take a brief reprieve, you finally let your guard down. You pour out your pain in front of him, something you never expected to do.

“I never wanted this,” you whisper, your voice raw, trembling with remorse. “I didn’t kill her. I just… I couldn’t save her. And it destroyed me.”

For the first time, In-ho sees you as more than the failure he accused you of being. You aren’t just the doctor who failed his wife—you’re a woman broken by your own guilt.

His own anger begins to unravel as he watches you fall apart. The very rage that once consumed him now seems misplaced, and something darker begins to grow in its place. An attraction—dangerous, twisted, and impossible to ignore.

The more he watches you, the more he can’t resist the pull. He joined the game for vengeance, yes—but now, he’s here for something else. Something he doesn’t fully understand. The twisted mix of hate, regret, and undeniable attraction to the woman who has destroyed his life.

It’s inevitable. The Squid Games are no longer about survival for him. It’s about you.

And as he finds himself standing at the edge of the game, his eyes never leaving you, In-ho realizes that whatever dark path lies ahead, it will be shaped by you. He has no choice but to follow it—to destroy you, and perhaps, to destroy himself in the process.

———————

Much like Oh Il-nam, In-ho ‘dies’ in one of the games. You hear the gunshot, hear the splatter of blood, but you can’t bring yourself to look, so you stay facing the wall.

You feel like you’ve killed him, first his wife, and now him. They’re both your fault. Even though you knew it wasn’t.

———————

The games drag on, each one more brutal and harrowing than the last. But amidst the bloodshed, there’s a peculiar twist in the unfolding chaos. In-ho, despite his initial resolve to end you, finds himself watching you more intently than ever. Every movement, every fragile moment of vulnerability only deepens his obsession.

He can’t understand it. Why is he drawn to you? Why does he feel this burning, unrelenting pull toward you, despite everything? The desire for vengeance had once been all-consuming, a fire that had driven him to join this deadly game. But now? Now, there’s something else—something darker, more complex.

As the final rounds of the game near, In-ho’s gaze never leaves you. The other players have been whittled down, but you remain—surviving by sheer grit and determination, the same qualities that once defined him. You’ve proven yourself worthy of a chance, despite the twisted circumstances.

In the final moments of the game, when the last of the players fall, In-ho makes a decision. He can’t let you die—not like this. Not after everything that has happened. So, when the game ends, he orders his guards to spare you, despite the bitter, gnawing hatred that still lives in his heart.

They escort you to his office, a stark, cold room that has seen too many dark moments. The door closes behind you with a heavy thud, and you stand there, disoriented, your face a mixture of confusion and exhaustion.

You look up at him, your eyes wary but relieved. “Why?” you ask, your voice hoarse from the strain of the games.

“I told you,” In-ho’s voice is cold, but there’s something beneath it. Something raw. “I haven’t forgotten what you did. But I can’t let you die here. Not after everything.”

You open your mouth to speak, but no words come out. Instead, your gaze flickers around the room, landing on the polished desk, the chair where he sits, the sharp, sterile environment that feels like a cage. You can feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating.

In-ho’s eyes remain locked on you. He ordered you to be brought here, but now that you’re before him, he doesn’t know what to do. There’s an unspoken question in the silence between you: What now?

And then, as though the dam has finally broken, he speaks again, his voice lower, almost reluctant. “Do you even understand the pain you’ve caused me? My wife—she died under your care.”

You flinch, the guilt surging back with a force that almost takes your breath away. “I didn’t kill her,” you whisper, your voice shaking with the weight of the truth. “I tried. I tried everything to save her. But… but I couldn’t. And I’ve been living with that every single day since.”

His gaze softens, just slightly, but the anger still simmers beneath the surface. “I don’t know what you want me to say,” he mutters, his fists clenching. “She’s dead because of you.”

Your heart sinks, the words like a knife in your chest. You know he won’t understand. How could he? You’re just the doctor who couldn’t save his wife, a failure in his eyes. He’ll never see the truth—that it wasn’t your fault. Not unless he lets go of the anger, the bitterness that’s eaten him alive since that day.

You take a step closer, your voice barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry,” you say, your eyes brimming with unshed tears. “I couldn’t save her. But I didn’t kill her. I would’ve given anything to bring her back.”

In-ho stares at you, the anger still lingering in his chest, but now mixed with something else. Confusion. Desire. He doesn’t understand why, but there’s something in your words, something in your eyes that makes the ache in his chest twist. His wife is gone, yes, but here you are—broken, just like him—and he can’t ignore the pull. It’s as if your pain is a shared burden, and despite all the hatred, he finds himself unable to look away.

Before he can stop himself, he moves toward you, closing the space between you in an instant. His hand reaches up, brushing against your cheek, fingers trembling just slightly.

Your breath catches in your throat, your body instinctively leaning into the touch. You’ve been living in a haze of regret for so long, and in this moment, it feels like he understands. For a brief second, it isn’t about the game. It isn’t about the failure. It’s about something deeper. Something you both share.

In-ho’s lips are on yours before he can think, a rough, desperate kiss full of rage, longing, and the confusion that’s been building between you. His hands pull you closer, as though he could erase the distance that has always separated you, even before the games began.

You kiss him back, your mind spinning, but your heart starting to race. The kiss is desperate, almost reckless, but it’s also filled with something raw—something you both need, even if you don’t fully understand it.

When you finally break apart, breathless and tangled in each other’s gaze, In-ho looks at you with a mixture of shock and something darker. His expression is conflicted, torn between the anger that drove him here and the pull that now binds him to you.

“You’re still the doctor who couldn’t save her,” he says, his voice rough, his chest rising and falling as if he’s just run a marathon. “But there’s something about you… I can’t stop feeling it.”

You take a shaky breath, your body still thrumming with the intensity of the kiss. “I didn’t kill her,” you repeat, your voice firm now, despite the tumult inside you. “I couldn’t save her. But I didn’t kill her.”

In-ho’s eyes search yours, his mind a whirlwind of emotions he can’t control. He’s angry, yes. But there’s something else—something that makes him want to destroy you… and protect you at the same time.

“I don’t know what this is,” he says, his voice softer now, a mixture of uncertainty and fascination. “But I can’t walk away from you. Not now.”

And in that moment, you both realize something: despite the pain, despite the tragedy, you are drawn together by forces beyond your control. The game, the anger, the past—it doesn’t matter. What matters now is the undeniable connection between you, no matter how twisted or dark it might seem.

And as In-ho stands there, wrestling with the ghosts of his wife’s death and the overwhelming desire to possess the woman who had once been her savior, he knows one thing for certain: he isn’t finished with you yet.

———————

Hi!! Here it is! I hope you liked it! This was fun to write so let me know if you want more and even something a little spicy 🌶️

[brittle-doughie]

[The ASMR Experience, but you’re cynically memeing. Like with the actual video, don’t take this too seriously. Kek.]

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“Hello, my dear. This will be a very special ASMR experience.”

“Didn’t I get a restraining order on you?”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“Do as I say and and I will show you joy.”

“I don’t think I want to know what your definition of joy is.”

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“Now…feel the caress of my wings and let your worries melt away.”

“They feel like sandpaper. Get them off-“

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

“How about a dip into my jar of jam?”

“Why do you have a blood jar, you demon.“

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“My paradise has everything that you will ever need…”

“Does it have a cure for insanity?”

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“Aw, poor thing. You carry so much pain and sorrow..”

“And you certainly helped. Thanks, I’m sending you the bill from Chamomile Cookie.”

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“Allow me to snip off your negative energy.”

“Good luck with that. Like a spring rabbit, it ALWAYS comes back, HEYOOOO-“

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“Everything is going to be okay.”

“When you’re back in that tree.”

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“Do you want to know my other half’s name?”

“KEEP MY FRIEND’S NAME OUT YOUR CRUMBLING MOUTH-“

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“Hollyberry…Cookie. We’re like two sugar cubes in a jar.”

“I don’t want to know where that jar’s been.”

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“Oops! No fingers.”

“Thank SWAN, we have thumbs though. Sometimes. Often. It’s like 50/50.”

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“You and Hollyberry Cookie are mine, forever and ever.”

“Color me scared and…nah, I think I’m only just scared.”

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“I hope you enjoyed the stone art sculptures in my garden.”

“Please tell me it’s reversible. Seriously. I will smuggle Pavlova out of here if I have to.”

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“May all the Cookies you yearn so much for, come home…”

“Unless they’re a Super Epic, because GOOD LUCK with that!”

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“Though, no other Cookie on all of Earthbread understands you like I do.”

“….I’ll be honest, I had hoped that you would. It would at least give me the comfort that you would see just how flawed and skewed your delusions were. Instead, you continue to believe that what you’re doing is for the good of others when your methods only do nothing but lie and conceal the truth that you continue to deny seeing because what you were doing is what you genuinely think is the best for everyone. You may think you get me, you think that you do, but you don’t. You just don’t…and all you had to do was try to make me forget….”

“……..”

“I swallowed another bottle cap-“

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[Note: This IS main story Y/N Cookie.]