#details of my nightmare? i had a stalker

[tripably]

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[dumbslvtforethan]

✁ THE DINER. #2 ethan landry

inspired by "THE DINER" by billie eilish.

warnings: stalking, obssesion, posessive, smut, spit, use of "good girl", non-con, chocking lmk if i missed anything 1092 words

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THE NEXT MORNING, the sunlight filtered through your curtains, signaling the start of another day. You woke up groggy and disoriented, your mind immediately going to the unsettling events of the previous night. You reached for your phone on the nightstand, hoping for some sense of normalcy. But as you opened your social media feed, a breaking news alert caught your eye.

"College Student Found Dead in Apparent Homicide," the headline read. You clicked on the article, your heart pounding as you read the details. The victim was identified as Steve, the boy who had given you a ride home last night. Your stomach churned, and you felt a wave of nausea wash over you.

Your mind raced as you tried to process the information. Steve was dead. The letter, the call—it was all connected. Panic set in as you realized the danger you were in. You needed to tell someone, but who? Mindy? The campus security? The police?

You dialed Mindy's number with shaking hands. She picked up on the second ring. "Y/N? What's wrong?" she asked, concern evident in her voice.

"Mindy, it's Steve. He's dead. I think my stalker did it. He left another note and called me last night. He knew about Steve," you said, your voice trembling.

"Stay where you are. I'm coming over right now,"Mindy replied, her tone urgent.

While you waited for Mindy, you tried to calm yourself, but every little noise in the dorm room made you jump. The silence was oppressive, and you felt like you were being watched. to calm down you decided to make a cup of hot chocolate but in the middle of brewing the milk, your phone rang. "unknown caller". "hey pretty did you like my little surprise?" "now, call mindy and tell her that she doesn't need to come or ill gut her on the way here" the caller said "no don't do that please, ill call her" you responded, voice trembling. mindy didn't quite get why you didn't want her to come but she gave in, after all that trauma you've been trough. the phone dialed again "good girl" the praising voice said "sit on the kitchen counter for me" you sat on top of the kitchen counter as the voice said. "now, turn around" You turned around, the kitchen suddenly feeling cold and unfamiliar. The voice on the phone continued, its tone both soothing and menacing. "Good. Now, stay there and don't move. I'm watching."

A chill ran down your spine as you glanced around, trying to find any sign of where he might be. The feeling of being observed was suffocating. You clutched your phone tightly, desperate for a way out of this nightmare. you felt a gloved hand on your mouth, you tried to scream but there was no hope, whoever this was, they were way stronger than you. "i waited on the corner till i saw mindy leave, it was easy getting over and i landed on my feet" the familiar voice said. he spun you around, as you were trying to fight it off he brought a knife to your gaze "stay still or ill have to butcher that pretty body of yours." he whispered in your ear you froze, tears ran down your cheeks. "spread your legs he commanded, he started to rub his clothed cock against your inner thigh, a million thoughts ran into your mind as more tears fell down. he brought up two fingers to your mouth "open" he said sticking his fingers into your throat "wider" he watched as you engulfed his fingers "good girl" he praised and took his fingers out of your mouth. he took off your pants and shirt in one swiftly motion. he put his cold knife up against your clothed clit you couldn't help but moan, a chuckle came from him. he put your panties to the side and gets a hold of your folds, dry. “spit” he demanded and held up his hand to your mouth, he rubbed your now bare clit with your own spit spreadingit all over "no, please stop, please" you begged "why would we stop if it feels so good?" he sped up his movements, making it harder to contain your moans, as you were about to burst he pulled out of you, you whimpered at the lost of contact. "please, you dont have to do this, i wont tell anyone i promise" you sobbed "thats the problem, i want everyone to find out that ur a slut that is begging for ghostfaces dick" he said as he lowered down, lifted up his mask ever so slightly that his face still couldn't be seen licking your folds "and that you taste so sweet baby" he sucked your clit as you tried to contain yourself  "ple-please im beg-ging you do-nt" you sobbed more and more, you kicked your legs hoping for some hope, he grabbed your throat and put you against the wall "you disobeyed me princess, you shouldn't have" he threw you into the floor, his hand still on your throat, you are gonna pass out. “pl-ease” your able to choke out “what? your going to pass out? poor baby, open your legs” he mocks you are able to get your legs to open when he finally takes his hand away from your throat but you arent even able to breathe when he pounds into you, fitting each bit of his length inside you “see? thats what you get, a hard floor rail by ghostface” he whispers in your ear hitting a new angle making you moan. he starts thrusting back and forth, pulling out and smashing his entire length in one strong motion. you couldn’t handle it anymore, your nails gripping into his back “please, stop please” you begged, eyes soaked in your tears he didn’t do anything but speed up his pace making you tremble you screamed as you milked his dick with fresh and hot cum, he chuckled ag the sight. “im gonna cum inside you” he whispered. panic washed over you. you tried pulling him away but you couldnt, you legs so weak from the abuse its been trough and just like that it was too late. he let out a loud and deep groan, you felt him fill you up as you cried. “i came into the kitchen looking for something to eat, im glad i found it. if you tell anyone about this, your dead.” he whispered before letting you go and storming out.

part three?

[justwritedreams]

Surviving The Game | Mark Lee

Idol Mark x Investigator Reader

Word count: 11.368 Genre: Drama, angst, action. Author: maari Warnings: Mentions of stalking, guns and very sensitive topics with a happy ending bc you know me Note: I think I need to make it clear that this has nothing to do with yandere and personally I don't agree with stalker attitudes or anything like that. If you are going through this in real life, don't be silent, this is not normal. Btw this it’s just a fiction so don't come after me. Summary: An sasaeng turns Mark's life a nightmare and the only solution it's bring the police into this case. And it's your job to make him feel safe again.

⪢ NCT Masterlist

“To be more than a conqueror You have to learn to enjoy the pain If you want to survive the game” “Y/N, come with me, please.”

“Of course, boss.” Y/N stood up from her chair, ready to grab her vest.

“Without the vest.” the boss warned and she looked at him confused but left her protection behind.

She walked beside him anxiously, waiting for him to say something but it didn't happen until they were in the car. No vests, no flashy vehicles. Like normal people.

"Where are we going?" she asked as soon as the boss started the car.

“Visiting a victim." Y/N frowned, she had never done this type of work. Noticing her confusion, the boss decided to explain. “It's a delicate and completely confidential case, it involves a large company that wants a silent investigation.”

She knew how to keep a secret but the anxiety of knowing what it was all about was eating her alive.

"Understood." she replied and silence returned to them both until they reached their destination.

Y/N wanted to know more about the details but she knew that the boss wouldn't talk about the case on the street or while they were going up the elevator, after identifying themselves to the doorman. She was attentive to everything and when they arrived on the floor, they didn't have to wait long after the boss rang the bell.

A man probably the boss's age, if not younger, answered the door and bowed as he faced the boss.

"Detective." the man greeted him and the boss bowed in the same way, entering shortly afterwards.

Y/N did the same and noticed that the man was worried, she walked in behind the boss and felt several pairs of eyes staring at her.

She didn't usually get nervous, she liked to investigate and was one of the reasons why she joined the police but she confessed that now it was different. She didn't expect four  extremely handsome young men to be in the room, staring intently at her and the boss.

She was used to police officers of all ages, so she was struck by the beauty of mere civilians. She had never seen so many handsome men since University.

The four of them got up from the couch and bowed, they seemed more anxious and nervous than Y/N, and she tried not to show how affected she was by the looks.

“Detective, this is Taeyong, Yuta, Johnny and Mark.” the oldest introduced, indicating who was who and Y/N took a good look at the boys.

But the last one caught her attention.

He appeared to be the youngest and was visibly shaken, huge black dots under his eyes that were shaking constantly, but beneath his pale, worried face, he carried an innocent, almost childlike look. Although he wasn't that much younger than Y/N.

“Detective Kim, this is my partner Y/N.” the boss announced and all eyes stopped on her.

Y/N smiled slightly, holding her gaze for longer with Mark, who quickly lowered his gaze.

“Very well, tell us from the beginning what happened.” the boss asked and the oldest signaled for everyone to sit down.

Y/N and the boss sat across from the four young boys who looked at Mark before starting.

“We were returning from a recording that lasted all day, when we got out of the car a woman approached us, she wanted to talk to Mark.” Y/N's eyes met Mark's and he looked embarrassed, the boss pointed for her to write down what Taeyong was saying and she took her phone out of her pocket. “At first we thought she was a random fan who had just passed by on the street and saw us getting down, but after we entered, the doorman announced that the woman had not left the sidewalk.”

Y/N cocked her head to the side when she heard the word fan. Were they famous? Why hadn't the boss warned her about this?

“She stood still for a long time, looking at the building trying to find our floor.” Yuta continued.

“That’s when she started screaming.” Mark spoke quietly and Y/N stopped taking notes to look at him, his small voice made her feel sorry for him.

It was clear that this had affected him in a bad way, it was actually sad.

“We spoke to our manager.” Johnny pointed to the older man who was standing next to them with his arms crossed. “And we didn’t do anything but record it for proof.”

“What was she shouting?” Y/N asked and they looked at Mark, who shook his head and looked down.

"Nonsenses. That Mark couldn’t go without talking to his girlfriend, that it wasn’t right to leave her outside in the cold.” Tayeong spoke and it was at that moment that everyone had the same expression, anger.

Y/N tried to contain her grimace and went back to taking notes.

Reminder: the girl was crazy.

“But the next day she was in the same place we were and the next day too, and now she’s going to where we are.” Yuta showed the discomfort he felt and it seemed like he wasn't the only one.

“It even seems like she knows our schedule better than our own manager.” Johnny commented.

“How long has this been going on?” the boss asked.

"3 weeks?" Taeyong asked Mark and he just nodded, while stared into nothing.

Now Y/N could understand the case.

It made perfect sense for the police to go to their house in disguise, if the idols went to the police station or if they knew that a detective had gone there, it would attract a lot of attention.

From the media, from the fans, from who knows how many stalkers they had. It would be detrimental to the case.

“And when did the messages start?” the boss asked and Y/N looked at him.

Messages?

“A few days before she showed up.” Mark responded and put his hands together, stirring constantly.

“Can you show us?” the boss asked and Mark agreed, taking his phone out of his pocket and moving it around until he found what he was looking for, he handed it to the boss and as Y/N was closer, she held the phone.

The boss approached to read it and Y/N's eyes widened at the amount.

The number was already blocked, but on the same day Mark had received 52 messages.

‘I know where you are’

‘Why don’t you come out and talk?’

‘I see your face in the window’

‘Are you looking for me?’

'You are so cute'

There were some of them, Y/N noticed that the girl was really watching Mark closely and every second as she told him exactly what he was doing.

Psychopath, she thought.

Y/N looked at Mark once again. He was sad, dejected and tired, she could see that. It was clear as water.

Cases about stalkers were not rare, but she had never been at the forefront of the investigations. But now, knowing the story, she could only feel anger and disgust.

How could someone who claimed to be a fan do that?

“Have you ever thought about carrying armed security guards?” she asked and that caught everyone by surprise.

The boys looked at each other, looking for an answer while the manager scratched his head.

“It wouldn’t be fair to the fans.” Mark replied and for the first time held Y/N’s gaze.

She didn't want to notice how welcoming yet sad his brown eyes were, but she did.

“And is it fair to you?” she returned the question.

Okay, she understood the fame part but she couldn't understand why their safety didn't come first, especially since that girl was a perfect sasaeng.

They were obsessed and would stop at nothing. Someone needed to set limits.

“The company thinks it is more prudent for the police to investigate first and then we will see what can be done.” the manager said and Y/N wanted to snort.

She knew what to do, locking the crazy woman in a mental hospital was the solution.

“That’s what we’re here for.” the boss assured, resting his hand on Y/N's shoulder who was still looking at Mark. “We will do whatever is necessary.”

Y/N and the boss talked a little more with the boys so they could have something to start, as well as writing down the numbers the stalker was using to send messages to Mark.

Yes, numbers.

She was pushy, in Y/N's words she was annoying.

As soon as they left, after a long conversation that Mark apparently didn't want to have, they returned to the car with a plan in mind.

Well, Y/N had a rather radical plan.

“You know we’re going to have to check his phone, right?” Y/N asked her boss as soon as they left the street of the building. “The girl probably hacked it, based on her history.”

“I didn’t want to say that at first and scare him.”

She laughed, humorless.

“Boss, the guy is already scared!”

"I know. What did you find of her?” he asked and Y/N slid the file onto her phone.

After looking up her history in every database the police had access to, she found some interesting things.

“She was adopted when she was 6 years old. Her academic record is not the best, she went through several schools in a very short period, she must not have had time to create a bond with someone, her teachers made some notes over the years about her being quiet, introverted and extremely inattentive because she was too busy kissing posters of actors and singers.” Y/N saw the boss staring at her with a disbelieving look. "What? It’s written here!”

The boss laughed, nodding his head.

“I know what you think about stalkers.”

“That they are unbalanced people who deserve to spend the rest of their lives in a psychiatric clinic, am I wrong?”

“No, but it’s not right either.” the boss pondered, searching for the best words. “Cases like this involve a lot more than it seems, Y/N.”

"What does that mean?"

“I mean, you need to see beyond your outrage about this issue. Or do you think I didn’t realize you got mad when they started talking about the messages?” Y/N was silent. “You will be a good detective in the future and that is why I have an obligation to train you until then, I want you to be the best, but for that you will need to act more with reason than with emotion.”

[...]

Although the detective was in charge of the case, it was Y/N who was solving everything, especially because the boss was busier than usual. So he confided in her everything he said about this specific case.

That was why Y/N had gone to the group's dorm again, now she knew about Mark's professional life and how the group was famous, it made sense why stalkers showed up thinking they knew the boys closely.

However, a face that Y/N hadn't seen yet answered the door in confusion, so she held up her badge.

"Goodnight. Investigator Y/N, is Mark here?” she asked subtly and he nodded, giving her space to enter.

“Milk!” he shouted and even though she didn't know anything about him, she could tell that he must be one of the group's vocalists, by his powerful voice.

It was time for him to close the door and turn to face her, Mark appeared running and visibly tired, it was no wonder after all at that time of night they should have been sleeping due to their busy schedule.

“Officer, good night!” he greeted her and looked at her expectantly.

“How are you, Mark?”

"Good." she didn't believe the answer, not after the sad eyes gave it away. Y/N would have continued to hold his gaze if the boy who opened the door hadn't interrupted the brief moment. “This is Haechan, I guess you guys didn’t meet last week, did you?” he introduced and the boy smiled at Y/N.

"Pleasure."

"Equally!" he replied happily and the room fell into an awkward silence.

"Well, I'm sorry to come unannounced but I came to update you on the investigation." Y/N spoke and Mark moved in front of Haechan, pointing to the sofa.

"Please sit down."

She did so, taking off the backpack she was carrying on her back and placing it on her lap.

"First of all, your phone, where is it?"

Mark looked confused at Haechan who was on the same page, he pointed to one of the rooms.

"Charging, why?" He asked, curious.

"I'm going to need a favor. Two in fact." she saw Mark nod and then continued. "Bring your phone over here and cover all the cameras, you two will have to be silent at all time."

Mark looked complicit at Haechan who felt the investigator's eyes switch between him and Mark. The two agreed.

"Why?" Mark asked and saw her become reluctant.

"I need to make sure that what I suspect is happening." She explained without giving many details and received a shy ok from Mark, who got up and went to get his phone.

A few minutes later, while Haechan was silent and looked like he was going to explode, Mark returned. Y/N noticed that he had turned the phone's cover over and the rear cameras were covered, while the front was covered by a Band aid.

Creative, she thought.

Mark handed the phone to Y/N who quickly took the notebook out of her backpack and turned it on, Haechan approached Mark and the two remained standing next to the investigator while she worked tirelessly on the keyboard, concentrated enough to get Mark's attention .

He shouldn't have noticed her face so much, the way her lips held a firm line as she pressed them together, but he did.

In an absurd and boring silence, as Haechan thought, minutes passed until her expression changed.

From concentration to anger.

Y/N quickly turned off Mark's phone and got up from the couch almost at the same time.

"Officer…?" Mark caught her attention, and she looked at him seriously.

"What I thought was right." Mark looked at her expectantly, ready to understand what she meant but it wasn't that easy. She didn't want to be insensitive, so she took a deep breath before speaking. "She hacked your phone, she had access to any and all of your personal information."

Y/N saw Mark react in a common way, complete astonishment and despair. But even though it was normal, she hated seeing the vulnerability in him.

"How? When?" he asked, astonished.

"It is possible?" Haechan questioned, worried about his friend. Mark was whiter than usual, he looked like he was going to faint.

Y/N nodded and placed her hands on her hips.

"Unfortunately, yes. Did you leave your phone somewhere or access any unusual links?"

Mark reached deep into his memory.

"No, I don't access links that easily and I don't take my eyes off my phone. Well, only on the plane when I'm sleeping."

Y/N felt like a click appeared in her head.

So that was it.

"But she would never have access to my flight." He laughed in disbelief and saw Y/N look at him not so confidently. "Right?"

She sighed.

“Are you sure you never saw her before that night?” Y/N crossed her arms.

She had to have left some clue, everyone always did.

"Never!" Mark responded promptly and looked at his friend who was holding his hand to his face and staring into space, thoughtfully.

“Thinking back, I recognized her from somewhere. I remember seeing that face behind the scenes of our recordings.” Haechan replied, leaving Y/N on alert.

“You didn't tell me that before.” Mark accused and Haechan shrugged.

“I wasn't sure, but now that the police officer said it, it makes sense to me. She kept looking in our direction.”

Y/N took a deep breath, feeling her blood boil. With the case, she had analyzed other reports of sasaengs and the rumors she had heard about agencies allowing them to infiltrate artists' agendas because they had money was disturbing and revolting.

However, this theory seemed to make more sense than before.

"What do I do?" Mark asked, visibly desperate and Y/N raised her hand to rest on his shoulder but stopped in her tracks.

It would be too inappropriate.

That's why she put her hair behind her ear instead of physically comforting the boy.

"I suggest you buy another phone and don't answer any suspicious calls from an unknown number, always keep your phone in your front pocket."

Mark sighed, he looked so tired that Y/N sympathized with his suffering, it was the final reason she needed to speak with determination.

"She'll pay for this, I promise you."

[...]

Y/N closed the soaked umbrella while banging her fist against the door, that routine was becoming normal and she felt a mix of sensations run through her body waiting for the door to be opened.

She smiled slightly when she saw Mark's clean, confused face and his messy hair, but when she looked down at his bare torso, shock took over her body, she blinked a few times and her jaw dropped as she tried to find some words to say but there was nothing.

Y/N didn't want to notice the way that, even though he was so thin, Mark had a defined body. Well defined. It wasn't surprising, after all he was also a dancer, but she couldn't control her body to contain her stuttered speech.

“Ah shit, sorry!” she heard Mark speak after looking at his own body, finding himself only in his sweatpants while the guitar was in his other hand, Y/N looked at his face and saw that his cheeks took on a pink tone.

“It is…” Y/N cleared her throat as her voice came out weak. "It’s ok."

It was more than fine, she thought.

"Please come in." Mark gave her space and Y/N did so, moving next to Mark's hot body who looked anywhere but at her face. She left her shoes at the door, along with her umbrella. “I'm just going to…” he pointed to his body and she nodded frantically, still not knowing what to say, and followed him to the living room.

Mark practically ran with the guitar in his hand and Y/N put her lips together in a thin line as she watched Mark's back but when her eyes went to the waistband of his pants, she turned her head and with her eyes widened in surprise by the thoughts not at all pure that invaded her head, she lightly slapped her own cheek as if she managed to expel the thoughts.

Put yourself together, she thought.

“Sorry, I have this habit of playing the guitar like that.” she took a deep breath before turning to face Mark again, she was disappointed to see him without his guitar and in his gray hooded sweatshirt but she tried not to show it, the boy was embarrassed enough.

She didn't want to make the situation more uncomfortable than it already was.

“Don’t apologize, please. It’s me who should apologize for coming unannounced, again.”

Mark shook his head and smiled, crossing his arms.

“Apparently you have some more news about the case.” Mark tried to sound subtle but Y/N could find the anxiety in his voice, that was why she took a deep breath feeling her stomach churn with anxiety so she decided to be direct.

"We have the mandate ready." Mark smiled hopefully and was ready to say something when she interrupted him. "But the prosecution knew about your case in advance."

"And?" Mark asked, confused, his frown made him look cute.

"And they want to use this as an example to pressure Congress to pass stronger laws against stalkers."

Mark looked down, the gears in his brain seeming to grind slowly.

"Use as an example?" He questioned and she nodded. "A public trial. Is that it?"

Y/N bit her lip when she saw Mark's very serious expression.

"Yes. The prosecutor believes that with public opinion, especially international opinion, congress will have great motivation for stalkers to be treated as-"

"Wait, officer." Mark interrupted her, raising his hand. "I'm a layman on the subject but this means I'll have to testify in front of the jury. In person."

Y/N scratched the back of her head, feeling her heart sink when she saw Mark's pained expression.

"Yes, Mark. Your testimony at the trial is the main key, just testifying to the police is not enough to convict, it also needs to be in court."

Mark laughed in disbelief and ran his hand over his face, and then through his hair where he ruffled it hard.

He was visibly upset, Y/N understood the reasons but it was the only way to end it.

"Is not fair." he spoke and kept his gaze fixed on Y/N, who felt her shoulders sag.

It was true but he had no choice.

The investigations were practically over, she had nothing else to do.

Now it was with the prosecutor's office.

Mark shook his head and walked past Y/N who just followed him with her gaze, watching him go to the front door angrily, looking for some sneakers.

"Where are you going?" Y/N asked when she saw him put on the pair but had no answer, as Mark opened the door in the next second and walked out of the dorm in long strides.

Y/N ran to put on her shoes and follow Mark, finding him at the end of the hallway.

"Mark!" She called out to him but all she got was silence, which made her run after him again.

He walked out of the dorm and didn't even care about the rain outside as he took long steps down the street, Y/N didn't think about anything other than following him.

"Mark, wait!" She spoke loudly because the heavy rain had already soaked Mark's body and hers, her heavy hair fell in front of her face. "Hey!" she hurried and grabbed his arm, putting all the strength she had into making him stop.

Mark did it, suddenly, and Y/N almost ran into his body for it but she wished she hadn't because now she was staring into Mark's red eyes.

He looked broken inside and out, even in the heavy rain you could see the tears. Y/N felt an uncontrollable urge to protect him.

"What?" he shouted, making her fall silent.

She didn't know what to say, she just wanted to hug him tight enough to ease that suffering.

"I just…" he reluctantly and Y/N kept her eyes fixed on his, encouraging him to continue. "I just wanted, once, just once, to have a normal life like everyone else."

"And what would you do if you were a normal person?" she questioned and saw Mark look intensely into her eyes until he moved down to her mouth.

Y/N didn't have time for any more questions, she just saw Mark approach her in a blur, grab both sides of her face tightly and pull her towards him, their mouths colliding in an almost desperate way.

She widened her eyes when Mark's cold, wet lips took hers, letting a sound of surprise be muffled by the kiss, but Mark's palms covering her skin and his face so close to hers was enough for Y/N to give in to the brief desire at that moment.

She closed her eyes and her hands found Mark's shoulder, feeling her whole body light up with the way his lips moved between hers, tilting her head the kiss became deeper and was the perfect excuse for Mark's tongue seeks hers, bringing his chest closer to hers, their bodies emanating a heat that not even the cold rain was able to stifle.

Y/N sighed when her tongue began to dance in the same fast rhythm as Mark's and she felt his hand hold the back of her neck firmly, sending shivers throughout her body.

The rain, although it made the kiss much wetter and with more saliva than normal, seemed to wash away any kind of insecurity or fear on both sides.

Y/N didn't restrict herself from feeling everything she wanted. She had been attracted to Mark since the first day, and even though her rational side screamed that it was dangerous, she couldn't control the way her heart warmed much more than her body that was touched by him. She felt a peace, a strong connection that she had never felt before.

And Mark, he finally managed to put all his problems aside, it was like he was in another world. One in which Y/N wasn't the police officer who was just there to investigate the case, it went much further. He felt safe and normal.

When they separated, breathing heavy and missing from their lungs, they faced each other once more. Without saying anything, Mark just caressed Y/N's cheek that he was holding and watched her, her lips swollen and red, parted and beautiful.

Y/N kept her hands on Mark's shoulder and lost herself in the current of his eyes, as if it were a black hole that was pulling her. That day, she had promised that she would protect him from everything.

Even if she had to with her own life.

[...]

Y/N sneezed once again as she entered the police station, receiving a greeting from one of her colleagues in which she responded with just one hand.

The headache, the runny nose, the lack of sleep, and being woken up late had everything to do with last night, but none of that mattered to the boss when he saw her.

"You come with me." he pointed at her and continued walking outside the district, she just took a deep breath and turned around, following the detective to the parking lot.

When they got into the car, she dropped her suitcase at her feet and sneezed again.

"Shit." she complained, closing her eyes for a while.

“Did you catch the rain yesterday?” the boss asked and she opened her eyes instantly.

She didn't want to be so suspicious, she hadn't even been able to digest what had happened last night, so she just nodded as she put on the seat belt.

“I told you to use your umbrella.”

She laughed, rolling her eyes theatrically.

"Thank you, dad." the detective laughed at the sarcastic tone, before throwing the tablet that Y/N only noticed he was holding at that moment onto her lap and starting the car.

If it were any other police officer, would never talk with the detective like that. But Y/N was intimate enough for that, and sometimes he acted like he was her father.

"What is that?" she asked, holding up the tablet.

“Unlock the screen and you’ll know where we’re going.” he warned, without taking his attention off the streets and Y/N did as he said.

When she read the title of the article, she felt her blood run cold.

“Lee Mark accused of drugging and abusing minor”

Y/N swallowed hard and wrinkled her nose as she read the article quickly, closing the fists of her other hand so hard that her nails dug into her skin but she didn't care about the pain.

That article was even worse.

And the worst part, it was all a lie. False.

The alleged victim’s “statement” on a social network was too clear for her, in addition to not making any sense, it had only one objective.

“It was the stalker.” she spoke through gritted teeth, trying to control her breathing.

She had no doubts. There was no one other than her who could lie about something so serious.

“I asked intelligence to track the account, of course, she already deleted everything.”

Y/N laughed humorlessly.

“Obviously, her goal was to just throw shit at the media.” she replied angrily.

“And she did, the phone was the same one you identified as the one that had access to Mark’s.”

Great, more evidence against her.

“Can we arrest her now?” Y/N looked at the boss who had a serious expression.

“No, this morning the phone was found.” he glanced at Y/N and took a deep breath before continuing. “On the Han River. I sent a car to her house and the doorman said she hadn’t been there for two days.”

Y/N glared angrily at her boss. It wasn't with him but with the stalker, she wasn't enjoying that Tom and Jerry game.

They should have arrested her last night.

“She knows we’re after her.” she concluded.

“If your theory that she infiltrates the group’s staff is right, then yes.”

“Boss, a lie cannot be proven.” she said, indignantly.

“No, but a true can. That’s what we have to do.” he reminded her and Y/N took a deep breath, looking back at the street.

Anxiety took over her body when she realized that they were close to the company building, very different from the path to Mark's dorm that she was used to, but all she could think about was the boy.

He must have been desperate, much more than yesterday.

Although she should be thinking about her work, it was difficult to control the shiver as she remembered last night and the kiss.

That line was dangerous but it felt so right, Y/N didn't regret kissing Mark because it had only incited the fire of justice within her even more. She needed to help him more than ever, protect him in any way.

“Will SM let the police in through the front door?” Y/N asked as soon as they got out of the car and the boss nodded.

“You can’t even imagine how desperate they are to solve this case.”

Ah, she could actually imagine it.

They entered the building, just showing their badge and entry was authorized, they went to the elevator towards the meeting room where one of the employees had informed them that they would be waiting for them both.

The boss knocked on the door and someone spoke loudly for them to come in, Y/N felt her hands sweat as she entered the room and her eyes searched Mark's, finding him sitting in one of the chairs.

He seemed surprised to see her there but held her gaze, making her heart skip a beat in her chest and memories of last night flooded her head. She could still feel the texture of Mark's lips and the taste of him.

However, she blinked several times when the company's CEO suggested that they sit down, she followed the boss and ended up sitting facing Mark who couldn't take his eyes off her.

She then discovered that in addition to the CEO, SM's lawyer and Mark's lawyer were there, as well as the head of the public relations department.

The meeting had a single objective, to find a way out of that maze.

And Y/N observed everything quietly, listening to the discussions about how they would deal with that without tarnishing the company's image, something that made her raise her eyebrow.

Mark's image should be a priority, or rather, his safety.

She looked back at Mark, he looked not only bothered but irritated too, he kept rubbing his hands while fixing his eyes on a random spot on the table.

“If Mark is sued, we won’t be able to continue with the contract-”

Y/N rolled her eyes surreptitiously. But there was no way she could be listening to that.

"Excuse me." she interrupted, raising her hand and got everyone's attention. “I have an idea, we can set a trap for the girl.”

Y/N's boss looked at her curiously.

"What did you think?"

“It's clear that she is doing everything she can to ruin Mark's life, and I think everyone is aware of that. But you can hush up the case of the false report made on social media.”

"As?" Mark's lawyer asked.

“Release an official note, say Mark has an alibi.” she looked glancing at Mark who had his eyes narrowed at her, trying to follow her reasoning.

“This won’t help without proof.” the head of the public relations department said and she shook her head.

“It will if you say he was with his girlfriend.” she replied with conviction and saw everyone's eyes widen.

"What?"

“But that’s a lie.” Mark spoke a little louder and Y/N looked at him. "I don't have a girlfriend."

She suppressed her smile, she didn't know why but she was happy to hear that from him.

The situation between them would have been much more dangerous if they had kissed while he had a girlfriend...

“Do you want us to defend ourselves from an exposure like this, exposing ourselves even more?” The CEO asked and she nodded.

“Listen to me, if you confirm that Mark is in a relationship and that you hid it to protect his image, in addition to you coming out of this situation as sensible, this will attract the stalker.”

“She’s right.” Y/N's boss agreed, drawing everyone's attention to himself. “The girl has been missing for two days, no one knows where she is. If she believes Mark has a girlfriend, she will come running back to find out who the girl is.”

Everyone was silent, pondering.

“And then, we took action. We take her to jail and the prosecution does its part.”

Y/N looked at everyone's faces, trying to make her confidence convince everyone that the plan was ideal.

They needed to attract the stalker somehow and she couldn't imagine a better scenario than if she believed that Mark already had someone, the girl would change the focus of the threats to the supposed girlfriend.

She faced Mark last, he didn't seem so comfortable with her suggestion but she managed to see something in his eyes that she hadn't seen before.

Hope.

[...]

Y/N wanted to hit herself, she stared at the wall with focus thinking about how she could hit her head without passing out.

Watching Mark after the dating scandal came out to ensure his integrity and watching the stalker appear was perfect.

She had the perfect idea.

Mainly because Mark had been removed from his activities for a few days, the official statement said it was for personal reasons, but Y/N knew that it was all part of the plan to catch the stalker in the act and increase her sentence.

A great idea that the boss had approved.

As long as Y/N kept Mark safe, that she escorted him, and she watched him all night.

Spending all her time outside his apartment doing what exactly? Thinking about the kiss they shared!

Even on duty, with the gun on her waist and her hand nearby in case of any eventuality, she couldn't stop thinking about his lips, no matter how hard she tried.

She didn't know if it was because she had a personal connection to the case and had just felt the need to protect Mark but that kiss moved her in a way that no other had.

It was more than affection.

Mark's sad eyes and the way he looked so small and defenseless in that situation made her feel the need to not only protect him, but also help him in some way.

And as wrong as it was, since she couldn't get involved with the victims, she wanted to do something for him besides work.

To make him feel better, even to vent to someone because she more than anyone knew what an extremely stressful situation it was.

Y/N turned her head and all her attention when she heard the door to his house open slowly, making the noise echo through the silent hallway, her palms were already sweaty before she even saw Mark's shy face.

His dark hair fell into his eyes that were looking for anywhere to look but her eyes.

"It's… um… good evening, officer." His voice came out so shy that she would have smiled if she didn't feel so embarrassed.

The air was tense between them, it was palpable.

"Good evening, Mark." she returned it with a wry smile. "Do you need something?"

"No." He shook his head incessantly, he seemed to search for the right words while holding the door. "Listen, are you going to be out there for too long?"

Y/N sighed, of course he was feeling uncomfortable.

"Until the patrol finds some movement around the perimeter." she explained.

That was the deal.

Mark took a deep breath and raised his eyes to look at her.

"You are not hungry?" The question caught Y/N off guard and she frowned, not understanding. "It's just that I made a lot of food…" he pointed inside his own apartment. "I forgot the members wouldn't be here." He smiled shyly, scratching the back of his head and she watched him carefully.

The police had been very specific, keeping Mark in the dorm was a necessity but they weren't going to put the other boys in danger.

So they all went to a hotel that night.

"I don’t want to bother." She was being sincere, although her stomach rejoiced at the invitation.

"No, no. It won't be uncomfortable." Mark replied promptly, shrugging his shoulders. "It's not against what was stipulated, you'll still watch me... just from inside."

Y/N pondered, a huge part of her saying to accept it soon but until she remembered that she was on duty, working to keep him safe.

Except, well, Mark wasn't wrong. He had a point.

"I don't know…"

"Please." Mark's eyes shone with guilt and she surrendered right then and there. "I feel responsible for you being out there alone when you could be somewhere you really wanted."

She felt offended but didn't take it personally, Mark didn't really know her so he didn't know that she was there of her own free will, it was her duty.

"Don't say that, I don't want you to feel that way." She took a step forward, her fingers itching to touch his shoulder, but stopped where she was. "It's not your fault, Mark, it never was!"

She spoke with conviction and he remained silent, only to nod his head shortly afterwards.

"I'll feel a lot better if you at least come in for a drink of water."

She suppressed a smile and Mark gave her space to enter, without hesitation she did so.

The house was much warmer than the hallway she was in before, she took off her boots at the door and walked in, hearing Mark close the door behind her and feeling him watching her.

"Do you want to eat? Seriously, I made a lot of food." He walked ahead and pointed to where Y/N imagined the kitchen to be, a clear invitation for her to go.

In silence she entered and saw that Mark had actually made a lot of food, enough for the whole night. Even though she was about to deny it, her stomach betrayed her and growled loudly the instant she saw the food.

It looked very delicious.

Although there was one thing missing.

"I know, the egg needs to be fried, right." He laughed softly and Y/N looked at him.

Had she been watching the food for so long?

"I’ll just eat it as is." She replied and Mark approached the stove.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it in a second." He offered and she smiled gratefully.

However, Y/N's smile faded when she saw that Mark looked more like he was about to plant a bomb than fry an egg.

Mark took what he needed a little confused, he muttered quietly to himself and she couldn't understand but she imagined it was the steps of the process.

When one hand was free, he scratched the back of his head and looked at the items on the kitchen counter, as if he wanted to ensure he had gotten everything needed.

This was taking a lot longer than a second.

"Mark." she called after him, stifling a laugh.

He looked at her, even more confused and a little shy.

"Yes?"

"Do you know how to fry eggs?" she crossed her arms and saw him frown.

"Yeah!" he responded promptly, scratching the back of his head again. "You just can't guarantee that it's edible."

Y/N put her hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh, he also laughed a little more shyly.

"Alright, I'll do it."

Y/N approached the stove as Mark opened and closed his mouth to retort, but she just raised her eyebrow and reached out to hold the spatula he was holding.

He ended up giving in willingly and their fingers ended up touching briefly, making them both look at each other at the same moment.

Mark walked away, shyly while Y/N cleared her throat trying not to show how much Mark's eyes affected her.

"Do you want a tip?" she asked, to dispel the disturbing silence and he nodded. "You need to get the oil hot before you add the egg."

Mark paid attention as she announced what she was going to do in a step-by-step that seemed much simpler than what he did.

She took the opportunity and made him an egg too, Mark helped put together the dish and they were quickly sitting on the stools ready to eat.

"Seeing you cook, it seemed easy to do." Mark pointed to the egg, laughing and she mirrored the same reaction.

Catching her attention a little on his wide and genuine smile.

"Because it's easy." She noticed and started to eat.

"For me it's much more complicated than it really is, officer." he replied, watching her expression as she ate.

"But you cook well." She spoke after chewing everything. "This is a feast compared to the hot dogs I eat on the street."

Mark frowned.

"Don't you eat real food when you work, officer?"

She looked at him. She didn't like it when Mark called her an officer often, it seemed like every time he said that word a rift grew between them.

"Define real food."

Mark laughed, he didn't need the answer because she had already said it.

They ate some more in silence, although she noticed Mark's uneasiness.

"Can I ask you a question, officer?" He spoke quietly.

"Y/N."

Mark looked at her confused.

"Huh?"

"Y/N. That's my name." He raised his eyebrows and she smiled slightly. "Instead of just officer."

Mark smirked.

"Y/N."

She had to control the huge smile she wanted to give, she had enjoyed hearing him say her name.

"Of course you can." She moved away from the plate, turning all her attention to him. "Go ahead"

Mark took a deep breath and looked at her deeply.

"Why did you become a police officer?"

She swallowed hard, she didn't imagine he would ask her that right away.

She tried to hide how much that question had weighed on her shoulders and frowned.

"And why did you become an idol?"

He shook his head, his eyes shining with stubbornness.

"I asked first." He remembered and she nodded, looking down at her hands that were in her lap.

"I know how you feel." She shifted on the stool and looked somewhere in the kitchen, avoiding Mark's eyes. "With this stalker thing. You're not the only one who has someone chasing you everywhere."

Y/N suddenly fell silent, her mind flooding with the memories she had forced herself to forget.

"Ex boyfriend?" Mark asked reluctantly.

Y/N looked at him again, smiling sadly.

"I wish it were." She shook her head and he looked even more confused. "I had a childhood friend, we were inseparable in kindergarten but I ended up having to change cities shortly after and lost contact. In elementary school, on a random day, she showed up at the same school, she had enrolled there. At first I thought it was great because I didn't know what had happened to her so I would be able to have that friendship again." She took a deep breath before continuing. "But I had grown up, met other people, had new friends... and she didn't seem to like it very much. She was jealous of all my friends, she said she liked the same guys as me. I started to think it was strange, but it was only in middle school that I started to feel weird around her. She did everything she could to be near me, all the time, as if… as if…"

"You had an intimacy that no one has ever had." Mark concluded and she nodded.

She laughed, sadly.

"Yeah, but it wasn't like that. She wasn't my best friend, the memory I had of her was very different, and her jealousy bothered me a lot so I tried to stay away."

"But it did not work." He guessed.

"Yes, it seemed that the more I moved away, the more she tried to be close to me. She even followed me home several times, sending me messages in the early hours of the morning wanting to question me because I had posted photos with my friends." she sighed. “She said I was the reason she self-harmed.”

Mark's jaw dropped and he watched her helpfully.

"She sent me sensitive photos of slit wrists every time and I always felt guilty. But the messages started to be more frequent and she started threatening me, threatening my family, saying that I had told her to kill herself , although it wasn't like that, I had just warned her and tried to help that if she continued doing that she would end up killing herself. I was so angry because I didn't think there was a reason for that. Until I had enough."

"How?" He crossed his arms and she then realized that Mark was really interested in the story, so she continued.

"I joined the police academy, I was always afraid that she would do something against my family so I thought I could protect them if I was a police officer. Then I decided to change cities, I wanted her focus to change, so she wouldn't need to focus on what to do against my family. I left all social media, I never showed up in the city again."

"And then?"

Y/N scratched her head, this was part she had never told anyone, not even her family. She then got up from the stool and crossed her arms, turning her back to Mark and heading into the living room.

He followed her, he was curious and also worried, but he felt relieved somehow. He had identified with her story.

"And then I ended up here." She opened her arms, turning to look at him. "I was feeling safe enough, until…"

Y/N looked down at the floor, running her hand over her forehead while Mark didn't take his eyes off her, a little reluctant.

"Until?" He urged her to continue but seeing that she was still silent, he took a step towards her.

"Until I was assigned to handle your case." She raised her gaze again to Mark's, seeing him change his expression to one of surprise. "I said I know how you feel because it's the truth. I understand the fear you're feeling."

Y/N saw Mark's eyes falter so she took a step forward, getting closer to him.

"I know it's desperate and that you will do everything to protect the ones you love because that's exactly what I'm doing." Mark looked away and, unable to contain himself, she brought her hand to his face, making him regain eye contact. "If the trial appears on TV, if it's public, she'll find me."

"So you think I shouldn't testify?" he asked quietly, his shoulders so shrugged that it gave him a very fragile image, one that Y/N didn't like.

She shook her head and moved closer to him, cupping the other side of Mark's face with her free hand.

"Quite the opposite. You need to testify." she spoke firmly and he stared at her lips. "You have to end this or else you'll spend the rest of your life hiding."

“But what about you, Y/N?” he asked, worried. "What will happen to you?"

She sighed. Even though she knew that maybe her life would become a nightmare, that wasn't what she was worried about.

It was Mark's life that was at risk, he might never do what he loved again because of a false accusation and if she had the power to stop that from happening, she would strive to help him.

"I'm finally going to put an end to this story. I'm going to stop being the scared, terrified victim." she replied with certainty, a conviction that took Mark's words away.

He just stood there staring at her determined face, he saw a strength in Y/N's eyes that infected him.

He had to do that not only for him or the people he loved but also for everyone else who was going through the same situation.

If he had a chance to start a change, he couldn't let fear stop him.

And as strange as it was, she gave him a security he had never felt before.

Then his eyes dropped to Y/N's lips, not wanting to hold back anymore, Mark moved closer to touch them softly with his own lips.

She slowly closed her eyes at the light contact and had to force herself not to let out a sigh.

However, when Mark hugged her waist and brought her closer while his lips moved skillfully against hers, she simply gave in.

She forgot everything. Her past, her history, what she was doing there, what her mission was.

Mark took her out of orbit and it was intoxicating, all she wanted was to stay there with his warm lips moving slowly against hers, appreciating every inch and tasting her without rushing.

From Mark's face, her hands went to the back of his head and hair, moving his head to the side so that the kiss intensified.

Mark didn't stop the kiss until Y//N hit her back against a hard surface, it was only with surprise that they separated to realize that they were glued to the glass door of the balcony.

She laughed softly, followed by Mark's laugh as he raised his hand to her cheek. Y/N just watched him, with wobbly legs and dropped her hands to his shoulders while Mark caressed her face.

They didn't need words, the only thing that was exchanged there was complicity.

Mark's sideways smile indicated before he tilted his head that he intended to continue what they had started.

If it weren't for the ringing on his phone, notifying him of a new message. He took a deep breath before walking away.

"Y/N. Over."

Still a little dizzy from the lack of air, she reached for the communicator on her waist, watching Mark walk to get the phone from the sofa.

"I am here." She responded, forcing her voice to come out steady.

She saw Mark using his phone with his back to her.

"We saw some strange movement around the back of the building."

Y/N's entire body became alert, her rigid posture appearing again.

"What?"

Y/N didn't take her eyes off Mark, he was motionless.

"It was near some trash cans so we walked around the street to be sure what it was."

She took a deep breath, not liking it.

Mark turned to her, his eyes wide and an expression of pure shock that made Y/N look at him suspiciously.

He turned the phone screen and she returned her attention to Mark's shaking hand until she realized that a video was playing.

She felt her blood boil as she recognized the place and people in the video.

"We didn't find anything."

In front of her, on Mark's phone, a video of the kiss they had just exchanged played with a zoom clearly enough to identify both of them.

Y/N swallowed hard, not knowing what to do for the first time ever.

They kissed with so much passion that even though she didn't feel guilty, she felt embarrassed that it was recorded.

She looked at Mark, who even confused, had understood everything.

"Stop the car and go up to the building. Now." She ordered before turning off the communicator.

Y/N ran a hand over her face while Mark scratched the back of his head, staring at his phone screen again.

"She is here." He spoke quietly, with his eyes lost on a specific point on the phone. "She is here!"

Y/N took a deep breath and approached Mark.

"Hey." She rested her hands on his shoulders. "Mark, look at me."

He obeyed, scared.

"How did she do it?!"

"Don’t do that. That's what she wants, to make you scared!" she reminded him, making him nod.

"She sent the video with a message." He handed the phone to Y/N, who quickly took it, breaking the contact established with Mark.

She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes angrily after reading 'If you don't come and find me, your girlfriend will become famous'.

"I'm tired, Y/N!"

She opened her eyes, looking at Mark, he shook his head nonstop, completely disbelieved.

"I can't take all this mess anymore."

"You can, Mark, you're strong!"

He wet his own lips with his tongue and pressed them together in a thin line.

"You are right." He looked at her, making her raise her eyebrow in silent question. "I need to testify. I'm going to testify."

[...]

Y/N was hurriedly walking down the corridor of the police station, it was early in the morning and even though her body was tired from not having gone to sleep yet, the anger and hatred that coursed hotly through her veins left her more awake than ever.

She entered her boss's office without knocking and when she saw him standing next to the table, she found that he was already waiting for her.

He took a deep breath, his hands in his pants pockets.

"What about Mark?" he asked, worried.

"I left the patrollers there." she replied after closing the door with a thud, heading towards the chair in front of the table.

Y/N threw herself into the chair, being watched by her boss.

"Great, so we can talk." She nodded, the boss then handed his phone and she looked at it with a frown. "About this."

Y/N turned her attention to the phone and felt her blood suddenly run cold as she reviewed the video of the kiss between her and Mark.

A lump formed in her throat and she had nothing to say for a few seconds.

"How… who sent you that?" she raised the phone, after closing the video, irritated.

"She sent it to another deputy from another police station." he explained, returning to his chair and sitting down, to face Y/N. "Lucky for you two, he is a good friend of mine and realized it was a case of blackmail. This hasn't been leaked to the press yet."

She swallowed hard. She had nothing to explain to her boss because the video was enough.

"Y/N, I warned you about your emotions in this case."

"Boss, I didn't plan any of this-"

"I know that." He raised his hand to stop her. "But it doesn't make any difference anyway, because that kind of involvement is too dangerous."

She narrowed her eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Getting emotionally involved with a victim in cases like this rarely ends well." he leaned back in the chair. "Know that I'm not removing you from the investigations just because everything is ready."

She swallowed the answer she wanted to give. It wouldn't be fair to her.

"It would be very difficult to explain why to the supervisor and both you and Mark need to protect yourself from this type of gossip."

She nodded.

"The girl said that if Mark didn't find her, this video would be exposed, but apparently she can't keep her word." She huffed, irritated.

"I thought you better than anyone understood that these kinds of people can't be trusted."

"I'm always surprised." she replied in disbelief.

"I'm going to talk to Mark's lawyer by the end of the day." she frowned, that information was new to her. "We need to get him out of the country as soon as possible, we can't delay it any longer."

Y/N felt her shoulders sag. They were fighting against this possibility at all costs but apparently there was no other way out.

"With the warrant issued, she won't be able to leave the country and so we caught her."

"Let me tell him." she begged, being closely watched by her boss. "Please."

"You overstepped, didn't you?" he crossed his arms after a while of silence.

Y/N swallowed hard and looked at the boss in complete surprise.

"What?"

"You fell in love with the boy."

Y/N felt her entire body shiver and her jaw dropped slightly as words failed her, she wanted to deny it with all her strength but her body didn't obey.

Didn't obey because she agreed with the boss.

Didn't obey because it was true.

At first it was pure need to protect him, she identified with his case in a very personal way. But after the first kiss, she felt her heart leap out of her mouth every time she thought about him, which ended up being very constant because her entire attention was focused solely on Mark, either because she was working on the case or because she was thinking about what had happened between them.

She rubbed her cold hands, still trying to find an answer, which wasn't coming.

"Boss-"

“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.” his voice sounded much calmer than she imagined. “You can’t imagine how common this is.” she smiled, embarrassed. “But you know what happens now, don’t you?”

She frowned, confused.

“You became the main target.”

“I’m not afraid of her.”

Y/N felt the blood bubbling hotly through her veins every time she thought about that stalker, it was the fuel she needed to do what was right. She wanted justice, that's all.

And she would, one way or another.

[...]

Y/N drove down the streets that would lead to Mark's house, her only purpose in talking to her boss was to ensure Mark's safety. First they would take him out of the apartment and take him to a safe place before boarding him on a flight back to Canada, it would be for a short time but enough to arrest the stalker and begin the trial.

He would come back, that was obvious, but that didn't mean that Y/N's didn’t heart sank and anguished when she remembered that she wouldn't see him for a few weeks.

She wanted to make sure he was okay.

“Attention vehicles, report of suspected robbery at a grocery store.”

Y/N turned up the volume on the radio to hear better and frowned when the location was mentioned, a street next to the one where Mark lived. When the center repeated it, Y/N's mind worked quickly and was soon fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together.

That was why she accelerated the car even more, turning on the siren so she could pass between the cars more quickly. She felt her heart racing faster than the car she was driving and she shook her head, wishing that what she was thinking wasn't happening. However, all her fears became clearer when she didn't see the patrol car on the street outside Mark's house. Y/N got out of the car before she could even turn it off, pulling the gun from her waistband as soon as she set foot on the street.

Her hands were shaking and she had to hold the gun tighter than necessary, she didn't enter the building through the front door, she went through the back and was very attentive to every inch, she went up through the service elevator. She would have taken the stairs if she hadn't known that it had been on purpose, she knew where to go and wouldn't need to analyze the floors of the building as protocol said.

The climb to Mark's floor felt like slow torture and when the metal doors opened, she took a deep breath before leaving. She swallowed hard when she saw the apartment door slightly opened and there was no longer any doubt for her, she felt her heart beating in her ears and her jaw clenched as she approached the door without making a sound.

She raised the gun forward with one hand and with the other she opened the door suddenly, she didn't see anyone in the entrance hall so without thinking twice, she entered the house.

She didn't hear any noise and that made her alert, but when she went to the living room she felt her shoulders give in slightly, the strength seemed to be lacking in her legs but at the same time her instinct reacted by raising the gun towards the stalker who had a knife pointed at Mark's neck.

Y/N swallowed the growl that almost escaped her mouth and aimed for the girl's head, she was ready for that with her finger on the trigger, the stalker didn't even make the effort to hide behind Mark.

She just didn't shoot because Mark's terrified face and tears weighed heavily on her heart. The rational part of her brain knew that if she fired there and now, with the blade's proximity to Mark's skin, she would risk his life.

And that was everything she wouldn't do.

“It took you long enough.”

Y/N took a deep breath, controlling the urge to tell her to fuck off.

That crazy woman was still cynical.

"What do you want?" she asked through gritted teeth, gripping the gun tighter.

“I already have what I want.” She smiled widely, bringing her face closer to Mark's to plant a kiss on his cheek, who tried to pull away with a disgusted grimace. “It’s right here, isn’t it my love?”

“And why all this theater to get me here?” Y/N questioned, glaring at her. “You were the one who made the anonymous report of the theft.” it wasn't a question.

Because the stalker's insolent smile said exactly the answer she already knew.

"Of course." she replied with a tone of obviousness. “How did you expect those two idiots guarding the door to let me in without me being seen?”

“They weren’t going!”

"Exactly." she shrugged. “That’s why I needed to get them out of my way. You should thank me, police officer, I spared their lives.”

Y/N laughed in disbelief.

“You won’t kill a fly.”

The stalker smiled devilishly and pressed the knife further into Mark's neck, making him raise his head to try to get away from the blade, Y/N held her breath.

“Don’t provoke me, officer, you don’t know me.” she threatened.

"Okay!" Y/N agreed. “Get away from Mark and I’ll give you what you want.”

“Do you think I’m stupid? I walk away and you shoot me. You're smart." she grabbed Mark by the shoulder with her other hand.

Y/N was becoming distressed by the exaggerated proximity so she raised her hands, removing her aim from her head.

"Is it better this way?" she asked angrily, raising her eyebrow.

“I don’t know how Mark got interested in a coward like you.” she teased and Y/N locked her jaw. Okay, she wasn't going to fall for that conversation, it was purposeful and she knew it. “But you know it can be funny.” the stalker slightly raised the hand that was holding the knife and Y/N paid attention to the movement. “Almost like a joke.”

Now it had become too personal.

"You're right." she smiled ironically at her, who looked at her in surprise. “I’m really smart.”

Before a blink of an eye, Y/N aimed the gun at the stalker and fired. The shot echoed through the apartment and Mark flinched to the side in fright, Y/N kept her stance firm and the gun still extended as she saw the stalker fidget on the floor, reaching for her injured shoulder.

Y/N approached in long strides, placing herself in front of Mark protectively, the girl struggled to try and hold the knife that had fallen a little away.

Y/N shook her head and kicked the knife away, far enough away that the stalker couldn't reach it.

"You are under arrest!" she announced before turning to face Mark.

Y/N felt her heart sink when she saw Mark devastated, he seemed like he couldn't breathe and that made her place a hand on his shoulder.

“Mark.” she called softly, seeing him run his eyes around the room, scared. “Hey, it’s over.”

He nodded before looking into her eyes, the exchange of glances was quick but for them it lasted an eternity, until Y/N shifted her attention to Mark's neck.

It was marked and red, but no injuries. It was enough to breathe a sigh of relief, she felt her whole body tingle with the adrenaline that was beginning to subside.

She put the gun in her waistband and took her phone from her pants pocket, calling for backup.

After the call, she lifted the stalker and handcuffed her, leaving her sitting on the floor near the sofa. Then, being very careful not to scare Mark, she led him out of the apartment. Only then would they have privacy to talk.

"Are you okay?" she asked, calmly analyzing his face.

He swallowed, drying his sweaty hands on his pants.

“I guess… I guess so.” he took a deep breath.

“I know, after all the adrenaline wears off your body feels sore.” Y/N's fingers itched to touch Mark's face and this time she didn't hold back.

She made him look her in the eyes. He had a mix of emotions there and it was enough to hug him.

Y/N buried her face in the back of Mark's head and he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, shaking so much that she had to pat his back to try to calm him down.

She wanted to envelop him with the certainty that everything was okay in the same way that the heat of his body enveloped her.

"You saved my life." he said, his voice being muffled by the hug. “I will never be able to thank you enough.”

Y/N smiled lightly and moved away, seeing Mark's grateful smile up close.

"You don't need to. Just live your life like you have been doing and that’s enough for me.” Y/N's eyes dropped to his lips.

She fought the urge to kiss him one last time and so she bit her lower lip.

“So it’s like this?” Y/N narrowed her eyes at Mark's question, not understanding. “Is this how we’re going to say goodbye?”

Y/N opened her mouth to respond but no sound came out as she didn't know what to say, she shrugged sheepishly.

“If you want to-” she started but was interrupted by Mark, who got close enough so that their noses were touching slightly.

Y/N got lost in his eyes, which begged her to stay.

"Don’ go away." he asked and she smiled slightly. “It's going to be hard being away from you, officer. I survived the game thanks to you.”

[spooky-something]

WARNING;

we're about to seriously yap and put out some hot fucking takes about Phantom of the Opera, so if you're sensitive to that/don't wanna hear that, scroll.

We finally finished POTO, and what I can say; hot take; This is a fucking nightmare that just DOESN'T deserve the fame it has. It's awful . /Hj The writing itself is okay, it can be really good at times, but I hate the way it's framed; having Leroux litteraly self insert himself as the narrator, which could've worked, but for me, it just doesn't. It would've been great, had that narrator not litteraly been himself, but because it's him, it not only takes away from the realism he tried to built via this, but also comes ass as SUPER, SUPER annoying at times. The story itself is just cluttered, way too cluttered; the unnecessary details, events, attempts at shifting narratives that could've been better done/explained quickly and more efficiently, it's a lot. Some examples are the "Rat Catcher"; entirely unnecessary additional, why the fuck was he even there (It was so bad, we started cackling mid class because it was so fucking random)???? Or the random "apparition" added, again, for no reason. None of these were mentioned before, nor explained whatsoever; the "apparition" litteraly being wrote off by LEROUX HIMSELF as "something I cannot explain". Which, in my opinion, is extremely stupid. I don't care if it's for the "mystery factor", because, considering there was already far too much going on, and plenty of OTHER mystery elements, adding something just because with no purpose was and IS obnoxious. All it does it make the story you're trying to tell more convoluted, which was exactly what we felt while reading. Yet, the MAIN issue, the characters, and by extension, the message Leroux is so DESPERATELY trying to convey with them. I am going to say the hottest fucking take known to man; I fucking DESPISE Erik, and litteraly, ONLY kept reading because of the fact I knew he'd die at the end, and I wanted that satisfaction (was so disappointed his death was so vague and lame...). I understand why people can feel bad, at least, PARTIALLY, but the amount of fucking love and DEFENDING I see for him is ACTUALLY INSANE. Erik is

A. A fucking murderer

B. A stalker

C. An abuser

D. A manipulator (And, gaslighter, by extension)

E. A thief

F. An (ALMOST) terrorist (litteraly tried to blow up the entire opera)

G. A liar

H. A kidnapper

And

I (This stands for:). An incel (This one's more of a "joke", as the rest are all litteraly book canon, but he is literally an incel; he checks all the boxes), and yet, people out pour him with support; the amount of apologists is crazy. I've even seen people compare him to THE CREATURE (Frankenstein) which is just NOT CORRECT AT ALL???? They have similarities, yeah, but the amount of differences is insane.

1. Erik is a litteral millionaire (Yeah, I did the math for the amount of francs he got then for American dollars, now, and it was at LEAST, like 2 million...)

2. Erik IS human, biologically; yeah, he was treated differently, but he still had the COMFORT of knowing he was a human, that he was, in at least some form compared to the Creature "natural"

3. Erik was raised by his family (yes, they were abusive, and I'm not saying they weren't, but he HAD PARENTS, AND AN EDUCATION; I think, idar if he was educated or not, but my point still stands: he had a family)

4. Erik, despite the novel trying so hard to say otherwise, was HIGHLY respected; HE LITERALLY WORKED WITH ROYALTY????

5. Erik HAD FRIENDS???? Once more, not only did he work with royalty, he had the Persian/Daroga, which, again, despite how much the novel tries to say otherwise, was very clearly a friend; very clearly someone who DID care about him (if he didn't, why would he save his life even AFTER LITTERALY TORTURING PEOPLE???)

6. Erik, AGAIN, is denied humanity nearly as much as it's painted; he litteraly mentions how he wanted to be normal, and so, applied for a normal ass construction job at the Opera, AND GOT IT NO QUESTIONS ASKED???

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Catch and Release

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam

Summary: AU where Jason doesn't die in the explosion and he and Tim end up attending the same high school months later.

Chapters: 1/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth, Tim Drake, Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon, Sebastian Ives, Jack Drake, Janet Drake

Relationships: TBA

Additional Tags: Jason Todd Lives, Jason Todd-centric, POV Jason Todd, POV First Person, Tim Drake Has Issues, Tim Drake is Not Robin, Jason Todd is Not Robin (Anymore), Bruce Wayne Needs a Hug, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth Knows, Stalker Tim Drake, Jason Todd Has Chronic Pain, Jason Todd Has PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, Unlikely Friends, Injury Recovery, Emotional Baggage, Rage, Bruce Wayne is Bad at Communicating

Chapter One: Counting Backward

"Good," Bruce replied.

Despite Alfred begging me to use the stairlift, I came down the stairs on foot. It was a dumb idea, but I was tired of feeling broken. My leg still hadn't healed. Mostly everything else had. I wondered if Bruce would urge me to stay home longer and focus on my recovery. I know he meant well, but I was tired of wasting away in the manor. I felt like I was a living memorial of the Jason he lost in the explosion. I haunted the place every moment I was there. Even my laugh was a painful reminder of what was.

A wave of pain shot up my spine and into my lungs, and I missed a step. I wasn't as quick on my feet as I used to be, but Alfred managed to catch me before I could falter. That bothered me. I didn't want anyone helping me, but my body was so broken it couldn't be avoided. I wanted to return to how I was, but honestly, I wasn't even halfway there. I mumbled a word of gratitude to Alfred, and he escorted me down the few remaining steps against my will.

My crutches leaned against the baluster. I remember when it felt like a victory. It meant I could walk. After a few months on them, it felt more like a loss. I couldn't rush recovery, so I was stuck. I bitterly pushed forward and went to the kitchen to make myself breakfast. Bruce sat at the counter, sipping his coffee. Despite his silence, I knew what his presence meant. "I'm going to school today," I announced. Bruce nodded. "I don't want you checking in on me today."

"Jason, I'm not trying to baby you... I'm just worried that your return to public school is premature," Bruce replied. He set his coffee aside and looked at me, studying me with his eyes. "Healing takes time."

"I can only heal at home for so long," I muttered as I opened the fridge. Bruce didn't help me, as a rule. I didn't want him to. I poured myself a glass of milk, and Alfred started making breakfast. I knew it was the only way Alfred would let me go, so I ate. I was stubborn but not half as stubborn as Alfred. "Thanks for breakfast, Alfred."

He nodded and set my backpack and lunch on an empty chair. Bruce seemed displeased with all of it. Ever since I came home from the hospital, he'd examined my every move, documenting my every nightmare, every misstep. It felt like he was judging me, but I knew better. Bruce was frightened for me. "At least let me take you to school... It'll help me breathe easier if I can see you off," Bruce requested. I nodded.

I didn't feel like arguing with him about small things like drop off and pick up. I stood up and put on my backpack before grabbing my crutches. Bruce looked up, and before he could ask me, I nodded. "I was in an accident. I don't wanna talk about it... The fewer details I use, the better," I whispered.

I followed him to the garage and sat in the front seat. The drive was unbearably long and silent. Neither of us had anything to say that the other wanted to hear. I watched as kids poured into the gates, and I hesitated. "Second thoughts?" Bruce asked.

"No," I stubbornly answered as I got out of the car. I took a breath and braced for an imaginary threat. I hopped up the steps and went through the double doors. I walked towards the metal detector, and the security guard shook his head. I thought it was irresponsible for him to let me through, but that wasn't my business anymore. I went to the front office and knocked on the attendance door. The office attendant smiled and told me she'd help me in a moment. I sat down and waited for her to ask for me.

"You can come up now," she welcomed me. I told her my name, and she gave me my class schedule. "If you'd like-." I smiled and shook my head.

"I was enrolled here last year... I'll manage, but thank you," I interrupted as politely as possible.

My first class was halfway across the building, so I went there right after I left the office. The door was locked, so I stood there, waiting for the teacher to show up. That's when I noticed him. A wild-eyed kid with no backpack. He only had a notepad and pen. If I didn't know better, I would've mistaken him for an undercover cop. I caught him staring at me and immediately took offense, but I wasn't dumb enough to pick a fight on my first day. Besides, he looked out the window as soon as he noticed I was staring back. I could tell he was sheltered by the way he looked at people. Most people who grew up in the rougher parts of Gotham would've known better. Had he met me last year, he might've gotten a friendlier reaction from me. I might've even overlooked him, but something about him didn't feel right.

The bell rang, and the teacher came to unlock the classroom. "Nice to see you again, Jason," she greeted. I tried to grasp for a name, but I couldn't remember her. I couldn't remember a lot of things after the accident.

"It's nice to see you too," I smiled. It was better to fake it and glance at my class schedule later than to explain why I suddenly couldn't remember the name of a teacher who obviously noticed my absence. I was bitter, but I wouldn't be rude to innocent people.

She logged into the computer and pulled up the seating chart. I sat by the door where I was placed and watched as the creepy kid strolled in. He sat by the window, and I looked for his name on the roster. Tim Drake. I wrote it down in my notebook and caught him staring at me again. A few other kids came in. One of which knocked my crutches over without picking them up. I picked them up and sighed. I'd have to deal with that for another month, at least.

Then there'd be more physical therapy and exams... And more of Bruce's pained glances when I missed a step or took a sharp breath. I knew he felt guilty for not being there. I did my fair share of blaming him in the earlier days of my recovery. I wasn't proud of what I said but never apologized, especially after he took Robin from me. It was the only way I could cope. Bitterness protected me from the harsh realities of the accident. I felt like I was experiencing the five stages of grief backward like I was mourning the death I should've had.

The second bell rang, and the rest of the class rushed in, some narrowly avoiding the third and final late bell. Eventually, wandering eyes started to recognize my face beneath the scarring. That wasn't the thing that bothered me, though. It was the whispering that followed the stares. I could make out some of it, but my hearing wasn't as good as before.

"I thought he died."

"I heard he got shot in the face."

"No, Professor Pyg turned him into one of those Frankenstein things, and he spent the summer in Arkham."

I swallowed it because I had to, but I could hardly conceal my growing rage. "Jason," our teacher whispered. I looked up at her. "Are you alright?"

I smiled and nodded even though every lethal and violent scenario imaginable flashed through my mind. I only had a few more hours of self-inflicted mental and emotional torture, and then I could drive home in agonizing silence. It would've gone great had he not pushed me.

[radigalde]

Fear level counting: Polo Club part 1

Simply walking to the park will give you +1 if you have fear of attention (scopophobia).

During the conversation with Adrian at the start of the polo route you can circle through multiple conversation branchees and replies, but each of the main topics moves the talk timer by 1. And once this timer reaches 7, you'll have to end the conversation and move to the choosing the horse.

In the first branch of the light chit-chat (#I make some light chitchat to break the ice.) the following options will give you -1 with the condition that MC doesn't consider Adrian to be their stalker:

#"So, nice weather we're having, right?"

#"Adrian, your glasses are blinding me."

#"Adrian, your beauty is blinding me."

While these options from the same conversation branch will give -1 unconditionally:

#"So, how has your day been?" I ask Adrian.

#"So, how has your day been?" I ask Foreshadow.

The branch #I launch right into the meat of the matter. has… a lot going on in its sub-branches (which you can reach from multiple points of the conversation).

Talking about the murder (#"There was a murder during my last work shift…" or #"There was a mauling during my last work shift…" for MC who is working as a wildlife biologist) will give +1 fear. And an addition depending on other stats:

+1 for the restraunt worker

+1 for the computer programmer if you decide to talk about Grim Reaper (#Go into a long-winded diatribe over how the Grim Reaper comes for us all (but especially you with your luck).) while having a death phobia

+2 for the security guard

+1 for security guard with a blood phobia or death phobia (stacks with the main job fear increase)

+1 for security guard with car accident childhood (stacks with the main job fear increase)

The security guard can get a consolidation -1 fear if in the follow-up dialogue with a worried Adrian you choose #"It's nothing at all.", but it will cost you increase of denial and potentially corruption (and security guard already has a huge problem with the latter). Alternatively, choose #No, I'm not going to run away. I tell Adrian exactly what I saw in that parking lot. for -2 fear or #"Sure, I'm fine. And I'll give you the whole scoop. It went like this…" for -1 fear with no very little repercussions.

Talking about the nightmare from the prologue (#"Let me tell you about this strange dream I just had…") will give you +1.

Same with talking about a wound on MC's arm (#"So I was recently mauled by an invisible poltergeist…"): +1 fear.

While Adrian is freaking out about MC's mauled arm, choose #"What? I find this situation perfectly normal." and then #I'm not being sarcastic. while not being a clodcuckoolander (less that 5 cuckoo options chosen beforehand), overly sassy (sass stat is less than 45) nor nonchalant (option #I give a nonchalant shrug. after showing your wound) for getting -1 fear.

Or just choose #"It's fine." to unconditionally get the same -1 fear and once again increase your denial stat.

Telling about the creepy things in your apartment (#"It seems that my apartment may be a little bit haunted…") will get you +1 fear. Denying the creepy in the follow-up replies (#"It's fine.") will negate it with -1 fear, but increase your denial stat (and potentially corruption as well).

Also, you can cheat a bit and choose #I launch into a long involved story regarding my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. instead (or its alternative for mute/silent MCs - #I silently whip out my thirteen-page description of my past day including all details regarding my past work shift, my nightmare and strange injury, as well as the current haunted atmosphere of my apartment.). It will mark all topics (nightmare, murder, haunted apartment, wound) as discussed, but will give just one +1 fear instead of a total of +4 when talking about each topic separately.

Once Adrian offers MC to sleep in motel or Adrian's home, agreeing to consider motel option (#"Yeah, maybe a night in a motel will do me some good.") will give -1 fear. Meanwhile, a promise of sleepover in Adrian's apartment gives -3.

The silent branch (#I believe actions speak louder than words.) can give you -1 upon choosing #I sidle closer to the horse and rider. with an additional -1 for taking Adrian's hand after that (#I reach up and take Adrian's hand.).

During Adrian's lecture on Camelot and King Arthur (unlocked by picking #Ask about King Arthur and Camelot.), vocal Monty Python joke (#"I'm greatly aggrieved at the lack of coconuts, ducks, and killer rabbits in your lecture.") will give you -1 fear as long as you have at least 1 carrot on you.

During apocalypse discussion (unlocked by picking #Ask about the apocalypse.), fourth wall joke (#"Pure unfiltered meta knowledge.") will give you -1 fear but simultaneously increase corruption because fuck you, I guess.

Asking Adrian about his day (#Ask Adrian if he's experienced anything strange lately.) will give an unconditional +1.

You can negate it with -1 at the price of denial increase (#"Yes, and it's your mother. She's disappointed that you haven't properly washed your socks lately.") or add another +1 if you have attention phobia (#Well, I wasn't before but now I am!).

A patter joke (#Ask how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.) will give -1 fear but at the horrible price of +1 cuckoo.

Giving Foreshadow a carrot during the conversation will get you -1 fear per carrot. And you have 7 of them, meaning that the potentional max is -7 fear. Alternatively, you can give him your entire bag of carrots (as long as you have 3 or more of them), but that will give you only -3 fear, so I wouldn't recommend picking this option unless you already fed this horse 4 times. HOWEVER, feeding Foreshadow and your own horse affect Pippa's accident. Giving all your carrots to Foreshadow (no matter how) will make Pippa's outcome at the end of the club segment worse.

Unless you decide to end the conversation prematurely (before you go through 4 topics), there are additional stat changes during interim spooky moments:

Mandatory +1 after the 4th topic, once MC notices something near the horses trailer ("For a moment you think you see something dark and hulking lumbering behind the nearby red trailer, but the image vanishes within a single blink of your eyes.").

You can negate it with -1 and increase of denial by choosing #Perhaps it was nothing at all.

Or you can negate with unconditional -1 and rational explanations of #Perhaps it was a shadow? and #Perhaps it was a horse?

You can even increase it with more +1 by picking #"Hey Adrian, did you see that?"

Another mandatory +1 after 6th topic, once Foreshadow starts foreshadowing behave strangely ("Foreshadow sidles back a step or two, his ears flattened tight against his head as he stares up towards the top of the nearby ridge.").

The only option to negate this with -1 is by picking #Nothing. (unavailable for security guards with 3 or more in denial score and all MCs with corruption higher than 3). It also comes with a side of denial increase, of course.

Unless you are on your 7th topic, asking about trailer shadow (#I swear I saw something behind that trailer.) will give +1 fear if you have fear phobia.

At the end of conversation you'll get +1 fear if MC has a fear phobia and told Adrian about their nightmare or haunted apartment. And another unconditional +1 because a horse screamed suddenly.

After that horce scream, you can get -1 fear by asking Adrian to help you if something happens (#"Hey Adrian, you'll come and save me if my horse runs away with me, right?", unavailable for stalker Adrian). But beware: this reply counts as flirt. The alternative is ignoring it (#I give an unimpressed shrug.), but this reply has a downside of slightly reducing relationship with Adrian and increasing apathy score.

[wit4writ]

PJO Episode 2 Detailed Review (Part 2/2)

Part 2 of my Episode 2 Review. Part 1 can be read here.

Three seconds of darkness, and we’re in another creepy nightmare, which quickly cuts to Percy in the cabin with Luke being the best exposition robot he can be, between talking about nightmares, explaining who his dad is, and GLORY.

We also meet Clarisse, who is amazing. She’s confident and terrifying, knocking over Percy like he’s nothing. This is great characterization in a few seconds, establishing her strength, her attitude, and her messing with Percy.

Then we’re back to exposition robots, as Luke’s friend (Chris?) tells Percy that Luke’s the best swordsman in camp. It would’ve been more effective if we had a demonstration of that. For that reason, I would’ve had the scene with Clarisse happen later at the training grounds. Percy’s rationale of getting his dad to notice him was sadly realistic, but it would’ve tied in with Luke’s whole GLORY bit without Clarisse being there, which is another reason I’d move Clarisse’s introduction.

I enjoyed the archery scene, but I would’ve cut the beginning with Luke talking. The blacksmithing scene was also good, but I would’ve added both scenes to a longer montage of Percy trying various activities and failing at them: losing footraces, accidentally pulling out strawberry plants instead of weeds, losing chess games (possibly with Annabeth, but any Athena kid would do), and getting trounced by Luke in a duel (with the Ares kids watching and Clarisse being introduced here).

I’d also want to show Percy excelling at canoeing but I’m not sure where I’d put it. (Maybe right before Luke and Percy duelling.) That way in the next scene where Percy’s having lunch, they can encourage him, “At least you didn’t suck at canoeing too,” or something along those lines.

The burnt offerings thing was more conversational, so it felt like a more natural way of sharing info compared to earlier.

The scene of Percy burning candy in the woods to talk to his mom was so sweet and gave us insight to his inner thoughts. However, I think it would’ve made more sense if Percy said, “I think I’m making friends here,” because at this point, he’s known Luke and Chris for a day and a half, so to assert they’re friends already seems fast.

Three seconds of darkness which we didn’t need later, Percy is being accosted by Clarisse. His line and the transition to the bathroom were good. The scene itself was slightly strange. We don’t know why Clarisse is so annoyed by Percy killing the Minotaur and why she’s so fixated on him admitting he’s lying. In the book, her motivation is “initiation”—she’s a bully and he’s fresh meat. We aren’t giving enough info on Clarisse here to understand where she’s coming from. I also didn’t like the scene happened at night with no one around, which I’ll touch on once we get to capture the flag.

The scene where he soaks Clarisse and the others is great, but it would’ve been more impactful if it was just a little longer, maybe with them trading insults.

Annabeth’s official introduction is next. The conversation with Percy asking if she’s stalking him and her admitting to watching him would’ve made more sense if Annabeth was sneakily in the background of previous scenes, or they cut to a shot of her observing him, him noticing, then the scene moving on. Her being in the infirmary that night makes her creepy, but not a stalker, as stalking is most often used to refer to a repeated pattern of behaviour.

Three second darkness transition (sigh) and Luke the exposition robot is introducing capture the flag and Annabeth as the head counselor of the Athena cabin. Sorry, but no. In a cabin full of high intellect, even if Annabeth is the best and most experienced among them, she is still twelve. Kids tend to create their own hierarchy based on age. I don’t see prideful, eighteen-year-old Athena kids being able to let her be in charge, no matter how good she is. Also, they should emphasize that Hermes and Athena cabins are allies, not a team, because “team” implies they’re always working together, which they very well may be, but that brings up questions of why.

Luke explaining the backstory was, again, exposition we could either cut or reframe. Also, we are told they have a relationship while having no evidence of that, which makes it seem less authentic. If we threaded small interactions of them throughout this, it would characterize them and their relationship.

We also get the “forbidden kid” exposition, which, again, would’ve benefited from being more concise. We could have also dropped hints about Thalia earlier on (referring to Thalia’s pine, etc.), so it didn’t come out of left field.

While it makes sense that Percy asks Luke about Annabeth’s motivations, it takes away agency from Annabeth, and makes her a passive part of her own story. It would’ve been interesting if Luke had stepped back, assuring him that Annabeth had her reasons, and allow her to tell him herself later.

The capture the flag beginning was amazing. It was good to see Luke and Percy talk and skip some of Chiron’s instructions, because we didn’t need to hear it. Annabeth and Luke interacting was great, so why didn’t we have more of it?  

Annabeth leading Percy to the lookout point felt like an actual character interaction, even with Percy rambling on how much he needs to impress his dad and Annabeth showing off her invisibility cap. A bit rough, but I’ll take it.

Three seconds of darkness (I DON’T LIKE THIS TRANSITION, IT FEELS SO CHOPPY) that we didn’t need later, Luke and his team have an incredible fight scene (it would’ve been great if his skills were shown at earlier, like I previously outlined) and after he says Percy will be ready, we get a great cut to Percy goofing off. This made me laugh, because this felt very in character, especially for a kid with ADHD. He’s alone and away from the action, he would get distracted.

Then Clarisse arrives, and her spear looks fantastic (Props to the prop master). This fight scene was good, but again, Clarisse’s motivation isn’t. In the book, she’s getting revenge here after being publicly humiliated during the bathroom incident, because everyone saw it happen and made fun of her for it. Here, it happens in the middle of the night, with no one around except Annabeth. Her revenge line makes much more sense if she got humiliated and wants payback, and is a stronger motivation then him admitting he’s a fake because she’s…jealous? Again, we’re not given enough insight to her motivation.

Percy also getting better at fighting once they were near the lake was hard to explain. In the book, it’s because he got in the water, which is hinted at earlier on. Now, he just so happens to be near the water and got better, so the reasoning behind his sudden athleticism becomes more confusing.

I’d also have Clarisse give him a parting line before just letting him go. Something like, “You get lucky this time.”   

Annabeth interacting with Percy after this would’ve been served by more dialogue to give her more characterization, like so:

// Percy: “You were here the whole time, and you didn’t help me?”

Annabeth: “I was going to, but honestly? You didn’t need it.”

She helps Percy up.

Percy: “Didn’t need it? I almost got sliced up!”

Annabeth: “But you didn’t.”

Percy: “No thanks to you.”

Annabeth stares at him, not saying anything.

Annabeth: “I’m sorry.”

Percy: “Really?”

Annabeth: “For this.”

She pushes him in the water. //

Percy getting claimed by Poseidon was the perfect, climatic moment for the episode to end on. The quest giving should have been pushed to the next episode, that way the episode literally starts with the fact that the quest is also starting. The quest giving bit also gave us more exposition robots in Chiron and Mr. D, where they talked at him instead of with him.

Percy initially refusing the quest made sense in character, but I didn’t understand why Chiron and Mr. D didn’t reveal the truth about his mom then. It seems strangely shortsighted of them to not realize this was the perfect motivation to get Percy to go on the quest. Also, I would’ve had a shot of Grover eavesdropping on Percy’s briefing beforehand to explain his sudden appearance.

Then, the fact his mom was alive, while being a great bombshell drop, took away from the moment of him getting claimed, which is another reason I’d push this to the next episode. Finally, if we’d only hinted at his mom being alive previously (as I outlined), the moment Percy finding out would have hit much harder.

We sacrificed more characters for the sake of info drops, this time Luke suffering the worse. As exposition robots, they felt one-dimensional, and the whole episode felt bloated and messy. There were good moments, but they were few and far between, and not enough to redeem the episode.

I don’t mind Annabeth figured out Percy’s parentage, but it would’ve been good to build to that, characterizing her through actions: have her observing his failures, etc., while also showing her relationship with Luke. Instead, she popped up at the beginning and the end, which was a weird choice since she’s one of the main characters.

No one explained all the heroes have ADHD and dyslexia. Is that not a thing in this world? It was a large part of the books, so I found it odd they skipped over that.

Overall, I liked episode two a lot less than episode one.

What are your thoughts on the episode? Should I keep writing these? Is one long post better or split into two?

[e-l-i-s-s-a]

Part 1:

I explain how I met my ex and the dynamic

Part 2:

More on how I originally met my stalker, ( if any of you have been approached to play a virtual game of big brother you need to message me ASAP)

I talk about my tumblr background and how I ended up in this position

I discuss being approached by multiple accounts over the years (that ended up being him, including the “stalker” nightmare account I referred to in my original post) and show a screenshot of random xpressions and I having a personal conversation where he literally tells me he’s writing poetry about me

I also info detail how I knew he was doing this to multiple women from the start- one of them being that poor girl that is defending them publicly right now. But I know she has years of an online report with these accounts. He really has a hold on her and I hope her perceptions evolve soon to see everything he was telling you was just taken from one of my videos or lives.

Part 3

I go into my background with the random xpressions account, explain what a stat counter is and how I became aware he uses one.

I also address why the accounts look credible ( spoiler alert it’s because my ex is PROFICIENT in AI / photoshop and a professional web developer. He builds websites, he worked for Disney doing animation. He was doing things that are being discovered today YEARS AGO. )

I address how the original romanric sir comes into the story, the conversations we had, and then begin to reflect on how I began connecting all of the dots that all of the accounts are the same.

Part 4:

I go into detail about being approached my some spiritual mentor on Reddit ( yep, also him ) as well as how this person had the EXACT same background story as original romantic sir

I begin to suspect the Reddit dude is actually random xpressions ( because he’s followed me to other social media before to “ encourage me” on my journey)

I show screenshots of random xpressions posts that were very synchronistic to personal convos I have having with said mentor, and detail how I asked the Reddit dude to send me a selfie with my name written down and he did.

Part 5

I detail how I confront both the Reddit account and random xpressions on being the same person

I detail how I made a side account to respond directly to randoms sporadic posts without telling anyone, so only someone with my IP would know this account even existed. I also talk about how I began to realize original romantic sir was involved, too.

I reflect on some synchronicity that made me reach out to my ex (the actual person behind the accounts but I was not aware at this time) I believed I was being sex trafficked and was terrified and looking for support. It just so happened that 8 years prior I made my fb cover photo a screenshot from our messages where he told me to expect to have stalkers because I was beautiful.

Around the 5:45 mark, I begin to tie into how it clicks original romantic sir is involved FOR SURE. I genuinely believe at this point and for the next few days that I’m being directly targeted by a trafficking ring.

Part 6

I go into more connection between original romantic sir and random xpressions with screenshots

I reflect how ALL of these accounts that tried to contact / befriend / romance me have tried to convert me to their religious beliefs

I also discuss how I confided in my ex about how terrified I was and how the poet account started writing poetry about PHONE CONVERSATIONS I was having with my ex and how my ex and I “baited” him with key words to see if he’d write about it

I share screenshots between private convos with my ex and random xpressions posts

Part 7

I just kind of reflect on all of the signs and synchronicity. I’m really going through it here. This is more of just a vlog and you can skip it although I do note here that this is when I suspect my ex has hacked my WiFi.

Part 8

This was the OG video I shared- it goes into the beginning of random xpressions archives and compares those posts with my trip when I traveled to meet my ex in 2017.

Part 9

Lots and lots of screenshots connecting random xpressions to my ex with timestamps 💋

This is just like a part 2 to that but this one also connects unoriginalromanticsir

Tumblr only allows a certain number of video links.

There is a part 2 to this post for parts 10, 11, 12, & 13.

Regardless of what you believe, it does not hurt to use a VPN on this app. People are able to track your ip with an invisible stat counter which means any website or app you visit is known. Be safe and protect yourselves.

[anonymergremlin]

When I created my Lies of P OC Alice, I tried to include as much as possible from the original 'Alice in the Wonderland'-Fairytale.

So let me share some details about her:

Name: I named her Alice Mary Carroll, so her first name is after the famous figure Alice and her last name being the last name of the authors pseudonym.

Her design: I tried to keep her natural hair color blond or at least light (Doesn't mean I don't love dark haired Alice from Madness Returns hehe). She has light blue eyes, a little to light to give of a lost feeling, something that makes them look empty. Her braided her has that little black ribbon at the end which I associate with Alice.

Her colors: She wears a lot of black and white combined with blue colors. Lighter once for when she is at the hotel and darker once for when she is out fighting as a stalker.

Companions: Alice has three puppets she build from scratch. White rabbit, cheshire cat and caterpillar. The first two are based on pets she used to have. White rabbit was an albino rabbit, a present from her parents to hopefully make their child stop asking for more attention and to support her ' nurturing ' side (wanted her to become a good wife). Cheshire cat on the other side was a present from a business partner from a country in the west, a maine coon cat who looked like he is smiling/smirking all the time. The caterpillar wasn't a pet but Alice first try of a wind-up puppet when she was younger. She later turned it's remaining parts into a puppet like the others.

Her family: Alice's parents are from a country in the north. Came to Krat because of their business. They have a clothing business, high quality products for the higher society. Always dressed in fine dark red, the Red 'Queen' and 'King'. Both of them don't show any affection or attention towards their daughter believing that hair living in such a "wonderland" made out of money and a position in a higher class is already enough. In return they expect her to become a fine young woman, a good wife and mother for her future husband and their kids. Trying to shape her after their desire. Alice once told Romeo and Carlo that her mother looks to her like the 'Queen of Hearts' after looking a poker card deck.

Alice hobbies: Like I said. Her family tried to shape Alice. But she has her own dreams. She loves mathematics, physics, engineering and the arts (hobbies which are really close to the author's profession and hobbies). Her dream was to become an inventor for things that make other happy, like kids toys.

Alice as in the past and present: The former Alice used to be a crybaby. Someone who was often afraid of talking about her feelings, wishes and dreams. But she was also really friendly, kind and sweet towards the people she cared for and who cared for her. Present Alice is different. She still shows kindness towards those she cares but her heart is cold when it comes to being... Really friendly and sweet. The events changed her. You could say since original Alice had a sister, this Alice also has one. Herself. The Alice from the present is the one she protects by trying her best to help Krat, to not let the chaos destroy what good memories she had. But the current Alice, she is not the same as her. She is the Alice who went from the mad wonderland into a mad nightmare.

Well yeah, thanks everyone for reading this. It's still not everything about her but... Yeah. Thanks for reading. 👉👈 and sry for typos.

[crescentmoon-flower]

Rewatching winx season 4 for nostalgia and realizing how wierd some things are

Ep. 5

And even though they said they don't want attention, they're flying?

Homeless man cameo at perfect irony point

...I just noticed this but why do they always stand on their toes when in fairy form?

I feel sorry for roxy, imagine being told that not only are you a different species than you thought, but also the balance of the entire world is riding on you.

What are duman's transformation limits?

This whole break in and set a trap is actually clever, if only the trap was better

Cute kiko

Why did they all kneel if only Ogron cast the spell?

Ok that interaction between riven and Brandon was cute.

They kind of already do, except nabu though, he looks like a monk

Well at least helia's got his priorities straight

Also nice world building, gardenia is expensive to live in

Riven defying physics with a newspaper, also smart for looking at newspaper adds

Sassy brandon

You know what, not a bad idea to try mechanics

MR. OIL THE MECHANIC

Also I love how nabu didn't change and still looks like a monk and the mechanic isn't questioning it

Oh my god this is painfully awkward

Did Riven break the hood of that car?

Ok that has got to be illegal or at least questionable, did they file tax before giving blooms parents their investment back?

Eh, I'm not going to question these details

Oh my god musa PRINTED the pictures of Stella half awake

Also this is a very fair concern to have when dealing with animals, they didn't mention some of the darker things that could happen to a pet after adoption but it is always a valid thing to keep in mind

Wow, mitzi is annoying

At least they came to the correct conclusion, but aren't they going to question how the wizards managed to cast the spell?

Property damage nullifies the closed sign Stella put up

I don't think what's good or bad for business is relevant when propert damage or bodily harm are bigger concerns

Did duman have to get close to cat the spell? It's seems redundant and frankly an unnecessary risk

... did.. did anagan get rid of the Sound waves with sound waves????

What even were either of those spells bloom? They did like nothing

ALIENS!!!!! I mean he's technically not wrong though

Ok creative Stella good job

Riven raising good points

Ditching jobs, to shame

Aw naw! Oh my god gantlos sounds adorable

What was gantlos's idea?

Thank you timmy, thievery is bad boys

HOLY SHIT

Ok Riven, and probably all the boys, shouldn't be driving

Oh my god this interaction is so awkward and honestly I feel for mitzi here, she literally knows nothing and suddenly they're at her door

Flirting

aisha and nabu are adorable

Oh no, mitzi and her obsesion

Both stella and Brandon are in the wrong here

"A girl never let's her Prince charming go" Ironic

I mean an actual valid reason for being fired

....I feel awful for only now noticing timmy wasn't there, but also why wasn't he?

Ep.6

Half packed apartment, realistic

I don't know how to feel about watching Stella eat for several unnecessary seconds

Huh didn't expect musa to be the most invested in the book

Also I wish we had more world building for believix, I have so many questions

Noooooo, helia's hair cut

SASSY BRANDON

Ok Riven is my spirit animal

Stalker nightmare

Note, if someone is doing something you don't like and makes you uncomfortable you have every right to tell them to stop, no matter their feelings

Tecna has good points

Aisha your great, never change

Oh my god are they seriously painting with several colours on top of each other wet?? This is a disaster

Uhhhng, this second hand embarrassment is horrible

Thank you tecna for stating the obvious

That's creepy, just knock girls

Roxy you are acting suspicious

What was Stella hanging from?

Well their tone changed drastically

Also roxy, crazy people are dangerous

What is this silent conversation between bloom and roxy

Well that could've gone far worse

You lost one group of loonies and found another

Oh my god roxy needs therapy after this

Also irony for artu to bite duman

I love Cute villains

Bouncy light, makes sense

Aisha? Love you

Creepy duman love it

Holy shit ogron is strong

I love ogro

Get the poor girl some therapy

Roxy your awesome, insult them more

I do actually love believix, it looks really pretty and has a nice concept

Roxy looks pissed

Ah, cliff hanger

[hitchhikerwithoutguide]

i had a nightmare tonight about my stalker/abuser

it was almost casual. i was in the pub with my friends and partner, and only i recognized him since no one else ever met him and i deleted his pics long ago (not that i had many of them)

he sat down at a table behind ours, all alone, and seemed as casual as one could be

i tried to indicate to my partner who it was and tried my best to ignore him

when i first saw him my entire body filled with anxious dread and it was so hard not to look at him

wondering why he was there, if he came because he knew i was there, how he would know that

during our short and intense "relationship" he never travelled to my place and only once did he come to my town, but not to see me

in the dream i did end up going to his table and ask what he was doing there, and he said that he had decided to look me up irl since i had changed my snapchat (basically the only place we talked) user name twice to get away from him

it was... by all means a casual, civil conversation. i asked why he had come here since he never did when we dated and i dont remember the response but he made it sound so logical

it was a short dream though. i don't remember more details, apart from being completely alone, my friends and my partner had disappeared and i dont even think we were in the pub anymore, just in an empty dark room with a table. a civil conversation where i demanded answers and he avoided them.

I'll never understand why he ever only contacted me through snapchat after i broke things off. he would make new snap accounts constantly to get through me blocking him. he had my phone number, and i hadnt blocked it, only deleted it from my contacts. but he never tried to call or text me, although we did call each other fairly often when we dated. but to be fair i dont know if he ever saved my number, or if he just called the number he recognized as mine. maybe he has no access to my number anymore. but it feels like it should be easy to find online, because sweden defaults to having your phone number easily accessed with your name attached

last time he attempted to contact me was just last year, and i finally changed my snapchat username to something he wouldnt figure out. and so far he hasnt. but i dont doubt he will one day figure it out.

i havent thought about him in a long, long time. i guess i felt like i had finally escaped him. but maybe not. maybe part of him will always haunt me.

[rabbitgardens]

welcoem to my fuck house

Red | 21 | it/its | main blog

making this sideblog to meet people to play games with and justify my ffxiv subscription!

I dont have very much experience with mmos, and my histories with both gw2 and ffxiv are Falling Madly In Love With It Before Ive Even Beaten The Tutorial and Buying All The Expansions and immediately falling off because of some kerfuffle or another game catching my attention. But i wanna get back into them now!

this blog is a big fat work in progress so mind the dust, I’ll make a proper character list with art/pictures and shit Later

(current list under readmore!)

GUILD WARS 2 CHARACTERS

Revylin- it/any sylvari, cycle of dusk,mesmer. Just call it Revyl! My current main im using to relearn the game! Got converted to the nightmare court as a sapling for its higher than usual magical aptitude, had an Awful Time and was rescued by the Wardens before it could become a knight. Now travels around tyria pursuing a wyld hunt he cant remember (itll be fine!! itll come back to him itll be fiiiiiine) working as a dancer/storyteller before getting tangled up in the Plot

Irysel- she/they sylvari elementalist. max level commander from my original 2019 playthrough! idk if i’ll ever play her again but i remember having such a blast with elementalist i’ll probably try her again eventually

Rika Sunstalker- he/they ash legion charr thief. old dnd character made gw character! the campaign he was in stopped so now he only exists here! a gladium, formerly rika sunblaze, who got his warband killed?? Somehow??? and took the stalker name/joins a pirate crew of other disgraced charr to travel and see the world (still working his details out adldjd)

(I havent made these next few characters ingame yet, but plan to once im farther along!)

Irene- he/she sylvari, cycle of noon, guardian. Warden turned adventurer turned revyl's travelling partner (and eventual co-commander and lover!) Very devout dreamer with a strong sense of justice and desire (read: overwhelming uncompromising need) to be the pale tree's most devout, prized, heroic son. Travels around tyria working up the ranks of the vigil, trying very very Vewy hard to fuffil a wyld hunt she cant remember (all he knows is that it Must be tied to revyl. thats why she feels that way whenever revyl looks at her, right?)

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

Pyrotechnician Taz- she/mirror asura, college of dynamics, engineer. do not let her get in contact with revyl shenanigans will ensue

FFXIV CHARACTERS

Ciel D’luxe- he/they viera summoner/archer hes my little meow meow so full of problems. hes a drag queen. he has trust issues. hes trying to find love even though he thinks hes the wettest most miserable man in eorzea. his ex is hunting him for sport. the only reason he became a summoner was because he saw a carbuncle for the first time and Lost It. hes a bitch hes a lover hes my little booboo bear

(havent made these characters ingame yet but plan to!)

alta haragin- she/it au'ra pugilist/lancer (or pugilist/gladiator? i know i can technically have all three but shes gotta have two Mains yknow), Rapscallion Criminal turned pit fighter turned adventurer turned ciels girlfriend and co-captain of ciels adventuring party

drakaz verkach-he/him hroth hhhhheavy armor class of some sort. maybe he'll be the gladiator. the beavis to altas butthead. just here for a good time! please pay no attention to my myriad mental health issues/simultaneous identity crises

(this last guy is a joke character but i honestly cant gey him out of my head maybe ill make him a retainer like i wanna do with kaz)

nagayuki ittetsu-any pronouns au'ra(?) spellcaster who wants to ammase enough power to Become A Primal. he is always and forever getting tricked by ascians/beast clans/random fucking guys and gets Almost Murdered several times-

[youwantedavillain]

Reva, the Screaming Banshee who Enables and Encourages Slander (part 2)

Continued from part 1....

Now pay attention, my dear readers, because this part is gonna be brought up later on! We have already talked about the fact that I am also a victim of stalking and dogpiling in real life by my IRL friends WHILE I was going through all this shit, so it’s not hard to assume and confirm that I have PTSD when it comes to situations like this. One beautifully tragic morning I had to go to one of my English classes, because surprise surprise, I’m a college student… who is trying to NOT to go into fucking debt by failing. Apparently Reva couldn’t comprehend this,... perhaps didn’t consider bothering in the first place. That morning I had woken up from a nightmare/memory of my Stalker pulling the whole demanding my attention thing during my history class when I was going for my Culinary Degree. Now, waking up from that… and having another boy demand my attention while I was going to English class for my Bachelors for English… well… It’s easy to say that the ‘ol demon of unbridled rage possessed me for a hot minute there. Then he ran off to bash me in a server that I didn’t know about… which is reasonable. I was being a total bitch and I do regret it, but what was the reason for that little demand of my attention?

He thought that I didn’t like him (I did a little bit, but I loathe him now), and he was big upsetti spaghetti because I didn’t complete our little art project with the ship kids that @felicitythekittycat supposedly loathes (it’s not like that art takes literal weeks sometimes months to complete depending on how much detail I put in, if I have homework, if my stalker isn’t demanding my attention every half a second etc.).

It’s also not like I’m scared of being screamed at while I’m already emotionally fragile to the point that a feather could break me.

Truly, I should’ve just given him ALLLLLLLLLLLL my attention.

Also, it’s not like he and @felicitythekittycat literally showed off my mental breakdown later on in that same fucking server for everyone to gawk at and make fun of me… making me the village idiot/joke/pathetic cartoon villain…. Again…..

And I’m the bad guy? Have we all agreed I’m the true villain here? 

(Side note from an emotionally exhausted me: The reason why @felicitythekittycat was supposedly crying that time was because I was trying to guess what version of Nightmare!Sans got its own server AT 1AM, and I'm an insomniac who at the time was in college for my Culinary Degree. Another note that must be made is now I finally know why he called me "one of the most disgusting people he ever had the displeasure of meeting". I find it EXTREMELY odd and disturbing that he continues to act concerned and wonders if I hate him and "unnerved" when I pretend like nothing is wrong when that is often what he and the others do in that server from my perspective. So, when he and the others do it, it's totally normal. But when I do it, suddenly there is a problem that needs to be pushed. During this time he actively knew I had a stalker, BTW.)

Oh, and also apparently, I’m not allowed to vent in my own server of a whole ass 6 people! Because it gets more people involved with a situation that they’re not a part of…. Now where have I heard that before? Hmmmmmmm, maybe we should scroll up this entire post and uh… see if we see something funny. Liiiiiiiiiiike hypocrisy!

This screenshot was about me making a display of taking down my art contest that I made for the server. It was a basic concept and looking back it may have been a bit TOO ADVANCED for the artists there at the time, but who’s to say. Several people, including @felicitythekittycat, were planning on “memeing” the contest, which was that they were gonna all submit the same picture just to be assholes to me. Now I was reasonably mad because one, I thought it was gonna be a fun little contest – it was basically this:

You have to draw a character that isn’t yours – it can be your friend’s, an anime’s, etc., thus basically it could be any character of your choice so long as it isn’t your OC – and you have to draw them in an outfit that is inspired by food. It could be inspired by the texture, the color, shape language, etc. So essentially you could make a piece of your best friend’s character in a suit that is inspired by Tiramisu if you wanted, specifically the colors it has, and thus give it to said friend as a gift.

Yeah, this was gonna be “memed” for…. What reason? I don’t know, other than the fact that I was the one that thought of it.

Here is the second reason why I was upset: There were PLENTY of other art contests similar to it without a single problem going on. My guess for the reason why Reva was so pissed was because he and his cocksucker posse were upset they couldn’t execute it and/or felt guilty for it. Maybe he thought it was funny too. However, a meme/joke is only funny if everyone is laughing,... and I wasn’t laughing.

You also see me being very submissive here… it’s because I didn’t want to get screamed at more. Plus, I was humiliated. It made me feel like it was a bad idea and that I was a bad person for even considering it. I still somewhat feel embarrassed by it. I do have reassurance that my ideas and emotions over this are valid, though it doesn’t do much to heal the damage that was done to my confidence. Again, showing the Emotional Manipulation and fear impacted my actions in this situation. 

The concept isn’t even that strange, there is a Gacha Game called Food Fantasy with this very aesthetic! This concept is very much to HAVE FUN. Hell, League of Legends has an entire skinline with this concept. The point of not doing your own character was to encourage camaraderie and push the artists to get out of their comfort zone by drawing characters that they haven’t done very often. It takes a whole lot of horrific talent to turn something all about fun and camaraderie into something to humiliate a single individual. It is extremely disgusting.

So what do we have here all together?

An Emotionally Abusive and manipulative individual based on the following:

A person who likes to jump into screaming fits, threats of violence, personal insults, and refusing to hear anything other than his own voice, having and abusing a position of power, refusing to be accommodating to a person's trauma, invalidating said trauma, actively tried to get a person to relive that trauma for his personal gain, gets upset over his concept of “peace” being disrupted, does zero self-reflection and constantly imposes unequal rules via a “Rules for thee, but not for me” mentality, refuses to apologize and then actively hides when called out on his bullshit... This is who Reva is. This is how he has ALWAYS BEEN and likely will always be considering that he is hiding right now because "he moved on", a.k.a. refuses to take accountability and actively chose to not let me move on via giving me the answers I so desperately wanted and needed to move on.

But here is where we round out all of this. As I’ve shown before, the vents that he has done were in servers that I had no knowledge of. This is how they were able to talk about me behind my back. He even knew about @felicitythekittycat’s vents. They were in two servers that I didn’t know about and likely had far more people than my little server. I’m guessing that they had anywhere between 10-15 people minimum, could be below or above that line. Blatantly showing that it is because I’m not giving him all my attention and art. He views me as a punching bag and for that, I’m not allowed to complain about anything in his eyes. It’s considered “drama” until it actively affects him when no… this isn’t drama. These are actual problems and real crimes one can be punished for. He doesn’t care that felicitythekittycat pushed me into suicidal ideation and he condoned that behavior by joining in on it, and though his active inaction because here is the kicker… he knew exactly what she was doing and refused to look at any of my evidence until the last minute when he had lost my trust long ago. There was no turning back from that. Especially when he revealed my mental/emotional breakdown to people far outside my trusted circle. That was NOT his pain to share. Anyone in their right mind would be ashamed for doing that much.

Reva, if you’re reading this, which I truly do hope you are, the reason why I never went to you for anything is because I was dealing with so much shit and I was very much wary of men in my life for many, MANY reasons that you have ignored repeatedly and because you started off our “friendship” with an attack. You actively reinforced my fear and wariness towards men. I am not going to pet a dog that tried to kill me when I first met it. I’m also going to be scared of its species, because guess what? That’s what traumatic experiences can do to people, you dumb fuck.

So instead of screaming at me for never going to your immature, unreliable ass for anything… try looking in a mirror and ask yourself if maybe screaming at people when you first meet them is really a good idea and looks good on you. Oh and also, you’d never be a good CEO of Twitter. You’d make Elon Musk’s work look like a paradise. You can barely help run a server for dumbass little roleplays or handle cases of slander, you’d legit run that company to the ground and blame a random Starbucks barista for it. The shit I complained about were legitimate problems, NOT drama. Learn to read the fucking room instead of assuming everything is out to chop your baby chode off with a pair of rusty scissors.

If legitimate slander that is affecting my mental health is what you consider “drama”, then I’d HATE to see what you consider a crime…. Oh wait… I have… because I am the crime.

Me existing is an illegal act to you.

I wouldn’t be surprised if you were waiting with bated breath for me to off myself…. In that case you can keep waiting, motherfucker.

You said me and felicitythekittycat need to improve ourselves. Out of context, that is 100% a fair and understandable statement to make, but when it’s your mouth it came out of, I wonder just how blind you are to your own self-centered, narcissistic bullshit. IT IS OBVIOUSLY MORE THAN A ME AND HER PROBLEM. A TWO YEAR OLD COULD FIGURE THAT SHIT OUT.

I had a temper problem and kept on drawing boundaries. Felicitythekittycat had a habit for crossing them and slandering me behind my back, activities that you actively participated in and perpetuated ON IN TWO OF JESSIRONI'S SERVERS (turns out there are two servers and not just one). It’s like getting mad at a dog for biting your leg when you were the one who kicked it in the first place. You brought in FAR MORE people than I ever did in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING SITUATION THAT HAD ME RELATED TO OR IN IT. But I only had a whole 6 people whereas those secret servers had…. How many spectators? How many participants? You have a whole ass “Rules for thee but not for me” mentality here.

I legitimately hope you never confessed your feelings to that secret someone to spare them the absolute plight of your company. Even imagining you in a relationship makes me want to shit in my hands and clap in your general direction.

Okay I need to talk here straight up because I know that I’ve been losing my cool this entire post and I need to really just sit down and say this. When I was still on relatively… I suppose decent terms with Reva – (I don’t know nor do I believe if I was ever on good terms with him) – I was legitimately terrified of being screamed at and dogpiled virtually at literally any moment. In a way it was worse online because no matter how much evidence I had of felicitythekittycat‘s lies and proof of my innocence, he wouldn’t even look at it, nor would VishaRage or Poke – the owner of said RolePlay server – and I would be left unheard completely. I know that the question of why I have so much evidence and yet never used it to prove my innocence to those who are in power, well this is why. I was never heard. None of them wanted to give me the time of day unless I were the villain time and time again. Why? Well I shit you not… the delivery. I would be sarcastic like “Oh wow I’m such a horrible person” and then give my evidence. They wouldn’t even glance at it. Not even a quick skim of any of the screenshots. Why was I so sarcastic and sassy? I was tired of getting dogpiled and overwhelmed. I was tired of walking on eggshells all day every day with no break from it. So it’s no surprise that I gave up, especially in the last conversation I had with him. In our last conversation, he claimed he was trying to hear my side AFTER I pointed out that he never once tried to hear me out. I told him I didn’t believe him and blocked him. To be honest, I’d love to meet the bastard in real life just to see if he’d actually try to kill me. I’d tell him to just do it, fucking get it over with. There is one sole reason why I think all of this shit happened out of malicious intent and I’ll reveal it at the end of all of this.

I had taken a long break from writing this post not simply because of the holiday but because of the sheer amount of anxiety I get from looking at the screenshots that are about him and all his verbal abuse and threats towards my person. Mind you, I’m used to hearing screaming. I’m used to being bullied, but there is a breaking point and he and felicitythekittycat took full advantage of it and kept sprinting onwards. Killing me would’ve been a mercy.

[feelingdaybyday]

Stalker 12/05/2023

Almost two years ago today the beginning of a nightmare started. Life had begun being normal, things were looking up, then my stalker arose to the occasion. He began to stalk my social media, watch who I spoke to in class and outside of it. He would huff and puff according to my classmates when he saw me talking to my guy friend.

He followed me down two flights of stairs, to my car, asking invasive and uncomfortable questions.

I was terrified and unsure what to do. The whole fiasco left me feeling dread. Then the next semester he went to my work, asking them to give me a day off for an assignment that I'd already figured out. He came up to me so proud of what he'd done as if I'd be happy my Ex would do something so uncomfortable.

After he finally was told to leave me alone he started parking next to me. Everyday. In a 5 story garage.

I didn't trust anyone. I was terrified. He started appearing in every single class I had. Popping in and out leisurely as I panic, watching him slowly walk around smiling. I couldn't speak to anyone, I was afraid they wouldn't believe me.

Eventually I took action, but I wish I recognized what was happening to me sooner. I told myself he's just dumb, he doesn't know what he's doing, he couldn't possibly be doing this, he has so many friends, he's so friendly, who would believe me? But nonetheless, I took action. My guy friend was my makeshift body guard, he intimidated him, my friend protected me from him. It was cathartic seeing him jealous of someone I wasn't even with. Funny to see him cower from my friend even though my friend is so gentle.

I made a no contact order, told my professors to help keep him out of my classes since he doesn't belong and I can't focus if I'm shaking in fear.

It was truly cathartic to find out I had allies, supporters, validaters. My professors loved me, which I didn't know until then. But they did not like him. One of my favorite professors told me something I never could put words to, and made me feel heard.

"He feigns childishness and silliness to others so he doesn't have to take responsibility for his actions"

The classmates I confided in believed me and told me they did not like him, he simply wouldn't leave them be. And eventually those who I confided in validated that what he had done was truly wrong, I'm allowed to take action, to feel hurt, and scared.

It's still really hard to talk about. I don't usually go into detail about my feelings or emotions on it when asked.

But it really hurt, and I was really scared. I isolated myself so deeply that I was blank for over a year. I missed so many opportunities, so many friendships and connections because of him. I still mourn what I could have accomplished.

I'm safe now, I live in a place he'll never find. He has no access to me anymore. He cannot hurt me anymore.

But what he did still affects me, and will always affect me. The trust in people shattered in those years. But I'm moving forward.

I hope in the next few years I won't wake up reliving it, and I can simply shrug off the memory and go back to sleep. But until then.

I am safe, I am striving toward happiness, and he cannot harm me.

[radigalde]

Fear level counting: Fencing Club part 1

Just like with Polo club, getting to the club location will give you +1 if MC has attention phobia.

Unlike Polo, you can get -1 in the same segment by the grace of Lorelei foreshadowing looking at flyers (#I glance at the crumpled flyer tacked on to a nearby movie theater wall that's hanging on for its dear life.). This option works regardless of phobias and anything else.

Asking Adrian about the weather (#"So, nice weather we're having, right?") will give you -1 fear, and unless MC considers Adrian to be a stalker, there is another -1 in the same package.

In the same way, the following options from the light chitchat branch will give an unconditional -1:

#"So, how has your day been?" I ask Adrian.

#"So, how do you think you'll do in your match today?

And those will give -1 unless MC considers Adrian to be their stalker:

#"Adrian, your glasses are blinding me."

#"Adrian, your beauty is blinding me."

In other branches each topic about creepy stuff will give +1 fear:

#"There was a murder/mauling during my last work shift..."

#"Let me tell you about this strange dream I just had..."

#"So I was recently mauled by an invisible poltergeist..."

#"It seems that my apartment may be a little bit haunted..."

You can kind of cheat a bit and pick #I launch into a long involved story regarding my terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. or its silent alternative #I silently whip out my thirteen-page description of my past day including all details regarding my past work shift, my nightmare and strange injury, as well as the current haunted atmosphere of my apartment. It will mark all creepy topics (murder, dream, wound, apartment) as discussed, but at the price of only +1 fear instead of total +4.

In murder discussion there are more options to gain/reduce fear:

Reporter MC can get -1 for suggesting the link between Midnight Mauler's victims and missing Caleb (#"I have to wonder if this is somehow connected with Caleb Degar's missing person case.")

Restraunt workers is going to get additioinal +1 simply for mentioning the murder.

Computer programmer will get +1 if in the midst of murder discussing they decide to talk about grim reaper (#Go into a long-winded diatribe over how the Grim Reaper comes for us all (but especially you with your luck).) hile having death phobia.

Security guard MC is fucked in this topic:

Mandatory +1 plus another +1 if they have blood phobia or death phobia, and another +1 if they have childhood accident (all three increases can stack).

Another mandatory L +1 after the initial set of responces ("Nooot. Enough. Leeeft.")

You can negate it a bit with -1 claiming that it's fine (#"It's nothing at all."), but that comes with denial increase and potentially corruption increase.

Telling Adrian about the crime scene will give +2 fear with #No, I'm not going to run away. I tell Adrian exactly what I saw in that parking lot. or +1 fear with #"Sure, I'm fine. And I'll give you the whole scoop. It went like this..."

During the discussion of wounded arm or haunted apartment, agreeing to go to a motel (#"Yeah, maybe a night in a motel will do me some good.") will give -1 fear.

While Adrian is freaking out about MC's mauled arm, choose #"What? I find this situation perfectly normal." and then #I'm not being sarcastic. while not being a clodcuckoolander (less that 5 cuckoo options chosen beforehand), overly sassy (sass stat is less than 45) nor nonchalant (option #I give a nonchalant shrug. after showing your wound) for getting -1 fear.

Or just choose #"It's fine." to unconditionally get the same -1 fear and once again increase your denial stat.

In the discussion about haunted apartment pretending to be okay (#"It's fine.") will give -1, but at the cost of denial increase.

After talking about nightmare or apartment MC with fear phobia is going to get +1 fear, but only if their denial stat is less than 3.

In the actions branch (#I believe actions speak louder than words.) standing closer to Adrian (#I sidle closer to a certain fencer waiting in the nearby doorway.) will give -1, but that counts as flirt.

Furthermore, taking his hand (#I reach over and take Adrian's hand.) will give another -1.

Spooking Adrian during the discussion of intrusive thoughts (#Thiiiiis iiiiis completely riiiidiculous.) is going to get you +1 fear (as well as corruption increase and probably dead Zain), but this fear increase has a lot of conditions to happen:

MC has attention phobia;

and MC is not silent and didn't choose more than 4 silent options in the previous conversation;

and Adrian learned about some of the creepy stuff before this point;

or MC is a security guard and talked about their job beforehand (murder topic).

Starting the Apocalypse topic (#Ask about the apocalypse.) for meta reasons (#"Pure unfiltered meta knowledge.") will give you +1 because fuck you, I guess.

Asking Adrian about creepy things (#Ask Adrian if he's experienced anything strange lately.) will give you +1.

You can counter it with yo mama joke (#"Yes, and it's your mother. She's disappointed that you haven't properly washed your socks lately.") for -1 and denial increase. Or enable it further (#Well, I wasn't before but now I am!) with +1 in case if MC has attention phobia. Or increase it even further (#I swear I saw something down that hallway.) with another +1 if MC already saw strange things in the corridor beforehand, and MC has fear phobia or spiders phobia.

A patter joke (# Ask how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.) will give -1 fear.

Unless you decide to end the conversation prematurely (before you go through 4 topics), there are additional stat changes during interim spooky moments:

Mandatory +1 after 4th topic, once club members begin to grumble about broken swords ("Brenda briefly reappears on the practice floor. "What's with this handle?" she complains as she holds up a new foil.").

Another mandatory +1 after 6th topic because of a creepy shadow in the hallway ("There in the dim shadows, something crouches in the middle of the hallway. A huddled lump nearly the size of a man with blind white eyes staring back at you. You startle and blink.").

This one can be negated with -1 with #Perhaps it was a shadow?, and that won't even increse you denial stat, how sweet.

Or you can just scream (#I shriek like a banshee.), attracting a crowd and getting +1 if MC has attention phobia.

This club has no horses to feed, so, the "free" option of fear reduction for MC is to feed themselves. Via vending machine (#I decide this is the perfect time to indulge in some overpriced merchandise from the nearby vending machine.). However, unlike the alternative from the polo route, this segment is not an intermission in-between various topics, but a single option in the conversation (which you can return to up to 7 times). Each option from the vending machine gives -2 fear, meaning that the max reduction would be a mind-boggling -14. It may bite you in the ass during Zain saving, because that requires less than 7 consumed snacks. But you still can pick 6 snacks, getting -12 fear and being able to save Zain (if the rest of your stats are high enough).

At the end of the conversation there is mandatory +2 due to spooky clattering sound. MC with greed vice has none of it with their immediate -2 though, while MC with fear phobia has +1.

During the search of a safe place to change into training equipment, go to the regular changing room (#I head off towards the changing rooms. That's what they're for, after all.) and then try to fix the door knob (#Try and reattach the knob back to the door.) for -1 fear.

In the same room cuckoolander MC (4 or more cuckoo options picked beforehand) can dabble in foreshadowing (#At least there isn't an obstructive barricade in our way.) for -1 fear.

[anonymergremlin]

Work in Progress: "The madmen's wonderland"

First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who gave me the courage to post my OC x P story here. It means a lot to me bows.

Things are still in progress, but I wanted to share some details with you, to inform you of certain things that will make the story more…. obvious?

First, some personal information about Alice:

Name: Alice Mary Carroll Age: 22 Pronouns: She/Her Height: 1.75m/5'8 Stalker Name: The Crow

Alice is originally from a country in the north, her family came to Krat in the belief that they could expand their clothing business there. Her family are nobles and have high expectations of themselves and their daughter's life. Alice had to obey her parents, which resulted in her not really developing her own personality until she met Romeo. The kind and gentle boy showed her a different kind of life, one that ended in her meeting Carlo. She found in Carlo a kindred soul, someone who also wanted to follow his own dreams and desires. This connection leads them to develop more than just friendly feelings for each other. As the years pass, Alice develops her own desire for the future, to become a famous inventor who brings smiles to people's faces. The young woman wants to be an independent person, free from the chains of her parents. But things don't turn out as planned: Her parents discover that she's been acting badly behind their back and they decide to leave Krat. Forced to leave everything behind, Alice tries her best to at least confess her love to Carlo, only to never hear his answer. Once back home, she tries everything to escape, to run away from her parents. She succeeds, but for what price when she realises that Krat has become a nightmare, her best friend missing and Carlo deceased… Why should she continue to live?

I will try to make it a slow burn story. A story about Alice, who sees herself as a shell of her former self. "Alice is dead, I am nothing but a deformed shadow of a girl who once existed".

You will read about her life as a self-taught inventor and stalker. About the people who have helped her survive this mess, about the creations she made out of the emptiness in her heart and the love for someone who might be the one who will save her.

It sounds so silly, hehe, but hey, it's still a romantic story. A romantic story full of pain, despair and that slight feeling of hope that could change everything.