#guess there is value to the idea that you should get to do what you want with your life too. suppose that is the primary issue w communism

[weena-mercator]

I had to choose “both unsure” because my answer is - they both believe he is dead when they hear the news, but then over time what they believe changes. I was gonna put my nuance in the tags but that’s annoying to do on mobile so here we go with me being more wordy instead lol

I think they both took the news at face value - following the events of RFTA, that’s not hard to believe (even if the note says Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth chooses death).

But I think their immediate reactions were different - I’m guessing Gumshoe was the one who told both of them (or that’s how I think it should have gone) right after finding the note (I also think that Gumshoe finds out Miles is alive a few months before it’s revealed he knows that at the end of Big Top, but obeys Miles’ request to not share anything about his return yet).

Phoenix I think would have had a very emotional reaction, just barely holding it together long enough to not break down in front of Gumshoe, and then doing so as soon as he’s alone. I feel like he has a tiny moment of denial before he jumps straight to the depression stage of grief, and after a little bit, once it’s revealed there’s still no details (no body, no signs of foul play, etc.) he goes back to bouncing around between denial, anger and bargaining. There’s no way to get closure and so he thinks what if… and he wonders what is worse - Miles actually being dead, or Miles hating him so much that he never wants to see him again. Obviously Phoenix was just a catalyst for everything that happened in the past few months, not the real reason for any of Miles’ trauma, but what if Miles still resents him for everything? And what if Miles, the Miles he knew, really is gone, that the only thing left is someone who looks like him but isn’t him at all, not the childhood best friend who set his trajectory for becoming a defense attorney (even if Phoenix probably didn’t decide that until college).

By the time JFA games kick off, Phoenix is mostly angry - it’s easier to let himself believe Miles is dead even if there’s yet to be any proof of that. If he thinks about how he might be alive, he’s even angrier. It’s better to just tell himself that Miles is dead, he’s got to figure out how to keep living himself, and it’s easier if he believes that and stop thinking in hypotheticals.

So I think Franziska also first takes it at face value, starting off in denial stage of grief. Probably bouncing between denial and anger. Similarly though, weeks pass and there is no proof of his death, and that leads her to question it. I do think she eventually starts to try to find him herself before determining she needs to go LA and take down this man who tarnished her brother’s reputation (it’s something to be able to focus on, as I don’t think she’s ready to deal with her father’s part in it all yet). I can’t remember if it’s acknowledged that she knows he’s alive after Big Top but before he shows up in Farewell, but I like the idea of her following Gumshoe one day, discovering him going over to see Miles to give him case notes or something and she bursts in like “You fool, you are alive! I knew it, of course.”

As for if any of my thoughts contradict canon, well, my opinion is this - canon contradicts itself at times.

I think it’s fun for us to all have various interpretations of things - there are definitely ideas or hcs I don’t agree with but are interesting to consider nonetheless. There aren’t too many things that I feel are “not up for debate,” mostly it’s just “I personally don’t see it that way.” That would be a whole other post to go into though lol

Fandom opinion poll: In JFA, did Phoenix and Franziska, deep down, think Miles was dead or alive after leaving the Note?

Aka not when they first found the note and not what they were trying to convince themselves of.

Still, there can obviously be fluctuations in someone's beliefs, go with what you think each character predominantly believed. (I also left "unsure" options if you think it truly doesn't lean one way or the other).

I'm curious about the fandom's opinion on this. Feel free to leave the nuance behind your choice in the tags! (I will reveal my thoughts on this after the poll closes).

[oh-look-car-horns]

Wondering what boop count your 3 letter word corresponds to? I gotchu:

Using a python script I wrote, I booped myself 50,000 times, saving an image of my boop-o-meter every 500 boops. Before we get into the results, there are two important limitations to this study that I should mention:

Firstly, because I only recorded the boop-o-meter every 500 boops, if a message appeared for less than 500 boops it may not have been caught.

Secondly, every now and then my computer would lose a boop or two when a click wouldn't register. This is seen in the 500 and 1000 boop images below, which in reality read 498 and 994 respectively. Because of this, boop values are slightly lower than they appear.

With that out of the way, lets dig in.

0-999:

From boops 0-999, the boop-o-meter displays your boop count, and changes color as you boop

Boop count: 0 Boop count: 500 Boop count: 1000

Boop fact: the colors do not change after 1000

LOL:

Between boops 1000 and 1500, the boop-o-meter changed to display 'LOL'. This likely took place at 1000 boops, but maybe it said 'MAX' or sumn for awhile at first? Idk this is already the misinformation website so not my problem.

Boop count: 1500 (actually more like 1490 ish)

More results below the cut

OMG:

Between 1500 and 2000, the boop-o-meter changed to display 'OMG'. Again, this probably happened at 1500 but who knows. Maybe staff made it 1523 for the bit or something.

Boop count: ~2000

WOW:

The boop-o-meter remained at omg until the 3500 boop readpoint, when it switched to 'WOW', meaning this transition happens somewhere between ~2980 and ~3480.

Boop count: ~3500

Boop fact: 'WOW' is the second longest reigning message

*-*:

Between 5000 and 5500 the boop-o-meter switched to '*-*'. You get the idea at this point so I'll speed it up.

Boop count: ~5500

WHY:

The boop-o-meter changed to 'WHY' between 6000 and 6500 boops. For science. That's why.

Boop count: ~6500

PLZ:

Next was 'PLZ', switching between 7000 and 7500.

Boop count: ~7500

AAA:

I'm not sure what bloody urine has to do with anything, but for some reason staff felt is was important to display, switching between 7500 and 8000.

Boop count: ~8000

;_;:

Huh the colon makes that one look weird. 8000-8500.

Boop count: ~8500

Boop fact: That fucking cat haunts me in my dreams

0_0:

I realized after I set my pyautogui script running that my computer wouldn't turn off its screen because of the clicking, so there was a strobing blue light in my room all night. This encapsulated my expression while trying to sleep (8500-9000).

Boop count: ~9000

MAX:

After 9000 it displayed 'MAX'. This was cap. (9000-9500 switch).

Boop count: OVER 9000 (9500)

<33:

I miss my wife. 9500-10,000.

Boop count ~10,000

TUM BLR:

THE HOLY GRAIL. The boop-o-meter switched to displaying 'TUM BLR' between 10,000 and 10,500 boops. Because my actual boop count was slightly behind my theoretical, I'd guess that this change happened at 10,000 boops.

Boop count: ~10,500 (likely switched at 10,000)

Summary:

When charted the boop curve looks as follows:

Boop curve: 0 - 10,000 boops

My script continued to run until 53,000 boops, but no further changes were observed. Again, there were quite possibly more messages at lower boop values, but my ass is not checking. Maybe I should have scaled my sampling accordingly, but it is what it is. Thank you for joining me on this journey, and if you have any corrections or more information, please add it to this post.

Boop fact: Terfs DNI

[ohcorny]

How I Made the Colors in Hunger's Bite So Good

first of all: buy my book. buy it and look at the colors. (if you cannot buy the book, ask for it at your local library or i GUESS you can look at these spreads i posted)

we're gonna talk about colors, but more specifically we're going to talk about overlays. if you're an artist you are probably familiar with overlays. we love our overlays. we love to color a picture and then at the very last minute go 'hm. looks bad. i'm going to put a yellowish overlay on it to make it look less bad :)'

do not do this.

i mean you can, and it'll work sometimes, but all you're really doing is tricking your brain into thinking different is better. you've been staring at the image for potentially several hours. none of the choices you made at the beginning mean anything to you anymore. you're just finishing what you started. one of the big reasons you might look at your art and go 'man, this doesn't look that good' is because You drew it and are intimately familiar with it. you know all the flaws and mistakes because You made them and You know what your vision was. one of the great frustrations with art is that the piece in your head doesn't look like something you actually made. you want it to look like somebody else did it, so you can enjoy it as a viewer, not as the creator.

so when you put that overlay on, and suddenly the image looks very different, your brain will go 'this doesn't look like the thing i've been staring at for 2-3 hours! this is different! now it's good!'

and again, sometimes it Is good. but do you actually understand why it's good? or is it just different?

okay so what am i supposed to do smart guy

i'm glad you asked. the trick to making overlays work is to have them on from the start. this requires knowing what mood you want to convey in your scene from the very beginning. hopefully you know what mood you want to convey. you do, right? and i don't just mean happy or sad, i also mean safe, threatened, familiar, strange, soft and harsh. blue is not always sad. green is not always healthy. yellow/orange are not the only way to convey a companionable warmth.

okay did you pick the mood? do you have an idea of what color you want to use to represent that mood? great. i'm gonna use blue to convey the cool, clean white of a ship's maintenance corridor without making things literally white. and i'm going to stick in two characters whose color palettes consist of bright yellow, brown, and wine red. awesome. i definitely know how those colors would behave under blue lighting.

(here's the thing: no i don't.) this is where a gradient map correction layer comes in. i want my page to be Blue. alright. let's make a gradient map that's Blue.

a gradient map is basically just A Gradient with specific colors connected to specific values. you have your darkest values on the left, and your lighter values on the right. at 100% opacity, this gradient map layer will read the value of anything below it and go 'okay this bit is this dark, so it should be This shade of blue. and this bit is this light, so it should be This shade of blue'.

kind of like a hue or color layer except determined by a gradient rather than one color, so it could also go 'this is light, so it's green' and 'this is dark, so it's purple'. it's math. i don't really get it either. but anyway this is probably not what you want if you want your characters' palettes to be recognizable. emery's sweater is supposed to be a wine red! neeta's skin should be brown, and her shirt should be yellow. these are their Key Colors. generally, i want them to be recognizable. so let's lower that opacity down.

nice! you can definitely now see that emery's sweater is red and neeta's shirt is yellow. and everything is relatively balanced. nothing is too saturated, nothing is significantly brighter than anything else. it's all got a little bit of blue in it. but i've skipped the step of actually picking your colors. because here's the thing with gradient maps.

they hate you and want to fight. when working with gradient maps you must imagine there is a monkey sitting on your shoulder dumping paint in every time you pick a color. the monkey has a tube of blue and he is going to put that blue into everything you paint, but it's not normal paint. it doesn't mix, it overtakes. it won't turn something yellow into green, it will turn it blue. it wants everything to be blue. if you want something to look like the color it's supposed to be, you will have to make it extremely saturated under the layer to essentially fight the paint monkey's blue. hence, emery's sweater is a BRIGHT red, so it will look a little more purpley under the blue. and neeta's skin is very orange, so it can be dulled down into a soft brown.

this is the sort of thing you will have to learn by feel, because it will be different with every gradient map, especially if you start getting into weird ones that aren't monochromatic. you want to know one of my favorite maps to use?

i have memorized where on the value scale all of these colors appear. i can color something using only shades of gray when i have this filter on. i am evolved. if you want to use gradient maps effectively, you'll have to get a lot of practice.

anyway this post got really long and i'm about to go to a movie so i'll talk about how to use screen/multiply/overlay layers later. but gradient maps are the main tool i used to make hunger's bite's palettes so unified across scenes. but you can see way above how they work to turn insane saturated colors into the nice harmonies--and the trick is that i'll never see those saturated colors while i'm working. because i have accepted the paint pouring monkey into my heart, and i trust him. except when i'm coloring wick's coat. holy mother of god every gradient map hated that man's purple coat.

[colorfulrook]

I have an idea:

Basically, it would be Reader and Jinwoo who have known each other for a long time. They're best friends, and Reader was always super affectionate with him when he was an E-rank. She treated his wounds, cooked him food, etc., and flirted with him directly, but Jinwoo ignored her advances every time (for him, it was just affection between friends), but Reader always continued even though it wasn't reciprocal.

When he became an S-rank, he got closer to the other hunters, especially Cha Hae In, and Hae In did the same thing Reader did for him (taking care of him), except that he reacted to her advances. Reader, seeing this, understood that she had to let it go and was happy for him despite the heartbreak. Everything she did for him, she did with the other hunters in the guild (brought back cookies, put bandages on Baek, while complimenting him on his muscles, etc.). Jinwoo seeing Reader being affectionate with everyone except him gives him a pang in his heart realizing that he hates it when Reader is with people other than him and begins to regret all the times when he didn't reciprocate and ignore her advances. One day when Reader is injured he goes to heal her and tries to do what Reader did for him hoping to be able to get closer to her again

Thank you so much for trusting me with your idea! I hope you will enjoy reading it and tell me if you liked it! I value quite much every opinion you throw ahaha, love you all - Rook

Ps: I proofread it a bit quickly so eventual grammar errors will be dealt it later!

Where the heart awaits [S.JW x F!Reader]

Pairings: Sung Jinwoo x F!Reader Word count: 1.5K Theme: Fluff, angst (Injury ahead!)

Being an A-Rank healer was tough, but it had its perks. You met all kinds of people—arrogant hotshots, quiet tanks, mages who thought they were gods, hell even S ranks—but none of them managed to leave you an impression like Jinwoo. Gentle, caring Jinwoo who, no matter the hardships of being an E-Rank, never backed down on a job.

You met him during one of your first dungeon after you awakening, despite having already some offers for all kinds of guilds, you politely declined, saying that you would like to lend a hand to the guildless people before committing to one.

That’s how you ended up in a cramped, damp D-Rank dungeon with a group of nervous, under-equipped hunters… and him.

He hadn’t said much at first—kept his head down, focused. You watched as he silently took more hits than he should have, trying to protect the others even though he was clearly exhausted. By the end, he was bloodied and limping, but smiling when he handed the core to a trembling C-rank who looked like he might burst into tears. You had walked up to him, healing magic already warm in your palms, and asked with piqued interest.

“Do you always try to be a martyr, or was today special?”

He blinked at you. Then he smiled. “Habit, I guess.” Feeling refreshed as you healed him, warm magic tickled his skin.

That was the start of your friendship.

From then on, things moved fast. Days turned into month that eventually turned into one year.

You started teaming up more often. Dungeons with Jinwoo became your favorite—how you waited eagerly every time there was a new dungeon, a smile forming everytime you read Jinwoo's name on the list. You could already feel your heart warming.

You began to see him after and before the raids, sometimes even cooking for him and his sister after a particularly gruesome outing. He walked you home after late-night cleanups. You learned how he liked his coffee, how he couldn’t handle spicy food, and that he always, always made sure everyone else was safe before thinking about himself.

You started to look forward to the way his eyes would light up when you brought snacks. To the little, tired smiles he’d give you at the end of a run. You flirted with him—openly, shamelessly—sometimes just to see him flustered. But he never responded to it. At first, you told yourself it was just because he was shy.

But you were wrong, he wasn't shy, he just thought you were very friendly.

It hit you one night when the two of you went out to eat in one of those small restaurant full of people and laughs. You'd teased him again—something flirty, casual, something about how you liked guys who were quietly heroic and kind to their teammates. Jinwoo had just laughed. Not nervous. Not awkward. Just… amused.

The thought of you referring to him went completely over his head.

"Don't worry (Y/n), you are an amazing person and hunter, I'm sure you will find someone you love soon enough!"

And that’s when it sunk in. You could feel your smile dropping a bit before regaining your composure.

To him, your kindness was just that—kindness. The way you patched him up, brought him home-cooked meals, dragged him out for breaks, gifted him silly little trinkets to cheer him up—he’d seen all of it as the affection of a good friend. And maybe, in his mind, he didn’t deserve more than that anyway.

So you smiled and kept going, because even if your heart ached sometimes, his presence was worth it. Being by his side was better than not being there at all.

Until it wasn’t anymore.

When Jinwoo came back from his double dungeon, you felt everything change, as if someone pulled a rug from under your feet and disrupted your carefully built balance.

He was stronger. Colder. More focused. You watched as he built his new life—his new guild—and got closer with hunters you barely knew. He spent more time with Cha Haein, and even though she didn’t speak much, she didn’t need to. The way she looked at him said enough. And worse, the way he looked back at her…

You decided to let him go.

You still talked frequently but you decided that it was time to do something with yourself, Jinwoo was happy with Haein, it was time to reach your happiness as well.

You decided to join Baek Yoonho's guild, feeling ready to lend your powers to a bigger group of people—it was time for a "fresh start" as you called it.

You loved it there, truly, you began to grow fond of every member of your usual dungeon party. Thus you decided to spread your affection to them.

You began to take extra care while healing everyone, especially Guildmaster Baek, handed cookies to the office staff, even embracing one of the rookies— "Gukkie" you called him with the affection of a big sister—in a warm hug for nailing one of the raids in a dungeon.

You didn’t mean it as payback. It was just you being you.

But Jinwoo slowly began to notice it.

And for the first time in a long time, he was the one watching you from the sidelines.

Jinwoo didn’t realize when it started—the way his eyes always followed you, shadows always at the ready to protect you.

Maybe it was the moment you tucked a blanket around Baek Yoonho’s shoulders after a gruesome raid and told him to get some rest, your voice warm with that same gentle tone you used to use just for Jinwoo.

"Master Baek, I know you are toning your body everyday but you must take care and rest after a dungeon!" you'd say pouting.

Or when you ruffled that one hunter's hair after he brought you a smoothie and said, “You’re getting sweeter by the day,” and Jinwoo had to stop himself from yanking your hand away, starved of your usual caring touch.

It didn’t hit him all at once. It crept up slowly, a quiet cold wave that nipped at his ankles. A sharp tug in his chest every time you smiled at someone else. And a heavy, sinking feeling when he realized that you haven't smiled like that at him for weeks.

You were still kind and affectionate during the now rare times you saw each others. But you didn’t linger anymore. You didn’t tease. No more late-night texts, no more lingering touches. You didn’t call him “handsome” with a laugh or sneak his favorite candy into his coat pocket before a raid.

And it was his fault.

Thinking back to before he went in that double dungeon left him with a bitter taste on his tongue.

He’d thought it was just how you were. That your softness belonged to everyone. He hadn’t realized—until it wasn’t his anymore—how much of it you had given only to him.

Now it was too late. Or maybe it wasn’t. He didn’t know.

Not until the day of an abnormal red gate dungeon.

When Jinwoo felt the pulse of the gate from across the city so stronge that even Igris twitched.

And then your name came through the emergency report from the White Tiger Guild.

A red gate. An unexpected ambush. An A-Rank healer, critically injured. You.

Jinwoo didn’t remember giving the order to teleport. He just moved. Shadows exploded from the ground like a tidal wave, launching him towards your position.

The first thing he noticed was how small and frail you seemed in Baek Yoonho's arms, whom looked at him with wide eyes.

"We closed the dungeon but we need to help her fast if we want her to live"

You were unconscious, blood seeping from your uniform, your breathing was shallow, and your mana flickered like a dying candle. Someone had tried to patch you up, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t you.

Jinwoo’s hands trembled as he touched your cheek. For a moment, all he could do was stare.

You were always the one healing. Always smiling through exhaustion, patching wounds, giving warmth without asking for anything back. Now you lay still, quiet and cold.

Something cracked deep inside him.

“Why didn’t I see it?” he whispered, almost angrily. “Why did I let you go?”

Beru stood silently nearby, his gaze lowered. Even his shadows stayed quiet, watching their king kneel beside the one person he could never bring himself to face until it was too late.

Jinwoo’s heart raced as his hands trembled, pouring every ounce of mana into you with a desperate kind of reverence, trying to heal the wound he had failed to stop. His shadows clung to you like a protective cocoon, dimly glowing with the magic he so freely gave, trying to mend what had been broken both in your body and in his soul.

"Please," he whispered again, his voice trembling with a vulnerability he had never shown before. "I can’t lose you. Not like this."

His forehead touched yours, and for a fleeting moment, the world faded into the background. The overwhelming pulse of his heart, the suffocating grief, the quiet dread of losing you—all of it seemed to blur as he focused entirely on you.

His breath came out in ragged gasps as he choked on the words he had kept buried for far too long.

“Wake up…” His voice cracked, the words barely audible. “Please. I still haven’t said it. I haven’t told you…”

But then he felt it—a soft pressure on his hand.

“Jinwoo…” Your voice was weak, your hand reaching up to gently touch his face. “I’m here…”

He leaned down, cheek pressed against yours as relief washed over him like a tidal wave. The fear, the doubt, the hopelessness that had gripped him melted away.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured softly, his hands brushing away the sweat on your forehead. “I'm sorry you had to wait for so long”

You smiled weakly as you felt the warmt of his words settle in your chest, maybe there was still hope after all.

[seafoamsol]

The best years of my life...

... what I wouldn't give to have them back.

I had the great pleasure of working with @spiderscribe on a DeadCeptor work for the @tf-bigbang, which you can (and should!) read [ HERE ]!

Details and artist commentary under the cut!

Okay, first off, I just wanna say, thank you so much to @spiderscribe for picking up my very loose scribble and taking the jump. She's an absolute champ, and I IMPLORE you to read her writing. She did a knockout job on the fic, and guaranteed, these two pieces wouldn't have been so elaborate without her. If you're a fan of deadceptor, parallels, lovers to enemies to apocalyptic teammates to ???s, I'm sure you'll find that and more in there.

[ HERE ] is the link to that, if you missed it the first time around.

The background for the supermarket was a MASSIVE undertaking. I ended up blurring it in the final to keep the dream-like quality, but there is a lot happening there! Most of the time I spent on the background was (jokingly) complaining though.

Anyone who works retail will know the agony of customer-misplaced stock. The little canisters of energon additives seem like prime candidates to be placed willy-nilly.

The little warning sign... My favorite soda, apple sidra, has a carcinogen warning, so I'm familiar with it. It was slightly surprising to me that those warnings are not countrywide, despite the fact that they very clearly say "California Proposition 65", and well. Not something else, like "Federal" or whatever.

The bags of nuts and bolts below, I asked several people what flavor they would be, and I suppose I failed in my job, because I wanted the purple to be the "regular" flavor, and the green to be the "sour". But grape and lemon-lime work as well!

The tub is full of rust-sticks. I have no idea if that came across. My friends kept calling the individually wrapped ones slim jims, which I mean, I guess!

The car batteries... My idea was that they were similar to shots, in a way? So that's how I ended up with a battery with enough terminals to rival an international airport. It's also sunset-coloured, because, I don't know, that's what Party Flavor is to me.

Okay. The second illustration. This one was a headache, mostly due to my own lack of planning, and the fact that I lost the file for... basically everything I did, including the above illustration. So it was a bit of a rush job.

The background bots started off as these very vague silhouettes, which I'm a little proud of. Look at how nice and somewhat readable they are! Okay, now what if I ruined it? What? You don't like that? That's rather unfortunate, because that's what I proceeded to do. In fact, if I take off all.. 10 or something adjustment layers, they look like this:

My process went: Shadow block> Fill rest of form> Color randomiser> Copy and skew (to populate background)> Hue adjustment> Gradient map> Fill Light> Chromatic aberration> Vignette> Levels> Curves.

The.... Magenta cube is there because due to the nature of the color randomiser, the foot had a high value, and stuck out like nobody's business in the end.

Here's what it would look like without the cube. Begone, distracting white blob! (I didn't have to worry about the lava arm because Percy happened to cover it up. What a save! But if he didn't then... there would have been a second cube.)

Basically, it was a mess. But... at least it came out fine in the end! I hope!

I'd love to have speedpaints on hand, but I was switching between CSP and PS for a good majority of the work.

I'd say that's it for these two pieces! I actually have more, but those demand more time. I'm much slower at doing inks than I am at painting, but I hope you'll get to see them soon.

[frownyalfred]

Why is it so hard to find ppl that actually understand bruce? I am tired of either finding ppl that see him as an abuser or others that only love wfa version of him I am really tired of this like really I can't even join a Fandom without getting my favorite character not getting mischaracterized left and right 😔

I'm going to rant a little bit here, and I apologize in advance. This isn't really directed at you. But I'm kind of tired of this flavor of ask. I get it a lot -- half of these asks are praising me for having a "good" interpretation of canon, and the other half are blasting me for being too "fanon" and bending too much to fandom tropes in my posts and writing. And of course the nonstop WFA hatred in my inbox is tiring.

Be the change you want to see in the world. If you don't like what the fandom is doing to your blorbo, write him your way. But sitting at the edge of the playpen complaining about how someone else is playing with their toys isn't useful. And it's really getting annoying to me, as a content creator.

I'm also tired of the superiority some canon-adherents have over those who write/draw more fanon tropes. So many of you are SO bitter over the idea that fandom is "ruining" Bruce or your other Batfamily blorbo because how DARE they write your blorbo in that way that is so OOC. How DARE they! And yet, you sit on the sidelines and create bitchy tumblr posts about how those fandom participants are stupid, or ill-informed, or simply don't have the higher thinking ability to understand your blorbo like you do.

And yet. You don't write Bruce the way you "enjoy." You don't create content or share posts or promote those canon characteristics you so highly value. Instead, you write posts complaining about the others in this fandom and deride them for being stupid like adhering to canon strictly somehow makes you better than anyone else. You mock their acceptance of fanon tropes as canon as if there is required reading in this fandom, entirely dismissing the idea that the line between DC fanon/canon is confusing as hell on a good day, and ignoring that the natural progression of engaging in fandom is finding out -- sometimes on your own timeline -- what actually happened in canon. Especially when canon is so vast.

And guess what? At the end of the day, we are all on the fandom website(s). You're still reading fanfiction at the end of the day. Canon or fanon or some blend of the in-between, you are still a fan participating in fandom content in some way or another. And we are all equal in that respect.

We are all here to enjoy these characters. Fanfiction is a medium that allows us to further explore canon, yes, But it is also a way to explore the OOC, the what-if's, the out of character but fandom-fave ideas and tropes people want. The fact that OTHER people enjoy those things should never impact your enjoyment of fandom.

If you cannot handle someone else playing with the same toys as you, but playing with them in a way you don't like, you need to go back to preschool. And if someone won't give you your toy back, find another one. Write the story. Create the post. Build your own engagement from the ground up, finding likeminded people if you can. They are definitely on here.

But I get the impression that when people complain about fanon "ruining" fandom, what they're actually saying is "I'm upset that canon content isn't as popular as fanon content." And that, I can't help you with. We can't always change what other people love or want to engage with.

I'm sorry that this rant is blunt, but it's been simmering inside me for a while. I'm really tired of getting and deleting this ask 15 times a day. You will not find much sympathy on this blog for canon purism and the derision of fanon/fandom, and for that I apologize. But it's the truth.

I enjoy consuming content about both "fanon" and canon Bruce. I like the contrast and complexities. But I have seriously had to stop following a ton of blogs in the last year who don't create "canon" content anymore and instead spend their time complaining about other people in the fandom who are just enjoying themselves and creating their own content. It's incredibly disheartening and frustrating.

[andy-wm]

Sargent Park Jimin, thank you.

This morning I found myself unexpectedly emotional over the military achievements of our beautiful Jiminie.

I cried. Ridiculous sobbing.

I've had a nasty cough-headache-fever lurgy for a few weeks. I'm worn out and my brain is foggy, so I'm blaming poor health for my unlikely response to the news its not really news that Jimin is an 'ACE'.

But is that really an excuse to disolve in a flood of tears over his ability to hit a target¹?

I dont know.

And besides that I'm trying to reconcile my OTT reaction with the fact that I hate war.

I do not celebrate military might.

I really really hate the idea of sending young people (mostly men) to kill each other, often for no good reason. I have a passionate stance on this.

And yet here I am, a blubbering mess because our Darling Angel™ can obliterate whatever comes near him... because he is epically good at operating his giant war machine.

While i was trying to work out why I'm feeling this way, it occured to me suddenly that i didn't really understand what net4ace meant. Spoiler, it's a bad translation, but that gave my brain something else to latch onto.... just the distraction I needed.

Boots on. Time to investigate.

We already know Jimin and JK are in the 5th Infantry Division, their Artillery Brigade coded 'White Bear', and garrisoned in Yeoncheon. While Jungkookie perfects his rice reputation, Jimin is assigned to the Fire Direction Centre, responsible for calculating and coordinating the firing of big artillery like the K9 Thunder... a self propelled Howitzer².

K9 Thunder: humongous gun on caterpillar tracks. Roll it out and blow stuff up. This machine is manufactured by korean-owned company, Hanwha Aerospace. It's the world's most advanced self propelled Howitzer, supplied to countries around the globe and customised for enviroments from Australia to Norway. Poland just signed a deal for 600 of these. Did you know that production of the K9 is 3 times faster than it's competitors? And it's cheaper. You're welcome.

What I found out about net4ace:

Commenting on Jin's Echo Weverse Live, Jungkook said 둘포 넷포 : dool(2)po net(4)po

Based on the explanations I found, 포 [po] is shorthand for the tank³ they're assigned to.

The numbers are easy to understand:

1- Hanapo, 2- Doolpo, 3- setpo, 4- netpo

Jungkook is with #2 Tank and Jimin is with #4 Tank

💜

After JK's comment, Jimin added 나는 넷포 에이스출신이지:

Net4ace is incorrect translation. It should be I'm 4-Tank ace.

He's cheekily correcting JK:

Adding the topic marker particle to 'I' in that statement (나는) means he's basically saying 'as for me' ...

"...I'm not just riding in 4-Tank, I'm the ACE of 4-Tank"

It seems our Mochi is in charge of one of his battalion's K9 Thunder war machines. There are 6 in the battalion. Fortunately he doesn't have to be in the tank. Jimin and the others doing the clever mathsy-physicsy stuff are in a different vehicle. They radio in the coordinates to the people in the K9 Thunder, who key in the numbers and press the button. These Howitzers can get 6 shots out per minute. That's one round every 10 seconds.

So apparently he's an ACE

I'm not going to argue, but what exactly does ACE mean in this context?

It's not difficult to guess, but I like to check my assumptions.

See below:

ACE is exactly what you'd expect

He's the boss, super good at everything.

But i tell you what I didn't expect?

I didnt expect for Park Jimin to be in charge of a whole damn tank!! I didnt expect him to be the senior (non-commissioned) officer of his team and be in charge of running the whole tanky operation.

And what did I feel on finding all this out?

Absolutely proud and grateful!! What??!

At first I didn't understand my own reaction.

Shouldn't I be horrified?

I wanted to admonish myself for celebrating something so much at odds with my values.

I had to reflect, to understand my response to this, and to reconcile our Park Jimin with the perfect soldier, Park Jimin.

Because this is our Park Jimin....

Our Park Jimin whose dancing and singing bring joy to the world - who makes life more bearable just by being here.

Our Park Jimin who cares and understands. Who always has a kind word and never lets a birthday pass without celebration.

Our Park Jimin with the tender heart, who cried when he saw ARMYs on the big screens at Bangbangcon.

Our Park Jimin who dotes on ARMY and who put us in his pocket to take home when we didn't want him to leave us.

But also...

Our Park Jimin who has endured betrayal and abuse, sometimes by the people he trusted most. Yet he hasn't allowed it to harden his heart.

Our Park Jimin who has shown immense grace and strength in the face of personal struggles.

Our Park Jimin, who has sacrificed his health, freedom, and autonomy, to meet harsh expectations because that was the price of his dream.

I was contemplating all this and i suddenly understood the reason I'm proud and grateful:

Despite everything, Park Jimin has won.

He went into an environment completely at odds with his nature and his chosen field, and he excelled.

The military is as harsh and impersonal as it gets. The culture is designed to break you - to turn you into an obedient, faceless number. Despite this, Jimin didnt break. He made a name for himself, he made the experience work for him, and he made a positive impact on his fellow soldiers ...

I'm not proud and grateful because he can blow shit up.

I'm proud and grateful because he retained his identity and his sense of self even while transforming himself into the perfect soldier.

He hasn't faltered.

He has remained Park Jimin.

Consider what a challenge that is: being conscripted into the military of a country actively at war, while learning a new way to live and succeed and find meaning in what you're doing. Climbing the ranks and surviving gruelling physical and mental tests, and coming out on top. And not compromising who you are.

If he can thrive there, he can and will thrive anywhere.

And yes, I hate that he's operating a machine with a singular destructive purpose, but he will be thoroughly aware of what it means, and of the huge responsibility he has. After all, he's been in a postition of global power for over a decade.

While he may seem an unlikey choice to people who don't know him, if anyone is going to be in control of a war machine it should probably be someone like Park Jimin.

I realised while writing this, that while I can and do hate war, (nothing will change that) I can also feel proud of Park Jimin and what he's achieved while in the military⁴.

Go get it all, Jiminie, you incredibly smart and determined and kind and talented human! Win every heart and defeat every challenger. If you're knocked down, keep standing up again and don't ever lose sight of who you are:

Dancer, singer, idol, lover, and the 넷포 ACE of the 5th Division's White Bears Battalion.

And although you choose to be with us, you do not belong to ARMY, nor Hybe nor Jikookers nor PJMs... nor anyone else.

You belong to nobody but yourself.

💜🐥💜

¹ I know it's much more than just shooting straight. He's mastered all four disciplines required to be battle ready and to fulfil his role in the Fire Direction Centre. He's been through all the harsh training requirements and come out on top. He's made friends and been a mentor to young soldiers far away from home.

² Apparently a Howitzer is a type of gun with a short muzzle that fires a shell upwards in an arc, without much speed. The word comes from the late 17th century: from Dutch houwitser, from German Haubitze, from Czech houfnice meaning ‘catapult’. Love me some etymology.

³ It's not actually a tank. It's a self propelled Howitzer: a gun with wheels, an engine, and a small amount of armour, designed to move into firing position but not engage directly. Whereas a tank is an armoured vehicle with a gun attached, designed to drive into battle and crush the opponent like a bug.

⁴ Even if he had achieved nothing, I'd still be so proud of him and grateful for his existence. And look at me testing my black and white view of myself and finding a little patch of grey. Quite proud of my personal growth here hahahaha

[kiragecko]

Do you think Cass's writers KNEW how harmful Babs' teaching methods were?

Cass and/or Babs fans who have read the first Batgirl series and/or No Man's Land, what do you think?

I'll get into the details in a moment, but my guess is they were trying to write Babs as a fallible mentor, but were ignorant about just how much damage she would realistically be causing. I'd like to get second opinions, because I've spent enough time studying communication with nonverbal people that I no longer know what people actually KNOW.

Anyways, here's the stuff I want to know if you guys think is intentional:

When we first meet Cass, Babs is trying to teach her to read. Babs is showing her the word 'stop' and getting Cass to sound out the letters. This is ... not a good idea.

Some of the errors Cass makes (starting with a 'd' sound and correcting to 't', for example) suggest that Cass is still learning HOW TO MAKE SOUNDS. She's still teaching her body how to shape her mouth and throat, when to vibrate her vocal cords - the physical aspects of speech. That's HARD, and deserves focus so it can be learned properly!

We later learn she only knows a small number of words. She's still learning to associate sounds with meaning. That's HARD, and deserves focus so it can be learned properly!

She's also still learning to match letter shapes to sounds. THAT IS ALSO HARD AND DESERVES FOCUS SO SHE CAN LEARN IT PROPERLY!

By conflating reading, speech, AND understanding, Babs is making Cass' job MUCH MUCH more difficult! Each of those, and a dozen smaller aspects of communication, all need months of prioritization, without competition from other aspects.

-

Throughout Batgirl, Babs pressures Cass to read. Cass is still learning to parse meaning from the words downloaded into her head. She struggles to organize them into sentences. She struggles to understand the nuances of what other people are saying. Once again, these are all important things that she should be encouraged to focus on! Reading is nice, but at this point it shouldn't be the priority. By ignoring the skills Cass IS building, and pushing Cass towards competing skills she doesn't have the prerequisites for, Babs is slowing down Cass' progress and providing negative feedback loops.

-

Babs seems to equate reading with communicating. Possibly because of her past as a librarian and the obvious value she gets from reading. Possibly because her current job is as an information broker and hacker. Possibly because her own disability limits her physically, and reading and writing has become necessary for interacting with the outside world. Possibly because she is living vicariously through the new Batgirl. And possibly because her eidetic memory suggests she thinks in words and can't actually imagine thought in other ways.

Cass is probably never going to use reading as a primary communication method, and would have benefited froma learning regimen that works with her skills, rather than pushing through her weaknesses.

-

Here's the stuff I'm pretty sure was intentional:

Babs calls Cass stupid for not being able to read during a high pressure situation that is triggering Babs. This is obviously wrong, and she feels awful about it.

Babs is frequently impatient with Cass' progress, and sometimes accuses her of not trying, or not caring enough. She makes comments in front of other people without thinking. These are all shown as problematic and hurtful.

-

Here's the things I think Babs did right:

Babs sets up a computer system that can be navigated by voice, and can interpret vague instructions. It provides visual, as well as verbal, information for everything Cass asks about. Cass is never pressured to use a different system.

Babs mostly allows Cass to explore, and builds lessons around Cass' interests. She integrates life skills into her lessons, and actually does a REALLY good job at helping Cass build enough of a foundation to start getting curious about the world.

She usually backs off when Cass gets stubborn, which lets Cass recover, and keep some agency.

She MOSTLY doesn't co-opt Cass' growing friendship with Steph. She supports them, and doesn't try to use Steph to push Cass in the directions Babs wants her to go.

Other than stuff around speech and literacy, I actually think the writers did a good job of writing a flawed but caring mentor who actually helped more than she harmed.

-

What do you guys think?

[novvabee]

Training for the Ballet Potter?🩰

summary: James Potter x Reader, James takes a ballet class and crushes on the teacher (you)

cw: sexist remarks? it is kind of just gender stereotypes of ballet I guess, i didn't proof read this so just pretend it's good for me

word count: 2.6K

James thought that he might actually quit. This was ridiculous in every sense of the word. It was humiliating and a cruel punishment for sure.

His quidditch coach had the brilliant idea of signing the whole team up for ballet classes. Ballet, as in, turns and tiptoes and tights. This was emasculating to him, so beneath his training and dedication to the sport he should be practicing. 

His coach announced the classes on the last day of spring training. He stated that they were to attend every class until their season starts, no exceptions. He went on and on about how it would benefit the team to become more agile and graceful. But James didn’t understand the logic at all, he needed to be quick, strong, sturdy. Not exactly what ballerinas are known for. 

His coach emphasized the fact that these lessons were mandatory by stating that those who fail to attend would be cut from the team. He was not joking. A few of his teammates tried to protest, but his coach made the ultimatum. He said that if they wanted to be professionals and play on this prestigious team, they would learn grace and elegance in their training.

James loved and valued his position on the team, so he wasn't so fast to say no to these lessons. He was also trying to become captain of the team this year, and pretending to be excited and grateful for these lessons seemed like a way to earn him some brownie points.

So he pretended to the best of his abilities, he got the team together to encourage or change their attitudes, saying that it would be a great experience for the summer and that it was only three months of these lessons. Well, two lessons every week for three months, but that still wasn’t too bad.

When the coach overheard some of the team still complaining about ballet, he made them run and condition until half of them were throwing up. He was not here to play about these lessons.

“Got your leotard?” Sirius teased James from the couch. He had his head resting in Remus’s lap. 

James had lived with his two best friends since the end of school and he couldn’t be happier. Well, he could do with a little less of the making out and the groping he would catch every now and then, but he couldn’t blame them both, they were happy and in love. He just… didn’t need to see it all the time. And now, he didn’t need to be teased to add insult to injury.

“No.” James replied, rolling his eyes. He grabbed his red workout bag with his team’s logo from the opposite couch that his friends were sitting on and slung it over his shoulder.

“I think it’ll be good for you, Prongs,” Remus chimed in, “You could learn a thing or two about grace.”

James again rolled his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood, he was sore from yesterday’s practice, and was now about to prance around like an idiot for an hour.

“I just need to get through this,” James said. “I want to look good when my coach is choosing captains this season.” 

“Anything for that position, eh, Prongsie?” Sirius chuckled from Remus’s lap. “Look on the bright side though, you’ll be surrounded by fit girls in tight clothes and tiny skirts.” 

Remus smacked the top of his head for the comment, earning an ‘ouch’ and small apology. Remus rolled his eyes this time, annoyed by his lover’s crude statement.

James supposed that there was that to look forward to, he would never say it out loud like Sirius, but he was… intrigued by the idea. His male teammates were all put into the Monday/Wednesday classes with a strict teacher apparently. He was selected for the Tuesday/Thursday classes, which he found out were much smaller and taught by a new, younger teacher. A few of his teammates made sure to let him know how lucky he in fact was, the Monday/Wednesday teacher sounded like a hard-ass and a mean old witch.

Another bright side of the classes was that he would be with Marlene, one of his best friends on the team. If he had to endure this torture, he was glad to do it with her at least. It was actually Marlene who was picking him up so they could go to the lesson together. She should be here in about… now.

James bid farewell to his friends and raced out the door before any of the last minute teasing could make it to his ears, and rushed out to where Marlene was waiting in her car for him.

“Hey,” he greeted her, sliding into the passenger seat of her car which felt much too tiny for him to squeeze into. 

“Ready for the ballet Potter?” she giggled, wiggling her brows as she put the car in drive. James found it quite humorous, the two of them, going to their first ballet lesson. The two of them who look like they should keep far away from anything to do with ballet. James, who was a 6’1 burly man with all the elegance of a rhino and knocked into possibly every piece of furniture he owned on a daily basis, and Marlene, with chipped black nails and a self-cut mullet who looks like she would eat the posh little ballerinas for lunch.

Sooner than he would have liked, they reached the dance studio. Marlene parked and they both just sat there for a moment breathing in deep. He turned to her and saw the look that he himself was wearing. One of regret and annoyance. 

“Come on Marls, it's an hour and then we’re done.’’ James reminded her. 

She groaned but opened her door and slipped out.

They both made their way to the door of the building. He opened it and allowed Marlene to walk through first, pretending that it was just a courteous, gentlemanly thing to do, but in all reality, he was just holding onto any time he could have left not doing ballet.

He stepped into the building and into a crowded area with chairs and fake plants, a waiting room for the parents coming to pick up their little ballerinas from lessons. The waiting room was littered with moms scrolling on their phones and looking at their watches. Great.

James and Marlene had to wait for the teacher to come get them and escort them into the correct studio. Marlene plopped herself in a chair and motioned for James to do the same, but he just stood and lingered around the area.

James heard a door open and the chatter and giggles of many children. He heard many “Thank you miss Y/N”s and “Bye miss Y/N”s followed by a flood of little girls all dressed in colorful leotards and skirts filling the waiting room. The children all ran up to their respective mothers and told them about their lesson and how nice their new teacher was and that they all got stickers and how fun everything was. Some of the little girls eyed James and Marlene up and down, Marlene just stared back until the girls got scared and ran over to their adult.

As soon as the chaos broke into the little waiting room, it left. The last little girl put on her pink sparkly light up shoes and bounded out the door with her parent. This reassured everything that James had already felt; that this was useless, meant for little girls. Definitely not quidditch players, definitely not James.

He heard the door open again and turned to see a small woman, about his age, walk out with a clipboard. Her hair was pulled up into a bun. She was clad in a pink leotard and matching pink skirt, light pink tights, and pink ballet shoes. She was pretty, not in a typical perfect ballerina way, but in an entirely different way. James was definitely not expecting someone like her to be in a studio like this, let alone to be teaching.

Her eyes snapped up from what she was reading on her clipboard and instantly lit up.

“Oh hello!” she squeaked. “Are you two here for the 4:00 class?” 

“Uh, yeah.” James replied.

“Perfect! You’re right on time. I’m Y/N, by the way, I’ll be your instructor. You can follow me right in here to studio B.” she said, motioning them to follow her down the hall to the studio. Marlene stood and the both followed. “And here we are,” She said, turning on the light switch, allowing for a better view of the studio.

It was a very small room with light hardwood floors, mirrors lining the back wall. There were mats stacked up in the corner and two parallel bars mounted on the two walls without mirrors.

“You two can go ahead and set your stuff on the wall with the mirrors and then we can get started with stretching.” she announced chipper.

“Aren’t we going to wait for the rest of the class to show up?” Marlene asked from beside James.

“Oh no, you two are the whole class.” She smiled. “You can think of it more like a private lesson, more one on one.”

Private ballet lessons… Sirius was going to have a field day. He looked over at Marlene who just shrugged and made her way to the mirror wall to set her stuff down. James followed.

“It’s just us?” James whisper yelled to Marlene, trying not to let the instructor hear. 

“Is that a problem?” Marlene asked back. “She’s hot.”

James just huffed and pulled off his jacket, tossing it in his bag. 

“Look Potter, think of it this way,” She tried to reason with him, “Now there’s less people to look like an idiot in front of. All of the embarrassing moves will stay just between us three.” She smiled and James nodded his head, feeling like maybe it was a blessing to be in such a small class. “But… I can’t promise I won't make fun of you or use it against you.” She joked.

“Alright, are you both ready?” Y/N asked sweetly. They both nodded and made their way to the center of the room where she was waiting for them. “Alright first things first, welcome to ballet! My name is Y/N, you don't have to call me Miss or anything like the little ones do, just Y/N is fine” She said, her eyes glowing.

 Marlene was right, she was hot. But James wouldn’t be that forward about it, she was incredibly beautiful. If James could do with a touch of grace, she was bathed in it, dripping in it. She radiated confidence and elegance. James didn’t know what to do with his hands all of a sudden.

“I understand that your coach has signed you both up?” She asked. Marlene nodded in confirmation. “Ok, that is perfectly fine, we teach a lot of different athletes here at this studio. But in all honesty, I am a bit new to all of this,” She blushed, looking to the floor, “I mostly work with beginner classes and children so, bear with me.” 

She looked back at them and smiled. “Now, usually we require ballet shoes, but I won't require them for you two, socks or barefoot will be just fine.” she explained. “It is also better if you could wear things that are a little bit tighter. You don’t have to wear leos, but I need to be able to see the lines of your bodies better, so leggings, shorts, tank tops, those are all great!”

She was so cheery. Not only was she elegant and grateful, but kind and bubbly. James felt this warmth within the pit of his stomach now.

“Lastly, I want you two to have fun. I know that this is very different for you but, I promise I will make it as fun and educational for you so that you benefit the most that you can from this experience.” She finished, eyes sparking again.

“Alright with all that being said, let’s start our warm up!” she said.

Y/N led them through a series of stretches, most just like the ones they did at quidditch practice, others that were uncomfortable and pulled on his tight muscles. She assured them that with time, those stretches would get easier.

After, she led them to the bars mounted on one of the walls. She taught them the different positions of ballet; first, second, third, etc.. She taught them plies and releve, coupe and passe, and other French words he didn’t understand and would need to be repeated to him most likely all summer.

“Good Marlene.” James heard Y/N critique from where she was situated behind him. For all the gripe that she gave, Marlene was actually pretty decent at all this.

All of a sudden James felt hands on his abdomen and back, straightening his back into the correct posture. He was startled but continued on.

“There you go,” Y/N chuckled. “And..” she began but cut herself off by setting her hands atop his broad shoulders, pushing down on them. “You gotta relax, your shoulders are too tense. We don’t want them up by our ears,” She said, demonstrating to him by pulling her own shoulders up. “We want an elongated line from our neck and down our spine.” She explained, relaxing her shoulders and looking perfect. 

Next Y/N ran them through some basic turns and steps and they practiced by repeating them across the floor. James couldn’t believe this but, he was actually getting a pretty good workout. He was using muscles he didn’t even know he had, and he knew that if he dared mention that he was sore from ballet in front of Remus and Sirius, they would never let him live it down.

Time actually flew, and class was over before he knew.

“Great job today.” She said to them both, smiling as James caught her eye.

“I heard you give out stickers.” Marlene mentioned, mischief laced in her voice, making Y/N giggle. James loved the sound, decided that he wanted to do anything, everything in his power to hear that again. Hear it forever if he can.

She walked over to where her clipboard lay on the other side of the room, picked it up, then returned to where James and Marlene were now packing up. She peeled off a smiley face that said ‘awesome’ and placed it on Marlene’s shirt. Marlene smiled and started out the door. 

Y/N peeled another off, a star that said ‘you did great’ and placed it on James’s shirt. She pressed it into the fabric, making sure it stuck. James felt the warmth of her fingers radiate through his shirt and into his skin. 

He smiled at her and made his way after Marlene. He turned back to say “See you Thursday!”

She smiled back, waving goodbye to him and repeating that she would see them on Thursday.

Exiting the studio and climbing back into Marlene’s car, James couldn’t get rid of the goofy smile that etched itself into his face. Marlene looked at him and shook her head. “Don’t make it too obvious, Twinkletoes.” She mocked him with a new and reactive nickname.

“What are you talking about?” James asked, pulling his seatbelt on.

“Your little crush.” Marlene said plainly.

James wasn't going to deny it, so what if he had a little crush on the cute ballet teacher? She was gorgeous and so warm. He liked to see the passion in her eyes when she was explaining ballet to them. 

He couldn’t believe it and he would probably never say it out loud but he was excited for his ballet lesson on Thursday.

i wrote this cause I miss ballet and love the athlete x ballerina trope. also ballerinas are in fact athletes, dance is a sport ❤️🎀🩰 also please let me know if you would like to be added to any tag lists

taglist 🍓: @navs-bhat

[lurochar]

Before It All (Pt. 3)

Warnings: Obsessive Alastor

Part 1 + Part 2

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

It really was you.

His nameless Doe.

You seemed tense, clearly uneasy by the static he emitted and his presence alone by the looks of your erect ears and puffed fur of your tail.

(How cute, you had your clothes altered for your tail. A shame he hadn’t noticed it back when he had summoned you).

Alastor was now used to fellow demons being unnerved and frightened in his presence and so they should be, but you – there was no reason for you to be so anxious in his company, though he supposed he could understand it somewhat.

The power dynamics were completely turned around.

You had no advantage over him, he wasn’t that weak human anymore.

But still, Alastor didn’t like the fact you were so wary of him, so he needed to lighten the mood, break the tense atmosphere, and there was no better way than reminding you of your encounter with him when he was the weaker one, when you had the power over him, was there?

“How I’ve missed your wonderful ears, my nameless Doe.”

Alastor always did find your ears fascinating.

He may have his own pair of deer ears now and they had their uses – his auditory senses were vastly superior when compared to his human self, so much so, it took a week or two for him to adjust to sensory overload. They also gave any would-be attackers a false sense of security, he was just a deer demon, so he had to be weak.

Ripping those sorts to shreds felt much more satisfying.

But his ears were so damn sensitive to touch that Alastor had no idea how you didn’t just melt into a trembling mess when you allowed him to stroke your ears all those years ago.

He needed to move on from these thoughts before–

You blinked at his odd greeting, your body relaxing slightly from its earlier tensed position that had been poised to flee at any given second.

You blinked again.

And then you let out a loud yelp of surprise, springing forward when you felt icy cold hands playfully tug on your ears from behind. 

–before his shadow acted upon them.

You reeled around to see what had touched you, not expecting to see a grin right up in your face and you stumbled back a bit, happy enough that you didn’t embarrass yourself in front of the Radio Demon/Alastor by letting out some sort of pitiful sound like a scream or shriek.

“I do hope you can excuse my shadow’s behaviour. The poor thing can hardly contain itself, seeing it is a reflection of me.” Alastor gestured the shadow away, which it did after giving you a last glance before it vanished. “Well then, should we do now what we should have done twenty-four years ago?”

You’re unsure what he is talking about.

“Introductions, my nameless Doe! Unless you prefer that name over your real one.” Alastor bows in a flashy way. “Alastor Hartfelt! But you already knew that, correct?” He stood up straight and eyed you expectantly.

“It’s nothing special, it’s just Y/N.” You shrug before eyeing Alastor intently and you hope you don’t get killed or worse for your question. “You just seemed like a miserable boy brought up in a miserable situation, so I gave you a pass. I thought if I got rid of your main problem, maybe you could live the rest of your life normally. You didn’t even make it to forty. What happened?”

Alastor hummed. “It would turn out that my father was only a drop in the bucket. After that wretch was gone from our lives, my Mama instilled in me the importance and value of women. Women are not second-class citizens nor are they property, but this way of thinking was uncommon and misogyny was everywhere.”

You think you can guess where this is heading to…

“I killed men, men like my father. Men who see no problem in beating their wife. Degenerates that stalked the alleyways for their next rape victim. For over a decade, I was the ‘Bayou Butcher’. It’s only due to the incompetence of a hunter that I am here now.” The expression on his face was that of delight. “I have no remorse. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it.”

Oh.

It’s… it’s not what you wanted for Alastor, but you remembered that sheer hatred in his eyes. Something that deeply rooted wasn’t so easily erased, even if the main cause was taken out of the situation.

Unfortunately, you were not wrong in guessing Alastor would eventually condemn himself to Hell.

Fortunately, you had held onto Hartfelt for the past twenty some years.

You do have another question, but you know better than to ask.

Some demons don't care, but some demons can get quite offended if asked about their appearance and why they ended up looking the way they do. It’s personal, tied to their sins in life and their manner of death.

Asking Alastor why he ended up as a deer demon, a prey-based demon, could get you killed or maybe worse.

“I was mistaken for a deer by an inept hunter who took a shot before bothering to confirm what he was shooting at.” Alastor answers easily and casually, as if reading your mind and knowing what you want to ask. “Do not be afraid to ask me anything, my lovely Doe. I assume you heard my message on one of my broadcasts, yes? I meant every word of what I said.”

Lovely Doe?

‘I told him my name…’ You decided it didn’t matter too much as it wasn’t demeaning or degrading. You’ve been called much, much worse and on a regular basis by Hartfelt, so hearing an affectionate(?) nickname was a bit of refreshing change–

Should you be thinking that way?

Your ears dropped.

“Listen, Alastor,” you noticed his eyes seemed to glow brighter from you simply saying his name, “I messed up that day. I… I shouldn’t have touched you, let alone hug you. There are countless reasons why most demons don’t have free access to the human world. Contact with demons tends to screw humans up. Even just one night with a Succubus or an Incubus can fuck up humans for months and they’re low-class demons.”

Alastor simply tilted his head.

“I’m mid-class and… and I should have known better.” You sighed. “I think I messed you up in some way by touching you and letting you touch me.”

You were taken back when Alastor started to laugh and your ears flattened completely, slightly bothered by his reaction to your words.

Did you say something amusing?

“Oh dear me, you have twisted it all around in your worrisome mind, haven’t you?” Alastor chuckled. “So you have yet to realize you saved me and my Mama from that piece of scum I had to call ‘father’? My life even? Had you not killed that man for me, I would have made a clumsy attempt to murder that man, whether I succeeded or not. Such a thing would have cost me my life much earlier. I would not have been able to pursue my career and take good care of my Mama until her final days.”

You flustered, not sure what to say back.

“I lived my life the way I wished to because you freed me from that man. I am here in Hell purely of my own actions, though perhaps a little earlier than expected. You are very much downplaying what you are to me and I cannot say I care much for it.” Alastor couldn’t help the loudening crackle of his static.

“...okay…”

“Pardon?” Alastor’s ears twitched at the mumble of your voice, though he heard you just fine. He wanted you to clarify what ‘okay’ meant and look him in the eyes as you did so. He wouldn’t trap you in a contract like the fools whose souls he owned, but with his guaranteed protection for nothing more than just staying at his side and within his sight, how could you refuse?

(Though, if you wanted to give him your soul, he certainly wouldn’t turn it down).

“Okay! Maybe I didn’t fuck you up! Maybe you were… a little ‘different’ from the start!” You weren’t sure how to say ‘psychopathic’ in a nice way. “I still felt guilty about it this entire time. I hoped differently, but I knew you would probably end up in Hell.” You admitted, huffing when Alastor let out another chuckle. “So I did something to try to make up for it in case I did mess with your mind somehow.”

“Hmm, and what is that, my lovely Doe?” Alastor’s smile seemed to widen and it may be hidden from view, his tail wagged in excitement. “You thought of me, even before I landed myself in Hell? I must say, I’m quite flattered!”

“I looked for him as soon as I got back from the human world and found him before he understood how… things worked around here.” You didn’t feel bad in the least. “So I tricked him into making a deal with me. Shelter, food, simple basics for his soul. He didn’t seem used to living on the streets, so he took it right away. He didn’t understand what it actually meant to give your soul away.”

“Well done! What a delightful little tidbit! I had no idea if you would be interested in the art of deal-making. I would be more than happy to guide you. Why, I already own a great number of souls myself.” Alastor’s smile turned a little more sinister and he felt his blood heat at the thought of watching you trick some desperate fool into giving you their soul.

He would slaughter an entire district just to see that.

“I’ve… never really thought about it? I just do what I can to get by. Prey and livestock-based demons don’t have it easy in Hell.” You were sought out for your meat after all. “Anyway, I thought I’d make it up to you by – well, that demon whose soul I own is your father’s.”

The static around Alastor went completely silent.

You swallowed thickly, suddenly nervous. “I, uh, I always intended on giving you ownership of his soul whenever you ended up here, if you ended up in Hell. You can do anything you want to him, I have no intention of interfering if you… wanted to broadcast his torment or something.”

Shit, why was Alastor staring at you like that?

Was it the wrong choice? Did he want nothing to do with his father?

“W-WAH!” It was the most pitiful fucking noise you could probably make, worse than that earlier yelp when Alastor seemed to melt into the floor through a void of shadows and then reappear right in your personal space before you comprehended what happened. That was not the reason you let out a damn bleat before you could help it, though.

Alastor was stroking your ears just as he had done twenty-four years prior.

“A gift from you is always welcome, but this – I never imagined one that would bring me such… joy. Truly, you were always meant for me, my lovely Doe.”

“S-so, I take it you want ownership of his soul?” You struggled to get the words out, feeling your vision blur for a moment. You let out a breath of relief when Alastor reluctantly released your ears, but he didn’t step away from your personal space.

“Yes. I’m more than willing to give you a soul – ten even, in return. Mama may disapprove of it, but I will pay back a thousandfold and more for what that man put her through. He will suffer the worst torture I can possibly think of.” To your amazement, Alastor’s pupils spun into a shape that resembled radio dials before returning to normal.

“It’s a gift. You don’t need to give me anything back in return.” You blinked in surprise when Alastor poked your cheek, pinching it playfully before tutting at you. “What was that?!”

“You have been here longer than me, but it seems I must teach you a few good lessons.” Alastor held out his hand invitingly. “Before this transaction, would you like a tour of my radio tower?”

You placed your hand in his. “You’re going to have to explain it like you would to a child how this radio stuff actually works. I can turn my radio on and change the station, that’s about it.”

Alastor felt that chill that followed him all his life leave him and his smile felt genuine for very few times that it was as he felt your hand wrap around his.

He may be dead and in Hell, but his (after)life was looking rather bright – he still could enjoy his passion for radio and he no longer had to hide his true sadistic nature and homicidal thoughts. Better yet, he could combine the two and broadcast tortured screams for denizens of Hell to hear!

He was powerful and feared, toppling Overlords to become himself in an extremely short period of time and he owned multiple souls to do his bidding whenever and whatever he wanted – and soon, he could add his miserable wretch of a father to his collection to torment all he likes.

Best of all, he finally found you, the demon who made this all possible for him and now that he had you in his grasp, there was no conceivable way he would ever let you elude him. He could certainly give you the illusion of freedom and space if that’s what you wanted.

He was charming, he knew that, it’s all he needed to win you over.

Perhaps it would take a little time and patience, but he would get what he wanted in the end like he always did.

His lovely Doe. His new wife.

It was a dream that Alastor was going to turn into his reality.

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

I hope this ending was satisfying

Tags: @alishii @yourdoorisunlocked @godsent69 @eris-norwega @catticora @tayraedoll @michi-keinz @martinys-world @n0tmentallystable @xalygatorx @everwolf-20 @yui-onnero

[maysileeewrites]

something there | teaser

movie! Fiyero Tigelaar x gn!reader

Synopsis: When Fiyero suggests a group date activity with Galinda and Elphaba to try and quell the tension between the two, you agree, not knowing that these two might have a common goal in sight as well. (And maybe playing matchmaker wasn’t the only thing on Fiyero’s mind when he suggested the idea …) 

AN: based off of this concept post. I'm so sorry that it's taking me this long to write this, but this story is turning out to be a beast, I'm nearly 4k words in and the actual group date hasn't even happened yet. I might have to split the final shabang into two parts, we'll see. please be just a bit more patient with me <3

Your doubts didn’t seem to phase Fiyero in the slightest. Actually, it seemed that the more vocal you became in voicing your concerns, the more determined to see this through to the end - and see it through successfully - Fiyero became. 

Not even Elphaba’s irritated expression, when he cornered you and her after dinner the following evening, seemed to intimidate him, which, you had to admit grudgingly, was a feat in and of itself. Because while you liked Elphaba very much - when she wasn’t using her breath on venting about Galinda that was - and valued her friendship, she could be quite intimidating. 

If she’d looked at you the way she was currently looking at Fiyero, you were sure that you’d have already crumbled under her withering glare. 

As it was, Fiyero merely shrugged, smirking, when she said, her voice dripping with irritation: „And why in Oz’s name would you do that?“ (Fiyero had just announced that he wanted to invite you two for dinner in a fancy restaurant in town the next evening.) 

„Because I want to spend some time with my best friend’s other friends - get to know them myself, you know“, he said, an easy smile on his face, as he walked closer to you and slid an arm around your waist, the gesture so casual, so natural, almost as if it was something he did all the time. 

It wasn’t. Because while Fiyero had always been extremely affectionate and not even your sister’s irritated glare when he’d casually grab your hand and lace your fingers together or gently touch your arm to get your attention could discern him, he usually didn’t do something like this. 

This felt new and dangerous and thrilling and - you liked it. 

You liked being this close to Fiyero, feeling his body right next to yours, heat radiating off him, even though it caused your heart to start beating frantically in your chest, your palms to sweat and your cheeks to flush. 

Sweet Oz, what was happening to you? 

Because this really wasn’t the moment for you to be this flustered and confused by Fiyero’s shenanigans, not when Elphaba’s irritated, hostile glare was still fixed on him. 

„I see“, Elphaba said dryly, her tone clearly indicating that she didn’t understand at all and that she wasn’t very interested in hearing more. 

„I mean - I already know you’re great, I’ve already heard so much about you, but I thought that we two should get to know each other as well, get to spend some time together, if you know what I mean.“ 

At this, he actually winked at Elphaba. 

Elphaba was having none of it though, raising her eyebrows pointedly. „And what if I happen to not share that sentiment?“ 

„Well, then I’d be very disappointed“, Fiyero said, shaking his head. „I mean, I was quite looking forward to discussing Dr. Clover’s lecture over dinner with you - I happen to admire his work as well -, but no can do, I guess …“ 

„You want to go to Dr. Clover’s lecture with us?“, Elphaba said, the surprise in her voice mirroring your own. You hadn’t heard of this particular aspect of Fiyero’s plan yet, and his satisfied smirk told you that he knew - or at least thought so - he’d won Elphaba over.

tagging: @angel-starbeam @matt-patt-engarde @hazbingirliexoxo @tn22220-blog @crisis-unaverted @graham-mackrackers @a-quick-request @tattooed-galaxies

[dailynnt]

FRIENDS WITHIN TOUCHING DISTANCE

⊹ Summary: Jungkook and you, his childhood friend, live together in an apartment, sharing space as roommates. Your relationship, built on years of friendship, is gradually becoming strained by growing sexual tension. You decide to become friends with benefits, trying not to complicate your feelings. But Jungkook's world is not so simple. When you begin to realize that he is hiding something, you open the veil of his double life - a world of mafia, criminal activity, and risk that could ruin not only your deal, but everything you valued in each other.

⊹ Couple: Jeon Jungkook/ Fem!Reader

⊹ Characters: The Reader, Jeon Jungkook, Park Jimin, Kim Taehyung, Min Yoongi, Kim Seokjin, Kim Namjoon, Jeon Hoseok.

⊹ 🔞 Age restrictions: 18+

⊹ 👩🏼‍❤️‍👨🏻 Relationships: ⚤

⊹ 📘 Number of part: 8/30

⊹ 🖇️ Tags: best friends, friends with benefits, slow longing, sexual tension, protected sex, unprotected sex, alcohol, drunken sex, inexperienced main character, mafia au, illegal trade, deaths of minor characters, weapons, swear words. Tags will be added as the story is written.

⊹👩🏼‍💻 From the author: A new part for everyone who reads my story. I don't know about you, but something don't like to me in this part. Perhaps because I finally have to lead the plot to the main problem of the story, I feel some pressure. I don't know how it all works or how it should be, but I'm writing purely from my imagination, which tries to be logical. Y/N sees Jungkook in his new look and learns something about his work. She has no idea Jungkook he might be connected to the mafia. I think it's obvious, and you all guessed it, that Jungkook is working for the mafia clan.

⊹ 🫂 Dedication: Dedicate this work to my darling @myjungkookthighs I so appreciate all your love for my story and your endless support. This story is for you.💜🥰

⊹ ⚠️ Warning: English is not my native language, so there may be mistakes in the text. Please don't get mad at me too much! Those under 18, please don't read this story!

⊹ 📋 Tag list: @myjungkookthighs, @notsevenwithyou (If anyone wants to be in my tag list let me know)

≣ Chapter Index ↓

Part 8: That man driving the Mercedes.

It was Friday. You were lying on the couch in front of the TV watching your favorite show. You could finally enjoy some free time. After passing the exam, you could breathe a sigh of relief. Now you have almost 2 months off before the next semester starts.

You didn't really plan what to do during these two months. Christmas and New Year's are coming up, so you'll probably go to Suwon to visit your parents and spend the Christmas vacation with them. You would like Jungkook to come with you, too, because he rarely visits his parents because of his work. You planned to persuade him.

When you thought of Jungkook, you felt sad. Since the last time you were together, he has hardly ever been home. He comes home late and leaves early, when you already sleeping or still sleeping. You text each other, sometimes when he has time you talk on the phone, but these conversations are short. You felt that you missed Jungkook because you missed his warmth. And not just his warmth. He promised to teach you about sex, and for some reason he disappeared. His work schedule became erratic.

You'd be lying if you said you didn't want to got intimate with Jungkook again. After your last time in the shower, you couldn't help but think about Jungkook every day. It was so hot between you two. You wanted to feel his hot kiss on your lips again. To taste his skillful tongue. To feel the strength of his muscles moving under your hands. To moan at his skillful fingers and finally feel him filling you with his cock. To be completely at his mercy.

But all you have is his dirty clothes that he leaves in the laundry room, which is how you know he's home, and the food he buys every day and leaves for you. That's the reason you haven't left the house in almost a week. You just don't need to, everything you need is there. Except for Jungkook.

You're looking at the TV, but your mind is far away. But when you see the characters on the screen coming to a restaurant and eating samgyopsal, you remember that Jungkook promised that you two would go to “Kyochon Chicken” and eat the most delicious chicken in Seoul to celebrate your excellent passing the exam. But it seems like Jungkook had forgotten about it altogether.

You were distracted by a phone call. It was Suyong. She called to ask you were doing, and then she suggested that we go to Myeongdong and buy gifts for her parents for Christmas at the Lotte Department Store. You were eager to buy gifts too. But the scholarship was still two weeks away, and it would arrive almost before Christmas. You only had money for utilities, some of which you had to pay, so you only had about 100 thousand won left. It was not enough. You thought you would ask Jungkook if he could lend you some money.

You told Suyoung that you would go with her and that you would meet her at the exit of the subway station. You'll be there in an hour.

You took a shower to freshen up. You put on makeup and went to get dressed.

Your outfit today was a white turtleneck sweater and mom jeans. There was a lot of snow outside and it made the subzero temperature outside not so cold. So it would be comfortable to walk around in this outfit and it wouldn't be cold. You combed your hair and at first you wanted to tie it up in a high ponytail, but you changed your mind. It would be much warmer with your hair down. A long cappuccino winter coat and white boots completed the look.

The street was crowded. People were busy in the pre-Christmas bustle, everyone was in a hurry to do their own thing. When you reached the street leading to the subway, you remembered that you hadn't called Jungkook to borrow money yet. You found his number and heard long dial tones.

"Hey, baby." - Jungkook answered the phone. You heard his voice, today was the first time you called him. You had only spoken to him yesterday in the morning and you hadn't seen him for what seemed like forever, even though you live together. Your heart is beating fast. It must be from walking in the cold air.

"Hi." - You say. "How are you?"

"I'm fine. What about you? Are you going out?" - Jungkook asks.

"I'm fine too. Yeah. Going to the subway." - You say sadly. You suddenly felt how much you missed your friend.

"Why are you going to the subway?" - Jungkook asks you again. His voice is gentle and thoughtful.

"That's why I'm calling you. Suyoung suggested that we go to the LDS to buy gifts for Christmas. I want to buy gifts for my parents too, but I won't get my scholarship until the 25th. Could you lend me some money?" - You ask, still keeping your tone low-key.

"Of course, baby. How much do you need?" - Jungkook agrees immediately. You are grateful to him.

"Can you transfer 300 thousand to the card?" - You ask.

"Will that be enough? Probably I send you more?" - You hear Jungkook say. But you don't need more. This amount should be enough to buy gifts for parents. You have already bought a gift for Jungkook.

A week ago, when you were in Itaewon on business, you saw a limited edition watch in the Calvin Klein store. When you saw it, it instantly reminded you of your friend's image. It was beautiful, immediately catching your eye out of all the watches on display. A metal strap and a black dial with a minimalist design. You immediately realized that this watch had to be his. Besides, Jungkook loves to wear watches and this would be a good gift to remind him of you.

It was expensive, so now you have to ask for money to buy gifts.

"I don't need any more. Thank you." - You say. It's still about 15 minutes walk to the subway station, but you're already cold. You should have worn warmer pants or a jacket.

"Okay." - Jungkook says, and after a couple of seconds adds. "What's wrong with your voice?" - He finally notices that you're sad.

"It's okay." - You say shortly. You hear him laughing through the phone.

"It’s must be I done something wrong." - He states and you feel that he is still smiling. You smile too, but quietly so he doesn't hear. How well he knows you. You quickly compose yourself and speak with the same tone. Before you can speak, you hear a notification that money has been credited to your card. You didn't look at the amount, but it seems to be the amount you needed.

"You didn't do anything wrong. You just promised something and didn't fulfill it." - You say. Jungkook yells into the phone.

"No freaking way!" - He says in mock horror. You smile. "I'm a real asshole. Just tell me and I'll do it for you in a heartbeat." - Jungkook promises. You're laughing louder now, but still bitterly.

"I haven't seen you for almost a week, only your dirty clothes. What kind of stupid schedule do you have? Besides, you won't do it so fast. You promised to go eat chicken." - You're already faking sadness, too. But Jungkook can hear you laughing into the phone.

"Do you miss me, baby?" - Jungkook flirts. You can hear it in his voice.

"Not that I miss you... But I'm used to your company, I'm just bored alone." - You deny. Only admit that you miss him, as it could be your curse. You won't be able to withstand the bold reproaches that you can't live without your friend. Therefore, you need to choose your words more clearly.

"Oh... so you're bored. Do you want me to cheer you up?" - You hear him lower his voice.

"Maybe." - You say playfully, too. Jungkook laughs. She never admits to being bored or wanting something more. She just teases him. He likes that.

"This sucks. We'll definitely go to a restaurant. But I really can't do it right now. I have an important meeting with a woman." - Your friend is serious. The infusion he raised a moment ago instantly disappeared. You raised your eyebrows and felt a stab of jealousy.

"What woman?" - You say a little more sharply than you wanted to. Jungkook can barely contain his laughter.

"She's a very important partner. I have to settle some things with her about the deal." - Jungkook says. You are surprised for a moment that he is telling you such details. Usually everything about his work is covered in shadows.

"Then I won't distract you from your important meeting with a woman." - You say dryly. Why did he emphasize that it was a woman? "She's much more important than me." - You can't help but reproach him.

"She is very important at the moment. I'm sorry, baby." - Jungkook apologizes. You shake inside.

"Is she pretty?" - You asked with venom in your voice. Jungkook could barely contain his laughter. He knew you were jealous.

"She's fucking hot!" - He said with admiration in his voice. You feel like you've been electrocuted. How can this jerk say that to you about some woman? You instantly become angry. Suddenly you don't regret that this asshole was gone for a whole week. Is he serious? Did he find someone when you agreed to had sex? But you didn't talk about it properly and didn't agree on the rules. Because you thought it was obvious that while you were together you shouldn't have partners. But Jungkook didn't seem to have enough of you.

You wanted to scold him, but you heard a car horn to your left. It was so loud that you jumped in fright. Not far from you, on the sidewalk, was a black Mercedes Gelentwagen. Behind the wheel was Jungkook, dressed in a black sweatshirt that hugged his body and a black jacket over it.

You spent almost half a minute trying to figure out if it was really Jungkook or if you were hallucinating. He held the phone to his ear and smiled broadly, slyly.

"I can see her right now, so I have to hang up." - He said.

You glare at your friend, who looks like a fucking mafia in that car and those clothes. You approach his open window, completely forgetting that you wanted to fight with him a moment ago

"You drive a Geltwagen? What kind of job do you have?" - You ask with your mouth open and examine at the car as you can. You were impressed by the look of this car. It radiates power and elegance at the same time. Coincidence? But it was your favorite car of all the ones you had seen. Its square shape set it apart from most cars, making it almost unique. Its straight, sharp lines make you feel his powerful in the best possible way. That's why you like it.

"Get in the car quickly. I can't park here." - Jungkook warns you to move faster. But you get into the car, mesmerized, and run your eyes over the leather interior. Jungkook starts the engine and the car starts to move with a typical Geltwagen growl.

You turn your head to look at Jungkook and don't recognize him. Is this gorgeous man your best friend? You're used to seeing him in sporty clothes, riding a bike. But seeing him in a business suit and driving such an expensive car is something new.

"Do you always wear a suit at work?" - You suddenly break the silence. Jungkook holds the steering wheel with one hand and rests the other on the armrest.

"Uh-huh. It's part of the dress code." - He answers, keeping his eyes on the road. You look at Jungkook like that and you drool even more at the sight of him. How the fuck can you be so sexy while driving a car and wearing a suit? You already think he's sexy and handsome, but what you're seeing right now is lighting a fire in your eyes.

"And this is your car?" - You ask.

"The company car." - Jungkook clarifies. But it's a lie. You would notice if you knew that every time Jungkook lies, he eats his lips.

It was his car, but you don't want to know that. Because you would immediately want to know how he got the money for such a car. Jungkook only uses it when he's at work, because it emphasizes a certain status. When he started living with you, he only rides his bike. He doesn't want you to know about certain things.

"What does this company do that they buy Mercedes as company cars?" - You impressed ask. Jungkook smiled slightly.

"I told you I work in the defense service. That's all I can tell you." - He says carefully. But he quickly changes the subject before you ask too many questions. "So are we going to eat chicken?" - He asks and quickly glances at you, looking away. But almost instantly he turns it back to you, staring shamelessly. You try to figure out what's wrong and look at the road and then at Jungkook.

"What? Why are you looking like that? Look at the road instead." - You point at it. He looks at you for a moment and then looks away.

"I was just looking at you and couldn't understand..." - He says and deliberately doesn't finish his sentence.

"Understand what? Is there something on my face?" - You reached for the sun visor with a mirror in it. Opening it, you began to look for what Jungkook might have noticed.

"I couldn't figure out if you've always been this beautiful or if it's just the white turtleneck that makes you look more pretty?" - Jungkook says. You are instantly embarrassed by his compliment. What is wrong with him? Telling you that you're beautiful right to your face?

"What do you think?" - You ask, wanting to know his opinion.

"I think it's the sweater." - He jokes and gets punched in the ribs. He laughs and you look at your friend angrily.

"I am beautiful, not my sweater that makes me beautiful." - You argue. Jungkook laughs.

"Yes, baby. You are." - He says more gently and you feel those fucking butterflies in your stomach. It was a simple compliment, but you blush. You know that he thinks you're beautiful, but it's so unusually to hear it. Because he usually only teases you and doesn't say it sincerely like this.

When you're almost at “Kyochon Chicken”, you remember that you're supposed to meet Suyoung in 30 minutes. You completely forgot about it when you saw Jungkook.

You pull out your phone to text your friend that you're going to be late.

"I have to meet Suyong, that's why I left the house. But you've thrown me off track." - You complain to Jungkook. He sees you texting Suyong and asks.

"Text her that you're going to be hour late." - You froze and stopped typing.

"Hour? Why is it taking so long? Let's get a quick meal." - You suggest. Jungkook is already pulling into a large parking lot not far from the restaurant. There aren't many cars here at this hour. He doesn't answer, so you just watch him.

After parking the car a far from another, he unbuckles his seatbelt. Then he quickly approaches you, standing next to you and leaning over the armrest. One of his hands rests somewhere above your head, and he puts the other on your hips, closer to your fly.

"Because I missed and I want to amuse you." - He says. Before you can to react it, you feel his lips on yours. Jungkook kisses you and you respond immediately. The phone falls out of your hands, and you reach for Jungkook's hair. You plunge your fingers into his neatly stolen locks and mess up his hairstyle. The kiss becomes hotter as you use your tongue, and you both realize that you really missed each other.

You don't know when you became so dependent on Jungkook. As you kiss him, you want it to never end. You forget about everything in the world when those unrestrained lips are against yours.

After a week without his touch, you're hungry. And you definitely don't need chicken right now. You need Jungkook.

He pulls away from you, but only by an inch, and smiles.

"You missed your friend did ya?" - He asks the obvious. You bite your lip, remembering how you kissed a moment ago. What is there to hide? You were crazy about his absence.

"My favorite mouth." - He says as he nibbles on your lips. "I remember how great they looked wrapped around my cock." - Jungkook's words make you even wetter. You think back to that scene in the bathroom, too, and your desire increases.

Jungkook captures your lips again, not wanting to be without them for long. He engulfs your lips completely, and then kisses each lip in turn, pushing his tongue back into your mouth. This kiss is determined, passionate. He wants to show you how much he missed you.

While kissing you, Jungkook easily finds the button on your mom jeans and unbuttoned it. In a moment, his fingers are already smearing the abundant moisture on your folds. You moan into Jungkook's mouth with pleasure. You had forgotten how good it feels.

Jungkook felt his pants getting too tight from this girl moans. You were so wet that he seemed to be able to enter you so easily that it wouldn't cost him anything. And it wouldn't cost you either. The thought of shoving his cock into your welcoming pussy has made him even harder.

He wants to. He hasn't had sex in almost a week. It's not a big deal, sometimes he could go longer without it, but not when you're around. He feels so good with you that Jungkook felt like he could fuck you every day. Then the day you had sex for the first time, you gave him a kind of animal desire to you.

"Do you want me to fuck your little pussy?" - Jungkook asks you. He doesn't move too far away, continuing to caress you. Now his finger penetrates your hole. You spread your legs wider to make it easier for Jungkook to penetrate. He thinks it's still tight.

"Right here?" - You struggle to say it, fighting the sensations of his fingers. Your heart is beating like crazy in your throat.

"Yes. Right here." - Jungkook confirms. In fact, you'd rather he did it anywhere.

"We don't have a condom." - You say, and you're already regretting it. Because you really want to be filled with his cock.

"I have in the glove compartment." - Jungkook says to you.

"Why do you have condoms in your company car?" - You groan indignantly, your eyebrows raised. If Jungkook doesn't stop right now, you're going to come.

"I bought them on the way to your place!" - He confesses. You think. So he was on his way home to have sex? You wouldn't have minded. Did he want to catch you off guard? But if you hadn't called him, he wouldn't have known you were out.

"Did you have plans?" - You almost squeak and come to his fingers. How skillfully he makes you come every time.

"The plan was to fuck you on the couch at home. But doing it in the car is more to my liking." - Jungkook says, licking his fingers with your wetness. You're getting excited. You bite your lip and feel the orgasm you just had still coursing through your body.

"Take thatone from the glove compartment and get in the backseat." - Jungkook says and gets out of the car. You open the glove compartment, which was just above your knees. There's nothing in the glove compartment except a package of three condoms and a leather car manual. You take the package and get out to get into the back seat. Before you get out of the car, you take off your long coat, which is restricting your movements.

When you get in, Jungkook climbs in and makes himself comfortable. He also managed to take off his jacket and leave it on the driver's seat. He looks damn hot in that tight sweatshirt. You discreetly glance at his crotch. He's well aroused.

Jungkook gives you a studying look, probably deciding how this is going to go. You're holding the box of condoms and don't know what to do next. You can feel yourself getting embarrassed.

But this disappears when Jungkook moves closer. He sits in the middle next to you and holds you close. His hand reaches into yours and grabs what he'll need in a few minutes.

"So how would you like it? Riding me or lying down?" - Jungkook asks you, already busy taking off your sweater. You silently submit to his actions. He throws your white sweater somewhere on the ground and reaches for your breasts. Without removing your bra, he puts his hand through the fabric and frees your left boob.

He slowly bends down and takes your nipple in his mouth and sucks on it. The slight pain of his sucking is intertwined with desire and you feel even more excited. Your underwear is already soaked with moisture. The more Jungkook plays with your nipple, the more he makes you hot.

"Jungkook..." - Escapes your lips as he caresses your breasts and simultaneously tries to penetrate your hole. His fingers get in freely and he plunges his fingers inside you to stretch you for more.

When he's done with your nipple, he moves on to your neck. A path of kisses appears on your neck. You feel the traces of his lips and tongue meet the air and you shiver.

"Yes, baby." - Jungkook responds to his name.

"I need you..." - You moan sensually.

"I'm here." - He says. He continues to stretch you. But you realize that his experienced fingers are not enough. You need more. And you're almost ready to beg him.

"No. I want... you. Inside me." - Jungkook smiles to you words. It's a sly and insidious smile. What a treat for the ears to hear you want to be filled with his cock.

"Do you want me to fuck your sweet, tight pussy?" - He purrs against your lips.

"Yes..." - You exhale, feeling the friction of his fingers. You are becoming needy. Needy to the point of being desperate. "Please fuck me." - You beg. The words that come out of your mouth make Jungkook's cock twitch. He can barely keep himself from giving you all fours and fucking you senseless. But you're you. And he has to be careful with you. For now.

"Take off your pants and underwear." - He orders a little roughly. You like the possessiveness in his voice. It makes you wet even more. You obey and take off your pants, watching him pull down his pants out of the corner of your eye. They fall to his ankles. A moment later, his boxers are in the same place.

His cock bumps against his stomach as he sits up. He's horny and hard.

You remember giving him a blow job and salivate. As Jungkook pulls out a silver foil condom, you grab the length of it and run your tongue around the head.

Jungkook freezes for a moment. He doesn't breathe when he feels your tongue running over his cock. You feel him shudder a few times and you realize that he likes it.

Jungkook spreads his legs wide and you take more of his length into your mouth. You move your head up and down to make him feel good. He moans with pleasure. Your wet warm mouth is perfect for his cock. Jungkook puts his hand on your neck, tangling his fingers in your hair. You should see the eyes he's looking at you with now. They are dark, full of lust.

At some point, you touch his balls with your free hand and squeeze them slightly. Jungkook is going crazy. This is evidenced by his hissing mixed with his moans.

"Fuck!" - He curses barely audibly. He wants to come in your mouth. But he was going to fuck you. So your mouth work is enough, otherwise you don't get what you're promised.

Jungkook grabs you by the hair and easily takes you off his erect cock. He's covered in your saliva.

"If you keep doing that, I won't be able to fuck your pretty cunt." - He says. You wipe away the saliva that has already gathered in the corner of your mouth and stand up. Without letting go of your hair, Jungkook pulls you down and kisses you with his tongue. This tongue is perfect both on his cock and on his tongue.

He finally lets go of you and puts on a condom. You don't watch for long, because as soon as he's done with that, he pats his thighs, inviting you to sit on top of him.

This is something you haven't done before. It will be interesting to see how Jungkook's length will feel in this position. But before you climb on top of him, you ask your friend to take off his sweatshirt. You want you to be completely naked.

You end up on Jungkook's lap. He holds his cock as he helps you sit on him. When the head of his cock touches your entrance, you are jubilant. It has finally happened.

"Go down slowly, in and out." - Jungkook warns you in a low and breathy voice. As his cock sinks deeper into your passage, you feel the pressure. It still hurts, but it's not like the first time. You stop sometimes to get used to it.

A loud sensual moan escapes your lips. You press your groin against his as much as possible, your clit feeling his skin and pubic hair. Your eyes are glazed over with incredible pleasure.

The pressure on his length is different than when you're lying down or on all fours. You're just sitting on his cock and your walls are closing around him. Jungkook is swearing because he's never fucked a cunt that tight. It's unreal.

Jungkook puts his big hands on your buttocks, squeezing them lightly. He will help you if you get tired of swinging on his cock.

After getting used to these sensations, you want more and so you move your hips. Again, you feel pain. But it is almost imperceptible. Then more movements, then more movements. You set the rhythm. Now you're jumping on his lap and you can't get enough of the sensations of this sex.

It's crazy good. Your breasts are bouncing with every move you make. Your nails dig into Jungkook's muscular shoulders, which gives him an unrealistic high. Your cunt swallowed his cock so perfectly.

"Come on, baby, ride on my cock." - Jungkook encourages you, his voice full of lust. You bite your lip so hard it almost bleeds. "That feels so fucking good." - Jungkook says. You fully agree. You just moan at the feeling of his big cock inside you.

You keep rocking, Jungkook helping you by walking his hands from your ass to your hips.

Suddenly, some phone vibrates somewhere in the front seat. You open your eyes and freeze for a moment, but Jungkook pushes you with his hands to continue. You continue, but the phone doesn't stop ringing.

"I think it's your phone." - You say to Jungkook breathlessly. The vibration is coming from the driver's seat.

"I'll call back." - He replies just as breathlessly. You stop again and feel blissful pleasure from below. Your cunt throbs around Jungkook's cock. He pulls your neck and your lips merge in passion. You're fired up from this kiss and carry out the work you started. But no matter how much you want to ignore the phone, it vibrates a few more times.

"Someone really needs you." - You state, pointing at the phone. Jungkook swats it away and kisses your neck. You just move your hips and feel like you're getting close to orgasm. But the phone vibrates for the fourth time.

"Shit. Who's calling?" - Jungkook curses.

"Let me give the phone for you." - You offer. Jungkook wants to say no, but you insist. "Just pick up the phone and us stop disturbed."

"Okay." - Jungkook agrees. You want to get off, but he stops you with his hands on your hips. "Don't get down. I'll lift you up." - He says. You raise your eyebrows and smile in surprise. How is this supposed to look?

Jungkook climbs to a small height and approaches the front seats. You lean back, holding on to his neck and fumbling for him phone, which keeps ringing. Jungkook sits back in the seat with you and you see who has been trying to call Jungkook all this time. You turn the phone back to him.

"Jimin." - You announce. Jungkook raises his eyebrows. It seems to be something very urgent. Because his calls are one after another and this is the fourth one.

"Yes." - Jungkook says, trying to sound normal and not breathless. You make a few movements to find a comfortable position for yourself. But Jungkook doesn't appreciate your gesture. He stops you with his hand, grabbing your ass.

"Why don't you pick up the phone, kid?" - You hear Jimin's irritated voice. "Kid" such a funny nickname. You laugh silently. Jungkook jabs you in the rib with his finger, which makes you raise your eyebrows in anger.

"I'm a little busy. Speak quickly." - Jungkook says, eager to finish what he started. "Ughh..." - His breath hits the last word as you start to move on his lap. He meets your sly look and thinks you're a real bitch. You smile, and make sharp and deep thrusts, driving his cock deeper into you. He almost dies holding back his moans because your movements give him too much pleasure.

"I need you at the main office. Something has happened with the delivery of medical equipment. The customer wants to return the goods. Namjoon doesn't know yet, but it's only a matter of time. So you should come to the office before he finds out." - Jimin says. Jungkook realizes that something is wrong. But he can't get a word out because you're swinging on his length. "Hey, are you listening to me?" - Jimin is worried because Jungkook doesn't respond.

"Yes." - Jungkook answers barely. Why the fuck did he even pick up that phone? Jungkook tries to stop you, but it seems impossible.

"Damn, you shameless are having sex during call phone?" - You hear Jimin say and freeze. How did he realize that? Did Jungkook's voice give it away?

"Yes, Hyung. I told you I was busy." - Jungkook laughs at being caught. Jimin laughs too.

"You should finish up, because you're in big trouble." - Jimin says with a laugh. He speaks as if he's not talking about the problems that await Jungkook.

"I heard you. I'll be there in 20 minutes." - Jungkook says in a firmer voice.

"Isn't that Y/N taking care of you?" - Your friend asks. Your eyes get big. Does Jimin know about them? You look up at Jungkook, frightened. He seems to understand what you're thinking and shakes his head in denial.

"If I fuck Y/N, you'll be the first to know, Hyung. That's it, I have unfinished business." - Jungkook says and hangs up. You want to protest Jimin's words, but Jungkook doesn't let you. He squeezes your hips hard and grabs your neck. He pulls you sharply closer to him and speaks to you almost threateningly.

"You little bitch. I almost died while I was on the phone." - Jungkook says into your lips. His voice is low and dangerous, and you get aroused by the tone. This Jungkook is something completely new. Usually he is gentle and attentive. But now, with his menacing look...

"It was hard for me to restrain myself." - You say in your defense.

"If that's the case, I do it either." - Jungkook threatens. You smile bravely.

"Then go ahead. Fuck me properly." - You asking for. But it sounds more like an order. Jungkook is pleasantly surprised by your behavior during sex today. You were so shy at first, but now you're ordering him to fuck you. You'll get what you want.

"Your word is law." - Jungkook says and he bites down on your lips ruthlessly. Your head is spinning. You can feel Jungkook's irritation and it amuses you. But when he grabs you, squeezing your hips with force, and starts pounding you with his hips, you're not so amused. His thrusts are deep. You feel some unknown sensation before. It drives you crazy and you can't help but scream. You dig your nails into Jungkook's back to relieve these feelings. It's something completely wild and dizzy.

Jungkook reaches your uterus with his cock. He's so deep inside you, and he's fucking your cunt so hard. It's just pure ecstasy. Jungkook knows you came because your walls are clenching around his cock. He feels his balls tense, he's ready to come. One last deep thrust and he releases right into the condom.

You fall helplessly on his shoulder. You feel the car smell of sex and expensive perfume. You breathe in Jungkook's scent and hear your ears buzzing. You've never had an orgasm like this before. Even though you've only been having sex for a short time, this was the best orgasm you've ever had.

Jungkook's breathing is fast and ragged. It takes you a while to come to your senses. When you lift your head, still sitting on Jungkook's lap with his soft cock inside you, you smile at him. He's smiling back, too.

"Fuck, Jungkook, that was amazing." - You praise him. He snorts.

"Is that praise I hear?" - He asks and uses his fingers to brush your hair away from your face.

"It's not a sin to praise you for sex like that. But I can't sit like this anymore." - You grimace, feeling your legs go numb. "I don't think I'll be able to sit for a week."

Jungkook helps you down and sits down next to you, supporting you. You look for your underwear and put them on, wrinkling your nose a little.

"Was I too rude?" - Jungkook is worried. You pay attention to him and notice his concern.

"I was just joking. I liked it." - You assure Jungkook. But he doesn't seem to believe you.

"But I fucked you hard, are you sure it didn't hurt?" - He won't calm down. You flick your tongue.

"It's okay, Jungkook. I'm not in any pain." - You reach for him and kiss him lightly on the lips. It works and Jungkook finally relaxes. He also puts on his boxers and then pulls on his pants.

You get dressed quickly, Jungkook cleans up the car and starts the engine.

"I'm sorry, baby. We'll definitely come here this weekend to eat." - Jungkook apologizes. You weren't too upset that you didn't eat chicken today. Instead, you got something much better.

Jungkook drives you to the mall so that you can meet Suyoung and buy gifts for your parents. On the way, he checks his phone and you realize that he is getting irritated. He's reading some texts, but you don't look at his phone. It wouldn't be nice to do that.

"Is everything okay?" - You ask in hope. Jungkook locks the phone and throws it on the dashboard.

"Not really." - Is all Jungkook says. You want to ask him more, but you stop yourself in time. Jungkook needs to focus on solving the problem at hand, and you don't want to distract him. You stop talking, and there's silence between you for the rest of the ride.

Jungkook parks not far from the subway station. He smiles at you lightly and you smile back.

"Are you going to be late again tonight?" - You ask. He looks at you guiltily.

"I think so. So don't wait for me." - Jungkook says. He reaches out to kiss you, but you stop him in a panic.

"What are you doing? What if Suyoung sees us?" - You say.

"She doesn't know this car." - Jungkook counters your assumption.

"This car attracts attention. So she might see you and me." - You comment.

"Okay then, no kissing goodbye." - Jungkook says and sits up straight. For a moment, you regret not kissing Jungkook's lips, but then you come to your senses.

Everything between you is becoming lighthearted. There are no boundaries. You act like a couple, but you're not dating. You are friends with benefits. This must be kept under control. You should tell Jungkook that you need to set some rules. But Jimin calls him again and Jungkook already assures him that he's on his way.

You hurriedly leave Jungkook's car. You look in the wake and it only now dawns on you that Jimin is working with Jungkook. Why didn't they ever tell you that? And then there's this guy Namjoon. He seems to be Jungkook's boss.

You went to the mall because Suyoung was already there, and you remembered the conversation between Jungkook and Jimin.

It was a medical supply deal. Maybe Jungkook is a transportation safety coordinator? Or something like that.

It's strange that you've been friends with Jungkook for so many years and you've lived together for a long time, but you know almost nothing about his job. You realize that this work involves influential people. No matter how young Jungkook looks he fits in well with them. Although you know him as a simple, kind guy, as your best friend.

Jungkook picks up speed to get to the head office as soon as possible. He enters the underground parking lot and parks. He is angry because the deal he coordinated fell through. The fucking customer wants the product back.

Jungkook walks down a long corridor and finds himself on the 25th floor of the “Mono Corp” building.

He enters the office of "Director Park" and sees him at the window. He is on the phone.

"Yes, I got it. Please find out when this company was established. Dig up all the information on the supplier." - Jungkook hears what Jimin is saying. Jungkook's jaw is tense.

Jimin listens for a long minute and then hangs up. He turns back to his guest and runs his eyes over him.

"So who did you fuck on your lunch break?" - Jimin asks with undisguised curiosity. "My secretary?" - Jungkook raises his eyebrows.

"No, not your secretary." - He replies. And his mind is still fresh with your naked image sitting on his lap. And he can hear your groans in his ears. But Jungkook can't tell Jimin about you two. Besides, friends who know less sleep better. "You don't know her. We met on the Internet." - Jungkook lies. Jimin studies Jungkook's face for a few seconds and then turns away, walking to his desk. He sits down in his chair and grabs a pen. He twists it in his fingers to calm his nerves.

"I thought after that night you finally slept together with Y/N. Seriously Jungkook, she's so fucking hot, how can you just be friends with her?" -Jimin asks. Jungkook sits down on the couch and leans his arm over the back.

"Do you have your eye on her?" - Jungkook asks, trying to hide his jealousy.

"You'd have to be blind not to pay attention to her." - Jimin replies. Jungkook controls his facial expressions because he knows how well Jimin can read them. "But I'm not. I know you like her, so I'm not evaluating her as a potential partner. But it looks like Taehyung has his eye on her." - Jimin is lying to get some kind of reaction. Jungkook has a dispassionate expression on his face.

"Pfft, I wish him luck." - Jungkook just laughs. There it is. He's got him. Jimin knows what this "pfft" means. However he just will wait for his friend to admit that he's fucking his best friend.

"Why didn't you check the condition of the equipment before offering it to the customer?" - Jimin asks seriously, moving on to the business for which he called Jungkook.

"I checked it myself." - Jungkook says with the same serious tone.

"All 20 devices are defective. The customer wants a refund. And that's 50 million dollars for a minute." - Jimin states.

"I know the amount because I coordinated this order." - Jungkook says calmly. "But I'm telling you that I checked the serviceability of all the machines. I don't understand what could have happened..."

"I checked the logistics company Ironline Transport that the DVSS vehicles were traveling through, and guess what? This company is a subsidiary of “PrimeRoute Logistics”"- Jimin smiles.

"That's Doohoon's father's company!" - Jungkook boils with anger. "But does the contract say “Ironline Transport”? We signed the contract with a different company." - Jungkook says.

"No, the contract says subsidiary." - Jimin argues.

"I remember exactly how I read it from top to bottom and there was no such word as 'transport' in the name of the carrier company." - Jungkook recalls. "How did “Ironline Transport” get there?"

"That was my question to you." - Jimin says. Jungkook falls silent. There is definitely a mistake here. Obviously, someone forged the documents. He's in serious trouble, and he's betting his head that Doohoon is involved. "Either way, needs told all to Namjoon. But first, we'll investigate. I'm more than sure that your old friend is up to the same trick again. He likes to set you up."

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[hyuny-bunny]

seasons // series

part vii

summary: Minho is determined to be the one to win your heart.

warnings: sweat (?), panic attack symptoms (hyperventilating)

part vi • masterlist

"Hey, look at me," Jisung says as he grabs your face. You were beginning to hyperventilate after seeing the look on Minho's face.

"Jisung I-"

"Stop, just breathe, okay, close your eyes," He held your face as you focused on every breath count.

Why did the idea of these two crossing paths make you so anxious and uncomfortable? Minho had been around your ex's before, even going as far as trying to befriend them for your sake. So, why was this any different? After your heart rate began to level, Jisung pulled you into a hug rubbing your back soothingly as he called someone. It was only a few moments after, you picked up you head to see the puppy faced boy who was the 2nd person closest to you.

Seungmin took the seat on your on the side of you before ruffling your hair.

"What's wrong?" He asked sympathetically. Even his voice was enough to ground you in something.

You gave him the run down of saturday morning's argument with Minho, then going out and meeting Hyunjin, going home with Hyunjin, to now sitting outside the dance studio where the two have crossed paths.

Seungmin doesn't shame you or even scold you but he does lightly bump his fist to your head making you let out a strained laugh.

"Why are you so worried about this? Is Hyunjin a bad guy?"

"No... he's actually a really sweet guy, even for an alpha.."

"Okay, and how is this situation any different then when you were dating someone else?"

You stop for a moment thinking with pursed lips.

"I guess it's... not? I just... you didn't see the look on Minho's face, he looked like I had just murdered his cat."

"That's a bit extreme," Seungmin says with a chuckle as he fixes a strand of hair from your face. "Either way, who you sleep with or don't sleep, whether he knows or doesn't, is your choice and only you for you to judge. If you say he's a good guy, then trust yourself."

He was right. Why should you be so afraid of what Minho thought? As much as you valued his opinion as a friend, it was just as much you're right to sleep with whoever and whenever as you were single, not tied down to anyone. You lay your head on Seungmins shoulder for a moment.

"I should've told you everything yesterday but I knew you were busy with-"

"I am never too busy for you, okay? Call, text, send Jisung to my door with a message from you- actually don't do that I don't want him at my place," Seungmin says as his face scrunches in disgust at Jisung who sits next to you about to protest.

The two banter back and forth for a moment making you laugh, feeling lighter about everything. They keep you company until the others emerge from their dance class.

-

Jeongin yapped Hyunjin's ear off in those 10 minutes they had for a break as Felix shielded his face in hands. He could feel Minhos eyes throwing daggers at Hyunjin's head.

Hyunjin had learned in those 10 minutes that Minho and you had been friends since childhood, with Minho having had a crush on you long before you presented as an omega and him as an alpha. He couldn't help but wonder why the two of you didn't ever get together. As far as he could tell, the two of you seemed a likely match. While he did know Minho well enough to pass judgement, it was clear the Alpha had an affinity for taking care of the people around him, even if it was as simple as helping someone get a dance move down correctly or making sure no one was too worn down.

Even the bite in the way he joked was so similar to you, it was playful and harmless but could be taken very different if aimed at the right person. There was no denying how good looking he was either. From his build and stature despite not being very tall, there was an energy about him that asserted that dominance intentional or not.

Hyunjin had decided it was best to not let Minho on any further information about the nature of your relationship. If Minho wanted to know anything then he would have to ask you.

The class continued on for another hour, if Minho went back to his cool and collect facade for the remainder of class. Felix watched every movement for Minho waiting for the moment he snapped but he never did. Once the class was over, students trickled out slowly until it was just Jeongin, Hyunjin, Minho and Felix.

As much as it hurt Minho to do this, he couldn't deny the talent that Hyunjin had. The two exchanged numbers so they could work on a possible separate choreography to film. Hyunjin kept his cool so long as Minho did. As the four of them began to make their way to the door, Minho's stomach turned at the idea of facing you.

When he saw you sitting on that bench beside Jisung and Seungmin, it seemed to all melt away. You held out an electrolyte bottle to Minho who gleefully took it. Hyunjin trotted behind him with a smile on his face.

"I'd hug you but I'm soaked in sweat," Hyunjin said as he stood in front of you.

"Oh it's fine don't worry about it! So, uh, I'm guessing I don't have to introduce you two to each other?" You ask looking between Minho and Hyunjin.

"We're pretty well acquainted now," Minho says a bit stiff but Hyunjin just laughs. You attempt to change the topic.

"How come you didn't tell me you were a dance major?" You asked nervously looking between Minho and him.

"You never asked," Hyunjin shrugs as he drinks his water, "I'm not a dance major though."

Minho, Felix and Jeongin cock their head in confusion. He laughs at their reactions before speaking again, "I'm an illustratrative art major, painting is more my forte but dancing is my outlet."

Felix chimes in, "Was that tattoo your design then?"

"What tattoo?" You ask confused but Hyunjin just lets out a soft laugh as he nods to answer Felix's question.

Hyunjin puts his bag down to peel his shirt up revealing the rose tattoo the starts between his shoulder blades and trails down further beneath the fabric in vines and thorns. Unconsciously you reach out to touch it which makes Hyunjin shiver and takes everything in Minho to not rip your hand away.

"I didn't see this before," You murmur in awe of the space it takes up on his back.

"Kinda hard to with when you were preoccupied with other things," Hyunjin says with a wolfish grin as he pulls his shirt back on as he watches the flush creep onto your cheeks and watching you awkwardly laugh.

Minho clears his throat grabbing your wrist abruptly, "We should get going, have somewhere to be in a few but we'll see you guys on wednesday."

"Minho, we don't have anything-"

"Yes, we do, remember." He says through clenched teeth before continuing to drag you away from the group.

"Still on for Friday?" Hyunjin's calls out as he watches the Alphas drag you away.

"Yes!" You shout from over your shoulder as Minho throws his arm around your shoulder to keep you from looking back.

Hyunjin watches feeling satisfied by successfully getting under Minho's skin. He bids his goodbye to the others but before he does Felix runs up to him asking to exchange numbers, you know, incase co-captain things come up. Hyunjin is more than happy to exchange numbers with the pretty blonde omega as he bids goodbye for the last time.

-

"This is the urgent business you were talking about?" You ask sarcastically as you sit in the quiet boba shop booth with Minho across from you.

It was your normal hangout spot but it was also ritual for the two of you to come here every 1st day back of the new semester. It was a cat themed boba shop and it was truthfully one of Minho's favorite places to be, especially with you.

"Yes, they close at 8pm, I didn't want us to miss our chance... how were your classes today?" He asks looking up at you attempting to change the topic from his insistent ways of getting you as far away from Hyunjin as possible.

"Good, my professors are pretty nice. I'm writing my first novel this semester too."

"Will you read it to me when you're ready?" He asks.

"Of course, who else will I read it to?" He internally responds with a scowl at the thoughts of you reading it to Hyunjin.

The two of sit in a comfortable silence listening to the sounds of the people chattering around you.

"What are you doing with Hyunjin on Friday?" Minho is the first to speak up. Likely plotting how to disrupt those plans.

"Not too sure yet... How did you like him?" diverting the question back to Minho.

"Seems nice." He says shortly, unable to meet your gaze. He wouldn't admit that despite his flirty advances towards you, he liked him enough to consider him someone worth getting to know. You hum in acknowledgment. "The lunch you made me was good, thank you."

"You're welcome, nothing compares to your cooking but I try," You say as you stretch up in your seat feeling the exhaustion of the day wearing on you. Minho takes the signal and grabs both your belongings ready to head out.

The warm feeling that spread through your chest as you can't help feeling thankful how easy Minho picks up on your body language, almost better than you can. The drive to your apartment is quiet as the two of you talk about the coming day of other classes tomorrow.

"Oh that reminds me, Saturday night, are you free?" You perk up in your seat.

"I should be, something you want to do?"

"I promised Seungmin that we'd go to his nerdy film marathon, please come with me?" You ask jutting out your bottom lip, while giving him your best puppy eyes.

"Mmmmm what's in it for me?" Minho would say yes regardless but he wanted to see what you would say.

"I'll make your favorite cookies but... i'll make them into little cats." You say with a straight face.

"Deal." He mimics your face until he sees that smile on your face making his heart do a flip.

"Perfect, I'll see you tomorrow," You say quickly climb out of his car before he got a chance to say anything else.

He watches as walk off into your building waving back at him, meeting Hyunjin was like setting a fire under him. He was more determined than ever to get you to see him as someone who could be there for, love you, to be your mate. He would stop at nothing now to be the one that puts that smile on your face.

[dorabellingham]

Be like them

warning: none

characters: jude x fem!reader

summary: when you want to straighten your hair to go to an event with him, but your boyfriend doesn't really like the idea

request: yes (sorry I had to change a little because i couldn't write it)

may contain spelling and translation errors!

You looked in the mirror, holding a lock of your hair, still damp from your shower, as you scrolled through Instagram. Jude had mentioned that Real Madrid was hosting a special event to launch their new kit, a premier that would bring together players, coaching staff and some of the WAG's. He invited you to go with him, and the simple invitation was enough to make you think about how to get ready.

From what you saw in the photos, all the women were incredibly sophisticated, with straight, perfect hair, impeccable in every detail. Suddenly, your own curly locks seemed a little... out of place. You never had a problem accepting yourself, but when you imagined yourself next to your boyfriend at that event, doubts arose. Maybe it would be better to straighten your hair just this once, to have a look more in line with the other women's style.

Later, Jude came into the room, already changed for a dinner they were planning before the event. Seeing you standing there, with a lost look, he slowly approached you and hugged you from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder.

—What are you thinking?

He asked, looking at your reflection in the mirror.

You gave a weak smile and hesitated before answering:

—I was thinking about straightening my hair for the premiere. I think that way I would look more... —You paused, not knowing how to finish. —More like the other women.

Bellingham frowned and looked at you in the mirror, clearly surprised.

—And who said you have to be like them?

He asked, with a touch of disbelief in his voice.

You sighed, trying to put into words what you felt.

—I know it's silly, but... have you seen what they look like? Each one more stunning than the other, and they all have such a... polished style. I think I would look better with straight hair, more "sophisticated".

You said the last word with a tone of uncertainty, as if you didn't even believe it.

Bellingham let out a soft, affectionate laugh, squeezing you a little tighter in his arms.

—Honey, you’re beautiful just the way you are. And besides that. —He smiled, looking into your eyes in the mirror. —I love your curls. We’re the curly couple, you know? I don’t know what I would do without those curls by your side.

You laughed, but you still seemed a little hesitant.

—Jude… you know I’m proud of my hair, but… it’s just that at this kind of event, maybe I should be a little more… “elegant”? I don’t know if that makes sense. I guess I just don’t want people to think I don’t make an effort to be by your side.

He turned around, holding your face gently and speaking with a softness that you loved.

—It makes perfect sense. But who cares what people think? I wouldn’t trade those curls for anything. They’re part of who you are, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you. —He stroked a lock of your hair, twirling it around one of his fingers. —By the way, I want to be the guy who arrives with the most beautiful and authentic girl of all, the one who doesn't need to change a thing to be amazing. And, in my humble opinion, you already are. Totally.

You couldn't help but smile. Jude always had a way of making you feel valued, even when you tried to find fault with yourself. Still, doubts insisted on appearing, and he noticed the glint of uncertainty in your eyes.

—I know it's easy to say, but I'll show you that I'm not joking.

He said, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and opening the gallery. He showed you several old photos of the two of them together, taken throughout their relationship, almost all during simple, quiet moments of everyday life. In all of them, your curls appeared naturally, and Jude always seemed enchanted by you, with a sparkle in his eyes that spoke for itself.

—See? — He smiled. —It's not your straight hair that will make me find you more beautiful. It's you. It's the way you smile, the way you look when you're comfortable and happy. And that's it. —He ruffled her curls slightly with a playful smile. —That's what I love.

You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of expectations dissipate a little.

—I guess I'll trust you, then. And let the curls be successful, right?

You said, half joking.

—That's my girl! —Jude replied, kissing you on the forehead with a proud smile. —Besides, the curls make you even more unique, and I love knowing that I have someone so incredible by my side. Let the other WAG's stay straight; I want to be with the most special one.

On the night of the premiere, as you were getting ready to go out, he could barely take his eyes off his girlfriend. You had put on a blue dress that highlighted your skin, and your curls were loose, forming a perfect frame around your face. He smiled when he saw you, feeling incredibly proud to have you by his side. As you approached the event, photographers and fans surrounded you, and you noticed the looks and whispers around you. For a moment, insecurity tried to return, but when you looked at Bellingham, you saw only a glow of admiration and love on his face.

—See? You don’t have to change a thing.

He whispered, holding your hand firmly as you walked together.

The curly-haired couple, as he joked, shone that night, drawing attention and leaving a unique mark. And you realized, amidst the flashes and Jude's affection, that their authenticity was their true strength, something that no one could take away.

[togglesbloggle]

Insofar as I have a principled position on the matter- and I don’t, not really- it’s this: art does have the ability to alter our values and our way of interpreting the world. It’s absolutely a live grenade, and should be taken seriously as such.

Like, of course it does! Probably you can point to some book, some film, some story somewhere that touched you not just deeply but irrevocably. There are moments of aesthetic experience which give a before and after to our lives, just as surely as moments of extraordinary suffering or extraordinary joy can.

I’m lucky enough to have more than a few I can list off, personally. Profoundly transformative ones like Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited or the music of John Cage, sure. But maybe even more interesting (tractable?) to me were small moments of grace like the one I found in the Dragonlance novels by Weis and Hickman: the dark wizard Raistlin Majere wove back and forth across the line between ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ in exactly such a way that, after reading his books at a young age, I immediately and quite distinctly overcame my fear of the dark.

What a wonderful thing for a book to do! I’d be hard-pressed to explain exactly how, if only because I’m such a different person now than I was then. Perhaps your own intuition will bridge the gap a bit. It was all tied up with this distinction between good and evil, you see, and with the ability to stare in to the face of evil things without flinching, to understand that they have contingency and history just like good things do, and to be in some sense in community with them.

That was a long, long time ago, and I don’t think my model of the world even has evil in it any more, not in the sense that I believed in it then. But my fear of the dark never came back, either.

I don’t believe for a minute that Weis and Hickman had any idea that they were giving me that gift in particular, nor did they have any sensible means to achieve such a goal even if they somehow wanted to. It wasn’t a transformation mediated by intent, you know? It didn’t reduce to an argument that I believed or disbelieved in some intellectual way, or to some specific controlled experience that the authors had planned for me.

Art is transformative, but not in the way that effective polemic is transformative. It doesn't (principally) reason with us or persuade us. Rather, I think art is dangerous for the same reasons that travel to a foreign country is dangerous, or a friendship with somebody new is dangerous. It threatens us by expanding our conscious history to include new categories of experience, that is, by changing the context in which we go about the business of living.

It's wrong to think of art mostly as a tug-of-war dragging hapless consumers from one ideology to another, with the victory going to whichever faction can fill the algorithm with mass-produced and doctrinally compliant stories clamoring endlessly for their views. Normalization has its power, don't get me wrong, but there will always be far greater power in a single glimpse over the horizon.

Think about Whoopi Goldberg's account of seeing Nichelle Nichol's Uhura on television:

“Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on. I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, ‘Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there’s a black lady on television and she ain’t no maid!’ I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be.”

Once. It took one time, and the walls fell away, and everything was possible. The fashions and approved styles may come and go with the seasons, but the outer perimeter of our experiences, and the sense of what the world could be, can only ever grow, and sometimes it grows by leaps and bounds in an instant.

I guess this is why I tend to think of censorship and control over media as basically quixotic. Sure, with enough energy you can control what's normal and what's public, but controlling what's possible is an exercise in futility on a grand scale. You can never win that fight, only lose it fast or slow.

We all have this remarkably unpredictable collection of soft places and hard places: some things in us that deform to match the shape of their environment, and other things that break us before they can bend. And we all try to find a way to make these strange shapes work within the limits of our own experience and the world as we understand it. Some of us thrive in communities and cultures where others die gasping, and some of us spend our entire lives trying to smash through excruciating barriers that others can't even detect.

Art is one of the things that expands those limits, gives the strange creature inside us a little bit of room to stretch and grow and find a space for the hard bits to arrange themselves as they need to be. But it can't do that without changing the soft parts as well, because the soft parts need external force to maintain their shape. Socialization and ideology can only weakly bind us, because they rely on deliberate and conscious pressures to conform; ignorance is stronger, because it denies us the choice altogether. Without art, you'll never really be able to learn what kind of animal you are, as opposed to the kind of person your world has told you to be. But art will change you, too, as discovery always will.

The life you have now has real value- great beauty, and great meaning. For all that you are defined in part by the walls of your cage, knowledge and new experiences are not something to accept lightly, and they can never be undone. All I can say, really, is that I've never once regretted it.

[hannahbarberra162]

Under the Microscope, Part 14 (Yan Sabo x Reader)

18+ MDNI | on Ao3

The other parts

TW: light somnophilia

Huge thank you to @tryingandfailingtowrite for editing, beta-ing, and helping me with the smutty scene. Thank you to @sordidmusings, @moldychefboyardeecan and @gouraminnow for beta-ing and leaving your comments and suggestions! Thank you to @kitsunechan707 for the Sabo somno inspo :). I'll leave one more thank you at the end to not spoil a bit.

Sabo didn’t have to look at the clock to know what time it was. The darkness of the sky was just being penetrated by the early grays of the dawn, sunrise still a few hours away. After so many years of being in charge of various flanks of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo had become accustomed to waking up and starting his day before five in the morning. Even when the two of you had been on the island together, he’d maintained his routine and worked for hours before either you or Ace started stirring. He always had so much to do, countless reports to read and letters to write, plans to work on, and missions to oversee. It felt like he never had enough time to finish everything he needed to accomplish. 

But now as he watched as your chest slowly rose and fall, your even breath tickling his skin. He couldn’t find it in himself to move away from you. He knew he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep, but he didn’t want this time to end. As he came to his senses, he realized he was on his back in the bed with you crowding his side, trying to absorb his heat. Your face was pressed against his chest near his beating heart. Sabo brought his flesh hand to rest on your side and put the metal one behind his head. His fingers twitched with the urge to run both of his hands over your body, to feel all the dips and curves under his soft touch. But it was still early and you needed rest. 

 That and Sabo wasn't as forward with you as he was previously. He certainly wanted to kiss you again or have you in his clothes, but given the intensity of recent events, he thought it best to pull back and allow yourself to calibrate to your new normal. To his surprise, his strategy worked. At least for a night. You'd asked him to stay with you and clutched him tight all night long. Yes, you'd asked for Ace first and were really after the warmth of his mera-mera, but he supposed being a sentient heating pad was better than nothing.

Sabo's metal hand ran through his hair, and he winced when one bearing snagged on his hair and pulled a few out. You hadn’t truly grasped what Sabo was telling you with the metal hand, but that was okay. He should have guessed you'd be too distracted by the tech to focus on the meaning behind his example. He wanted you to see that, despite losing his hand, Sabo was still himself. You’d known him as he was for the entire relationship, and finding out he had a metal hand hadn’t changed your perception of him. If anything, it probably endeared him to you a little, given your proclivities. He’d try again later that day to get the example to sink in for you, this time without robotics.

In truth, it broke Sabo’s heart the way you talked about yourself, just like it did when he heard Ace do the same. In that way, you were so similar to Ace, so sure that everyone would discard you at the slightest inconvenience or trouble. That you didn’t have any value to anyone besides what you provided. You’d spoken to Ace about his own issues, but Sabo supposed it was more difficult to apply those same ideas to yourself. 

 Sudden movement from you distracted him from his thoughts. You stirred slightly in your sleep, your brow furrowing as you worried about something in your dreams. A small whimper escaped your lips as your fingers gripped his shirt tightly; whatever you were dreaming about was surely unpleasant. 

Sabo slipped his flesh hand down the neck hole of your shirt to run it up and down your back. He didn’t think you’d mind, you probably would prefer his touch to whatever unpleasantness you were reliving. He kissed the top of your head while bringing his other arm down to hug you tightly. He hoped you weren’t dreaming about the beating you’d taken - he would do anything to have you forget that entirely. Your jaw had been wired shut for weeks, so it wasn’t like he could ask about it, but he suspected you wouldn’t have spoken about it even if you could. Yet another similarity between you and Ace - two people who shoved down their hurt until it erupted at a later time. Maybe he’d try to gently prod and see how you were feeling, he thought as he soothed you. You quieted back down in his arms, your brow smoothing out as your dreams took a more pleasant turn.

But after rubbing your soft skin to calm you in your sleep, Sabo was left with another problem – his raging erection. His flesh hand was still under your shirt and his only option was his robotic hand. He yearned to stroke his cock with you so near but the metal was a much rougher sensation than skin. He could do it, he’d masturbated with it before, but it wasn’t as pleasant. While thinking what to do, Sabo’s fingers traced circles into your back, his aching cock practically throbbing for contact. A near smile graced your lips when you let you a soft sigh, and his decision was made.

Sabo reached for the nightstand at his side and grabbed his glove off the top counter. Sabo used his teeth to pull his glove on with muscle memory while keeping his eyes trained on you, making sure you remained asleep for the duration of his activity. His cock strained against his pants, uncomfortably pushing against the metal zipper. Sabo reached down and unfastened his pants, freeing his weeping cock as it stood rigidly at attention. Before you, the thought of masturbating next to a sleeping woman would have never crossed his mind, but the vision of you peacefully resting on his chest was too much for him to ignore right now. 

His eyes slid closed when he finally wrapped his hand around himself and he imagined it was your hand that fisted the base of his cock.. It was more challenging with the texture of the leather glove, but he’d make do. Sabo slowly stroked the length of his cock, spreading the beads of pre-cum down his shaft with a tight grip. It felt wrong to stroke himself to the thought of you while you slept peacefully next to him, but not enough to stop him. Sabo took care not to wake you as he worked his hand up and down at a measured pace.

 His movements sped up with the thought of your soft skin under his fingertips., His mind conjured more images of you as he pushed himself towards his climax. The way your lips would curve so sweetly when you smiled. What you might look like underneath him when you took his cock. The way your cheeks would hollow when you sucked him off and how you would beg him for his touch. His imagination went further, picturing the tears that would threaten to fall when you pleaded for a reprieve. Your poor pussy overstimulated and dripping as you repeated his name like a prayer as he drove you toward another orgasm. The ring of Sabo, Sabo, Sabo in his ears seemed almost real as his cock twitched and throbbed at the thought. 

He came with a soft grunt, his cum spurting all over his lower stomach. Luckily, he’d been on many missions in close quarters, so making little to no noise while cumming was easy. He was still wearing his clothes which made cleaning up his mess easier. After he ensured none got on you, Sabo gently undid the buttons of his shirt with one hand. Sabo reluctantly rolled you carefully off his chest and onto your side. Slipping out of his button-down, Sabo tossed it on the floor and cuddled up behind you. He yawned just as the rays of the morning sun came up over the horizon. He really should get out of bed and get going. There was so much to do - meetings and notes and plans and calls and-

Sabo yawned again and pulled you closer to his chest, his eyes sliding closed once more.

Your POV

You blinked awake in the same bed that you’d been in for weeks now. But instead of having to turn your head to look out the window, the sunshine was streaming into your room. Oh yeah, Sabo had moved your bed….and was still in it. You felt his warmth at your back; the heat ebbing and flowing with each even breath he took. His arm draped over your middle, and your legs were tangled with his as he twitched slightly in his sleep. His metal hand was in front of you, and now you could inspect it without feeling weird about being watched while you took your time to examine it. 

You slowly picked up his wrist and held the metal contraption as you marveled at the intricate details of its workings. Someone had put a lot of effort and love into Sabo’s prosthetic, even making the plain metal have a filigree style to match his general proclivity towards…frills. It wasn’t a surprise that people loved him; you’d seen the way the RA staff treated him before the battle. Still, you hadn’t thought much about the people Sabo would call his family and friends outside of Ace. 

You were still enraptured by the joint work of the hand when you felt Sabo stir behind you. You dropped his hand and pretended to sleep yourself to ward off any awkward conversations. Sabo yawned but didn’t rub his face on you or pull you closer like he sometimes used to do on the island at night. Instead, he removed his arm and raised them both above his head, grunting as he stretched his limbs. 

“G’morning, Sunny,” Sabo said, smacking his lips a few times and rubbing his chest with his prosthetic hand. His morning voice was rougher and deeper than usual. Now that you thought about it, you didn’t remember waking up with Sabo on the island — he was almost always gone by the time you woke up. 

“Get out, I gotta pee,” you stated with a roll of your eyes, “and why’s your shirt on the ground?” 

Your eyes narrowed as you eyed Sabo. He had never taken off his clothes when you’d slept together before. It seemed odd to wake up to a shirtless Sabo the first time you actually asked him to stay.

“Hm? You kept asking me to be warmer and warmer. Problem was solved when I took off my shirt,” he said with a pleasant smile. One more stretch, and Sabo sat upright in the bed before he swung his legs over to the side. “D’ya need any help to get to the bathroom? I know the nurses helped you walk there for a while. Speaking of -”

“No. Go, Sabo,” you urged, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. In truth, you had needed help walking when your bones were broken, but the nurses had done it without making you feel weak. If Sabo helped you, you might consider turning yourself into the Marines out of sheer humiliation.

There was a knock on the door and it immediately opened to reveal Marco on the other side, your chart in his hands. You hated it when people knocked and didn’t wait for a response before they entered. His smile widened a smidge as his eyes passed between you and Sabo. You wanted to protest that it wasn’t like that to Marco, but it probably wouldn’t have changed his mind anyway. The men had already both annoyed you and the day had barely started.

“Good morning yoi. I see you’re already up — we’re gonna work on some physical therapy and test where you are now that you’re healed-” Marco began before Sabo cut him off.

“In a few minutes, Doc. She needs to-”

“ She can speak for herself. Get out , Sabo,” you said, nudging him with your foot. “Marco I’ll be ready in a few minutes, please leave,” you stated with a sniff.

 You’d never been so direct, always afraid of confrontation or that people would take your words wrong. Now you were bossing around Marco the Phoenix and the Second in Command of the RA like they were errant school children. Marco smiled placidly, unoffended at your statement. 

‘I’ll knock again in 15 minutes-”

“And you’ll wait until I tell you to enter,” you said primly. 

“Of course,” he said, nodding his head at you. Sabo hummed, picked his shirt off the ground, and placed his hat on top of his head. He turned to face you and tried to kiss the top of your head as you dodged him. 

“Be back soon; I’ll go get us breakfast. It’s gonna be a great day,” he said with a bright smile. 

It was not a great day.

In fact, this was one of the most irritating days you could ever remember. It was only beaten out of first place by the time a colleague incorrectly explained to you the concept behind a paper that you authored. Everything was so much more difficult than you remembered — stretching, walking, not bumping into things, judging how far away things were, reading, writing… you were so angry that you wanted to explode everything. Again.

The morning began with Marco leading you through physical therapy exercises due to your deconditioning. He’d healed your body, but your muscles were still weak from weeks of disuse after lying in bed. You were on the floor on a thin mat as Marco stretched your legs, pushing them past what was comfortable. Not only did the stretching cause you discomfort, but Sabo had also invited himself into the room. He threw Marco nasty glances whenever the doctor touched your skin. It was purely professional, but that didn’t stop the dark look that grew on Sabo’s face.. 

For example, Marco was stretching your hamstrings with you. You were laid on your back as Marco took your ankle in his large hand and pushed your leg towards your chest. The groaning of strained metal was audible as Sabo tightened his grip on his pipe. Marco’s patience had finally run out and he kicked Sabo out. 

Not only was the stretching painful but you found that even walking short distances was a challenge for you. Once upon a time, you could walk all day long with no issues, like you had on the island. Now walking up and down the hallway of the ship left you needing rest. Marco kept making you sit down after every pass down the hall. Yes, you needed it, but it was so annoying to sit there while Marco yapped at you about slow and steady progress and muscle retention. After about an hour, you left to go nap in your room before lunch, before he could tell you yet again what admirable progress you’d made.

What really tipped you over the edge was when you and Sabo spent the early afternoon together in his room. You two sat at his desk as he tried to help you rebuild your reading ability. The desk was cluttered with books, letters, and papers, so there was barely any room left for your remedial work. The two of you sat side by side, thighs touching as he went through the basics of phonics with you. You couldn’t even move the desk to get more space from Sabo since it was bolted to the floor, so it wouldn’t move in a storm.

Between your traumatic brain injury and your missing eye, there were several obstacles ahead of you that needed to be solved before you’d be able to be read at the level you were before. Sabo was patient and kind, and you really tried to keep that in mind, but every little comment from him felt like a personal blow. Each one cemented just how behind you were and how much progress you’d have to make before you could be somewhat competent again.

Marco had suggested starting with basic phonics and working your way up to determine where exactly you were with your reading ability. It was a good idea, but after about five minutes, you were ready to be done with the activity. It was humiliating to sit there with Sabo and have him write various letters in combinations and have you sound them all out — and even worse to find out that you couldn’t remember them all. You were a published scientist, allegedly at the top of your field, and you couldn’t predictably tell Sabo what sound “ch” made.

“Wonderful, you’re doing so well, Sunny! Now, what sound does this letter make?” Sabo asked, pointing to a letter on the paper. Your eye had a hard time keeping up with the tasks required and your mind was spinning from all the exertion. You weren’t doing well, you thought bitterly, barely a month previously you’d read through all of Sabo’s textbooks on the island in a matter of days. 

“Sabo, I’m taking a break,” you said, reaching with the heel of your hand to rub at your good eye. Sabo caught your wrist and held it down to the table; a scowl pulled at your lips when he stopped you.

“Let’s just do five more, OK? We’re almost done with two-letter combinations and we can work our way up to three-letter words after your break. Is your eye tired -”

“Yeah, my eye’s tired,” you snapped while using your other hand to rub your eye. Sabo frowned at you.

“Don’t rub, it’s not going to help. If you’re tired, we can do some eye exercises before we move on to practicing depth perception -”

“I don’t want to do eye exercises, ” you hissed at him. You didn’t want to do eye exercises or leg exercises or practice your depth perception or any of the things that you now needed just to be you. You wanted everything to go back to the way it was before, how things used to be for you. Sabo squeezed your hand and gave you a thoughtful look.

“I know you’re having a hard time -”

“Oh, you know, do you Sabo? You know I’m having a hard time?” your voice began to rise as you yanked your hand back from his. Sabo’s eyes widened as he put down the pencil in his hand.

“Sunny, if you’ll let me -”

“If I let you what Sabo? Put me in seastone again?” you yelled, your frustration letting your bottled anger leak out. 

“Sunny, I -”

“No! Shut up , Sabo! You always have an answer for everything, and I’m sick of it! You plan everything in my life, and it’s not fair! I’m not your puppet to move around how you want - I don’t wanna read anymore, I don’t wanna look at letters anymore, I don’t wanna practice my depth perception or stretch or do any of that shit! I DON’T WANT TO DO IT ANYMORE!” you screamed loudly enough to make your voice crack, but it did little to quell the fire that raged in you. There was so much you were angry about, but you couldn't even keep all the thoughts in your mind, which only served to enrage you further. 

With a small roar and all the adrenaline you had in your body, you swept all the books, pens, papers, and notes Sabo had on his desk onto the floor and stomped out of the room.

Sabo’s POV

Sabo sat unmoving in his room as papers wafted all over the floor. He’d never seen you so volatile before, and he wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. Yes, he knew you were still mad about the seastone bracelet, and he did want to talk to you about it, but your explosive reaction was something new. Marco had told him you’d be emotionally labile and perhaps prone to anger but he didn’t think you had it in you to yell at him. 

He liked it.

Sabo wanted you to feel comfortable enough to yell at him, like you did with Ace. He wanted you to feel safe in your ability to rail at him, knowing that he’d never purposefully cause you any harm. Of course, he didn’t like that you were upset but he felt better knowing that he was perhaps becoming another safe space for you. After all, Ace was leaving the next day and you’d need someone else to rely on. Sabo needed that person to be him. 

Even so, Sabo did feel guilty for pushing you so hard with the lessons that day. It had been a long morning spent with Marco in physical therapy, followed by a draining session of learning to read with him. You were uncomfortable during the time you spent in his room, fidgeting and second guessing yourself at every turn. Your missing eye also played into the issues at hand; Sabo remembered his own strain when he had to relearn to do things without his left eye. He knew you were impatient to get back to working order, but it wasn’t going to happen overnight. He’d keep helping you no matter how much you destroyed his room. 

Sabo sighed as he looked at the upturned books on the floor. He knelt as he began picking them up and placing them haphazardly on the desk to be sorted later. Maybe piling them would add more drama for the next time you shoved them off.

Your POV

Your stomping would have been more cathartic if you hadn’t had to take a break on the stairs on your way to the deck. After resting a minute, you regained your strength and made your way to the deck of the ship while trying to avoid bumping into anything. What you really wanted to do was climb into the crow’s nest and stew there, but you weren’t confident in your climbing ability yet. Then Sabo and Ace would freak out and the cycle would start anew. No, for the time being, you went and sat on the floor of one of the Marine lifeboats after removing the covering. You brooded there and errantly rubbed both your eyes—Sabo be damned—when the smell of a campfire drifted towards you. 

“Don’t rub -”

“If you tell me not to do one goddamned thing, I’m pushing you overboard,” you deadpanned to Ace. He chuckled and sat on the floor of the lifeboat facing you. 

“Bad day?” he asked in an amused tone.

“Fuck off,” you replied as tears filled your good eye. 

“Whoa, didn’t mean to - hey, Sunny, I’m sorry,” he said as you wiped your eye again. He was leaning forward with both arms open but you weren’t in the mood right now.

“Don’t touch me,” you said, hugging your arms across yourself. Ace looked crestfallen, but you didn’t care. You wanted to feel bad and sorry for yourself and it wasn’t your problem that he’d come to find you.

“Tell Sabo and Marco I’m fine. Leave me alone,” you said, pulling your knees to your chest.

“They didn’t send me. I felt the bad vibes in the air and wanted to come commiserate. You know I’m always down for a good sulk,” Ace said, tipping his hat up with his finger. You snorted but didn’t smile. Stupid Ace and his stupid jokes that made you feel a little better.

“Are you gonna show me something else to make me mad?” you asked, reaching into your pocket to touch the bounty poster that you kept on your person at all times. Ace frowned and looked up at you, the very picture of a sad puppy.

“No. I’m sorry, Sunny. I didn’t mean to make you so upset. I don’t know why I did that,” he said, inspecting the skin of his arm to avoid eye contact.

“It’s alright. Sabo probably wouldn’t have shown me anyway. I’m glad I know,” you said, looking past him at the sea. The two of you sat in silence for a few moments before Ace couldn’t take it anymore.

“Why’re you out here anyway?” he asked, now fiddling with the medallion on his hat strings.

“I threw all the stuff off Sabo’s desk and yelled at him,” you replied, still staring past Ace.

“Hah! Hell yeah, I’m not the only one in trouble,” Ace said with a grin. You shrugged. You felt a little bad about pushing the books onto the floor - you’d seen some land on their spines and splay open - but you’d go back and apologize later. Maybe. 

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” Ace said apropos of nothing, still fiddling with his hat. 

“Wh - wait, I thought you had a few more days,” you sputtered. The news was unexpected — you knew he’d be leaving shortly but not that soon.

“No, Marco’n me gotta head off to Wano. Gotta help Loof like always. I think he’s gonna try to take down Kaido? Not really sure,” Ace said speculatively. “But I getta see Yamato and Izou either way, so that’ll be good too.”

“Can I come-” you said as soon as the thought popped into your mind. Maybe Ace would let you join him, and you could-

“No. Sunny, you’re not coming with me. It’s too dangerous. You’re staying with Sabo. We talked about this on the island and it’s even more true now. You need someone to protect you, and there’s only a few people strong enough to do it. Me ‘n Marco will be busy and I don’t want you getting kidnapped or hurt. You’re staying with Sabo,” Ace said with finality as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“I don’t have to stay with Sabo, I could go-”

“No,” Ace said, as if he had the final say in everything. 

“You’re not the boss of me, I could go…I could go to the moon!” you said petulantly as you kicked at him weakly. Ace barked out a laugh and moved his legs to avoid your attack.

“Yeah, to the moon. Good one, Sunny.”

“I could! To the man on the moon!” you said firmly, banging your fist on your knee for emphasis.

“Hah! D’ya need me to get Marco? You hit your head again?” Ace asked with a smile.

“No, he’s invited me! Y’know, Eneru?” you said, waving your hand at the sky.

“What are you -”

“ENERU!” you said, now pointing at the moon visible in the late afternoon sky. Ace’s puzzled look had you zooming in on the moon multiple times until you saw a familiar palace.

“What the fuck -” Ace said quietly as you searched for Eneru. You spotted the strange man and zoomed in a little further. He was sitting on his throne, his long earlobes moving on their own in the low gravity of the moon.

“My goddess, what brings you to my domain? Another discussion about plasma?” Eneru asked with an indulgent smile, but you didn’t return it — you weren’t in the mood to smile back. You’d had some interesting conversations with him in the past about electricity, but now wasn’t the time. “Ah, your eye! What have they done to-”

 You didn’t want to hear Eneru’s strange talk about being a god and how you could be his goddess.ou flicked your hand through the magnification to remove it.

“Did-, do-do people know about that guy? That he’s there ? That- but he- why does he look like that?” Ace sputtered, shaking his head in confusion. 

“Dunno. He appeared on the moon one day,” you stated flatly, “Ace, please, can’t I go with you and Marco to Wano? I’ll be good.”

Your eye filled with tears as you pleaded with him again. Ace sat up and extended his arms toward you and this time you did take him up on the offer. You sat between his legs as he wrapped you in a giant hug. You leaned your chin on his freckled shoulder and allowed his warmth to envelop you.

“No, Sunny. You can’t. It’s not about being good or not. You need to learn how to like, walk again, and read again, and do all the things you like. You’re not a fighter and that’s all there’s gonna be there. All I’m good at is fighting, I gotta help Loof-”

“That’s not all you’re good at,” you interrupted, leaning your forehead on his shoulder to sniffle. “You can also eat faster than anyone else,” you said with mock sincerity. Ace laughed and you chuckled into his shoulder. 

“Wait till you meet Luffy, he’s just as bad as I am. Sabo’s the only civilized one of the three of us.” You hummed at the mention of Sabo as your gut churned. The longer you sat there with Ace, the worse you felt about how you’d lashed out at Sabo. It wasn’t his fault you were tired and upset, at least not about the reading and eye exercises. He deserved the bit about the seastone, but the rest was uncalled for and you’d have to apologize. You sighed heavily and laid your head on Ace.

“You wanna know what I do when I’m sad?” Ace asked, rubbing your back.

“What?” you replied, picking up your head.

“I blow stuff up. You wanna blow stuff up with me?” he asked, pushing you back a little to look at your face. You nodded, your eyes locked on his.

“Yeah. I really do.”

Thank you to BubbleBul on Ao3 for the suggestion that Sunny would see Eneru on the moon <3

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