#i can't wait to set up my lamp and chair and just relax with my craft projects

[jedi-bird]

Emptied and moved the shelves (after dismantling the anchors holding them together), got the rug in place, and now I'm working on putting everything back. There will be some amazing bruises on my arms tomorrow, as well as the toe that I crushed. I've got a few more changes that I'm thinking about before I'm done for the day (also still need to run over to my mother in law's place but she doesn't wake up until late so I'm not rushing).

[marvelfilth]

Tattoo

Pairing: Jenna Ortega x f!reader

Warnings: drunk jenna ig

Summary: an unexpected visitor makes your evening unforgettable

Masterlist

You sigh as Judy, the girl who's back you've spent the past hours tattooing, disappears out the door and into the darkened street, her happy skips illuminated by the soft yellow hue of the street lamps. You don't know how she managed to sit or, rather, lay through the session, happily blubbering about her three cats and a dog waiting for her back home.

You shake your head and walk up to the small desk near the entrance. Amelia, the receptionist, has left just as the sun started to set, blowing you a kiss goodbye and thanking you for letting her out early, so you've been stuck managing your studio alone.

Looking at tomorrow's schedule you sink into the soft leather chair, relieved to see that your morning is free. You can already imagine how sweet it'll be to finally sleep in and have a relaxing start of the day.

Your daydreaming is cut short when the door opens again, and you open your mouth to ask if Judy forgot something, but snap it back shut when you realize it's not her.

You get up, walk around the desk and take a second to look at the stranger, who, inconveniently, turned her back to you.

Still, you admit, it's a nice back, clad in a soft looking black blouse tucked into dark jeans. Your drum your fingers on the desk and pointedly clear your throat, but the stranger doesn't pay you any attention. Instead she takes a few steps to look at the wall littered with various photos of your happy clients, and humms to herself.

"Sorry, we're closed," you speak softly, as not to startle her, but she still jumps comically high, one hand clutching her purse and the other flying up to rest over her heart.

She turns around, swaying, and squints at you, her brows furrowed and her lips pursed in thought. You grip the desk behind you when you recognise her.

Amelia will die when she finds out who she so narrowly missed.

"D-do you know how to use this?" Her voice is hoarse, like she spent hours screaming at the top of her lungs, and her finger trembles when she points it at your tattoo machine.

She grins at your hesitant nod, stumbling as she closes spaces between you. "I want a dragon," she giggles, covering her mouth with her palm as if she's letting you in on a secret. "All over my back. A huge one."

You bite your lip to keep yourself from laughing when she gets close enough for you to smell the alcohol on her breath.

"You're drunk and we're closed," you say and her eyes dart down to look at your lips.

"What?" She mutters, and her hands go up to hold your cheeks. "Stop moving so much, I can't hear you." She pouts, still looking at your lips.

You snort and take her hands in yours, prying your face out of her grip. She shakes her head, and winces when the movement causes her to sway again.

You wait for her to look at you before you speak again.

"Are you here alone?" You make sure to say as clearly and slowly as possible, holding her hands to make sure she doesn't trip over her own legs.

She sighs and looks up to the ceiling. "Yes."

You tug at her hands. "You need to call someone to come pick you up."

She blinks and looks at you for a long moment, her eyes cloudy and pupils dilated. "No. I need a dragon," she insists.

You bite back a smile and lead her behind the desk. She falls in the chair with a content sigh, closing her eyes. "Melissa dared me to. I c-can't come back without a dragon," she mumbles.

You lean back against the desk, this time not able to suppress a chuckle. She opens one eye and kicks at your shin with her foot. "This is serious."

"I'm sure it is," you agree to appease the frowning girl. "You can come back when you're sober, and I promise you'll get that huge dragon all over your back."

You smile when she nods and reaches for one of the business cards laying in the corner. She slips it into her back pocket and fully relaxes in the seat, and you're suddenly at loss of what to do next.

Someone's supposed to be looking for her, right?

You turn to look out the window at the dark street, noting the lack of cars.

"You're pretty," she murmurs. "Like… I want to take a picture of you and put it as my lockscreen kind of pretty."

You snort, looking at the girl who's now staring up at you in awe. "Do you always put pictures of strangers as your lockscreen?"

She frowns. Her lips move, but nothing comes out.

You sigh, shaking your head, and get up to find your phone. You need to call Amelia, she will know what to do.

"I'm getting sleepy."

You pause. "You can't fall asleep."

"Mhm," she hums as her eyes close.

You close the space between you in short strides, but you're not fast enough. She's already snoring lightly when you reach her, a small smile pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Great," you groan. “Just perfect.”

You fidget with your phone, unsure. Should you call Amelia? She will probably freak before figuring what to do with the sleeping girl.

With a sigh, you unlock your phone. It's not like you have any other options.

Just when you're about to press the call button, the girl slides off the chair, her butt hitting the floor with a quiet thud. You wince as the chair rolls away and her back meets the floor before you can catch her.

She doesn't wake. In fact, she curls up, hands pillowed under her head, and sighs in content. You snort, shaking your head. The sight is quite adorable.

“It- it would take-” she mumbles, deep in her sleep, “-a second to peel off the skin…” You gulp, before realizing she's probably dreaming about one of her characters, or practicing the script even in her sleep, either way it's quite impressive. “Limp for limb…" she mutters, frowning.

You sigh, and get a small pillow to tuck it under her head. Might as well make her a little comfortable while you figure out what to do with her.

“Um, hello?”

You jump up, praying that the girl is well hidden behind the desk, she is as small as a gremlin after all.

“Yes?” You turn around, only to be left gaping.

You're in the twilight zone, you're sure.

“I'm looking for my friend,” the woman smiles hesitantly, adjusting the hood of her sweatshirt. “A brunette, brown eyes, about this” - she lowers her hand all the way to her knees - “tall, a bit drunk. She ran away to get a tattoo.”

You shift on your feet, your mouth opening and closing while you try to come up with something to explain why her friend is currently sleeping under your desk.

“Yeah, she's here…” you mumble, jerking your head towards the reception desk. She frowns, stepping around it, and stills, before looking at you with wide eyes. “It just… happened.”

“She tried to kill me,” the sleeping girl says, very clearly.

“Really?” The older woman's eyebrow raises.

“No!” You yelp, looking at the smaller girl in betrayal. She didn't deserve that pillow. “She came in very drunk, and she fell asleep in my chair, and then she kind of… slid off?”

“Used… chloroform,” she mumbles, turning to the other side.

“Stop it,” you hiss to her sleeping form. “Shut up.” You lightly kick her leg with your toe to make sure she listens.

“Pretty,” she sighs dreamily, “pretty girl…”

“I take it you're the pretty girl?” The other woman asks with a heavy sigh.

You blush, nodding. “Not a serial killer, promise.”

She purses her lips, looking down at her friend. “She won't wake up now. She sleeps like a bear when she's drunk.” She looks up at you, eyes searching. “I’m Melissa, by the way. And that one is Jenna. But you already know who she is, right?”

You nod.

“Okay. Since there are no paparazzi around, I feel like I can trust you. For now.” She bends down, takes the sleeping girl under her arms, and lifts her up with little effort. “You get the legs,” she smirks.

You get Jenna out of your studio quickly and efficiently, like you've been doing it all your life.

“Getting rid… of the body,” she mumbles, when Melissa miscalculates and hits the side of Jenna's head against the headrest.

“Yeah,” the older woman cringes, “she's always like that.”

You nod, stepping away from the car as Melissa straightens her clothes, looking sheepish and hesitant.

“Thank you,” she says, “I really appreciate this. And she will, too, when she returns to the land of the living.”

You chuckle and bid her goodbye, waving at the car until it disappears from sight.

You decide you won't tell Amelia about this. She'll probably send you off for a psychic evaluation if you do.

[skeletonsfortea]

Hello!! I don't think I've seen many people request things for Ending 2 of VBPS, so I hope it's okay if I do! :) Is there any fluff you could make surrounding the aftermath? It could be however long after! I could use the warmth and maybe some purrs ☺️

Ooh absolutely! (Ending two is my personal head canon- don't tell anyone.)

Directly after their escape...

Papyrus sets you down infront of a house that looks oddly…fishy. You would laugh at your joke, if it weren't for the fact that fear has created such a tight ball of tension in your soul that you can barely manage any sound at all. You startle when Papyrus takes your hand and pulls you gently towards the entrance. His gaze is fixed on the door, expression unsure. Guarded. He knocks. There is no answer. He knocks out a melody. The door slides open to reveal a rather spacious room with a small kitchen- a grand piano?- and a big dining room table.

“We’ll stay here for a night," he says. “Then we move on." He lets go of your hand and slings off one of his bags. He gets a cup from a cupboard above the sink and takes a container from his bag. What he pours into the cup looks like sea tea. He hands it to you. “Drink that.” You do, cringing at the taste. The ache in your body dissolves to nothing, your bruises fading. Papyrus heads over to the connected room, opening it to peer inside. “You can sleep here.” You set the cup down to approach and turn on the light.

“What about you?" You ask quietly, looking around. There’s no couch, not even a comfortable chair.

“I’ll find a spot on the ground.” He mutters, lightly pushing you into the room. "Try to rest. We leave before the sun rises.”

“Wait.” You stop him, wincing at the demand in your tone. "You can't be serious about sleeping on the ground.”

“I packed a sleeping bag.” He says, looking irritated. You try not to let it get to you.

“...we’ve already slept in the same bed once, sir.” Should you be calling him that? “If we're…going to run together," you begin, and he winces, “then you’re going to need the best quality rest you can get. I think sharing a bed is the least pressing of our problems, don't you?"

“How will you be able to relax with me near?" He asks.

You shrug, “the way I see it…this is a clean slate. You're not my enemy anymore. Right?"

“...right." He agrees, hesitant.

You put out a hand, “at the very least, we’re in this together, so a little proximity won't kill anyone. Unlike being tired and sore.”

He sighs, “fair enough.” You head for the bed as he shrugs off his bags. He reaches to turn off the light.

“W-wait,” you cut in, your heart immediately stepping into high gear. He stops. “...could you leave it on, please?”

“Oh. Right.” He turns on the lamp at the far side of the room before turning off the light. “Is that adequate?”

“Yeah.” You say. He crosses the room to climb into the bed, laying stiffly on his back beside you. This time, you laugh.

“What?" He snaps.

“N-nothing, sorry, sir,” you say.

“...you don't have to call me that anymore.”

“Y-yeah. Sorry.” The silence stretches; your eyes are heavy, but your mind is practically climbing the walls, you’re so nervous. Sans could just…appear, at any moment. You shift a bit closer to Papyrus, so your arms brush and you can feel the hum of his magic below his bones. It's a bit calming, just to know there's someone alive beside you, who might notice the danger, and might serve as some form of protection.

“What is it?” He asks plainly.

“...I’m worried.”

“Sans has no reason to believe we’ve left.”

You chuckle bitterly, “that hasn't stopped him from catching me before.”

“He won't this time.” Papyrus says firmly. More silence. You stare at the ceiling, lit by the warm light of the lamp. Minutes pass.

“You can't sleep either, can you?"

“No.”

You scoff lightly, “you’re just as afraid as I am.” More silence, but that’s answer enough. You turn over on your side to look up at him. “Tell me how the hell we’re getting out of this.”

His perma frown deepens. “Sans is strong, and smart. But he has weaknesses. Blindspots. I will find them.”

“How?"

“Trial and error.” Papyrus responds.

“There isn't much room for failure," you say, throat tight.

“Those are the kinds of odds I work best with.” Papyrus says, putting his hands behind his head.

“You might be more insane than he is," you joke.

He doesn't seem amused. “Go to sleep.” You turn over again, but keep your back pressed to his ribs. Shutting your eyes, you try to sleep. But every time you begin to relax, Sans’s eye appears in your mind, a promise of a nightmare, and you startle awake. Until the bed shifts, and Papyrus’s arm wraps around you, pulling you closer to his chest. You aren't sure if he's asleep or not, but you don't say anything, simply relaxing into his frame.

Sleep comes easier, then.

Part Two

[babeyvenus]

The Wolf Among Us

Bigby x OC

Summary: Sonya Blaze, A.K.A. Hell Rider, is a half fable, half mundy girl who comes to Fabletown to learn more about her side of the folktales. She works alongside Sheriff Bigby Wolf as his newest partner and together they strive to find out who's behind the unexpected murders in Fabletown.

TW: Mentions of death, gore/blood, alcohol, smoking, drugs, sex implications, suicide, guns and ofc language.

A/N: just a little filler for now.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Chapter 19: Off Day

As they arrived, Bigby looked around, taking in the new sights. He hadn't been on this side of New York, considering he never bothered to interact with the mundane side of the city.

Sonya parked and took off her helmet, sighing as she looked up at her previous home. "Home sweet home...", she muttered as Bigby got off and dug into his pocket. "You need some time with that?", she asked teasingly.

He gave her an unamused look and lit his Huff n' Puff. He took a long drag, enough for big puffs of smoke to exit his nose before he drops the cigarette and smushes it under his foot. "Let's go.", Sonya says and leads him up to the house.

She pulled out the keys and opened the door, looking around to see a living room and smiled widely. "Pico!" She grins at the sight of a light orange fluff whose head pops up in attention.

Bigby looked over her shoulder to see a Shiba inu running toward her. Sonya kneels down and picks the excited dog up, whining and barking happily.

She set her bag on the couch and sat on the floor with the dog, Bigby followed behind and stood awkwardly in the middle of the living room. "You can sit down, y'know...", she says, making him scratch his head and sit down next to her on the couch.

Pico looks over at Bigby and growls lowly. Bigby frowns. "Easy, boy.", Sonya warns. Bigby snapped his attention to her. "I hope you're not talking to me."

Sonya chuckles and shakes her head as she pets Pico. He looks up to hear something walking downstairs and runs over to the sound.

They looked up to see a shorter woman who sleepily walked down the stairs and looked at them in surprise. She looked like Sonya, or rather a slightly older version of her. Her skin was a bit darker than Sonya's, her eyes almost a dark honey color. They seemed to light up when they caught onto Sonya's smile.

"Hi, ma.", Sonya greets, getting up. The older woman rushed to her daughter, bringing her in a tight hug. Sonya hugs her back, swaying back and forth before her mom cups her face to examine her. "Where have you been? You're a mess!"

She glanced at Bigby. "Who's he?" Sonya looked at Bigby with a smile before looking back at her mom. "Mama, you remember the place Dad kept talking about?", she asked. Her mom nodded. "Well, this is Bigby Wolf. He's practically the protector of Fabletown. and he's my... boss."

Bigby stood to shake her hand. "It's nice to meet you." Her mom smiled. "You too, I'm Theresa. I hope she hasn't been giving you any trouble."

He rubbed behind his neck. "It's actually the opposite…" Sonya rolled her eyes. "We've been through a lot."

Theresa frowns at her. "Is that why you couldn't update me on anything?" Sonya nods. She glances at Bigby, "Can I tell her?" Bigby thought for a moment before sighing. "I don't see why not. She already knows about us."

"You can tell me after we do something with this head of yours. I can't believe you let it get this bad!", Theresa complained, giving Sonya's arm a slap. Sonya frowns. "I haven't exactly had time to groom myself, Ma."

Bigby waited as Sonya was pulled away to get her hair washed. He looked at the dog who stared back at him. Be rolled his eyes but raised an eyebrow as the dog walked over to him and sat by his feet.

Bigby looked to his left to see a photo set on top of a lamp table beside the couch. He examined it to see a younger version of Sonya, Theresa and a man and a baby he didn't know. He assumed the man had to be her dad. "She looks so happy...", he muttered.

His attention snapped to his right as he saw Sonya walk out of the kitchen with a towel draped over head. She pulled the towel off to reveal her shorter, wet, coiled hair, some curls stuck to her face, some dripped onto the towel.

She gave him a sleepy look as he looked back at her in curiosity. "Did you cut it?", he asked. She looked at him with confused eyes and shook her head. "Of course not. Water just makes my hair shorter.", she says, picking Pico up and sat down by Bigby's feet. She pulled Pico into her lap and rubbed his back and his head.

Theresa comes into the living room with a small container of grease and a blow-dryer. Sonya glanced at Bigby. "If you can't take the noise, you might wanna cover your ears."

Theresa looks at him. "You have sensitive ears?", she asked. "You could say that.", he replies. "You still haven't caught onto what fable he is, Ma?", Sonya asks.

Theresa thought about it for a moment, and shook her head. "I'm not sure." Sonya chuckles. "It's in his name."

Theresa looks at Bigby for a moment before her eyes widen in realization. "You're the big bad wolf??"

He nodded, rubbing behind his neck again. "I wouldn't have thought so. I thought you would've looked a little more... hairy.", she says. "And maybe a little meaner."

He smiled awkwardly. "Yeah...I'm trying my best not to be as monstrous as I was before."

"They made him sheriff but still treat him like trash.", Sonya deadpans. Theresa frowns, while she starts to apply the grease to her daughter's head. "Sometimes people don't wanna see the change in someone because they're so stuck in the past. The best thing you can do is move on.", Theresa says.

Sonya nods in agreement. "I gave up trying to be everyone's friend. Realized not everyone deserved my kindness and just stuck with whoever accepted me for who I was rather than someone I wasn't."

Bigby took in their words and frowned a bit. He hated that they were right. He did care about what other fables thought of him, simply because he was trying to change.

It didn't help much that they kept bringing up his past in the Homelands. It wasn't fair. But he supposed he didn't deserve a better life like everyone else. No one else went around eating pigs and grandmas.

Sonya noticed his silence and tapped his foot in reassurance. RIght after, Theresa started blowing out Sonya’s hair, the sound making Pico rush up and run to his bed and Bigby wince a bit before he started to get used to it.

Moments later, Sonya started to fall asleep and Bigby took note of that. He didn’t understand how she could fall asleep with something so loud in her ears. “I don’t know what you guys went through, but y’all must’ve been working hard.”, Theresa says.

“We did solve two murders…”, he says, making her turn to him in shock. “What happened?”, she asked. He explained what happened, gently informing her about her daughter being targeted as she silently listened and did her daughter’s hair.

“She protected me… a lot more than I can say anyone has done… She’s got guts.”, he says. Theresa finally finishes, now aware of Sonya’s soft snores. “She gets her impulsiveness from her daddy. I think that’s why she got her powers. She just accepted without thinking. Expected me to just be okay with that.”

Bigby glanced at Sonya’s sleeping state. “When she rushed in to save me...she told me she panicked. She didn’t have to, but she did. I’m grateful.”

Theresa gave him a smile. “She does that a lot. Always has to play the hero. I kinda expected that out of her brother but I think he admires her for that. He didn’t get to know his dad very much… so she stepped in.”

‘That’s why she said that about T.J….’, he thought. “I think she did a good job.”, he says. Theresa appreciated him. “Me too. She took on the role all by herself. She knew nothing about being a boy, but helped him whenever I couldn’t. Sometimes I hated it and I felt helpless that she seemed so independent at such a young age.”, she frowned softly. “It hurt. Made me feel like I wasn’t doing a good job as a mother. But she always reminded me that it wasn’t my fault.”

“She does her best at everything. She can be lazy but if its something really important, especially as important as what y’all went through, she won’t stop. She’ll overwork herself until she passes out.”, she says, looking at him. He nods. “I kept telling her she could take a break. She only took a nap when we were almost close to finishing up, we just got some food last night too.”, he confessed.

Theresa sighed. “I hate that she does that. She’s gonna die quicker if she doesn’t take better care of herself.”, she says, fluffing Sonya's hair. She smiles. “She hasn't been taking care of her hair, but it got longer…”, she mutters.

She frowns again. “She’s probably gonna be out for a while.”, she turns to him. “If you can get her up to her room, that’d be helpful. I’ll cook y’all some food while y’all are here.”, she smiles. “I haven’t had to cook that much in a while.”

He nods as Theresa gets up to go wash her hands and starts on food.

Bigby leans down a bit to gently shake Sonya awake. She mumbles, frowning in her sleep and relaxes her face. He shakes her again, getting no response. He sighs and picks her up, with Pico following behind him as he carries her up the stairs and is met with a divided hallway.

There was one room on the left of the hallway that had easy access to the stairs, and another door to the farther part of the hallway.

He went to the right side of the hallway and noticed a hanging nametag on a door that had Sonya's name and he walked up to it.

He entered the room, his nose being hit with her potent scent. He was almost sure if she went missing, he could find her.

He looked around her room to see a XL twin bed covered in black and gray sheets. She had a purple rug under her bed that seemed untouched and fluffed. An empty desk with just a monitor on top and a black desk chair, and a purple dresser that blocked her window and seemed to be a bit dusty.

He saw a full body mirror that had small polaroids taped onto it, and his curiosity spiked. He looked around at some posters she had on the walls, snorting at some of them before he gently laid her down. Pico struggles to get into her bed before he finally does and snuggles up to her.

Bigby smiled a bit and continued to look around her room and sits down in the chair. He squeaked a bit from under his weight as he leaned back a bit. It was a lot more comfortable than his rustic, ratty chair back in his office. He almost considered taking it.

He closed his eyes for a moment before sighing and getting up to leave her room. He walked back down the stairs and into the kitchen where he smelled seasoned meat. He looked over at Theresa as she smiles at him. "She still asleep?"

He nodded. "Is it okay if I step out for a bit?" She nodded, saving her hand in his dismissal. He left the kitchen and left the house to pull out a Huff 'n Puff, lighting it immediately. He took a long drag of the cigarette, sighing out softly and letting out a large puff of smoke.

As he leaned against a lamp post, he almost contemplated his own mother. Theresa seemed so kind, it almost made him wary of her regardless of her knowing about fables. But her daughter's a half fable and the way she talks about her and treated him more like a person rather than a monster…

He considered letting his guard down, just a bit. He finished the cigarette, stomping it out before he walked back inside. The smell of the previous meat entered his nose dully. It smelled good, though.

He walked back into the kitchen, peeking his head around the corner and saw Theresa loading barbeque brisket into a bun. His stomach rumbled loudly, making Theresa jump a bit as she turned to him, placing a hand on her chest as she laughed.

"You scared the shit out of me.", she says, gathering her composure. "Was that your stomach?"

He nodded, scratching behind his head in slight embarrassment. "Well, luckily for you, the food's finished.", she says, smiling.

She handed him a plate and had him sit down at a table. He softly blew onto the food before taking a bite. When he took the first bite, he nearly gulped the rest, making Theresa grin. "Glad to know it was good.", she says.

She took his plate before handing him another one and smiled at Sonya walking into the kitchen, yawning. "That was quick.", Theresa says.

Sonya grumbles. "Pico wouldn't stop kicking me." She saw Bigby eating and smiled. "Finally got you some food, huh?"

She walked over to get herself some food and hummed in delight once she took a bite. After they'd finished eating, they talked for a while until noon arrived.

Sonya and Bigby stood up. "We gotta go before the princess bites our heads off for being gone too long.", Sonya says, rolling her eyes and giving her mom a hug. "Try to keep in touch, please.", Theresa says. Sonya nods and leads Bigby to the door. Sonya exits just in time to see school buses dropping off kids.

Bigby starts to follow her but is stopped by Theresa. "Please look after her.", she asks. Bigby gives her a reassuring nod before leaving. He closed the door and looked to see Sonya hugging a boy about the same height as her.

He walked over to them, catching the boy's attention. The boy frowns a bit. "Who's he?" Bigby almost snorted in amusement at his attempt at being intimidating.

Sonya turns to Bigby, “This is my brother, Eric. Eric, this is Bigby, my boss.” Eric looks Bigby up and down. “He better be.” Bigby raises an eyebrow with a soft chuckle. Sonya gives Eric’s arm a slap. “Cut it out.”

Sonya sighs, looking at Bigby. “Let’s go.” He nods, following her to her bike. She starts it up and looks at her little brother. “Stay out of trouble.”, she says, making him nod before she rides off with Bigby.

The Woodlands

She parks outside the gate, letting him off. He looks at her in confusion. “You’re not coming?” She shook her head. “Nope.” He crosses his arms. “Why not?”, he asks. “Ask your Deputy Mayor.”, she says, bluntly before driving off, leaving him in confusion.

“What does Snow have to do with…”, he muttered before walking into the apartments and made his way to the Business office, seeing the previous line had been gone. He walked into the Business Office and walked up to Snow.

“Mr. Wolf, what’s wrong?”, Snow asked. “Sonya’s not coming into work. I’d say that’d be fine, considering the circumstance, but somehow you have something to do with why she isn’t coming into work.”, Bigby says, making her pause. He raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”, he asked.

She smoothed her hair, taking a curled strand of hair behind her hair. “Well, the case is done. I told her she can take some time off until there’s a new case.” Bigby’s eyes narrowed a bit before he nodded. “I guess that’ll be for a while… I suppose that’s fine.”, he says, and shakes his head at Bufkin drinking a tall bottle of wine.

“Do you ever get tired of drinking a whole bottle?”, Bigby asks. Bufkin drunkardly smiles. “Nope!” Bigby sighs a huff through his nose before walking to the mirror. “Hey, mirror.”

The green face appears, looking at the man stoically. “Hello, Bigby.” Bigby scratches at his stubble. “I gotta know where Sonya’s going. Can you show me her?”

The Mirror hums. “You know our rule.” Bigby rolls his eyes. “We ate, talked and parted ways, now can you, please, show me Sonya Blaze?”, he rhymed.

The mirror shows Sonya entering an electronic store he’s never seen. Bigby frowns, looking closely at the store name. “Best buy…?”, he mutters. “Where’s this at?”

The mirror hums, coming back. “5th avenue.” Bigby sighs. “Okay.”, he says and walks away. He walked out of the Business Office to walk into his own, and closed the door. He walked over to his desk, plopping down in his chair and grumbles at the paperwork that waited for his return.

[shippedwithmonsters]

Okay fine, here's one more...

*Lulled by my unrelenting hairplay, Sophie and Rina have settled into giving each other soft upside-down kisses as they drift off together on their mutual favorite lap pillow. My hands gently cradle their faces guiding their still-hungry lips to one another's as their drowsy kisses start to get sloppy... Sophie ever-so-gently draws blood from my ring finger and idly suckles it a little; not wanting to be left out, Rina slips her tongue deeper into Sophie's mouth, curling it around my wedding band. Both moan softly and resume kissing... Well I won't be getting that hand back for a while, but now I can spare at least one hand- "I-I volunteer as tribute!" squeaks Margot, hiding behind the doorframe. "You got this, Mel?" I call out softly. Melanie pokes her head out from the other side of the doorframe, silently nods, and scoops a furiously blushing Margot into (yet another) bridal carry. Margot hides her face as Melanie carries her over. "It's alright My Pearl," I console her. "Rina-bina, would you mind?" Without breaking her lip lock with Sophie (and my ring finger), Rina coils her tail around Margot's body, easing her down from Melanie's arms and onto the couch beside me. The pressure of the full-body encasement and gentle rhythmic squeezes rippling like waves down the coiled length of Rina's tail make Margot feel secure and help her relax, respectively. Her eyes glaze over and she too moans softly from the stimulation. I slip my free hand between the coils and take Margot's hand; Melanie does the same with her other hand. Margot's breath hitches, then she somehow blushes harder, and she beams up at me, her eyes welling with tears of joy...*

...Oh how easily I can get lost in scenarios like this~ Given how much you're ostensibly writing even now I know you know the feeling.

...Anyway here's me gushing about Margot, and also Melanie (2 F/O's in 1! ...kinda.)

It's more like they're two halves of the same F/O.

One of the avatars in that app I mentioned has two girls in similar outfits hugging each other. They're based on that, and they're a package deal.

Margot is, as the name's meaning suggests, like a pearl; She's shy (i.e. hiding in her shell), small, delicate, and precious 🥺

Melanie is the shell. She's silent (i.e. "clammed up," although I'm not fully certain which type of mollusk they're technically based on) cradles the pearl (often literally) and keeps her safe.

(As a literal, unemployed, marine biologist, I feel the need to point out that the above metaphors fail to accurately reflect how pearl-forming shellfish work, but I still like symbolism, and I figure it gets the point across.)

Margot's practically terrified of everything, and her legs don't work very well. She can still feel them, but she can't move them much, probably because she doesn't like to leave her bed. When she does move, in-universe she has a floaty little shell bed to appear in; in the soft domestic setting she gets around in a wheel chair Melanie pushes, or just in my or Melanie's arms.

Margot is easily embarrassed, but absolutely craves affection, especially physical touch. Related to her whole being-in-her-shell motif (and moreso how irl pearls form by being encased in layer upon layer of nacre...), she's most comfortable when fully enclosed to the point where she can barely move. This can be from her literal shell, a cuddle sandwich from me and her metaphorical shell, being wrapped up tight in multiple blankets, a pillow fort on the F/O couch, or even gentle restraints like shibari with soft rope, or a certain mermaid bride's eager tail... All of them make her feel safe, secure, and loved.

Margot's character is largely derived from my touch-starvation, although it doesn't quite reach her levels on my end, or like her, I would not be able to function. But like all my F/O's her primary purpose is to provide someone who wants me to care for them in very specific ways. I love the concept that she wants to be taken care of completely.

So completely in fact, that I feel bad leaving her alone, so I don't. That's what Melanie's here for.

Melanie loves Margot nearly as much as I do, maybe even more. She cares for Margot's every need when my hands are... occupied by my other F/O's, and helps me care for her when I can give her my full attention. This dynamic is similar to me and Sophie taking care of Nettie; I like it so much I designed it twice 😂

The F/O couch is only gonna get more and more crowded; there's still a very patient jellyfish/lava lamp girl standing behind me (waiting for me to turn her back on), Nettie will definitely want in once she realizes hand-holding is involved, and the tsundere fire elemental in my car engine (yes you read that right) is probably muttering "Tch" right about now, but I should probably go eat food, so stay tuned for a few more of these, maybe at a similarly late hour tomorrow 😊

🥺 I love them. Thank you for sharing!

[neo-culture-mafia]

IV. Sorry, My Dear

⚠️⚠️TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️⚠️

The following story contains themes of suicidal thoughts and addiction. Please do not read if you find these themes triggering in any way. Read this post before reading this piece of FICTION

Have you heard the story of the guy,

Who decided not to die?

"Another day at the office...another day in hell." Jae mumbled to himself. The black lettering seemed never ending as he moved page after page.

Everyone was long gone and he was left with his thoughts that reflected the current state of his desk: scattered and full on unwanted words.

"Come on, Jae. Let's go get drinks with Boss." Jae had mimicked the voices of the other associates that worked in the office today. "No. I'm good. Got to finish this work. Beep-boop-boop." He moved his arms in a robot-like fashion.

"Look at me. Working me life away. Jaehyun. That's my name." He moved the papers in random places. This would be Jae's 4th breakdown this week where he needed to tell himself to hold on until tomorrow.

Johnnny looked on in concern from behind the entrance wall. "No good, Jaehyun. Don't wear it out." Jae's hands waves over his head in a dramatic fashion as he pushed himself around in his wheeled office chair.

It wasn't until Johnny saw Jae's hands form into a gun shape that he intervened in the middle of his best friend's scary emotional outburst.

"Jae! There you are!" He rushed over and punched his friend's arm. The look in Jaehyun's eyes made Johnny uneasy. It looked like he had been caught which made him break more. "You almost finished? I wanted to catch a movie with you and maybe have a hangout night," Jae was taken aback by the energy outburst at 2 am.

He could only look at Johnny's excited face from where he sat in his chair, strands of hair obstructing only pieces of his vision. "I got the new Call of Duty and PubG for the console." Johnny's hands rummaged in his pockets till he pulled out his phone, his eyebrows wiggling fiercely. "It's only...2:17. We got all the time in the world."

Johnny picked up Jae's suit jacket that was thrown over the cubicle wall and the younger boy's heavy bag. "I'll drive." Johnny pulled Jae up and turned off his lamp.

They were in the darkness of the office and Jae was still shocked that he was caught before he got worse.

"What do you wanna eat? Steak? McDonald's? Junk food?" Johnny's rambling was tuned out of Jae's mind. He followed the taller man willingly down and out of the office building and to his familiar car.

"Uh...doesn't matter." Was the first thing that came out of Jaehyun's mouth. "Then we'll get everything." Johnny's laugh made Jae's heart swell with hope for the first time in weeks.

'Maybe next time,' he thought, 'I'll hang out with Johnny one last time.'

The car ride was filled with laughter and being in the cold air surrounding the both of them.

Johnny still wonders to this day what would've happened if he didn't walk in the time he did. He had been called to pick up the paperwork from Jae's desk but was met with a sad reality.

Jaehyun wanted to escape reality.

Just kill me in my sleep,

Smother me with pillows and kindness, in which I have never seen

This was it...this was the day. He's written the letters and found a place to go calmly. He was in a euphoric sense that nothing really mattered anymore.

He had been on cloud 9 all week as he's happily been overworked and no one ever asked how he had been doing.

Right now, he was just driving. Driving to take in his home city one last time.

The sun was setting when he came to Han River Park. The clusters of happy people congregated in small bursts of happiness and 'its okay' and 'everything will be alright's.

He parked and stood at the grass's edge. He took deep breaths as the air swept across his body calmly. "Everything is so beautiful." He whispered to himself as he watched the birds dance across the water with such grace.

The lump in his throat that made it home was beginning to ache. Yet, he swallowed his pride and continued looking over the people who would continue their own story's even after his had reached the end. The credits would roll and everyone would walk away from the theater without a second thought.

"I mean. I get that's it's pretty. But I haven't seen someone cry at the scenery since my last romance movie." He was snapped out of reality to see a girl standing next to him.

"Excuse me?" Was all he could manage to get out.

You chuckled, sticking your hand out. "Y/n." You introduced yourself and he was trying to not shake your hand, look the other way, and leave without another word being exchanged.

"Jaehyun." His actions spoke for him as he reached his hand out to meet yours. Your hand was soft and warm in his. A warmness and calm he hasn't felt in a while.

"I'm gonna go get some ice cream. Wanna come?" You barely knew him and we're asking him to accompany you to a sweet treat. "You don't know me." Jae got defensive, his arms crossing over his chest.

"I could be a murderer and you invited me for ice cream?" His questions had your face turn up. "Well I'm sure that murderers like ice cream too. So let's go." You grabbed his arm and pulled him down the long stretch of concrete. You walked and tried to match your steps with his long strides. Your arm cutely wrapped around his as you walked.

"So tell me about yourself, Mr. Jaehyun."

He figured living was just easier than falling really high

"We need to clean." You whined while rolling around in the vast bed full of messed up sheets and a relaxing Jaehyun. "Not now. I just wanna cuddle." He grabbed your body and held you close.

"No. We've been cuddling all day. We need to clean." You got up and pulling at his hands. "You can clean the closet and I can clean the rest of the room. Then cuddles." You reasoned and he groaned as he got up, giving into your wishes.

"Fine." He automatically sat on the ground and opened your shared closet doors.

"I'll be tidying up around here." You ruffled his hair and kissed the top of his head sweetly. "If you need anything just shout." He called as you exited the room to probably start on the kitchen.

Box after box of paperwork and more paperwork from the last 10 years of working in his like of work.

Your singing could be heard through your house as you comedically sang some of the greatest hits. His laughter broke through the apartment when your own voice shook with laughs.

He came upon some photo books with Polaroids of you and him. The last 2 years had been lived in a heaven like state. He hadn't touched alcohol and drugs like he was earlier in his life...before you changed him.

His physical and mental growth were apparent in the pictures as he flipped through the pages. Your hand drawn hearts and small journal entries under some photos had his heart beating rapidly with joy.

He put the book next to his side to look at later with you. His hand came across an unmarked cardboard photo box that had a thin layer of dust on it.

He jiggled the lid off and was met with envelopes. The letters. His notes to his bosses and his friends apologizing for what he was about to do.

Apologizing for the mess they were going to have to clean up in his apartment and in the office where his files would never be filed. Apologizing for giving up so easily and not serving out the rest of his life like he had sworn. Apologizing for not being strong enough to ask for help when he really tried to make it obvious. Apologizing to whoever had to find him after it was all said and done.

Apologizing for not saying goodbye.

"Hey. Do we have any tile cle- oooo letters. Who are they to?" Your voice had made Jae jump like when Johnny caught him that dark night in the office. Like he was caught doing and thinking stuff he shouldn't be.

"No one. Me. In 50 years. Y'know," he shrugged, tossing them back in the box and throwing them in the closet and standing up quickly, "time capsule thing me and the guys did." He shrugged it off and you could only nod.

"Well that's cool. Can't wait to see how you've grown." Your smile had his own lips mimicking in want. Wanting to have your blissful ignorance of what those letters really were.

"Oh yeah. Do we have any more tile cleaner?" You asked and he lead you out to the closet where he scowered the top shelves in search for the cleaning supply.

"You can have it. For a kiss." He held it above his head. You waste no time in kissing his cheek and pulling on his arm till you grabbed the cleaner and ran. His laughs chased your own as you both wrestled for a while.

Both of you laid on the living room carpet, just enjoying the close presence.

His heart was at peace.

I'm okay,

I'm okay,

I feel a little bit sick

You had began to notice how Jae had been getting more dull. A year had passed since the night you pointed out the letters. It began to go all down hill from there.

He gave you the same love and affection he usually did, but his eyes held no emotion to big events outside. Alcohol had started to replace meals and sleep.

"Jae you need to eat." You laid a hand on his shoulder softly. "I'm actually going to go grab a drink with some of the boys." And like that. He was out of the apartment. Yet, everytime he came stumbling in the front door with a stench that could repel nuclear waste, you nurses him into bed. Setting an aspirin and water next to his head. Most nights didn't wrap up until 4 am when you knew he was home safe.

You slept with your arms wrapped strongly around his body, afraid he would try to get up and leave to drink again without you noticing.

Mornings would be a rough time as you awoke to a sick Jaehyun who couldn't tell left from right. You were there were comforting words and endless services if bet only asked.

His guilt ate at his chest till there was a free falling feeling that would cease when he took his first shot.

He knew he was getting bad again. He knew he needed to get help but everytime he woke up to face an aspirin and a cool glass of water, the guilt made him drink even more the next night.

He sometimes wished you would leave him to make this easier on you. He wished you would fall out of love and go to bed before he got home.

He wished you didn't introduce yourself in the first place.

But have you heard,

The story of the guy who decided not to die?

Jaehyun got clean again. He started being more present in reality and eventually returned to normal. Sometimes he did get carried away with the alcohol but you were there to help him put down the bottle.

He started openly hanging out with his friends in large gatherings where he didn't mind starting the conversation. He got addicted on life again.

You were all out on a big dinner. You and the other women of the mafia men gathered in the social room while Jae and his closest friends talked and joked around in the parlor.

"Want another drink?" Mark asked as he nudged Jae's elbow. "No I'm okay. I hit my limit for the night."

His friends were the most supportive people that he originally thought wouldn't be. Once be reached his limit, they all switched to fruity drinks followed by water. "So I need your guys' help with something." Jae smiled, taking the blue chalk and rubbing it on the worn end of the billiard's stick.

"What's up, dude?" Johnny asked and all the boys tuned into Jaehyun and his request. "I want to propose to y/n." He said and the room automatically erupted in shouts and cheers. "Sssshhhh." He tried to shush everyone. They remembered the presence of the women in the building and quickly shut up.

"Y/n said she wanted a wedding in the flower fields about.." Jae recalled the previous conversation he had with you. "2 hours from here?" He said and Hyuck automatically knew which ones he was talking about. "It's going to have to be a spring wedding!" He said excitedly and grabbing a pad of paper and a pen from his pocket.

"Alright, lover boy, spill." He said knocking all of the pool balls out of the way, "hey we were playing!" Doyoung protested and Hyuck could only write down the location of the fields, "I'm helping our brother get a wife. Go play with your balls somewhere else." He back handed which caused the room to erupt in laughter.

"Okay. Now. I'm going to need time to get the catering. I'm thinking pork," Hyuck rambled writing down the possible ideas, "or is she more of a chicken person?" he continued which caused some of the boys to chuckle at the wedding-excited nature no one knew Hyuck possessed in himself.

"Also I need to find a cake. I would make it myself but we all know that these beautiful hands would be wrinkly by the time I'm done icing cake for 500 people-" "500?!" Jae said loudly which caused Johnny to slap a hand over his younger friends mouth. "Well duh. That's a minimum." Donghyuck shook his head, drawing a picture of what the cake needed to look like. "amateur."

"I need to get the ring first." Jae said quietly and Taeyong piped in. "Don't even worry about it. I'll take you in the morning to the jewler's to pick out the bands and diamonds. Maybe you could get an engagement ring with her birth stone then the real ring with yours and your wedding band could have hers." Taeyong started rambling ideas, Hyuck writing lightning speed on the pad of paper.

"I call doing the gifts!" Mark and Jungwoo said at the same time. "I'm nominating myself as the planner." Hyuck said writing the roles down. "I'll get the tuxes for us." Taeil nominated himself for the job with a smile. "We need to get Yuta and the rest of the boys up here!" Doyoung brought up a good point.

"Yuta will just bring baby supplies. We're not telling him until a day before the ceremony." Hyuck pointed at the boys but was met with a hit upside the head from Johnny.

"I have to find out the color palette. I'll go to Renjun and then I'll go to Jaemin for the fireworks- Jisung will be the flower girl." Donghyuck kept rattling off things he needed to get done.

"Thank you for giving me this job. I won't let you down." He finally said, laying a hand on Jaehyun's shoulder.

"Better not. It need to be perfect for her. Perfection deserves perfection." Jae said and some gagged while other coo'd at his unwithering love you for you.

The chatty hustle didn't cease as Johnny patted on Jaehyun's shoulder. "You okay?" Johnny asked with a smile on his face. Jaehyun couldn't keep the smile off of his own face. "Never better. On cloud 9." He said and Johnny's heart eased from the constant fear of Jae not being here the next day. But he didn't need to worry anymore.

"I actually need to ask you." Jae said finally putting the polished stick down on the table. "Will you be my best man?" Johnny's eyes lit up like fireworks as he brought Jae in for a manly yet friendly hug.

"I'm so proud of you, Jaehyun."

I'm enamored with the thought of seeing angels in the sky singing,

Singing, "Everything's alright."

Jaehyun proposed the next week. You both went out to an amazing and fancy moonlit dinner where you both danced and decided to start this new journey together.

Then two days after the proposal, he relapsed the worst he has ever had. Johnny found him in your guys' apartment and immediately called you and everyone who he thought he could help.

It's now present day and you can only look at Jaehyun with guilt in your eyes.

The funeral was held in the flower fields you both planned to get married in. The day was cold and dark but he had never looked so happy in his final resting place. "I'm sorry I couldn't give you the happiness you craved." You kissed his cheek before the lid was finally closed.

Now the marble had been set in place and you were alone again.

"I'm not mad. I'm jus-just so...so sorry." You wept, reaching out for him.

"I read the letter and can only ask. Why?"

The only things he had left was a damn note with the words, 'Sorry, My Dear' signing off the page as if he deemed it enough. As if his love had a capacity limit.

"I'm sorry you-you thought I was going to leave you if you told me you were so un-unhappy with life." Your stuttering didn't come to a stop as you could only imagine tears streaming down his own cheeks wherever he was in the universe. The feeling of being ashamed sent you reeling down where you had to support yourself on your knees.

The silent sobs hurt your chest as you had this free falling feeling in your chest getting more deeper. It was as if someone was pounding your chest with a drum mallot. Your heart was breaking as you felt a hand on your shoulder. Yet, you knew no one was there.

"You promised me forever." Your voice was shaky as you brushed the stray pieces of grass away from the marble in the ground.

'Jaehyun. Found happiness in where ours couldn't reach.'

"And I promise, Jae. I will love you...forever."

"And I'm so proud of you for making it this far." You whispered, fingers tracing his name on the polished marble for what felt like the millionth time.

You laid on the ground next to his resting place and looked into the vast blue sky where you imagined him reaching down to you; his soft voice that he used to sing you to sleep with carrying you with him to where you both could live happily ever after. You lifted your hands up as the tears came down.

"You did well."

[oneshotnewbie]

Hey, this came to my mind while listening to a song; how about Reader (B!D) studies in Harvard and is away from her sisters. Both sides miss the other side but B!D can't come visit and Kara and A either (not for a day, I mean a whole week or so) because if their own duties. K messages her sister that she misses and thinks about her a lot and that it hurts her to only see her bideochat every saturday so B!D surprises them by taking time off of work and coming to NC. K and A doesnt know (1/2)

know about it and are surprised. A few tears, and a fluffy happy ending with soft Alex and cuddling Kara? Please, you would make me so happy! (2/2) 

----

I miss you, babygirl. We all miss you. It hurts not to be able to hold you in my arms but I know that super brains like you have to go further to achieve what they set out to do. I hope to see you again soon. I love you.

You leaned back in your chair and took a deep breath. You looked out of your student apartment window into the dark world. It was almost midnight now and the only thing that could be heard and seen was the rain blowing against your window and the soft rays of light from the houses and lamps on the street.

The spatial separation from your sisters lay difficult in your stomach, you have been homesick since the beginning of the semester. Not after the apartment where you grew up for the past few years, but after your family. Lena, Winn, Maggie.

Again you stared at the cell phone that you clutched tightly with your hand and the message that had brought you out of the concept of your learning. You could no longer decipher it, your view was hazy and blurred.

Tears ran down your cheeks one by one and disappeared from your eyes to your chin where they fell like the raindrops outside of your own mind. You snorted hard, muted your cell phone and threw it on the bed.

You tried to concentrate on learning again but you couldn’t. You always came back to Alex and Kara. After a while you gave in to your thoughts and were overwhelmed. So overwhelmed that you tossed your pen to the side and lay down in your bed.

You were tired and sad.

You had only seen both of them on video chat every Saturday for the past few months, and not for long since something always got in the way. You missed the two and tried to find a way to please yourself and to make it easier. For all of you.

Without further ado a flash of thought overcame you and you smiled. You had a perfect plan. But you needed help. Help from the outside.

You wrote a short SMS to a person you knew would shut up over your plan and waited impatiently for the answer in hope, she would still be awake. Your eyes closed with a big grin on your face and the tears dried slowly. Just before you got involved in the land of dreams, your cell phone lit up with a short message.

Great idea, Baby Danvers. We gonna pull it, I am definitely helping you. I will make everything clear tomorrow and tell you how everything went. Good night.

Satisfied with the answer, your thoughts calmed down and prepared for the coming days. You had a lot to prepare before you could take the flight to National City to get back to where your heart was at home.

Quickly and safely, you fell into a deep sleep.

---

It was already 9pm when you arrived at the door of your old home. You stopped for a short time and looked at your cell phone again. -Keys are in the plant pot on the right. Made sure that both of them are at home today, don’t ask how and be happy. I will see you tomorrow, I want a big hug as a thank you- you skimmed the lines and threw your cell phone back in your purse while thanking her in your mind.

You let your suitcase standing in front of the door an walked to the said plant. Blindly you rummaged in the dirt and the roots before you felt the clink of the key on your fingertips.

When you moved out, you gave Alex the keys back. For the reason, that they were home as soon as they expected you or picked you up from the airport. You could also go to your friends if you needed the key, like this time.

After holding it firmly in your hand, you walked back and held your ear to the cold wood and listened. The TV was on and you heard both talking and laughing. The tears came back to you immediately but not out of sadness, but of happiness.

Quietly, so that you went unnoticed, you turned the key in the lock, took a deep breath and opened the door with a big swing.

Both immediately jumped off the sofa in alarm and Alex pulled her gun. You started to laugh and looked into two tangled faces that still hadn’t checked who you were. „You want to shoot your little sister, Allie?“

„Oh my god.“ She whispered and put her gun back on the table.

Still stunned both looked at you and could not realize that they no longer saw you through the screen of a smartphone but in real. You were there, your feet were on the same wooden floor a few meters away, your aura enveloped the room and your warmth radiated out of you that they had not felt for a long time.

Detached from their rigidity, they both ran at you almost simultaneously and took you into a bone crushing hug.

For months you had not felt as comfortable and loved as now, you were completely alone in your life and almost without friends. You could not stop your tears and let them flowing freely while pressing both of your sisters tighter and closer to you so that not even a sheet of paper could fit through. „I am so happy to be here again!“ you sobbed in the shoulders of the two.

You stayed there for a few more minutes in the tight hug before you went to the bathroom where you relaxed from the flight with a hot shower. Fresh in sweatpants and a shirt that was too wide, you came out to your sisters and sat in the middle of the two. „I missed you so much.“

„We too, angel.“ Kara said and gave you a kiss on your still wet hair as she pulled you into her arms by the shoulders.

You clutched her hip and put your head on her abdomen. You listened to your alien sisters heartbeat as you catched up on the last few months of not cuddling.

„How did you get the idea to show up here without us not noticing? How did you managed to get in without a key and who helped you with it?“ Alex akes impressed and curious while she took two beers out of the fridge and opened it like an expert with hers still closed.

You smiled and thanked her while you got up and took a sip. „Little big secret of mine.“

The red-haired eyebrow rose and she looked at you intently. You stayed hard and pinched your eyes as you got closer to her face and looked at her.

„I hate you.“ She said losing. „You love me!“ you pouted before she pressed her cold hand in your face and threw you back into Kara’s arms.

„Of course I love you.“

[cottoncandy-jester]

✨Lie down it's time for a-

Wait

Something's wrong

Dream a better dream

I know what you're thinking

"ew proxy did you just make a story about yourself?!"

No, I did it based on my character who is..based on myself

Look it's halloween and I'm feeling emotional and depressed, I'll give y'all some halloween content after this so let me have this..please.

Your eyes opened and the first thing you hear is the soft tapping of someone messing with some kind of electronic device. As you sit up you try to remember what led you to pass out in the first place, you check the time only to see that it's quite early compared to your normal sleeping schedule

"oh you're awake? That's strange. You should be sleeping though that must be the weird feeling I had"

You turn your eyes to a male with a small tablet in his hand, he looked young but something in your guy told you something about him wasn't right. As he walked towards you that feeling got worse before the realization hit you.

You weren't in your room, you were in some different place that made your head feel like it was splitting open. The room if you could even call it that was dark yet tranquil, the walls were splashed with soft dark purple and they seemed to have this off twinkle about them as if the owner took the stars from the sky themselves and somehow placed them on the wall. The room had a computer desk set up near a cracked open window, apparently it was pouring and even lightly thundering yet not a drip of water made its way inside. It looked like a casual room and had a bookshelf though it was too dark foe you to see it fully the only source of light being the thunder ever so often and a lamp on top of the desk that gave the entire room a purple glow as it as the light glowed hologram stars all around the room.

You noticed you were sitting on a bed though you were sure it wasn't your bed. The smell of incense wafted through the room and it was making the entire area smell of sweet vanilla and a hint of mint. The smell was making your head feel fuzzy yet it was a scent you remember, have you been in this room before

"where am I..?"

Your voice surprisingly didn't have any stutter or quiver in it at all but a shudder did go down your spine when the mysterious stranger reached out to touch your right cheek

"in the in between of course, though you Usually don't wake up like this so I don't know if that's troubling or not"

His voice was smooth and had a playfulness to it as he started to play with your hair and for some reason you let him.

"why am I here? Just what is going on?"

Your barrage of questions earned a light hearted and from the male before he pressed his knee onto the bed now leaning in close.

"this is my world, my room and the waiting lobby for the dream world"

His words only confused you more but before you could speak he cut you off by explaining it even more.

"you see, this is where I would put you to sleep and give you a sweet dream..a beautiful dream of your and even my choosing. You're supposed to be on your way to dream but something isn't right"

You tried to process all this information while keeping your head down. You bit your bottom lip in thought before glancing up at the stranger only for him to already be sitting at the computer chair facing you curiously. His dark eyes seeming to have a light glow to them as he seemed to await for a response from you.

"what are you..who are you?"

Your next questions made him smile a cheshire like grin as he leaned back in his seat. The male playfully hummed as he started to spin the chair around slowly

"I'm proxy, like I said this is my world. I control the dream in this world"

You had no idea what exactly that meant but before you can ask he seemed to know exactly what you were thinking. He stopped spinning now once again facing you as he crossing his legs

"people come to me, request a dream and I give it to them..that's how it's supposed to go but things are running a little slower than normal so I've been simply coming up with my own dreams to offer them"

Dreams..? This guy controls dreams? You weren't sure if this was all true or not but if it was that meant you came here willingly for him to put you to sleep.

"why would I come here? And before you said I should be asleep..have I been here more than once?"

This response made proxy walk towards you with his hands behind his back. His smile made you unnerved so you backed up til your back hit the wall. When proxy got to the bed he leaned towards you with a curious stare, his eyes burned into you as you felt the urge to stare back

"I dunno, every person is different. Some visit me once in a blue moon and some have memberships, some even visit for the first time and never come back it all depends"

His next movements made you flinch, proxy crawled into the bed before sitting infront of you on his knees while his hands held your cheeks. His smile faded and his eyes were shining less brightly, you could tell he was troubled.

"do tell me..why aren't you dreaming? Why are you so stubborn. My abilities usually work all the time but for some reason at this moment I can't get you to dream..it's quite infuriating so why don't you just lay down and just rest now darling~"

Proxy flirty tone caused a slight blush to form on your face but you shook it off only to move his hands off your cheeks with a lightly stern expression.

"why are you so persistent to make me dream? Why is that so important to you?"

Your question shocked the male before he pulled back and let's out a frustrated huff. His chest rose and fell faster and faster as he was clearly trying to form words to match your question.

"why? That's easy! It's my job! I make sure everyone who comes here has a dream that makes them happy, I mean if I screw up a dream and they find discomfort in it then..I fail. If I fail that means I didn't do my job of making people happy and then-"

His ranting was making him clearly upset as he thought of the idea of failing and it was bringing him to tears. He ran his fingers through his hair before a choked laugh escapes him

"giving people dreams, making others happy that's all I have... that's all I'm good at or at least I think I'm good at it, I mean what if no one even likes the dreams I create? What if I'm just doing this for nothing?"

His voice was shaking as he kept his head down now mumbling under his breath. You didn't know a simple question could break him so easily and a feeling of guilt bubbled in your chest before you reached out to touch his arm only for him to flinch lightly and look at you with a shocked gaze.

You tried to find the right words to say but only heard laughing coming from him as he wiped his eyes of tears. His voice was quivering and still unstable but he was somehow still keeping a small smile

"you must be so uncomfortable...here I am crying and venting to you about nonsense when I'm supposed to be giving you a dream."

You could hear the embarrassment in his voice and couldn't help but shake your head softly before a small smile formed on your face. He looked.. lonely, you simply reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder

"is it okay if I stay here with you a little bit longer?"

That question made the male tense up as he had a look of confusion on his face. What did you just say to him? He couldn't believe you said such a thing it made worry creep down his back so out of impulse he grabbed your hands and held them close while looking you in the eyes

"you don't want a dream? You just want to stay? But- why? No no no something must be wrong here tell me your dreams and fantasy..come now, you must want something yeah? So tell me who exactly and what exactly you want?"

Proxy covered up his fear and worry by flirting but you simply brushed it off and shook your head lightly.

"I just don't want to dream right now that's all, I rather stay and talk to you some more..what's wrong with that?"

You noticed the surprised smile on proxy's face before he gave you a quick hug, as his arms wrapped around you a feeling of pure warmth and comfort embraced you which helped relax you.

"you can stay if that's what you wish, but no funny business! You have to be behaved, kay?"

His chirpy voice made you smile and nod as the two of you then started to talk. Topics flew quick with you both and there were even times where you two would erupt into bursts of laughter from silly topics or funny jokes.

You weren't sure if time passed in his area but your eyelids were starting to get heavy, proxy saw him and simply smiled before slowly helping you lay down. A pink aura surrounded him and you as he laid next you

You turned to face him only to see him doing the same thing, as your foreheads touched you could see the joy in his eyes before he spoke in a quiet voice

"you're falling asleep, that's normal so just relax. i will be sending you back to your world now but I want to thank you for joining me tonight...it was quite fun."

"will I see you again?"

Your question made him smile as he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on your forehead. The kiss was quick but it made you both beam with glee

"you can come back anytime, whether you want to dream or simply talk.. I'll be here"

Relief washed over you as your eyelids got even heavier and the room around you started to fade.

"hey proxy..?"

"Hmmm?"

"I think your dreams are worth it...don't quit making them for people"

These were your last words before you fell asleep but proxy couldn't help but smile as he simply held your hand while closing his eyes and focusing on your steady heartbeat

"thank you..I don't think I'll quit quite yet."

[judgement-free-sideblog]

Occupational hazards

Barry Berkman x Reader

Three part series: It was just another job, he doesn't even had to kill anyone, but the way she looked at him was more dangerous than the bullets.

Part I Part II Part III

Angst with a happy ending

Warnings: Violence, cursing, blood, stalkers.

Part II

Adrian's face smiled at you in the mirror, she was a nice looking woman, a few years younger than you, yet ten times more of a functional adult.

"Reservations are at 10:00 for brunch, and your... friend is waiting in the living room" Her voice had an ounce of disgust referring to Barry.

"Great! He is on time, and please don't be so harsh on him, I'll be down in a minute, chat with him, he is nice" She rolled her yes at you and walked out of your room, you knew she meant well and it made you happy having someone that caring around, even when this time you have lied to her about the true nature of your relationship with Barry.

You finished fixing up your hair and put on the summer dress you had picked up for you date it was the middle of June and it felt nice to have a reason to leave the house well dressed beside the fear that one of the many paparazzi lurking around would get a picture and sell it to a magazine with a stupid title.

And on the other hand even when you don't want to admit it, you were desperate to spend more time with Barry, you were not sure if he changed his mind out of pity, ambition or if he genuinely wanted to help you, but there was something about him so interesting you just needed to know more.

"You look beautiful" His del voice and the compliment take you by surprise "Shall we?" Even when chivalrous things like offering his arm like that or opening the car dormant nothing to you, it felt nice coming from him. "There was a bug in your living room, in the lamp next to your couch" He said once you were inside changing his voice back to the monotone he had used the day before and you felt a bit disappointed that his flattery was a lie.

"You know what? You are fired I'm going to kill him myself" You said jokingly, shaking that feeling away "How on earth did that psycho put a microphone in my house? I'm going to destroyed that shit the minute I get back" you started driving faster without noticing, the road helped to calm your nerves.

"Oh that that won't be necessary" He said showing you the small device crushed in his palm. "I crushed before Adrian could see"

"Then what you said earlier..." You started confused.

"That was a compliment, do big actresses don't receive those anymore?" He asked and youu could see a small grin on his face.

"So you met Adrian?" You better change the subject before things get complicated.

"I did, how much exactly did she knows? She send me an email with your address, and a few notes about places you like to go and stuff like that but she didn't mention anything else" He was looking at the road and you suspected he haven't see this side of L.A. before.

"Well, she knows I'm from Columbus, so I told her you were a childhood friend that came to work here as an extra in a movie I had a small role in, that we reconnected over emails and that now we wanted to explore more of that feelings" a complete fabrication but she had believed it and that made you feel worst about lying.

"I'm from Cleveland, but that would do. So you finally didn't tell her the truth?"

"I couldn't, you were right, is better if less people know" you were already at the restaurant so you allowed the valet to take away your car and you took his hand cautiously waiting for a reaction but he didn't pull away and just started walking in "How did your boss take it? That you end up taking the job?"

"Fuches is not my boss" He said again exasperated, just what you intended, there was a cute frown on his forehead when he do that "And he is happy, he didn't want to work with you either, so now he can ignore the whole thing and simply change his work number."

"A true dream that guy huh?" Even whit the heels you have to look up to him every time you talked to him.

"He is... terrible" He said after struggling to fine a compliment for Fuches "But just like you feel about Adrian, he is family." He talked low so only you could listen and you both walked behind the waitress to your table, in the open area of the restaurant. He opened the chair for you and wait for the waitress to walk away to ask a question that clearly was trying to get in the conversation since earlier "This Maverick guy, is he dangerous? Did he ever beat you or..."

"Or?" You said rising a brow but he couldn't get the words out "He is not that stupid, he wouldn't do anything that could physically incriminate him, but he was rough in verything, I really don't like to talk about it". Your palms were sweaty and the knot on your chest start tightening.

"I'm sorry" He said seeing your obvious discomfort "Is just that I have a friend, and I think she is working with him"

"A friend?" You asked very interested and it was his turn to be uncomfortable "Look Barry he is a bad men, I won't sugarcoat it for you, but it all depends on how known she is, he preys on extras and new faces with promises of big parts, but if she has a talking named role he probably would leave her alone."

"She is one of the leads I guess, is that movie of the moms that get divorce and fall for each other?" He said relieved with what you have said.

"Fantastic Richard make a movie to make everyone around him believe he is a feminist and I'm here paying a men to make me look like a decent woman" you said bitterly "Don't worry she would be fine, he would be the most perfect gentleman for everything about that project to cover his ass, your friend is safe" you reassure him and the waitress returned to take your orders, just when you were desperate for a drink.

"Are you ready to order?" She had a big smile with white teeth and bright pink lipstick and you could see her checking out Barry without discretion.

"Two black coffees please" He said before you could speak "I want the mushrooms omelet and the fruit cocktail" He said giving back the cart.

"And you madame?"

"A whites only spinach omelet, thank you" You said and she walked away no without giving one last look at him. "Coffee?"

"Decent women don't drink at 10 am" that actually made you laugh and he was pleased with your reaction "But actually there is somewhere I would like to take you after this and it would be better if you are completely sober" You gave him an intrigued look but he didn't say much else about it.

You eat in a comfortable silence, and you studied his face and his movements, how he keep moving his cup on the table and how he drink never taking the cup by the handle, like it was a glass. Then a loud ring interrupted the moment and you could see your least favorite person name popping up in the screen, you were going to turn the phone off but he took it first.

"Hello?" He said casually "Hi, I'm Barry, who are you?" you couldn't hear the response but you were almost sure he should be mad. "Oh that is not possible, she is very busy at the moment, right sweetheart? Do you want to leave her a message? Oh look he hung up" He give you back the phone and you immediately turned off. "Adorable guy".

"He is going to be pissed" You said with a big smile on your face "Thank you"

After the meal he took the car to drive outside town, there was something relaxing about it, that deserted area away from everyone and everything was definitely a place where nobody will follow and you felt completely safe next to him.

"Fuches told me how you get his number" he said opening the door for you. "And I invited someone here that may be happy to see you again" He said pointing at a man a few yards from you, he was wearing a hat to hide from the sun and a black best, but you could recognize his pale skin almost instantly.

"Hank?" You asked and he start approaching "Oh god is you, I'm so happy to see you.

"Y/N! This is gonna be so much fun, when Barry said he was working with you I was so excited" He said smiling and holding both of your hands.

"Wait a minute what is going to be fun exactly, and do you know each other?" You asked but it was obvious that they did, wich confirmed that NoHo Hank was everything but an ordinary men.

"Of course we know each other, Barry trained my men to be as good as him and take down the Burmeses but then he went crazy and kill them all. But hey! Water under the bridge right Barry?" He talked about murder an mafia the way he talked about color schemes for small rooms, and you could see just how dangerous Barry Berkman's world really was.

"You worked for the Chechen mafia?" You asked Barry.

"As a consultant" He said with indignation "Let's get started, put this on" he said tossing a bag with Gym clothes from Lululemon "I .... I guessed your size" He said a bit embarrassed.

"What exactly are we doing here?" You asked him and looked at the clothes, it was a nice purple sport bra and matching leggings.

"Well your ex is an asswhole, and I'm not that sure this plan of your will work, but since I can't stay at your place all the time to stop him for get close to you, I thought it would be good if you learn to defend yoursel" He said confidently. "Also I made some recon around your house this morning, your window is facing a blindspot on a roof perfect for someone to watch you from there" You remember the insidious calls from Richard and got chills thinking he may have been watching you from so close.

"Decent women don't drink at 10 am" He said sarcastically, making you laugh "I'm kidding, I actually want to take you somewhere else after brunch, and I'll be better if you are completely sober" he said with a playful look on his eyes that was enough to convince you to quit drinking...at least for that week.

You went to a small tent they have set up and put on the work out clothes to start, sadly your physical shape was no match for his, and after what he called just warm up you were sweating and panting. But you felt touch by the gesture, and your heart start holding to the illusion that he may not be doing all this for the money.

"Come on, like you mean it!" He said after you tried to hit him on the groin with your knee but stopped midair not wanting to hurt him.

"Hit him baby! Barry can take it" Hank said cheering you up, he was not actually helpful but it was nice to have him around.

You close your eyes and try to concentrate on Richard, on all the pain he caused you and how much you have sacrificed to get away from him and then you hit him again this time with all your strength, and even when Barry was way stronger he bend with paint for a moment.

"Barry? Oh shit I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" You start looking at him while he still had his hand holding his hurt manhood.

"No, it's fine" He said gasping for air "That was good, now do it to Hank" he said and start laughing watching how Hank went even paler. "Oh fuck that hurt" He said no longer holding his weight and Hank run to help you stand on his feet.

"I think that's more than enough, come on big guy I'll take you home" You said and helped him back in the car. "Thanks man" You said to NoHo Hank and offered your hand but he went for a hug.

"Barry is a good guy, he could be good for you" He whispered in your ear and you nodded with a blush in your face, either you were being obvious or he was just that sensitive.

You drive to your place in silence, except for you asking him every few minutes if he was okay. You helped him to your couch and went to the kitchen to find him some ice and an ibuprofen.

"That went well" He said once you were sitting next to him on the couch and he took the pill "Now make sure you do that if that son of a bitch comes near you"

"You can be sure I will, but seriously apart from probably keeping you from being a father I have a great day" you really meant that, maybe it was the way he looked at you or the way he spoke but he made you feel safe.

"I should leave" He said then putting apart the ice pack, "I have to work in the morning and I'll go to the hospital to make sure I don't have an hernia" He said and laughed at your concerned face "I'm kidding, I'll call you" He stood up and he gave you a handshake but following your instinct you pull him closer to kiss him on th cheek, he didn't move nor say anything but gave you a timid smile and just walked outside.

The peace you felt that night, that would extend for the next month was intoxicating, for the first time in a long time you went to sleep without worrying what would the tabloids were reserving for you in the morning, even when Pop sugar had a vicious article about the "Mysterious man taking Y/N on dates in L.A." the next morning, Barry made you happy, and maybe the only cloud in your sunny day was that your relationship wasn't real, it had an expiration date and a price tag attached to it.

Week after week you tried to keep you from falling for him, forcing you to remember how you actually met, but despite the fact that he was in fact a murderer he was a good man, and even when he called himself a bad actor he was excellent at faking caring for you, at holding you in his arms at the beach and giving you his jacket so you wouldn't get sunburned.

He mastered the art of making you believe he get nervous when he would get at your place earlier than planned and you would be walking around in a see trough sleepwear dress. And you have to force yourself to believe that a tender kiss on your forehead in public was just part of his job and meant nothing because otherwise you would be done when he left.

On the bright side was that people were talking about you two and the insidious calls and the nasty presents and threats have stopped, and since one friend of yours on Variety wanted an actual exclusive on your relationship by mid July you agreed to give her a candid interview about how marvelous your life was since Barry came along.

"Nervous?" You asked him and stop a minute to admire him in his old Marine uniform, you never quite get the kink about it until now, he did look amazing and the unholy thoughts in your mind were about to make you blush, you even had stop smoking to make the lie believable but god you could use one now.

"Not really, it's just weird I haven't use this in years" It was all part of the photoshoot that will go with the interview "Thankfully it still fits"

"You can always take it off and that would get attention too" You wink at him, your more efficient form of coping with your feelings was being extremely flirtatious, at least that way he would think it was a joke.

"Hi, I'm Danielle" the reporter said and shake Barry's hand once he was out of his uniform and you both were siting in a nice couch with the cameras around you. "First I want to say that you guys are a lovely couple, and it's such an honor that you allow this space to talk about it"

"Thank you for having us" strangely you felt actually nervous and when he notice you rubbing your hands together he took it one on his and hold it tight. "With all the things that are out there even when I like to keep my life private I prefer to tell the truth once before it hurt my relationship" You said, as you both have practiced for the last three days, your friend Charlie had been nice enough to send a copy of the questions to Adrian and you have choreographed your answers, now she would asked about how did you meet.

"So Barry tell me, all this media attention have had any negative impact in your life? How do you cope with being called a walking purse, as some headlines had said?" The question came out of nowhere and Charlie that was sitting behind the cameras was looking as baffled as you, and ypu could imagine who may have something to do with this.

Barry stay silent for a second that felt like an hour and then he finally spoke with a composed tone.

"When I first move to L.A. I have this delusional idea in mind of becoming an actor, and I used to think the spotlight was the goal, but then when we started dating I realized how damaging that could be for someone, the amount of pressure people put on women is insane, look ar this beautiful and wonderful women next to me, people should be talking about how great she is acting, how far she has get on her own, and how much she does for her community in her free time, I'm nothing, just an extra in a couple of commercials and a clerk in lululemon. If they want to call me a purse be my guest, nothing would make me happier as long as people give her the recognition she deserves"

If the interviewer was mad she didn't show, but that passionate speech was enough to make her back to the scheduled questions and the rest of the interview went smoothly.

"Well that was interesting" Barry had a sad smile in his eyes when he dropped you at your house "I think I overstepped, I'm sorry"

"Don't be, thanks for having my back, I froze I should have said something". It had make you feel week again and that was hurting you.

"Is fine, well good luck tomorrow" He said referring to the Emmy nominations that would be announced in the morning and that you had actually forgotten about.

"God you are right, well another reason to keep me awake I guess" Your mind formed an idea and you were not able to shake it and since he didn't respond you took your chance and went for it. "Would you like to stay? I mean I'm to anxious to sleep and I have some movies we could watch"

He looked completely taken by surprise, and he went dead silent, for a moment you even feard you have gone too far and that he might be mad at you for saying it.

"I would love to, we can finally watch one of those movies you always talk about" He walked in front of you to get in the house and you followed him more happy than you have ever been.

[katedrakeohd]

Mistress May I?

Author's Note: Totally NSFW. Totally not Choices related. Just an unfinished story that I've had kicking around for a while. Compared to some stories I've read on here this is pretty tame. Contains sexual content in a Dom/Sub context so consider yourself warned.

....

Chapter One: Jerry

(Word Count: 1593)

.

Dr. Karen Davenport looked out at the grey, late afternoon skyline as she snapped the cover closed on her laptop. Her last patient's appointment had ended an hour ago, and the time since had been spent digitizing her notes for the file. As a therapist she was privy to all matter of social and psychological derangements, phobias and lamentations. The burden of keeping what to some might seem as criminal or delinquent behavior a secret as per doctor/patient confidentiality weighed heavily on her conscience. With a sigh, she pushes herself away from the desk, and standing up shakes off the morose feelings with a stretch. Instantly feeling better she pushes in her chair and then glances at her watch. She had two hours before her next appointment and needed time to freshen up and get into character. Karen turns off her desk lamp, slides her laptop into her attaché case and prepares to leave the office, when her iPhone on the desk jingles to indicate she has a message. She picks it up and looks at the screen, it's her next client checking in and confirming he's at the hotel. She replies with a dismissive 'ok' and then smiles. Let him stew for a bit. She was going to take all the time she needed.

Getting into her car in the underground parking, Karen's phone buzzes again. Pulling it out of her pocket, she sees:

"What does Mistress want me to do while I wait?"

"Order room service, then take a shower. I want you to be clean. Don't bother me again." She messages back.

So needy. I'll have to remind him about patience.

Karen sighs as she starts her car, putting her phone into airplane mode before tossing it over on the passenger seat, no more distractions. The half hour drive home, then getting herself showered and changed was what mattered now.

An hour later she was headed back into the city, dressed in a different sort of professional attire than her boring therapist blouse and skirt. Under the satin lining of her overcoat, the black leather of her corset and tight black leggings slid sensuously. Feeling delicious she glanced at the long case on the backseat in her rear view.

She had texted her request to be met in the hotel lobby at 8pm sharp, and not to be late. Tardiness meant punishment, but she didn't mind meting it out. After she handed the valet her keys, Karen opened the back door and grabbed her tool box off the backseat. When the doorman offered to carry it in she shakes her head. She could handle her 'product samples' just fine. After all it was part of her job.

Freeing her silken brunette ponytail from the collar of her coat, she whips it out over her shoulder. Giving the doorman a smile and a whiff of jasmine vanilla perfume, she walks into the lobby. Sitting on the bench nervously is her submissive, and as they briefly make eye contact he quickly averts his eyes and then leads the way to the elevator.

After the doors close he stabs at the number 7 to indicate the level his rented room is on. Good, she thought, the view of the city should be excellent from there.

"Hands behind your back Jerry, and keep your eyes on your shoes. I expect total obedience, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What did you tell the desk clerk about our meeting in the lobby?"

"I told them I was expecting the AVON lady." He mumbled into his shirt.

"Nice one. I'll have to use that again." She smiled, and glanced down at the case in her hand.

As the elevator doors slide open at the seventh floor Jerry exits and turns right. Karen follows a few paces behind him, measuring his body language with her gaze. He walks like he's got a stick up his ass, geez Jerry relax a little this is supposed to be fun. She stops walking and calls out to him.

"When you reach your room, I want you to kneel down beside the door and face the wall."

"Yes ma'am." He replies.

Karen waits for him to kneel down next to 715 before she proceeds down the hall.

"Good boy, now get the key card out of your pocket and hand it to me."

Karen sets her leather case on the floor next to Jerry, watches him glance at it. Once he hands her the card, she swipes it through the door lock and pushes the door open.

A quick survey of the room: one bed, two chairs, a table and a TV sitting on a low credenza containing two long drawers, a doorless closet to her right and a stark white bathroom to her left. Same ugly floral print on every thing upholstered, boring grey carpet. Karen walks into the room, holds the door for Jerry.

"You can get up now Jerry, and carry in my case. Please place it on the counter next to the TV."

Karen watches him carry in the case, and then she slips the 'do not disturb' sign onto the outside door handle and then closes the door.

"Ok, now strip down to your underwear and sit down on the end of the bed."

As Jerry starts to take off his clothes, Karen removes her overcoat and hangs it up on a hanger. Her provocative black attire distracts Jerry a moment and he pauses and then quickly looks away. Karen walks across the room in her tall black leather boots, stops to unlatch the buckles on her case and pulls out a leather flogger about three feet long, with loose leather tassels.

"M-m-Mistress, may I ask a question?" Jerry stammers, as he watches Karen pull a chair over to the end of the bed. Karen sits down in the chair, facing Jerry and lays the flogger carefully across her lap.

"Certainly Jerry." Karen says with a smile.

"When I agreed to meet with you for extra therapy. You promised me this wouldn't technically be cheating on my wife, right?" Jerry nervously clenches his hands together in his lap.

"I promise you Jerry, there will be no sex between us. I'm here as your therapist only. When you and your wife approached me for couples counseling, I sensed there was a deeper issue that was causing a rift in your marriage. So tell me Jerry what's come up between you that's caused this breakdown in communication?"

Seeing Jerry tense nervously, struggling to hide his growing erection with his hands, Karen slaps the flogger sharply on the bed beside him to get his attention.

"Jerry, I want you to sit on your hands. Leave yourself alone. Tell me about your wife, do you love her?"

"Yes."

"Well is that boner in your boxers, for me, your wife, or is there someone else that's been on your mind lately?"

"I - I'm sorry I can't seem to help it lately. Pretty women just set it off. There's a woman at my office with nice b-breasts, and her perfume just drives me crazy."

Karen sits back in her chair, Jerry tries to avoid looking at her, gives up and just closes his eyes all together.

"So what do you do about these erections at work? Do you sneak off somewhere and handle it? How does this make you feel afterwards?" Karen asks, rising from her chair and stepping forward to kneel on the bed.

"If I'm alone in my office I end up jerking off under my desk, or I excuse myself from group conversations to do it in the bathroom. I hate myself for being so weak. And when I go home later I feel so guilty, and avoid being around my wife. I'm so afraid she'll figure out I fantasize about a coworker, and assume my guilt is adultery. To make matters worse, my wife and this woman at work are friends." Jerry's eyes snap open and he looks at his therapist in panic. "What are you doing?"

"We need to desensitize you to the physical attractions of other women. Roll over onto your belly."

Seeing the leather instrument in her hand, Jerry reluctantly complies, knowing how uncomfortable this is going to make his groin feel. Karen straddles his hips, slides the leather strands of the flogger down his back. Jerry squirms beneath her. Pulling back her arm she slaps the leather sharply against his legs. Jerry yelps in pain, then lies still.

"The next time you find yourself aroused at work I want you to call your wife. Tell her you love her. And when you go home tonight, hold her close and tell her how much you've missed her. I'm betting she's missed you just as badly."

"I'll try. But I don't know if I can push aside these fantasies at work."

Karen climbs off the bed, brings the flogger down and slaps Jerry's ass.

"Jesus! Stop doing that."

"Are you attempting to use our safe word? Just say it."

"Ok, OK! 'Butterscotch' ."

Dr. Karen Davenport puts her therapy tool away in her bag, and walks over to get her coat. Reaching into her pocket she wakes up her phone to check the time. She has three missed calls. Jerry rolls over on the bed and props himself up on his elbows. As he watches Karen put on her coat he reaches down to rub at his crotch.

"So Dr. Karen, now what?" He grins, feeling himself get hard again.

"Go home Jerry, fuck your wife."

Chapter two : Room Service

[riseofarmy]

03 | DO YOU EVER LOOK AT SOMEONE AND WONDER

i can do this all day 03 | do you ever look at someone and wonder

author : @riseofarmy

pairing : kim seokjin x original character

words : 2533

i can do this all day masterlist

previous chapter

SEOKJIN

How isn't she tired yet?

I'm tired, and I've only been floating behind her for the last three-ish hours. When she first noticed that I was laying on air, her dumb cat hissed at me, but she just widened her eyes for a second before ignoring me.

Maybe she's just been desensitised by all the stuff she got sprung with today.... which is strange because people usually come looking for the lamp knowing there's a djinn inside. Then again, it's been a while since I've been awaked this far in the past, and it's further in the future that people know about the 'genie' myth.

I know that my first few masters summoned me one after another, but somewhere along the line, I started serving people from all different times. That stunning suit I had on before was made for one of the most popular boy groups of the 21st century, but I hadn't considered that I would be so far back in time that it would be ridiculed.

I still can't believe that: my master tried to kill me, then barely two minutes later made fun of my sexy jacket and oh my god, I don't even know her name.

"Oh my god, I don't even know your name." The little terror on her shoulder stares at me with its dumb, beady eyes.

"Darling." She didn't even turn to me when she answered.

"What?"

"My name. It's Darling. Darling Surya".

Darling. I size her up, running my gaze over her. Her face was a little plain, but it looked downright fierce with her buzz-cut and wicked jawline. Paired with her long jacket and the general get-out-of-my-way vibe she gives off, she doesn't seem like a Darling at all.

"Darling? Is it weird when some random person calls you darling without realising it's your name?"

"I had been using the name Surya while I pretended to be a man, so I've never had to experience that." Wow, plot twists be like.

"Why did you pretend to be a man?"

"Because all women are good for is marriage, and I needed a job to save up money so I could come here."

Yikes, alright then. I have a feeling she's always this intense.

She has my interest piqued though, and I keep asking her questions. She's blunt at first, obviously preoccupied by something else, but eventually she relaxes enough to give me more detailed answers. I even suck up my dislike to her dumb cat and float beside her instead of behind, and she doesn't seem to mind.

I learn that her father is from Daehan-Minguk and her mother from Paaratham (modern-day South Korea and India respectively, which explains her darker skin) and that she was a heavy labourer for two years to save up money to move from Paaratham to Daehan-Minguk.

She explains that the king is an asshole - making downright treasonous comments about him throughout - and that we were currently going to his son's birthday ball.

She doesn't tell me why we're going, though, because supposedly she's 'still sorting it out', but it must be something serious since she dances around the question with a tight expression until I ask her about her cat.

It's a little strange to just talk like this.

I always make sure to learn about each of my masters so I can serve them better. Darling, though... she one of the few who I can say don't feel like a master. Most of the others went straight to telling me everything they would do with the money they were going to wish for themselves, or the apparently tragic stories that made them so deserving of the power they wanted.

Darling, just talked about her parents and Yoongi a lot, and even asked me questions about being a djinn.

She was baffled when I told her I've served people from different times, mouth dropping and fingers tightening on the lamp which she still held in her hand, and she wanted to know what the world is like in the future. When I told her about phones, though, she decided I was making it up and asked something else.

Still, it felt nice to talk to Darling. Nice enough that another hour and a half passed without me noticing, and soon enough, dusk had fallen and we were approaching the nearest town.

"I know an inn nearby, but I'm not sure how people would react if they saw someone in the air. I think you should stop floating for a bit." Darling looks pointedly at me until I set my feet on the ground with a huff.

"Silly humans and your non-floating ways. Do you realise how much of a time-waster walking is?"

"My bad, Seokjin. I'll make sure that next time I'm born as a genie." My lips curl into a grin of their own accord at her response, and I see her own do the same out of the corner of my eye.

The streets of the town are busy, but Darling navigates them fairly easily. It becomes more and more apparent, though, that there is currently something going on - people are bustling around busily, and Darling looks increasingly worried until we finally end up in front of an inn.

Inside, I immediately understand why Darling looked troubled - the inn is almost overflowing with people. Darling runs a hand over her buzz-cut and pushes the lamp deep into her pocket, then tells me to wait in the corner while she talks to the innkeeper. I try to follow her anyway, but she gives me a wicked glare and leaves her cat next to me so I stay put.

"What are you looking at?" The cat doesn't even blink, just lays down next to my feet. It doesn't seem to mind when I crouch closer to it, so I give its fur an experimental poke.

It opens its eyes lazily, slowly flicking its tail in my direction until I give it another poke, soft this time. Dumb cat. I could make you disappear from existence right now and you wouldn't even realise. As if sensing my thoughts, the cat bats at my hand, but then lets me pat it again.

"Yoongi likes you." Darling, who appeared without me even realising, looks down with sickeningly love-filled eyes at the cat.

"He what now?"

"Yoongi. He doesn't like anyone touching him except me, but he seems to be okay with you."

"Oh. Well, that's too bad for him because I hate cats."

"If you say so." She raises her eyebrows as if she doesn't believe me, but before I can reaffirm that no, really, I hate cats, she jerks her head to the stairs that I think lead to the rooms. "It's good we came here first, because the other inn is already full. There's a festival in Mansae the day before the ball, so people are staying here on their way to it and there's only one room left here. You okay with that?"

"I live in a lamp, Darling, I'm sure I can manage." She gives me a small smile and hikes her rucksack up before picking up her cat.

The innkeeper comes to us with a very capitalist smile and leads us to our room. He doesn't shut up, somehow managing to fit his life story, three comments about how 'we're never been this busy' and even an offer for me to marry his daughter in the two minutes he has our attention.

Darling just rolls her eyes when we're finally shown our room, and I remember her words from before - 'all women are good for is marriage'. I wonder if the innkeeper's daughter knew she was basically being given away by her own dad.

"Seokjin!" I pop my head into the room, which Darling had already unlocked and was going through. It was just big enough for a bed, a small table with a chair, and a tub behind a bamboo screen to bathe in.

"Yeah?"

"We have to get to the palace by tomorrow afternoon, so we're leaving early." She grabs a pillow from the bed to fluff it before throwing it back down. "You sleep here, I'll take the chair."

I think the sight of me floating has completely disappeared from her brain. "Darling. Sweetheart. You are a human, and need sleep. I am a genie, and have my lamp and don't need to sleep. Take the bed."

Darling's hand had been hovering protectively over her pocket, but now she pulls the lamp out of it and glances up at me.

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. I thought you wouldn't be too thrilled at the idea of going back into your lamp so soon. Plus, I wasn't planning on sleeping."

That makes me pause, and I consider her predicament for a moment. Darling - visibly tired, stressed out and her mind obviously occupied by something that she's been turning over for who-knows-how-long, yet here she is offering me a bed. Me. A literal genie with my whole-ass magic thing going on. Because she thinks I would be sick of being in my perpetual home one more night. Cute.

Then I notice how tight her grip on the lamp is, and that's when something clicks in my brain.

Hah. I wonder if she realises how easy it is to read her.

"Interesting, Darling, but may I offer a proposition? You sleep on the bed, your dumb cat can do whatever, and I'll do my floating business. Win-win-win, am I right? Also, c'mere."

She widens her eyes warily when I hold my hand out for the lamp, but passes it over with some hesitancy.

"What are you doing?"

"Trust me, Darling."

I watch her expression morph from confusion to distress as I melt the golden lamp into a chain-link necklace. Taking a step closer to her, I reach across the space between us to loop the chain around her neck and seal the ends together so there isn't an opening to the necklace. The purple gem thing - even after all this time, I don't know what it is - rests just below her collarbone, glinting in the dim light from the candle we were given.

"There you go! Now you can sleep without having to worry about losing it! Wow! You can thank me now!" I smile at her, but she doesn't notice. She fiddles with the necklace experimentally, a frown bringing her eyebrows together.

"What if someone pulls it off?" How Darling of her, always going around ruining the mood with her silly questions.

"Nopsies, the only ones who can even touch it are you and me. And your stupid cat. And I'm the only one who can take it off you or change its shape, so hurry up and thank me you ungrateful shit." I smile wider, tilting my head in expectation, and the tiniest hint of a grin graces her lips.

"Thank you, Seokjin."

"You are absolutely welcome, Darling dear. Now sleep." Before she can say anything else, I push her onto the bed and tap her forehead. She doesn't even have a chance to look surprised before she's unconscious, fast asleep as the purple remnants of my magic curl around her head.

I pull a blanket over her and poke my tongue out at her dumb cat when it jumps up to sleep next to her. It ignores me.

Oh well.

"Look, Mansae will be in front of us in a second. We'll be able to see the sea too."

Darling draws my attention to the view ahead of me, where we're about to break through the forest's treeline.

She woke up at fuck-all o'clock to find me playing on my Nintendo, and barely ten minutes later we were out of the town and on our way to the palace. We avoided the main road until now by picking our way through the mountain, but we were close enough to the capital, Mansae that we couldn't avoid it any longer.

With one last turn, the palace is laid bare in front of us.

The main road snakes to the palace and the houses and markets that surround it, which were in turn set within a wide valley circled by the Mansae mountain range. Through the space between two of the mountains, we could see the faint glimmer of the ocean far away. The palace itself was a spread of white towers spearing the sky, the path leading to it choked with people weaving between markets.

We join the crush of people heading to the palace for Jungkook's birthday-and-wife-picking-ceremony and are instantly shoulder-to-shoulder with sweaty strangers. Darling's elbow digs into my side as we walk, but she's too focused on babying her dumb cat to realise. I bear with it until we reach the markets, but I can't stand it anymore.

"Darling your elbow has been jackhammering a hole into my ribs for an hour."

She practically rips her gaze away from her cat to look up at me. "Seokjin, I can promise you that you are not the only one in this crush of people with an elbow in your ribs. Still, sorry about that, I wish there wasn't so much of a crowd."

"Ohoho, is that your first wish?" I waggle my eyebrows at her jokingly, but she doesn't realise I'm only kidding.

"No! No, that is not a wish!" She seems to be visibly panicking, a flush climbing her throat as she splutters in her attempt to make sure her wish isn't used. Cute.

"Okay okay, that's not your wish, I get it. But uhh, now that we're on the topic... What is your first wish?"

"I'll tell you when it comes to it." Ah yes, Darling - putting up brick walls faster than you can ask her questions. This time, though, that's not an option.

"Nopesies, you have to tell me. Come on bestie."

"I will. If I need to. Do I really need to? Can't I just say it when I need it to happen?"

Some times, it's a real bother being the only smart person on a whole planet of dummies. But that's okay - I suck back my exasperation and hide it behind a tight smile.

"Okay. Look. Here's the deal, Darling. It's obvious to me by now that you are not going to wish for money or power or whatever else my masters usually want. If, when you make your wish, it isn't precise enough or it's something I can't grant, I will not know what to give you and that's a wish wasted. I need you to explain this big idea of your's, or else I literally cannot do my job properly, so please tell me: what is going on inside your head?"

The flush on her neck spreads to her face as she mutters something without meeting my eye, but I miss it because she says it so quietly.

"What was that?"

Squaring her shoulders, Darling turns and holds my gaze straight on. There's some emotion tightening her face that I can't fully decipher, something between agitation and determination

"I need you to make the prince fall in love with me."

i can do this all day masterlist

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