#i have no explanation for what transpired in my mind

[periprose]

Hi! :)

I’m craving some Logan Howlett angsty fluff and I really like your writing style… Do you think you could maybe do a fic where either Logan and reader are in the heat of the moment and his claws come out and he scratches her. Or where Logan has a nightmare and the same thing happens. Either way the reader ends up comforting him.

Thank you! 🩷 :)

Hi!! So sorry for getting to this so late 🥹 loved the idea btw :) ended up doing a bit of a mix of both? If that makes sense.

/

"Out with it."

Your voice rings out clearly among the X-Men, the throng of battle no longer around you all. It was a more exhausting battle than you would've thought, but nothing irks you more than knowing that Logan has been apparently thinking of you as someone to play babysitter to. He hadn't trusted you to make your final blow to the enemy, and instead scooped you away to safety before lashing out with his own claws.

Logan clearly has something to say to you, and you want to hear it. You're not going to let him escape again- the way he always does, nonchalantly, refusing to acknowledge how he treats you.

Charles stiffens next to you in the helicarrier. Watching the tension, feeling the palpable heart-wrenching sensation between you and Logan. He doesn't know how you got to this point.

"Listen. Just because you didn't have it doesn't mean you're not a good X-Man-" Logan starts dismissively.

"But I did! I did have it!" You shout back at him, and then inhale carefully. "Nobody told you to rescue me, Logan. If I was about to die, then I was. I wanted that to be on my own terms."

"Don't talk like you're a fucking martyr when you've never had the privilege, kid." Logan's unnecessarily harsh tone has you flinching. "Do you know how many people I've seen die, for no good reason? Do you really want a bunch of Pentagon psychos to be your last memory?"

"Shut up." You shift in your seat, feeling small. "We don't get to choose when we die. Not like you."

Logan becomes visibly angered with that, the little taunt you've made towards his immortality. "That doesn't mean you have to go seek it out, dumbass."

"Oh really? Don't tell me you're getting soft, Logan." You glare at him, and Charles and Jean and Scott look at each other uncertainly. "Just because your life is so long doesn't mean the rest of us have forgotten what it means to be alive."

There's an unspoken, sudden charge in the air, now that you've mentioned what everyone else has the good sense to shut up about- Logan having lived so long and not caring about the consequences of his actions. Logan's eyes narrow until you feel sure that you've pushed him too far this time- he looks more animal than human, more Wolverine than ever- and you feel yourself inching forward, letting the anger of not being understood push you to fighting him- and Charles suddenly raises his hand in protest.

"Please, you two. I'm not sure what has transpired today, but I know you are better than choosing to have a physical altercation on a helicarrier flight." His calm, soothing tone makes you feel a little disappointed in yourself, and you settle back in your seat, refusing to meet his or Jean's glances of concern.

/

All you really wanted was an apology. A "Sorry, I won't do that again." Or even an explanation for why Logan keeps tabs on you all the time, never letting you be a real part of the X-Men, always safely on the sidelines. Were you just too weak?

Should you even be here?

You feel guilty for what you said to him. It's not a bad thing, you know, that Logan doesn't want you to get hurt- it's just that you want to do your job. You're not a kid.

It almost, almost justifies how you treated him, but even you know that was too far. You can't act as if you know Logan's life story- not even Charles or Jean would claim to do that, and they've searched his mind for memories several times.

Like it or not, the man was mysterious. He kept to himself on a lot of things, citing past hurt as his reason why- and you should've respected that.

"Maybe I am weak." You mutter to yourself, wondering why you can't restrain your emotions around Logan.

You're practicing shooting small, psionic blasts towards the target in your room- it's a great way to pass the time when you can't sleep- when you hear a groan, a shudder, an angry, deep growl-

It sounds like Logan. His room is right above yours, and the sounds are definitely coming from there- you hear him yell, and before you can stop yourself, you're bounding up the stairs to the third floor of the X-Mansion, bursting through his room's door with a ready hand, in case you need to fight.

/

Logan watches as you berate him in his dream.

Actually, it's not quite you- it's some venomous, evil, witch wearing your face. You giggle at him- you call him old- you don't take him seriously.

With every taunt, you fire another bright purple blast at him- and for once, his body doesn't heal instantaneously. He is getting old, getting hurt, watching as blood pools out of him. It's agonizingly painful.

He's going to die this time, without making it right with you- he's afraid that you're right about him, that he's a washed up sad old man who can't ever let people in.

"We don't need you anymore, Logan..." The not-you whispers softly, smiling a smile that doesn't quite reach your eyes, and Logan can't help but believe it.

His self preservation instincts kick in, and he launches forward, snarling, claws out with a sharp snikt sound. He feels that even though he'll regret your death, he'll miss you immensely, it's just one more tally mark to several others.

/

"Logan. Logan!"

You're leaning over Logan's sweaty, clammy body in his bed. You watch as his hands fist in the sheets, and he tosses and turns in agony- you breathe in hesitation, in fear that he's not going to be okay- he grunts suddenly, and you're reminded of how Rogue tells you about his nightmares. They're frequent.

How out of touch could you have been today?

You gently-yet-firmly grab Logan's arm, shaking, and his arms move forward in a self-defense mechanism that seems practiced, as if he's been attacked in his sleep before, and before you can move away, there's a sharp snikt sound, a quick wave of claws, and a searing pain in your side.

It all happens before you can even blink. You fall off to the side, on the floor, writhing in pain. Logan's claws just nicked your side, it's essentially a scratch- but the pain is so much worse than you're expecting, and you fall to the floor again as you try to get up.

You breathe in harshly, holding back a sob, as you feel wet blood pooling through the side of your night dress.

"Jesus Christ." Logan pounces off the bed, waking to blood all over his claws, and he's leaning over your body, as you blink up at him hesitantly. He immediately panics, lifting you up and resting you on his squatted thighs. "Kid! Hey, kid, don't close your eyes-"

"..." You're just barely hanging on, but you listen.

And Logan feels that same sense of shame he felt when he attacked Rogue, when Jean "died", every single time he had accidentally unsheathed his claws towards someone who didn't deserve it.

Doubly so, considering it's like his terrible nightmare has come to life. But you absolutely didn't do anything wrong- he can't believe he was so angry with you.

He calls for help, in a slightly broken tone, and no one seems to be coming.

"Just a scratch." You try, but Logan shakes his head.

"No, no, no." Logan spits out. "How could I- I never meant to-"

"I'm sorry, Logan." You cough, and Logan feels awful that you're apologizing while bleeding out due to his actions. "I shouldn't have said what I said. You're not some unreliable old man who doesn't care..."

You flinch at a sudden, sharp pain, and Logan motions for you to stop talking, but you keep going.

"If anything, you're the opposite. You're there for me. And I'm sorry that I got so... so angry at you for that." You mutter to yourself, not aware of how Logan hangs onto your words. "You're protecting me from making mistakes, and I'm grateful."

"No, kid. You had a point before." Logan interjects, but you shake your head.

"Did I? Or was I being a brat?" You grimace at yourself.

"You did have a point. I was being selfish," Logan shakes his head and then swallows that urge to push you away. "I don't always know how to leave people well enough alone. Sometimes I'm too much."

He hesitates, and then continues on. "Like, I treat you as if you're a nuisance, right? But I always... I always want you next to me. And I know I should just sort my shit out like an adult. But I'm scared."

"Scared?"

"Of what happens. What always happens." Logan sighs in defeat. "I fall in love, and they die. I find my people, and they leave me because I'm such a jackass. There's too much surrounding me that just... ruins everything."

"No, no. I won't leave." You tighten your hand around Logan's, and he, despite wanting to say that you're wounded because of him, believes you. He's so grateful to hear you say it- he had no idea that's what was weighing on him so badly.

He loves you, he knows he does. Logan has never been the best with feelings, but for once, he's glad he was honest.

The first thing Scott sees when he finally makes his way to Logan's room, from all the way across the X-Mansion, is Logan whispering "I'm sorry," and... he thinks (he's not 100% sure), "I love you," to your very forlorn, softly curved-around-him body.

It's a very tender moment, and Scott feels he should leave.

Then Logan presses a firm, shaky kiss on your forehead, and then your lips, and you, with your limited reserve of energy, kiss him back, and then Scott interjects with:

"Hey!...?"

He seems taken aback as you both look at him. "I heard screaming? What is this, some sort of weird cult sacrificial scenario?"

"Logan... had a... nightmare..." You wince, and Scott sees the red on your night gown. "I need... medical attention."

"On it." Scott glances at Logan for permission, and he's currently trying to push all these mushy feelings back into his chest where they belong, and he wants to be there to help you in the clinic, but he's flustered with everything that's happened and he can only hand you to Scott without looking at him.

Scott smirks to himself as he runs you to the clinic of the X-Mansion.

"You and Logan, huh? I knew there was something in that fight today." Scott remarks as you cling to him.

"It's taken an embarrassingly long time for me to figure it out, but yeah." You blush. "Has everyone else...?"

"Jean's been running a bet for the last year." Scott laughs. "She says you both are two sides of the same coin."

You can't help but agree.

[krossan]

So here is the THING...

People often wonder why Dan is my favorite character and the “built-in-character” I often create for him. Most of these questions came after one of my favorite mini-story-panel of Phantom grieving his sister’s grave. I’m refering to this one:

Comments like “why Phantom SHOULD be grieving his sister if he was the one who killed them in the first place?” Well, for this essay, I hope I can change your perception and mind of what truly happen but SPOILER: HE WASN’T THE ONE WHO KILLED THEM. What a shocker. Why I came up with that conclusion, you ask? Let’s dive in with some information given to us in the show and how MADDENING stories that involve time-traveling are.

For starters, I HATE TIME-TRAVEL. I feel like tiime travel is like a simple excuse to misdirect the reader into thinking “Oh, that happened so I shouldn’t think much from that.” TUE is backed up from that which is infuriating to me and how the episode developed itself doesn’t make too much sense. I’m going to leave a quote mention on the DP wikia of exaclty what im talking about:

THIS right here is one of the MOST MEGA FLAW of the show itself. Yes. We know the events that led to Dark Danny was Danny cheating on the C.A.T. and then the NB explosion happen. But DAN DIDN’T CAUSE THE EXPLOSION! Dan didn’t trap his family just to blew up. Dan was out of the equation!

Erase from your minds the fact that Dan was involved on Danny’s timeline for a second and rewind things a bit. It is impossible for Dan to caused that because DAN DID NOT EXIST YET. The events were just about to unfold. For us to follow Dan’s timeline, Danny had NEVER talked to VLAD abt it. He NEVER had any sort of GUIDANCE to prove that he cheating on the C.A.T. was the thing that caused all of it. As the quoted statement of the DP wikia says: maybe what transpire in the Nasty Burger was a COMPLETELY different event that let to one of the boilers to blow. What if- this particular event- maybe the observants send someone else to put a stop to Danny (this also bringing the fact why Clockwork-in a way-is mad at them and you can feel this hatred towards them. And of course as stated by himself, the observants can only see one outcome while Clockwork can see variables.) Now, imagine the loss Danny may have felt after that unprecedented explosion. He had nowhere to go... and so the rest of Dan’s story begins. The only reason why Dan traveled back in time was because he knew this “Danny” from this alternate timeline had guidance from Clockwork. He new that if he cheated, a catastrophy would occur and he would do ANYTHING to prevent it... that was the GUIDANCE Dan NEVER HAD. HE HAD TO WITNESS HIS LOVED ONES DIE.

DAN NEVER HAD THAT “SECOND CHANCE” CLOCKWORK GAVE TO DANNY. OF COURSE DAN WILL BE BLOODY MAD ABT IT. -“I LOST MY FAMILY SO YOU MUST SUFFER THE SAME WAY”

But the overall ending of the episode feels stupid. Like after Danny speaking to Vlad and Clockwork and HE HIMSELF witnessing what was the cause for his family to die... Even if Dan succeded (which may I remind you Dan DID win but Clockwork had to interviene/cheat)

WHY WOULD DANNY GO BACK TO VLAD, GET RID OF HIS HUMANITY... AND BOOM! Have yourself another Dan.

The reasonable explanation to this is, again the OUTCOME.

What if on this case, if everyhing happened the way it was Danny now wanted his ghost to be removed because of the potential risks Phantom had.

He may have became Dark Danny but maybe a different one. One different from the one we all know.

This is my ranting of putting myself on Dan’s shoes for a moment. I hate time traveling episodes just so that they can just “go with it and make a mess out of the story but hey... it’s a cartoon, kids are not going to question anything”. You probably say that I’m overthinking this whole situation but I was once a writer and it is too frustating to me this type of subjects are just not fully solved.

Now with all this, Can you look at the panels and its meaning the same way now? Can you look at Dan the same way?

[getvalentined]

hi! i'm actually really interested in the "is cait sith reeve" debate and was fascinated by your post since you firmly believe cait sith is his own person.

i'm playing through dirge right now so i can't comment fully on what transpires there, but based on rebirth alone i'm having trouble believing cait sith isn't controlled by him. i know your post said rebirth excluded a scene that made it clear cait sith is his own person, but I'm not sure what you're referring to exactly. The only thing I can think of is the original game, where Cait Sith sacrifices himself and says not to forget him even if another Cait Sith comes along...which is a good point, though one could potentially argue that Reeve is just sentimental.

Anyway, what I want to know is: if Cait Sith has a personality separate from Reeve and can move independently while Reeve is busy, then why does Cait Sith repeatedly go offline in Rebirth while Reeve is busy? This is the main argument I see and one of my favorites, so I think answering that could help your own. The only arguments I can think up are either that the devs wanted to give players clear hints that Reeve controls Cait Sith, or that he wants to make sure he's monitoring Cait Sith when the cat interacts with the party. But besides that, Cait Sith really doesn't act like a different person. Sure, he has an accent and is silly, but he doesn't make any comment whatsoever (as far as I know) that indicates he isn't Reeve himself. In fact, the party treats Cait Sith and the Shinra employee controlling him as the same person, and Cait Sith doesn't attempt to rebuke it. (Outside of maybe lying that he's a mere amusement park attraction?)

i do admit, if dirge seriously contradicts this interpretation, it's weird for the devs to go against it...but as someone who once believed cait sith and reeve were separate and changed their mind after rebirth, I just don't think there's enough evidence based on rebirth alone to claim that cait sith is his own person.

on that note, you mentioned cait sith has his own likes and dislikes separate from reeve and i'm actually really curious about that! do you have an example of that? :D It sounds like fun trivia lol (i really like reeve and cait sith...)

anyway thank you for reading till the end! sorry if this is unwelcome

There's a scene in Dirge where Reeve and Cait walk out of the same room together, reacting to one another independently:

Further, Cait Sith only goes into stasis twice in the entirety of Rebirth as far as I can recall? Once at the end of a board meeting that Reeve was active in, but seemingly not for the entirety of the board meeting, as Cait Sith appeared to be mid-conversation and trailed off when Reeve got bad news—this makes sense if he's connected to Cait Sith and has the capacity to control him directly as needed, but not if he had to do so actively 100% of the time. The other time is in Cosmo Canyon, because he's clearly not interested in their woo-woo metaphysical nonsense, and he cites it as taking time to recharge his batteries.

Reeve is still working as Director of Urban Planning during all of this, so I find it super hard to believe that he's spending 99.9999% his time at a computer or mentally controlling and speaking through a doll while also running the department that is trying to put Midgar back together after the plate drop—particularly not since we have official meta stating that he's an Inspire, which I cited in a reblog.

Beyond that, there's this bit in the OG, which Cait Sith says to himself, in an empty room:

There is no explanation for this if Cait Sith is entirely remote controlled. There's no one else here to hear it, no reason for him to express these feelings—or even have feelings in the first place!

In Rebirth it's even more clear, because he expresses physical strain as he's literally holding the Temple up by keeping himself wedged under the platform. He's uncomfortable, he's physically taxed, he's in pain. Again, most of this occurs in an empty room, and would not happen if he was just a toy that Reeve had to control directly like a complex RC car or something.

The concept of likes and dislikes that are independent is less solidly shown in-canon, but they have distinctly different personalities, and Reeve is very clearly not interested in things like prophecies and the Promised Land and all that—he is a scientist at the end of the day, a civil and mechanical engineer—and yet Cait Sith's whole shtick is to tell fortunes! This is also something that he seems to enjoy doing quite a bit, even if he's not very good at it. (He gets better. Kinda.)

Cait Sith is obviously connected to Reeve, but it's equally obvious that he's not analogous. Presumably Cait Sith doesn't care when he's equated to Reeve because he is Reeve's eyes and ears in the field, even when he's not in direct control. The fact that he only really talks about himself as an individual when he's alone kind of implies that he'd rather the others not know, because he doesn't want them to be upset about what's going to happen to him; if he were nothing more than a glorified RC toy, this wouldn't be a concern, because he wouldn't have concerns at all.

[doodle-pops]

Lords of Gondolin | Being In An Arranged Marriage With Them

Request: I’m excited to see what you have written :) if you think it would be fun maybe you could do it for the lords of Gondolin like Glorfindel or Ecthelion? – @hermaeuswhora

A/N: Following my arranged marriage AU, this one has been structured differently since a few characters did not originate in Valinor. Galdor, Ecthelion, Egalmoth and Glorfindel were all written having their arrangements in Valinor upon their return/rebirth, while Rog and Maeglin had theirs transpiring in Gondolin.

Warning: arranged marriage, resentment, negligence, angst, loneliness, mentions of Maeglin pinning after his cousin, sprinkle of fluff and comfort for some

꒷꒦꒷Galdor꒷꒦꒷

Galdor's demeanour is marked by silence, a weighty silence that those around him cannot ignore, especially in the wake of the news. However, despite his wordless protest, his parents press on with the explanation of his impending marriage.

Confronting this crisis proves to be a perplexing challenge for Galdor. Having traversed the treacherous Helcaraxё, faced numerous wars, and endured the Fall of Gondolin, the third kinslaying, and the War of Wrath, he finds himself at a loss. The complexities of this situation elude him.

Nodding along to the exchanged words, Galdor's mind is a whirlwind of thoughts as everyone joyfully anticipates the forthcoming wedding. Even during the meeting where he first encounters you, he seems neither present nor absent, caught in a state of detachment.

While greeting you with respect and learning about you with nonchalance, Galdor's distant gaze is unmistakable. It's not meant as disrespect, but the prospect of an enforced marriage weighs heavily on anyone's sanity.

As the entire arrangement unfolds, transitioning into shared living and wedded life feels surreal to Galdor. Despite your animated discussions about future plans, his aloofness persists, absorbing your words without full comprehension.

Playing the role of a perfect husband, Galdor fulfils his duties diligently—strolls, teatimes, meals, social gatherings, festivals, and even family dinners—all executed in quiet compliance. Eventually, a moment of realization dawns on Galdor, prompting him to address the lack of sincerity that has quietly persisted in the background.

“Forgive me if this seems all too sudden, Y/N, but…my behaviour. While you may not have noticed the way I treat and respond to you—without earnestness—I fear that you do not deserve the way that I am currently. Please allow me to explain—all this, the arrangement. I have yet to grasp the true nature and because of that, I have not been true to you as I have been with myself. And because of this, I wish to start over.”

Your innocence is the reason why you've struggled to reconcile with his apparent lack of seriousness. Yet, you graciously dismiss his explanation, assuring him that he exceeds your expectations. Galdor experiences a mix of relief and concern, sensing that you may be overlooking the depth of emotion behind his actions.

However, with his newfound awareness, his role as your husband remains unchanged, yet now, his gestures carry a heightened emotional resonance. Every 'good morning, evening, noon, and night' carries a weight of significance. His smiles and laughter become more genuine, and conversations take on a deeper sense of purpose.

Galdor gradually comes to terms with the marriage dynamics, understanding that you had no say in the arrangement. Despite any reservations, he chooses not to express dissatisfaction, focusing instead on building a foundation of trust and comfort for your shared life together.

꒷꒦꒷Ecthelion꒷꒦꒷

Upon his joyous return to the Blessed Realm, marking the end of his long sojourn in Mandos, Ecthelion is swiftly met with unexpected news: the proclamation of his intended marriage. In the backdrop of his years of carefree existence in Beleriand, this revelation catches him entirely off guard.

The nobleman is plunged into a state of incredulous uproar, vehemently opposing his parents' wishes. However, his return to Valinor signifies his subjugation to his father's authority as the true Lord of the House of the Fountain. Despite Ecthelion's resistance, he finds himself reluctantly compelled to meet you and your parents.

While you, elated at the prospect of uniting with the renowned Lord Ecthelion, bask in the glory of his Middle Earth victories, he languishes in the waiting room, brooding like a disgruntled child. The entire encounter is marred by Ecthelion's rebellion against the terms negotiated between his parents and yours.

Concern begins to gnaw at you, fearing that the esteemed Lord you heard tales of in Middle Earth might be a façade. Ecthelion, harbouring no ill will towards you, unfortunately channels his distrust of his parents and frustration with yours through piercing glares directed at you.

Despite Ecthelion's fervent protests, both sets of parents remain indifferent, leaving the two of you alone in the waiting room to familiarize yourselves, while they withdraw to deliberate wedding arrangements.

Ecthelion maintains a frosty demeanour throughout, unable to muster the warmth required to mask his displeasure. His attempts at melting the ice are restrained, and he refrains from taking the conversational lead, leaving you to navigate the uneasy exchange.

“I apologise if I have insulted you in some way, Milord. It was not my intention to make you feel discomfort through this arrangement, but if it pleases you, I will do my best to limit our interactions to reduce the ambience this arrangement brings you.”

As your words reach him, a subtle twinge forms in his heart, though all he offers in response is a nod in your direction, a silent acknowledgment of your compassion.

Living with Ecthelion demands a mutual respect for privacy, ensuring that both of you have your own space. Shared breakfasts and mealtimes are a rarity, occurring only if you manage to catch him at the opportune moment; otherwise, you'll find yourself dining alone. Much of your time will be spent in solitude, interrupted only by occasional check-ins to ensure your comfort is consistently met.

Despite his reserved nature, rest assured that Ecthelion strives to convey essential matters regarding the household or family. While he harbours resentment for the forced marriage, he recognizes his duty to fulfil the basic role of a husband in meeting your needs.

In the public eye, Ecthelion maintains a façade of unity, well aware that the whispers of Valinor surround your union. Whether at events or social gatherings, his pride compels him to wear a smile and engage in polite chatter with you on his arm, concealing the fact that the icy distance between you two remains intact.

꒷꒦꒷Glorfindel꒷꒦꒷

Upon his return to the Blessed Realm after years in Middle Earth, his parents warmly greet him, unveiling the surprising news of an ongoing arranged marriage. Glorfindel, caught off guard, contemplates whether to respond with a forced laugh or unleash a string of profanities at this unexpected revelation. Without hesitation, he turns to his father, demanding clarity in an instant.

Much to Glorfindel's chagrin, the reality of an arranged marriage for the esteemed young Lord becomes apparent upon his return. As the true Lord of his house, his father's authority leaves Glorfindel with limited options, compelling him to voice his protests and seek his mother's intervention, given the deep respect he holds for them.

This incarnation of Glorfindel is far from the merry and radiant being known during his time in Middle Earth. You who were acquainted with tales of Lord Glorfindel's past, witness a stark contrast. He avoids direct eye contact, concealing his anger and ensuring you are shielded from its full force.

His resentment is not directed at you, but rather at the arrangement orchestrated by both sets of parents. Despite his inner turmoil, Glorfindel endeavours to maintain composure in your presence, reserving his desire to flip tables and shatter glass for moments when you are not around. For now, he remains outwardly passive.

It's evident that he grapples with inner turmoil whenever you are nearby. Despite his sincere efforts, tension underscores his actions. The façade, crafted to sustain a smooth relationship given his dispute with both sets of parents, endures for a considerable duration before finally unravelling.

“I’m sorry! I truly believed that I could hold out while upkeeping this façade, but it has done more harm than good. Please do not believe that I hold something against you, it’s our parents. I know that you’re a lovely person to be around and do not deserve this lowly behaviour from me, so I wish to apologise and seek forgiveness while wishing to start anew. Perhaps with a friendship?”

While you may have hoped for a more immediate romantic connection, Glorfindel's desire to start as friends is a thoughtful approach, far preferable to the prospect of a sudden end, as you've heard in others' experiences. Throughout the relationship, Glorfindel consistently strives to be amiable and reliable, ensuring a solid foundation.

Glorfindel remains steadfast in controlling his temper, especially when his parents scrutinize your relationship. His commitment is not just to appear perfect but to genuinely be the best arranged husband possible.

As seasons turn, you witness the side of Lord Glorfindel that has captivated Middle Earth. Your days are infused with humour and comfort, and should you desire more of his company, it is readily available.

Throughout your marriage, Glorfindel is attuned to your needs, adjusting his actions to bring you comfort. Whether you seek space, a new garden, an expanded house, or simply wish to deepen your connection, he willingly embraces and supports your desires.

꒷꒦꒷Egalmoth꒷꒦꒷

Tables are being flipped and profanities are leaving his mouth in a swirl of furry. He can’t believe, despite how grown he is and all the things he has faced on his own in life, his parents still wish to dictate his love-life with an arrangement. He knew such acts were popular among the royal family, never suspecting that he would be subjected to the trend.

Egalmoth refuses to submit so lowly to allow someone to select a spouse for him to spend his eternal peace with. The power he once held as a Lord to Kings in Middle Earth is stripped away as he returned as the son of a Lord who he must abide to.

The room takes on an unprecedented chill, surpassing even the biting cold of winter. During the meeting, as your parents bask in their satisfaction, Egalmoth directs a piercing glare at the table, as if intent on searing holes into its surface.

Despite your attempts to bridge the gap and quell the fiery tension, Egalmoth remains steadfast in maintaining distance. His demeanour and actions are unyielding, operating on a frequency of self-satisfaction that defies your attempts to find common ground.

The living arrangement entails cohabiting with a virtual stranger; it's akin to sharing a dwelling with a spectre. Greetings are reduced to mere "good morning" and "good night," a routine destined to persist. Even the entreaties of fellow Lords fall on deaf ears as they endeavour to persuade him to give the relationship a chance.

Frustration mounts as Egalmoth actively avoids you, seemingly going to great lengths to dodge encounters that are not of your making. Despite your earnest efforts to cultivate some semblance of acquaintance, he prefers to exist as a ghost, perpetuating an unsettling distance between you.

“You seem to believe that I had something to do with this arrangement when I didn’t know who you were until your arrival. I hate it just as much as you do, so face it! We’re stuck like this unless you wish to separate which you can. I don’t know what’s holding you back, but I’m trying to make things bearable and you’re not helping. I’m tired, so please…just tell me you don’t want me around…”

Egalmoth was taken aback when he witnessed the tears welling up in your eyes in response to his distant demeanour. Though he never intended to inflict pain through his communication style, he found himself inadvertently doing so, leaving him feeling regretful and remorseful. His initial goal was to avoid forming deep emotional attachments, not to cause you distress.

Despite his reluctance to fully embrace the role of a husband to someone not of his choosing, Egalmoth recognizes the need to bridge the emotional gap between you two. While he maintains a certain level of distance in his affections and gestures, he is committed to projecting a more approachable and interactive persona whenever circumstances allow. One tangible step in this direction is sharing daily breakfasts and lunches with you.

Over time, Egalmoth acknowledges the importance of overcoming his reservations and investing more freely in your relationship. He endeavours to set aside his differences and foster an environment where a meaningful connection can thrive. Realizing that accepting the role of a husband may require an extended period, he opts to first establish a foundation as a supportive friend before gradually navigating the complexities of marital ties.

꒷꒦꒷Rog꒷꒦꒷

The giant craftsman is confused at the words spilling from the lips of his advisor since Gondolin was a place of freedom. Having come from a rough background and learning about the Noldor culture, he felt like this was a contradiction, but obliges after they informed him it was frequently practiced.

Rog patiently meets his future spouse and their parents, wanting to go along with the arrangement as he complies with the customs of the Noldor. It does not come as a surprise the first time you meet the giant blacksmith; he is as gentle as ever and makes you feel welcomed. It’s your parents who treats the union as automatic boost in society.

As much as Rog wasn’t interested in getting married, the choice he was offered made his idea on the situation flip. You didn’t appear snobbish or greedy for power which made him all the more open to accepting to court you and proceed with a wedding eventually.

This being his first relationship, he is cautious to not mess anything up and pray that this marriage would be successful. He listens to all your needs and wants, going out of his way to fulfil them as best as he could. At times, he would turn to the other Lords, as unwedded as they are, for guidance.

The only thing Rog doesn’t like is addressing you in conversations as his arranged spouse or his spouse he earned through an arrangement. It never dawned on him the stain it would leave on your title when he agreed to wed you. Now he makes sure to never allow the terms ‘arranged’ to be used when addressing you. It makes him wish you two could have met another way because it’s a constant reminder how you were both forced.

“It never occurred to me how much I would come to despise the term ‘arranged’ when referring to you. I’ve grown fonder of you day by day as this marriage progresses. But rest assured, you have nothing to fear when it comes to our love. That, to shall grow stronger for you as the days wield overhead.”

You truly have no issues or quarrels with Rog through your entire marriage. As the Lady/Lord of his house, you will be spoilt endlessly with riches from his crafts that others may be jealous at the lavish life you are living and how dearly your husband spoils you rotten.

Attending dinners the other Lords hosted will be extended to you and even they would warmly welcome you as their friend’s spouse. Gifts would be exchanged, along with praises and jokes that their gentle-giant friend married before them, and he needed to teach them his tricks.

You don’t have anything to fear when it comes to your future with Rog. Out of all the Lords, even Glorfindel, Rog is most open to the idea and content with progressing things to truly become a happy couple, forgoing the friendship stage.

꒷꒦꒷Maeglin꒷꒦꒷

Maeglin is confused and in a silent outrage because you were not the person he wanted to end up in a relationship with from the very start. His true desire was his cousin, and after being aware of this, his uncle chose to construct an arranged marriage to deter his focus on another person.

This isn’t going to be one of those ‘his heart turned from her to you to moment he saw you’ situation because his desire will continue to focus on his cousin, and it will be displayed through his protests when his uncle summons you all for a gathering to offer the arrangement.

Your parents are pleased since Maeglin is the King’s heir and by marrying him, it would make you a royal, so immediate status boost. You on the other hand have been aware of the Prince’s interest for another and already understood your position throughout this marriage whether you were for or against it. Your entire life would become nothing more than being his spouse with a title while he lusts after someone else.

Deep down, he has it somewhere that you are apart of this arrangement to sway his focus. Makes him distant and negligent all the more. You can try to reach out and pacify the situation for him to pardon your presence, but it doesn’t even make sense because Maeglin had never accepted you as his spouse.

To him, you’re like a guest living in his house after he was forced by his uncle to make your stay comfortable—which he does for the basic commodities. If you want to have a difference made, take it up with the King, but even he doesn’t have a say in the privacies of a married couple.

 However, Turgon does his best to ensure that you and Maeglin are allowed to spend more time together in hopes of building a relationship. You and Maeglin would be invited to dinners, balls and festivals as a couple in hopes of something blossoming. However, any conversations would have to be created by you, even when the other Lords congratulate you both or initiate conversations, it’s you doing most of the talking.

“My Prince, might we speak? I know that your focus lies elsewhere and I am not here to sway if you think so. All I wish is simply to live a peaceful life as your spouse until my presence is no longer required…I don’t know how long that would be. But perhaps during my time under your household, we can be well acquainted with one another a little more?”

It is an internal struggle in his mind to acknowledge your words because he doesn’t know if this is a trick where he would end up gaining interest or if you were being genuine. He was so focused on lusting after his cousin that your attempts at making your time with him bearable were shot down.

Maeglin truly doesn’t know at this point whether to shift focus onto you during your time with him or to let you go because he believes that you would continue to be hurt if you stayed at his side.

Masterlist

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[kleftiko]

❦ HOUSE OF SILVER

cw: mature themes (paid sexual favours), implied historical violence, historical ideologies regarding sex, fem!reader

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The Edo period—the final era of feudal Japan. daimyos, samurais, and the common class, all with a purpose to help society. After her father lost his money and status when she was a child, y/n works as a maid in a teashop, following courtesans and cleaning up after their jobs. When the head of the Gojo clan comes in one night, she doesn’t expect to see him again, much less have him call on her.

Madame Ino is a few seconds away from breaking her nails clean off of her fingers. In the rising sun, her panicked look reminds you of an ao nyobo, with you being her victim, waiting to be devoured for trespassing on her house.

She takes a look at your clothing, which isn't very different from when she left you at the door to the room a few hours ago. You can't tell whether she feels relief or disappointment. Her eyes dart back and forth, searching for any signs of mischief or wrongdoing. It's as if she's trying to piece together the puzzle of what transpired in her absence.

"Tell me." She speaks, her wide eyes locked on you. And you're waiting for her painted lips to unhinge and swallow you whole.

A shallow breath hisses from your teeth as you try to figure out where to start the story.

"He didn't..." You begin, "Lord Gojo didn't call for me to... satisfy him."

An audible click resounds through the room as the Madame's red nail clatters to the floor. Her gaze intensifies, her voice trembling with a mix of relief and disbelief.

"Are you certain?" she asks, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. The weight of her trust hangs in the air, urging you to continue your explanation.

You nod fervently, assuring her that you did not jeopardize the teashop's reputation with your clumsy inexperience. As her breathing calms down, her eyes flick down to her thumb, now without a nail, dripping small bits of blood onto her pale skin.

"What did he want?" Her voice is barely above a whisper as she tries to steady herself. The tension in the room is palpable, and you hesitate for a moment before responding, carefully choosing your words.

"He asked about my family."

You can see a flicker of fear in her eyes as she processes your words, but as quickly as it appears, she snubs it out. The Madame takes a deep breath, trying to compose herself before speaking again.

"Why would he be interested in your family?" she asks, her voice filled with concern.

You shake your head with genuine confusion.

"I told him everything I know; I was brought to you when I was 10, before that, I have no record of where I was or who I was with."

She nods her head, focusing elsewhere as her anxious fingers run over her bloody thumb. If she's not careful, she may get an infection or stain her clothes.

"Madame?" You draw her attention back to you. "Shall I get you a towel?"

A soft sigh escapes her lips as she realizes the state of her thumb. "Yes, please," she replies gratefully. "Thank you for your concern."

The bumpy road slightly rocked the carriage along the road. The passengers inside could feel the vibrations of the uneven terrain as the carriage made its way forward. The constant swaying as a wheel overcomes a stone is the only sound heard besides Lord Gojo's hand fiddling with the chasen mage atop his head.

A small pout sits on his lips, eyes trying to peer to the top of his hair as he mumbles, "I don't like having my hair up."

The samurai you'd seen once before sits beside him, his gaze fixed out the window and not on the Daimyo.

"Take it out." He simply states.

The pout is redirected to the samurai.

"Tsumiki worked hard on this; I can't just take it out."

"Then don't."

You blink a couple times, the sleep surrounding your head still fogging up your mind, so you can't quite tell if this is a dream or not.

You remember footsteps and the Madame's voice bringing you out of reverie.

"Lord Gojo, please." Her voice was in the hall but quickly gained volume. "You can't just take the girl away; you know that's going to cause trouble."

"I find that trouble doesn't bother me much." The Daimyo's voice made your eyes open and your head lift from the futon.

And that's when he opened the door to your and Miwa's room. His enchanting smile was casual as always as he looked down at you.

"Good, you're awake." He said. "Get dressed; we have somewhere to be."

And that's how you ended up in the carriage with the two men, apparently on the way to the Daimyo's place.

You clear your throat, wondering whether or not you were allowed to speak, but when the two pairs of eyes are on you, you manage to ask, "May I know your name?"

The samurai bows slightly and says, "Geto, ma'am."

You replicate his move, "Y/N. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"I didn't get a proper introduction." Gojo cuts in, not looking upset in any way. "When we met, you looked like you wanted me dead. The next time, you just started undressing."

In harsh embarrassment, your eyes fall to the floor, and you feel heat spreading through your skin.

"I apologize for that," you mumble. "I was under a different impression at the time."

Gojo doesn't answer, and out of curiosity, you looked up to find an amused smile on his face as he watched you.

"Well, so long as that's cleared up, we have something to ask of you." Geto interrupts, and you look towards him. Despite the intimidating implication of him being a samurai, having a sword, and towering over you, his presence was far more comforting than the Daimyo's.

Gojo makes you act irrationally, so for the remainder of the carriage ride, you focus on Geto.

Upon arrival, you look out the window.

The scenery is breathtaking, with lush green fields stretching out as far as the eye can see. The vibrant colours of blooming flowers and the gentle sway of trees in the breeze create a serene atmosphere. It's a stark contrast to the bustling city you left behind, and you can't help but feel a sense of tranquility wash over you. Coming up is a stone courtyard, adorned with intricate sculptures and a beautiful fountain at its centre. The sound of water cascading down creates a soothing melody that adds to the overall peacefulness of the scene. As you step out of the carriage, you can't help but be captivated by the elegance and tranquility of the courtyard, willing to explore what lies beyond its inviting entrance.

You open your mouth on instinct, about to comment on the beauty of the daimyo's court, when Geto leans down and whispers.

"Try to keep compliments to yourself." He side-eyes Gojo and says, "They all go to his head."

Though the silver-haired man must have heard because he rolls his eyes,

"Honestly, Suguru, with your sharp tongue, I'm surprised I'm still standing." But he looks at you. "This is a school of sorts, so if you do have compliments, I wouldn't be the one to direct them to."

His smile is playful and mischievous, as if he's hiding a secret. It's clear that Gojo enjoys the banter between him and Geto, adding an air of lightheartedness to the atmosphere. It becomes evident that their playful dynamic is a reflection of the unique camaraderie within the walls of this... school.

"Where..." you can't help but be distracted by the scenery, "where are the students?"

"There are only a handful of them, but they should be around here somewhere." The Daimyo waves you off before walking towards the steps that lead inside. "I'm sure you'll see them sooner or later. But wouldn't you rather learn why I've asked you here?"

You don't mention that he didn't exactly ask you here, but more just picked you up and brought you, as you follow his long strides. He leads you down a hall to a room with an assortment of pillows on the ground surrounding a low table. There's a view of the courtyard through the window, and you follow Gojo and Geto as they take a seat around the table.

"You truly don't know anything about your family?" The Daimyo gets straight to the point as he leans forward, his gaze piercing into your eyes. You feel a slight unease, but curiosity compels you to answer truthfully.

"I'm sorry, I really don't."

Gojo slumps rather dramatically, and you furrow your brows, not remembering him being this lax when you last met, though that could be because you were too concerned with something else.

He sighs. "I really hoped this would be easier."

You stare at him; is he... pouting?

"The reason we ask," Geto interrupts, "is because we believe you come from either the Kamo or Zen'in clan."

Blinking, your face reflects that these words mean nothing to you.

But you don't get a verbal response; instead, your gaze zones in on a bug crawling up the samurai's shoulder. At first glance, it seems to be a beetle, until it reaches closer to his neck, where a long tail follows the hollowed body of the creature. Its tail is something like that of a mammal, with fur at the end and completely out of place for an insect. Looking again, you notice other oddities in this bug, ones you would have dismissed if it hadn't captured your attention with the low moaning of something.

With wide eyes, you're completely still as you make out what the being is saying: low whispers of, "My dear husband..."

Your mouth is dry, but Gojo catches your attention.

"So you can see it, then."

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[unabashegirl]

Lycan 11 || Harry Styles

Summary: Y/N Y/L/N is forced to return to the town where she was born for extraordinary reasons. Her father is extremely sick and on the verge of passing away. Alsfield has changed and is far from what she remembers and even though she lived in town until her high school graduation she barely recognizes it. The town hides a big secret from a few individuals that live in it including Y/N. The man who maintains the town's secret and protects it is no other than Harry Styles. Things take a sudden twist when they meet. Numerous things will impede Y/N from returning to San Francisco to her somewhat ordinary life, will she be able to abandon the town that she had successfully escaped the first time? What is the big secret that the townspeople are hiding, and what is Y/N's role in it? Who is Harry? Where does he come from? Had she met him before? And what does he want from her?

author's note: hello everyone! I hope you are all doing wonderfully. Here is the most waited chapter. I just wanted to let everyone now that Lycan has just been updated to chapter 17 on my Patreon. Here is the following schedule for my patreon these upcoming days.

word count: 2.2K

masterlist

Y/N slowly regained consciousness, the sound of voices around her gradually becoming clearer. Among them, she could distinguish Niall's voice. Her head throbbed painfully.

Y/N blinked, her vision slowly adjusting to the bright hospital room. She was still trying to grasp the surreal events that had transpired. Niall's explanation about being a werewolf and her subsequent fainting had left her in a state of disbelief.

“What happened?” she asked again, her voice barely above a whisper.

Niall leaned closer, his gaze filled with a mix of concern and understanding. “You fainted when I showed you my true form,” he repeated gently. “You're in the hospital now, within the territory of our pack.”

Y/N's eyes widened at his words. “Pack? Territory?”

Niall nodded, his expression serious. “Yes, Y/N. Instead of towns, we wolves live in packs, each governed by a hierarchy. You're in the territory of the Shadow Pack, one of the largest packs on the west side of the United States.”

Y/N's head was spinning with the magnitude of what she was hearing. It was as if she had entered a completely different world, one she had never known existed. “Shadow Pack? But… what does that mean?”

Niall smiled softly, though there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “It means you're part of something much larger than you ever imagined.”

Y/N's mind raced with questions, but one thing was clear: her life had taken an unexpected and extraordinary turn. She was no longer just a resident of a quiet town; she was now part of a world where werewolves existed, and she belonged to the formidable Shadow Pack. The mysteries and secrets of her past and her town were deeply intertwined with this newfound reality, and she had only just begun to uncover the truth.

Y/N's confusion only deepened as she tried to make sense of the incredible revelation Niall had shared with her. Her head throbbed painfully, and she winced as her hand came into contact with a tender spot at the back of her head. She must have injured herself during her fall when she fainted.

Niall noticed her discomfort and reached out with concern. “Are you okay? You took quite a tumble.”

Y/N nodded weakly, her focus returning to the conversation at hand. “I think so. But... I don't even know where to begin with all of this. What do you mean by hierarchy? And who's in charge?”

Niall took a deep breath, preparing to explain the complex structure of their pack. “In a wolf pack, there's a hierarchy, similar to a social order. At the top, we have the Alpha, who's the leader and makes the most critical decisions for the pack. The Beta is second in command and assists the Alpha in various ways. Then there's the Omega, who is often the lowest-ranking member of the pack.”

Y/N nodded slowly, trying to absorb this new information. “So, where do you fit into all of this?"

Niall hesitated for a moment before answering, "I'm the Beta of the Shadow Pack, which means I'm the second in command. The Alpha is the one you need to meet."

Y/N's curiosity piqued as she considered what this meeting with the Alpha might entail. "What's next, then?"

Niall stood up, offering her a hand. "First, we need to get you patched up properly. After that, I'll take you to meet the Alpha. It's important for you to understand our world, especially now that you're sort of part of it."

“Sort of?”

“I’ll explain everything as it unfolds, alright?”

Y/N accepted his hand, feeling a mixture of emotions—confusion, fear, but also a growing sense of curiosity and intrigue. Her journey into the unknown had only just begun, and with Niall as her guide, she was about to delve deeper into a reality that was far more extraordinary and complex than anything she had ever imagined.

Just as Niall was about to help Y/N up and guide her towards her next steps within the pack, the hospital room's door swung open, and in walked a young woman with an air of excitement about her. Her bright smile was infectious, but her enthusiasm seemed almost excessive.

"Hello, hello!" the woman exclaimed, her energy radiating through the room. "You must be Y/N! I've heard so much about you, and I've been dying to meet you!"

Y/N blinked in surprise, taken aback by the stranger's exuberance. "Uh, yes, I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you."

The woman practically bounded over to Y/N's bedside, extending a hand. "I'm Michaela, one of the pack's doctors. It's just fantastic to finally have you here with us!"

Y/N shook Michaela's hand, a bit bewildered by the warm reception. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Michaela beamed. "Oh, it's my pleasure! We don't often have newcomers, especially ones like you!"

Niall watched the interaction between Y/N and Michaela with a knowing expression, his lips curved into a faint smile. He had expected this level of enthusiasm from Michaela, who tended to be excitable around newcomers.

Michaela continued to fuss over Y/N, checking her vital signs and ensuring that she was feeling as comfortable as possible. Y/N couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by the doctor's enthusiasm and the whirlwind of events that had unfolded since her arrival in the pack territory.

After a thorough examination, Michaela turned to Niall and spoke with a warm smile. "Niall, make sure she gets plenty of rest in the upcoming days. She's been through quite an ordeal. I'm prescribing some pain relief medication for her." She handed a small slip of paper to Niall.

Niall nodded appreciatively, taking the prescription from her. "Thank you, Michaela. We'll make sure she rests."

Before they could make their exit, Michaela surprised Y/N by pulling her into a gentle hug. As they embraced, the doctor whispered softly into her ear, "I'm so glad you've finally been found."

Y/N pulled back, her confusion deepening. "Found? What do you mean?"

Michaela gave her a cryptic smile and patted her shoulder before turning her attention to Niall. "Take care of her, Niall. We'll talk more soon."

With that, Michaela left the room, leaving Y/N with a sense of intrigue and curiosity. The mysteries surrounding her presence in the pack territory and the unusual reactions of its members only seemed to deepen. As she and Niall departed the hospital room, Y/N couldn't shake the feeling that there was something significant she had yet to uncover about her own past and the world she had entered.

As Y/N and Niall stepped outside the hospital, Y/N's eyes widened in amazement at the sight that greeted her. The pack territory was nothing short of breathtaking. It was a stark contrast to the town she had grown up in, which had always felt a bit ordinary and uninspiring.

The landscape before her was a vision of natural beauty. Towering trees reached for the sky, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. Flowers of vibrant colors carpeted the ground, painting the meadows with a riot of hues. The air was fresh and invigorating, and the sound of birds singing in the distance filled the atmosphere.

Y/N couldn't help but marvel at the picturesque scenery. It was as if she had stepped into a hidden paradise within the vast forest, a place she never could have imagined in her wildest dreams.

"It's... it's incredible," she finally managed to say, her voice filled with awe.

Niall nodded, his eyes reflecting her wonder. "This is our home, Y/N. The pack territory. It's a place of beauty and serenity, where we live in harmony with nature."

As they began to walk through the territory, Y/N's initial apprehension about the forest faded away. It was no longer a place that filled her with fear; instead, it felt like a sanctuary. The pack had created a world that was not only harmonious but also vibrant and alive.

With each step, Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging, a connection to this remarkable world that was now her own. The mysteries and secrets of the pack were slowly unfolding before her, and she couldn't wait to discover more about her place within it.

As Y/N and Niall strolled through the streets of the pack territory, Y/N couldn't help but be amazed by the level of civilization that existed in this seemingly secluded place. The town was complete with all the amenities one might find in a regular urban area—pharmacies, grocery stores, and even furniture shops. It was a well-organized and thriving community hidden within the depths of the forest.

Y/N couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "Niall, how on earth did you all manage to build a town like this in such a remote location?"

Niall glanced at her, his expression cryptic. "The Alpha can provide more details on that. It's quite the story."

With her questions temporarily unanswered, they continued their journey through the town, eventually arriving at a rather grand-looking house at the heart of the territory. It was larger and more majestic than the other buildings, and Y/N couldn't help but be drawn to it.

"What's this place?" Y/N asked, her eyes fixed on the imposing structure.

Niall smiled, sensing her curiosity. "This is the pack house. It's where all the young wolves, the unmated ones, live. You could think of it as a sort of sorority or fraternity house. It's also where the Alpha's office is located."

As they approached the pack house, Y/N couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Her journey into this hidden world had taken another unexpected turn, and she was on the verge of meeting the enigmatic Alpha, the leader of the Shadow Pack, and unlocking more of the pack's secrets.

As Y/N and Niall entered the packhouse, Y/N couldn't help but be struck by its grandeur. It was far more than just a house; it resembled a castle. The architecture was imposing, with stone walls and a design that spoke of history and tradition. It was a stark contrast to the picturesque town they had just walked through, yet it held its own unique beauty.

The moment they stepped inside, the atmosphere changed. Laughter and the sounds of young adults running around filled the air. It was a lively and bustling place, full of energy and youthful exuberance. Y/N watched as the pack's young members went about their activities, their faces lit up with smiles.

However, as Niall led Y/N further into the packhouse, a hush fell over the crowd. The young adults, upon noticing Niall's presence, quieted down and cast curious glances in their direction. Some even offered polite nods and lowered their heads in a sign of respect.

Y/N couldn't help but feel like an outsider in this moment, an intruder into a world she was only beginning to understand. She followed Niall, her eyes taking in the surroundings, the faces, and the unspoken curiosity of those around her. It was clear that her presence here was an event of significance, and she couldn't help but wonder what awaited her in the Alpha's office and what role she would play in the pack's intricate hierarchy.

“Unfortunately for you and me, the alpha’s office is situated at the top floor” Niall frowned as they reached the stairs. “Trust me. I tried to advise him to bring the office to the ground floor, but he refused. He said the view inspired him”.

Niall and Y/N began their ascent to the top floor of the packhouse, where the Alpha's office was situated. The broken elevator meant they had no choice but to take the stairs, and it seemed like a never-ending climb.

The staircase spiraled upwards, each step bringing them closer to their destination. Y/N couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within her. With every step, she was edging closer to the answers she sought about her place in this mysterious world.

Niall remained quiet during the climb, his thoughts seemingly consumed by the upcoming meeting with the Alpha. Y/N, on the other hand, couldn't shake the feeling that the packhouse held countless secrets within its walls, and she was determined to uncover them.

As they finally reached the top floor, Y/N took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for the encounter with the Alpha. She had come a long way since her arrival in the pack territory, and there was still so much more to discover about her own identity and the world of the Shadow Pack.

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[otomefiend]

Story Event: Dark (What) If ~ Who are you in this twisted fairytale world? ~

Prologue

Kate is a very dutiful girl. Isekai'd into into a twisted reality, and all she thinks about is doing her job. 😂🤧

~~~

London, the glittering and prosperous capital of the United Kingdom under the reign of Her Majesty the Queen Victoria.

I was an ordinary citizen working to deliver mail in this city.

As such, I struggled to support my favourite past-time, a theatre, and afford tickets to plays I wanted to see.

(All right, all deliveries are done for today)

(A little more, and I can finally buy tickets for the next show...)

Kate: "I'm back."

Director: "Kate! Just when I need you... or maybe not, the streets are too dangerous at night..."

Kate: "What's going on?"

Director: "Well, there's an opening for nighttime deliveries, with us being short-staffed and all."

(That's it!)

Kate: "Please, allow me to take them."

~~~

After accepting the task, I found myself walking through the dimly lit residential areas.

(All that's left to do is delivering a letter to the bookshop manager)

(Oh, 'Kingsley Books'... here it is!)

Kate: "Excuse me, I'm working for the post office. I'm looking for the manager..."

(There's no one here. I guess I'll have to come back tomorrow... huh, what a place 👀)

I picked up a book that casually landed at my feet.

As if drawn to it, I opened the untitled tome.

Kate: "Gah...!"

The sudden gust of wind, then a blinding light enveloped me...

~~~

Beautiful longhaired man: "Welcome to the twisted fairytale world..."

Beautiful longhaired man: "A visitor... how marvellous!"

Ahead of me, a beautiful, long-haired figure awaited.

Kate: "...I was at the bookstore just now... and then..."

I had no idea where I was, nor who was the person in front of me.

All I knew was that this was not the bookshop I stepped into, and I still had work left to do.

Kate: "Umm, I'm in the middle of a delivery, so I'd like to go back to 'Kingsley Books' if possible."

Beautiful longhaired man: "That might be a smidge difficult."

Kate: "Eh?"

Beautiful longhaired man: "More precisely, I have no clue how to send you back."

The man, who introduced himself as Victor, smiled and proceeded with an explanation, trying to soothe my confused mind.

It transpired that the place I found myself in existed between two worlds, the world of the living and the fairytale world.

Kate: "......a fairytale world?"

Victor: "You must have been led here by the untitled tome. Don't you remember?"

Kate: "Indeed I was. Does this mean I got lost in a book?"

Victor: "That's right. You're a smart girl, quick on the uptake."

(I never thought that the adaptability I developed working for the post would be put to use in a place like this)

Kate: "But you... Victor, you mentioned earlier a 'twisted fairytale world'."

Victor: "Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty..."

Victor: "Most fairy tales in the world have a fixed plot and normally lead to a happy ending."*

Victor: "However, the fairy tale world is currently in a state where the plot of the story has gone awry, chaos has reached its peak, and the endings are far from happy."

Kate: "...... How is that possible?"

Victor: "That's because... each fairytale is missing something."

Kate: "Missing something... What might it be?"

Victor: "I don't know that either."

Victor: "I suspect you've been brought here to find out."

(......... huh, then)

Kate: "When the missing piece is found, the distortion of the fairy tale world should be fixed, and the story will lead to a happy ending."

Kate: "My job in here will be done..."

Victor: "And you might be able to go back to your world, to reality."

(If that's my only chance, I might as well try)

(I'll find what's missing in this twisted fairytale world and correct the distortion. Then lead it to a happy ending with my own hands)

I was going to go back to my world and continue my delivery.

As I made up my mind, I could hear bells ringing in the distance.

Victor: "Ah, looks like it's time to wake up."

Victor: "Kate, reaching the best ending is now in your hands."

Victor: "...... come, let's send you to the twisted fairytale world."

~~~

*lies 😏 Original (pre disney) fairytales are anything but. Common folk loved dark stuff.

[knightyoomyoui]

TWICE x M Reader - "Cry For Me": PART 3

One more one-shot before I spend the rest of the days remaining before 2023 ends! This took 8 months after I last published the previous chapter, and I apologize for the delay caused by my lack of motivation to write and bunch of important tasks to do both in my private space and my campus. I recommend that yall read the first 2 parts before proceeding to this one so it can help yall remember what happened in this ongoing multi-part story. Enjoy reading and have a happy Christmas season everyone!

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Nayeon opens her bag and takes out her camera. She turns it on and scrolls down on the gallery and paused at the exceptional picture that when she shows it toher, it won't need any further explanations to spill in addition. "I must say, he did kept you out from it. Although, having an eyes is useless when your mind is blind... and that what he is." Nayeon then gave the camera to Tzuyu and watched her look at it horribly. "I know it's not the perfect thing you want to see, but I have to remind to you again Tzuyu. You agreed to help me, I'm just doing to favor in return. This is one of my ways. I'm going to open your eyes and see the reality. Especially... when the truth is right there to set you free." In the middle of the night, sounds of helpless, broken and grieving screams and cries can be heard in the Chou residence. Despite of the exhausted eyes, Tzuyu's tears still pours out from her eyes one after the another until she finally burst out in loud sobs. She pounded the bed, raked her hair aggressively and threw all her pillows with her clenched fists in all anger, rage and devastation. She remained suffering inside the darkness as the image of you and Momo kissing outside of the gym earlier continues to intensify the pain in her heart and mind while her vengeful state becomes intensified.

The next morning, Jeongyeon and Nayeon had breakfast at a neighboring café in Jeongyeon's neighborhood. In an attempt to lighten the mood, they engaged in talk about unrelated subjects until Nayeon made the decision to go back and concentrate on the actual task they were working on. Nayeon stated inquiringly, "About YN, how did it go well?" but her tone hardly conveyed her curiosity. She will never develop any expectation when your name is spoken. As Jeongyeon was reminded of what had transpired the night before, the disappointment that had been building inside of her surfaced again. "Uhh... nothing.", she said.

Not wanting to get misintepreted and just leave her friend hanging for a lack of detail, she emphasized it further. "I-I mean... it didn't happen."

"What do you mean?" Nayeon furrowed her brows.

Jeongyeon bent her head down and stared at her nearly empty pasta dish. "He didn't show up. The receptionist from his workplace yesterday told me that it was his dayoff but he didn't saw any signs of him outside." To Nayeon's perplexity, Jeongyeon nodded, "So you were supposed to meet him there?" She shook her head and clicked her tongue. "How am I not surprised that he'll forget it." Jeongyeon sighed, "He said he was free." "But anyways, maybe he was with Tzuyu yesterday. I shouldn't complain about it if it was his girlfriend he chose to spend his time rather than me who is his ex." Nayeon saw that you had let Jeongyeon down once more. She knew in advance that you wouldn't provide her the appropriate apologies, like you did a year ago. In retrospect, she was truly appreciative of it as the longer you persist in your obstinacy and self-centeredness, the more she has been inspired to rebel against you in an effort to exact revenge on you for the harm you caused to her friend's weak heart. Even yet, it was difficult for her to accept that the only thing that came of it was that you were still ruthlessly breaking Jeongyeon's heart and now hurting Tzuyu as well, who is aware of the darker part of your nature. Nayeon chimed in, presumably trying to shift the responsibility and allay Jeongyeon's concerns, saying, "It's fine, Jeong. I already knew that it'll go that way." It made her wonder, though, if it was the sole reason behind Jeongyeon's melancholy. "Do you too, right?", she checked. Jeongyeon turned to face her, shocked by Nayeon's persistence. "I-I am." She pretended to be happy. Nayeon's eyes narrowed. She had known Jeongyeon for almost ten years. She's skilled at lying, but because they've grown close to the point where they resemble siblings, Nayeon wouldn't take it well.

"Should I remind him again?" Jeongyeon asked. Nayeon hated to see her slowly getting manipulated again by YN's disguise of being a nice, sweet guy that Jeongyeon used to fall in love- and then get fooled afterwards before. She had to pull her back away in case things gets more alarming.

Nayeon doesn't forget that even after months of their break-up, Jeongyeon is still TRYING to get over him. The man still has this soft spot in her heart which serves as Jeongyeon's weakness from him despite how she despises him from what he did to her.

With that, Nayeon needs to do better and continue to flip that disadvantage into advantage in order to be useful against YN's downfall.

"No need, I still got him kept on track." Nayeon  said. "You're right, he was with Tzuyu yesterday. Fortunately she gave me a signal and that way I had to continue following him."

"And did you find anything suspicious?"

Nayeon looked at Jeongyeon's wondering gaze. She breathed deeply and gulped the saliva to her throat before responding.

"Getting there."

Although she detested lying to her friend, she made a mental promise to herself that she was going to tell what was true eventually, as for the time being this had nothing to do with Jeongyeon. On the other side, you parked your motorcycle next to the sidewalk in the interim. You got off and took off your helmet, bringing your personal items with you as you entered the bakery. The chimes chimed as the door opened, attracting the attention of the few individuals within.However, one woman in particular stood for a considerable amount of time staring at the man who had just entered the same room as her. As their eyes locked, a grin slowly appeared on her face.

It became wider when he fell in line and the more he gets closer, her blush became larger and eyes sparkled in front of him.

"Good morning, Mina." You grinned and said hello to the woman who actually owns this business. The more you pursue to intrigue her, the simpler it will be to get her drawn to you. You and Mina first met when her bakery became your go-to place whenever you wanted to have a sample of a fine, freshly baked bread across the street. The first time you discovered this place was when you pointed her location as your recommendation to Jeongyeon for the two of you to try some delicious baked goods to take home.

You led yourselves there with much pleasure. Although Jeongyeon was a stunning lady who accompanied you at the time, as soon as you walked into the bakery, it seemed as though you were drawn constantly and automatically to the alluring beauty of the cashier who was waiting to serve you and your ex-wife. Mina was so lovely. You were quite attached to her when you had the chance to get to know her better and started going to her store frequently. She remembered you as a regular customer because of something in her gentle voice, her melodious laugh, and her carefree smile.

And the more you two get to know yourselves more, you became even more comfortable to atleast try to test this woman with your ways of stealing her heart and making her fall in love with you as much as you are developing the same for her.

"Hey, YN!" Mina welcomed you. "Where have you've been these past few days? Didn't get to see you here."

"Ooohhh missed me already?" You teased her. Mina became shy and takes her eyes away at your sight.

"I-it's not like that, I was just c-curious." Mina reasoned out. "You know that with the most of the times I get to see you coming here, it'll make me feel strange to just suddenly not being able to spot your presence here."

You hummed and nodded, shrugging your shoulders. "Now that I'm here, are you happy now?" You smirked.

Mina giggled at your silliness. "You cheered up also my day more, YN."

"Good for me, because I always love to see your lovely smile, Mina." You reached for her cheeks and pinched it.

She pointed to the many bread and pastry varieties arranged on the glass shelf underneath you and asked, "Stop with the fluttering words, what do you wanna buy?" She got your favorite treats once you mentioned them, packaged them, and calculated the total price. You thanked her after paying and made a gesture to blow her a kiss before heading out of the store. Your kind gesture made the young girl's heart skip a beat, even though she had no idea that she would soon become just another victim of a love fraud.

Back on the current status of the mastermind, Nayeon reaches the place she spent hours monitoring by, which almost made her bored. Entering the place without the needed proper attire, she unbotheredly walked in and approached her next target.

"Hi, miss. Are you here for an class appointment or a simple workout?" The cashier entertains the newly arrived client.

"Oh, nothing. I just want to speak with the owner, please." Nayeon denied. She looked at one of the posters pasted of the wall and found an interesting name. "Ms. Hirai Momo."

"Uhm... sorry miss, but if you don't have any scheduled class with her, I'm afraid I can't allow you to meet her." The lady still didn't accepted her permission.

Nayeon's patience is being tested yet she remained calm, not wanting to cause a scene here especially that the lady is making sense anyway. She can't just come here and asked for a stranger who actively running an establishment as of the moment to engage in a conversation with her.

She sighed before speaking. "Is she currently here, if I may ask? Actually she's a friend of mine.", she said.

"Oh... I'm really sorry miss." The watchlady bowed down to apologize for restricting a close friend of her boss. "But... Ms. Hirai is not here right now and will not be visiting for today."

Nayeon oohed and gave a comprehensible nod. She was a little let down that after traveling this far, the person she wanted to speak with wasn't here. Nevertheless, she wasn't very impacted by it because of her desire and espionage. "Okay, I'll just ask her by myself. And also, don't tell her that I came here today, got it?"

The woman complied with her request. "Thank you."

Nayeon hurried back to her car after leaving the gym. In an instant, she turned on the engine and spun the wheels. "Alright, her home it is then."

She drived for almost less than an hour until she reached a street on Seoul where she spotted the familiar place she has recently been into. Nayeon went out of the car and stepped in front of the gate before pressing the doorbell.

"Who is it?" The occupant inside called through the talkie.

"Hello, is this is the house of Ms. Hirai Momo? I'm a friend of YN's. He told me to give something to you." Nayeon claimed.

"Ah okay, wait there a second please." Momo responded after. Nayeon just chuckled badly at her deceiving words.

She saw a front door opening, and there she was. Momo stepped out of the house and walked through the gate to open it. The two women stood face to face at each other for the first time.

"Hello, sorry to interrupt you on your time today, Ms. Hirai... but can I just speak with you personally for a moment?" Nayeon suggested. The Japanese woman was speechless as she stared at the unfamiliar face for a while before replying, with some doubts forming inside of her.

"S-sure, come in." She gestured her and gave her a way to pass through.

"Thank you. It's nice to meet you by the way, I'm Nayeon." She offered her hand and Momo accepted it with a small smile.

"I'm Momo."

Together, they went into the home when she shut the gate. Momo led Nayeon into the living room and inquired about her preferences; Nayeon ignored her and assured her that their talk would be brief.

"So, you say you have something from YN that you want to give from me?" Momo responded.

Nayeon gave a nod. She prepared herself since she was going to tell this unaware woman about her major plan. "Yes, but let me clarify things first."

Momo was still unable to speak. "This wasn't directly given to me by him, but I assure you that what I have in me right now... was his own doing."

"What do you mean by that?" Momo knitted her brows, expressing confusion on Nayeon's choosing of words. She opened her phone and  gave it to Momo. As the latter looks at it to know what the content was, she swear that she felt like her heart was about to lose its function to beat.

"W-what the fuck is this?" Momo slowly losing the volume of her voice, her lips shuddering followed by her hands that are gripping the sacred object presenting the painful truth on her. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm just a generous friend who seeks vengeance for my beloved friend and for those who fell the same situation as her." Nayeon said. "And that includes, you. Momo."

"What are you talking about?!"

She threw the phone beside Nayeon's space in the couch. Momo stood up quickly in anger, creating a screeching sound on the chair she sat in.

Nayeon who didn't flinched, just matched Momo's level of intensity in her stare. "From the way you let me in to your house just by the mention of the name YN LN, I could take it that you knew him really well. Especially if i'm not mistaken... you two have something really fishy going on between yourselves."

Nayeon crossed her legs and continued to view Momo's widened eyes as she listens to this mysterious woman spitting all the revelations in front of her. "You may be asking yourself right now, how do I know about it. I have no choice but to admit, I've been keeping my eyes not only on him... but on you too."

"And why do you stick your nose on us? What do you want from us?!" Momo stomped in irritation.

"No, Momo. By the look of your face after what you saw, it should be what do I want from YOU."

Nayeon grabbed the phone and stood up to confront the emotional Momo. She presented the picture again featuring YN and Tzuyu kissing together in front of the clothing store Tzuyu works at. "Don't you still get it? I'm here to tell you that your man who is my friend's ex-husband is cheating with some other woman. THE SAME THING THAT SHE DID TO MY FRIEND AFTER HE LEFT HER BROKEN AND ALONE!"

Momo winced at Nayeon's scream close to her face, little did she know that the rage and anger that Nayeon is containing inside of her from YN is more terrifying and dangerous. "And fuck him for doing that to her! I even had to fly here back from States to take care of my friend because she needed it!"

"So don't you even dare to pull out any mercy or defense card against that cheating bitch because I swear to God, he never was sincere as you. He doesn't care at all even for you." Nayeon tells Momo. "He deserves nothing but little protection on his side, now that I'm coming for him. But ofcourse, I'm not gonna be like him, I'm not gonna be alone on this fight, because I'm bringing a backup with me."

She stepped forward to narrow her stare deeper on Momo's astounded display after learning your true colors.

"You have to join me on this one, Momo. Do this with me not only for Jeongyeon and Tzuyu... but for yourself too."

Momo finally whimpered and shed tears down across her face as she couldn't bear the aching feeling disturbing her both straight into her heart and mind. She is still in disbelief that  you dared to include her on your dirty mind games and offensive tricks.

"This isn't true..." Momo shook her head rapidly. Her heart that was already became fond of his affection is fighting for denial just for the sake of her love. "He told me that he loved me..."

"He never truly did, unnie." Another feminine voice just interrupted whuch effectively stole Nayeon and Momo's attention. Sana who is at the stairs, sitting and has been watching their argument from the start after hearing loud voices coming from downstairs, heard everything they talked about.

"S-Sana?" Momo questionably called her.

Sana lowered her head in a mix of afraid and nervousness from what she's about to tell her long-time friend. "I was a victim of YN's mischief too, unnie."

Nayeon who didn't expect the sudden turn of events, took the turn to interrogate the new girl. "What did he do to you?"

A bit of a flashback when YN went to Momo's home, after some fun times they shared through most of the afternoon, Momo became tired and fell asleep on his lap.

Sana who was currently working on the bunch of records she has to encode as her job, took a short break by going down, filling up some cold water and taking some nice sweet dessert to regenerate herself on finishing her task.

After she finished drinking a refreshing water, she got taken aback when she felt YN nuzzled on her neck while hugging him from behind.

"You smell so good today, Sana. I missed your scent so much." He said as he took another huge sniff on her nape. "Did you just took a bath earlier?"

Sana turned around and slapped him on the face quickly. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Cmon, Sana really? We've been like this close for some time now and you're gonna act dumb on it?" He tried to reach her waist but Sana pushed him away.

"I know what you're trying to say, but I never wanted it and I never even gave you the rights to touch me freely like as if you own me." Sana retorted, with a slight grunt on her voice.

"Oh you will be mine, soon. Are you really gonna keep being feisty against me? I'm liking it more, you know?" He stepped forward, prompting Sana to lean back which only led to her front body to purse closer. "Makes you look hotter to me."

"Stop being ridiculous, for fuck's sake, YN!" Sana kicked him in the shin causing him to groan almost in the pain before shutting his mouth to avoid Momo from waking up. "Momo is in love with you, have some shame please!"

She just walked away from YN, leaving him glaring on her annoyingly. "And can you just please leave me alone and get out of here now. You can visit Momo unnie again tomorrow or else I'll force you out by myself."

At the end of her recollection, Sana looked apologetically at Momo who felt pity for her cousin being harassed by the man she thought her intentions for love was nothing but pure behind her back.

"And I want you to believe her because... I-I fell in love for him too, unnie." Sana seethed the pain from her chest. "But I never liked what he's doing to me because I know he already has you, unnie. It's not right. And I always want you to be happy ever since we were kids, you know that. That's why when I learn that you got him first, I just let it aside even if it'll hurt me."

Momo cried harder, as the guilt and her sympathy for her cousin grew. "So please, listen to me unnie. Don't let him just do this on you."

All three of them became silent after Momo repeatedly spoke 'I'm sorry' for her cousin who chose to sacrifice letting go of her feelings for the man she loves in order to let the person she cherish the most in her life continue to experience the happiness she's getting from the same man she would've love to receive from.

Sana choosing her over you as the more important option was nothing for Momo to be infuriated about on her cousin who is loving the same man she loves also. She was rather acknowledged her decision more. She has now realized that not only her, but her cousin was also just got manipulated by his fake personality.

"So, what are you gonna do, Momo? Would you still remain your side linked on the man who is just using you for his own desire or you will listen to your cousin who cared far better for you than him?" Nayeon set the options for Momo to pick.

"If your purpose of coming to us was to get back on him for playing on our feelings..."

"... then we're joining you" Momo finished Sana's words. Nayeon encapsulated a satisfied smirk at their right response, which provided an additional inclusion to her revengeful accomplices against YN's toxic and unforgivable ways. "He has to regret messing on our feelings like it was nothing."

Meanwhile, you went to the ground floor of your building to retrieve a key from one of the rooms at the conceirge to access it after finishing your lunch.

You were about to head out of the building to look for some meal to feast when the figure of Jeongyeon looking at your direction as she sits at one of the chairs on the waiting area caught your sight.

"Jeongyeon, hey!" You greeted her, almost impressed at yourself for not being awkward already on meeting her, probably due to your reestablished connection with her as a friends through her initiation. "You're back."

However, he was rather surprised that Jeongyeon is wearing a sullen mood, her lips are pouting at his approach. "Hey."

"What's wrong? You look so down. Is there a problem?"

He then got hit by her bag as she glared madly at him. "You really forget about what we agreed on yesterday, don't you?"

"O-oh wait, no!" You denied, adding some hand gestures to emphasize your reaction. "Ofcourse I don't, how would I be?"

"Then why didn't you showed up?" Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. "You never changed. You really can't be tr-"

"Wait look, my girlfriend needed me more okay?" You stated your reason. Jeongyeon felt a pang on her chest at the mention of Tzuyu, dragging her mood even lower, as if it was unnecessary. "She needed me to take care of her because she didn't really feel good after leaving her work."

"Ahh... I see... okay. I understand." Jeongyeon faked a smile and nodded. "I mean, it's your girl. Her priority is more important than me who is nothing but on-"

"I was about to message you but I noticed that you blocked me in every contacts that we used to have." You added, stopping Jeongyeon from her drama. She paused and then realized her own mistake. "So I didn't get a chance to inform you, well thankfully you're here to let me to tell you personally."

"O-oh, is that so?" Jeongyeon said with a sheepish chuckle. "I-I'm sorry. I forgot to unblock you. I guess I also forgot on my part."

You just laughed and shook at how hilarious the coincidence that just occurred. "It's fine. But can you forgive me now too?"

Jeongyeon was about to speak but she sensed some bit of a hidden message there, creating some trouble within herself. She is compelled to say it but something is also pulling her back from doing it. Perhaps it's simply her tendency to overthink things, but there was a clear reason why the word he just spoke became sensitive to her as well. She observed you again, and her face shifted to a bland demeanor when she had intepreted that it's still not for the one thing she's hoping to have from him. Jeongyeon guessed it'll take her more than that to qualify his sincerity for the casualties she had cost. 

"Jeongyeon, you're alright?" You checked up on her as you noticed she got lost on her deep thoughts again.

Snapping out of her trances, she blinked rapidly and faced you again. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. You're going to eat right?"

"Yeah. It's my break now."

"Then I'm joining you, if you mind?"

You smiled at Jeongyeon's insist. "Sure. Let me pick some place for us."

After successfully visiting a restaurant, you and Jeongyeon ordered your foods and to your kindness, you persuaded that you'll be paying Jeongyeon's bill in which she declined at first but only ended up letting you as you also didn't allow her to reject your offer.

You two had a very comfortable and lively lunch, partnered with some engaging conversation about your recent happenings in life, while proceeding to exclude what happened to the two of you in the past.

In turn, you couldn't help but notice the strength and grace with which Jeongyeon had moved forward in her life. Her charming and alluring beauty that was used to hook your feelings on her, you couldn't deny that it never failed to do you so. It's starting to create statics of clips from some of your memories of her where your mood and your adoration for her gets uplifted simultaneously whenever you see this wonderful view of her.

In relief, the waiter distracted your reminiscence of Jeongyeon that is almost getting on your feelings again, passing the receipt of your ordered foods before you gave your payment.

Leaving the restaurant with Jeongyeon after finishing your lunch with her, you and her returned to your workplace. "Thanks for paying for my meal, YN."

"No problem, it's my way of catching up to you." You said. Jeongyeon appreciated the thoughtfulness.

"Well, I have to go now. I still have somewhere to go, I just came here to remind about our supposed meetup yesterday." Jeongyeon excused herself.

"Oh okay, be safe on the road Jeongyeon." You understand, nodding softly and smiling at her. "Goodbye and thanks for the time!"

"You too, YN." Jeongyeon waved her hand at you, but instead you returned the gesture by wrapping her around on your embrance, sending undescribable sensation tingling around her body. "I-it's really good to have you back, Jeong.", you remarked about the redefinition of your relationship with her. Jeongyeon listened, her heart surprisingly softened as she heard the tenderness in his voice.

Now that you disappeared in front of her and entered the building again, that left Jeongyeon to be stunned once again at your heartful and cheerful action, she sighed deeply and clenched her fists at how tough it is again to resist the glimpse of your old being while knowing the bitter truth of it that you still haven't changed, leading yourself astray.

She watched your back distancing away from her, breathing gets heavier as a result of a familiar longing feeling increasing, having her saddened at your lunch that brings her back to that particular time in the past when she had her first date with you and those other numerous times you had to take her outside before, almost giving the same vibes in comparison.

[vibratingskull]

Yandere!Thrawn x F!reader chapter 6

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

tag : Yandere behaviors (duh), beating

Your alarm clock rings and you shut it off, eyes bloodshot and fixed on the ceiling. You rub your eyes and exhale deeply. You have to go to work today, it's another day… You try to motivate yourself, knowing perfectly that today won’t be no different. 

It was subtle at first, just some weird looks or a sniff of disdain when you approached. And then, one day, everyone turned against you. They were overly hostile, pushing you against the wall, spitting in your direction, insulting you… The whole crew went sour and aggressive. And you have no idea why.

You took it to superiors but someone kept stopping the process each time. You tried to speak directly to Thrawn but he refused to see you, not hard to imagine why. But the fact of the matter is you are alone and more and more isolated on the Chimaera. Nobody talks to you if it’s not to insult you, you feel consistently spied on and scared that each situation degenerates into physical violence. You don’t feel safe anymore…

You rise from your bed to head towards the showers. You leave your uniform on the sink and enter a shower stall. You let warm water run on your body, a moment of peace before the storm. You take advantage of each second before you leave the comforting warm air for the deadly cold air of the bridge. 

You choke back a sob, hugging yourself under the water, when you hear fist hitting your glass door with a shout. “Freak!” They scream, pounding on the door. You cower, naked and terrified.

Then, silence.

You slowly rise back, unsure, and open the door lightly just to check. Nobody’s here. You release your breath, wrapping yourself in your towel. You exit the stall to put on your uniform rapidly before anyone coming back and realize someone used a blade to slash it.

“Do you have a single convincing explanation for your attire?” Commodore Faro asks, deeply annoyed. “I don’t have another uniform in good condition.” You explain, straight and stiff in your ripped uniform. She looks at you and shakes her head with disdain, “Go to your console, I don’t want to hear from you.” You obey and head towards your position. The officer you relieve stands up and pushes you with her shoulder as you go to sit down. You don’t say anything but look at her black. You hear chuckles all around you, mocking you for your attire, Faro doesn’t order them to shut up. You grit your teeth and get to work.

Your mind is spinning at 100 miles per hour, trying to find who could help you as you work, typing on that console. “Everyone focus, the Grand Admiral will examine your performances for this exercise!” Faro shouts. 

Karyn!

She could help you!

You were somewhat friends, she could tell you what’s happening! Maybe she could interfere and help you. You wait for the noon break and walk out to her. She looks up towards you and you see disgust painted on her face before it disappears in a second. Great… Her too.

“Could you explain to me what's happening?” You ask, sitting down in front of her. “I have nothing to tell you.” She doesn’t even raise her eyes from her dish, “Come on! We used to be friends, no?”, “Maybe we shouldn’t have.” she retorts coldly. What might have you done for everyone to hate you like that? “Listen, I just want to know what is going on. Suddenly everyone hates me and borderline harasses me.”, “Just inform the hierarchy.” She responds drily, “That’s what I did, but someone keeps stopping my requests. I’m stuck.”

“Then speak with the Grand Admiral Thrawn. You are close, no?” You lower your shoulders, since that fiasco with the Captain he refuses to see you, despite your will to present your excuses to him. You don’t know what transpired between them, she took care avoiding you and you’re left with no answer. “Even though… I doubt he would help you with this one.” She finishes you up, clearly displeased to have you here. You look up to her with questions in your eyes. You just want an explanation. She gauges at you up and down “You really don’t know what this is all about, do you?” she finally asks. You shake your head.

She sighs and takes out her comlink to show you something. Your eyes widen in disbelief at what you see.

You’re in tears, ugly crying as you walk through the corridors of the Chimaera. Who spread that rumor? Why? What did you do to them? Is everyone aware of it? It makes you feel like you could puke at any moment.

You reach Thrawn’s office and, desperate, you try your code’s cylinder. Before it consistently refused to open for you and you have little hope now, but the door opens in a shush much to your surprise. Maybe he wants to talk to you now?

Thrawn has his back turned to you, focusing on a holographic map, his hands clasped behind his back.

“Grand Admiral…” You greet with a voice full of tears. “What are you doing here?” he asks coldly, making you shiver. “I… I need help…”, “Oh you do, now?” He sounds ultimately uninterested by your problems, not even turning towards you. “Please… I need you to hear me, someone started to spread a rumor about me and-”, “Why is your uniform in such a poor condition?” He cuts you off. You raise your head to look at him judging you with his red gaze. “Huh… Someone slashed it this morning.” you explain, embarrassed.

He shakes his head “You embarrass the Navy clothed as such. Remedy it immediately.” He turns back to the map, like the conversation ended. “I can’t really, all my other uniforms have been soiled with paint or oil by someone…”, “Are those poor excuses for not being able to take care of your own uniform, Lieutenant Commander?” He bites back “If you are not able to take care of an outfit, what good can you do for the Navy? Maybe a demotion is in order.”, “No, Please!” you shout by instinct. He looks back at you, frowning, his hard gaze judging you, “Please, no… Sir.” You plead, “I swear someone is trying to frame me, they even started a horrifying rumor about me.” You explain. A sob comes to shake you, just thinking about it makes you sick.

He remains silent, gauging you up and down as you start crying again. You hide your face behind your hands, before you would have gone to hug your friend and he would have told you everything is gonna be fine, caressing your head with his warm hand. But this man is not your friend, he is cold and distant, judging you harshly, and you can’t hold it against him, what happened to him was apparently pretty nasty judging by his reaction. But you terribly need a friend, you need support, anything proving you're not alone in this… “The whole crew turned on me, they insult me all day long, shove me against walls and they physically threatened me. Please, I need your help…” 

He turns fully to you with an annoyed sigh. “What is it?” he demands with a tone that sends shivers down your spine. He is pissed, whatever grudge he has for you he holds it tight. “I…” You start to speak, but you’re too disgusted to formulate it with words, this is so nasty… “So?” He asks with a hint of impatience “If you have nothing to say, go back to your post. I deal with important matters, I have no time for your whims.” You feel the venom dripping from each word despite his polite and calm tone. “They… They accuse me of…” Eyes fixed on your feet, you feel like puking right there and here “Of being a… pe…” You hold back a wave of sickness as Thrawn looks at you with the coldest glare you ever felt on you “A pedophile.” You manage to let out. You feel yourself sweating profusely as the sickness slowly goes away. He remains deadly silent. You finally muster the courage to look back at him only to be graced by the back of his head. He fully turned away from you.

“Thrawn…” You plea, “Go back to your post.” He just says uninterested. “Thrawn, please…”, “You are considered innocent until proven guilty, but be prepared to visit a cell at any given time.” His tone is monotone, unsympathetic. It destroys you. “Thrawn! I know you hate me right now, but I really need your help! I-”, “I cannot do anything without any proof of your guiltiness or innocence, go back.” he dismisses you with a nonchalant gesture of the hand, deaf to your cries. “Thrawn, you can’t possibly need proof? You know me, we are friends, you know I would never do such things!!” You cry. You can’t believe you have to justify yourself before such baseless accusations, you always prefer your partners the same ages as you or older, accusing you of such horrifying acts… Who would be deviant enough to do such things??

“Do I? Before I thought you would not leave me between the claws of a predator, but I was painfully wrong. Maybe my entire opinion of you is just simply wrong and I misjudged you for an upright person.” He finally lets out. You can’t believe what you’re hearring, even Thrawn won’t side with you. “Thrawn…” You plea, desperate. “Go away.” He just orders.

You flee the office in tears, you run to your bed and drops on the mattress, crying your heart out, digging your nails in the covers, tearing your pillow apart with your stomach in knots.

After one hour, once your cries subsided you reason you have to go back to your post. Faro admonishes you severely for being late and you get a chore as punishment. You sit down at your console, completely depressed, everyone around seems pleased by your actual state, you barely register what’s happening before your teary eyes, “Lieutenant Commander (y/l/n), if you don’t focus on the exercise more than that I will need to speak about your actual position to the Grand Admiral.” Faro instructs. Obviously, all the bridge heard and your hear sniggers all over the place. “I am sorry, Commodore.” you respond, disheartened. It is so hard to focus in those conditions.

When your shift ends you let out a big sigh, wiping your soaked wet cheeks of any remnant of tears. “Lieutenant Commander (y/l/n), follow us for a second.” another Lieutenant Commander asks you as you were going to get caff in the wardroom. You follow them to the locker room with glassy eyes, exhausted. You realize a whole group of ensigns and officers are already here, waiting for you. The look they give you freezes you down your core, “What the-” you start but you are violently pushed in the middle of the room, so much you lose your balance and hit the floor with a groan of pain.

As you try to raise up you feel a boot putting pressure on your skull, keeping you in place. “Wait!” you shout, terrified “What’s going on?”, “Freak” he responds calmly “We don’t want degenerates like you around here, child molesters have no place here…”, you don’t have time to plead your c ase you receive a prodigious kick in the stomach, “Your simple presence here soil the prestige of the Navy, freak.” You receive a second one in the ribs, cutting your breath, you spit out blood, coughing. “Wait…I am innocent” You breath ”I came to the Grand Admiral Thrawn to-”, “Keep the Grand Admiral Thrawn out of your wretched mouth!” One screams “He is an honorable man! You defiled him by lying and pretending to be an upright woman to be his friend!”, “He’s right! Now because of you the Grand Admiral Thrawn will be accused of protecting a child molester!” a woman adds.

You are met with a barrage of punches and kicks in your stomach, ribs, legs and face. You try to protect yourself the best you can as they scream at you to disappear, to go die in a ditch and to not associate with Thrawn anymore. You feel bruises flourishing on your skin, your bones fissuring or cracking altogether and your nose and mouth bleeding. Each time you try to stand up you're being kicked back down, you feel your blood vessels exploding inside your body and a warm, sticky sensation flows all over your face. You try to scream but your breath is cut off at each hit you take. You cower over yourself trying to protect your ribs the best you can so they hit your spine and head instead.

You can’t believe you're gonna meet your end like that, by the hands of your colleagues, people you fought alongside with, people you used to dine with each day. You scream of pain when you feel a bone breaking inside your soft flesh, the pain exploding like a bomb. You hear your skull cracking under the boot’s pressure. You plead for mercy but they shout and scream in response.

So this is it. Is this how you’ll go? Under the hits of former friends because of a psycho that wants you dead? Are they here?  You wonder in a flash of lucidity, is your tormentor in this room right now? Taking their pleasure in seeing groveling, bloody and in pain? 

You feel torpor and darkness dangerously approaching when a calm voice rises over the chaos, “Stop.” You know this voice, you’ll recognize it among a thousand, it is clear, melodic and deep, inviting for no rebellion and demands respect. You see your tormentors turning towards the door where Thrawn stands, hands clasped behind his back. He spoke so serenely and placidly, knowing everyone would obey his commands. “Enough.” He just says walking towards you.

“Sir! You can’t leave her off the hook like that! She’s a sick freak, she soils your honor just by being here!” One of them explains, still excited by the violence. You try to raise on your elbow but you just spit blood. “I thank you for worrying for my honor, however I received proof of her innocence. Someone took a sick pleasure in targeting an innocent and competent officer and you all played in their game.” Thrawn nonchalantly gives his datapad to the spokesperson and you see his eyes opening in disbelief. They all move away from you as he approaches, like animals in front of the dominant of the pack. You cough blood, still rolled up into a ball as he kneels in front of you.

“Poor (Y/n), what did those animals do to you?” He murmurs, caressing a strand of your hair out of your bloody face. You moan in pain, unable to articulate any words, bones cracked, you can only extend your hand to him in a desperate fashion to get out of here. “Thrawn…” You plead miserably like he is your Lord and Savior.

“I am here.” He answers softly only for you to hear. He scoops you up and walks out of the locker room with you in his arms under the disbelieved gaze of your aggressors slowly realizing their error as the datapad travels from hand to hand in a dead silence. 

Instinctively you snuggle against Thrawn’s chest, where you are safe. “Nothing can happen to you now.” He whispers as he walks towards the med bay, you groan and wince in pain at each of his steps, your body is so sore and painful you feel your heartbeat beating in your ears and the blood flowing out your nose and mouth. “My poor (Y/n), I will punish those monsters. I will keep you safe, nothing will happen to you.” He soothes you as you start crying.

You feel so safe in his arms, like it is your rightful place. “Thrawn…” You call pathetically between your tears, “I am scared…”, “I know cha’cah, I know. If you stay by my side nothing will be able to reach you.” He presses your face in the crook of his neck, you inhale his scent, it is familiar and reassuring, comforting you in your pain. You’re so relieved to have your friend back…

“Grand Admiral we… What happened?” Karyn asks, appearing at a corner of a corridor. “A regrettable incident. I want you to draw the list of everyone’s names  present in the locker room, I will deal with them appropriately later.” He orders without slowing down his walk. 

You feel him laying you down in a bed. You wince. This is so painful. “You are safe now, (Y/n). Do not worry about anything, I will take care of you.” You feel him squeeze your hand. You turn towards him despite your sore neck and notice the mess of blood on his pristine white uniform, “I soiled your jacket…” You manage to say exhausted, “It is quite alright, cha’cah.” He caresses your forehead with the tips of his fingers. “Thank you… Thank you for coming to rescue me.” You cry with your last strength, “I will travel through the entire universe for you.” He says so lowly you barely hear him “I will shine a light on this situation, do not worry my dear. I will find the truth.” You drift off into unconsciousness without another word.

This is a pious lie, you don’t need to know all the truth. You don’t need to know he fabricated false proofs of your culpability, you don’t need to know he waited outside the locker room as you got beaten up. You don’t need to know he wanted to teach you a lesson for what you’ve done to him. This is not necessary to your future couple’s happiness.

@bluechiss @blueninjablade3 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay

[snorpdawg]

And Now, An Unnecessarily Long Post Guesstimating How Long The Events Of Bugsnax Took Place

TLDR: My best guess for how long Bugsnax transpires is either between a couple months at least or a year at most.

So here’s the thing. The reason I even did all this meticulous research was to answer a question someone had in a Discord server. I figured I should probably make my inane ramblings a public post as a means of archiving for future usage, so here I am.

Please keep in mind that these are all educated guesses. I have both researched in my own time and scoured the depths of the Bugsnax Wiki to try to put together a coherent explanation of my thoughts. So inevitably there will be things I've messed up on or left out altogether. Any feedback or additions are appreciated!

In addition, this post will contain spoilers for the events of Bugsnax. If you haven't already gone through the main story, I strongly advise you not to read onwards, so as not to spoil your playing experience.

With all that jargon out of the way, let’s dive in!

Let’s go over what we already know. It is established that the expedition team has been on Snaktooth Island for roughly a year. During “The Quake”, around the start of the climax, when the Grumpus pairs are talking amongst themselves, Triffany mentions that the expedition group “only made it a year [on Snaktooth Island]”. This can also be backed up in the flavor text for the Lovely Sweetiefly, where Eggabell mentions that Lizbert gave her a bouquet of Sweetieflies for their anniversary, implying that the team had been on the island long enough for it to be celebrated. During the Major Celebration, Chandlo mentions that he would’ve come back “weeks ago” if he knew Snaxburg threw parties like this. This implies the town disbanding was several weeks prior to the events of the game, presumably months given how quickly Snaxburg ran down when the inhabitants left.

Here’s where things err on the trickier side; the prologue. In it, two weeks prior to the events of the game, The Journalist watches a tape sent by Elizabert encouraging them to come to Snaktooth Island. This simple scene actually brings up a lot of plot holes. For starters, we can tell from the background (no buildings, Cromdo still setting up his Cromdo Mart sign) that this tape presumably was made in the early days of Snaxburg. Presumably a couple days or weeks after Tape #0 (in the DLC, at least). So it begs the question; how long did it take for the tape to get sent to the Journalist? It makes Filbo’s observation of the Journalist being “a bit late” a big understatement if it took them well over a year to receive the tape and travel to the island.

Supposedly, “a bit late” can refer to those two weeks before the games events to about three month. It’s established that the Journalist presenting the tape to Clumby and them arriving to Snaktooth took them two weeks. When arriving back to the mainlands, Snaktooth Island can be seen in the horizon at not too far a distance, meaning the Journalist took more time in preparation rather than the journey itself.

A big point of contention is the epilogue, where Clumby tells the Journalist that while they were missing, they were declared “legally dead”. This is where I hit a bit of a fork in the road in my research. When I searched for information about how long it takes for missing people to be declared legally dead, a lot of conflicting information came up. The most common estimates are about seven to ten years, which is inconsistent with the fact that the expedition had only been on the island for a year. Perhaps the Grumpuses have a different law system when it comes to missing Grumpuses? Your guess is as good as mine.

There also other smaller details that also raise more questions than answers. When the player enters Snaxburg for the first time, most of the buildings are empty and in poor condition, with wearing paint and decomposing structures. According to my research, it takes between five to ten years for paint to fade and it can take up to five years for a wooden house to decay, which, again, raises inconsistencies with what is already established.

If I had to absolutely guess, if we’re to assume the tape was sent exactly two weeks before Snaxburg disbanded, and we’re to guess every in-game time skip via sleeping counts as days passing, the game would’ve taken roughly several months to up to a year to transpire. Pretty anticlimactic results, no? Well, that’s the best we’re going to get for now. 

Again, a lot of this is educated guessing so there’s definitely more finite details I’ve might’ve left out on accident, so I’d really encourage any and all feedback if possible, as well as your own additions!

[liamthemailman]

♠️♥️House of Cards♣️♦️

Act Two Part One - Recovery

CW: Minor injury description

White light flooded Ace’s vision as his eyes fluttered open, immediately blinding him. He hissed sharply as a searing pain throbbed at the back of his head. If it wasn’t for the distinct smell of the medical bay, Ace would have assumed he had woken up in heaven. 

Ace sat up before he rubbed the ache at the back of his head. He inhaled as his hand trailed down to his neck where his fingers came into contact with the cotton gauze around his neck. He sighed, a soft groan slipping past his lips as he recalled the events that transpired in the safehouse. His back still hurts from the scuffle he had with Queen. He groaned audibly, already dreading the ramifications that followed.

Ace stretches his neck, testing his limits and feeling the raw skin stretch beneath the bandages. It felt itchy and rough, burning against his flesh, suffocating almost. He took a deep breath, feeling the urge to tear the dressing off. It felt like a collar. An uncomfortable one at that.

It didn’t seem like Ace had been in here long, maybe a day or two at best. He figured he wasn’t out that long as he continued to nurse his head. A nagging thought eats at him as Ace wonders how he even managed to end up where he is now.

The privacy screen screeches against the metal rails as it’s drawn, the sound sending another awful pang to Ace’s head. Ace flits his eyes over at the intrusion, glaring at the form as they step in. 

“Major.” Ace relaxes his gaze, raising his eyebrows at the towering man.

“Lieutenant,” King returns the greeting, gruffing as he closes the privacy curtain behind him. “I see that you’ve finally woken up.”

“Yes sir..” Ace hums, nodding. He straightened up despite the strain in his back. He returns his eyes to King, a silence falling between them. It was tense as Ace anticipated. Before Ace could ask anything, King broke the silence.

“Elize had been put to desk duty while she recovers from her sustained injuries.” King says, answering Ace’s question as if he had read his mind. Ace nods silently, still waiting to be chewed out for being the cause of the assault.

“Sir, I-” Ace opens his mouth to speak but falters as King holds up a finger, silencing the shorter man instantly.

“Relax, Doe, the situation is being taken care of.” King interrupts, earning an odd look from Ace, the man’s brow furrowing. “Awfully shameful situation, really, but we know Private Kyle has always been a loose cannon.”

King’s tone left a sour aftertaste in Ace’s mouth. He frowned, but had expected the disdain coming from the Major. King was never fond of Jack to begin with. While Jack was careless, calling him a loose cannon seemed rather harsh.

“Where is she?” Ace finally asked. He was answered with a short scoff from King.

“They ran off, that coward,” King rumbles, folding his arms across his chest with a scowl distorting his face. This only further confused Ace, but he felt his stomach drop at the reveal.

Without prompt, King continued,“Long story short, the young punk attacked you from behind. That’s how you got your little injury there.” King says, gesturing vaguely to Ace’s neck. “Luckily, Elize managed to step in just as you got knocked out, but not without having to fight him off.”

Ace fell silent at King’s explanation. He had a feeling there was something wrong with it. He couldn’t actually place what had happened, though the nagging feeling at the back of his mind only grew more. Ace didn’t say more, having no grounds to suspect anything. 

It felt frustrating, but Ace surrendered, choosing to just nod along to whatever King was telling him despite it not making sense at all.

King cleared his throat again, his foot tapping against the ground, disturbing the otherwise peaceful silence.

“Well, enough chit chat, Lieutenant,” King rumbles. “Get back on your feet and meet me in my office as soon as you do.”

Metal screeches again as King pulls the privacy screen open, stepping out before Ace could even mutter a ‘Yes, sir.’ 

Ace sighs, and finds himself alone with his thoughts. As his mind mulled over the timeline of the confrontation, his hand strayed back up to his neck. He mindlessly picks and itches at the bandage, pulling at the material. 

His lonesome doesn’t last long as King’s presence is replaced. In walks a nurse, gently pulling aside the screen, holding a tray in hand.

“Don’t do that..” The nurse scolds softly, swatting away Ace’s hands from his neck. Ace stares at the nurse as they present the tray to him.

“These are some paracetamol pills, both for your head and neck. Do take them when needed within six hour intervals-” the nurse drones on with Ace barely paying attention. He hums, absentmindedly scratching at his neck again.

“Okay, thanks but uh..” Ace points to his neck. “Any chance I’m allowed to take it off?”

The nurse stops before they rattle on again, turning their attention to Ace’s neck. They paused. “Well, you can but-”

“Wonderful, darling,” Ace cuts in again, already undoing the wrap, practically ripping it off much to the dismay of his nurse. Ace hops off the lumpy medical bed, pocketing his prescription bottle and swiftly walking away, leaving behind a bewildered and flustered nurse.

Quicksaving...

[meenawrites]

So.. I finished Alchemy of Souls

Guys, the amount of tears I just shed in front of my entire family in the last episode of part 2 is crazy.

They were just sitting there like, you good? It's fiction as I'm sobbing my eyes out.

Anyway.

I have many thoughts. So many. And I lowkey want to make a separate post for each of them.

But for now I do want to leave some of my impressions about the finale: (spoilers ahead obviously)

I thought it was pretty well done. I expected to be a bit more shocked about the whole Jin Buyeon is Jin Seol-ran plotline but it honestly made sense to me and I feel like it was actually foreshadowed pretty well for the most part, even in season 1.

Also they definitely got me good with the deaths of Park Jin, Maidservant Kim, and Jin Hogyeong (if that's how you spell her name). Like that's when I started crying tbh. (I could care less about Mama Jin tbh, she sucks, but that deserves its own post). And I'm glad that them actually being alive didn't feel like a cop out to me. They established early on that Jin Seol-ran knew what would happen and used that to their advantage so it was believable and didn't feel like a Deus Ex Machina move for them to be saved. Well, maybe one of them should have died (cough–Mama Jin–cough). But it's fine.

I do feel like the last two episodes were kind of rushed though. I don't know if they had budgeting constraints or if Netflix didn't give them more than ten episodes, but I think that they should have had at least 12. Two more episodes would have allowed for more expansion on the climax and allowed them to up the drama more, which I think would have done well for the series over all, and would have been a better payoff.

I think the time could have been used well to flesh out some of the side characters arcs more. I feel like Danggu and Jin Choyeon were kind of pushed off to the side this season, and especially in the latter half, but I would have liked to see more of them and their relationships not only with each other but with Jang Uk and Naksu/Jin Buyeon.

For all intents and purposes, Naksu/Jin Buyeon lived as Jin Choyeon's sister for three years, and we can see that despite everything that happened three years prior, Choyeon did treat her as her sister even knowing the soul was Naksu's and cared about her. I think that could've and should've been expanded upon, her choosing to care about Naksu/Jin Buyeon or how that came to be. Also, after Naksu regained her memory AND found out Jin Mu had been for sure controlling her at the end of Part 1, I would have loved to see the conversation between her and Choyeon about what she did, an apology and an explanation that she would never have done that if she were sane of mind. What I said about Choyeon applies to Naksu as well because she lived three years as Choyeon's sister, and we can tell she cares about her, so I would have loved to see more of her feelings towards her, especially upon remembering all that had transpired in part 1.

When it comes to Danggu, I mean, he's one of Uk's best friends, and he was left out of the loop a lot when it came to anything Naksu-related. I would have liked him to find out or for Uk to tell him at some point and see how he makes peace with that. Because Danggu and Mudeok were friends in part 1 and he supported her (erroneously) in her supposed romance with Seo Yul. But then she killed his fiance's father and tried to attack him. I can't imagine the sense of betrayal he felt, but also finding out that it wasn't her fault and how he could come to terms with that would have been great to see. I also think his whole experience/trauma from part 1 was kind of glossed over. Like his main thing this season was his broken heart after Choyeon didn't end up marrying him, and I think that was making his feelings a bit too one-dimensional there. They do talk about how he feels slightly uncomfortable/doesn't know what to do with Jang Uk at the beginning of the show, but once Seo Yul comes back, that's kind of forgotten about and the three of them just start hanging out again no problem. I would've like to see a bit more about him struggling with becoming Leader of Songrim as well and how he adapted to that amidst his heartbreak for both his love and his friend who he doesn't even know how to act around anymore, and even towards Naksu/Mudeok who kind of ruined his future and that of his best friend but also being intuitive enough (because he is and he has one of the best hearts we've seen in the show) to realize that there's more to the story than her just going on a murder spree.

I've seen some talk about people saying they didn't like the actress for season 2 as much as season 1 (forgive me, I forgot their names), but I think both brought something good to the table.

Season 1 actress for Mudeok was really good. Her facial expressions were spot on and her chemistry with Lee Jaewook and the other cast members was really good. I think she definitely had great stage presence and made the show popular in the first place. I just don't agree that season 2 actress was worse.

I think season 2 actress definitely put in the work and embodied who Naksu/Jin Buyeon was for the majority of the series. There were times where she made expressions that perfectly resembled/echoed Naksu/Mudeok's that really got me like yes they are the same person even if she doesn't remember. She may have been cuter than we were used to with out sharp-tongued and emotion-resistant Mudeok, but I think Naksu needed that. As Mudeok and before then she didn't have the luxury to be more emotional and girly, it's only now in this body that she does, and I'm glad she had the opportunity to express that side of herself that had never seen the light of day.

We did get a glimpse of that side of her at the end of part 1 where she's playing around with makeup and what might make her look pretty, and it really spoke to all that she had missed out on and had to give up in order to survive. So yeah despite all the angst, I'm glad Naksu/Jin Buyeon had that opportunity through season 2 actress who played it really well while keeping in line with the essence of Naksu/Mudeok.

This whole thing about Naksu being the shadow to Jang Uk's light and if light exists then it needs a shadow broke my heart you guys, it was so perfect. And the fact that they were each other's light and shadow at different points but were also wholly necessary to each other in that was beautiful. I want to talk more about this in a separate post, so I'll table this metaphor for now.

Shout out to Crown Prince Go Won, a great character this whole season in terms of both comedic relief and massive character growth. So good.

Uk's arc was fantastic too but again want to save that for a full post.

Those are my out of order first thoughts about part 2, but I have SO MUCH MORE to discuss, so I will come back for sure. I just needed to scream to the world for a bit (virtually of course).

Question though for all of you more knowledgeable in the k-drama world: is there going to be a season 3?

[furiousgoldfish]

How to process trauma as a multiple (a person with dissociative identity disorder, OSDD or DID), taken from the book "Becoming Yourself: Overcoming Mind Control and Ritual Abuse" by Alison Miller.

First part of processing trauma as a multiple is that you need all of the parts that are holding some memory of that event; you need the pain holders, the sensation holders, anyone who was present or saw what happened, anyone who holds even a tiny bit of memory or pain or sight or sound, needs to cooperate in order for the trauma to be processed correctly. Unprocessed trauma can be used to trigger you, to trigger your parts, in case of mind control even to control their actions, it can cause emotional flashbacks, make you feel like you're re-living it or are stuck in it, often some parts will be stuck in the moment and unable to get out. In order to process it, the trauma needs to be put back together from all of the parts, and then processed only cognitively – meaning, without any emotion or sensation involved, just seeing and realizing what had happened to you, and with what results for your life. Then, you can introduce emotion and sensation to it, and your brain can make correct connections to what kind of feeling and pain was caused by what event, and store that information properly. Once you have all of the event completely understood and all of the emotions linked to the events they were caused by, the memory should be complete and able to get stored in the long-term memory side of the brain, where it will finally start fading, like normal memories do. Once it's there, it's unable to cause any more emotional flashbacks, panic attacks, or trauma symptoms, it would become a regular memory.

Now, how to do this when you're a multiple and you have many different insiders holding parts of that trauma, a lot of them unwilling to uncover what their part of it is, some of them holding just some of the sensation and some of the pain and unaware of the rest? What needs to be done is explaining to each of them what you're planning to do, and persuading them to give their part of the memory or feeling that they're holding, because it's going to make the burden of it lighter, and they will not be judged or punished for it. For some people, this will mean working around with other parts, that are assigned to punish certain parts for showing emotion or revealing information – they also need to be persuaded to not punish or sabotage the process. The book claims you don't even need to know all of the alters, just ask who has any part of the memory and persuade them, with explanations and benefits to what you're doing, to participate.

Once you have them all in, you need to get a big box, or a treasure chest, or a big bucket, or it can be a storage box, and you tell them to put all of the emotions, sensations, pain, fear, panic, anxiety, grief, anger, sexual feelings, bonds, love, shock, terror, anything they might be holding from that event, to put that feeling into the box. I was surprised to find out I could do this, because I've never done anything like it, but I could easily feel relief when every single sensation got sealed in the box, it was almost unbelievable. Then, you all sit together in front of a projector, or a television, or in my case, I physically transported us all in front of the event, so that we could watch it all happen. This way, all parts get a complete memory of the event, and awareness of what actually transpired, instead of the small part they were holding onto. First time you watch the memory, you watch it without any feelings or bodily sensations, all of that is in the box, and if you start feeling something, you pause, and put that feeling into the box, to continue watching the event using only the cognitive side of your brain. That is the only way you can get a good idea of what happened, without getting completely overwhelmed with sensations and pain. For the memory I was processing, I even cut the sound out and put it in the box, because it was less painful to see it without hearing it.

After seeing it once, you introduce feelings, little by little, and you don't need to feel it all in full extent. It's enough to add a little bit of feeling only to help your brain to connect it to the event. Just to link whatever discomfort, pain, sensation, grief and shock is related to the event at hand, it doesn't need to be felt in full all over again. You watch the memory again and again, until you're able to connect every sensation and emotion to it's cause. If there's any part of the memory missing, any sensation or information or feeling that you can't recall, you ask what part has got it, and ask them to put it in, to find out just what is hiding in that trauma.

When you're sure as you can be that every memory is back in it's place, you talk to all the parts to hear their version of how it felt and what they're feeling and thinking about it. You see what information they've gained from it, and how it changes their view of their function, or their life experience. If some are in grief, shock or terror, you make sure to offer them comfort and bring them back from the despair of it, and show them that other, different things happen in the future, that protect you from anything like that happening again.

After you've managed to do this, you can put the entire memory into the box (or treasure chest, or bucket, or whatever you feel is most appropriate), with a little opening for the chance that some other part of it will come up and need to join the memory, and the box can be stored as a processed memory. This should help your brain to store it as a long-term memory and for it to stop causing trauma symptoms.

I unfortunately have not been able to complete processing a single memory this way yet, because I keep missing parts and pieces, and parts holding them will not come up or cooperate with me, but I am hopeful that figuring out more about my parts and system will eventually enable me to process trauma properly. The information on how to do it gave me options to do things I couldn't do before. For instance, I could approach my child insiders who are stuck in the past, and show them the events of me running away from the abusers, having another place I can live in, show them that different future is possible and that freedom is possible. For those who've been brainwashed, I've been able to show them the events where the person who brainwashed them later abandoned them, ceased their function, and later distanced themselves to the point where they no longer recognize my voice or my face. (This sadly, only put my child insider into deep grief because they depended on that abuser for having a purpose and they're now just upset full time.)

I'm sharing this for the chance that someone else needs this and can use this information. I've never seen it laid out like this before. The examples shown in the book told the story of people taking a few years to intensively work on processing trauma, and then overcoming the symptoms of ptsd, which I find incredible and hard to even believe, having the ptsd symptoms for over 10 years now.

If anyone needs this book and is currently unable to buy it, I'm willing to share the pdf privately.

[cult-of-the-eye]

What experience I would give as a statement to Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London? Statement fucking begins...

Summer after GCSEs, whole fam picks up and goes to India for 3 weeks

Listen we are hubristic. We literally go from Britain to Turkey to Delhi airport, to a different airport, to Banaras in a taxi, to Siliguri in a sleeper train, to Kalimpong in a car, back to Siliguri in a van, then to Kolkata in a sleeper bus, to Dhakha, Bangladesh by plane, to my grandparents place in Sylhet by car, then back to Dhakha, then back to Delhi, then back to Turkey and then back to Britain.

Tell me we didn't have at least one entity on our side.

None of us got ill. We had a 6 yr old with us. She didn't complain one bit. I'm 100% sure I blacked out for the majority of it. No other explanation than paranormal.

Those sales assistants in shops have to be fucking avatars of the web or something the way they fucking smile and you until you've blinked and you've bought 3 lehengas and she's like very good ma'am

I met my grandma's sister who looks exactly like my grandma, speaks the exact same way, acts the exact same way. It was so uncanny I could've sworn she just was her. Probably very normal explanation (genetics) but we can never be sure.

I made friends with a hand sized spider in a bathroom by singing "Mr spider, please don't kill me" in the tune of Mr sandman to it every day. It disappeared on the last day. (giving spiral)

I got myself an Indian accent. I am not Indian. (Most of my family is from Bangladesh, I was born there) I am not good at accents. I'm not sure how this transpired (could be some elaborate sociolinguistics explanation but I'm gonna go with paranormal)

We went on a massive family day out with cousins to a river near the mountains and we all had a great time until this little menace of a cousin literally got carried away by a current and we were terrified until one of my uncles literally grabbed him by the leg and yanked him out right before he would've gotten completely carried away. I don't think that's pure luck, personally.

My aunts staged an intervention for me about my posture (Not supernatural, Im just salty)

My dad successfully convinced some strangers who sat next to him on the plane that the reason me and my siblings spoke such good English was that we went to an English medium school. When pressed, he came up with the most elaborate story ever. He gave them a random school we went to, told them we were his boss' kids and he was taking us home, bullshitted a company and then when one of them went oh my dad is a higher up in that company, he says oh didn't he retire recently and the guy goes yeah he did! We are completely oblivious of this story, until he leans over and tells us not to call him dad for the rest of the plane journey. If that's not fucking Stranger behaviour then what is.

We get home, exhausted out of our minds and we realise we can't find our fucking front door key. We pile into the back garden and proceed to search through the entirety of our bags, trouser pockets, pockets within bags, we're all on the verge of tears, I'm catatonic, my little sister has picked up a stick and is slowly peeling it, my other sister is the only one actually looking and my dad is staring at the luggage, as if it had grown legs and was doing a little dance right before his eyes. We do find the keys after 20 minutes. We never mention this again. That's fucking paranormal shit right there don't even try to convince me otherwise. Michael the distortion was fucking with us.

Statement ends... (Although that's definitely not even half the shit that happened)

Watch Jonathan "Jarchivist" Sims crumble beneath my experiences. Hes so bamboozled that he forgets to try and discredit me. I bring him a packet of laddoos and some aachar.

[ametrinearrows]

The Explanation

The loud thud of the locker room door slamming shut echoed through my mind as I watched YN retreat down the corridors of the backstage area. Before she hurried away, I could see the shock and pain etched into her face as she stood in the doorway in disbelief. The sight of her walking away, without saying a single word, broke my heart into a million pieces. I knew I had to find her and explain everything. Even if YNN wouldn’t believe a single word I said, it would be the truth and nothing less. 

I made my way through the back area, trying to spot the YHC haired girl through the crowd. Panic welled up within me as I got closer and closer to the back door, realizing she had intended on leaving the arena all together after what she saw. My mind raced as I tried to catch up to her before doing so with all the different scenarios that could come from what transpired. The devastation of knowing how she must have been feeling was crushing me. 

When I finally caught up to her near the back exit, her eyes in a downcast and head hung low, I knew I could let her leave like that. Not before I got her to hear me out and know what actually happened. I lightly grabbed her arm, stopping her mid-step, keeping my hand loose on her arm in case she had the instinct to jerk it away. YN turned to me with a guarded gaze in her YEC eyes, but I could still see the tiniest glimmer of curiosity show through. 

“YNN, wait. Please.” I pleaded; my voice full of worry but completely sincere. “Just... Just hear me out. What you saw... Mandy and I... it wasn’t what it looked like; I swear.” 

My little YHC haired girl raised an eyebrow; the look on her face now showed skepticism of my words. “Oh, really? Because it looked like you were jumping down Mandy’s throat. Excuse me for imagining that in full view. How could you?” 

I took a deep breath as I gathered my thoughts. “It’s really not. Look, Mandy came into our locker room shortly before you came back from the ring. I didn’t know why she was there. She kind of barged her way in without warning. When is tried to ask her to leave nicely, she kissed me.” I began to explain, trying to keep my voice steady. I gently cupped YNN’s face with the hand that didn’t have a hold of her arm. "I would never do anything like that to you. She did it to provoke you. To try and get between us so that in y’alls match at Survivor Series all you would see was that in the back of your mind.” 

YN’s eyes widened as she absorbed the information I had fed her. “Why? Why would she do that?” she asked, her voice filled with a mix of anger and confusion. 

“I don’t know, Baby girl,” I admitted, still trying to figure it out myself. “But I do know is I would never, and I do mean never, betray you or our relationship in that way. You mean too much to me to even have any kind of thought of doing that.” 

A painful silence hung in the air as YNN played back everything that had been said in the back of her mind. Finally, she spoke, her voice coming out in a softer tone than the one she used before. “You should have hunted me down and told me sooner.” 

“I know and I'm sorry I didn’t. I panicked when I saw your reaction. I stayed until I got the explanation that I just gave you. I needed something to tell you other than just ‘It wasn’t my fault’ because I knew you wouldn’t fall for it,” I expressed, my eyes never leaving hers. 

Her hesitation slowly faded, being replaced by a flicker of understanding. Placing her hand on top of mine that rested on her cheek, she gave it a slight squeeze. “I’ve known you for ten years, have dated you for half of them, and that’s long enough to know that I can believe you just by the look in your eyes. And I do. But if it happens against, I hope you know I will not be as easy to be convinced.” 

Relief washed over me as I pulled her into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” I murmured against her hair. “I promise it will never happen again.” 

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she stated as she returned my embrace by wrapping her arms around me. “Mandy is so getting her ass handed to her next time I see her.” 

I chuckled and squeezed her tighter. “It’s warranted.” 

[losfacedevil]

Careless Whispers // J.T.K (Pt5)

a/n ~ It's been so long since I've visited the world of Jake and Serenia I couldn't even find the picture for this! WARNINGS: Angst, Angst, Angst.

Get Familiar with these babes: Chapter One // Chapter Two // Chapter Three // Chapter Four Hey @writingcold I made good on my word!

“He’s disassociating again. Remember what  he was in therapy for, Yknow the therapy he claimed he didn’t need anymore?” 

She kept her voice soft, perched on the edge of the bed with her back to Jake. 

Tears pooled in her eyes as she spoke to Josh, her heart breaking as the confession slipped past her lips. Josh sighed hard on the other end of the line, her minds eye seeing just how his face was scrunched and how his fingers would be pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“That’s what happened that night, he wasn’t there mentally. My mind says it’s only an excuse but with his history my heart says to believe it.” 

Josh coughed lightly, his mind reeling with everything that had transpired within the last two months. Jakes downfall, keeping Serenia sane and keeping the younger boys out of trouble. He shook his head and tilted it backwards training his eyes on the ceiling.

“You know that means we have to call mom, right?” 

Serenia’s eyes widened, shaking her head gently as her gaze landed on Jake’s sleeping form. She reached over, brushing his sweat slick hair back off of his forehead and scratched her nails gently across his scalp. 

“No, not yet. Let me try and fix it first.” She knew Josh was still shaking his head on the other end, most likely biting at his finger nails as his mind continued to reel. 

“Ren, you know full well it’s not gonna work.”  The name he only used when he knew she needed an air of sense knocked into her slipping past his lips. 

She let her eyes slip shut and the tears slipped down her cheeks, pulling a deep breath in through her nose she nodded.

“But… I need him to know I care. If we…if we call mom he’s gonna feel some type of way because he promised her he was okay. I need to try and fix it first, please, Bubba.” She could picture the way Josh’s eyes rolled, the whites of them making itself known. 

“You really just Bubba’ed me, didn’t you? Ugh, fine. Talk to him and see where we stand then we’ll come up with a game plan.” 

Serenia nodded her head gently, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and continued to stroke Jake's hair. 

“I’ll call you later.” She mumbled, pulling the phone away from her ear and hitting the end call command before Josh could get another word in. She placed her phone down on the bed side table and tilted her head towards the ceiling, willing away the tears that were stinging her eyes. 

She laid across the bed, pressing soft kisses to the exposed skin of Jake’s neck and wrapped herself around his sleeping form. He stirred slightly, bringing his arm around to rest across her waist and turned his head to run his nose lazily against her. 

“Nina?” He mumbled, his soft breath tickling across her cupids bow. She nodded her head, a soft sound of acknowledgment slipping past her lips as she pursed them and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 

“I love you.” His words were slurred, sleep still clouding his mind as he wrapped himself around Serenia. 

“I love you, more than you’ll ever fully understand.” She mumbled, dancing her hands over the expanse of his back, pulling him back into a dream like state. 

~*~*~

“I think your mom is coming to visit. At least that’s what Josh said this morning.” Jakes eyes shot up from his plate, quickly finding hers and he let the fork he was holding slide out of his grasp. 

“What did you tell Josh?” Anger began to cloud his vision, knowing his mental health would be the only reasonable explanation  for his mom coming. Serenia held her hands up, shaking her head gently from side to side. 

“You need help, Jake. Help that as much as I would like to give you, I can’t. I love you,

I care about you, and with your mental state the way it is? You need professional help.” Jake shook his head vehemently, pushing the plate of food that sat in front of him to the side and reached out for her hands. 

“I… I don’t need help. Don’t call mom, please. I… I need you.” His reserve was breaking, the bad boy persona he always put on falling to the wayside as he true self shown through. 

“How about therapy? We can get you back in with Dr. Sun? Maybe she’ll be able to help you decide on coping mechanisms to help?” Serenia gripped his hands tight, the mixture of fear and anger in his eyes telling her all she needed to know. 

“No I’m NOT going to therapy again! Why? So she can put me on some drugs that turns me into a fucking zombie again?? No, absolutely not!” His grip on her hands tightened, the opposite reaction of what played in his eyes. 

“But baby — Jake you need help.” She kept her voice light, not wanting to startle him. He kept shaking his head, eyes wild as he looked everywhere but at her. 

“So come home. I don’t need Dr. Sun I need you. You don’t understand how much you help me when things go wrong. I know I fucked up, I know it’s going to take SO long to get back to basics but please, just… just come home?” Tears welled in Jakes eyes as he spoke, heart breaking in his chest at the thought of her dismissing his plea for help. 

Serenia’s eyes were trained elsewhere, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and nibbled down against the flesh. A deep breath pulled in through her nose puffed out her cheeks as she let it go and her eyes found Jakes once more. 

“We need to figure this out. What do you want to do about it? Coping strategies that didn’t work last time? You don’t want to go talk it out because you don’t want drugs. I… I think you need your mom, Jake.” 

Jakes gaze steeled and he ripped his hands from hers, slamming them down on the table. Serenia recoiled, her eyes wide as she watched Jake get up from the table and throw his plate in the sink. He turned on his heel, his gaze finding hers before he stormed forward. 

“I don’t need my fucking mother.” He growled, reaching out to wrap his hands around her petite wrists. He pulled her up from her seat and gently placed her hands on his shoulders before wrapping his arms tightly around her midsection. 

“I don’t need my mom, Nina, I need you. I need you to come home, to tell me that everything’s gonna be okay. I need you to tell me that we’re going to be okay, that we’re going to make it over this hump. I need you to know that I love you and that nothing in this world will ever change that. I… I need you to know that old trauma sometimes crops up and she… she was my ex. I don’t know what came over me.” 

“Jacob, if anything that makes this worse. You have history with her? So her cheating on you cause trauma that made you cheat on me? No. That’s not how this works Jake. What I need from you is for you to shut up and listen.” 

Jake sighed as his body deflated, hiding his face in the crook of her neck. Her fingers found their home in the hair at the nape of his neck, carding through it gently as she wracked her thoughts for the way to word what she needed to say. 

“I love you, okay? I know you’re struggling but you have to understand your actions hurt too. Do you know how it feels to find the person you love nose deep in someone else?  Of course you do, she did it to you. So I need you to think long and hard about what happened and what you truly want. Because if it’s her? Well, then I don’t want to know. Your mom is coming up and that is final. You need her wether you think you do or not.” 

Serenia pulled back, pulling her hands forward to cup his cheeks in her palms. His face was kissed pink, eyes bloodshot and raw as a new stream of tears ran down his cheeks. She ran her fingers along the apples of his cheeks, wiping away the stray tears as she pushed up on her toes and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 

“You let me know what you truly want, okay? You know where to find me.”