#i kind of hate indigo

[mediumgayitalian]

You dont have to answer this but i have the pdf version of tsats if you haven't bought it. If you want it, make a post about exciting to read tsats so i can send it to you like this again

omg yeah?? id rly appreciate that?? did u get it off zlibrary i love zlibrary

[hitomisuzuya]

I really really really want a Mouchie smut where he's being insecure and shit. Like, bro is in the moment of "I'm a bad person" and is afraid that reader will leave him because of this, or that she's just aching to. Because he sees and believes her to be such a good person. So, his fear manifests in some form of angry sex, he's being all degrading, but like, so tender with his movements, treating her like some kind of fragile treasure.

(Bonus if he tears up a bit)

And reader sees and understands that despite how harsh he's being, he's just scared. So, she returns his harshness with words of praise and worship and affection.

Scaramouche x fem!reader. Smut. Degradating praise. Praise. Worship.

I give you romantic smut. Scaramouche cums when he hears "I love you," during sex. Not one person can convince me otherwise😌

Scaramouche didn't understand you. His entire life no one has ever done anything for him without an agenda of their own. Manipulating him into giving them what they needed, discarding him when he'd served his purpose, or fell short of whatever expectations they had for him.

But not you. Why?

He was the one using you right now, dragging his throbbing cock between your messy folds. Teasing and rubbing his leaking cock head on your clit, chasing that overwhelming pleasure of having your pussy soak onto his cock.

You should be struggling, pushing him away. You should be realizing how awful a person he was. You should be trying to leave to him as soon as you possibly could.

And yet here you were, your eyes half lidded in a haze of bliss, your legs trembling as you rocked your hips up to meet his rhythm, the prettiest moans spilling from your even prettier mouth. You are demanding absolutely nothing in return. You only want. Him as he was.

"Stay still, you needy slut," He growled, panting as he increased his rhythm. Your head was starting to spin, your clit throbbing and send further jolts of pleasure tingling through you.

When Scaramouche's hands found your hips, you expected a skin bruising grip forcing your hips still on the bed. In fact, it was quite opposite. His gentleness is a stark contrast from the glare his indigo were hooded in as he looked down at you.

He let out a shaky sigh, relieved you hadn't shattered like glass. You are so small, and fragile. He knew he could break you in half, and right now, the very thought terrified him. If he lost you, he had nothing. His hips came to a stop, and he reached down to brush a few strands of hair off your cheek.

The way you turned your cheek into his touches, your eyes filled with nothing but the upmost, pure love and loyalty never failed to make him so fucking weak. In that moment, and not for the first time, how in love with you he is caught up with him. It felt like a harsh smack to his face. His eyes further narrowed into a deeper glare.

"Scara, please," Your voice had such a gentle tone. You slowly rocked your hips up, grinding your clit against the head of his cock, "I want you. I want you so badly that it hurts," Even your words sounded way too pure.

Way too good for the likes of him.

Scaramouche moaned at the sensation of his cock pulsing between your creamy folds. You and your words were making him fall apart, and he hated it. He hated that you made him want to explore such feelings, to reach out and fiercely to cling to them.

To cling to you.

You would leave him for sure, right? You had to be itching to. Why didn't he sense that feeling coming from you?

Everything about you is intoxicating. The way you pressed your body up against his, the desperate look of want, need, and love in your eyes for him. Your moans from the raw pleasure he was providing you. The way your messy cunt clenched around the head of his cock as he poked it against your entrance.

His head dipped down, flicking his tongue across your nipple. He groped at your other breast, groaning at how soft and warm it felt squished between his fingers. "So soft.." He scooped your nipple into his mouth to suck on, "A pliable fuck toy to be used by me," His thumb skimmed tenderly on the dip in your hip as you twitched in pleasure. "A pathetic slut who knows her place."

Scaramouche shuddered in ecstasy feeling you clench tighter on the tip of his cock. You urged his cock inside of you more, a needy whimper keening from you. "My place is underneath you. On my knees at your feet. I only want to love and worship you in the way you deserve," You wrapped your arms around him, pressing his mouth more onto your breast.

You understood that Scaramouche was feeling vulnerable. His harsh degradation for you was actually loving praise that made your heart flutter. "Please fuck me, only your cock can make me feel good," You cried out as his teeth gently grazed your nipple, Your pussy practically sucked the head of his cock inside of you.

"You are such a fucking fool," Scaramouche growled, giving your nipple a lingering sick before he moved his head up to kiss you. His teeth bit gently at your lower lip, pushing his tongue into your mouth. An intense, romantic kiss that stole your breath away.

A kiss that you returned with nothing but passion that sent him further reeling, his mouth eagerly swallowing your moans and cries as he started to push his cock inside of you. "Say it," He hissed, panting softly as he pulled away, "say it now, whore," He waited on a bated breath, perhaps bottoming out a bit more harshly than he met to. Relief surged through him when you didn't shatter from the rough action.

"I love you, Scara! I love you so so much!" You cried out, his cock kissing firmly into your sweet spot made you see stars. Your arms tightened around him, clinging to him in the way he craved. The way that he needed.

"How dare you," He growled, his hips snapping angrily into yours, his touches gentle all the while. "How dare you, how dare you," He chanted like mantra, his words enunciated with every thrust, "How fucking dare you make fall in love with you," He was fast losing himself in the addicting, gummy warmth of your pussy.

You writhed on the bed underneath him, lewd and uncontrollable moans sounding from you. He flinched at how cute you look being almost embarrassed by them. His head dropped down onto your neck, saying nothing as he moaned and nuzzled against your neck.

"Fuck, you are suffocating my dick, you cock drunk whore," He groaned, shuddering as your gummy walls clamped tighter around his cock. "The audacity you have, making me feel this fucking good." He held you with a tight tenderness against him, driven to make you cum hard on his cock.

You reached a shaky hand up to stroke his hair. "I love you, Scara. I love you so much it hurts," You moaned further reassurance. Your words made him whimper, his thrusts turning more urgent as his cock suddenly ribboned cum inside of you. He squeezed his eyes tight shut, nuzzling your neck again.

He couldn't let you see the tears burning in his eyes. You mewled in bliss feeling his cock empty inside of you. All you could do was shake in his arms from the intense pleasure. You could more than feel the fierce love he has for you in his thrusts. A calculated thrust broke the knot of your orgasm apart.

"Thank you, Scara. Thank you for existing," You moaned, rocking your hips up obediently as he fucked you through your orgasm.

He couldn't stop the tears from falling from his eyes onto your neck. "Don't ever leave me," He murmured, "Swear to me you won't."

You lifted Scaramouche's head from your neck. "I won't. I won't ever," You replied, smiling softly up at him before pressing a kiss on his lips to seal an unbreakable promise.

[valiantverses]

Tremors

Ghoap X Reader

Summary: A therapist's waiting room wasn't exactly the place to have the most engrossing conversations. People were usually jittery, tense, or straight-up despondent. Somehow, you manage to strike a strange sort of connection with the retired military couple that had the Thursday slot just after you anyway.

Trigger Warning: Angsty. Discussions of Soap's injuries, the reader has mental health struggles and everyone has communication difficulties to some degree.

A/N: Scuttling out of the woodwork after having a pain flare, a breakdown, a career shift and getting some life altering surgery. Here's a new series while I rework all my previous writing!

Comments, questions, requests and constructive criticisms are welcome. Hate is boring and will go unacknowledged.

_

Maybe therapy wasn't for you.

Baring your soul to a total stranger and unearthing your life to be scrutinised by somebody. Then having that somebody turn around and drop you as a client because you were 'beyond their scope' and recommending you to someone else. It left an acrid sort of burn at the back of your throat as you settled into the sofa in the cheery waiting room of your hastily found counsellor.

Tick.

The leather underneath your fingers was squeaky. Static-y. The kind of leather where the grooves of the well-worn parts of the couch were buttery smooth and a slightly darker shade of black until it reached the bits that weren't quite as worn.

Tock.

The sound of papers shuffling and a low voice calling out a name drew your attention. It wasn't yours. Wordlessly, you watched a woman to your left stand up. The rubber of her cane cracked across the linoleum as she she signed her name on to the clip board at the desk, murmured her greetings to the therapist and made her way inside, the door shutting with a soft click.

Tick.

St. Jude-Thaddeus Hospital's Rehabilitation and Pain Management Clinic had the honour of being the only facility of any sort in your area that offered psycotherapy services. Affordable ones, anyway. Something to do with being integrated into the Ministry of Defense Hospital Units for disabled veterans- but you didn't need to know, so you didn't ask.

You'd take what you could get.

Tock.

You glance up at the clock once more, seeing that you were now close to 10 minutes to your first ever appointment with this therapist. A part of you wanted to fast forward the next 40 minutes of your day. Maybe the next few hours. Get to the point where your obligations were done and the first meeting was over and done with.

Tick.

When the door opens next, you don't look up this time. You try to contain the shake of your hands and focus on that squeaky leather underneath you. The thumps of footsteps don't register before the slight sink of the couch does. When you glance up, it is to the bluest eyes you could imagine.

He was handsome, a part of your brain helpfully informed you. Dark eyelashes framing a sort of azure blue, shards of indigo flecked about like sleet in the rain. His tanned skin had that slight leatheriness that could only come from working under the sun, the hand jutted out towards you littered with callouses-

"-hnny MacTavish, haven't seen you round here before."

Your hand moves mechanically to accept his handshake, mouth producing syllables you knew was supposed to be your name.

Realising the beat of conversation had stretched on longer than it should and it was now your turn to fulfill your part of the social contract that the stranger had looped you into, you broke eye contact and glanced back down at the worn linoleum.

"It's my first time."

There was a snort to the other side of you, from a bulky man sat diagonally from the line of chairs you and Johnny were sat in.

You quickly ammend your statement "-with this therapist. Just moved in."

His bulk seemed to carve away the space of the room, hulking shoulders leading to a thickly corded neck, lower face covered in a black face mask and his eyes a thin ring of deep ocean blue. What little skin you could see of his face looked sallow. Drained.

"Ignore tha' git. Insists on tagging along with me like I'm a wee wain and wreaks havoc of all sorts." The voice from your left supplied as you quickly began reassessing the relationship between the two strangers you found yourself in the middle of.

"You two know each other?"

There was a rumble to your left, a deep bass-y sound you realised was laughter. "Could say that, ma'am. "

"My partner," Johnny supplied, eyeroll evident in his voice as you turned to look at him once more. It was a little overwhelming having to keep turning your head to and fro because of the way the chairs were positioned, and your fingers dug into the leather once more.

Slippery, smooth. Pebbled with some long indentations.

"That's Simon. We've been at this shrink for give or take four months now-"

"Fifteen weeks."

"*-would'a noticed a bonnie lass like you on our weekly, enlightening visits." His quip was cheery, but there was an element of sarcasm you couldn't quite place.

This conversation felt like navigating a field full of landmines. Couldn't ask about his condition, why the weekly visits rather than the gold standard (That is, the national healthcare coverage) of every two weeks, why fifteen weeks- so you asked the only thing you felt you could.

"She any good? The counselor, I mean."

Johnny blinked, head tilting and making eye contact with his partner - Simon - there was a flash of something twisting across his face as the wordless conversation happened in a split second.

It was fascinating. The sort of communication that only happened when two people had an intimate well of knowledge of the other person.

Then dawn broke across Johnny's face and he turned back to you with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Aye, lass. Not afraid to crack into your brain and really dig around. Well good laugh too, great to interact with given I've really only spoken to four people or so since I retired an' all."

You tried not to read between the lines. Tried not to stare at the way he leaned back to rub at the jagged line across his scalp, the puckered edges evident under the peach fuzz of dark hair. He was giving you what he could without dragging a stranger into his own vortex of struggles. You could relate.

"Retired? From military service?"

Regret looked different on people's faces. For some, there was a grimace. Maybe a slight widening of the eyes in realisation, or a hitch in their breath. Self-reproach for bringing it up in the first place. For Johnny, it appeared to be a slight furrowing of his brows and a darkening of his sky blue eyes as he edged backwards.

A cough and the scraping of the chair behind you drew your attention, looking to your right to meet the cold stare of the blond. Briefly, you felt like a cornered animal. Your hands grew still. His gaze was assessing, stony face giving nothing away except the overwhelming vibe of back the fuck off. His eyes flicked over your shoulder and then back to yours.

"Sounds like they're finishing up in there. You should sign in."

It appeared you had clambered out of the field of land mines only to immediately fall into a sinkhole.

Stuttering your goodbyes, you make to stand up, making the same trek the young lady had towards the desk. You fought to control the tremors of your hands. One stayed tucked deeply in a pocket as the other wrote your name down through sheer muscle memory. Sure enough, the door opened and the woman walked out with her mobility aid, a cheery voice calling out your name from inside.

As your shaky palm took hold of the doorknob to twist it so you could enter the room, you caught snippets of the conversation happening behind you.

"Bothering you-"

"-Ost, It would have been fine-"

"Your hands were shaking again-"

"Ach- I had it under control!"

"You don't owe strangers anything. Not after everything you've-"

"Please- I just- I need to have a feckin' conversation about it without breaking down-"

The door shut with a click.

As you sat down in front of your new therapist, you resolved to try and move your appointments to a different day.

[faithfulren]

tent troubles

hi everyonee!! i just wanted to thank you for 50 likes, its a start and it truly means the world to me. i'm so glad you guys like my stuff and i deeply appreciate it, and i hope you guys continue to support me! :) <3

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

as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue over the forest, class 1-A set up camp. laughter and chatter filled the air as everyone pitched in, erecting tents and preparing for a night under the stars. you were excited, the prospect of camping with your friends bringing a smile to your face. that smile, however, faded when you realized you were paired with katsuki bakugo.

you and bakugo had always had a irregular relationship. his fiery temper and your headstrong nature often clashed, leading to more arguments than you cared to count. but aizawa-sensei, in his infinite wisdom, had decided that this trip was the perfect opportunity for you two to learn to work together.

"just stay out of my way," bakugo grumbled, dropping the tent supplies at your feet. he was already annoyed, and you knew better than to poke the bear.

"sure, bakugo," you replied, trying to keep the peace. you bent down to pick up the tent poles, but he snatched them away before you could grab them.

"i said stay out of my way," he repeated, more forcefully this time. you bit back a retort and stepped back, crossing your arms as you watched him struggle with the poles.

minutes passed in tense silence. bakugo was clearly having trouble setting up the tent, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to ask for help. finally, with a frustrated growl, he threw the poles to the ground.

"do you want help now?" you asked, unable to keep the smugness out of your voice.

"shut up and just… help me," he muttered, glaring at you.

together, you managed to get the tent set up, though not without several more snide comments and glares from bakugo. by the time it was finished, the sky had turned a deep indigo, and the first stars were beginning to appear.

you sat down by the campfire, feeling exhausted but somewhat accomplished. bakugo sat across from you, his scowl softened slightly by the firelight. the others were busy roasting marshmallows and telling ghost stories, the atmosphere light and cheerful.

"here," bakugo said suddenly, holding out a stick with a perfectly roasted marshmallow. you blinked in surprise.

"uh, thanks," you said, taking the marshmallow from him. It was uncharacteristically kind of him, and you couldn't help but wonder what had prompted the gesture.

"don't read too much into it," he snapped, looking away. "i just didn't want to hear you whining about not having one."

"sure, bakugo," you replied, a small smile tugging at your lips.

the night wore on, and eventually, everyone headed back to their tents. you crawled into your sleeping bag, trying to get comfortable on the uneven ground. bakugo was already lying down, his back to you.

for a while, you lay in silence, listening to the sounds of the forest. You were almost asleep when you heard bakugo's voice, quiet and hesitant.

"why don't you hate me?"

you turned to face him, confused. "..what?"

"i said, why don't you hate me?" he repeated, louder this time. "i’m always yelling at you, and you never fight back.. why?"

you thought about it for a moment. "because I know there's more to you than just your temper. you're a good person, bakugo, even if you don't always show it."

he was silent for a long time. then, just as you were beginning to think he wouldn't respond, he spoke again.

"thanks," he said softly, almost too softly for you to hear. "and… sorry.. i guess."

it was a small apology, but coming from Bakugo, it meant a lot. you smiled in the darkness, feeling a warmth in your chest that had nothing to do with the campfire.

"goodnight, bakugo," you whispered, closing your eyes.

"goodnight," he replied, his voice gentler than you'd ever heard it.

and for the first time since you'd started at UA, you fell asleep feeling like maybe, just maybe, you and bakugo could be friends after all.

[mizusnose]

Heaven is not fit to house a love like you and I

Summary: your lifelong crush on your best friend Akemi’s best friend turned girlfriend is something you’ve learned to deal with.

heavy on the angst, yearning, and sadness/anger that comes with a love unrequited…

Akemi is beautiful. She’s pale and her lips are naturally pink, no need for any tinted lip palm, her eyelids naturally double lidded—you admire her openly. It’s the same way you regard your jealousy whenever Mizu is around too.

It’s been a lifelong thing: this love you hold. Insistent like a stream in the summer, constant like rivers unnamed underground. A yearning you’ve come to deal with.

The thing is this: Mizu is beautiful. Not the kind of beautiful that Akemi is, with her pink skirts and dainty wrists and pink lips. Mizu is large palms, tall with broad shoulders, a shaved undercut that fails to hide the freckle on her nape. The bones of her chest that flutter whenever Akemi kisses her.

You turn away, tucked away in the corner of the bar. You’re single—always have been. It should be easy, and yet the warmth of the wine on your tongue sits heavy, strong and pungent.

They make a good match, you remember telling your friends, They’re meant for one another.

And you’d laugh, and you’d sit there and watch them whisper to one another, Mizu’s hands on Akemi’s tiny waist, her ribs, her shoulders.

The first time you’d wrote about it, the thudding of your heart, the heat of your face, Mizu’s face in your mind as you touched yourself, you realized: you were in love. The letter didn’t see daylight for years. Felt like a part of yourself from a past life, one now fallen away from and so distant.

You remember it now. As Mizu pecks Akemi’s jaw, her chin, the underside of her ear. How she walks away to get more drinks and Akemi sidles up to you, a flush on her face, the skin of her neck.

“You look angry.”

“Ah, just work stuff..you know..”

Akemi nods, sipping the melted ice of her drink. Her chest isn’t covered. It reflects the dim lights. You look away.

Mizu returns and sets wine glasses down. You meet her eyes, the blue of it an electric thing in your gut. She grins as a hello, and you nod back, tipsy and unbalanced.

Your letter would likely never see the light of day. Instead, it would sit where you’d left it, the half-life of truth on paper an eternity—double that. You remind yourself to burn it when you return home. Maybe get drunk while you do it, really make it dramatic as possible.

Yet, as the night stumbles away from everyone, Akemi leaves early for her early work call tomorrow morning. A slurred I hate it, I hate it, god I wish I could quit urghhh as Taigen took her home.

And then Mizu was there, against the wood of the bartop. Her glistening golden chains reflecting in the low light. She rarely ever wore anything too revealing: liked turtlenecks more than anyone you’d ever known. But her puffer jacket had been long set aside, now just an indigo outline of her. A person against the backdrop of the bar, a watercolor in the night. A thing of desire in your mind, your heart.

You’d talked, somehow managed not to make a fool of yourself. Maybe have given away you’d drank too much, so now she was directing you into a cab: her hands steady and distant from your waist, your hips.

She helped you back into your apartment, stopped to drink some water, give you some as well, and now here you both were: in the darkness of your room, a mess of yourself thudding against your entire body.

“Sorry. I’m sorry.”

Mizu doesn’t respond. She lays you down and walks around your room. steps over the mess of your floor and the disheveled state of your desk, your drawers, your walls pinned in posters of bands and music and prints.

Her hands would stop, start again at different points of the room and mouth the words of the poster or the messily scrawled note you’d written weeks ago. You’d watch her, unfocused and smeared in anticipation—of what, you couldn’t tell.

And then—

“A letter.” Her voice broke the silence. The hum of your fridge started up again, and you went still. Felt the blood in your body rush, felt it in your face, could hear it in your ears, “For me?”

———

ok this is too long snd idek if i’ll continue this but lmk what you think. i watched little women and needed some angsty yearning so here we are! maybe a part 2??

[faetima]

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐬. .

. . you’re cursed with hanahaki and shyness, while scaramouche is fated to forever hide his feelings behind a mask of indifference.

// tws ; blood ! ; gn reader ; modern & high school au, hanahaki au 

a/n: i love safety scissors by tiffi

there were many things you didn’t know about scaramouche. his family life, his favorite type of flowers, what his favorite kind of dessert was.

what his personal feelings about you were.

but, one thing you did know about him was that he liked cherry cola.

much, much more than the regular kind.

that was too bad though, since you hated cherry cola.

but you couldn’t fault him, your tastes just didn’t match up.

—

there were many things you didn’t know about scaramouche. his favorite sport, if his love language was physical touch like yours, if he didn’t like shy people.

if he was romantically interested in someone.

but, one thing you did know about him was that he wasn’t rightfully yours.

and that he would never be.

—

your life was slipping away like delicate grains of sands falling through your hands.

you gagged, pale pink and pristine white candytufts slipping out of your mouth and flopping onto the floor, the ungraceful motion contradicting to how elegant the flowers actually looked.

the flowers were dotted with dull, red spots of blood, standing out on the otherwise light colored blossoms.

you clenched your hands into tight fists, suddenly feeling how cold and clammy they had gotten.

you hunched down, heaving and coughing up more of the damned flowers. they were clumped together and were glistening from being coated in mucus and blood.

the cabbage-like scent of the candytufts combined with the metallic, iron scent of blood was starting to make you dizzy, your stomach turning. you gagged on nothing, queasy from the miasma.

maybe you had no chance with scaramouche.

—

you sat in class, shoulders slumped forward and lips turning downwards just the slightest bit. you rubbed one of your eyes, tired.

you let out a shaky sigh, not noticing your right leg bouncing up and down unconsciously.

“can you stop that?” a sharp voice cut through the silent haze that had been set over the classroom. you glanced up, finding indigo eyes narrowed in annoyance. scaramouche’s hands were clenched into fists and his jaw was clenched. he scowled at you, pretty face contorting into one filled with exasperation.

”sorry,” you mumbled, immediately dropping your gaze down to the desk, swallowing hard. nervousness crept up your spine, and you took in a shaky breath.

”whatever,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. his ears had the lightest tint of pink to them, of which you didn’t notice, too caught up in your own embarrassment.

—

you had bought new clothes because you thought you were going to see him that day.

you had cut your hair in your bedroom with safety scissors.

it was so embarrassing. especially because that was the only way he would even notice you, taking the fact that you were too scared to talk to him because of being so goddamn shy.

—

there was some distant memory you had of scaramouche and you back in seventh grade.

you had both been working on a project, and somehow you had wound up sharing your earbuds with him.

his nose had scrunched up in what had seemed to be disgust.

”you listen to this fucking stuff?” he asked you, staring at you with a scrutinizing gaze, a hint of curiosity in it which you hadn’t noticed.

you had stayed silent, not exactly sure what to say.

it wasn’t his fault that your music tastes hadn’t quite aligned.

— 

you had texted your friends.

they had said not to do it.

but you, being stupid, didn’t want to listen to them.

so you had cut your hair on impulse, all because you wanted to look nice for scaramouche.

now your hair looked so, so damn stupid.

and the worst part? 

you had cut it with safety scissors.

you should’ve listened to your friends.

—

coughs wracked your feeble body, draining all the energy it had left with the motions.

candytufts fell out of your mouth, piling up on the ground.

sharp pains in your lungs came in intervals, making you wish death would just come and take you already.

but no, it just had to be cruel. it was taunting you, making you feel like you were going to die, make you wish that you were going to die, only to never actually take you.

instead it put you through this suffering.

you felt like you were coughing your lungs out, wanting to rip your throat out from the pain.

you sobbed, wishing to just die, wishing for the world to just end your pain and suffering.

but, alas, death would never come for you.

all because scaramouche hid his feelings for you under a mask of indifference, hidden from anyone’s knowledge.

[ki-yomii]

helloo! could you recommend your favorite jungkook and yoongi fics? thank you and have a lovely day ♡

hey there~ 💛

... tbh i haven’t read too many fics for my boys lately 🙈

i've been trying to work through the books sitting on my shelf collecting dust + i got sucked back into fallout now that the show is out lol.

but i do have some all-time favorites!!

please mind the warnings/tags - you're responsible for your own reading consumption. that said, all of these fics are 🔞

i hope you have a great day nonnie and if you have any recs send them my way 🥰!

JUNG KOOK FICS

the crimson shell series by @angelicyoongie

mermaid aus are my lifeblood istg. and this is one of the best one's i've ever read!! it's dark, it's creepy, it's foreboding - and tantalizing. everything i love about mermaid/siren aus crammed into one series.

you had always found comfort in being at the beach, often spending hours just watching the waves lap against the shore. but unbeknowst to you – something had been watching you back.

make you mine two-shot by @colormepurplex2

i'm a sucker for abo, and as such, have read a looot of it over the years. its a genre that's very easy to descend into wtf-how-are-they-still-alive-after-THAT territory but this fic does it very well in a way i haven't seen too often. i loved the world-building and set up.

Alphas might rule the world, but Jungkook finds himself being ruled by the need to make you his. Omegas are rare, precious, and pliant. At least, most are. When you present late, well into your twenties, you're already set in your headstrong ways; a challenge even for a commanding alpha like Jungkook. Add to that the centuries-long feud between your families and the last thing anyone expected was for him to claim you as his soulmate.

a sea of indigo series by @foxymoxynoona this was the first BTS fic i ever read... and is a big reason as to why i got into the fandom in the first place. i had no clue who they were before then. i'd heard of them + listened to agust d without knowing it was yoongi 💀 but this fic made me check out BTS RUN and now here we are 🤪

Pitbull Hybrid Jungkook has finally been freed from the fighting rings, and now finds himself at Marigold Sanctuary & Transition Estate, a place for healing and self-discovery for rescued hybrids. It's stupid, dumb, cheesy, and hell-bent on helping Jungkook "heal" and "find himself" and "decide the course of his life." And right at the center of it is Y/N, a nurse who's got everyone bamboozled that she's like some awesome person. She's not that great. Jungkook hates it here.

YOONGI FICS

witch oneshot by @sailoryooons

this is easily one of my top 3 yoongi fics. the world building, the tension, the relationship between yoongi and reader. it ticks all my boxes and vividly paints a picture of this universe. i adore the concept, and love the way this fic is brought to life through sailoryooons storytelling.

For years, you and Yoongi have played cat and mouse. It’s his duty to rid the world of witches, but he always finds a new excuse to let you slip through his fingers. When you find yourself at his mercy, you wonder if the great witch hunter will finally end your game of chase, or if there’s something that will stay his hand. 

desolate series by @angelicyoongie

one of the first hybrid fics i've read for bts 😭 i love my lil meow meow and the set-up for this fic is amazing. it takes a fresh direction with the hybrid trope and builds a relationship that feels organic and progresses very naturally💛

you just wanted a cute little normal cat to keep you company. so you're not really sure how you ended up with the grumpiest hybrid on earth that seems hellbent on making your life difficult.

ps. i woof you oneshot by @gimmesumsuga

this one is just so so cute and asjhdjsghfjs!! i adored remi and thought about having yoongi and holly as neighbors for days after reading this lol.

The one with a happy accident of the furry, four-legged kind - “Are you calling my dog a slut?!” 

first and last and always oneshot by @floralseokjin

i'm not one for holiday fics/aus usually but there's something about this one that i absolutely adored. it felt very realistic and drew me into the relationship within the first few paragraphs. the angst is so well done and heartfelt, it made me cry lol.

You and Yoongi broke up two months ago. It was mutual, you’re positive, but there’s one teeny tiny issue... You never told your parents, and now they’ve invited you back home for Christmas. Both of you. You can’t say no, but you also can’t bear to go alone, so you do the only thing you can think of, plead with Yoongi to come with you and pretend like everything’s okay...

go send these authors some love!!

[fairykazu]

WISH UPON A STAR FT. SCARAMOUCHE ! cws: best friends, mutual pining, requited, fluff, modern au, teens, gn!reader notes: guess what they wished for. this has been in my drafts since forever. so sorry about that. masterlist | moonflower masterlist taglist: @ainnofinway @lovemari @lily-lmao @aethion

it was friday and it was usually the days where you and scaramouche hang out and relax from school, which is almost always turn into a sleepover. both of you were in his room, underneath a blanket fort. leaning on scaramouche's shoulder, you yawned, "scara, did you know it's going to have a meteor shower tonight?"

he shrugged you off, your head hitting the pillow besides his torso, "really?" he liked how you didn't mind that your head hit the pillow, instead resting nicely on his shoulder. he didn't want you to know that he actually liked it.

you nodded your head, boring your eyes into his indigo lensed ones. he turned around quickly, ignoring your gaze as his ears burned. "when?"

"around 11:50, i think." ignoring his antics, you answered, smiling. "i hope we would see it by then, if your mom lets us."

"don't worry, she will."

he replied quickly as you furrowed your brow, "are you sure? how would we even see them?" as long as you could remember his mother is protective over him, but luckily, not to a point where she's overbearing. regardless, she hates when scaramouche gets rebellious which is bad for her since he likes to rebel whenever he can. you try your best to prevent it, but you end up wrapped into whatever he wants to do.

his answer was blunt, as sharp as a newly forged sword, "sunroof."

you scrunched up your face, scaramouche likes when you do that. it's funny to see your reaction to his seemingly careless replies. "the sun roof? seriously?"

it's clear that you aren't taking him seriously, maybe it's time to amp it up a bit.

he confirmed it and took it a bit further by crawling out of the fort to point up. he could hear the blankets rustle behind him while you crawled out of the fort from the tiny opening. looking where he was pointing at, you wanted to cry. despite his family being rich, his mom liked to spend it rarely, making sure it goes to the right places, which is smart. she is smart but man, how could you guys even see the stars from this one-by-one square?

well, not really one-by-one, but it's big but not big enough to see every star that's possible to see with the human eyes. you wanted to cry but instead you turned around, hearing scaramouche's chuckles. "did you really believe me?"

your frown pressed into a thin smile, "what?" you were in disbelief because not only did he lie, he's laughing at you. wow, rubbing salt in the wound is really cruel.

he liked to pull pranks or jokes on you because your reactions are almost always funny to watch. but seeing the doubt set into your face, it made him feel a bit guilty. so he decided to uplift your spirits instead."im lying! of course, i won't make you watch it from this window because this-" he drew a rectangle with his fingers. "- is too small for you. when it's around the time, let me know and i'll show you how we'd watch it."

"what?"

"i just know a place."

when he said, 'i just know a place', you didn't expect it to be on the roofs of the house and how you got there? you don't even know nor remember. it kind of just happened within a blink of an eye.

scaramouche was chuckling to himself quietly as you looked at him, dumbfounded. no one in this house ever discovered that he had dug up tunnels and pathways in secret. so of course, he had a pathway to go up the roof. is this really true?

kind of. mikoto figured it out it was him but despite it, she never tattletale on him so it's technically a secret. if you ask him why he did it, he'd just smirk but in reality, he was a devoted liv and maddie fan.

you two sat on the roof, where scaramouche laid out a blanket for the both of you. scaramouche threw up pillows in which you caught, "are you comfortable?"

"as comfortable as a person can be on a roof."

"good enough." scaramouche replied, climbing up and adjusting the corners of the roof. you're just happy that he didn't make you sit on the slanted roof but instead, where he had his hideout on the flattest part of the roof.

you took two of the pillows and set them down. scaramouche immediately hogged both of them as you frowned, "that was two for two of people sitting here..." you pointed to yourself and then him. "two people, scara. me and you."

"...uh huh, i'm following?"

"you're insufferable." you replied as your face lit up. "wait."

"what? what are you doing? you're making me scared."

you pretended to stretch your back as you declined on him, resting full body weight on scaramouche. "humph! what are you doing??"

"you're a hogger, you know that? this is what you get and you can't push me off." you said, expecting him to fight back or roll you off gently. but instead, you hear,

"fine. what time is it?" thank god, he changed the subject because you wouldn't have known how to continue it after he agreed with your antics for once. "around 11:40."

"good, we can wait out here then."

"good..." you glanced everywhere but where he was. "scara, i don't think your roof may not be the safest place for us to stargaze." you said, recalling your complaint from earlier.

scaramouche lifted himself up as he watched for you if you fell, his hand near your head in case you did. "either this or the sunroof."

"thank you for blessing me with the opportunity to see this beautiful night sky, scara!" you replied quickly as he hid his chuckle.

waiting for ten minutes just to pass away is taking forever, scaramouche thought as he annoyed you by poking you. it was easier to just watch paint dry than wait for the incoming meteor shower. but he looked at you while you began to fight back with his poking by poking him back, it was worth it.

"scara! the stars!" you jolted up as scaramouche pulled you back into his embrace. when you turned to his face, he explained, "i don't want you to fall down and die. i don't want to be linked to your death, how would i go to the ivy league colleges now?"

"uh huh."

but did you really care? no... you rested your head against his chest, noticing how his heartbeat was increasing. you wanted to make fun of him, but you didn't want him to notice so was yours; you kept your mouth shut.

you asked, as he was tapping your arm, "scara, isn't the stars so beautiful?"

scaramouche agreed with you but not for reasons you may think. as you looked at the stars, he looked at you.

"wait, scara! wish on the stars."

"that's so childish."

"but i heard they come true!"

"... fine but im not doing it because you said so."

"i know, don't worry."

[cocoapowderpictures]

Finley Marsh

Age: 23

Finley Marsh, a shy and reserved lifeguard, was an enigmatic figure at the park. Despite his reserved nature, he chose to work at the loud and colourful Indigo Park, a decision he never fully explained to others. He found solace in collecting trinkets like seashells, shiny rocks, and coins, which he kept as treasured mementos. 

As a lifeguard and part of the security team, Finley kept watch over the park's water attractions, preferring the shadows to the spotlight. His tall, lanky frame and pale complexion often drew comparisons to a giant sea serpent, leading guests to nickname him "Finely the Sea Serpent". He hated this nickname.

Although he didn’t talk much, he formed a close bond with his friends, particularly Melanie, who made him feel at ease. Sandra, however, sometimes unsettled him. 

Finley was the third to disappear. 

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

Finley is here!! He's one of my favorite Indigo Park characters, and writing him to fit my AU has been so much fun! I decided to keep his original name because I found that it suited him well as a human. I also liked the idea of making him a super pale lifeguard who likes to do his own thing instead of involving himself with the big, bustling crowds in the park. He's kind of like the introvert who was adopted by a group of extroverts (i.e. Randy, Melanie and Lou).

For those unfamiliar, these characters are part of my Cast Chronicles AU, an Indigo Park AU set in the 1960s. In this alternate reality, the main cast mascots are human employees who worked together at Indigo Park. As the story unfolds, we delve into their roles within the park and the friendships they form. However, things take a turn for the worse when they begin to mysteriously disappear, one by one.

Feel free to ask any questions you may have about this AU!

[helloiamadrawer]

@cainesrealwife asked:Pleas Yuga fanfic where make out turns into sex-ing pleas I beg of you can also be anything else just any aoyama x read I’m starved save me I’ll pay you in kisses if you write me a Yuga Aoyama x reader (Not lying frfr)

I'm so sorry this took SO long😭 I had to take off a week cause my wrist was hurting and then I had to deal with smut block and work issues (so fun😭) but I was NOT going to let a fellow Aoyama fan down✊so here you go I hope you like it!!

The Nightrobe✨

Warnings:smut, porn with little plot, Aoyama being a tease, lil bit of possessive reader

A/N: The story happens after Bakugo blew up the dorms because of U.A Heroes Battle, so it's basically two days still in winter break

It all started when he picked up his phone off the floor when he "clumsily" dropped it...you knew he was up to something at that moment. The way he looked at you with a certain look in his eyes, giving you a subtle hint that made you confused at first, but then a minute of thinking later you realized this was another one of his teasing games.

Sitting on one of the couches in the commons at the Alliance, your eyes glided to him having a conversation with Mina and Momo about something or whatever the heck they're talking about. all you needed to do was get his attention and try to pry into his mind and expose his little 'plan'.

"Hey Aoyama! Can you come over here for a sec please?" you call out sweetly to him.

"One moment mon amor!" you hear him respond back. While you're waiting for your significant other, you take out your phone and swipe some notifications away and the second you put it back in your robe pocket, there he was awaiting your question with that cute smile he has on most on time. "So what was it you want to discuss my dear?" he asks as he fiddles with the front of his purple robe and leans over to you.

"I was going to ask you about something..particular you did..hours..ago.." you slowly trailed off before your eyes were dropping to the front of the robe that exposed some of his bare chest, clearly showing that he's been walking around with nothing under it, that tease. Your face froze mid sentence until your boyfriend spoke, "Um, mon amor my eyes are up here."

He tilted your chin up to look at his bright indigo eyes and chuckled a bit. In an instant you snapped back to reality, and in mere seconds a blush breaks out on your face. Sometimes you hate being so easily flustered just by his body but he's just perfect that way to you in addition to his quirky personality. Finally you managed to stand up and excuse yourself to the bathroom which kind of confused Aoyama but he just waited until eventually he got a text from you reading

hey bby can u come to your dorm right quick?

Aoyama opens his room door only to be met by you pulling him by his robe's collar and crashing his lips with yours. HIs lips were so warm, you just wanted to kiss him so much until he runs out of breath. The two of you find yourselves moving to his bed thanks to the stray moonlight through his patio window. So you ended up in a position where you ended up in the blonde's lap and you both pulled back from the kiss to catch your breath.

"How..dare you..Aoyama..why..did you do that?" you panted.

"..do what exactly ma Cherie?" he lightly huffed back.

"Come on you knew what you were doing, dropping something and picking it up slow on purpose, that's my weakness and you know it." you playfully retorted at him whilst poking his chest a bit hardly with your index finger almost as of you were berating him. He tries to stifle a laugh at first, but then a smirk grew on his face. "So you figured it out huh? How did you know?" He asks as he puts on this faux tone of coyness.

"Well,", you explain, "when you 'dropped' your phone your um..the front of your robe showed..your chest.." you muttered in a quiet tone.

It's not a wonder how you cannot Aoyama in the eyes and say that exact sentence cause you could feel his neck getting hot. And he knew what the next thing was to do next to make you break for him.

His hands gripped the front of his nightrobe and shuffled it off showing off his toned shoulders and chest. "Like this?" He asks in a cocky demeanor. You bite your lip and lewdly murmur "oh fuck~".

Oops. Your eyebrows shot up in surprise as you feel Aoyama's thigh now moving against your clothed cunt in a slow rhythm. A dull ache begins to form in between your thighs, arousal shooting through your nerves like an arrow. The action making you bury your face in his shoulder as you literally turn red.

"Yu-Yuga~"

"Aw, were you going to say anything else about my perfect body, cause it appears that that's the aspect making you so horny~" Aoyama croons. Well now you broke, you quickly took it upon yourself to shove your tongue in his mouth to shut him up. Muffled moans were exchanged as the room seemed to get hotter as your boyfriend's mouth begins to dominate yours as he just stops grinding against you, getting lost in the fiery kiss. Aoyama's hands make swift work of making your clothes disappear off of you onto the floor, revealing yourself in a plain white t shirt and panties,a pleasing sight to the the blonde.

A minute of tongue fighting later turns into your legs wrapped around his waist and your arms coiled to his neck for support as you grind against his aching cock with your wet pussy. Aoyama's hands were basically feeling you up from your curvy hips to your perky breasts earning a gasp or moan form every course of action he had performed but he hasn't even got fucking your brains out. But the friction that was being applied to him was enough to make him shiver and groan a lot. It just feels so good, and the sight of your lolled out expression on your face was begging him to just fuck you on the spot. After a couple more delicious grinds from you he whispers in your ear, "Are you ready my dear?"

"If it means you fucking me until daylight then yes please." you seductively replied giving him a devious grin. Unfortunately, you had to unwrap your arms and legs for a split second as he slipped on a condom. But he got back in between your thighs before you could even blink. You were now laying down on your back, Aoyama carefully lifts your legs around his waist again just above his beautiful belt and shares an intimate gaze with you, his dark purple eyes soften with a mix of what lust, desire and love would be all together. The brazen image of his whole chiseled body alone gave you shivers of excitement that's to come. He nudges your needy hole with the tip of his cock before he sheathes himself into you. In mere seconds, the feeling of yourself being stretched out made your back arch. It felt sensational for you since you haven't experienced it in so long, especially for your boyfriend as well, hissing through his teeth of the insatiable tightness around him and it was fucking delicious.

"mm~fuck, damn yuga~" you moaned. Now it was his turn to taunt you, "What happened to that jealous facade you were wearing ,hm?" his eyes crease up in cockiness. You try to buck his to move but his hands stop you from doing that. The blonde giggles, "ah-ah my cherie you don't move until I let you, okay? You feel so good right now baby~ I just want to capture this moment before I let you have all of me." . Your blush returns again, covering it slightly with your arm before your walls feel him moving languidly inside you. A few slurs of curses and moans slip out of you as his slow, passionate thrusts transform you in to a dumb mess and how his hands are guiding your hips with his pace, is making your heart race like hell.

"Such a needy girl are you~?" Aoyama teases, his voice being unbearably sweet but filled with lust. This slow pace was going for a minute, driving you crazy all you could jerk your head to the side and silently whine, "yes, yuga." Your lower half starts to stutter and twitch , signaling that you were craving more but your mind was in a cloud of pleasure. Suddenly, Aoyama gives you one sharp, precise thrust that immediately snaps you out of your haze, causing you to gasping as a louder moan thrums from you throat.

"You're gonna have to look at moi in my gorgeous eyes and tell me, otherwise I can do you just like this all night..without going any faster." He instructs.

Oh god, he wouldn't, but he could.

Collecting some nerve you forced to stare warily into his eyes and mewl out, "yes..Yuga..mm~ I'm such a needy whore-oh fuck!". He grabs one of your legs, raises it to prop on his shoulder, and brutally increases his pace, his length plunging into your heat even more. "Ah! Yuga,oh! right there!~~" you throw your head back into the pillow, hands gripping the sheets hard to keep yourself still as he pounds into your guts mercilessly hitting your sweet spot endlessly. Aoyama hearing you moan so loudly like this is music to his ears, encouraging himself to moan back , forcing you to clench around him more. " That's it baby ah~ i'm so close right now you don't even know~" he groans.

The sight your sweaty, flushed body, the provocative way your breasts bouncing from his force only pushes him closer to his high. "agh!--m' gonna cum-baby oh my god!~" you sputter. You're now just fisting the sheets with white knuckles and bated breath as Aoyama continues to rearrange your insides, his thrusts becoming wet slaps that join in the sexy ambience of the room. He rolls his hips into you with a few more powerful thrusts and finally, your orgasms crash into each other, racking both of your bodies in tandem. Eventually, you two collapse in the bed, soaking up the afterglow of what you shared with the shining boy. Aoyama sits up on his elbows and huskily whispers, "That was great, amazing even my love."

"You said it." you sighed lovingly.

The blonde then slides out of his bed and ties back on his nightrobe. "Do you need some l'eau? Cause i sure need some." he asks with a dry chuckle as he heads to open his room door. "Please do, thanks baby."

"Oh, I also forgot to tell you, I was thinking we could perform another round after we regain energy..or two." he adds, taking out one condom in a wrapper before two more flip out. Your mouth stood agape for a few seconds but then you laugh as you smiled at him and told him happily,

"You're the best boyfriend ever."

word count: >1.k cause i lost count lol

[hewkii]

Acht (Dedf1sh) Cosplay Rundown

feel free to copy or take inspiration :]

assembly instructions and print settings/materials for 3d printed parts are on thingiverse (headphones) (other parts)

models designed by me are in brackets in the materials list

Hat/Tentacles

black trucker hat with blank white front panel

[dedstencil.stl]

fabric paint

shiny indigo fabric

less shiny white fabric

glow-in-the-dark pigment powder

polyfill

metal marbles (to weight the ends so they hang properly)

two of [octosucc.obj] in different sizes

acrylic paint

conveniently enough i've had this hat hanging on my door for years. i got it with N from pokemon in mind but i never actually did that cosplay ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

here are the sketches i based my patterns on (1 square=1 cm). don't forget to add seam tolerances

Headphones

full details on thingiverse (mudmouth not included)

Arms

mesh bolero with built-in gloves

rit dye

fabric paint

10 of [finger_claw_vase.stl] in varying sizes

i wear claws under the gloves, but sometimes i'll wind up taking them off after a while since they can get uncomfortable and they make it hard to use my phone :/

Bracelet

[acht_bangle_vase.stl]

acrylic paint

glow-in-the-dark pigment powder

glossy clear coat

a cut up mello yello bottle

packing tape

eva foam

Misc. Doodads

red mirror shades

color chips

necklace chain

[acht_tag_jelleton.stl]

[acht_tag_ident.stl]

[acht_tag_hook.obj]

did you know that acht gives eight a mobility chip in the trailer but a power chip in the actual game? bc i didn't notice until after i'd already finished making the mobility one. so i've got a spare chip i guess

the dogtags were kind of a spur-of-the-moment creative liberty. i had the jelleton one sitting around from some experiments with composite filaments, and while i was brainstorming a way to incorporate acht's cool fish hook into the cosplay without needing to actually get my ears pierced it all sorta clicked together. i made the ident tag shortly afterwards and swiftly forgot what the text says :P

the rest of it

dress tunic thingy

metal eyelets

red string

camo pants

combat boots

i skimped on accuracy in favor of comfort for the lower half ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ the dress is more of a shirt, i added comfy pants bc i hate wearing colored tights (or god forbid painting my thighs green), and shorter boots bc more accurate ones are expensive as hell. plus any heel higher than this makes walking feel like playing qwop (skill issue). speaking of which does it bug anybody else how long acht's feet are on their in-game model or is that just me

idk if it counts as part of the cosplay but i also add a leather jacket when my arms get cold. i think it goes hard

To-Do:

ink the shaved streaks onto the hairnet

swap out the red leather cord for something less stiff

see if beans would work better than marbles

hand bandages?

single pointy tooth?

make a pre-sanitized version so i don't have to scrub off face paint every time

[zhng96]

to breathe in your life — s. hanbin

↳ in which sung hanbin fills every mole, bruise and scar on your body with his love and his life.

↳ pairing: s. hanbin x gn!reader

↳ warnings: comfort fic,, reader is a little insecure about “imperfections”,, i think i melted into a big puddle while writing this (but i also kind of hate it im so sorry 😭)

perm taglist: @tzuberry @hrtattcker @yueriots @neohyxn @avocarua @dwcljh

while many would refer to you as a klutz, hanbin offered a better term; endearing.

your shocked face when you find yourself bumping into another corner of a table, or stubbing your toe on yet another chair leg every day, and the way you would shrug it off as if nothing happened just added another trait to add to the long list he adores about you.

despite his fondness for your habit of bumping into god-knows-what regularly, he couldn't find himself to enjoy the way you tried to act like the many bruises, scratches and scars didn't bother you.

the sun was slowly dusking, it's shape carved into a crescent as it folded beneath the mountains it descended upon.

hanbin walks out of the bathroom, finally feeling the weight of the day lifted from his shoulders, his hair still damp and his face holding a slight shine.

he smiles, seeing you sitting on the bed- but the smile slowly descends down into a frown at the sight of you poking, prodding, stretching and frowning at the scratches and bruises that inked your limbs. some new, some old- yellowing as they healed- which in your opinion, made them even uglier despite knowing that it's a sign of a fresh start.

(more under the cut!)

hanbin slowly makes his way towards the bed, his feet knocking against the hardwood before it ceases and then a crinkling of your duvet is heard.

you raise your eyes to meet his, blushing to find his face painted with ardent adoration.

"what?" you whisper, eyes glued to his, which dart around where you had just been belittling.

with your heart ringing in your ears, you grab onto the side of the duvet closest to you before tugging it to cover your lap. with hanbin already sitting on the duvet, the tug does nothing. hanbin places his warm hand over your fist, desperately clutching at the blanket.

you resort to pulling your knees to your chest, letting go of the blanket and feeling your hand cool at the absence of hanbin's warm touch.

hanbin, still eerily silent, leans down to your knees, eyeing a indigo-tinted bruise just above your knee cap before kissing it. your shoulder relax as you watch him press his kips to your newly formed bruise, a tingling replacing what was once inhibition.

he then moves to the middle of your calf, seeing a faded scar you had gotten when you were still quite young- long before you met him. he kisses it anyway.

then he straightens, moving to gently tug at your arm. he brings his lips down onto a mole that resides on your wrist, then moves to your bicep that housed an old bruise- painted with an unsightly yellow; he kisses that too.

next arm; a scratch you had gotten when your arms accidentally grazed the edge of table, the contact of his lips is felt once again. every bruise; whether painted blue, purple, yellow or green, every mole, every faded scar and every scratch, big or small- he offered his affection to.

with every kiss, he replaced each insecurity with his love- and with every kiss, he breathed in that insecurity and offered his life, a new unadulterated view of yourself, and threads of string that tied the two of you together like neighbouring stars in a constellation.

navi. mlist.

[montammil]

June of Doom Day 2 - "It didn't have to be this way"

| Scream | Double Cross | Made to Watch |

Everyone's favorite wholesome couple is back!! /j I didn't proofread (then again when do I ever), so sorry in case its kind of messy lol.

CW: Yandere/intimate whumper, torture, blood, implied noncon, kidnapping, murder (not Rowan or Sawyer)

...

Rowan couldn't go a single second without Sawyer mentioning his past life. It seemed that no matter how much time passed, Sawyer refused to accept the new life they lived together. That really hurt his feelings.

Why couldn't Sawyer see that he only did these things because he loved him? He did everything he did out of love, and Sawyer needed to appreciate him for that.

He set down a cup of tea for him and sat across from him at their small dining room table. Sawyer eyed the cup and saucer but didn't touch it. He did that sometimes, tried to pretend he wasn't hungry or thirsty.

"Come on, drink up. It's herbal and it's good for you." Rowan took a sip from his own teacup, his eyes never leaving Sawyer's face.

"It sucks. I want coffee," Sawyer bitterly said. He crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at the dark wood of the table.

Rowan dragged out a sigh. "I think you've had enough caffeine in your lifetime. Besides, this has chamomile in it, and that helps you sleep. That's what you want, right?"

He hated the fact that Sawyer still couldn't sleep in their bed, and preferred the guest bedroom's old, worn mattress. Sometimes Rowan would allow him a slight bit of space, but only sparingly.

"I want to go home." Sawyer's voice cracked. "I miss my friends, I miss the club, and... I want to be with people again, Rowan."

"You have me." Rowan scowled at him. "That should be enough. What's so wrong with that?" Sawyer shook his head, but kept his mouth shut. To Rowan, it just proved he was right. "Besides, why sing in front of a bunch of perverted drunks when you can sing here? In front of someone who actually cares about you?"

Sawyer clenched his jaw. "People who love others usually don't go out of their way to torture them."

Of all things, Sawyer had to bring that up.

Rowan sighed heavily. He really thought that they were making progress, but apparently that wasn't the case. Sawyer was just getting more defiant by the day. Rowan needed to do something about it, but it seemed like Sawyer became immune to his typical punishments. If only he could just bash in the brains of one of those friends Sawyer talked nonstop about.

The more he thought about it, the more appealing it sounded. If he killed one of Sawyer's friends, maybe he could learn a lesson about gratitude.

Then maybe he could finally forget all about that life and live in the one where he belonged with him.

That bartender--Lucien, he think his name was--was definitely a suitable option. He knew him and Sawyer were close, they always shot witty quips back at each other at Indigo. It filled Rowan with rage every time he watched their interactions.

He always had a feeling that bastard wanted Sawyer in more than just a friendly way. He didn't miss the way those dark eyes swept over his beloved every time he was on stage.

The more he thought about Lucien, the angrier he got. His hands tightened around the handle of his cup so hard it almost broke.

Rowan downed the rest of the tea like a shot. "If you keep this behavior up, Sawyer, I think we're both gonna regret it," he warned. Sawyer simply rolled his eyes in response. He didn't take Rowan seriously, and that pissed him off.

Part of Rowan was bluffing. He didn't like the thought of killing someone unless absolutely necessary, but... maybe this was necessary.

It wouldn't take too much effort to get to him. The bartender was not only scrawny, but even shorter than Sawyer. That made him the perfect victim.

He didn't try to hide his malicious smile. "Have it your way."

...

The next two weeks were somehow even more of a struggle than before. Rowan really thought Sawyer would have time to think over his vague threat, but it seemed like nothing affected him anymore. Sawyer had given up completely, and it hurt Rowan to see him that way. But what made it worse was the fact that Sawyer hadn't eaten in a week, and it didn't look like he planned on doing it any time soon.

Rowan was considering going back on his idea to murder Sawyer's friend, but the last straw happened just a few hours ago.

"You need to eat," Rowan insisted. He pushed Sawyer's plate in front of him. "I made your favorite."

Sawyer blinked at him tiredly. "I don't wanna."

Rowan ground his teeth. He tried so hard to remain patient for him, but all of that was quickly wearing off. He always considered himself a patient man, but it seemed as though Sawyer made him snap in more ways than one.

"Please, sweetheart. Just a few bites?" Sawyer remained silent, even having the gall to scoff at him. "This is for your own good, love. If you don't eat--"

"What? You're gonna beat me again?" Sawyer cut him off with a sharp tone. He couldn't hold back a dry, sarcastic laugh. "I'm over it, so go ahead." He propped his chin in his hand, his expression so cold it sent shivers down Rowan's spine.

"I was going to say you'll need to be put on a feeding tube." Rowan's voice was even, but Sawyer could sense anger bordering in his words. "Do you really want that?"

Sawyer huffed. "No, but I'm sure you'd be into that, right?" He saw a twitch of rage in his face and he smiled triumphantly. "Go on. Tell me about how it's for my own good. You love to hear yourself talk, right?" Rowan glared at him. "You spout the same shit every day, I have it all memorized! I can't tell if you're delusional or in denial, so I don't even know what it'll take to get it through your head that I hate you!"

He slammed his fist down on the table, hitting the edge of the plate and sending the contents flying off it.

After the shatter of the glass resounded the kitchen, the room became silent. Sawyer stared at the mess he made, then to the stunned Rowan across the table.

He swallowed hard, his stomach churning at the realization he may have gone a little far this time.

Sawyer always knew when to toe the line, when to push Rowan just enough to where he felt justified in his actions. But he'd never outright provoked him like that.

"Well," Rowan started. Sawyer couldn't see his face, but he heard the venom dripping in his words. "You've done it now."

And now, with Sawyer tied up and gagged back in the shed, Rowan decided he was done stalling.

It took almost three hours just to get into the city again, but it was worth it when he recognized the familiar street that led to Indigo. He pulled over by an alley, parking so his car was out of view. His timing was great, since he subconsciously memorized Lucien's schedule after memorizing Sawyer's, given he used to visit Indigo practically every day.

Lucien was smoking out back. Perfect. He went to the trunk and took out his gun, along with a few other supplies that he brought just in case.

The alley was deserted, but Rowan needed to work fast just in case some other staff member decided to join him.

"Hey," he called out as he approached. Lucien jumped and turned around.

The man looked up at him after brushing some of his own dirty blond hair out from his face. His brow furrowed, looking Rowan up and down. He didn't recognize him, clearly. Good.

"Hi?" Lucien paused. "Can I help you?"

Rowan smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact." He leaned in close and used the little space between them to shove the muzzle of his gun into his stomach. "You're going to follow me and not say a word. Right?" Lucien stuttered in surprise, but managed to nod. "Good, now let's go." He nudged him with the weapon to show him where to go, which was back to his car.

Once they got there, Rowan unlocked the trunk and gestured to it. "Get in." He didn't expect the smaller man to climb in with no issues, but he didn't complain about it either.

It almost made Rowan feel sympathy for the guy, seeing him squished into the trunk. But that went away once he remembered who he was.

He was quick to tie him up and then slammed the trunk closed. He glanced around to make sure no one saw him, then climbed into the driver's seat. He wasted no time peeling out of the alley and speeding back to his lakehouse, where he was happy to dispose of him.

Rowan wasn't a sadistic man (at least that's what he convinced himself of) but he had no problem making sure Sawyer knew what he was capable of.

Sawyer was already devastated when he killed that random guy who tried to help him out. Even though it broke his heart terrifying his darling so much, he was still hoping this would teach him a lesson.

Maybe that time it didn't, but this one would surely be the nail in the coffin.

Rowan pulled in the driveway and cut off the engine. He stepped out, opened the trunk, and hauled the screaming bartender onto his shoulder. The bastard thrashed and kicked, but Rowan just held him tighter. He managed to slam the trunk closed while still holding his writhing captive. He stormed into the house, slamming the door behind him with his foot.

"I don't know what I did to you, but I'm sorry," he pathetically shrieked. Tears poured from his eyes. "You- you don't have to do this. We can talk about this!"

It was amusing how quickly his tough guy persona was dropped. Every time Rowan had seen him, he was always flexing his nonexistent muscles and acting all confident.

Now he was a sniveling mess, begging for his life.

Rowan opened the door to the basement, where he would've put Sawyer if not for what he was about to do. He threw the man down the stairs and left the room to retrieve Sawyer.

Sawyer was asleep when he opened the shed with a loud creak. He looked so beautiful when he was sleeping, he always had.

His eyes slowly fluttered open, then widened when he noticed Rowan standing over him. He tried to say something through the gag, but Rowan made no attempt to try to understand him. Right now, he didn't care what he was saying.

He picked up Sawyer and carried him inside, and to the basement. The man at the bottom of the stairs started crying harder as soon as he spotted Sawyer, and Sawyer returned the gesture.

Rowan sat Sawyer on the floor, much more gently than he did with Lucien. He removed the gag from his mouth.

"Lucien!" Sawyer wailed. He tried crawling over to him, but he didn't get very far. "Fuck... fuck..." He fell forward on his face, squirming in an attempt to escape his binds. "You motherfucker! What is wrong with you?!" This was the angriest he had ever sounded. But Rowan, who knew Sawyer better than anyone, knew he was more scared than anything.

But sometimes things like this needed to be done. Just a bit of tough love.

"Sawyer?" Lucien's voice broke. "Are you okay? What did he do to you?" His gaze flickered to the bruises littering his skin. Sawyer didn't answer. His shoulders shook violently.

Rowan stood by and watched with a blank face. "I thought you already learnt what I'm capable of, but I guess you need a reminder. Do you still hate me, my love?"

He didn't respond. Sawyer's breathing was harsh, tears streaming down his cheeks. He curled into a ball as much as possible with his hands bound behind him.

"Sawyer--" Lucien started.

"Shut the fuck up!" Rowan snapped at Lucien, silencing him. He grasped his gun out of his coat and pointed it at him.

He paused when he felt something on his shoe. Rowan glanced down to see Sawyer had crawled over to him, his body pressed against his legs. He was shaking like a leaf and giving him a teary-eyed expression, one Rowan was admittedly weak to.

"Please," he choked out. "Please don't kill him... please... I don't hate you, I love you, just let him go..."

Rowan adjusted his grip on the gun. He wanted to believe him, but he wasn't that stupid, especially after being fooled by him once. "You're a good actor, darling, but my heart can't take being deceived again. You've played with it enough. It didn't have to be this way."

Despite his words, Sawyer sobbed in relief when Rowan tucked the gun away. It didn't end there. He pulled something else out of his coat. It was a small but undoubtedly sharp switchblade. He grasped Lucien by the collar of his dress shirt, pulling him up so he could plunge the knife into his stomach, all the way down to the hilt. The action was met with an agonized cry from both of them.

Sawyer's eyes were so wide, so full of terror. Rowan could hear him begging, but couldn't care less in the moment.

He twisted the knife in his gut, watching blood seep past his fingers and soak through his clothes. Lucien's cries echoed around the room, incoherent and garbled. Rowan threw him to the ground.

"No more!" Sawyer blubbered, "please, no more, please! I'll do whatever you want! I'll never complain again, I'll never fight you again! Please!" He shrieked loudly, a scream so strong that his voice broke, turning into nothing but a raspy squeal.

At first, Rowan was about to say 'fuck no' and finish gutting him like a fish. He then thought over his words. He was still going to kill Lucien, no doubt about that, but...

"Whatever I want," he mused. "You'll say yes if I propose? Sleep with me? Let me touch you without complaint?" Sawyer nodded so furiously his head nearly flew off. That was a reaction that satisfied him. "And if you go back on your promise, I'll bring you his head. Do you understand that?" Another rapid nod. "Okay. I want you to remember your deal with me. I'd hate for you to think I'm bluffing."

Sawyer cried into the cold ground as Rowan dragged Lucien off, with the promise of taking him to a hospital.

Little did Sawyer know, Rowan buried him in the backyard.

[talleyuh]

i don’t think anyone was waiting at the edge of their seat for descendants: rise of red, but i feel like the premise had a lot of potential and a few small changes could’ve made the movie a lot better.

1. if the movie started with a cold opening with red causing some trouble around wonderland with a few friends, it would’ve shifted the tone of the movie to set it apart from the past descendants movies. we could’ve seen red, her friend maddox, and a few other people all acting like a version of robin hood and the merry men: thwarting the queen and causing minor chaos as rebellious acts. we could’ve seen that red has a desire to be good by stealing food for the poor, creating diversions to get people away from the guards who plan to execute them, or even releasing prisoners. that way it would’ve shown that even though she thinks of herself as good, she doesn’t have the most noble methods of carrying out good.

1.5 i think if they made the queen of hearts actually care for red deep down would make her more dynamic. even though she’s extremely controlling over red and wonderland, it would be to prevent red from ever experiencing humiliation or insecurity like she did.

2. by establishing that red has friends, being sent to auradon alone by her mother to take over would’ve cut off her emotional support system and be essentially forced to do what her mother says or be stranded in a strange land alone.

3. before the orientation day ceremony, we could see red and chloe butt heads while moving in their dorm or something. red is obviously in a very tormented place and one theme they tried to explore with chloe is performative kindness, so red could’ve seen right through chloe and ignored her.

4. when they eventually go back in time, we could see the nuances in the older characters and not everyone being as perfect as they seem. for example, ella could’ve been going to auradon on an academic scholarship instead of paying for tuition like everyone else, so she really tries to keep her head down and stay out of trouble. she only befriends bridget out of pity, since she’s either ignored or outright bullied by everyone else. bridget could struggle with forgiving people or moving on from being mistreated even though she’s naturally peppy.

i think charming’s character could’ve been a bit of a player (cliche i know) which is why ella originally rebuffed his advances, but then have him genuinely pursue her. also it would’ve been so fun if ella asked fay to help her with her outfit and have her hesitate to talk to charming at castlecoming since she has to go home at midnight and then they played “so this is love” to show the moment they fell in love. plus we’ve never seen someone’s fairytale play out on screen.

5. i think that we should’ve gotten a get ready montage for castlecoming, specifically with chloe and red finally getting along as they got glammed up for the dance. they should’ve both been in ball gowns (not the high low ones we kept seeing in the earlier films). the costume designers could’ve even added purple motifs to show how the two characters were coming to finally get along and see each other. like chloe could’ve worn a dress in a lavender-periwinkle color, or a deep royal blue that looked a little indigo. red could’ve worn a red-fuchsia to show her coming to a common ground with chloe with the purple and a pink to show her growing closer to her mom.

6. i think the prank at castlecoming should’ve played out, so we could see red, chloe, and ella be there for bridget. i think it would’ve made more sense if bridget was pranked at castlecoming and ella wasn’t there for her bc she was hanging out with charming, and after that bridget was angry so she stopped being friends with her. that would explain why she hates her so much all those years later.

7. as cheesy as it would’ve been, we should’ve gotten a scene where they supported each other and bridget stood up for herself against her bullies and that’s when red and chloe went back in time to see the changes that they made.

*the movie wasn’t all bad, i liked that they gave chloe a more nuanced view of goodness after spending time with her mom who did not grow up with as much privilege as she did. i feel like they could’ve had a scene where red learns that she can’t cause chaos because she thinks she’s helping. i think we should’ve gotten more from the villains, especially malifacent and hades. also if we saw red’s internal struggle between good and evil more (aka her wants vs her mom’s wants) and how that affected her relationship with chloe.

[mrstsung]

Shang tsung imagine/blurb/hcs:

*note: after some kind words from a mutual. And fellow shang fan. I'm making something to cheer me up and if anyone else feels the same. I'm not gonna let my brain be mean to me. And keep doing what i love*

Cw: i guess maybe warnings of anxiety,mental illness,and or just brain being mean? Either way reader is feeling down. So shang tsung is helping reader cheer up. Angst,hurt comfort? Slightly spicy mention

Reader is technically gn

💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚

Imagine:

You weren't feeling so well and you're sitting down by shang's island shoreline. You often come down to the beach to meditate or think. But usually you're accompanied by a guard or by shang,your lover, himself. But this time,you're alone. All with your thoughts,they ate at you. Doubt spilled into your mind as tears fell. Why must your brain hate you?

Shang was worried when he didn't see you come into the bed chambers you both shared. Usually you're not out this late. Let alone,outside the main palace. Perhaps you're at the private teahouse? Shang wondered.

*(To put perspective,i hc shang's main palace keep,where he lives and is the living quarters for him,his lover and his personal guards,warriors and servents. All of the others usually stay in a separate area and smaller buildings near the dock port. The palace gardens lead to a pathway leading down a staircase behind the main keep,where a beachside tea house is,shang uses this teahouse as a personal one. Instead of the ones used by kombatants during tournaments. This teahouse is secluded,quiet,and peaceful. It is a mix between Japanese,and Chinese architecture. The reason being is him and raiden often do business when discussing anything related to tournaments. Despite being rivals and sort of enemies. They are respectful of one another and often discuss things as would any master of the martial arts would or even as an emperor or lords of their respective domains. In short. They aint always barking at each others throats,so to have them in petty squabbles all the time is boring and pointless. Anyways. You often might come to this teahouse to get away so to speak.)*

Shang tsung got on his silk red robe. A garment that was decorated by images of dragons and Phoenixes. Etched in gold and yellow. The flame patterns danced along with shades of deep purple and indigo at its base. A fine clothing fit for a man such as he. Simple black slippers he wore as he stepped out the doors to the bed chambers. Into the garden. He followed the stone path through the gardens,enveloped in moonlight. It danced through the trees. The warm summer air,not too hot surprisingly despite being an island. But there had been rain recently,so it was much cooler,but not by much. There was sweet smells of flowers. Tropical hibiscus,Asian lilies,and little lotuses in the pond all filled the night air. Soft sounds of crickets,frogs and other nighttime summer creatures also sang. As shang tsung made his way to the staircase,he heard soft whimpers from below,at the bottom. He swiftly but carefully descended the stairs. As he got closer. He saw you on a large rock. Weeping. The rock was adjacent to the teahouse. He carefully approached you.

"My dear? What are these tears? Why are you out here by yourself this late in the hour? Is something wrong?"

Shang asked softly but in a concerned manner.

As you struggle to make eye contact. And in a small cracked voiced stated

"I just don't understand why you love me? Why would you choose to spare me? I'm not the best warrior,even with your training. I'm constantly worried,i second guess myself,I'm a mess,im not as beautiful/handsome as some people,im just so...meh,i feel like I'm not worthy of anything even kindness. I just don't get it. Besides you could find better I'm sure,a better person than boring,average me."

You lay your head back down on your crossed arms,over your legs you propped them upon. Still crying.

Shang was taken aback. Where did this come from?! His beloved? Doubtful of his love? Who would dare put those thoughts into your head!? But shang tsung thought about it. Perhaps it is not of another,but of a troubled mind. One filled with the anxieties and stresses and struggles of life itself. He walked over to you,first removing the slippers as not to track sand. Barefoot he walked on the warm sand. When he got to you he placed his hand under your head,lifted your chin with his fingers and spoke with the most earnest,soft,and loving voice.

"My dear sweet y/n. Why did i spare you? Simply because i chose to,i could have killed you,taken your soul,and that would be it. But i didn't. But in that choosing i found one of the most kindest of souls. A soul so genuine and true. And you never once tried to be anything but what you are. Your training has served you well,as you are alive aren't you? *chuckles* obviously the woes of kpmbat has not forsaken you yet? Why? Because you're warrior spirit isn't one of physical prowess. It is not of duty of honor. It is simply love. And love is the most powerful energy of all. Love for life,love for being,and the perseverance of it despite of the world around you. You study hard,love hard,and even play hard. You have the soul of a champion,regardless of frivolous titles given by gods. You are a beautiful soul. Inside and out. You worry of others before yourself,you always put others before you. Even when it's hard to. You stuck at my side,even when You had every right to leave. But here,you remain. I'm obviously doing something right my dear. I know that the dark clouds of your mind get to you,but they too will pass. And that beautiful bright glow from you will shine once again. Even now as i look at your tear soaked face,red,and all full of sorrow."

You couldn't help but giggle at that,he always knew exactly what to say.

Shang continues as he sits beside you,comforting you the best way that he could.

"My darling,i simply adore you,all of you. Even the messy parts as you said. Hell I'm messy myself, *chuckles* I'm a sorcerer of soul magic and dark arts after all. But even a devil such as i can appreciate a flower that blooms in adversity. It is the most beautiful,and the most colorful and bright. And no matter what your mind may tell you,your soul never lies. Just as you have been there for me,i will be there for you. And you are deserving just as much as any other. Even more so as I'm concerned. And you are already worthy. Words fail me to truly encapsulate how my heart feels for you. But what i adore the most is your company,simply put. I admire your presence,your existence is enough. But i prefer it more when you're filled with innocent wonder,joyful laughter,and full of life and love. A hunger for knowledge and a pursuit for purpose. Your strive for perfection isn't the way. What is, my love,is the strive to be better than you were yesterday. But if words are not enough to show you i indeed love you. Than perhaps this would suffice..."

Shang tsung then placed his hand upon your cheek,and kissed you passionately. With all the yearning and intensity that ached in his heart to soothe the storm in yours.

All melted away,no more worry,all doubt ceased. All that was. Was you and him. The sounds of the ocean waves crashing softly,the crickets nearby the paths end. All was calm. Your tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy. How silly you felt for doubting your lover shang,let alone yourself.

Of course he loved you. And he loved you in his own way. As did you.

You both sat and talked a few more hours in the teahouse over some tea. Laughing at old stories,on occasion making flirtatious comments,thus leading into a spicier moment. And you both fell asleep soundly in the teahouse.

By morning you awoke to being wrapped only in shangs silk robe.

He with just his silken pants and hair pulled back. Sat at the opening,doors slid open. The warm summer sun outside,hot but ocean air came through the teahouse so it was cool enough.

You just sat there admiring the view. Of both your lover,and the sea. You went over to sit next to him. And layed you head on his shoulder.

He kissed your forehead. And as you both gazed at the ocean. All of your troubles were gone,you were ready to take on anything the day offered you.

Shang helped make you stand proud and firm in who you are. And for shang? Well you get to see his softer side,not many get that chance. How lucky are you?

🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍💚🐍

This was highly self indulgent. Sorry if it's longer than what i originally planned. But i got so sucked in as i was writing it.

Again no matter if others also self ship with shang, i know that my self ship is unique. And i gotta remind myself that and not be discouraged by this. And i love writing for him. And even if its very self indulgent.

I shouldn't be afraid to post my work. Even if one person likes it. Even if it gets zero recognition. I created something,and i need to remind myself. This is how i grow. Both as an artist and person. Those that matter don't mind,and those that mind dont matter,so to speak. And im glad that people do like my work. Even if its super self indulgent and specific at times.

Again sorry for rambles. Ugh.

Admin is in the feels ok?

I feel shang would want me to keep creating. And keep doing what i love. Him. Lol.

Anyways. I hope you like this. And i hope that this could cheer you up too if you're ever feeling down about yourself.

It helped me when writing it. <3

With love as always

🐍💚 -mrstsung

Hope y'all have a nice day/night.

[taruchinator]

🍎 General Audiences

🍎 3.5k Words

🍎 For all Juliana/Kieran shippers!

“She should be on the plane back home by now…” Kieran frowned at the thought. Because Juliana was missing or Ogerpon, he wasn't sure. He just knew he didn't like it.

He was done with being the crybaby, and was actually looking forward to the next day so he could return to the academy and get back to his training—he needed to get stronger. He would never let anyone look down on him like this again.

Kieran didn't need friends.

He didn't need the Ogre.

And he certainly didn't need—

"Juliana?!"

To think my first 3k+ fic of the year would end up being me basically gushing over Kieran from Teal Mask/Indigo Disk DLC. Not in my 2024 bingo card lemme tell you.

As many before me, I'm here to right the wrongs of GF who just took this boy's character and yeeted him out the window, cause honestly he's so sweet and gentle and psycho he deserves better than what he got, so that's what I'm giving him. Hopefully ya'll enjoy!

It wasn't fair. Life was never fair to him.

Kieran shoved his last pair of shorts into his navy blue backpack, finally completing the tedious task of packing to head back to the academy. When Ms. Briar told him and Carmine they had to return earlier than expected, in a way, he was kind of relieved.

He wanted to get away from this place. Away from the excruciating pain in his chest.

To think that after finally having the people of Kitakami accept Ogerpon just the way he always had, not only would he be forced to see her bond and form a deep connection with someone else—someone who wasn't him—but also see her be taken away.

Juliana’s smiling face instantly flashed across Kieran's mind, her cheeks pink as she proudly called him her friend when they were running around completing their silly assignment. He could feel his face starting to heat up at the memory, but immediately swatted it away as if it were an annoying Yanma in his head.

“I hate it here…” The raven mumbled as he was sprawled across his bed, covering his face with one hand and fisting his hair with the other.

It didn't take long for him to realize he was developing a small crush on his new Paldean friend. She was so strong, both as a trainer and in spirit, and it was something he greatly admired her for from the moment they first met, and only pushed him to try and become better himself. The fact that she always took him seriously without judgment and was willing to lend a hand in a situation she had no stakes in was just the icing on the cake.

Well, that and the fact that she looked absolutely adorable in the green Jinbei his grandma set her up with, but that was something he'd take with him to the grave.

And yet now, after having Ogerpon choose Juliana over him, those feelings had turned into something bittersweet. The fond memories that once brought butterflies to his stomach now made him question if she was secretly laughing behind his back the whole time.

With a deep sigh, Kieran turned towards his bedroom’s open window. It was already nighttime.

“She should be on the plane back home by now…” Kieran frowned at the thought. Because Juliana was missing or Ogerpon, he wasn't sure. He just knew he didn't like it. He scoffed. “Whatever! It's not like I'm ever gonna see them again!”

He was done with being the crybaby, and was actually looking forward to the next day so he could return to the academy and get back to his training—he needed to get stronger. He would never let anyone look down on him like this again.

Kieran didn't need friends.

He didn't need the Ogre.

And he certainly didn't need—

“I'm so sorry sweetie, but Kieran's not feeling very well right now. If you'd like, I can give it to him on your behalf.”

The voice of his grandma along with the mention of his name perked the boy's ears slightly. After slowly sitting back up on the bed, he made sure to pay closer attention. Who would be here at this time of night anyway?

To say the voice that replied shook him to his core would be an understatement.

“I see… To be honest, I was hoping I could give it to him myself.” Juliana's gentle voice cut through his wooden door. “Could I perhaps try and talk to him? I'm sorry if I'm intruding!”

Kieran jumped and made his way to the door, hand instinctively reaching for the handle to open it, but his mind quickly caught up with his body and stopped it before it did something he would regret. Instead, he placed one ear against the barrier, waiting for whatever came next as his fists began to tremble with rage.

What was she doing here? Was humiliating him not enough? Did she have to come and rub salt on the wound by letting his grandparents know of his failure too?

“Oh sweetheart…” Kieran's grandmother spoke in sympathy, and sounds of shuffling were heard from the tatami flooring. “I don't think—”

“Juliana?!” Carmine's voice was unmistakable, coming from the right side wall of his room. She was probably done packing too and had just wandered into the scene. “What are you still doing here?!”

More shuffling and a gasp, followed by a moment of silence. Then the Paldean gave her answer. “I just… I really need to talk to Kieran. He's still here, right?”

“Well, yeah, but we're both busy getting ready to head back to Blueberry Academy in the morning! You can't just waltz into people's homes like you own the place!” For the first time in a while, Kieran was glad his sister was easily fired up and spouted nonsense out of her mouth when people ticked her off. But then, her tone leveled down, almost in pity. “It's already dark outside. You should be heading back home. Did you book a later flight?”

Juliana replied in a somewhat nonchalant tone. “That doesn't matter. And I know it's not polite of me to just show up uninvited but this is important!”

“What do you mean it doesn't matter, you little pipsqueak?!” Carmine was getting fired up again. “I already told you that Kiki isn't answering to anyone so can you just—?”

“I need to apologize!”

The room fell silent, with only the sounds of rustling trees proving that time hadn't frozen in place. Kieran was holding his breath, not quite sure how to react to the whole situation. It wasn't until he heard the knock on the door that everything seemed to go back in motion.

“Kieran? It's me.” The girl spoke softly, almost shyly and not wanting to be heard. Was this really Juliana? Pride be damned, his curiosity was piqued.

Slowly, he turned the knob and pulled the door towards him, ready to see who greeted him on the other side.

As expected, there she was. The brunette had tied her hair into a side ponytail and was sporting her Jinbei once again, holding what seemed to be a basket as she shuffled from side to side. She jumped slightly, probably not expecting him to answer at all—honestly he didn't know why he did either. But then came the smile, lopsided and filled with nothing but warmth. His stomach was doing backflips again. “Hey…”

“Hey yourself.” He was surprised his voice came out calmer than he actually was.

“Can I come in? I've got something for you.” The girl gently lifted the basket to prove her point. Arceus, he was gonna regret this wasn't he?

“Sure.” Kieran stepped to the side and motioned for her to proceed. He could see both his sister and grandma giving him looks, but at the moment he could care less. His attention was elsewhere as he closed the door behind them.

Juliana stood in the middle of the room, giving it a good look with curious eyes. She cleared her throat as she motioned at the posters on the wall. “Nice decor...”

It was an awkward attempt at starting a conversation, Kieran being familiar out of personal experience. The room was pretty much bare bones now that all of his stuff was packed away, leaving only a few Ogre posters he'd collected from past festivals plastered on the walls. Now that he thought about it, he should probably take them down one of these days. “Thanks, I guess?”

He went to sit down on the bed again and gestured for Juliana to do the same. She complied, sitting on the very edge with the basket placed between them.

Silence consumed the air.

This was getting ridiculous.

Why was she acting so withdrawn all of a sudden? This was the same girl who waltzed into an unfamiliar village, fought possibly the closest thing to Legendary Pokémon—three of them, to be precise—, and even managed to gain the trust of one and catch it in the span of a few days.

Juliana was strong, friendly and confident. And yet here she was, not even knowing how to initiate eye contact.

For the first time in his life, it was up to Kieran to break the ice.

“Why are you still here? Didn't your classmates decide to head back early too?” That came out harsher than intended, but was still a legitimate question.

“Actually, Director Clavell gave me permission to stick around for a few extra days.” The brunette finally seemed to snap out of whatever weird trance she was in, since she finally turned to look at him. “On ‘important research’ pretenses. The faculty wants me to catch Kitakami Pokémon for our Pokédex.”

That made him snort. “Shouldn't they leave that kinda stuff to a teacher?”

Juliana shrugged with a hint of amusement in her eyes. “They say it's cause I'm a Paldea Champion, but I like to think it's an excuse to not send out anyone else. Not that I'm complaining.”

“Wowzers,” Kieran couldn't stop the small smile that spread across his face, “with all the adventuring you do, you should start charging for your services.”

“What are you talking about? This is already a business, my good sir!” Juliana straightened up and pretended to fix an imaginary tie as she extended her hand toward him. “An upfront payment of 5,000 LP is required. But I'm also open to compensation in the form of a s-a-n-d-w-h-i-c-h for my mode of transportation.”

Laughter erupted between the duo, and Kieran couldn't help but think that it just felt right. This was how things were supposed to be—two kids giggling about the silliest of things, with one of them having their heart going a thousand miles per hour just because he could see the girl he liked smile.

But of course, the negative thoughts always liked to butt their ugly head whenever they pleased. How she probably thought he was weak, being his friend out of pity, and coming to rub it all in his face in some way he still wasn't quite sure of.

Whatever she had in store for him, he'd rather get it over with sooner rather than later. “You said you wanted to give me something?” His tone shifted back to icy cold as his gaze lingered on the floor.

“Oh! Yeah, right…” Juliana fumbled with the basket in her hands, digging through its insides as she rambled. “I… I had a whole speech planned and everything but my mind is totally blank right now. Guess it's best if I just show you.”

After a minute of shuffling, the girl extended her palm forward, causing Kieran to look up at what she held.

It was… a Pokéball?

“You can come out now…” The girl smiled at the round object, and a flash enveloped the room in an instant. And after opening his eyes, Kieran could only stare with a slack jaw.

Ogerpon stood in front of them looking rather confused—probably since she was in an unfamiliar environment. After those starry eyes locked on Kieran though, the little Grass-Type grinned and ran over to him, immediately wrapping herself around his left leg with a hum.

Huh?

What was going on?

“W-What is this? Why is the Og- I mean! Why is Ogerpon here?” His gaze was fixated on the Pokémon before him. Was she… happy to see him? After what he'd done?

Juliana smiled, and then went to gently slide the Pokéball over into Kieran's trembling hands. “She wanted to meet her new partner as soon as possible.”

“N-New partner? What are you talking about? You're her trainer!” He went to give the ball back, but Juliana held his hands firmly in place.

“I was her trainer. But I'm giving her to you. I know you'd do a much better job than I ever could…” The smile never left her lips, yet despite all of that and the words coming out of her mouth, Kieran refused to believe any of it. It was too good to be true. Life was never good to him.

“I don't know what you people in Paldea think is funny, but this prank is definitely not!” He could feel a hot sting in his eyes but refused to cry. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction. “So if you just came over to make fun of me, get out!”

The brunette's smile faltered, causing her to immediately let go of his hand. “This isn't a prank. I would never joke about something like this—especially with you!”

Kieran could feel the world starting to spin as he began spitting acid without thinking. “Liar! You and Carmine are just the same—lying and then making fun of me behind my back! Well not anymore! Just leave me alone!”

“Po?”

A tiny voice cut through their discussion, and the duo had almost forgotten that Ogerpon was still there. She was giving Kieran a look that he just couldn't handle. He looked away, not wanting her to see him like this—like the true monster that he was. “Just get back in your ball and go with her…”

A few moments passed, but to his surprise, Ogerpon didn't make a move to leave. If anything, she hugged his leg even tighter, almost refusing to let go as she buried her face against his clothes. “Pon… Pon-Pon…”

The warmth the Pokémon provided was full of comfort and reassurance. He didn't know how to describe the feeling, but it was almost like… she understood what he was going through. Because of this, Kieran was reminded once more of what caused him to love the Ogre so much in the first place—he could relate to it. He knew what it was like to be an outcast, all alone in a world where no one bothered to get to know the real you, and then snarling your teeth at anyone you perceived as a threat in an attempt to protect yourself.

He didn't realize he was crying until he felt Juliana's thumb wiping the salty droplets away.

“I told her about everything you did.” The girl was looking at him with concern, nothing malicious hidden in her eyes. “How because of you the people of Kitakami now see her for who she really is. About how much you've looked up to her all your life, and that you only want what's best for her.”

Turning her attention to the Grass-Type Pokémon hugging his leg, she smiled softly while patting her head. “I also told her how flattered I was that she wanted me to be her partner, but I knew I didn't deserve it…”

“W-What do you mean?” Kieran found his voice once more despite the tears flowing across his cheeks. “She chose you for a reason. You're like, super strong and brave and kind. The total opposite of me…”

“That's just the thing,” the Paldean Champion looked him in the eyes with what could only be described as regret. “I'm only strong because I've trained with people who were kind enough to help me on my journey. I'm ‘brave’ whenever my friends are around cause I don't feel like I'm alone. But I'm definitely not nice…”

“Why would you say that?” Kieran couldn't wrap his head around that statement. How could she say that after everything she's done for him?

“Nice people don't hurt those that matter to them. And that's exactly what I did to you.” Juliana lowered her gaze, the guilt most likely turning into shame as she gripped the hem of her Jinbei. “I knew how much Ogerpon meant to you and I took her anyway. Carmine may have suggested it, but I should've known you wouldn't be okay with that. I was a bad friend… and I'm really sorry. That's why I wanna make things right.”

Kieran could only stare in disbelief, with his eyes shifting from Ogerpon to Juliana and vice versa. All this time he'd been wrongfully accusing the first person to ever treat him with kindness, and yet here she was, blaming herself for something that wasn't entirely her fault to begin with.

The raven had spent so long thinking that the world was against him that he never once considered that just maybe, there were good people aside from his family who wouldn't make him feel worthless.

Man, he was a total jerk, wasn't he?

Still, he had to give her a response, otherwise she'd keep beating herself over nothing, and that just wouldn't do. “It's not all your fault… I shouldn't have tried to claim Ogerpon as if she was an object. She doesn't belong to anyone, same as with any other Pokémon…”

That was one of the first things he learned about Pokémon when he was a child—they were creatures meant to be respected, and had feelings that made them wonderful companions both on the battlefield and in their daily life. His first Pokémon was a prime example of someone who stayed by his side through thick and thin no matter what he went through—Furret.

Earning a Pokémon’s trust is the first rule for any trainer, and Kieran had completely forgotten all about it over his obsession.

Juliana could probably see the conflict of emotions swirling in his eyes, since she scooted closer and tried giving him a sympathetic smile. “Guess that means we both messed up? If anything, I think the important thing we do is learn from our mistakes. At least that's what my mom always says.”

Learn from his mistakes… Yeah, that's something he could work on.

“Pon-yo!”

Ogerpon once again made herself known, this time finally untangling herself from Kieran's leg and spinning around in circles with a huge smile on her face. If Kieran had to guess, she must have sensed that the duo of trainers needed a little something to cheer them up.

Unfortunately, the tiny Grass-Type must have miscalculated her velocity, since it only took a couple of twirls for her to fall on her behind with dizziness clear in her eyes.

Kieran and Juliana couldn't hold the snickers that escaped their mouths at the display. This felt… nice.

Almost completely turning back into her regular self, the brunette started rummaging through her basket one more time as she spoke eagerly. “Now that we got that outta the way, I was hoping maybe we could spend one last day at the festival before you guys have to head back tomorrow?”

Juliana pulled out both a small money pouch, along with an Ogerpon mask that she gently tied to the side of her head. When Kieran wouldn't stop staring, she sheepishly looked at the ground with a blush staining her cheeks. “O-Oh! Um, I bought this at one of the stands earlier. Figured it might be cool if we matched, maybe?”

How could she manage to be so cute without even trying?

A smile spread across his face, and for the first time that day, he didn't feel like he had to hide what he was truly feeling. “I…I like that idea. T-The festival, that is! As for Ogerpon, the only way I'd feel comfortable with taking her from you is with a trade.” Kieran could see her about to protest, but was quick to counter. “Later, though! It's already dark so if we don't hurry we're gonna miss all the cool shows and stuff…”

Juliana blinked a few times, but eventually her golden smile lit up the room as she nodded. “That works for me!”

The brunette left the room to give Kieran space to change into his own Jinbei, and the overall positive atmosphere that came out of her must have been pretty obvious since Kieran could hear her getting interrogated by Carmine and his grandparents through the door.

Thankfully she seemed to brush it off as things just going well and slipped her way through with a quick comment of going to Kitakami Hall. He'd have to thank her later for sparing him the embarrassment.

And so, there he stood, staring at himself in the mirror while fixing his hair and mask properly.

He had room to grow, that was for certain.

He had a long way ahead of him when it came to learning about friendships and giving others the benefit of the doubt. One thing was for certain. Perhaps not everyone in the world was out to get him—and the energetic, sweet, bubbly girl waiting for him outside his home was proof of that.

And so, as he rummaged through the various Pokéballs in his backpack, a gentle thump resonated in his chest as he finally found his beloved Applin among them.

Who knew? If he was brave enough, he might be able to go through with this very special trade he had in mind. He could only hope his feelings would reach the Paldean over this seemingly innocent gesture.

But there was no need to rush it—they had the whole night ahead of them.

✦ 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬!✦