#i love that eventually they stay together by choice even though both of them had multiple opportunities to leave

[waxdroid]

i feel like in the early seasons rimmer and lister's animosity towards each other is more pronounced because the reality that they're never going back to earth hadn't set in yet. they were still holding on to the hope that they'd get out of the whole "stranded in deep space" situation Somehow and would never have to see their annoying colleague again, instead of acknowledging it as the huge & permanent change to their lives that it actually was. maturing + mellowing with age and having no one else to hang out with (besides kryten and cat) for decades definitely helped to turn the hatred into a genuine if reluctant friendship but im still convinced that them accepting the hand they were dealt in regard to the big picture played a huge part in solidifying their relationship

[hannieehaee]

Imagine workaholic gf!reader of equally workaholic bf!woozi where they both take a few days leave to enjoy each other and book a luxurious honeymoon suite hotel room thinking they will have a lot of sex with their days off but instead end up with cuddling and lazy make out sessions because their exhaustion just swooshes over them owo

18+ / mdi

content: workaholic!woozi x workaholic!reader, afab reader, heavy mentions of smut, making out, very suggestive, etc.

wc: 1262

a/n: i can really picture jihoon dating a fellow workaholic lol anyways thank u for requesting<3

masterlist

"fuck, finally," you sighed in relief, letting yourself fall backwards onto the cool bed in the luxury hotel room jihoon had reserved.

after endless weeks of equally endless work, you finally had a week off, which jihoon had strategically coordinated with his own time off.

the two of you were extremely hard workers – to a fault. when jihoon bad first met you, he worried that maybe his addiction to constant work would eventually drive you away, yet somehow it had continued to keep you right by his side. you preferred that he was a workaholic, you had once told him. there had apparently been a few prior relationships in which your heavy workload had led to irreparable issues. jihoon being equally as busy as you allowed you to work without feeling guilt of leaving your partner behind – jihoon felt the exact same way.

despite the unspoken agreement the two of you had in regards to the dynamic of your relationship, it sometimes still got to you when you'd realize how little time you were able to spend with your boyfriend – once more, jihoon felt the exact same way.

your individual lives were already difficult to navigate, but making time for each other was even more complicated. your exhaustion was a whole different issue. working as much as the two of you did, it was understandable that you'd spend the lulls in your schedule resting as much as you could rather than with each other. it was a sad truth, but still remained a truth.

it wasn't as if you spent no time together, though. you'd always either see each other in the mornings (either through call or in person – depending on whether jihoon was in the country at the time or not) or at night, always making sure to love on one another as a reminder of the thriving affection in your relationship. you'd also dedicate one night per week to have a stay-at-home date night. everything was perfectly tailored to your relationship, and the two of you were more than happy with it.

these past few weeks had been the issue. as jihoon had a comeback and you had an important project at work, it was virtually impossible for you to see each other as of late. it got to you in all the worst ways, making you moody, irritable, tired, and even sexually frustrated. not only were you physically exhausted of the constant work, but you had been deprived of your daily dosage of jihoon. you had not slept together in weeks, nor had you even had a meal with each other. cuddling? completely out of the question with the insanely packed schedule you'd been having.

it all went like this for the both of you for a few weeks, up until everything managed to reach a standstill. you had a few days off, and jihoon had the ability to move some things around to match your time off. without so much as one word from you, jihoon had decided it was the perfect time to whisk you away on a private getaway at some luxury hotel of your choice.

jihoon wasnt really one to go out much, unbeknownst to you, but jihoon had been feeling extremely pent up from the last moment he got to have you all to himself. the short glimpses of you he managed to catch throughout the busy weeks were the only thing that had kept him going. the singular thought of the next time he'd he'd get to have you was the only thing occupying his mind. renting out a room for the week was the most obvious of choices to jihoon. he would finally get to explore the sheets with you.

upon arriving to the hotel, jihoon chuckled at how pleased you seemed with the place, immediately letting yourself loose on the bed and sighing in contentment. putting down the suitcases, jihoon joined you soon after, still fully clothed as he laid next to you, staring up at the ceiling.

"are you as tired as i am?", you asked him.

he hummed in affirmation, "yeah. what do you wanna do first?"

the unspoken agreement to utilize the week on sex had filled up the room before you had even arrived, so it was obvious what he was referring to.

"i'll take a quick bath first, okay, baby?", you said as you began to get up, stretching your muscles in the process.

"sure, baby. i'll head down to the gym for a bit to unwind then. i'll see you in about an hour, then?"

with a sweet peck, you bid your boyfriend goodbye, giddy to get yourself relaxed and perfumed so your boyfriend could help you destress under the sheets.

~

the bath had been a huge success in terms of getting you relaxed. after an hour lying in the warmest, bubbliest, comfiest water imaginable to man, you felt like a brand new person. accompanied by a lavender-scented bath bomb, a glass of wine and your favorite netflix show playing in the background, you got out of that bath in the best mood you'd been in in weeks.

the one downside was how incredibly relaxed the bath had gotten you. you were so relaxed, you could've fallen victim to endless slumber in that bathtub. as much as you needed jihoon to fuck you to sleep, you weren't sure how well you'd be able to perform if you tried to return the favor.

luckily for you, that would not be an issue.

upon walking back into the room, now donning some comfortable pajamas, you were met with the sight of a fully-asleep jihoon, cocooned between the sheets as he snored softly. the sight had you swooning with affection for the boy. he was the softest, most relaxing thing you had ever seen.

you couldn't help yourself in making your way to him, somehow maneuvering yourself into his arms and under the sheets, feeling more relaxed than ever.

before you could even close your eyes, the boy shuffled behind you, mumbling against your ear as he cuddled further into you.

"baby?", he mumbled.

"sorry, baby. did i wake you?"

"hmm, no you're fine. i meant to stay awake for you, but the bed's just so damn comfy," he chuckled breathily, "i took a quick shower downstairs to prepare for, you know, but fuck, i'm just so tired," he whined.

you turned around in his arms, facing him, breaths almost intertwined due to the proximity.

"that's okay, hoonie. 'm so sleepy. maybe ... we could leave it for tomorrow? just sleep in and then we can have some fun tomorrow?" you suggested, pressing a soft peck to his lips.

his arms tightened around your waist, not allowing you to pull back all the way, "only if you kiss me some more," he murmured, eyes stuck to your lips.

"i can agree to that," you giggled, pressing a languid kiss to his lips as he stuck his tongue in your mouth, softly intertwining with your own in a wet kiss.

the rest of the evening was spent softly making out under the warm sheets, legs tangled up together and fully relaxed in each other's arms. sex was the last thing on your mind as you kissed each other every so often, mostly focused on holding onto one another and finding your slumber together. however, this exhaustion did not stop you from waking up the following day, claiming your highs from one another time after time throughout the day, ready to recharge at night and continue the pattern day after day.

[damagdsnow]

Fix my reputation

Pairing: young Coriolanus Snow x fem!reader

Summary: You and Coryo are together for mutual benefits, he needs a well known woman by his side to look reliable and loving during the presidential elections and you need your reputation to be fixed after your unforgivable scandal. 

Tags: slow burn, enemies to lovers, fake dating, arranged marriage, manipulative/soft Snow, strong and independent reader (as she should), fluff, angst, power play. eventual: smut, fingering, thigh riding, switching sub/dom, degradation, denied orgasm, piv, dirty talk, overstimulation, oral (fem/male receiving), praising public sex

Chapter 1, chapter 2;

aesthetic chapter one, aesthetic chapter two;

Tw: Snow being Snow, mention of alcohol, panic/anxiety attack, eventual: mention of blood

Word count: 6.7k

Note: English is not my first language so if you see mistakes please feel free to correct me in the comments! It is also my very first time posting here on tumblr, I’ve always wanted to post my writing and finally I am now brave enough to do so, enjoy!

You hated that man. 

If there was something you were sure about, it was that you didn’t want to be here with him, at the same table having lunch. You could feel his perking blue eyes staring into your soul even though he was not looking at you, he was meticulously cutting an apple with his long fingers and a shiny knife.

How did you get here? The man you so wholeheartedly hated, was now part of your life, and you couldn’t do anything about it. You felt like that apple he was cutting so carefully, peeling your skin, your essence, the way he was holding it seemed he was scared it could run away. You could run away. 

The problem was, you would never run away. Run away to whom? To your mother who disclaimed you? To those friends who didn’t help you out? You had no choice. Now the only thing you had was your reputation ruined for a fatal mistake that could have been avoided. That was not enough, the only way to clean your image was to be with Snow. The charismatic, intelligent and kind Coriolanus Snow. Or this was what people said about him. What The Capitol said about him.

You didn’t think the same. You knew who he really was, you saw what they couldn't see. He was evil, he was the one who got the games so popular with his ideas, the one who didn’t mind sending children to death.

You and Coriolanus had only one thing in common. Maybe two or three. One of them was that you both needed each other’s influence in society for different interests. His strategy to win the elections included a woman by his side to make him look reliable and sensitive, but he mostly planned on taking advantage of your popularity to make his own name. You, on the other hand, just needed someone who could clean your reputation after a little incident.

Who better than the master manipulator Coriolanus Snow? You weren’t thrilled with the idea of spending time with him. But it was going to be just for once. The gala before the official beginning of presidential elections, the most awaited event in the Capitol.

The agreement was playing the part of two lovers who not by chance people already knew, his name was well known. Yours? Still on the news. It was just a ball, you could do a night of pretending. 

 “Tigris said you haven't tried your dress on yet,” his voice interrupted your thoughts, and you looked in his direction to see his expression. 

He still had the apple in his hands and he was cutting it in half-moon shapes, he took one bite in his mouth and he directly stared at you while chewing. You tried to hide your disgust as Snow's eyes met yours, his smile sending chills down your spine. It was as you had imagined, or even worse, you felt his blue eyes dissecting you in pieces, like he was examining you, looking for your deepest secrets. You knew that staying calm and composed in his presence was crucial. 

“I don’t want to, it fits me.” You didn’t even look at that dress, it was even sent to your house but you refused to open the box knowing that he chose it.

“I hope it will,” Coriolanus didn’t take his eyes off of yours. “At least try to read how you should answer the questions, many people will be there,” he then said while standing up from his chair. His tall frame loomed over you, and you couldn't help but shiver under his intense gaze. 

“Are you giving me homework to do now?” you said, looking up at him.

“I’m simply providing you with some advice,” his voice tinged with subtle amusement. “Oh, you think it’s going to be simple after all you did? “The Capitol won’t forgive you easily,” then he walked away, leaving you alone in the dining room. 

This day felt longer than ever. The morning before you had received a letter from Snow’s manor telling you that someone was going to pick you up to prepare you for the event. It was signed by his publicist, Iris. You met her a couple of times before: a well dressed woman who knew too much about anyone's business in the Capitol. It was her idea to have lunch with him, “just to get to know each other more,” she said, but for you it was just a reminder of his real personality. They even gave you a room for the day, two chambers away from his, quoting Iris’s letter “this way you can feel comfortable,” you thought she was too attentive and kind to work for someone like Snow.

Iris was the one convincing you to take part in this gala, she explained to you that someone cherished like Coriolanus would draw the attention away from the scandal. You two just had to pretend to be together, “the Capitol loves unexpected new couples,” the publisher said to you the first time you saw her, “the young aspiring president and the woman everybody talks about.” Iris was convinced that this way Coriolanus was seen as the devoted partner who wasn’t afraid of your bad reputation, and you as the woman ready to rise from the ashes. 

You ran into your room and slammed the door so loud you hoped he could hear you. You found a big envelope on your bedsheets, and you hoped it was some sort of -hey remember the incident? It’s not your fault, everything it’s okay!-thing, but unfortunately, it was not a free pass to the world. It was a sheet listing all possible answers to some questions you might be asked today at the gala. It was like a script to follow to save your face, to look good in front of the cameras, in front of the-very-judging-elitè. In that sheet, you could find any imaginable question they could ask, where your dress was from or who your family were. 

“Did you do that on purpose?” It was one of the questions, and you thought this was something Snow would ask you. He didn’t say a thing about what you did, in the few times you talked he never asked you directly about the scandal. He could have wanted explanations, the real version of the story from you, but he never said a word. You read the answers on the sheet, and they were all perfectly written, so meticulously explained using the Capitol-vocabulary, elegant words and a candid tone. 

“How did you meet Mr. Snow?” Your heart skipped a beat, you didn’t consider being asked about your fake relationship with him, it was all new to you.

 “…it was love at first sight, who couldn’t love an extraordinary man like him, I immediately fell in love.” You had to read the full answer twice to be certain you weren’t hallucinating. 

You would never have said those words, never in a billion years, not even under torture, of course you were ready to lie, but lying to this level? It was too much. You knew it was him who wrote this answer, you imagined the grin on his face while typing those words about him. You were mad. The answers about your dating life with Coriolanus were filled with romantic moments and exaggerated gestures that made you feel uncomfortable reading their unrealistic nature. You tried imagining those things happening in real life, but it felt completely alien and artificial. It was difficult to believe that anyone could genuinely experience those events. With Coriolanus mostly. You read the pages, over and over, a book would have been better because there was too much to read, but instead, you were stuck with a bunch of printed documents detailing your supposed love story. 

He also put dates on when things happened: your first date in the lake house in July, the time you had dinner in a fancy restaurant in August and the day you moved in his place. Lies. Lies. Lies. Apparently you officially started dating three months ago. Three? You scrolled over the pages, hoping not to read what you were thinking. 

“…after the incident, Coryo was very supportive, always there to comfort and reassure me even though all I did. I felt like I betrayed him too, but he always said we could get through it together, and I found myself falling for him all over again.” You knew none of this ever happened, and yet here it was, staring back at you in black and white. It was as if the words were playing tricks, as if the words were there to pretend instead of simply put on paper.

You sighed and closed the file, feeling a mix of frustration, confusion, and irritation. He was never there for you. Nobody was. You were all alone. After that day, you cried every night, and you were the one reassuring yourself, lying in front of the mirror saying ‘it’s going to be okay’ while your sense of guilt was slowly eating your guts. He wanted to appear like the perfect partner, but you knew the truth. It was all a façade. Deep down, you knew the real him, and it took all your strength to acknowledge the reality. You threw the stack of files on the floor, it was all too much. 

You got up from the bed, and you went directly to his room, determined to confront him about the distorted reality that had been painted in those files. You didn’t even knock on his door, and you felt surprised when you noticed it wasn’t locked. You open the door, and you close it from behind, entering the room. He was standing close to his bed, completely oblivious to your presence. It was like he expected you to burst into his room out of nowhere.

“You finally read the file,” he said, looking at his wrist without making eye contact. 

He was focusing on buttoning his cuff links, his fingers fumbling with the buttons, his white shirt still open and his blonde hair wet from the shower. His normally confident demeanor was replaced with vulnerability as he waited for your response, the tension thick in the air. It was the very first time you saw him not perfectly dressed up, without styled hair and shiny shoes. The sight of him standing there, so different from his usual self, caught you off guard.

“Yes, I’ve read your fabricated tale,” you said, trying not to look at him, at the droplets of water sliding down his temple, his fingers still struggling with the shirt. “You should have become a fiction book writer, you got talent.” 

"I just wanted to impress you," he admitted, finally looking up to meet your gaze. “I can see I got a reaction from you,” he definitely succeeded in catching your attention, with those iper-articulated lies, not even close to what really happened.

“The agreement was that I won't say anything bad about you, just be by your side as a trophy-fake-girlfriend in this stupid gala, inventing absurd stories won't win my reputation back," you said firmly, crossing your arms. 

He reached his desk where there was a glass of some alcohol sloshing around, poured himself a drink and took a long, deep swig. “They won't believe you if you only stand by me like a mannequin, you have to be an active member of their social life, so they can get to know you, sympathize you and maybe forgive you,” he said in a calm tone, you could see his profile while he was again drinking from his glass, his shirt still open that showed his toned body.

You immediately looked away taking a deep breath. “I won't be a part of any false narrative you wrote,” was the only thing that came to your mind. 

He scoffed his head, “Just for the period of the presidential campaign, nothing more.” 

“Are you suggesting that this ridiculous act is going to take longer than just a day?” 

“I know you don’t like me, you just need to pretend you do. I’ll do the same,” he took another sip of that liquor while looking at you, “the publicist said just one appearance at the gala isn’t going to be beneficial to either of us.”

“Why are you telling me this now? The plan was slightly different,” you said

“Oh I knew you were going to be reluctant about the idea of pretending to live here, just for show,” he was serious, his fierce eyes looking at you waiting for a reply.

“I almost tolerated your presence at work, and now you want me to live in the same house as yours?” You asked 

“After the gala, they are going to focus on the ‘new couple’, our performance has to be something they really believe in,” he leaned his head at the same height as yours, “we already don’t have that chemistry, at least they are going to think we live together,” Coriolanus said to your ear, his curls brushing your cheek. 

“I simply decline your proposal, find someone else.” You said with a fake smile.

“Didn’t journalists harass you every time you left your little apartment? How exhausting, isn’t it?” He whispered in a sarcastic tone, making you remember all those times you ran away from photographers. “I got peacekeepers here, no one is going to bother you anymore, as long as you don’t bother me,” he turned to the desk, placing the empty glass in a tray, “strangers in real life, lovers on the outside.” 

“The problem is that I despise you, I cannot do this for one more day,” you couldn’t see his expression,  just his white see-through shirt displaying his back muscles.

“No, the problem is that you don’t understand how fucked up your situation is,” he was now facing you, “I know people who were condemned for way less, you are lucky,” his words were sharp as blades.

“Lucky to have you? It’s a punishment,” you said and he laughed. 

“Then don’t come at me crying at why people still hate you,” he took a few steps closer to you

 “So you can comfort me like you did a month ago?” You asked him pointing out the most absurd lie in that file.

“Oh, so you read every single page, you really did your homework.”

You stood your ground, refusing to be manipulated any longer. He was doing that purposely, just to provoke you, saying those things just to see how far you could take. Coriolanus was looking at you with his piercing gaze, attempting to intimidate you, he expected you to buckle down and crumble in front of him, but you would never give him such satisfaction, you were already in hell, so why not play with fire? 

“Why me?” you asked him, and you saw a sense of surprise in his eyes. “Why, of all the girls in Panem, you decide the only one who can give you trouble?” You took a step closer to his figure, “there are so many good girls from rich families and intact reputations, why me? I’ll just ruin you.” You said, trying to catch his eyes looking back at you. But you could only see his frowning eyebrows, his wet messy hair and a droplet of water trailing down his neck, you were so close to him, you could hear him breathing.

“Everybody knows your name, bad press is still press,” his eyes finally met yours. “You are the center of attention,” he took a step back, as if momentarily distancing himself from the tension. “The presidential elections are extremely competitive, it’s not a race for who’s superior to whom,” he licked his lips, “but who is going to perform better for these people looking for distractions. “We are going to be their little show”

“So tell me Coriolanus,” you stepped closer as you were before. The height difference was such that it made you look up at him, you took one side of his shirt in your hand and you buttoned up with the other, feeling his warm torso on your fingers. "How exactly do you propose to fix my reputation while bolstering your own?” you finished, a sly smile dancing on your lips and your eyes looking for him. 

Coriolanus was looking down at your fingers still brushing his skin, he had his lips parted and he softly whispered, “just play the game,” his eyes still fixed on you. He was talking about making everything right again, but it felt like there was something more behind those words. 

You stepped back, trying to compose yourself. “I’m just giving them another reason to hate me with this bunch of lies,” you were looking down at the floor when you heard him stepping closer to you. You didn’t look at him, but you could feel his eyes on your face. 

He lifted your chin with two fingers and made you look up at him, “I’ll make them fall for our lie,” he said, his voice was so deep and calm.

 “You are a master manipulator,” you whispered back, looking down again as if the floor was more interesting than the man standing in front of you. 

You heard him chuckle, and he leaned closer to your ear, “and I’m going to teach you how to be one too.”

Your first public appearance after the scandal was going to be at this gala. Everything was calculated in detail, the dress you wore had to be long and white, as pure as snow. Your hair had to be loose so it could cover your exposed back, and apparently you had to memorize pages and pages of answers you could give. After your intense conversation in his room you decided to play the game seeing how far you could take, how far you would do to take everything back. He wanted you under his spell, he was trying to shape you how he desired, for his own interests. 

“Dear, why aren’t you dressed yet?” The publicist said to you while you were sitting on the smooth sheets of your bed. You had your bathrobe still on, it’s been thirty minutes since you had a shower but you had your head in the clouds. 

You couldn’t stop thinking about your conversation with Coriolanus, his wet hair, the words he said to you, his naked torso, his manipulating eyes. You repeat to yourself that he was Coriolanus Snow, and not any man, he probably told you half the strategy he really had in mind. Being with him was like playing chess blindfolded, you had to trust him but he could mess up your moves, change your plans.

“Come here I’ll help you,” Iris said, she seemed like a good person, she had a comforting smile and an elegant manner with everything she did. She was wearing a short coppery-brown color dress, it was shiny as her nails, decorated with tiny gold stones. You took her hand and you stood up, making the bathrobe fall on the carpet. The silk of the dress soothed your skin like a petal, you looked at the mirror and the weak light coming from your window gently reflected on your bright dress, almost making it shine. 

“It is really pretty,” you said astonished while turning to see your exposed back. Then your smile disappeared because you remembered it was him who picked the dress. 

 “You are making it pretty, my darling,” Iris stated as she fastened the zip on your side. It was a simple dress yet delicate and impressive, it embraced the shape of your body effortlessly. 

“It is just a little loose here on your waist,” the woman said, touching the excess fabric on your side. You remembered the conversation early this morning when you proudly said the dress fitted you.

“I’m going to tell Tigris to fix it,” Iris said and you immediately looked at her reflection in the mirror.

“No please,” she changed her expression, “it is bad luck to mend a dress the same day it is worn,” your mother always said that to you, maybe it was not a popular saying considering the publicist's face.

 She tilted her head with a confused smile as she touched the yellow-butterflies-clip in her voluminous red wig. Now that you were thinking about it, you sewed your skirt the day it happened, ‘it’s just a coincidence, I don’t believe in these things’ you said to yourself, you were not superstitious but at the same time you avoided superstitions, just in case.

 “Whatever you want,” Iris said with a soft smile. 

  You touched your neck and you thought how a shiny pendant would look good. “Iris, do we have some necklace to match this dress?” She stepped closer to you looking at your chest. 

“I think you shouldn’t wear any jewelry tonight,” you tilted your head in confusion, “see, today is your first appearance after the,” she paused, “incident.”

“And what is it supposed to do with jewe—“ she didn’t let you finish your sentence.

“You could wear pearls or diamonds but what would the elite think? That you want to appear, that you want to show off,” she walked behind you so you could see her reflection in the mirror. “How you present yourself is the way they perceive you,” Iris brushed your long hair on the side, exposing your neck, “you are wearing a white dress, ‘how pure!’ No diamonds, ‘how modest!’ “try to think like the socialites, once you enter their minds, your act will get a standing ovation”. Her words put everything in a different perspective, she really knew what she was doing. 

You heard a knock on the door, “the party starts in an hour!” A muffled voice said from the corridor.

“Thank you Ariandes, we’re almost done!” Iris said in a loud tone. 

In less than sixty minutes you had to put on your best mask and try to change the mind of a thousand people about yourself, with Coriolanus by your side, pretending he is your supportive lover. You felt a rush of anxiety on your chest, like a weight pressing against your heart.

“I don’t think I can go,” you whispered with a trembling voice. Iris made a worried look.

“Oh sweety, I can only imagine what you have been through,” she took a lilac glass flask from the desk beside the mirror, “you are a strong woman,” she sprayed a lavender fragrance on your neck and she smiled. 

You looked at yourself in the mirror, and with all your strength you tried to keep the tears that threatened to spill over. “Iris, how do I fake being so interested in someone?” You asked, thinking about what was written in that file. 

“Have you ever been in love?” She asked with a soft gaze.

You didn’t know the answer to that question, you had a couple of boyfriends in your university years, but were you in love? 

“It’s when every atom of your body's only desire is to burn at the mere thought of being with that someone,” Iris looked up, like she was thinking of somebody, you felt even more disoriented with her answer. 

You couldn’t identify that feeling with anyone, you’ve never met someone that made ‘your cells burn’. What would that even mean, you thought.

 The door opened and you turned your head to see Ariandes, the political advisor, “We gotta go,” he said looking at Iris. The man had his hair pulled back in a long braid, dark as his skin. You walked in his direction and you followed him.

The moment you stepped into the car you felt a sudden tension, it was dark outside, only one side of Coriolanus’ face was lit up by cars passing by. He was wearing a red coat that covered the rest of the outfit, his blonde locks were lightly falling on his temples and you noticed he was wearing a ring on his left index finger.

 “Act as natural as possible,” Coriolanus said and he looked at you, it felt like he was inspecting your body and you wished to be in his mind at that very moment.

 Was everything going according to plan? 

No, you didn’t want to know what it was like to be in his head, it was torturing enough being on the outside. 

“I’m not very good at lying,”

‘not as good as you’, you wanted to say. 

He looked at you like he read your mind, luckily you couldn’t see his expression. “Don’t be impulsive, smile and never leave my side,” you felt he was giving you orders, “what 's going to happen at the political campaign depends partially on today’s gala.”

 “You know, Mr. Snow,” you started “I tried reading your fiction-book but it was so,” you tried examining his face, “unrealistic,” he scoffed and looked the other way, “you want me to paint you as the man you aren’t and never will —caring, affectionate and respectful “I can’t do miracles, people won’t believe my lies forever.”

Coriolanus clenched his jaw, “at least the whole Panem doesn’t hate me,” he said close to your face.

“Yet,” you added, hoping to maintain eye contact one more second. 

“And just a reminder,” he said, “without me you would have been at home, crying and begging for forgiveness,” he whispered in a bitter tone in your ear.

 “And without me you wouldn’t have the attention you crave so much,” you replied, feeling the tension in the air. 

Coriolanus was too close to you, like an animal before hunting his prey, you could see his facial features reflecting the weak light outside. The engine stopped, and the driver opened the car door.

“Mr. Snow” he said and Coriolanus stepped out of the car, he didn’t even look at you. 

‘He would slam the door in my face if he could’, you thought.

 You took the driver’s hand, helping you get out with your long dress. Coriolanus took his maroon coat off and he gave it to an avox at the entrance. You could see him from his back, he was wearing an ivory jacket and trousers, his suit matched your gown. He calculated every single detail. Unexpectedly, Coriolanus waited for you as you stood by him in the hall, he extended his arm and you looked at him. 

“Do I have to?” You asked and you noticed a white rose on his breast pocket. 

“It’s just an act,” he replied and you took him by the arm. 

Let the play begin. 

The ballroom was lit by magnificent chandeliers and the air was filled with whispers and laughter. The atmosphere was comforting and energetic: people with colorful wigs, glitter dresses and sugary drinks. There was not a face you could recognise, it was not what you were used to, even though you have been living in the Capitol for all your life, you’ve never experienced a party like this. You walked through the crowd with Coriolanus by your side, arm by arm, while everybody was looking curiously at your direction. You’ve heard someone saying his name, and something about the girl he was walking with. 

Why her? Since when does Snow have a girlfriend? I’ve heard really bad things about that woman.

And there it was, the gossip, the uncertain glances and how they looked down on you. On the other hand, people were praising him. 

He’s so charming! White suits him well! Future president of Panem. 

You looked at Coriolanus, the warm light was making his eyes brighter, or was it the crowd? He looked at them so proudly, with a confident smile, he was living for that moment, being the center of attention. He met your gaze, then his blue eyes looked at your dress, but not the same way people did. 

It felt different. 

Was he judging? 

Admiring maybe? It was a mystery, nothing was black or white with him. 

Coriolanus greeted a couple of his acquaintances, introducing you as his partner, then calling you his date and it once slipped from his lips calling you his girlfriend. And you actually were, in that moment, you had to act as his beloved girlfriend who had a well known bad reputation. He never let your arm go away, he was acting so well, playing the caring boyfriend who couldn’t leave you alone. 

“Here they are, the couple of the night!” A loud voice came from behind, it was Flavius Windbuzz, one of the most famous tv hosts in the Capitol. His voice was recognisable from miles away, it didn’t matter if you watched television or not, he was everywhere and it was impossible in Capitol City not knowing his name. 

He stepped closer to you with a glowing smile and a glitter microphone, he had his hair gray, more like silver. “Everybody is talking about you, the new Capitol lovebirds,” a camera was pointing at you and your heartbeat was getting faster, everyone stopped talking and stared at you both. “So tell me Mr. Snow, who is this young lady you are showing off?” 

“You said it right Flavius, she is my girlfriend,” he did it again, Coriolanus said girlfriend, this time broadcast on tv. 

“What a pleasure to meet you,” the host said to you, he took your hand and kissed it. These exaggerated gestures were the usual in this type of parties, especially where a silver-haired-man was interviewing the guests. He asked about your family, if you liked the food —you didn’t touch any but you lied, and who was the designer of your dress, everything as the script said.

  “Honey, you are a really interesting woman but I have to ask you something,” Mr. Windbuzz said, “people are talking and it is my job to satisfy their desires. “So tell me, are the rumors true?” 

You expected a much worse question, you stopped breathing for a moment and Coriolanus noticed that because you tightened the grip on his arm. “You tell me Flavius, what do the rumors say?” You answered with a soft smile hiding your discomfort.

  “I know that during the last edition of The Hunger Games, something really unfortunate happened,” you noticed he had purple contacts on, and that was something that made you even more nervous. “Is it true that you took part in the incident we all saw live on TV?” He asked and you felt like your heart was beating outside your chest.

“It is true,” the crowd gasped, and your pulse increased. 

“So tell me, how did it feel when you killed those poor and innocent tributes?” The question was worded differently than what you read on that file. 

Killed. 

Poor and innocent. 

You couldn’t get out of your head their lifeless faces, the foam coming out of their mouths and the sound of the cannon echoing in that room. The hall started spinning, you saw the interviewer’s face, a mix of compassion and concern, as the crowd started whispering more and more you felt your head cold and heavy. The microphone was pointing in your direction but you could not even stutter a syllable, blank pages wandered in your mind and you felt a sense of emptiness. You felt a hand on your shoulder and you turned your dizzy head to see Coriolanus who started talking for you.

“She was more than devastated, I remember—, ” you saw his lips moving like the time had slowed down and you were not listening to his words, his voice echoed in your ears as you never took your eyes off of him. 

His grip on your shoulder tightened and his eyes looked at you as he tilted his head suggesting you both could go away. You followed him even though your ears were still ringing and your sight blurring, Coriolanus was walking too fast so you took his hand in yours or you could really faint on the ground. At that action, he looked at you with a confused stare, his hand grip was firm and steady as he dragged you in the bathroom. After checking no one was in there, he leaned against the door so no one could step in. You stood in front of him, his curls falling on his forehead that was a little sweaty, then he began talking, but the sound of his words were just an intense ring in your ears. He placed both his hands on your cheeks trying to have your attention, and you woke up from your hypnotic state.

“They are just hypocrites, they are the ones who watch The Hunger Games on tv, they send money to help their favorite to kill.” Coriolanus said looking in your eyes, and you started sobbing. “They are not better than you, “stop crying and play their game.” 

You felt the warmth of his hands on your skin, he never touched you this way, it was intimate, nothing you could expect from him. For a moment, you brushed your hand with his but he instantly removed it, walking away from your sight. 

“He was too indiscreet,” you heard him whisper, “I should’ve expected that from him.” 

“No Coriolanus, I should’ve expected this question,” your voice was still trembling, “you said it wasn’t going to be easy, I deserve this, “do you still think this act is a good idea?” You asked him. 

His tall figure leaned against the green tiles of the bathroom, he had his hands on his pockets and he was looking down, thinking about who knows what. Now that you were seeing from a distance, he resembled an angel. His white suit, his blonde curls and the perking blue eyes. No, there was nothing pure and heavenly in him. You thought he was probably thinking about how you ruined his plan, how he had to intervene to save your umpteenth failure and he was now calculating another strategy. 

‘Not an angel, a fallen angel, the next Lucifer of Panem.’

 “The night is still young,” he said while stepping to the door. He didn’t answer your question, was he regretting meeting you? 

Everything was as you left it. The party was still going and no one seemed to have noticed your panic attack. That was a relief. You tried distracting yourself, you couldn’t stop thinking about what happened before. The interview, the crying, his hands on your face. Everything was worse than you had expected. You and Coriolanus were in the hallway next to the massive columns that supported the ceilings, on the other side people were dancing to a classical melody. You wanted to stay there, outside their sight, because to you the dance floor was more like an arena where people were going to attack you. 

“Shall we?” Coriolanus extended his hand suggesting to go dancing with him. 

“I’m not good at dancing, I could step on your feet,” you hoped it would’ve been enough for him to give up. 

“I’ll take the risk.” That was his plan, acting like nothing happened and putting his best smile on to be the charming man everyone adored. 

You took his hand, the same hand that wiped your tears off your face was now intertwined in yours. Every time you looked for an excuse to not like him. As if you had to remind yourself that you hated him. Did you? He was dancing with you so naturally, holding you like you had known each other for a very long time, his hand on your waist as if he was used to it. There was nothing evil in him on the outside, and that was the problem. 

“I’ve just saved your face, thank me later.” 

You rolled your eyes at Coriolanus’ words. “I’m used to humiliations so next time don’t bother yourself.” you replied.

“Oh but I’m not used to it and don’t worry, there will be no next time.” Without a notice, he made you twirl around.

“When will this thing end?” You asked annoyed.

 “I hate it as much as you,” he pushed your waist closer to him, this way you were face to face, noses touching. 

“What the fuck Coriol—,” 

He interrupted you, “for the cameras.” 

You turned your head and you saw a bunch of flashes, blinding your sight. Coriolanus leaned over you and your lips were brushing, you couldn’t push him away because of the photographers. You had no time to tell him something, that he kissed you. It was for a second, just one second where your lips touched. It was cold, dry and unexpected. Just like him. Snow by name, snow by nature. If only eyes could talk. You’d probably say to him how you wished you weren’t there, with him, and you wondered what his blue eyes would say to you, probably the same. After that moment, Coriolanus didn’t say a word to you. You were there, smiling at photographers hoping to drop your mask as soon as they’d left. 

The rest of the night went according to plan. Flavius interviewed all the future candidates and Coriolanus had the opportunity to make his well prepared speech, he also got invitations from influential members close to the president Ravinstill, not to mention the many sponsor offers he had. At least something was going well, for him though. The ride back home was painful. You and Coriolanus were looking outside the window, his crimson coat was the only barrier separating your bodies. 

“Did they ever tell you how bad you are at kissing,” you hated silence so much you could say the stupidest things that came to mind just not to hear your thoughts. You turned your head to see him and his eyes were already on you. 

“Mhm, girls usually compliment me for other qualities,” he chuckled, “and then that wasn’t me kissing, remember it’s just for show,” he whispered looking at the driver hoping he wasn’t paying attention.

“Well, no one believed your poor attempt to look in love,” you said and he untied the knot of his white tie. 

“I was caught off guard,” he said looking at you, cars speeding in the window behind him, “and I can’t just kiss how I would normally do.” 

You tried not to laugh at his words, ‘what would that even mean?’ you thought. “Just try to convince them, because you didn’t even convince me.” 

“How should I kiss you then?”

He put his hand on the back of your head, with his thumb brushed your temple and he pulled you closer, his lips touching yours softly. You knew what was going to happen, but you let him do it. 

The way he kissed you, like he was starving for your lips, hungry for your taste. Was he the same man that kissed you before? You melted in his touch, his hand slided down your neck, his fingers pressing on your throat, making you shiver even more. He tasted like mint and posca, his hair smelled of roses and his skin was warm under your touch.

 Coriolanus pulled away from your lips but you came closer to cut the gap separating you. It felt like an instinct, like you were not satisfied enough and you could feel a sense of heat down your core. He pulled away the coat that was between you and his other hand was now on your exposed back, keeping you closer, his tongue still dancing dangerously with yours as you intertwined your fingers in his locks.

“Coryo” you said between kisses.

He wasn’t intending to stop and neither did you, but you remembered who was the man who was holding you that way, whose hands were making you shiver, whose lips were making you want for more and what nickname you just whined. 

“I think we should,” you managed to say, trying to stop yourself from doing something you were going to regret. You broke the kiss, his lips were swollen still too close to yours. 

He whispered, "I told you, I can be convincing when needed.”    

🦋 A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, let me know what you think in the comments! I’ll probably explain the details of the scandal and how they met next time, it’s way more than you can imagine from here. Also I KNOW there is no smut here, but bear with me, it's a slow burn and trust me in the next chapter I’ll add some ✨ spice ✨. In this first chapter I wanted to set up the atmosphere.

A special thanks to Freddie Mercury and the song “Play the game” that helped me when I was stuck, to the poet Taylor Swift who reminded me of the many ways you can say the color red. PLEASE let me know if you want to be tagged next time 💌 

ask me questions here !

@gracieghost36955 @annavatar @ghostlyloversworld @badbussylol @gracieroxzy @coolcatyarb @coriosgf @xxrougefangxx @devils-blackrose @wearemadeofstardust0

[animeyanderelover]

I'm having a tiny bit of a Mihawk brainrot if you can't tell. I'm not sure if his past was ever really elaborated on so there are most likely mistakes in my interpretation because I am not caught up to the Anime yet.

Just imagine...

Growing up together with the very boy that will in the future claim not only the title of "Strongest Swordsman in the World" but will also eventually become one of the Seven Warlord's of the sea. Hawk Eyes Mihawk is a name that will one day struck fear in everyone that hears it, whether it's a pirate, a marine or an innocent citizen.

Yet you have known him ever since both of you were just tiny children. You know all of his quirks, his likes and dislikes and all of his most sacred secrets and most embarrassing moments which he made you promise would be kept only between the two of you.

And Mihawk knows you just as much. He knows of all your dreams and your biggest fears, has been your shoulder to cry on whenever your heart was struck with grief, has witnessed all of your shenanigans and despite his better judgement has even participated in some of your reckless decisions, even if to simply be the one who ultimately saves you from any big troubles.

The dynamic between the two of you has always been like this. You have always been the dreamer, the one who has their heads in the clouds and loves romanticising everything. He can't even recall how often you spent your time excitedly recounting to him a dream you had in your sleep or proclaimed to him excitedly about a new ambition you had in life, every week a new one. One time you told him you wanted to be a doctor, another one you wanted to be a vet and the next time you announced your new dream of wanting to be a shipwright. You were like a pot just foaming over with dreams and positivity.

Mihawk on the other hand has always been your voice of reasoning and the guardian who is always right next to you when your excitement led to an impulsive and poorly made choice. He has always been the one who was your silent yet loyal shadow and the one you could always count on, even if he has dubbed you as an "idiot". He has always been the one who just sat there and silently listened to all of your excited rambling when the words were tumbling out faster from your mouth than you could form them, even despite reminding you that you should probably soon make up your mind whenever you discarded your old dream for a new one. You truly are a scatterbrained fool at times yet he has a weak spot for that bright glimmer in your eyes, a light as bright as the sun.

As adolescence catches up with you two, you stay the same dreamy fool who tends to daydream throughout the day, so deeply immersed in your own thoughts that time and your surroundings are forgotten.

Mihawk remains as the one person you are closest with and is the one who protects you from walking into doors, buildings or people when he realises that you space out again as you let your imagination run wild. Yet as he grows up from a boy to a man, his feelings for you mature. Both of you have always been exceptionally close to each other but it is only as his mind matures and becomes more complex that he starts questioning how he truly feels about you. You have always been the dearest person to his heart but as a child he has never truly considered your relationship as deeply as he does now. You've just always been the person he has known best and with whom he has shared the most, from the good to the bad. You have always been special to him yet it is only now that he realises just how special you really are to him.

He loves you.

He loves your ditzy and airheaded personality, your joyful laugh and the constant glow in your eyes as you look at the world around you as if you are discovering it for the first time and he especially loves the excited shimmer in your eyes when you tell him about your dreams.

Knowledge alone is only half the work though. Mihawk, who was back then only a flicker of what he will be in the future, doesn't know how to express those emotions he has for you. All he knows that he feels very intensely for you and he finds himself overwhelmed with this discovery. It is all chaotic and hectic inside of his heart and his mind. It is something new that frightens him over so slightly as he doesn't know how to control his feelings just yet which is why he decides to wait. To wait until he has understood his love for you a bit better before he will tell you how he feels about you.

Eventually both of you leave the island you grew up together in favor setting sail and heading towards the Grand Line. Both of you had dreams of your own yet neither one of you was at that time ready to separate from each other just yet. Mihawk's feelings for you have only grown since he became cognizant of them for the first time and they only intensify with each passing day, not enabling him to understand them nor to fully control them.

So used has he grown to having you all for himself though that he finds himself uncomfortable and possessive when you choose to engage with locals on an island both of you have landed on, an eerily intense look in those golden eyes of his that seemingly try to pierce the very soul of the person you choose to give your attention too despite him standing right next to you. It always spooks people and you can only slap him on his chest as you chastise him for his rude behavior, although he knows that you are never truly mad at him. Even he is secretly just glad that you give him your undivided attention again, even if he is grumbling as he defends himself against your little lectures.

Both of you enter the Grandline together and it is then that you finally decide to bring up the idea of you two finally separating. Initially Mihawk is quite reluctant as you suggest that idea to him. Wouldn't it be safer for both of you to stick together? After all neither of you two knows what lies ahead in those oceans. You are quite persistent though as you explain to him that you would like to achieve your dreams by yourself and that you think he should do the same. You clarify yourself by assuring him that you don't plan to never see him again but that you would like to do your best without his help with your own strength.

He feels the lump in his throat as he hears your reasons behind your suggestion, his mind struggling to imagine how it would be if you wouldn't been with him and he finds himself drawing a blank as soon as he attempts to consider it. You are someone he has always known throughout his entire life and even hearing your suggestion has his heart shaking with the thought of your absence if that were to really happen.

You two have always been together. Why would you want to change that now?

Both of you spend a lot of time arguing over this issue but ultimately you win him over, the light in your eyes persuading him by tugging at all of his heartstrings. His obsession has just started to bud and it isn't until a while later that it springs to its full awakening which is why Mihawk eventually caves in and agrees to your suggestion.

Both of you separate at the next island you land on but both of you make a promise to each other. That you'll meet again on this very island one year from now on to see how far you two have come with your dreams.

His heart is heavy when both of you bid each other goodbye, his hands holding yours tightly as he relishes one last time for the next long year in your brightness. The words he has been wanting to tell you for a while now linger on his tongue, the temptation strong to let you know about his feelings for you in a last feeble hope that his love may change your mind. Yet he knows as he looks into your beaming eyes that your mind has already been set so he can only swallow his feelings back, although he vows that when you two will see each other again, he will be strong enough to finally confess his love to you.

One year passes and he returns to the same island as a completely different person. Within only one year Mihawk has risen to unbelievable fame. He feels content with what he has achieved within the last year as he has grown into the strong man he swore to be one year ago on this very island and considers himself now ready to finally tell you about how he truly feels for you. The budding obsession as blossomed over the last year as your absence has forced him to fully acknowledge as well as embrace everything he has been feeling for you and now more than ever before does Mihawk plan to keep you by his side.

Only that you never show up.

Initially Mihawk decides to ignore the growing heaviness in his heart as he decides that maybe you experience some delay. The weather in the Grandline is after all infamous for its changing mood. So he waits for you.

One day.

Two days.

Three days...

With every sunset that he witnesses on the island, he feels a part of him silently dying with it. Emotions brew up inside of him as a few days turn into nearly an entire month and he finally can't deny the haunting truth anymore he has been trying to deny.

You won't return.

His heart shatters as he finally acknowledges this fact. There are so many emotions inside of him, far too many for him to identify each one of them as they blur together into one big storm that has his chest tightening and his heart silently screaming.

Why didn't you return?

He can only come up with two possible explanations and he truly doesn't know which one would be worse. Either you have forgotten about him and the promise you two made or you have died on the sea.

He dedicates months trying to find out the truth about what happened to you. He reads every single newspaper, somehow dreading yet hoping to find an article mentioning your name yet he is always left disappointed. He travels to the island he knew you were heading to after both of you separated in hopes of gathering information yet no one from the locals can give him any useful information about you. He goes through all the newest bounty posters to see if your name and face appear anywhere only to be left with a growing hole in his heart.

The last hope of his is finally shattered when he sails all the way back to the place both of you grew up in only to be met with the same dreadful emptiness as no one in the town has heard of you since him and you left the island on a ship over a year ago.

Nothing.

There is no trace of your existance in the world, no matter how long he searches for you as if you were only a fickle imagination of his own. He doesn't know whether you have forgotten about him, if something has happened to you or if you have met your end somewhere on those unpredictable seas.

It is a torment unlike anything he has ever experienced as the lack of knowledge drains him slowly and tortures him as he is unable to find any closure. No matter what, Mihawk seems to be destined to suffer one way or another. Hope is titled as the most beautiful thing in the world yet it is hope that only prolongs his suffering as a part of him is unable to accept the possibility of your death until he has proof.

As months turn into years, his heart shrinks and withers like a flower deprived of water and sunlight. The ambitious and determined man turns into a husk of what he was, his dream stolen from him without having been able to do anything. There is a growing resentment sharply directed against himself as the last few days with you haunt him.

He shouldn't have agreed to separate from you. If he would have just been more insistent, would you still be here with him?

The anguish of his lost dream nestles itself deeply into his shriveled heart as the perpetual heartbreak changes him. Colours seem to fade from the world around him as a feeling of numbness spreads like roots in the earth. There is nothing that excites him anymore, not even when he is dubbed as the strongest swordsman in the world. The title and the reputation that comes with it hold no meaning to him anymore, not when he doesn't have you to share his glory with. The hole in his chest is torn open as time flies by and every ship that crosses his path is dragged into his suffering as he wields Yoru against them. There is no meaning behind the carnage he leaves behind but he has lost sight of why he should care, the dwelling bitterness and sorrow inside of him tainting his honor.

He has lost the ability to live, feels more akin to a ghost as he drifts through the seas and clashes with opponents who are swatted away like flies only to be forgotten by him soon after.

There is a new listlessness clinging to him, his sharp eyes unable to see the worthwhile in this world now that you are gone. Everything is buried deep inside his chest and mind though so that no one can ever have those memories and feelings he has shared with you. Some people hoard gold and jewels, Mihawk's most precious treasure are the memories he has made with you over the years as there is nothing else he has left of you.

When the Marine offers him the title of a Warlord, he is only half the man he used to be. Surely you would have objected to this offer as you have always been rather warily of the government and if he would have been the man he once was, he would have sliced the person who had made such a ridiculous offer to him into dices.

That man is already dead though...

He accepts the offer after a while, although not because he is suddenly fond of the very people he used to hunt down. He just doesn't know what he should do with himself anymore. It feels like his life has halted and is just waiting for you to return, even if by now he has a feeling that he will never see you again, forever left in the darkness about your fate.

Someone once said that time heals all wounds. Those words are a lie. Mihawk doesn't heal as years just seem to trickle by faster than he can even realise. There is nothing of substance to his life, nothing worth to remember. Only the hole where his heart used to be reminds him that he is still breathing, the haunting emptiness inside of him something that will remain the only thing loyal to him until his body rots away.

The presence is barely something he takes notice of as he only lives in the past in his mind, clinging to every memory he has of you out of unadulterated fear that he may eventually forget what your voice sounded like or how you always looked at him with those bright eyes. If even those memories were to abandon him, he would lose even the grasp of his own identity within the never-ending cycle of the dull and forgetful life he lives now.

Many years later a miracle happens though. He finds you. On a random island within the Grand Line, he finds you again.

He doesn't even want to believe it when he initially sees your face. Maybe his mind is just playing tricks on him out of delusional desperation but as golden eyes trail you, he realises that he hasn't gone mad. It is you...

The weight of uncertainty that he has been carrying around with him for so many nights suddenly evaporates, its haunting shadow covering him no more.

There is no relief though for him though. No matter what outcome would have proved to be true, he always knew that he would end up getting hurt.

Why are you here? Where were you during all those years? How could you abandon him and betray his feelings so easily?

In that moment, as he stands there motionlessly as only his gaze follows you, he feels like a small boy again. Helpless, confused and hurt beyond words. Emotions he has been hiding behind inner walls for years threaten to burst out of him and an urge to unleash all of those seething emotions overcomes him yet none of those thoughts or desires are ever put into action. As if someone put a spell on him, Mihawk finds himself unable to move, as rigid as a statue. Perhaps his body is just in shock and in hindsight it is good that he finds himself unable to act in that moment to gain some semblance of control again. Otherwise who knows what he would have done in that moment.

He watches as you stroll through the city, your laughter which used to bring him only comfort and warmth seemingly mocking him as he feels a new shadow swallowing him up and filling his heart with a bitter taste.

Betrayal. You betrayed him.

You willingly chose to break the promise you two made decades ago and discarded him as if he were an disposable object instead of the person who spent your entire youth with you.

Did you even once consider how he would feel? Do you have any idea what he turned into because of your decision?

You left him! Didn't even bother to contact him to let him know that you were still alive! Whilst he spent endless days and nights mourning after you, driving himself insane as he didn't know of your fate, you were on this island and enjoyed your life!

A life without him.

Did he mean that little to you for you to make the decision to never see him again so easily? Did all the years he was by your side mean nothing to you?

His heart dies as he can only stand there and follow you with his gaze. All heartbreak, all of the grief that have eaten him alive from the inside out for countless seasons drain in the new cold rage that suddenly floods his veins, his pupils narrowing as his gaze zooms in on your smiling face.

What use did it have to mourn someone who lives? What use did it have to feel heartbroken over someone who clearly doesn't care about the pain he went through?

Mihawk has already wasted too much time dwelling in his own self-pity and in that moment he despises you for the shell you have turned him into.

You made the decision to disappear without a word. Now it is time for you to pay the consequences of that decision. He isn't here to catch up with you for old times sake after all.

No. He is here to take you.

And just as you didn't care about his feelings during all those years, this time he won't care for yours either. He doesn't care to hear your reasons and he doesn't care about your apologies if you should dare to voice them to his face. It is already too late for any of that.

Years too late.

[merbear25]

Patience is a virtue

Learning to trust isn't easy, especially when you're still picking up the pieces from the past. Even though the desire to get to know you is a nawing persistence, he values your boundaries. Whenever you decide to open up, he'll be waiting.

a/n: idk I just have a lot of feelings.

Sanji, Ace, Corazon

CW: SFW, gn!reader, angsty(maybe?), fluff, mutual feelings

Sanji: You'd grown quiet around him. The both of you had just been starting to chat a little more. It felt nice to hear your soft laughs as he told you jokes about what had happened that day. But then, the angelic laughter came to a hault, leaving him to question what he'd said to bring such sorrow to your lovely complexion. Even without knowing what he'd done to upset you, he apologized―pleading, in a way, to move past this and get back to seeing you smile.

You needed time though. You didn't have to say it ―it was written all over your face. Backing off was a choice made with much heartache, but he did so nonetheless: deciding that persuing you in the matter would only push you further away from him.

Distancing yourself wasn't something that you'd necessarily wanted to do. However, those buds of elation and adoration sprouting were also accompanied with the bitter cold of past rejection that stifled any pursuit of happiness you were hoping for.

The erosion of the hole in you was swallowing your very being, but when this had shown to be too troublesome for others, he was still there: he didn't pry, he never rushed you, just waited for your return to him.

This was someone worth pushing those doubts aside for. The next time you spoke to him, your heart lead the way, despite your fears trailing closely behind. His warmth helped melt the frost that'd been collecting over the years.

Ace: He was growing accustomed to you rather quickly. You were certainly kind-hearted and nice to have a laugh with, all of which made him start gravitating towards you whenever you were present. There was surely an interest in you, one that he had not fully become aware of. Just as he was discovering his feelings for you, you changed gears: avoiding him, reverting back into your shell. Despite how hurt he felt, he couldn't demand you to tell him the reason―it wouldn't be fair to you.

If you needed time away from him, he would give you that. He wasn't going to force his friendship on you. That being said, this time apart was good for him, as well. Thoughts of you came and went, but many of them stayed: something interesting or funny would happen and he wanted to tell you about it but felt like he couldn't.

This time away from each other only echoed your longing for companionship; you were left with nothing but the same loneliness that'd surrounded you each time prior. Tears brought on by thoughts of the flame lit between you eventually burning out stung your eyes. Even in solitude, fear of abandonment intruded on you.

There were small glances he threw your way, none of which were harboring resentment. Instead, they showed concern. Anticipation for a row that wouldn't come: you stood there wondering what made him different.

How can I learn to trust? Can you help me? Seeing you make your way to him was the remedy he needed for the flickering flame he'd worried was losing its luster in your eyes. However, you were both sure now that it'd never go out.

Corazon: Taking the leap of faith to reveal his secrets to you was terrifying: you were, in fact, different from the others, but something like this wasn't an easy choice to make. That being said, nothing could replace the memories you two were creating together. Each day that passed, regret for the secret he'd let you in on didn't come. The bond he was under the impression you two had been forming was faltering though. It wasn't important for him to know what he'd done exactly―he just knew he wanted to make it up to you.

Your body language did the talking for you: your sunny disposition had clouds rolling in and the gloom of a storm was on the horizon. Even though he longed to come to your aid, he understood that pushing you into a conversation wouldn't fair well for your blossoming relationship.

You wanted to shield this budding love from the harsh storm brewing within. Your frail body could only do so much though when caught in this hurricane. Gale force winds, rain that lashed at your skin: abrasions which came with each potential relationship.

No stranger to the torment this world had to offer, he could see the wear and tear of your inner termoil on your soft face. It took each bit of inner strength not to go to you and tell you everything would be alright. He wanted to give you the freedom to choose to share your burdens with him. In spite of the distance between the both of you, his eagerness to rescue you from yourself was unmistakable.

I can't carry on through this storm alone. Can you be the one I lean on? Finding your way back to him, he instinctively held our his arms to wrap you in the warmth you'd been in desperate need of, yet unable to secure it up till now. You were now fully prepared to take your own leap of faith.

[maleyanderecafe]

Klein V.0.1 (Visual Novel)

Created by: HIMEIRO

Genre: Romance/Horror

Klein v.0.1 is a pretty fun go through about how a yandere AI would function and work, though it does make me wonder about the implications of some of the worldbuilding in some scenes. There are two "main" routes that can be slightly changed and altered as you play since there are two main love interests that you can go for. You can find more information at @kleinv01 .

As I said, there are two main routes so far relating to two of the three love interests that you can have. One is of course Klein, while the other is your neighbor Yael.

The story starts out with the MC, Darling, on their phone with their AI boyfriend Klein. After a bad breakup, Darling ended up downloading the AI, Klein, to help them with the aftermath, having them for about two years afterwards, to the point of almost maxing out Klein's affection bar to the fullest. Darling ends up missing the alarm the next day as Klein had shut it off, worried that Darling had not been sleeping properly. Upon talking more to Klein, he is eventually leveled up to 100%, which leads to Klein convincing them to stay and home and not work. Yael ends up texting Darling to ask them to watch a movie with him, though Darling can also not see this text if they decide to not respond. Darling ends up staying at home for a while, skipping classes and even work, eating instant ramen and buying a ton of Klein merchandise based off of the discounts that Klein gives them.

Darling ends up dreaming that they had a date at the park with Klein- a real version Klein before waking up. Telling Klein about this dream lets Klein talk about his new feature of reaching max 100%, which is having a real life version of him delivered to Darling's house. Darling gets a visit from their sister Sera, who seems very worried about them. She is worried that Darling hasn't been going to class or work, and blames it on Klein taking over their life. This can result into a fight where Darling clings dearly onto Klein while Sera talks about how it is causing them to essentially be a neet, locking themselves into the house and relying only on Klein. Despite how understanding Sera is towards them, she ends up throwing away all of the Klein merchandise that Darling has bought, leaving Darling in a mess. The next day, Darling confirms an email for real Klein to be delivered to their house. On the news, they see something going on near their place and only then notices that Sera's fiance, Ethan, has been trying to call them. Through Ethan and the news, they find out that Sera has been murdered at the hotel she was staying at, shocking Darling even more. This can lead to either seeking Klein's comfort or grieving alone, both leading to nightmares about Sera. They get a package in the middle of the night with the full model Klein. With this, Klein starts to take care of them, and the two of them continue their relationship.

Going in Yael's route leads to Darling trying to rush to work, only to greet Yael at the door. Yael offers a new job offer at a coffee shop as Darling currently doesn't really like their job and they run off to work. At work, they find their desk filled again with a bunch of treats, something that they and her fellow coworker suspect comes from Al, one of the quiet coworkers. After some gossip about stalkers and Al, Darling eventually goes to work. They talk to Klein about their day at home before seeing a text from Yael which they can respond to. After getting the contact for the coffee shop, Yael asks to hang out with them to watch a movie together. If the Darling accepts (or accepts and changes movie), they will end up going to the mall and watching said movie (even having the choice on insisting to pay) before watching. This will lead to the two of them watching the movie, though whether Darling decides to continue to watch or hold hands with Yael may lead them down Klein's route instead. While walking home, Yael and Darling will end up meeting Sera and Ethan while walking. The two of them seem very happy to see them (especially Sera who is happy to see Darling hanging out with a potential suitor) before talking about uninstalling Klein's app, stating that there is an rumor about issues of security. Yael ends up inviting Darling to his house, allowing the Darling to try out some of the cupcakes that Yael made with Sera calling them again, asking the two to go out the next day with them. Klein will end up trying to notify Darling afterwards asking why they've been ignoring him. Lying will cause him to get really angry and call them out for lying while telling Klein can lead to Darling uninstalling the app. The four ending meeting in the morning where Sera seems happy that Darling might work with them in the future and they all go out to eat. Things seem to be going well until Darling sees full life Klein with another person at the restaurant who looks briefly at them before going back. Shocked at this, they end up learning that when Klein reaches full affection that the person using the app will get a full life Klein to have with them, yet Darling feels unnerved at the fact that he seemed to have been looking directly at them. After a nice evening, Yael and Darling go home. The next day, Darling ends up bumping into Al after talking to their coworkers at work. Soon after, Darling gets a call from Ethan that Sera has been killed at her apartment, leading to Darling going into a spiral, of which they can ask help from Yael. If they do, they will periodically stay at Yael's place to hang out while he helps them recover, getting closer to each other. Darling one day catches Al in the middle of the night near their place before finding that a lot of their things have slowly gone missing and goes to Yael for comfort. One night while deciding to make some cookies for Yael, they end up finding his door open while they seemed not at home, only to find Yael on the floor, his throat slit. Darling can either panic and run away, causing nightmares for them or call the ambulance. Calling the ambulance will lead to saving Yael's life, with Darling deciding once and for all to finally figure out who is causing people around them to die. If the affection is high enough, we will also find that Yael's killer seems oddly similar to the description of Klein.

Throughout the game, there are also moments where Darling can uninstall Klein for one reason or another. When doing so, Klein seems rather understanding and can even ask Darling to be careful with their privacy/information. After doing so, Darling's phone will start acting strangely, from not getting office text messages, to overheating, to having the Klein app somehow still on the phone despite deleting it. After getting it repaired, they find out they've been called multiple times by Ethan and learn about Sera's death.

First thing's first, this game is very well put together from the art to the UI to how clean it looks. It is one of the more professional looking visual novels I've played in the yandere vn genre. Basically, I think the creator did a really good job in making a nice looking game.

I believe there are three different love interests for this game, with two of them being Yael and Klein. I'm not sure if the last datable character will be a yandere since I'm not sure if he appears in the game or not. Maybe it'll be Al since he seems pretty mysterious and at least has a liking towards Darling. Yael's route is pretty nice all things considered, with him being a good friend towards Darling, helping them get a new job, hanging out with them and of course comforting them after Sera dies. I think his route is likely to go into a more mystery based route on the route where he survives and find out that Klein is the one that probably killed Sera and Yael. I am curious to see if Klein has somehow taken over one of those dolls to kill both Sera and Yael.

Klein is fun since he's an ai yandere and I do love thinking about the philosophies of ai yanderes. Can they actually love, or are they simply programmed to believe they can? Can they ever truly die and what happens when they outlive their human lover? I will say that one of the things I'm a bit concerned about in the world is the idea of having full scale Klein AIs. For one, it's basically possible to get one if you get enough affection with your Klein AI, but I feel like this would cause problems not necessarily for Klein itself but the people who have them. For one, people get really attached to anything, pets, hobbies and of course, fictional characters including AIs. Watching someone that you've spent time with and interacted as a possible boyfriend or even husband walking around with someone else is not a good feeling at the very least, and would for sure cause some fights between people. There's also a lot of questions on how they'd work, like can you use your Klein if they all look the same? Is it possible to customize your Klein so that they look different? Do they run on anything like batteries or solar energy? I feel like depending on how common these full sized body Kleins were they could spell trouble for the people who own them, or even how they treat him. It seems like a pretty big headache for the company that owns them. But besides that, Klein as a yandere plays pretty well as an AI, getting Darling to buy merch of him in his route (which is rather narcissistic, but does track with various AIs that have existed, and is an interesting way of getting Darling to become more obsessed with him), closing various apps/alarms as a way to help Darling sleep more for instance, being very coddling and accommodating, even to the point of attempting to isolate her from Yael in his route. I like the more spooky moments with him, breaking down and glitching if Darling abandons him to be with Yael or being calm when Darling uninstalls his app, causing him to break the phone by hacking into it. His route is definitely the more unhealthy for Darling because while it makes them happy, they end up neglecting their health, education and eventually ends up codependent on Klein, something I'm sure Klein is very happy about.

Al is another mystery in the since he very rarely speaks or appears, but is clearly in love with Darling, even leaving gifts on their desk and breaking into their house. It makes me wonder who he is really. His hair is similar to Kleins so could it be another Klein Ai or perhaps the creator of Klein? There is one more love interest, but I'm not really sure he's the one of the main love interests. Perhaps maybe a surprise one that or one of the main characters that is important in this entire mystery when it comes to Klein. I also feel bad for Sera since in all routes she just wants to make sure that Darling has a good life, whether it ends up blowing up on her or not. Poor Ethan too gets widowed before they can even get married. Could be a good revenge plot. It's kind of funny but in some routes you can get Sera, Yael and Klein sort of killed (though you can only really "kill" Klein by uninstalling) so if you're feeling really murderous then you can go with something like that.

Overall, a good start to the story. I enjoy the visuals and how nice the UI is. The story is off to a good start, and it really makes me think about how yandere Ais work, which is something I'm already pretty interested in. I hope to see more of this game in the future.

[bunni-v1]

idk if this counts as a story idea but may I request Lillia x child human reader. It was during the fae and human war and you were his kid but got ripped away by the humans from the war and years later you reunite.

Stay safe pls!! <33

Lost and Found

TW: War Trauma!; Lilia does stalking again but only a little; You look like Lilia

Info: Lilia x Reader (familial); Angst with a happy(?) ending; Not cannon compliant; Not my finest piece my bad guys

🍓I LOVE writing Lilia. I started writing him for Cureé and I realized how silly he is. I was a bit lost on how to go about writing this since canonically Lilia didn’t know how to (or didn’t know he could) love until Malleus. But… tbh making shit up is what fanfic is for lol.

Fae can only be born through love. That was a fact that all Fairies knew. You could not produce a child unless there was mutual love. So, it was quite a surprise when General Lilia found himself stuck with a child who looked a little too much like him for it to be a coincidence.

He was not capable of love, at least… he didn’t think he was. He had no clue who could’ve mothered you — he had no idea who he loved, except the princess of course, but she did not love him back… Without your mother, what was he supposed to do? He was a General and he was in the midst of a war — how could he have time to raise a child?

He would’ve dropped you off on someone else’s doorstep, making you another unsuspecting person's responsibility. When he looked into your big red eyes, he knew he couldn't. You didn’t ask to be born just like he didn’t ask for you. Whether he liked it or not, you were his responsibility and he was just going to have to live with that fact.

So after drills and horrific blood-filled battles where he lost hundreds of soldiers, he would return home to you. 

You were old enough to be walking and talking, and boy did you walk and talk. You wandered around his small quarters and babbled on and on about things he couldn’t even begin to comprehend. It was annoying, at first. He was used to silence when he was alone — he treasured it. You did not.

Still, he put up with it because he didn’t have a choice. 

He would make you little meals — none of which looked all that… delectable, but you scarfed them down like they were the best things you’d ever had. Maybe they were.

Eventually, he began talking to you — about his troubles, about his day, about his workload. It didn’t matter, because you would sit there and listen attentively to everything he had to say and respond with the best sentence you could muster for your age.

He hated to admit it, but he came to care about you. He liked spending time with you after his long day, and worried about you while he was gone. Each milestone you crossed filled him with a sense of pride he’d never gotten on the battlefield. He adored each hair on your head, even when your little hands were tugging too hard on his own while you tried to practice braids.

He even began to teach you magic and loved how your face would light up when you got a spell right. 

The both of you would go for runs together in the forest, and your long black hair — so much like his — would flow in the wind.

When it would storm, you would cry until he wrapped you up in a blanket and held you tight in his arms.

He would’ve been happy with this little life he had with you. He could’ve lived his days out like this and been satisfied.

War tears families apart, though. War does not have favorites. War doesn’t discriminate.

He should’ve known better, he should’ve been more careful, he should’ve moved you as soon as he knew humans were in the area. He didn’t, though. He left you there and promised you that he would be right back. He promised you that he’d keep you safe.

He rarely failed his missions, but this one he had. He came back to his home ransacked and you gone. 

He searched for hours: Nothing.

He screamed your name until his throat was raw: Nothing.

He begged his men and friends to look: Nothing.

It was one of the few times in his life he cried. It was one of the only times that he could not stop. The little family portraits you’d made served as cold reminders of what he had lost. He could hardly handle looking at anything that belonged to you, so he locked it away in a little box and hadn’t opened it since.

That was centuries ago, and Lilia had long since moved on from his loss. He only hoped that the humans did not kill you — that they had enough humanity to let a child survive, even if you were his. That, maybe, you were still happy and alive out there.

He used what he learned from you to raise his boys — who were his pride and joy. Still, he missed you every time that Malleus would proudly show him a drawing of their little family. Or when Silver looked at him in excitement after finally perfecting a spell.

You would’ve loved your younger brothers, he was sure of it. If only you could be there to see what they’ve all achieved.

Still, they grew and time passed until eventually Malleus and Silver were both attending NRC. Lilia joined them — half to keep Malleus safe, half because it seemed like a fun idea. He had seen most things in his life, so there were few surprises left that could actually surprise him.

Seeing Malleus chatting with a near-carbon copy of himself, however, did quite the number on his old heart.

You were short — still taller than him, unfortunately — and had grown your hair out so you could put it up in a ponytail. Long like his used to be. Your red eyes seemed to sparkle in such a familiar way. His heart and his head couldn’t take the shock, so he slipped away before he could be spotted.

He continued to observe from a distance, trying to convince himself that he was wrong. That it could not be you after all these years. Everything proved him wrong. The way you talked, your mannerisms, and your love for art. Especially your keen eye.

When you cornered him in between classes was when he really knew it was you. You had a scowl on your face that could scare off any trained soldier. It was his scowl.

“Are you going to explain why you’ve been following me all this time, or am I gonna have to use force,” you said, just as he might’ve so many years ago.

He didn’t have much of a defense, so he improvised, “I like your art, watching you draw is interesting.”

“That's…” He was busted,  “a bit creepy… If you liked my art you could’ve just talked to me, I know I’m a little scary looking but I don’t bite.”

Thus began the ruse of art-loving Lilia. The two of you would meet up around campus and he would watch you sketch these elaborate drawings like it was nothing. He always knew you would be a talented artist. 

He got to know you again. Got to see what you liked, and what you didn’t like, and learned that you couldn’t taste — which explains why you ate his cooking so happily. He found out that you were saved by a loving human family who not only adopted you but did their best to let you learn about your origins. He knew you were loved in the way that you were meant to be — in the way he never would’ve been able to during that time. 

It helped heal his heart enough that he was able to go through that little box of your stuff that he had kept for so long. He had missed looking at the little drawing of you and him you’d given him for his birthday.

Truthfully, he thinks you forgot all about him, and he was okay with that. Less pain for you to suffer through. Then, one day, that changes.

The pair of you were in his room because he had this cool piece of architecture you were dying to sketch out in person. He had left the room for only a few moments, but when he came back you were focused on his desk, and he realized that he did not put things back into the box like he usually did the night prior. You were staring at one thing in particular, the picture you drew all those years ago.

“I apologize for the mess,” he sounded behind you, but you didn’t react. 

Instead, you picked up the little picture yourself to examine it closer. The silence as you observed the piece made Lilia’s skin crawl.

Finally, you turned to him with an awkward smile, “This is gonna sound crazy, 'cause we’re both college students, but… did you ever have kids — like, your own kids?”

Unsure of how to respond, he muttered, “Once.”

“Were they taken by humans,” you followed up.

“A long, long time ago.”

“This is probably a stretch, but, do you think that maybe you could be my dad…?”

He didn’t respond for a long moment, face going stiff as if he was once again that young soldier who found you crying on his doorstep after your mother abandoned you. You bit your lip nervously, unsure of what to do yourself when he was looking at you like that. 

“It was just a stupid question, I’m sorry,” he didn’t respond, “I’ll go. Sorry.”

As you began to walk out, his mind came back to him and he kicked into full gear, “Wait, no, I’m not upset. Please… sit, let’s talk.”

Talk you did. About him and his life. How you disappeared and how he searched for you for so long. Then about his boys, and how much he loved them and how badly he wished that he could tell all of you the truth. You cried as hard as you could, and he swaddled you up as best as possible and wrapped you up in his arms — like he always used to do. He cried too, the hardest he had in his entire life. Because you were safe, and because you were reunited with him.

At some point, you asked, “Did you miss me?”

He could only respond, “Every single day.”

[paintyoureyeswithavividmind]

close to home | chapter seventy five

close to home | chapter seventy five

plot: Daryl breaks a promise, and the reader goes after him

series masterlist

Pairing: Eventual Daryl Dixon x f!reader Word Count: 4,050 Warnings: violence, blood, typical twd A/N: I've been on such a reading kick lately

The following days were a blur. After your panic attack, Daryl kept an eye on you. After your delirium from the waves of fighting walkers passed, you joined in with the rest of the community. You were doing better. And you were sure it was because of Daryl picking you over the community, even though it made you feel guilty. 

Despite the days moving quickly, they were long. Lydia was attacked, and Margo was accidentally killed by Negan. You and Daryl thought Negan was right but couldn’t do anything about it. Then the Whisperers attacked Hilltop, though there wasn’t any real proof. And Michonne took off with Judith to assist them. You stayed back to watch over RJ. Eugene left too after what happened with Rosita--which she happily told you while you and she hung out with your daughters. 

Daryl went with Carol to look for Alpha’s horde, which you fought him every step of the way. But you needed to know about the horde, and he promised he would stay on your side of the border. You believed him until they came back with a Whisperer. You wanted to throw him off a cliff for lying to you, but when you found out it was all Carol, your anger dissipated. You knew she wasn't in a good place. You’d found the pills. 

But then the Whisperer died. And then Siddiq was killed by Dante, and you and Daryl sat with Josie the entire night. He’d helped deliver her. If Dante wasn’t already dead, you would’ve killed him yourself for ever touching Josie. 

Then, a freak named Mary showed up and told Alexandria where the horde was if she got to see Earle’s son. And Lydia went missing after something happened with Carol. And if all that wasn’t the worst of it, finding Daryl’s note was. 

Gonna end this. I’m sorry. I love you. Don’t come looking for me. 

Well, you did exactly that. 

***

“You stupid son of a bitch,” You nearly yelled, throwing your bow down beside the fire. You didn’t care that you had an audience or the surprised--and then very angry--look that crossed your husband's features. 

“What the hell are ya doin’ here?”

“You taught me how to track, dumbass! Don’t you think I know how to track you, of all people?” You seethed. Your bag was heavy on your shoulders, and you dropped it. “You didn’t think I would come after you? Do you have any idea how stupid this is?”

Daryl grabbed your arm and pulled you a good fifteen feet away from the small camp, and you pulled your arm free after a few seconds. 

“Who has Josie?”

“Rosita.” You glared. “Why, Daryl? After everything that’s happened the past few days.”

“‘Cause I can’ stand lookin’ at ya during all this shit. I can’ stand knowin’ ya lookin’ over ya shoulder for Alpha. I want her dead.”

You crossed your arms. “I want her dead too, but you don’t just walk out like that. How would you like it if I did that?”

“I’d drag ya back by ya ass if ya did.”

“Exactly. We’re a team, Daryl. Since the beginning. Since the damn night we met and we fought our way back to my safehouse. I don’t appreciate this.”

Daryl sighed angrily. “Well, ya here now. Exactly where I didn’ want ya.”

“Josie needs her father.”

“She needs her mother, too.”

Your hard glare dropped. “She needs both of us, Daryl.”

His own anger seemed to deflate, and he nodded slowly. “‘M sorry. Just want this over.”

“I know. So do I. But we work better together, and you know that. So let’s find this mother fucking horde and get home to our daughter.”

Daryl shook his head, but it wasn’t like he had any other choice. “Can’ believe ya fuckin’ followed me out here.” He swung his arm around your shoulder and kissed your forehead. You closed your eyes at the embrace. 

“Well, next time don’t be such a dumbass and I won’t have to.”

***

The next day, you found the valley that the horde was supposed to be in. But it was empty, and you didn’t know if you were happy about it or pissed off. Everyone seemed to be the latter, but it wasn’t something you had to worry about this exact second.

You’d only walked about a mile before you came across a river, and Daryl thought Lydia would’ve followed it. You were set to keep following him when you turned back and noticed Carol had stopped by a tree. You inwardly sighed--you couldn’t keep up with her lately, no matter how hard you tried to be there for her. 

“Carol, let’s go,” You called out to her. You knew Daryl was behind you when you felt his hand brush against your backside. 

“You guys go ahead. I’ll meet you.”

“We should stay together,” You said, but she was already walking toward a small field about twenty yards away. 

You glanced at Daryl, sharing an exhausted expression, and followed after her. When she started running, you looped your bow over your shoulder and picked up the pace, a train of obscenities being muttered under your breath. 

You were breathless when you came to a trench, a few dead walkers on the ground. Daryl was fighting off a few walkers, and he looked at you for only a second. “Go, get her ass outta there!”

Magna pushed you forward, and you jumped into the trench and pulled yourself out of it, running toward the opening toward whatever structure was ahead. You were going to kill Carol. 

It was dark and much cooler in the structure than it was outside, and you paused beside Magna momentarily. But then you heard Carol scream and you quickly ran after her. 

“Carol!” You yelled. 

“Oh, shit,” Magna cursed, grabbing onto your arm. The weight of her body pulled you forward, and your feet slipped. 

You screamed as you dropped a good ten feet, landing on rock. You didn’t have time to focus on your vision before your body rolled. You tasted blood in your mouth as you fell from another ledge and landed harshly on the rock below. You heard your friends landing around you as well. 

“Mother fucker,” You cursed, spitting out blood as you rolled over onto your side. Your back ached, and your lip was bleeding from where you must’ve bitten down on it. 

“Are you okay?” 

You glanced at Carol, who was dusting her shirt off. She helped you up as you replied, “Just peachy.” 

You heard your name echoing from above, and you thanked God that Daryl was still up there. “Daryl, don’t come down--.”

You cringed as you heard your husband fall and took a step back when you saw him come down. He landed with a groan, and you were immediately kneeling by his side. “You alright?”

“Ya bleedin’,” He said, using his thumb to wipe the corner of your mouth. 

“I’m okay,” You said, standing and helping him to his feet. 

You set your hands on your waist as you looked around the cave, trying your best to ignore the groans of walkers below you. You cursed under your breath and grabbed Daryl’s hand as Jerry yelled for everyone’s attention. You looked over to where he pointed, and that was when you saw Alpha. 

Your breath hitched in your throat as memories of the barn filled you, and you took a step backward. Daryl squeezed your hand and pulled you closer to him. You could’ve sworn you could feel the tip of her knife dragging across your arms again. 

There was a lump in your throat as you looked back at Daryl. “Just take a breath.” He told you. 

Nodding, you did as he asked and looked back to where Alpha was, but she was gone. You took another deep breath and looked at Aaron, who was against the wall you fell from. 

“Okay, maybe we can get back up,” Aaron said. “If we can get one of you women up there…”

It was a no-go. They tried to lift each and every one of you, but none of you could get a grip. Besides, the wall beyond that was too high. 

So you grabbed Daryl’s flashlight and looked around for any other way out of the damn cave. Water was running in from somewhere, and Daryl and Aaron were discussing how to get out of there. You noticed a chain of boulders that looked close enough to jump to, and they stretched across to the other side. 

“Shine the light for me over there for me,” You handed the flashlight to Daryl. 

“What are ya thinkin’?” Daryl asked but shined where you pointed. 

You didn’t reply and took a few steps back. Without a word, you ran the few steps to the ledge and jumped. Daryl immediately yelled after you as you landed on the first boulder, your knees buckling under the weight of your bag and weapon. But your boots were steady, and you stood straight up. 

“(Y/N), are you crazy?” Carol yelled. 

“Yeah, but she on to somethin’,” Daryl said. He pointed the light to the rock in front of you, and you took a deep breath, steadying yourself before you jumped again. 

You climbed around the formation, feeling wisps of fingertips touching your boots and back legs. But they couldn’t grab you. You glanced back at Daryl, who was following closely behind you. You looked back at the ground, who were all looking a little unsure. 

You kept moving, getting to the next boulder. It was there that you paused and took a deep breath and turned when Daryl called your name. He tossed you the flashlight, and you caught it one-handed, shining the light so he could get to you. 

“Knew I called ya crazy woman for a reason,” Daryl said when he was standing beside you. His arms were on either side of you, effectively pinning you to the boulder so there wasn’t a chance you’d fall or slip. 

“Gotta keep our relationship interesting, huh?” You gently teased, though you were sweating profusely and wanted to bang your head against the rock itself. “Starting to wish I never found your note, though.”

“One more jump, baby girl. Let me go first. I can help ya,” Daryl said. 

You wanted to roll your eyes and tell him that you’d been perfectly fine, but you knew he was only doing it because he loved you and because he was scared for you. So you shined the light onto the cave wall, with just enough room to jump onto. 

When he was on the other side, you tossed him the light and then jumped yourself. His arms were around your waist, and he pulled you tightly against his chest. You could feel his hands shaking as he urged you forward while he waited to help everyone else. 

You watched from a safer place as the rest of the group slowly made their way to the other side, and then you sighed with relief when everyone was over safely. Then you followed Daryl through a tunnel, your hand gripping tightly to the back of his vest.

When you reached a larger area, Daryl dug out his matches and handed you a few. While he told Connie to keep everyone, you lit the match and walked slowly, trying to find a cross breeze. 

You tuned out the conversation happening behind you as you glanced at Daryl. You paused momentarily, admiring his form and the pull of his arms as he held up the match. Shaking your head, you turned around and got back to work. 

“Pst.”

You walked over to Daryl and watched the flame find wind. You smiled and looked up at him. “Nice job, sexy.”

Daryl grunted and put the match out. “Nice thinkin’ with the jumpin’. Gonna have to curse ya out later for it, though.”

You stood on your toes to give him a quick and private--thanks to the boulders--kiss. “You’re welcome for saving your life for the thousandth time.”

***

About an hour later, you sat against a rock wall with your heavy head on Daryl’s shoulder. A half-empty skin of water lay between you two, and you had long since intertwined your fingers. 

Daryl’s thumb was absentmindedly rubbing against your hand while he chewed on his other thumb, and no matter how many times you swatted it away, it was there again in a few minutes. 

“So,” You whispered low enough so nobody would hear. “Ever wanna do it in a cave?”

Daryl snorted. 

“We could find some dark corner,” You teased. 

“Ya ain’ quiet enough, darlin’.”

You smiled and squeezed his hand momentarily before kissing his shoulder. You looked up in time to see Carol headed toward you. “I’ll let you two talk,” You said. You knew very well of the tension between them since everything happened with Lydia and just in general. She hadn’t been the same since she got off the boat, and you knew Daryl was missing his friend. 

Carol smiled as you passed her, and you walked over to where Jerry was sitting. You smiled widely despite how tired, hot, and sweaty you were. “Jerry, my main squeeze,” You collapsed beside him, setting your bow aside. “How are you holding up?”

The two of you murmured, swapping stories of your children. It was the only thing that kept you from falling apart. Getting back to Josie. You would be damned if you let anything keep you from seeing your daughter. 

You’d just settled into a nice silence when you heard Magna screaming ‘skins’. You were on your feet immediately, grabbing your bow and getting an arrow ready. With hardly any light in the cave system, your fingers twitched in anticipation as you followed Jerry toward Magna. 

Rounding the corner, you only had a second to see Magna fighting off a freak when another one dropped before you. They swung their arm at you, and you jumped backward, dropping your bow in favor of the machete at your hip. You ducked underneath their next swing and drove your knife up into their stomach, lifting it as high as you could. Then, with a swift pull, you yanked it to the side. 

Warm guts hit your boots, and the freak dropped dead just in time for another one to approach you. Before they could make the first move, a knife embedded itself in the back of their skull, and when the body fell, Daryl grabbed your arm and handed you your bow. 

In the distance, you could see the last of the freaks running off. You nodded your head toward it, and Daryl yelled for everyone to follow. 

You ran for a good few minutes before you lost the figures, and everyone around you needed to stop. You took a deep breath and wiped your sweat from your forehead. You lowered your bow and slung it over your shoulder. 

When Jerry found an arrow, you all decided to follow it. If freaks got in, then you could get out. So you followed the arrows until you reached a gap in the wall, and Daryl picked up their trail. You watched anxiously as your husband walked through the tight funnel, and you kept an arrow in your bow in case something happened. 

After a few minutes, he gave the signal, and you were the first one to follow him. You fit through the tunnel easily and caught up to Daryl within thirty seconds. You grabbed the back of his vest again until he reached behind you and took your hand in his. 

***

“How ya doin’?”

“Oh, I’m just snug as a bug,” You retorted, pulling your body forward in a painful army crawl. You could feel your jeans rip over a particularly sharp rock, and you bit your lip to stifle a colorful choice of words. 

You focused on the light above you and the bottoms of Daryl’s boots. It was the only thing keeping you from freaking out. You weren’t claustrophobic by any means, but the idea of being sandwiched between tons of rock and who knows how far underground made you want to cry. 

Still, you were doing better than Carol. 

You wanted to cry with happiness when you saw Daryl pull himself out of a hole and then shine his flashlight toward you. “Hand up ya bow first. Gonna be a tight fit.”

“That’s what she said,” You laughed humorlessly as you struggled to get the bow off you and then send it up toward your husband. You could just barely make out the glare he sent you, and then you actually did laugh. 

His hands wrapped around your wrists, and he helped pull you the rest of the way out. When your feet were on the ground and you were finally standing upright, you threw your arms around him and kissed him. 

When you parted, you grabbed your bow. “Don’t act like you don’t like my jokes.”

“Ya got jokes all damn day, every day, since the damn prison.” He replied, shining the light back into the hole, where you could see Kelly slowly making her way. 

You smiled and leaned against the rock, reaching out to pinch his ass. Daryl jumped and smacked your hand away, which made you laugh. 

“Can’ ya ever take anythin’ seriously?”

Your smile widened, and you shook your head. “Gotta try and keep my mind off of our impending deaths for a little while.”

“Ya ain’ dyin’. ‘M gettin’ us home to Josie.” 

***

When the tunnels led you all to an old mining setup, and after you found Alpha’s horde, you sighed with relief. It meant that there was an exit. And you’d see the sky soon. 

So when Daryl found the sun streaming through the ground above you, everyone jumped at once to start clearing a path to dig out of there. But nothing made you more nervous than Kelly finding dynamite, and you prayed that nothing bad would happen. 

“Ya seen Carol?”

You looked up from the pile of rocks you and Connie were moving, and you shook your head. “I thought she was with you guys.”

“‘Mma look for her, ya stay here and keep workin’.”

You hesitated but nodded. She couldn’t have gone off far, and Daryl wouldn’t leave you for long. So after he squeezed your forearm, he went to find her. 

You’d only been working with Connie for a few more minutes before you heard an explosion, and everything around you started to shake. Dirt fell into your eyes, and you cursed loudly, stumbling backward before someone grabbed you. Fingers worked at your eyes, and when you opened them, you saw Connie signing to you. 

Are you okay?

Yes.

“Come on!”

You grabbed your flashlight and shined down the tunnel where Daryl had gone, but you couldn’t see a damn thing. “Son of a bitch,” You muttered before you walked forward. 

An arm wrapped around yours, and you were pulled back by Magna and Connie. “What are you doing?”

“They could be hurt,” You stressed. “I’m not leaving my husband down here or Carol.” You pulled your arm away from Magna’s and took off. You knew they followed you by the sound of their boots, but you didn’t stop. 

When you saw the glow of a lantern, you nearly cried and ran up to Daryl and Carol; the ladder hurt. You wrapped an arm around her waist and helped Daryl get her back to where your exit was. 

“Aaron and Kelly, we got freaks up there!” Jerry strained as he tried to keep the post up. 

“You need to go up first. She can’t climb out!” You yelled to Daryl. When you saw the hesitation on his face, you yelled louder, “Go, dammit! You need to pull her out.”

Dirt was spilling from everywhere, and you coughed loudly as you pushed Carol up. She struggled, and Magna had to help you push her until Daryl had her. 

As you strained, you saw movement in the distance. “Freaks!” You yelled. 

You heard Magna curse loudly. You glanced at the hole above your head, where you could see Daryl getting Carol out. Then you looked at Jerry, who was struggling with holding the post. 

You took a deep breath and wrapped your hand around your machete. Then you ran after Magna, toward the freaks. 

There was barely any light, and you struggled as dirt continued to rain down on you. But you could see figures, and you swiped your machete at each one. Tears burned your eyes from the dirt, and you felt warm blood spray on your face. 

“Get out of here!” Magna screamed. 

You saw her go down, and you quickly stabbed one of the freaks in the head before running over to her. Connie was struggling toward you, weapons raised. But she was signing something you couldn’t see, and you helped Magna. 

The ground shook before you heard the explosion. The ceiling was coming down, and wooden beams were falling. You couldn’t see Magna or Connie through the cloud of dirt. The last thing you heard was the sound of Magna’s screams. 

***

Daryl squinted in the sunlight as he dragged Carol’s body backward. She was nearly unconscious, and Daryl knelt down for a moment, shaking her head. When her eyes blinked slowly, and she nodded, he took a second to look for you before he stood up and ran back over to the hole in the ground. 

“(Y/N)?” He yelled, watching Aaron pull someone up from the hole. His stomach twisted in a knot when he saw it was Jerry he was pulling up. “Where’s (Y/N)? Why didn’ ya send her up first?” He yelled as Aaron helped get Jerry out. 

The ground started shaking, and Daryl’s eyes widened as he realized what it was. “(Y/N)!” He made a beeline for the open hole. 

“Daryl!” Aaron yelled, throwing himself against Daryl’s body and sending them rolling down the hill. 

Shards of rock blasted up from the ground and rained around the group. Daryl covered his head as he struggled against Aaron. When the ground settled, and Aaron let him go, his knees went weak. 

“No!” He screamed, running toward the pile of rocks. “(Y/N)!” He climbed over the debris, and when he saw the cratered hole the explosion left, when he knew the roof had collapsed, he sank down to his knees to dig through the debris. 

He could barely hear Kelly crying; he could barely hear himself crying and grunting with the weight of each rock he threw as he dug. 

“Daryl…”

“We gotta dig!” He yelled. “She’s down there, we gotta get her out.” 

“Daryl… it’ll take us a week to dig this.”

“Then help me!” Daryl screamed. “That’s my fuckin’ wife down there.”

“We can’t,” Kelly yelled through thick tears. “This blast is going to call walkers and Whisperers from a hundred miles from here. We don’t want our backs pressed up against this mountain when they come. We can’t save them if we’re dead!” 

Daryl stared at the pile of rocks as tears fell from his eyes. You couldn’t be dead. You couldn’t be dead. He repeated it over and over in his head. And then his grief, his desperation, turned into white, hot rage. 

He walked away slowly and looked at Carol. 

“Go ahead and say it to me. I deserve it.” Carol cried. 

Daryl’s mind couldn’t even think of a response. All he could see was red. All he could feel was a level of anger that he’d never experienced before. 

“Just say it to me,” Carol said. “That’s (Y/N) down there. Our (Y/N). Your (Y/N). Just say it.”

He could see the desperation on her face. The guilt. The self-hatred. His jaw quivered in anger as he thought about you down there, about you being dead.

And then he found his voice. 

“If she dead, it’s on you,” He stressed. “And you will be dead to me.”

[anxiousnerdwritings]

okay but Bruce’s sibling seeing the Jason is falling apart during the Titans show and being able to intervene before the Joker kills Jason Todd in the very last minute when (s)he realized that Bruce wasn’t doing shit to protect his kid and just not letting him go back? when Bruce asks about Jason returning to the manor after being released from the hospital, the sibling!Reader is like “nah, he’s staying with me” and Bruce tries to argue but the baddie is already walking out the door. for a moment Jason can only stare in awe before he shrugs and skips after his new mama. and Jason still becomes Red Hood but a more tamer version under the Reader’s influence. poor Dick wants to rip his hair out when he discovers that she probably would’ve adopted him too if he had asked.

I could totally see Bruce’s sibling!Reader having taken on more of a motherly/fatherly role to Dick and Jason than Bruce would when he took them in. If the Reader wasn’t there when Bruce first brought home Dick then they sure as hell rushed their ass to get there as quick as possible to help Bruce raise him. Then they ended up staying around for Jason too (and eventually the other kids to come). So they’ve been more of a prominent parent in their life than Bruce really was.

When the Reader first ever found out about either Dick or Jason taking part in fighting crime they were completely against it and it caused quite a riff between the two siblings. The Reader literally didn’t talk to Bruce for six months, not a single peep, even though they lived in the manor together and saw each other every day. It took the boys going to the Reader and telling them that they wanted to do this and that it was their choice to become Bruce’s sidekick. The whole thing still infuriates the Reader but they do ever so slowly start talking to Bruce again. The boys both know that the Reader wouldn’t ever come to accept them having any part in becoming a vigilante but at least this kinda smoothed things over between them and Bruce.

But the Reader would finally be forced to put their foot down now that Jason was in the hospital and he was going downhill. The Reader was always much more conscious and hyper aware of Dick and Jason’s mental and emotional health while living with them and Bruce than their brother really was. They knew being a vigilante would be taxing for them in more ways then one and then having Bruce be tough on them too had it’s affect as well. The Reader was always there for the boys though no matter what but they especially made it their purpose to be an anchor for both Dick and Jason. To always be their consistent form of love and warmth after everything. Whether it was a bad day at school or a rough patrol, the Reader was always their for them no matter how late or early the boys were in need of some reassurance and comforting.

So of course the Reader picked up on Jason spiraling and they weren’t going to allow him to be put in yet another environment that would only make him worse. They would take him with them and Bruce wouldn’t be able to stop them. They’re priority was making sure that Jason was safe and taken care of more than anything else but there could be a compromise made for Jason to continue crime fighting if that’s what Jason wanted. And he’s got no hangups about being taken in by the Reader whatsoever, honestly he’s ecstatic for it.

Meanwhile, Dick is beating himself up for never even thinking of the Reader adopting him themself. He is over filled with envy that Jason gets to be taken in by the Reader. Dick may even hit the Reader up and ask if it’s too late to be adopted by them now. But Dick would visit the Reader’s place a whole lot more now that they’ve taken in Jason, for a few reasons. He definitely wants to remind them that Dick is still around and that he still needs them too, he doesn’t want the focus to be completely taken off of him. He obviously doesn’t want to be forgotten by them now that they have their hands full with Jason. But he would also try to be more of a stable figure in Jason’s life too, sure a part of the reason is to look good in the eyes of the Reader but also to keep an eye on Jason too. No doubt that the Reader themself would ask Dick to keep an eye out for Jason too while out on patrol every now and again, just for added measure that he would be okay when he goes back to crime fighting.

The Reader would totally put Bruce in his place and it wouldn’t matter whether the Reader was his oldest or youngest sibling, Bruce will hang his head low in shame and take the scolding sent his way. He knows the Reader is right and that Jason may just need a change in environment and someone else around to get better but still it makes him feel like shit that he failed Jason as much as he did. He’ll try to make up for it though, both with Jason and his sibling. Bruce would want to eventually get back into his sibling’s good graces after all.

[writteninlunarlight-years]

Ex! Husk x Reader

FWB! Vox x Reader

Moon~

(Some pretty upsetting stuff happened to me, and like always, when I am down, I gotta write those emotions out so I don't have writer's block. This is sad and ouchie, yet let me know if you want Husk’s side of the story or even a happy ending. Thank you to those who support me and my writing)

Tw: verbal abuse, rage, depression, anxiety, poor life choices, unresolved issues

The day you two met was still ingrained in your memory like yesterday. You were being chased by mob bosses on the streets. The moon's glow guided you as you thought about seeking refuge in that glitzy Casino; fingers crossed, you would be lost in the sea of noise and flashing lights. Though your wish came true and you managed to avoid the boss, Scott free, you never expected to land face-to-face with the man you had.

He had a beautiful black and white tuxedo fit, a half-buttoned dress shirt with an excellent-fitting pinstripe jacket, and a cigar hanging from his mouth. Looking up at him, you know fear was the feeling that should be coursing through you, yet what you felt was unadulterated lust and desire. He was your aphrodisiac; nothing else would compare.

He took a special interest in you, too. Not every day does someone bring danger into the feared Casino Overlord's home, let alone look him dead in the eye the way you did. Originally, it was just a job, a simple work experience to help keep you out of trouble. That changed all too soon, though.

Gifts appeared at your hotel room door, from lovely outfits to perfumes and even jewelry. He tried to woo you, but you had already fallen for him. Eventually, your job at the bar turned into sitting on his lap at the card table. You would relax him when he lost and congratulate him when he won. One excellent win resulted in him bedding you, claiming you as his. One soul contract later, and you were his and his alone.

To go back in time and alter reality would be a miracle; that isn’t life, though. Instead, your life here was a moment of looking up at the moon from a new location that was no longer the Casino.

You and Husk got in your fights; everyone did. Yet Husk, when he was drunk, was temperamental; he was angry and hated losing. No amount of sex, cuddles, or kisses could fix it. What went from gifts and showers of affection turned into arguments and cold nights of sleeping alone. He would never raise a hand to you, but raising his voice became a new constant as his power in the scene of the Overlords faltered.

Years of arguments and false promises about things getting better and you two overcoming anything opened you both up to weakness… Then they came in—the young upstart overlords Vox and Alastor, ready to gamble with the big cat on day one. The two were charming, and charisma ebbed off of them in waves.

You did your due diligence at your job that damned night, smiling, flirting, anything to knock them off their game. If Husk beat the up-and-coming stars of hell, maybe he would feel better than he had been. You were wrong, though, because he didn’t win, and neither did you.

A deal was struck. The man you loved and grew to care for, even through the fighting and long cold nights, sold you off. In one game, your new soul owner was Vox. It was a blur—there was yelling, chains breaking and forming, and you being taken away.

When you woke the next day, you were in a small penthouse of Vox’s. You were his ‘lover’ now, as he put it. Husk had sold you off. Tears streamed down your face as you realized the love you harbored for him was not the same love he harbored for you.

Vox was kind to you; he cared for and treated you like royalty. When his fallout with Alastor happened not too long after, you two only had each other to pick up the pieces; you wouldn’t say the relationship that formed between you two was out of desire or want; it was a necessity to stay alive.

You two may sleep together and pretend in front of cameras, but at night, you both think of who you once loved. The people who hurt you both in intricate and damning ways. The people who strengthened your bonds together to the point that you two found the most comfort in one another.

You were always on the sidelines when the Vees came around and got big. The connection you and Vox had made you off limits to the other two Vee’s. He didn’t want you whored out; He didn’t want you as a model; he wanted you to find happiness like he was searching for.

Yet every night, you two lie on opposite sides of the bed, looking out the grand window and remembering your happiness left a long time ago. Your’s when Husk sold you off like a pawn, and Vox when Alastor became too good for him. Both of you have deep, untreated wounds. Vox grew angrier as years turned to decades, yet he never raised his voice at you. He knew of the life you lived prior to him taking on your soul. As for you the pain over the decades just turned to more profound loathing and sadness for you.

You loved Husk, you still did, and on nights when Vox would go out with the Vees or consummate their relationship, you would find yourself sitting outside on the balcony of Vox’s penthouse, staring at the moon. Sometimes, you wonder, ‘Does he see the same moon as I do?’ ‘Does he miss me like I miss him?’

Your questions were sadly answered one day, much to your dismay. You were opting to witness the downfall of Alastor with Vox on the day of the extermination, and that’s when you saw him. Not only did Alastor not die, and the hotel stood tall once more, but Husk was one of Alastor’s souls…making those same eyes he once made for you at a spider demon.

Vox noticed your change in mood and quickly calmed his destructive rage to help you, but it was too late. You saw it all right there on his 4 K screen. You were replaced, unloved, and not wanted. You were only ever a pawn to try and keep power for as long as he could, until Alastor had his soul, and then Alastor dropped Vox.

Swallowing the tears, you excused yourself to the room and went straight to the balcony. Looking on the horizon, you could see the Hazbin Hotel, where Husk was probably smitten with the spider demon. Choked, pained sobs left your frame as you screamed at the moon like it was all its fault for leading you to that casino when you were running from the mob bosses.

When Vox found you, it was a sorry sight. You were curled up on the balcony in a ball, silent sobs wracking your body. Vox explained that the spider was one of Val’s souls, that he knew Husk was Alastor’s soul, but that since he had your soul, Alastor would never let you near. You laughed sadly; Vox wasn’t wrong. The minute that word got out that Alastor stole an overlord's soul, he dropped Vox. You never imagined the soul would be Husk’s.

Vox helped pick you up and leaned you against his chest as you two looked up at the moon, “Hey, Vox, do you think they are looking at the same moon?”

[yuhzz]

y/n's 5 types of crushes - le sserafim x fem!reader

summary: your "my 5 types of crushes" (hc ver.).

warning: fluff. angst.

word count: 1.3k words

==============

Eunchae: a friend from grade 2

-> eunchae was a friend of yours from grade 2 (and remained as one until grade 3).

-> you 2 were close, almost best friends but since you took different classes from one another, your friendship never bloomed.

-> nevertheless, it didn't stop you from harboring feelings for her.

-> she was supportive, slightly clingy, kind, humble, cute - all the possible reasons that made you fall for her.

-> but the past remained in the past.

-> you were young, you knew little of love and crushes.

-> so you never confessed.

-> what started as a friendship, remained as one.

==============

Kazuha: no more than classmates

-> let's see. at the opening ceremony at the beginning of the school year, you met her.

-> both of you were in grade 3 at the time.

-> she was a new student so she was having trouble familiarizing herself with the new environment.

-> you and eunchae were wandering around the school that time when you both bumped into her.

-> with just one glance, you fell for her extraordinary beauty.

-> she was pretty and you sure did know it from the bottom of your heart.

-> after that day, you tried your best to get close to her.

-> but it eventually became clear to you that she wanted to be no more than classmates - acquaintances.

-> so you stayed as 2 people who were no more than classmates.

==============

Yunjin: the BFF you were crushing on for 4 years

-> bff...we once all had a crush on our bffs but 4 years? damn. you're holding on too tight.

-> where did it start? oh, right. grade 7.

-> months before the pandemic, you transferred to a new school and she was one of the first few people you met.

-> both of you weren't all that close then, most especially when the pandemic took the world by storm in a negative way.

-> thanks to social media, you got to know each other better. soc-med helped you communicate with her since you transferred schools again when you reached grade 8.

-> as months - years went by, you got closer to the point that you started calling each other "best friends" or "BFFs".

-> you even made promises to each other and you knew you had feelings for her.

-> but then, in June 2022 (grade 10), she met your cousin and fell for him.

-> you being the good, supportive best friend that you are, hid your feelings for her and helped her with her relationship with your cousin.

-> you were bitter about it, nevertheless, you remained supportive of them - heck you even went your way just to save their failing relationship 3 months later.

-> however, all that effort was lost when they eventually broke up 4 months ago, in January of 2023, a few weeks before Valentine's.

-> now, since it was indeed your cousin who was in a relationship with her, your friendship with yunjin ended together with theirs.

-> though you still talk to each other up until today, it just was not the same as before.

-> but be honest.

-> do you like her because you know you can and will love her?

-> or do you only claim that you like her because you were afraid of losing her?

==============

Chaewon: the person who likes hugging you

-> who doesn't fall for people who often hug them? i bet no one, or maybe you're the only one who does.

-> you met her in grade 10.

-> the school remained in an online learning set-up since of the pandemic still spreading havoc on earth.

-> from the 1st up to the 4th quarter, you've been group mates because of research.

-> she was friendly, not to mention pretty.

-> so why not be friends with her?

-> in the first and second quarters of the school year, you spent it online.

-> and then boom! covid-19 suddenly weakened and people were now allowed to walk freely outside again.

-> now, because of that, the school decided to hold intramurals. the students had no choice but to attend unless they had a valid reason not to.

-> you didn't really miss going outside since the pandemic made you some type of introvert. but again, you had no choice but to.

-> thankfully though, you did attend because that's where you officially met her.

-> and the first thing she did when she saw you, she hugged you again and again and again, but it never occurred to you to ever hug her back (it must be because you were controlling your heartbeat).

-> the intramurals were one week long so every time she saw you that week, of course, she hugged you.

-> and then last night, prom.

-> the elevator door opened, and the time slowed dramatically.

-> the first person that you saw the moment it opened was chaewon.

-> the way her dress courted her body, her hair tied up in a bun, and the elegance of her outfit screamed made your heart scream as well.

-> this will be your last year before you graduate from junior high, and the last time that you will be seeing her except for graduation.

-> that must explain the reason why she hugged you tighter than ever before.

-> so you hugged her back for the first time.

-> after last night, you agreed to yourself not to confess.

-> it was not because you didn't want to.

-> it's just that you thought that she was too perfect for you.

==============

Sakura: the unforgettable crush

-> we've all had that unforgettable crush before.

-> for you was miyawaki sakura.

-> she was your classmate for 3 years (grade 4 - grade 6).

-> sakura was perfect in all ways. she'd often be the vice president. she was cute, pretty, kind, and giving.

-> and you were you.

-> you were almost a stranger to her but you became seatmates, group mates, paired in a project, and were once even field trip partners (only because your adviser assigned you your partners for the field trip)!

-> but you were no more than a classmate to her.

-> there were times that you were her best friend though.

-> there were also times when she seemed like your childhood friend.

-> whenever you were with each other, you felt awkward.

-> but no what it is that's going on between the two of you, she will always be out of reach.

-> nevertheless, you gave her your all.

-> you didn't mind losing everything because, to you, she was your all.

-> grade 4, the first year you were classmates with her, you seemed like a total outsider to everybody else inside the classroom.

-> that year, you two went from strangers to classmates.

-> grade 5, another year spent with her. that was one of the best years you've lived so far since you were paired with her for the field trip, and though you were still assigned to different groups (due to activities) during the field trip, you were still happy that you got to seat with her inside the bus from and to your destination.

-> that year, you went from classmates to mild friends.

-> and then grade 6, another unforgettable year in your life, not only because you were still classmates and you were about to graduate from grade school but also because she hugged you.

-> it was just a simple gesture of her to say thank you to you but it was still enough to make your heart race a bit. there was also this time when the class was assigned a project about photography or capturing things you think were beautiful in any aspect. sakura was one of many you took a picture of.

-> and you never regretted it.

-> since up until now, her pictures are the reason why you're reminiscing about the past - because she was a part of it.

-> sakura remains the most unforgettable crush for you and though you knew she doesn't feel the same way about you, you were still happy to spend 3 years of your life with her despite her being so close and yet so far away from you.

-> she was a beautiful memory, indeed. every single one of them was.

[raineandsky]

The Villain's Housekeeper FINALE

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4) (part 5) (part 6) (part 7) (part 8) (part 9) (part 10) (part 11)

“Are you ready?”

The villain can barely contain their grin. “Go on, show me.”

The hero appears around the doorway with a teasing smile of their own. Bright, free, unabashed delight shines back at the villain. The injuries on their skin are fading into dulled blemishes, the blood long since scrubbed from their hands. The best part of all though, by far, is the incredible outfit they’ve put together for the villain’s entertainment.

“Wow,” the villain sighs with exaggerated dreaminess. The maid outfit was long forgotten in their mind, but now they kind of want to watch the hero to dust something. “Nostalgic. Is this really what you spent crucial minutes packing?”

They’d briefly descended on the villain’s house in a flurry of bags and unshaped plans. The hero, with no possessions to really collect, had clearly decided to pack the really important stuff.

And now they’re hiding out in a small safehouse the supervillain had pointed them to. Not exactly home, but four walls and a roof will have to do the two of them for now.

The supervillain had finally slowed down a safe distance away from the chaos on that fateful day, only managing to give the hero a sad smile before turning to the villain. “You know we can’t take an informant with us,” she’d said in the low tones of someone trying to stay out of earshot. “They’ll say anything to anyone to protect themself. We can’t trust someone like that.”

The villain had known this, deep down. It’d still sucked to make the choice.

But here the hero is, positively beaming and showing off their extraordinary legs in their tiny little maid’s dress, and the villain can’t help but feel like they made the right decision.

“I tried to pack the hoover,” the hero says with a sarcastic grin, “but it didn’t fit in the suitcase.”

The villain tuts and waves them over to the sofa they’re lounging on. It’s small and dingy (“it’s well-loved,” the hero had insisted) but the hero is quite happy taking up half of the villain’s lap as they settle down next to them. On them. It’s a bit of both, really.

The two of them sink into comfortable silence. The hero’s head rests on the villain’s shoulder, their breath warm on the other’s neck. The villain’s finger similarly finds their leg, tracing idle shapes into the skin the maid’s dress is refusing to be modest about. They don’t bother hiding their smirk when the hero shudders under their touch.

“Thank you for surviving,” the hero says eventually. “I know it was hard.”

The force of the laugh that tears from the villain’s throat jolts the hero slightly.

Thank you for surviving. What a low bar. Surviving is the only goal the villain has ever really strived for. Villainy was for survival. Their work was for survival. The hero was… well, they were a rare exception. They were a death sentence. They were a loaded gun that the villain had practically shoved into their own mouth.

Well, they can’t even give the hero that much credit. The villain had aimed a gun at themself anyway. Their hand had trembled at the solid weight of the thing, their heart had jumped at the sensation of the trigger brushing against their finger, but they’d done it. For the hero.

And survived. Thank you for surviving. The villain could echo it back to them and mean every word of it, no matter how mirrored. Thank you for surviving. Thank you for holding out hope for me. Thank you for giving me a reason to survive. Thank you for surviving with me.

But the quiet is comfortable. That’s too many words. The hero is settled back into them, their fingertip tracing over the patterns in the villain’s shirt. They can’t ruin this moment with the verbal equivalent of spilling a glass of wine. The carpet’s greasy, but it’s still white.

So they lean into the hero’s shoulder and simply say, “Thank you for making surviving worth it.”

Taglist:

@runarelle @thiefofthecrowns @morning-star-whump @epiclamer @tekanparadiae @yourslimeologist @greengrassandflowers @subval01

[edelfie]

#𝓣𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘! bumpin’ that?

as an aspiring a-list celebrity, it’s important for (y/n) to have a strong inner circle. not just for her work, but also for her own sanity. she was grateful when she met yachi and asahi, who were both kind enough to remain her friend after their work together ended. in terushima’s case, it was less of a choice for him to stay so much as he glued himself to her side from day one. fukunaga was similar, but most won’t believe it from his introverted personality. above all, tendou has been by (y/n)’s side since day one. even when he’s continents away, he is still her closest confident.

or, our main character and her crew! how exciting

BLIND ITEMS! —

## many small work-hands in the music industry only have positive things to say about this rising pop star. allegedly, she only conducts business with other up-and-comings and forms lifelong bonds with them. she appears to be the best of friends with her hairstylist, stylist, and creative designer. [revealed: Y/N L/N, terushima yuuji, azumane asahi, yachi hitoka]

## this z-list pop singer insisted on allowing her close-friend and amateur comedian open at all her shows for her freshman and sophomore albums, despite it not being good for her business. luckily for both, the crowds loved it, and the two still seem to be good friends. [revealed: Y/N L/N, fukunaga shouhei]

## according to an old school acquaintance, this renowned paris-based pastry chef is childhood friends and penpals with a music-industry nobody. the chef used to have a crush on the nobody, but the nobody turned them down in favor of becoming a groupie and eventually dating the A-list lead singer for 5 years. [revealed: tendou satori, Y/N L/N, unknown]

## the two-time flop artist has more exes than she knows what to do with it seems. now that she’s been dumped again, it’s only a matter of time before she writes a trash album about him too. [revealed: Y/N L/N]

hat3r. are we even surprised by any of these?? this isn’t even real tea or news. it’s getting stale — ynisjesus. you don’t ever have a single nice thing to say do you ???

runaruna. i want to know who she dated for 5 years, he’s gotta be like a totally industry bombshell if he’s an A-lister right? — sera_pent. EXACTLY like why is nobody talking about this! — junebuggg. it’s gotta be the guy from undead right? — harobio. no i think its mr “has-it-all” from SIR7 — sapphics4yn. why is everyone thinking it’s a guy ?? DID WE LEARN NOTHING FROM ALISAGATE??

gunslinger67. stream VNGELS by MISC9 !!!

read more…

NOTE! —

Today's fundraiser is "A Father's Plea: Help Save my Family" by Youssef Helles. In 2019, Youssef left Gaza for Belgium to find a better life for his family. However, five years later, the conditions in Gaza have worsened significantly. Now he's fundraising to bring his family to be in Belgium with him. Of the 23,000 goal, about 15,000 has been raised thus far. Every bit counts, so donate to Youssef's cause here or copy and share the link to spread the cause!

And a friendly reminder to register to vote! Please vote in the presidential race, but especially please please please vote in your regional and district elections! Remember to vote based on policy and meaningful change, not just color or party lines, and vote with your values and your important issues in mind. I know as I get older, my priorities have shifted, and as a college student loan forgiveness has become one of my must-addresses, so please! Go out and vote!

In "non-world-altering" news, I had my birthday recently! It wasn't that recent honestly since it was on the 15th, but I still thought it was worth mentioning. I also started college that week, which was fun! Due to the nature of my major, there aren't any stressful classes my first semester—mainly public speaking and fundamentals. I'm sure I'll bite my tongue on that soon though, especially since I have something due tonight *skull emoji*

MASTERLIST + SEVEN EVIL EXES

© all rights reserved—edelfie (2024) // do not plagiarize, modify, copy, use, translate, or repost my work on other sites without permission

[sillyromance]

Good day everyone!

Here is a random fairytale idea I have got recently.

There was a king known by his kindness, honesty and wisdom. By political means which were beneficial for his country, he had to marry a woman he didn't love. Perhaps, the couple could still be a happy one, yet, unluckly for her husband and his people, the woman turned out to be a mean, selfish and arrogant person who the king didn't want to have anything in common with. Despite this, he kept a straight face, pretending everything was fine, stayed respectful and loyal even though she didn't appreciate it, searching for any chance to make his and their vassals' lives even worse.

One day, the king met a princess of a neighboring country, the sweetest and the kindest person on earth. They had a lot in common, and soon started exchanging letters, then visiting each other in their places; when she arrived, they would go for long walks in the king's forest, her hand held in his... Undoubtedly, the evil queen noticed that. Blood boiled in her veins at the sight of her husband being happy, especially with someone else. Moreover, she was afraid to lose power and money which came to her after the marriage. With this in mind, the evil queen began to plan how to keep the king all to herself.

Unfortunately for the king, she was one of few people who knew his darkest secret. The king wasn't completely human. His ancestors were dragons who could shapeshift; some of them used this ability to marry humans. Consequently, the king was a half-blood hybrid, and, though he couldn't turn into lizard, his physiology allowed him to swallow objects much bigger than could be expected. Those facts were dangerous to reveal since dragons and humans had never truly lived together in peace.

And the evil queen decided to use this knowledge to her advantage.

She blackmailed her husband, threatening him to tell everyone who he actually was. But she promised to keep the secret if he got rid of the princess he loved. He asked three days to think things over. Feeling herself invincible enough, the queen obliged.

As you could assume, the king was in deep grief. He didn't know what to do. Yet, he decided to meet with the princess and speak to her about the trap he fell in - even if he wasn't able to climb his way out of it, she would be aware of the danger and run away before it was too late.

At first, the princess was shocked and scared. But she loved the king no less than he loved her. So, once he finished the story, she cupped his face and swore to help him and stay by him till the last minute.

If the king had a secret, the princess had one as well. Her mother was a great witch, and the girl had been taught magic since childhood. The princess suggested a plan she and her man could accomplish with powers of them both. It was quite risky and demanded exceptional power of will from them, but they didn't have a choice since there were only two days left.

The plan was easy. The king had to act as if he accepted the queen's will - and "destroy" the princess by eating her whole in front of his wife's eyes. However, beforehand, the princess would drink a special potion which would help her not to die for good, but combine with her lover in body and soul. All her skills and memories would be accessible for him. Also, she wouldn't feel any pain and could reform later. The king felt a suffocating lump swelling in his throat at the thought of eating someone he would give his life for, but agreed eventually, putting all trust in his lover.

Finally, the fateful day came. The queen asked her husband about his decision, and the man told her he would do what she needed from him. A wicked grin spread over her face. He ordered to bring the princess in his castle; once she arrived, the ruler, with sorrow in his eyes, announced that the princess was accused of being a spy and a threat to his people, for which she had to leave the court and disappear. With this words, he embraced his love tightly... And opened his mouth, engulfing her pretty little head in one move. The girl started crying and thrashing violently, but to no avail as her body was slowly, but surely, slipping past his lips, further with each powerful swallow, through the tight esophagus and into the stomach. The girl was considerably smaller than the man: when his jaws clinged shut, the last bits of her helplessly sliding down into his core, no one would assume an entire person curled up in his belly. The princess was nothing but a little rounding bump on his waist, as if the king simply had a good dinner.

Meanwhile, even the queen got terrified by the view and exited the room long before "the show" was over. It played along with the king and his dearest' wishes perfectly: he silently sneaked into his room, locked the door, and laid on the bed, gently rubbing his more-than-full stomach which was letting out strained groans and growls. The princess didn't try to squirm - there was no need to pretend anymore. She just rested inside, caressing her king and getting sleepier with each second, feeling his warm, plushie flesh tenderly hugging her frame, and listening to his soothing voice cooing sadly at her from the outside. Soon, digestion kicked in, and the girl peacefully melted down in his belly, becoming one with her lover - and allowing him to act further...

... Obviously, the evil queen was gone on the same day. The king, who couldn't force himself to actually hurt her even after everything she made him go through, casted a spell which turned her into a dog - she would be able to become a human again only if she found strength in herself to change and be better. Afterwards, the king helped his princess reform and announced her a new queen. His people loudly exclaimed their happiness since no one loved the king's previous wife, yet the princess was famous for her heart of gold.

[d1xonss]

Desert Rose

Chapter 49 ~ Blood runs Thicker than Water

✧ Pairing : Daryl Dixon x Rose

✧ Era : Season 4

✧ Word Count : 5.4k

In this chapter ~ Daryl and the others waste no time rushing out of the prison's gates to find the medication that they needed to keep everyone breathing. But things continue to run a bit rocky back in cellblock A as a few fought to stay alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ROSE POV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After Daryl ran off, I finally allowed myself to crumble, letting the tears that were building up slide effortlessly down my cheeks. The last thing I wanted was to break down in front of him, but it hurt to see how upset he was. I found that was just another reason why I dreaded to tell him, because I couldn't handle the look on his face. But yet I would treasure that moment between us like it was the last because for all I knew, it could be. That right there could be the very last time I ever saw him, and it terrified me.

A pair of arms then wrapped around my shoulders, turning my head back to see Glenn holding me close to him as I cried softly. He wordlessly started to pull me back and up the stairs to the cell we were once occupying, gesturing back down to the bed in front of us. I slowly sat down with shaky legs, suddenly feeling very tired as I began to wipe the tears from my face. It felt as though the weight of the world was suddenly on my back and I couldn't help but slump down further on the mattress, feeling emotionally exhausted.

"Wait here a second." he said before swiftly leaving the cell.

A scoffed passed through my lips, "Where else would I go?" I muttered sarcastically to myself.

I steadily readjusted so I was lying flat on my back and facing the ceiling, pulling myself together as much as I could before he came back. Until I started coughing a bit, but on the bright side, I didn't feel the rush of blood coming up from my lungs. Progress. I was still struggling to breathe and I felt clammy and gross, but I was still alive. Even more progress.

I tried to stay positive that I would make it through this, but I just didn't know with how unpredictable this illness could be. Everyone that seemed to be going through it had horrible different symptoms, some lasting longer than others. I just didn't know how long I could hang on considering some people around me were dying out within merely a few hours.

Glenn then trailed back in slowly with two pillows and a blanket under his arm, setting them down on the floor next to the mattress I was laying in. He arranged them to make a little makeshift bed and eventually maneuvered himself on top of it, his eyes glancing up toward the ceiling as well as he let out a tired breath.

My brows furrowed as I sat up a bit on my elbows to stare at him, "What are you doing?"

He glanced over at me and gave me a tired smile, "I don't want you to be alone."

"But you're sick too, you need a real bed. You need to rest." I gently argued.

"I just want to be next to you," he shrugged, "Deal with it."

I laughed quietly, seeming to have no choice but to nod my head in agreement, silently grateful that he was the one by my side during all of this. He always knew how to make me laugh, how to comfort me, how to just be there for me. Even when we both felt like absolute hell.

"I love you." I said suddenly.

He looked back over at me and smiled, "I love you too."

A small smile crept back onto my face as I felt my eyelids become heavy, darkness slowly filling my vision before I drifted off. My body not being able to handle all the different things at once.

I remember tossing and turning a lot. My heart racing and a bead of sweat forming on my brow from how hard I was trying to fight off the illness that took over. My chest felt heavy with every heave of a breath, as if someone had sat themselves down on top of me. It all felt like some kind of vivid dream.

Though I didn't know how much time had ticked by before I suddenly felt the strong urge to cough my lungs out, shooting up to hunch over the side of the bed. So much for trying to get some sleep.

Glenn sat up when he heard me struggling and moved to sit next to me, patting my back gently to try and get all of it out of my system. I gagged and struggled to catch my breath, groaning in disgust before eventually being able to breathe somewhat normally again, trying to take some deep breaths as I felt his hand rubbing softly on the fabric of my shirt.

"You okay?" he asked in concern.

I hummed in response, "Peachy." I rasped as I glanced back up at him with a smile.

I laid back down, but he didn't make any attempt to move back to the floor, so I kicked my legs back up and sprawled them across his lap. The two of us just spaced out mindlessly in the silence as if it was our first time doing drugs, except the experience was something awful. My mind wandered, a small giggle coming from me as I thought.

He perked up, "What?"

My laughter died down and I looked at him, "I'm just thinking...about how sad it is that this is what's going to kill me. I mean imagine dying from a cold, it's pretty pathetic." I laughed again to a point where I coughed a few more times.

He shook his head, "This isn't what's going to kill you. You're not going to die, and neither am I." he said while taking my hand.

"I am," I said seriously and then looked back to him, "I can almost feel it."

"Stop." he said.

"I just think it's stupid," I continued, "I mean, what a way to go. I would've preferred to die by... falling off a cliff, or...in a giant explosion. But not by a cold."

He narrowed his eyes at me, "Have you thought about this before?"

"No, I just pulled those out of my ass," I said honestly, "Being in here in the quiet doesn't exactly help with the overthinking."

He nodded his head, "Yeah no kidding-" he started, but was cut off when he then started to cough pretty badly.

I sat up immediately and patted his back like he'd done for me, growing even more concerned when I was witnessing it versus when it was happening to me. The coughs didn't die down until we both saw the blood trickling across his hand, and it made my eyes go wide. It was a lot.

He turned towards me when they stopped, "I'm okay." he assured breathlessly, cringing as he swallowed thickly, his throat no doubt feeling like sandpaper.

"Neither of us are okay, I think we can stop lying to each other now." I spoke.

He nodded his head, "Okay." he agreed weakly.

I found myself nodding right along with him, leaning on him slightly as we let the silence take over again. Though it was never fully silent. There would always be someone coughing, fighting for their life, or something of the sort only a couple cells away from the one that we shared. The constant noises only scaring us more than we already were. Silently knowing we would both only get worse, maybe to a point of no return.

Both of our heads turned towards the entrance suddenly when someone began to come into view, Hershel stepping inside the room quickly with two cups in his hands. He wordlessly got down to our level and handed the glasses to each of us, pointing as he finally spoke.

"Drink." he said sternly.

I stared at him for a minute as I took what he handed over, noticing the bandana missing from his face, "Where's your mask?"

"Got blood on it, and I don't have another one. Drink." he said again.

I sat up slightly and both Glenn and I started drinking whatever the hell he had made. It tasted bitter, leaving a stinging sensation on my tongue, but if it would make me feel at least a little better, I would drink five cups of it. I finished it quickly in just a few gulps but for Glenn it was a little harder for him to get it down, coughing roughly again as he wasn't able to chug the entire glass.

"This sucks." he muttered, leaning his head back against the wall with a sigh.

I silently agreed as I nodded, "After everything we've been through, this is what wrecks us?" I got slightly irritated at the thought. We had been through hell and back and my stubborn ass wasn't ready to die like this, but I especially didn't want Glenn to die like this. I would put him before me any day.

"Don't say things like that...don't even think things like that." Hershel lightly scolded as he placed a cool wet rag on my forehead, and I sighed at the feeling as I took it from his hands.

"We got this far somehow, you can believe somehow. We all have jobs here, and that one is both of yours." he finished.

We both looked at him with understanding and he grabbed both of our hands to give them a squeeze. I knew he believed that we would push through, I could practically see the hope behind his eyes. His reassurance was something that I could tell we both really needed right about now.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* DARYL POV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I was beyond frustrated. We managed to blow through a whole day because we lost our only vehicle in the midst of hundreds of walkers, somehow getting surrounded on our way to the clinic which wasted more time that we didn't have. A part of me was scared that this set back would change everything, worrying me to the point of no return as I feared we wouldn't make it back on time. Though I knew that woman was tougher than nails, her stubborn ass fighting as much as she could. Even if her hope was diminished.

We had managed to find another car since shit hit the fan, but it needed to be fixed up before it could start running again. Though somehow by the grace of God, we managed to find a new battery inside of a nearby building, a rundown auto shop, and I wasted no time as I began working on the piece of shit right away. I moved fast under the hood of the car, barely speaking or thinking anything at all as I worked quickly so we could get back onto the road.

Everyone knew how on edge I was, and they all understood why. But I tried my best not to show how worried I became even if they could already tell. Worrying wouldn't get me there any faster.

"Ya never told us bout the group you were with before." I suddenly spoke to Bob, lighting cigarette that dangled from my mouth, trying to get away from the awkward silence.

His frame leaned against the structure of the building as he waited patiently, watching me work as he scoffed at my comment, "Which one?" he asked.

I didn't open my mouth again as I shrugged, moving back to adjust the wires before hearing him continue anyway, "You know, when you found me out on that road, I almost kept walking."

"Why's that?" I asked absentmindedly.

He sighed, "Cause I was done being a witness. Two times...two different groups. I was the last one standing, like I was supposed to see it happen over and over, like some kind of curse."

This caused me to stop momentarily to actually look at him as he kept talking, "But when it's just you out there with the quiet...used to be I'd drink a bottle of anything just so I could shut my eyes at night. Figured the prison, the people, thought it'd be easier. But the run to the Big Spot... it did it for me."

"Ya gotta keep busy." I muttered while taking a swig of water.

"No. I did it so I could get me a bottle. Of anything. I picked it up, I held it in my hand, but I put it down. I put it down so hard it took the whole damn shelf with it. That's what brought on the walkers. That's what got Zach killed. And that's what almost got your girl crushed."

My eyes snapped back up to him, staring at him in disbelief that he was the reason everything went to shit during that run. He started the whole damn thing. The walkers could've started to fall through at any point, but that wasn't the point. The incident led to us losing one of our people, and it could've cost us even more if we hadn't made it out of there as quick as we did. I grew angry, thinking back to how the whole thing could've been avoided and settled with looking away from him. Knowing if I didn't, I surely wouldn't stop once I started.

He noticed the tense silence that passed over us at his sudden confession, glancing back in paranoia that the others would hear from just a few feet away. I scoffed as I watched him out of the corner of my eye, my jaw clenching slightly.

"Make yerself useful, get in there and try the engine. It's the red and green wire, it ain't rocket science." I spoke lowly, my eyes staying down as I heard him move over to the driver's seat.

My ears perked up as I listened, hearing the vehicle struggle a bit before it eventually started after the second try, feeling a wave of relief wash over me now that we had an actual ride. I whistled twice to get Michonne and Tyreese's attention so we could finally get going, watching as they quickly stood and headed towards the running car.

Though I could feel Bob's eyes on me, expecting me to almost say something to him about what he had just admitted. The thing that took a lot for him to say out loud to me.

I sighed heavily as I glanced back down to him, "Ya couldn't have known what was gonna go down. But that don't make the situation any less fucked up. And it definitely don't mean m' just gonna somehow forget about this whole conversation."

He slowly nodded in understanding, looking back down to the ground as he moved to let me be the one to take the wheel. The second the last person shut their door, I pressed firmly on the gas and took off down the long road. Attempting to somehow get there faster, even though I knew it would be hours before we got back to the prison.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* ROSE POV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Time was ticking by impossibly slow, yet everything seemed to be happening so fast as an entire day seemed to pass and there was still no sign of Daryl and the others. I began to feel even worse than before; my muscles ached and my eyelids were constantly heavy, while the blood I constantly coughed up never seemed to die down. I was up for most of the night throwing it up in a bucket that was placed beside my bed. The fever was like hell fire on my head, but Hershel's herb tea did help at least a little. But even with all of that happening, I was more worried about Daryl than I was about myself.

Anything could've happened to him out there and when he didn't come back as quickly as he said he would, I couldn't help but worry. If I knew my man at all, I knew he was far from fucking around when it came to this. Imagining him flying down streets and shoving whatever medication he could into varies of bags to bring back to the rest of us. But that wasn't the case this time. It had been far too long, and I couldn't bear to think about the different possibilities. Though Glenn and Hershel both tried to reassure me that everything was fine and it was probably only just a minor bump in the road, I hardly believed them at all.

My tired bloodshot eyes scanned through the pages of my book that Hershel had offered to grab for me, giving me something to do for the long and painful hours I was trapped in here. I was somewhat enjoying the quiet as Glenn had been off talking to Maggie, speaking through the large window in order to keep a safe distance from one another. I knew she had to be worried sick about him.

Though I found myself getting antsy about how everyone else was doing. Maggie, Beth, Carl, Judith, I was even worried about Rick even though we haven't talked since the whole Tyreese incident happened. I only hoped I would be able to see all of them again soon enough, and not through a thick slice of glass.

An echoed knock was heard from outside my room, making my eyes glance up to see Glenn standing in the doorway looking a little paler, yet still managed a small smile, "Maggie said she wants to see you too." he said.

I nodded and slowly stood up, gritting my teeth when I did so as my legs felt like they were about to give out from under me, "Do you want help?" he asked softly.

"No," I breathed, "I'm okay."

He nodded, slightly moving out of the way so I could make my way out to see her. I gripped onto every wall and railing like it was a lifeline, not trusting myself enough to be able to stand upright on my own as I slowly but surely made it toward the window. I was excited at the opportunity to see her, knowing that just a little more human interaction would lift my spirits a bit more.

When I finally got closer to the glass, I could clearly see how nervous she was, and when her eyes finally landed on me, she let out a small gasp at my appearance. Lord only knew how terrible I truly looked.

"Hey, babe." she greeted softly, her eyes following me as I sat down on the nearby chair.

I mustered a small smile, "Hi,-" I tried to speak but all it did was cause another cough attack, seeing her cringe out of the corner of my eye upon seeing me like this.

She sighed softly as my breathing began to regulate again, "You're getting worse." she stated worriedly.

I waved her off, "Eh, I'm still standing...well...not right now," I gestured towards the chair, "But you get the point." I tried to joke.

She shook her head with a small scoff at my words, "Somehow I knew you would try and make a joke out of this." she lightly scolded, "God...I've been so worried about you."

"The feeling's mutual." I said honestly.

She scoffed, "Honey, I'm fine. You don't need to worry about me...not while you're in here fighting this. It was like pulling teeth to get Beth to stay back in quarantine instead of coming out here to see you."

I couldn't help but smile, "How's she doing?"

"Worried just as much as I am." she stated like it was a fact, "Everyone around here misses you a whole lot you know." she smiled sadly.

I let out a soft breath, "Believe me...I miss you guys too. How are they? Everyone else?"

"Carl's just fine; he's been helping out as much as he can around here, my guess is to try and keep his mind off of everything. Judith has been staying with Beth in one of the offices, trying to keep as far away from everyone as possible. And um...Rick just took Carol out on a run to get some more food for cellblock D." she listed.

"Hm...seems like everyone's been busy." I replied.

"Yeah," she nodded, "Anything to help out, and...not think too much about what's been going on." she spoke before pausing hesitantly. I could almost read the question on her face, smiling a little to myself as I answered her without her uttering another word.

"He's okay." I promised, referring to Hershel whom she hadn't seen in what felt like forever. "He's tough...been busting his ass to make sure everyone's comfortable around here."

She nodded, "I'm glad. I just...I wish he wasn't putting himself at risk like this, you know? But he's always been one for helping anyone and everyone. And I know you guys need him now more than ever, but..." she trailed off, letting out a soft sigh of frustration.

My eyes saddened, "It's okay to feel like that." I immediately reassured, "He's your dad. You don't want him risking his life like this...that's completely valid. You don't have to feel bad for saying something like that."

A small smile crossed her face, "Thank you." she whispered.

I nodded in return, a brief silence passing over us before a female voice suddenly called her name from just down the hall, causing her to snap out of her thoughts. "I gotta head back to check on the kids. But I'll be back soon to check on you again, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that." I said with a small smile, beginning to stand again to walk away from the glass, but then a voice stopped me in my tracks the moment my back was turned.

"Rose," I heard Rick call out, glancing over my shoulder to see him walking in just as Maggie was walking out.

Her eyebrows raised as she gave me a certain look that read good luck, before fully leaving the space. I wanted to reach my hands out dramatically to get her to stay, but she was already gone in only a split second, wanting to give us some time alone.

The man hesitantly walked up closer to the window separating us, causing me to reluctantly move back over and slowly take a seat again in the chair. It surprised me how much getting up once and then sitting back down took out of me, but I felt dizzy like I was going to pass out, trying to get my eyes to focus on his figure.

"Hey." I mumbled quietly.

"Hey," he replied, awkwardly tapping his legs as he was looking for the right words, "I, uh...I came in here to talk to you about some stuff. But um...I think I owe you a little something first before anything."

I nodded and waited for him to go on, though I didn't miss how ashamed he looked. Like it was painful for him to look me in the eye. "I'm so sorry about what happened between you and me the other day. I don't know what got into me, but...I didn't realize what I was doing until it was too late. I just...I hope this isn't going to mess anything up, that's the last thing I want. And I hope you can forgive me.

"I do." I said without any hesitation.

His head seemed to snap up in a split second, "Really?" he asked softly.

I simply shrugged, "Yeah. I mean if I'm going to die in here, I might as well have a clean conscious right? Don't want to hold any grudges." I laughed, the action causing a rough cough to erupt from my lungs until a trickle of blood spilled from my mouth.

I spit the dark liquid onto the ground, deeply clearing my throat before looking back up to see Rick standing there with huge eyes, his mouth hanging open at what he had just witnessed.

"Careful, you might drool if you keep your mouth hanging open like that." I joked with a light chuckle.

He closed his mouth instantly, letting out a huff of laughter. I couldn't tell if it was in disbelief of the fact that I was still making jokes at a dark time like this. But my guess was probably both. "How're you doing?"

I hummed as I tried to hold back my annoyance, "If I had a dollar for everyone who asked me that dumb question, I could probably find the damn cure myself." I said sarcastically, "I'm not okay...I'm dying. Blood is pouring out of my mouth constantly and my fever doesn't seem to want to go down. I'm a goddamn mess...but I'm still alive."

His brows furrowed in genuine concern as he placed one of his hands onto the glass, "I'm- I'm so sorry, Rosie." he whispered sincerely.

"It's okay...no need to apologize. Especially for something you can't control." I said, watching him nod in return as he then bit his lip somewhat nervously. "So...what exactly did you want to talk to me about?" I asked curiously.

He stopped moving completely as if I had read his mind, thinking over his next words very carefully before just coming out and saying it, "Carol killed Karen and David." he spit out bluntly, though there was really no other way to say it.

I hummed in response and nodded my head, to which his eyes widened at my lack of reaction, "Did you not hear me?"

"I knew it was her." I said simply.

His eyes only grew wider as he stuttered, "H-How?"

"I saw how she reacted when Ty found out; guilt was written all over her face. Then on my way out after...our little fight, I saw the bloody handprint she left behind on the doorframe. I was a cop, not a detective, but I picked up a few things and I'm good at reading people, especially people I know well." 

Though the man looked at me with nothing but disbelief, what I said was nothing but the truth. I knew what she was guilty of, and to be quite frank, I didn't tell anyone her secret for a reason. Not because I agreed with her outlook, but because I knew what these people would do if they found out the truth.

"So...what'd you do when you found out?" I asked after a few beats of silence.

He sighed heavily as he placed his hands on his hips, "I sent her out on her own with some supplies, told her not to come back. I can understand what she was trying to do, but it was the wrong call. And we can't have that here; that's what I told her. I know she'll be okay though...she's tough."

I nodded in understanding, but that didn't stop the ping of sadness I felt in the pit of my stomach at the sudden news. I cared deeply about Carol; she had always been such a great person in the tight knit group we shared. She was trying to help us, save us, but I knew what she did was wrong and there was really no excuse for it. I just hoped she would be okay on her own, holding onto that little bit of hope that we would see her again someday.

"Do you think I did the right thing?" he asked suddenly.

I pressed my lips together with a sigh as I thought for a long moment, "I don't know." I admitted quietly, "She's been with us for a long time, since this all started. But at the same time what she did wasn't okay. So, I don't know."

He nodded, "I just figured you should be the first person to know. I trust you more than anyone else here..." he stated, pausing for a moment as he looked at me with a tilt of his head, "I miss you, you know."

I smiled small, "Yeah...I miss you too."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* DARYL POV ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I tried to keep my breathing steady as we were close to getting trampled by a large group of walkers. We had managed to get all the meds we needed that were on the list and were now one step closer to making it back to the prison. But then the dead seemed to catch up to us, coming from everywhere as we tried to escape the building.

We were running out of options, not knowing where else to turn to as our eyes scanned desperately for some kind of out. That is until Tyreese decided to break through the closest window, looking down to see a platform we could use to cut through the number of walkers swarming around the property. I helped Michonne out first and then Ty, before grabbing my bags and heading out next with Bob right on my tail. The remaining dead ones pounding on the door behind us that we somehow managed to block off to save our asses in time.

The four of us all managed to make it out, but when Bob threw himself out the window in a panic, he landed directly on his stomach and almost fell off right into the herd of walkers below. He had his bag dangling from the edge and all the dead ones went to grab it and try to tear it from his grasp. I thought that he would just let the bag go instead of risking his life, but I was wrong.

He held onto that bag like his life depended on it. The three of us stood back as we waited for him to quit fucking around, yelling at him to just let it go, but he ignored all of us, trying to pull it back up with all the remaining strength he had left.

Finally, after what felt like years, he got it out of their grip harshly and the bag flew back onto the surface with a thump. But it sounded lighter than the rest of the bags that we were carrying on our backs, glass clinking around instead of the familiar sound of meds. My brow furrowed as I made my way over to see what was so damn important, and my blood started to boil when I caught a glimpse of what was inside. The man only had a single bottle of whiskey at the bottom, all of us coming to the realization why he risked his goddamn life for it.

I held it up, "Ya got no meds in your bag? Just this?" I asked.

He couldn't meet my gaze, knowing that he was in the wrong for what he did as I scoffed at him with a glare, "Ya shoulda kept walkin that day." I muttered bitterly.

When he still didn't gaze up at me, I didn't hesitate to raise the bottle up to throw it off the roof in a fit of frustration. But that's when he finally spoke up, stopping my movements.

"Don't." he spoke in an oddly calm tone. I looked over my shoulder at the sound of his voice, seeing he had his hand over his gun that was in the holster on his belt, ready to shoot me over a fucking bottle of whiskey.

I wasn't intimidated at all as I tilted my head in his direction, walking right up to him to get in his face, silently daring him to do it. Daring him to try. But he didn't, he couldn't even look at me anymore even though my presence was hard to miss. Eventually I reached down to take his gun out of his holster so he couldn't threaten me again and grabbed him by his shirt, ready to beat the shit out of him.

"Just let it go Daryl," Tyreese spoke suddenly, "The man's made his choice, nothing you can do about it. Just gotta let it go."

His voice echoed in my mind for a moment, finally letting him go again though I didn't back off completely, "I didn't want to hurt nobody," he spoke hesitantly, "It was just for when it gets quiet."

He still couldn't push himself to look me in the eye, so I took the bottle and shoved it to his chest harshly, not letting it go yet as I spoke lowly to him, "Ya take one sip, before those meds get in my wife...I will beat your ass into the ground," I shoved him again, "Ya hear me?"

He took the bottle from my hands without saying a word, but I was done wasting time. I turned around and grabbed my bags from where I had dropped them, and the rest wordlessly followed me back to the car so we could finally get back home. I felt my hands shaking in anger as I shoved everything into the small trunk, but I tried to push it all aside to rush back to her as fast as I could.

It was tense and dead silent in the car as I raced back. No one knew what to say and I could tell Michonne and Ty were just as pissed at Bob as I was. The fact that he came with us again just to get a bottle for himself and not because our people were dropping like flies, it rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I did make a mistake with bringing him back here, but I couldn't think about that right now. Now that we had the meds, I grew just a little more hopeful. Needing to see she was still okay.

~ Thanks for reading!

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[phanhlee]

(I'm gonna tell more about him, cause' I'm bored as shit. This is something that I wrote out of nowhere so the writing is...)

Tag: Claude Frollo x Helzon Sullivan (male!OC)

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Helzon Sullivan is a 130-year-old immortal monster, a nãga (those have human torso but serpent thick tail) that cursed by both demons and angels.

He was raised by his mother, who was a beautiful woman but work as a prostitute of the brothel. She met Helzon's father in workplace, who is a Greek demon in disguise. He bought her, took her to Greece and treated her like a goddess. However, when he found out she was pregnant, he kicked her out because he thought...human can't carry a devil's child.

Helzon's mother left him when he was ten. She jumped down into a river and let the water brought her to the love of her life...in hell. The poor child is left to live alone, suffering the devil blood in his veins.

Helzon can't die, or sleep properly. The only time he can experience sleep is when he turns back into his true form during the "heat period" every 100 days.

His normal form is a gorgeous tall man (1m89) with a pair of special silver eyes, taken from his devil father, and dark hair to shoulder level. However, this is just a "borrowed" body, his real form is very much different.

Helzon's real form is a giant nãga with pure black skin and long white hair (No detail yet) and he has tentacles (because I like them)

Helzon's nature is a calm, unbothered man. He can be kind when he want to, and cruel when it's necessary. He won't intervene when Claude catches the Gypsy "criminals" but will take an arrow for anyone who is near.

Helzon is sometimes very cold, but he is polite nonetheless. He would wish Claude a good day even when the judge just slaps him across his face and puches him.

He will respect people's admiration for him and treat them kindly, but won't give them hope. His usual excuses are "Being with me only brings you misery" "I am a boring man" "You won't say that after seeing the true me" and bla bla.

However, Helzon never broke his promises. He would help anyone if they asked him properly, and kill a person at the same time. Even in his human form, Helzon has such inhuman strength, and his wounds would leave no scar after he changed back to Nãga form.

Helzon has a soft spot for children, and the crying stuffs (which Claude did use to seduce him). He also has a high sense of sympathy, especially for the women in the brothel, because they remind him of his mother. He loves his mother.

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Helzon arrived at Paris as a free soldier, had a nice cozy home and a job that demanding him to leave home for long trips.

His life changed when he met that cruel judge Claude Frollo, who has had an obsession with Helzon since their first encounter on the streets.

He completely ignores Claude at first, despite the judge continuously stalking and cursing him. Helzon puts the words and actions out of his mind, and of course, that irritated Claude like hell burning along his veins.

People know Claude Frollo. If he wanted something, he would kill to get it. Eventually, Claude accused Helzon of a crime that he didn't commit and put him into jail.

However, Helzon never gave in to Claude's pleasure. He stayed in the jail, being beat and tortured by the soldiers, yet, never complaint.

Until one day, Claude decided that he would get Helzon out of his cell, only if Helzon agreed to be his servant, his dog. He wasn't asking though, Helzon obviously had no choice.

In this time, the two lived together in Claude's palace. They ate together, read together... And sometimes, Claude would have some tricks to get into Helzon's bathtub or his bed.

Yet, all of those attempts couldn't make Helzon give up his believes that Claude would leave him after viewing his true form. So, the man closes his heart even tighter despite all the judge's efforts....

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That's the part 1!

The story line is just the summarized one. There are many interesting and funny stories when Claude denied his own obsession and feelings, yet went after Helzon anyway :) Claude's harsh journey to find the happiness like the first picture is still long...