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#i promise i'm vaguely entertaining
pumpkincentaur · 1 year
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so. for those of you who do not know!
I (delaney, formerly lend-your-lungs-to-me) have started a twitch channel! wow!! what's it for? playing vidya games--usually poorly.
the goal is to stream regularly and have lots of fun. i'll be going live TONIGHT continuing my playthrough of baldur's gate 3 at 5pm AST / 4pm EST / 1pm PST. come hang out with me as i play as the dark urge and continue to be surprised by the consequences of my actions.
because i'm the dark urge. and everything is fine :)
twitch_live
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Me, about to get my wisdom teeth removed, literally shaking and crying: hey this would make a good fanfiction.
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suguae · 7 months
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Haunted
part one
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I tried my best to tag as many people!
The long awaited part two! I'm so sorry if this doesn't live up to your guys expectations! I really felt like so much people were waiting for a part two and I've been so busy, but hopefully you all enjoy!
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You were like a shot of espresso, a ray of sunlight and one would be so lucky just to even be in your presence.
That's how he saw it at least. The gummy smile that was glued on your face as you listened to Megumi's silly stories he'd make up just to entertain you.
Wherever you stepped foot, the mood would lighten drastically.
He knew that because if you were here with him right now, Megumi wouldn't be crying his heart out begging his dad to call you. Toji wouldn't be struggling to fall asleep as he looked at your side of the bed imagining you there. He wouldn't be crossing his fingers hoping that every notification on his phone would be you.
"The princess and prince got married and lived happily ever after." You smiled as Megumi watched you close the book in awe. His cheeks were painted with a light pink, "You and Daddy?" You couldn't help but giggle at cute sleepy Megumi.
"No..." You whispered, noticing his eyes getting heavy.
Toji's eyes shifted towards you and his baby boy on the shared bed, Megumi of course having one of his fits and you never being able to say no to him. His heart felt heavy, hearing the cold truth slip from your mouth.
"You've been out of it Fushiguro..."
There he was back to reality in his cold—big office. Standing in front of him was Shiu, his best and his closest employee. "Zenin." Toji corrected which caught Shiu by surprise. Toji was proud to have his wife's last name, yet here he is using his last name.
No wedding ring? Shiu thought to himself, looking at Toji’s empty fingers. But in fact his fingers were not empty, because there sat the dark purple promise ring you had gotten him for your third year anniversary. Shiu smiled to himself, he was moving on—for the better. 
“You and Y/n are doing better, I guess?” He sighs, taking a couple steps towards his boss’s desk and plopping himself on the chair in front of him. His smile fading hearing the vague no, coming from his boss. 
“She left actually, but it’s better this way.” 
“Is it?” 
“No, it’s not.” You smiled as the soft yellow light from the candle illuminated onto your face. How Toji’s heart melted when he saw that little sparkle in your eyes. “I actually love kids.” Your eyes shifted to the little stroller after Toji mentioned how stupid it was to try to go on dates as he had a whole baby. 
“It’s been rough ever since my wife passed.” 
He remembers that look on your face when he told you how recently his wife had passed. It was the first date, he brought his son and mentioned his dead wife. There was no way he would ever see you again after that. But he was wrong because you always found your way back.
“Daddy—gumi hungry!” The little boy pouted as Toji noticed the burning smell of the food. It had been way too much now, spacing out every chance he had just to think about you.
Where are you?
Are you okay?
He wonders if you’re doing better now that you left him.
Probably, right?
Wrong.
“You need to clean this place up, it’s a mess y/n.” Your mom says entering your small apartment. The tiny cans of energy drinks scattered around the place, tissues and a pile of blankets on the couch.
She sighed watching your frail body sit up from the couch, her arm wrapped around your body and she placed small kisses on your forehead.
“It’s gonna take a while to get back on his feet. When your father passed away, it took years for me to officially realize that he was gone y/n.”
That’s what hurt the most, how long was Toji willing to take to realize? What if he forgets about you?
“Go back to your daily life, my baby he will call you when he’s ready. I see the love in his eyes.” She smiled once more before bringing you closer in her embrace.
This is what you needed.
The embrace of someone else’s while your life was slowly changing.
His thumb hovered over your contact. His hands shaking as the tears swell in his eyes. It’s been well over six months since the break up.
Toji was more than ready.
He was just afraid now, afraid of the fact that the women he had a past with moved on and would reject his return.
His thumb firmly pressing the dial button as he brings his phone up towards his ear. He could feel his throat closing and his stomach churning.
“Hello?”
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<- previous next part ->
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taglist: @ssc7514@utarts@my1guilty1pleasures@bangchansthings@nxxun-blog@sidelnes@khaleesihavilliard@wr4inn@r0ckst4rjk@iwishigotswallowed@ryumurin@traacy-lin@aikori6@slowlyswimmingmoon@mikyapixie@dreamlessnight@maliakealoha
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two-white-butterflies · 3 months
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★ — and ignite your bones | carlos sainz and multi
Description: Trying to find love after your ex-fiancee told you that his mistress makes him happier. How hard could it be?
part three of it was all yellow
Pairing: actress!singer!reader/multi (undecided), actress!singer!reader/carlos sainz (past).
Trope: Secret Baby Trope
Disclaimer: Everything written in this fanfic holds no truth about anyone's personality or actions. It is made purely for entertainment.
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The bitter taste remained in your throat - vomit threatened to puke out of your esophagus. There were three billion people in the world, yet Carlos' sister decided to invite his new girlfriend to the party. It was greedy to expect them to shun the new, in favor of the old.
You take a sip of your wine.
The Sainz Family never accepted you as part of them. To them, your family wasn't as prestigious as it came from relatively new fame. To them, your father was just a country bumpkin that was lucky to make it big in Hollywood. They always spoke Spanish around you.
They never bothered to warm their hearts to someone as 'cold' as you. Of course, your other ex-boyfriend was also Spanish and you could translate the few words that they said.
That was when you realized that the family didn't like you...at all. They thought that you were strange despite your gentle disposition.
They ignored you.
And like a knife was getting twisted inside of you, they welcomed Because with open arms.
"Are you okay?" Pom stood in front of me. "- I feel quite left out, what ever is happening over there." she chuckled, pointing at the group of friends laughing and speaking in another language. "Its been a long time since I've been around them. I know how you feel." you smiled.
"I'm sorry for intruding but, Carlos was your ex-boyfriend, right?" she narrowed her eyes, watching as your ex-lover paraded Pablo around the boat - showing everyone his son. "Yes," you answered, throwing your attention back to the ocean waters.
"- and that woman is his new girlfriend?" she vaguely stared at the other woman and you nodded. "Holy mackerel." she scoffed.
Pom Klementieff sat beside you.
"I think he downgraded." she whispered, you knew that it was the alcohol speaking in her behalf. "You're only saying that because you want to be my friend." you teased and she shrugged.
"I'm sorry, I say things sometimes and they're not appropriate." she apologized, earning a small chuckle from you.
She could be a good friend.
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Thankfully lunch rolled around quickly. There weren't many things that you could chatter about after four hours of chatting. Pom looked seasick and you were exhausted with all of the cleaning.
Pablo was being stubborn, he didn't want to eat his vegetables.
"Pabs, just try it once." you pleaded, knowing better than to force food down a toddler's mouth. "No." he stubbornly answered. He inherited his father's stubbornness.
"You like the broccoli that Nana makes, this one is made by your other Nana." you explained, seeing that there was no difference between the broccoli made here then the broccoli at home.
"No." he responded pushing the spoon away.
Carlos, sensing the tension quickly made his way to the chair beside his son. He placed a guiding hand on his back. "Is there something else that you want to eat?" he inquired and Pablo shook his head.
"I want to go home." the boy replied, jumping down from his seat and sprinting towards you - burying his face on your chest.
"We'll be in our hotel room, soon. Once we land in Mallorca, we'll grab ice cream." you promised. "- but you have to eat something first." you added and only then did the young boy relent.
Carlos' eyes narrowed watching as the both of you ate. It was funny to think about the different outcomes of life, maybe, if he didn't fuck it all up and decided to stay - this would happen in a daily basis. He'd have a quiet life where all he worried about was food, children and what movies you'd watch on his days off.
He could've had a quiet life.
He didn't want a quiet life back then. He wanted to be taken off the ground by a hurricane. But like a rabbit hiding under a car in fear of the lights, he is ran over by fate and dead before he could think twice.
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yn.ln: one last night in this lovely boat. @pomklementieff @lovelyemilia @krumbasis @lordemusic
also @lewishamilton thank you for watching sprinkles while we're away.
liked by lewishamilton and 723,923 others
>comments
thatonegirl: ohh she's not posting @because.official HAHAHA
deftonesmusic92: Leaving out Because is so funny 😭
danielricciardo: See you in Mallorca!
maxverstappen: Have fun ❤️
lewishamilton: No problem, as long as you watch Coco and Roscoe next time. 🙂
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Because takes a deep breath, feeling his arms wrap around her waist. At night, she thinks about his son and his baby mommy. She looks at your face sometimes, the curve of your nose, the distance of your eyes, your quirky personality - all parts of you that were better than all the parts of hers.
When Carlos chose her instead of you, she found love. She thought that something about her must be unique. But then she sees the way he looks at you and finds that respect diminishing.
Love should belong to herself, but why is she reaching for the horizon looking for love that comes from him?
Most of all, she doesn't understand why Carlos chose her.
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yn.ln: Happy birthday Blanca!! Thank you for inviting Pablo and I. We had tons of fun, wishing for more birthdays to come. ❤️ te amo @blancasainzvasquez
liked by maxverstappen and 91,238 others
>comments
ynworld: happy bday!!
emymei: The cutest duo
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because.official: Happy 27th Blancs! here is the family picture that i took of yous ❤️ please enjoy your day. @blancasainzvasquez
liked by carlossainz55 and 82,329 others
>comments
ilvermonhyhigh: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLANCA SAINZ!
blancasainzvasquez: Aww post the one with you in the pic. Thank you for the birthday greeting Brezzie ❤️
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lewishamilton posted to his story.
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caption: mallorca/happy birthday pablo
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rileykeough posted to her story.
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caption: Thanks for the pic birthday boy!! I love you so much
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carlossainz55 posted to his story.
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caption: Happy birthday P! Double birthday celebration.
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maxverstappen: Happy birthday pobla pablo 🦖 I held you when you were baby and now you're so big. I wish that you grow big and strong. Have a happy happy birthday 🥳
liked by yn.ln and 1,283,093 others
>comments
victoriaverstappen: Happy birthday baby dino!
yn.ln: thank u sm uncle maxie !!
maxverstappenworld: MAN WHY YOU POSTING PABLO LIKE UR THE FATHER 😭
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danielricciardo posted to his story.
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caption: Happiest birthday to the future racecar driver!!
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undiscovered-horizon · 11 months
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[Mihawk prefers to keep work and his private life separate. On one rare occasion when these two have to comingle, Mihawk is rather upset at the attention you attract.]
Enjoying my work? You can leave me a tip on Ko-Fi | Have a request?
When Mihawk said "It will be just a moment, my dear", you didn't think the issue would take more than half an hour. Yet here you are, two hours after he had left you in a fussy lounge in the back of Midnight Grove...
...and not a Dracule Mihawk in sight.
You let out an exasperated sigh and take another sip of your mai tai. The band is playing yet another song that sounds vaguely identical to the previous one. Similarly, the mob of other patrons seems to be merging into one, murky background of blurry figures in your eyes. Being used to the peaceful yet refined companionship of Mihawk, the aura of Midnight Grove is beyond unbearable.
Mindlessly playing with a coaster featuring a howling wolf, you don't notice a Marine cadet approaching you.
"I'm afraid I have to arrest you, my lady."
The unexpected and, frankly, unwelcome comment makes you look up from the devilishly fascinating coaster. Your eyes fall on a well-built man with long hair and a smug expression. The glint in his brown eyes makes you tense up in discomfort.
"Excuse me?" you ask him, not understanding the meaning behind his words.
The cadet gives you a bad parody of a flirtatious smile. "You look too beautiful," he purrs out.
You can't help but laugh. Somehow, you're undecided whether his pick-up disgusts or amuses you or maybe both. Perhaps his audacity forced a laugh out of you - the ring on your fourth finger is neither modest nor simple. Considering how the large gem in the golden band shone in the low light of the Midnight Grove, even a blind man could tell from a mile away that you are anything but single.
"Anyone waiting for you at home?" he continues his rather poor attempt at flirting.
With a casual flick of your wrist, you toss the coaster on the table. Feeling both curious and entertained, you decide to play along - for now, at least. "Why are you asking, sailor boy?" you question before taking another sip of your drink. The ice has melted and the diluted drink now tastes mostly of old freezer.
"He must be mighty jealous about you. And considering the gold you're wearing," he makes a point of staring at your cleavage, "a millionaire, too."
"Oh, this?" You look down at the necklace of jewels and pearls. A memory flashes before your eyes, suddenly remembering Mihawk's face, barely visible in candlelight as he clasps the jewellery around your neck, telling you sweet things only men in romance novels tend to say. "Yes, it's a gift from someone. I'm sure you know him," you tell the Marine cadet in a casual tone, already imagining how hilarious his face of terror will be when he realizes whose spouse he's been trying to woo. "Tall, yellow eyes, a rather large sword and...
"Awfully annoyed at your impertinence, boy."
The low, guttural voice laced with withheld anger makes both of you look away. There, standing right behind the cadet, is Mihawk himself. Part of his large physique blocks the scarce lighting, making him look significantly more insidious. In the twilight of the Midnight Grove, with fury burning in his eyes, Mihawk appears closer to a demon than a man.
Although the room is dark, you can clearly see the way the cadet's blood draws from his face and the way his eyes are suddenly bigger than an owl's. He scrambles to his feet, almost falling off his chair. Then, muttering apologies and promises of better behaviour, the young Marine runs off only to disappear in the crowd of Midnight Grove's patrons.
Mihawk's eyes follow the youngling for a moment.
"I should have him strung up and killed," he says more to himself than you.
"Or," you speak up, a playful smile curling your lips, "you could sit down, have a drink with your beautiful wife and gloat about the fact that you're the only man to undress her."
You might just be a witch because the change in his demeanour is instant. There is still something wild in his bright, yellow eyes but it's not bloodthirst or anger anymore. You notice how he glances at the ring and the necklace, admiring his own signs of "ownership". One would think they're big enough to send the message. Alas, some people just refuse to receive it.
"You have me convinced," Mihawk says as he sits down next to you.
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dee-morris · 9 months
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Crackish Theory
but not really but maybe? Let me work through my thoughts and then you help me decide how serious I am.
I had a Shower Thought today about this ask.
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"Never quite as good as he likes to maintain." Neil has also said that Crowley is an unreliable narrator when it comes to his Fall, and we know from the show that his story keeps changing. He sauntered vaguely downwards, he did a million light year freestyle, he only asked questions but he also rode into battle during the War. Hm.
My initial thought was that his memory had been fucked with, and he genuinely doesn't know. And this could still be true, probably is true, but I was scrubbing conditioner of of my eyes this afternoon and just started to wonder if Crowley actually did something Bad to get the boot?
I don't think I've ever seen anyone suggest this before, which is INTERESTING. We've collectively agreed that he's just a sad wet cat who would never hurt anyone, but my niblings in Christ, he turned a bunch of paintball guns into real rifles bc he thought it was funny. (I'm convinced that the only reason he made sure nobody died was the Look Aziraphale gave him.) Muh point izzz, what if he committed an act of sabotage in the course of investigating or poking around or building a suggestion box or whatever he did to get answers that pissed off the Metatron?
Or maybe he was a spy. Remember his Bond fixation? Maybe he worked undercover for Lucifer bc he was promised answers that the Almighty wasn't giving up. Once you let go of the idea that he's just a wee soft boi who only asked questions with big sad Puss in Boots eyes, the possibilities are endless.
As are the fic ideas. I think I've got enough material here to keep me entertained until filming starts, at least.
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rhys-writes-some-shit · 8 months
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"Sing to Me?"
Alastor x Reader (QP)
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Yawning, you trudged out of the bathroom, drying your hair loosely with a towel. You were warm from your shower and the filling meal you'd had a little while earlier. Alastor was probably the best chef you knew, a fact you were extremely proud of. Even if your preferred form of protein was banned from the hotel premises, Alastor was always able to make do with what he had.
Despite it being late at night, you grabbed your laptop (a very rare, not VoxTech one) to work on some paperwork. You'd promised your boss to get these spreadsheets done, and you weren't one to shirk on your promises. Yawning again, you tuned your old-fashioned radio before settling down with your laptop. The radio had been a gift from Alastor. Many late nights had been spent listening to his broadcasts. They'd always been a comfort, even before you'd signed a contract with him.
Some light jazz filtered through the static, one of your favorite songs. Alastor knew you were listening. Smiling lightly, you started typing away.
The music was occasionally interrupted by a bloodcurdling scream or a sharp whimper. Your smile never left, humming along while Alastor had his fun. Part of you was vaguely aware that the radio show was now being broadcast all throughout Hell, that you didn't even need the radio, but you liked it, so it stayed on.
The spreadsheets were simple enough. With the radio in the background, you were able to focus just enough that the job came naturally. In the back of your mind, you started going over the next day’s schedule.
You'd ended up zoning out while you typed, not even noticing how the radio switched to static and then turned off by itself.
A single knock preceded Alastor's entrance, enough to break you from your thoughts. You were quick to notice the faint blood splatter on the sole of Alastor’s shoes, the only evidence of his previous activities.
“My dear, you know how I abhor those vile machines,” Alastor reprimanded, walking and starting to subconsciously organize your room. A chair was pushed in, a painting adjusted so it was even, the bottom drawer of your dresser lightly closed.
“Yeah, yeah.” You grinned to yourself. “I need it to do my job, Al. Besides, do you have any idea how hard it is to find a piece of electronic equipment that's not created by VoxTech?”
“All the more reason to get rid of it.” Alastor walked over to the window and stared out at it. He was a little lost in thought himself, it would seem.
Typing a line, you said, “I liked your broadcast.”
“I'm glad.”
He was quiet. Something was wrong. Your grin died down, pushing your laptop to the side. Alastor’s smile was still there, but dimmer. Sadder.
“Al? You okay?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with, dearest,” Alastor replied, a slight edge in his voice.
You wanted to push. To get him to talk to you. But you knew it wouldn't be worth it. If anything, he'd just get upset or shut down more.
“You know, sometimes I wonder what would've happened if we'd met while we were alive,” You said nonchalantly. “I mean, obviously that would've been impossible in the first place, considering I wasn't even born when you died, but I just wonder about it.”
“What a ridiculous thing to wonder about!” Alastor laughed a little. “As you said, it would have been impossible. And why think about being alive when we have all of death to enjoy?” His tone lightened a bit. “There is so much entertainment to be had! Life was quite dull, comparably.”
You wondered for a moment, trying to figure out where to lead the conversation. “Where did you live, when you were alive? You already know where I lived when I was alive, it's only fair I know where you lived.”
Alastor’s grin softened a bit, still sad, but with a hint of happiness in there. Nostalgia, if you had to guess. “New Orleans, Louisiana. I lived there with my mother. I had a delightful job as a radio host.”
“You're still a radio host,” you teased playfully. “What was it like, back then?”
“Ah, it was… entertaining.” He didn't say anything more, lost in thought as he leaned on his cane. You were vaguely aware that you were the only person who ever saw him like this. Alastor wore his smile like armor, guarding himself with a nonchalant facade, but very rarely, behind closed doors, the guard would fall, just for a little while.
Just as you were about to open your mouth to ask another question, Alastor spoke, “You seem quite tired, my dear. Maybe it is time we part ways for the evening.”
Pressing your lips together, you knew he was right. You really should be getting to bed, but you were worried about Alastor. You hadn't seen him like this before, so it was impossible to guess what he'd do once he was alone.
“You really should learn to hide your emotions better.” Alastor turned suddenly, chucking to himself. “There is nothing to worry about, darling. I am perfectly fine.”
“Yeah, you say that, but for some reason I don't believe you.” Stifling a yawn, you gave Alastor a look.
“Now, now, don't be like that.” Alastor came and sat on the edge of the bed, using his magic to set the laptop on top of the dresser. “What can I do to convince you to sleep?”
Leaning back, you thought for a moment. When the idea hit you, your face flushed with embarrassment for a moment, but you swallowed the anxiety. He did ask, after all.
“Sing to me?”
Alastor laughed, causing you to glare. “Again with the ridiculous ideas!” When your face fell subconsciously, Alastor hesitated.
When he didn't say anything, you accepted the fact that it was a ridiculous request. Assuming he'd leave the room on his own accord, you used your magic to turn out the lights as you slid under the covers of your bed. You never did get all those spreadsheets done like you'd wanted.
“Parlez-moi d’amour.”
Alastor’s slightly-static-filled voice was quiet. His eyes faintly glowed in the dark and you watched him with wide eyes.
“Redites-moi des choses tendres.”
Smiling softly, you sank into the bed, closing your eyes and allowing Alastor’s comforting voice to wash over you.
“Votre beau discours /
“Mon cœur n'est pas las de l'entendre /
“Pourvu que toujours /
“Vous répétiez ces mots suprêmes /
“Je vous aime.”
((The song))
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galedekarios · 10 months
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gale & his mother, morena dekarios
i thought it'd be nice to have a place to compile everything i could find about gale's mother, morena dekarios.
the first time you as the player get a vague mention about gale's parents is after saving mirkon, when gale brings up a story about his parents denying him a kitten when he was still a child:
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Gale: One time my parents denied me akitten, so I summoned myself a tressym.
if you play a gale origin playthrough, you get a mention of her much earlier from tara, after she joins the camp.
this is a camp dialogue with its variants from act i:
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Tara the Tressym: Well, if it isn't my favourite fellow himself. Player: How are things back in Waterdeep? Tara the Tressym: More or less the same - though news of some mad faction calling themselves 'Absolutists' is starting to trickle in. Tara the Tressym: I told your mother not to worry. That if they were anything to worry about, Baldur's Gate would handle things quick-sharp. Keep them from spreading their tendrils north. She still wants to know when she'll see you again, sir. I avoid giving any answers. But she misses you. Player: I miss her too. Tara the Tressym: I'll tell her. With my Cat Flap of Displacement, I can afford the occasional visit. I'd bring you along, if I could. Perhaps some day. - Player: I can't risk putting her in danger. Tara the Tressym: I know that, but she doesn't. She'd keel over if she knew just how you'd tried to manipulate the Weave. Or maybe she'd just say something like, 'My Gale always was one to make the impossible possible.' Oh, but she adores you. - Player: No more guilt trips, Tara. Please. Tara the Tressym: But then whatever will we talk about? Anyhow - I'm keeping my senses pricked for any sign of another item that might be of use to you. Hopefully something will turn up soon.
it's clear from the dialogue that gale's mother worries about him and loves him - adores him, really.
it also becomes clear that she doesn't know what happened to gale and that he nor tara has not told her.
another mention from act i, again from tara:
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Tara the Tressym: Please tell me you've at least made inroads when it comes to finding someone to settle down with. Myself and Mrs Dekarios are starting to think you intend to die alone. Player: You've been visiting my mother? Tara the Tressym: Naturally. After you abandoned her, there was only me left to keep her company. She's very good company, though. Ah, the stories we've traded over toast and tea. You're a highly entertaining source of speculation. But speculation only goes so far! Tell me, Mr Dekarios - how have you been?
tara and morena are implied to have tea together regularly enough to trade stories about gale. tara is implied to be a sort of messenger between the two of them, likely after gale's isolation and subsequent abduction by the nautiloid, keeping morena informed, yet without revealing gale's secret and shame.
the devnotes also state that tara loves morena - high praise since other devnotes states that tara hates everyone except gale - and that she talks of her in an affectionate tone.
this is a dialogue in act ii after mystra has tasked gale to use the orb the moment he finds the heart of the absolute:
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Tara the Tressym: Promise me, Gale. Promise me you'll find another way. Promise me you'll return home, when this is all over. Player: I can't make that promise, Tara. Tara the Tressym: You're going to kill me. And your mother. And then there'll be no one to mourn you when you've wasted yourself for no good reason at all.
i find it very interesting here in terms of other relationships that tara explicitly says that there will be no one to mourn gale except morena and her should he heed mystra's instructions and sacrifice himself. it speaks of the bond between tara, morena and gale - but also even more of gale's isolation and loneliness. we know from tara that she considers herself to be gale's only old friend and gale echoes as much. we also know that gale describes the dekarios family as the dekarios clan, that is "scattered" far and wide.
at the same time, the loud silence about gale's father becomes really apparent again. a while ago, i speculated about gale's father and i truly do still think that he abandoned morena and gale.
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another snippet from an act ii convo, before gale reveals the details of elminster's letter to tara (or chosing to keep it to himself):
Tara the Tressym: I'm not one to pry. I'd rather make up all the juicy details myself over tea with your mother.
which again ties in with a similar line from act i, further cementing the fact that this is a regular thing between tara and morena.
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still in act ii, tara says this if gale asks her if she'll still love him if he is a mindflayer:
Player: Will you love me when I'm a mind flayer? Tara the Tressym: Depends. Are mind flayers warm-blooded? If so, my prize napping spot on your lap won't be compromised. In which case, I suppose we could find an accord. And, of course, your mother would still think you a prince, no matter how many tentacles you had. And with a nautiloid, you may even manage to visit her more often.
again, gale's mother truly adores him. tara is utterly convinced she'd love him even if he'd turn into a mind flayer. at the same time, the dialogue again hammers home the fact that gale's been keeping his distance from his mother after he has acquired the orb.
the following lines are a compilation of some of tara's lines from act iii, all once again stating that she is a messenger between gale and morena, keeping morena informed about gale's well-being, while also looking after morena in gale's absence from waterdeep:
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Tara the Tressym: You're almost at the end of this, Gale. You're nearly there. And not a moment too soon. Myself, I must away to Waterdeep. Your mother will be worried silly not to have heard from either of us - and now I can bring her the good news. When this is all over I'll be waiting for you, with a crackling fire and good book at the ready. Good luck, darling. - Tara the Tressym: I'm well past due to return to Waterdeep. I'm going to tell your mother that you'll be home soon. Don't make a liar of me, darling. - Tara the Tressym: I'll have to make up some good news for your dear mother, then. I'm going home, Gale. To look after Mrs Dekarios, and to remind you that there are people waiting for you in Waterdeep.
going back to companion gale, the next mention of gale's mother after saving mirkon, is from gale in an ambient with karlach:
Gale: I don't suppose you've any clue where we are in relation to Waterdeep? Karlach: From this distance between Elturel and Baldur's Gate, I'd say... a long way away.devnote Gale: Ah. That will make getting word to my mother rather tricky. No matter - what she doesn't know can't hurt her. Not at this distance, anyway.
it echoes the lines of dialogue that origin gale has, believing he endangers his mother with his condition and thus keeping his distance.
gale mentions his mother in an act iii dialogue after meeting tara on the rooftop of the open hand temple:
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Gale: My tower in Waterdeep boasts an excellent kitchen and a wine cellar to rival Ondal himself. Not to mention a larder stocked with my homemade hundur sauce. Player: Hundur sauce? Gale: A Waterdhavian delicacy, spiced to leave exactly the right amount of heat lingering on the tongue, and served with that most sharp-toothed of aquarian residents, the quipper fish. I make it to my mother's recipe. It packs quite a wallop. As does she.
we know that gale's the designated camp cook from a conversation with wyll, and i think the conversation makes it fair to assume that gale's mother taught him how to cook.
still, maybe it's because i'm not a native english speaker and i might be missing some cultural context here, but the line "it packs quite a wallop. as does she." stuck out to me:
wallop. to hit something / someone hard.
this could mean that gale's seen her hit someone and packing quite a punch behind it. with what's been described of morena so far, i doubt it's because gale's ever been on the receiving end of that.
or perhaps it's less literal and more in relation to her seemingly larger than life personality that gale also hints at later, describing his mother as "intimitable" and "sometimes unavoidable". this description is from the following conversation that is currently sadly still bugged:
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Player: So your last name is Dekarios? Gale: It is. Courtesy of my mother, the inimitable, dare I say it sometimes unavoidable, Morena Dekarios. It's been so long since I've used it. 'Gale Dekarios' cut a poor figure next to the wizard prowess of 'Gale of Waterdeep'. Player: Gale Dekarios... I think I like him more. Gale: You like to many things about me I'd have sooner discarded... Your generosity is quite wonderful. Gale Dekarios likes you too. Very, very much. Though let's keep his exitence between ourselves for now. - Player: Doesn't your matter mind? Gale: Oh, she's happy if I'm happy. Morena couldn't care one jot what I call myself. Tara's the real stickler for using it. Has done since I summoned her. I'd prefer you not follow her exmaple, if that's all the same to you. 'Gale' is more than sufficient. - Player: You're right. Just 'Gale is better. Gale: I agree. And on the plus side, if I get myself into any truly cataclystic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.
i love this banter so much and it makes me very sad that larian still hasn't fixed the issue of it not triggering. there's so much lore to explore here:
from gale dropping 'dekarios' in favour of 'of waterdeep', at first, to appear perhaps more grandiose, more suited to the ambitions he held when he was younger, to morena, apparently, not minding it, yet tara clinging to 'dekarios' (perhaps to keep gale's feet on solid ground as much as she could), to finally finding out that the reason that the gale we meet now is not using 'dekarios' still is because he doesn't wish to tarnish his family name should he indeed fall victim to the orb.
the last mention gale makes of his mother is during his act iii post final battle dialogue, in which he proposes to the player:
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Gale: That being said, I wondered if you might consider accompanying me back to Waterdeep as a new member of the Dekarios clan? Player: Are you asking me to marry you? Gale: I suppose I am. Tara would be delighted. Not to mention my mother. But I'd be just as happy without such ceremony, so long as we're together.
this again mirrors what tara has been saying in her dialogue with an origin gale in act i: that morena and her were hoping he would find someone to find happiness with.
i think overall, even with only the very few bits and pieces we learn of morena, it's easy to tell that she truly loves and adores and cares her son, and that that love and care is clearly echoed back from gale to morena.
still, or perhaps more likely because of that love, gale keeps his secrets and his distance to morena because of the orb and the shame he feels he brought to his family.
it's all too easy to imagine that he wishes her to be proud of him and that he feels he has disappointed her and given her little reason to be proud of him in the same vein that he feels he has done with tara:
Gale: She'd [Tara] be most impressed by our efforts saving these tieflings. Proud, even. And I've given her little to be proud of recently.
anyhow, i hope i caught all mentions and that this was helpful to someone. 🖤
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shut-up-danny-kun · 5 months
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I've read hundreds of Star Trek TOS fics by now and it never ceases to amuse me how many different ways there are to fuck up Spock's characterization...now hold on just a minute - this post has a more interesting point than “fanfic writers stupid”, I promise you.
Every time, it's a spin on the massacre wheel. It's kind of amazing. Will he be overly emotional to the point where he's not himself anymore? Will he be so cold it's unpleasant and kind of hard to understand how he's lived to this point? Will he be extremely horny for no good reason? Will he speak in a way that sounds complety wrong?
I chuckle and shake my head. Of course, I KNOW what Spock is like, and MY interpretation of him is the most perfect and correct one. Obviously. He's just a very nuanced character, formed by many people in an unconventional way, with traits that seem to contradict each other at first but ultimately form a rich and unique character that so many people fell in love with specifically because he's so complicated...
Or...is he?
Let's entertain the idea that there isn't one correct interpretation of Spock, that all of these messy bits of characterization are not part of a bigger picture, but...just what they are: a product of many people with starkly different visions, working on a show that refuses to properly develop its characters. What then? Well, then Spock is a Rorschach test. Each viewer connects the random dots in their own way, and ignores the ones they don't like.
Let's use an example: me! In my interpretation of Spock (the most correct one, of course) he is, first of all, gay and on the asexual spectrum, reserved, largely uninterested in casual flirting or sex. When he is interested in the aforementioned things, he tends to be quite ashamed of it.
Makes sense, right? I can show you plenty of evidence for why that could be true. However, in the beginning of the first bloody season, Uhura sings a song about how Spock is actually kind of a heartthrob who likes to drive women insane with how hot he is, and Spock smiles. He smiles at her, as if agreeing and being very amused by all this! This interaction goes against pretty much everything I think about Spock. So what do I do? I explain it away in the most bizzare fucking way possible. See, Uhura and Spock are friends (there is no evidence for this), and Uhura knows everything I've just told you about him (through telepathy I guess? Not like he'd ever tell her!) and she's just trolling him (why would she do that? That is NOTHING like Uhura!). I need to do some Olympics-level mental gymnastics here, the opposite of Occam's razor.
“But Danny,” I hear you say, “it's just the start of the show! They hadn't figured out his character yet!”
To which I say: you can say that about anything! You can blame it all on a bad writer for that episode, and ignore virtually any scene that doesn't jive with your headcanons. It's there, and I can't ignore it.
So...how am I different from the people that want Spock to be thar heartthrob Uhura is singing about? That evidence is as much a part of canon as my favorite lines. Well, I'm not any different, that's the thing. And all those writers I complained about also have a point.
It's kind of a nihilistic take, I know, but maybe the reason Spock is such a cultural icon is because he is...whatever you want him to be: just concrete enough to spur on your imagination, yet vague and contradictory enough to let your brain fill in the gaps.
Don't get me wrong: I absolutely do not believe in this. In my mind, it just so happens that I'm one of the, like, 5 people ever who truly understood Spock (and one of them is Jim Kirk himself). But I still think it's something worth thinking about next time you're mad at a fic.
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wordy-little-witch · 6 months
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I'm caught perpetually teetering on the line between competent Buggy and absolutely fucked up into success Buggy, but I think I found a work around, and the reveal comes via Cross Guild - Mihawk specifically. Ergo, I thus drop little random numbers here for reading pleasure before I actually EXPLAIN it.
<><><><>
Crocodile
It was not abnormal for the clown to butt heads with the former warlord. They both had very strict and evident opinions, thought one (cough Buggy cough) was much more verbose about it. Running an expansive business with a bumbling fool of a face man was enough to instigate migraines in the most patient of men.
Crocodile was not a patient man.
One could only imagine the sheer agony of his day to day.
This came to a head, as such things tend to do, on a mundane Tuesday afternoon, barely past midday. Buggy had scuttled in, a veritable mess of a person, hair in disarray and sweaty. Crocodile had taken one look and sneered at the other in disgust. This, in turn, has set Buggy off.
The clown had apparently been out with the lower ranks, building rapport and assisting with the laborious tasks assigned to them. It was something he had done before titles had even been a passing thought to be disposed on his name, and he had made it abundantly clear that it would not stop now nor in the foreseeable future. Admittedly, Crocodile had tuned out much of it in preference for more entertaining thoughts, such as brutally mummifying a certain clown.
Thwack
Crocodile nearly dropped his cigar. He blinked, automatically turning a glowering glare at the other as he shifted his shoulders. Buggy simply huffed, pale though he was, meeting the dark scowl with one of his own.
"By the Seas, why do I even bother with you, I swear-!"
As fast as he had stumbled in, Buggy was gone. Crocodile stared after him well after the door clicked shut. He rubbed his shoulder with his remaining hand, grimacing thoughtfully. Buggy had hit him. Not hard enough to cause damage, not even enough to leave a bruise, but it stung. It had connected.
He was a Logia user, and the Clown had solidly hit him.
Thoughts racing, he tried to convince himself it must have been due to some leftover sweat from the physical activity the blue haired menace had been rambling about. Turning back to his paperwork, he firmly told himself that that was all there was to it.
He pointedly ignored the fact that Buggy's hands had been dry and dusted with dirt.
<><><><><><><>
Mihawk
Life on the island was much removed from the monotony of Kuraigana. It bustled with life here in a way both alien and vaguely familiar to the swordsman. Despite the brightness of the colors and the loudness of the cacophony, it was almost... charming.
He'd never admit that outloud, however.
One thing he did not find very enjoyable was the lack of challenge here. Most who used the blade and called this archipelago home withered under his attention, paled and bowed out from an offer to spar with stuttered excuses and fear in their hearts. It was disheartening, especially given how many of the showed halfway decent promise.
It was a slowly crawling Sunday evening when he happened across a small squadron of the newer recruits in one of the sandy clearings. Many were younger than expected yet carried a look of maturity far beyond the planes of their faces. Mihawk had found himself admittedly rather intrigued when Buggy had personally offered to welcome these young adults at best, teenagers at the lower end, to the Guild.
Even now, a few weeks into their stay on the isle, Mihawk noticed a marked change - a slight build of muscle mass, a more healthy coloring, cleaner clothes and faces. They were doing well, he noted.
They were also all working studiously with blades in hand.
He watched them work for a time, hidden into the shadowed spaces of the trees near the clearing, allowing himself but a moment of observation. His gaze inevitably shifted to their katas, their grips, their footwork. He frowned, brow furrowing slightly as he considered them, the oddly familiar movements ringing an unnamed bell within his mind.
A bright laugh distracted him, and he turned a glance to Audrey, one of the younger recruits, spinning fluidly between a parry, redirection, and then a slash. Her bright red plait swirled after her, and suddenly Mihawk was standing straighter, walking into the clearing.
The jovial air was quickly hushed, eyes growing wide as many bowed their heads in deference. Audrey met his gaze head on with a reckless defiance undercut only by the sheer terror she tucked behind bravado in her summer green gaze. "Sir," she nodded once, voice impressively level despite the white knuckles grip on her blade, now held at ease yet defensive.
He nodded once in response. "My apologies to have interrupted," he announced cooly. "I found you all practicing by chance and am quite pleased by your skills. It is evident you have an acceptable level of respect for the craft."
Many faces lit up at the compliment. Audrey herself smiled brightly, showing a little gap in her smile. Somehow, it made him almost fond of such a look.
"That being said," he continued before any further reaction could be given, "the swordplay you lot have been utilizing, wherever did you learn it?"
"C-Captain Buggy, s-sir!" A blond lad responded brightly with a smile, enthusiasm not defeated by his stutter. Thómas, if Hawkeye recalled correctly. "H-He has b-bee-been teaching us-s," the other hiccupped happily.
"The..."
"Chairmen Buggy said he knew a few styles. For now, we're learning this one - he said it would be easiest on us for the time being. Once we're stronger, he'll help us find individual styles to expand on!"
"Is that so," he replied absently, mind racing. He knew this style - he'd been on the receiving end of it more than once, after all. Never once had he considered that Shanks' impeccable footwork may have been a set style. It had seemed too randomized, too shaken from the norm to have a specific sequencing. And yet...
And yet.
"The Chairmen knows this style well enough to teach it then."
"Yes sir!"
"Mm. Thank you, then. You have given me much to think on. Keep up the good work."
Leaving just as suddenly as he'd arrived, the swordsman set on a straight path to the animal tents. The clown would doubtlessly be there at this time of day. Mihawk had gotten a general idea of the man's excessive schedule in his time on the island after finding the other's Presence too soft and wisp-like to pinpoint.
Yet a other odd thing about the clown, he supposed, making his way along.
Finding the clown had been easy. Guiding him from the masses had been equally so. Convincing him to spar had been... not. If anything, it had been loud, expressive and interspersed with crying. It had taken Mihawk quite explicitly swearing formally to not kill the other outright for Buggy to even stop his pathetic yet endearing tears.
Mihawk shook the latter thought off as quickly as it came.
Buggy asked if his daggers would suffice as a weapon, citing that Mihawk had been the one to ask for a spar, after all, and thus had a decent amount of choice. Pleasantly surprised by the clown's knowledge of the code, he'd cited it would be fine, as he would not be utilizing Yoru for this regardless.
They took their positions on opposite ends of their designated battle ground, eying one another carefully. With the clown right before him, Mihawk focused his Haki, intending not to quite crush the other but to study him as thoroughly as possible, to push his limits as it were.
Buggy surprisingly opted to play it safe, not lunging forward in a reckless attack as he so often seemed to do. Taking the signal, Mihawk moved instead, intending to push the other back, to catalogue his steps. Instead, Buggy twirled, one knife sliding sinfully along his own before looping back off again, redirecting his momentum easily without incurring nor causing any damage.
The dark haired man blinked.
He'd... barely felt the other move.
Typically Haki would ebb and flow around a person or object with the movements of the host. Split seconds before one moved towards the left, their Haki would lean into the motion. Identifying, studying and reacting to the Haki as opposed to the physical form took years of practice and mastery, something Hawkeye excelled in. His Observation was rumored to be on the same scale as Charlotte Katakuri, after all.
And yet a clown had blind sided him.
In response, he turned, rerouting his energy into a graceful arc. This time, he saw Buggy move, body fluid as he shifted around the threat despite his Devil Fruit. Mihawk wondered absently if the Haki would cause damage before he lunged backwards as a dagger came dangerously close to his mustache. He allowed his surprise to show for a moment, gaze darting to Buggy. He'd expected a stunned look, perhaps a smug, prideful expression.
The face which met him was closed off, locked down tightly, offset even further by the garish painted smile on the other's sun kissed face. Buggy's eyes, usually a soft blue that summoned the skies to his very irises had frozen over into something iced and glacier like. Mihawk was fascinated.
Their dance continued on, far longer than the taller had anticipated. Their deadly dance was near silent, save the sharp swish of silk-sheering sharp blades through air.
Mihawk made one more movement in, managing to chip away at defenses to leave an opening for his knife to slip in silently. The blade cut through cloth and - not skin, not flesh, but something. Mihawk was suddenly frozen in place, staring at where the blade sat innocently up to the hilt in the new gap between Buggy's lower and upper ribs.
"Well, guess that call it, then," the blue haired man sighed, pulling back his hands to resheath his weapons. "That was a hell of a work out, man, you are fast as fuck. Nngh~" He stretched, a few vertebrae popping as he stepped back to spin on the ball of his foot, hair swishing. "Want to head back? Dinner ought to be ready soon. ... Mihawk?"
The dark haired man had since straightened, staring between his blade and Buggy's body, whole and hale. "... is this the reason for your oddities?"
"What?"
"You... why would you..."
Buggy, now wary, seemed to debate his next move. That was all Mihawk needed to meet the otherr man's gaze head on.
"It is nearly impossible to completely suppress one's Haki, and yet yours fits you like a second skin. It is hardened, expansive, and dense." He frowned. "It is... frankly speaking, more than merely intimidating."
Buggy rubbed his elbow. "Don't... over think it, okay? It's nothing special-"
"It is."
"It isn't, okay-?"
"It is and you do so without so much as uttering an indicator. Your Haki is so tightly bound that I could feel the moment my blade passed that barrier. You have and continue to actively do what many consider impossible." He stepped closer. Buggy stepped back. Mihawk followed. "You use an impossible technique with your Haki." Step. "You are teaching a recruit squadron swordplay in the steangest yet most effective manner I have seen in a long while." Step. "You certainly used Armament during this exchange on instinct alone." Step. Thump. Buggy stared uo, huddled back to a tree trunk. Mihawk leaned into his space. "And, perhaps strangest of all, you use a variation of Shanks' Violeta Vendetta for your bladed battles. Tell me just who or what you are, clown - because a fool or failure is not among them."
Silence reigned in the clearing.
Mihawk stared.
Buggy gulped. "He still... calls it that?"
What. "What?"
"Red hair... bastard stills calls her Violeta...?"
Mihawk nodded. Buggy laughs.
And then? Well, then Buggy explains
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archangeldyke-all · 5 months
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hihi angel! i’m sorry tumblr keep eating ur asks 😔 i sent in a few but i don’t think you got them so here’s one!:
so, let's say that r and sevika have been married for a few years now. things have definitely mellowed out so they try something new!
every once in a while sev and reader will play a game. the rules are: go out to a club/bar, act like we don't know each other, one of us tries to seduce the other, whoever manages to get the other "in bed" wins.
how would this play out?
🌕
i love this so much.
men and minors dni
you sigh, taking another sip of the wine in front of you as you shuffle through the papers on the bar. it's finals season, and as a professor, you're swamped with grading.
you rarely take work outside of school or your little desk at home, but you needed a change of environment after grading papers for six hours straight in your apartment. so, here you are, a little tipsy and trying to keep your grading as harsh as usual as the alcohol mellows you out.
"professor?" a voice rasps out. you look up from your papers, pushing your reading glasses up to sit on your head, and blink at the woman in front of you.
you recognize her, vaguely. you teach five different classes, the average class size is close to 200 students. so you don't know her name. but as you study her face, she becomes more familiar to you. you smile.
"you're the one who's always cracking open a red bull in the middle of my lectures." you accuse, pointing at the woman in front of you.
she chuckles and nods, ducking her head in embarrassment.
"sorry. three hour lecture at five o'clock... i get sleepy." she admits. you chuckle.
"i'm not entertaining enough for you?" you ask. she gasps.
"no! y-you're very entertaining! my favorite class! i just have to get up early on tuesdays so i'm tired by the ti--"
"relax." you cut her off, giggling. "i hate the evening classes too. mostly, i'm just sad you've never brought me a red bull."
she grins. "i'm sevika." she thrusts her hand forward. you shake it, smiling at her.
"hello, sevika. i think i remember your paper." you say, chuckling.
"really?"
"mhm. just graded it an hour ago." you nod.
she sits in the stool next to you, grinning. "well?" she asks. you chuckle.
"well, what?"
"how'd i do?" she asks. you smirk at her.
"well, i can't tell you that." you say. she pouts.
"no?" she asks. you shake your head no. she hums, then turns around and flags down the bartender. "another, for her. and a whiskey for me." she requests. he nods and walks away, and you raise an eyebrow at your student.
"i'm still not telling you your grade."
"what, i can't buy my favorite professor a drink at the end of the semester as a thanks?" she asks. you roll your eyes and lean back in your stool, willing to entertain this for a few minutes before you go back to grading. you need a quick break anyways.
"am i really your favorite, or are you just saying that?" you ask. the bartender delivers your drinks, and you take a sip while sevika answers.
"no, you're my favorite by far." she promises. you snort.
"so, sevika, what're you studying?" you ask.
sevika chokes on her whiskey, glares at you, and then composes herself. you have to bite back a laugh. "uh... math?" she guesses.
you burst into laughter. "'re you guessing or telling?"
"telling." she decides, nodding. "math."
you have to bite your lip to keep from surging forward and kissing her right here and now. her eyes catch on the action, and you have to kick her under the bar to keep her from doing anything stupid. "and how did you find yourself in an english class, math major?"
sevika grins, and scoots even closer to you. "i heard the professor was a stunner." she says. "wanted to see for myself. i would've dropped the fuckin' class if it wasn't you teaching. i hate writing. but... it's nice lookin' at you for three hours a week." she whispers.
you gulp, reaching forward to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear. "that explains your horrible paper."
sevika bursts into laughter, then downs the rest of her drink. you do the same, sensing that your night might be headed somewhere else. "is there anything i can do for extra credit?" she asks, her eyes trailing down your body.
butterflies explode in your stomach. you tilt your head to the side, examining your student and licking your lips. "i think i could figure something out." you say.
thirty minutes later, you're back at your place, sevika on her knees in front you as she helps you get into your strap harness.
you help her stand again once she's done, and then jump on her bed and make yourself comfortable in the middle. she blinks at you.
"what?"
"why're you laying down?" sevika asks, as she crawls onto bed after you. you chuckle as she hovers over you, pulling her down for a kiss.
"honey, if you want the extra credit, you gotta earn it." you mumble against her lips. you have to bite your tongue to keep from laughing at the way sevika's eyes go all wide and glossy. "now be a good girl 'n ride it."
sevika's breath trembles, and she scrambles to follow your instructions, quickly straddling your hips and lining your cock up to her.
sevika doesn't hesitate to sink down and take you in a single go. it makes you whimper. she grins, her eyes rolling in the back of her skull as she adjusts to the stretch. you sink your fingers in her hips, grinning up at her. "there you go, baby."
"f-fuck." she whines as she starts grinding small circles against you. "fuck. been dreamin' about this."
you giggle. "yeah?" you ask. sevika leans forward, planting her hands on either side of your shoulders as she starts to ride you. you both groan.
"y-yes. god, fuck, it's your voice. i re-watch the lectures you post online 'n touch myself to the sound of you." she whimpers. you gasp, pleasure coursing through you at her revelation, and start thrusting in time with sevika's movements, desperate for more.
"shit, baby, tell me more." you whine.
your eyes are locked on her tits-- swaying in time with her movements. sevika's muffling her moans against the top of your head. "ffffuck-- fuck, love those glasses you wear." she whines.
you chuckle. "yeah?"
"and those fuckin', shit, ah, those blazers." sevika whines.
you smack her ass. she gasps, pulls away to glare at you. you smirk up at her. "keep goin' baby, you got a D on your paper." you encourage. sevika rolls her eyes and flicks your forehead, and you burst into giggles pulling her in for a kiss.
"pause." she whispers against your lips. you hum, nodding up at her, waiting to hear what she needs to tell you as your real-life wife.
"you okay?"
"i'd never get a D on a paper, babe. c'mon." she huffs. you burst into laughter, smacking her ass again before pulling her in for another kiss.
"how's C sound?"
"fine." she grunts, before sitting up and starting to ride you again. "unpause." she grunts. "so, where's my grade at now, professor?" she asks.
you giggle up at her, palming at her tits. "well, you started at a C." you emphasize. sevika nods, grinning down at you. you chuckle. "i'd say you're at a solid B+ now." you say. she grins.
"yeah? how do i make it an A?" she asks. you grin.
"well, for an A i wanna see you cum on my cock, baby. for an A+, you'll make me cum too." you shrug.
sevika loves a challenge-- and it's not like either of you are too far from cumming. she readjusts, bringing her hands down on your tits to steady herself as she starts to bounce on your dick.
the new angle makes you both moan. the base of the strap's pressing on your cunt over and over, and from the way she's shivering you know it's hitting sevika's g-spot, too. you reach between your bodies to start rubbing her clit. she groans.
"professor!" she exclaims. you giggle a bit. "fuck, i'm gonna--"
"yeah? gonna cum all over my cock, baby? go ahead, honey, i know you want it. know you've been dreamin' about it for weeks. sittin' in class, watchin' me work. when you'd go home after-- were you wet?" you ask.
sevika whimpers and nods. you grin.
"good. cum on this dick 'n show me how wet you can get for me." you demand. sevika growls, bites your throat, and cums on top of you. you try your best to keep thrusting into her as she shakes, whispering encouragement to her as you do. "there you go, baby. there you go."
eventually sevika stops moving and whining, and you smack her ass a third time. she grunts against you.
"you okay?" you ask, dropping your proper professor voice. she nods against you.
"i gotta get my A+." she mumbles, smacking your shoulder with a limp hand. "take your strap off so i can eat you out."
you snort. "you gotta get off the strap before i can take it off, babe."
sevika groans. "nooo." she whines. you kiss her cheek.
"stay here, baby. 's long as you need." you say, wrapping your arms around her and scratching her head. she huffs.
"'m just gonna nap for, like, ten minutes." she promises. "n' then i'll get to you. wake me up, okay?" she asks. you snort and pepper her head with kisses.
"alright." you giggle.
sevika's just about to start snoring when she blinks back awake, looking up at you.
"i love you." she says, smiling. "this was fun and all, but. i'm glad your my wife 'n not my professor."
you grin. "i love you too, baby."
taglist!
@fyeahnix @sapphicsgirl @half-of-a-gay @thesevi0lentdelights @sexysapphicshopowner @shimtarofstupidity @love-sugarr @chuucanchuucan @222danielaa @badbye666 @femme-historian @lia-winther @gr0ssz0mbi3 @ellsss @sevikaspillowprincess @leomatsuzaki @emiliabby @sevikasbeloved @hellorai @vikasub @glass-apothecary
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boy-comics · 12 days
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RENT-FREE
── .✦ pairing; ♭form!o.de x gn!reader
── .✦ summary; chance leads you to oh seungmin. something else leads to you stay.
── .✦ word count; ~4.7k
── .✦ tags; swearing, mentioned family issues, discussions of death, fluff, hurt/comfort, romantic tension, roommates to friends to lovers(??), seungmom™, takes place in the "real" world
── .✦ a/n; ahahaha (lying in a ditch)
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After graduating, getting a job, moving out, and doing all the other things one needs to do to be considered a real adult, you realize something: pride, that bright, delicate thing that you've clung to all these years, means very, very little.
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"It's just until I find another apartment. I won't even argue with him anymore, Mama—"
"Honey, I'm sorry, but you should know why I can't trust you to do that."
You stare at your phone screen, the call time climbing up ever slowly. Your mother continues talking, her voice tinny through the speaker, trying to soothe your irritation without giving in, but you can feel your thoughts growing pricklier and pricklier with each reasoning.
Just kick him out for a little while, you want to yell at her, don't you care about your own kid having a roof over their head? Why choose that deadbeat over me?
"So what am I supposed to do, then, Mama? My roommate's gone and I can't pay rent all on my own. I don't know what to do."
"I don't know either. I'll ask around and see if anyone can help you out. But this is adulthood, honey; things like this happen, and you just need to figure out what to do."
If you could afford it, you'd throw your phone against the wall.
"… I know. Thanks, Mama. Talk to you later."
"Make sure to eat, honey."
Pressing the end call button, you drop your phone on your bed and scream into your pillow.
What you end up doing, all by yourself, is break your lease early and shoulder the penalty fees. Then you pack up what little belongings you have and camp out at an old classmate's place (just until your next paycheck at the most, you had promised), and work and search for apartments and search for roommates and sleep and eat and work again.
Your mother calls just as you're looking up motel prices. You don't want to pick up, but again, pride means very, very little.
"Hi, Mama."
"Hi. Are you still looking for a place?"
"Yep."
"Okay, good. I was talking to Oh Seungmin's mother. You remember him, don't you? You went to the same high school. He was on the basketball team."
Your brow furrows. "Oh Seungmin?"
"So you do remember him."
"… Yes."
You're sure he doesn't remember you, though. Oh Seungmin had always belonged to a different crowd than yours, a really different crowd, even if you did walk to and from the same neighborhood together for a brief time. If your mother is suggesting what you think she's suggesting, you must be thinking wrong, somehow.
"He lives somewhere near where you work. His mother talked to him, and he's willing to let you stay with him until you find something more permanent."
You blink.
"Honey? What do you think?"
"I—uh." Your cursor continues to hover over the room price typed in bold on your laptop, and as you absorb what has just been offered, it drifts down to the corner of the screen. "How much would I need to pay?"
"Ah. I forgot to ask. She gave me his number to give to you just in case, though, so just ask him. It's—"
You type down the number and save it, praying to whatever lives upstairs that this isn't the beginning of some awful cosmic joke.
You move into Oh Seungmin's place on a late Sunday morning in May.
"Do you need help unpacking?"
"No, it's okay." You gesture vaguely at your suitcase, backpack, and laundry basket of bed things. "This is it."
Seungmin nods, his eyes flitting between the three things containing your entire life. There is a smile on his face, small and polite but awkward, like he's entertaining a surprise guest despite having expected you for the past three days. "Oh, okay. Cool."
You smile back, just as awkward. This Seungmin is slightly different from what you remember. High school Seungmin was more outgoing, a star athlete and the dream of every girl in your class. In this small apartment in the shadier part of the city, he seems more subdued, a little lonelier around the edges. Or maybe that's only because it's you.
He is still absurdly good-looking, though.
"I didn't know if you were okay with the couch or a futon mattress, so both are out. I have extra pillows if you need them … you don't have a closet, so we could buy a foldable one or something and put it in the corner if you want."
"I'm okay with the futon mattress. And it's fine—I'll just keep things in my suitcase. I won’t be in your hair for long, anyway."
"All right." His fingers tap an oddly controlled rhythm along the side of his thigh—not that you were already looking, you just catch the movement at the edge of your vision—and then he clears his throat. "Well, I'll let you get your stuff unpacked. I made some curry rice so we can eat afterwards. Hopefully you'll like it. I think you told me it was your favorite, once, a long time ago."
Some of the ice on your tongue melts.
"It still is."
His smile cracks open a bit wider, a bit more genuinely. "Really? Nice. I'll get everything set up, then."
"I'll be quick."
The living room and the kitchen are squeezed together with no divider, so you are graced with the ambiance of clinking ceramic bowls and silverware while you set your things out to organize them. The faint smell of curry and rice that you had detected when you had first stepped foot into this home intensifies with the sound of the microwave running.
Eating lunch with Oh Seungmin is a simple affair that grows more comfortable with time. You go over the house rules and contributions again, and it's funny, you find, the way the two of you agree on things so easily despite not having talked in years. Then again, it is only the first day.
"There is one thing, though," Seungmin says, taking your plate along with his to rinse them in the sink. "I have a synthesizer and record a lot of music for work. I'll keep my door closed, but if you're here and it bothers you, just tell me. I'll use headphones."
"Oh," you say, surprised. You don't remember Seungmin having a strong interest in music. A synthesizer. That's interesting. "Okay, I'll let you know." A thought hits you and you ask conversationally, "Do you use ♭form at all?"
You don't have an account yourself, having put it off time and time again. Conversation, that's all you had intended. But as soon as you mention ♭form, it's like the shutters close, and Seungmin's tone shifts from open and friendly into something strange and even guarded.
"Sometimes. Just the audience and solo modes, though."
He changes the subject after that. Of course, you still can't help but wonder for the rest of the day, especially when he disappears into his room for the rest of the afternoon, strange and beautiful music trickling out from underneath the door.
Seungmin tells you that it's been a while since he's had people stay over, but despite his modesty, you find him to be a wonderful roommate.
"Are you done using the glass cleaner?"
"Yeah, it's in here."
Heading to the bathroom, you spot Seungmin dutifully spraying the shower with cleaner and hold your breath, grabbing the glass cleaner from its place on the floor and stepping back out quickly.
"Did you find it?"
"Yeah, it was right there," you say.
He turns around to check, and you can't help but grin. Standing like that in the bathroom, he almost looks like a harried mom, old baggy shirt tucked into equally worn sweatpants, hair messy, a mask covering the lower half of his face and large yellow gloves covering his hands. When he raises his eyebrows, you snort.
"What?"
"You look like a mom."
"Finish your chores," he says sternly, even waggling his head, and you laugh again before leaving to wipe the windows.
Cleaning day is surprisingly mellow in your temporary home. Seungmin has the bathroom and his bedroom while you take the kitchen and living room, and you're both quite efficient. The initial awkwardness at the beginning has eased significantly over the past week, and if you were feeling optimistic, you'd say that the two of you are friendlier now than you were as students—even if he does spend a lot of time in his room.
"Hey, you wanna do something after this?" Seungmin calls out. You hear the shower turn on, followed by the sound of water splashing over the walls.
"Like what?"
"We could shoot some hoops."
"Ha-ha, that's funny."
"Well, now we have to go shoot some hoops." You make a face, and even though he can't see it, Seungmin tacks on, "I'll buy you garlic cheese bread after."
"How many?"
"One plus one more for each basket you make."
Well. That's an offer you can't refuse. "Deal."
"Okay. After I clean the toilet, I'm gonna shower and then we can head out."
You finish vacuuming and mopping the floors by the time he comes out of the bathroom, hair toweled to a curly dampness and no longer smelling like bleach. He looks like a young, fashionable man again, and you think that it might have been a little easier to talk to him when he was masked up and rubber-gloved.
"Ready?"
"I'll still get one free garlic cheese bread even if I miss all the shots, right?"
"Yes, but you can't be that bad at basketball."
"Try me."
There's a basketball court about ten minutes away from the apartment complex that Seungmin frequents. There's another one that's closer, newer, but upon passing by and asking about it, you're told that he avoids that court because it's too popular.
"Isn't it better to play with a group of people?" you question.
He shrugs, head turning away from you. "I just like to do my own thing when I'm here."
(It strikes you as a bit odd, but you keep that thought to yourself.)
"We're here." Seungmin dribbles the ball for a few seconds, then passes it to you. "You remember some stuff from gym class, don't you?"
"I mean, yeah, but that doesn't mean I can do it," you retort, passing the ball back. "Why don't you give an example and I copy it?"
Your companion turns and promptly shoots the basketball towards the hoop. It cuts a majestic arc through the air before falling through the hoop with a devastatingly clean swoosh.
You stare as he jogs down to fetch the ball, returning with a self-satisfied grin. "Okay, well, don't expect that kind of technique from me. I'm fine with my one bread."
"No, I'm going to make sure you get at least two. Here." Seungmin comes closer, plopping the basketball into your outstretched palms. "Just dribble it a little and pass it back and forth so you can get the feel for it."
You slowly bounce the ball on the concrete. It's haphazard, coming back up at different angles with no discernible rhythm, but you can actually keep it up for more than ten seconds. Clapping his hands, Seungmin shouts encouragement and gestures for you to pass it to him.
"What were you talking about? You're fine at this." The ball travels between the two of you several times before he points to the hoop. "Try to shoot."
Emboldened, you cradle the basketball in your dominant hand and stare up at the hoop. Aiming at the backboard, you launch it with a quiet grunt.
The ball hits the rim and shoots off to the side.
"... That's okay, that's okay! Try again."
You feel like the kid winning a pity prize at school. It really shouldn't be a big deal, with you being a whole-ass adult and all, but you can't prevent the frustration that roils up anyway as Seungmin tosses the ball back to you.
"I'm just going to miss."
"You won't know unless you try, right?"
When you roll your eyes at his sage-like wisdom, he sighs, circling around to stand behind you.
His arms come around to adjust yours into the right position, and you nearly choke on your own spit.
"Keep your shooting arm close." He taps the inside of your foot with the toe of his shoe. "Feet shoulder width apart, knees bent, 'cause the power comes from your legs. Your other hand is just there to guide. And follow through."
His voice is soft against your ear. You swallow dryly, only daring to breathe again when he steps away.
Oh, no.
"That easy, huh?" you croak, bending your knees.
"If you want it to be."
You shoot the ball. It soars upward—downward—hits the backboard, rolls along the orange rim and falls through the net.
You and Seungmin stare for a moment. Then Seungmin nudges you with his elbow and holds out his fist.
"Yo, yo, yo! Good job, [Y/n]-ssi!"
Your eyes roll again as you bump fists with him, but it's bashful this time, and you hate how exposed it makes you feel. "You're a literal mom and dad rolled into one."
"Does that make you my offspring?"
"Sure would beat being the offspring of my actual parents." You wince as soon as the joke leaves your mouth.
"Oh."
Seungmin blinks, and laughs a bit, but it's so obviously unsure that everything that's been going so right today veers into complete fuckup territory.
You dig your hands into your pockets and scuff your shoes. "... Sorry. Shitty joke."
"Ah, it's fine ..."
And yet, neither of you say anything more.
Shit.
While you rub your arms, hobbling towards the basketball rolling steadily towards the grass, you hear Seungmin follow. The scrape of his shoes against the asphalt peters out as you pick up the ball, and when you turn around, he's regarding you carefully. You find an interest in the words stamped onto the basketball.
"Do you want to talk about it?" he asks.
"Not really." You spin the ball in your hands. "I mean, it's not like you never knew, and nothing's really changed, and that's why I'm here in the first place. So."
Seungmin nods slightly and hums, scratching his nose.
"I didn't mean to kill the mood."
"No," he says immediately, "don't worry about anything like that. You're good company."
You look at Seungmin. He stares back, and for a brief moment, you remember a boy with the same dark eyes, under a similar sky, sitting with you at the corner of a convenience store after school because you didn't want to go home.
"Oh. Okay."
"You wanna try for a third garlic cheese bread?"
"Nah, you kinda killed the vibe with all that mushy gushy stuff."
Seungmin hisses through his teeth when you punch his shoulder. "Damn."
"Only joking. Can we go now, though? I'm hungry."
"Yeah, sure."
In the brief interludes where neither of you have anywhere to be, you and Seungmin inevitably gravitate towards one another. That's what happens when people get along, you guess, though it's been so long that it surprises you when Seungmin actually joins you on the couch with a tub of popcorn.
"That for me?"
"That for us," he corrects as you press play on the laptop and settle back into the cushions. "Is the volume high enough?"
"Oh." You lean forward again. "Now it is."
Seungmin had been neutral at best towards pirating a horror movie from five years ago—he could take them or leave them, depending on the quality—but you had cited its several awards and didn't want to watch it alone, so here he was, ready to pass judgment on your choice.
"Don't scream too loudly," he gibes as the music drops to a low simmer, "or the neighbors will complain."
You scoff, grabbing a handful of popcorn. "I'm right here if you need a shoulder to cry on, Seungmin-ssi."
Thirty minutes into the movie, both of you swallow your words.
You'd taken it as a sign of good taste that multiple reviews had credited Come Into My Head as providing nightmare fuel for weeks, but now you realize that good taste may not be in your best interest. Not when you're shaking like a leaf next to your roommate, who is sitting stiffly, nearly stone-like.
When the killer jumps out, both of you let out a shriek that triggers angry thumping from above.
"Shitshitshit." Another jump scare slashes across the screen, and you leap out of your skin when Seungmin's hand clamps down on your arm. "SHIT."
"Y-You're making my arm numb," you whisper, but you make no move to pry him off, eyes glued to the screen.
"Sorry—"
When the lead actor screams, you can't take it anymore and suffocate Seungmin's arm between your own, smashing your face into his shoulder with a pathetic whimper.
... Unfortunately, said shoulder ends up being so warm and muscular that you sober up from your fear-drunkeness long enough to be overcome with embarrassment.
"Uh." Your action seems to have the same effect on Seungmin, whose grip immediately loosens.
"I'm sorry," you blather, starting to pull away. "I swear I'm not trying to—"
"It's fine," Seungmin interrupts. "I, uh, don't mind if you don't. I'm kind of terrified right now?"
"Me too."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
The corners of his lips quirk upward. If it weren't for the gory, red lighting of the movie illuminating his face, and if you weren't so sure of his opinion on you, you would think that Oh Seungmin was blushing.
Yeah. You lean back until you're pressed against Seungmin once more, arms wrapped around his and shoulder pressing shoulder. His right hand reaches around to squeeze yours with every on-screen death and you can feel each joint of each finger over your own. I'm terrified.
It takes two whole weeks before shit hits the fan.
It had been an unexpectedly warm day, so you had decided to impulse buy some ice cream bars on the way back from work. Seungmin would appreciate it, being cooped up in the apartment with his synthesizer. You haven't been able to catch him outside his room for the past day. Maybe you could hang out and talk in the kitchen while you polished off one or two ice cream bars.
Sticking the box of chocolate-coated vanilla in the freezer, you quietly walk over to Seungmin's bedroom and examine the doorknob. There's no Do Not Disturb sign hanging from it, and it's not locked, which you take as the go-ahead to knock.
"Seungmin-ssi, I got ice cream."
You wait. No reply.
Frowning, you press your ear against the door, wondering if he's working on some music, but you don't hear anything. Of course, he could be using headphones for some reason.
"Hello?" You knock and then call for him once more, making sure to be loud. "Hey, I'm coming in."
With that, you enter his room.
Nothing seems out of place. That is, until you see Seungmin hunched over on the edge of his bed, hands trembling and forehead drenched with sweat.
"Seungmin!"
Stumbling over your feet to rush over, you grab ahold of his shoulders and shake him. Seungmin jolts and shivers, then looks up with wide, glazed eyes, and it frightens you so badly you reach up to grab his face. It feels cold.
"Hey. Hey! What happened?!"
He stares up at you, completely vacant, and then he finally blinks. It seems to trigger something because he starts gasping for breath, clutching your wrists as he registers your presence.
"What happened?" you repeat, voice cracking from the volume.
He winces. "I dunno," he rasps, wetting his lips. "I think we ... I think we broke the system?"
The use of we raises a flag in your mind, but considering the present circumstances, you put that aside for now. For all you know, his brain could be fried like an egg and churning out nonsense. "Broke what system?"
He looks down.
You follow his gaze. There is a pair of strange glasses on the floor by his feet. Hesitantly, as if you might get burned, you pick them up.
Upon inspection, you notice '♭form' faintly etched into the frames. There's a button on top of the left hinge, but nothing happens when you press it. Frowning, you press it again, only to curse when something neon red fizzles briefly across the lenses. Then it’s dead once more.
"Oh," you murmur dumbly. You look at him again.
Seungmin's lips press together, eyes still fixed on the glasses, and he swallows. His gaze then moves to you and the emptiness of it slowly ebbs away.
He is silent, despondent, and he takes a moment before he tells you something so sincerely it stuns you.
"That was the only place where I mattered."
And, truthfully, it feels like he's slapped you across the face.
You gape at him, throat suddenly tight, and when he continues to sit without another word, you shut your mouth so violently your jaw tingles.
The strange behavior makes sense now. The brief periods of dullness after leaving his room, the rare but suspicious checking out from conversations, the obsession with music. You had overlooked these things because the moments between them had been some of the best you’ve ever had. They had mattered to you.
Apparently, he had never felt the same way.
"You don't think you matter here?" you say, numb. Your grip tightens around the glasses. "What was the fucking point of all this, then?"
His brow furrows. "… What do you mean?"
It feels like prying open the shell of a living creature, exposing everything that's meant to be kept safely hidden away. You do not know why the living creature is you and not Seungmin. You don't know why Seungmin makes it so damn easy to spill your guts, revealing the self-centered and bitter parts of you that drive everyone else away.
"Do I not matter either?" you ask.
The sound of your own voice, angry and trembling, immediately disgusts you. You bite your tongue and turn away.
"What? Hey, that's not—"
"Nevermind. Forget it."
As you head straight for the door, you have this grand idea in your head that you're going to storm out of the apartment, spend a few hours blowing off some steam, and then return to pack up your stuff and stop adding to Seungmin's misery. But that would require you to be faster than Seungmin, and for his apartment to be large enough to create enough distance between you and him.
Reality unfolds as such: you getting one foot across the doorway, Seungmin grabbing your wrist, and you stopping far too quickly.
"That's not what I meant at all. I'm sorry, I'm just—just let me explain."
"I'm a little too pissed off to listen nicely, Seungmin-ssi."
"That's fine. As long as you believe me." When you look back at him, he squeezes your wrist. "Please stay."
He's pleading. His hand is clammy. And because your pride means so little, and because you have become so horribly attached—you stay.
You let him lead you back into his room to sit on his bed. You stay, and you listen as he starts from the very beginning.
By the time he's done, having explained the train, the fighting, the surreal time loop his band had just broken after what had seemed like days, you are just about ready to break down.
"So you're telling me that you've been wanted by ♭form for the past year?" you say, throat dry, and Seungmin nods. "What would've happened to you here if you died in there?"
"I don't know. All I know is that the pain sticks after I log off."
The pain sticks. Good god. You lean over and hold your head in your hands, feeling nauseous. "Seungmin-ssi, that's not okay. What the fuck."
"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I didn't think you would be this upset if you found out."
"Of course I would? I live with you? Do you know how traumatizing it would be to come back from work and find out you're brain dead? Like, fuck," you laugh, feeling your lungs constrict, "oh, my god, what if I lost you?"
Seungmin is quiet. Then he says, almost whispering, "Lost me?"
The disbelief in his echo causes you to close your eyes. Everything is coming out now. You can feel them bubbling over, crawling out from between your ribs, thoughts and confessions that you have stuffed down for fear that they would be ridiculed.
He utters your name, the end of it curling upward in bewilderment.
"Seungmin-ssi." You take a deep breath. "You're kind, and caring, and the first person in actual years who I felt actually gave a shit about me. If something happened to you, I ... part of me would probably die too, I think."
It's too hot in his room. Your vision goes blurry, and you feel your nose start to burn. You sniffle. Hands falling into your lap, you dig your nails into the fabric of your uniform pants. You're sweaty and teary and miserably cracked open, and it's hot, and all you can do is sit and wait for his response.
Beside you, Seungmin shifts in place.
Then two arms wrap around you, warmth upon warmth, a cheek resting against the side of your head as he holds you.
"I didn't know you felt that way about me," he breathes. "I'm sorry for being so reckless with myself. I was ... I was wrong."
Your tears start to fall onto his shoulder. "Don't leave me."
"I won't. I'm here." His hand ghosts up and down your back, the barest of tremors in his fingers. "You matter to me, too. So, so much."
Oh. A sob escapes your lips.
You're so selfish. Selfish for having him comfort you after what he went through in ♭form, selfish for dirtying his shoulder with your tears, selfish for feeling this way about him after so little time.
Selfish for wanting to stay.
You tighten your grip on the back of his shirt. Seungmin hums. He pulls away just slightly to look at your face, and you almost tear up again when he wipes the wetness from your cheeks with his thumbs, his eyes glossier than normal.
"I'm sorry," you croak as he does so, reaching up to touch the dark circles under his eyes. "I didn't even check if you were okay. Are you okay?"
He chuckles a bit wetly, hugging you again. "I'm better now. Thanks for asking."
"Do you need water?"
"I'll get some in a few minutes. Don't worry."
"It's hot. I came in to ask if you wanted ice cream. I bought a box from the store."
"Oh, you did?"
Neither of you move, bodies pressed close, intertwined. You are buried in his scent.
"We can have them now," you offer, with effort, "if you want."
"Is that what you want?"
You bite your lower lip. "... If it makes you feel better."
His mouth presses against your temple. Against it, he admits, "It is hot. But ..."
He does not finish that sentence. But you understand, and something blooms, trembling, in your chest.
"Maybe later," you finish drowsily.
Leaning into him further, you hear his soft agreement, his hands stroking down your arms with a surety that had not been present before. He keeps you here, with him, real and breathing, living.
You are not alone. And neither is he.
Thank you for accepting me. Thank you for loving my prideless self. I'm glad we exist here, in this world, together.
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andromedathelovely · 1 month
Note
hiii i saw ur list and before requesting i just wanted to tell u we have so many fandoms in common slay!!!
okay now abt requesting: may i ask hcs of sanji with a balkan s/o please?
character headcanons PT. 1☽。⋆
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sanji x balkan!reader headcanons
rating: any!
warnings: n/a
A/N: hiii!!!! omg yayyy!! (that means we have the best taste) also thank-you for requesting, i was so excited to research Balkan traditions and culture and I hope I did them justice! I tried to be vague when picking a specific country to research, i took inspiration for the readers 'hometown' more from the countries that bordered the sea (Croatia, Bulgaria, and Albania!) I also took a bit of Greek influence, since through my research of the Balkan Peninsula, Greece sometimes was included (but also sometimes not lol). I also wanted it to be more 'Mediterranean'/Beach-y since i think that it would fit very well in the One Piece world. this is more of a before the reader and sanji get together headcanon list, but I can make another post with more headcanons too! i focused a lot on the food side of Balkan Culture since... its Sanji. i also tried to cite my sources, a big sorry to Henry Cavill since i used wikipedia so very much. but please enjoy, anon!!
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100% fell in love with you at first sight
like, immediately after meeting you he started following you around your small coastal village like a lost puppy dog
i personally think at first he would just stare at you, not in a creepy way, but an in-awe sort of way
then he would shamelessly flirt with you, (AKA a little bit of 'something sweet for someone sweet')
for sure making the rest of his crew groan in annoyance, and roll their eyes
i'd imagine the reason he and his crew were in your hometown in the first place, was to anchor down and collect more rations and materials for the trip to the Grand Line
eventually, after a week or so of being in your village, Luffy would invite you to join his crew
and since you've always wanted to travel the world, you said yes but maybe it was also because of a certain blonde-haired cook?
i'd imagine Sanji would always be looking out for you once you all set sail, always making sure you are safe and whatnot aboard the Going Merry
days would be hot, and nights would seem like forever, but sanji's flirty nature and the other's hilarious chemistry would entertain you
you would spend hours conversing with sanji, sitting along barrels on the deck, watching the dark waves crash along the side of the Going Merry, the moon reflecting upon the waters dark navy sheen
he's a smoker (hot oml) so he would probably pull out a smoke every once in a while, but if you didn't like the smell, he would immediately put it out, frantically exclaiming his many apologies
sanji would definitely notice how much you missed your home and would try to cook some of your favorites
with only some rations (but enough) he would make you a plentiful amount of Balkan snacks, meals, and desserts
he would absolutely make the best tarator soup for hot days onboard, or dolmas made of squash, tomatoes, or cabbage (anything that would stay preserved below deck) ((yumm omg))
(also omg stuffed peppers, i know realistically they wouldn't have fresh meat on board but guys, i love stuffed peppers and him making stuffed peppers would make him so much more attractive to me)
i think he would definitely promise to make more of your favorite foods, once you returned to land
after a while of knowing each other, i think he would confess his feelings to you first, probably tired of being constantly dismissed as you would think he was jokingly flirting with you
(i know it took a long time for a confession, but who doesn't love a bit of banter and a chase)
things would probably be pretty much the same as before, but now he would definitely be more protective and want to spend most of his time with you
after battles with rival pirates, he would instantly be by your side
"are you alright, my love?"
"yes, i'm okay."
"are you sure? 100% sure??"
he would be a very very worried lover
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sorry, i totally made this food-centered, and not exactly sanji centered lolll. I'm hungry now, Balkan foods look divine! xoxo <3
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honey-beann · 1 year
Text
This is a weird way to come back into writing fics again, but here's a very vaguely edited fic that I wrote a while back to get me back into the groove of posting. I hope you like sick reader x snarky bastard fics lol.
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Thoroughly Analyzed (rk900 x reader)
Word Count: 1,005
"Oh fuck off, Gavin, I'm not sick!"
You all but sputtered, your cheeks dusted a light pink as you stood in front of your friend and coworker's desk, arms crossed and hip cocked to the side while you eyed him with as much disdain as you could muster.
"Are you being serious, dumb ass? You babysat Chris' kid while it had the flu four days ago, and now you're drinking tea and popping cough drops at your desk like it's your job. Just admit you were an idiot and go home."
You scoffed, glaring at Gavin as you moved away to sit down in your desk chair before turning it to face him once more.
"It wasn't a bad idea for me to babysit the kid, Reed, and I definitely did not get sick because of an eighteen month old child. Now do you have anything of substance to say, or can I finally get back to work?"
You watched as Gavin rolled his eyes, chuckling slightly under his breath as he turned his attention back to his monitor,
"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, loser. Good luck nursing yourself back to health without taking a day off work."
Fighting the urge to flip off your coworker, you instead turned your gaze towards your own monitor, only to find yourself looking right above it and into the eyes of your department's rk900 model android, who had long since been dubbed 'Nines'.
You swallowed thickly, wincing shortly thereafter at the pain that action caused within your throat before catching yourself and forcing a polite smile,
"Hey Nines, what's up?"
You asked as casually as you could manage, watching as the android in question raised a brow before motioning towards Gavin, who had started watching your interaction the moment you'd spoken aloud.
You shrugged, trying not to pay your human coworker too much mind as you cleared your throat again awkwardly before attempting to speak once more, though your voice did sound notably strained this time,
"Reed told me last week that babysitting Chris' kid while he was sick was a bad idea because it was sure to get me sick too. I told him that my body was strong enough to fight off whatever an eighteen month old had, and he bet me twenty bucks that I'd be too sick to come to work within the week. That was four days ago, and now he's doing his best to convince me to go home since he's gotten it in his head that I caught the flu from the kid."
Nines' gaze was cold and stern as he stood, his arms crossed as he took a step closer,
"Did you?"
He asked, and you allowed yourself a moment to get lost in said gaze, however cold it may have been, before snapping out of it, remembering your promise to keep things professional at work.
Wouldn't want anyone catching on, after all.
"Wha- no, of course I didn't."
You sputtered nervously, hearing Gavin chuckle as he watched you from his seat, clearly amused and more than a little entertained.
"Are you sure about that, Detective?"
Nines pressed, taking another two steps closer to where you were sitting as he watched you calmly, a slight smirk making its way to his lips all the while.
"Because I have noticed a bit of a drop in your performance throughout the past two days, and it is part of policy that sick employees remain at home for necessary rest."
You shivered at the sound of Nines' voice, but did your best to play it cool despite your physical reaction to his now significantly closer presence.
"I-I'm fine I promise. I think I've just been a little tired, is all..."
You trailed off as the android in question moved to stand directly beside you, his hand falling to the back of your chair and turning it in his direction, thus forcing you to face him head on as he gazed down at you intently, that smirk remaining all the while.
"Oh really? Well, if you're just tired, I don't suppose you'd mind a routine test of your health?"
"A routine test of my health? No but what exactly-"
You were cut off by a pair of familiar lips crashing into yours as an equally familiar hand moved to cup your chin, tilting your face upward as you gasped into the kiss, eyes fluttering closed against your will. You remained this way for several seconds, until finally, Nines pulled away, humming as he looked down at you with both amusement and exasperation evident in his expression,
"According to my analysis of your saliva, you are suffering from the common flu, detective. Please gather your things and allow me to bring you home. I will inform the captain of our absence."
Unable to argue, you nodded meekly, your hand briefly raising to touch your subtly bruised lips before you snapped out of it and hurried to get your things together, trying desperately to ignore Gavin's shocked expression all the while.
Nines, on the other hand, seemed eager to bask in your shared coworker's surprise, and was in no apparent rush to leave, gathering his own belongings with the swift and relaxed ease that seemed to come so naturally to him.
Once everything was together, however, he made no effort to poke at Gavin further, simply guiding you by your elbow to the door as Reed began to follow suit, sputtering various questions, most of which were nonsensical and jumbled.
Eventually though, as the front door loomed before the two of you, Nines did stop and turn towards the man, his lips twitching upward ever so slightly as he smoothly withdrew his wallet from his pocket before reaching into it, his gaze never leaving Gavin's all the while.
"Oh, and thank you for your concern for my partner's well being, Detective Reed."
He said cheekily as he handed the man in question a twenty dollar bill before exiting the building entirely with you at his side.
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reinababbles · 1 year
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longing for more [v]
⤷ Uzui Tengen x Fem!Reader x Rengoku Kyojuro
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♡ portal ♡ demon slayer ♡ series ♡ words: 3.4k | reading: n/a
tags fem!reader, slow burn (not kidding in the slightest), angst central, suggestive, emotional cheating, fluff, depression, manipulation, maladaptive daydreaming. (lmk if i missed any!)
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The silence in the carriage is suffocating, you can’t believe Tengen actually pulled through. After getting off the carriage, you were walking behind Tengen into your shared estate. Suddenly, before stepping inside completely, Tengen grabs your right hand and pulls you along, walking speedily until you both reach your shared room upstairs. As you’re being pulled, you notice the three women staring at you both with their mouths agape. You feel a bit self-conscious as they mumble to each other, but Tengen doesn't seem to care. You're a bit taken aback by his behavior, unsure of what is happening.
“Tengen” you whisper, as he fumbles with the buttons on your cardigan. You look up at him in shock, but he's not looking at you in the way he usually does either. His gaze… it's empty and filled with annoyance. You feel a lump in your throat, unsure of what to say. He rolls his eyes away from yours, and puts his focus onto your cardigan in his hand before he throws it in the laundry bin. You stand there, frozen, unsure of what he's thinking. He lets out a sigh and cups your face. “Listen-” he says, his voice low and urgent. “I don’t understand what you’re trying to do, but it needs to end… I want to trust you, my love.” You close your eyes as he continues rambling what he has memorized. His ‘I care for us’ conversations always go the same way, until you or him make a vague promise and it’s back to normal. No use in listening to him.
Eventually you cut him off, “Tengen, you're utterly ridiculous.” He looks at you quizzically and lets go of your face. “What’s ridiculous about me wanting the truth?” He grabs you by the chin and gently forces eye contact. “Say it. Did you do anything with him or not? Because I see no problem-” You sigh “You’re such a pain…” You both have a staring match that seems to calm him down, before he embraces you. “You better not have. Put your arms around my neck.” He picks you up by your rear and carries you towards the bed. You don’t struggle, but have worries about what is about to happen when his behavior ramps up. “What did you even do today? Since you're in my business and all.” You say with attitude, staring at his chest. Tengen caressed your hair and brushes it out of your face. “Let's not get into it right now.” He sets you down on the bed.
You feel a bit disappointed before clarifying “What did you do with the other wives… today?” He smirks at you. “That's none of your business, dear.” He slowly climbs on top of you. You furrow your brows “Excuse me?” He gives you a peck on the lips. “You heard me, my love.” He moves his nose along your neck. “Tengen... why would I entertain this?” you barely whisper. He kisses your jaw before whispering “Oh, don't you worry, because I'm going to make it up to you.” He moves his hand up your thigh. You interrupt his vagueness, “They're going to hear...” He mumbles that he knows before you speak up and make him retract his face and hands from your body.
“It doesn't feel right tonight, especially after your little... show earlier.” He scoots himself back from you, crossing his arms. His smug smile fades. “What's the matter, my love? Do you not want me tonight? It’s been-” He stops to lean down, observing your face. “I just...” You kiss him twice rapidly “Not tonight. I'm not in the mood for you.” He raises an eyebrow before smiling. “Is it my turn to say ‘excuse me’?” He gets off of you and stands upright. He’s silent for a while, his face blank. “You don't want me?” Tengen says with a deeper voice. You sigh dramatically “Bigger picture, Tengen.” He laughs at your hands forming a picture frame. “What's that supposed to mean, y/n? You don't wanna get lucky so we can make the other wives jealous, or what?” He laughs once more, caressing your cheek.
You gasp dramatically trying to mask your confusion “Oh? So that's what you do to me, huh?” You raise your voice as you stand up from the bed, making Tengen take a couple steps back. “That's what I do to all of my wives, y/n.” He adjusts himself and makes his way towards the door before turning to face you. You cross your arms “Yeah, go away.” He points a finger at you. “Don't get all mad now, my love. I'm just going to do the deed myself.” He smiles before speaking again “So you’re going to keep me updated, right?”
Before you can start walking past him out of the room, Tengen crosses his arms and stands before you. You look at him confused. “Journal.” You furrow your brows “What-” He cuts you off “I want you to keep a journal of what you do over there, y/n.” The shock on your face is palpable, your eyes starting to ache. “You want me to write about what? Oh, my daily chores and recipes? I mean…” You don’t know what to think. Tengen’s face is unmoving, and this new control tactic seems ridiculous and a stretch. “My love, it’s just for a little while. Were you listening to me?” You’re about to rip his head off. “What is the purpose? Where is this coming from, Tengen?” He looks at you blankly. “If it’s a boring day, then add cute doodles for me.” He leaves you as you scoff, hoping he forgets about that request.
After changing into your nightgown, you go downstairs to say hello to the other wives. Finding them outside, you sit in between Makio and Hina in their little circle as everyone adjusts overall. “I’m sorry I couldn't greet you all earlier…” They giggle and don't seem to be phased by this. Hina comforts “No worries. We know how he can be sometimes.” The three of them chuckle again. “Hmm, I bet.” You say, a tad jealous since you haven’t witnessed him do that before. The rest of the night was quiet and uneventful, since everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts. Before bed, Tengen reminded us that he loved us all and that he was training early in the morning. Makio groaned while the rest of us cheered, causing him to scowl and mumble rant.
In the morning, you decided to get information out of them, since it really was rare for all the girls to get time away from Tengen when inside the estate. If Tengen wasn’t going to tell you what happened the day before, they certainly will. “What did you guys do yesterday with Tengen?” All three looked at their food or drink at the breakfast table. “Not a lot” says Suma, “He kept running off to do his own thing…” The three exchange glances. You widen your eyes “What is that about?” Makio speaks with her mouth full, “He's acting strange.” Hina nods “Maybe something happened. I noticed it too.” Suma shrugs. You feel uneasy. “Any theories?” you say to no one in particular. The three of them sit there, completely stumped.
Suma swallows her bite of food “Well, this might be a stretch but-” You all look at her intensely. Makio exclaims “But what?” She looks around, nervous to speak her mind. Suma barely makes out “I have a feeling.. that Tengen is cheating on us...” The tension between all four of you has drastically risen. The silence in this tense moment seems to last forever. You feel like rolling your eyes. Hina’s voice is feathery “That can't be it.” Makio scowls “That's crazy to think that!” You speak up “I just can't believe he'd do something like that.” Everyone is in a state of denial, not believing that Tengen could be doing such a thing. You continue, “Tengen has many flaws but... I don't think...”
Suma butts in “I mean, look at how he's been acting. He doesn't spend time with us anymore!” The three of them sigh in frustration, realizing that it might actually be a possibility. However, you seem confused, thinking that they all got along well. “What? Are you guys crazy, too? Tengen spends a lot of time with you guys!” You aggressively chew your food. Makio pouts “True, but it's just not the same as before... There used to always be something to laugh about…” You scoff. All three of your sister wives think about what Makio said. They slowly nod and begin to agree with her. You cover your mouth from laughing “How? Was it only recently he ignored you all? Welcome to the club.”
The three of them looked at you and seemed confused. “You're not joking?” Hina blurts out, seeming genuinely concerned for you. “When does he spend time with me?” The three of them seem speechless. Makio was the first one to speak up, “Well... doesn't he sleep with you? When you get home?” This entire estate is bonkers. Everyone was in shock. Not one person could stop you from enjoying your breakfast, as you were busy chewing your food. Makio gets an idea. “So, when was the last time he slept with you?” You widened your eyes before flipping the question “…when did he sleep with you?” Makio talks with her mouth full “About a week ago.”
Suddenly, everyone in the room realized the truth, and seemed very alert. All four of us look at each other. The tension seemed to grow now that the topic was very sensitive. Makio’s eyes flickered to you before she points at Suma. “…a month or so” Suma points at Hina. “Two days ago.” In a sense, all of the wives looked somewhat jealous when describing the last time Tengen had slept with them. You tried your best not to put on a jealous face, and decided against being honest about the last time, which was quite a few months ago. You spoke up “He tried to sleep with me last night... I rejected him.” Suma gasps. “What!? How could you do that to him?” Makio raised her hand, causing you to flinch “Are you crazy?”
“He was being weird… he didn’t deserve me.” They all fall silent. You’re starting to question your judgement… it seems like he’s trying to get on a sleep schedule with you all. They slowly look at each other, jumping to conclusions as to what was going on. Suma sighs with frustration. Makio yells “Tengen has a favorite?” Suma scoffs in disbelief. “No way. He loves us all equally.” You facepalm, putting your drink down. “Who do you think is the favorite?” You just can’t pinpoint their thought processes. “I think you're the favorite…” You point to Makio. She looks down. The other two wives think about it for a second as well. Makio starts, “It's either you or Suma.” Everyone is somewhat shocked by this new realization. You raise your voice “It can't be me, he's always upset with me.” Everyone slowly looked at you. “But you're his only wife that rejects him.” Hina whispered. Suma added “And you smell like Kyojuro every time without you getting yelled at.” You scowl at her. Why is this a hot topic right now? Does he yell at them?
They laugh a little, but it's actually the truth. You pout “Well I work for Kyojuro, of course I'll smell like him. And we can all reject him if we want to.” Everyone pauses for a moment. Their laughter echoes through the house. Hina looks at her hands. “I think Tengen would go crazy if all of us rejected him.” You all laugh in agreement. “We should have an experiment! When he tries a move on one of you, maybe someone can reject him and see his reaction. He wasn't too upset when I did it.” Everyone but Makio hums in agreement. “I'll try to reject him next time.” said Suma, who was cut off by Makio saying she’s in in the middle of the line. Hina whispered “I'll do it the time after that.” All three of your other wives giggle before you speak up “He's going to go even crazier than he already is…” They all cackle, Makio snorting. The thought just makes them more excited to see his reaction. Makio grinned “This'll be fun.”
You couldn’t help but feel weirded out by the fact that they haven’t rejected him, it seems. Tengen really was spoiled, and it shows that he did not make them feel uncomfortable enough to say no to his advances.What makes him try to sleep with them more than you? Do they not have any complaints at all? You were holding this conversation topic for later. The timeline is blurry, and you seemed unable to hide your worried face. The idea of being a favorite just couldn’t pass you by, in all honesty. It kind of excited you “Do you guys really think I’m… because I rejected him?” You hoped they wouldn’t make you clarify. Hina raises one eyebrow. “Of course we do. You're the only one that ever rejected him.” You think about the ‘favorite’ discussion. “How does that make me a favorite? We only ever kiss… at most.” The other three wives look at you for a second. Suma covers her forehead “Well, we don't do much either. He just sleeps with us.”
Makio and Hina nod in agreement. Your jaw drops at the casual statement. Suma continues, “He kisses all of us, but the way he acts towards you is completely different from how he acts towards us. And you're the only one who rejects him. You leave the estate regularly!” This isn't making sense. They all nod. They are dead set on this idea that Tengen likes you slightly more than them. All three wives look at you for a second, then they smile in your direction. “So, what are you gonna do now?” questions Hina. Makio smirks “Are you gonna reject him again?~” The three of them are eager to see another reaction out of him.
You sigh “He has the worst possible, terrible timing. I didn't want to reject him... it was so long since last time…” The three of them seem to be disappointed in your decision. They all want you to reject him the next time he tries something. Suma exclaims “Ah, come on! Reject him! It'll be even funnier if we all reject him!” The other two wives nod in agreement. You felt like admitting your opinion to them “He won't approach me again after last night, at least until he goes through the rest of you.” You talk over their giggling as you point at each of them as you count up “He'll go 1, 2, 3, 4.” landing on yourself. They all look around at each other. Makio puts her head on her knees “Oh, right. He does seem to go in that particular order, based on intimacy.” They all nod in agreement. Each one of them plans to reject him the next time he comes around. They're all on the same page- they will get their husband back to paying attention to all four of them, and to stop picking a favorite.
You can’t help but also admit what Tengen wants from you… since it’s bothering you that you had no say. “Guys... I have something to say now that we're being honest.” They all look at you with curious faces. They all tilt their heads to the side in anticipation of what you have to say. “Tengen doesn't seem to trust me in Kyojuro's estate, so he wants me to write everything that happens over there in a journal.” Everyone stays silent for a second, intrigued. They all look at each other, completely in shock. Makio speaks loudly “T-Tengen doesn't trust you?” You look particularly guilty. Everyone still looks at you with shocked facial expressions. They want to know the reason why Tengen doesn't trust you. Hina perks up “Wait, I'm confused. Why doesn't he trust you?” You furrow your brows “I don't know. He knows Kyojuro would never... he would never be in an affair with me.”
You’re overthinking… Did you phrase that correctly? Should you have told the girls at all? Do they know more than they’re telling you? Makio’s voice is quiet for the first time “… Did you do something to make him think you're having an affair with Kyojuro?” The three of your wives are intrigued and they want to know the truth. You blurt “No!” You furrow my brows further. “Kyojuro and I haven't done anything romantic...” Saying that sentence out loud makes you feel lightheaded. Everybody seems a little skeptical of what you said. Suma pats her own head “You sure Kyojuro never flirted with you or did anything inappropriate towards you?” Hina adds “Never? Not once?” They all look at you in disbelief. “No... what would you classify as flirting?” Everyone is silent for a moment. They all wonder what to say. Makio stares into your eyes “He didn't try making any passes at you? Any flirty remarks? Any touching?” It’s just been hugs… your brain is on overdrive. They're being a little pushy about it. Makio wouldn’t stop babbling “Like putting his arm around you or anything like that?” They all are still waiting for you to answer. They all seem so desperate for you to say something. You look down “It has never been anything romantic.”
“So, he's never said anything inappropriate to you?” Makio pinches your cheek and you slap her hand. She asks this in a suspicious tone. “Never. He's a gentleman.” They stay silent and seem skeptical that Kyojuro never made any inappropriate comments or actions towards you. Hina eggs her on “Are you absolutely certain there was never anything inappropriate?” These women are crazy. Not even in your daydreams does he do romantic things. You feel terribly guilty for your imaginations. She asks this with a somewhat teasing tone. You recoil “Don't say it like that!” You all giggle. “You sound a little defensive.” Suma whispers. They all look at you with amused or suspicious facial expressions. You raise your voice “Stop the interrogation!” You sigh “Kyojuro is not flirtatious at all!” They stay silent for a few seconds, as per usual. Then the three of them begin laughing hysterically. Hina wipes her eyes “It's just... a little unbelievable. If that's true, then... why doesn't Tengen trust you?”
You decide to change the subject, as you really want them to clarify their feelings on the journal. “You guys think the journal idea is… normal?” Two of them nod. Hina hands you a napkin “I think that there could’ve been a worse request-” Suma cuts her off “What color is the journal?” Makio scowls. “I think it’s insane… but I would do it if I were you… It would make me feel weird knowing he doesn’t trust me. I’d prove him wrong…” She was right. You wanted to confirm the current plans and stop the heat from reaching you.
“As long as you all ignore his advances for our ‘experiment’, I think I’ll let everyone read my journals! You can even decorate with me!” You were all laughing as Tengen comes inside the estate. You start to ask a question as the laughing dies down “Does he really yell at you gu-” His footsteps are heard. The room goes quiet, you keeping your mouth shut, and everyone covering their mouths. He looks at the four of you, looking quite confused as to what's going on. “What are you guys so excited about without me?” Everyone looks at Tengen with blank expressions.
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reinababbles please do not copy | ty for the ♡ & reblogs!
taglist @gingerspicelattemix @misty-angerose @tati-the-fangirl @stuckinthewrongworld @versalia @annie-napier @bitches4lifebro @movie-enthusiast22 @wolywolymoley @mar-hee06 @archer-fb @cotton-candycloudz @its-missa @star-dust-wanderer @king-shimura @vr00m-vr00m @d4rno @whatelsecouldgowrong
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ravenrune · 1 year
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A little Luis x F!reader thing I've been working on for the past few days. I enjoy writing the reader meeting a character for the first time, so here is one for Luis. I went for she/her pronouns this time. I'm sorry I didn't go for gender-neutral. I will again next time! <3
No warnings. Fanfic. Not beta-read. Around 900 words.
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The first step
Under any other circumstances, Luis loved to attend parties. The wedding he was at right now, however, had killed his joy very early on. Luis barely knew the couple and didn’t understand why they’d invited him. Politeness, he figured. He used to work with the man, and they had kept in touch after he’d left Umbrella, but to call them friends would be a massive overstatement. Vague acquaintances seemed much more fitting.
Except for this time, anyway.
Initially, Luis had looked forward to the wedding. Not because he cared much about the wedding couple, but because he always wanted to meet new people. This wedding, however, was boring with a capital B. It seemed as if everyone present was in a relationship and didn’t feel like interacting with strangers.
Luis himself had come alone. He’d tried to get a friend to join him, but nobody had been interested. Luis didn’t have any women in his life that he was romantically involved with, so he hadn’t been able to score a date, either. Didn’t matter much, though, because normally, he was pretty good at keeping himself, and strangers, entertained.
Bored and annoyed, he got up from the table, seemingly invisible to the people around him. He’d go out for a smoke, have another drink, and maybe then it would finally feel appropriate to leave. He didn’t think he’d ever be home before eleven after a party, but he really wasn’t feeling it this time.
“Ai, ai, ai,” he muttered, stepping out into the rain. He was pretty sure the weather forecast had promised clear skies, but apparently they’d been wrong again. “How hard can it be to predict the weather?”
“Surprisingly difficult, actually,” came a female voice from behind him. “Want to stay under my umbrella?”
Luis turned around and saw a woman standing there. Relatively young. Nice dress. It was too dark to see the colour of her eyes or hair. She was holding a big umbrella and gestured to him to come over.
“Don’t mind if I do.” Luis flashed her a big smile and stood next to her. “You mind if I light one up?” He held up his pack of cigarettes.
She shrugged. “Nah, go ahead.”
Luis lit his cigarette and placed the pack and the lighter back in his pocket. “Why are you outside? It’s a bit cold, no?”
“Cold doesn’t bother me much,” she replied. “It’s a bit too… crowded inside.”
Luis glanced at her. She had nice features, but he still couldn’t tell what colour her eyes or her hair were. “Is it too crowded, or is it just too boring?” He asked, only half joking.
She laughed and looked around to ensure nobody was close enough to hear her. “It really is very boring,” she groaned. “I kinda regret coming here. I could’ve stayed home and watched a movie. Would’ve cost me less money, too.”
“Yeah… I don’t even know why I was invited,” Luis muttered. “They don’t seem that interested in their guests.”
“Money, probably. They just want gifts. Isn’t that why people get married in the first place?”
Luis nearly choked on some smoke. “People get married for money? Where’s the romance in that, amiga?”
“Romance is dead,” she stated matter-of-factly, “everything is just a financial transaction nowadays.”
Wow. Luis wasn’t sure about what to say. How could someone think that way? He wondered if perhaps something had happened in her past, that someone had hurt her badly enough to turn her away from romantic interactions.
It was hard to imagine, and the thought made him feel a bit sad. His first instinct was to see this as a challenge. A challenge to try and conquer her heart. Then again, he also knew very well that that could end badly. He may consider himself quite the ladies’ man, but he wasn’t in it to hurt people. He didn’t hop from woman to man to woman just to satisfy his needs and move on. Not anymore, anyway. Not like when he was younger.
Luis had gotten so lost in thought, his cigarette started to burn his finger. “Agh!” He threw the thing on the ground and stomped it out. “That hurt!”
“Not the smartest thing I’ve ever seen,” she joked. “Do you need a plaster?”
Luis smiled. “Nah,” he muttered. “I just gotta pay attention.”
He liked hearing her laugh, he thought to himself. He wouldn’t mind hearing it more often.
“You eh… you got a name, amiga?” He asked.
“Y/N,” she replied.
“Good name. I’m Luis Serra.” He extended his hand, which she shook. “Encantado.”
“Same… I think?” She smirked. “How about we go back inside and get something to drink? I’m sick of the rain.”
Going inside for a drink. That seemed like a very nice first step for Luis. “Yeah, why not. I’ll buy you one.”
“Eh?” She frowned at him. “Drinks are free tonight.”
“Oh yes, of course.” Luis laughed. “Well, I’m sure that after tonight you’ll want nothing more than for me to take you out and buy you one elsewhere!”
“I doubt it,” she muttered while folding her umbrella. “But hey… surprise me, I guess.”
Now that was definitely a challenge, and Luis wasn’t the type to say no to one.
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