#it’d… also probably make him feel good getting to ‘protect’ me from those kinds of fears lol

[ectoplasmer]

voicing how I get insecure over the fact that I can’t handle horror as well as the bakurae can because i’m a wimp and having a 50/50 chance of being met with a response like “oh no that’s fine!! that just means you’re more sane than me” or “you haven’t seen nor experienced nearly the amount things I have but yes you are a wimp”

[aranarumei]

OH ALSO gajevy fairy tail :3

ask me about a ship and I’ll give my opinions + classify them as does / doesn’t make sense, does / doesn’t compel me

heyyy sunnfish I picked this one to answer first bc I thought it’d be the shorter answer and then it got a little bit long so let’s put this guy under the cut

gajevy’s really interesting to me out of the Big 4 (nalu, gajevy, gruvia, jerza) because I think that without a doubt, they’ve fared the best canon-wise? but out of the big 4, they’re also the ship I’ve always been least invested in, so I’m gonna say: makes sense, doesn’t compel me.

feel like I can hear some ghost screaming at me like. how the hell were u more invested in gruvia. I will get to that. nalu I’m still invested in… it’s the kind of thing where lucy and natsu just have to be best friends for me. I like other ships with natsu and lucy just fine, so long as it doesn’t demean their relationship. because I truly believe in how dear those two are to each other. for me, as fairy tail progresses, I think the characters in general… got a little worse, haha. so natsu got dumbed down a lot, and a lot of the nalu moments weren’t less genuine sincerity and more jokes or bad fanservice. I also felt like lucy as a character kind of got fumbled with the star dresses… they certainly could have worked but I just feel like it made her fights less interesting? with gray and juvia, I was obsessed with juvia as a kid, and still am… I genuinely think that the gray & juvia is really interesting in the beginning, where juvia’s this gloomy, kinda shy, kinda creepy, kinda sweet stalker. what really worked for me there was that there wasn’t a huge push for gray to be actually receptive to any of juvia’s feelings, and the first big moments juvia had were like… her friendship with lucy and that first unison raid, as well as that moment in the battle of fairy tail where she sacrifices herself for cana. I think those two moments really demonstrate juvia in her best moments… maybe she’s a little standoffish, but she just wants friends, and her love for others is evident. so I feel like something interesting could have happened with her and gray if we got these moments of her making friends and then having a real, proper transition of their relationship from blind adoration to actual friends. gray gets to realize that juvia’s weird as hell but deeply kind and actually considerate of his feelings, and juvia gets to see gray as more of a person than someone she’s mostly watching from afar. Instead, juvia’s possessiveness gets turned up to a point where it’s grating, and it feels like gray gets bullied into liking her by the plot. not great for either of them! my personal gruvia ending has them becoming like. good friends that are just a little extra-protective of each other because of the things they’ve been through. and for jellal and erza we’ve talked about this one. insanely good setup and execution, probably the one I wanted canonicity for most, and then post-timeskip I think it sucks.

and then there’s gajeel and levy! I think this works remarkably well in canon. having him be properly repentant and making it up to levy in particular does a lot in terms of integrating him into the guild. gajeel’s just one of the most solid characters in fairy tail I think. really fun guy to watch. they’re also the only ship out of the big four who really achieved canon status I think. Part of my non-investment in them does stem from that, because it’s like… well, canon treated them well enough so I’m not making giant sermons on what could have been, because I never got to a part where I was like. you know what? this SUCKS and I could do better. but what I really don’t like about canon is that I think the relationship ended up doing a real disservice to levy’s character. rather than be her own person, she ends up as just adjacent to gajeel… which is a real shame! solid script is so interesting, and she’s a good support character, so I don’t like it when she gets cast into the role of like. just the girl gajeel likes. so I actually like gajevy fic a lot when it treats them like yknow, actual people. I think my opinions on gajevy are just not too strong, which is why they don’t really compel me compel me. I want to see more of team shadowgear working as a unit, and like, gajeel and levy having interactions that don’t just sum up to gajeel protecting her and levy maybe trying to help him out. Oh man you know what was really good actually. fairy tail gaiden: rhodonite is this little spinoff bit that was written by a different author, but it’s really really good. I am obsessed with that version of gajeel and levy. actually that series is so good in general. some of my favorite members of the fairy tail ensemble. juvia’s here so we get like. gajeel-juvia friendship crumbs which I lost my mind about.

so basically my thoughts are like. I probably wouldn’t write gajevy personally as anything but lightly existing in the background in a nice way, but if it’s written well I’m so on board

[lilysmiles11223345]

ITS BEEN A WHILE BUT I DID IT \o/

I was able to finally get myself to finish these drawings >:D this post will be about my characters in @bobmirum ‘s mafia au!! :D

Your au is lovely and it’s given me many cool story ideas >v< so many I could not fit them into here properly -w- im hoping to be able to write a fic with those ideas and maybe post it soon! :D💗

TW: Some of the info will be very dark, there will be lots of serious topics! this au is based on something already pretty serious irl(mafias)- so Ofc I had to add my own spins <3

~read more for the info/drawings!~

~fiore(Anthea)~

“A kind and gentle florist, one that just so happens to be peppino’s childhood friend. She seems to see the good in most and that includes peppino— as she is completely clueless to him being the right-hand man to a mafia

To be fair, peppino does try and keep her in the dark about it too- she isn’t allowed to visit any of his restaurants for this reason. But it does seem that the idea of peppino being in such a situation is a topic she’s most oblivious on. As if she couldn’t really see him as evil in any shape or form— and if she knew, perhaps that wouldn’t change at all.

There are times she can defend herself, though there are rumours that a traumatic event happened in the past that had caused her to have forgotten parts of her past— including the traumatic event. peppino was there for the event, and wants to keep her safe and protect her from danger like that from now on. Though, Knowing it’d be risky if she got too involved with him he doesn’t visit her often, but when he does he still can’t help but get a bit soft…

Though when someone on pizzaheads side discovers their closeness.. will Anthea still be shielded from all of this?”

Fun fact! I came up with this whole backstory before I even knew about this au <3 it was for normal evil peppino at first! I just changed It ever so slightly for the mafia au! Though I understand the love for evil X evil I also really like evil X oblivious sweetheart so much >v<

I also decided her being a florist would be best in this au >:3 like to imagine that peppino listens to her ramble on about flower meanings— and eventually he started secretly asking her for flowers to give secret messages and stuff >:D she probably does get the meanings of the messages he’s putting together with flowers but because he just says they are for one of his restaurants she just brushes it off, thinking it’s slightly odd.

~mutey/masky(mute)~

“A loyal guard dog. Masky is apart of pizzaheads little gang- and to an extent Darling’s part of it too, though cares more about Noise than anything else involved. They and noise had known each other since childhood- and have had history together. Noise was there for most of masky’s trauma— so they are greatful and plan to stay with noise through anything.

when noise started gambling— they didn’t really like that, but felt powerless to stop him..

Instead they opted to help noise in other ways, making sure to protect him and doing little things for him. Now and then they would slightly try and protest on the addiction, but when that failed they wouldn’t do more but continue to stay by his side through it.

Now, they ended up working at pizzahead’s casino with noise— though they never wanted to be involved in the first place they wouldn’t want to get out of this mess without noise— so they silently repress their own feelings and do any job they are told to.

..though if it ever came to them finally standing up for themself, and disobey darling.. would they still be alive to keep noise happy?”

Mute is probably the biggest simp in this au AND that’s saying something 😭👍

Like normal mute also can’t talk- so they’d have to find some other way to communicate such as cherades, a whiteboard or a voice box ^w^

Noise despite not really realising how important they are to him— understands mute very easily still too..

Since noise seems more focused on making money in this au - it takes a while but eventually he comes to realize how important mute truly is to him.. but, the problem is it may be too late before that happens 😔👍

~whippy/sugar(Chelsey)~

“Whippy works for pizzaheads little gang, but more for Darling herself. She used to be a highly trained assassin but with some “small talk”, Darling was able to “convince” her to work for her. For the most part she is only needed as a bodyguard for Darling, though there are times she is given jobs to kill someone.

With such a cold expression, you’d expect a heart completely void of love. Though this is what she’d like you to believe— not only does she take care of two orphaned twins as her own siblings (after her real ones died in an “accident”), she had caught feelings for a specific cop(vigi).. and even fully knowing that her love was unrequited - she couldn’t stop herself from getting a bit soft around him.

It’s possible that this crush weakens her slightly, and may even make her hesitant to do one of her jobs in the future..

Though if it ever came to him being her target, and the safety of the twins relied on it— how could she ever deal with the possibility?”

Yeah if you thought mute gets hit hard in this au- Chelsey’s angst may be a contender for my favorite in this au~ she is completely taken over the edge and never will be able to be truly happy 😔

Cause yeah, it’s possible mute and noise could get together maybe- but Chelsey and vigi? In this au?? Impossible. Poor Chelsey 😔👍

~darling(mrs.Neapolitan)~

“a sweet face huh? Her charm and mesmerizing features are enough to fool most into a false sense of security- though Darling has never been the most sane of people.

She’s definitely good at keeping up a sweet and caring persona to most, though in reality she enjoys most people’s suffering, and is pretty manipulative to others. This goes to all she knows, except for one..

Pizzahead.

It’s unknown at how long they’ve known each other, but a while ago she had joined in on helping with pizzahead’s gang, working for the casino in secret and keeping her “mostly” innocent makeup brand separate.

She’s madly in love with pizzahead and is very loyal towards him, she watches others that work for him (and her) to make sure they keep in line, and isn’t afraid of dispelling punishments to those she sees are lacking slightly..

When she figures about the quarrel between peppino&gustavo’s gang and pizzahead’s gang, she immediately takes matters into her own hands to find a way to take peppino and Gustavo down..

And when she discovers peppino’s weakness, his childhood friend.. let’s just say things get a bit interesting..~”

I made her so pretty but so evil,, I hope you guys still like her 🥺

I did really like having the chance to do a human design for her~ I hope her design still translated her ice cream themes!! <3

Fun facts:

-You will find that all the characters names in this au (or well- nicknames) are names someone important calls them . “Fiore” is what peppino calls Anthea, “mutey” is what noise calls mute, “sugar” is what vigi calls Chelsey, and “darling”.. is actually just what everyone calls her but yeah ;v;’ it originated from pizzahead. :D

The only two with seperate nicknames that others call them is Chelsey and mute , others call mute “masky” and Chelsey “Whippy”. :)

-I have ideas for the missing two ocs too (strawbetty and Evi) BUT Evi’s doesn’t have enough structure yet and strawbetty’s will come later— it’s definitely boring compared to everyone else’s story’s LOL <3 strawbetty’s nickname would be berrie tho!

-mute was just starting to warm up to noisette and even crush on her too when noise and her broke up- they had to quickly get back on noise’s side after.

I hope you like them!! As I said I’m trying my best to write a fic with what happens to them all~ I may post it when it’s done! ^w^

also I put alot of effort into this but it’s possible I may have messed up somewhere and I’m so sorry if I did! ;v; I hope you all like it anyway ^^

May even skip ahead to do the good parts, who knows >v<

That’s all for now, thank youuuu!! QwQ

P.s I will draw the canon mafia au characters as soon as my brain lets me!! >:D

[skye-huntress]

The Witch from Mercury Reaction

Episode 3: “Guel’s Pride”

The fact that Suletta has a wish list of things she wants to do at school is adorable. That said, the one about eating on the roof has me convinced that her idea of what school is like comes from anime or other fiction, and unfortunately not the kind this show is.

It’s funny, Suletta wants to date, but she also doesn’t want to cheat on her future wife. She is such a good girl, but someone has to explain to her that monogamy is overrated, even more so when we’re talking about arranged marriages.

Meanwhile, Miorine hears Suletta wants to date and comes to the conclusion she is “sex-crazed”. I mean, they are teenagers, but my impression is that Suletta is more of a hopeless romantic (like me). Plus given how shy and awkward she is, it’d probably take her a few dates before she builds up the courage for a kiss on the cheek.

Despite having heard the term a lot when she was little, Suletta no longer seems to know what a Gundam is. I’m assuming her mother made her avoid using the term in favour of referring to Aerial exclusively by her name until she eventually just forgot.

There’s something funny about how relieved Suletta felt when she heard Guel will be her duelling opponent even as she is cowering from him behind Nika. She keeps bringing up his loss in the most matter-of-fact way that she clearly doesn’t mean him any disrespect. Yet for his bruised ego, it still feels to him like she is mocking him.

Shaddiq should be an interesting one to watch. He seems well informed, the type to do his due diligence, so we’ll see how he goes about investigating Suletta. Since the girl doesn’t have any friends or contacts besides Miorine, he’ll probably end up approaching her directly sooner or later, like a certain someone else has.

Suletta: My BFF!

Miorine: No

Me: YES!

But seriously, Suletta needs to slow down a bit. Miorine has only just accepted her into her personal space but she’s still a very closed off and anti-social individual. She’ll be worn down eventually, but it’s going to take some time.

I like how Miorine immediately stops what she is doing when Elan approaches her fiancée. Girl can’t hide her jealousy. For the record, I don’t think she is necessarily romantically interested, yet, but I can see her wanting to keep Suletta to herself, or even protect her from those who might take advantage of her, even if she won’t admit it.

Interesting that Suletta restates she wants Guel to apologise to Miorine, but Guel merely says his stake is the “same as last time”. For whatever reason, he chooses not to say it out loud even as everyone else knows what he means.

Suletta is so uncompromising on her beliefs she thinks nothing of defending Guel from mockery. It’s one of the things I am growing to love about her that she wishes the same treatment for everybody, even someone that intimidates her so much her immediate reaction upon seeing him is to hide behind the nearest object or person.

It makes me uneasy, the idea that Suletta’s life goal is to be like her mother. The person she thinks her mother is is her hero, so I can’t imagine what it would do to her if she ever found out that her mother is lying to and manipulating her.

Miorine was apparently so jealous that Elan became one of Suletta’s contacts that she chose to add herself as well. I mean, she could have asked but when the girl wants something she makes it happen, probably because from her experience that was the only way to get what she wanted. Hopefully that’s something she’ll figure out later, that she can ask Suletta something and not expect immediate rejection.

At this point, I’m not surprised by how much the match was rigged in Guel’s favour or how the Duelling Club just accepts it as fair play. That said, Elan still seemed convinced that as a “witch,” Suletta would still manage to win.

The other thing I find interesting though is that Guel seemed naive enough to write off the fire suppression system going off as luck. Even more interesting that he can accept being a mere passenger in his own mech but not his family actively interfering in his duel.

Speaking of interference, it’s good for Miorine that she actually does get to contribute this time around. It makes it feel like it was as much her win as it was Suletta and Aerial’s.

Respect to Guel though, for taking control at the end. He honestly did pretty well there. Despite his loss, he earned Suletta’s respect (for his skills at least) and more confidence in himself. And even though he still lost, it was his loss. If he left things to continue as they were, he’d wonder if he lost because he gave up too much control rather than trust in his own skills.

It’s nice to hear Miorine laugh. Also, for like the second time this episode, Suletta tries to rush things and have to be reminded that this relationship is a slowburn. She has a long way to go before she earns the right to use a nickname. That said, the nickname is hilarious and I will now be using Mio-Mio especially when I talk about how relationship with Suletta.

As for that last bit, I don’t even know what to say other than I knew exactly what the reaction would be.

[samwpmarleau]

jamie/keeley 😝

BLESS U

Who’s the cuddler?

Preseries, I’d say Keeley most of the time, because even though Jamie’s walls were lower with her than anyone else, he was still in that I’ll-die-if-I’m-soft mindset. He secretly loves cuddling, and rationalizes it as he’s doing it because Keeley wants to, but I don’t think he’d initiate it most of the time. Postseries, however, he would totally initiate cuddling and wouldn’t care who knows it.

Who makes the bed?

Whoever gets to it first, probably. Jamie’s very spartan in his belongings, as we see from his extremely minimalist house, and since he grew up with nothing keeping his space tidy would’ve been important. So by force of habit alone he’d probably make it. But Keeley’s got high standards and I imagine likes her stuff in order, so she’d do it, too.

Who wakes up first?

Jamie. For a variety of reasons, I tend to think he doesn’t sleep very well, so getting up early is a common thing for him. While he doesn’t always get out of bed first, he almost always awakens first.

Who has the weird taste in music?

Jamie’s taste in music is positively awful.

Who is more protective?

Probably Keeley. Not that Jamie isn’t, but he tends to avoid confrontation as best he can (riling up Roy in season 1 notwithstanding, because he’s a little shit), so in his case it’s less being protective as feeling protective, if that makes sense?

Keeley’s a lot more vocal about it. Especially when it comes to things like his intelligence, she’s the first to tell you to fuck off. Jamie didn’t have the best education, and I agree with the headcanon that he has dyslexia, so those combine for him seeming stupid sometimes. But he catches on quickly to concepts he’s not familiar with (canonically so!) and he’s extremely smart in lots of other ways, so Keeley’s very much the “talk shit get hit” kind of person. 

Who sings in the shower?

Probably both. In the beginning Jamie does it a lot quieter and less often because despite having a fantastic voice, his dad was very much of the “football is all you’re going to focus on, do you hear me” mindset, so he never felt comfortable doing it. Postseries he’s a lot less self-conscious.

As I mentioned in the previous ask, while Keeley’s voice may not be very good, she’s certainly enthusiastic. 

Who cries during movies?

Keeley. Unless it’s Treasure Planet, in which case Jamie has to straight up leave the room 😭

Who spends the most while out shopping?

Hmm. I’m honestly not sure. I don’t think either of them spend all that much (compared with those in their income bracket; obviously they spend way more than a normal person).

Who is more dominant?

LISTEN. LISTEN.

I think they tend to prefer Keeley taking the lead, so in that regard it’d be her. But they do switch it up, at which point the answer becomes definitely Jamie. He likes to make people feel good, after all, and sometimes that means railing and manhandling.

Who kisses more roughly?

Bearing in mind the above answer, I’d say it sort of averages out. Jamie’s at both extremes — he absolutely can be the rougher one, but he also enjoys being the gentler one — while Keeley tends to be down the middle most of the time.

My rating of the ship from 1-10

I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count 😆

———

send me a ship and i’ll answer these questions [x]

[crimsonkenjii-writes]

Self indulgent but would I be able to pull my anime husbands??

This is in no way, me trying to talk shit or too highly about myself. I’m just imaging it in a realistic way. In my fantasies I can pull them all lolol fantasy crimson has charisma 100

Giyuu Tomioka: I really want to say yes. I think I could. My personality is a good contrast with his and its the good kind of opposite where the other provides what the other lacks. Got that good ol sun and moon kind of relationship and when do those ever not work out??? I also would be like Tanjiro. Just keep talking and talking to him until he slowly warms up to me lol. So yes, I could pull Giyuu ♡

Nanami Kento: No :,) I don’t think I could. I feel like my personality would be way too excitable for him. I would probably remind him of Gojo and he’d get the ick and try to keep interaction with me to a minimum. Though I can be very down to earth and serious, he still would probably just remeber that one ick that just ruined it for him lmao

Aki Hayakawa: Let’s say hypothetically he’s not entranced by Makima, it’d still be a no pfffttt. I feel like he’d find my enthusiastic personality a little too annoying for his personal taste. Like he’d be able to handle me when I’m not as high energy but then when I am bouncing off the walls he’s just “please just shut up for five minutes” lolol. I think I could get along with him and have a really nice platonic friendship but I don’t think I’d be able to pull him. Feel like he’s too focused on getting his revenge that relationships are far out the window for him.

Aizawa Shota: No. I would not be able to pull him… I feel like he’d be too focused on his work, protecting the kids and just overall too tired to ever try and find a romantic partner. He’d also think he doesn’t even deserve that kind of happiness anyways therefore adding to lack of commitment. Even if he did ever develop a small crush on me, I feel like he’d snuff it out and be over it so quick and it all ends up leading to nothing. Think he would still enjoy my presence but don’t think he’d ever try to lead it anywhere to more than friendship.

Hideyoshi Nagachika: Let’s go ahead and say hypothetically he’s not in love with Kaneki lolol. My answer is yes! I think I could pull him. We share the same crackhead energy and I’d be able to vibe with him very well. I think our personalities clash well together. I come off extremely cold and reserved at first and I think Hide would notice that I’m actually a doofus under all that and try to get past my walls to see me let go and relax and it would make us both fall for each other :)

Hakuryuu Ren: Yes!! I could pull him!!! I think he’d admire me from afar for a while and just think “wow so pretty, so amazing…” I have that loud and enthusiastic kind of personality and also try my best to stand up for what I believe in and try not to take shit from people and I think he’d be hooked from that. A “dominating woman” if you will lolol. (I hope I’m describing that sort of dynamic well. Boss wife and malewife husband is what I’m basically trying to say lmao) I’d also absent mindedly compliment his scar and he’d immediately be head over heels for me 🥰

[tarnishedxknight]

(WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME NOT TO LET MANTIS MEET NOAH. NOW I HAVE TO YEET HER AT HIM. This is in response to the starter of Noah getting his results. I wonder how he would react to my lil ray of sunshine bug daughter. I also wonder how Ashe would react in case she sings like Aurora, since that’s her fc, and Aurora is the singing voiceclaim I have for Mantis so… it could be convoluted XD)

Mantis was surprised by how much Noah looked like his brother. They were twins, of course, but some twins could look slightly different, have different features. In this case, they looked very similar. They both kind of looked like Thor, and Mantis realized she was thinking about him a lot after he left the team. She hoped he was doing well, and… she was sure Quill had a secret crush on him, too. There was no hiding things from Mantis, and Quill wasn’t the best at ‘acting natural’. Talking to Basch had been easy; he was a kind soul with a humble heart, willing to help others, willing to be good, do good, protect the helpless. He told Mantis he would always love his brother, and Mantis prayed they would be able to make amends one day. If she wasn’t mistaken, Thor and Loki did, or they were trying to, but… then Thanos came along. Sadly, it was too late for them. She wanted to believe it wasn’t too late for Basch and Noah.

“Hello,” she said gently. “I am Mantis. Do not worry, I am not here to hurt you. I know your brother. He is helping me find the legendary Kevin Bacon,” she told him with an excited smile. She then approached him with small steps, her antennae twitching with curiosity as she wrung her hands. Mantis watched him silently. The sadness in his eyes was clearer than a starburst, and Mantis caught sight of his tears before he blinked them away. He was hurting. She could tell. Of course he was hurting, because she was, too. Because his father hurt him. His father, who was supposed to protect him. Mantis understood that feeling, she knew it too well. Getting hurt by a parent was enough to shape one’s mind, a persistent thorn in one’s side, a cold emptiness within one’s heart, mind and soul.

No one deserved that.

His silence was so loud, and her head tilted to the side as he closed the paper. “What is that?” Mantis asked softly. He seemed to be upset by it. Mantis took another step, her hands clasped together in front of her body as usual. “Bad news, maybe? Oh, those can be hard to deal with. They are never easy to process, especially before breakfast. Is it time for breakfast here on Earth?” Mantis asked, lively. She bit at one of her fingernails and shrugged. “Unless that paper does not contain bad news. Unless… it is just a grocery list and you just realized you forgot to acquire something.”

__________

{AKSJHGAKJSHFGAJSH THAT WAS AN EXAMPLE TO MAKE PIETRO LOOK BETTER BY COMPARISON, NOT A WRITING PROMPT!! XDDD Having said that, I kindof do need them to interact now. Thank goodness there aren’t as many Mantis fans who follow this blog because ohhh man I can’t control Noah’s grouchiness. If they thought Pietro was mean to her... yikes. I apologize in advance for my AngryBoi’s™ treatment of your BugDaughter™. And haha oh yeah that’s right, I forgot Aurora is your singing VC for Mantis! Ashe’s voice actually sounds nothing like Aurora’s, so it’d just be weird for us and not for our muses, I think, lol. There’s a clip in this post where you can hear Ashe talk. Her voice is deeper than Aurora’s and less delicate-sounding. And listen, you can always yeet Mantis at anyone you want, heh. I was just trying to say Pietro isn’t my most difficult or offensive muse. I... probably should stop offering random points like that. XD}

{This was sent in response to this starter if anyone else is interested!}

This accursed time period seemed to be very homogeneous with regard to races. There were humes... and really nothing else. Animals, of course, and plants, and insects. But... just humes. No moogles, viera, seeq, bangaa, garif... just humes. How ironic that he had once made his home in the least melting-pot empire in Ivalice, only to now wish he could glimpse something other than a blasted hume. Even the Avengers, the self-proclaimed and self-righteous Defenders of Earth, were nothing more than a mediocre and incohesive gaggle of humes pretending to stand for something. The eccentric and clashing personalities of the Judge Magisters of the Archadian Empire got along better than the Avengers did... and they accomplished more as well. Noah thought that was rather pathetic, but now that they had denied him his right to work and passed judgement upon him without cause, he was just flat out infuriated. 

Although he hadn’t wanted to interact with anyone at the moment, the second his eyes lifted to the very strange-looking woman who had accosted him and stolen his silence, his anger, sadness, and frustration were derailed by the face that... he had never seen a being like her before. Genuine curiosity replaced the defensiveness in his expression as he looked her over. She looked like some sort of... bug? He might have wondered further, and he might have asked, but the moment she mentioned Basch and how helpful he was being, the defensiveness returned. At least her name somewhat confirmed his suspicions with regard to her race, even if he had never seen a sentient, hume-shaped insect before.

“Oh, well, I am overjoyed to hear how helpful my dear brother is being to you. I am certain he will succeed. He always does... unless you’re his family, of course.” Noah said, his tone dripping with vitriolic sarcasm. “Spare me the details of how perfect a soul he is. I have heard it enough to last me ten lifetimes.” Noah’s accent was different than Basch’s, and his speech was a bit less antiquated-sounding, though both brothers spoke somewhat strangely for the current time period.

His eyes narrowed a little as she came closer. Without his armor, and note notably, his helm, Noah felt exposed and antsy. What did the insect woman want of him? Had she come here merely to rub his nose in how wonderful Basch was? Or to mock him for being prohibited from field work? Was she even an Avenger? He’d not seen her around the compound before. That didn’t mean anything, though. People were always coming and going from the place. “This?” he asked, lifting the file in his hand. “This does not concern you. It does not even concern those who wrote it, yet they saw fit to do so,” he replied to her bitterly. He did furrow his brow a bit at the comment about groceries. Was she a simpleton? Or did she just have an odd manner about her? Well, how was he to know the thought patterns of humanoid insect races? Perhaps her odd trains of thought were normal for one such as her. 

His file was private. Embarrassing. Inaccurate. Wrong. But right now, in his current state, he felt like venting, and unfortunately this insect woman was the only one there to vent to. “You wish to know? There.” He opened the file and slapped it down onto a nearby table for her to see. “I have been a soldier for twenty years and a Judge Magister for fifteen, yet the incompetent medical staff here seem to think that I am unfit for battle. They seem to think me a piece of brittle glass, a fragile leaf... some green recruit unable to stomach the smallest of traumas. That I cannot hold the alcohol I have been drinking since I grew to manhood,” he said, pointing to the bit about substance abuse: alcohol. “That being separated from a brother I have despised and wished dead for just as long has somehow crippled me,” he continued, now pointed to twin separation anxiety. “Lies and insults. They have no right to judge me so. They do not know me at all.” 

Noah’s eyes flashed with anger, affront, but also pain and shame. His teeth gritted, but his lips trembled. This wasn’t just an injustice and an insult to him, it was panicking him, for if he was not a soldier, then what was he? His strength, his resilience, his ability to keep fighting despite anything and everything that had and might still happen to him... was his identity. He was a survivor. But the file before him... labeled him a failure. A weak, pathetic, broken failure. Just like father always said you’d be. That’s why Basch left you, you know. You’re a failure, and he is a winner.

“So what of it?” he said to both Mantis and himself. “Come to mock me? To gawk at the general without an army, the soldier without a sword? Go ahead. It matters not to me.” It mattered a lot. All of it did. That file had destabilized the last little bit of pride and confidence in himself that Noah had been maintaining. He wondered now if he really was all of the things listed within it. Could it be that he has always been this broken and useless, and that he’d only been in childish denial that he was a strong person? Don’t cry. Do not cry in front of the bug woman...

[jerek]

thing i should've written when i first came up with it 6 years ago

Keith tries to cover up Shiro's inappropriate conduct with a refugee in the Castle of Lions.

"It was me."

Allura's head lifted. Before she could turn, put those eyes on him, Keith added: "And I've already called it off."

She sighed and instead peered over her shoulder. "Are you sure you understand what you're admitting to?"

They weren't harsh eyes, no. Just disappointed, in a way that squeezed in his chest. He answered her: "I do. I, uh..."

"Please, sit down."

Allura followed him to the middle of the room, sitting across from him, maybe to make a point. He clasped his hands tight over his knees. If he held himself tight enough, he could keep it together, and really sell the–

“I only want the truth, Keith.”

He nodded. Swallowed. Thought about clearing his throat– and didn’t. “I… didn’t think it through. I don’t really–”

Don’t say anything stupid, he reminded himself. If you’re about to say something stupid… “It’s just– sometimes it’s too much. The loneliness, I mean– and I know I have you all, but when she showed up, I figured maybe I could have something… everyone else already had.”

“It’s not an achievement,” Allura remarked, her voice cold and curt. “She’s not some task you can check off a list.”

“It’s not like that.” His head dropped. He didn’t want to be looking at her right now. It’d be easier admitting all this to anyone else. Hunk, Lance. Shiro… if only. “I just– I needed someone for when nobody else wanted me. If I were to show up at your door, middle of the night, couldn’t sleep… we’re not like that, you know?”

She silently raised an eyebrow. “No,” she said, “we’re not.”

“I told her I couldn’t do it anymore. I said I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to get her involved in all this, and… it never should have happened. I should’ve pulled myself together. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

Oh, now he was acting.

His chest hurt. His throat stung. His eyes, dry and probably bloodshot. What was wrong with him? Why was he lying? Why was he lying to his team?

It didn’t feel like lying. He blinked, and suddenly his eyes weren’t dry anymore. He pawed at his face, lied with his hands and acted like he was rubbing away sleep. “Just–” his voice cracked– “Just… let her go. She’s probably about as sick of me as you are.”

“Keith.”

He didn't respond.

“Keith, please. Look at me.”

With his breath coming shallow and slow, his eyes still watery, Keith forced himself to look.

Kind eyes. Kind eyes that felt like a cold knife. Allura leaned forward, and phrased her next words carefully. “There is nothing wrong with you. You’re a Paladin of Voltron: the pilot of the Red Lion, selected for your intuition. Your instincts tell you to protect those you love.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“You’re trying to protect someone now.”

His heart stopped. His mouth was dry. He opened his mouth, and couldn’t tell her the truth. Shiro. Shiro was betraying the team. Shiro was leveraging his position. Shiro was taking all the respect he’d earned and just–

“The choice must be hers. She may leave, of course. But she may also choose to stay.”

“Don’t tell Shiro.”

Stupid. That was the stupidest thing he’d ever said. If she wasn’t onto him before, now she had to be.

“There are no secrets between Paladins,” she said, but she knew there were. Certain things she didn’t want to know about him. He wished there were no secrets, and secretly she was glad there were.

“With that being said, though, she may also decide not to reveal your identity.”

He let out a little sigh. Good to know Shiro wouldn’t come banging on his door.

Then Allura put a hand on his arm. “You felt alone. So deeply alone that our friendship couldn’t solve it. I understand, Keith… but you can’t fight shadows in the dark. Tell me when you feel this way.”

He chuckled. “Every day?”

She smiled. “Every day, I’ll try to fix it.”

[rawbins-undertale-blog]

hey there again!!!

might i slide in this fine ask box with another HC request?

if yes, then could you please write some HCs where uf and ht sanses and papyruses (seperate of course) s/o gets put in a hospital for a lil bit? you can decide what happened to s/o. maybe a bad heatstroke cuz its summer or something (totally not because its a bad heatwave where im living rn haha nope). idk, i just crave angst or hurt/comfort again from my fave skeletons.

if you're not up for this, its totally fine!!

thank you, have a chill day/night B)

- 🌌 anon whos sunburns arent stinging that much anymore B)

*Evil cackling* OH-HO-HO, yOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT MONSTER YOU HAVE UNLEASHED…… I am an evil being who feeds off of angst and pain, and you’ve given me ample opportunity to make some of that sweet sweet angst >:-)))))))))

I tried to keep it ambiguous as to what you’re in for, mostly because I want you to be able to imagine heatstroke and me to be able to think “hahahah stab stab”! ^^

Also!!! The healthcare system in some other countries is fucking insane (like??? You guys have to pay to not die??????) so I’ll be going off of what I know about the healthcare system in Sweden where it’s free. (At least I’m 99% sure it’s free, except for like. Small things. For example, my antidepressants. I had to buy those myself when I was still on them.)

UF + HT BROS WHEN S/O IS IN THE HOSPITAL

Red (Underfell Sans):

He’s panicking so so bad, he’s terrified. What if you die?

Curses out anybody who tries to keep him from you, including the poor nurse who’s just doing their job

Actually he just. curses in general. He’s just spewing cuss words to seem angry instead of scared because That’s Definitely Better

Most likely out of all four to physically lash out at… well, anybody (except you obviously) lol

Red hates hospitals too, to make matters worse. He doesn’t know why, but they make him feel uncomfortable.

If somebody did this to you purposely and he’s not allowed by your side, he’s going out to find the person and kick their ass during that time lol

If nobody did this to you, he’s pacing and cursing and jfc Red, you do realise there are other people here right enjdjdjdjsjsk

This fucker tries to pull a “pfff nah i was never worried” but like. Red. Darling. Light of my life. Stars in my sky. Center of my universe. Bitch of my heart. Everyone can see right through your “anger” and literally your shaking voice is so not convincing. Get a better poker face and voice.

With some prodding, admits that finehewasscaredyou’ddieandhethoughthisheartstoppedforasecondwhichisweird’causehedoes’tevenhaveaheartanywaysthat’sovernowsowhocares

(He’s not great at expressing himself but it’s still progress)

WILL be staying right by you as you recover. You’ve no choice. (You do actually, he respects you and will back off if you tell him to)

Edge (Underfell Papyrus):

Oh no. Oh no.

Edge is trying his very best not to show any emotions but he’s not good at it because like. It doesn’t take a genius to see that him screeching angrily at people and demanding for the doctors to fix this is actually him poorly masking his fear. Edge doesn’t have the best poker face lol

He’s so pissed if he can’t stay right next to you the whole time. You’re his S/O!! What kind of bullshit is this?!

If you do need to be left alone with doctors and such things, Edge will do one or two things depending on why you're in the hospital, how bad what you’re in for is and for how long he can’t see you.

If you’re here for something like heatstroke - AKA something not brought on by somebody else - he’ll call friends and such while pacing and somewhat frantically share your current condition.

However, if anybody did this to you; and you’re in bad shape… Well, even fucking Satan will cower at the brutality of Edge’s revenge.

When he’s allowed to be, he’s by your side and - depending on why you’re in and for what - he might nag you for being careless, reassure you it wasn’t your fault, reassure you in general, and/or just stay silent.

It’s barely noticeable, but just noticeable enough, that you can tell that he’s shaking.

All it takes is a “are you okay?” For him to break and confess how scared he was.

For a moment he was back Underground and it was horrible and he felt so powerless and he hates that. He’s so, so happy you’re okay and he- he swears he’ll be with you on your way to recovery. Please just never get hurt again.

Dusk (Horrortale Sans):

If you thought Red and Edge were scared, just know it’s nothing compared to the absolute terror he feels.

Dusk knows how fragile the human body can  be. He’s seen horrific things happen to humans and monsters alike and he’s always hyper-aware of just how easy it’d be to kill and/or hurt you.

Logically, he knows you won’t die, he knows human anatomy well enough to know this is something you’ll bounce back from, but his instincts are going haywire and all he can think of are the mangled corpses back Underground. It doesn’t matter whether your condition has anything to do with broken limbs or not, because those pictures are what his mind is forcing onto him.

He refuses to leave your side. If he’s forced away from you by nurses/doctors/staff, he’ll protest but if he really can’t be by you for your safety, he’ll be anxiously hovering as close by as he possibly can. Whenever he’s allowed to touch you, he’s practically glued onto you.

If he’s sure it’s just the two of you, and you’re unconscious, he’ll probably cry.

He… He hates being reminded of your mortality. He hates the idea that any day could be your last. He doesn’t know what he’d do if you were gone.

(He’d dust, probably.)

If somebody else got your purposely hurt, he’s going to hunt them down after a while (after you’ve recovered enough for him to be comfortable leaving you alone for a bit). He’s not going to kill them, but he might rough them up a bit -- but most likely, he’ll just intimidate them and/or threaten them. (It’d be a different story if you were murdered.)

Whenever you’re conscious, he’ll do pretty much anything you say, so long as it won’t get you anymore hurt or risk stunting your recovery.

When you’re released from the hospital, he’ll be by your side nearly 24/7 because he hates the idea of you getting hurt again just because he wasn’t there to protect you.

Aster (Horrortale Papyrus):

Tries to look calm and composed, but he does about as poor of a job as his brother. He does better in that he doesn’t act out or get in the way of the nurses, but he’s also crying and shaking and sobbing and can’t stop.

You getting injured triggers him pretty badly. If you’re not bleeding, it’ll probably be “only” a bad anxiety attack, but if there’s any blood involved it’s escalating into a full-blown panic attack.

He’s a nurse himself, but I doubt he’d be allowed to work with the other nurses when it comes to you because of how unsteady he is. He’s not sure whether he’s thankful for it or not, because he doesn’t trust himself to do a good job but he also wants to be there for you. He trusts his colleagues, but it’s still nerve-wracking.

Just like the others, he’s glued to your side when he’s allowed to be. Very metaphorically. He’s the best of them all at giving you space, partially because he’s just more respectful lol and partially because he’s a nurse so he knows not to smother you with physical affection until you’re in the clear.

If somebody caused you to go into this state, he will just like Dusk go and find them. He won’t do anything physical, but he does intimidate the person very effectively. He’s a terrifying giant and he knows how to use that to his advantage.

When you’re fine again, he’ll be acting anxious and protective for a while. He feels really guilty about it (because he should be comforting you - plus, he’s a nurse! He’s seen way worse things on his job) but you’ll have to give him comfort. This whole thing didn’t inspire much positive feelings in him and it stressed him out a lot, it may honestly take more of a toll on him than it does you.

[sonianvmd]

thh characters with a crush on you

warnings: none, maybe some swearing but otherwise nothing major

oH and mentions of murder and death but this is danganronpa so im going to assume u expected as much

a/n: so we kickin this blog off with a bang, writing for LITERALLY THE ENTIRE TRIGGER HAPPY HAVOC CAST LMFAOAOAOAO (excluding hifumi, yasuhiro, and the two despairs doe bc i’ve already made that clear)

also some character’s sections are shorter than others im sorry i just couldnt think of as many bullet points for them *tiktok cry emoji*

edit: I FORGOT CELSESTE FU K SORRY

spoilers under the cut!!

★ 彡 ★ ミ ★ 彡 ★ ミ ★

makoto naegi

when he realizes he likes you, he doesn’t necessarily panic or anything, but he does get nervous

nervous around you, that is

y’all saw how he was with sayaka

if he says anything that might sound intimate then he’ll immediately rephrase it or reassure he didn’t mean anything by it

he really only does have good intentions but his wording just kinda flops sometimes

he appreciates how you listen to him and value what he says

you don't make him feel dumb or inferior compared to a bunch of ultimates with actual talents

he’ll muster up the courage to tell you eventually

let’s hope his luck comes through 😁

byakuya togami

now when THIS man realizes he likes you, he a bitch nigga bout it 😐

he can't believe he fell for a common plebeian such as you

but it was hard not to

the way you preferred to get to the point

the way you were aware of your situation and didn't sugarcoat how you felt about it, although you certainly were nicer with it than him

he's ruthless

anyways

you knew your priorities and spent no time trying to use your resources

he noticed how much you had in common; in you, he saw himself

and we all know how this mf feels about himself 😐

he’ll be quick to defend you in class trials

he won’t realize he’s doing it but he just subconsciously protects you

but just because he doesn't notice it, don't mean the rest of the class brushes past it as well

yeah they on his ass LMFAOO

kyoko kirigiri

kyoko is very good at keeping her composure so she won’t be very obvious

she’ll probably just hang around you more

she’ll also defend you in class trials, calmly

“oh, it couldn’t have been [name]. i remember seeing them in their dorm around the time the murder took place.”

hifumi probably finna say some dumb shit like “aye what was you doin in their dorm doe” but anyways

she finds you respectable

if you have anything to contribute, she’ll let you take the floor

when she tells you, she’s very composed, but also very indirect LMFAO

she’s not too sure on how to express her interest in you but maybe she’ll go about it like “well, [name], now we’ve made it here, would you like to step back into the world with me?” or somethin else along those lines idk

take her hand

pls

toko fukawa

y’all know her whole “master togami” shtick

yeah so 😁😁😁😁

no but fr, toko ofc still has her borderline stalkerish 🧍🏾‍♀️ tendencies

she’ll often find herself staring at you, either in the library or in the morning meetings everyday at breakfast

but she isn’t as straight forward as she is with byakuya

i actually think she’d be mad shy and non confrontational

the whole thing she kept up with him ? yeah, never again

if you approach her first then she’ll be able to get a few words out but for most of the conversation, she’ll just nervously play with her braids

you’ll most likely put two and two together

unless ur a makoto kinnie bc then you’ll have to wait till someone else puts it in place for u but anyways

if you decide to approach her about it, you’ll kinda be backing her into a corner bc she’s just bad at deflecting things lmao

she’ll eventually confess (begrudgingly but hey i mean its better than nothing)

expect much stuttering and a gesture like giving you a small gift

and not to be that writer that uses japanese terms in english writing but toko seems like a tsundere but not really if that makes sense?? so she’d probably shove it in your hands and if you try to say something then she’ll just try to play it off as not a big deal lol

calls u a baka 😍😍

aoi asahina

i know y’all all see how she is with sakura

yeah.

aoi is the kind of person who’d like to spend time with their crush rather than shy away from them

she values you and your friendship very much

bring her donuts

just trust me bring her donuts

she doesn’t really realize she’s into you like that for a while but believe me, she is, the whole time

and yeah i think she’d be nervous to tell you bc that’s just natural but ultimately she’d be cool about it

uh oh looks like we goin for a swim

sakura ogami

similar to kyoko, she’s very calm

despite her big and bad appearance, she really is a sweet girl

she cares for you and your well-being very much

will indeed go on x games mode for you

the way she tells you is very sincere and well spoken

kith her

naow

im sorry this is like the shortest one i couldn’t think of much for her 😔😔

leon kuwata

flirtatious ass mf

and he’s lightskin

so this just cannot go well

y’all know that bit where it’s like the guy yawns and stretches his arms up and then wraps one around your shoulder

yeah that’s literally him LMFAOO

he’s very confident

he was fairly well known with the ladies at his old school so you know he’s rhockin wit it ‼️

but

you feel.. different than usual ??

those girls were just lil flings n dates bc he was nice enough to accept their confessions and it boosted his ego anyway so it was a win win

but you

he was genuinely interested in you since he had saw you the first time

he didn’t just acknowledge your appearance

he learnt about your personality and your hobbies and what you liked and such, and he really cared and wanted to hear you talk about it all

he felt the need to really make an effort to show you how much he respected and had affections for you

he doesn't tell you in a grand way

probably just asks you out to a movie or somethin

he's chillin

mondo owada

you know

for being the biggest, baddest, most respected biker gang leader

or just for being in a biker gang period

mondo’s a huge softie lol

yeah he gets violent but he’s a sweet guy who cares about and is loyal to his friends

so mfs need to be nice to you

or they gettin whooped

when he decides it’s time to tell you how he feels, he thinks over his words and he’s all confident there’s no way you’d reject him but then he sees you in the halls and goes 🧍🏾 LMFAOOO

he’ll push through but it’s like he’ll walk up to you and look away from you because he refuses eye contact and just go

“so y/n, would you wanna.. tch.. come to a drive-in movie with me or somethin’?... dumbass.”

real smooth mondo i think you got em good job

please tease him LMFAOO it’d be so funny

he’d probably yell but you can tell he’s not mad so you just keep going with it

but once you’re done tormenting him, you do agree to the movie, don’t worry 🙏🏾

also mondo would call his s/o doll

that is all

chihiro fujisaki

my fav dude in a dress <3

chihiro would be quite shy, but that’s just how he is tbh so no surprise there

he’s very kind so he’d check up on you often just to see how you are

he cares about you v much

the way he confesses is one that consists of a red face as he offers you a box of candy or something similar

and he’d feel honored that you reciprocate his feelings

he’d be very scared to tell you his secret but once he does, he’s delighted to hear it doesn’t make any difference to you

he doesn’t know how he got so lucky with you

not only because woooo they like me back but also because you like him despite,, well everything about him LMFAOO

sweet lil boy

i’d feel like he’d talk about you to alter ego a lot

and when u meet the program for the first time, he’s like “oh! you must be [name]! master’s told me all about you :)”

sobbing i miss him

kiyotaka ishimaru

okay here’s the thing

if taka were to like someone

i can’t tell whether he’d be more strict because he doesn’t want them to get in trouble (and also so it would hopefully divert any suspicion that he DOES like you since he treats you the same as everyone else, only more)

or if he’d hold back more because he favors them LMFAOO

so imma write a lil bit for both

in the case that he was even stricter:

he’d prefer to be around you because he believes the best way he can make sure you stay out of trouble is to make sure you don’t get into any in the first place

of course it’s impossible to monitor you every second of every day but he does his best to make sure you’re doing well

if he sees you do anything out of line, he’s shutting that shit down IMMEDIATELY

but in the case he let up:

he’d still lecture you but noticeably less than the other students

if your feet were resting on top of a desk, he’d ask you to move them and then leave you alone rather than yell at you and forcibly move them himself

if you notice his behavior towards you in comparison to the other students do not tease him about it he will go as red as his eyes /hj

either way he’s confessing to you with a polite but exaggerated bow while holding out a well thought out letter with both hands

sayaka maizono

she will tell you

idk why but i feel like she’d be straight up lol

she’d make sure she’s sincere

she is the ultimate pop idol and all so she wants to make sure you know that she really does like you and isn’t playing a sick joke on you or anything

ok bc

while i do think she’d tell you

i’d feel like she’d be a little indirect just to see how you feel

like she’d give you a free ticket to one of her upcoming concerts with a kind smile

and naturally, you're like :o

and of course you come to support her

and seeing you smile at her from the crowd and cheer her on was the encouragement she needed to push her to ask you out

for real this time

she asks if you wanna come to a concert with her and ur like “oh yeah i love ur shows!!” bc ur dumb and then she’s like “no i mean.. for another artist” and eventually it hits you that she’s asking you out and ur like “oH YEAH YEAH SURE THAT SOUNDS GREAT YEAH OK” LMFAOO

———

i really hope that this is good LMFAOO this is my first time writing for dr so 😃👍🏾

fun fact i finished toko’s section first and taka’s last 😁😁

and i’d like to thank @mius-imagination @bloodygir n the rest of the discord for helping me figure some of these characters out *simultaneously whips and nae naes*

bye ive been working on this for like weeks this took forever

———

edit: here’s a deleted section bc i kept blanking for this character 😍

[ah-ga-seven]

No More Pain | Jung Jaehyun

Pairing: Jung Jaehyun x Fem!reader 

Synopsis: The lingering wounds of your miscarriage have reopened. Now that you are broken up, an unforseen change in Jaehyun’s life has brought him back to your doorstep. Will he be able to fix you this time? Or will he fail just the same as before?

Genre: Angst, One Shot. 

Warnings: mentions of the reader having a miscarriage, depression, alcohol addiction and heartbreak.

Word Count: 2.8k

A/N: Probably one of the heaviest angsts I’ve written. I know the subject is rough but the idea came from a dream so I just had to write it down.

This was a different kind of pang to your heart.

You’ve had your fair share of tragedies, heartbreaks and disappointments, but this…

This feeling was nothing like anything you’ve ever felt before and quite frankly, you wouldn’t wish this upon your greatest enemy.  

It was a Thursday night, one like many where you decided to stay in and recharge from a busy day at your demanding job.

You were seated on your couch with a hot cup of tea as you mindlessly scrolled through your Instagram feed. Completely wrapped in the warmth of your favorite fleece blanket. But even the thick fluffy material couldn’t protect you from the cold shivers that ran down your spine.

You blankly stare at the post your best friend forwarded to you via dm and stiffened.  

Memories of the night you miscarried 4 months into your pregnancy flood back to you as you stare at his comment.

You remembered how broken he looked when the doctor couldn’t find the baby's heartbeat anymore.  

You remembered how he held you as you cried in his arms, promising that he’d love you just the same as he tried to console you to his best ability while suffering himself.

You remembered the pain and the relief of having Jaehyun by your side through it all. Glad that even though your life was about to change forever, he’d be the one constant thing you could rely on.

You remembered all of these moments like they happened yesterday, wishing future you could mentally prepare past you for what was going to be the hardest time in your life.  

The man who swore never to leave you did just that, and not even 6 months into his new relationship, your biggest insecurity was made into a reality.  

He had moved on for good, and even though you have no ill feelings towards him, you can’t help but feel anger over sadness right now.  

It was that easy to replace you. And that easy for him to find someone that could give him what you couldn’t.

Even though your miscarriage wasn’t the direct cause of why he left, the effects of the incidence on your mental health dragged him down with you. So both of you felt it’d be better to part ways for the sake of not wanting to hate or resent each other in the end.  

But God…you hated and resented him now more than ever.  

It didn’t matter to you that both of you started to date new people, because a part of you always held on to the fact that you’d somehow find your way back to each other, though the probability of that ever happening again turned to ash.

Your miscarriage broke you.  

No appetite for weeks, no motivation to get yourself out of bed and no cure for the monsters in your head who told you that Jaehyun was only sticking around out of pity for your broken state.

That same insecurity is what drove him into the arms of the women he told you not to worry about, and now they’re having a fucking child together.  

Knowing that that should’ve been you was a thought that was just too much to bear right now. You suddenly feel sick to your stomach, tears prickling your eyes as you rub the spot on your belly where the mini bump used to be 8 months ago.

You were finally doing better, thriving in your job and social life. Meeting new people and dating a few loose ends here and there, but you can already feel yourself spiraling back into old depressional habits as you stare at the picture once more.  

You pettily decide to like it, hoping it would spark interest from none other than your ex, and much to your surprise, it did.

Not even 20 minutes later your phone started to buzz on the counter as you poured yourself a glass of wine. You mindlessly retrieve it, expecting it to be your best friend but when you see his name as you take a sip you almost choke.

Is he serious?

You try to come up with what to say for the next 3 to 5 minutes but nothing in your head seems to translate your exact feelings to your fingertips.

You sigh in agony while leaning over on your kitchen counter with your phone still in your hands, reading his messages over and over again. You subconsciously start to bite your lip in deep thought, getting startled by your ringtone as your phone starts to ring in your grasp.

“Fuck,” you mumble to yourself, taking a big chug of the alcoholic beverage in front of you, putting on the bravest face and straightest posture to make yourself feel better before accepting the call.  

You knew you didn’t have to answer, but you were dying to hear what he had to say under these circumstances.  

“Y/N? Is that you?” His voice was unchanged. You didn’t know why, but you expected him to sound different, be different. Yet the same worry he’s always had for you was evident in his tone this time as well.

You clear your throat to avoid a voice crack and sigh. “Congratulations,” you tried to sound as genuine as you could, but you knew you sounded like shit.  

You start to play with the ends of your hair out of anxious anticipation, waiting for him to respond on the other end of the line.  

“I meant to tell you,” he starts. “I just…I didn’t know how and Chaeyoung suddenly uploaded the picture and-”

“Jae…please spare me the details,” you interrupt him. Saying his name like you used to felt like speaking a foreign language. He stayed quiet upon hearing your voice again and let out a frustrated sigh.

“Do you still live in the same apartment in Itaewon?” he suddenly asks, immediately alerting you to stand up straight because he could only be asking for one reason and one reason only.

“Y-yes.”

“Good, I’m on my way.”

Just like that, he hung up and just like that your heart rate starts to race uncontrollably.  

You down the remnants of your wine glass and hope he’s isn’t too close because your place looked far from neat. For the next 15 minutes, you run around, shoving things into random cabinets. Whether those items belonged there or not was the least of your concern and just as you fluff the last pillow on your couch, your doorbell rings.

You take a deep breath, calming your nerves as you walk up to your front door, taking it off the lock before you open it with a dramatic swing.

There he was. Jung Jaehyun.

As beautiful and put together as he always looked, no matter the circumstance. You forget how to breathe when you lay eyes on him and gulp. It’s actually him.

His big dark orbs widened as he laid eyes on you after months of not seeing you. His facial expression softened, slowly parting his lips to speak but you beat him to it when you broke out of your trance.  

“What are you doing here?” your shoulders fall as you look into his eyes for answers. The same eyes that once looked at you with so much love and adoration, but right now his pupils were stressfully darting back and forth, trying to read you like he used to be able to but he had no idea what you were feeling right now.

“Because I feel like shit y/n. Please let me in and let me explain,” he pleaded with a defeated tone.

You scoff, rolling your eyes. “What is there to explain? You knocked up your girlfriend and finally got what you wanted. Why bother coming here? To rub it into my face?”  

Your plan of staying calm and collected went completely out the window just now and you could tell by the shock on his face that he did not expect you to be angry with him.

He took a step forward, backing you into your own hallway. His height towered over you when you stepped back and without looking back he closed the door behind him.

“Y/n. I would never purposely do that to you. Ever.” You ignore his statement, narrowing your eyes at him.

“I don’t remember inviting you in Jaehyun. Does she even know you’re here?”

You hold your ground, crossing your arms over your chest as you wait for him to counter your attack, but he simply shook his head. Knowing damn well that you’re acting tough just so you won’t get emotional.  

As he’s scanning the premises, his eyes linger on the red wine bottle on your kitchen counter and with a look of utter disbelief, he averts his attention back on you.

“You’re drinking again?” he asks with an almost condescending tone.  

“Did you come here to practice your parenting skills because no thanks Jae, please leave,” you bite back as coldly as you could, but he wasn’t having it.

“That shit almost killed you and you’re just casually drinking again?” He runs his hand through his locks out of pure frustration, not knowing what to do with the misplaced feeling of still caring for you just the same, while also knowing he has no business to tell you how to live your life.

The truth is, Jaehyun had no idea what he was doing here. Everything about the situation felt wrong and he couldn’t lie to himself any longer. Ever since Chaeyoung told him she was pregnant; he couldn’t be fully happy about it. He couldn’t commit to fatherhood knowing how much it broke your relationship. How much it broke the women he loved most to this day.

“A little red wine didn’t hurt anyone,” you mumble under your breath and that comment alone send Jaehyun’s emotions into overdrive, unable to hide his disappointment and worry for you any longer.

“IT HURT YOU Y/N. DAMN IT!” He raised his voice at you as he roughly grabbed your arm to make you look at him, which is the last thing you expected. He wasn’t mad at you. He was mad at himself. Mad at the fact that he wasn’t there when you needed him most and mad at the fact that this is what your lives had come to.

You might have previously dealt with your pain by drinking, and you might have mindlessly mixed your anti-depressants with your drink once, which…just might have earned you a trip to the hospital, but that was your lowest low and you made sure it’d never happen again.

You beat your demons by yourself when he had already moved on, so he had no place to waltz back into your life when he felt like it, just to judge you.

You’re absolutely fuming by now because of that same reason and much to your dismay you feel new tears well up in your eyes.  

“NO, YOU HURT ME!” you yell back at him as you smack his chest, the salty droplets streaming down your face as you kept hitting his chest to make him feel your pain. “YOU LEFT ME.”

Your knees got weak and you knew you looked absolutely pathetic as you crouched down in front of him. Shock took over his features as he got down on his own knees just as quickly, pulling you into the comfort of his arms. The warmth that you used to call home and the warmth that always seemed to calm you down engulfed you completely, a feeling your favorite fleece blanket from before could hardly imitate.  

He patted your head with assuring strokes, whispering sweet nothings to you as he held you on the floor of your apartment. Letting you sob the pain away in his black shirt. “Shhh, it’s okay…” he kissed the top of your head, caressing your cheek as he wiped away your tears.

You calmed down slowly, ignoring the suffocating ache in your head and heart while he made you feel safe and sound like he always did. You sat there like that for God knows how long, letting your minds go into overdrive as silence comforted the both of you.  

Ironically enough, this scenery was the exact same as the one in the hospital 8 months ago. You cried in his arms just like this when you had lost your child, but now you were crying because you had lost him. For good now.  

“I would never purposely plan to have a baby this quickly y/n, you have to believe me. Chae was on birth control but it just…happened,” he whispers, finally breaking the agonizing silence.

You stay quiet, closing your eyes to the sound of his low voice, letting his words register. “I was going to tell you. I was planning to ask you out for a coffee but as soon as she passed her first trimester, she was just so excited and made the announcement…it was just bad timing.”

“All of this is bad timing,” you mumble, which made him nod in agreement. He sighed into your hair as he continued to explain. “Y/n, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care for you anymore. I wish things were different, but they simply aren’t and I’m sorry.”

You sniff, dabbing your tears and your nose with the sleeves of your blouse before looking up at him through your lashes.

“You don’t have to apologize for moving on and being happy Jaehyun. It’s all I ever wanted for you.” You wipe the single tear that remained on the corner of his eye, not having realized that he shed a few tears himself too.

He leaned into your touch as he looked into your eyes before closing them, leaning his forehead onto yours while taking a deep breath.  

“I just want you to be ok.” He says suppressing a sob. “I can’t live this picture-perfect life knowing that you’re in pain y/n. It makes no sense; you deserve so much more it’s not fair.”  

Your lip starts to quiver as his words hit you, and you build up the courage to look at him again.  

He stared at you longingly and lovingly for the first time since forever and you knew a mistake was about to be made when he inched his face closer to you, but it was too late.

His lips made contact with yours and you completely gave in. Letting him lead you into a slow yet passionate kiss that took both of your breaths away.  Before things could get more heated, you realize what was happening and froze.

You take a hold of his wrists as you pull away, your eyes staring into his equally electrified ones as you recompose yourselves.

“I-I’m sorry,” he started. “I should’ve never confused you like that. Fuck. What the fuck am I doing.” He covers his mouth as he got up. Frustrated with his own behavior, he digs his fingernails into the palms of his hands to suppress the urge to swing at your door or any other object in sight for that matter.

You get up just as quickly as well. Straightening out your clothes before shaking off the nerves of what just happened.  

You take a deep breath followed by a shaky exhale as you opened your front door, turning around on your heels to look at an equally distressed Jaehyun.

He was about to speak; about to confess that he still loved you, but you stopped him by raising your hand, motioning for him to keep whatever he was about to say to himself.

Your eyes find his own and you take one last glance at the man that was supposed to be the pillar to your family. The man you used to call yours, and the man that you had hoped to still have a future with, despite everything.  

But you knew better.

You knew what was right and you knew what you had to do before things would start to spiral out of control again.

You stepped aside so he could pass by you, trying to avoid eye contact all while you could still feel his burning stare lingering on your fragile state.

You swallow harshly, licking your lips before you spoke as clearly and steadily as you could.

“For the sake of your family, please leave Jae…and never come back.”  

[merakiui]

Okay okay okay I’ve been thinking about this for a few days now here’s my list of genshin boys most likely to least likely to become a yandere and why:

-xiao. Millennia of suffering and he meets somebody who makes the pain dissipate? Hell never let go.

-diluc. People have died in his arms, he can’t risk losing another loved one... it’s not like he doesn’t have the wealth and resources to keep his beloved by his side.

-Childe. I think he’d be the most dehumanizing yandere - he treats you almost like a child (haha) as be manipulates his way into your heart. And god knows that he gets what he wants.

-albedo is obviously in the top half of this list. We’ve talked about his yandere tendacies before so I won’t relist them but jeez get this boy some therapy.

-razor. Now this sounds surprising but after years of protecting his Lupical, do you really think he’d let somebody he loves and sees as helpless wander alone? I feel hes less captor and manipulative and more of a stalker if he becomes a yandere

-venti. Freedom is his entire world, but can he let his beloved have freedom if it endangers them? One of the most manipulative ones on this list, except he has no clue that he’s doing it.

-kaeya. Maybe you’d gotten to close to one of his secrets. Maybe you’d figured out something he wanted to die. It doesn’t matter much now, all you know is that you were tried and declared guilty by the knights of favonius and were sent into a dungeon protected by the Calvery captain himself.

-zhongli. Has the yandere desires, but refuses to give in. He’s loved and lost so many times over the years and he figures he doesn’t want to take that away from his beloved.

-chongyun. I’ve gone back and forth between him and xingqiu for this one, but I feel like these last 3 are all pretty much tied for not being a yandere. However, if he met someone who could somehow null his congenital positivity than he might move up on this list...

-Xingqiu. He has a strong sense of justice and honor, the idea of manipulating, stalking or god forbid kidnapping his S/O is appalling to him.

-Bennett. Literally just tryna vibe. Devotes as much time as he can to make sure any relationship he has is healthy.

So basically:

Everybody on this list: *frothing at the mouth, thinking of ways to keep their S/Os with them*

Bennett, Chongyun, Xingqiu and to some extent Zhongli: what the fuck

Your list... Simply amazing. Now that I’m thinking about it, I’m beginning to wonder where other characters would sit on the list. Mainly Scaramouche though aha oops Anyways, please never stop sharing your thoughts!! They are so GOOD!

Xiao’s backstory and past is just perfect material to fuel his yandere desires. He’s suffered for so long and has never really experienced positive emotions, let alone love itself. The poor adeptus is always brooding on his own and here comes his darling, bright and happy and just...perfect. They’re like a glimmering star in his murky darkness and he wants to treasure them. There’s no way he’s going to let go of the feeling he gets when he’s with them, nor is he going to let them leave his side.

It makes sense that Diluc would also be at the top of that list. He’s got the making of a yandere, especially considering all of the people he’s lost in his life. Now that he’s found someone so important to him, he can’t risk losing them. It would destroy him if he found out that his darling got hurt or was even killed because he wasn’t taking enough precautions to keep them safe. He’d definitely blame himself if something like that happened.

Childe, pspspspsp!!! The power this man holds... Omg he makes for such a terrifying yandere. On the outside, he seems warm and disarming—just your normal, happy-go-lucky kind of guy. He’s not dangerous at all! No way. But under all of that falsified charm is someone who knows how to pull strings. He’s a Fatui Harbinger, so of course he has the means of getting you wrapped around his finger. It’s not all that hard when he’s got money, power, and strength. Plus, when he wants something he’s not going to stop until he acquires it; Childe lives for the thrill of chasing after you and it’ll be even more fun once he catches you. Someone should send me more thoughts about yan!Childe!!! orz orz

Albedo also qualifies as a neat yandere! Something about yanderes who are into science is just...fascinating to me. It’s also cool because Albedo’s rumored to be a homunculus, so that adds to the intrigue! Albedo has the resources to get what he wants as well. It won’t be all that difficult, and if it proves to be challenging he can just think of other solutions to pacify his darling. He is a researcher, after all, and a good researcher seeks to find the best solution to a problem.

Razor would be a feral yandere. He’s more action than words. He doesn’t put much thought into what he does because it feels more like an instinct to him. He’s just protecting his Lupical. There’s nothing wrong with that! So why are you acting so difficult? D: 

Like you said, Venti’s not aware of his manipulation and he just does it because it works. His belief that everyone deserves freedom is probably what really holds him back. He doesn’t want you to feel caged, but that feeling is practically inevitable since he’s always hounding you. Venti is a very suffocating yandere and he doesn’t even realize it.

KAEYA! KAEYA! I love the idea of Kaeya having some sort of blackmail on you—something so bad that you absolutely can’t let the world see. And so he uses that to keep you quiet. If you did stumble upon one of his secrets, he can’t possibly have you running that pretty mouth of yours. But if you do end up spilling his secret, it’s only fair that he shares yours, right? An eye for an eye, as some would say. Kaeya’s very smooth and calculative when it comes to handling blackmail. Whenever it feels like you’re trying to one-up him and possibly escape, he’ll flirtatiously remind you of the power he holds over you. Blackmail is rather compelling, is it not?

Zhongli does have the motive to be a yandere, as you pointed out, but he’s a strange case. On one hand, it makes sense that he’d want to protect his beloved at all costs, but on the other he’d probably be aware of these unhealthy tendencies. Although he probably uses the idea of a contract to keep your relationship going, even if it’s clear you don’t want anything to do with him. But if you do, that just makes it easier on him! 

NO BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE SAME FOR CHONGYUN!!! Not the yan!Chongyun piece rotting in my drafts for a month or two now ehehee I had some thoughts about Chongyun but never bothered posting it for some reason. Anyways, I do think Chongyun has potential to be a yandere! As you mentioned, his congenital positivity can become an issue and he doesn’t want that to seriously affect his daily life. So he’s probably very pleased to find someone who can nullify that positivity. It’d be similar to Xiao’s case; Xiao likes someone who can be the light in his dark world. Chongyun falls for the person who can null his congenital positivity and is someone who he gets along with. 

The only way I can see Xingqiu being a yandere is if he wants a noble, storybook romance. Okay, that sounds strange, but consider it! He’s a huge bookworm who probably doesn’t exactly experience romance aside from what he reads in his novels. Although he doesn’t dabble in the romance genre all that often, he does like the idea of being a hero and sweeping someone off of their feet. So when he meets you—another fellow bookworm or maybe the two of you are thrown into an arranged marriage—he just feels an undeniable connection. This must be some form of fate or a sixth sense. Maybe he can be the main character of his own story! You’ll just have to cooperate and you can be the valiant knight’s love interest!

Bennett’s vibes are so nice. How could he be a yandere? He’s just too sweet and pure. He’s really just here to chill and gather an adventuring team full of great friends! But if anyone has any thoughts...please share them! 

That’s it. I’m writing about Scaramouche even though he’s not on the list. Please, why do I simp so much for him? Anyways, we don’t know nearly enough about Scaramouche to determine his backstory or past. But he just oozes yandere! Most of the Harbingers are probably the same, to some extent. He’s like Childe with all of the power and resources, but whereas Childe relishes in the chase Scaramouche refuses to put up with it. It’s just way too inconvenient for him. He’d rather catch you when you least expect it and then keep you for himself.

Gosh, he’s a very determined and possessive yandere with a strict agenda; this man probably cheats in order to get you. He’ll send his underlings to do the work in his place. They’ll stalk you and report back to him and it isn’t long before he learns of your friends, certain family members you’re close to, and even where you live. It’s terrifying, but this is Scaramouche we’re talking about. For someone so short, he sure knows how to intimidate and beat fear into those below him. Good luck to the poor soul who catches his eye. 

I must thank you for making that list! It was lots of fun to consider their mindsets and behaviors as yandere. :D

[calaofnoldor]

You, Me, and Bones

Characters: Sam x F!Reader, Dean

Words: 4,379

Summary: A series of moments that define the evolution of your relationship with Sam. (Domestic AU)

Warnings: 18+ smutty cock warming, language, puppy dog eyes, so much fluff, pining, bit of protective/jealous sam (sorry, i was writing this at the same time as sttc), periods (the menstrual kind), failed attempts at romance, wow i am so out of my element here pls forgive me

A/N: written for @stusbunker's jam basket fic exchange! this is for the lovely @fangirlxwritesx67 (i was honored to write for you and i really hope you don't hate it 🤞)

also written for @negans-lucille-tblr's 7ks of the week challenge, for which i chose the prompts: sam winchester + best friends to lovers + grand declaration of love + cock warming. (congrats darling! i don't typically write smutty things but i tried for you!)

Square Filled: Domestic AU for @spnmixedbingo; Playing With Their Hair for @spnfluffbingo; Alternative Universe for @girl-next-door-writes's make me feel bingo

MASTERLIST

Sam Winchester was your best friend. It’d been that way since the fifth grade, when you accidentally landed the two of you in detention and thereby discovered your shared interest for mythical folklore. After that, you became inseparable, though you soon learned that he and his brother Dean were a package deal, so over time, you grew quite close with the older Winchester as well. You loved him like the big brother you never wanted while you loved Sam like your dearest friend in the world, until one day you didn’t.

He’d always been your favorite person, the one you could turn to for anything, so it caught you off guard when a fateful time of the month made you see him in a new light.

The cramps were killing you; you were sure of it. Never had they been this painful. Your uterus had reduced you to a useless lump, rolling around on your bed as you moaned aloud, and not in a cute way. Somehow, sometime, through the haze of agony, you’d sent Sam a delirious text, an SOS signal for painkillers and every chocolate bar in the state of Kansas.

When the doorbell rang, you stumbled to greet him, doubled over and clutching at your stomach. Sam’s beaming smile disappeared as the door swung open to reveal your unsightly state.

“Jesus, Y/L/N, are you alright?”

You managed to stand up a little straighter and send him a grimace of a smile, “Just peachy, Winchester.”

“Well here,” he rushed past you and started laying out the supplies he’d hauled over in two oversized grocery bags, “I got you some ibuprofen and a heating pad, because I read that that’s supposed to help. Which do you wanna try first?”

“Both,” you implored with grabby hands, “Hand me the goods.”

“OK,” Sam nodded and got to work getting you medicated and warmed up, “I also brought you some donuts and a couple cupcakes from that little bakery you like, and there’s chips in there too, all of your favorite flavors, and popcorn, in case you want a lighter, healthier option, and of course, chocolate galore. Oh, I also picked up a tub of that ice cream you’re obsessed with, though I read you shouldn’t be consuming too many cold foods or beverages right now.”

“Have I ever told you I love you?”

He chuckled and you wondered if those dimples had always looked so goddamned adorable. “You’ve mentioned it once or twice.”

“Well, it’s true. You’re my hero, Sam Winchester.” The grin you shot him contorted when a fresh surge of cramps bowled you over, but you waved him off as he stepped toward you in concern, “I’m fine. You should probably go back now. I know you’ve got exams to study for.”

Sam’s brows pulled together, “I’m not comfortable leaving you alone like this. Besides, who are you gonna eat all this food with?”

You knew the latter statement was just a flimsy veil of an excuse because Sam had never shared your (and Dean’s) affinity toward junk food, but you’d also never developed any immunity against those patented puppy dog eyes. It was far from the first time he’d subjected you to them, however, so you were rather flabbergasted when the way his enchanting hazel eyes flooded with worry and compassion unraveled a multitude of strange and foreign reveries in your brain. It must have been the hormones.

“What?” your best friend asked when he caught you ogling him with a dreamy look.

“Nothing,” you shook your head, “Just- you’re gonna make a really great boyfriend one day.”

Sam forced a laugh, but it sounded bitter and you didn’t know why.

From then on, your attraction toward him evolved at a mind-boggling rate. You’d always felt a desire to be around Sam all the time, but now you wanted to be around him all the time and suck his dick. But he never once expressed any interest in you beyond a platonic or brotherly love, and you were terrified of sinking your friendship that had already sailed so far out from shore.

There were times that made you question the way he saw you though. The first occurred when you were getting ready for the gym on a scorching summer day.

You padded out of your room in bare feet, a hair tie between your teeth whilst you gathered your unruly locks to secure them away from your face. As you bent down to put your socks and trainers on, Sam made a choking sound from his seat at the kitchen island.

“You alright, Sammy?” Despite outgrowing most things, he’d never quite outgrown that childhood nickname, although you and Dean were the only ones permitted to call him that now.

“Wait, you’re just gonna go out like that?” he inquired with a rough, incredulous edge in his tone, ignoring your concern.

Looking down at your ensemble of booty shorts and a sports bra, you sassed, “Well, yeah… I’m going to the gym.”

“Yeah, but don’t you think that’s a little too… Won’t you be cold?”

“Sam, do you know how many degrees it is outside right now?” Though your voice held nothing but skepticism, little embers of hope sparked inside you, ignited by the thought that he sounded not unlike a jealous boyfriend.

But they were all stomped out by his next words, “I know but… your gym’s got air conditioning, right? Here, take my hoodie in case you need it. You can just tie it around your waist for now.” He handed you the giant article of clothing with averted eyes.

Oh, you thought, so it hadn’t been the idea of other men seeing you in minimal clothing that bothered him, but rather eyeing you in an outfit so revealing made him uncomfortable. Perhaps you were right; he could only ever see you as a little sister.

This theory prevailed for months until it was disproved by an incessant suitor of yours.

Buzzing wildly, your phone lit up to display yet another series of inappropriate ‘textual advances’, the third set you’d received this week.

At your quiet groan, Sam immediately looked up from his spot across the table. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just this guy from work keeps hitting on me, and I don’t think he understands what ‘no’ means,” you sighed.

“What?!” Sam sounded startled and furious at the same time.

Rushing to placate him, you explained, “It’s not a big deal; it’s nothing I haven’t dealt with before. It’s just really annoying is all.”

“WHAT?! When? Who? Why didn’t you tell me? Let me see what he looks like. Give me his name and social security number.”

“Sam, calm down,” you laughed, “You don’t have go into overprotective big bro mode, OK?”

He puffed out an exasperated breath. “What? That’s not a thing. But If he won’t leave you alone and take ‘no’ for an answer, then this asshole needs to be taught some manners- I think I should have a chat with him.”

“OK, that is literally the definition of overprotective big bro mode.” Teasing him blanketed your own despair, though a wretched ache still constricted your chest at the notion of being ‘family-zoned’.

“It’s not- I’m not- I just don’t enjoy knowing that my best friend is being harassed and doing nothing about it,” Sam stuttered to clarify, gesticulating with his big hands.

Right, you thought, you’re just his best friend, Y/N. He doesn’t even love you enough to think of you as family.

And so, you learned to grin and bear it, stowing your feelings away as they inevitably grew, fed and fostered by Sam’s glowing brilliance and all the things he did that made him such a wonderful person and friend. You struggled to contain those feelings within you, smothering their every attempt to surface with a stupid excuse and a strained smile, until the day Sam did something that brought you to tears.

“You got me a puppy?!” you questioned dumbly as you stared at the unbearably adorable golden retriever pup, peeking out at you from within the aerated gift box whose lid you’d just removed. Unable to resist, you hoisted the little fella into your arms and cradled him against your chest, closing your eyes at the softness of his fur against your cheek and giggling when he began to lick your face.

When you reopened your eyes, it was to find Sam gazing at you with an awed smile. “Why?”

“Well, your birthday’s next month… but also, I noticed you’ve been kinda down a lot lately and since you won’t talk to me about it, I thought maybe this fluffball could help cheer you up,” Sam told you as he reached out to scratch the puppy behind its ears. “Wait, are you crying?”

“What- No!” you denied instantly, turning your face to the side, “My allergies must be acting up or something.” The truth was you were touched by Sam’s gesture, and after what felt like centuries of repressing your unrequited love for the man, you’d reached a breaking point, made worse by the fact that it’d been your fall for him that landed you down in the dumps in the first place, and this oblivious attempt to lift you out only made you love him more.

“Y/N, you don’t have any allergies.”

“Shut up, you don’t know me!”

Sam laughed, prying the pup from your hands when it began to squirm toward him, “I know you better than anyone else in the world, well maybe apart from Dean, but the point is, I know something’s been bugging you. I just wish you’d tell me what it is, but every time I try to bring it up, you dodge the question and act cold and distant for days after. I’m starting to feel like I did something wrong. If that’s the case, please just tell me so I can try to fix whatever it was that upset you.”

“OK no, you cannot do the puppy dog eyes while holding an actual puppy!” you objected, “That’s just not fair! Also, I thought the dog was for me. Why do I suddenly feel outnumbered?”

Sam said nothing; he simply readjusted the pupper until its little head was tucked beneath his chin and together they hit you with what must’ve been the world’s most indomitable quartet of puppy dog eyes.

Defenseless, you bit your lip and groaned, “OK fine, you really wanna know?”

“If I haven’t made that clear by now, I might have to reconsider my enrollment in law school. Y/N, you know you can tell me anything right? I thought this,” a long index finger gestured between the two of you, “was about honesty and always having each other's backs.”

Although you never wanted to jeopardize your friendship, you knew Sam was right. He deserved better than lies and deceit. He deserved the truth. “Sam, that's the thing… I don't wanna do ‘this’ anymore,” you paused to inhale a deep, shuddering breath, “because I love you.”

Hurt flashed across Sam’s features before they settled into an expression closer to confusion, “OK, I seriously need to change career paths because I'm not following your logic. You don't want to be friends anymore because you love me?”

“Yes! But I don't love you the way you're thinking or the way you love me, you stupid Winchester. I'm in love with you!” Sam’s mouth fell open though no words escaped so you rambled on, “I probably have been since we were ten; I just never noticed it until you brought me cupcakes and chocolate when I was on my period that one time because I’m an idiot. But then I fell into the black hole of loving Sam Winchester and nothing has ever been the same. I started noticing things beyond the reasons I love you as a friend. Things like… the pinkness of your lips, and the length of your neck, or your shoulder-to-waist ratio, or the size of your hands, and just the size of you in general- I mean, what happened to the skinny kid who only came up to my ear?” A somewhat lopsided grin broke out across his face, but you were nowhere near done.

“I know all the ways you touch your face and push your hands through your hair, memorized every wayward strand that’s hugged your cheekbones, how your chest heaves when you get mad or after a workout, the types of smiles and frowns that make your dimples pop the most, and do not get me started on the number of colors in your eyes or the way they’re constantly changing like the goddamn sky- I mean, what the fuck?! Is there any part of you that isn’t mind-blowingly perfect?!”

Sam’s jaw was once again loose, and the golden ball of fluff roaming between your legs on the loveseat had gone unusually quiet, as if he knew something big was going down, so you figured you’d go for a home run, “And that’s why it’s gotten hard to be around you because every time you smile, I wanna melt into a puddle and fit my thumb in your dimple. And every time you’re upset, I wanna run to you and hold you in my arms forever, run my fingers through your hair and tell you that it’s gonna be OK, remind you that you’ve always got me, that I’ll be here for you through anything, even if you don’t want me the I way I want you. But worst of all… basically anytime you do anything, even the most mundane of things ‒ sometimes as simple as breathing ‒ I get this unquenchable urge to kiss you… anywhere you’d let me. So yeah, I don’t wanna be just your best friend anymore because I love you more than anyone else in the world… well, maybe apart from this little guy,” you snuggled the pup who had found its way onto your lap, hoping that its utter cuteness would distract you from the upcoming heartache.

But the rejection never came. Instead, Sam scooted closer to you and took your head gently in his expansive hands, lifting your face toward his, “Are you done?” He was incredibly close and your lungs seemed to lack oxygen so you nodded wordlessly. “Good. Because I’ve lost track of how long I’ve been waiting to do this.”

You were in shock as his lips approached yours, but managed to tilt your head just in time to avoid a collision between your noses. The kisses were short, soft, and slow at first, testing the waters as your mouths grew acquainted, but it didn’t take long for your body to respond with the urgent need it had been subduing for so long, applying a desperate force behind your voracious lips as your equally ravenous hands reached out for whatever part of him you could get a hold of. But as Sam’s tongue finally entered your mouth, a high-pitched whimper pierced the air and you pulled away, reluctant but happy.

Thus, Bones went from having one human to two. And as the pooch grew, so did your relationship. It took some time to adjust to your new roles, privileges, and pet names, but now when the monthly cramps assailed you, Sam would be there when he could, a big warm hand on your lower stomach in lieu of a heating pad. And when he couldn’t, Bones happily took his place. The gym became a couples retreat, where you’d even occasionally attempt those partner workout routines that nauseated everyone in your vicinity, while home workouts involved Sam doing push ups with you and Bones on his back for added resistance. And best of all, you got to appreciate not only the way Sam looked in a suit when he was off to work, but also the way he looked in his birthday suit in your bed.

Next to that, cuddling became your favorite development. Watching TV often resulted in your moose of a boyfriend laid across the custom-length couch with his head in your lap, while Bones stretched himself out on Sam’s chest. You could spend hours playing with your man’s hair, combing your fingertips through his satiny tresses and scraping your nails gently against his scalp. Sam would moan in relief after a long day at the office, kissing your thigh in thanks while he ran his own hand lazily through Bones’ fur. If ever you stopped the petting train, they would both whine whilst looking up at you with those masterful pleading eyes.

You also discovered that Bones had no problem with intimacy as long as he was involved, which meant make out sessions frequently led to your fur baby squeezing himself between the two of you, splayed out on his back and looking for belly rubs, a tongue stuck out to the side in glee when his owners acquiesced without fail. In fact, you concocted a game, when Sam was feeling low, in which you peppered his face with loud kisses to see how long it would take for Bones to join the fun, never ceasing until Sam was drowning in love and doggy slobber. Still, nothing compared to waking up on his chest after a stormy night, opening your eyes to find your sleepy fido snug and content beneath a tanned, vascular forearm, while deft, elongated fingers frolicked through your hair.

And it turned out Sam was just as good at romance as he was everything else, routinely surprising you with little love notes sprinkled about the house, (eloquent words that reminded you of your worth or beauty or simply the fact that he loved you), your favorite breakfast foods in bed, and once even a rare, original edition signed copy of your favorite book.

So on a haphazard day off, in an effort repay him, you picked out a racy new lingerie set and then procured every clichéd requisite: a candlelit atmosphere, fresh strawberries and whipped cream, rose petals on the bed, and even chocolate fondue. But as Sam’s car pulled onto the driveway, Bones got his muzzle into the whipped cream, which somehow left you hobbling frantically toward the door on one stilettoed heel when the key began to turn within the lock.

“Wait! Wait! Don’t come in yet!” You stumbled to slip on the other shoe before striking your best seductive pose in the doorway, and after hurriedly fixed your hair, resolutely flung the door open to come face to face with the one and only Dean Winchester, who went wide-eyed and slack-jawed at the sight of your risqué get-up.

“Shit!” you cried out in alarm, racing to cover yourself, “Fuck me!”

“Oh, I’m sure Sammy would be happy to,” came Dean’s suave and slightly smug response.

“Dean!” Sam’s deep voice boomed in protest when he finally recovered from shock beside his leering brother, jerking a huge hand up to cover Dean’s eyes when you turned around to grab yourself a throw blanket.

You could barely make eye contact with either of them when you returned.

“Well, I think our football and beer plans can wait for another night, brother. Oh and uh... congratulations!” Clapping Sam on the shoulder, Dean left with a signature wink-and-smirk.

Never again did you attempt to surprise Sam with anything remotely sexual, though it did happen unintentionally when you were working overtime in your living room one memorable weekend.

Sam wore a knowing grin as you walked dejectedly toward him, no doubt finding amusement in your childish pout.

“I told you to take a break,” he said as he set his book down on the arm of the barrel chair he was sat in, welcoming you to crawl into his lap with open arms and a slight smirk.

You did so without pause, pushing your fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck and nuzzling your nose into his throat. “Yeah, but I wanted to figure it out,” you mumbled against his pulse.

“I know, and you will, baby. But you can’t just keep going at it for hours without rest. You gotta give your body what it needs.”

“Well, right now it needs you.” You ventured out of your burrow to look imploringly into his kaleidoscope eyes, but before you could make your next move, a seventy-pound attention seeker bounded over and up into Sam’s lap as well. “Bones, you cockblock!”

Your love-induced giggle fest was interrupted by Sam’s ringtone. “Oh shit, I’ve gotta take care of this.”

“What?” you frowned, unable to conceal your disappointment.

“Just some urgent paperwork the firm sent me.”

“So no sex?”

Sam’s dimples reappeared as he pecked your pouted lips, “Maybe later, baby girl.”

Forced to disband, you watched as he grabbed his laptop and pulled out a chair at your dining table, a devilish idea popping into your head.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” Sam asked when you began to climb into his lap again.

“I wanna try something. You can still work, I promise.” Undoing his pants, you bit your lip as soon as you saw the SAXX logo.

Though he moaned at the implication, Sam complained, “Baby, Bones is right there.”

“We’ll cover his eyes; he won’t even know what’s happening.”

“We are not traumatizing our dog just because you can’t keep it in your pants!”

You whined, overcome by a sudden onslaught of neediness and insatiable horniness. This happened quite often around Sam. “Fine, I’ll take him to the yard.” Up before he had a chance to dissuade you, you hollered for the dog, “Come on, buddy! Let’s go play outside, yeah?”

Crawling beneath the table when you returned, Sam started as you began to tug at his pants from below. “Shhh, you don’t have to do anything; just pretend I’m not here.” You finally freed his gorgeous dick, pleased to find it already semi-hard, and proceeded to lick a thick stripe up its underside before swirling your tongue and puckering your lips around the tip.

“Yeah, I don’t think I can do that,” Sam strained.

After a few more kitten licks, you took hold of his shaft and used it to pull yourself up, relishing the hiss Sam let loose as you moved to straddle him, lifting your skirt and grinding your bare sex against his.

“Babe,” he exhaled in warning, clenching his teeth to restrain himself.

“Just ignore me, baby boy,” you countered whilst circling his thick diameter with your hand. Just a few practiced and vigorous strokes had him hard as a rock and ready to ride, but you were only going to keep him warm until you could.

As your hands moved to his shoulders, Sam’s vast ones, that had been uselessly perched atop his keyboard finally relented, grasping your hips with a light squeeze. They subconsciously helped raise your body enough for you to rub your slick across his length before lining up to gradually lower yourself, inch by painstaking inch. Erring on the side of caution, you retreated a few times, ever so slightly, on your way down, because although you were soaking for him, Sam was massive and usually opened you up with his fingers first.

“Nnngh,” he groaned, tossing his head back with closed eyes, “Fucking marry me already!”

“What?!” With a gasp, you slid right down the rest of the length, swallowing him whole as your butt cheeks slapped against his muscled thighs and a duet of unfiltered, pornographic moans echoed through the room.

To recover from the incredible feeling of fullness, you rested your head upon his immense shoulder while fluttering around him. “Did you just ask me that because I’m literally keeping your cock warm?” you wondered through a breathless giggle.

“Fuck. No. I didn’t mean to- That wasn’t supposed to-“ You pulled back to smile gently at him, perpetually amazed by the precious, puppy-like behavior of this six-foot-four hunk of a man, particularly during a time like this.

Sam sighed and pressed his forehead to yours. “I’ve actually been thinking about it for some time now.” His cock twitched within you and you couldn’t withhold the quiet sound of appreciation that consequently escaped you.

“Fuck,” he repeated, “This is not how it was supposed to go.”

“You had a plan?” As you whispered the words, you felt your pelvic muscles unwittingly pulse around him at the thought.

Giant hands caressed your outer thighs as Sam grunted, “No, not really. But I’ve known that I wanted to marry you for a long time now, and this is not how I pictured the proposal to go.”

“It’ll make a hell of a story though.”

Sam snorted, “No one will ever hear of this. I demand a redo.”

You rested your triceps on his shoulders and let your fingers roam into his hair, fondling the silken strands and raking across his scalp, unknowingly sending shivers down Sam’s spine as he spoke.

“It’s not my fault I can’t control myself around you. It’s been decades and you’re still the only person who’s ever had this effect on me, who I’ve ever wanted to spend the rest of my life with… Would it be too cheesy to call you my missing puzzle piece right now?”

You groaned in both laughter and arousal at the reminder of his member still fully sheathed within you, letting your forehead fall against his once more.

“I’m so sorry it just came out like that,” he said, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear.

“I’m not,” you contended while pushing his bangs out of his face in return, “Ask me again.”

“Y/N Y/L/N, will you marry me?”

You swore he swelled even more inside you and you responded with a clench, “I’d never marry another.”

“That’s not exactly an answer,” Sam pointed out, bucking up slightly in protest.

“Ungh! Hell yes, Winchester!” With your head thrown back in ecstasy, you bounced a bit on his lap, in search of friction.

Slamming his laptop shut, Sam growled, “Fuck paperwork, how am I supposed to concentrate when I’ve got my future wife wrapped around me?”

Your answer involved swaying above him to change the angle while yanking lightly at his hair and clenching him tighter.

“Oh, you’ve got it coming, baby girl! Bones can wait another hour, right?”

TEAM IDJITS: @mrswhozeewhatsis @carryonmywaywardbucky @swiftlymoniquesblog @moosewinchester @sams-sass @thinkinghardhardlythinking @jotink78 @winifrede @writingforthelonelysoul @turtletaylor98 @lyarr24 @deanwanddamons @peridottea91 @tvdspngirl314 @idreamofplaid @samsgirl2020 @katwed @asgoodasdancingqueen

TEAM MOOSE: @mind-of-a-girl

[yesimwriting]

Hi!!! I was wondering if you could do like a short story post or something I wonder how Our General Kirigan would react to a shy reader? Would he tease her? Be frustrated with her? And how would she react? Idk maybe just a thought 😅 I asked you because i really like your writing and I feel like you would really do a good job and I like the way you portray the General. 😊

a/n i have been crying/feeling shitty for the past two days for no reason!! so i thought it might make me feel better to try writing headcanons! i have SO MANY half done requests/fics but as of recently i hate everything that i write!! so i thought i'd work on this request that lends itself to headcanons

also im glad you like my writing :))

--

General Kirigan with a shy! reader headcanons:

- First things first, I think how he interacts with someone shy that he sees as a (potential) romantic interest varies per situation. Like generally, he finds the timidness kind of soft which is so different from what he's used to that he finds that aspect kind of endearing.

- He'd never admit that at the beginning, but the more time you spend with him the clearer it becomes to you because of how he acts when you're alone together

- At first, he'd hold onto his usual stoic disposition, but after realizing that at the end of the day your shyness is genuine and not an attempt to seem meek in order to trick people/him he'd begin to tease you about it when you two are alone.

- The first time he makes a comment that's just a little,, kinda-almost suggestive (a comment about how he wonders what it'd be like to be a Heartrender so that he could hear the change in your heartbeat every time you shied away from something) you're too confused to be embarrassed for like two seconds.

- You're basically that meme that's like did I hear that shit righttt??

- So you meet his gaze, and there's absolutely nothing but warm confidence there and you realize that he had in fact,,, said that.

- You hold his gaze for a moment out of protest (which is an incredible feat) and then you have to drop your eyes to the floor. You mumble some comment about how his ability to summon shadows isn't exactly a boring skill.

- Your reaction is so soft,, Kirigan can't help but be endeared even further. Something he wasn't exactly expecting and isn't too thrilled about. He doesn't think being shy makes you weak,, but he's extremely wary about how you're perceived and how people may treat you because of it.

- He doesn't doubt his ability to protect you, but he doesn't want to be distracted,, not with all he has to do.

- Still, he can't help mumble comments whenever there's a brief pause and you two are alone

- Meanwhile, you're starting to notice that now more situations keep coming up when you're left alone with Kirigan?? like he's always in the library when you are, he's always walking in to assess training when you're training and he just so happens to linger until you leave and then he just so happens needs to walk in the same hallway.

- It's a little strange at first,, but you're more horrified by the fact that you're not mad about it than the fact that it's happening. Especially since you know how much joy he gets from getting you flustered. You can see that in that slightly cocky uptilt to his lips whenever you're left gaping at him.

- Why doesn't it bother you?? You try to rationalize it and the only conclusion you can come to is the fact that he's attractive and powerful and even though your face gets hot whenever he talks to you,, there's appeal in those qualities. There's appeal in getting the infamous General to smile.

- Even if it costs you the bit of pride you have.

- You don't get why you're the one he seems to be going out of his way to speak to (maybe when your life is as stressful as his is,, at the end of the day you just want something easy and if he's in the mood to be flirty, you're easy) but you're not mad. You just have to constantly remind yourself to not be foolish enough to think you're the only one he goes out of his way to talk to.

- And as time progresses, you get a little more comfortable with his banter. You stop shying away completely,, which only encourages him to get bolder with his comments.

- Nothing insane,, not yet, just a little more direct.

- It kind of becomes a little game to him,, to see how flustered he can get you with the minimal amount of effort. Every once in awhile, you manage to act normally, but he's quick to shut that down by upping his game just slightly.

- After awhile, it starts to become a game for you too, to see how much of your instincts you can suppress just to take away some of his satisfaction. Only when he's getting a little too smug.

- But that's when y'all are alone...

- When you're surrounded by others, sometimes it feels like you don't even exist to each other. Sometimes that's a lonely feeling for both of you, but each of you is convinced that they're the only one that feels the absence.

- In your defense, you're much more entitled to those feelings because he can literally do whatever he wants. You can't just walk up to the General and do what?? ask him why he hasn't made any suggestive comment in the last couple of hours??

- please that embarrassing!! even if you weren't shy, that would be out of POCKET

- Meanwhile Kirigan is just like being angsty and debating the implications of seeking you out in an environment with so many important people. He could probably manage a minute or two by your side without making anyone suspicious, but the danger in that is that he won't be able to bring himself to leave after those minutes pass him.

- Worse,, he may even find an excuse for both of you to step out into the hall so that he can make his comments and take in your reactions in private.

- It's especially difficult when you have that one strand of hair just slightly out of place,, presenting the perfect excuse for him to just fix it and then drop his hand slowly so that his fingertips can brush the side of your cheek.

- And you're growing tired of the crowds of people you're not comfortable with and you're starting to feel more and more stupid for letting something that was so clearly just a playful distraction mean anything to you.

- But before either of you can succumb to your angsty pinning (cough, cough,, simps) his eyes will find yours from across the room and that's EVERYTHING

- At first, you want to be stiff and look away because it's probably not intentional, but then he gives you that little smirk. And then you feel stupid for ever doubting that you two at least have some kind of friendship. (maybe more,, but you're too scared to let yourself think that,, ;))

- And then you give him this shy smile,, and that's it. He's done--that one look undoes him entirely.

- So he starts shifting towards you as casually as possible, because if he can't be with you right now, surely being near you is good enough for now.

- You're unaware of this,, and when the moment ends you find yourself longing for more, but relatively satisfied. You don't expect anything from him, he's important and you're you.

- And being around people drains you because you genuinely want to stay out of any situation that would have too much attention on you at once. So once Kirigan moves and you can't find him in the crowd, you decide now is as good a time as any to step out and get some air, especially since no one currently needs you for anything.

- So you disappear into the corridor, planning to be gone only for a few minutes. But the second you're about two steps into the hallway, you hear another's footsteps.

- The hopeful part of you is like 'maybe it's him!!' but you don't really think that. There's something about the atmosphere that feels too tense,, too wrong for you to believe it's him.

- A moment later, your suspicions are confirmed. A grisha known for his impulsiveness is calling out to you, asking you where you're going.

- You explain that you just wanted to get some air and that you'd be returning in a minute. You try to sound dismissive, clearly establishing that you'd like your minute to yourself.

- It's clear that he understands the hint, but he doesn't move. He just keeps asking you questions.

- Your answers get shorter and shorter, the nerves your feeling tensing with each word as he begins to venture from falsely casual conversation to more flirtatious words. Being shy can leave you speaking too much, spluttering out words in hopes of saying the right thing to let you escape, but this is a different type of nervousness. Something feels wrong.

- And he just keeps saying things, things that even Kirigan wouldn't be able to get away with.

- All the while, you're desperate to escape, but they're persistent.

- And just when you're losing hope, and his advances get so bold he has you literally backed into a corner--a familiar voice comes to you like a lifeline.

- Kirigan, with all the authority of the general, questions what's going on. The guy that was so relentlessly hitting on you moves back like suddenly you're fire and begins to back away. He tries to explain himself but Kirigan is not having it.

- As soon as the stranger leaves, you feel like you can breathe again, but your nerves are still on edge. Kirigan's looking at you in a way you've never seen before. Sharp and almost--almost angry?

- You try to mumble a quick thanks, intending to disappear back to where you're supposed to be, but Kirigan's gaze keeps you planted against the wall.

- His gaze is so intense you ask him if he's alright.

- The question cracks something in him because of course you'd ask him if he's okay after something happened to you. His expression softens slightly, which you think is a good thing but then he speaks,, and his voice is not calm at all

- He's mad at the person that did that and the irrational part of him makes it seem like he's a little mad at you for letting that situation happen, but it's only because he's worried about what would have happened if he hadn't gotten there in time.

- And you're kind of confused because like?? what does he want from you? you made it clear you were uncomfortable and you were trying to get away?

- But after a quick snap and the fact that you're okay settles in,, he does feel a little bad. So he comes close to apologizing,, but that's basically just him saying he's glad that you're okay.

- You don't really ease, so he decides to make a partial joke about how maybe he needs to be around you more,, just to be safe,, you know

- And you smile slightly, and you're like 'y'know i'm not completely helpless.'

- and he's like 'pity,, i would've liked the excuse'

- your face instantly feels extremely warm and you're not sure what you could even, plausibly say to that. But you can't let him have the last word,, not like that. So you're overcompensating, rambling, but then at the end...you say something about how he doesn't really need an excuse to stay near you.

- When you realize what you've said, fight or flight kicks in,, but you can't move. And there's no casual way to escape, so you decide that maybe you'll cut your losses for today because that might have been your most significant reply to him ever, and you feel like an idiot because he was probably joking. And you just had to say that and make it weird.

- So you allow exactly one second of unfortunate silence, your eyes glued to the ground. And then you make some excuse about needing to get back to where you were.

- But Kirigan stops you, and you think about how you can't avoid looking him in the eyes forever, so you just kind of barely dare to glance upwards.

- And he's smiling broader than usual, the look is so warm it melts away all the bad feelings from earlier. You have absolutely no idea what it means, but you know it's not...bad.

- And then he shifts slightly, and that's when you realize he's never been this close before.

- He then asks if you're sure, voice much lower than earlier.

- You can't speak,, too trapped on a line you don't understand.

- But as he leans forward, the only answer he needs is the instinctual part of your lips as his warm breath reaches your cheek.

- And with that he turns his head just a fraction of an inch,, and his lips meet yours.

- It's just a quick brush of lips,, a soft test. And when you don't protest, he moves to let the contact be a little more assured, yet still teasing.

- Something in you grows impatient, and you move a little in hopes that he'll take the hint.

- But that's all it takes for him to pull away, expression bright and teasing before playfully chiding you for being so eager.

- He then turns, leaving you more flustered than ever.

[xpeachesncream]

bands | sixteen

[ series masterlist ]

summary: jeon jungkook has it all: the looks, the fame, the money, the women. being considered the sexiest man in the industry, he finds no complaints about the way his life is going nor does he find any reason to apologize for the way he approaches it. he is a force to be reckoned with - until he meets you.

pairing: stripper!reader x idol!jjk

genre: (18+) strip club/nightlife au, post grad au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 5.0k

warnings: cussing, mature language/implied sexual content, angst, anxiety, alcohol consumption, slight intoxication, physical abuse, slight verbal abuse, belittling, mentions of cuts/wounds but nothing too graphic, mentions of coke

tags: @brightcolorsoffendme @min-nicoleee @eggbutnotyolk @ra-mun-e @miinoongi @jimidol @ppeachyttae @thebeebi @bluesharksandfish @kooafraid @liriaus @thisartemisnevermisses @ggukkieland @preciouschimine @sunniejinnie @cypheruby @cyb3rbab3 @masterlists101 @awhnamjoon @redhedhoseok @wooya1224 @taeismydeath​ @jikookiekosmos​ @un2-verse​ @aynsx​ @wearenot7withu​ @knjeuphoria​ @bringitseijoh​ (closed!)

Jungkook laid on the dorm couch, legs sprawled out as he wore his hood and covered his face as much as possible. He shut his eyes, trying to make sense of the cryptic texts you had sent him.

"We shouldn't do this anymore."

"I can't do this, Jungkook."

"You don't deserve this."

"I'm only trouble."

"We aren't going to work."

He repeatedly called you, asking for an explanation, a way to help make things better because none of this should have been the reason for you to want to call it 'quits' like that. He asked for you to talk to him. He'd call and after two rings, it'd bring him straight to voicemail. It never failed. Indeed, there was much more to the text but he only fixated on a few lines, and those few lines seem to be circling his head time and time again with no sign of leaving him alone.

"I think I'm falling in too deep and I need to stop this while I can. You hear them, you hear the shit they say. I would never let them ruin you, I don't want them to. You deserve better. Maybe it's true that I don't fit into this."

It frustrates him, every single time. Where the hell did he go wrong? Why was there a sudden change? Something was off, and god forbid if his assumptions were right. But, everything was leading right back to it. The way you called in sick, the way you shut everyone out. The way you texted him these things, wouldn't pick up his calls just to tell him you're busy or whatever the hell it was. It didn't sound like you. It didn't seem like you at all.

All things led right back to the club. To Bigs. Where you felt high and mighty. Wanted. Like no one could ever hurt you the way they did outside of the club because they worshipped you in there. They knelt down to you. The way you were so fucking tough there. He knew this is where you would fall back if things got rough. He couldn't help but think that you had been forced into it though, because he knew you didn't give a shit about that anymore. Ah well, forced or not, it just felt so off. Unusual.

"Hey." Namjoon sits on the floor near Jungkook's head. "You good?" He asks even though he's fully aware he's not. Joon hates those people who ask if something's wrong when clearly, something is wrong — however, he wasn't really sure how else to open up this conversation without coming off too pushy or forward. Too insensitive, even.

"Nope."

"What's going on?" Jungkook sighs as he tries to lower his hood even more, although there's no more of his hood to lower. He keeps his hand on his face, trying his hardest to keep himself together.

"I don't know." Now, going back to earlier — everyone can tell Jungkook isn't happy. They've tried to butter him up and make him feel better even though they knew you were the only person who could truly make him happy again. They've tried to talk to him in one way or another, but they never forced him if he didn't want to. The only person that really hasn't said much was Jimin, and that also pisses him off because if he had anything to do with this, he will surely fuck him up for ruining his happiness.

"You hear from Y/N? She still sick? Does she need anything?"

"She's not sick."

"Hm?" Joon slightly turns back, confused.

"Something else is wrong."

"Like what?"

"She's not picking up my calls. Not answering my texts the way she normally does. When she does, it's super blunt or one worded."

"Maybe she's really not feeling well, or just caught up with things—"

"No, hyung. I know her, she always has her priorities straight. Even if she was sick, she wouldn't do this. She wouldn't go as far as to shutting her own brother out."

"Idol life too overwhelming? I get it." Jimin jokes as he walks into the kitchen, making Jungkook shoot his head up to glare at him.

"The fuck, can you not? I don't see why you feel the need to joke around right now."

"Jeez, sorry. I just thought I'd lighten up the mood somehow."

"Come on, dude." Namjoon looks at him with disappointment, Jimin only returning the gesture by rolling his eyes and walking away. "How can I help you?" Joon asks, returning his attention back to Jungkook.

"Maybe I was being selfish bringing her into all of this. These people— they're fucking mean, and she's already had her fair share of dealing with mean people. How am I supposed to protect her all while not feeling selfish about it?"

"You're not selfish, who told you that?"

"Jimin." That's like strike.. whatever to Namjoon at this point. Why the hell was Jimin being so fucking weird?

"Look, I know it's not easy in this industry. But I think what you can do is prove to her that you won't hurt her, especially with everyone around her doing nothing but hurting her. You need to show her that you're different from the rest of them, that she can fully trust you. If I were in her shoes, to be honest, it would be scary for me. You got a whole lot of shit going on in your life. You're expected to provide a lot, and on top of that, you haven't had the best reputation with women."

"Yeah, I hear you."

"Then, nothing else matters. You keep fighting for her if she really matters to you. Does she?"

"Of course she does, I mean, can't you tell? I've never been this way over someone." Joon nods.

"You sure as fuck haven't. It still catches me and the guys by surprise. But, I'm happy to see someone helping you become a better person. She's been nothing but genuinely sweet, and I know she already does a hell of a job taking care of you."

"She's— I don't know. She's become so important to me."

"I know she has, and I'm happy to hear that. I really am." Joon sighs. "So tell me, what can I do? I hate seeing you like this."

"Well, I'm sure as hell not allowed at the club. Bigs will do anything to get back at me for what I did to him. He won't hesitate."

"I won't let him. We won't. You really think she went back?" Jungkook nods.

"Positive. Something doesn't feel right. It feels weird. And I feel like she was egged into this. I don't like it one bit."

"Want me to go check out the club tonight?"

"Yeah, please?" Jungkook says. "But don't be too obvious. Bring Jin hyung or someone who could use a lap dance or two."

"Sooo Jin hyung?" They chuckle.

"Yeah, exactly."

"And if she's there?"

"Then I'm going straight to her tomorrow night. I just need to make sure I do this right because I don't want her or Kai to get hurt. I'll stay out there if I have to just to make sure she doesn't go back. What else do I have to do—" Jungkook pauses to stop himself because this clearly wasn't you. He sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Who the fuck made her do this?"

"Bigs, who else?"

"No, she wouldn't listen to just Bigs. He's definitely working with someone and using shit against her."

"Okay, let's just not assume the worst. I'll head there tonight and drag Jin hyung with me."

"Thanks hyung, I really appreciate it."

"No problem." Joon gently massages his shoulder before getting up from his spot to make his way back to his room.

All Jungkook can think about doing is sleeping more right now. He'll send the occasional text to check on Kai and see how he was doing, but they both worried too much about you and Jungkook would hate to tell him that you ended up going back to the club. He didn't think he would tell him, he didn't think he'd have to because he was gonna make sure to get you out of there before shit hit the roof again. If it hasn't already, and he's hoping it hasn't.

And so when Namjoon and Jin hyung [obviously in need of that lap dance or two] head out to the club, Jungkook stays in his dorm room, suddenly feeling the adrenaline rushing through his body even though he can't do shit besides sit here and wait. He goes through the random pictures he's taken of you - the cute, candid photos he had of you, the cute candid photo of you as his lock screen. He deletes all the texts in his inbox even though he knows it might have been a little late. It honestly hasn't mattered to him in such a long time, but he just never got around to wiping his inbox clean since he was so caught up with you - his baby.

"Is this going to turn into some kind of action movie? We bust through the doors, take down all the guards and steal Y/N?"

"No, hyung. Jesus. Do you forget you're an idol? That's probably the very last thing we should do."

"So, what do we do?"

"We just walk in there like we normally do?"

"Boring."

"Plus, we can't have Bigs onto us like that. We have to act like we don't know anything."

"Do you really think he's using something against her?"

"I don't know. I have to be honest though, I think Jimin's involved."

"W-what?" Jin says, furrowing his brows. "No, he can't be."

"Trust me. He always acts so weird around her, and he's probably the one person who hasn't taken this as seriously. He hasn't said anything to Jungkook."

"But why though?"

"I don't know, beats me. I just don't think he respects her. Or, likes her. Whatever it is."

"She hasn't done anything to him though."

"That makes it worse, doesn't it?"

"How could you be so sure?"

"Look hyung, I'm not. I just think he's involved. My gut says so. We'll find out whether I'm right or not, right?"

"I hope you aren't. That'll really mess Kookie up."

"Well. I love him, but he'll have to learn the hard way for butting into someone else's business like that. No matter what the reason is." Namjoon parks the car and fixes his rolled up sleeves before adjusting the Rolex on his wrist. He looks at Jin once more, nodding in approval once they both feel like they've fixed themselves enough to look presentable, not questionable.

Meanwhile, you had just finished up your time on stage so you headed to the back to take a break. Bigs hadn't given you the option to secure private bookings knowing damn well there would be opportunity for Jungkook and some of his boys to slip through and try to work their magic in private. As much as possible, you were just trying to protect Jungkook, even though you knew he wouldn't back down without a fight. You knew Bigs wasn't all that tough, but right now, he seemed to hold a lot of power with Jimin being on his team. And you knew damn well it was Jimin all along. Did you have concrete evidence? No. But your gut feeling might as well be enough with the way he talks to you. Why else would Bigs all of a sudden feel all mighty? Bigs had threatened Jungkook and your brother enough to keep your mouth shut. Enough to keep your attitude level at a 0.

The scene played in your head over and over again—

"I gave you a better life, you ungrateful piece of shit. You do as I say and your little Jungkook and your little Kai won't get hurt. You think I'm scared of them, sweetie? You think I'm scared of you? Your stepfather don't give a damn about you two. I can easily send my men down to do their magic, especially after how Jungkook treated me. Is that how he repays me after all the special treatment I've given him?" Mr. Bigs hunched over you. "You two wanna play me like a fool, I'll show you two what it's like to be played like a fool." He pulled on your hair before aggressively releasing and spitting to the side.

There was no way they would get dragged into this. Not anymore. They didn't deserve to be included in this no matter what it was.

Boy, did you miss Jungkook. Everything about him. It took everything in you not to come running back. It took everything in you not to answer those calls or texts like you normally would.

You chose him, every single time. You wish he knew that. Him and Kai.

You sighed, sipping on the flask you snuck in. The alcohol relieving you of any pain, helping you feel numb as the night goes on. You didn't want to feel tonight, you just didn't. Why would you, when everything had just been hurting you lately?

You had just finished dancing out on the main stage, throwing your ass back to some Megan and Cardi. A few other dancers were gathered at a vanity, sneakily sniffing lines of coke while Bigs and his men were busy paroling the main stage.

"You want some of this, sis? In celebration of you coming back?" One of the other dancers smirks at you. You simply shake your head no and return to the flask in your hand.

"I'm good, thank you."

"Alright, well it's here if you want it. Just let me know, babe." Her and the other dancers go back to their business on the vanity. However, another dancer continues to eye you, sympathy filling her expression as she approaches you while you sip on your flask once more. You were starting to feel pretty tipsy again, hoping you could just hide out in the back 'till the very end of your shift.

"Y/N." She says, her hand gently on your arm. "You okay?"

"I'm good." You purse your lips together to prevent yourself from tearing up. Those words were triggering for you because you were not okay, whatsoever.

"Why did you come back, babe?" She genuinely asks, worried about you. "Did Bigs do something?"

"No." You lied. "Things just didn't work out elsewhere I guess, and I need money."

"Didn't work out? I saw the way Jungkook handled Bigs that night." If anything, she was probably the one dancer who paid attention to the environment around her. Everyone else was oblivious to the shit that's been happening and that's because they didn't give a fuck about anyone else. Her stage name was Trixie, but her real name was Miki. She too didn't really enjoy being here but her parents talked so much about how she was useless and couldn't make it out in the world, especially as a vlogger. She loved it. She loved being in front of the camera and talking to the world thru the lens. But her parents thought it was dumb— that she was dumb for even wanting to grow a career online like that. Besides all of it, she remained sweet, and she was always super nice to you. You wouldn't be surprised if she knew about you and Jungkook, and you honestly wouldn't have a problem with it. She never treated you wrong. She knew Bigs had a tendency to overstep and abuse the power he had with his status and his money. However, she knew he was a big coward and that he was all talk, no play — especially if it was outside of the club. He may be a big honcho here, but outside, he had no chance. And she couldn't wait until the day he'd get his for all the mess he's caused.

"Yeah well, things happen." She shakes her head.

"Y/N, you can talk to me. Look, as much as I love seeing your face, you have so much potential. You don't deserve to be stuck here. Let me help you figure this out."

"I'm okay, Miki. Thank you, though." She nods, not wanting to press you any further.

"Well, I'm here for you." She gives your arm one good squeeze before walking off.

Eventually, the rest of the dancers retreat back out onto the floor, leaving you to hide away in the back room as long as possible — which is why Namjoon can't get a glimpse of you anywhere out in the main area. Bigs is actually a little taken aback to see both him and Jin walking through the club, even after everything that has gone down. But hey, business is business— and if they weren't gonna cause any trouble, so be it. He knows though, he knows full well there's a possibility they're here for you.

"Boys! Long time no see!" He greets them, Joon and Jin giving him a toothless smile in return. "How've you been? What brings you in?"

"Mr. Bigs." Namjoon says, smoothing down his shirt. "Ah, we're good, just getting busy prepping for the tour. Wanted to take a little breather tonight."

"Well, I'm glad you guys came here to do so. Can I get you two anything to drink?" The both of them shake their heads. "Anything to help relieve that stress?"

"We're good, thanks. Just gonna sit out on the floor for a bit."

"You two let me know if there's anything I can do for you, at all." Bigs smiles at them as he begins to watch them walk away. "Make sure she's covered." Bigs slightly turns his head to speak through the headset mic, alerting his men to keep an eye out. He thinks he's said it low enough so that Jin and Namjoon don't hear, but Jin catches the movement in his peripherals, causing him to pinch Joon's bicep.

"Back room." Jin says, subtly nodding towards the backroom as he keeps his gaze out on the main stage and adjusts his tie. Namjoon looks around to see Bigs has welcomed himself to the other side of the club, speaking to a few customers, looking distracted.

"I'm gonna go see if I can talk to her."

"Talk?! You said we were just scoping her out. Don't cause any trouble, Namjoon-ah. Please."

"Oh, now you suddenly don't want this action movie to come alive?! You sure were talking a whole lot about it in the car."

"Since when do you even take me seriously?!"

"I always take you seriously, hyung!"

"How about you just sneak towards the back door and get her attention? You said we can't go all out like that!"

"There's guards there too."

"Look, I just don't want you or Y/N to get hurt. Maybe we should just lay low and figure out how we can approach this better."

"Hey, can I get you two anything?" Miki interrupts, fully aware of who they are and what they're here for.

"No, sweetie. Thank you." Jin responds, flashing his 100-watt smile.

"You looking for Y/N?"

"Depends who's asking?" Namjoon says, trying to keep his guard up.

"Look, I'm not gonna rat you out if that's what you think." She puts her hand on her hip, tray still balancing on her free hand. "She's in the backroom. But there's no way you can get to her. Bigs is watching her for whatever reason."

"Yeah, we're aware. Can you send her a message for me?"

"Sure. You have 10 seconds though or else Bigs is gonna be onto you." She points towards Bigs slowly making his way back.

"Just tell her that Jungkook is worried about her and wants to help. Or, we want to help. We just wanna know what's going on."

"I'll try, but she didn't let up when I asked earlier."

"Thanks." Joon sighs.

"Shoo, I'll find you guys around." She says, sneakily walking off towards the bar with her empty tray as Bigs starts to eye the main floor. Jin and Namjoon welcome themselves to a seat on the side of the stage, acting normal as possible by throwing bills onto the stage for the dancers. Miki tends to her customers before she's setting her tray down and pretending to take a cigarette from her bra to take a quick "break." She heads to the back to see you still sitting at your vanity, head resting against the palm of your hand.

"Babe." You turn to look at her, eyes slightly glossed over.

"Hm?"

"RM and Jin are here. They said they want to help you, and if you can tell them anything, that's all they'd want."

"Miki—"

"Girl, look. Don't let this man keep running your life like this. I don't care what he said or did, this isn't you. You need to get out of here and you need to let people in. People who genuinely care about you." You sigh.

"How is that possible when Jungkook's own bestfriend doesn't even like me? And ontop of that, Bigs even dragged my little brother and my evil ass stepfather into this. I can't let anything happen to him, he's the only thing I have."

"I get that, and I'm sure Jungkook will do whatever it takes to protect you both. Why are RM and Jin here then? Whatever Jungkook's other friend's issue is, he needs to figure it out. It's obviously his own problem, something he created himself for no reason."

"I know he's helping Bigs keep me away from Jungkook. All the hurtful shit in the media, all the shit he's been tossing in my face. Whatever, I get it. He wins. I don't belong."

"Don't say that."

"It's true, and I know even if I chose Jungkook, he'd choose his bestfriend over me. Why would he go against that? They've been together for so long. I'm a fucking nobody." Miki knows this is all the alcohol running through your veins, but at least now, she knows Bigs isn't doing this on his own [as she assumed, he's a fucking pussy for the most part - he's a pussy who got handsy with the dancers cause that's all he can do to feed his ego].

"I don't think that's true, and I don't think it's a fair assumption when he's stayed by your side, hasn't he? He hasn't given up on you." She says before walking out. Really, things were just completely scrambled in your head. Just fucked up. Your questions, your uncertainty was strong enough to pull you towards the negative - the what if's, the assumptions, the rumors, the shit-talking. After all that, the positives were dim.

Miki grabs her tray and serves the first couple of customers in dire need of their drinks before she heads over to Jin and Namjoon to spill the information she received from that conversation.

"She won't budge. It sounds like a lot of this shit talking got to her head, so she came back to make herself feel better but then Bigs ended up turning this around on her, threatening Jungkook and her brother. If I were you, I'd get Jungkook to her before she can even come back here. Make sure her brother is with him too. Bigs is all talk but being the guys that you are — I wouldn't take any chances to ruin your reputation and all that." She smacks on her gum. "And I hate to tell you this, but one of your little friends has been working with Bigs. I don't know who, but you better let that little shit know he was wrong for getting in her head like that. She deserves way better." She says with a punch of attitude before walking away.

"Jimin?" Jin mouths out to Namjoon, who only shrugs in response.

"Let's go." Namjoon tosses a couple of more bills before they head out.

"Have a good evening, boys." Bigs yells out, causing the two of them to return a tight-lipped smile.

"Are we going to tell Kookie about Jimin?"

"No? Because we don't even know ourselves. His name was never dropped, and we'll look dumb if we acted on assumptions."

"This is so fucked up." Jin sighs, looking out the window.

"You're telling me."

When they finally arrive back at the dorm, Namjoon and Jin find Jungkook pacing around in his room, tossing a rubber ball against the wall to keep himself occupied. His doe eyes dart over to them, letting the ball drop to the floor while he nervously walks closer to them.

"So?"

"I'm sorry, dude." Joon sighed. "From what it sounds like, all this mess just got to her head so she went back to the club to make herself feel better. But Bigs ended up bringing you and her brother into the situation so, I'm assuming she's distancing herself to protect you in some way?" Namjoon runs his hand through his hair. "Honestly, I really don't know, that's as much as we got."

"We didn't even talk to her or see her, some other dancer helped us out. I guess she's a friend of hers? Or maybe she just likes Y/N. She wanted to help." Jin says.

"Fuck!" Jungkook groans, slamming his hand down onto his bed. "Why couldn't she just talk to me? We could have figured this out."

"Look, I'm sure there's a lot more to it and I'm sure it's difficult for her. Promise me you'll hear her out when you see her."

"I mean, yeah I know, I will. But, how did this get to her head so easily? I really can't wrap my head around it, I—" He catches how tense Joon and Jin suddenly get. He watches them nervously looking at each other, making him cock his head to the side and furrow his brows. "Wait, what is it? You know something else, don't you?"

"I mean there's really no concrete facts behind it so we can't necessarily say it's true."

"Well?" Jungkook asks, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles are turning white. But, before they could go any further, Jungkook's ringtone echos in the room. He quickly turns in case it's you calling, but he picks up anyway because it's someone equally as important.

"Kai?"

"C-can you come pick me up? My sister isn't picking up. I'll send you Eric's address." Jungkook worries when he hears the shakiness in his voice, his tone low to a whisper.

"Yeah, sit tight. I'll be right there." He hangs up, darting out of his room, Namjoon and Jin following after him.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to get to Kai."

"Let us come with!"

"Look, it'll be quicker if I go myself—"

"Jungkook-ah, stop. We're not gonna let you go alone." Joon and Jin make it just in time to join him in the elevator, heading straight for his car even if it's nearing 1am. Jungkook pulls up Kai's location, pressing on the gas to rush over there just in case Kai was hurt. And yes, Jungkook was going to give it to your fucking stepfather if he sees anything on Kai. He will fucking destroy him, he promises.

Jungkook, Namjoon and Jin walk into the house quietly, seeing Kai putting his finger up to his lips when he meets them near the kitchen.

"What happened?" Jungkook whispers, handing his bags over to Namjoon and Jin. Jungkook looks at the small hint of blood pooling near his nostrils and the cut near his eyebrow.

"I'll explain in the car, can you just take me to—"

"Really? Calling your sister's boyfriend and his friends over to save you? You really are a helpless little shit." Namjoon, Jin and Jungkook are all shielding each other and Kai from Eric, Jungkook's blood boiling seeing him standing there, clearly very drunk and not in the right state of mind.

"Aye, don't fucking talking to him like that." Jungkook's spits out, making Eric laugh.

"First you fall for my slut of a daughter, now you help rescue him? I thought you were so much better than that, Jungkook. You aren't the person people portrayed you to be. Shittiest idol I know. All of you."

"You don't know me." Eric snorts.

"You guys do know I help sponsor your shit right? I play a big role for you, don't come into my house acting like—" He slurs his words.

"Yeah, well fuck the contract." Namjoon's jaw clenches. "Better yet, don't fucking worry about it, I'll make sure to take care of it for you."

"You need me." Eric says, almost at a growl.  "You need me and Bigs—"

"Since when?" Namjoon responds in a mocking manner as he begins to usher Jin, Jungkook and Kai towards the front door. "If you wanna send your people over, you can let them know I'm free tomorrow in the late afternoon. I'll be more than happy to tell 'em what kind of sick person you are."

"You can't just take him—" Eric tries to flip the script, obviously unaware that Kai has already turned 18. He grips onto Kai's arm and tries to pull him back, except he's intoxicated, so Jungkook easily pushes him off. He watches as Eric hits a bar stool, stumbling over himself before he drunkily falls on his ass.

"You're such a sad excuse of a stepfather, you aren't even aware he's 18 already. He doesn't need you." Jungkook scoffs. "I'm gonna send people for the rest of Kai's shit tomorrow. And let's get this straight - we never needed you or Bigs. You both aren't shit without us and yout fucking empire thrives because of us. And if you do anything to Y/N, if you even think about working with Bigs on doing anything to her, I fucking promise you I will bury you alive. I won't stop until you have nothing left. Don't underestimate me."

everybody's angry and they're coming for me, but i can't give them energy that i won't receive; so i brush 'em off, i got a lot on my sleeve, like i'm moving backwards, but it's all on repeat; this place is getting crowded, i got no room to breathe

track twelve: hundred - khalid

[robininthelabyrinth]

CQL-Verse: Wen Ning did a whole lot of risky stuff saving JC and the bodies at Lotus Pier. What if NMJ hears and gets talked into helping protect him and the Wen remnants by the Jiang bros, because even if he's a wen, he still 1. whole ass poisoned wen chao 2. straight up commited treason and was punished for it to protect sect heirs and 3. is extremely baby brotherable. you can fit so much h/c into this bad boy

ao3

Untamed

1

Wen Qing was angry about the trials, but Wen Ning thought they made a reasonable amount of sense.

After all, how was the rest of the cultivation world supposed to know what they did in the war without a proper trial? It was only reasonable for them to make certain assumptions about them based on their surname, the same way everyone assumed that those surnamed Jin were rich, those surnamed Lan were beautiful, those surnamed Jiang were bold to the point of arrogance…

The Nie were supposedly known for their tempers, but Wen Ning hadn’t seen much evidence of that so far.

In fairness, his only experiences with a Nie were, firstly, with Nie Huaisang at the Cloud Recesses, which he was fairly sure didn’t count, and now, during the trial, with Nie Mingjue.

Nie Mingjue laughed the entire trial.

“You poisoned the wine,” he sniggered. “At their own celebratory feast…! And then you just went straight to Yiling, where your sister was in charge. And it still took him how long to find you?”

“Weeks,” Wen Ning meekly admitted.  

“Can we go back to the bit where you saved Wei-xiong from the giant dog beast using stolen needles?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“No, we cannot,” Nie Mingjue’s deputy – a somewhat long-suffering looking man that they all called Meng Yao – said. “He’s already gone over it four times, Huaisang.”

“But –”

“No.”

“Spoilsport! Look at how much fun da-ge’s having; it’s not fair.”

“He’s the sect leader. If he wants to hoot like a shrieking monkey, he’s entitled to it.”

“I’m not hooting,” Nie Mingjue protested. “I am recognizing talent.”

“Talent.”

“Exactly. Talent.”

“At…what, exactly?”

“Causing trouble,” Nie Huaisang volunteered. “I recognize it from Wei-xiong, I could spot it anywhere.”

“Could we possibly proceed with the trial?” Meng Yao asked, obviously deciding not to continue with that discussion. “We have six more to finish today. Can I assume that given the evidence of Wen-gongzi’s subversive activities and his subsequent imprisonment throughout much of the Sunshot Campaign, he is absolved of all crimes and allowed to go free?”

“You spoilsport,” Nie Mingjue said, rolling his eyes at him. “Yes, I think so. Wen Qionglin, you are free to go your own way – though if you wish to stay here in Qinghe as a guest cultivator, we would be glad to have you for however long you wish.”

Wen Ning thought that sounded all right.

2

The Nie sect were known for their tempers, and justly so, but Wen Ning quickly figured out that he didn’t need to be afraid of Nie Mingjue’s occasional outbursts (quickly roused, quickly doused) or Nie Huaisang’s temper tantrums (petty) and occasional grudge-holding (rarer but much more dangerous).

No, Wen Ning figured out very quickly in his first weeks that the one to be afraid of was clearly Meng Yao.

Wen Ning had been weak and sickly his whole life in a sect that valued strength above all; he had survived hiding behind his sister, but she couldn’t always be there for him, no matter how she tried. He’d soon learned that surviving on his own meant being quiet and obedient, never making trouble or drawing attention to himself, and it also meant being extremely attuned to the minute expressions that might signal the difference between Wen Chao being angry enough to throwing a teacup at his head and being angry enough to order him to be taken outside and beaten until unconscious.

The same skills helped him in the Nie sect, where people were very often angry. Wen Ning could tell the difference between Nie Mingjue raging to let out steam (moderately common and generally innocuous, easily ignored) and being actually upset (typically only dangerous to the furniture, which was a nice change, but more worrisome in the sense that he might go and do something stupid afterwards), and he could tell that Nie Huaisang’s true anger, so rarely triggered, tended more towards the cold and hidden (definitely a sign he was going to do something, but unfortunately for everyone involved it’d invariably be far more malicious - enough to make you long for stupid).

He could tell that Meng Yao was, despite all his smiles, very often angry.

Like Nie Mingjue, Meng Yao’s temper was easily roused to the point of fury; like Nie Huaisang, his anger lasted a long time and usually called for some malicious action before it could be properly assuaged.

“Senior Meng,” Wen Ning tentatively said one day when his curiosity got to be too much for him. “Could I ask a rude question?”

Meng Yao’s temper, hidden deep in his eyes, flared at once, preemptively, and Wen Ning shivered and looked down at the ground. He had known what he was risking, but he hoped that asking permission in advance might allow him to get the question out with minimal reprisals – cold meals for a few days, perhaps, or being assigned to the training yard only when the most sadistic training-master was supervising, but only for a week or so.

“Of course, Wen-gongzi,” Meng Yao said, and he sounded nice and pleasant and like no question could possibly be rude enough to cause him any disturbance. It was a little frightening how good he was at that. “I can’t imagine what you would want to know that would be rude.”

“Are you related?” Wen Ning blurted out. “To Sect Leader Nie, I mean – his family –”

Meng Yao stared at him. His mouth was slightly hanging open.

“…it’s a stupid question,” Wen Ning concluded, feeling ashamed. Of course Meng Yao had been promoted entirely on merit; it was only his imagination getting away from him. “I’m sorry. I’ll go –”

“No, wait,” Meng Yao croaked. “Related – to the Nie sect – forgive me. How did you reach that conclusion?”

“I mean, you’re obviously treated as part of the main family,” Wen Ning pointed out. There were plenty of Nie cousins that weren’t treated anywhere near as well; both Nie Mingjue and Nie Huaisang were not only protective but almost possessive over Meng Yao’s time and dignity - surely by now everyone knew that the surest way to get them each angry in their own ways was to slight Meng Yao. “You wear Nie braids like them – you wear clothing like them – you have a temper like them –”

Meng Yao started laughing.

“…did I miss something?”

3

“I’m surprised you didn’t go to the Lotus Pier after you’d been absolved,” Nie Huaisang said, tapping the weiqi piece on the board a few times before making a move. “Given your fondness for Wei-xiong and all that.”

“Wei-gongzi’s very nice,” Wen Ning said vaguely, staring down at the board. He’d played a lot of weiqi in his life – including against Wen Ruohan when the man had still been remotely sane, mostly because he’d been the only one stuck back at the palace with him more often than not – but playing against Nie Huaisang required all of his attention. The first time he looked away, he’d get lured into a trap. “Very kind.”

“And yet you stay here,” Nie Huaisang prompted. “In Qinghe, with us, when even your sister picked the Lotus Pier.”

Wen Ning had never been without his sister this long before. He knew that she still expected him to come to the Lotus Pier. She hadn’t expected him to last the week without her; she’d said as much when she first went, huffing at him for being ridiculous – a Wen as a guest cultivator in the Nie sect, of all places? – and telling him, in between reminders to take his medicine on time, that she’d prepare a place for him there so that he would be comfortable when he arrived.

Her letters, in the weeks and now months since that time, had never overtly asked when he was going to finally get around to moving there, and had recently developed an almost quizzical tone, as if she’d finally realized that he wasn’t.

“I like it here,” Wen Ning said, and moved his piece.

Nie Huaisang moved his own almost immediately in response, which meant that Wen Ning had made a horrible mistake that played straight into Nie Huaisang’s hands. Not an uncommon occurrence. 

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said. “We like having you here, too.”

Surprised, Wen Ning looked up.

Nie Huaisang was smiling at him – he smiled nearly as often as Meng Yao, but unlike Meng Yao, he never smiled if he didn’t want to, so his smiles were actually sincerely meant each and every time. He had a wide range of smiles: nervous smiles, cheerful smiles, devious smiles…

Wen Ning was good at reading expressions, but he had to admit he’d never had to work as hard at it as he did with Nie Huaisang.

“We’re a very nice sect, really,” Nie Huaisang said, and even seemed to believe it. “We’re always open to people who are like us. The only thing we can’t tolerate is injustice and betrayal; as long as you stick with us and put us first, you’re ours, and we’re yours.”

That sounded nice, Wen Ning thought, and moved a piece blindly. “You think I’m like you? My sister doesn’t think so.”

“I think you fit in very nicely,” Nie Huaisang said, and his smile had teeth to it. He moved quickly, again. “You’re angry and resentful, but you don’t let it get in the way of what you want - just like us. Your sister probably doesn’t think that about you, either, but then again, that’s why she’s in the Jiang sect, with their heads in the air, dreaming of the impossible. I bet she never even noticed that you had a temper.”

She hadn’t. Wen Ning had been her baby brother and nothing else for a long time; he never had to defend himself as long as she was around. 

He’d never had the chance to defend himself.

(He didn’t resent her for that. He didn’t. She was his big sister, his favorite person, and he loved her so much that he didn’t mind the way that all her fussing sometimes made the world feel cramped and small, as if he were being forced into a place that he’d long since outgrown.)

“Do I have a temper?” he asked, and moved another piece.

“Oh, yes,” Nie Huaisang said. “You’re like me – slow to boil – and like Meng Yao, hiding it behind your eyes. You’re even a bit like da-ge: you don’t need to be the one get the frustration out as long as something deals with it, but if nothing does, it nags at you and wears at you, like a thorn stuck in your flesh, until you can’t be silent any longer. Until you have to do something, or else you’ll explode.”

That sounded about right, Wen Ning thought. He’d never really had a chance to explode in the Wen sect, out of fear of what they’d do to his sister if he did, and he’d been sick with it – he’d limited himself to little rebellions, nameless pranks, right up until he met Wei Wuxian, who was kind to him, and couldn’t stop himself from helping him. He sometimes thought, in the days he’d spent in the dungeons, that if he died he’d come back as a fierce corpse, soul-calming rituals or no, and he’d might even enjoy it if only for the opportunity to finally vent his feelings – to finally pay back every single injustice that he’d ever seen, each one marked down in his heart in an indelible list of regrets.

Maybe Nie Huaisang was right. 

Maybe that was why he stayed here, in the Nie sect, the sect of do not tolerate evil instead of the Lan sect’s chivalry and righteousness or the Jiang sect’s attempt the impossible.

Maybe he wanted to fight back for once. To have a temper, to have rage, to be something more than Wen Qing’s shy, stuttering shadow.

“I like it here,” he said again, but if his words were the same then the flavor was different: he meant it this time.  

He understood, this time, what he meant by it.

Nie Huaisang smiled at him and moved another piece. Winning the game, Wen Ning noticed.

“Good,” he said. “Now move over – sit in front of the mirror. I’ll show you how to do your hair right.”

“Really?”

“Really. Also, Da-ge’s been practically champing at the bit to teach you saber, and Meng Yao has been making grandiose plans about redoing the way we recruit and train doctors with you leading the charge, so if you’re not up for either of those, now’s the time to say something.”

Wen Ning settled down in front of the mirror.

“No,” he said. “Those sound good to me.”