#it’s a dark space but there’s lots of color in every shot

[fakeblue]

man the lighting really has gotten so much better in wwdits

[vase-of-lilies]

❀ Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Bunny Hybrid!Reader (F)

❀ Non-con, dubcon, use of a cage, captivity + using restraints, violence, mind manipulation/putting someone in a daze, guys - fun fact; ivory was chiseled and made into a dildo in the 1800’s. So, expect that lol, and more. Do not read if you are uncomfortable with very dark elements. 

❀ I am usually good with warning everything that is in my stories, but this time due to limited space and a lot of warnings, I will be only doing the harsher warnings. 

❀ Disclaimer and Authors Note: The pictures only represent aesthetic and themes. There is no certain skin color, body type, ethnicity, or description other than Y/n and “you”. Credit to who made the pictures in the banner as well. 

❀ Sigh… I feel like all of these are the same, just a little different each time. I try to change it up, but a lot of these are similar in plot, description, and ending. I want these to turn out well, but I can’t help but feel that people don’t like them because they don’t comment on them or give feedback. All I want is a funny comment, a detailed comment about something someone loved about the story, or something that they were confused about or just thought was plain stupid of Y/n. All I want is feedback! 

Hunting season. It was the worst time of year for the bunny hybrids, yet still, you were picking berries in a bright dress your mother made you. You knew it was dangerous. However, you knew that you were fast and agile like a real bunny. But even the fastest rabbit couldn’t beat the slowest tortoise because of the overconfidence each little rabbit held in their little head. 

While you gathered the berries into your basket, you hummed to yourself, not a thought in your mind. Every now and then, your tail would twitch, something it does when you are doing something you love or when you are scared. But you loved gathering, and you were not currently scared. 

Your humming immediately stops when you hear the straining of an arrow in a bow. It was a creaky sound that every bunny could recognize. Your ears shot straight up, your head turning in all directions to try and find the source of the hunter. One last turn and it was too late; the bounce of the bowstring snapping back into place came first, then the pain of the arrow piercing through your shoulder blade. 

Falling to the ground, you frown as your berries scatter around you. You can hardly think while you scramble into the bush in front of you, holding your ears against your head so you don’t bring more attention to yourself. Your body trembles, rustling the brush you are hiding in, and you silently curse yourself at your shaking. 

“Here, little bunny… come out, come out wherever you are!” A voice taunts from outside the bush. You see the boots of your pursuer from where you crouch inside the bush, whimpering as the arrow in your back snags on a branch. 

The footsteps stop and turn towards the bush. You freeze, and your ears slip from your hands, rustling the bush even more. The hunter steps up to the bush, and she spots your gray ears. With a smirk, she reaches into the shrub and grasps them in her hands tightly, causing you to tumble from the bush and onto the ground.

Blood streamed down your back, and you tried to crawl away, only for the hunter to chuckle and reach in her pouch for something else. You look behind you, screaming as she stalks closer to you, a tranquilizer dart in her hand. 

“Come on, little bunny. Don’t make this difficult,” She says, kneeling beside your pitiful form. As you beg her not to hurt you, she ignores you, pushing your head to the side and exposing your neck. “Stay still, and this won’t hurt!” She shouts at you, still struggling to get you to calm down. As the dart comes closer to your neck, you struggle even more, but she is powerful and quick. 

The needle punctures your skin, and the tranquilizer enters your blood flow within seconds. It was initially slow, just a little dizzy, so you tried to get up. The pain in your back was the least of your worries, only getting away from the hunter on your mind. But the drug was working fast, and soon, you found yourself on the ground again, your eyes closing and your mind succumbing to darkness. 

~~~~~~~

Wanda smirks as you finally fall unconscious in front of her, your fuzzy ears flopping onto the ground with a soft thump. Your fluffy little tail was twitching again, terrified of what would happen. Wanda kneels down by your sleeping body and moves the hair from in front of your face. “You’re gonna be my perfect little pet, aren’t you?” She gently brushes her fingers over the skin of your cheek and smiles at your breaths. 

Laying a small blanket over your body, she picks you up and takes you home to assess your injuries. As she enters her home, she shuts the door and lays you on her bed. She frowns at the arrow that sticks from your back and gently tries to pull it out. You whimper, the drug unfortunately not numbing the pain. 

Wanda sighs softly and grabs her knife, slowly cutting the skin surrounding the arrow. She dabs the wound with a small cloth as it starts to bleed again, and once the last line matching the shape of the arrow is carved, the arrow slides out of your back with ease. Reaching for the first aid kit, she unties your dress and slips it off your body, dressing your wound and healing some of it with her powers. She leaves you in the right amount of pain to become submissive to her, but enough that your death will not be on her hands. 

Tying the last bandage around your chest and under your arms, she lays you on your back and grabs the chain connected to a metal collar from under the bed. She sets it on the bed next to you and goes to the closet to bring the cage out. She smirks at the bars, knowing you will never escape from her. 

Lastly, she connects the chain to the cage's base and looks over at you on her bed. She sets the collar on top of the kennel and saunters over to your naked form. She ghosts her fingers down your belly and the mound between your legs. Shaking her head, she knows she wants to wait until you are awake to hold your wiggling ears while you struggle to escape her. She loves it when her prey struggles in her hands; it sparks something inside of her.

Picking you up again, she carries you to the cage in the corner of the room, opening the door and laying you down against the thin-blanketed bottom and laying your head against the straw pillow set at the top of the cage. Before locking you up for the night, she grabbed the collar and clasped it around your neck, matching the holes together at the back and looping a padlock around it. With the collar secured around your neck, the chain connected to the bars, and the moon rising, Wanda locked the cage and put a blanket over the top to cover the whole thing, leaving you in complete darkness.

~~~~~~~

When morning approached, your body started to wake up first. Your mind was still hazy, and you felt like you were in a dream. Your ears moved slightly, your tail wiggled just a little, and your eyes moved under their lids. 

It was raining. You could hear the raindrops outside. Outside where? Where am I? Your curiosity turns to concern the moment your eyes finally open. A dark, furry blanket covers the bars surrounding you, dimming the light almost completely. You try sitting up, but the pressure you put on your arm makes you whimper in pain. The arrow wound on your back was the only thing revealing where you were. 

The tranquilizer made you sleep, but it didn’t make you forget. You remembered where you were, and you remembered who you were with. That damned human. A simple hum or chuckle could force you into submission instantly, knowing what Wanda is capable of. She has the eye of a hawk when it comes to aiming her bow at the poor little creature she sets her sights on. 

Your soft ears twitched at the sound of shuffling from outside of the covered cage, pulling your attention away from the pain in your shoulder blade. Wandas walking caused the blanket to flutter, and your instinct was to lay back down and pretend you were asleep still. You wrapped your arms around your exposed body the best you could, closed your eyes and waited. 

In anticipation, your leg started shaking, as well as your tail. The little ball of fluff just above your bum was a radar for danger. If it wiggled, twitched, shifted, or moved an inch, you could sense danger was near. This was a time when your tail was not wrong. Not by one bit. 

There was a soft knock on the bars above you, but you didn't move. Another one, this time a little forceful- still, you did not move to 'wake up.' 

"Little bunny… I know you're awake. You're shaking this whole damn thing." Wanda laughed softly at the shivering cage before her, your anxious body practically causing an earthquake around you. Your hands went to the collar around your neck, and a tear fell from your eye onto the pillow below your cheek. I'm not getting out of here.

Wanda pulled the blanket from the top of the cage and looked down at you, curled into a little ball with your fluffy ears over your face. "Oh, come on, don't hide from me," She says, kneeling in front of your prison. Aggravated, she grabs the chain connected to your collar and pulls, forcing your face to come right to the bars.

A whimper escapes your throat, and your eyes stare up at Wanda with fear. She smiles sweetly at you, her pearly white teeth giving you a shite-eating grin. “I know you're scared,” she says, holding the chain tighter. In response to your desperate attempts at escaping the collar, Wanda laughs. She leans in, her breath brushing against your face. “But don't worry,” she whispers. “I'll take good care of you.”

Your face flushed with tears, and you began to speak in a trembling voice, "I wanna go home; my momma will be worried about me." You thought of your mother, who would be excited to see you and looking forward to the pie she made for you. You missed her embrace and the warmth of her love. You wished to return, see her smile, and feel her passion. You closed your eyes and thought about what it would be like to be home.

"Don't you dare close your eyes," growls Wanda, causing you to open them wide. She looked at you with dilated pupils, clearly craving something. Something only you could give her. 

She finally releases the chain attached to your collar, causing you to fall back into the cage. You push yourself against the back of the cage, trying to distance yourself from Wanda as the pain in your back intensifies. With a chuckle, Wanda opens the door and reaches for the chain to pull you out. Yanking you out of the cage, you fall to your hands and knees, forced to crawl forward to her. 

Once you get into an arm's length of her, she grabs your ears and pulls you to her. You yelp, trying to cover yourself, but keep yourself up too. You can't feel much pain from your ears, but as she pulls you closer to her, the fear builds up in your belly, and you pull back. Failing, she wraps her arms around you and holds you against her chest. The chain is long enough to reach her bed, so as she picks you up, the chain drags behind you. You kick your legs and try maneuvering your way out of her arms, your body only being hugged tighter. 

As Wanda sits on the bed, she holds you in her lap. Her body is much larger than yours, as your hybrid genes make you smaller than humans. She only needed one hand over your belly to hold you still, your legs being pinned open by hers. Her other hand roams your naked chest, tweaking each nipple in her fingers. She buries her nose into your soft ears and hums as she feels your little cotton tail rub against her clothed cunt. 

You whimper and throw your head back any chance, but Wanda is quick. The chain is already in her hand, pulling it up and choking you. You cough, your hands going to your neck, trying to find the chain to pull down. Your strength is nothing compared to Wanda's; her chuckles fill your ears again. 

Your breaths are short and shallow, and the lack of oxygen getting to your brain becomes dangerous. Your vision starts to cloud, and Wanda notices, giving the chain some slack. "You aren't going out on me just yet," she whispers in your ear. On the bedside table, she grabs a ring of rope she had put there earlier. Grabbing your wrists, she wraps the rope around a couple of times and ties a firm knot after. She then pulls the excess cord to keep your hands next to your chest, exposing your pussy. 

She smiles against your neck, and her teeth nip at your sensitive skin. "Mmm, my little bun bun, so soft and cute," She whispers again, "I am going to do nasty things to you, and you are going to like it..." 

Pulling your hands above your head, she wraps the rope through your collar to keep them still. 

With her hands now free, she cups both breasts, kneading the ample skin and pinching your nipples every second. You whimper as salty tears stream down your cheeks, only fueling Wanda to do more. Her hand moves down your belly to your wet petals, waiting to be played with. As her other hand follows, her fingers spread your folds to expose your quivering clit. 

Even though Wanda could not see your pussy, she loved how it felt. "So fuckin' wet, and its all for me, isn't it?" You shake your head vigorously, not wanting to fall into whatever trap she had set. Her index finger slowly rubs your clit in small circles, the burning of your bundle of nerves causing you to whimper and jolt. She holds you tighter, smirking at the warmth of the skin around your bud. 

Her lips press soft kisses to your head as she rubs your clit more, her other hand prodding at your hole. A breath is stolen from you as she enters two fingers into your pussy, pumping slowly. You cringe at the squelching you hear, and your legs instinctively try to close, but Wanda's legs hold them open. You reluctantly lay your head against her chest, your ears falling limp against your head. 

Wanda quickly jumped on the opportunity to hold your head up by your ears, pulling them to hold your head up straight. Wanda's fist clenched your ears tightly, not letting go as you tried to tear yourself away from her. 

As she rubbed your clit faster, your orgasm approached more quickly than expected. Your pulsing pussy squeezes her fingers as you cum, her finger on your clit not stopping. It burned, and it hurt, but in such a good way. She continues to rub, pulling a second orgasm out of you, smirking as your juices squirt from your hole. 

The blanket before you shows a puddle of your own spend, and you whimper as she pulls your ears up again. "Good little bun bun, cumming for your master like a good girl," She lets go of your ears and moves her legs, uncaging yours in the process. Before you can scramble away, she pushes you to your stomach, turning you to the bed frame. Grabbing the rope from your collar, she pulls your hands up to the bars and ties another sturdy knot. 

You struggle, pull, fight, kick, but nothing stops Wanda from getting what she wants. She finishes securing you to the bed, and her hand harshly spanks your ass. You squeal and try to curl against yourself, but she hits you again. "Legs straight little one, or I'll tie those too." You listened, not wanting any more rough rope on your body. 

She was unpredictable. She spanked you a couple more times before smoothing her hand over the raw skin. Or she would pull your tail and ears and, shortly after, softly squeeze your fluffy tail at the base of your back. The tears had not stopped either, the pillow beneath your face soaked with the salty water from your eyes. 

Wandas' abuse finally stops after a couple of minutes, her hands softly squeezing your ass in her hands. You hurt; your ass is raw, your pussy is red and puffy, and your ears are on fire. She enters the small kitchen, washes her hands, and gets a glass of water. Setting the cup on the table next to the bed, she unties your wrists and helps you sit up. You whimper as the soft yet rough blanket rubs against the skin of your ass. 

The cup's rim hits your lips, and you look up at Wanda in confusion. Why is she taking care of you? You think to yourself. 

Not wanting to seem ungrateful, you take a sip of the cool water, sighing as it goes down your sore throat. Your screams did a number on you. Finishing the glass of water, Wanda smiles down at you and gently pets your fluffy ears. They twitch in response to her hands and instinctively move closer to her warmth and gentleness.  

"Good little bunny..." She says, reaching down to hold your hands. "Listen to me," She commands. "You are going to be good and sleep in your cage tonight. Then in the morning I can get you some clothes. How does that sound? Hm?" Letting go of your hands, they softly rub up and down your thighs. You don't answer her, only giving her a nasty look, resulting in a disappointing sigh from her. 

"Come on, lets go." She says, helping you stand by picking you up by your armpits. Once you are on your feet, she gently leads you to the cage and pushes you down by your shoulders. Your hands and knees hit the ground, and her hand softly pats your bum, hinting for you to crawl inside. You comply, moving into the cage and lying against the pillow. 

Sleep hits you like a wall, unaware the water was drugged. You see Wanda shut and lock the door, reaching through the bars to kiss your fingers. 

"Run, my little rabbit, run and play in your dreams. And when you wake up, we can get to know each other a little better." She whispers, softly holding your fingers that fall limply by the edge. Pulling away, she moves back to her bed, cleaning up the blanket with a wave of a hand. 

Stripping off her dress, she lays down and watches your sleeping body, fantasizing about everything she wants to do to you. 

 Thanks to the sun's early light, the room was bathed in a soft, golden glow, creating a calm environment. With a contented sigh, Wanda stretches her arms above her head, feeling relief as her spine cracks into place. She sits up, allowing her gaze to drift towards the cage in the corner of the room. A beautiful scene awaited her under a soft blanket—the outline of her little bunny sleeping peacefully behind the bars. 

The whisper of a soft, melodious voice fills the air, promising adventure and connection. You follow the sound, your ears twitching with curiosity. 

You dash through the meadow, encountering a figure, a large shadow surrounding it. It's an eerie, ghostly presence shrouded in an aura of ice and hatred. The figure emitted a terrifying, irresistible pull, hypnotizing you to come forward. 

As Wanda took in her adorable pet, she couldn't help but smile, knowing that her bunny was safe and sound, nestled in its cozy cage, surrounded by a world of love and care. Of course, that is what Wanda wants to create for you. Your feelings were most definitely not mutual. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she approaches the door to your prison, unlocking the padlock and opening the door. 

This bewitching being extends a skeletal hand, fingers adorned with grotesque, withered elegance, beckoning further from the meadow behind you. You approach carefully, drawn by an irresistible urge. The hand reaches down, petting your soft ears on your fluffy head.  

Instantly, you are transformed into the hybrid you are now, the world around you turning into a dark abyss. 

As you whimper in your dream, Wanda can't help but wonder what you're dreaming about. Is it a pleasant dream or a nightmare? She knows she shouldn't disturb you, but the temptation to playfully interact with your vision is too strong to resist. 

Tendrils of black smoke shoot from the figure, twisting and writhing like malevolent serpents, suffocating the air with dread. Your heart drops to your stomach, your naked skin pebbling with goosebumps. The figure stands there, the wind around you starting to pick up. Smoke transforms into a massive tornado above you, picking you up effortlessly and spinning you around. It pulls you towards the figure, a featureless face other than a mouth meeting your eyes. 

Your heart races with terror as the figure's mouth opens wide, revealing rows of sharp teeth. The smoke swirls around you, suffocating you, tightening their grip, making it impossible to break free. The closer you get to its mouth, the faster your heart beats and the quicker your breath becomes. 

Carefully, she reaches out her hand and gently touches your shoulder, curious to see how you'll react in your fantasy world.

Screaming is useless now, as it will only be silenced by the dream realm. Even your punches and struggles are slowed down by an invisible force. The smokey tendrils bring you closer to the figure's mouth in slow motion, and you undoubtedly know the inevitable outcome. With a sudden, horrifying lunge, the figure's jaws close around you, yet no pain is felt. Your vision is surrounded by darkness- 

You jolt awake at the feeling of Wands fingers against your skin, and your breaths come fast. You struggle to shake off the lingering fear from the dream, your eyes darting everywhere to find the source of touch. Once you see Wanda staring back at you, you instinctively shrink back, unsure of her intentions since the night before.

"Calm down, little rabbit, I'm not going to hurt you," She says, holding her hands up in a false surrender. "Come on out, bunny," Your ears twitch as her hand enters the cage, her fingers wrapping around your ankle. She pulls gently, trying to coax you from your spot in the corner of the enclosure. You don't budge.

Getting frustrated, she grabs the chain of your collar and pulls you out. Once you are out, she holds you by the ears and pulls you to her bed. "You listen to me!" She growls, crawling on top of your trembling form. In the blink of an eye, her demeanor changes completely. Her eyes no longer glaring at you, her mouth no longer degrading your behavior.

Her right hand softly caresses your tear-stained cheek, wiping away any stray tears that have fallen. Her fingers smooth over your [length, color, texture hair] hair and behind your bunny ears, which are relatively sensitive to feeling good. 

As she scratches, she smiles at your foot kicking from below her. "Aw, what did I find?" Wanda asks, persisting in scratching behind your ears. Once she stops scratching, she gently pulls your ears together and holds them in her fist. "Gosh, look how cute you are..." she chuckles at the little wiggle of your nose and looks over your face. 

She let go of your soft ears, a tender smile on her lips. Leaning down, Wandas' lips met yours in a gentle, lingering kiss. At first, you struggled, protesting to be this close to your captor. But once Wanda's fingers reached your neck, you surrendered. She gently squeezed your neck, not choking you but asserting her dominance above you. 

She pulled away from your lips so quickly you had to suck in a breath, the kiss taking your breath away, her breath also fanning against your cheek. You hate to admit that the kiss felt genuine, as if she truly loved you. Your mind told you many different things, but "run" was not one of them right now. 

In the dim morning light, her green eyes lock onto your [eye color]-ed ones, silently telling you to let her into your mind. With great reluctance, you allowed her. You opened the gates to your consciousness, your deepest and darkest secrets showing themselves to Wanda. There were the little things, like your favorite food and color. And how you like your coffee in the morning or if you prefer quilted blankets over fluffy ones. If you like to sleep in or wake up early and if you read before bed or journal. 

As she takes in all of your mundane likes and preferences, she pushes herself into a deeper part of your mind that knowing loves what she does to you. Every pump of her fingers, every orgasm and moan she pulls from you, this part of your mind will show her everything. ‘Mmm, a little rope bunny, huh? You love being tied up… now thats cute.’ Wanda speaks in her head, and you subconsciously hear everything she says. 

Wanda smiles down at your dazed and confused expression, knowing full well that you are under her spell. She takes this opportunity to undo the chain connected to your collar, letting it drop off the bed and to the floor. On the bedside table, is the rope that held your hands to the bed frame as she spanked you. She smiles as she gets to use it again. 

She moves off of your frozen body, settling you at the top of the bed with your head on a pillow. Grabbing the rope, she wraps one piece to your right hand, pulling your limp arm to the corner of the bed. She does the same to the left arm, putting you in a spread-out position. Nowhere to go, nowhere to escape. She decides right now that this is how she likes you; all tied up and at her mercy. 

But Wanda wanted more! So she reaches under her bed to grab another two lengths of rope. She spreads your legs and ties both ankles to the bottom corners of the bed frame, looking at her work with a smug smile on her lips. 

Having you still and under her control was all she needed. But now she wants your full attention. With a snap of her fingers, you are back and aware of your surroundings. Your eyes immediately find Wanda at the end of the bed, tears beginning to form. 

“Please, I- I can’t do this anymore,” You say, tears pooling in your eyes as you pull at the rope around your limbs. She sighs and moves back to the head of the bed, sitting down next to you and gently wiping a tear from your cheek. 

“I want to make you feel good, little one. You know I can do that…” Wanda says, her hand moving from your cheek, down to your neck. Her fingers gently wrap around the delicate part of your body, and she chuckles as you try to pull away. “There’s no escaping me, bunny. You’re mine now.” 

You whimper, tears falling down your temples as you look up at the ceiling. Wanda strokes your hair softly and moves back on top of you, strategically placing her knee right against your wet folds. She gives you no room to move away from her, the movement you do have only makes you rub your clit against her knee. She smirks at your failed attempt to move from your current predicament.

 “Oh my little bunny, trying to escape,” She moves her knee up and down, your slick coating her skin. “You have no idea what you are getting into, do you little rabbit,” Her voice laced with malicious intent, her eyes unreadable. Dread fills your stomach as a puff of red energy surrounds Wanda's naked waist. A leather harness wraps the way around her, a pearly, white, penis-shaped toy hooked to the end of it. “This. This is what you are getting into. Im going to fuck you into oblivion, and you are going to love it. You are going to take every little thing I give you, do you understand?” You don’t respond at first, your eyes glued to the white toy in front of you. 

Wanda's hand squeezes your neck and your gaze shoots up to her face. “I said, do you understand?” She repeats. You nod your head and a whimper is forced from your system as she moves her hand from your neck down your chest. She scoots down a little bit, settling between your spread legs. Her cock sits proudly at your entrance, your slick already gathering from the sight of it. 

With a smile, moves both hands to your pussy, rubbing your folds and spreading them open. Her thumb rubs small circles on your exposed clit, the sensation overwhelming. A moan leaves your mouth, and you scold yourself internally. You were mortified at how open and unprotected you are, yet your pussy got wetter by the second. 

Wanda's other fingers entered your soaking hole, stretching you out to fit her cock. She wanted to make sure you were more than ready. Dragging spectral moans from your throat for a few moments, she felt like your little hole was ready for her. 

She pulled her fingers from your pussy and put them to your lips, forcing them past, and held them on your tongue. “Clean up the mess you made.” Her command made you shake, but you listened, not in a condition to disobey. You sucked on her fingers like your life depended on it, making sure that every drop of your juices were gone.

The humiliation of having your body betray you, the tears continued. Wanda enjoyed every bit of that, leaning down and licking the tears from your face after removing her fingers from your mouth. 

“P-please, please stop, I- I don’t want this,” You sob, trying to move anywhere, but are unable, due to the master rope work keeping you still. 

Wanda ignored you, spitting on her hand and rubbing it along her cock. The cold ivory poked at your entrance and she leaned over you, grabbing your fluffy ears in her fist. “God, I’ve been wanting to do this forever now…” She says, pushing into your tight cunt. 

A pained moan rips from your throat, tears falling down your cheeks as her cock splits you in two. Your arms and legs pull at the rope around them, trying anything to get free but nothing works. The breaths entering and exiting your mouth are fast and dangerous, panicking at the sheer size of Wanda's cock. 

“Hey, hey, look at me. Bunny, look at me.” Wanda says, letting go of your ears to cup your cheek. She stopped moving when the moan you emitted left your mouth, and her other hand immediately went to your clit to try and soothe the pain. It helped a little bit, but not enough. Your sobs were heartbreaking to her and she pushed in a little bit more. 

“Breathe for me, my little rabbit, breathe for me. I know you can do it,” She whispers, leaning down to meet your lips in a soft and gentle kiss. As you kiss her back, you whimper as she bottoms out inside of you. “You’re doing so good for me, baby, so good.” Her words flutter the butterflies in your belly, and your tight walls squeeze her cock lightly. 

“H-hurts,” Is all you can muster out, more tears rolling down your temples. Wanda shakes her head and makes you look into her eyes. 

“Bunny, look at me… this feels good, right? It feels so good.” Her eyes start to glow a deep red, pushing your mind and body into a euphoric hallucination. She rubs your clit and continues to talk to you. “You are doing so good, my love. This feels so, so good, and you love the feeling of my cock inside of your little pussy, don’t you?” You nod, her words of hypnosis causing the pain to feel pleasurable. “Good, you’re doing amazing…” she says, starting to move her hips, slowly pushing in and out of your pussy. 

The pain subsides, as does her power over your mind. The pleasure is becoming real, and quite enjoyable. You close your eyes, balling your hands into fists as she brushes her thumb over your cheek. “Hey, look at me, honey, can you do that?” You obey, looking up into her eyes. “Good little bunny, such a good girl,” She praises you, and your tail wiggles in response. 

Your heart is racing in your chest as she starts to move faster, her other fingers rubbing circles over your clit. She pushes you closer to your release, the feeling similar to running up a hill, only to jump and see the large drop on the other side. Reaching a good speed, she slows her fingers, wanting to make you cum from that sensitive spot right inside of your pussy. 

“I know your close, bun bun, I can feel it,” She whispers, moans falling from your mouth with every thrust of her hips. She is right, your orgasm is just within reach, and she wants to see you fall apart underneath her. “Cum for me, baby, you can do it,” the praises enter your ears and hit your soul, pushing you right to the top of that hill. 

You cum hard on her cock, loud moans filling Wandas' ears like music. With your ears flopping with every thrust, she smiles and takes a mental picture of this moment, wanting it to last forever. Soon, your orgasm washes over you, leaving you in a panting, tired mess. “You did so good my little bunny, so good.” Your cheeks heat up, submission being the only thing you can think of right now. 

“P-please,” you whisper as you pull at the restraints. You had never felt this much pleasure at one time, the need to be held and taken care of was the only thing on your mind. No escape, struggle, rage, fear, nothing was on your mind. Wanda could sense this, and without hesitation she gently pulled out of you, cleaning you up with the apron of her dress draped over the end of the bed. 

With care, she unties your limbs, kissing each of them after they are free. Once the rest of the rope was pulled off of your skin, you curled in on yourself. Your ears fall back in meekness and your tail wiggles struggling to calm down. Wanda smiles, lying down behind you on the bed. She takes you in her arms kisses your neck and pets your ears to soothe you.  

Her whispers are the last thing you hear before your eyes begin to droop in exhaustion. “Its alright, my little rabbit. You’re safe with me…” 

“I- Im- Im safe…” Sleepily, you respond, knowing deep down that you are safer than you will ever be outside of these walls. 

[bonus-links]

Hey random question for you, but how do you decide when to draw the actual literal background in panels vs putting in a screen time or a design or a super simplified version? I've been doing a comic for a little while now, and I'm just realizing that I draw the literal actual background every single time lol

that's a good question! it's not necessarily 'wrong' to draw the bg in every panel, but it is a lot of extra work! it's not any one thing that decides it but mostly it comes down to: do I need the background in this shot to understand what's happening?

are we introducing a new place or area? are we establishing a new angle? does this pose make zero sense without context? probably need a full background

beyond that, it's a matter of visual balance. I think of those color/pattern/texture bgs as a kind of '"free space" or an opportunity to tie the color palette together. if the page feels like it's getting too dark or one color is too dominant, I'll use one of those free spaces to try and balance it. it helps maintain the reading flow. if the background is unimportant or i've simplified the characters a lot, I'll blur out the bg for just the impression of it, or I'll simplify it down as well to match.

you could also take out the bg when you want to emphasize an emotion a character is feeling. action lines, patterns and even your color choices can make the same drawing read differently!

[whitherwanderer]

Pride Backlighting Tutorial

A few people have shown interest in replicating the pride backlighting I did, so hey, here’s a quick tutorial below the cut.

Enjoy, and happy Pride Month. 🏳️‍🌈

STEP 1 — SETUP

First thing you’ll want to do is find a suitably dark background to bounce the light off of. I use the White Screen housing item dyed Soot Black, available from the Housing Merchant or Apartment Merchant in any of the housing zones for 3000 gil.

I line up 2-3 of them for coverage, but one will do if you're trying to be frugal.

If you don’t have an apartment or an FC room to use, try asking friends, FC mates, or even folks you share a Discord server with. You might even find someone who already has a studio space set up and is willing to let you use it!

Lighting in your studio space should be 0 (though you might have success at 1 as well), so make sure to adjust that or ask the studio owner if they can make that change before you start posing.

STEP 2 — GPOSE

Position your character(s) just a little ways back from the edge of the screen. You want some space between them and the screen so that the lighting can float there without casting a weird circle on the wall.

Hop into /gpose and bump up the “Manual brightness adjustment” to about 120 or whatever level allows you to see your character well enough to pose them. Pose to your heart's content.

STEP 3 — LIGHTS

Here’s the fun part. In the Light tab of the Gpose menu, switch all of your Light sources to Type 1, which has the shortest falloff radius (meaning it doesn't reach as far as Type 2 or 3). I also set all of my lights to one strong color to differentiate them while I worked on lighting—red, green, and blue, all maxed out at 255 (for now).

Swing your camera (still on all default settings) around to your character’s back and up above their head a little ways. This is where Light 1 (red) will go.

Now pan your camera down at about mid-back height and set Light 2 (green) there.

Pan your camera down one last time until you have a nice shot of your character’s butt and set Light 3 (blue).

Spin your camera back around and enjoy this nice little macaw-colored gradient.

STEP 4 — CAMERA

Set your camera angle.

The way FFIXV’s lighting works is partially dependent on how much light is in a shot. It will adjust a lot like your eyes do when you’re entering a dark room from a bright room, or vice versa. Your zoom level and camera angle are going to directly affect the lighting, so set this before you start messing with light strength and color. Sometimes this means weaker lighting will actually light your character better.

I ended up bringing my lights down to around ~160 and boosted the "Manual brightness adjustment" up quite a bit to get lighting I was happier with.

For a straightforward vertical shot, I like to have my Field of View (FOV) at 200 and of course my rotation is set to 90. Zoom in or out as needed. Remember to save your camera angle if you plan to pan around and fix things!

STEP 5 — COLOR

Make it ~queer~.

Take your flag of choice and pick out 2-3 “main” hues. Generally these will be the strongest hues in the flag, if not the only ones. Some flags, like the Pride/Progress/Intersex-Inclusive flag itself, are difficult to replicate for the sheer number of colors that are in it. You can loosely represent a rainbow with some adjustment to the RGB colors, if you’re determined to have a whole rainbow in there.

Shader Note: I recommend picking a shader preset that doesn’t mess too much with color so that colors are represented correctly. You may need to adjust light strength and “Manual brightness adjustment” to be compatible with your preset of choice. Bloom will also heavily affect the way your colors are showing up, so you may need to tone down the bloom FX or toggle it off entirely. This all depends on your preset, however.

If you’re not into RGB math, here are some cheat sheets! Not every flag is represented here of course, but I tried to cover as many colors as I could so that you could grab a color from another flag as needed! Please note that colors will need some adjustment for your own screenshot, presets, and preferences.

And that’s it, y’all! 🏳️‍🌈

(Open this image up in a new tab for more detail.)

These were taken using a heavily customized shader for that nice glowy effect.

[finleycannotdraw]

yo, hi,

please rant about the use of colours/shots in dead boy detectives (if you want to), that would be amazing to read!

omg hell yeah i would love to. <3 buckle up everybody!

(there were some other people in the comments who wanted to hear more as well. for convenience's sake i'm going to keep it all in one post.)

I'm not going to talk about every single frame in the last post, because there are a lot, but I'll be sure to touch on all of the ones that have a good amount of depth beyond the dramatic lighting. (sorry, Angie shot.)

...this is going to get long.

so first, this one:

With Edwin's brown coat, Niko's green coat, the brown bushes in between them, and the trees behind Edwin, this shot is cohesive and satisfying. I drew the orange lines to sort of illustrate how your eye moves across the frame; the line of eye contact, the tree branch (dashed lines) almost parallel to that, the sidewalk/grass line, and the lapels/shadows/folds of their jackets all form a general diagonal streamlined snapshot. Then the black post behind Niko, the tree between them, and the tree trunk behind Edwin continue to divide the frame vertically and add to the additional invisible "line" created by their height difference. Finally, the sky behind Niko, as well as her hair, contrast heavily and very well with the darker colors of the tree behind Edwin, though there is still white on his side (the building) and brown on hers (tree branches). If you were to take a single diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the top right, you would get two incredibly distinctly colored sections, but they complement each other so well.

This whole scene is gorgeous because of the pale sky and water up against Niko's hair and the brown tree trunks with Edwin's jacket, but I also love it because it's so simply colored. We have the classic blue+orange color dynamic, but diluted down to very pale blue and very dark brown. This shot specifically features Edwin focused at the center (the blue lines show that he is standing mostly straight up, while the trees on the borders of the frame are all leaning inwards), with Niko crouched down to fit with the shape of the hillside (orange) AND the silhouetted rocks in the foreground. Then the hillside, the shadow on the water, the general cutoff of the tree branches, and the island in the distance (purple) frame the two of them in the middle without making a Point of it. It looks very natural, especially with the dark shadows around the border of the frame. (personally sort of brings to mind Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog).

I don't think I need to add any annotations to this one. The lighting is sharp and so are the shadows. The fog and the shine on the water, his hair, and the collar of his coat are starkly lit, while everything else, including his face, is deeply shadowed. Plus it's all an ominous, murky green. It's almost the opposite of Lilith coming out of her blood-red ocean. 10/10 frame, I have no words.

I gasped the first time I saw this shot. There are so many vertical lines (orange), which make the space feel thinner: the spike, the bulletin board(?) on the far left, both doorframes, the edges of the table and boxes, the tile on the wall on the right, Maxine herself... and then there are the diagonal lines, all sort of spreading out from Maxine, which includes the table edge, the shadows, and the wall tiles again. Then there's the fact that it's all so dark, but not quite pitch black. Once again we have a green/orange combo, and the light behind Maxine being so small in the whole frame makes it very effectively claustrophobic. We also never saw her enter this room from behind, which elevates her as threatening, because the camera work makes it seem as though we, the audience, are backing away from her as she enters, and then hiding from her as well. While I am devastated by the lack of a sapphic romance arc, I have to say I was blown away by the production of this scene.

I love this one because they're arranged so neatly around the book. I didn't draw a curve over their heads, but it's easy to visualize by following Monty's hairline up to Edwin's, and then Edwin's down to Charles' down to Crystal's. The height order is perfect. Then there's the black-brown-black-brown of Monty's jacket, Edwin's jacket, Charles' jacket, and Crystal's hair. The book itself helps frame their faces (diagonal blue lines), and their clothes fall into uniform with the vertical trees behind them, creating a satisfying, natural, unobtrusive background. This is definitely more visually appealing than a shot of them leaning over and looking down at the book/camera. It's also broken up very nicely by the greenery. Plus, none of their faces are shown from the same angle! Refreshing!

Poor Monty :( but hey, he gets a really awesome shot here! We're back to orange+blue, and the angle of this shot makes it look like the vertical trees behind him are positioned diagonally (orange) to follow the dark blue shadow behind his head. We also get two light sources: one of them is the moon, and the other one comes from the same place as the music. The moonlight (blue) sort of encircles his head and cuts off at the line of trees about halfway across the frame. Both the back of his hair and the far side of his face are illuminated, which is very effective in terms of bringing him into the foreground and making him the focus of the shot even though he's not in the middle of the frame. It's also balanced nicely by having background detail on the left, with the orange trees, but not on the right, where there's nothing but dark blue behind Monty. This is also a great shot when it comes to his hair and jacket, because the jacket is used to add to the framing of his face with the dark blue background, and his dark brown hair is lit sparingly, which ties in the left side of the frame.

Like the frame with Maxine, this one has a lot of shadow and a little bit of light, and again works with an orange/blue (or teal, really) color scheme, but this one is much friendlier. The windows are larger than the doorframe and Charles isn't actually blocking the light the way Maxine did. Instead, he's illuminated from the right by Edwin's orange lantern, and the shot is balanced by highlights (blue) that stop it from becoming cramped and stressful. There are stable vertical lines (purple) and rafters and shadows spreading out from the center (orange). Charles, though he is blocking the window, is wearing a white tank top, and his skin takes on the warmth from the lantern, so he's not in silhouette and he blends very nicely with the scene. I love that he's not at the center of the shot, but instead framed almost perfectly in the right window. (Another thing I love about this show is that the characters almost always interrupt the continuity of the background even when they're positioned to be framed by it. It makes the scenes feel much more natural even while they continue to be gorgeously directed from an artistic/stylistic point of view.)

This is one of the simpler ones, but it's perfect. The Night Nurse's hair and vest are the same brownish orange, and her shirt is the same as the walls, sticking with our tried and true brown/green (easy variation on orange/blue) color scheme. She is framed in the blackness of the doorway, but once again interrupts the white doorframe on the left side. Even the lamp and the board (?) on either side of the frame fill the negative space in a natural way. Also, the vertical lines of the board, doorframe, door, and lamp aren't perfectly spaced apart, which makes the whole shot feel more down-to-earth.

There is so much going on in this shot. The beams of light (orange) are emanating from behind Edwin in a shape sort of reminiscent of wings. The angles of light/shadow and the immediately obvious position of some of the mirrors (blue) also spreads out from behind him, reinforcing the wing imagery and focus. The background is lighter than the floor, and Edwin's clothes blend in with the floor and the reflecting highlights (green) in the mirrors. It's all balanced by shadows (purple), which aren't so much shadows as they are dark-colored mirrors and the blood on Edwin's face. This shot is an unsettling combination of chaos and order, increased by the strange phenomena of mirrors endlessly reflecting into each other, especially since Edwin doesn't show up in any of them. You'd expect him to look out of place, and he mostly does, but there's just enough immediate immersion with the color scheme and light angles to make him fit perfectly. And he wouldn't fit in this shot nearly as well if he were wearing his usual clothes. It's such a good way to introduce Despair. I love this scene.

Now I needed to include these two next to each other, because they're. They're the same scene. Maren is on the porch looking down at Crystal and the boys, but the color schemes and blocking are so starkly different. Maren is wearing black, and the house is washed-out yellow and maroon, both unfriendly colors in this scene. The windows all show the gray reflections of the dead tree instead of even a glimpse inside the house, immediately showing that Maren is hiding something. Then in the shot with Crystal and the boys, they're positioned behind her on the path. Edwin is next to the brown gate and gray stones, and Charles is sort of shadowing Crystal and framed by the green bushes. Crystal's shirt is flower-patterned to match the pink petals on the ground, and her red hair and purple jacket make the whole shot more vibrant and friendly-looking than Maren's, even though Maren is supposedly the one being helpful/friendly/hospitable. The first time I watched this episode I knew I couldn't trust Maren as soon as I saw her standing on her front porch. This scene is, as Charles would say, brills.

Okay, last one, I have to stop somewhere. (I have so many more. I have. SO many more. that i could talk about. but this post is so long already). There are three windows, evenly spaced, white light and curtains framed in them. Charles is in nearly full silhouette as he opens that chest; his head and the lid of the chest intersect with the vertical window frame, and his arm runs parallel to the middle bar. He also blocks a good portion of the leftmost window, while Edwin stands in front of the one on the right. He's fully framed by the window and standing farther back than Charles, not quite silhouetted but still very dark compared to the background. When he ducks down to inspect the cabinet, his head ends up in front of the wall between the two windows. This whole scene is an excellent display of blocking/framing/lighting, just in terms of where they end up holding any given position while they talk. Once again, there's nothing artificial or manufactured about their blocking. These aren't statement shots (all film projects have a few Really Good Shots, but they're often at extremely important, pivotal, or emotional times, instead of spread out through the storyline.), which makes them even better.

I might have to make another post and include shots with Jenny, the sprites, the Cat King, Esther, and more landscape shots. There is no shortage of stunning frames and scenes, and there's no reason not to dive into the production and hidden meanings.

TL;DR: this show is an ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE. Please watch it. :)

[publishinggoblin]

Publishing Goblin in Review

This year already we have a flurry of new projects that are in production, and available for pre-orders now!

Right now, you can pre-order the Normal Tarot's brand new 3rd edition! This full-color take by Ezra Kimbell is an all-new vision of @cryptotheism's original tarot deck, the Normal Tarot, which has seen gorgeous renditions by @worm-dark and @charminglyantiquated, which are also being reprinted here in the 2nd edition gold and silver foil decks, as well as the 1st edition deck! We are aiming to manufacture soon and ship by October!

Or you can slip into something spookier and pre-order the ghostly story-telling game, WHAT WE POSSESS! This card-run TTRPG is made for one-shots, and allows everyone to play as ghosts as a mystery unfolds at your table. Possess the living, use ghostly powers, and discover clues as you unwind this spectral tale. These are heading to manufacturing and should be shipping in July/August.

If ghosts are too spooky, maybe you need a punk punch to your gaming table! In that case, join the ZOETROPE Time Travel Agency in ZOETROPE: DEATH DIDN'T TAKE! This card-run TTRPG is likewise a one-shot machine made to take your group on time travel shenanigans as your agents screw up time and time again, resetting time to get the job done as necessary. These are shipping out at the same time as WHAT WE POSSESS in July/August, and you can even grab all the WHAT WE POSSESS items here on this campaign!

Or if you're a pin collector, now is the time for you to delve into the Alley for Alleyman's Tarot Pins! There are sets of 3 "tarot card" pins, as well as pins of the Alleyman and Alleyway Oracle themselves! Lots of goodies to grab, as well as pins from previous projects!

And stay tuned for the space to order the Alleyway Oracles, the followup project to the Alleyman's Tarot, as there are extras of all the decks and items to grab. You'll want to be watching www.alleymantarot.com for those, or check out the Alleyman's Tarot and Publishing Goblin's Oracle dice already up on that site!

[hp-hcs]

phantasm (remember?) — mattheo riddle x gn! hella manipulative! reader

phantasm noun noun: phantasm; plural noun: phantasms

LITERARY a figment of the imagination; an illusion or apparition.

warnings: minor character death, murder, severe manipulation, gaslighting, blink-and-you-miss-it reference to self harm,❗️stand-alone/no part two❗️

is he schizophrenic, high, or haunted? you decide!

❕it’s supposed to be confusing!!! you should finish reading this and be like “what the fuck did i just read”, alr?❕

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Mattheo Riddle had always been odd. Everyone knew that.

Maybe it had something to do with his parents. One Crucio from his father too many, perhaps. 

Maybe he hit his head when he was younger. That wasn’t too much of a stretch. He’d always been quite reckless. 

But either way, no one could pinpoint what event caused Mattheo to see things that weren’t really there. 

~~~

It first came to light when Mattheo, staying the night at his cousin’s house for a sleepover at the tender age of five, stomped over to his Aunt Narcissa to tattle.

“They pushed me down th’ stairs, Aunt Cissy!” he whined, sticking out his lower lip in a pout. “See? I even skinned my knee!”

“Who did? Draco?”

“No, Y/n!”

~~~

Mattheo couldn’t remember much about the Janus Thickey ward. 

He’d spent a month there when he was six, but didn’t have a single memory of his time there. Just vague flashes that haunted his nightmares, but ones that he could never remember once he woke. 

Narcissa remembered though. And so did Draco. 

The Malfoys both remember visiting Mattheo in the hospital, Draco clutching Mattheo’s stuffed dragon under one arm and holding onto the string of a “Get Well Soon!” mylar balloon in his other hand, only for the pair to find Mattheo hiding under his bed and mumbling to himself, furiously scratching at his arms and crying. 

The Malfoys remember. 

~~~

Mattheo couldn’t remember if you had always been there, or if you just showed up one day. 

There were a lot of things Mattheo couldn’t remember. 

~~~

“Who can tell me what a boggart is?” Professor Moody asked, pacing the front of the room with his odd, uneven gait. An old antique armoire stood near the front of the room, a large area around it cleared of the usual clutter that filled every inch of the classroom. 

Surprising absolutely nobody, Granger’s hand shot up. 

Mattheo shot a look over to his cousin, rolling his eyes, while Draco smothered a laugh in response.

“A boggart is a creature that takes on the form of one’s greatest fear, sir,” Granger said in that obnoxious know-it-all tone of hers. “No one knows what their true forms are.”

“One’s greatest fear, sir,” Mattheo mocked under his breath to Draco in a purposefully bad imitation of Granger. 

“Ah, Riddle. How nice of you to volunteer. Step on up, boy.” Moody’s hand came down on Mattheo’s shoulder from behind him, gripping it firmly. “Go on. Grab your wand.”

Mattheo’s face drained of color. Surely Moody wouldn’t…?

No, it’s Mad-Eye Moody. Of course he’d do something like this. 

Mattheo stood on shaking legs, gulping as he approached the ominously placed armoire. 

Everyone watched with rapt attention. 

What was Mattheo Riddle afraid of?

The Dark Lord? Dumbledore?

Or something more benign, like spiders or small spaces?

Whatever it was, Mattheo’s fellow students were not expecting a teenager to step out of the armoire. 

Maybe fourteen at the most, unassuming, wearing…Riddle’s quidditch jersey?

They weren’t a student, that was for sure. Nobody in the room recognized them.

(Except for the one poor bastard whose boggart it was.)

Professor Moody narrowed his eyes at the boggart, his gaze quickly shifting between the harmless-looking teen and the literal son of the Dark Lord, the latter of which was frozen stiff with fear, his wand threatening to slip from his quivering fingers at any moment.

The boggart tilted its head and smiled.

~~~

Is this how Potter feels, when Father’s inside his head?

Mattheo sat uncomfortably across from Professor Moody, the professor’s desk being the only thing separating them.

The professor said nothing, merely observing Mattheo. A bizarre enchanted cuckoo clock on the wall trumpeted like an elephant, signaling the hour, then returned to its steady tick tick tick.

“Mr. Riddle, do you ever hear…voices? Voices that maybe…encourage you to do bad things?”

Mattheo was sweating. How did he know about you? How?

“He’s just trying to get in your head, Mattheo,” you murmured, sitting next to him in the other armchair. “That’s all.”

Was it? Mattheo wondered. 

“Y’know, I’m starting to think you’re the one that’s in my head,” he said softly. “Nobody else thinks you’re real.”

Your face soured. “You think I’m not real? That I don’t exist? Huh? He’s lying to you! He’s a liar and a manipulator!”

“Just get out of my head!” Mattheo pleaded quietly. “Please!”

You fumed, jumping up to sit on the edge of Moody’s desk. You swung your legs back and forth, an angry expression marring your features. “Matty-”

“Stop calling me that!” he snapped. “Just go away! Leave me alone!”

“But you’re my best friend, Matty,” you insisted innocently. 

“We are not friends!”

You sighed dramatically as you laid down on the desk, putting the back of your hand up to your forehead—as if pretending to faint—as you did so. “Then what are we, Matty? Paramours? Estranged lovers?”

“Enemies,” he hissed, his knuckles white with how tightly he was clenching his fists. 

“Well, I have always loved the enemies to lovers trope,” you said breezily, smirking at him. “Besides, you haven’t got anyone else. Admit it. I’m all you have.”

Moody watched Mattheo have his one-sided conversation with wide eyes, unsure of what was happening. “Mr. Riddle? Are you alright? Wh-who are you talking to?”

“See?” You clicked your tongue, shaking your head slowly. “He thinks you’re crazy.”

“There are many talented healers that I could contact–”

Mattheo’s gaze kept darting between you and Moody as his breathing picked up. 

“Bet he wants to send you back to Janus Thickey,” you whispered, purposefully turning your voice soft and fearful, blinking back fake tears. “I don’t want to disappear again, Mattheo, please.”

“I–” Mattheo stammered, dread creeping up his spine at the thought of being alone again. 

“Please?” you begged. “You know what to do. It’s not like he doesn’t deserve it.”

“He– what? No!”

“But he wronged you,” you whisper softly, your tone manipulative and gentle. “He deserves to suffer.”

“Stop it!” Mattheo pleaded again, reflexively drawing his wand and pointing it at you. 

“He wronged you,” you repeated, eyes narrowing. 

“Stop!”

“He deserves to suffer.”

“Shut up!”

“He wronged you.”

“Y/n!”

“He deserves–”

“Avada Kedavra!”

You both fell silent, your argument abruptly cut off with the resounding thunk of Moody’s body hitting the floor. 

Dead. 

~~~

“Oh my Merlin– y-you killed someone!” Mattheo panicked, dropping his wand and grabbing fistfuls of his hair. 

“Oh, no no no, Matty. I didn’t kill anyone,” you said sweetly, examining your nails apathetically. “You did.”

“I’ll tell everyone,” Mattheo threatened through his quivering lower lip. “I will. I’ll tell them it was you.”

“Who’s going to believe you?” you cooed, your voice dripping in saccharine sweetness as you leaned forward to tousle his hair. 

Mattheo flinched back. 

You laughed, patting his cheek as you hopped off the desk. “Come find me when you’re ready to help me with my next…project.”

“Y-you planned this?”

“Duh.” You rolled your eyes. “Catch up, love. You’re not stupid.”

With that, you stand up on tiptoe, plant a fat kiss on his cheek, and disappear out the door without another word. 

Mattheo swore he could see bloody footprints marking your trail down the hall. 

[staytheword]

do you like it?

do you like it? — one shot request by anon [ general masterlist ] [ requests ]

18+ !! minors, please do not interact!!

• seungmin x female reader; felix, jisung and jeongin are also featured.

• non idol au. college au. strangers to lovers. just some seungmin smut for mental health. drinking, drugs (weed), college parties, mention of different kinks. explicit language, explicit sexual content. sex positive mc. dom!seungmin. dirty talk, fingering, use of pet names, degrading, unprotected sex (don't do it please), sort of public sex, creampie.

• word count: 4.5k

You desperately need distraction from studying, so you and a friend head to a party. That's where you meet Seungmin, who joins you for a fun game.

• author’s note: Thank you anon for this request, I hope you will enjoy it. Please let me know if you liked it if you can!! I had a lot of fun writing it! What a great way to unwind haha. Thank you everyone for your support as always ♡ I know this is a little different from what I usually write, but it's my way of not overthinking things, of challenging myself, and to just have fun writing and sharing things with you. Please be kind haha I'm very scared :') ♡

You are bored. 

You close your phone, rubbing your eyes. It’s not like you have nothing to do - there are dozens of things you could and probably should be doing, but you can’t bring yourself to. Studying. Cleaning. Answering messages. But everything feels empty, everything feels flat. 

You need a distraction. A real one. Something to disconnect your brain, to collide with the universe, to explode into sparks. 

Chae-won is lazily tapping something on her computer. You stand up from your chair and take the few steps it takes to reach her desk, leaning on it, gesturing to her to remove her headphones. She looks at you, her short black hair in slight disarray, the dark circles under her eyes betraying the fact that she hasn’t been sleeping very well lately. 

“Hm?” she asks in a low tone. 

“Save the document,” you tell her.

She frowns slightly but indulges, and once she has clicked the option, you slam her laptop screen closed. 

“What are you doing?” she cries out, although she doesn’t seem bothered.

“Enough of this shit, Chae,” you exclaim, circling the desk to sit on her bed. “We’ve been doing nothing for too long. Our brains are puddles. We are barely human beings anymore. This can’t go on.” 

“But I have this essay…” 

“The deadline is still days away,” you interrupt her, shaking your head. “You need some air. Isn’t that what people say? Perspective is good or something like that?” 

Chae-won sighs, falling back into her chair. “I guess they do say that.” 

“We need to get out of this room before we turn into our desk chairs. I’m crawling up the damn walls. Let’s do something.” 

Your friend rubs her eyes, a slight pout on her lips. “Like what?” 

“Anything,” you retort. “See a movie. Take a walk. Get ice cream.” 

You both look at each other and sigh. It’s not that you don’t want to do those things - but they will not scratch your itch, that much you know. You stand up and start to pace around the room both of you share. It’s not very big, and the colors are painted a very odd beige color, but you and Chae-won still managed to make it your own. String lights, movie posters, plants - you’ve made sure to use every inch square possible and maximize the space. 

After a second or two, you snap your fingers and smile triumphantly.

“I know. Let’s go to a party.” 

Her face lights up. “A party? Hm. Yeah, that… That sounds nice. It’s been a while.” 

You grin, standing up, taking your friend’s hands to lift her up on her feet. She twirls, letting out a little giggle. 

“We can get drunk. We can get high.” 

“Even better,” she tells you, raising an index. “We can get laid.” 

Both of you break into your best evil laughs, and you already feel revitalized. 

“Let’s fucking do it!” you roar. “Now we just need to find a party. It’s a Tuesday, though…” 

“We’re in college, Y/N,” she tells you. “There’s always a party going on somewhere.”

Chae-won puts on some music and both of you sit down on your bed, pulling out your phones to go on the hunt for a party. You feel your heart beat faster in your chest, excited about the turn your day is taking. At the start of the semester, the both of you had been attending every possible party, but it’s been a few weeks since you even thought about going to one. You and Chae-won were the same - you took your studies seriously, but you also adored completely losing it at parties. You called it balance. 

You check social media while Chae-won messages a few friends from her classes, but you don’t see much. It’s still early, too, so you guess that even if parties were taking place tonight they wouldn’t have started yet. 

“They’re having a party at the Kapa Delta,” Chae tells you, showing you a Facebook event. 

You scrunch your nose. “I can’t fucking stand them, though. And the guys that go there are gross.” 

“That’s just because you don’t like jocks.” 

“That is not true,” you reply, shooting your friend a dark glare. “I like Changbin a lot, he’s a jock.” 

“He’s not a jock, he’s a gym obsessed music geek.” 

“Whatever,” you mumble. “I should text him. I miss him. He graduated way too fast.” 

“Yes, Y/N, I know,” Chae laughs. “Best fuck you’ve ever had and all.” 

You giggle to yourself, scrolling through stories, when you stumble upon an interesting one. It was posted by Felix, a guy you met a few weeks ago, and shows the picture of a brownie with confetti emojis. You show the screen to Chae-won with a grin.

“That looks like a party to me,” you tell her, and you both smile. 

You immediately reply to Felix’s story. 

you can we come over?? 

His answer comes quickly. 

felix who dis

LOL JUST KIDDING OFC

He adds about four lines of texts’ worth of emojis, so you guess it’s positive. You and Chae-won giggle in front of your phone. 

you drop the address!!!!!!

Once Felix has given you the information, you and Chae-won start to get ready. It takes a few tries to get the perfect but comfortable outfits. You each take two shots from the bottle of tequila you keep in your desk, do each other’s makeup and finish hyping yourself with some dance therapy. After, you slip on your shoes and text Felix you’re on your way.

The dorm is already filled with people when you arrive, the party well on its way. It’s the typical college party you are used too, with loud music, the smell of beer, people making out here and there, guys with no shirts screaming nonsense. You and Chae-won make your way through the crowd until you find Felix, who looks already completely high, sitting on the floor of the corridor next to his friend Jeongin.

“Oh, Y/N!” he grins, waving at you. “You made it.” 

“Like half the college population, yeah,” you giggle. You wouldn’t say you’re drunk, but you’re definitely tipsy from the shots you and Chae-won took. “Why the fuck are there so many people here?” 

“Jisung hacked the college email and sent the invite to everyone,” Jeongin says, and you all burst out laughing.

“No way, that’s kinda genius,” Chae-won comments. 

“Genius? I’ll take it,” says a voice. 

It’s Jisung, who has appeared next to your roommate, putting his arm on her shoulder with a seductive smile. 

“Why do I not know your name, beautiful?” 

Chae-won scoffs a little. “Because you’ve forgotten it. We met like four times before.” 

You, Felix, and Jeongin cackle at Jisung’s slightly defeated face. “I have?” 

“No,” Chae-won laughs. “I’m just messing with you.” 

“Come on, that’s not -”

“Ji, leave them alone,” Felix says, shaking his head. He stands up on clumsy legs and waves at you to follow him. “Let’s get you some brownie, yeah?” 

You all head towards the dorm kitchen and Felix draws a half eaten brownie from the fridge. You and Chae-won each eat a square, sharing drinks with everyone. You talk with Jeongin a lot because you discover a shared love for a band, feeling the small amount of weed and the booze do their magic. Before you know it, you’re giggling for no good reason. You stand up to follow the others out of the kitchen, laughing with Chae-won about Jisung’s cheesy pick-up lines. You’ve just gone through the door and heading left when you crash against someone. 

“Oh, shit, sorry,” you laugh, looking up. 

You do not know him. Dark brown hair, wide smile, square jawline, deep brown eyes. He looks sweet, but has a strength about him that you instantly like. An energy, a certainty. 

“You alright there?” he asks you, giving you a smile. When you don’t answer, feeling slightly awestruck, he laughs. “Lix, what kind of weed did you put in your brownie this time?” 

“The normal kind?!” Felix answers, arching an eyebrow. “Guys, this is Seungmin. He goes to West U.” 

“Oh,” you say, finally able to give him back his smile.

That must be why you’ve never seen him before. He gives you a last smirk, turning away to follow all of you to another room. He throws his arm around Felix’s shoulder affectionately and you sharply turn to Chae-won.

“Holy fuck, he’s so hot!” you cry out. 

You didn’t see Jisung right next to her, who grins. “Y/N HAS A CRUSH ON -” 

Chae-won slams her hand across his mouth, chuckling. “He’s so your type, Y/N. We’ll be your wingpeople, won’t we, Jisung? Quietly and subtly?” 

Jisung nods, and Chae-won removes her hand. 

“What she said,” he nods solemnly. 

You shake your head, laughing, and all of you make it in a dorm room where there aren’t too many people. You sit down on a couch, Chae-won making sure Seungmin is next to you. You give him a smile as you cross your legs. He smells good, a perfectly balanced cologne that almost makes you dizzy. 

“So, Seungmin…” you say, tasting his name on your lips. “Are you single?” 

He chuckles, taking a long sip from his red cup. “That’s the first thing you want to know about me, huh?” 

“Just wondering how much I can flirt with you,” you grin. 

“You can flirt with me as much as you like, cutie. I’m not really a relationship type of guy.” 

You arch an eyebrow, unable to hold back your satisfied smile. “Most guys in college aren’t.” 

Seungmin laughs. “Good point. But I’m not saying that just because I want to get laid. I have commitment issues.”

His honesty takes you by surprise and you stammer, the light in Seungmin’s eyes almost making you blush. 

“Is that why you attend parties in other colleges?” you ask once you recover. “So you can hook up and not have the chance to see the person on campus again?” 

“You see right through me.” 

His sense of humor keeps catching you off guard, but you appreciate it. You don’t feel like you’re just flirting, but like you’re having an actual conversation - and you are so absorbed that you almost forget the party around you, the people screaming, the smell of booze and sweat. It is only when the person next to you spills his drink on the couch and almost all over you that Seungmin takes your hand, drawing you away, and you lean against the wall not too far, next to each other, so you can keep talking. Seungmin stands close to you, sometimes whispering in your ear so you can hear each other better. 

After a while, you stare at your empty cup. “Fuck, that’s been empty for a while.” 

“You want a refill?” Seungmin suggests. 

“I’m fine. I came here tonight for distraction, and it was either getting really drunk or hooking up, so…” 

“You chose the second option,” he finishes for you, smirking. “Is that right?” 

You bite your lip, staring up at him, the curve of his lips, the shape of his shoulders underneath his black shirt, the silver chain around his neck. He’s just doing something for you, and you know it, and he knows it. Instant connection, you think is what people call it. 

“I’m really considering it,” you tell him in a breath. 

He leans in slightly, cupping your cheek. His hand is warm, big, and you want it to touch you everywhere. 

“Why don’t I help you make your choice?” he suggests. 

You nod, and he pushes his lips against yours. The kiss is eager but not too insistent, and you quickly fall into it. His hand falls on your waist and he pulls your body slightly closer to his. You moan in his mouth as he starts to play with your tongue. Your mind is reeling, your thoughts a complete mess, when he leans back. 

“So, what do you think?” he breathes in your ear, keeping his voice low. 

“I think…” you sigh. “I think we need to find a place that is more private so we can do some more of that.” 

Seungmin laughs and takes your hand to lead you away, but then Jeongin appears next to you, a large smile on his face. 

“There you are!” he cries out, grabbing Seungmin’s sleeve. “Come on, we’re playing  a game!” 

There is clearly no chance of arguing with him, so you exchange an amused look with Seungmin and shrug. This can wait, you think to yourself, and you both follow Jeongin back to your friend group. You all sit in a circle as Jeongin explains you are going to play a round of Do you like it. You arch an eyebrow as he takes out the cards and displays them. 

“I don’t know the game,” you say to Seungmin. “What’s it about?” 

“Sex,” he answers simply. 

Your eyes grow a little wide, and he keeps his eyes on you. A smirk appears on your lips, amused. 

“Oh,” you answer. “Interesting.” 

You all form teams of two, the other being your opponent. Chae-won pairs with Jisung, Felix with Jeongin, so you end up with Seungmin. The game is simple. One of the teammates is given a word or phrase related to sex, and the teammate has to guess how the other would rate it out of ten. 

Felix seems to know Jeongin almost too well, guessing right his love for threesomes and his aversion for eating food off bodies. Jisung surprises no one with his love for porn but admits he’s not much for step sister fantasies. After the others’ turns you are tearing up from laughing too much, holding your sides. 

“Your turn, Y/N,” Felix tells you. “You have to guess Seungmin’s.” 

You shake your hands, turn to face your teammate. “Hit me.” 

Seungmin chuckles and draws a card from the pile. “Ok. First is… blowjobs.” 

You squint your eyes at him, trying to figure out his reaction. He is unreadable, however. You pout. 

“I’ll say 9 out of 10.” 

“Close,” he replies. “8.” 

He gives a little shrug. 

“I’m more a giver than a receiver.” 

You can’t hold back a slightly nervous, slightly amused giggle. Can’t wait to find out, you almost tell him. 

You can’t help it - the game is turning you on slowly but surely. You still feel Seungmin’s lips on yours as you find out about his kinks. Maybe it’s his direct gaze on you as you speak about sex and orgasms, or the way his hand brushes your thigh as he leans to take a card, or his voice, steady and low, telling you how much he likes the doggystyle position. Whatever it is, it’s working, and your heart is beating hard and fast in your chest. Then it’s your turn, in which he discovers you’d love to try out bondage and you love using toys during sex. 

“Take some notes, Seungmin,” Jisung chuckles. 

He does not answer anything, but you enjoy the look on his face a little too much. This almost feels like very long foreplay.  

“Last but not least,” Seungmin says, staring at you. 

You draw a card and blush a little. “Dirty talk.” 

“I’ll say 6.” 

“Wrong,” you retort, lifting your chin proudly. Better he knows. “That is definitely a 10.” 

Your group of friends erupts into laughter and whistles, and Seungmin shoots you a surprised look. 

“A 10, huh? Good to know.” 

He stares at you with such intent you feel your walls tighten. It’s like you can see through his eyes that he’s thinking about it, and you wonder if he’s as turned on as you are. 

The game ends when someone suddenly turns up the music at the sound of a classic party song, and you all stand up to start dancing. You and Chae-won dance together for a while before you feel someone’s hand on your waist, sweeping you away. You twirl on your feet, your eyes falling in Seungmin’s. 

He starts to dance with you, his eyes fixated on you, your bodies close to one another. He completely takes your breath away. You sway your hips, smiling up at him. 

You like him perhaps a little too much, you tell yourself, but you do not hide it. Why would you? From the way he looks and smiles at you, you’d say it’s pretty much mutual. You hope something more can happen. You want to find a way to get him alone with you, or at least to find a corner where you can make out again, when Felix decides you will all be playing seven minutes in heaven. 

“Lix, we’re not 12 anymore,” Jeongin sighs. 

“Exactly,” Felix points out with a cheeky smile. “Imagine what can happen inside seven minutes…” 

You all complain but you still end up playing. The first to go in are Jisung and Jeongin, and they come back in the middle of a heated debate about video games. Meanwhile, you and Seungmin keep talking, and he actually leaves a hand on your thigh. You stare down at it sometimes, loving the sight of his long fingers sprawled on your skin. You imagine them being somewhere else, feeling your panties getting drenched. Seugnmin feels it, you are sure of it, because he gives you a smirk. Then, Jisung gets chosen again, but with Chae-won this time - and from the blush on your friend’s cheek, you are pretty sure something happened in that closet, although you couldn’t tell what. You’ll have to ask her later. 

“I have an idea,” Chae-won says. “Why not do it with the teammates from earlier? Me and Jisung went, so why not Seungmin and Y/N this time?” 

You shoot your friend a glare. Not very subtle, you mouth, and she shrugs. 

“Sounds good,” Seungmin simply states, taking your hand and guiding you towards the closet. 

You follow him inside, your heart beating fast in your chest. Is this really happening? 

The closet door closes, and you look up at Seungmin. 

You are pretty much the same height, so there is no escaping his direct gaze. You swallow as he smirks, your mouth feeling dry. 

“We don’t have a lot of time,” he says in a low voice. 

It’s not silent, because you can still perfectly hear the sound of the conversation and music just on the other side of the door, but it’s muffled enough for you to hear him perfectly. 

“Let’s not waste a second, yeah?” 

You part your lips to speak but Seungmin gently pushes you against the wall of the closet, pinning one of your hands next to your shoulder, his mouth leaning into the crook of your neck. You let out a soft whimper, unable to stop yourself from clenching around nothing. 

“We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he whispers, his breath tickling your skin. His other hand slithers around your waist, resting on the small of your back. “But if you let me, I have a good idea of what I want to do with my seven minutes....” 

You breathe out, arching your back slightly. “Do whatever you want.” 

Seungmin chuckles. “That’s what I thought.” 

He tilts his head to look back into your eyes, licking his lips slowly. His pelvis is barely brushing yours, but you can feel his erection building, pushing against your leg. 

“Dirty talk, huh? If that’s what you like, I can give it to you,” he growls, kissing your jawline. “You want me to tell you what a fucking slut you are? You like it filthy?” 

You open your lips to answer but Seungmin’s teeth tease your earlobe, and your words come out as pathetic moans. “F-fuck, S-Seungmin…” 

“Seven minutes is not nearly enough, but it’ll have to do for now. Fuck, I’m so glad I came to this party.” 

His large hand slides around your leg, pushing your thighs apart, and you wrap your arm around his neck for support. You already know you are soaked - you have been for the past hour, ever since the game, and even before that. There’s just something about Seungmin that makes your legs go weak, a hunger in his eyes, a mischievousness in his smile. You want him to ruin you, you want him to whisper the nastiest things in your ear, and he looks just about to do that, so you can barely bring yourself to breathe. 

Seungmin pushes two of his fingers against your pussy, above the fabric of your panties. You let out a choked moan, your body jolting.  

“Fuck, those panties are drenched,” he chuckles in your ear. “How about I finger you in the closet like the dirty little whore you are, hm? Would you like that?”

You nod. “Yes,” you breathe. 

Seungmin breathes hard, and pushes your panties down. They fall at your feet and you spread your legs a little more to give him some space. 

“That’s right,” he groans. “Open that pussy for me. Fuck, that’s hot. You’re so fucking wet.” 

Seungmin’s long fingers draw circles on your folds, and he squeezes your clit in between them, drawing a louder moan from your lips. You do not care if people can hear you, they probably already know what you are up to. 

You roll your hips against Seungmin’s caresses, breathing hard in his neck, your legs already weak. He holds you up against him, however, his hard cock pressed against you. Each time you roll your hips, causing friction against his bulge, you hear him hiss in both annoyance and delight. You wish he would fuck you right there, but his fingers feel like heaven, and you don’t him to stop.

“P-push them inside, Seungmin,” you plead. “P-please.” 

“Pretty girl wants to fuck herself on my fingers, huh? Let me see how good your hole feels. I bet you’re so warm and tight…” 

He slowly inserts two fingers inside of you, and you shudder against him. 

“Fuck, yes…” 

“God, fuck, I was right,” Seungmin breathes as he does not waste any time starting to fuck your cunt with his fingers. His movements are sharp and deep, curving inside of you to reach even further, and your eyes roll to the back of your head. 

“Fuck, Seungmin!” You cry out, digging your fingers into the back of his neck. 

It’s like he instantly knows exactly how to pleasure you, his speed, his angle, his rhythm. You can’t focus on anything else than how he sinks his fingers into your pussy, and you can only hear him breathe, the squelching sounds of him fingering you relentlessly filling the closet. Your cunt clenches  as he inserts another finger, stretching your hole. You are shaking, his passion consuming you whole, your orgasm on the tip of his fingers. 

Seungmin keeps whispering filth in your ears, his whispers getting more and more disordered. That’s my little slut, you fucking take it, such a tight cunt, my fingers are fucking you so deep, am I going to make you cum like a whore? 

“S-seungmin,” you whimper as you are about to come. 

He growls, and it’s so animalistic it feels unreal. Suddenly his fingers disappear from your cunt and you gasp at the sudden absence, opening your eyes in a panic, but Seungmin is only unbuttoning his jeans. You see his bulge, big and pushing against the fabric, and you hurry to help him take his cock out. It’s rock hard but you don’t have time to look at it, because Seungmin guides it under your cunt.

“I don’t have -”

“I don’t care,” you whisper. 

He pushes his cock deep inside you, bottoming out instantly. It doesn’t hurt because you were soaked and already stretched by his fingers - it just feels both overwhelming and magnificent. You cry out his name as he buries himself inside of you, his hips immediately thrusting hard, fucking you against the wall almost desperately. 

“F-fuck,” he grunts. “So fucking tight… around my cock… I was meant to fuck that cunt, fuck.” 

You have no words - you only hold onto him tighter, feeling full and fucked out already. Seungmin pounds into you, his cock throbbing against your walls. 

“I’m gonna - Seungmin, fuck!” 

“Taking my cock so well,” he whispers in your ear, his voice trembling. “So fucking well, like the slut you are. Getting fucked in a closet with all your friends to hear it. You’re not going to walk straight after this, are you?” 

“Don’t fucking stop,” you whimper, your head dizzy. 

Your orgasm feels like a flash of lightning, blindening you to everything else, your cunt throbbing and fluttering around him. Your legs are shaking but Seungmin holds you up and keeps whispering in your ear, drawing out your orgasm, your cum making the fuck even more messy as you drip around his cock. 

“Fuck, yes. Keep clenching like this around my cock.” 

You’re not sure how you’re still standing, because Seungmin has not slowed down whatsoever, and you are holding on to him because you might fall if you don’t. He moans in your ear, his body pressed hard against yours. You can feel he is close too, his cock pulsating in your cunt.

“Are you going to take my cum inside of you, huh? Are you a good little cumslut? Gonna let me fill up that tight little hole?” 

You nod. “Give it to me.” 

He sinks into you, a growl escaping his lips, and comes. His cock spurts out his warm cum inside of you, and you moan at the feeling. He’s filling you up, your hole sensitive and deliciously aching. 

“Fuck,” Seungmin sighs, staying inside of you for a second, his forehead resting on the wall beside your head. 

Your fingers come to stroke his hair, which is a little sweaty, and you stay silent for a few seconds. You are completely fucked out, your legs wobbly, and you have no idea how you’ll be able to even leave this closet. How long has it been? Feels like seconds, like hours. Has it been seven minutes? More, less? 

Seungmin places a kiss on your neck, and you shiver. 

“You’re going to keep my cum inside of you, won’t you?” he breathes, and you can only nod. “Good girl.” 

He removes his cock, his fingers immediately sweeping the overflowing liquids to push them back into you. You squirm at the touch, sensitive, but Seungmin does not stop. He guides your panties back between your legs, and replaces your skirt. 

Just then, you hear a knock on the door. You recognize Felix’s voice.

“Guys, we’ve given you some more time because you were clearly busy, but… Hurry the fuck up, will you?!” 

You giggle. “Just a sec!” 

Seungmin takes a step back, a satisfied smirk on his lips, and you watch him put his cock back in his jeans, mouth parted, breathless. 

“Dirty talk, check,” he smiles, looking up at you. “Next time, should we try sex toys or bondage?” 

You chuckle, shaking your head. “We did one of mine, so next time, let’s do one of yours.” 

Seungmin’s eyes light up. “Are you sure you’re up for it, cutie?” 

You just smile, putting a hand on the door handle. “Fuck yes, I am.”

(note about taglists) I don't want to tag anyone on this because this is different and tagging gets me a little anxious, but if you do want to be tagged on requests like these, let me know ♡ Lots of love!

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Dead Center [Hotch x Reader]

Photo credits: Center (@madneyslifeline) Right and Left (@spencermyangel)

Prompt: Aaron wards off a creepy man from the reader at the shooting range and comes to realize that the reader is dealing with a lot more than just one man making inappropriate advances toward them. 

Pairing: Aaron x gender neutral!non-BAU!reader. The reader uses they/them pronouns 

Category: angst/comfort 

Word Count: 11.5K 

Content Warnings: unwanted touch [from multiple men], mention of drinking, guns [used at a shooting range] revenge porn [the reader’s nudes are leaked online] threat of assault [by multiple people (it does not happen)], a hand is placed over reader's mouth and the reader is pinned down [by some creepy men], mention of cheating [happens to the reader], trauma, isolation. If I missed any, please let me know

A/N: Hi loves! Here is another fic based on the amazing @imagining-in-the-margins January/February Writing Challenge. The prompt was “The character learns to navigate their life after a traumatic event.” I just want to give a heads-up that this is a little dark, but the reader is safe at the end and finds some comfort with Aaron. It takes a bit to reveal what happened to the reader, but I hope the build-up is worth it. This is another novel of a fic, but I hope you enjoy it! If you enjoy this fic, likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated! I hope you’re having a great start to your weekend and thanks for reading. Love Levi - ❤️

P.S. I was so excited to get this out that I didn't edit it like my normal fics. I will go in tomorrow and do a proper edit then.

List with all stories 

_y/n_ = your name 

_y/c/e_’s = your color eyes 

_u/sf/d_ = up/straight forward/down (depending on your height) 

_y/f/c_ = your favorite color 

_y/e/p’s/n_ = your ex-partner’s name (the ex is an ass so add the name of someone you dislike here) 

_y/n_ cringed back as the shot rang out. It was so loud that they almost closed their eyes. However, _y/n_ managed to almost hit the target and that was a victory. The sound of other shots at the gun range continued throughout the large space. Even with the headphones on, the noise is distracting. What’s even more distracting is yet another person is tapping _y/n_'s shoulder. _y/n_  was fully aware that they couldn’t shoot for shit. It’s not surprising to anyone at this range. However, their inability with a Glock was not an open invitation for every man in the place to offer advice on their technique. _y/n_ strips off their headphones and turns to look at the next man.

He’s wearing a cowboy hat, jeans, and a belt buckle that’s laughable large. _y/n_ resisted the urge to laugh at that man-wanna-be-cowboy. Before _y/n_  could even get a word out the man said, “Sweetheart, I can’t help but notice you might need a hand with that pistol. I’ve got lots of practice under my belt.” The guy patted his belt as an attempt at a joke, and _y/n_ gave him a weak smile that didn’t reach their eyes. Again, _y/n_ tried to say that they weren’t interested in any help, but the man had moved into their personal space and ran a hand up their arms that was holding the gun. _y/n_ froze instantly. His hand was warm, too warm on their exposed skin. _y/n_ struggled to take a breath, let alone tell him to back off. The man leaned in closer and said, “Now sweetheart, if you just hold the gun like this,” he slid his hand down _y/n_’s arm and to their hand, wrapping around the handle of the gun and their fingers. The guy was so close. _y/n_ could feel his breath on their, neck. The panic was rising like it did now in all situations like this. _y/n_ thought that this might be the incident that broke them. Thankfully someone stepped in just in time before that happened. 

Hotch walked into the shooting range and checked in. Once the man at the counter checked his gun and gave him a key for a locker. The worker said, “Lane 10 is open, Mr. Hotchner.” Aaron nodded and took back his ID. He slipped his wallet into his pants pocket and moved to his locker. He put the extra things he had in his pockets in the grey chipping lockers as well as his duffle bag. Before locking it up, he took out his protective headphones and glasses. No matter where he was shooting, as long as it wasn’t on the field, he took all the safety measures he could. He’d nearly lost his hearing once, he wasn’t going to let it happen again. Hotch confidently stepped into the range. He didn’t normally feel the need to blow off steam this way. He didn’t see shooting as an outlet for emotions. He had actually killed people before, more time than he had ever wished. Many of those had been with his sidearm. So shooting guns wasn’t just a fun hobby to him. But he didn’t mind the practice now and then. He was a great shot, but he knew he could improve, and when he had an open Saturday and nothing better to do, he decided he could get a few rounds in. Aaron pulled his headphones over his ears, as he stepped into the range. The familiar sound of fire hit him, and he looked over to lane ten.

He furrowed his brow as there was a man half in his lane and half in lane nine. It was a tall guy and he was standing very close to the person actually in lane nine. Hotch let out a huff and thought for a moment that the guy was the other person’s partner. He saw this sometimes. Men trying to be macho often brought their significant other to shoot for the first time. He often found these guys couldn’t even shoot well. As Hotch got closer to his lane, he became aware that the person in lane nine was incredibly uncomfortable. They looked frozen to the spot and the man was pressed close to them. Not only was he close, but he was running a hand down their arm toward their hand that was barely holding onto the pistol. From the set of the frozen person’s shoulders, Aaron could see the tension in their body. This made Hotch move more quickly. Even if the man in the cowboy hat was their partner, it was clear the gun wielder wasn’t comfortable with what was going on. As he approached the pair, moving to the lane that he had booked. The cowboy turned to look at him with a sour look on his face as his chance to be close to _y/n_ was being interrupted. He scowled at Hotch, but Aaron calmly replied, “I’ve got this lane booked for the next hour. Mind if I use it?” He wasn’t looking for a confrontation, especially not one where everyone was holding a weapon. However, he did want to shoot. He was also interested in seeing if the man kept bothering the stranger next to him. Much to Aaron’s chagrin the man just fully moved into lane nine. Hotch sighed slightly, undid the safety of his gun, and listened as the man said, “Alright baby, now shoot like I just told you and showed you.” 

Aaron couldn’t help but look over to see the result. _y/n_ raised the gun. It was shaking in their hands, but they hoped that they shot, badly, that the unwanted guy might finally leave them alone. _y/n_ pointed in their lane and pressed the trigger. They were so far off that the bullet didn’t even hit the target. Not even close. Aaron held back any comments of noise, but the cowboy didn’t and he said, “Baby did you listen to anything that I told you?” It was clear to Aaron that “Baby” hadn’t, and Hotch watched as the guy physically put his hands on their hips and moved them back. It became even more evident that _y/n_ was frozen with fear and just let it happen. The man said, “It’s alright sweetheart, let Dalton show you how it’s done.” Dalton made sure to shoot Aaron a look as he took out his own, overpriced gun and aimed at the blank target. It almost seemed impossible, but his shot was worse than _y/n_’s. There was a small chuckle from _y/n_ behind Dalton, and he turned on his heel. He looked angry, and Hotch stepped forward a bit to stop any confrontation, as _y/n_ shied away from the red-faced man. Dalton turned toward Aaron and placed his hands on his belt as if challenging the Agent to do better. Aaron rarely felt the need to be competitive. He was confident in his abilities. However, when he was given such an easy opportunity, he couldn’t pass it up. Hotch had slipped the safety back on when he wanted to observe the pair next to him, but quickly undid it again, turned toward his target, lined up his shot, and took three perfectly clean shots in the center of his target. Hotch slipped the safety back on and looked at the man. Dalton furrowed his brow and almost said something, but stormed off instead due to embarrassment.

As soon as the creepy guy was gone, _y/n_ relaxed and leaned against the barrier to the shooting field. They felt such a relief at being left alone that they hardly noticed Aaron’s concerned expression. Only after _y/n_ had taken a few breaths did they turn their head to look at the man who had helped them out of such an uncomfortable situation. They had been too panicked and barely noticed him before, but _y/n_ did now. He was tall, As tall as Mr. Cowboy, but standing back a respectful distance. This man looked professional. Like someone who might carry a gun for work. _y/n_ thought that they were reading into the dark-haired stranger too much. _y/n_ realized that they were staring and said softly, “Thank you so much for getting him to go away. I’m sorry he was in your space.” Hotch nodded and watched as _y/n_ seemed to compose themself as they spoke to him. Aaron offered a small smile and replied, “You don’t need to thank me, I think he was more in your space than mine. I’m sorry he was bothering you.” Aaron didn’t want to repeat Dalton’s gross behavior and he just nodded and moved back to his lane and target practice. 

_y/n_ felt like saying more to the man next to them, but he’d stepped back. He seemed absorbed in his practice which seemed to hit the mark every time he shot his gun. In some ways that made _y/n_ even more comfortable next to him. He was here for a reason, and that reason didn’t involve bothering them. _y/n_ wasn’t sure if it was their appearance or their inability to shoot a gun, but they had been bothered and offered advice nearly the whole time they had been here. _y/n_ tried to follow the man’s lead and turned back to their target. Although Hotch wasn’t directly paying attention to _y/n_, that didn’t stop him from occasionally looking at them now and then. It was clear that _y/n_ was trying and the next couple of shots at the target got closer to the mark but still didn’t hit the paper sheet. Aaron focused back on his shooting and after a few minutes felt a pair of eyes on him. He knew it was the person next to him. Again, he considered offering more advice but didn’t want to impose or offer help where it wasn’t wanted. He hoped that if _y/n_ wanted help, they’d ask him. 

And, as usual, Hotch was right because when he took a small break and took off his earmuffs, _y/n_ turned to him and said in a bit of a louder, more confident voice, “You’re really good with that.” _y/n_’s _y/c/e_’s looked briefly at the gun that fit so naturally in his hand and then back to his face. After a small pause, they asked, “Would you mind if I watched you while you practiced? I might actually learn about something from you.” Hotch smiled and said, “Sure you can. Would you like me to tell you what I’m doing while I do it ?” _y/n_ hadn’t expected the man to care enough to offer his help. They felt like they were imposing already by asking to watch, so being offered a verbal tutorial left like something special. Especially coming from someone as skilled as he was. _y/n_ nodded in agreement and said, “Yes, please that’d be very helpful.” Hotch smiled again and said, “I’m happy to help. I’m Aaron by the way.” _y/n_ gave him a small smile, the first he’d seen on them the whole time they were next to each other. _y/n_ lifted a hand and said, “I’m _y/n_. Nice to meet you.” Hotch replied, “It’s nice to meet you too.” He cleared his throat and continued, “Now, when you’re shooting you need a firm grip on the handle of the gun. It’s going to be loud and there will be blowback from the shot, and if you have a weak grip the aim won’t be good.” This was one of the things that Aaron had noticed off the bat about _y/n_’s shooting. Aaron demonstrated how to properly handle a gun with the safety off. He then stated, “Next you want to make sure your line of sight is directly with the gun and the target. You don’t want your eyes higher or lower than the gun itself. It’s like in baseball or softball when people say to keep your eyes on the ball. Here you keep your eyes on the tip of the gun.” Hotch drew a line from his eyes to the point of his extended weapon and said, “After that, it’s about lining up the shot and then following through with the trigger press. Be confident with it. If you’re not then the shot isn’t going to be good either.”

To demonstrate the things he’d just said, Hotch slipped off the safety of the gun in his hands, lined up the shot, and pressed the cool metal of the trigger. Aaron was so used to the feel of the blowback that he didn’t flinch.  It helped that he was trained and strong. He took two more shots to allow _y/n_ to see the process multiple times. _y/n_ nodded and said, “Thank you for explaining it to me. Hopefully, I can at least hit the target once before my time is up.” Aaron smiled and said, “I bet you’ll get it. Just try and relax if you can. Is this your first time shooting a gun?” _y/n_ looked at the ground suddenly self-conscious at being observed in a non-creepy way. _y/n_ looked back up and nodded, saying, “Yeah. I assumed it was pretty obvious.”  Hotch let out a small chuckle and said, “Well I’ve met people that have had guns for years, and they still don’t know how to handle them.” For a second Spencer flashed into his mind, but he’d seen other agents, and most of all, cops not be able to shoot for anything and he wanted to reassure _y/n_ that it was okay if they didn’t get it the first time. For some reason, he didn’t assume they were just here for fun. _y/n_ gave a small smile back and said, “Thanks.” They turned back to their lane wanting to use the rest of their time making a real attempt at shooting. _y/n_ did reflect on the fact that the man next to them had said that he worked with people who carried, which meant that he probably carried too which would explain why he was such a good shot. 

Aaron returned to his practice as well, only checking _y/n_’s progress once or twice. They were getting better. The last time Aaron checked, _y/n_ had gotten a lot closer to the target. They still hadn’t hit one of the three rings, but they were getting close. _y/n_ only had ten minutes left of their time and were getting annoyed that they hadn’t at least made it to the fifty-point circle. Aaron had put down his gun and even though _y/n_ didn’t think guns or carrying was for them after this encounter, they still wanted to at least hit the target. With little time left and no one else to turn to, _y/n_ looked at Aaron again and asked, “Sorry, to bother you again, Aaron, but could you just show me how to do this?” Hotch had noticed _y/n_ get more and more frustrated and he wondered if they would reach a breaking point. He’d seen people crack at much smaller things.

He could tell _y/n_ carried some tension in their shoulder that he couldn’t place. He couldn’t really place _y/n_ at all. They didn’t seem to belong in a place like this. But when _y/n_ asked for help again, he was happy to offer it to make them feel comfortable in a space that could be intimidating. He stepped forward, just a little and replied, “Sure. Do you mind if I help by guiding your hands a bit?” He didn’t want to touch them without getting their permission first. _y/n_ nodded. They hadn’t trusted any of the men who had offered to “help” them up to this point. But Aaron hadn’t pried at all and he asked before touching them. Plus, _y/n_ knew that he would need to. _y/n_ nodded their consent, and Hotch took a step closer into their personal space. He said reassuringly, “Alright, hold you’re gun out.” _y/n_ did as he asked, and pointed at the dreaded target. Hotch took their hand that was gripping the gun in his. His hand covered theirs and he steadied their arm with his. He then got on eye level with them, still providing space where he could, and made sure the gun was in line with the target. He asked softly, “Can you see the target and the tip of the gun together?” _y/n_ turned their face to him and said, “I can.” Aaron nodded and dropped his hands from their body for an instant, put his headphones back on, and then moved back to where he just was next to _y/n_. He used his left hand to wrap around _y/n_’s he could feel the trigger under their hand and he lined up the shot again. He took a breath and helped _y/n_ press the trigger. The bullet hit dead center. 

_y/n_’s mouth opened slightly in surprise. They snapped it back shut as Aaron moved a step back and dropped his hands from their hand and shoulder. _y/n_ suddenly missed his presence. _y/n_ was aware that they hadn’t made the shot, that it had been all Aaron. Hotch noticed and said, “Now, _y/n_ pretend I’m right there with you like I just was.” _y/n_ nodded and aimed the gun at the target again. This time it felt much easier. They could feel where Aaron’s hands had been, how he’d looked at the tip of the gun and the target. _y/n_ let out a breath and considered how he had said to try and relax. When _y/n_ was focused in, they pressed the trigger, and for once, didn’t flinch back. Much to _y/n_’s surprise, this bullet had hit the 25-point circle on the target. _y/n_ smiled slightly, slipped the safety back on the gun, and pulled off their headphones. Sure it wasn’t the center like Aaron seemed incapable of not missing, but it was something. They were proud of that and it was a good place to stop. _y/n_ didn’t want to push their luck. Aarou could sense the shift in _y/n_ and he said, “Good job. I knew you could do it. Are you heading out?” _y/n_ nodded and stated, “Yeah, my time’s up and I’ll end on a high note. Thanks for all the help. I wouldn’t have gotten that shot without you.” Hotch gave a small nod and said, “I’m happy to help. Have a good rest of your day.” _y/n_ smiled and gave a small wave as they moved to the exit. Hotch couldn’t help but notice as Dalton and another man he’d noticed staring at _y/n_ also holstered their guns and made their way from the far side of the room to the exit as well. A small part of Hotch’s brain said that it could be a coincidence, but the profiler in him had him quickly holster his gun and walk to catch up with _y/n_. Outside he leaned against the door, as he watched _y/n_ check in the rented gun and then move to a locker. _y/n_ pulled out their things and grabbed their car keys from their tote before slinging the bag over their shoulder. 

Just before Dalton moved out of the door, Hotch approached _y/n_ and said, “Hey, _y/n_ you forgot something in your lane.” _y/n_ looked up at him and said, “Did I?” They didn’t remember leaving anything in there. _y/n_ turned toward Aaron and he leaned forward and softly said, “Act natural, you have a few ‘admirers’ that seem to be following you.” Hearing Hotch’s words _y/n_ seemed to freeze up again. Aaron took a breath to remind them to remain calm. _y/n_ looked _u/sf/d_ at him and asked, “Is it the cowboy dude?” Hotch briefly turned his gaze to the left and Dalton and the other man were both standing with arms folded by the gun counter. Aaron nodded and added “And a man in all black. Do you know them?” _y/n_ swallowed and tried to stay calm as they said, “Not until today. They wouldn’t leave me alone in there.” Hotch nodded in understanding and said, “Alright. Do you have all of your things? I can walk you to your car if you want. Make sure you’re not followed?” _y/n_ nodded. They wouldn’t have normally accepted such an offer, but because they had built a rapport with Aaron already and he seemed trustworthy, _y/n_ accepted. Hotch moved to their side and let _y/n_ lead the way out into the bright parking lot.

Aaron ensured the two men didn’t get close to _y/n_ or their car. _y/n_ unlocked the vehicle and Hotch opened the door for them. When _y/n_ was seated and the keys were in the ignition, they turned to him and said, “Thanks again, again, Sorry for all the inconveniences I’ve caused you today, Aaron.” Hotch brushed off the thanks and said, “There’s no need to thank me, _y/n_. I hope you have a safe rest of your day.” He gave them a final parting smile, closed the door for them, and watched as _y/n_ drove away. Once _y/n_ was out of the parking lot, he turned and frowned at Dalton and the other men who had made _y/n_ feel unsafe. It was ironic as a gun range should be a place where safety should be ensured. Both men frowned into the sun and moved back inside, blocked from any further advances. Hotch also moved inside but chose not to shoot anymore. He signed out and moved back home. He’d had enough excitement for the day and he wasn’t keen on having any further contact with Dalton or the other men at the range. Given how _y/n_ had been treated here, he didn’t expect to see them here again, but the thought of what had drawn them here in the first place stuck as he made his way home. 

Hotch hadn’t expected to see _y/n_ again, but he did and in a place about as opposite from the shooting range as he could imagine. It was a few weeks later and the weather had turned from the Winter chill to the beginnings of the rejuvenation of Spring. Fresh buds and leaves were shooting from the trees that had been bare last month. During this time, Aaron liked to take Jack out to one of the local Farmer’s Markets near his place. Jack always loved getting some lemonade and a little snack as they walked around the stalls and people-watched. Whether it was his son emulating his father or just a current hobby, Jack had picked up making observations on people while Aaron was around and he found it adorable to see his son, “profile” people from afar. It was early afternoon, and Jack had his drink and Aaron was looking for a decent coffee while Jack walked on tip-toes around the stalls for a cookie or something sweet. Hotch made sure to keep his pace soft so Jack could keep up with him.

Everything seemed to be calm. People were strolling about, the park where the Market was being held was bustling with families and kids on roller skates. Again, it seemed like a perfectly safe place. That illusion was shattered when a slightly louder voice from in front of Jack and Aaron said, “Hey, she clearly said she wasn’t interested, so back off already.” A lower male voice repeated in just as loud a voice, “No one asked you your opinion so keep your nose out of our business.” From both people’s tone of voice, the situation didn’t sound good and Hotch turned to Jack quickly and said, “Alright, Buddy, time to come up.” Jack nodded happily and moved into his dad’s arms. Aaron picked up his son and moved through the crowd to find the source of the disturbance. Aaron saw a man, a few inches shorter than him standing with his hands on his hips in front of two people. The first he recognized as _y/n_ from a few weeks ago. The other was new to him. 

Aaron didn’t want to cause a scene for everyone, especially not with Jack here, so he called out over the noise, “_y/n_, Jamie, there you are. Sorry parking the car took so long, it was a mess out there. At hearing a familiar half-familiar voice, _y/n_ looked over at Aaron and relaxed immediately. It was surprising, yet calming to see him again. At least this time they weren’t the ones that needed protection. At least not at the start. _y/n_ had gotten involved in the situation precisely because of the gun range incident. _y/n_ had decided that guns weren’t for them at all, but having someone stand up for them had felt good. They felt safe for the first time in over a month. So when _y/n_ saw a young woman being followed and then spoken to in a demeaning and intimidating manner, they felt like they should step in as the man at the range had. The dude didn’t seem that intimidating until he did. When he raised his voice and moved toward the woman, _y/n_ stepped between them and told him to “back the fuck off,” he didn’t take it well. _y/n_ was proud of standing their ground and keeping the guy away, even if it did mean backing up. However, even though _y/n_ hadn’t fallen into a panic as they had expected in the situation, they were immediately relieved when Aaron came into view.

_y/n_ caught onto Hotch’s plan quickly, took the woman’s hand, and said, “Hey, Aaron. Yeah, we were worried about you.” To make it look extra convincing to the man, _y/n_ leaned over to Jack and smiled, saying, “Hey, kiddo. How are you?” As the group moved down the street, the woman followed along with _y/n_ and Hotch watched as her face began to relax. He looked behind him and watched as the man took a few steps forward. Aaron shot him a glare and the unnamed dude halted in his tracks. In instances like these, Aaron was glad he had a look that could freeze lava. When he turned back to the pair, he made sure to relax his facial muscles. He didn’t want to make them uncomfortable. When the trio plus Jack got to a quiet space, _y/n_ turned to the woman and said, “Are you, alright darling? Did he bother you at all?” The woman sniffled a little and said, “He was just being a…” She stopped herself from saying an adult insult as she remembered there was a kid here and said instead, “... a major creep. Thanks for stepping in. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to do that.”

The woman smiled at _y/n_, Aaron and Jack. Hotch smiled but knew that he hadn’t done the hard work this time. _y/n_ also smiled and said, “I understand.” Their voice dropped and _y/n_ added, “Something bad happened to me a month ago, so I couldn’t just watch as that dude followed you.” There was a small pause as the woman put a hand on _y/n_’s shoulder. They perked up a bit and asked, “Are you waiting for someone, or did you come here by yourself? I’m _y/n_ by the way.” The woman smiled and said, “Ainsley. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m waiting for my husband. He’s the one taking forever” she said and smiled over at Aaron. As Ainsley said this, however, her eyes shifted past Aaron’s shoulder and she rolled them. She looked back to the pair and said, “Well speak of the devil. He’s over there looking at the bread stand again. He keeps on forgetting he’s allergic to gluten bless him. Thank y’all so much for the help. Let me stop him before he buys stuff he can’t even eat.” The woman quickly moved over to her husband and both Aaron and _y/n_ watched as Ainsley moved to the bread stall. _y/n_ couldn’t help but laugh at the argument the couple seemed to be having and Aaron joined in. Although both found it slightly funny, they also realized it wasn’t a good situation before. 

Hotch turned to _y/n_ and said, “That was good of you to do _y/n_. I’m sorry to hear you went to something bad before.” _y/n_ dropped their eyes at the memory and said, “It was the least I could do.” _y/n_ didn’t feel like reflecting on why they felt like they needed to be able to protect themself and others. To lighten the mood, _y/n_ looked at Jack and his drink and said, “I don’t believe I’ve introduced myself, I’m _y/n_ and you are?” _y/n_ held a hand out to Jack and his eyes went wide at the attention. Aaron turned his gaze to his son and said, “Jack, what do we say when we meet someone new?” Jack looked at his dad and then _y/n_ and said softly, “Hi!” The little boy also gave a small wave with his words. Hotch chuckled and said, “And what else do we say?” Jack smiled and replied, “My name’s Jack, what’s yours?”

_y/n_ smiled and chuckled softly before repeating their name. Aaron’s smile widened at his son’s practicing his social skills. He could see _y/n_ look from Jack to his left hand and then to him. Aaron shifted his son to his other side and said, “This is my son by the way.” _y/n_ smiled and nodded, saying, “Well it’s nice to meet you, Jack. And it’s good to see you again too, Aaron. I hope you’ve been well since I’ve last seen you?” Hotch’s mind flashed to the last two cases. They had been hard, but _y/n_ didn’t need to hear about that, so he said, “It’s been good.” Hotch caught sight of the cold brew in their hand and he asked, “Can I ask where you got the coffee? I haven’t seen any around here yet.” _y/n_ smiled and said, “It’s a bit hidden. The stall is at the very back behind the crepe people. I might ask Jack where he got his lemonade. This heat is starting to get to me.” Hotch chuckled as _y/n_ half looked at him and half looked at Jack. It was clear that they were trying to include Jack in the conversation, but knew that Aaron was the one with the answer they wanted. Hotch replied, “It’s in the opposite direction as the crepe guy. Just down this way and to the left.”

Hotch could see why _y/n_ was hot in their _y/f/c_ long-sleeve shirt and form-fitting black pants. He had to move his eyes up before he got distracted. He didn’t want to start being the creep in this situation. _y/n_ didn’t even notice his distraction and said, “Okay. Thanks for the scoop. I think I’ll head over there or I might melt in this heat. It was nice to see you again. Maybe I’ll catch up with you later, maybe?” Jack squirmed in Hotch’s arms and he let his son down, saying, “Sure thing, _y/n_. I’ll see you around.” Jack was pulling at Aaron’s arm and _y/n_ let them both go with a wave. They knew it was unlikely that they had seen each other again. They weren’t expecting a third chance encounter. Little did either of them know the last meeting before Aaron found out what had happened to _y/n_ would come sooner than either of them imagined. 

The rest of that afternoon unfolded uneventfully for both Aaron and _y/n_. Both got their drinks and then left without seeing the other again. On the drive home, Jack looked at his dad from his car seat and asked, “Daddy, who was that person today at the park?” Aaron looked at his son in the rearview mirror and tried to think of how to word his response. “Aquanitice wasn’t a word or topic he fully thought Jack could get yet, so he opted to say, “Well _y/n_ is a friend of mine and they were doing a good thing, and I wanted to make sure they were okay.” Jack nodded slowly and then asked, “Are they a friend like Uncle Rossi or Aunt Emily?” Hotch chuckled slightly at the affection Jack gave the team and clarified, “Not that close of a friend, Buddy. But we can learn something from _y/n_ today, and that’s when you see something bad or scary happening you should try and help. That doesn’t always mean getting into the situation, sometime it means finding someone to help, but you should always help people where you can. Okay, Jack?”

Jack nodded happily. The inquisitive child that he was, Jack had to ask, “What was dangerous back there, Daddy?” Hotch let out a nod, knowing this wasn’t a conversation Jack was ready for. Aaron replied, “I’ll tell you when you’re older, okay, son?” Jack nodded and then seemed to get absorbed by finishing his lemonade and looked out of the window at the scenery. As the car ride lulled into silence, Aaron considered how some spaces that should be safe, spaces that were safe for him simply weren’t for other people. Facts like that always made him sad. He wished reality wasn’t like that. Hotch reflected back on one of the things _y/n_ had said that afternoon, Their words to Ainsley about “something bad happening to them” echoed through his head. He assumed this bad thing wasn’t just the incident he was involved in. He tried to imagine what had happened to _y/n_ but realized it was pointless. Unless _y/n_ directly told him about the bad thing, which he didn’t expect to happen, he was just going to have to let it go.  This thought stuck with Hotch as he made it home. As Aaron and Jack entered the apartment, he promised to teach his son that it was important to keep people safe and to model that behavior like he had to today when he could. Hotch knew he had the privilege of training and a gun to keep him safe, and this would come in handy when he saw _y/n_ for the third time. 

The third time Aaron met _y/n_ was not that long after the last. The team was celebrating the end of a long and violent kidnapping case and Emily’s two-year anniversary of joining the team. The BAU had gone to a nicer bar in D.C. thanks to the fact that Rossi was paying, everyone stayed up a little later than they normally would. It helped that it was a Friday night and the bar was full of people to watch and loud enough for them to talk about what they wanted without being overheard. After four rounds and some good conversation, everyone moved out while Rossi paid the tab. Spencer, JJ, and Penelope had parked to the right while Aaron, Derek, and Emily, along with Rossi had found parking in a garage on the left side of the street. One problem that everyone always complained about when it came to going to D.C. was the parking. It was always terrible. The BAU split into two groups after saying their goodbyes. Hotch’s trio moved down the half-busy street. Some bars had people lining up to get in while others seemed empty.

Aaron was having a conversation with Emily and paying attention to what she was saying, while Derek watched what was happening on the street. He noticed something unsettling happening in front of them. On the darker side of the street which was almost empty, Morgan noticed a few yards ahead a group of three men manhandling and herding someone forward and toward the stone wall and an alleyway that was even darker than the street. Derek was too far away yet to hear what was being said, but when they got a few feet closer Morgan caught something from the person being pushed: “I told you that ad was fake, just leave me alone. God get your hands off of me.” Derek watched as one of the men moved a hand over the person’s mouth and pushed them forward. This was when Derek tapped Aaron urgently and said, “Situation at 1:00 o’clock.” Hotch’s head snapped up and he saw what was happening in the gloom ahead.” A rush of worry passed through him as he noticed _y/n_ as the one being towed by three men larger than them. Hotch looked at Morgan and both men moved into a sprint down the road. Emily followed closely behind, now noticing what her other two teammates had. 

_y/n_ tried to thrash and kick those holding them against the cold wall, but they were pinned on either side, unable to scream. The man in front of them has his hands at  _y/n_'s waistband while his friend covers their mouth. _y/n_ flinches as gruff hands move under their shirt, working up their torso. _y/n_ tried to fight, but it was no good. As the violation continued and their clothes were pulled away from their body,  y/n_ accepted the fact that this would happen. No one had listened to them. Not the police, not Craigslist support. They tried to blank their mind out as much as possible at what was happening to them, so when the man in front of them was pulled away suddenly, they slumped forward not sure what was happening._y/n_ hadn’t even heard Aaron shout out, “Federal Agents,” as he and Morgan entered the alleyway. 

Hotch and Derek got to the site first and both men watched for a split second at what was happening. They both needed to make sure that none of the men who had _y/n_ pinned down was armed. When they noticed the men didn’t seem armed, they sprung into action. Hotch shouted “Federal Agents,” and Morgan tore the man in front of _y/n_ off of them. Morgan swung the man to the ground and pinned his arm behind his back while his friends ran off down the alleyway, up the side of a dumpster, and over the short wall dividing one back street from another. Hotch watched for a moment torn between following the men and making sure _y/n_ was alright. It only took a microsecond for him to know that he would stay with _y/n_. Hotch ignored what the man on the ground was saying as he approached _y/n_ with palms open and out to show he wasn’t a threat. _y/n_ was slowly sliding down the wall, and Aaron noticed the back of their shirt rising behind them. Hotch caught _y/n_ before they hit the ground. He could see they were in shock. Who wouldn't be after such a situation?

As he guided them with his strong hands down to the ground, Emily rounded the corner and took in the situation. Morgan looked at Emily and said, “Can you sit on him or something? Prentiss nodded and she took his place. She painfully pinned the man’s arm behind his back to stop him from moving and Derek stood up. Aaron knew that Morgan wanted to try and find the other two men who had made a run for it. It was in Derek’s nature to take action, so when Hotch looked up at Derek, he said, "Follow those guys"  It didn't take more than that for Morgan to take off running. Now Emily had the pleasure of the man below her shout out, “What the fuck are you doing. That bitch asked us to do this. They asked us. What do you guys not get about that? Like I said to the other guy I’ll show you the ad online if you just let me get my phone from my pocket. Em scoffed and replied, “Fat chance pal. Generally when someone is fighting you and you have to pin them to a wall that’s not what I call enthusiastic consent. Now if I were you, I’d shut up until the police get here.” 

Hotch overheard the conversation as he gently tapped _y/n_'s face lightly to try and bring them back. Aaron didn’t have to look at Emily as calling the police and 9-1-1. His attention snapped back to _y/n_ as they started thrashing slightly, fighting his hold on their shoulder. Aaron rocked on his heels and moved his hand to _y/n_’s as their breaths came raggedly at the new contact. Hotch made sure his face was in view as he squeezed _y/n_’s hand to match his breath as he said, “_y/n_, it’s Aaron, from before. I need you to take some deep breaths for me.” _y/n_ could hear a comforting tenor voice and felt their hand get enveloped in a larger, warm one. This was not the invasive touch from before. It took _y/n_ a few minutes before their mind fully came back to their body. When it did, _y/n_ turned their head and saw a familiar face. They gave a tiny squeeze of acknowledgment back to Aaron. Their breath was still rapid, and _y/n_ struggled to speak from the stress and adrenaline coursing through them. All _y/n_ could do was just make a little sound from the back of their throat. Hotch leaned forward and ran a hand over their forehead, pushing a loose strand of hair away from their face, He knelt on the ground and said reassuringly, “You’re doing good, _y/n_. You’re safe now. Just try and breathe and relax for me. Can you do that?” _y/n_ nodded and tried to follow his instructions.

They watched and breathed along with Aaron taking a moment to look over at Emily and the man on the ground. Hotch shifted to block _y/n_’s view so they couldn’t see the man clearly. He had finally shut up, and for that, Hotch was grateful. After a few minutes, the paramedics came and evaluated _y/n_’s physical and emotional state. Hotch was annoyed that the police took five minutes after 9-1-1 to arrive. While _y/n_ was being evaluated, Aaron provided the details of what had happened. He gave a description of the other two assailants and the fact that another federal agent was pursuing them right now. The pair of cops asked him a few questions but didn’t seem that interested in his responses. Hotch shifted his weight and folded his arms over his chest. He wasn’t impressed with either of the men’s attitudes. He took a quick moment to memorize their badge numbers as they moved to Emily’s side. One hauled the grounded man up and toward their cruiser while the other interviewed Prentiss with a similar laissez-faire tone. While this happened, Hotch looked over to _y/n_. They seemed to be back to a more normal state but they had a shock blanket on and a pressure cuff on their arm. Hotch looked around to see if Morgan was back, but he wasn’t. Aaron then texted the rest of the team. He didn’t say they needed to come. The scene was busy enough as it was, he just let them know that a “situation” had unfolded and that he might call or text them if he needed something. When the rest of the team sounded off on the chat, he thanked them and clicked off his phone. 

Morgan returned a few minutes later looking angry. Hotch looked up at him, and Derek shook his head no. As they began to chat about the chase that hadn’t ended up with the fit agent finding the other two men, Aaron noticed that the cops had approached _y/n_ in the back of the ambulance. Morgan noticed Hotch’s lack of attention caught Derek’s attention and he turned to look and listen to the quiet conversation happening near the street. Whatever the cops were saying was indistinguishable from the noise of the cars moving down the street, but both agents noticed how uncomfortable _y/n_ looked. They had their arms holding each other in a self-soothing gesture. They didn’t look comforted by what the men were saying either. The conversation also seemed to be too short to get any real information from _y/n_. One of the cops moved back toward the cruiser with their empty notepad out while the other approached Morgan. Aaron slipped past the officer and toward _y/n_. One of the paramedics was taking off the cuff on _y/n_’s arm and Hotch looked from _y/n_ to the man and asked, “Could you give us a few moments alone?”

The man nodded, placed the medical device back where belonged, and then moved away to give them some space. Before asking _y/n_ any serious questions, he just  checked in saying, “Are you feeling alright, _y/n_? Are you in any pain?” _y/n_ met his gaze and then looked down at the pavement below them. After a moment of silence and a breath, _y/n_ replied, “The medic gave me something to numb everything a bit. The nerves and stuff. So I’m not in any physical pain at least.” Hotch clenched his jaw knowing that _y/n_ was most likely in emotional turmoil at the moment. Even though it was going to be hard, he hoped he could provide some comfort and reassurance to _y/n_ that he would make sure they were safe. But in order for him to do that, he needed the full story. He took a breath and introduced himself again, this time fully. Aaron leaned a bit closer and said, “It’s good to hear that they gave you something. Would you be willing to talk to me for a minute? I’m a federal agent, and I’d like to be able to help you if you’re willing.” He pulled out his badge and showed it to _y/n_. He didn’t flash it like he normally did at cops or other agents. He gave _y/n_ plenty of time to look at it. In _y/n_’s brain, things started making more sense about the man they’d run into often. Why he was so good with a gun? How confident he was in stressful situations, and why the other men had run away when he got there. _y/n_ seemed mesmerized by the card but snapped their eyes back to his deep brown ones.

_y/n_ realized that they were focusing on only one thing at a time in order to not have to think about what was not happening. If that was the case, it might as well be Agent Aaron Hotchner. He was comforting and certainly not hard on the eyes. _y/n_ released a breath and nodded yes. The small rapport they had built with the man in front of them made _y/n_ feel safe enough to speak with Aaron. Hotch registered their consent and he thought about how to word his first question. He knew that with victims of trauma, specific questions were better than general ones. Something like “What happened,” could send _y/n_ into a spiral or unable to answer. Aaron decided to start from the beginning and move to tonight’s events in order. He asked gently, “The last time I saw you, at the farmers market, you said that something bad had happened to you. Could you tell me what that was?” _y/n_ looked down at their hands. They felt like saying “Nothing.” _y/n_ had felt like saying nothing for the last thirty-three days, but nothing hadn’t helped them, so _y/n_ resolved to tell Aaron the truth. Raising their eyes back to his, _y/n_ saw the compassion and care in Hotch’s gaze and it gave them the strength to quietly say, “It’s kind of a long story…” Aaron nodded his head no and said, “Not to me. I’ve got all night. Take your time.” _y/n_ nodded and looked at Aaron’s hands instead of him as they said, “I was dating a guy. It was pretty on and off. It was a mistake, we didn’t have the same beliefs or interests. So when I found out he was cheating on me I broke it off. I thought he felt the same way about me as I felt about him. I thought I was doing him a favor by cutting him free.

As it turns out he was very invested in me and he got incredibly angry when I told him it was over. He threatened to hurt himself if I did this to him. I told him that wasn’t true and that he was too arrogant to go through with something like that. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that, but it was true. He’s a baby and he’s never had to do anything for himself before. As it turned out he ended up just hurting me instead.” _y/n_ looked briefly at Aaron to see if he was still listening. Again, they hadn’t been before and _y/n_ was surprised as his warm gaze was still as attentive as ever. Hotch gave a little nod for _y/n_ to continue. _y/n_ moved their gaze to the wall just to the left of his ear and continued, “So he left and everything was quiet for a week. Then one day one of my friends sent me a link saying I had to see something.” _y/n_ picked at their nail, with eyes downcast. Hotch assumed it was a tell for embarrassment for them. His core clenched for what was about to come. He could tell it wasn’t good. Already had negative feelings toward whoever this guy was. _y/n_ finally said, “I clicked the link and it took me to an adult site. My ex had leaked the nudes I’d sent him a few months back. It turned out he put them all over the net. To as many sites as he could think of. I’d been told so many times not to send nudes because of revenge porn and stuff, but I never thought it would happen to me. Not to this scale. So that was horrible and I stayed up for two days emailing the sites and I called the police and they said they’d start a report or something. I was mortified, but the next day some guy I’d never seen before came to my door and said he was there about the ad.” 

Alarm bells were ringing in Aaron’s head because the three men earlier tonight had been speaking of an ad too. _y/n_ didn’t see the concern and anger on his face as they were too embarrassed to look him in the face as they said, “Of course, I didn’t know what he was talking about and said he had the wrong house. The guy got defensive and the ad said for sure this was the right address. I wanted him to leave me alone so I asked to see the ad. I was sure it was a mistake or something and maybe I could point him in the right direction. He pulled up Craigslist and showed me his phone. My… my ex had made an account pretending to be me. He’s posted an ad saying that I lived alone and had a sexual fantasy about being sexually assaulted. He’d put my picture up and my address and even times when I was normally home.”

Aaron watched as _y/n_ struggled more and more to get the words out. He his heart ached that such a violation had been done to _y/n_. He also felt like throttling the man who had done this. Who had thought of something so terrible and gone through with it? He moved a hand to _y/n_’s and gently brushed his fingertips over theirs. He wanted to offer some comfort. _y/n_ looked at their right hand and grabbed onto Aaron’s hand tightly, anchoring themself to his strength. _y/n_ swallowed thickly and said, “When the words registered I just broke down and the guy got real worried. He actually made sure I was okay. I explained it was all a mistake. Just a terrible prank from a friend. He apologized and left. When I finally got it together I emailed Craigslist and then called the support number. I got rerouted about twenty times and I gave up when I was put on hold for the seventh time. I called the cops and they said the same thing as last time. That they’d look into it; make a report. The ad stayed up and guys kept showing up. I told them all it was a mistake but some of them didn’t take it that way.”

Aaron clenched his jaw and spoke for the first time, asking, “Did anything happen? Did anyone hurt you?” His eyes scanned _y/n_ like he’d be able to see if she’d been attacked. _y/n_ found his gaze and said, “Not really. Not until tonight. Last week there was a guy that didn’t take no for no in my driveway but I was close to my car and got inside and locked it before he started running. That was when I called the cops again.” Hotch furrowed his brow. Law enforcement's response so far to _y/n_’s situation had been mediocre at best. That was demonstrated tonight as well. He cleared his throat so he didn’t sound angry at _y/n_ and asked, “And what did they do?” _y/n_ looked at him and said, “They came by and gave the guy a warning and told him not to come back. That was about it.” Aaron clenched his jaw so tight that he thought his teeth might shatter.

Aaron couldn’t help but ask in disbelief, “Why are they treating you so dismissively? Even tonight it looked like they didn’t care.” Aaron had asked the question aloud in frustration and as a hypothetical. So when _y/n_ responded his eyes snapped to theirs. This was the part that _y/n_ hated as they said, “My ex was a cop. Well, part-time cop until he quit because he didn’t like the night shift that they gave him. But he certainly loved waving a gun around and bossing people around too. His job should have been my first red flag, but I was sad and he gave me attention. I was such an idiot.” Aaron nodded his head no and said, “You weren’t an idiot, _y/n_. You were hurting and someone took advantage of that. That’s not your fault.” At hearing his words, and being believed, _y/n_ couldn’t hold in the emotions anymore and put their head in their hands and started to cry large hot tears. Hotch moved forward and protectively put his arms around them. _y/n_ moved their head to his shoulder and kept crying. Aaron placed a hand on their back and just waited. Sometimes words were unneeded and he felt like this was one of those times. 

After a few minutes and when _y/n_ had stilled and the tears had gone Hotch asked softly, still holding them, “And tonight? Were those men responding to the ad?” Aaron felt _y/n_ nod into his shoulder and _y/n_ said, “Yeah. I was just taking a walk and they were at the door banging on it. By the time they saw me, it was too late. I tried to tell them the situation like everyone else but they wouldn’t have it, so I ran. I thought they’d stop once I got to a place with more people but they just kept following. Thank God you were here.” Hotch questioned very much if God had anything to do with such cruelty, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he patted _y/n_’s back before pulling back to look at them. Aaron ran a thumb under _y/n_’s eye, catching the last of the tears and brushing it on his button-down. Aaron looked at _y/n_ sincerely as he said, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. No one deserves to be treated like that.” Hotch was more than sad, he was enraged, but he didn’t show it for _y/n_’s sake. He was going to find this guy and make sure he got what he deserved for trying to ruin _y/n_’s life. For getting away with what he had.

Aaron was also going to be filing a complaint to the District Attorney, whom he had on speed dial about how law enforcement was trying to cover for a criminal who didn’t even work for them anymore. Hotch took _y/n_’s hands softly and asked, “Can you tell me the name of your ex? I want to make sure you’re safe. Not only from him but from anyone who might come and try and hurt you.” Aaron knew this was a big ask. A huge ask, but it was needed if he intended to help them. After a few moments of silence, _y/n_ looked at him. Really looked at him. If there was anyone who had shown to act so far, it had been him, almost a stranger. But that feeling of safeness returned and _y/n_ said, “His name’s _y/e/p’s/n_.” Hotch nodded and said sincerely, “Thank you. I’m going to go and make a few calls. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Do you need someone to be here with you?” _y/n_ nodded their head no and said, “I’ll be fine as long as you’re close.” _y/n_ didn’t want to sound so pathetic, but it was true. Aaron understood and replied, “I’ll be in view, I promise.” _y/n_ nodded, relieved that he didn’t seem upset at such a silly ask. 

Aaron moved toward Derek and Emily who were both talking in soft tones. As Hotch passed one of the police officers he frowned and asked, “What’s the name of your Cheif of Police?” The befuddled and bored-looking LEO replied with the officer’s name like he didn’t care. Aaron let out a huff and moved past the man and toward his team members. Both Emily and Derek looked at him and registered that he was unhappy. Morgan asked, “What happened?” Hotch responded, “I’ll tell you in a moment. Prentiss, can you call Garcia and ask her to look up a name: _y/e/p’s_n_? I want everything on him.” Emily nodded and Derek looked at Hotch with probing eyes. Hotch stated, “I need to call the Attorney General, will you watch those two officers and make sure they give _y/n_ some space?” At hearing the AG being brought up Derek knew this was important and he nodded and moved closer to the ambulance blocking _y/n_ from the sight of the police car and men talking inside. Hotch quickly left a message and then checked in with Emily. Prentiss assured him that Garcia was already on it. Hotch thanked her and moved back toward _y/n_. The medic was speaking to _y/n_ as he approached.

Aaron moved forward to see what was going on. He looked at _y/n_ and they filled him in saying, “I’m good to go. They’re not taking me.” Hotch looked at _y/n_ and the paramedic who nodded that that was correct. Aaron looked back at _y/n_ and asked, “Are you going home from here? Do you need someone to take you?” _y/n_ managed a small smile at the kindness he was showing them and replied, “I’ve called one of my friends that live close by. I’m going to stay at her house tonight. Maybe I’ll go home tomorrow.” Aaron nodded in understanding and said, “Okay. I’m going to look into what’s happened. I’ll keep you updated if that’s alright?” _y/n_ nodded and said, “I’d like that. Can I give you my number or something?” Hotch nodded and said, “Yes. I’d appreciate that.”

Aaron slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet where he kept a few business cards. He flipped one to the back and added his cell number before handing it to _y/n_ saying, “Here’s my office number and my cell. If you feel unsafe if someone tries to come to your door again you can call me and I’ll make sure someone comes and gets them away from you. And I’ll stay here with you until your friend shows up.” _y/n_ felt like they could cry again but held it together and replied, “Thank you so much. Sorry if I messed up your night, or you getting home to your son.” Aaron couldn’t help but give a small smile at _y/n_’s memory of Jack. He replied, “Jack’s at his mom’s tonight. You’re not inconveniencing me _y/n_. I want to make sure you’re safe. That’s what’s important to me. Even though it felt impossible in a case like this after everything _y/n_ had been through, they believed him and just sat in the comfort of someone who made them feel safe for the first time in a very long time. Eventually _y/n_’s friend came and _y/n_ went with them. Hotch wrapped up with the officers, paramedics, and Emily and Derek after which he headed home. 

The following day he got the report from Garcia. He also asked her to find the ad on Craigslist take it off the internet and trace the IP address. He also mentioned the revenge porn and Penelope looked as horrified as he had felt when _y/n_ heard about it from _y/n_ Garcia promised to take down an images she could find of _y/n_ as soon as possible. Later that day Hotch got a call back from the Attorney General and he filled the man in on the Police situation. General Miyares promised to look into the situation. At the end of the day, Hotch texted _y/n_ that things were in progress and that the ad had been removed since noon that afternoon. He filled them in on some of the other details too. _y/n_ thanked him profusely over text which he brushed off. Aaron didn’t think too much about _y/n_ until a week later when her ex was arrested for a litany of crimes from assault and battery, to money laundering and fraud. Aaron happened to be on _y/n_’s side of town when he found out about the arrest and he felt like he should call _y/n_ to see if they had heard and if they were doing okay.

He dialed their number and after a few rings, they picked up. There was a hesitation before _y/n_ said, “Hey, Aaron. How are you?” Hotch wondered why he heard hesitation in their voice but answered honestly, “I’m alright? Are you doing okay? Have you heard the news?” After a moment, _y/n_ replied, “I just heard. My friend sent me an article about it. I’m trying to be okay. I haven’t gotten out much since I’ve last seen you.” Hotch could fully understand why _y/n_ would want to isolate. Even after the ad had been taken down, just getting out the door must be a challenge. Aaron asked gently, “Have you thought about any added security measures like you mentioned last week?” _y/n_ replied faster this time saying, “Yes. I bought a ring camera and an extra bolt for the door but haven’t had them installed. I called a guy but when he showed up I kind of freaked out. I’ve been too embarrassed to ask anyone else.” Hotch’s heart gave a little tug at how scary any man showing up at their door would be for them. Aaron had an idea and he simply said, “Listen. I don’t want to push or anything, but I’m in your area. I could come over and install those things for you if you like, _y/n_? But only if you wanted me to.” There was another silence and _y/n_ replied, “You’re not busy?” Aaron smiled and said, “No, I’m not busy.” 

Twenty minutes later Hotch parked outside _y/n_’s door and he knocked on the front door. _y/n_ opened it for him and said, “Thanks for doing this. You really didn’t have to.” Aaron gave them a smile and said, “I don’t mind. If it makes you feel safer, then I’m happy to do it. Could you show me the ring camera and bolt?” Hotch was just a few feet into their door and he didn’t move forward. He didn’t want to make them feel unsafe in their space so he didn’t venture further unless asked. From what he did see it seemed cozy and warm. A place that reflected _y/n_’s personality. After a minute and some rustling, _y/n_ came back. Their arms were full of a few boxes and a drill that didn’t fully seem right in their grasp. Hotch stepped forward slightly and said, “Here, let me get that for you.” He took the bigger items from _y/n_’s arms.

Hotch looked at the door and asked, “I can put this camera up first and you could set up the app while I added the bolt. Would that be alright with you?” _y/n_ nodded and said, “Yes, that sounds good to me.” Aaron returned the smile and said, “Great. Well, I’ll get started. This shouldn’t take long to set up.” Hotch grabbed the drill and the box holding the camera and moved back outside. Twenty minutes later he was back in the cooled room. As Aaron started adding the new lock to the door, _y/n_ worked on getting the camera set up and said, “Got it!” Excitedly when they could see the outside of their home from the safety of inside. Aaron turned and said, Great. Hopefully, that will give you some extra security, as will this.” Hotch pulled back and showed the deadbolt was now in place. Aaron stood up and said, “Is there anything else I could do to make you feel better? You said you weren’t getting out much. Are you feeling okay?” _y/n_’s smile fell slightly as they said, “Would you like a coffee or something? Or a glass of water? It was pretty hot out there.” Hotch could hear the desperation in _y/n_’s voice for him to stay, for just a bit longer. Aaron nodded and said, “A coffee sounds nice. Thank you _y/n_.” _y/n_ relaxed and let their shoulders relax. They looked at Aaron and said, “Would you like to come in and sit down?” They pointed to the table near the kitchen and Hotch moved further inside and took a seat. _y/n_ moved around the kitchen brewed a fresh pot of coffee and then sat down across from Aaron. They talked about light topics until the coffee was ready and they got them both a cup. 

When _y/n_ was seated again, Hotch asked the same question again: “Are you doing okay, _y/n_?” _y/n_ bit their lip and said, “You’d think I’d be. _y/e/p’s/n_ just got jailed and I have added security, but most days I can’t even leave the house. Some mornings I can’t get out of bed. I’m wondering if I’m ever going to move past this. If I can see a man outside my door and not be afraid. Sometimes I feel like my life is over.” Aaron leaned forward and said, “It’s not over, _y/n_. I know it’s hard, but you can do this. You didn’t deserve anything that happened to you, but I believe you can move on from this. I hope in time you can feel safe and that you know you have resources so when you don’t feel safe there’s someone looking out for you. I’m one of those people, _y/n_. _y/n_ felt their eye’s water again. They hadn’t told Aaron this but he was the first person they’d let into their home since that first man had come looking for sex. It didn’t feel like the new beginning they had planned, but it was a small step forward. If nothing else _y/n_ knew that Aaron Hotchner was a man out in the world fixing things rather than tearing them apart, and he cared enough to be sitting here watching them almost cry. Hotch moved a hand forward and placed it over theirs. _y/n_ closed their eyes, sure they’d say something soon. But for now, it felt good to be safe with someone. And that someone was Aaron Hotchner.

______________________________________________________________

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[littlelesbinonny]

The Devil's Den

Chapter 41: In Which The Daylight Is Dawning Pt. 2

You can read this also on Ao3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/46831621/chapters/117962293

Donna was frozen in place. She knew Karl was still holding onto her but she couldn't comprehend it. All she could see was the trail of blood on the ground where Alcina had been drug to her fate. Every single event was replaying slow motion over and over again in her brain. She had been so lost in thought she hadn't noticed everyone filing out of the hall and back into the city, leaving the few who were brave enough to show their remaining loyalty to Alcina lingering just as still and silent as she was.

"D - "

A voice said in her ear.

"D! You gotta snap out of it - D."

Her dark brown eyes on the verge of spilling tears finally looked over to find Karl, his face just as riddled with grief but definitely more rage than she had ever seen.

"I..." she mustered, "we - the - we -" 

Donna couldn't even form a coherent sentence, she was too overcome with shock she brought her palms up and buried her face. Karl's warm, secure embrace was quite literally the only thing holding her together.

Without Alcina, their fight was over. No one would unite without her. None of the pitiful fucking vampires would act on their own! Her only hope was the lycans, who would be gnashing to fight, she had no doubt. The underworlds only hope now was the lycans. And that was fine with her. But they had to do something and they had to do it fast. She had to snap out of it!

She broke away from Karl momentarily and was about to whisper her hasty plan to him, but that chilling presence she hated now more than ever invaded her space.

"Donna, my dear!" Came Miranda's cool voice, "I have some pressing business that needs attending to, but I will send for you later as we have much to discuss," she smiled, "and Karl, I will require your time here very shortly as well - and try not to get into any trouble in the meantime. My soldiers have direct orders to destroy anyone who steps out of line... you've seen the damage they do. Please don't be stupid. I'd rather not lose either of you to fruitless defiance."

Karl lunged for Miranda but Donna haphazardly clambered herself nearly onto him to stop his assault as she walked away so annoyingly nonchalant.

"Don't be an idiot!" she hissed through a hushed whisper in his ear, "your shop - now!"

~

Everyone of key importance had gathered in Karl's work space: Donna, Karl himself, Dmitri, Angie, Sylvia, Mitch, Diego, Gerard, Mateo, Elina, and shockingly, Clarice from the council.

"Keep your voice down!" Donna huffed.

"I don't give a fuck what they can hear! I'm about to start poppin' bullets in every single one of their skulls!" Karl raged, pulling a new and very decently sized revolver out of his underarm and aiming it to the mutants on the other side of the thick glass, "I'll blow the underground to kingdom-fucking-come before I let this bitch take this place!"    Donna forced his arm down and grabbed the collar of his dirty, beat-up, oversized khaki colored trench coat, "will you keep your shit together! We have one fucking shot at this and we can't afford your hot-headed, bull-skulled, idiotic temper to ruin it for everyone! Alcina needs our help! We have to be smart about this!"

Angie popped a blood lollypop out of her mouth loudly and hopped her butt onto the table, shoving it right back in her cheek before reaching for Karl, "listen, my man, I've been watching these weirdos for weeks; they are brutally strong but they are fuckin' DUMB. I'm not sure what operates them but I swear to god it's not the brain in their heads. They're very easily distracted and drawn apart when psycho-whacko isn't present. The sunrise is barely hours away, we need a calculated diversion, lots of 'em - you know, bombs and stuff - and a quick moving team and we can get Alcina and her girls out with no issue at all. But that's only if Mother Fuckface isn't near."

"There's the biggest issue; Mother Miranda." Dmitri stated, his usually calm and vivid demeanor very visibly shaken by witnessing what everyone else did.

"Yeah - that -" Angie chimed back in, "she's really the messiest dingleberry. I dunno what to tell you about that one. Sheer force won't do jack shit to her with all these mutants around. She's their HBIC - it's like she thinks it and they do it - very disturbing."

"HBIC?" Clarice piped up very confused.

"Head bitch in charge." Angie clarified.

Donna huffed and rubbed her temples aggravatedly, "alright - heads down - focus! We have very little time, we've got to move quickly."

~

You felt like you were under a boulder.

It wasn't terribly bright where you were but it took all of your effort to force your eyelids open. 

The room was decently sized, wide open, the lights were dull and a light ochre color. It smelled slightly sterile but also metallic the way dried blood did. The walls were lined with shelves and storage lockers, weird glass globes and vials that made you feel like you were caught in a mad scientist movie. It was also full of all kinds of medical looking equipment, and in that instant everything that had taken place rushed back in, including that cunts words; take her to the lab, NOW!

So. This was it.

You were strangely alone. You thought that was probably not the smartest move, but then again you felt like you'd been hit by a bus. There was barely enough energy coursing through you to breath without labor.

What the fuck was around your neck and wrists? They had to be the reason for this feeling.

Using all your might, you tried to lean forward in the reclined chair you were clearly bound to to see if you could make out the heavy cuffs.

It was a dark grey material, a metal of sorts maybe? It appeared polished and looked kind of shiny, but it wasn't glowing the way Alcina's had been. 

The unlatching of a door to the right of you caught you off guard and your head snapped in that direction, a bad move as the room started to spin.

"Iron."

Came that sickening voice.

"The best raw iron one can find," Mother Miranda continued as she waltzed happily towards you, "the only real weakness to a fae like you."

...Fae? 

What?

You were finally able to get a good close look at the living terror you had envisioned killing many times before, the rage you felt twisting your lips and face into a scowl that made Miranda smirk. She might be a pretty thing if she weren't such an awful waste of air. To you she was ugly, hideous even, wearing the pain she'd caused your Alcina like a badge of honor and it made your magick spark.

"I had hoped to meet under better circumstances, but Alcina never would have allowed that to happen..."

Miranda placed her hand on your upper arm and it burned. Whether or not that was your imagination reacting out of pure spite for her or an actual sensation you weren't really sure. 

"She's very possessive, you see. She would have never shared you with me willingly."

Her smile made you want to explode.

"Though her appetite for strong blood has always been her weakness, and her strength. I could always count on her to find the most delicious humans. Granted, Madeleine was a sorry loss, truly, which I'm sure she told you all about her, and what I did... villainize me all you want, little fae, but I did what was best for her in the end."

You wanted to scream more than anything, break free and grab her face and gouge out her eyes, but you were locked in a prison of hatred that rendered you still and silent while you bickered with your inner thoughts trying to stay on top of your reactions. Then Malka's voice sounded in your ear; telling you to remain calm, to use the situation to your benefit, to store the emotions brewing inside of you because they would come in handy. So you remained quiet, letting her drawl making you angrier and angrier.

"Madeleine came from a long line of witches, I'll have you know," Miranda continued as she walked around the chair you were strapped to, heading to the side table that had a large syringe and several long vials, "but she had strayed from that path, as did her mother before her, so her blood would have been no use to me in the long run. It was too weak, her power was too weak, but it made her irresistible to our dearest Alcina."

Watching as she grabbed for the syringe, you swallowed and eyed her like a hawk, gritting and grinding your teeth with what strength you had.

"I knew what I put her through would wane her from seeking anything less than the most powerful blood until the right time came. I had no idea it would be this soon. I figured a century may pass perhaps, but here you came along... a most pleasant surprise. I thought your kind had long been lost."

Curiosity was hard to deny. You'd been searching for answers your whole life. Now you had to ask.

"What exactly are... my kind?"

Miranda's eyes gleamed, "I told you; you're a fae! Now which kind I'm not totally certain. Fae folk in the human world are the rarest, which makes you the most desirable! A fae in the olde world is too impossible to catch. They're too strong, too flighty, too unusable. But you! Your blood is some of the oldest I've ever had the privilege to come across. I'll truly enjoy my search to find your lineage, if I can, because your blood will be the striking force to begin our journey into this new age!" 

Syringe in hand, Miranda darted back to your side and examined you with fever in her eyes, her delicate fingertip tracing your face that came with a sensation of you wanting to rip yourself out of your skin.

"You will be everything I need for my new species of vampire. Your blood will make me stronger than any that have ever walked this earth before, and my children, the new breed that I will introduce, will be the perfection I have so long since desired."

You had to bite your lip as her twinkling blue eyes made your skin prickle. Keeping your head about you to continue to store this rage deep inside of you, in a nest in your core for your chance to strike was getting harder.

"The army that follows me now are less than what I desired. They are controllable, but... albeit a failed experiment. Yes, they are brutishly strong, and purely loyal to me, but... they have no mind of their own, a downside to the parasite I bred. But! It was a good start!" She grinned, "When I mutate your blood along with my parasites I hope to weed out the rest of the weaknesses that make us fallible - there will be no desire but to be beautiful and powerful. To follow me. And only me. To deny love for any, but me. To go with me to whatever end I desire... to never repeat the same mistakes I face, over and over..."

Her eyes went vacant as she stared off at the wall behind your head, the forest of thoughts she'd just gotten lost in seeming to lead her down a foggy path that blinked your existence out of the picture, and yet she kept talking.

"It was a dream my daughter and I had..." her voice dwindled to a more somber tone, "she had been so young. Twelve years old. Too young to be what she became. The years passed, and we do not change physically of course, and it becomes hard for one so young to bare the burdens of the world, to watch everything change around you when you do not when you should... Eva... my darling... she wanted to change. She wanted to change so much, but I... was able to give her everything her heart desired, but that..."

Your eyes were transfixed on this woman. Alcina told you she had never told a soul what had happened to her daughter, that everything the vampires knew about it was purely speculation, and yet here she was spilling it to you like you were a guard at the gates of heaven or hell, and she must tell her tale before she passes.

"Her beauty was unmatched. An angel, really. A young but vicious killer that gave my soul so much joy. My only absolution to the life we had no choice but to dwell within. And we... oh, we had such plans! Such visions we would share and collaborate - the future of our kind - the path we could lead - the power and control we could have! There was a future we so desired to live back amongst the humans as one! To be feared and loved and worshipped as the greater species we are! Untouched by time... illness... every little thing that defeated humans at the drop of a hat..."

Miranda looked back down at you as she seemed to come back into herself, her palm caressing your face as she sunk her sight into you, and you stilled, held your breath out of what emotion you weren't sure.

"But... we aren't as perfect as we should be. There is one, only one, illness that is our downfall. It ruins everything... every plan, ever desire, every need behind a motivation - it can be thwarted by the worst of all illnesses... do you know what that illness, that weakness is, little fae?"

You shook your head very carefully, the wild look behind her eyes making you uneasy.

"Love," she whispered, leaning into your face, "love, little fae... the worst ailment any living creature can endure! It... ruins everything!" 

Miranda leaned back up and stepped away from you with haste, pacing manically as she continued her bizarre rant. 

"It took my Eva!" She nearly shrieked, "it took her from me!" Her wild eyes went back to you as she walked back and forth across the floor, "she fell from me! Away from me! Abandoned me and our plans! Everything we were working towards - she left it all behind - dropped it like it had never meant anything, all because - all because - this - this boy! A human! A human boy she could never coexist with! She was stricken down by this folly and I lost her to it, to him!"

She was growing more and more fitful and you were trying very hard to not fear for your safety. Miranda was a loaded loose cannon, that was all too apparent.

"I - I had no choice. I had no choice, little fae. For our own betterment, for hers, I had to cure her. I had to end it. How could I possibly let this infection of love for a human taint my bloodline?! Humans would be our end! She knew this, she knew, and yet she gave in. She bowed to this weakness. And I... my reign, my dynasty, could not be tarnished. We were too far into our plan to stray. I couldn't allow it. I couldn't... and so I had to kill her, don't you see?"

She was out of her fucking mind. Absolutely mad.

"But... time marched on. I marched on. I never abandoned our plans, our hope, our desire for our kinds future. I had to abide my time. Calculate. Measure. Collect. Create. Watch. And plan. Plan, plan, plan, until the time was right."

Once more she turned to you and came to your side with a face full of psychotic hope.

"And here you are - my beacon of light! The turn of my tides! We will be great together. We will create such a dynasty that will rule this world for the rest of time, it will be marvelous! You... and me... we will change the course of the worlds future."

The fuck WE will.

You had to keep calm. You had to.

You were facing a deranged vampire who was old and powerful, but you would fight tooth and nail to make sure this plan of hers never saw the light of day. Pun intended.

Swallowing carefully, you tested the deep water you were in for your own benefit, you needed information, and more catalyst to your stash of emotion, "what have you done with Alcina?"

Mother Miranda's visage took a deep dive from hope to scrutiny, "what does it matter? She is a lost cause, as all of the vampires I have placed my hopes in have been."

"If you want my help, which I will give you, I simply ask in return that you tell me what you've done with her."

Rising slowly away from you, Miranda went back to the small table and retrieved a vial, with it and the syringe in hand, she returned and eyed you flatly, "she and her daughters will die by sunlight. I sealed them in the sun towers to burn."

There it was.

Oh that fire began to burn brightly. Now all you needed was your window of opportunity.

"You offer your alliance so willingly, I had not expected that little fae," Miranda mused as she looked down at you, calculating your words, "why?"

Fighting down your rage you locked your eyes in hers and forced a small smile, "you give me little choice. I would rather go willingly than fight you."

Her hardened facade broke into a faint grin. 

Was it that easy?

"I somehow knew I was going to like you. Fae are usually very feisty and yet you are so malleable - you are wise beyond your years! Or, perhaps, the human world has beaten you down enough to make you this compliant... either way... we really will be a great team together."

She stroked your face once more that made your insides lurch, but you held your tongue and waited less than patiently.

"Still... you will have to fully earn my trust in time. Now, hold still, I need to fill these vials so I can begin my research."

Mother Miranda reached for the heavy iron collar around your neck and snapped the latch open, pulled it from your throat and you felt the overpowering flood of everything you had been holding onto slam into you.

Show time.

All you saw was red. Rage. Alcina, on her knees and bleeding at the mercy of the woman in front of you. The shallowing of your breath was accompanied with the narrowing of your space; the honing in on everything you felt; the numb, surging, overflowing power of your need for revenge for what she'd done to Alcina, and what she had in store for the woman you loved so deeply. You couldn't fathom the future she spoke of, the terror she would instill, and you would be damned before you, or your Alcina, became the played pawns in the start of this chess match. Miranda would pay dearly. You would make certain of it.

It was hot, prickly. Seething to be released.

You harnessed your magick with all of your might; the gnashing, howling hunger to lash out giving you only a brief pause before you let it off its leash at your intended target.

The heat of this explosion of magick was so strong you felt like you could touch it. It permeated off you and hit Miranda with an invisible choking cloud.

She stumbled back, dropping her tools to the floor with a clatter as a sputtering scream began to emerge from her throat. Her hands reached for her eyes with a shaking intensity as she screamed louder and louder, her knees threatening to buckle as you forced every ounce of your hatred through her. It wasn't long before you saw trails of blood pouring down her cheeks from her eyes before she all but fell into the table, knocking it over, the glass vials shattering on impact to the floor as she struggled to get as far away from you as possible.

Miranda tumbled through the door from which she came and you jerked on your wrists with might. The iron split around your wrists without struggle and you were free. Nauseatingly light headed you headed for the door opposite of where Mother Miranda had fled and dashed as fast as your wobbly legs would take you.

The further you got into the ways of the city the more and more powerful you felt, almost like you had to collect your power back before you yourself burst. Finally, against your will, you slammed into a wall and took heavy breath after heavy breath, looking down at your open palms that felt like they were on fire. Things were beginning to spin less and less and now you could hear yelling and screaming, howling, gun shots, and what you were pretty certain were explosions. 

My hell, you were underground in the middle of a real war.

Out of the blue you heard your name behind you.

Oh fuck, oh fuck, please let this not be real. You weren't entirely sure enough on your feet yet to run. 

Hesitantly you looked over your shoulder and found a face coming at you that allowed you to relax.

"Angie," you huffed, still relying on the wall for support.

"Ho - ly shit! You escaped?!"

You nodded a little disjunct and let the familiar vampire grab hold of you, "y-yeah - Miranda - "

"Ooo shit, fuck fuck - c'mon lets get outta here!"

She scooped you up like you were just a stuffed doll and dashed down the hallway, turning here and turning there, the labyrinth of this place making you so confused you stopped trying to keep track of your surroundings until you were being set down in a dark corner of a room with several other people.

"She escaped Miranda!" Angie shouted.

Three more sets of eyes landed on you, one you recognized; Donna.

"What?!"

The burliest of them asked as he shot around from behind Donna to get a good look at you.

"I'll be fucked! Little human's got gumption! How, though?!"

"I - I'm a fae," you answered very unsure of yourself. You weren't entirely sure if that Miranda bitch was right, but somehow it made sense.

The pause made you uneasy as they all looked at you as if you'd grown a second head in the last five seconds.

"I have magick," you tried again, "I attacked her, but I don't know how much damage I did."

Donna placed her hand on her shoulder in a very comforting way, her smile was warm but it didn't last long.

"You may have bought us a large window of opportunity, my dear, thank you," she offered, "are you alright, did she harm you?"

"N-no, no she didn't hurt me - I'm ok. Where's Alcina?" you blurted.

"The Eastern sun tower, that's where we're headed now."

Said the very handsome man with the most strikingly white hair and Russian accent.

"This is Dmitri, and this is Karl," Donna relayed with haste, "and the one who brought you, this is Angie, my sister."

"Yeah, we've met before," you responded with a smile at the blonde.

Donna halted grabbing for the bag she was fuddling with, "what?"

Angie jumped in immediately, "mmmyeah, about that; that's a story for another time, we really gotta get going. The sun rose three hours ago, our time slot to rescue is cutting way too short."

"Let's go then," you butted in, feeling much more like yourself which was a great relief.

"No, no," Donna warned, "this is no place for you, dear, I don't want to risk your safety."

"Did you not hear what she just said?" Karl interjected, "little pixie dust handed Miranda's ass to her - she's comin'! We want this little magickal hot shot with us."

"We really don't have time to argue, let's go!"

Dmitri was the final say.

The rest of the way wasn't completely barren of mutants, but they seemed oddly discombobulated and killing them was easier than it should've been. 

The radio comms worn by Karl and Dmitri were going off the entire way. From what you gathered, the lycans and vampire soldiers were executing well calculated and stealthy attacks through the city, confirming your suspicions of hearing explosion earlier, which, fittingly enough continued as the three of you made your way to what was referred to as the Eastern Quarter, where the Eastern sun towers resided. 

You were privileged front row seats to watching how vampires and lycans fought. Well, Karl at least. He was manic and hasty, although swift and effective with knives and a very large gun that made easy work of skulls. There was little left remaining after the blasts but an eerie blue glowing substance that oozed from whatever body part had been obliterated. The vampires were elegant and ruthless. They preferred blades above all else and Donna, though small, was terrifyingly agile and precise in the way she killed. Angie was a lot like Karl; pure mania. Dmitri, almost robotic; blunt and brutal.

Luckily you didn't have to go up against any mutants, you were far too preoccupied with familiarizing yourself with your surroundings and getting to Alcina as quickly as possible.

A sharp turn and a steep decline on damp stone stairs led you all to your destination. 

It was eerily silent here and it made everything more dire. There were slots in the low ceiling where it met the stone wall that allowed, what you assumed to be, sunlight in. Safely enough it wouldn't harm a vampire if they didn't come too close, but in a horrifying way to let whomever was down there know that the sun was in the sky. The area was cold, and everything echoed loudly as it was quite literally a simple stone corridor with one door and two exits, the one you came from and the one that had dried blood leading to a very lonely door.

But there was no longer a door there.

The barely six foot tall archway had been cemented shut. 

At some point during the night Alcina and her girls had fallen into a dreamless, slumber-like state. The frigid cold keeping them stored motionless and thoughtless until the impending white light of their looming fate began to spill over into the silo.

Bela was the first to wake.

She was stiff and so cold that when she peered gingerly towards where they all rest with their fingers still touching their mothers, she realized that their digits had turned completely grey. Void of all color or circulation.

It was then the shock and panic of realization that light was filling the silo, that Bela used all her might to push from the stinging cold floor and assess the situation.

Her wide eyes peered up to see the crescent moon of sunlight was growing larger and larger at the very top of the silo walls.

The sunlight was coming, death was coming. Help, was not.

Severity set in.

"Mother," her raw voice rasped, "mother please, wake up - wake up! Sisters! Get up!"

Their movements were just as slow as hers but they joined her, sitting up and leaning into the cold brick of the wall, eyes flying from the blue sky above to their mother who still lay completely unresponsive.

"Mother! Mother, please!" Bela called once more.

Daniela and Cassandra reached for each other, then Bela, trying to pull on their chains once more to see if by any mishap of fate they could break free. But they could not. They were too weak and it was too late.

The light melted down the brick above further and further as the moments passed, and the girls took to holding onto each other instead, inching as far from the wall as possible to give them any more time that might be possible before death seared them.

"M-mother - " Dani whined, "wake up... the sun! Please!"

Still, nothing.

Cassandra held fast to her sisters and brought their attention to her, the most somber expression they'd ever seen taking her beautiful face. She shook her head, accepting the fate that had befallen them, refusing to let it end without expressing the love she never truly said out loud, with actions.

So there, in the chilling wake of the sunlight, Cassandra, Bela, and Daniela held each other in an embrace of sisterhood as they braved their fears for what was to come.

Staring up at the sky, they waited for it all to end.

[dwreader]

interior design insp/references dubai edition

Just like with Louis's wardrobe in Dubai I feel like there's a lot of misconception about the design of the penthouse and what it's meant to represent. First of all, dark modern was and still is super popular design style amongst the wealthy!! It's a very popular way to style large open spaces (like a penthouse apartment). Light and airy designs are usually intended to reflect more natural light to make your rooms look bigger but when you already have a MASSIVE space that's kind of unnecessary. Also it doesn't need to be said that these are vampires so enhancing natural light with bright wall colors/furniture is utterly irrelevant and quite frankly counterproductive to them. You would rarely see a very dark design in a tiny apartment though, that's why its popular mainly among the super wealthy in their mega penthouses or modernist mansions.

Black furniture also screams lux because it's a PAIN in the ass to maintain like lint, dust, grime, etc gets everywhere constantly so by purchasing black furniture you're pretty much announcing to your guests that you have a maid who cleans for you cause your rich ass sure as hell isn't dusting that shit every day.

While the overall aesthetic of Dubai I would say is highly modern, there are interesting touches that suggest a couple that has collected items through time. In the first screenshot, you see Daniel and Louis sitting in the ultra modern living space while Armand is off to the side at his very mid-century chair, a very early hint that he's maybe from a different time.

Looking at this shot, you can see as many as 4 different design styles in a single frame. The table is clearly ornate traditional, the chair (which looks like rattan or bamboo) is more mid-century/boho and the japanese garden, and finally a little pink modern organic henri dejeant lamp. It's such a perfect representation of how long Loumand have been alive and together cause its normal for couples to accumulate different pieces over the course of their lives together and try to fit them in even though they don't exactly match the current designs. But this is what happens when you've been together for 75 years!

It's also interesting to see how the design choices of the penthouse evolved because an earlier visualization had a green mario bellini couch instead of a dark grey/black. The bellini couch was a 70's design that made a huge comeback in the last couple years, which is like the WHOLE 2nd interview like someone from the 70s who has entered the picture again after a long absence. However, I bet they probably pulled back on the bellini couch cause it was becoming overdone although it is still mega expensive (comes in at around $20k) but it's kind of become one of those ughh not that shit again kind of item.

[makriiii]

Caught Ⅲ (Arthur Morgan × f!reader)

Word count: 3.1k

Authors notes: Sorry for the slow uploads. Btw, when I copy-paste this from my notes app, tumblr double spaces my paragraphs and I'm too lazy to change it. 😭

Warnings: 18+, angst, & cursing.

Pt1! Or pt4

Wattpad or Ao3

♡

Caught Ⅲ

The land around you briskly faced a blanket of darkness as the sun had just set, the colors had kept you busy for just a stint, longing for them as they faded into deep shades of gray and blue.

People were now rekindling their fires from the night previous, preparing for dinner, a preparation you didn't need to worry yourself with, as much as you wished you did.

Keiran was across from you, and despite being part of your gang, you hadn't exchanged many words. He never did seem too fond of the gang.

Neither of you conversed, not only due to the fact that he tried desperately to distance himself from being an O'Driscoll, but because everyone in camp would also be part of the conversation.

With Keiran ignoring you, and Dutch's gang shunning you, you may as well have been the naughty kid who sat in the corner with a dunce cap on.

The only thing that kept your sanity was finding out that, Arthur, so you came to know, had taken your horse with him that day.

With nothing to do but sit defeated, you zoned out, staring at your horse. The thoughts of escaping with her danced around in your head.

Revenge didn't even cross your mind, in fact, at this point you were willing to let it all go, so long as you had your horse.

Rival gang members came and went, gawking at both of you like zoo animals. At one point, a lady who seemed personally victimized by Keiran had come and dropped food on him.

You were slightly taken aback by her actions, you were hoping it wasn't just for the fact he's an O'Driscoll, otherwise you felt you'd be next.

It was clear you weren't welcome despite being forced to stay and by all means you were happy to leave if they'd allow it. You'd even take Keiran along as well, but they had no such plans.

Out of all the people who roamed before you, your eyes met with one, much to your despair.

You had had enough of the man over these past days when he would check on you, once or twice each day, occasionally giving you water but only teasing you with food.

He kept to asking you and Keiran both, where on earth Colm was, and on that earth, you couldn't give him the darndest of answers.

Each time threatening to rid of both of you right here and there every time you gave him the same answer.

He was no man to play games with, but you still played them. He threatened it but never did actually point the barrel of his gun at you again. You shivered as a small ache crept from your arm just thinking about it.

With the eye contact you regrettably made, Arthur finally decided he'd saunter over and have a friendly little chat with you.

You shifted your weight uncomfortably, your arms and shoulders hurting with every second you didn't stay still.

He seemed to have this look in his eye that you couldn't quite place.

"I reckon it's time to change that bandage of yours." He commented, half gesturing for your arm before looking down and reaching into his satchel.

You didn't want him to touch you, hell, you didn't even want that stinking man anywhere in your sights.

"No, please. I'd rather it get infected so god can take care of it instead." You dismissed, kicking out your leg in an attempt to wave him off since you couldn't use your arm to do so.

He snickered as he crouched down beside you, moving for his knife, and to your surprise, he started cutting at the ropes that kept you tethered to the tree.

"That'd be a good few weeks of worse pain before it finally took you, pain I can just save you from now."

"There's a lot you could've saved me from, not being a poor aim on the day you shot me would've been it." Jeering at him with sass.

Any relief you would have felt from the breakage of your bounds was cut short as you hissed out a gasp of pain.

His large, calloused hand wrapped and dug in just above your wound.

Your instinctual reaction had your right hand balled into a fist and swinging around into a hook that landed sweetly on the side of his face before you could do anything about it, or so that's what you claimed.

It caught him off-guard, taking him a second to react, by which he squeezed your arm even harder and reached for your other wrist in a tight, abrasive grasp.

You cried out while he manhandled you. "Fuck- quit grabbin' me like that, you big brute!" You stirred under him, but he kept you still in an almost a perfect manner.

The whole commotion caught everyone's attention, their turned heads held looks of confusion and surprise.

"Im tryna help your ass, woman." He snarled, keeping you from jerking around. "Hold damn still before I save myself the trouble instead."

You looked away, mumbling a curse under your breath. By no means did you relax, but you stopped fidgeting, he cautiously let go. His eyes burned holes through you as he did.

Suddenly, he reached for your buttoned shirt, you flinched back in befuddled surprise.

"Just what the hell do you think this is?" You demanded, fully desiring to line up another fist to his face, if it wasn't for the control he had over you with clasping your arm.

"Your sleeve doesn't roll up that far. Didn't I tell you to hold still?"

You felt overwhelmed with rage, and worst yet, you couldn't do anything about it.

"Don't look at me like that, how else do you think I took care of this for you before?" He adds, leaving you in silence.

A man undoing your shirt wasn't the problem. The man doing it, was.

"I was hoping you had left me in the care of one of the more dignified ladies here."

"You wandered off so far from where we camped, you would've died before then." He counters, shaking his head.

"And I would have thanked you, if you left it at that." You stayed arguing, but slighted your head up, giving him easier access to your buttons.

His eyes flickered from your face and to your shirt for a moment at your small gesture.

"Left it at that? Nah, I couldn't let you get away with all that money." He takes a moment, unbuttoning your shirt half way, exposing most of your bra.

It was enough to get your arm out but not leave much to the imagination.

"I was hopin you'd know more than your buddy, yet, neither of you annoying shits seem to recall jack all." He nagged, giving you a stern look before returning his gaze to your arm.

You couldn't say much in return when you felt him pinch and prod at your arm, needles running through your body.

You groaned your hurt, though he didn't seem to care much.

"Don't punch me again, y/n. I ain't beyond hittin' a lady like you."

You gave him a dismissive, smug look, shrugging your shoulder through the aching and burning he inflicted on you.

"I'll just skip that part and put a bullet through your other arm instead," he halts his medical measures and grabs your face, squeezing your cheeks in a firm grip. "You understand me?"

You shook your head away from his grasp, a small, childlike and petty desire to jab at him grew inside you.

"You sure feel me up a lot for someone who hates O'Driscolls so much." Your lips curl upward into a mischievous smile.

He raises a brow, leaning away from you, scoffing in disbelief.

"I'd prefer much anything over you, O'Driscoll." He gripes, returning back to your wound, unraveling the old bandage.

"Yeah, I can see that, considering you have me almost half undressed." You did your utmost to keep from looking at your wound, instead keeping your eyes on Arthur's face. His eyes kept strictly at your arm, never faltering as he lazily slathered on some sort of ointment.

"You're full of yourself. I wouldn't be doin' this if I didn't need to." He shakes his head.

As he finished with the fresh bandage, his hands finally had stopped poking you, leaving your arm in peace and an onset of relief.

"You know, I was thinkin' bout feedin you tonight," his words brought you back to how starving you were.

"Can't say I'm feelin' so kind now." His hand found the side of his face, his fingers inspecting the welt you had inflicted on his cheek.

Your stomach found his words utterly strangling, but begging him was out of the question.

"Dead people can't tell you where Colm is."

"So, the answer comes to you if you're fed?" His eyebrow shoots up, sarcasm plastered all over his freshly punched face.

"I can give you my best guess if you feed me." You explained, irritation being the entire undertone of your statement.

"You think guesses are gonna get you fed? Huh, girl?"

"That, or I simply wont have enough energy to think much on Colm." You cajoled, your smirk slowly returned.

"Careful with that mouth of yours, it's gettin' real tiresome." He sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Yours reached that point way long ago." You fired back, his face now full of frustration.

"Glad to hear you're not hungry, O'Driscoll." He griped, returning rope to your wrists.

You full well expected it, but having them back on so soon displeased you beyond words.

Once he tied you up good, he got back up without a word and promptly left back to camp, leaving you alone on your tree once more.

You leaned your head back, wondering just how much longer they'd leave you tied up before they acted on their word of killing you both.

Minutes passed as you felt your eyelids get heavy, you didn't want to sleep, not until at least everyone else, but being tired, starving and having been shot only a few days ago left you exhausted.

"Don't you fall asleep yet, y/n." That man's voice chimed. You grimaced at his return.

The front of him was shadowed in contrast to his backside, which faced the camps fire light. You couldn't quite see what he held as he made for you.

"Couldn't get enough of me, huh?" You teased with a straight face, irritation filling you once more.

"You would like if I couldn't, wouldn't you?" A shit eating grin spread across his face at his own comeback.

You scoffed in response, staring him up and down as he got closer and to your surprise - the smell of food wafted into your nose.

Your whole body jolted with excitement, though, you couldn't tell just why he decided on feeding you.

He unties your wound-free arm, but hesitates when handing you the bowl in his hand.

"What?" You ask, looking up at him, his large frame towering over you.

"Say please." He demands, an evil look on his face.

"You're crazy. Now hand it here."

You reach for it but he pulls it away.

"Just say please, O'Driscoll." He laughs, taking a step back to avoid your waving arm.

"Quite actin' a fool and just give it to me." Your voice tightened with anger, your hunger almost possessed you into fighting him for it.

"Didn't anyone teach you manners? Please aint that hard to say."

"It is when the man you're saying it to is the same one that shot you. Now-" You reach again, your hand finally collecting the soup filled bowl.

You glanced back up at him, almost in shock that he actually let you grab it.

"Alright, alright, but next time, I expect some manners, O'Driscoll." He grins, knowing this set you off.

Next time? Next time, really? Your face furrowed with disbelief. "I'm happy you're an optimistic man, Arthur, but next time'll be in your dreams."

"Don't get too cocksure, darlin'."

"You know, you look pretty good when your face has a big red mark on it from my fist." You commented, shuffling in bites as you spoke.

"Really? Well, I think you also looked pretty good tied up all these days." He countered, the smile he had on his face ever growing.

That smile, on that nasty man. You hated it.

"Leave me to finish my food in peace."

He hums in consideration. "As much as I'd like to, you aint tied back to the tree."

You glower at him, desiring to eat slower so you could spend more time to rest your rope burned wrists, but ridding yourself of his presence felt more important.

You stayed silent as you finished the rest of your food, which didn't take long, tossing the dish to his feet and laying back on the tree so he could re rope you.

"That's what I like to see from you, O'Driscoll." He nods with approval.

You ignore him, your pride hurt with every moment more you had to give into this man and his crook gang.

He ties you back up and returns to the heart of camp.

It wasnt long before you finally dozed off.

-

(Set after the scene when Keiran gets interrogated.)

You sat petrified, still as the tree behind you, gelding tongs. They pulled down his pants for it too, if Keiran hadn't spoken up, you feared you'd be subject to it as well.

Goosebumps had crept up your back just thinking about those searing hot metal peices anywhere near your barren skin.

Keiran had finally come up with something.

Six point cabin.

You recalled having been there a few times, but was Colm up there? Your guess was as good as Keirans unless he actually was sure of it.

Arthur finally released Keiran from the tree, pushing him to the direction of the horses, then he came to you.

"You get to join us too, O'Driscoll." A small sinister smile creeps on his face, cutting through your ropes. "You better hope he's not trickin' us."

"Either way, if I'm rid of you, it's fine with me." He finishes, pulling you to your feet, guiding you to his mount.

"I'll get the most joy out of that, I reckon." You affirmed, somewhat stumbling as he releases you.

"Whatever you say, princess." He chuckles, closely following you.

Arthur calls out to a John and Bill, telling them just what's about to happen.

Keiran and a man with a nasty scar on his face were mounting, if you had to assume, the name John seemed best to suit him.

The other - Bill who had to be the man that threatened to 'geld' Keiran, coincidentally the one who also ratted on you that not so faithful day.

As you reluctantly walked along, you passed your steed you so woefully desired to mount instead, your ticket out of here. But Arthur quickly dismissed the thought for you, pushing you to his horse instead.

You gave him a hard stare in return, frustrated with his shoving.

"We're gonna pay your buddies our respects." He announces, entirely unconcerned.

"They taking us to Colm?" Questions John, steering his horse away.

"That's what he says." Arthur attempted to lift you up but you wave away his hands and pull yourself up instead, as much as your arm protested in agony.

Keiran stuttered out his assumption on where the cabin and Colm was, they pushed their horses in the opposite direction of camp.

Arthur mounted on after you, and for the first few moments you chose to hang on to nothing, however as if he knew, he kicked his horse to a trot, prompting you to grab at his sides.

Even underneath his layer of clothing, you could feel his heavyset build that helped keep you steady. Looking him up and down, a shiny metal caught your eye.

You were captivated at the sight of your revolver, missing the feel of it at your side and in your palm whenever you saw fit.

He had taken your gun as if you weren't still alive to be the owner of it.

You clenched your jaw, angry at everything and now finally riding to your more likely than not demise, worse yet, possibly executed with your own gun.

He kicked his horse into a lope, leaving you clinging to his sides firmly.

He turned to look over his shoulder at you, clearly in response to your tightened grip.

A small smirk crossed his lips before peering back to the trail up ahead.

The rest of the entire ride consisted of Keiran condemning O'Driscolls, bickering and directions shouted from you and Keiran.

It didn't take very long at the speed in which you rode, though you feared slipping off everytime you didn't have a good hold on Arthur.

You approached a small hill, Keiran confirmed the destination upon arrival.

"Okay, off your horses." Arthur draws back the reins. "Let's go." His voice now low in tone.

He jumps off and you follow suit shortly after, sliding off the back of his horse.

John reminded you and Keiran as you snuck forward, that he was keepijg his eye on you. Although you felt Arthur had beat him to it, he stared daggers at you as you crept along with the rest of them.

"I ain't gonna shop you now, come on." Keiran assures. "That'd be suicide."

"You'll die, boy. But you'll lose your balls first." Warned Bill, his gravelly voice blunt as could be.

Bill wasn't a man you wanted to be too close to with threats like that, so you kept closer to Arthur.

"Jesus christ…" Keiran murmured under his breath.

The lot of you kept low as you came to a ridge overlooking the cabin.

Keiran gave the rundown, confirming they were in fact armed, drunk and not fond of strangers.

Colm would be in the same way, just in the comfort of the cabin, which you agreed on.

Unlike Keiran's declared opposition, the O'Driscolls were a gang you rode with for a good while and despite Colm's nasty behavior, you felt a large sense of betrayal. Betrayal or your life, as it was now.

Your thoughts interrupted by three men emerging from the small cover of young trees, conversing about something miniscule and not far from earshot.

Suddenly Keiran was grabbed by John, a gun to his head and a hand over his mouth.

Arthur followed suit, pulling you into him, losing your balance with his sudden pull, your own gun held to your head and any potential cries for help blocked by his rough hand.

The now non existent barrier betwen your back and his chest was closed, you could feel each breath and each nervous heart beat agaisnt you.

[blinddreams24]

Sharp Teeth

A Mermay Prompt

Masterlist

Prev / Next

“Uh, Dust? You awake?”

No answer.

Cross shot you a concerned look from the opening of the dark cave. “I brought a new friend. If… you wanted to meet them.”

“…”

“…Okay. We’ll leave you alone.” Cross swam back to you. “I guess Dust isn’t up yet and neither is boss so you can’t meet them just yet. For right now you can stay in my cave until we find you a better one.”

You nodded. It was really cool down here. Last time you were here you just saw Cross’s cave, your human eyes unable to see much farther than what was in front of you. Now, you could see that his cave was settled next to several others with a small crevasse in between that got deeper in one direction. You couldn’t see the bottom of the crevasse in that direction, it just turned black at a certain distance.

Cross had sent Killer and Horror out hunting, prompting them to share, before showing you around. He didn’t enter anyone else’s cave and encouraged you to do the same. Not that you wanted to. Especially with two unknown sirens in the mix. That didn’t mean you weren’t curious.

After following Cross back to his cave, he laid down to rest and encouraged you to as well wherever because you needed rest after all that. His cave was plenty big enough and gave you a lot of space to choose from as he settled down.

You awkwardly settled yourself next to him. Not close enough to touch but not too far away. Cross smiled at you before closing his sockets to sleep.

You closed your eyes too.

…

Several hours later, you realized that you couldn’t sleep. You had too much energy. Killer’s magic was still stirring in your system, and there was so much you hadn’t seen yet. You could breathe underwater! A gift like that was not to be wasted.

Careful not to wake Cross with your movement, you slipped out of his cave to explore a little.

The crevasse wasn’t quite as pretty as Cross’s den, but that didn’t matter all that much. Little fish darted around the caves in schools and, when you looked close enough, you could see crabs and shrimp picking food particles out of the water. They all shied away from you when you got close but the curious shrimp came back. When offered, they inspected your hand and started cleaning it. You let them for a minute before moving on. You had energy. You needed to move.

Inspecting the terrain, you swam up and down the crevasse a few times until something shiny caught your eye. You looked over to see something in the darkness of Dust’s cave glittering at you. You slowly approached to get a better look but made sure not to enter the cave.

The little shiny thing shimmered and moved. Maybe it was a small fish? That would make sense with it being such a bright blue color. A red one joined it a little to the left. You smiled. It was cute. They almost looked like eyes staring back at you.

They blinked.

Wait…

You reeled back as the eyes shot at you a hooded skeleton launched into view. He grabbed your tail when you tried to get away and opened his mouth to bite.

His teeth looked sharp as needles as you noticed something strange in his mouth.

A second jaw.

In a whirlwind, something tackled Dust and sent you both in different directions.

“Hey, Dusty~! How’s it going?” Killer sang as Dust shoved him away.

“You can’t keep every kill to yourself, Killer.” Dust snapped.

When you finally got a good look at your attacker you realized you still couldn’t see all of him. His eel half was stretched out to reach where he was but he still sat comfortably in his den.

Killer gave him a cheeky grin. “I’m not~.”

A hand gently grabbed your elbow and you turned to see Horror next to you. He nodded at you and Dust noticed.

“Horror. What is going on? Who is that?” Dust questioned.

Horror tipped his head at you. “Friend… We helped her… convert.”

Dust sighed. “Well, keep a leash on your pet. I thought they were an intruder.”

You squeaked in indignation. A pet!?

“Heheh.” Killer chuckled. “Maybe we should get a leash.”

You screamed at him as Horror held you back. You were gonna kill him. Oh my stars.

“Not pet… Y/n is a friend. Helped… me.” Horror defended. He seemed surprisingly comfortable talking to Dust.

The eel raised a brow at you, still addressing Horror. “Well then, let me know if you need any help with them.” With that he retreated back into his den. He didn’t turn around though. He just backed up, his long coiled end pulling him in.

It was creepy.

He flashed a toothy grin when he caught your eye before vanishing in the darkness.

You shivered.

“Wow.” Killer commented. “That was fast.” Horror nodded.

Confused, you trilled in question, hoping they’d understand you.

Killer turned towards Cross’s den. “Dust likes you already. He offered to help. Dust never offers to help.”

“You.” Horror butted in with a smirk. “You make helping… hard.”

Killer shrugged. “Skill issue.”

You laughed.

Killer and Horror led you back to where Cross was still sleeping. Killer pounced on him.

A flurry of bubbles and a roar was all you could make out of the chaos that happened before Killer hurried back to you.

“KILLER!!!!!” Cross roared.

“Crossy~!” Killer sang. “Dust almost killed y/n and you were too asleep to do anything about it!”

You blushed at Killer’s bluntness. It was your own fault. You shouldn’t have left.

Cross’s eyes found you next to Horror. “Are you okay, y/n?”

You nodded but Horror pushed your face to the side. You squeaked as he unceremoniously flipped you over by the tail and showed Cross the small scratches you got from Dust grabbing you.

Horror’s voice came out in a slight growl. “Someone wasn’t… watching them.”

“They were supposed to be asleep.” Cross deflected.

You chittered in annoyance and gestured aggressively at Killer, indicating that his magic made it hard to sleep.

Killer gave an innocent grin. “I’m sorry, y/n. What did you say?” He teased.

You screeched and thrashed in Horror’s hold, trying to get at Killer for the second time today.

“Would you look at that. It hasn’t even been a full day and you already can’t stand Killer.” Cross pointed out. “Welcome to the pod.”

“Hey!” Killer glared playfully. “I’m the life of the party and you know it!” Horror shoved him.

“You yourself are a party, Killer.”

You froze as the new voice boomed around you and the currents of the crevasse grew quick and violent. What was that?

“Boss!” Killer cheered. “You’re up!”

Still upside down, you stared with wide eyes down at a singular cyan eye in the darkness of the trench, the eye itself was huge. It narrowed when it saw you.

“What is this, Horror? Why is there a stranger in our home?” Came the voice of the darkness. You shivered and curled towards Horror.

Horror let you go and you hid behind him. “This is…y/n. We met them… on the shore. Befriended… Killer and Cross… Fed me. They asked to… be siren.” He said slowly yet proud.

The narrowed eye softened and blinked at you. “Ah. Welcome, y/n. Let me introduce myself.”

The currents violently shifted again as the darkness rose from the trench, becoming solid in the form of giant black tentacles that reached out and pulled a giant skeleton siren out of the trench, which you could see the bottom of now that he wasn’t there. As he came into the light you noticed that one eye was covered in a thick substance that looked like it was dripping.

“I am Nightmare, guardian of negativity and the darkness. I am proud to be the first leviathan to welcome you to the oceans.” He tipped his head politely.

You chirped back as politely as you could.

Seeing a kraken on a regular basis was going to take some getting used to.

[blueberrypancakesworld]

The nightmare under the dress

(Og)Fem!freddy/(Re)Fem!freddy x fem!reader

warning : tiny comfort, flirting if you look deep into it, implied wound, nightmare, no use of Y/n

Summary : Welcome to Springwood Kindergarten the new place for your child a place full of dreams…and two charming ladies who take care of the little ones and your dreams with lots of fun for everyone!

Info : This one-shot is based on the amazing and so brilliant art au (This Post) from the lovely and talented @fresm-ay check out the blog the art is just so good. Again thank you for letting do this and have fun reading everyone else too;)

gif by me

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

The dark car drove towards the kindergarten, the morning still hanging over the small town of Springwood. The sun hid behind the fog the lights of the town, the houses and the lights of the cars on the streets that stretched into the town. The light music from the radio filled the car and the weather report had prompted them both to take an umbrella each.

A large dark one and a small colorful umbrella. ,,Are you ready for your first day?" the woman asked and her gaze went for a few seconds to the little girl who was looking at her mother, beaming with joy.

The two braids that kept the tangled hair under control were interspersed with hair clips. The gap in her teeth from her latest success and another precious memory for her mother. The car continued to drive through the streets, but the two were heading for a very specific destination.

They had only moved to the small town a few weeks ago. They had practically fled the big city to escape the many people, cars and overcrowding that had demanded almost everything from them.

Especially in a time without a husband, useless, lazy, out for her body and not taking care of his daughter, he paid the maintenance to keep the cops off his back, but otherwise he didn't let himself be licked.

No use, she thought, focusing back on the road, having written down the route and seeing that they had arrived at the street.

She waited briefly before turning off and, after a few meters, saw the wire fence at the civic victory to keep the children out of the street and avoid the danger. ,,We're here!" the little girl shouted when she saw the colorful flags and toys outside in the garden area or play area for the others.

A smile full of serenity appeared on her mother's lips as she found a parking space after a few minutes and went to her daughter. ,,We're here and you my little frog have your first day of kindergarten," she said, helping her out of the car before taking her little hand and walking across the crosswalk towards the building.

The colorful backpack and the umbrella harmonized with the little red dress and the orange ribbons embroidered on it.

The grin and the gap in her teeth made her mother smile, but she was also proud and a little wistful that her daughter had grown up so much. Opening the waist-high gate and going inside, she saw a few children already glued to the window pane, watching the newcomer with interest and curiosity.

Just as she was about to open the door, it was yanked open and she came face to face with a blonde woman, her long curly hair tied back in a plait, her slightly vulture-like nose and her piercing yet empty-looking green eyes.

Long, gentle fingers lay against the door frame and a green, gray and beige dress clung to her body. A charming, almost arrogant smile and a shimmer of pink lip gloss could be seen.

A beauty, a dream woman who looked after my house. ,,Good morning, Miss, I wanted to drop off my little one for the first day," the mother caught herself and already felt the warm hand on her shoulder pulling her into the kindergarten, into something she didn't know what was happening to her.

,,Oh come in sweetie, I'm Miss Krueger the teacher and every child's dream" she introduced herself and winked at the little girl who seemed fascinated by the pink lip gloss and was probably wondering where she would get something like that.

,,I run the dream group over here together with my...colleague," she continued, her high heels clicking in the corridor and the mother followed, deeply fascinated.

Maybe the other reason wasn't just the financial situation, the separation from her useless husband, maybe it was that she was listening to her heart and was finally looking for a female partner.

Maybe she would find that happiness. Maybe even here in the city? The three of them went into the dream group where, when the door opened again, a pleasantly large play paradise opened up for the little girl. ,,So big!" She called out and her mother felt her clinging to her and begging for permission, which she let go with one last hug and a kiss on the cheek.

,,The girl with the curly hair is Nancy, the boy with the painting coat is Quentin and the girl by the CD player is Nancy too," the blonde whispered to her, watching her protégés with a look of pleasure before placing her hand, which was reassuring and inviting, on her mother's shoulder to lead her around.

The younger one hung her little one's backpack on her heels, placed the umbrella next to it and with one last look of affection went to her daughter with Miss.Krueger who continued to lead her around.

,,A coffee? I mean, we have time and my colleague will take care of everything else...tell me, where did you get the earrings if you don't mind my question dear" the blonde quacked and giggled a charming smile, a smile full of amusement as she suddenly came closer to the younger girl and put her fingers on her body again.

She could feel the other rich girl's perfume on her legs, a smoky note, she thought, and couldn't help but feel a bit perturbed.

She liked the blonde's amused manner, but there was something in those green eyes that looked at her. ,,A coffee please... and the earrings, well, I made them myself," she confessed and smiled slightly as the blonde made a surprised expression, moved away from her and turned to the coffee machine to pour the hot caffeine drink into two cups.

Without seeing the younger girl's gaze pass over her, she didn't take her eyes off the blonde as if she were being drawn to her again and again. ,,So this is homemade, maybe it's something for us to try together for coffee and cake, isn't it?" the blonde asked, handing her the cup as her fingers deliberately moved over the younger girl's.

The two women smiled at each other, their eyes meeting before they both enjoyed the coffee, knowing that it was a little break before they all had to go to work.

Until the clacking of shoes could be heard again, another attendant was there to chat with the mothers and fathers. Before slowly, rather cautiously, a woman joined them, a slight, almost shy smile on her lips.

The slightly sunken cheeks, the pointed nose and the dark blue eyes harmonized with the dark brown hair that had been put into a plait. The black high-heels at her ankles lay up her bare legs to a brown dress lighter than her hair with a white plaid that gave her a certain authority like a teacher.

Topped off with a beige brown cardigan that looked big and soft to protect her from the cold when she was out with the children. ,,Frensis, how nice wouldn't you have to look after little Quentin, you know how he is with his attention," came coolly from the blonde, but the smile on her lips didn't fade as she walked over to the brown-haired girl and simply tipped her coffee into the sink and joined her colleague.

,,Yes, well, hello Ma'm, I'm the other attendant here, pleased to meet you," she said to the smaller of the two attendants and held out her hand. Despite her gentle smile, her demeanor was somewhat submissive, as if she had already been through a lot.

Something she wouldn't wish on anyone else. ,,Nice to meet you, I have to go but I really appreciate the work you're doing here," the mother replied and squeezed her hand in gratitude, seeing the slight blush on the brown-haired girl's cheeks as she slowly loosened her grip on the blonde so that the two could wave goodbye to their "customer" until the main door closed and would only open again in the afternoon when it was time to pick up the town's children.

She listened to the sounds of her daughter as the little child bubbled over with joy about her new friends Quentin and Nancy, who were also super nice.

It was a joy to see them like that. ,,I'm so proud of you for making it through your first day and I'll give you hundreds of kisses for it," she said softly as she pulled the blanket up to keep out the cold and handed Mr. Bunny to her daughter and gave her a goodnight kiss before walking out of the room, slowly closing the door and letting the radio play the rest.

She spent the evening watching something on the old television, but her mind was also on something else. The two women who seemed so different and yet so alike that it was almost funny.

But after she had watched the movie and made herself a warm soothing tea with melatonin and the sweet soft sleepy feeling on her body did the rest, she went to her bedroom with a yawn, defeated by the day. She snuggled under the covers of her bed and sighed exhaustedly before turning off the light with her weaver and falling asleep.

A dreamless sleep for the beginning it seemed, at least for the time being, until the image formed of the sleep she was unaware of becoming something more real. Slowly, snow and soot formed the image of a kindergarten, the same kindergarten she knew, only different.

Different it wasn't full of warmth at least the place itself was glowing but outside it was cold so cold that she warmed her hands before going into the building to be safe from the snow. She was right about the heat the once colorful building with the children's alchendne voices had fallen silent.

As if someone had gone through hell and back, the place had changed. the place was a patchwork of dilapidated walls, back alleys and old factories with hot steelworks. ,,Hello?" she called out into the place and cringed as she heard a female but not of this wlet rather amused...demonic.

Trying to find a way out, she went back to the front door but it was no longer there and something told her that this could not mean anything good in the dream.

Especially not when the scene went completely awry in the factory and she almost ran into one of the hot pipes, which the unknown voice found amusing even if different. ,,Come here pretty Ma'm...let me look at you" she heard the voice a familiar voice as she felt something cold and sharp on her shoulder move around she saw Frensis stuck in a sweater her face burnt and on her right hand a leather glove with small rings on the fingertips.

A scream of anguish escaped the younger women as she rushed away from the figure, the metal trying to lay on her body and the brown-haired woman seemed amused.

She watched her prey, taking her time to touch the warm real skin it was something special and her victim didn't dare to move in fear and confusion.

A gentle touch on her cheek sent a cold shiver down her body. ,,Let me give you a dream!" she shouted and pulled out her weapon to strike her victim, who raised her hands defensively but was pushed away by something. As if someone else was grabbing her and with the opening of her eyes she was back in this confusion of confused scenes.

,,She's a pretty thing bitch take your own...now I'll show you a real nightmare" said the voice and she saw the shimmer of pink lipgloss before burnt skin wrapped around her waist, the same glove moved along her body and she looked into the burnt face of Miss.Krueger, blue eyes showing the joy of the hunt.

A laugh escaped the barely recognizable lips before the gloves came off. Oh the two dream demons would show their new pretty favorite victim what it meant to have her as  "friends". Let the new nightmare begin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@rl-nancyholbrook hey dear maybe you can get more invested threw this

@paranormalfool

[humankarkat]

Monster Of The Week bullshit please 👀

Oooooh MOTW is a really fun one with a whole lot of lore, buckle up.

It's a full AU my girlfriend and I are fleshing out, that's set like a 90's monster of the week style tv show, a la X-Files or Buffy The Vampire Slayer or something. But, see, the twist is that the entire ghost crew ARE the monsters.

Hera is a real ass space alien who has a cloaking device to disguise herself as human. I felt like the standard twilek alien design wasn't extreme enough for this AU, though, so she's like. A big ol' bug alien, six limbs, chitin, the works. When she has her glamour on, though, she's like, a 5'3" little ginger in pigtail braids. Chopper is her robot assistant, disguised as a corgi. Kanan and Ezra are mediums who can see and talk to ghosts. Sabine is an escaped government super soldier experiment who has super human strength. Zeb is Bigfoot. They all live in an RV called the Ghost and go on adventures across the continental united states in the mid-90's, all while trying to avoid the dedicated FBI agent on their tail, Agent Kallus.

There's a whole lot of fun swaps and modernization that we've been working on, like Attolon being an abandoned military test center in the middle of the New Mexico desert, or Maul being Mothman, or Grand Admiral Thrawn being a real-ass vampire. The Phantom is a Mini Cooper. Lyste is a small town cop from Ezra's hometown. Ahsoka's a park ranger in the middle of West Virginia, and also a different kind of space alien. There's a government conspiracy to use mediums for military experiments. It's a hoot.

Speaking of Attolon and Vampire Thrawn, every time I write a snippet of him, it ends up getting very horror-y, which I think is rather appropriate for him. At Attolon, I felt it would be very thematically relevant and a lot more high-stakes for Sato's self-sacrifice to go... a little differently.

“I can get you that opening,” Sato said quietly.  Hera looked over at him. There was a look of resolve on his face that suddenly made her very nervous. “Sato, what are you doing?”  He stood and peeked around the doorframe that was his cover. “Whatever you do,” he said, his eyes set firmly somewhere on the line of feds in front of them, “make sure Ezra gets out.”  “Jun, wait,” Hera called, but he'd already stepped out from his cover and started towards his target, gun drawn. “Jun!” “What's he doing?” Called Zeb, firing a few shots off to try and cover him.  As Sato approached the barricade, the gunfire paradoxically slowed, the officers hesitating at the bold-faced confidence and single-minded purpose of the man walking towards them. The setting sun glinted off the hilt of his gun as he raised it, and, with a single resounding shot, fired one bullet directly into Konstantine’s head. The General's body seemed to fall in slow motion as every soldier in front of them fell silent.  Silent enough that the crunch of Sato’s windpipe was audible when the Admiral seemed to appear out of the darkness itself to latch his jaws around his throat.  Silent enough for Mart’s strangled cry of despair to ring in the air, Zeb too slow to shield him from the scene.  Sato’s gun slipped from his grip with a clatter. His eyes were wide and glassy as the color drained from his face and out through the gaping wound in his neck, painting Thrawn's uniform a gruesome crimson. The two tumbled to the ground, and through her haze of disbelief Hera realized that Thrawn’s attention was now solely focused on the twitching body beneath him, and the soldiers surrounding them were too stunned to fill the gap left by Konstantine.  “Ezra, go now!” Hera hissed into the radio.

Anyways I have so many thoughts all the time about MOTW, there's so much more to it than this and it's nowhere near something postable but I'm always willing to talk about it lmao

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

what are some of your fave Sonic games? ✨

Well, I'm actually not much of a gamer, (and also don't own a console 🥲) though I've played like halfway through Sonic Unleashed and partway through Sonic CD. (I've been stuck at a daytime level in Holoska for over a year 🥲) I did play all the way through Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog, though. BUT. If you're talking story-wise, I can answer a lot more easily! These answers will be based on the story, not the gameplay. 😁

Sonic Frontiers is definitely one of my top favorites. It legit made me CRY. 😭 I felt each and every one of the characters, and they felt so so ALIVE. Sonic's different dynamics with each of his friends stuck out to me, especially with Tails. 🥹 Not to mention Sage's introduction and her entire arc. 😭❤️ Frontiers came out shortly after I joined the fandom, so it's extra special to me. It was a lovely introduction to the core of the game versions of these characters. 🤩

I also love Sonic Unleashed! Sure, it may be hard for me to play lol, but the story is so dang good. I love how it explored who Sonic is, as a person, once stripped of his signature speed. And he didn't disappoint. 💙 He's still so caring, so selfless, as he decides to start looking after some random little guy who'd lost his memories. Right after getting electrocuted, infused with dark energy, and shot out through space to smash into the planet, no less. He always wants to help, and in this case it just so happened that his general kindness and selflessness got him a friendship with a deity. 😂💙

I love the classic story of Sonic Adventure 1 & 2! Shadow as a character is SOOOOO amazing, and I always love to see him. I love certain elements of Sonic 06, such as Team Dark's dynamic and portrayal, and Silver and Blaze's close relationship. 🤍💜 I love Sonic & the Secret Rings, with Sonic's kindness (and snarkiness, and silliness) on full display in his friendship with Shahra. I love Sonic & the Black Knight for its AU feel and spectacular medieval setting and beautiful writing. I love elements of Sonic Colors, especially Sonic and Tails's bond. I love the Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog for its slice of life feel, everyday life characterization, and dynamics. I love Sonic Dream Team for it's beautiful animation, fascinating and entertaining story, and the introduction of Ariem. 💙

I just love the vast majority of the content there is. 😅 I got a little carried away, didn't I? 🤣

Thank you for the ask! 💙