#it’s a valid question in many cases i’m sure

[beatopia-films]

FARMERS DAUGHTER part iii !

matt sturniolo x fem!reader

warnings : strong language, mentions of vomit, tattoos and cuteness !

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the last thing y/n expected was matt sturniolo asking her to hang out. despite never hanging out with a boy alone before, she agreed but getting her dad to agree was the difficult part.

growing up in a strict household was hard. yes, y/n was close to her family but sometimes it all felt like it was too much. sure she’d had crushes before but nothing ever happened.

matt would be coming to pick her up in about 2 hours and she still hasn’t asked her dad for permission to go out with him.

“hey, dad.” she slowly walked up to him with a smile on her face.

“hey honey, everything okay?” he responded, his attention going to the tv.

y/n took a deep breath in before continuing. “can i go out tonight?” she asked.

her dad gave her a confused look, “with who?” he questioned, watching the tv again.

“well, his name is matt. he came by the other day with his brothers.” y/n blushed at the thought of that day.

“oh, i see.” he nodded in response. “the one with tattoos?” y/n’s face dropped. he was not going to let her hang out with him.

“yes but he’s really sweet!” she argued, attempting to make a valid point. “please, dad. i’m begging you! i’ve never asked for anything like this before.” she continued.

her dad let out a frustrated sigh, “you know how i feel about these things.” he told his daughter. “but…..i’ll allow it.”

“thank you so so much!” y/n smiled excitedly, giving her dad a hug before running upstairs to get changed. “i will literally clean the stables in return.” she said in a positive tone.

“i’ll keep that in mind, don’t worry.” he laughed, knowing that his daughter would definitely refuse once the time came.

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y/n looked in the mirror at her baby blue dress covered in little flowers and the brown cowboy boots she wore. she was very happy with her outfit and couldn’t wait to see matt.

a couple minutes passed and there was no sign of him. had she been stood up? her heart was racing at the anticipation, she desperately hoped he was stuck in traffic.

it was like the universe was listening to her because all of a sudden she heard the doorbell ring. she quickly dived off her bed and rushed downstairs to open the door.

“hey.” she smiled, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as they made eye contact.

“hi.” matt replied, his mouth slightly open. she looked absolutely beautiful. “you look really pretty.” he told her honestly, trying his best to act normal.

“thanks.” y/n’s smile grew. “i really like your shirt.” she said, pointing at the band shirt he was wearing. it read “the cure.”

“oh, thanks.” he nodded at her. “you like the cure?” matt asked, attempting to keep the conversation going.

her eyes lit up, “yes! i love the cure.” she then pulled out her phone to show him her phone case which was the iconic photo of robert smith on stage with his guitar.

“holy shit, that’s so cool.” matt told her, getting a closer look at it.

y/n put her phone away before looking up at him. “so, where are we going?” she asked.

“well, i was thinking i could drive us to get something to eat and then we could do whatever.” he explained.

“okay but i get aux!” y/n called out first, already making her way to his car.

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“so, how many tattoos do you have?” y/n asked, looking over at him as he drove.

“to be completely honest. i lost count.” he let out a small laugh, keeping his eyes on the road. “what about you? any tattoos?”

“just one.” she shrugged her shoulders. his eyes widened in response. that was unexpected. “for real?” he questioned.

“yeah. it’s only little but don’t tell my dad.” she laughed, imagining her dad’s reaction.

“does he not like tattoos?” matt asked her, the car then coming to a stop at a red light.

“well, let’s just say he almost didn’t let me come out because of your tattoos.” y/n said, pointing to his sleeve of them.

“should i like…get rid of them or something?” he spoke in an unsure tone.

she laughed at his words, “no, i think they look cool.” she complimented.

matt blushed slightly, “so how’s ronald doing?” he quickly changed the subject.

“he’s literally been throwing up for weeks.” y/n shook her head humorously. “it’s so gross but he’s getting there.”

“poor little guy.” matt empathized with the goat after what his brother did. “next time we come over, i’ll make sure chris isn’t allowed to feed the animals.” he kept a note in his mind.

matt then pulled into the fast food place and found a parking spot before they went inside to get something to eat.

“is there anything specific you’d like?” he turned to face the girl.

“i’m in the mood for some pizza actually.” she told him as he nodded, ordering a margarita pizza for the two of them to share.

“i don’t mind splitting it.” y/n quickly stopped him from paying. he looked over at her as if she was crazy. “absolutely not, i’m paying.” he immediately rejected her deal.

y/n felt bad for letting matt pay for the meal so she kept a mental note to pay him back to right amount of money.

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INSTAGRAM POST !

❤️ 💬 ➤

liked by user82 and 3,927 others

sturniolo.updates matt was spotted with y/n, a farm girl who was featured in their recent video. they were seen at a fast food place smiling with each other. apparently they looked very cozy ♥️

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user19 WHAT NO

user93 absolutely not

user not the farm girl 💀💀

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TAGLIST

@jnkvivi @sturniololvrrr @iluvmattsbeard @bxtchboy69 @cheesesoda @mattyb4dominicans @hearteyesformatt @stasiesturn @nathandoesgf @franticroads @larnieboox88 @e1ias3 @sturniolosarethebest @sturnish @cdbabymp3 @sturnzsblog @unbruisable @nsjsnshey @mattybslover

[stvrchaser]

fellas, DO NOT fall for the person who reminds you a little too much of yourself unless you want a little voice in your head going “well if you like them, and you’re so similar, what makes you think they don’t like you?”

[tommykinard6]

Buddie fans, my loves, come have a seat for a moment.

I want to have a chat, from a long time Buddie lover to you, whether you’re new or have been here a long time.

It’s okay.

I’ve been in the trenches with you. I’ve been pulling for Buck and Eddie to get together for years. I haven’t given up, even as I’ve seen other fans leave because they lost hope. I don’t blame them. The Buddie section of the fandom has been powerful and beautiful and all consuming. We’ve gone seven seasons and up until this point, not one of the two men in question was even confirmed to be queer.

But we all need to take a moment and breathe. That’s it. Stop doom scrolling for a moment and breathe in.

Good. Now hold for a moment.

And breathe out.

I’m going to get real here, alright? And you might not like everything I say and that’s ok.

We need to stop being a problem. Stay with me. I’m not saying we need to stop shipping Eddie and Buck. Far from it. I will love that ship forever. I’m not saying we need to stop our fanfics or fanart or our love for these two. Our feelings are valid. Many of us have been in love with these two for a long time. The Buckley-Diaz family is a strong unit.

Our feelings are valid and we feel what we feel. But our reactions are utterly and entirely our own responsibility.

We need to stop the bullying.

Let’s face it, many Buddie fans have also been long time bullies in the fandom. Particularly in regard to the actresses who have played the female love interests in the past. Don’t get me wrong, aside from maybe Ali, I have disliked every love interest introduced. But have we not yet learned to separate actress from character? If we are going to dislike an actress, let’s do it for a valid reason. Marisol’s actress for example is problematic. But many fans have rained hell down upon any woman introduced.

I’ve noticed this issue for a long time. But now we’re dealing with the issue being even more widespread because of Buck/Tommy. Now fans are bullying each other. The fandom is divided, even in what is probably one of the better seasons we’ve gotten (in my opinion). I need you guys to stay with me here.

Buck is bi.

Let’s say that again. Evan Buckley is bisexual. A major character on a major show on a major network, previously a womanizer and still a very masculine figure, is queer.

This is monumental. This is amazing.

But so many of you are letting your feelings about Buddie get in the way of appreciating the progress we’ve made. Especially with the reintroduction of Tommy Kinard, Buck’s love interest.

Let’s clear up a couple of things, shall we? Tommy Kinard is not Sal DeLuca. He is not Captain Gerrard. While he was part of the old 118 and definitely was in the old boys club, not only is he not the major problem, but in most cases that he’s an asshole, it can be traced back to his own secret. It’s not great, sure. But let’s look at the facts. Chimney is friends and still keeps in touch with him. Hen appears to hold no animosity and was clearly comfortable with him. In Bobby Begins, they all are friends. And clearly, Tommy has undergone a massive self-growth period. You cannot try to back up your point with inaccurate facts.

People can change. People can also be forgiven. It’s the prerogative of those involved. Enough said.

“But TK6,” you may say, “Buck should be with Eddie! Tommy is a plot device!”

Let’s set aside instant gratification culture really quick and talk about storytelling. You cannot get everything you want when you want it. You also cannot have your cake and eat it too. Buck and Eddie, if both queer, were never going to come out at the same time. Do we really want that?! Because identity is messy. Self discovery is messy. Eddie has Catholic guilt. Buck has self esteem/worth issues. Life isn’t a fanfiction. The real possibility of their relationship surviving such a transition isn’t all that high. IF Eddie is canonically queer, he’s going to have a rougher path than Buck has had.

Also, everyone is a plot device. Let’s get real. If a character doesn’t move a plot along, what’s the point? YES, Tommy is there for a storyline. That doesn’t in anyway invalidate his existence or his presence in Buck’s life.

If you want an instant Buddie storyline, visit ao3! There are amazing stories on there.

Now let’s talk about Buck/Tommy, or TEvan.

I am a long time Buddie lover. I also proudly ship TEvan. Yes, those can coexist. I don’t often multiship, but it’s a beautiful thing. I want Buddie to be endgame, sure! But I’m also okay if TEvan lasts. If they end up being endgame, will I be disappointed about Buddie? Of course. I will also be thrilled because Buck and Tommy are a sweet couple and I’m here for it.

As a queer woman, I’m happy that Buck is bi. Multisexual representation is still sorely lacking. Male sexuality that lets a man keep his masculinity while being queer? Even more so. Just take a look at the ao3 tag. Buck is emasculated in many fics. That’s why I stopped reading a lot.

We have a ship here that includes two very masculine men, who are emotionally vulnerable and exploring something new. I understand ship disappointment. But the negativity is wild. We need to stop the bullying. We need to stop the cheating storylines. We need to stop making Tommy into an ab*s*r only because we apparently can’t handle a love interest being a good person.

At the end of the day, these are fictional characters. It’s a fictional show. But these are real people. All of us are sitting here behind our screens with real feelings. We need to stop.

Buddie may one day happen. And maybe they won’t. TEvan might be endgame. They might not be. Tis the way of 9-1-1. It’s exciting, isn’t it? Waiting for something new and exciting. It was starting to get a little stagnant.

As a queer person, I’m not trying to gatekeep anyone. However, we cannot sit here and say “stop queerbaiting us!!!!” (They weren’t, we’ve always had queer representation on 9-1-1) “give us more representation” and then when they give it to us say, “NO! Not that way!”

If it was about the representation, it being Eddie or Tommy would matter a lot less.

So if you are someone using representation to shield yourself, kindly just be honest with yourself and everyone else.

In the words of our Lady and Savior Taylor Swift, “You need to calm down”.

Now, back off into the world of scrolling you go, my lovelies. Remember, keep an open mind and breathe. At the end of the day, it’s a show. But I for one will happily wait for every episode because I’m loving this.

[kaeichi]

ღ ˚⋅ coffee talk — mikage reo.

mikage reo is not addicted to caffeine.

that's what he keeps telling nagi, anyway. the latter doesn't know why he keeps reiterating that “fact” either—he doesn't even care, nor does he believe him in the first place—but even someone like nagi would suspect something is amiss solely by the way reo keeps coming back to the coffee shop that the heir deemed second-rate not too long ago.

today marks day eleven of visiting said coffee shop in a row; nagi barely steps his foot in, and he already wants to leave.

“welcome, reo! and nagi too!”

that something that nagi suspects comes in the form of a living, breathing person; one that usually takes reo’s order and makes his specialized coffee for him.

(“it tastes different somehow, nagi!” reo had explained to him the other day, justifying his countless visits and spending too much on tips—though for the pro soccer player and CEO of a business corporation, absolutely nothing is too much for him. “you should give it a try. i swear, that barista has magic hands or something. i've had so many macchiatos before, but none of them has tasted so…delectable, so lush, and so—”

“oh, i’m sure.” nagi commented offhandedly, zoning out and hoping this is just another one of reo’s many fleeting interests.)

unfortunately that is not the case this time, especially not with the way reo’s legs immediately go stiff when he advances rather awkwardly over the counter, as if he suddenly forgot how to walk just by the sound of your voice. nagi can tell how you pretend not to notice, a gentle smile on your face beckoning him closer, your eyes as warm as the yellow string lights hung on the walls around the quiet shop and the freshly ground arabica beans that you’ve been brewing in the back.

this is so…yeah, no. nagi should definitely just leave.

“the usual caramel macchiato today? or just a regular latte this time?” your eyes look up from the register when reo doesn't verbally reply, peering at him through your lashes, and he wants to smack himself for accidentally being entranced by your lips moving and taking too long to answer. he can already hear nagi’s voice taunting him: get a grip already, reo.

“yes, please.”

“…sorry, which one?”

he takes a second to breath. he has to, or else he'll end up making an even bigger fool of himself. “uh, i'll just get a latte. since i already had one this morning.”

you then focus your full attention to him, a teasing look evident in your gaze. “you should really tone down the caffeine intake, reo. i can't imagine how that'd be healthy for you.”

“haha, consider it as a compliment to your coffee-making skills.”

there is an actual growing concern that you have for him, since he has been showing up for the past eleven days and getting macchiatos or lattes; at times even twice a day, so your mild unease is valid. there is also that possibility that he's been getting those for someone else, but you discard that thought when you see him stay in the shop sometimes, leisurely drinking from his steaming mug as he types away on his laptop on nights that he's not overly busy.

nonetheless, he remains your favorite customer, and it's not just because of his generous tips and all. you do wonder what he does for a living; would it be rude to ask? though, you suppose you can reserve that question when you start to get to know him personally on some other occasion.

wait, get to know him personally? you glance towards the elegantly dressed male once again once you're done pouring the scalding liquid onto the disposable cup, taking in his lavish appearance and slicked back violet hair—you can't help but think he may be out of your league.

but something tells you that you shouldn't be afraid, not with the hint of pink dusting his cheeks and the earnest, tender smile that always adorns his face whenever he talks to you.

“my shift is ending in five minutes. if you wanna wait, then maybe we can head out together…?”

you're relieved to have taken the chance, because the purple-haired male suddenly jolts, “y-yeah, of course! let me just tell–” when reo turns around to see that his companion is nowhere to be found, he sighs. “…nevermind.”

he hears you stifle a giggle, a sweet melody falling in his ears, and he's so glad he found the time to squeeze in this quick trip tonight despite his hectic schedule. when you hand him his latte, the corners of his mouth inadvertently lifts up as he sees your handwriting on the cup in black ink:

Reo ღ ◡̈

a few minutes later, after you have changed out of your black apron and gathered your stuff, reo walks out of the coffee shop with you, the chilly autumn air breezing past his skin.

his eyes flit downward when you rub your hands in an attempt to heat them up.

it's cold tonight, coldest it has been in a week, yet reo feels warm all of a sudden, even though he barely had a sip from his drink. he wipes his free hand on his slacks, a build up of sweat coating his palm. he regrets not taking his blazer off in his car, because it now feels uncomfortably tight around him, and since when did it get so hot—

“you okay, reo?” you cast him a side glance over the shoulder, eyes raking over his restless form, “you're so fidgety.”

“sorry, yeah. it's just the coffee.”

you give a pointed look, wordlessly reminding him again that maybe he should dial it down or some. it's fine, he's not addicted to caffeine, to something else maybe, but not caffeine. reo’s gaze drifts downwards again, glancing at your empty palm again, and… oh.

that must've been why his fingers kept twitching. for now, he refrains from reaching out, hopeful that this wouldn't be his last encounter with you, and that he'll eventually find the courage someday.

slicked back hair reo.... reo i need u so bad ples

[is-the-post-reliable]

Hello! I recently discovered your blog, and I love to see you fact checking claims in posts.

I have a question, if it’s not too much to ask: How do you know that a source is reliable? Especially when it comes to particularly contentious subjects where everyone will accuse each other of believing propaganda and spreading misinformation. I’ve seen internet arguments where someone will cite a source and the other person discredits it one way or another. It sometimes feels like a back and forth between people debunking each others’ claims. I’m just lost on how to know you’re getting good information when trying to stay informed.

Have a good day! Thank you for taking the time to run this blog,

hi! thanks for sending this in

So I don't think there's a universal answer to your question, and truthfully I'm not sure we can ever know for certain that any information is 100% reliable. Even the most prestigious sources can release misinformation -for example, The Lancet, possibly the most important academic journal, published the fraudulent article by Andrew Wakefield that led to people believing that vaccines cause autism.

No source is always reliable, but we can try to find the source most likely to be reliable!

In regard to news sources, tools like MBFC can help you get a general understanding of the political leaning and credibility. However, even highly rates sources can be biased, so it's good to consider what relationship the source might have to your research topic. For example, the BBC has generally high credibility, but is often accused of bias on specific topics, such as trans issues.

Also, make sure to take note on whether the article is an opinion article - these are more often biased.

When it comes to academic journals, the type of study you're looking at is important - for example, a meta analysis, which reviews many different studies on one topic, is generally more reliable than a randomised control study, which is generally more reliable than a case study. See the evidence pyramid below:

I would always recommend reading multiple sources, rather than relying on just one.

If someone disputes a source, it's a good idea to listen and think critically about what they're saying and whether you think it's a valid criticism. Are they citing a source? Are they using facts or opinions? Is their source reliable?

Uh I can't think of anything else, but if you're ever unsure about a source or want to talk about anything in more detail, feel free to message me about it!

[ggukkiedae]

booked and busy

date: early august 2018

warning/s: none

notes from c: yoonmi gets booked and busy with the album release, their tour, and the new drama she’s filming! ctto for the gif, it’s not mine i found it on pinterest

SURPRISE GUYS I'M BACK 🥰 joon, chimc tae, and kookie went live today and we caught the tiniest glimpse of bald kookie sooooo i thought it was about time i start posting again 🥰 will have something related to the other six tannies' enlistments up later this month

word count: 2.4k

yoonmi gets validation from tae and a dance partner for the tour

Yoonmi barely processed Taehyung’s question as she quickly did reruns of her lines, script in her hands, track open on her monitor, and untouched lunch box on the table behind her. It had been weeks since she started filming for SKY Castle, and, because of how busy she’d be with touring, the crew was trying to get as many of her scenes for the first half of the series over with.

To her luck, the cast and crew were all friendly enough to help her out. There was no doubt about there being hesitation when it came to everyone approaching her at first, but they had speedily warmed up to her, especially the fellow younger half of actors and actresses that she’d be spending most of her time filming with.

However, everything was overlapping with each other. That is, her schedule for the drama and their comeback preparation. There were still a few finishing touches she needed to add to a concert version of the tracks, approvals to go through with the rest of rap line and the production team, and the choreography to complete with her performance team and to teach her dancers. Not to mention she still had to find someone (a trainee, says the company) to be her dance partner for her solo stage on their tour. It’s not like she could take Yeonjun with her since he’d be preparing for debut while they’re on tour. And the tour!

She could practically feel her body hurting from the amount of plane rides she’d have to take going from place to place while performing on stage or fulfilling her role.

“Hey,” Taehyung knocked on her head, pulling her out of her thoughts, “earth to Yoonmi. One task at a time, yeah? I suggest you eat first before continuing anything. Unless you want Jin hyung to be upset you didn’t eat the food he prepared for you.”

She shook her head but closed her script and turned to him, only to find him uncovering her food. “Were you here this whole time?”

“I’ve been watching you mutter lines to yourself for like fifteen minutes now.” He held a piece of meat up to her mouth with chopsticks. “Now, eat.”

She rolled her eyes but ate the piece and grabbed a pair of chopsticks for herself.

This had been how things were for the past few weeks. Whenever she’d be in the company for any of the three main meals of the day, Seokjin or Taehyung would always drop by and make sure she was eating her meals. If she was on the set, they’d call her or call manager Sejin who’d be with her. Hoseok and Namjoon would make her take breaks, while Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi would always convince her (or wrestle, in Jungkook and sometimes Jimin’s case) to bed. It was some weird cycle they had established.

“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, aegi,” Taehyung pretended to scold while hitting her head with a spoon (thank God it was clean). “You get way too into your work, so you know we have to check in on you.”

“And how’d you know I was thinking about this weird set of roles you guys formed?”

“Because I know you. How’s filming going?”

“It’s going great, actually,” she smiled at him. “Everyone’s friendly, and the guy playing my twin brother is an idol, too! It’s funny when we met because he’s my sunbae for acting, but I’m his sunbae for idol life. The role is pretty easy to fulfill, and the plot is really intriguing.”

“As intriguing as me being killed by my brother by accident?”

“Intriguing in different ways,” she laughed before they fell to a silence. It was a whole ten minutes before she spoke up again, “Oppa, do you think this was a bad idea?”

Taehyung looked at her questioningly, making her sigh.

“I mean,” she leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees, “with the tour happening, do you think it was a bad idea to take this acting gig?”

“Personally, yeah,” Taehyung shrugged, making Yoonmi look at him in slight offense. “What, you asked! I’m just saying, as someone who literally helped raise you, I don’t like the idea of you balancing working on music and academics while jetting back and forth between Korea and whatever country we’re performing in and tiring yourself out to the point of passing out. Because I already know that it’s bound to happen at some point.”

She looked down, leaning back and biting into the cookie one of the members had given her at some point. Taehyung looked at her, already knowing the look on her face being one that could lead to her spiralling. He sighed, hating the fact that, no matter what the members and her friends and family told her, she always put others’ opinions of her before her own wants and needs.

“Hey,” Taehyung nudged her arm, “but, as an artist, I think it’s a great idea.”

This perked her up. “You think so?”

“It’s a great opportunity to show more sides of yourself that the public doesn’t really know,” he nodded. “Show them you’re not just an idol or a kid, but something more as well. I know you’re great at anything you put your mind to, except maybe drawing.”

She laughed and hit his arm.

Taehyung laughed with her. “No, yeah. Leave that area of expertise to Jungkook. I’m just saying, it’s a great opportunity for you to break out of whatever stereotypes or prejudices people have against you.”

“So, as my big brother, you say no. As my sunbae, you say yes. Internal conflict of interests, don’t you think?”

“Sure,” he snorted before tapping her knee and looking her in the eye, “but I have to remind you, because your reaction to what I said earlier tells me that you haven’t let it settle in your head. You can’t let what other people think about you discourage you, right?”

She huffed and crossed her arms before looking away. “It’s a little hard when I need to improve myself.”

“But at what cost? Your mental state? Cancelled opportunities? Why let other people’s opinions on you matter more than your own thoughts or opinions of yourself.”

“Because if I let my opinion of myself get to me more than what you guys think about me, I’d probably shrivel up in a hole, you know?”

The joking tone of her voice didn’t carry into the atmosphere of the room. Taehyung just looked at her. He knew that she, despite her proudly speaking her opinion and telling other people to be confident in themselves, is way too insecure for his and the rest of the group’s comfort. It was one of the many reasons that they always went out of their way to baby her and praise her.

It was at times like these, moments where she puts her thoughts on the table and curls into herself, where she looks young. Younger than she actually is. The girl in front of him was sixteen, turning seventeen, eighteen if you use Korean years. Yet, all he could see was the nervous preteen he met years ago.

“You do know you teach other people to love themselves, right?” he asked her.

“Do as I say, not as I do,” she shrugged, making him chuckle.

“We’re just gonna have to rub that into you until you do as you say, too. Wanna talk about it more?”

She shook her head. “No, not really. It’s almost three, and I have to head to the practice room to meet my dance partner for my solo song.”

“Why didn’t you just get one of us?”

“Well, I wanted to, but the company said that it would cut into the rest times of literally any of you, plus, Jungkook oppa was the original plan, but Euphoria and Why are right after each other.”

Taehyung wrinkled his nose but nodded and ruffled her hair. “Alright, let’s clean up, then I can drop you off before I got to my vocal session.”

“I am a mess,” Yoonmi muttered to herself as soon as she walked into the practice room. The reason being manager Sejin stepping in front of her and bringing down his sleeve over his hand to wipe crumbs off of her chin.

“Because you’re stressed out,” he shook his head at her, “so Namjoon and I cleared your schedule for the weekend. I also took the liberty of choosing your dance partner for you, and I think you’ll be okay with him.”

“As okay as I’d have been with Yeonjun oppa?”

“Not as much,” Sejin chuckled at her, “but I’ve seen you talk to Heeseung every now and then, so maybe?”

At the familiar name, she looked behind Sejin and saw the familiar face of the trainee she tended to run into late at night in the company. Heeseung was someone she did try to be more casual with ever since Yeonjun told her they were the same age. It was something she did try to do ever since Jimin and Taehyung had sat her down to tell to be more social with kids her age. She shook her head in amusement while hearing Jimin’s voice saying “Our aegi should spend more time being a kid with other kids!”

Back to the situation at hand, she thanked Sejin and walked to the other side of the room where Heeseung was giving her an awkward smile. It was something she was used to seeing from the trainees whenever they passed by her. The quick bow in greeting completed the experience.

“No need for that, Heeseung, I’ve told you that a billion times,” she laughed while putting a hand on his shoulder to straighten him up. “So you’re my dance partner?”

“Only if you’re okay with that,” he looked at her bashfully.

She laughed a bit and nodded, “Yeah, no biggie. Have you seen the videos?”

“If you don’t mind me asking,” he began after nodding, “I was wondering why it isn’t Jungkook sunbaenim dancing with you like in the video?”

“The setlist has his song and my song right after each other,” she shrugged. “Are you okay if we practice until around nine? There will be breaks of course, but we don’t have to if it cuts into your training time.”

He shakes his head and smiles at her. “Sounds good. The instructors let me off with the condition of doing well for your tour and shadowing you sunbaes for experience.”

“You can stick by me and see the oppas in all their chaotic glory,” she snorted before tugging on his sleeve to bring him to the center of the practice room. “Let’s try marking before the rest of the dancers get here.”

The practice went smoothly, considering she knew the choreography by heart and Heeseung caught on quickly. To Yoonmi’s pleasure, the choreography was almost as clean as she wanted it to be by the time the clock struck 9. All of the dancers got along well together, and there was no tension. They all even messed around with each other during the breaks, which was similar to how the dancers were in previous tours. But, all good things came to an end as the dancers left the practice room one by one, bidding goodbye.

“You’re not regretting agreeing to this, are you?” she asked Heeseung while handing him an energy drink. He had been sweating despite already removing his plaid shirt and being left in a tee.

“Not at all,” he grinned at her while accepting the drink, “it’s a great experience. I just want to know though, how do you practice for hours without removing your hoodie?”

“It’s comfy,” she shrugged.

A knock on the door caught their attention. Seokjin’s head popped in first, a big smile on his face before he let himself in and brought Yoonmi into a hug. Heeseung bowed at him, while he bowed back before turning his attention to her. She wrinkled her nose at him but wrapped her arms around his waist all the same. The elder placed a quick kiss to the top of her head before his face scrunched up.

“You need a shower, princess,” Seokjin squished her cheeks, making her look like a puffer fish.”

“I know,” the words came muffled out of her mouth, “is it home time?”

He nodded down at her before turning towards Heeseung with a smile. “So you’ll be joining us on tour?”

“Yes, sunbaenim.” The awkwardness was back.

Seokjin smiled. “We’ve heard good things about you, Heeseung, from both Yeonjun and management. We’re looking forward to working with you.”

Heeseung’s eyes widened before he thanked the senior. Seokjin laughed a little before letting go of Yoonmi and picking up her bag for her. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’m taking this one home for dinner before she passes out from being overworked. She still has filming tomorrow morning.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon,” she squeezed Heeseung’s arm with a grateful smile, “don’t stay too late today or I’ll tell Seri! I know she’s gonna mother hen you even from a different continent.”

He snorted but lightly hit her shoulder. “Alright, fine. See you tomorrow.”

Yoonmi made her way towards Seokjin who was waiting for her by the door, already having memorized the spiel he was giving. Eat food on time, rest, one task at a time, and everything along those lines.

“And I want you asleep by 10:30,” he continued despite them reaching the parking lot already, “so you can have a full eight hours of sleep before heading to the shoot, okay? Jimin has the morning off, so he’ll be going with you.”

This put a frown on her face. She hated the fact that the members were going out of their way to help her or accompany her when they could be resting instead. Also, the director and the PDs were asking her to keep the members from coming on set as much as possible so they don’t get spoiled. And because they can get embarrassingly fussy over her in between takes.

It’s not that she didn’t like it, she would easily admit that it felt nice knowing the members cared for her, but it did get her a little shy with all the cast and staff staring at them.

“Yoongi and I made him promise to stay beside Sejin hyung,” Seokjin smiled at her, “you don’t have to worry about the unnecessary staring. You can probably get away with hiding with your castmates. You know, the ones casted as your fellow kids?”

She laughed. “You know me too well.”

“What type of big brothers would we be if we didn’t?” He helped her into the passenger’s seat before getting into the driver’s seat. “Let’s get you fed and showered so you can be at full battery tomorrow.”

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[queerbrownvegan]

Ecologies of collapse in Palestine 🇵🇸 

I don’t think we can solve the climate crisis if we can’t even decide whether or not Palestinians are going through a genocide. 

I’m afraid the [dominant] environmental movement has failed to clearly define what it means to liberate the world from an oppressive system. Removing a part of the apparatus is not systemic change. 

People have turned their backs on the United Nations 🇺🇳 for trying to call attention to the several human rights violations happening and that Israel’s government must be held accountable. Brazil 🇧🇷 government has named the incident one of the world's most terrible war crimes. Turkey 🇹🇷 has filed a lawsuit in international courts to hold the war criminal accountable. France 🇫🇷 has called for a ceasefire. None of these governments are innocent either, but it begs the question, why can't our governments take a stance against genocide?

Despite the rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism, we must continue to fight alongside our Muslim & Jewish communities, calling for an end to genocide. Critiquing an oppressive government should not be seen as antisemitic. Consuming ourselves to victimhood and weaponizing tears over the bloodshed of bodies blown up is a tool of the oppressor. A ceasefire includes the return of hostages. Validation of the count of death in Israelíes is also recognized. I don’t think many of the people asking for Free Palestine are not saying that both sides can’t grieve, but when it comes to weaponizing grief and tears to prohibit critiquing of a government, that is the issue. Media platforms are heavily censoring accounts while also perpetuating misinformation. When it comes to holding the government accountable, it seems that it can never be the case because one’s country is purely ethical and just does not exist where the majority of oppressive governments have conducted genocide, violence, and displacement under business. 

Many of you were never on the same page with liberating the world nor my work. Many of you saw Indigenous communities as museums for your curiosity and inspiration for your spiritual journeys to repackage to people who lack depth in their relationship with the land. Many of you committed to Black Lives Matter because you extracted from Black culture for your benefit and recognized you weren’t as racist as your neighbor or friend. Many of you committed to LGBTQ+ movements only to know that your rainbow started in the US and ended in the US, but anything deemed othering is unattractive. Many of you became feminist under the guise of equality but for only those who looked like you. 

But may we also have grace for those who are scared to speak up because their employers, friends, or opportunities are at the line, which could further cause them to be deprived in an economic system where people choose their ability to live and die. I’m not angry at you, nor do I know your situation, but I know my situation has allowed me to say I’ve already lost things I thought I wanted, but I’m still alive. Isn’t being alive the most sacred thing to ourselves that we don’t wish to be taken?  It wasn’t a billionaire, corporation, or institution that kept me grounded and alive. It was my community that made sure I survived.

Remember, we can solve the climate crisis by bringing awareness to the horrors unfolding in Gaza.

[showtoonzfan]

One of the things I often hear amongst people who give out somewhat positive reviews for Hazbin/Helluva is "It has some mild flaws in its story and writing that those annoying critics are just blowing out of proportion." To some degree, I understand where they're coming from, but it makes me openly question: how flawed does a story's writing choices have to be until it's considered bad writing?

Is it when even if it's rushed and rough around the edges, is it still fun to watch? Is it when it's so distracting that you can't ignore it? At what point is it just watching a car crash in slow motion, rather than actually engaging with the story? I know you can only answer with your own thoughts as a fellow critic, so I want this to be more open for others to comment.

I agree with what you’re saying, to me this situation reminds me of how some of the Spindle crew reacted to criticism, mainly the “everyone is saying the same thing over and over!”- when….yeah, that’s for a reason, and maybe if critics and even FANS keep constantly saying the same feedback over and over, then how long does it take you to realize that maybe you should actually fix those problems within the show because that’s what the writing needs?

No one really wants to admit it but more and more fans are getting tired of the issues in Helluva, that’s why so many more critical videos keep popping up every day and more people are starting to get comfortable enough to talking about the issues it has on twitter. This is not only why the views are dropping, but why some fans are legit dropping the show because they’re tired of the story not improving or being more open minded all because of the writer’s stubbornness and ignorance. They try to say otherwise but they make it obvious that most of them have a hate boner for criticism, have no idea what it’s like being show runners/writers and lack thick skin.

I’ve seen so many fans and even the creators demonize the criticism by stating “more people need to learn to just enjoy media without being overly critical of every little thing!” And in some cases, yeah…that’s valid, obviously if you’re just torturing yourself consuming something without even having passion for it or enjoying yourself, then I agree. But again, this is where the ignorance from the creators and the fans come from. They don’t realize that some folks who are critical of the show are fans who WANT to see it get better and that’s why they’re providing criticism in the first place. People will make essay videos taking or ranting BECAUSE they have passion for it, that’s why so many people make critic blogs or even hate blogs towards Viv’s stuff because they’re passionate about it, and it’s a glaring issue today that the crew tries to roll any critic into the category of mindless trolls. Everyone has already said it before, but if you can’t take criticism and expect praise 24/7, then don’t become a show runner/creator, because that’s not how the real world works.

As for the audience, some are dropping the show, some are aware the show is flawed and are just staying to see where the trainwreck ends, some are still holding on to the hope that it’ll get better. All three decisions are valid so long as you have passion for it. For me I’ve lost all passion for this show, that’s why I’ll be dropping it after the Mammon episode because I can’t stick around any longer just to watch every character and concept get destroyed just to cater to two awful main characters and an awful romance, but I’m sure others will still be tuning in.

[spooo00oky]

Siren’s Spell

Chapter two.

Pairing: siren!Wooyoung x reader

Genre: fantasy, eventual smut, romance, fluff

Word Count: 11k+

Warnings: swearing, suggestive themes, Thalassophobia, assault (it’s brief but I’m putting it here just in case and it’s not Wooyoung), another cliff hanger (I have a thing for them I’m sorry), and more to come!

Author’s Note: Here is chapter 2! Life is going to be getting busy for me soon so it might be a little bit before chapter 3 comes out, but I hope you enjoy this chapter!

༄

Chapter II

I groaned softly as I awoke, immediately realizing just how sore I was. I don’t think the afterlife was supposed to be this painful, and the sudden rush of memories was enough to make my eyes shoot open. Wooyoung had tried to kill me, and I was definitely not in my apartment or even a hospital, that much was obvious by the unique decor of the room I was in. I bolted into a sitting position, the fuzzy blanket that had been carefully placed over me falling into my lap as I took in my surroundings. 

The room was made from a dark colored stone, not a material I was familiar with. It was polished smooth and gave the room a lavish feel to it, immediately making me feel out of place. Shell sconces hung in various points on the wall and gave the dimly lit room a warm glow despite there being no evidence of there being a flame within them. It had to be magic then, that was the only other explanation. Another very obvious detail I failed to notice was the lack of windows. It was a detail that’s so glaringly obvious now I don’t know how I missed it before. Was this a jail cell? I don’t know of many prisons that went out of their way to supply their inmates with beds as soft as clouds and furniture that looked like it belonged in a penthouse. 

“Oh you’re awake!” A familiar voice chirped from the doorway and I looked in time to get a lap full of siren, grunting from the force of the impact. I had half a thought to shove Wooyoung off of me, but my body locked up in fear instead. It made sense now of where I was, and who I was with, and just the severity of the situation. Wooyoung had dragged me below the river and trapped me in his home in an air pocket, and the only person who knew what happened was Logan, Logan of all people! Logan who would surely tell my grief stricken friends that his fucking nymph magic would save the day while Wooyoung ate me.

“You smell gross,” Wooyoung mumbles against my stomach before he’s raising himself to his elbows to look at me. “What’s wrong? Is it the decorations? I tried to find things that would fit your tastes but I can only do so much with what’s salvageable from the ship wrecks. You seem to like shiny and soft things so I took the shiny things from the ships and bought furniture from stores up top, even though it meant I had to have legs.” He shuddered. “Are there not enough soft things to your liking?” 

Now I was confused. In no part of the world did a predator make sure their prey was comfortable before devouring them, so why was Wooyoung looking at me like he was waiting for my validation? Did he like compliments on his interior design before a meal? 

“Wooyoung, aren’t you going to eat me?” I asked, my heart pounding in anticipation of his answer. Did I only have moments left to live now?

Wooyong’s grin was downright villainous as he leaned in closer to my face. I could smell the sea breeze wafting off of him by now. “I didn’t think you’d be ready for that kind of thing so early on in our relationship, but if you insist.” He laughed as I pushed him away, confusion evident on my face now. I should be relieved that this meant I was going to live, but I had more questions than answers. 

“What is going on, Wooyoung? Why am I here?” I asked, needing answers to prevent myself from spiraling.

Now it was Wooyoung’s turn to look confused, and a little concerned. He rested a reassuring hand on my leg and I hated the way it was grounding me at this moment. He was sitting up by now, facing me to look me in the eye better. 

“This is our den, we’re completing the mating process,” he slowly explained. He looked like he was going to say more on said process but stopped himself, seeing the shocked expression on my face no doubt. “I could smell your distress miles away and I had to stop the preparations to save you from that nymph; sorry that the den isn’t finished yet.”

I waved my hands in front of my face. I needed a second to collect myself. Mating process, since when? I’ve known Wooyoung for only a few weeks, and I barely knew him! I was only just thinking about how I didn’t even know how he supported himself financially or if he had to at all, and now he was talking about mating? “I think we skipped a couple of steps here, we’re barely even friends. When was there any discussion of us being mates?”

Wooyoung rose a brow. “There was an unspoken one when you accepted the courting gifts, but that’s normal for these kinds of things. My father was so shy while courting my mother that for the first few months he barely said a word. You did surprise me when you readily accepted it, I know sirens don’t have the best reputation on the surface.” He was looking at me like an expectant puppy, waiting for my response. He looked so eager that I almost felt bad for the way dread was flooding through me. When did I accept it? I had misread the act of giving me presents so horribly that now I had a whole mate to deal with now, and he was looking at me so adorably I felt awful that I was going to have to set things straight. 

I took a breath to steady my nerves. “Wooyoung, at exactly what point did I accept… this?” I asked, motioning at the air between us. 

“When you gave me the coffee. I was a little shocked when you went the traditional route with things, giving food was a bold move. I thought it was hot though, I love boldness in a mate,” he said with a cheeky smile. He began to scoot closer to me and I wrapped the blanket around myself, using it as a makeshift shield. Thankfully Wooyoung seemed to get the hint and he stopped his advance, looking at me with confusion. “You smell funny again.”

I was starting to dislike how easily he was able to read my emotions now. “How experienced are you with anything above sea level?” 

“Not really, I tend to stay away from you all. It’s not for lack of trying though, everyone above water avoids sirens for the most part. I was really happy when you decided to talk to me because I had been trying to talk to people for months.”

I ran a tired hand down my face. “Wooyoung, I think this is a horrible case of miscommunication on both parts,” I told him and immediately regretted it. The sudden sad look on his face told me everything I needed to know about how he felt when I broke the news to him. From what he’s told me he’s put in a lot of effort into courting me; from the gifts to creating a den for the two of us with my tastes in mind. Now that I truly thought about it, his gifts have been centered around what he thought I would like. They weren’t something he found and gave me to make me more appealing to his standards, they were thoughtful gifts with good intentions behind them. How had I made the mistake of thinking they were nothing more? I mentally scolded myself for that train of thought; we were both at fault here for not communicating better. 

“I don’t know much about your culture, so I mistook your gifts as ones of friendship. When we give gifts up top there isn’t always romantic intent behind them,” I explained. I was going to be as nice as possible while ripping off this band-aid. 

“But the coffee and the food! That has significant meaning, right? It means you’re willing to take care of me, to take care of me just as I would take care of you,” he argued, hurt evident in his eyes. 

I blushed in embarrassment. I could now see where he thought I had accepted the bond between us if that’s what gifting food meant in his culture. In hindsight, it made sense that he reacted the way he had. He didn’t just really like coffee, he had thought his feelings were finally being reciprocated. How did I mistake that for anything else? “Wooyoung I gave you the food because I felt bad for not getting you anything when you were giving me so much. It was all I could afford at the time and I didn’t want to be rude.”

“Oh.” His shoulders slumped and his hand dropped from my leg. He looked like a kicked puppy and I felt my heart clench at the sight. Had we just spoken more earlier we could have avoided all of this. “Then that means you don’t want to be with me. I’m sorry, I’ll take you back home, you must be terrified right now. That explains why you smell gross,” He slowly stood from the bed and took my hand, only to stop when I didn’t make a move to stand. He gave me a curious look. “Y/n?” 

“It’d be a lie if I said I didn’t think you were attractive,” I admitted. I didn’t take my eyes away from the bed, too embarrassed to look at him. This was dumb and stupid by all means. I could hear San and Mingi scolding me already but it wasn’t like Wooyoung was a threat to me. My own lack of a voice with strangers has done more harm than he has. “I think I’d be alright with staying for now. But!” I quickly cut Wooyoung off, who looked like he was about to start jumping at any second. He was patiently waiting for me to speak again, returning to his seat on the bed. “We need to take things slow and talk some things out.”

He nodded in understanding. “Anything you want.” With the way he was looking at me I was positive that if I asked for the moon he would find a way to get it to me. 

“We take things slow. By human standards I guess you could say that we’re still in the talking stage, so it’s a very new relationship,” I explained. “I don’t know that much about you and I’d like to know you more before things progress, if that’s fine with you?” 

Wooyoung nodded his understanding and a weight seemingly lifted from my chest. At least he was understanding of my feelings towards the situation. I’ve seen too many males take it as a personal attack if they get rejected in even the slightest of ways. 

“Am I still allowed to call you my mate?” He asked suddenly, and I thought about it for a minute. By his standards I had already returned his feelings and attempts to court me, and I could see where there could be some confusion in regards to what he would call me. We weren’t exactly friends, we’ve jumped too far ahead to go around calling each other just that. The title of “mate” didn’t evoke any negative reaction from me either, it wasn’t the act of mating. That was a different scenario, and I quickly pushed those thoughts away. 

“That’s fine, but nothing physical between us until we’re better situated with each other,” I stated, holding a finger up to him in warning. “And I’m allowed to still go to work every day like normal. I worked my ass off to get where I am in the label and I’m not going to give that up because you want me to stay home and do nothing.” 

I knew I’d get Wooyoung somewhere, and this is where he was going to try and argue with me. “But I can provide for you. It’s like my job,” he said, his brows furrowing. “You don’t need to work again if I provide a home and the essentials.” 

“It’s not about providing the essentials when it comes to my job, it’s a sense of pride and accomplishment that I made it that far in a company where humans are a minority,” I stated. I wasn’t going to back down on this one, not seeing my friends everyday or what I’ve accomplished. 

I could practically see the gears turning in Wooyoung’s head on how to get this to work in his favor even a little bit. He had said anything and I took that to heart. Finally he seemed to come to a decision before he crossed his arms over his chest and steeled his expression. “Fine. You get to keep working but you come back here every night. I’ll take you to and from the surface.” 

Now it was my turn to pout. I hadn’t expected him to demand something like that, I wasn’t expecting to get a new roommate. He knew that he had me too, judging by the smug look on his face. When it came to negotiations I’d learn not to underestimate Wooyoung again. “I spent all this time preparing this den for us. I'm not letting it go to waste.”

I sighed. “Fine. I get to keep working if it means I sleep here from now on, and we keep our hands to ourselves until we know each other better, and you’re allowed to call me your mate. Is there anything else?” 

“What if I’m a naturally physically affectionate person?” He asked with a smirk and I narrowed my eyes at him. He raised his hands in mock surrender. “What? I’m only stating facts! I’ll try my hardest to keep my hands to myself but I can’t guarantee I won't try to hold your hand.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll allow it then, but no kissing please.”

“That I can promise I won’t do. I’ll wait until you’re begging to kiss me first before I give you what you want,” he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. This was going to be a long night. Day? What time even was it? 

“What time is it?” I voiced my thoughts, struggling to remember if I had woken up before this. How long was I asleep for? It could’ve only been a few hours at most. 

“It’s eleven o’clock on September nineteenth,” he told me as he stood from the bed and began to head towards the doorway. 

My breath caught in my throat when he said the date. The nineteenth? It was the seventeenth when Wooyoung brought me down here, have I really been asleep for two days? Guilt flooded through me at the sudden thought that San, Mingi, and Belle were no doubt worried out of their minds. With all of the sudden kidnappings happening around the city they probably thought I had ended up as a victim. 

“Dinner’s almost done!” Wooyoung called out from beyond the room and curiosity and the need for answers got the better of me. I crawled out of the bed and was pleasantly surprised to find that the stone floors weren’t that cold. Was it magic, or a natural phenomenon? 

“Wooyoung, where exactly is this place?” I asked as I walked out of the room and stopped short at the room before me. It was far bigger than I was anticipating, and not a cave like I had also been anticipating. It looked like a room out of a castle, stone walls and beautiful light fixtures that looked like they were from a different world hung on the walls. The furniture was unique as well, some of the pieces were familiar, others were definitely not of this era, and others were completely foreign. Strings of shiny rocks and gems hung from the lights and walls as well. This was obviously Wooyoung’s attempt at making the den more to my liking, he guessed I liked shiny things from the courting gifts no doubt. 

The ceiling caught my attention next, or lack thereof. Instead there was a gaping hole, and lights flickered in the inky darkness above me like stars of the night sky. It hit me the next moment that the lights were moving; they were fish and other creatures swimming around. I was entirely in their domain now. I cowered back towards the room as a set of glowing dots neared the hole and I met the gaze of something that shouldn’t exist at a size that large before it went on its way. I was made aware of the fact that no one truly knows what lives down in these waters as a deep rumble echoed through the room, no doubt belonging to the unknown creature. 

“Don’t worry, I made a barrier so nothing can enter through it.” My attention was drawn back to Wooyoung who was standing in what I realized was the kitchen, a counter and a wood burning stove as well as cabinets evident in the area. He was holding two steaming bowls as he walked towards a dining table with varying styled chairs as I slowly made my way towards him, glancing up at the darkness above in case that creature decided to come back. “She was probably curious because we moved in so suddenly. She wouldn’t try anything, she can smell what I am even from here. To answer your earlier question, by your standards we’re underneath the bridge I rescued you at, just miles and miles beneath it.”

I nodded at his response, being miles beneath the Brighbalt was something 

I had already gathered. I took a seat at the table, pleasantly surprised by how soft the chair was. Wooyoung really had put a lot of thought into the furnishings here. How he knew I liked softer materials was beyond me. I thought back to when he pointed out the color of my earrings. Had he made that guess based on the material of the clothes I wore? 

Wooyoung set the bowl down in front of me before he took his seat across from me. The smell wafted up and it was enough to make my mouth water. My stomach growled. He didn’t make a move to eat though, his dark eyes on me instead. I knew what he was waiting for, remembering the second day of courting gifts, and I picked up my spoon and I ate a spoonful of soup. I hummed at the savory flavor of it, and I smiled up at him as he awaited my reaction. “It’s really good. I didn’t know you could cook.” 

Wooyoung beamed with pride as he began to eat his meal now. “All males are taught how to cook from a young age. It’s seen as unbecoming if one doesn’t cook for their mate,” he further explained at my confused look. I nodded in understanding before I began to eat more. 

“What would you have done if I said I didn’t like it?” 

“I wouldn’t have eaten until I made you something you liked.”

The spoon stopped halfway to my mouth. I stared at him until he stopped eating to raise a brow at me. “Is that part of how you were raised or a you thing?” Thank god I hadn’t jokingly said I hated it or else he truly would’ve scrapped it and started over again. 

Wooyoung smirked before taking another spoonful of soup. “Partially it’s how I was raised but also it's part of my morals,” he told me after he swallowed. “My father would do this with my mother and it stuck with me. It’s an old custom that sirens have and some of the younger generation have given up on it, but I see the meaning behind it so whenever I’ve cooked for my family if one of them didn’t like it I’d cook until we found something they did.”

I nodded in understanding. “You mentioned your family. Do you have any siblings?” This was a safe topic. This was easier to handle than mates and moving in with a siren that I barely knew. It was strangely domestic but I wasn’t complaining. It was a welcomed reprieve from the rush that was not even an hour ago when I awoke. 

“I have an older brother and a younger brother.” 

“Makes sense. I always had a feeling you were a middle child.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, pouting now. I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up to the surface, the expression on him was adorable. When I looked back up at him he was smiling at me with an expression I couldn’t read. I cleared my throat and turned back to my soup. I needed an excuse to look away. I looked back up at the ceiling, seeing the moving shapes of the creatures above us. Thankfully they all seemed far away this time. 

“Is the barrier magic?” 

He nodded. “It keeps everything out while also acting as a filtration system so we’ll never run out of air. This was the smallest hole I could find in any of the old ruins down here. I know you said you had a fear of water and I figured seeing everything would be too much for you, so here we are.”

I gave him a small smile. “I appreciate the thought. I don’t think I’ll be spending a lot of time out here just yet though, the thought of looking at the water and seeing something staring back is terrifying.” 

“You didn’t say that when you met me that first day though,”’ he said, smirking. 

“You’re right I didn’t say it. I was thinking about it though.” 

“Admit it, you have been intrigued by me since you first saw me. I could see the way you were checking me out even after you bumped into that gorgon.” 

“I thought you were a homeless guy on a dock,” I shrugged before finishing my soup. I was fighting back a grin as he sputtered for a solid minute before he settled on glaring at me from across the table. I grinned teasingly at him before taking my bowl and putting it into what I assumed was a sink made up of a large shell. “So you’ll take me up to the surface tomorrow?” 

Wooyoung sighed and brought his bowl over to the sink as well, setting it in the sink before turning to me. “Yes I’ll take you up to the surface again, even if it’s against my better judgment.”

“Why are you so against me going back up?”

“One, I can provide you with everything you could ever want and need down here where I know you’re safe. Two, that nymph can’t get you down here. Three, I don’t think you want to see a pissy siren when they’re separated from their mate for too long. So you come back down here every night and everyone’s happy.” 

I raised a brow. “Did a bond form between us or something that I don’t know about?” I knew some mated pairs could become so intertwined that they would sometimes pick up on each other’s emotions. When these bonds are formed if the mated pair separates from each other for too long, they may become aggressive to those around them. Were sirens similar in that regard? Has Wooyoung been feeling everything I’ve felt from the start? The thought of it was enough to make my cheeks burn in embarrassment. 

“Not a bond as in I can read your mind or anything, but a bond between mates. I’ve already started to become protective of you if that’s what you’re wondering. The thought of another male near you sets me on edge. Knowing you come back home to our den helps me not do something I’d regret later,” he explained. “You won’t feel the same intense emotions as I do because of your human blood.”

I released a breath of relief. “Thank god I thought you were feeling everything I was feeling from the start.” 

Wooyoung smirked before he took a step towards me, crowding me against the counter, both of his arms coming to either side of my waist. My breath caught in my throat and I looked up at him with wide eyes. He had a mischievous glint in his eye as his head lowered down to mine, close enough for our noses to brush. “Why would that be a problem? Got something to hide from me?” 

My face burned as I stammered and struggled to come up with something sarcastic in response. I couldn’t even blame it on his powers, Wooyoung just knew how to fluster me with his presence alone. He knew it too, the smug smirk was evidence enough. I’m sure he could hear my heart pounding in my chest as well, enhanced hearing not needed. It was that loud. I was running the risk of my legs giving out beneath me when he leaned in towards my neck and I felt his breath as he sniffed at the skin there. “You smell so good right now.” 

“I’d like to shower!” I nearly shouted. I began to push him away from me and it felt like I could breathe again. I didn’t even want to think about what he had picked up in my scent at that moment. “I’m going to shower before heading to bed.” I pushed past him back to the room and his laughter followed after me. I had just begun to rummage through the dresser in the room when I felt his presence behind me. “I said I’m going to go shower.”

“Oh I know. I’m just here to show you where everything is all,” he said with faux innocence. I shot him a look and his smile only grew in response. I grabbed a pair of pants and a shirt that were very obviously his before I stood from the dresser. I motioned for him to lead the way and he snickered at my expression before leading me to an archway on the other side of the room, and I was glad to see that this room had a ceiling. It was just as lavishly decorated as the rest of the den was with gems and pearls hanging from the lights and the ceiling, with a pool of water residing in the center of it all. Steam wafted from the surface and I must have had a look on my face because Wooyoung began explaining. “There’s a volcanic vent nearby and the warm water moves through here, so we have heated bath water. Magical barriers on the holes so you don’t take a bath with an uninvited guest.”

“I appreciate it,” I said as I set the clothes down by the side of the pool. Wooyoung moved around the room and pulled one of the fluffiest towels I’ve ever seen out of a cabinet as well as jars full of an unknown liquid. 

“Shampoo, conditioner, and soap are all here for you,” he pointed out, setting the jars down by the pool before standing. “Don’t take too long or else I might be tempted to join you.”

I rolled my eyes. “In your dreams.” 

“Dreams can become a reality you know,” he said with a wink before he was leaving the room. 

I waited until I was sure he was gone before I stripped and dunked myself beneath the waves of the pool. I was quick about it in case he decided to come back, but there was no sign of him returning. I let the warm water relax me then, loosening up the tension in my body. My eyes slipped shut momentarily and I let my mind not think for some time. I have been through a lot today. A moment of silence was needed.

I began to wash my hair and body after a few minutes, the soap being a brand from the surface I was familiar with but had never used. The familiar brand was comforting and I was reminded that despite the flirting and the teasing Wooyoung did have my best interests at heart. Everything done to the den had me kept in mind down to the very soap I cleaned myself with. Maybe this could work out after all. Maybe I could learn to accept Wooyoung’s feelings fully. 

I finished my bath quickly and got dressed, the clothes hanging off of my frame and I had to tie the waistband of the pants to prevent them from falling to my ankles. I made my way back to the bedroom to see Wooyoung laying in the bed and I realized something very quickly. There was only one bed. Wooyoung took up most of it as well, the sheer size of him really standing out on the mattress. 

He looked up at my entrance and he grinned at my hesitation. A low rumble reached my ears and I realized that it was coming from him. “I promise I’ll behave myself. No sexual advances.”

I sighed and made my way over to the bed and crawled beneath the covers. I kept as much room as I could between Wooyoung and I and he made no attempt to close that distance, which I was grateful for. The lights dimmed in the room once I had settled, and it was completely pitch black. No lights from the streets below peeking through the blinds, nothing. It was unnerving, but not as much as the sounds that echoed around us. Just because we were going to sleep didn’t mean the other sea creatures got the memo, and all sorts of ghastly and terrifying sounds could be heard. I kept tossing and turning but each new sound brought a fresh wave of fear with it. There was no way I was going to sleep, and I was probably annoying Wooyoung with my constant movements. Hell, he probably smelled my fear right now. 

There was a sigh and suddenly I was being grabbed and dragged across the sheets. I squeaked at the sudden movement before I settled against Wooyoung’s chest, a deep rumbling felt beneath my fingertips. Was he purring? “It’s not sexual, it's because you’re annoying with your movements,” he said. I would’ve snapped something back but suddenly my limbs feel heavy, my eyes drooping. I didn’t even register the voice until another note rang out and I realized that Wooyoung was singing. His voice was unlike any other I’ve heard before and it made my thoughts slow and my body release all tension. It was a struggle to keep my eyes open, but I eventually succumbed to his powers and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. 

༄

I awoke the next morning feeling better rested than I have in a while. The sounds of utensils scraping against plates reached my ears and I sat up in bed, smelling the food in the next moment. My stomach rumbled and I hurried to the kitchen. Wooyoung was at the wood burning stove, something sizzling on the pan before him. He looked up when he heard my steps and grinned. 

“Good morning sleeping beauty,” he greeted before he turned back to the stove to finish cooking breakfast. “I’m almost done. Do you mind setting the table?”

I hummed in confirmation before I moved to the cabinets. The first few I tried weren’t the right ones and it wasn’t until Wooyoung pointed out the right one that I found them. I grabbed the plates and utensils and set the table just as Wooyoung brought the pan over and set the food on my plate first and then his. Cinnamon greeted my nose and I was delighted to see French toast on my plate. “I figured a familiar recipe would be a good choice for today,” he told me before he put the pan in the sink. “You seemed pretty stressed last night so this will be a mice start to the day.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Everything really,” I said, beginning to cut into the food. Memories from last night flashed through my mind and I knew what Wooyoung had done to get me to rest before we went back to the surface. I also knew the laws surrounding his powers, and had he done that with witnesses he would’ve been banished from the city.  He had used them on me though to make me fall asleep, and I appreciated it greatly. A trip back to the surface wouldn’t be happening if I felt like a zombie from lack of sleep. 

Wooyoung hummed as he waited for me to eat, watching as I cut into the food. “I’m glad I could help. Even if it meant the nearby creatures were cursing my existence because of it.” He winked to show that he was only teasing and I chuckled at the idea of the surrounding sea creatures all suddenly falling asleep in the water. 

“Last night you mentioned that that creature could smell you even from here. Do sirens get along with other beings down here?” I asked as I began to eat as well. The food was just as good as last night. Wooyoung was proving himself to be quite the skilled chef. I’d have to make it a point to ask if he had learned a trick or two from someone on the surface, the idea of French toast being a local delicacy down here was a little too far fetched in my mind. 

He chuckled. “No. That’s one of the things you have in common with the beings down here. People up top and beings down here aren’t much of a fan of my kind and tend to stay away from us; they’re all so afraid of our voices it’s almost comical. They act like it’s the only weapon we have.” He smiled and I was reminded of just how sharp those teeth were. Wooyoung acted civil but he always managed to remind me of the other things his diet consisted of. 

I should be more afraid of him, but if he truly meant me harm he had plenty of opportunities from the very first time I met him to act on any urges. He has only done things with my well being in mind though, so the fear of what he is and what he could do hasn’t crossed my mind. Plus there was the whole “mate” thing to consider and your mate not returning your feelings seemed counter productive. 

I hummed in acknowledgment of what he told me, focused on finishing my meal so I could finish preparing myself for the day. I hadn’t even thought of what I would tell the others. What could I say? You know that siren I had briefly mentioned before I disappeared? Apparently it’s a big misunderstanding between us and I was unknowingly accepting courting gifts and he might've kidnapped me under the impression that I was in trouble and needing help. Also I might somewhat be his mate but we’re still hashing things out. I could see that going over perfectly. 

“Once we’re back home tonight I’d like you to meet a friend of mine.” 

I snapped back to reality and looked at him with wide eyes. Me? Meeting another siren already? I was only just coming to terms with Wooyoung’s presence but now I was already meeting a friend of his? Not even mentioning how shy I was around new people. When I first joined the designer label I was near silent everyday. Mingi and San didn’t give me much choice in the matter of friendship though. It’s only because of them that I opened up as quickly as I did with the others there. 

He noticed my expression and he chuckled. “He’s been my friend for ages and I’d appreciate it if he had the chance to meet you first before the rest of my friends. Plus I think you’d like him. You both have some things in common.”

I sighed, my shoulders slumping in defeat. It was only a matter of time after all, might as well get the first one done and over with. Maybe Wooyoung’s friend could become a friend of mine while I was down here as well if we managed to hit it off. Another familiar face down here that wasn’t a giant monster staring at me from the hole in the ceiling would be nice. I just hope they were as nice and accepting of my human status as Wooyoung was. 

“Fine, I’ll meet him. Hope you’re correct that we might have some things in common. I’m shy enough as is and I don’t think I’ll have the energy to try and act perky and excited after work.” 

“I’m sure you guys will find a common ground, don't worry. He’s on the quiet side too,” Wooyoung explained before he rose from the table and took our empty plates to the sink to wash them. “Go finish getting ready or you might actually be late.” 

That was enough to get me moving. I headed towards the bathroom and freshened up using an ancient sink that had to be original to the ruin that now made up our den before moving to the bedroom again. I dug around in the dresser and quickly realized that the only clothes in here were Wooyoung’s. I shouldn’t be surprised, there was no way for him to get any of my clothes to bring back here. I grabbed a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt from the drawer with a small frown. I quickly got dressed, tying the waistband of the pants again, before heading out to the dining area again. 

This time Wooyoung was nowhere to be seen and I almost called out for him when a splash rang out nearby. Instinctively I looked towards the ceiling in case something had managed to pass through the barrier, but I only saw the glowing forms of fish and other creatures. My gaze turned towards an archway next to the kitchen that I hadn’t been through yet and I walked towards it. The inside of this room was decorated much the same as the rest of the den except there was a pool of water in the center of it that was surely not the same one as the one in the bathroom. A pool in which Wooyoung was floating on his back in, his black tail gently moving to keep him afloat. He looked over when he heard me approach before diving into the dark water. He reappeared at the edge of it with a smirk, resting his head on his arms. 

“Ready to get going?” 

I nodded, my palms already getting clammy with what I was going to have to do. There was only one exit after all. 

I sat down on the ledge and dunked my feet into the water, shivering at the temperature before I slowly lowered myself the rest of the way in. Wooyoung kept a comforting hand on my arm as I did so, offering me silent reassurance. He no doubt smelled my fear. Once I was fully submerged I waded in the water until Wooyoung pulled me closer to his chest. His warmth seeped into me as he looked at me to judge how I was doing. I gave a small nod of my head, his presence relaxing me more than I cared to admit at this moment. 

“You’re going to want to close your eyes until we reach the surface, and hold your breath. Obviously,” he added with a wink and I rolled my eyes. His attempt to distract me worked only a little bit. 

“I can’t hold my breath for that long though. You said we’re miles beneath the Brighbalt.”

“We are, and I just happen to be a very fast swimmer. I got you here without you dying didn’t I?”

He had a point. 

I gave one last apprehensive look at the water around me before I tucked my head into his chest and took a deep breath. Wooyoung sank beneath the surface and I nearly gasped at the sudden change in temperature. It wasn't as extreme as I had been anticipating and I remembered the mention of a volcanic vent nearby. I didn’t dwell on the thought for long before I felt Wooyoung begin to move, and I tucked my head further into his chest. I hoped that a monster didn’t decide to try its luck with Wooyoung on the way up.

༄

I took in lungfuls of air as soon as we surfaced, the sun a welcome sight after not seeing it for a few days. Wooyoung and I definitely drew some attention to ourselves at our sudden entrance but thankfully everyone went back to their own things. Wooyoung shook out his long hair, splashing me in the face with water while doing so. I grimaced and lightly pushed against his chest so I could climb on to the nearby dock. He seemed to understand what I was trying to do and in the next moment I felt his hands supporting my legs as I climbed up the ladder and sat on the edge of the dock. I took a moment to catch my breath, smiling down at him as he watched me carefully. “That wasn’t so bad.” 

Wooyoung nodded in agreement. “I told you I was a fast swimmer. I might’ve also been moving faster because I know you don’t like to be in the water for too long.” 

“I appreciate it,” I laughed breathlessly. The tension was slowly easing from my body with the comfort of solid ground beneath me again. I never thought I’d come to appreciate the feeling of wood beneath my hands and the feeling of sunlight as much as I did right now. “What are you going to do while I’m gone today?” 

Wooyoung shrugged as he rested his arms on my legs. “Most likely finishing the den. I never did get to finish it before I had to come rescue you, and I’d like it to be done before my friend comes to meet you so he doesn’t think I truly kidnapped you and I’m making you suffer.” 

I snorted. “It’s best if you’re honest with him though. We did start living with each other due to a miscommunication on both ends.”

Wooyoung groaned and hid his face in my legs. “He’s never going to let me hear the end of it.” 

I was starting to like this friend of Wooyoung’s and I hadn’t even met him yet. Anyone who was able to get this kind of reaction from him because they were going to tease him to no end was good in my book. 

I patted his head and he pulled away from me so I could stand. He waved his hand and my soaked clothes instantly became dry and he unknowingly answered a few questions on how the furniture in our den was bone dry. I was envious of those who possessed magic for moments like this.

He eyed my outfit for a moment, a pleased smile slowly curling his lips upwards as he eyed me up. I felt my cheeks tint pink at the look in his eye. It only worsened when I heard the purr rumble from his chest and I nearly squirmed as I tried to bring his attention to my eyes again. He caught my gaze and warmth spread in my abdomen at the heat that was in his eyes. “As much as I love seeing you in my clothes, and having my scent on you, we might need to stop and get you some clothes that actually fit you. Sweatpants and a t-shirt don’t seem appropriate for where you’re going.”

I nodded in agreement. “It’s not the best fit but it’ll do for today. Belle will understand.”

Wooyoung hummed as he scanned my form again and I waved goodbye to draw his attention again. “I’ll run by my apartment after work to grab some clothes and then meet you at our spot.”

He smiled and nodded, a glint in his eye that I didn’t have time to try and decipher. “Sounds good, I’lll see you then.” I waved once again as his head disappeared beneath the water before I turned and began to head towards the office building. 

I definitely got some looks as I walked into the building with nothing but sweatpants and a t-shirt on, I was barefoot for crying out loud! It was a miracle that security wasn’t called to escort me out. I was glad I had taken my earlier advice of having a spare pair of sneakers in my office, I at least had something to wear for shoes. I never made it far to my office before I was being tackled into a bear hug. The wind was nearly knocked out of me as the person hugging me squeezed like their life depended on it. I recognized Mingi’s cologne. 

“I missed you too, Mingi,” I said with a strained giggle. My words seemed to bring him back to the present and he released the death grip he had on me. He held me at arm’s length, his eyes wide and searching, as if he had to make sure it was really me. I grinned up at him and he was pulling me back into a hug, a breath of relief slipping past his lips. 

“We thought you were gone for good.”

Tears pricked my eyes at the raw emotion in his voice. They had all been so worried for me, while I had been alive the entire time but unable to tell them of my whereabouts. With the other missing person reports still out there it was no wonder that they thought I was dead. I rubbed a soothing hand down his back, reassuring him of my presence. “I’m here and I’m fine I promise.”

“Where were you? What happened?” He asked, pulling away far enough to look me in the eye. 

“It’s a long story actually-“

Another body collided with my form and this time I stumbled and hit the ground. A large hand prevented my head from colliding with the ground, and I became aware of the feeling of a tail wrapping around my leg. The shock of being tackled again wore off and I laughed as San nuzzled his head into my neck. I would pat his head but he had my arms pinned to my sides. “Hi Sannie.” 

“Don’t you ever do that to us again,” he growled. I felt the rumbles against my chest and I realized I could see the tips of his wings peeking over his shoulders. He had actually flown as soon as he saw me and I felt my heart swell at the thought that he didn’t care that others saw his wings because he was so relieved to see me again. Guilt rolled through me for worrying them so much. “Where the hell were you?”

“I was about to explain that actually before you tackled me. We can head to my office and I’ll explain everything once we get there. I need shoes,” I stated, wiggling my bare toes for emphasis. 

San squeezed me a little tighter before he let go, helping to my feet again. I felt his barbed tail wrap around my arm as we walked to my office. I didn’t complain though, I could understand the need to know that I was actually here. 

Belle met us at my office, her blue eyes looking glassy as she pulled me into a hug. I nearly shed a few tears of my own knowing just how loved and cherished I truly was here. Belle’s hug was nothing but warmth before she was letting me go and following us into my office. She deserved to hear this story just as much as the rest of them. She had grown to be a motherly figure to me and her reaction to my disappearance only solidified the fact that in her eyes she had thought she had lost a child. 

I sat in my chair as everyone took a seat. I reached beneath my desk and found the pair of sneakers tucked away and slid them on, cringing at the lack of socks. I sat up again and regarded everyone with a smile. “Much better. Does everyone know about the siren I met?” 

The morning was spent explaining everything to the three of them, from meeting Wooyoung to the courting gifts to being taken by him from the bridge to his home beneath the river to the fact that we were mates in a way now. Mingi had nearly exploded from the mention of the siren, ranting about how he knew “the fish” was involved because his scent was all over me. I had the distant thought that Wooyoung would be smug that other males could smell him on me but I reminded Mingi that it was a matter of miscommunication from the both of us. He settled down after that, but that dark look was still prevalent on his face. 

Belle softly mentioned that Logan never even thought to come and tell us that something had happened. That made me sigh. Of course he would’ve been of no help in the matter. “I thought he would’ve at least said something to you all, even if it was that he’d save me with his magic. I’m sorry that I didn’t come back sooner, I was unconscious for a few days while down there.”

“You have no reason to apologize, it wasn’t even your fault. It’s that siren’s fault,” San grumbled before he was suddenly standing. He stormed from the room and I followed after him in a hurry. 

“San, where are you going?” I called out, struggling for a moment to catch up with his long strides. 

“I’m going to give that bastard a piece of my mind! It’s not right to kidnap people!” San said like it was obvious. My eyes widened and I grabbed onto his hand to get him to stop. San only dragged me as he kept heading towards the main lobby. 

“Sannie, he thought I was in trouble! He could smell my stress from the den and he came running! He was only doing what he thought was right to protect his mate,” I tried reasoning with him. 

“Don’t try to defend him, y/n,” San growled. We had finally reached the main lobby and San suddenly stopped walking. I nearly ran into him before I was peeking around his tense body to see the reason for the abrupt stop. 

Wooyoung was standing there, his own body tense as he stared down the demon in front of me. The shock of seeing him here made me pause for a moment before the realization that he and San looked like they wanted to kill each other fully processed. I quickly stepped towards him and the closer I got the more the muscles in his body seemed to relax. Wooyoung said that there wasn’t a bond between us that allowed us to feel the emotions of the other or read each other’s thoughts but I was familiar with the inner workings of a freshly bonded pair. I would never feel the exact emotions Wooyoung did due to my human blood but I knew only anger and possessiveness ran through him now at the sight of me with another male. 

“Wooyoung, what are you doing here? How did you find me?” Our spot on the river was out of sight of the building, there’s no way he would’ve been able to see where I was heading to. I stepped to his side to try and diffuse the situation and it seemed to work. His eyes focused on me and softened the slightest bit. 

“I followed your scent.” He said it like it was obvious before he was holding out a paper bag I only just realized he was holding. I took it and the smell of food hit my nose. “I realized you didn’t have lunch and I thought I’d bring you some.” 

“You didn’t have to, I could've gotten one myself,” I told him, a small smile curling my lips at the gesture. 

“I wanted to though.”

Movement out of the corner of my eye reminded me that we had an audience. I looked away from Wooyoung to see San and Mingi practically glowering at him, San’s tail lashing against the ground in agitation. Belle looked worriedly between the three males, clearly unsure if she needed to step in or not. I didn’t give her a chance to do so. 

“San, Mingi, Belle, this is Wooyoung.” I was hesitant to actually call him my mate just yet, so I left it at that. “Wooyoung, this is my boss Belle and my friends San and Mingi.” 

“You kidnapped her!” Mingi suddenly snapped and I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. 

Wooyoung growled in annoyance. “I rescued her from that nymph that keeps bothering her.” 

“Your definition of ‘rescuing’ is flawed if you think that’s what you did.” 

“Alright enough!” I said, stepping between everyone. Everyone’s focus shifted to me and I huffed in irritation. “Could Wooyoung and I have done all of this better? Definitely but in that moment he did what he thought was best for my safety. I was stressed because I was going to tell Logan to leave me alone and he picked up on that. What’s done is done and we can’t change that. I’m here now, safe and sound, so we can all relax because Wooyoung isn’t going away anytime soon.”

San and Mingi turned their attention back to Wooyoung and he stared right back. I gave Belle a pleading look and she shook her head at me, just as lost as I was in this situation. I had managed to prevent it from escalating into an all out fight, so I was counting that as a win. I wasn’t expecting them to suddenly shake hands and become friends but I was hoping for a truce for my sake. 

Finally San sighed and his shoulders slumped. “Fine. We’ll back off for now.” He gave Wooyoung a sharp look. “Don’t do something like that again without at least notifying us. We’re the closest thing she has to a family in the city and we thought she was dead.” 

Wooyoung nodded his understanding. “She’s safe with me, I can promise you that.”

The tension was still there but it had greatly lessened. I let my own shoulders sag in relief and I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Alright! Now that everyone has met we can get back to work! I’ll see you at our spot once I finish at my apartment Wooyoung.” 

He nodded as he turned away from the pair of males to look back at me, his gaze soft as he smiled. “Be safe alright? I’ll see you in a few hours.” He gave me one last look before he walked out of the building. 

I waved after him before I turned to my friends again only to find them all staring at me. I gave them a tense smile and gestured to the direction that Wooyoung had left in. “So that’s Wooyoung.” 

Mingi crossed his arms over his chest. “He has a lot of work to do if he wants our approval.” 

I groaned. “I’m sure he’ll be around a lot more so he’ll have plenty of opportunities to do so.”

“So you’re living with him then?” Belle asked. Belle only looked at me with concern, which I would always be grateful for. 

“I am. He gets huffy if he isn’t around me for long periods of time. It’s the same as any other bonded pair.”

“There’s no mark though,” Mingi pointed out. 

My hand instinctively went to my neck. I had seen many bonded pairs sporting the claiming marks while I was in the city, but I wasn’t sure if sirens were the same in that sense. Another of the many questions I still had for Wooyoung. “We’re taking things slow and he’s respecting my boundaries. Also I’m not sure if they do that sort of thing.”

San sighed softly. He gave me a concerned look before he pulled me into a hug again. “Just please be safe. You let us know if he tries anything even in the slightest.” 

I relaxed in his holds and wrapped my arms around his waist. They all could be overbearing when it came to things like this, but it was because they had my best interests at heart. “I will, don’t worry. Wooyoung doesn’t seem like the type anyway.”

San pulled away and gave me a smile before he was heading back to his office as well. Mingi gave me a look and I understood the message behind it before he was heading off as well. Belle smiled and took my hand before leading me towards the elevator. She was already discussing my design with me and it lifted a weight off of my chest. 

The rest of the day went by as it normally did which I was thankful for. Belle and I finalized my design and picked out fabrics and accessories, and Mingi and San stopped by a few more times to drop things off or give their opinion on things. It felt like any other day did and it brought a sense of normalcy to me. It felt like I had never left in the first place and I wasn’t going to have to leave again after this day. 

“Are you excited for the show? I just received confirmation that your cousin was attending,” she said with a glint in her eye. She grinned when I rolled my eyes. 

“Hongjoong always come to the shows I’m in. It’s not a surprise anymore Belle.”

“I know but I think it’s sweet. I know how much you look up to him as well.”

That was only half of it. Hongjoong was the whole reason why I was in the fashion industry. He had joined it first, quickly becoming well known in the industry. It wasn’t a shocker that I followed in his footsteps. We’ve been close since we were children and it carried into adulthood. No matter how busy his schedule he always managed to make time to come and see my designs on the runway. I wasn’t able to make it to all of his shows, but I saw a few from time to time. I don’t know what he would think of my relationship with Wooyoung. 

The rest of the day passed in a happy blur and soon enough it was time for me to go. I waved goodbye to everyone before promising that I would be back tomorrow morning. It didn’t stop them from giving me a hug on the way out the door. 

I didn’t want to keep Wooyoung waiting at our spot for long in case he became antsy so I nearly jogged to my apartment. Grateful that I remembered to bring my keys, I unlocked my door and sighed at the familiar sight of my home. I’d have to leave my keys behind at some point, as well as the due rent, but that would come after I moved the rest of my stuff. For now I settled for a duffle bag full of clothes that would get me through the rest of the week at work. I also grabbed a few pairs of pajamas so I didn’t wipe Wooyoung out of his clothes completely. I grabbed a few essentials after that, such as bras, underwear and toiletries before I left and locked the door behind me. 

The streets were more crowded than they usually were tonight, the night air alive with laughter and music and singing. The streets and sidewalks were nearly clogged with people. I had to push past people just to get through the crowds. After a period of nearly shoving people to the side I finally spotted Wooyoung with his head resting on his arms on the dock, looking at the people with narrowed eyes. With the large groups of people it had taken me longer than anticipated to get back to our spot, but I broke out in a smile when I saw him waiting for me. It was almost like when we first met, and I began to hurry my way over to him. Only I didn’t make it that far. 

My body collided with a solid form and I grunted from the impact, landing flat on my butt. I hadn’t seen the group of people cutting in front of me in my rush to get to the dock and had toppled one of them over. He got to his feet again and glared at me with amber eyes; a wolf shifter. He didn’t give me a chance to get back to my feet before he was grabbing me by the arm and hauling me up. I cried out in pain, trying to wrench my arm free but it was useless. The rest of his group sneered down at me and I’ve never felt so small in my life. 

“What do you think you’re doing, running into me like that?” he growled out, tightening his hold on me when I tried to pull away again. 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t watching where I was going. I’m just trying to meet a friend,” I said. My heart was pounding at this point and I knew they all could hear it. I needed to get to Wooyoung and fast before this escalated any further. It was a miracle I managed to speak as evenly as I did. 

The male laughed and dragged me closer, truly putting me in between him and all of his friends now. I pushed against one of them and he pushed back harder, tossing me into another body. I was being tossed around like a toy and I struggled against each set of hands that touched me. “I don’t think you’re really sorry, are you. I think you need to make it up to us in another way. To show us you really mean it.” 

Terror gripped me and I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe. There was a lump in my throat that felt like it was choking me and tears pricked my eyes as I struggled to get away from them. I only heard their mocking laugh as I continued to struggle before a snarl rang out through the air. Everyone suddenly parted as a figure rapidly approached and suddenly the man in front of me was dangling in the air by the collar of his shirt. He looked just as I was to see Wooyoung holding him up, pure fury burning in his eyes as he glowered at the male. 

Wooyoung truly looked like he was going to kill the male he was holding, the rest of them slowly backing away from me at the sudden appearance of the siren. Wooyoung glanced down at me then, and I sucked in a sharp breath when I saw it.

I subtly shook my head, urging him to not do what he was about to do. Of course it would be a gut reaction to use all weapons he could to dispose of any threat to his mate. It was pure instinct telling him to use his voice on the male, regardless of any laws that forbade him from doing so. There were too many witnesses though, too many spectators of what was unfolding right now that there was no way for him to not be thrown behind bars or worse. It wasn’t just me and him and me struggling to sleep. There were so many people watching us. 

Wooyoung understood and I relaxed knowing that we were safe from trouble with law enforcement. That fire still burned in his eyes however. 

He tossed the male in his hand away like he was nothing more than a toy, and the male scrambled to get farther away from us. The majority of his friends had already scattered with only a few stragglers and I watched with wide eyes as Wooyoung stalked closer to the male. He truly looked terrifying in this moment, and I would be scared if I wasn’t relieved that help had arrived. 

“Run,” was all Wooyoung said, no magic needed for the remaining males in the area to all turn tail and bolt. The surrounding spectators watched on curiously, waiting to see what the male would do next. 

Wooyoung only turned to me, his gaze much softer than it had been seconds ago but there were still embers burning in his gaze. He gently but firmly grabbed my arm and began to lead me towards our spot, and I followed along without any complaint. 

“Are you alright?” He asked, looking me over to confirm with his eyes that I was fine. 

I nodded. “I’m fine. I’m just shaken up is all.”

He hummed. “Good or else I might’ve had to kill them.”

I don’t doubt his words. 

We reached the dock and he lowered himself into the water. A pair of pants landed on the dock next to me and I kept my gaze upwards as the shirt quickly joined it in the pile. I waited until his hands were on my waist and he was helping me into the water to look down, the sight of black scales greeting me. My grip on his shoulders tightened as he lowered me into the water, panic flashing through me. He gave me a reassuring squeeze as I settled against his chest, smelling the fear. He gazed at me until I began to squirm in his hold, becoming self conscious under his gaze as he continued to stare. 

“Did you have a good day?” His sudden question brought my eyes back up to his. He seemed to be less tense the further we got away from everyone, but I could tell he was still upset over what had happened earlier by the tenseness in his jaw. 

I hummed. “I did have a good day up until recently. It’s still a good day though.” 

It was Wooyoung’s turn to hum as he watched me still. He paused and I could practically see the gears turning in his mind. After a few moments he seemed to come to a decision and he smiled down at me and I knew it wouldn’t be anything good from the smile alone. 

“I’m glad. Because you’re not leaving the den again.”

༄

Previous Chapter - Masterlist - Next Chapter

[ask-a-vetblr]

Disclaimer: kitten has already seen a vet, enucleation is planned as soon as she hits their minimum weight. Just asking as a vet student who feels like they have way too many little bits of info floating around in their brain to be sure about anything lol.

Kitten was dropped off at shelter with 0 history (of course), and my knowledge on this case is a little vague. Is this likely just from an infection left too long, that probably sealed the eye shut at some point and worsened? (Like, viral -> bacterial?) It looks it’s proptosed to me, but I’m also not sure if that’s just massive swelling. If it IS proptosed, is that a common sequelae of severe infection? Or do you really only get that with trauma in cats, and then secondary infection?

Not sure if my thinking is way off base, just looking for some general insight into how these eyes end up looking so gnarly. I feel like we’ve had quite a few dropped off this year. Thank you!

Hi, it's Sueanoi here.

I'm glad the kitten is getting some vet attention now. I hope the healing goes as smooth as it can.

As to answer your question, I don't think that's proptosis (eyeball goes out of orbit). I think it is ruptured cornea that has severe inflammation on top.

Anything at all can cause a secondary corneal injury if the eye is irritated, causing the animal to scratch it and worsening the lesion. Over time, superficial ulcers can become perforated.

Over here in SEA, young stray cats are very often infected with feline herpes. It is a very common cause of blindness (as the last consequence of virus-induced ulcer) here.

Your thinking isn't entirely off base, because virus -> bacteria -> catastrophic consequense IS probably correct.

Once it is time to enucleate, I suggest you observe the surgery. I am quite certain that the globe itself is still sitting within the orbit. The things that are coming out of the cat's head is the eyeball's insides that are spilled out of the ruptured cornea.

Keep clean and control infection. There is a chance that the cat won't even need the surgery if the eye shrink down and become enophalmos before it reaches minumum weight (which might take weeks...whichever happen first). Downside of keeping the shrunk eye is having to keep it clean for the rest of its life. So if that is a factor for the cat getting an adoption, removing it anyway for ease of care is still a valid choice.

Best of luck!

[space-mermaid-writing]

The Vamp and the Were [IronStrange]

Summary: Tony would mark the day he met a vampire that did not immediately jump at his throat. Just for once – that would be a nice change.

Relationship: Werewolf!Tony Stark / Vampire!Stephen Strange

Tags: hurt/comfort, idiots in love, angst, fluff

Ko-fi | Read it on AO3 | Masterlist | Word count: 2.7k | Previous | Next

Chapter 5: This didn’t go as planned

Every now and then they went on a mission together. It turned out each of them had a special skill set that proved to be useful in some cases. And the company was also nice.

Somehow Stark had managed to crawl into Strange's off-putting shell.

A few days ago, he had contacted the werewolf because several children had disappeared in the same area and he suspected an underground trafficking ring behind it. He had obtained some clothing and toys from those children, which he now handed to Stark in separate plastic bags.

"Can you pick up their trail? There's not enough DNA for a tracking spell."

"So I'm just your better tracking dog?" Tony snorted, without really being offended. "Yeah, sure, it's not like I have more important stuff to do."

Stephen raised his eyebrow. There was a small smirk on his lips. "More important than to possibly save five or more children from a cruel and painful fate?"

Tony was very unhappy about that comeback since it was very valid and he had nothing to counter. So he followed Strange through a portal to the place where one of the children had last been seen.

He took a plush bunny from one of the labeled bags and sniffed it.

Then he checked the surrounding air and concentrated.

When he was younger the many scents used to be overwhelming. But he became pretty good at filtering out what wasn’t of interest at the moment.

A few days ago the lawn had been mowed, and since these past few days had been really hot, the freshly cut grass was on the fast way to become straw. It carried a hint of the typical smell from stables.

Various cats and dogs were living in the area. Tony ignored those scents completely.

A car drove by, diesel engine. The brakes dragged a little and produced a fine abrasion.

Then he noticed something. It was faint, a few days old, and he followed the trail. An Iron Man suit, piloted by Jarvis, was sent to scan the area from there.

Stephen followed him without questioning him.

He knew from experience that if he was dragged out, something crucial would happen. Fortunately, they were in a quieter area of Queens. It was easier to pick out the older lead here than in midtown. And once picked up, he would hardly lose a trail. He didn't even need to shift for it.

Strange walked at his side, eyeing the surroundings. There was still no smell at all of the sorcerer. And that fact was still weird.

Tony was curious how he would smell. Probably something calm with a hint of herbs, like his teas. Something warm and inviting.

The Were shook his head.

He shouldn’t get distracted!

The path led them through a narrow passage between tall buildings. The area became poorer and poorer.

“You’re unusually quiet,” the Were noted after a while.

“I don’t want to distract you from your work.”

“I can track a smell and listen to you at the same time. It’s called multitasking and I’m an expert in it.”

Stephen scoffed. “Alright then. What do you want to talk about?”

Tony led them under a bridge. It smelled like pee. "Oh, nothing in particular. How was your weekend?" He stopped in front of a metal fence and rattled the gate. It was locked. So he tapped his wristwatch, but before he could weld it open, Strange did a swift motion with his fingers and the door magically swung open.

Stephen moved ahead past Tony. “My weekend was fine.”

Tony rolled his eyes and muttered, “Show off,” before he followed him suit. He waited a few more seconds, but Stephen offered nothing more. “Wow, don’t tell me more. I can already picture it as if I’ve been there myself.” His words were dripping with sarcasm. “Let me guess: you read an old book, drank some tea and argued with Wong about which of them was on dishwashing duty? Maybe you even washed the cloak.”

The cloak moved as if by wind when it was mentioned. Stephen stopped and turned to the engineer, looking into his eyes. “I went to a dimension that consists purely of energy and gaseous elements. The inhabitants have never seen a solid shape and I had to disguise myself as some kind of smoke. I chased an ill-mannered nebula through some kind of semi-liquid slime and prevented it from passing into our plane of existence.”

Tony blinked. “You’re making that up!” he accused the sorcerer.

There was the hint of a smile on Stephen’s lips. “I also did wash the cloak afterwards.” With that, he started moving again.

Tony followed him, still not sure if he was told the truth or just some nonsense.

Suddenly there was a noise above them. Something approached them through the air, then landed with a gentle ‘thump’.

“Hey Mister Stark, Hello Doctor Strange. I saw the armor nearby and thought you might need some backup with whatever it is you’re doing here.”

The teenager didn’t lift his mask but the men could hear the nervous smile under it.

Tony exchanged a quick glance with Stephen.

The sorcerer shrugged his shoulders. “It’s just a rescue mission,” he said lowly.

That was good enough for the Were. "Sure, but do as we say and stay behind us," he told Peter.

"Yes, totally!" He sounded thrilled to be included.

So the three of them continued on their way, and the men explained the situation to Peter in a few words along the way.

Between the three of them, with the help of Tony's suit in the air, it was easy to find the missing children's whereabouts. Either the kidnappers were not very smart, or they felt very safe.

It was a fucking cliché: an unused office building on a street with lots of warehouses, most of which were empty.

The kids seemed to be locked in a barely furnished room next to an empty open-plan office that covered almost the whole floor. All the doors were glass, but most were covered with newspapers. So were the windows, so they had no visual contact.

Tony had called his Iron Man back down and stepped in it to get a better read of the data.

There were five armed guys in the open office space and two more in another adjacent room.

Stephen, Tony, and Peter quickly came up with a plan: Stephen and Tony would take care of the armed guys, while Peter snuck to the kids. Once it was safe, he would get them out.

They had the element of surprise on their side and between the sorcerer’s magic and Iron Man’s blasting beams, they should make enough commotion to create a clear pathway for Peter.

But, somehow, everything went to shit.

Apparently, the guys had been prepared. Maybe they knew that human trafficking was prone to vampire attacks – or they had done business with them in the past and had taken precautions. Their weapons carried silver bullets and they were both good marksmen and skilled fighters.

They caught Peter on his way to the kids and engaged him in a fight as well.

The guys guarded their merchandise well.

One moment Stephen was dealing with two guys at the same time, only relying on his magic, while Peter dodged the swings of his opponent, and Tony engaged the boss of this little gang in a hand to hand fight, repulsor vs knife.

The next moment, Tony was suddenly in a headlock with a gun to his head. He was wearing his helmet, but he had never tested it if it would withstand a close-range shot. Or several of them at the same spot.

"Freeze or I'll shoot his head off!" the guy yelled at Tony's companions.

The Were growled and clawed his opponent's arm, but the grip around his neck did not loosen. He didn't dare to turn because the guy's finger twitched on the trigger.

Stephen and Peter stopped what they were doing – the sorcerer ever calm, but his gaze was dark and he seemed to be calculating his options in his head. He gave a secret signal to the cloak, which was currently not on his back, but was stealthily approaching Tony's attacker from behind.

Peter on the other hand was still a kid and seeing his mentor in this immediate danger made him go pale. "No, Mr. Stark!" He jerked on instinct as if he wanted to leap over to him and rush to help, but forced himself against it.

Still, it was one move to many.

Tony's attacker aimed his gun at the boy instead and pulled the trigger – one, two, three times.

The Were thrashed against his hold. “No!”

But it was too late. Nothing could beat a bullet.

Except maybe a very skilled vampire.

There was a blur. A flash of blue and red. In the same instant Stephen stood in front of Peter and threw his arms around him in protection.

He hissed in pain as the bullets hit his back. They were perfectly aimed, and they burned so badly that they must be spiked with silver. A metal that was bad for Were’s and Vamp’s alike.

These people certainly knew their stuff.

Peter shrieked, first of surprise at the sudden appearance of the sorcerer, then because Stephen’s protection hug grew very heavy as he slumped to his knees.

Tony went feral. He saw his pack threatened and retracted his faceplate to bite his opponent in his arm. Then he turned in his grip, his claws extended as he transformed.

The armor adapted to his four-legged body like the masterpiece of technology that it was. It no longer covered Tony's entire body. In this form, he preferred to keep his face and paws exposed while fighting.

It was easy to overpower the traffickers after that. Growling angrily, he barely cared about how much he hurt the people who dared to attack his pack. As long as one of them survived in case the authorities wanted to pry more information out of them.

One of them tried to crawl with a broken leg towards the door. A ridiculous attempt to escape. The Were grabbed his trouser leg with his jaw and yanked him back. The man gave a startled yelp as he was thrown ruggedly against a cabinet, where he remained motionless on the floor.

Tony looked around for the other two traffickers, but there was nothing more than a pathetic bunch left of them. That hardly calmed the Were down, even if the enemies were all neutralized. The smell of fear, sweat and adrenaline was still in the air and kept him on edge.

He whipped his head around when he heard Peter’s panicked voice. “Mr. Stark!”

The boy kneeled next to Strange, his eyes wide and worried. The sorcerer sat scrambled, his head hanging low. He was heavily breathing – and bleeding. Shit.

Tony rushed over to the two of them and ducked under Peter’s arms right into Strange’s personal space. Something wasn’t right.

Stephen turned away from him, hiding his face.

The Were was too big for this, needed too much space, so Tony shifted back into his human form, still wearing his armor, and laid his hand onto the other man’s shoulder.

“Doc?”

“I’m fine,” Stephen gritted through his teeth.

“Like hell you are!” The anger that hadn’t completely shifted into worry blazed back to life. “You got shot!”

Those bullets were meant for Peter. How the hell did he manage to get over there in time? Tony hadn’t seen his signature glow of magic.

“I just need to return to the Sanctum.” Stephen had trouble talking under the intensified burning in his back. He needed to get the bullets out of his body. The wounds would heal regardless on the outside. But his flesh would be burned alive from the inside. Like a slow and very painful poison.

The Vamp felt his control slipping. Not on his mind but his body. The urge for blood, for regeneration became stronger. His fangs were out and so were probably his claws, which was why he cradled his hands close to his chest.

It made reaching for his sling ring in his belt all the way harder.

Peter hadn’t left his side, the brave boy that he was.

And now Tony appeared right in front of him. Stephen tried to turn away again, to hide somewhere. Anywhere.

But Tony held him by his shoulders.

Why wouldn’t they leave him alone?

“Please,” Stephen tried again, his throat dry. “Just take the children home. I can manage.”

“You must have hit your head pretty hard if you think we would leave you like that.” Tony's voice softened with his next words. “Stephen, look at me.”

The Vamp shook his head, his eyes shut close and his lips tightly pressed together. That was difficult due to his heavy breathing.

He was a vampire. Undead. He didn’t have to breathe at all, but it helped with the pain and besides, it was a force of habit. He had gotten so used to blending in.

Tony's finger gently but forcefully pushed his chin up. “Stephen.” His voice was so very concerned.

The Were was too stubborn to let this one slide.

And Stephen couldn’t fight it anymore.

Finally, he looked at Tony. His eyes wide in anticipation of the man’s reaction. And glowing red. The open mouth allowed the heavy breathing to continue, his fangs now on display.

Tony needed a second to understand the meaning of what he saw. His eyes darted over the sorcerer’s face, down to his hands – still scarred – but also with long claws.

The fact that the man was still alive – ha – minutes after being shot in the back several times.

He let him go as if burned and stumbled back a few steps. His face is a mixture of betrayal, anger and disgust.

It couldn’t be.

He would have known it. He would have smelled it.

But sorcerers didn’t smell of anything.

“Peter,” Tony addressed the boy that was still crouching next to Strange and who watched the whole interaction concerned and confused. “Step away from him. Now!”

There was no room for arguing in the command.

For the split of a second Stephen’s face showed the hurt he felt. Not the pain from the bullets. Then a carefully put together neutral mask slid in the place.

The boy hesitated only a second before he finally obeyed. But it stung as bad as Tony’s change of behavior.

Stephen was still looking at the man, unsure what he would do next.

Tony seemed not sure himself. He raised his hand with the repulsor glove and it made this little noise signaling that it was active and ready to shoot. But he didn’t fire at the vampire.

Their eyes met. Stephen did not avoid his gaze, nor did he not look away. There was acceptance in his eyes – in those red glowing eyes that didn’t blink.

Tony wasn’t sure he had ever seen the guy blinking.

His ears twitched as his fine hearing picked up the sounds of the children that were still sitting frightened next door, still waiting to be rescued. They needed him. Maybe they even needed medical help.

He grabbed Peter - who had stepped next to him - by the arm and pulled him with him, walking backwards to the door. He kept his hand raised and the repulsor activated until they left the room. Only then he turned around and away from the vampire.

Peter looked at him with big eyes. “Mr. Stark…”

“We got a job to do, kiddo.” His voice was stern, cutting off any further objection from the boy.

Tony tried not to think about the fact he left the man he called friend – the man he probably had preferred to call other things too – behind, injured and bleeding.

That man was a Vamp – an enemy. He had lied to Tony, had deceived him.

Had everything been just pretended? An illusion?

Tony’s heart ached at the betrayal he felt.

He should have killed him immediately. But the sorcerer had saved Peter. And even if he hadn’t, Tony wasn’t sure if he could have killed Strange – even if he was a vampire. And that was alarming in a whole different way.

__________________

Tag list: @jekyllhydetrash @goopierthenyou Tell me if you wanna be added/removed

[aroaceconfessions]

I finally had the guts to tell my friend I have feelings for her and our relationship doesn’t just feel platonic to me anymore, and she said she feels the same way. I’m so happy right now! We are both ace and probably demiromantic, but thought we were completely aro until each other.

She’s the only person I’ve ever questioned my feelings for like this. And it only happened after being close friends for years. I loved her and cared about her so much as a friend before too, but suddenly I started craving being physically close to her. I wanted to fall asleep cuddling her. I got butterflies from her saying sweet things to me or hugging me. I wanted to kiss her, and it’s not something I’ve ever wanted before (I’m in my late twenties, for context). I love when she flirts with me, which we’ve been doing for basically our whole friendship but it started out as a joke.

At this point I think I’d be okay with her calling me her girlfriend, if she wanted to. We’d both be okay with being in a romantic relationship and define that ourselves, because we are in love with each other. Not sure if it’ll ever be exactly in an alloromantic way, but it doesn’t matter because it’s our way. I’d also be perfectly fine calling it a qpr, but not sure which would be the most accurate yet. What’s important is I love her and she loves me and we’re on the same page.

It’s almost ironic now how I always hated when people said “you just need to find the right person”, and I still think it’s horrible when people say that to aspec individuals. Because obviously that’s not how it works in many cases. I’m fairly certain the ace part of me will never change. I’ve never felt sexual attraction and don’t think I will no matter who I “find”. But I also thought I’d never fall in love and was totally okay with that. But now I do have my “right person”. So I guess what I’m saying is…. if you feel you’ll never experience either attraction, that is totally valid. But it’s equally as valid for that to be your experience, until this one person comes along and something changes. Sometimes the “right person”, or right circumstances, does exist and that’s okay and wonderful too!

Submitted May 10, 2023

[wrenreid]

Off Limits

all chapters in master list

content warning: dead parent talk

Part Fifteen

The events of approximately 7 hours ago play on repeat in my head. I can still taste him, feel the warmth of his soft lips on mine. God it was a great kiss. I felt like I was going to met into his lap and have to stay there forever. Which I would not have minded in the slightest.

I wish I didn’t have to leave, but honestly I’m a little relieved I did. I’m not sure what would’ve happened had I stayed. Would we have done it? Maybe. But then again maybe not. Definitely not. It’s too soon. I’m not that type of person. But then again again he is Spencer, and I think I’d give up my right leg for him if he asked.

Dad, Jack, and I are watching a movie over frozen yogurt right now. But while their eyes are focused on Lilo and Stitch, I am still seeing Spencer’s lips on mine.

Lying to my father about where I went for nearly an hour wasn’t hard, but trying to hide my flushed cheeks and swollen lips was. Luckily, his post-nap drowsiness got in the way of him noticing anything off.

So instead of having to explain my gushing attitude, I got to change the subject to the matter of dinner.

After the movie, Dad helps Jack get ready for bed, and I hang back in the living room and attempt to come up with a reason to text Spencer.

The only reason I can come up with is because I want to, and it seems valid enough.

“Hey”

I text him, no punctuation because a period seems too serious, an explanation mark makes me seem desperate, and everything else wouldn’t make sense. I then text again,

“Are you busy?”

He doesn’t respond, so I take that as a “yes” to my question. A slight frown forms on my lips, but I know I can’t just expect him to answer every time I reach out. He’s a grown man with a life.

I head upstairs to get ready for bed even though I definitely won’t be sleeping for at least another few hours. I turn Friends on in my bedroom and scroll through my phone, silently hoping for a text back.

I don’t get one. Even in the morning when it’s been 12 hours since I sent the message. I debate on asking if he’s alright, but I don’t want to annoy him with my texts.

God, I hate being 21. We’re still like teenagers when it comes to texting, and we’re all terrified of spamming someone and looking desperate.

“I should be back around five,” my father says as he reaches around me to grab his coffee mug off the counter top.

Even though today is just a paper work day, he still makes sure to say “should be” because, of course, there’s still a possibility of a case and him leaving for days again.

“Love you,” I say, my mouth still full of toast.

“Love you too. Aunt Jess should be here to pick Jack up soon,” he tells me, making his way out of the apartment.

My aunt is taking Jack to a birthday party for one of his friends that she often nannied with him. I am personally glad to have the day to myself or to do whatever I want.

“It’s so good to see you, sweetheart,” my aunt says with a smile, pulling me into a hug.

I haven’t seen Jessica since just a few weeks after my mother’s funeral.

“God you look just like your mom right now,” she tells me, her eyes starting to water before she blinks back the tears.

Jack grabs her hand excitedly, eager to go to the party. I’m grateful his eagerness removes me from that interaction.

“Nice to see you, Aunt Jess. Thank you for taking Jack,” I smile softly.

“It’s no problem. I’ll see you soon, sweet girl,” she says and allows my brother to pull her out of the apartment and down the hall.

I can’t be mad at her for mentioning my mom; she is her sister. But I hate that people feel the need to bring up touchy subjects when the emotions could’ve been avoided.

She always says I look like my mom, but I think we just have the same nose. Unfortunately, I am one of the many girls who grew up being an almost carbon copy of her father. Which made me feel extremely awkward because hearing “You look just like your father!” at 15 really shreds a girl’s self esteem.

My mom used to say it didn’t matter who I looked like, but it mattered which traits from each of them I inhabited. I’ve got my father’s stubbornness that’s for sure. I’ve got his determination and hunger for success. I don’t know what I have from my mother. I’ve never been the nurturing, gentle type that she was. Haley Hotchner was the perfect embodiment of grace, a gazelle if you will. And I’m like a bull. Thank you very much, Dad.

I plop down on the couch and kick my slipper-covered feet up on the coffee table. Today is going to be so relaxing without anyone to bug me.

And just as I’m done finishing that thought, my phone chimes with a text from CeCe. She asks for plans because apparently she’s bored out of her mind and her parents are talking to her about settling down and marriage. I tell her she can come over

“Thank you for saving me from that,” she sighs, shutting the door behind her. She crawls onto the couch with me.

I chuckle softly. “No problem.”

“So what’s up? What’s new in the world of Jade?”

“You’re really that bored that you want to hear about what’s been going on with me after almost a week of being home with my little brother?” I laugh softly, shaking my head.

“Yes!” CeCe groans.

“Well,” I say. “Perhaps I had something slightly more interesting than hanging out with a four year old happen.”

CeCe situates herself to where she can rest her chin on her knees. “Spill.”

“I made out with a guy I’m sorta kinda falling for,” I blurt out, twiddling with my hands.

“Oh my god, Jade Hotchner! There is a guy and you haven’t told me?” Cece exclaims, her eyes boring into my soul.

“It’s not a big deal,” I say defensively. “And honestly, it’s a little embarrassing.”

“The guy from your political science class? The kinda ugly one with the glasses and the haircut that makes him a little cuter?”

I roll my eyes. “He was not ugly.”

“A little bit,” she holds her pointer finger and thumb together, almost pinching.

“He was really sweet though, but no,” I chuckle softly, “not him.”

CeCe takes a minute to think, eyeing me. “It’s not Spencer is it?”

I cough, laughing a little. “What?”

“Oh my god, it is. You made out with Dr. Reid?”

“Kind of,” my lips press together in a thin line.

“How does one ‘kind of’ make out with someone?”

“I don’t know.”

“You made out with your dad’s employee,” CeCe laughs, shaking her head. “I’m so proud of you. You’re like a baby slut now.”

“What the fuck is a baby slut?”

“Ya know, like not quite a slut but getting there.”

I let out a chuckle, rolling my eyes. “I’m definitely not getting there.”

My best friend pokes my thigh, teasingly. “I am so proud of you. High school you would be too!”

“Shut up, Ceec,” I blush, shaking my head.

“So what happens now?”

“With me and Spencer? I have no idea. We’ve made out twice, and now I think he’s ignoring me.”

“Hold on,” she holds up a finger. “My mind is blown. Twice?” She pauses dramatically. “Wait why do you think he’s ignoring you?”

“Because my texts have now been left on delivered for 18 hours,” I explain.

CeCe bites her teeth together, tsk-ing at me in thought. “Hey, at least it’s not read.”

“Well, he has read receipts turned off. I did that for him so he could not feel the need to respond to everyone right away.”

“Oh, Jade,” she sighs.

“And thus you see my dilemma.” I gesture my hands outward.

“Mhm, I do,” CeCe nods. “Okay, so are you guys like a thing, just kissing, what?”

“I have no idea,” I groan, slamming my palm on my face.

“These stages are always the worst, but they’re kind of exciting,” she says.

“There’s nothing exciting about this. Spencer… he’s like different than everyone else I’ve had this type of situation with,” I say honestly.

“Because he works for your dad?”

“CeCe, I swear to god…”

“Okay, okay,” she laughs softly, holding her hands of defensively. “How is it different?”

“Because he’s an actually grown up. An actual man,” I tell her. “I’m used to stupid college guys. Even the pre-laws are stupid. And Spencer is… the opposite of those guys. He’s brilliant, kind, and like totally hot, and god, he’s a good kisser.”

Her eyes widen a bit. “Oh girl. You’re falling falling.”

“I mean it’s not that deep,” I say, back-tracking. “We’re friends. We’re whatever we are. And he may be all of those things but he’s also ignoring me, so I don’t know what to do with that.”

“Confront him about it.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” My teeth tug at my bottom lip.

“C’mon, miss lawyer. Just tell him straight up what you’re thinking.”

“And if I don’t know what I’m thinking?”

“Wait until you do.”

I nod, taking in a breath. “Right. Okay.”

“I’m here for you, baby slut.”

My best friend becomes the victim of a punch to the arm.

What am I thinking, what am I thinking? I don’t know. I mean, yeah, I like him, I’m thinking that. But I also know that my dad might kill us both if he found out about anything. And I know Spencer isn’t stupid, he wouldn’t want what I do. And I’m pretty sure I want him.

The sound of a fist hitting my door rings through my apartment three times. I just got home from grocery shopping for the first time in weeks. The refrigerator was severely lacking nutrition, as am I it seems.

I exit the kitchen to answer the door, and the face I’m greeted with is the one I want to see the most and don’t want to see the most at the same time.

Jade.

Before I can get an awkward “hello” out, she says, “You’ve been ignoring me.”

My cheeks flush pink, and I know my face is giving me away. But of course, she had already figured me out anyway. I stand there nervously, my face twitching a little.

“I,” I start, but I don’t know how to finish that sentence. She’s not wrong. I have been ignoring her.

I’m not proud of it, but how do I talk to someone who is the focal point of all my guilt right now? I was in the wrong for last night. What we did was careless and stupid, and I’ve never been careless and stupid. I feel like shit over it.

“Jade,” I say, her name rolling off my lips too easily.

“Spencer,” she says. I shouldn’t have told her to call me Spencer. I like it too much.

This is becoming our routine, huh?

She steps inside my apartment, and I let her. She walks past me and onto my couch. I let her.

“You know what we did is wrong,” I say, joining her on the couch, keeping my distance.

“And yet, we’ve done it twice,” Jade says.

She’s not wrong.

“It doesn’t make it okay. No matter how much you hate it when I say you’re my boss’s daughter, it’s true. And for that, what we did is unethical and careless.”

Jade rolls her eyes. “We kissed, Spencer. It’s not like we fucked.”

Her choice of words cause my eyebrows to raise. I clear my throat. “Well, no.” But I wanted to. I would never admit this out loud, but in that moment… if she wanted to, I would’ve. And that’s a problem. I shouldn’t be flirting with or kissing my boss’s daughter let alone wanting to sleep with her.

She’s off limits.

“Then I don’t see that much of a problem,” Jade says.

“I have a moral code, Jade. And getting involved with you violates it.”

“And what if you move aside that moral code?” She asks. “Then what?”

“What do you…”

“Let’s say my dad isn’t your boss. Then what?”

“Then it wouldn’t be as wrong,” I say carefully.

“You know what I think, Spencer?”

I’m scared to know what she thinks.

“I think fuck this moral shit. I’m a grown ass woman no matter how much you or my dad think otherwise. There’s obviously something here, and you can say we’re just friends all you want, but…”

“We’re not friends,” I cut her off.

“What?”

“We’re not friends,” I say again. “You’re not wrong about that. We can’t be just friends. But it’s not a good idea to be anything else either.”

Jade leans a little closer to me. “Fuck good ideas.”

A small smile creeps onto my face. I can’t help it. “You’re crazy.”

“A little,” she shrugs.

“What am I going to do with you?” I groan, that smile still on my face.

“I really think kissing me again is a start,” Jade grins.

sixteen

tags: @pauline5525mgg @theintimatewriter @lilibet261 @greysviolets @jazzymariexoxoc @one-sweet-gubler @thatsonezesty13 @necromaniackat @awhoreforspencerreid @sebs-oxygen @scarredelirium @bts-sugaplum @awesomeness1679 @preciousbabypeter @yazzyu @cynbx @r3idsp3ncer @1010lizz @tiredbut-here @skulzombiw @lena-1895 @eevee0722 @shakespear-picaso-lovechild @daydreamingqueen1 @regulus-black-223048 @virginmusicloverr36 @jazzerbelle14 @kylakins88 @f-me-reid <3

[igotanidea]

Pep talk : Aaron Hotchner x reader (platonic)

„Whoa! What’s with the long face, sunshine?”

“Go away, Morgan.”

“Well I can only go as far in this plane….”

“Just leave me be, all right?!”

“Hey, easy there. Someone’s in the mood today. We’ve just cracked a case that should make you feel good.”

“Just drop it, all right!?”

“All right, fine” Derek raised his hands in surrender and walked away from Y/N who was acting erratic. “Don’t bite. But you know…. if something’s bothering you……”

“Ah!” she groaned in frustration and threw her pillow at him. Grave mistake since he swiftly caught It and took it with him. On top of all her feelings and discomfort now she was also forced to lean on the cold window without it. “Freaking profilers!”

“Last time I checked you were one of us!”

The BAU team was flying back to Quantico. Another day, another mystery solved, another lives saved. Yay, hurray.

Yay hurray, right?

So how come Y/n was feeling so under the weather and was stuck inside her own head, consumed by all the bad thoughts? Her mind was going hazy and she was on the highway to a panic attack.

“Hey.” a deep calming voice reverberated from somewhere above her and she raised her head to properly asses who was bold enough to approach her in such mood “May I?” the person pointed towards the seat opposite of her.

“Sure, Hotch.” She muttered, turning her gaze away, watching the clouds outside the plane. If he was here to interrogate her, she was not going to make it easy on him. What she forgot about was that Hotch was far too experienced and patient to get intimidated by her poor technique. Instead of asking her any questions, he was just sitting beside her in complete silence, testing her temper and restraints. And damn it, he was good at pushing the limits.

“All right, fine! I surrender.”

“Really?” Hotch raised an eyebrow

“Who told you? I swear I’m gonna kill Morgan.”

“He did not tell me anything. In fact, he did not tell anyone anything. You seem to be the only person who can actually make him self-conscious.”

“Self-conscious? Morgan? And people say you have no sense of humor, Hotch.” She scoffed, looking anywhere but on his face.

“Y/N.”

“What?’

“Tell me what is going on?”

“Nothing.”

“You do realize you can’t fool me, right? So stop wasting time and just talk.”

“But…..”

“Talk to me.”

“What is wrong with me, Hotch? Why can’t I be like anyone else on the team?” her saddened eyes finally focused on his face. At first glance he showed no emotions, but if someone was looking close enough it was easy to notice so many of them reflecting in his orbs. “I’ve spent half of my life trying to prove that I’m good enough and qualified for the job. And yet, so many people still takes me for granted thinking I just got lucky. I worked my ass off during studying, finishing all those extracurricular, seminars, lectures and yet, I’m still being seen as a little girl who would not last long. Why? Why Hotch?”

“People talk.” He stated simply “And I don’t really know why you care about it so much.”

“You don’t understand it, do you?” she shook her head angrily “You are the Aaron Hotchner, FBI’s very best and on top of that, a lawyer.”

“And you are in my team. You are in my team, because I wanted you to be here. Because I chose you.”

“And I still feel like I’m not enough.  Look at all the girls in the department. Former and present. Elle, Emily, Jennifer. God! I wish had their power and energy. Real girbosses.”

“Now you’re giving away your comparison skills. So sad you’re using it in the wrong purpose.”

“What?”

“Ever since you joined us, you were a mystery. Still are. I cannot fully figure you out, you’re so full of contradictions and inconsistencies.  And believe me, it’s not easy for me to admit it.”

“Oh, I believe that.” She smirked

“Why do you focus on the gossip’s about you?”

“Ugh! Hotch, are we talking about feelings now?”

“Understanding your own emotions is a valid part of this job. You cannot do it well if you cannot contain what’s inside you. You need to be in control of your own mind to try getting into unsub head. So again, why do you care?”

“Cause it hurts.”

“And why is that?”

“Stop being my psychologist here!”

“We’re getting to the bottom of the problem, I’m not letting go. Why?”

“Cause I worry it’s true, all right!”

“Is it?” he eyed her carefully

“I don’t know. You’re the boss here, you assess me so why don’t give away your opinion?”

“Nice try. But you did this again, the same mistake over and over.”

“What mistake?”

“Searching for an external validation. Why?”

“Ok, I’ve had enough of this” she stood up from her seat ready to find more peaceful place, but he grabbed her arm and made her sit back down. “Please, don’t make me say it.”

“I’m not making you do anything, do I?” his calmness was infuriating.

“Not with words.” She squirmed, her seat getting more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“Just say it.”

“I worry that no one needs me here. That I’m no help. But an obstacle. I worry that I’m stupid and useless.”

“We do need you.”

“Right. As if. You know what Morgan told me earlier? He said that we cracked the case, you know. We. Then why the hell do I feel like I was of no help?”

“Are you even hearing yourself?”

“Pretty good.”

“Focus on facts, Y/n. What are the facts? Cause from my point of view, because of your fast thinking, ability to keep cold blood and insight we were able to save two woman from certain death.”

“No. No. No.” she shook her head “that was Reid.”

“Reid connected the dots, but you were the one to find them in the first place.”

“But…..” she tried to oppose

“Yes?” he leaned forward slightly. Damn he was good at what he was doing.

“I rest my case, your honor.” she sighed “I give up.”

“No. We’re not done until we get your self-confidence straight.”

“I’m tired Hotch.” she tried to plead with him but it was futile.  

“As you should be. Now, you claim to be weak, but when I look at you I see the person who’s capable of moving mountains when someone’s in danger.  You say you feel stupid, but from my point of view your knowledge is more than the one coming from a textbook. You believe people who say you will not last long, but I’ve seen young agents quit after two or three bloody cases they could not handle. You are nothing of it. And those are the facts.”

“Is it your official opinion as my supervisor?“ she mumbled

“This is my opinion as your mentor. As someone who cares about you and who can see all the potential you are holding back and need to learn how to unlock.”

“Really? You mean it?”

“Like you said, I’m not known for my sense of humor.”

“Maybe we can work on that?” she joked looking at him, but that stone cold expression made her back out immediately “No? all right, let’s leave it here just like that.”

“Get some rest” he stood up and handed her the pillow she lost to Morgan before.

“How did you….?”

“Artifice is something to learn as well. Sleep kid, you’ll have a day full of work tomorrow.”

“You’ll be tormenting me now, won’t you?”

“Obviously. ”

“Hey, Hotch?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for the pep talk, boss.” she smiled and much to her surprise he reciprocared by lifting corners of his mouth in the slightest, almost invicible curve.

@somest1

[goldrushenthusiast]

Have you read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes? 🎼🕊️🪱

If you have not read it, what do you think about the title? What characters represent birds and snakes?

*spoiler alert*

If you have read it, how birds and snakes play a part in the narrative? Also what do you think about Mockingjay role in the original trilogy and this prequel?

Thank you.

@curiousnonny

ofc!!! literally I live for BOSAS. like I’ve read it so many times I’ve lost count.

I think the second part is supposed to be if I have, even if not I’m gonna answer anyways, but I love the title, especially because Lucy Gray loves ballads.

Like she literally writes them. And this is their own story- of themselves. Which also really represents them, writing stories about themselves lol.

I think that the Coriolanus and Lucy Gray are the snake and songbird respectively. While I have seen cases made for the other way around, and some points are valid, I can’t really understand it as well.

Maybe that could be interpreted as how they’re not too different overall. How sometimes, when you love someone, you start to adopt parts of them you wouldn’t have normally, and you take parts of each other too. Idk. But Coriolanus is definitely a snake, not a songbird, and Lucy Gray is definitely a songbird although she for sure could be a snake.

Coriolanus is constantly tricking and manipulating people & things for his own gain (snakelike behavior), is in general a snob, and very ambitious. Lowkey I’m just naming slytherin behavior but you get the idea.

Of course, Lucy Gray loved to sing, but she also knew where danger was and how to avoid it, like Mockingjays did. She sang songs passed down from Covey member to Covey member and still kept her own voice, making songs of her own too. She is who she is because of something naturistic (the Covey) and something Capitolistic (the Games), like the Mockingjays.

Really I think that’s just surface level, and the most obvious (imo) but there’s many other things the songbirds & snakes could represent in the book too.

Like the fact Lucy Gray used snakes as crutch, and knew how to manipulate them (hmmm, makes you think of how she treated Coriolanus, who I’ve alr labeled as a snake), and how Coriolanus’ first military order/idea thing was to immediately get rid of Mockingjays (a songbird, which I’ve alr related Lucy Gray to) because they…unnerved him. And covered it up by saying target practice.

I think this shows how they saw each other, although both at different parts in the relationship- Lucy Gray saw Coriolanus as someone to help her stay alive during the beginning of their relationship and used him for that, and at the end, Coriolanus couldn’t handle Lucy Gray leaving him so he starts blindly shooting (remember- he wasn’t too good at catching Mockingjays). It’s why songbirds is first- she’s the beginning. Coriolanus, a snake, is what leads to the end.

Songbirds and Snakes could also be a metaphor for the capital vs the districts.

The districts, the songbirds, flocking to what keeps them safe yet never actually being guaranteed it. The snake, the capital, controlling said songbirds. It’s a ballad of the differences between the two, a showcase of what they represent and what happens when you mix two of them. I don’t think BOSAS is a love story, but it’s not not one, either.

Genuinely a case could be made for Dr. Gaul & Sejanus being the snake & songbird. The snake constantly toying with the songbird. The songbird who has a voice but is constantly confused on how to use it.

It could also be a nod to how important both songbirds and snakes are to the story, but I’ll get to that in the next question.

This is basically a testament to how all-encompassing the songbirds and snakes are, and how many things they can be interpreted as.

Ok, yay, now next question!!

The story wouldn’t be what it is without birds and snakes.

Coriolanus’ first sighting of Lucy Gray is her dropping a snake down Mayfair’s dress. This drastically impacts how the capital and how Coriolanus view her from then on- a preformer and a fighter. Without that small act of rebellion, and the performance onstage, she wouldn’t have half as many sponsors or interest in her.

Lucy Gray also leaves a small snake as a present for Coriolanus when he tries to kill her. Like a last goodbye, almost. That snake really drove the point home Lucy Gray wasn’t playing around or anything. She was fr. It shows Coriolanus who he thinks she truly is, and drives the point home she’s wrong for him.

Songbirds are a bit trickier/less obvious. Songbirds help represent the differences between them- Lucy Gray’s love of music, Coriolanus’ tolerance of it. Lucy Gray’s love of freedom, Coriolanus’ disgust of it (in large portions when anyone other than him has it).

As I mentioned earlier, Coriolanus, upon hearing them for the first time, wants all the Mockingjays dead. He literally can’t help saying how much he hates them ((as we see with him & Dr. Kay, while he usually has good control. Also good lesson on how songbirds (Lucy Gray) make him lose control)).

Songbirds provide a gruesome opportunity to show Coriolanus’ true colors.

Last question! Ok lowkey feel like that all sorta answered it, but I love the mockingjays. They’re such a vibe, honestly, and I love how crucial they are to BOSAS and the OG series.

Rue’s whistles (representing safety and codes).

Coriolanus’ hatred (representing his hatred & slowly sliding grip on self control).

Their mutative state (the capital can’t control everything, good always wins, yada yada what Katniss says basically).

Like what a W for birds all around, honestly. I’d love one that just sits outside my window all day.

As always, thank you for the question @curiousnonny, and anyone else feel free to debate but not argue these points in reblogs or replies, but please stay civil.

[muertarte]

TIMING: Right after this

PARTIES: @animotoph0bia @muertarte

SUMMARY: Metzli runs into an injured Finn and decides to help.

WARNINGS: None

Stupid pride. Or had it mostly been fear. For some reason, that stupid skit about never letting anyone take you to a secondary location was on repeat in his head, forcing out pained and involuntary chuckles interrupted by hissing with every other step. Finn couldn’t properly steady his limp and useless arm with the hand that felt like it was on fire, having at some point settled for somewhat leaning against the nearest wall for support. 

It wasn’t really working. 

Everything felt fuzzy, both his mind and his face, adrenaline starting to drain from his body and leaving only so much exhaustion and pain. Finn was sort of sure that he was heading in the direction of the hospital but honestly, maybe instinct was just leading him home - it was hard to tell. As long as he could get somewhere to lie down, far away from where he’d been in case the man with the knife decided to change his mind. Or unchange it, he supposed. 

Like so many times before, Finn didn’t have cash on him and honestly, he wasn’t even sure if a taxi would stop for a guy in his state. His messed up hand was covered in someone else’s blood for fuck’s sake. He rarely put a lot of faith in humanity and tonight was not the time it would change. The sound of a car rolling to a stop had him freezing instead of filling with relief, muscles tensing and pulling at his shoulder as he turned his head, expecting to meet the sinister, blue eyed gaze once again. 

Wicked’s Rest was filled with many things. Creatures, beasts, and ghosts that stalked the darkness. Being one of them, Metzli could always spot the others, but more importantly, they could find the victims of their siblings shrouded in night. This was a talent they’d had since their experience in the clan. Even without using their nose, just in sight alone, Metzli was an expert hunter, but that wasn’t the case that evening. Instead, as morality had wrapped itself around their heart the moment their sire died, the vampire offered kindness. 

They chose to ignore the way their fangs ached at the smell of blood on the stranger’s hands. 

“Excuse me,” Metzli swallowed, gripping their steering wheel tightly as a means to steel themself. The blood smelled so good. “What is wrong with you?” Though the question was blunt and likely to be taken badly, the vampire meant nothing by it. There was no confusion or even a judgmental tone. Just an even and dry question looking for a blatant answer. But maybe Metzli should’ve known better than to continue speaking. 

“You look very bad.”

So, not the creepy guy back to finish the job. Was this person creepy? Finn wasn’t sure if his radar for it was correct at the moment, set on high alert. They didn’t feel like much but to be fair, Finn wasn’t sure he had the capacity to feel anything other than his own pain and exhaustion at the moment. Point for the ME, he noted begrudgingly. Tired eyes took in the stranger, their furrowed eyebrows, and tried to detect any hint of hostility. It wasn’t glaringly obvious but then, as this evening had made clear, he was dumb as bricks. 

The question made him huff out a laugh because fucking valid, and not just because he looked like shit. “Besides the broken bones? So fucking much,” Finn answered honestly, cocking his head at the follow up statement. “And yes, I’m aware. Which is why I’m heading to the hospital. Or I think I’m heading to the hospital. Maybe home, whichever I find first.” Heaving in a breath, Finn turned from the car to continue the slow shuffle down the street, making it a total of five steps before a fresh wave of pain made his vision go black. 

“Fuck,” Finn sighed, slowly but surely sliding down against the wall until he was fully sitting on the ground, cradling the useless appendage. Just a short break, then he’d get right back on track. 

Clenching their jaw tightly, the vampire shut their eyes and imagined the roadmap they had memorized of the town. The direction the stranger was heading was the wrong way, and in his bloody and haggard state, Metzli wasn’t sure he was even going to make it to his home if he was wandering aimlessly. Opening their eyes, they swallowed the urge to take a greedy breath of air to calm themself, completely avoiding the scent of blood. They watched the young man’s gait turn into a hobble, his body relinquishing itself to exhaustion. There was no other choice but to help, and maintain control over their hunger while doing so.

“Boy.” They called out to the stranger, trying to get his mind to focus and stay awake as they bolted from their car. When they knelt next to him, that’s when Metzli saw just how serious the injuries were. And thanks to Regan’s many lessons on anatomy and decay, they knew how to label each one. 

Lacerations, contusions, a dislocation, and…they narrowed their eyes at his hand, a bit disconcerted at the way it had swelled and appeared wrong. Someone had hurt him, the intention in such an attack plain to see by someone as experienced in fighting and injuring as Metzli was. The story could change though, couldn’t it? They could be a good person, could choose the kindness they’d always wanted to give. They didn’t have to be a monster. 

They breathed deeply, “My name is Metzli and I will not hurt you.” It sounded like a promise, red eyes impossible to suppress, but genuine and kind as they softened to accompany Metzli’s statement. “Hospital is other way and I will take you, but I can,” English began to fail them, but after a short pause, Metzli managed to find their way. “Make pain less.” They gestured to the stranger’s shoulder. “Will hurt much at the beginning, but it will be less when it is in right position. Does this have sense to you?”

From somewhere, Finn found the energy to get annoyed at being called a boy, especially by someone who looked maybe a few years older than him. Annoyance was good, though - it cleared his mind just the tiniest bit. Although he was kinda hoping that the glaring red eyes were part of a pain-induced hallucination and not real. Not that it mattered, he wasn’t exactly in a state to run off. 

Metzli introduced themselves and it made the blood colored irises a little less spooky. The words did imply that they could hurt him if they felt so inclined but then again, Finn felt like a kitten could end his life at this point so whatever. “Hey, Metzli. I’m Finn. You have red eyes,” he commented tiredly and yeah, maybe he was a tiny bit delirious, shut up. Assistance to the hospital did sound promising, hospitals had medication. His odds of getting there himself without perishing definitely seemed worse than letting this one armed stranger help him. “Nothing makes much sense at this point but as long as the plan isn’t chopping off my arm, go nuts,” Finn resigned, too tired to care. Not like it could hurt more than it currently did, right?

Wrong. Very wrong, and dumb - the unofficial theme of this evening. Finn wasn’t sure if what had left his mouth had even been English, some amalgamation of curses and general noises. He couldn’t even appreciate the strength of Metzli’s single arm, or the fact that they seemed to have done this before. Probably more than once. The part about it hurting a bit less hadn’t been a lie, thank fuck, but as soon as pain gave way, it only left room for more exhaustion. “Ow,” Finn groaned pitifully once black spots cleared from his vision, legs fully the consistency of jello at this point. 

Finn was blunt, and it made Metzli smile, though they were sure Finn would think their face was unchanged. “You are bleeding. Blood makes my eyes turn red and fangs appear.” It was a statement they made dryly, unaware if it made the young man uncomfortable. Metzli didn’t think anything could be more uncomfortable than being covered in injuries, or microfiber, but they’ve been known to be wrong about how people feel. It came with their very unique territory. 

Or so they’ve been told.

“What is wrong with having only one arm?” Furrowing their brows as they pondered, Metzli raised their half limb and waved it for a few moments. “It was torn off by someone else for punishment.” Another bland statement, but they didn’t give Finn much of an opportunity to react or respond before they moved in to adjust his shoulder. It was better that way. People didn’t flinch or lock up as badly when they were distracted, and Metzli hoped that Finn didn’t begin to leak once he was done with his outburst. 

They’d never heard so many obscenities in one breath before. It was actually a bit impressive until Finn topped it off with a bland ‘ow’ and his body nearly going completely limp. “I am going to carry you now.” Metzli droned like a humanoid robot, slipping their arm around Finn and lifting him up without much struggle on their part. The problem with lifting someone nearly limp, with one arm was the lack of control either party had. But to Metzli’s surprise and relief, they managed to tumble both of them to their car, with only a few bumps into the door as they tried to open it. Thankfully, no one was around to see the struggle. Or so they hoped. 

Focus. 

“Can you put seatbelt on by yourself or do you need more help?”

Ah, fangs. Cool. At least this wasn’t a new kind of strange thing, just another vampire. Finn had dealt with that before, very unsuccessfully but still. And this one did really seem intent on helping. Tired eyes had managed to track the movement of Metzli’s arm - stump? Half-arm? - as they asked a question with a seemingly obvious answer. “It’s… well, then you don’t have two arms?” Finn answered dumbly, feeling like that should have explained it. He already felt physically useless most of the time with all appendages intact, there was no need to further his problems. After this evening, it almost sounded reasonable that someone had simply torn off Metzli’s arm. Witnessing what seemed like freaking organ harvesting and then a man impaling his own hand as an intimidation technique, it just sounded on par. 

Metzli gave him warning but everything still spun as he was raised up from the ground. Finn did his best to be slightly more than just dead weight, although that just seemed to throw the vampire more off balance, but it was a short walk. He didn’t even mind his head knocking into the open door as he was discarded like a sack of potatoes into the back seat, breathing heavily from the exertion of doing basically nothing. “I got it, I got it,” he mumbled, feeling very childlike for a moment as he struggled to make the clasp stick. When it finally did, Finn sighed victoriously. 

Even with the knowledge that a vampire, one that was clearly aware of the blood coating his hand, was driving the car, Finn did feel safe as they took off. “You didn’t have to do that,” he finally spoke, gaze settled on the blurry lights outside as they passed. “Probably shouldn’t have. Trying to help a stranger is what got me fucked up in the first place. Although you’re not a vulnerable bag of blood so maybe you got that going for you.”

“Yes, that is a factual statement.” Once again, they wiggled what was left of their arm with a curious tilt of their head. Finn was strange, and Metzli had a feeling it had nothing to do with any head injury or blood loss that he’d experienced. They couldn’t imagine what he was like on a typical day, but they were sure he wouldn’t be all that terrible to be around. Hopefully their judge of character wouldn’t suddenly steer them wrong. 

Although, watching the way Finn struggled to put on his seatbelt and sighing like a tired little kid made the vampire feel more secure in their assessment.

Shrugging, Metzli circled around the car and took their seat, setting the car into drive to head toward the hospital. The smell of blood continued to entice them, but the conversation Finn attempted to start was enough of a distraction. Even with the mention of blood. Bags Metzli no longer felt comfortable stealing, but they were sure that wasn’t exactly Finn was referring to. Regardless, they shook their head and looked at the young man in their rear view mirror, a weight pulling their shoulders down. They’d done horrible things in the past, allowed people to die by acting on orders and standing idle when required. That Metzli was no more. Freedom allowed kindness to shine through, and the child of night would accept that warmth, and pass it on.

“I like being kind,” They finally said, seeing the hospital sign in the distance. In a matter of minutes, they’d arrive, and their job would be over. “I still bleed a little and it still hurts, but this does not matter to me.” Flashes of Teocaltiche and the neighboring states of Mexico made Metzli subtly wince, the pain they had once inflicted sending a spiky ball of guilt down their throat. Pain was inevitable and necessary, but tragedy set in motion was not, and they’d be damned if they ever began doing that again. Little by little, Metzli would redeem the monster they once were, giving as much of themself as they could for people that needed a little more help than others. And if Finn’s heroic behavior was an indicator, they were positive they’d see him again. 

They’d offer help then, too. 

“We are almost there.”

Metzli was interesting, in a good way. It helped that they didn’t seem too off-put by… well, anything, including the chaotic rambling from Finn, taking it in stride. He had a feeling he’d be hard pressed to spout anything that would insult them, accidental or not, which was nice for a change. Sure, the circumstances of this meeting preferably could have been less traumatic and bone crushing but bright side and fucking whatnot. 

His line of questioning had caused an uncharacteristic lack of response, the silence turning his gaze to the back of Metzli’s head and then catching their gaze in the rearview mirror. Even in his current state, Finn could feel the empty space where there should have been a swirl of emotions, evidenced by the look in those eyes. Maybe a good thing he couldn’t feel it - this night had him feeling like a wrung out towel. The answer finally came and he smiled softly, leaning his head back. “Pretty solid answer,” he concluded. “The weirdo from the alley definitely could have used some pointers from you.” 

Perking up at the update on their trip, Finn did indeed see the hospital looming in the distance, a sight he never thought he’d be happy to see. “I… I feel like I owe you. Like, it feels weird to not even pay you for the gas, not to mention there’s definitely some blood in your car now but I don’t know, maybe you don’t mind that… I don’t even have cash on me. Promise you’ll let me pay you back somehow?”

Whatever Finn was saying was drowned out. Showings of gratitude were unnecessary and futile, to say the least. With the wealth Metzli had accumulated from the criminals they’d killed and the genuine business side of their gallery, they didn’t need for much at all. If anything, they wanted to extend the kindness further, and they would. Metzli had paid hospital bills before, without batting an eye, and in Finn’s condition, they weren’t sure if his wallet had fallen out during his bloody scuffle. Not that it mattered. Having money or not, being attacked was enough trouble. Bills didn’t need to be added on top of that. 

“We are here.” 

They turned into the emergency room parking lot, quickly unbuckling themself and getting Finn out of the car. He could hardly walk, but his legs seemed to oblige as much as they could. As they led him to the sliding doors, which activated for a group of people shuffling indoors, Metzli swept him up and threw him over their shoulder, not considering how strange they’d appear walking in with an injured and bleeding individual. But was that really out of the ordinary for a hospital? Let alone one in Wicked’s Rest? It didn’t matter. They were at the front desk in the blink of an eye and Finn was quickly swept away on a wheelchair to be tended to, leaving Metzli to stare blankly and wave him goodbye. 

Which was interrupted by a clipboard being shoved into their face for them to fill out. With a simple, “No.” The vampire slid their business card over to the nurse and uttered the word, “Bill,” before turning away and leaving.