#just a quick disclaimer in case this gets out into the wild please do not confuse me for a 2012 blog i am NOT that man anymore

[loupy-mongoose]

Hm. The Starlys sure are nuts today.

The untamed twittering of the birds sounded far more plentiful than normal to the boy. He glanced around, tilting his red hat to better block the morning sun from his slate-colored eyes.

So, where is it? It's here somewhere...

Ah!

He found what he was after, nestled in the tall grass near the lake's edge.

The briefcase.

He picked it up, grunting with effort.

Then, he heard a new sound.

A small sound, like...

A baby Pokemon?

Is that what the Starlys are so riled up about?

He set the briefcase near the path leading back home, and carefully began searching among the trees, straining his ears should the sound happen again. He readied a Pokeball.

Trusting his gut feeling, he followed the Starlys' chatter. They were definitely interested in SOMEthing over here...

He gasped at what he found, and fumbled for his radio.

“...where more Rangers have arrived, and are fighting to get it under control. There has been no news yet on how it started or if there are any casualties, but there is suspicion about a large structure--”

The TV was switched off.

“Hoenn's in a bad spot today, it seems,” The man muttered to a Lucario lying nearby. At his words, she stretched, yawning widely. “I hope they can get that sorted out quickly." He walked to his kitchen table and sipped from his tea cup.

Suddenly, his radio buzzed to life. The voice from the other end was abnormally unsettled. “Uh... P-Professor?”

The man grew serious as he held the button to reply. “Trouble, Lucas?”

“Uhh... N-Not reeeaally... I got the briefcase, but... Uh...” An anxious inhale sounded. “There's a man out here.”

“A man? You have the Piplup on hand, yes? Are you in danger?”

“No no no, I... Uh, no, he's... Not dangerous, I don't think. He's... He's unconscious... and...” The boy's voice cracked, and there was another breath. The man barely heard the next word. “N-naked.”

At this, the Professor's brows furrowed. “Is he injured?” He started toward his bedroom.

The response was quick and squeaky. “I don't know, I'm not gonna stare at a naked guy in the middle of the woods, Professor!”

The Professor couldn't help an inward chuckle at his flustered assistant. “Is he at least breathing?” He grabbed a couple large blankets from the closet, found a first-aid kit, and went to pull on his coat.

“Uh...” The radio went silent for a second. “...Y-yeah. He's breathing normally.”

The Professor nodded to himself. “Alright. I'll be there soon, Lucas. Keep Piplup at the ready in case any wild Pokemon get too involved.”

He went into his lab and explained to the top aide where he was going. He grabbed a Pokeball.

“Aye aye, Professor. And, uh... S-sorry... For, uh...”

“I understand. This is a very unusual occurrence. You've done fine, my boy.”

~~~~~~

(I hope that subject matter isn't too, uh... weird for people. Just so we're clear, I will never do anything overtly nude. I may imply it, but never depict it. Aside from, you know, Pokemon.)

Here we go, starting a whole new chapter!

From here we're gonna be following my playthrough of Shining Pearl that I did with my shinies and Mews. It won't be a perfect match to what happened in-game, it'll just loosely follow the same steps.

Disclaimer: This is my interpretation of the BDSP story and characters. Anyone is perfectly free to disagree with how I handle things, but please respect my decisions as the storyteller here.

If anyone wants to ask about any specific moments of this arc, I'm willing to break chronology UNTIL ETERNA CITY. A very important event happens there, so I don't want to go beyond it in story telling.

[nightcitytruecrime]

Episode Transcript: March 17th, 2061, Sundance Bar

It’s August 16th, 2060, in Night City, California, and it’s Jane Doe’s thirtieth birthday. Thirty is a big milestone. Especially around these parts. Not everyone makes it that far. Most of us would be content to celebrate at home, surrounded by friends and family and maybe a cake picked up from the local Oasis-mart. The more adventurous among us might go for a night on the town. If you have money, you might visit a rooftop bar in Pacifica — I’ve heard Villa Nouva is particularly nice! It’s on a high rise tall enough to get you out of a lot of the smog — if not, maybe just a local joint, or a club. Few would willingly venture into the festering bowles of the combat zone, at least not anyone sane. You’d have to be a special type of adrenaline junkie to plunge straight first into the prowling grounds of Night City’s nastiest gangs and cartels. 

But Jane Doe wasn’t. Not by a long shot. Jane Doe was a Beavervillian. She grew up in the suburbs with a white picket fence, went to NCU to study engineering, got a stable job at Rocklin Augmentics, moved up the corporate ladder until she was solidly middle management. She had probably been in the combat zone maybe five times in her whole life, if even. So it begs the question: why on earth would Jane Doe — country-club corpo kid Jane Doe — of all people, choose to spend the night of her thirtieth not at her executive zone con-apt, not a fancy Marina boardwalk strip, not even at Pacifica Playground, but in the middle of the god-damned combat zone? 

[intro song]

This minisode is brought to you by our sponsor Rent a Grizzly. Want to impress your friends and family by showing up to the function with a new, exotic pet? Want to feed your annoying mother-in-law to a wild beast? Want to temporarily up the security of your home while the lawmen are hot on your heels? With Rent a Grizzly, now you can do all of that and more, and do it affordably! Go to Rent-A-Grizzly-dot-com and check out with code SIDEOFSALT61, that’s capital S-I-D-E-O-F-S-A-L-T-6-1 for 20% off your first booking. Thank you Rent a Grizzly for making this show possible. 

Garden Patch Kids, I know you hate it when I do this, but I have to start the episode with a quick disclaimer. This case is high profile. I’m talking high high profile. And after the legal fiasco with the California Kitchen Killings last year, I’m really not looking to get sued. So, just keep in mind, all of this is alleged. I’ve also given all identifiable people and places pseudonyms, so please respect the victim’s privacy. Anyways, do as the show says, and take all of this with a grain of salt. Let’s get into it. 

If you ever find yourself in Little China, there are a few places you can go where you’re less likely to be caught in a gang war — that’s not to say you won’t be caught in a gang war, it’s Night City, but the chance is less. The Sundance Bar, as I’m going to call it, is among them. 

Sundance Bar is the go-to spot for all you corpo-rats looking to chase serious thrills without getting into serious danger. This place is the ultimate vice-den, let me tell you. It’d make even your hot alt input clutch their pearls. But this place is popular. Line out the door and around the block popular. You better be rich, famous, or smoking hot if you want to get in on a Friday night. Good thing Jane Doe’s birthday was on a Monday, so they would actually admit her. Or maybe not so good. Not so good, indeed. I want to be clear when I say this, because we’re not here to slander victims, so you all should know that Jane Doe was not a junkie. Sure, sometimes she’d microdose speed at work — but let’s be honest, who high up on the corporate ladder hasn’t — and sure, she liked to get loose sometimes, but she wasn’t a junkie. She was just your standard, fun-loving, thrill-seeking choom. Jane Doe’s friends, though? They would have called her a junkie. They were prudes. Real stick in the mud, what crawled up your ass and died, types. Someone could be drinking smash and they’d turn up their nose and scoff like bougie aristocrats. So going to Sundance with her friends was kind of a no-go. And Jane Doe wasn’t social enough to find a new crew to join her bar-hopping for a night. Especially not since she broke up with her mainline of 5 years. Our girl was going through it. 

But of course, she really wanted to go to this bar. Dead set on it, heh. We’re not entirely sure why? Some of her friends on the patch claim she wanted to meet a celebrity who frequented the place. Personally, I think she just wanted to go and get wasted in her best dress surrounded by hot people and blasting music. Whatever her motivation was, though, Jane Doe went to the bar alone. She told a few of her friends she’d be going — she wasn’t an idiot. She took the N-cart in with her nice heels and some hangover-cure in her bag. She was last seen by the CCTV walking down East Water Street in a sparkly black cocktail number at 9:13 PM. She would not come out of the bar again. A lot of people really want to know just what happened to Jane Doe inside Sundance. After all, that’s kind of the juicy part of the story, right? But in all my research, and trust me, I did a lot, I could not find a single person who had any clue what went down that night besides the usual bar affairs. In fact, I went to the place myself, scoped it out, and I was pretty unsuccessful in finding anything too strange. I did see that the mirrors in the bathroom were all two sided, but that’s not super unusual in these types of places. Anyways, point is, we have no clue what happened in that bar. 

What we do know, however, is that Jane Doe went radio silent following her 30th. Garden Patch Kids, you know when you have someone you talk to daily, and suddenly, you’re not hearing from them for a little bit? Some of you might freak out after the first day, but I’d say most of us don’t start to worry until we see that they’ve been inactive for a week or so. Stuff comes up in people’s lives, sometimes you’re just not on the phone. But the thing about Jane Doe was that she didn’t really have people she spoke with on a daily basis. Her job was cushy enough that she could live alone in her executive zone con-apt, she had just broken up with her mainline, they weren’t exactly on speaking terms, she called her family maybe once a month. It took two weeks for anyone to file a missing person’s case. How come? Jane Doe was using the PTO she’d saved up to take some time off around her birthday. It wasn’t until a few days after her vacation expired that her job got antsy enough to send their lackeys to her door and drag her into work. Only, when they got to her house, she wasn’t in it. And it’s not like it looked like she had freshened it up in preparation for some long trip. Her car was still in the driveway, she had leftovers in the almost fully-stocked fridge, her laundry hamper was packed with clothes, she still had suitcases in her closet. Rocklin reached out to her family, called every line they could, sent emails. Nothing. Nada. Poof! She disappeared. 

Her parents find out about the whole missing thing, and they obviously freak the fuck out. They file a missing persons report and they’re all up in the lawmen’s faces asking every question under the sun about how the investigation is going. At first it seems like they’re making really good progress. They find a string of text messages between Jane Doe and her mainland about a week before her disappearance. Jane wants to come over and get her designer handbags back. It’s hers, and it’s expensive, and she wants it. When her mainline tells her no, quite firmly, she calls them a bitch. It’s an ugly conversation. The cops speculate that maybe, drunk and under the influence of whatever cocktail of substances she consumed that night, she went over to her ex’s, got into a tussle, and left with a body bag in place of her Prada. 

But the issue is that Jane Doe didn’t show up on the CCTV footage leaving the place. For all they know, she’s still inside Sundance. But the lawmen, for whatever reason, they’re hung up on this whole mainline thing. They keep hounding this angle, but it becomes increasingly clear that they’re making no progress. And eventually, after a few months of this, the cops just give up. “You’re daughter’s probably dead. Deal with it.” Not their exact words, but that’s definitely what it must have sounded like to her parents. 

So her parents go to Garden-Patch and start a little awareness campaign, hoping to raise some funds to hire a private detective. They get about a couple hundred eddies into their campaign when they shut it down. That garden patch just gets deleted, out of nowhere. And suddenly, they stop posting anything about their daughter. They’re still active on their accounts, it’s not like they disappeared or anything, but it’s a strange shift. Call me a conspiracist, but I’m finding it incredibly suspicious. Especially with the fancy body-mods they started getting not even a full year later. 

Unfortunately, that’s kind of where our story ends. With minisodes like this, things can be a bit abrupt. We really don’t know what happened to Jane Doe; there are a bunch of conspiracies, of course, but I’m not here to get into those. But oh! This Sundance place. It has a bit of a reputation. Jane Doe wasn’t the only corpo-kid to get whisked away after going there, at least allegedly. The other cases are much murkier, Jane Doe’s was the only one with anything legal filed under its name, but I want to say that there are about five other missing persons cases connected to this joint? So yeah, maybe the combat zone isn’t the best place for a night on the town. Not that any of you needed a reminder of that. But yeah, salt fiends, that’s it for the day. Thanks for tuning in. I’ll catch you Sunday for the full episode. By popular demand, we’re going to be covering the most infamous bozo incidents in honor of reaching 10k followers, so make sure to tune into that! As always, stay safe out there. I’ll see you in the next one. 

[weirdlizard26]

obsessed with everything 2012 april says

[tittyblade]

tumblr etiquette 101

a list that is nowhere near exhaustive, from yours truly.

First off, welcome! Whether you’re a twitter veteran looking for anything but whatever twitter is, or a new user just done signing up, glad to see you in our ranks beloveds! Welcome home. Refer to this quick tour to make sure your fandom experience (or tumblr experience in general) is a positive one!

Disclaimer: I know it’s long, but please try to read or skim through til the end if you’re new here! This is by no means meant to be a rule book (for the most part lol), only a guide to help you get settled easier!

1) Your blog

This is where people will see and interact with you, so put some effort into it!

Try to choose a name (url) that’s simple. You can see it as your brand, it’s how people will perceive you and remember you. If you’d like to interact with other users here (and not use the site just for the content) it’s better to have something short and sweet, preferably without spaces. (Of course, these are only suggestions.) Rest assured, you can change it literally any time you want.

Have a theme. Utilize the tool that lets you edit your blog’s color or the font of your bio! You can make it match your profile picture, or your blog if it has a theme of its own. Make it feel homey :]

Fill in your bio. People will be checking out your profile probably more often than you think. Don’t leave it empty! Put in any information you’re comfortable with sharing and isn’t too personal (like your age if you’re a minor, or other TMI that can be found on other people’s carrds). It’s always better to add a name/nickname people can use to refer to you by, but feel free to use your blog description to shitpost still.

You can have an intro post. More often than not, you’ll see a blog have a pinned post, a post permanently appearing at the top of a blog until you pin another post or unpin it. You can make one of those, if you’d like to introduce yourself in more length, link any other socials or a carrd, and show others visiting your blog how you tag things so it’ll be easy for them to navigate. Not an obligation.

Keep your anonymity and your safety. It should go without saying, but there’s no harm in repeating it just in case. Your comfort, privacy and safety has the utmost importance. Don’t share any information you don’t want to. Don’t share your age if you’re a minor, or any other incredibly personal info. I’d encourage you to go by a nickname that’s not your real name, (blog name, your brand, remember?) since there’s safety in anonymity, and that’s lowkey one of the big deals of tumblr, but that’s up to you still.

Choose what you want to be visible. Your liked posts and who you follow are all things you can set to keep to yourself and hide from the publics eye, how handy! You should go through all the setting while you’re at it, set it to your comfort.

Side blogs are a thing. You can have multiple blogs that you can use for different things (see: different fandoms, art blog, etc) to keep them organized or away from your followers. Just remember that the replies and off-anon asks you send will be from your main blog, as well as where you follow other blogs from.

2) Interacting with others

You’ve set up your account, now comes the fun part!

Follow to your heart’s desire. If you care about others seeing who you follow, fear not! In tumblr, usually only two types of blogs keep their following visible to others: newbies, and big blogs using it to point people on other good blogs’ direction. Just turn it off, and go ham following people.

Customize your dashboard. Gonna mention just two things here: this is another reason why it’s really important that you follow blogs without sparing, your dash will collect dust otherwise; and you should turn off “best stuff first” in your dashboard settings, to have a better community here and all.

Follow tags. You can set it in your settings that posts with your followed tags appear on your dashboard.

You can check the og post for edits and context. When you see a reblogged post you don’t understand the context of (or don’t recognize the character in case of fanarts), click on the profile so it will take you to the original post. From there you can check the original poster’s tags to get the context, or see if there have been any edits made to the post, since when you edit a post it doesn’t update any past reblogs.

Send people asks... This is how you make mutuals, people! Do it off-anon if you’d like them to know your blog, or anon if you’d rather not! (You can still end your messages with a signature to show you’re the same person, -[name] is one example.) Send them nice messages, ask their opinion on something, discuss things, or just straight up shitpost lol. Go wild. The sky’s your limit and it’s definitely more than 280 characters.

...and let them ask you! You can set your preference in the settings, do it on desktop tumblr to access more settings tho! What you can customize on mobile is limited (like letting people ask you things anonymously, that’s only on desktop settings). In my personal opinion, it’s always better to tag their username (or a nickname you give them, if they’re a friend) on that post, since you wouldn’t want your interactions with your friends to get buried in your blog forever.

Comment on posts. If you have something to say but don’t want the post to appear on your blog you can add a comment. The owner of the post will get a notif for it, but for anyone else you need to tag them.

For the love of god, reblog. People will only see your liked posts if you have it visible to public and they specifically go on your blog to look at them. You like something? You reblog. It’s already hard for posts to circulate properly, if you don’t reblog them literally no one will see them. If not for anything do it for the artists. Just hold and drag on mobile to fast rb.

3) Your Posts

Finally here! Don’t be a lurker, post and engage!

Make use of “read more”. If your post is long, add it. That’s what you clicked on earlier to expand this post. On desktop leave an empty line and you’ll see three dots appear, and on mobile type :readmore: on that empty line.

Draft a post to come back to it later. Pretty self explanatory.

Queue your post. Whether it’s your own post or you’re reblogging, make use of the queue feature to a) not spam reblog and fill up the dashboard of people following you and b) keep your blog active while you’re gone. Mess around in the settings, it’s fairly easy to set up.

Schedule your post. Same as queueing, the only difference is you get to choose the exact time your post will go up. Handy if you want to schedule a post for certain dates like april fools, or 5 years in the future for some reason. 

Format your texts. You can do all kinds of fancy stuff here (that’s a link, try pressing on it). Twitter doesn’t have this, make use of it. Changes depending on whether you’re on mobile or desktop. (Desktop has less features.)

Check your stats. If you’re trying to understand the algorithm better or want to look at some pretty graphs you can get your data on that on desktop tumblr.

@ people in comments. You’ll get all the notifs when people comment on your posts but they won’t see your reply unless you tag them in your message.

4) Tags, and tagging a post

This is where my earlier statement “this isn’t a rule book” stops being applicable. It’s not a war crime to go against these, I won’t come chasing you (don’t take my word for this) but you’ll work up a bad rep. Just saying lol.

Do NOT crosstag posts. It’s really tempting to add unrelated tags to increase your posts’ interaction, I know, but that’s not what tumblr is about. Don’t be a dick and make other communities’ experience worse for them.

Always tag your posts with “crit/critical/discourse/etc” if it calls for it. There’s no exceptions to it. This is the reason you see people migrating to tumblr. Let people enjoy things.

Don’t main tag a critical/negative post. If your crit post is about “Thing”, you add the “Thing critical” tag, but not the “Thing” tag. People block crit tags if they don’t want to see it, don’t shove it in their faces by main tagging it. 

If you don’t want to see something, just block it. Another reason why people are able to survive on tumblr. You don’t start discourse, you don’t make call-outs, you block. You can find something for every community you can think of if you go looking for it. The worst of the worst probably won’t ever appear on your dash, but if you’re worried or feel the need for it, you know where the block button is.

Feel free to shitpost or ramble. More often than not you’ll see people rb a post with a comment, and their elaboration will be in the tags. The tags are only visible on your profile and the notifications of the owner of the og blog. Just a thing people do.

Reblog artists’ posts with nice comments in the tags! Commenting on a drawing is usually done through the tags (Not an obligation, again, just a thing people do. Feel free to add your comment on the rb itself if you’d want other people to see it tho!) and leave nice messages for the artists! It’s a win-win for everyone involved. 

If you have more than a single follower, always use the common tw warning tags. You don’t need to tw everything, but tw’ing some common things is the bare minimum human decency. Keep it safe for others. 

Tag a post “long post” if it’s really long. Pretty self explanatory. Don’t make people scroll through all that please lol. 

You can use them to organize your blog. This is more of a pro tip, if you’d like to not miss a post in your blog, cause they will start pilin’ up soon enough.

#Liveblogging is pretty fun. If you’d like to talk to people during streams, don’t forget to add the relevant tags still! Again, you won’t show up on people’s dash otherwise.

Whew! That got out of hand. Hopefully I didn’t bore you too much. Check out blogs like @heritageposts and @hellsite-hall-of-fame to honor our past o7. @mcytblr-hall-of-fame too maybe :eyes:. Anyways, don’t forget the most important rule of them all:

Enjoy your stay! You’re meant to have fun on here while also making friends (if that’s your thing). Just be kind and respectful of others, you’ll get the hang of the rest! <3

[somedaylazysomeday]

Different, But Still Good

Echo x fem!reader. Reader lives on Ord Mantell and is in a relationship with Echo.

PLEASE read the note below! This story is NOT for everyone!

Personal Disclaimer: This is a very personal one-shot and it will not be for everyone. This is set in a scenario in which Echo's body was either severely damaged below the hips or is not capable of arousal. I see this portrayed as a 'worst case' scenario in a lot of fics, like a lack of sexual ability makes him less human or able to find happiness.

Not only is that horrible representation for people with disabilities, but as someone who identifies as largely asexual, that hurts me deeply. So, the reader in this story is asexual, sex-positive/sex-favorable, and dating Echo. Read at your own risk.

Rating: NC-17, NSFW, lemon, etc. Minors DNI!

Word Count: 3,400

Warnings: Themes of disability, themes of asexuality, mention of sex toys, fingering, oral sex (female receiving), edging.

Next | Masterlist

“You don’t understand,” Echo had told you all those months ago. “Everything is gone.”

You had followed the expansive motion he had made at his own body, then flicked your eyes up to meet his. You were sure you didn’t look impressed by his explanation.

You had known Echo from his first visit to Ord Mantell. You had been the one who gave him and his brothers directions to Cid’s and had spoken to them regularly ever since. Echo had been a particular favorite of yours, with his dry sense of humor and wary way of looking for the trap behind everything. You cared about him and you had thought he cared about you, too, but he was fighting very hard not to date you. You had just asked him to grab a quick meal together, wander the street markets and talk, but he was acting like you had proposed marriage.

“It most certainly is not,” you told him firmly. “Your heart is still here, along with your mind. You are not gone, Echo. If you’re not interested in me, fine, but it’s important to me that you know you’re still here.”

“I can’t-” Echo had broken off with a frustrated noise. “I can’t be what you need.”

“Are you just talking about sex?” you asked bluntly.

Echo’s jaw had fallen open at that, then firmed as he nodded. “Yes. We’ll never be together that way. No matter how much of me is still here, that part of me is gone.”

“I’m sorry about that,” you told him honestly. Males could be strange about the way they assigned their worth as a person to the state of their genitalia. Some females were probably the same way, but you had never run into any of them. You met Echo’s gaze directly, consciously choosing to lay out all of your cards. “If it helps, I’m asexual. I don’t have those needs, not really.”

“Not really,” he had repeated skeptically.

You shrugged. “I get a little needy about a week before my monthly cycle, but I take care of that on my own. I don’t place a high value on sex. What I treasure is companionship, friendship, honesty, trustworthiness, compatibility. There’s more than that, but the point is, those needs hold a higher value to me than sex. And you meet all of those needs for me.”

Echo had glanced away, the shadows thickening under his emaciated cheekbones as he turned his head further away from the light.

“I won’t keep pushing if it’s something you’re not looking for, but I want to ask one more time. Whatever answer you give me, I’ll listen.” You had taken a slow breath, trying to calm your wild heartbeat. “Knowing everything I told you, do you want to go out on a date and see if this goes anywhere?”

“And that’s something you really want?” Echo asked. His voice had been harsh, brisk, but there was a vulnerability in his haunted eyes.

“It really is,” you told him, honesty ringing in your voice.

“Then…” he turned back to you fully, a hint of a smile on his lips. “When do you want to meet?”

You two had hit it off that night at the street markets. Echo was a passionate, quick-witted man, traits you admired deeply. You agreed on a lot of things, but disagreed on enough to keep endless opportunities for debate.

When the Bad Batch was on Ord Mantell, Echo usually stayed at your apartment. You never knew when they would be coming back - couldn’t know, since the Empire was tightening its grip even so far in the Outer Rim. But you treasured the time you had with Echo and made friends with his brothers and sister. It wasn’t uncommon for Omega to accompany you and Echo on a day trip around Ord Mantell. She made you laugh, even if she occasionally said things that made your heart ache for her lack of childhood.

You had told Echo the truth about your sexuality. You were happy for his companionship. Talking to him and spending time together were your ultimate happiness. You did touch each other casually - hand-holding, kisses, and cuddling, mostly - but those touches were their own end rather than a single step on the journey to anything more physical.

The only time you ever experienced need was about a week before your monthly cycle, as you had told Echo. At those times, your fingers or a small vibrator were enough to take care of your discomfort. An orgasm or two helped you regain your equilibrium. It always felt nice and scratched an itch, but it wasn’t something you felt particularly deprived of otherwise.

And so your life continued, happy and fulfilled. You would have loved for Echo to be on Ord Mantell more often than he was, but you were grateful for the time you did get to spend together. You worried about him when he was gone and greatly preferred him to be close.

One particular evening, you came home from work and found that the small, decorative welcome mat from inside your apartment had been moved in front of your door. That was your signal that Echo had used his key to let himself inside.

Before you opened the door, you gave the knock Tech had made you plan out for additional security reasons. Echo had clearly heard the knock and knew that it meant you were alone, so he met you at the door with a warm smile.

“Echo!” you said, shutting the door quickly so you could wrap your arms around him. One arm circled around you to press between your shoulder blades, then the metallic prosthetic of his other arm came to rest on the small of your back. You took a deep breath in through your nose, reveling in the feeling of having him there. “I’m so glad you’re back!”

“I’m making dinner, if that’s okay?” he asked carefully.

“It’s the best news I’ve heard all day,” you told him truthfully, shucking off your shoes and depositing your things on a convenient chair.

Echo’s enjoyment of cooking had been a welcome surprise as someone who made only enough dishes to keep herself fed without getting too bored. He was extremely talented in the kitchen, and the idea of having a warm meal with your favorite person meant the world to you.

“I just need to shower, then I’ll be ready,” you promised.

“Take your time,” Echo said sheepishly, following you into your room. “I thought you weren’t due home for a while, so I just put it in the oven. We have about an hour until it’s ready.”

“That’s fine,” you agreed, gathering clothes to change into. “I want to hear all about your most recent mission. Anything you can tell me, anyway.”

“What’s that?” Echo asked. You turned to find his eyes fixed on the small black tube in your hand.

You shrugged, but he kept waiting for an explanation. With a silent plea that he wouldn’t take it the wrong way, you told him, “My cycle starts in about a week. This is my vibrator. I just need… It won’t take long, I promise.”

“Do you need any help?” Echo asked.

You had to consciously keep from dropping your stuff. “I- But… What do you mean?”

Echo looked like he was definitely rethinking his offer by that point, but he nodded down at the toy you were still holding. “I could take care of you. I understand if you’re not comfortable with that, though.”

“No, I-” you paused, trying to think of a way to phrase it that wouldn’t be offensive. “I just don’t want to frustrate you by bringing up a sensitive subject.”

“I don’t mind,” Echo said hurriedly. “Just because I can’t- I can’t, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t want to take care of you. I could use my fingers or my mouth.”

Your breath caught, and Echo rushed to add, “If that’s something you’d like.”

“I would really like that,” you said equally quickly. “As long as it isn’t crossing any of your boundaries.”

“Go shower,” Echo instructed, his calm reason helping to quiet your flustered nerves. “If you don’t mind, I’ll just ask you some questions while you’re in there. We can figure out any lines or limits.”

You okayed that and you talked over limits while you quickly rinsed off. You settled on the fact that you were okay with nearly anything with Echo. You trusted him to stop if you found something that crossed a line, even if it was in the heat of the moment. In fact, there had only been one thing you had thought worth being brought up:

“I can only orgasm once,” you confided. “I get overstimulated and then I need to cool down for a while. I'm usually done after that.”

Echo nodded thoughtfully. “Have you ever tried edging, then?”

“Uh… no.” You smiled at that. “I never had the patience enough for it, honestly.”

“If you want, we could try it,” Echo said. “We still have about forty minutes before the food is ready. And if you’re only gonna come once, it might as well be a good one, right?”

“I would try it,” you agreed, feeling a bit wary.

Echo smiled and patted the bed. “Good. Come and sit here, then.”

You did, easing down onto the mattress. It felt strange and a bit taboo to be out here completely naked. Normally, you took care of things in the refresher to minimize any cleanup and you preferred to be in comfortable clothes for the rest of your time at home. But it was your apartment, and you and Echo were the only ones inside.

Echo leaned in slowly, cradling your jaw with one hand while the metal attachment rested coolly on your shoulder. The familiar motions of his mouth soothed you until you were feeling more natural out in the open.

Echo’s hands skimmed down over your form, lingering briefly on your breasts and the curve of your hips. “You’re beautiful,” he murmured.

“So are you,” you replied, delicately brushing your lips against the metal attachments just above his ears. “The most important thing in my life.”

Despite the doubt in his eyes, Echo’s expression softened. “Lay back for me, sweetness.”

You did, feeling shaky and uncertain, but Echo kept smoothing his hands over your skin - ribs, belly, hips, then skipped down to your calves. By the time he worked his way back up, the small tingling you had felt when you got home had become a throbbing need.

“Echo, I… I’m aching.” You probably should have tried to make that sound more seductive, but it came out shocked and a little dismayed. This feeling, especially at such an intense level, was unfamiliar and not entirely welcome.

“Shh, I’m going to take care of you,” Echo said, doing his best to ease you.

As his hands slid between your thighs, you were surprised to find that they opened with ease. Echo’s eyes shot to your face, but you were busy frowning at the ceiling. This was the first time a non-medical professional was looking at your most private area. You had expected to feel embarrassed, especially when you could feel both your wetness and how puffy your lips were.

Echo still wasn’t looking at your center, though - he was looking at your face. “Are you okay? Because, if you need me to stop…”

“No, I just-” you frowned even harder. Were you really going to complain because you didn’t feel uncomfortable. You leaned up to rest on your elbows so you could look at Echo while you spoke to him. “I’m just realizing how much I trust you. There isn’t another person in the galaxy I would be okay like this with. But… it’s you.”

“That means more to me than anything, mesh’la,” Echo told you, sincerity thrumming in his voice. “But I won’t be hurt if you need me to stop.”

“I think I’ll be hurt if you don’t touch me soon,” you replied, smiling despite how much you meant it. “I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to come this badly before.”

Echo’s eyes darkened so suddenly you were tempted to ask if he felt okay, but he just nodded once, the motion sharp. “Then lie back down for me, sweetness. I’m gonna take good care of you.”

You settled back again, your thighs parting automatically with the movement, and Echo’s shoulders nudged them further apart. His breath shuddered out and you startled at the brush of a finger against your entrance. “So beautiful. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a prettier pussy. And so wet for me, mesh’la. You’re like a dream.”

He parted your folds reverently, and you sucked in a breath at the feeling of the cool air of the room against your heat. Then you forgot to breathe entirely, because he licked a quick trail from just under your entrance up to the top of your slit. When he got there, you let out a wail and Echo hummed, adding a new, intriguing layer to the sensations.

“That’s it, sweetness,” he encouraged. “Let me hear you. I want to know what you like.”

You told him that clearly enough. You had never considered yourself a vocal person. Normally, your vibrator didn’t bring much more than an occasional gasp to your lips. But, with Echo, you were constantly making noise. Gasps, moans, whimpers, pleas, and a constant repetition compiled of his name and praises for how good he was making you feel.

When you felt yourself getting close, you stiffened up under his hands and Echo pulled his mouth off of you. You made a noise of loss, but he only smiled up at you from between your thighs. You had forgotten about the edging plans.

“Let me know when you’ve come back down,” he requested.

“How many times did we plan to do this?” you asked. “Twice?”

“I think we can get to four,” Echo said optimistically.

“Four?!” you repeated, horrified.

He nodded. “Are you ready?”

You nodded back and dropped your head back against the mattress.

This next time, Echo focused exclusively on your clit. He licked it slowly, rolled it between his lips, sucked it so hard that your whole pussy stung with shocked nerve endings. He even nibbled at it delicately, which sent you so close to the edge that he barely had time to pull away before you came.

His hands on your thighs kept your legs apart as he watched you pulse with the thwarted orgasm. The shine on his mouth was almost enough to make you come on its own, but it didn’t quite get you there.

“Ready?”

“Yeah.”

Echo laved attention on your entrance. You had never bothered with much around there. It was so much less sensitive than your clit. Why would you waste the time? But Echo made you think that had been a mistake. He plunged his tongue inside of you, then pulled back to lick around the delicate tissues of your entrance. He sunk a finger in as deep as it would go and searched around for your g-spot, finding it when he pressed on the right place and you nearly levitated off of the bed.

“Echo!”

He stood up as you watched with bleary bewilderment, thighs still splayed open. “I have to check on the food! Don’t make yourself come!”

He was back before you could think about doing it anyway, settling between your thighs again. “We still have time. Ready?”

You gave him a thumbs up and he set back to work. That time, he pressed the pad of his thumb against your perineum while he licked you from bottom to top in long, slow licks like he was eating a scoop of ice cream. He curled his tongue in the most wicked way at the top of every stroke, teasing along your clit in a way that drove you wild.

You tried to warn him that you were close, but you only made a strangled noise as he pressed a little harder and flicked his tongue against your clit. Echo seemed to speak Desperate Female, though, and pushed himself back.

With your head thrashing back and forth on the pillow, you pushed for the orgasm, slamming your knees together as you tried to grind your clit between your legs. It didn’t work and you were left almost sobbing as you stared down at Echo.

He looked coolly unaffected by the way he was tormenting you. You almost kicked him out of sheer pettiness. With a sympathetic smile, Echo said, “You look a little flustered, mesh’la. Everything okay?”

“I didn’t know they taught troopers how to torture people,” you grumbled. Rather than take offense, Echo threw back his head and laughed.

“You’re almost there, sweetness. This time, I’ll make you come.” He paused, eyes glittering. “Unless you want to push for five?”

“I think that might kill me,” you admitted, swiping a hand over your damp forehead.

“You’ve done well so far,” he told you, pushing your thighs apart again so he could settle between them. “Are you ready?”

You nodded. “Extremely ready.”

Echo lowered his head and went to work, putting together everything he had learned up to that point. He pressed a finger deep inside of you and rested it gently against your g-spot, pushing the pad of his thumb against your perineum again at the same time. The rest of his attention was focused on your clit. He licked and sucked and hummed and every muscle you had drew tight before you knew what was happening.

As if your body was determined that it wouldn’t be deprived of yet another orgasm, you soared over the edge without warning. Your pussy pulsed in rippling waves, trying to draw Echo’s finger even deeper inside of you, and you swore you felt your clit twitch under the attention Echo was giving it.

At first, you were worried you might black out. Your vision darkened ominously and you couldn’t take a full breath, like your lungs were frozen in place. The next moment, all you could see was stars and you sucked in a shuddering breath before the wave crashed in earnest. You threw back your head and wailed, crying out indecipherable nonsense so loudly that you might owe your neighbors an apology.

When you finally lay utterly spent, Echo lifted his head from your core and carefully withdrew his finger. Even that made you shudder, an interesting addition to the trembling that had taken over your limbs.

As if it were practicing its comedic timing, the oven beeped that your food was done. Echo stood up, but only to gather you up as he sat on the bed. The next thing you knew, you were cradled on his lap, leaning against his chest.

“Echo,” you murmured. “Dinner.”

“It’ll be fine for another five minutes,” Echo reassured you. “How are you feeling, mesh’la?”

You thought that over. “At ease.”

Echo chuckled, and you liked hearing the sound rumbling through his chest. “Glad to hear it. You did beautifully. I never would have expected to see you like that.”

If you were confident about the control you had over your body at the moment, you would have covered your face. “I’m sorry for getting so desperate.”

“That’s the point of edging,” he reminded. “And it was amazing. I’ll never forget the sight of you, needing me and being so brave to agree to more pleasure. Even if you never want to do this again, thank you for trying it once.”

You hummed, but you could see Echo sneaking looks down at you. You knew he was wondering if you would do it again, but he was far too respectful of your boundaries to push it.

“I definitely wouldn’t mind doing that again sometime,” you decided eventually.

“I’m glad to hear it, sweetness,” Echo told you, pressing a kiss to your temple. He settled you gently back on the bed. “I’m going to take the food out of the oven, then we’re both taking another shower. Then, while we eat, I want to know exactly when your cycle is.”

You frowned up at him and he patted your lower belly. “I don’t intend to miss another one of your needy days if we’re anywhere within range of Ord Mantell.”

Despite your weariness, you laughed at that and Echo beamed as he went to save your dinner.

---

A/N - As always, comments and suggestions are welcome, but I do ask that you please refrain from making suggestions about changing the reader's sexuality. Sex-positive aces rarely get representation and I will not change it.

Thank you for reading! Other works can be found on my masterlist.

[fruitcoops]

Accidental Family

Hey folks! This is one of two fics for the six month celebration of this blog! Woohoo! Blood on the Ice is one of the most popular series I've written, and expanding it into Josie’s (@prohibitionincurls ) Winging It world with her was unbelievably fun. Disclaimer: one of the OCs has ADHD and it is a central theme of the story--while Josie based some of his characteristics on her own experience, we both recognize that this is not a one-size-fits-all situation. Thank you again for six amazing months, and I hope you enjoy!

Lots of love,

Eve <3

TW for mentioned injury

“Oh my god, they’re gonna kill me,” the kid whispered in a wavering voice, sounding much younger than he actually was as he left the penalty box.

“They’re not going to kill you,” Bowie soothed, still watching the tunnel where Remus had disappeared mere minutes earlier. From what he saw, there had been a bit of blood, but the bruising didn’t look too bad. Then again, there had barely been enough time for anything to visibly swell before he was whisked away.

“Can I just stay in the box?” Felix cast a look toward the Lions bench and his voice cracked. “They can’t yell at me in the box, right?”

“Hey. Look at me, Marty.” Bowie took him by the shoulders and gave him a gentle shake. “The Lions are good guys. They’re not going to hurt you, but you did just fuck up one of their best friends. What would you do if someone hit me in the face?”

“Come on, man, I’m a terrible fighter. I don’t know how well I’d be able to defend your honor after something like that. It was an accident. Do you think they know it was an accident? Should I go tell them?”

“I know. They know. Loops definitely knows. But that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re a little cold at first.” He ruffled the rookie’s hair and turned back to the game; the Lions were moving fast and brutal, slicing right through their defense for yet another goal. Shit. Felix clearly felt bad enough already--losing the game wouldn’t make him feel any better. 

They ended up losing the game.

Bowie had figured it might happen; he would have had the same fire if it had been his teammate that got clocked like that. Hell, he used to have the same fire when he and Remus had played together, so he completely understood. 

That did not change the fact that once they got home, Felix was still borderline inconsolable. The 18-year-old wasn’t technically billeting with them, but the apartment he was renting just so happened to be in the same building, on the same floor, and right across the hall from his and Simon’s. This led to an informal adoption of the rookie and he was around their house at least five times a week, if not more. 

Felix Martin was a good kid, and that idea was confirmed when Kronk immediately took a liking to him; the cat loved nobody but the three of them. Bowie was grateful that he and Simon were there to quell some of the homesickness that came from moving out to a new city on his own for the first time. The transition was always tough, but they could provide a little support.

They parted ways from the team when the bus got back from the rink and drove to their building in silence. Once they made their way up the stairs and down the hall, Felix moved to go back to his apartment. 

“Nope,” Bowie said immediately, placing a hand on his shoulder and steering him through the door to his and Simon’s place. It wasn’t a good idea for Felix to be alone right now--there was nothing to do alone after a loss aside from beat himself up about it, and Bowie would be damned before he let that happen. 

Simon and Kronk were perched on the couch, but they both moved into the kitchen as soon as the door clicked closed. Simon took one look at the pair and carefully wrapped his arms around Felix; the kid practically melted. The three of them stood there for a moment until Simon pulled back a bit and tilted his head toward the living room. Felix nodded and Bowie followed the two, sharing the couch with Simon while the rookie curled up in the large armchair diagonal to them. 

He...well, if Bowie was being honest, Felix looked like hell. He chewed his lower lip like an anxious beaver and fiddled with the loose threads of the closest armrest; everything about him screamed discomfort. Bowie caught Simon’s worried glance in his periphery and let out a slow breath, trying to relieve at least a little of the tension in the room.

“You don’t have to relive it if you don’t want to. I saw the game. But if you want to talk about it…” Simon trailed off with a significant look.

Felix sighed and his shoulders caved in a bit. “It was just one of those moments. All of a sudden, I didn’t really have a grasp on what was going on, which feels like shit because I’ve been doing pretty well so far. I dunno. It was just...bad.” 

That was it. Bowie knew Felix had seemed a little off. When Felix mentioned he had ADHD at the start of the season during one of their ‘getting to know your neighbor’ chats, Bowie hadn’t thought much of it. But as they grew closer, he began to notice when Felix forgot to eat or drink, or got overwhelmingly excited about something, or when he suddenly spaced out. It wasn’t just Felix being Felix.

The whole team stepped up and became intensely protective, of course. They not only helped him remember meal times, but also scheduling, directions, and everything in between. Bowie felt especially responsible for reasons he didn’t entirely understand--there was just something about the kid’s sweet heart that struck a chord.

He also knew that Felix was highly emotionally intelligent, but had no concept of whether people liked him or not. He was someone who assumed the worst, all the time. So, Bowie decided to do the only thing he knew would work: after a few more beats of uncomfortable silence, he pulled his phone out, tapped a few buttons, and pressed ‘call’.

“Hey, Remus, are you alive?” 

An amused snort came from the speaker even as Felix blanched. “Hello to you, too, Bowie. Jeez, you’re worse than Sirius.  I’m one hundred percent alive, just a little swollen. Your rookie’s got a helluva shot, but maybe tell the kid to hit the puck and not my face next time.” 

Felix flushed red and put his face between his knees, though hearing the laughter in Remus’s voice and knowing that he was okay clearly took some of the weight off his shoulders. Bowie whooped internally and shot him a quick, reassuring smile.

“Yeah, the kid’s got spirit, but he’s also got ADHD. He’s great most of the time, but sometimes under extreme pressure he can’t figure out where the fuck he--or anything else around him--is. Something about focusing or neurons firing the wrong way, maybe? Either way, it’s why he’s a terrible fuckin’ driver.”

Felix flopped back against the chair with a groan. “How the hell am I supposed to know how far away the cars around me are based on the mirrors? And how am I supposed to park?!” 

Remus’s laugh echoed once again. “Don’t ask me, kid, I’m not allowed to drive, either. Not because I’m ADHD, but because I’m terrible at it.” 

“You can say that again!” a muffled voice called from behind Remus. 

“Please excuse my fiance,” Remus said politely. “He’s a jackass who’s trying to make me lay down again.”

Felix smiled, though it was a bit pained. “I didn’t get a chance to apologize earlier. That stick was totally on me. And--I mean, I heard some of the guys talking afterward and it sounded like you got pretty banged up, so I’m really sorry. Like, really sorry.”

“Hey, woah, you’re fine,” Remus soothed. Bowie recognized his ‘talking to newbies’ voice and hid a smile in the cuff of his hoodie. “It’s the name of the game, after all. Did Bowie ever tell you about the time I accidentally checked him into a wall? Or when I broke his visor with a puck? For context, this was when we were on the same team.”

“Or that time you kicked my legs out from under me and sent me sprawling across the ice during practice.”

“That one was on purpose.” 

Bowie glared at the phone, but Felix was snickering and his grin was genuine. It calmed him a bit. “Thanks, Loops.”

“No problem, kiddo.” Remus paused for a moment, then mumbled something inaudible to someone in the background before clearing his throat. “Bowie.”

“Yes?” Remus had never been a wild card, per se, but he certainly had a knack for asking strange questions out of the blue.

“Did you accidentally adopt a child or do my ears deceive me?”

Bowie was about to laugh at the absurdity of it, but then he took a moment to think, looking back and forth between Simon and Felix. “Fuckin’--maybe I did, Re, but he’s ours now. And if that’s the case, I’m going to formally request that you tell your fiance to quit being mean to my son.”

Remus laughed on the other end of the line. “Will do. Felix seems like a sweetheart, I’m glad he’s got you two.” 

Bowie nodded with a slight smile, even though Remus couldn’t see him. “So are we. I can practically sense Sirius hovering, so go let your boyfriend fuss over you for a little while.” 

An offended noise came from Remus’s side, followed by a lower laugh and the click of the call ending. 

Simon looked Felix dead in the eyes. “I’m seconding the ‘kid’ thing. You may just barely be a legal adult, but it doesn’t mean we can’t adopt you. Congrats on your new gay dads.” 

Felix’s bright laugh sent a wave of relief through Bowie. “You guys are only, like, eight years older than me.”

“Silence, spawn,” Simon said, pointing a playful finger at him as his grin widened into something sweet and lopsided. “Now both of you need to come eat something. I made cookies while you were getting pushed around for a living.”

Bowie was still worried about Remus’ face--he made a mental note to call the next day to check in--but all his concerns disappeared as Felix scooped the cat up for a snuggle and followed Simon into the kitchen. They may have lost the game, but he would lose a million Cups to keep that moment forever: his Simon fussing over them both, his cat purring in pure bliss, and his kid settling into place at last.

[chemicalpink]

⍣ ೋ Namjoon's preferences in bed ⍣ ೋ | Tarot + Astrodice | 18+

Disclaimer: This reading is based on my experience and knowledge of astrology, it is not meant to be the absolute truth, as BTS are real people, and astrology can only capture so much about multidimensional humans that have had past experiences and cultural approaches amongst other things, it does not have to resonate with you since this is in no way related to anyone reading it (unless you are a member of BTS in which case, get out of here lol ) This is just for entertainment purposes. Remember that tarot as a form of divination only allows us to read current energy and as time advances it becomes less accurate, so it basically reads up to a 6 months period of time

A/N: Well, you've spoken and here I shall deliver, a smexy tarot reading for my Namkook Birthday Project, don't forget to check it out, I'll be updating almost daily until the end of September. Strap on (pun intended) and get ready for this wild ride. If you've read most of my works you know I have very strict moral limits on my readings, I have lessened them for this project, just know that I do, in fact, not spill all the tea here, the boundaries are still there.

Warnings: this contains 18+ themes evidently so please restrict yourself if you're a minor.

masterlist. tarot masterlist. astrology masterlist.

Namjoon always gotta deliver to us what we already had in mind, listen, this is gonna go 0 to 100 real quick. All of the minor arcana are swords, meaning sex with him is serious and thought out, sharp yet strong moves. There really is nothing that keeps him going more than a fairly broad mind, this man will get hard just by listening to his partner being smart and ranting on whatever expertise of theirs. Now, this also goes for a witty partner in bed, he would say 10/10 if they banter with him as foreplay (7oS) You know what does things to him? body worshipping, having his partner tell him how big his cock is, how great he fills them up, kissing every bit of exposed skin of his would make his toes curl in pleasure (5oS rx) Funnily enough (and I’ve talked about this before in some other rant) for Namjoon, sex is a human need for when he feels too trapped inside his own mind, which falls into the thought out part of his experience, love-making isn’t so much of a thing for him since he believes he can show love through other mediums rather than sex, which of course doesn’t mean he isn’t loving when he has sex with a partner, it just- isn’t a top priority (10oS) But let’s talk about his central sensual needs, kinks, if you may. The hanged man shows us that Joon isn’t really one to wait around, play a bit, he just likes to get things done, has zero patience, strip and is straight to business, it might even clue us towards him being into rough sex, light BDSM. Breeding kink is very much present here. A slow start as he gets rougher and rougher with it AND he loves to watch the whole scene in a POV type of way, watching how his cock disappears inside his partner, quiet and thought out yet lewd in every possible aspect. (Gemini Saturn 4th)

Decks Used: Tarot del Fuego, Divine Feminine

[wiypt-writes]

Murder, He Wrote

Part 1

Co-written with @southerngracela​

Summary: You’re sent by your asshole boss to do a review of a Celebrity Host Haunted Mansion, hosted by none-other than the arrogant, wild-eye browed actor Lucas Lee, but you’re worried you’ve missed the boat…that is, until at the last minute, an email arrives to say they can let you in on the last admission that night, which just happens to be Halloween… When you arrive, you’re actually kind of excited and intrigued…but it isn’t long until that excitement and intrigue give way to fear when you find yourself in a helpless situation.

Warnings: A creepy house, bad language words. MATURE (NSFW 18+) NON-CON situation, kidnap, violence. DO NOT READ IF ANY OF THOSE TRIGGER… READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!

Pairing: DARK! Ransom Drysdale x Reader

A/N:  So this is a collaboration between myself and the wonderful @southerngracela​ for @jtargaryen18 ‘s  Haunted House 2020 challenge…and will be a mini-series, with an as of yet undefined number of chapters.

Once again READ THE WARNINGS!!!! This is a DARK Series… don’t @ us if you can’t follow simple instructions and end up with butt-hurt. And if you’re under 18…get off my blog.

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and by writing it does NOT mean I agree with or condone the acts contained within. This fiction is classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this series bar reader and any other OCs that may or may not be mentioned. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Murder, He Wrote Masterlist // Main Masterlist.

"Y/L/N," your dick editor poked his head into your office rather gruffly. "I'm gonna need that celebrity haunted mansion review on my desk by tomorrow morning. I want to run it ASAP.”

"I can't even get in, not even with a press pass, I've been trying for two weeks, Mick!” you looked at him, your mouth slightly open. You’d told him this countless times at morning briefings. You hadn't even heard back from the organizers about sneaking around the press pass issue and offering an exclusive on the joint, a small fact you kept Mick in the dark about.

"Make it happen." He said simply, before he turned and left.

You glared at his retreating form. What the fuck did he not understand about the situation? Mind you, what did he understand about anything? There was a reason everyone working for him called him Mick The Prick.

There was also a reason he was being extra prickish to you. Earlier in the spring time of the year you’d run an article on Ransom Drysdale- the stuck up, trust fund asshole who had literally gotten away with murder. He’d confessed to murdering his grandfather’s house keeper, attempting to murder his grandfather and then, in a violent showdown with 2 police officers and a private detective present, he’d attempted to murder his grandfather’s nurse, Marta. And he would have succeeded, except the knife he’d used had been a stage prop. It was like some fucked up Murder, She Wrote plot, and when you’d interviewed the real life Jessica Fletcher (in this case the rather charming PI named Benoit Blanc who’d been a character to say the least) it got even more confusing. Ransom had hired Blanc in some elaborate scheme to frame Marta for Harlan’s death to do her out of the inheritance via the Slayer Rule. That had back fired spectacularly when she had unwittingly switched back the vials of medication Drysdale had tampered with, meaning Harlan had truly committed suicide. 

The article was supposed to be done showing his side of the story, a way for him to set the record straight, but the more you’d dug and spoken to people surrounding the case, the more you were absolutely convinced of his guilt, not least because he’d been acquitted on the murder and attempted murder charges on technical grounds due to his confession being, allegedly, obtained under duress and without a brief being present. The only thing they’d managed to pin on him was the arson which had burnt the Chief Medical Examiner’s office to the ground, and when his brief had successfully argued mitigating circumstances- he wasn’t of sound mind given the shock surrounding him being cut from his grandfather’s will- he’d basically ended up being released on license.

It was a joke, and that was basically what your article had said. You’d written a scathing attack on how money could basically render you untouchable by the law, highlighting the failures of the Criminal Justice System. At the time, Mick the Prick had been delighted with it, publishing it under your suggested head line “Murder, He Wrote”- ha, go figure, and copies had flown off the shelves, the article online going viral.

And then money had talked once more, and the Drysdale’s had threatened to sue for defamation. That in itself was a joke, as you knew full well his mother, Linda, was only doing it to salvage her own reputation, the same reason she’d worked so hard to find a lawyer to get him off the charges despite the fact she knew full well he was guilty as sin. Mick The Prick had attempted to throw you under the bus spectacularly when the board had come looking for blood, but as editor the buck stopped with him, and he was given a formal warning whilst you were forced to publish a retraction and offer a written apology much to your utter chagrin.

Which was why he was now making your life as hard as possible, and your Investigative Journalism skills, that you’d honed over the last decade; from high school paper, college tribune and now your current employer, over the last 10 years or so since graduation were now being focussed on covering stories about housewives who found Jesus’ face in a slice of toast, or in this case a fucking Celebrity Host Halloween Haunted House review. Whereas you had dominated the first 2 pages once upon a time, you were now lucky if you made it further up than page 11.

With a groan you banged your head on your desk. Why had you not listened to your dad and become a damned teacher instead of a journalist. Dealing with snotty nosed brats would be easier than this.

By the end of your day, you were burning what felt like the midnight oil however it wasn't very late at all. Dark had settled in but it wasn't late by time. Just before you were to log off and leave for the night, a TV dinner and pint of mint chip waiting for you in your freezer (and probably a job search too seeing as you would no doubt be fired tomorrow morning for failing on your deadline) your email pinged on your desktop. You frowned at it, wondering who could possibly be emailing you this late but then you recognized the sender.

It was the reply you'd been waiting on from the organizers from the Celebrity Host Haunted House. Clicking the email open, your eyes scanned the message. The organizer was setting you up with a private tour, TONIGHT. "9 pm," you finished reading aloud, relief flooding your entire body. It meant a long assed, sleepless night whilst you wrote your article, but it was better than the looming threat of unemployment. Plus, on the upside, as it was a charity gig the organizer had pulled out the big guns and the blurb on the email told you that it was to feature none other than Lucas Lee, a once-upon-a-time famous A-List Movie star, who was possibly just as arrogant as Hugh Ransom Drysdale, but you had to give it to him, in the films you’d seen he was actually damned good, and also pretty hot so…every cloud.

Glancing at your clock, you had just enough time to clock out and grab a quick bite at a drive thru on your way. The location was nearly an hour outside the city so you needed to get gone and fast. A quick reply telling the organizer you were on your way was sent out and you grabbed your coat, pulling it on over your sweater dress and were gone. 

It took a good hour like you'd estimated and that was with stopping for a quick meal, to reach the address your GPS brought you to. It was creepy even at its first glance so you could only hope this payed off. With a quick swig of your watered down and flat fountain drink, you grabbed your bag and phone, exiting your vehicle and locking it shut. The cool night air bit at your exposed cheeks and you were glad you'd worn your coat and tights.

As you stood, gazing at the dilapidated house you shivered, as though, ice had replaced you spine. The walkway leading up to house was cracked, blood red roses grew wildly in thick batches by the gate and the moonlight cast a ghoulish glow on the house. Vines formed a twisted maze upon the side of the of the house's walls which showed the black decay of neglect, in between which splotches of original paint hinted at the house’s former prosperity. Cobwebs covered the corners of the doors, tiny black spiders threading towards their prey and you gave another shudder, as far as first impressions went, yeah, it was fitting for a Halloween Haunted House tour.  

Pulling out your phone, noticing you had no reception (of course you wouldn’t, wasn’t that the cliché?) you took a few photos to use in the article and then gave a little squeak as the door creaked open on its own. Arching your eyebrow slightly, in a manner very much like the man you were here to meet, you strode forward and into the house. Immediately a musty, dank odour crept into your nose. The house was deadly silent except for the intermittent creaks and moans typically associated with a property that age. Black and brown mold dotted the ceiling of the tall hallway you stood in and the windows that framed the door on either side were covered with grime and dirt meaning the calm moonlight struggled to penetrate the darkness in thin thread rays, the main source of light being the open doorway. Sharp shadows roamed around the room and as your eyes adjusted to the dim light you noticed that there was a bright white envelope almost perched on the wooden table to the side of the hall. It was the newest thing in the room, so was obviously there for you.

You crossed over, the heels of your suede boots clicking loudly out in the silence of the hallway, and gently reached out for the envelope. A single word- Start- was written on the front in cursive, looping scrawl, very fitting for a spooky note. Another detail you committed to memory for your write up. You slid your finger into the crook of the envelope and slid it open. Inside was a small, white card, containing a message written in the same writing.

To ensure that you don’t become tomorrow’s big news, In this envelope you’ll find the first of 6 clues Of your super sleuth skills you should be proud, So make sure that you read your answers out loud. As one by one they lead to your ultimate demise. Which may or may not be a scary surprise…

Okay, now you were interested. This wasn’t just a walk through some scary assed, supposedly haunted house where Lucas Lee was no doubt set to jump out at you in some ridiculous disguise. This was a scavenger hunt, and your natural inquisitiveness was piqued. 'This could be fun', you thought as you reached for the next card that was in the envelope, reading the first clue. 

I’m tall when I’m young, and I’m short when I’m old. I also give heat but, not enough to prevent cold

You pondered for a second, heat was leading you to think of a fire, and they certainly grew shorter with time, well eventually when they burnt out…but then again, the longer they went the hotter they got, and they certainly prevented the cold. Scanning the hallway for anything that might fit the description, your eyes flicked up to the ceiling which held an elaborate, but tarnished candelabra style chandelier. And then it hit you. Tall when young, short when old.

“Candle…” you spoke “The answer is Candle…”

At that the door leading to the outside slammed shut behind you, and you gave an involuntary scream as the dominant source of light was sealed off. You spun round to look at it, and then your scream turned in to a laugh as you shook your head, for an Investigative Reporter you prided yourselves on steely nerves but so far that was twice this adventure had caught you off guard.

Turning back round, you then spotted that the door at the end of the hall was open, and you could clearly make out a Jack-o-Lantern looking at you, the candle inside flickering. Its face was creepy, really creepy. The nose and eyes were harsh triangles and the grotesque, twisted smile it sported was constructed of sharp, jagged teeth. You reached into your pocket and pulled out your phone. You may have had no service, but the flashlight was working. Keeping the light held in front of you so you could watch your step on the cracked tiles of the hall, you made your way towards the lantern and found yourself in a large, run down kitchen. The lantern and your flash-light provided the only light in the room as the windows were all overshadowed by gnarly trees, their branches every so often scratching the glass as they swayed slightly in the wind outside. The only other sound to be heard was the drip, drip of the faucet in the porcelain Belfast sink. 

A closer look revealed the discoloration of the water, a brownish concoction as it swirled down the plug. There was an envelope on the side of the counter by the lantern and as you crossed towards it, a movement in your peripheral made you spin round only to see a lone mouse scuttling away across the dirty wooden floor. You placed your phone down, flash-light up causing it to light up an area of the Artex plaster ceiling, and picked up the envelope, tearing it open to find your next clue

Mr Jack-o-Lantern lights the night His eerie face is shining bright The ????? that shaped him lies around And holds your next clue safe and sound 

“Oh come on…” you muttered, “That’ ones obvious. Knife, the answer is knife…” You picked up your phone and shone it around the various surfaces of the kitchen and your eyes honed in on a wooden knife block containing a solitary knife. You crossed the room towards it and as you closed in on it, you noticed that the handle of the knife was an ornate silver filigree. It was no ordinary kitchen knife and as you pulled it form the block you realised it was in fact a dagger, antique by the looks of things. The blade was curved slightly, reaching a sharp point, the silver tarnished. But the more you looked at it, the more you suddenly became horribly aware that it wasn’t merely a dullness of colour at all. It was blood. 

“Dramatic…” you mumbled, and with a sigh you then realised there was no clue attached to it. Was this a distraction? A decoy? You were just about to stat ransacking drawers to find the actual knife you needed, when you glanced back at the block the dagger had been held in and noticed a flash of white peeking from underneath. Picking it up and moving it aside you smiled as you saw the same cursive writing, spelling out the word three. Seeing as you might as well play along, you used the dagger to slit the envelope open, tossing it back down on the counter as you read the next clue.

Many a Child on me they may play Any time be it night or day. My surface is hard, on it you can knock I have many keys, but can’t open a single lock…

“What has keys but doesn't open a lock?" You pondered aloud. Adjusting your cross-body strap, you sigh. Then the answer came to you, "a piano."

You fell silent, your mind racing to how the hell you were going to find a piano in this decrepit and yet enormous house. Then, your ears heard it. The subtle note from deep inside the house. It was a single key. But now that wasn't your concern, no, it wasn't the mice or the bugs or even the brown water. Your heart raced at the notion that someone was in fact in the house with you. 

"Alright, Lee, you were always one for a flare of the dramatics, let's see what you've got."

Step by step you followed the note that chimed every few steps and you found yourself beginning to wonder if it was a recording or if someone were really playing it, timing their play with the sound of your boots over the rotting floor. You wound your way through the narrow hall, ancient wall paper peeling from its tack, mastick and plaster falling away to reveal studs in places. 

Finally, to your left you heard the key loud and clear. It was in that room. Steeling yourself for a possible encounter, you carefully pushed the sliding door away from its hinge. Your booted feet traipsed across the brittle carpet, dust swirling in the air in front of your face. Cobwebs adorned many of the surfaces and there were dirty white sheets covering the various pieces of furniture in the room. Apart from, that is, the large ornate grand piano that sat in the middle of the room.

The stool in front of it suddenly jolted back and tilted toward you, making you scream at the  gracious invitation by an as of yet invisible host. 

“Get a grip Y/N” you mumbled to yourself. You were surprised to find just how much this place was starting to set your nerves on edge. You took a deep breath, the pounding of blood in your ears began to quiet and you took a look around the room. There was no one in there with you, you were alone.

With slow, deliberate steps you moved towards the piano, your eyes sweeping over the mahogany surface, searching for an envelope with the next clue, but there was none to be found. The surface of the piano was thick with dust and grime, but as you scanned over it you suddenly stopped. On one of the white keys the dust was disturbed, as if it had been wiped away and you instantly realised that had to be the key that your so far elusive host must have been playing. You paused, biting at the nail on your thumb of you right hand, before you reached out with your left and tapped the key. The melodic note rang around the room, clearly, echoing in the silence and for some reason you were taken back to a part of the article you had been thinking about earlier that day, and how Detective Blanc had told you that he had ‘played a key’ during the various family interviews ‘to make my point without interruption’. It didn’t pass you by how fitting that actually was at that moment but you didn’t have much time to reflect on it, as you heard a creak and a grinding noise and you spun to your left to see a panel in the wall sliding open. It made you jump slightly, but this time you didn’t scream. 

Not for the first time, you had to admire the effort Lucas was going to here. It was clear he had a flare for the dramatic, anyone could see that from his films and interviews but this was pretty damned good. It was making you wonder how he was doing it. Was he somewhere watching, pressing buttons to enact the various parts of his show? Instinctively you glanced up, looking for a camera or something you were being monitored by but you found no evidence of anything. 

“Well, in for a penny…” you muttered, crossing towards the small hatch. It was just wide enough for you to get your hand into, but you really didn’t want to. You grabbed your torch and shone it into the hole, finding nothing but the envelope so deciding it was safe you reached in and pulled it out.

Sometimes coloured, sometimes plain sometimes frosted, sometimes stain Be you short or thin, or fat or tall, this simple invention, lets you look right through a wall

You pondered for a moment, before the answer came to you. Fairly quickly you might add. Feeling a little smug you smiled and cleared your throat.

“Window. It’s a window.”

Usually, at that point, something happened to point your attention to the place you should be looking but this time, there was nothing. Instinctively you looked out of the one on the wall by the piano, but as you stared at nothing but the darkness outside you realised that was too obvious. Just then your ears picked up a sound you couldn’t quite figure out, but it was familiar all the same. And then it came to you, it was the familiar click and clack of a skateboard, the wheels gliding over the brittle old floor and you span round in the direction it was coming from to see a window you hadn’t noticed before, this one was an ornate, stained glass window which bore some kind of flower design that faced directly out into the hall. 

He passed by slower than a flash but just enough to allow you to catch only a glimpse. You audibly gasped, your breath coming in a sharp intake of fright, because until then you had been alone on this chase. But it appeared you dramatic host had finally come out to play. He was merely a shadow, bulky in frame, tall and dressed all in black as he moved past but it was enough to puzzle you. You didn’t remember Lucas being that broad, or tall. With a frown you ran into the hall to catch him but saw nothing, and heard nothing, the only thing to indicate he had been there was a faint smell of the cedar and amber of what you assumed to be cologne. 

You paced quickly down the hall in the direction the figure had gone but as you passed the stairwell the light flickered on, instantly attracting your attention. You’d only briefly noticed the ornate staircase before, but with the lack of light you certainly hadn’t noticed the writing on the wall, dripping in fresh paint. Swallowing, as you mouth suddenly felt dry with fear you stepped onto the first stair, and as soon as you did you were plunged into almost complete black. Letting out a shriek as, once again, he’d managed to get the drop on you, you shook your head and reached for your phone, taking another few steps up so you were level with the next clue which you read aloud.

“Tonight is not all fright and fear, a trick or treat is waiting near, the bedroom holds a sweet surprise, there solve the clue to claim your prize.” You bit your lip and looked up at the top of the stairs, wondering when someone was going to jump out at you. Taking a deep breath, you made your way up, cringing at each creak your feet caused on the old warped wood, but it didn’t sway your determination to make it to your destination. 

Halfway up, a shadow flickered at the corner of your vision at the top on the landing and you froze, your mouth going dry once more. As you stood there, shining your light into the dark you caught the same scent from moments ago lingering in the air only this time it was stronger, far more powerful and you were able to denote even more of the notes within. Alongside the amber and cedar your heightened senses picked up deep, earthy, sandalwood notes with a hint of citrus in the background.  And it was familiar for reasons beyond the fact you’d smelt it down stairs. But, as you’d surmised earlier, it was a cologne. Probably one worn by a few people you knew.

Yes that was it.

“Jesus Christ Y/N what has gotten into you?” You rolled your eyes and continued up the stairs, clearly your ‘Celebrity Host’ was once more nearby. 

You cautiously got to the top of the stairs and glanced around. Nothing. So turning to your left you entered the first room you found on the hall. It was empty bar a creepy looking doll that had been separated from its head which lay about a foot to the right. As you looked around the room, the wind intensified outside, the rustling of the leaves and branches became louder, as did the creaking of the house…and then you gulped, as you realised it wasn’t just the house that was creaking. In the corner of the room, the little chair had begun to rock, slowly. Blowing out a breath and shaking your head, you looked around at the thin strips of wallpaper which showed little trucks. Crayon markings scrambled upon the wall where wallpaper used to stick but other than that there was nothing in there bar some pretty good theatrics. You had to hand it to Lee, the creepy feel was fantastic and you were going to give him one hell of a write up for this. You took a while longer to take in the detail, smiling to yourself before you closed the door and headed to the one over the hallway. 

This room was a little lighter thanks to a lamp which stood on a nightstand. It wasn’t bright, by any means, but it was enough so that you could clearly see the bed in the middle of the room. And there, placed by the pillows was a thin box. On unsteady legs, you shuffled slowly towards the bed, the box before you making you quiver, your insides churning. A shaky hand tilted the lid open slowly, afraid something would pounce in a sneak attack. You shut your eyes ready to protect them in case a bat or bugs flew at you and when nothing happened, you opened them slowly and inspected the boxes contents. There was no envelope this time, just copy of a newspaper. Your newspaper. And you felt your blood run cold as you recognise the bold headline across the top. Murder, He Wrote: A twisted tale of Inheritance, Crime and Exoneration "Drysdale," you whispered in realization. But now, while you were well aware of what the article meant and who it was referring to, your brain shut down processing how on earth Lucas Lee and Ransom could possibly be connected. Your breathing deepened and you moved to pick up the article, but then the lid to the box caught your eye and you froze, for on the inside of the lid was another clue, only this one was a straight forward question which was spelled out using cut-out letters from the newspaper in question.

I’m light as a feather, yet the strongest person can’t hold me for five minutes. What am I?

You froze, for the answer was simple. Breath. And that was it, you needed to get out. You started to back away from the bed, but before you had so much as made it 3 steps you collided with something hard. A forceful arm across your front pinned you to a firm and broad chest that engulfed your frame while a cloth with a distinct smell and cool moisture covered your airways.

"Surprise" The voice in your ear, calm, deep and known, was all you heard before nothing consumed you.  

*****

When Y/N went limp in his arms, Ransom laid her across the bed only leaving the room to hurriedly cover his tracks, blowing out candles and removing any trace of her that had been in the house. His time as his grandfather's research assistant gave him far more experience than it should have. When he returned to the bedroom she was still out cold but light as a feather as he carried her downstairs and out the back door to the awaiting SUV, smug that his plan had gone so well.

But then, didn’t everything for him? He was Ransom Drysdale, and he was fucking untouchable.

He drove away from the scene of his new crime towards the city, driving through the dead of night, on the beltway, and continued twenty minutes outside downtown Boston before pulling into the garage of a large red cedar and quartzite home. He killed the engine and closed the garage door, pulling Y/N from the seat she was slumped in when it was clear to do so.

He couldn't be seen, he wouldn't be seen. He carried her inside the spacious home, his boots tapping heavily against the dark marble floor of the kitchen and finally the lush carpeted staircase that wound down into the basement.

This is where he laid her, in the basement, on a bed, but not just any bed, the one that would now become hers. He adjusted the lighting in the space, low enough not to disturb her, but bright enough to give the room a glow so he could finish what he'd set out to do. In the shock of the struggle in the bedroom, she’d dropped her phone and he’d made sure to smash it long before he left the haunted house, making sure there'd be no device to track her. He'd already disposed of her car while she was playing his little game, every loose end as far as he could see was tied up.

And now she was all his. 

He brushed the hair away from Y/N’s face where it had fallen over her eyes.  With gloved hands he manoeuvred her undone, black woollen coat off her body, leaving her in the bottle green turtle neck sweater dress and thick tights she was wearing before he tossed it over the chair in the corner of the room and then undid the zips on her brown suede knee high boots. He dropped them to the floor, kicking them towards the same corner with the equal carelessness he’d shown her coat. With a final meticulous movement he rearranged her on the bed, so he’d appear more comfortable and just before he left the room, he wrapped the cool, metallic cuff around the ankle. It locked in place with a clink and with a final glance at her still unconscious form, he turned and exited the room, the door latching shut and with the snap of the deadbolt he locked her in.

*****

Your head pounded, your nose burned and your mouth felt dry with the faintest taste of something foul lingering as you swallowed. The light was low but still your eyes ached. You tried to decipher exactly what the hell had happened to you while you got your bearings. You tried to sit up but your body felt heavy, the soft bed you now realized you were lying on was not your own. Your breathing rapidly increased as you started to move in fear but a clink caused a screech to escape your throat. You felt the weight of the cuff around your ankle and a full panic set it.

Your night flashed quickly through your glutamate and adrenaline flooded brain

You remembered getting the email from the Haunted Mansion supposedly hosted by Lucas Lee. You had arrived and were sent on what you thought was a fun and exhilarating maze littered with clues and riddles and then you remembered the last piece of the puzzle. You gasped as you remembered how his breath felt hot on your skin and how his voice registered in your mind.

"Drysdale," you repeated the last word you had spoken in a shaky, frightful voice. "No."

Rage and fear collided in your chest as you screamed out the only thing you could think of, "HELP!" A strangled sound left your chest followed by another cry out for help, "Please, someone, HELP!" 

The door to your room, now coming into focus around you, flew open and there he stood, smug smirk, raging ocean blue eyes, hair neatly in place, dismantling frame clothed in a black sweater and dark denim, heavy footfalls sounding against the thick carpet under his feet. 

"Nice to see someone's awake," Ransom deadpanned.

You stared for a brief moment and screamed for help again, louder, and louder, and louder until you felt your voice crack and strain, your cords burning as the sound shattered away. 

"Are you done?" He cocked his head to the side and folded his arms across his chest as he stood firm and tall in front of the bed.

"What the hell are you doing? Why am I here?" It hurt to speak but you had to ask. 

“Because I want you here, Sweetheart.”

"I...I'm not, don't call me that," you spat defiantly as he moved closer, taking you in, his predatory eyes moving over your body. This was it, you were going to die all because some trust fund prick was a hurt baby about an article (that you forcibly apologized for) revealing the sick and sadistic truth about him, his family, money and the justice system. 

"Are you gonna kill me?” You watched him carefully as he crossed the room towards you, trying to keep your voice calm so as not to betray the utter fear that was coursing through your veins at the fact you were trapped, fuck knows where, shackled to a bed with a murderer being your captor. “That's what this is about, right? My apology wasn't enough?"

"Your apology was forced bullshit.” He responded, his voice carried a hint of amusement, because of course, this was all a game to him. “You smeared my name, dragged my reputation though the mud and you expected an apology like that, half assed and full of more crap than your original hatchet piece, to be enough?" He was standing damn near over you now, a hand moving up your leg that was held by the cuff, your body frozen in a confused silent argument of fight or flight.

"You... Killed... Him." You grit out through clenched teeth, and his hand was on your throat before you finished your breath, squeezing just enough to make a point.

"No. I. Didn't." He lied and you had to hand it to him, a lesser person might have bought the garbage he was talking, because he was good at it. Lying must have been enough of a second nature for him that he actually believed everything he said himself. But then again, it wasn't actually a lie was it? Sure, he'd planned on indirectly killing Harlan and that plan had backfired and Harlan had actually slit his own throat. So at most he was indirectly responsible for his death, but none of that had stuck with the prosecution and so now here he was, a free man.

A struggled chuckle came from your tightened throat, "Jesus Christ, you actually believe your own bull shit don't you?"

"You've got a fucking mouth on you," he breathed as his body loomed ominously over the bed and your frame, tiny in comparison to his.

You swallowed, feeling the hard lump strain to pass his grip, "Not really, you just don't like hearing the truth."

His eyes bored into yours and you struggled for breath as his hand constricted around your neck whilst he squeezed a little harder "Oh shut up Y/N."

"Or what, Hugh?" You croaked. 

A little flash of anger tore through his ocean blue eyes like lightning in a storm. His eyes bored into yours as you fought to swallow. 

"Or I'll shut you up myself."

"Try me, you son of a...." You didn't expect his lips to cover yours but they did. Unexpectedly warm and soft, despite the painfully harsh kiss. You managed to pull away but his hand still gripped at your throat and you felt the fear constricting your chest. But you were damned if you were going to show him a shred of weakness.

“You’re an asshole, Hugh…” It was all you had, the only thing you could use in your arsenal given your situation. You still had your voice. And you’d noticed that for whatever reason he appeared to hate that name.

“Don’t... fucking call me that!” his voice rose to a loud, angry instruction, apoplectic rage seeping from him to you, and it was almost stifling.

“Or what? You'll kill me?” your voice rose in both volume and pitch as your desperation began to show. “We both know you're gonna do that once you've fulfilled whatever sick, twisted little fantasy this is. What are you waiting for, Hugh? Huh?”

Ransom scoffed, "Kill you, no, see I'm gonna teach you a lesson. One about how money and status get you anything you want.”

You frowned, as you looked into his icy blue eyes, utterly confused “Anything you want? What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You'll see Princess” was the sole explanation you got as he knelt between your legs.

You stayed stock still as large and surprisingly gentle hands trailed your curves up the outside of your thighs to your hips. As he reached the hem of your sweater dress he paused as you wrapped your hands around his wrists.

"Don't" you squeezed, attempting to stop his wrists and close your legs.

“This will be much easier if you just play-along, sweetheart” he muttered as he pressed his lips to your neck. You let go of his wrists and raised your hands, laying them over the wool of his cable knit, palms flat against the plain of muscle as you attempted to push him off.

“I said no.” you tried to keep your voice stern, despite the fact you were fighting back the fear and sadness at the realization of his task was now at hand. His large hands smoothed over your dress, cupping your breasts and he let out a moan as you bit back the bile in your throat that was threatening to spill from your mouth. You pushed harder trying to force him off of you but it was of no use, his broad frame caged you in, engulfing you under him.

“I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” He ground out, his lips inches from your ear as he nipped at your skin. He was impressively strong and balanced, his weight even through his body as he kept his knees between your legs, a hand against your breast and the other stroking your sides and up your thigh. All the while, his lips sucked at your neck, teeth grazing your pulse point as you turned your head away, tears filling your eyes

"Please, stop," you managed. "Hugh, stop!"

“I told you not to call me that.” He growled against your skin and pulled back, his eyes blazing as they locked on to yours. In sheer desperation, you managed to wrench a free hand from between you and gave him a slap, nails biting at his skin. Instantly you knew you’d pissed him off. His nostrils flared, his jaw set and as his eyes filled with fire and rage.

And you knew then, you were in for it.

“Bitch…” he snarled as he raised his left hand to his face where you had struck him, and then both his hands grabbed yours, yanking your arms up, pinning them above your head. You bucked upwards, violently in an attempt to shake him off, but it was futile. He was far too strong. His grip on your wrists grew tighter and despite yourself you let out a small whimper of fear.

In one hand he had the ability to cuff both of your wrists and he did so while his other grabbed at your dress, shoving it further up your body, fingers curling over the waist of your tights and panties, a handful of the material fisted in his palm. They wouldn't slide down quick enough and you felt your body lift away from the mattress slightly as he ripped away the material, the snap burning your skin. You fought, boy did you fight. You had no control of your hands or arms as he had them easily pinned, but your legs and the rest of your body gave as good as they could. You thrashed from side to side all the time screaming your objections. You drew your knees up to your chest in an attempt to buck him off. You screamed protests, threw every insult you had at him, but it was no use. He was simply too strong.

He didn't even bother with his belt or button, he just unzipped the flies on his jeans, pulled his solid cock free and slid in. You were wetter than you expected to be, but it still burned with friction and ached from the thick stretch against your tight walls. It hurt, definitely hurt.

"You know you want this. I know you want this." He rasped as he pulled out before thrusting back in, his face twisted in a look that was halfway between being smug and satisfied. Just looking at him made you feel sick but for some reason you were unable to look away as he continued his slow assault, before he picked up the pace slightly, his groans of satisfaction filling the room as he bottomed out, balls deep and it was at that point you closed your eyes and tried to block out what he was doing to you. But try as you might to remain mentally detached from the situation, your body was anything but. And the more he moved in and out of you, the more you could feel your physical reactions. You were powerless to stop them and the heat between your legs and in between your belly was spiking with each thrust into you.

It felt good. And you knew it shouldn’t. So you fought it, but eventually, you couldn't fight it anymore, not with  the way his thick cock filled you, velvety smooth skin sliding in and out of your defiant core. You didn't want to cum, but your body told your brain it was going to and Ransom nearly puffed his chest as he fucked you into your body's submission. 

"You're gonna fucking cum, aren't you, Sweetheart? I can feel it," he ground out, chasing his own release. You remained silent, breathing heavily as your insides coiled and tightened. "Fucking tight ass pussy," he gritted. You refused to cry out, not wanting to give him anything you were able not to, and it took everything you had to remain silent. In desperation, to quell the cry that was rising from your throat, you bit your tongue, tasting the coppery taste of blood in your mouth as you came hard around his cock.

“Fuck, yeah…see…” Ransom’s hips began to move faster, and then with a sudden movement he pulled out of you, making you wince involuntarily at the sting. He shot his load all over your thighs, a growl bubbling from his throat, the warmth of his release trickling down your leg made you feel even more dirty than you already did. 

“Not so fucking smart are we now, huh, miss Investigative Reporter…” his snap was snide, and childish, but you knew he couldn’t help himself. Your head remained defiantly in its position on the pillow, turned to the right, eyes focussed on a spot on the wall. “Look at me, bitch.”

When you didn’t do as he asked, he grabbed your chin bruisingly, making you wince as he pulled your face round so he could see you. You knew he would be able to see the tears on your face, and you hated that. Hated that he would see how much he’d hurt you, scared you even, 

His hand let go of your face and you stared at him, swallowing, trying to gather your voice in your painfully dry throat.

"That's all you got? You're a fucking child, Drysdale. It's why you’re doing this." You said, your voice trembling and croaking from the fear and exertion of what he had just put you through and you shook your head. “You’re a fucking man child with mommy and daddy issues. A spoilt, little whiney brat who can’t bear to be told no.”

That struck a nerve, you could tell, as his jaw clenched tight and his fists clenched around the sheets by your side to the point they were shaking. He grabbed your chin once more with his right hand and pinned your face still, forcing your eyes to look back at his 

“You'll be begging me to accept your apology.” He snarled, his face contorted in rage “You'll see who the whiney child is soon enough. I promise Princess, it's not me”

As you looked at him, you felt your anger starting to simmer. This fucking ass hole had just raped you, and he had the gall to be saying you were going to tell him that you were sorry. No chance in hell. You knew you were screwed, literally and figuratively. Whilst he had you captive behind a bolted door, shackled to a bed you had nowhere to go, he knew that you knew that too and you could see it in his face as a smug smirk flickered on his lips. Well fuck this, if you were going down it was with a fight. With a sudden movement, that caught him off guard you moved your head slightly as much as you could in his painful grip, and spat right in his face.

Ransom blinked, his anger morphing to shock, then back to fury once more as he released your face and with a flash of his hand he back handed you straight across the face. The blow to your right cheek snapped your head to the left, sucking the breath from your lungs and leaving you a little dazed.

“Fuck you.” He sneered as he rose to his feet, wiping his face. Silently he rearranged his pants, tucking his now soft cock back inside them, and swept from the room, locking the door behind him.

***** Ransom stormed up the steps to the kitchen of the house, slamming the top door behind him and bolting that one shut too. He was furious that little bitch had scratched him and no doubt marked his face. He strode over the marble tiles of the room and walked into the large hallway and across into the den. He made his way straight to the bar, poured himself a healthy measure of good scotch, slopping a little on the dark wooden counter, before he glanced up at the large mirrored surface of the bar behind the shelves.

He could make out three vivid red lines down his left cheek where she’d dug her nails into his flesh and his jaw clenched. His hair was out of place, his cheeks flushed and his normally cold eyes were blazing with anger. But as he stood there staring at his dishevelled reflection, he knew it wasn’t the fact she’d scratched or spat at him that was pissing him off so much. It was the fact she had persistently voiced a name he despised, one that was used to control those lower than him in his every-day life. One reserved for The Help, for outsiders. It reminded him of his family, of his mother and father, the two people in his life who should have loved him unconditionally but instead had him out of ‘duty’ and had taken every opportunity to pass him off into the care of others they could. It reminded him of Walt persistently telling him he was a no-one, that he would amount to nothing over than a trust-fund baby. 

It reminded him of Harlan. The one person in that entire fucked up patriarchy that had shown him an ounce of care. But who had screwed him over in the end. 

The anger that had been simmering inside him boiled over, the blood pumped into his ear and with an angry yell and an almost involuntary action Ransom hurled the glass tumbler straight at the wall where it smashed against the tasteful silver and white wallpaper, the 25 year old single malt trickling down the wall…just like the tears and trickled down Y/N’s cheeks as he’d forced her to look at him whilst he took what was his. 

As she’d glared up at him he’d noticed a fierceness in her eyes that he was surprised to find had unnerved him a little, because she clearly wasn’t going to be as easy to break as he thought. 

“Fuck it.” He mumbled to himself, grabbing the bottle from the bar before he turned and left the room, taking a large swig as he went, the burn in his throat going someway to settling his nerves.

This would work out, because he was Ransom fucking Drysdale, a man who always got what he wanted in the end, and she was going to be no exception.

**** Part 2

[systimming]

I know this blog is focused on stim, soon understand if you would rather not answer this. No worries if that's the case. I wondered if you could explain how one knows they're a system? I keep feeling like I'm lying or faking or something. And I can't seem to find anything online that'll give me a definitive answer. So I'm hoping other people's experiences might help. But again, I understand if you don't want to/feel comfortable answering/talking about it. All my best,

(Quick obligatory disclaimer - none of us are therapists and we’re not qualified to tell you that you’re a system! We’re only here to share our experiences! Always do through research, keep an open yet skeptical mind when doing so and please spend time to reflect and consider all of your possibilities.

Also, we’re a DID traumagenic system. So a lot of this plays into the common symptoms of that. keep that in mind!)

Hey! I completely understand how you’re feeling. When I was first questioning my systemhood at fifteen, I also felt terrified I was lying or faking. But the first thing you need to do is embrace the journey, regardless of the ending. 

Maybe you are a system. Maybe you’re not! You shouldn’t be scared of realizing you were wrong. You’re trying to find yourself and figure out what’s right for you. That isn’t the same as lying or faking (which you’d need to consciously perform for your own self-interests. If you’re this worried that you’re faking... you’re definitely not faking.)

Anyways, getting to my own experiences  — 

Your potential headmates seek out conversation or come into focus even when you’re not expecting it

When I was first questioning, I took steps to try and open up conversation with them. I practiced meditation frequently over the course of a few weeks, oftentimes listening along to guided breathing techniques or reading how-to guides online. Picking up a book about it at a local library might help to. But after clearing my mind, I was able to listen to the internal chaos my headspace was without my own thought process distracting me. With work, I even began talking to them!

Afterwards, I started to feel their presence and hear their voices even when I wasn’t trying to talk to them. I remember they would ask stuff like “What’re you doing?” or “What class are we in?” when I was just doing classwork, too busy with figuring out the answers to even think of them. I would hear them make comments over things I saw and experienced during everyday life. As our communication expanded, I began to understand what I thought were “wild mood swings” were their own emotions bleeding into mine.

You can trace back your experiences / symptoms back several years.

Of course, if you’re a dissociative system, this can be difficult to do. I’m one and at first, I completely thought my childhood was normal. Public perception of systems didn’t help. I thought systems would have rapid identity changes and they would constantly act out and just never be the same person twice; I definitely wasn’t like that! So of course I don’t have it!

Though, after taking the time to piece it all together, the more red flags I realized. I mean, I have severe identity issues. I felt I didn’t have a “true” identity or that there was a void inside of me. So, I would mirror others around me desperately. Or, I would just cycle through the ones I gravitated to. But then some part of me would get angry at this and try all over again.

I would dissociate, isolate and shut down at stress. My first reaction to bad news was to push it down and repress it until I forgot it even happened. Whenever people shared memories of my childhood, I never felt fully sure it happened. Even with events only a few months or a year in the past. As well, I thought back to the “imaginary friends” I clung onto for comfort well past most kids moved past their own. 

You’ve had numerous and oftentimes frequent moments where you did something seemingly out of your control and you were left uncertain of why you even did it in the first place.

Everyone has moments like this, but the main point is the frequency. For example, my headmates would often make their own secret blogs at the time and I would be half-consciously in the back... then I would pop in and be like “Why am I pretending to be some random girl with a different name...” You might have a lot of different accounts across social media you don’t remember!

 You might have lots of moments where you lashed at out for something you don’t even care about. Maybe you found yourself eating something you don’t like or putting on an outfit you normally go out wearing. Sometimes headmates don’t take direct control of front, so they sort of work through the haze of front until you snap out of it.

Escapism is your go-to coping mechanism.

OKAY TAKE THIS WITH THE LARGEST GAIN OF SALT.. BUT I feel the large majority of the system community would relate to this!! Most systems I know are like this. Dissociation occurs largely because all other forms of escape (fight, flight, etc) have been made impossible. So your mind begins disconnecting from the situation to mentally free yourself from it. Because of that, many of us turn to escapism in order to cope.

Maybe you pour yourself into fiction for hours on end ignoring the world around you even if it hurts your life. Maybe you put on your headphones to run away with your music until your battery dies. Maybe you sat yourself at the television screen all night because it’s better then confronting your problems.

... And I think those were my major experiences and symptoms during my questioning process and during my life in general. There’s a lot more I could cover, but this is already stupid long dkjsfjfh.

One final note - I’m going to link a website with a lot of good resources for new systems and two system accounts that publish some really good videos about plurality 

http://healthymultiplicity.com

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheRingsSystem/videos

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAlexandriteSystem/videos

[pandaponderart]

Underrated Anime Part 1:

Hello my fellow Weebs, I’m back for some more Anime blogging, this time to talk about so not so well known ones. Some that have got forgotten with time, some that new Anime fans have maybe never heard of and the ones that I feel deserve more love and recognition. I’ve been watching Anime for about 13 years so I’ve seen a lot so this will be in at least 3 parts, so hopefully you like this and look forward to more. Til then enjoy, hope you can find some new anime you’ve never heard of thanks for reading and look forward to part 2!.

1. Azumanga Daioh(2002)

Starting off with an older Anime, and one of the best and earlier comedy, slice of life Anime that paved the way for a lot of other Anime in the same genre like Nichijou and Daily Lives of High School Boys. Off the wall and highly unrealistic, this comedy is completely over the top in the best way possible. it’s old but gold and should be crowned as one of the best comedy Anime to exist.

With the most lovable cast, you have Chiyo the 5th grader who is so crazy smart she gets placed in a high school class, then there’s Osaka, who’a real name is Ayumu Kasuga who’s named that because she‘s from Osaka. Osaka isn’t the smartest and neither is her other classmate Tomo Takino who will do anything to avoid studying. Then to balance out the cast is Koyomi Mizuhara aka Yomi, the smart one who keeps everyone in line and Kagura the sporty one. Then of course can’t forget to mention the teachers Yukari Sensei who is anything but the normal responsible teacher and to balance her out Minamo Sensei the responsible one. There’s no real plot with Azumanga Daioh but there’s not meant to be it’s just an over the top comedy slice of life, with moments that will make you laugh from your gut. It’s all about the characters and the ridiculous situations their put in and each one is a lovable idiot that really drives the show. Give this one a shot if you want a show that will put a big smile on your face the whole way through.

2. Eden of The East (2009)

Another older Anime, not everything on this list will be older Anime but there’s so many good ones like this!. Eden of The East is an action, mystery with elements of romance with one of the most unique stories I’ve seen in Anime. It’s a short watch being only eleven episodes with two movies following after which I recommend watching because they continue the story. I’m really surprised not more people know or talk about this show but it need to be talked about more!.

With one of the funniest and most bizarre starts to an Anime, our lead charcter Saki is on a trip to Washington D.C, when she gets in trouble for throwing a coin in the White House’s fountain she’s saved by a naked man who claims to be a terrorist. Not only is this mysterious man naked and claims to be a terrorist, he also has amnesia and is carrying a phone with 8.2 million dollars. Saki befriends this strange man and throughout the story they try to uncover more of his past, his involvment in an incident called careless monday and a dangerous death game with other players. They must also spend all of the money as instucted by the mysterious voice in the phone Juiz as well as try to save the world.

3. R.O.D The TV( 2003)

Ok I know I said this list wouldn’t only be older Anime but I guess the older Anime just has my heart and this one has a special place in mine. One of my all time favorites and one of the earliest Anime I saw and it still holds up to me til this day. It is hands down probably the most underrated show on this entire list and if you only watch one of these Anime please make it this one. The story is completely original, the characters are complex and endearing, there’s action, heartwarming moments, comedy and mystery, I wish there was more Anime like it, it deserves to be a classic.

It‘s a one of a kind show about the paper sisters Michelle, the oldest bubbly bookworm, Maggie the seemingly intimidating quiet giant. Then you have the youngest sister Anita who unlike her sisters hates books, she’s a bit rough around the edges but loves her sisters. Although they aren’t actually sisters they have a detective agency to help find lost books to help pay for rent while also doing odd jobs like being body guards. Their first assignment is to protect the author, Nenene Sumiragawa who is being threatened to be killed at her book signing. The paper sisters aren’t called that just because of their love of books, they can turn paper into weapons and whatever else they please, but each having their speciality. Nenene finds out they‘re paper sisters just like her friend who ‘s missing, Yomiko Readman and asks them for help finding her. They try to help Nenene find her friend, while solving other cases and saving the world with the power of paper.

4. Baccano(2007)

Probably the most well known but also I think one of the most under appreciated Anime, from Durarara’s creator, Baccano. I feel like most newer Anime fans won’t know this one and although it’s a beloved series by many, I still feel it’s underrated. Also another bias opinion shocker, it’s one of my absolute favorites but that’s why it’s here. It’s once again a shorter anime with only 13 episodes but it somehow manages to combine all of the storylines cohesively, it’s a wild ride full of mystery, murder, and magic that will keep you on board the entire time trying to piece everything together. Also warning it jumps around a lot so make sure to pay attention everything pieces together!.

Based in the 1930’s in the prohibition era you have several stories involving different characters going on but they‘re all connected to one thing the transcontinental train, the flying pussyfoot. Yes that’s actually the name of the train, why, still no idea but all these characters from different walks of life end up here somehow. Now to introduce some of these crazy characters, first off the goofy thieves in love Isaac and Miria, who aren’t the brightest but can steal just about anything. Lad Russo the sadistic hit man who loves to see people die, including fantasizing about killing his fiancé one day. Then you have the ones involved in gangs, all In different ones, but nonetheless involved in some sort of crime. First there’s Firo, the youngest of the Martello family and one of the immortals in the show, then there’s Jacuzzi Splot and his partner Nice, Jacuzzi is a big wimp and crybaby but will protect his loved ones with all he’s got and Nice is a bomb expert and his childhood food. Those are some of the main characters it’s such a large cast it’s hard to name and explain them all. This one is a must watch especially if you liked Durarara, jump on the hype train of this wild show.

5. Black Cat (2005)

Now quick disclaimer before I begin talking about this one, I haven’t watched this in years so it may not hold up as well as I’m remembering but when I watched it I really enjoyed it so that’s why it’s here. This was one of the earlier Anime I watched I’m pretty sure my friend showed me it but it caught my interest from the beginning. It’s not the most groundbreaking show to exist and I’ve heard that the manga is apparently better but that’s for almost every show. It’s got cool action, funny moments and a great cast of characters, plus not gonna lie I had a crush on train when I was younger. its just a fun show and definitely worth giving a watch!

Train Heartnett is an infamous cold blooded assassin who works for the organization Chronos, and because of his lack of empathy for killing he’s named Black Cat. But after a chance encounter with a bou hunter named Saya Minatsuki, they become friends and Train decided he wants to leave Chronos to pursue an honest living as a bounty Hunter. However chronos and particular his fellow member Creed Diskenth are not pleased with this and try to get Train to rejoin Chronos. Along the way Train teams up with fellow bounty hunter on the brink of broke Sven, the bio mech weapon and little girl Eve and master thief and seductress Rinslet Walker. Together they try to escape from Chronos and get enough money for their next .

6. Arakawa Under The Bridge(2010)

Where do I begin with this one first off, this is one of the weirdest Anime I’ve ever seen but just like Azumanga Daioh that’s what make it so good. Beautifully animated by Studio Shaft with some of the most colorful and visually appealing animation I’ve seen, it’s pure eye candy. it’s equally as strange as it is hilarious and it’s just a fun time that’s not meant to be taken seriously. So if you want a good laugh and something thats truly one of a kind in story and characters give this crazy show a shot.

The show begins with one of our main characters Kou Ichinomiya getting stuck by his underwear on a bridge by some kids, he falls into the river and is saved by a mysterious girl. Kou is the son of a wealthy businessman and his life motto is to not be indebted to anyone, so when he’s saved by this girl he asks what he can do. He finds out that her name is Nino and what she wants is to fall in love, so she asks Kou to be her boyfriend. At first Nino seems like a regular girl but she claims to be an alien from Venus and lives in a box under the bridge, not wanting to be in debt Kou agrees and begins living under the bridge with Nino. However Nino isn’t the only one who lives under the bridge there are many other strange characters like hoshi, the aspiring musician who wears a star on his head, and the captain who’s a human in a kappa suit. I highly suggest watching this strange sci-fi romantic comedy for something different and fun to watch.

7. 91 Days (2016)

The newest Anime on this list so far, see I told you it wouldn’t be only old ones!, this is also the darkest Anime on this list so far. This has been highly overlooked since it’s release in 2016, it reminds me of baccano and in parts like death note. If you like mafia movies or just a dark gritty story with some light hearted moments, it s short show but nothing is rushed and it’s solid from front to back and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Just like Baccano, 91 Days takes place in the prohibition era in a town called Lawless where crime is rampant and illegal alcohol sales are thriving. In this town our protagonist Aviicio‘s family is killed by one of the mafia families, The Vanetti Family. He receives a mysterious anonymous letter telling him to return to lawless to infiltrate The Vanetti Family. He tries to befriend the families son Nero, to find an opportunity for revenge, the story keep you constantly guessing if they’ve truly become friends or if he’ll kill him. Please watch this wonderful mafia crime drama of friend vs foe.

8. Yamada Kun and The Seven Witches (2015)

This is one of the ones that I still really want to read the manga for because I just couldn’t get enough of it! i’m still hoping for a sequel one day! The premise of body swapping has been done many times in Anime and cinema as a whole but this one adds a unique enough of a twist to keep it fresh and interesting. I looked forward to watching this weekly each week meeting a learning about each new witch and learning what power they had.

Ryuu Yamada is a high school delinquent who wants a fresh start at a new school, despite the intention to start with a clean slate he soon falls into old habits of laziness and getting into fights. One day he trips on the stairs which leads to an accidental kiss with fellow student Urarara Shiraishi which causes them to switch bodies. Another student Toranosuke Miyamura learns that they can switch bodies and recruits them to his Supernatural Studies club. There they learn about the other seven witches that all have different powers

9. Arslan Senki (2015-2016)

The second to last of the list comes from the creator of my all time favorite Anime Fullmetal Alchemist, while it’s a very different series and not quite as good as FMA it’s still deserves a spot on this list and deserves your time. It’s hard not to compare it to FMA but it really is it’s own thing, and it actually came out before Fullmetal, it’s a historical drama about war and strategy and a character growing into his potential. Just as Hiromu Arakawa is known for there’s still some comedic moments and some great character development and a well done story, Plus if you like this there’s two seasons so there more to enjoy.

Ok I promise from this point forward I won‘t say anything more about Fullmetal Alchemist this is about Arslan Senki, here’s the story. In the year 320 the Kingdom of Pars is at war with the neighboring kingdom Lusitania. Pars is ruled by the ruthless king Andrangoras III who has a son who’s the complete opposite of him Arslan. Although he doesn’t know how to fight Arslan tries to prove his worth by joining the battle, but things take a turn for the worst when one of the kings officials betrays him. The once prosperous Kingdom of Pars is seized, and since Arslan is the kings son he must flee to avoid capture. So he sets off with his loyal bodyguard Daryun to find allies to help take back the kingdom. Knowing that Arslan is still alive he is still faced with pursuers from other kingdoms and the head of the Lusitania army, a mysterious man with a silver mask who knows a secret that could jeopardize Arslan‘s succession to the throne. Arslan is a gentle, kind person that doesn’t enjoy fighting, he must learn to fight and protect himself and gain the courage to lead an army to regain his home.

10. Shingeki No Bahamut: Genesis (Rage of Bahamut) (2014)

Leaving one of the best for last, not to be confused with the popular series with a similar name Shingeki no Kyojin(Attack on Titan) this show is just as good. One of the first shows from one of my favorite Anime studios, Studio Mappa. I had low expectations when I heard this was a card game adaptation from a new anime studio but I decided to check it out despite that and it was the best decision. This has all the elements of a great anime, the beautiful animation, the unique characters and the compelling story and all the cool action scenes are just a plus. There is a second season too but I’ll leave that for another time, ok time to stop gushing about this wonderful show, time for the story!.

Years and years ago the ancient powerful dragon Bahamut reeked havoc on Mistarcia, a land where gods and demons lived harmoniously with humans. The gods and demons manage to seal away Bahamut with the god key and agree to split it to keep him sealed. Now that the the peace has been restored we meet the main characters and one of my favorites the orange Afro haired bounty hunters Favaro Leone. Favaro is constantly on the run from his adversary and fellow bounty hunter Kaiser Lidfard who‘s main purpose in life is to get revenge on him. One day both of their lives are thrown into chaos when they meet the mysterious girl Amira who holds half of the god key sealing Bahamut and wants help reaching the land of Helheim. I also can’t forget to mention my other favorite character and the fourth member of this unlikely crew Rita the zombie necromancer little girl she is just the definition of cool. Then there’s the characters that want to steal the god key the demon Azazel and the knight Jean D’Arc who are constantly in the characters way but you’ll find out more about them in the show. These unlikely heroes must face the threat of the battle of gods and demons, the pursuers of the god key and incoming threat of Bahamut awakening.

[naktergalen]

Rivamika Fic Suggestions List 2

Hey there again! It’s been a while since my last rivamika post and I apologies for that. I caught the reading bug and have just been hitting book after book. I might be doing a book of the month suggestion starting in March. I’m still thinking about it but if that is something your interested in let me know. Or if you just want book suggestions just message or ask me. But for now, I’m back with my second Rivamika Fic Suggestions List.

First of all, I want to thank you for all the comments and messages I received from my first list! I think it has over 150 notes now which is crazy for me. I was going to be ecstatic if it got like 10 likes or something hahaha! I’ve enjoyed talking to some of you about fics and other snk stuff. Feel free to do the same after this post! I know I take awhile to respond but swear I get there eventually.

Same rules as last time. I’ve split this list up into four categories. I wanted to let people know the status of some of these fics in case they did not want to start an incomplete or in progress story. All of these fics can be found on AO3. I’m going to try to link them but we will see how tumblr acts today. If you have any fic suggestions for me, feel free to message me with them and I can add them on to the next list. If any author sees their story on here and wants me to take it off the list, please let me know I don’t wish to make anyone feel uncomfortable. Also, last thing, I highly recommend leaving comments and kudos to the authors. I know that they greatly appreciate it and it helps them with improving their writing through feedback. Okay shutting up now, ON WITH THE LIST!

DISCLAIMER: I know that not all of these stories are not for everyone, these are just my opinions and suggestions.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Completed:

- Thunder Clouds

Author: K_Lionheart

Rating: Mature

Sometimes I like to go to the very back of the Rivamika archive on AO3 and look for fics that have gotten buried over time. Low and behold what I have found lol! I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster when I was reading this fic, though sometimes I wanted to pull my hair out. Set after the titans are gone, humanity has to repopulate so arranged couples by the monarch are made to be wed. While this new order is being enforced, Mikasa and Levi are trying to work out their strained relationship. A slow burn with angst that will have you staying up till 3am dying to know what happens next. I know that there is a sequel to this fic called Nimbus and I’m slowly working my way through that one. Honestly, it will probably go on my next list.

- Red is the Only Colour

Author: mongoose_bite

Rating: Mature

A cute fic that was a quick but wild ride. A Little Red Riding Hood type of AU where Mikasa is a hunter of some sorts traveling through a town. I don’t want to say how Levi plays into all of this since it gets border line spoilers but just know that he is there. It is an opening ending fic for the author to come back if they plan on doing so but it can be interpreted in different ways. All in all, a fic worth of the quick read.

- Sing Me a Song

Author: LazyTrash

Rating: Mature

First I have to get this off my chest, I love the author’s name hahaha! I freakin wished I would have thought of that for mine! Anyway, this fic is wonderful but I will warn you that its a gut punch. If you like hurt and angst put together, then this is the story for you. I love these types of fics because I adore them so much but they hurt me in my soul. I don’t know what that says about me but whatever. I don’t want to delve into the story too much for spoilers but I would suggest rivamika fans to check this one out.

- Midnight Musings

Author: Raewyll

Rating: Teen

I just started to read Raewyll’s fics so I’m slowly working my way through all her works. This one caught my eye and I had to read it. This is a cute take on a chance meeting through texting the wrong number. I love the way Levi and Mikasa’s relationship blossoms into something more serious after causally texting back and forth. It’s one of those stories that I can only describe as being cute as shit! I’m definitely going to be checking out more of Raewyll’s fic in the future.

Ongoing:

- Beyond the Walls

Author: helena3190

Rating: Matue

If you love RIvamika angst, then look no further than this baby right here. This is currently my favorite ongoing fic. It was supposed to be a shorter story, but the author keeps adding more chapters so I’m not complaining hahaha! This fic is pretty much how I would *personally* picture canon Mikasa on how she would deal with realizing that she’s falling in love with someone. Its mostly told in the perspective of Mikasa as she is dealing with the after effects of war and trying to figure out what should she do with her life now that she is no longer a solider. Her feeling for Levi come with a lot of confusion as she’s discovering emotions that she has never felt before. She has a hard time pinpointing on what exactly describes her relationship with him. I’m anxiously waiting for the final chapter for this fic and dying to see how it will end for Mikasa and Levi.

- After the War

Author: loneackerman

Rating: Mature

I am loving this rivamika slow burn fic right here. Its similar to Beyond the Walls but I think the author adds their own taste of the 1920s into it. Set after the war is over (obviously), Mikasa and Levi have to figure out what they are going to do the rest of their lives. It has great tension, a perfectly paced gradual romance and just the right amount of humor to combat the emotional turmoil it puts you through. Again in my opinion, this is close to how I would realistically perceive Levi and Mikasa’s relationship evolving. I’m really enjoying this story and I’m looking forward to more updates to come!

- The Sound of Lightning

Author: LycheeGreenTea

Rating: Mature

A new fic that is just getting started but I can tell that what the author has in store is going to be interesting. Set several years after the end of the war, Levi and Mikasa are loving parents to a single child. Their peaceful life comes to an end when the family has a threat against them. There are not many long fics about Mikasa and Levi being parent so I was very happy when this one popped up on the AO3 feed. An exciting adventure awaits the Ackerman family now and I can’t wait to see where this fic goes in the future. There are three chapters as of now so head over there and check it out.

Incomplete:

- Home

Author: MissErikaCourt

Rating: Mature

One of the gems I found when diving back into the Rivamika archive. Ugh I HATE that this fic is incomplete!!! Its a good long fic but I’m greedy and I need more! I will give a warning first that this fic does contain heavy themes. Mikasa and Levi are in the underground to fight against a criminal ring. This story is a slow burn with action and emotional trauma. There is a wonderfully written OC that you easily get attached to its not even funny. Even though its not completed, I would highly recommend checking it out. I still have three more chapters to finish but I had to put it on this list. I know that I’m going to be pissed once I reach the last chapter written. If someone know MissErikaCourt, let her know that she needs to comeback to finish this masterpiece!

- Shiver

Author: bornsinner

Rating: Mature

Another one that I DISPISE its incomplete!!! Ugh such a great Office AU. It’s everything that I would want in an Office AU setting. Mikasa struggles between her committed long term relationship and her growing attraction (which starts to develop into some feelings) to her boss, Levi. Its hot, sexy and intriguing and it pisses me off that its not finished! The author writes each chapter as a one-shot but collectively together they tell the whole story. Highly recommend even though its so short. BORNSINNER where ever you are in the universe I hope you come back to finish this!!!

- Two Lines

Author: Crejhov

Rating: Mature

When this was getting updated it was my favorite on-going Rivamika fic. I would find myself checking to see if the author updated with a new chapter every week! The unplanned pregnancy trope is a classic one, but Crejhov does a fantastic job on keeping readers enthralled with soo many anticipated character meet up that are bound to cause hurdles for our expecting parents. This story is told from the perspectives of Mikasa and Levi in order for us to understand where their mindsets are as they plan for their expecting child and deal with their relationship. AHHHHH I want more of this!!! I was soo excited to see where this awkward journey was going to take Mikasa and Levi. CREJHOV COME BACK PLEASE I KNOW YOU HAVE WORK BUT PLEAAASEEEE! I NEEEEEEDDDD!!!

- Cabin Fever

Author: AmayaOkami

Rating: Mature

All I should have to say about this is that its written by AmayaOkami and that should explain it. Amaya is the one that gave us the beautiful incomplete rivamika fic Romance and Rivalry. I just adore her writing. Levi and Mikasa relationship evolves as they are standing guard over the arrested Kenny Ackerman. Secrets are discover about the Ackermans and it gets pretty steamy between our two favs. Great fluff and great sexual tension that leaves you wanting more chapters! Again AmayaOkami where ever you went I hope for some miracle that you come back and complete this one too!

One-Shot:

- Jade

Author: shulkie

Rating: Mature

This one-shot feels like I read a novel, it has such a great storyline. An arranged marriage between Mikasa and Levi leaves the relationship strained in the beginning. Their relationship evolves over time as Levi patiently brings down Mikasa’s wall. With smut added for all of your one-shot needs. Definitely worth the read in my opinion.

- What Remains

Author: Mirime

Rating: Mature

This one-shot gives us a glimpse into the secret relationship that Levi and Mikasa have been having while there are still scouts. This fic is sad but I would say it has a bittersweet ending. I think this was supposed to be part of a collection but I can’t find the rest of them. Still a great read by itself.

- Agape

Author: alienheartattack (Sanneke)

Rating: Mature

This fic is cute as shit! A College AU where Mikasa and Levi are childhood friends. Levi has to deal with Mikasa being at the same college as him while he is struggling with his changing feelings towards a grown up Mikasa. Worth the read as I said cute as shit, leaves you all warm and fuzzy lol!

- As Seen in Shadows

Author: MoraLeeWright

Rating: Explicit

FUCKING MORA! LEE! WRIGHT! UFFFFGGHHH Fuck I’m in love with her writing style. I really have nothing to say more that just go read it! Its hot and sexy and the sexual tension is off the fucking charts in this one. Its just MoraLeeWright smut thats all I can say. It’s great! JUST READ IT LMAO!

- Remedy

Author: NSummer

Rating: Mature

Another hot smut one-shot coming your way! Levi and Mikasa have had an ongoing affair and this just recounts their first time together. Its just some good ol’ Rivamika smut that I think that everyone in this community would enjoy.

- Nutty: Drunk in Love

Author: Hallow17

Rating: Mature

A fun smut to read about Mikasa getting “revenge” on her asshole boss, Levi. Things don’t go the way she plans as things get a little heated in the sexy way. A quick smut that I think is perfect for a little Rivamika crave.

- Spicy: Jalapeno

Author: Hallow17

Rating: Explicit

Another fun smut to read by Hallow17. Levi has been stressed out at work and Mikasa finds a way to help him get his mind off it (if you know what i mean). Again perfect for a Rivamika quick fix.

[mostly-mundane-atla]

Well I got at least two people interested (@esmeralda-anistasia and @deathsmallcaps) so why not.

Quick disclaimer: I understand that some fans can be very sensitive to this topic and take general criticisms as personal attacks and jump to the defensive. Please don't justify your ships to me if you have that reaction to anything said in this post. It's not my business and if I'm honest I really don't care. Your experiences are not mine and will not change mine and nothing I'm about to say is meant to be read as an insult.

Okay onto the rarepairs in question!

I was ten years old when the episode Zuko Alone first aired and Ursa fascinated me. She was so elegant and sweet, and yet the implication was that she was also capable of assassination. Her disappearence and the fact everyone involved kept pretty hush-hush about her gave her character an air of mystery and Zuko's memories involving her made him a great deal more interesting and sympathetic (i still rolled my eyes every time he showed up and thought he didn't deserve all the cute moments with Mai until The Day of Black Sun, and even then still thought Jet was cooler in every way, but you can't please them all). She had quickly become a favorite character and I've held onto that adoration for about 15 years now.

I also really wanted her to kiss Hakoda.

They had compatible personalities and deserved some luck in love after all the heartbreak and trials, and they both loved their children despite having to leave. Ursa was never treated as dead, just gone. She could have been anywhere and there was nothing to say she couldn't have crossed paths with Hakoda and his men.

There was also something about it I didn't quite have the words or media exposure to explain. Often, in fandom or canon, if a relationship is biracial, the partner who is fairer-skinned and/or of the dominant or invading culture, who the audience sees themselves in, is the man and the one who is darker-skinned and/or marginalized or colonized is the woman (heteronormativity got a head start on this one). There's a lot of ugly "taming the savage" rhetoric in this, usually paired with blatant misogyny that's supposed to be in the woman's favor (like suggesting that a woman could only be complicit in this culture because it was what she was told and didn't know any better). The woman's family and friends who oppose this are depicted as unfairly prejudiced against this strange man as if their distaste for people who can be or have been responsible for things like genocide or subjugation is the same as the other side seeing these people as deserving of genocide or subjugation for the crime of not being like them. Sometimes it's the other way around, where the partner seen as "more civilized" is the woman and the one seen as "less civilized" is the man, in which case the woman is often abducted or otherwise the man's defining feature is his brutishness. This supposed brutishness is both intimidating and attractive to the oh so delicate if a bit repressed captive/wife (as well as the audience) and can manifest as being fiercely protective of her, which is how he shows his affection if there is a language barrier between them. And if you grow up Native, this is easy to pick up on and often in the back of your mind, because at least 90% of your media representation likely has some aspect mentioned above.

(Man that was a lot of academic style analysis)

But the dynamic between Hakoda and Ursa wouldn't leave room for any of that. Hakoda, as an absent parent backstory, is defined by having to leave despite how much he loved and would miss his children. Ursa, as an absent parent backstory, is defined by the crime she was willing to commit for her children (for Zuko specifically, but how long would it actually take for Azula to shoot her mouth off at the wrong place and time and also be targeted by Azulon?). Ursa was the one whose willingness to kill sent her fleeing into the night. The culture of her nation betrayed her and made her choose between her own safety and that of at least one of her children. Hakoda is charismatic and a good leader, but he is also soft spoken and understanding, and above all else, gentle. He isn't here to hurt innocents. He's here to see to it that the next generation of his people will not fear invaders or raids or even know that snow can be black from soot. And he's someone Ursa can finally feel safe around and confide in, and she could be the same for him. Someone he doesn't have to be the leader for, to whom he can admit that he just wants to be home and let the tears fall.

I'm honest enough to admit that one of the reasons I liked The Search was that Ikem wore his hair a lot like Hakoda did and that was close enough to it being canon for me.

Another one is Jin/Smellerbee. Something about their personalities strikes me as being so wonderfully harmonious and I like to imagine Jin, smooth-talking and streetwise but still the most genuine person, being the one to sit Smellerbee, who never really got a chance to think about these things, down and explain that anything she might be is okay. That it's okay to not be in love with a guy friend who gave her a purpose and loyal companionship. That it's okay to like girls. That she can have more than one partner. That it's okay to be different from what's considered normal and proper and not have an easy word to describe it. And eventually she'd realize it's true. And eventually she'd realize that she wasn't teasing when she called her beautiful in a wild sort of way.

I also like to think that Smellerbee clearly has more specialized fighting skills and is very good at what she does but Jin is strong enough to bench press her no problem. And Smellerbee acts all tough (because she is) but blushes whenever Jin calls her cute or pretty because she's not used to it.

Sometimes Longshot is involved too. Not as a third wheel or the exact same kind of partner, more like a ghibli style relationship with Smellerbee. Like is it a gentle romance? Is it an intimate friendship? It's love and they know that and don't have to define it by others' perception. And Jin gives Longshot kisses so he doesn't feel left out, which gets him a bit bashful because she really could have anyone, she already has Smellerbee of all people, and she still finds him deserving of a peck on the cheek. They probably all bunk together.

This actually started from a fic I wrote but don't intend on posting more than snippets of. Basically, i was tired of a lot of fanfic tropes, especially those having to do with friends to lovers and soulmates (this world is not kind to aromantics and the last thing I wanted in my escapism was romance being established as a level up for relationships), so I wrote something to actively subvert all of them. Jet and Smellerbee were each convinced they owed the other a romantic relationship after all they'd been through together, even though neither actually wanted it, because that's how all the stories go. So after he dies, she remembers all those times that would have been romantic if either was actually interested, but were instead just uncomfortable because it was entirely social convention and no feeling. But then she comes across Jin, who she's never met before, but who takes her in her arms and reassures her and sympathizes with her, and in this tiny apartment in this seedy side of town, she feels safe. She seeks permission for every touch and kiss and tells her this encounter doesn't have to be anything she isn't comfortable with. And when Smellerbee has to leave, Jin insists she take a candle to light her way, and winks when she says she can return it the day after. She gives her an excuse to visit again. And Smellerbee blushes and accepts it.

And then there's Teo/Haru and Teo/Ty Lee. No special reason I just think both would make a cute couple and want Teo to be happy. He's a good boy, more people should love him. Let him impress people with wheelchair tricks and get smooched.

[wrenhyperfixates]

Forever Yours

Pairing: Loki x reader Summary: You reject Loki when he asks to court you. When he learns the reason why, however, he sets out to make amends. Warnings: mentions of abuse (both physical and emotional), angst, fluff A/N: Requested by the always lovely @lokistan! Hope you like it :)

Tag List: @lucywrites02 @frostedgiantfavs​ @lunarmoon8​ @twhiddlestonsstuff​

Disclaimer: Gif not mine

Loki looked himself over in the mirror, fussing over whether he looked too formal or too casual. He’d been trying to calm his nerves all morning, but as you Midgardians say, there were butterflies in his stomach. He took a deep breath and rehearsed his speech once more, suddenly afraid it would sound more practiced than heartfelt. He gulped and made an illusion of you to say it to. Somehow, it was better than saying it into the mirror. He felt less ridiculous, at least.

Today was the day Loki planned on asking to court you, carefully chosen because it marked the six-month anniversary of when you met. He still remembered that day and how you’d tentatively shaken his hand, but unlike the rest of his brother’s friends, your eyes were without malice. It made his heart flutter with nervous excitement to think of how you might look at him after today. Though it could be a rather bad expression, he was almost certain that you reciprocated his feelings. After all, every little thing he did to show you he cared, you did back to him with just as tender an expression. It was, though, those last scraps of uncertainty that kept his feet glued to the floor of his room.

Roughly thirty minutes later, he was making his way toward where you were perched on a kitchen stool, laughing with Sam and Nat. Loki took one final breath and walked in. You perked up immediately upon seeing him.

“Hey, Loki,” you greeted as Nat nodded in his direction and Sam gave a quick wave. You offered him a cup of tea and pat the seat next to you. “Come sit with us?”

“I would love to, dearest,” he said after a sip of the scalding drink. “But may I speak to you in private first?”

“Mhm,” you agreed, sliding out of your chair. A small spark of worry ignited in your chest as he led you away from the room and out of earshot of the others. “What’s up?”

He cleared his throat before beginning. “As you know, we have been friends for quite some time now. But I have come to the decision that I must tell you how I truly feel.” He took a step closer and held your hand in his. “I am in love with you, and if you will allow it, I would like to court you.”

“Oh, Loki,” you said in a sad tone that made his heart break. “I’m so sorry. You really are amazing, I just think we’d be better off as friends.”

You apologetically let go of his hands and looked away. You were afraid of what he might say next.

“I see. If that is what you wish,” were the only words that left his lips before he turned on his heel and walked away.

You may have called after him, you may not have. He was too furious and hurt to notice. You’d built him up, told him he was worthy of all this, and then rejected him. He bared his heart to you and you responded by shattering it. The one time he had believed that someone could love him, he was shot down. And the worst part was, he’d lost you now. Being around you after being rejected would just be too humiliating and painful.

A couple of days later, you invited Loki to come and see a movie with you and a few other Avengers. He looked at your nervous, hesitant expression, and he knew there was no way he could say yes.

“I do not believe that would be for the best right now,” he replied coldly.

Things continued in much the same way for the next month and a half. By now, Loki wanted to bridge the gap between you two, but the chasm was far too wide for him to even know how to begin. There was still a sharp pain in his chest any time he saw you, and a brief, blinding fury. Though, he would admit, he was unsure if it was directed toward you for rejecting him, or at himself for the way he’d ruined one of the closest friendships he’d ever had.

Loki moved like a wraith through the Tower, content to ignore everyone and everything if he could not have you. The only other person he made even slight contact with was his brother, but that was in no way his own doing.

“I am worried for you, Loki,” Thor said one day, cornering the God of Mischief in the kitchen. “It is not healthy to behave like this.”

“I do not know to what you are referring. This is perfectly natural.”

“It is not and you know it! I don’t care if you are the God of Lies, you are going to tell the truth. What is the matter, brother?” he added more gently, laying a large hand on Loki’s shoulder.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Loki bowed his head and recounted his miserable attempt at happiness. Thor’s expression became very troubled as he listened, unsure of what he should do next. Everyone had noticed the distance that had grown between you and the trickster god, but you would never divulge the story of what had caused it. You would not, however, let anyone blame or say anything to Loki. Now that Thor knew the story, though, everything became much clearer, for there was a missing puzzle piece his brother did not have.

“Loki, I am going to tell you something, but you must promise you will not do anything rash,” Thor carefully began.

“Yes, what is it?” Loki urged, regretting having not ever let you explain yourself. “Tell me.”

“Before either you or I had come to live on Midgard, they had some very harmful relationships.” Thor paused a moment, testing the waters of Loki’s reaction. “Their past partners did not treat them as they should have.”

“How badly were they hurt?”

Thor halted in his speech, his lack of answer giving Loki all the explanation he needed. He immediately set out to find you as Thor shouted after him. After creating an illusion of himself to send his brother on a wild goose chase, Loki continued off towards your room. He paused a moment outside your door, realizing that after what had happened in the past, it probably was not best to be fuming while talking to you about this. Once he’d composed himself, he gently knocked on your door and called your name.

“Loki!” you exclaimed as soon as you flung the door open, overjoyed that he was reaching out. “I missed you.”

His eyes stung as he willed himself not to cry. He wanted to be there for you, to comfort you and protect you from more wrongdoings. But those three words nearly broke him.

“I have missed you too, dearest,” he replied, calling on his silver tongue to aide him.

Neither of you said anything for a minute, just staring at each other at the threshold of your quarters.

“I’m sorry,” you both blurted out at the same moment.

“Please, allow me to go first,” Loki said before you could go any farther. “I now know what you have been through in the past, and I understand now. I should not have flown off the handle like that, isolated myself for so long. You have nothing to apologize for, but I am truly sorry.”

You froze, unprepared to hear him admit he’d learned your story. You invited him in and paced as he took a seat, his leg rapidly bouncing with anxious energy. He desperately wanted to say something, but knew you needed to sift through your turbulent thoughts and would speak when you were ready.

“I want you to know,” you finally began, “it’s not that I necessarily think you would hurt me, but the way things have gone in the past have made me inclined to fear having such an intimate relationship.”

“Thank you, dearest, but please, do not worry about me. I am concerned for you.”

“It was a while ago,” you said in a small voice, fingers ghosting over your skin as if you could still see the bruises there. “I should have seen the signs, the same thing had happened to my aunt, but by the time I noticed, it was too late. I tried,” you continued, voice breaking, “to tell my friends, but most of them turned out not to care about me at all. There was one who helped me get out, at least, but then when I was finally ready to put myself out there again, I just ended up with someone emotionally abusive instead. I didn’t... I didn’t want to get hurt again. To ruin this.”

You flopped down and buried your face in your hands, no longer attempting to contain your sobs. Loki uncertainly reached out to pat your back. When you didn’t cringe at his touch, he put his arms around you, burying his head in your hair and whispering calming things. Once your tears were spent, you slumped back against him, wanting nothing more than to hide in his warm embrace.

“Dearest,” he said, “I am sorry that you had to go through that. You did not deserve it at all, and if there is anything I could do, I would. My deepest wish is that I could make it all better. Just know that you need not apologize to me; I am here for you anytime, in whatever way you will have me. But I will not hurt you in that way. Ever.”

“I believe you, Loki, I really do. It’s just...”

“Yes?” he gently encouraged, brushing a stray tear off your cheek.

“I need to take it slow. Is that ok?”

“Of course it is, dearest. We can go as slow or as fast as you want. Whatever pace you are comfortable with is the one we will go at.”

“Thank you. I needed to hear that.” You closed your eyes and steadied yourself. “In that case, I would very much like for your court me.”

“Nothing would make me happier, my love.”

Then you cupped his cheek, and ever so gently pressed your lips to his. It wasn’t a deep kiss, but it said everything it needed to; you loved each other, you would never hurt each other, and you weren’t going anywhere. It was a promise of what was yet to come.

[syubub]

YOONGI SOULMATE READING

Disclaimer~tarot is speculative and this is my interpretation of energy. Take it with a grain of salt.

Honey boi time. Strap down because this one is wild. Kinda. And soft. Really really soft. And a little creepy. Buckle in.

So for starters Yoon has a dark, royal blue color energy. It isn't as opaque as Koos was but it was very... thick? Like its not that it wasn't opaque from a lack of energy but rather that kinda had clear energy mixed in too?? It was really pretty and its kinda like the more you look at it the deeper it gets?

It was kinda like this but deeper? And it was almost reflective and "sparkly" idk put it was real pretty.

So first thing to note. Yoon is always easy for me to connect with so he didn't have any barriers put up or whatever so when I was going towards him he was in red flannel pj bottoms and I was like, "am I missing something?" But no. He was just being comfy I guess? Now usually when I connect with energy of a person there's this like eternal tree trunk rope colum thing of energy or something that I kinda follow and then there's little platforms that they're on? I always have my back facing the energy colum thing when I connect.

That was not the case this time. Yoon essentially led me to his side to face the energy trunk? And he was like, "its weird on this side, huh?" ??? Hello, sir. What the fuck. This to me hints that maybe he is also going out and consciously connecting to energies? Idk man. But I was like, "yeah, it is kinda weird" It only gets weirder.

Next I was facing yoon and I was like hey I want to read your soulmate and gave him like a big ole energy marble expecting that to kinda get the connection going but the only thing I heard from his soulmate was "I can't tell you" like shit. And then he dissolved my energy offering? Oki. And I essentially couldn't connect with his soulmate at all. Anyway, I floated off the little platform thing (that was real bizarre) and yoongi connected with me.

His soulmates energy wasn't present at all but I was told to continue any way. Now for in my opinion the creepiest part. So, keep in mind yoons is actively connected to me and I was like, "well, if your soulmate isn't here then please guide me to what deck I should use for their personality signifier and he pointed me to the fountain tarot.

I started shuffling and after I did one bridge shuffle and split it to do another one he was like, "hey, you're gonna get temperance reverse fyi" and I was like hahaha no. And he was like, "no. Listen to me. Bridge twice, hand shuffle twice and split into two. And you'll get temperance rev. Turn it ride side up when it comes out" I was like okay but you crazy. Tarot doesn't work like that

Guess what fucking came up? TEMPERANCE REVERSED when I tell you I freaked out I mean I fuckin freaked. I know it sounds made up or unbelievable and if I didn't see it happen I'd say its fake but FUCK DUDE. So i asked my pendulum if it should be reverse and it was like no, flips that shit. And I swear to God yoongi was laughing at me for being spooked like the smug ass that he is.

Now

First note I wrote was sagittarius energy. This person has sagittarius energy. Yep yep yep. This person balances him out. Temperance is the card of sagittarius. Heavy fire influence in the cart.

Oki now onto personality explained. I got 3 of coins, the heirophant, ace of wands and the magician. This person is very spiritual and has been manifesting him (they’ve manesfesting eachother but I'll get to that later?) This is a person that values knowledge and is very creative and has a lot of quick ideas. This person also really values communication of knowledge. Loves to get it loves to share it. Probably the person that can tell you a stupid fact about almost anything.

We also have networked, storyteller, god and mentor. This is someone who loves to teach people about what they've learned. They like to share the wisdom (with the god card im inclined to say that they share spiritual wisdom but I don't see it as a career?) This person values communication and collecting knowledge.

Now, on to relationship. We have wheel of fortune, justice, ace of wands and the lovers. This relationship has been in the works on a spiritual level for a long time. They’ve been actively manifesting eachother. We know Yoon is at least a little psychic so this makes sense. This relationship is founded in balance. They treat eachother as equals. I also wrote, "certainly something devine". They have a witty rapport and its so so so loving! They have really good communication and respect for eachother! They are also good at keeping eachither accountable.

Now for this person's career. They’ve been going through a change so their career is undecided. There was likely a period of depression that put a pause on their career? But there's also the queen of coins which suggests that they will be making good money. Now, I chose 3 clarity cards on the queen of coins to help me figure out where this money will be coming from and I drew three more coin cards so this means this person is on the cusp of making some good money soon!

Now we have answer the call, awakening and share your voice. They are being called to be together. Again yoon is woke af and apparently so is his soulmate. The picture i get is like when they finally meet they're both a little shy because they've been connecting with eachothers energies and they're like, "whos gonna bring it up?" Like they are finally out of hiding when they meet. Its cute as fuck.

Oki. We have answered prayers, spiritual path and make time for self care. THEY ARE MANIFESTING EACHOTHER. They are a woke pair and the energy is so sturdy and solid. I also get the sense that they engage in self care together? Like they'll make sure to take care of themselves spiritual and physical. I also think that they would be that type of couple to have a mad bath bomb collection.

Side note: while I was doing this I got like a cute little picture in my head of them sitting on the couch in pj's and facemasks with towels on their heads sipping wine and that makes me soft.

Now onto the message from his soulmate cards. So we have release all anger, new idea, be positive, take a shot, Have you eaten? You're acting like a big ass baby and shit is going down with your job. Now. I made a note that this is from Yoon to his soulmate? Um, sir? But oki, yoon makes the rules. What I get from this is that his soulmate is currently going through some job related stuff and he's saying, "hey, its okay to start over. Do that thing you've been wanting to do for a while" he wants his soulmate to stop focusing on what isn't going right and just start fresh. I also lowkey think he's like, you need to just fucking chill. The world isn't imploding just because something isn't working out. Its very reassuring and it feels like he wants to comfort them. Cute

Let's talk about the descriptors now. Yoon was very picky with these? Which confused me. They don't know eachother in person is the vibe im getting and I don't think yoon has ever seen this person either? I think maybe he's had dreams of his soulmate? Idk but the cards are: quality time, fashionable, unique, free spirit, independent, short hair, younger, sweet, charming. I also made a note for brown hair and a masculine chart.

For my little word cards we have, fate, vows, serendipity and loyalty. WE GET IT. YOURE ADORABLE TOGETHER

"All men should learn before they die, what they are running from and to and why" is the little fortune. I think that this is yoon telling his soulmate to do some shadow work? Like find out why you do the things you do, why certain things anger you ect.

Now at this point I was told that I had to use the small deck to get more cards about the relationship. I was like "I already did that but whatever" and I did. I pulled 10 of cups, 2 of cups and the lovers again. WHAT. THE. FUCK. This is the most romantic and soulmatey soulmate reading ever. 10 of cups is emotional fulfillment. This is just everything. Everything! 2 of cups is romance, unified love. Its also about partnership. They work so well together. And the lovers card. Love, relationships and harmony. Oh my god its fucking nuts.

Now onto the final card. Again. Very very very clearly told that this is for his soulmate. We have, the perfection of your life. This card talks about a spiritual storm coming to shake things up in order to put things to put things back in perfect order. A quote I like from the book is, "all is unfolding to a perfect higher order." This to me kinda sums it up well. Shit is about to get crazy for his soulmate and its not a bad thing. Change is need for this person and there is change coming that will stir every thing up and place it back in better places. Ugh. I can't. He wants his soulmate not to fear the storm but rather embrace it and know that positive change will come out of it.

Last part. When the reading is over I always disconnect and essentially put the energy back? This time on yoons little platform (I sound like a lunatic trying to describe some of this shit I swear) I was like, "hey thanks for being cooperative and being so active and involved i appreciate that." And then he gave me an energy marble ball thing too? I was like, "thanks but what the fuck" and then I did what he did when I gave him the marble ball energy thing in the beginning and just... put it in my energy? Like thats what he did? so is that like an energy custom that I don't know about? Wtf. My best guess is that I gave him an offering of energy and he gave me some in return at the end? And then the little shit just dissappears? MIN YOONGI I HAVE QUESTIONS YOU CAN'T JUST DISSAPPEAR??

But he did. And that was the end. It was super fucking bizarre. So for say joo I connected to his soulmate through him. So it was a connection with the soulmate but hosted by joons energy? For Jk his soulmate gave me a direct link which was new and awesome but for Yoongi it was just a very direct connection with him. Just him.

That really tells me that he knows his soulmate well on a soul level and his soulmate literally said, "I can't tell you"

I'm confused but very happy for him!

Yoon is a very soft and sweet man, pass it on

[neo-culture-mafia]

Triggered (badass reader + n.yt)

➼ “Flying back and forth from Japan to Korea wasn’t easy, especially when you were about to become the Japanese Junior Forces’ leader. You still had doubts about whether you were ready to take those responsibilities or not. But when you decided to take care of a serious problem with your own hands, you found out a new facade of yourself. A tough one.”

Words count: 3.9k

Genre: angst - mafia!au - boss!reader - leader!yuta - badass reader - mention of the dreamies.

Warnings: strong themed - mention of bruises/wounds - aggressive behavior - violence - mention of guns - sexual violence.  

Disclaimer: This contains mentions of sexual violence, I didn’t describe anything, but if you think you might still be sensitive to this, don’t read it.

“Hey losers!” You announced as you walked into the teacher break room.

“Wow, you remembered the way back home!” Jeno gasped in fake surprise, causing a few laughs in the room. “I thought you were going to stay in Japan forever.”

“We all did. By the way, you lost.” Renjun extended his open palm towards Hyuck with a grin on his lips as he scrolled down through his phone. “Shit.” Donghyuck whined, touching his back pocket for his wallet. “I’ll pay you a cappuccino later after classes.” He stared at Renjun with puppy eyes, receiving a small “Deal.” as a reply.

“Don’t tell me you two bet I wasn’t coming back.” You asked in crossing arms after hugging Jisung, he was the only student allowed to get in the teachers' break room.

“Of course not!” Renjun voiced, looking at you with the most offending expression ever on his face. “Donghyuck bet you would come back only after your marriage ceremony, and I bet you would come back before the ceremony to tease us.” He added, quickly turning his attention back to his phone, almost as the lack of eye contact with you would help him avoid your anger.

“Was that supposed to sound any better?!” You rolled your eyes, hitting the back of Hyuck's head as you hugged him. “I missed you too, idiots.”

“Oh, we didn’t miss you. At all. We’re too busy taking care of your classes to miss you.” Chenle whined, stopping a pile of papers on his desk, pouting at all the tests he still had to read later.

“Oh, right! I heard that you’ve been promoted to teacher, congratulations!” You pinched Chenle's cheek, hearing a groan leave the younger boy's lips as he pushed you away to make you stop.

“You sound like that is a good thing. I’ve never admired you guys so much as I admire you now. Those kids can be wild sometimes.” Chenle quietly admitted, not enjoying all the memories that surfaced his mind from his first week as a teacher.

“Welcome to the lack of sleep life where energy drink is your best friend. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.” Jaemin announced while he closed the fridge's door, throwing an energy drink to Chenle, and opening another one for himself.

“Thank you? I guess?” Chenle twisted his face, forcing himself to sit next to the table where all those papers waited to be marked with grades.

“Speaking of classes, how are my students? I remember having aces all over my class.” You asked as you threw yourself on the couch, next to Jaemin, who was now typing his next test on his laptop.

“Remember that girl with the blue hair? We’re kind of worried about her grades.” Jaemin started, followed by a bunch of hums in agreement from his friends.

“Kim Young?” You stared at Jaemin, expecting that you had misheard him, but as he positively nodded, your mind just went more confused. “Why? She has never seen a B or anything below that on her tests before.”

“A few months after you traveled to Japan, she started to fail all of our classes. She even had to redo a few of our classes, and now all of her friends are on more advanced classes than her.” Jeno addressed, letting deep sigh leave his lips as Renjun locked his phone's screen to fully focus on the conversation.

“That isn’t possible. She’s one of our smartest students!” “We know. But we had no choice but to make her repeat our classes. It broke our hearts to do it, we even had a small meeting together to see if we could give her an essay or something, but we just couldn't help her at that point.” Renjun backed his friend up, making you only stare at the only boys, searching for anyone who could give you any hope on defending the little girl.

“Was it that bad?” You asked in surprise, receiving a paper on your hands. It was her test. It was blank. “But... This doesn't make sense. Have you talked to Mark about it? Maybe if he talked to her, he could try to understand what is happening.” You questioned, still staring at her test with worry lines taking over your forehead.

“She slept during that test, by the way.” Chenle shook his head with nothing but confusion on his face.

“We have all tried to talk to her, including Mark. But she gave each one of us the same answer “I apologize, senior. I will work harder to not let any of you ashamed of my grades”, and even if we insisted, she would still say she’s just lacking effort.” Donghyuck talked in a higher pitch as an attempt to reproduce what her voice sounded like, but it only made you roll your eyes.

“I doubt that’s the case.” You handed over the test back to Chenle, debating whether or not to try to talk to her.

As much as you were still Junior Forces, your relationship with Yuta had caused you to be assigned to more missions in Japan, Taeyong had already talked about how he had plans for you to become the leader of Japan's Junior Forces since the business was starting to grow much more than expected there. 

“Well, then you go and talk to her. I’m sure Mark wouldn’t mind it.” Renjun suggested, shrugging when Jeno looked daggers at him. “He would probably thank you for the rest of his life if you managed to get her to talk about what’s going on.” He added.

“Are your classes over for now?” You asked, looking at your wristwatch as you tried to remember your old schedules.

“Yeah. She’s probably back in her dorms again. She’s been spending a lot of time there lately.” Jeno quietly answered, wondering how pissed Mark would be if he disagreed about this.

"Okay. I'll check her room then. See you later, losers." You blew a kiss to your friends, messing Jisung hair before you left the breakroom. 

As you walked closer to Young's door, your ears automatically heard the girl's voice, but she wasn’t alone. 

“Please, don’t do this. It’s still hurting from the last time...” You heard her fragile voice, making your hand stop a few centimeters away from the door, not daring to move a muscle as you paid attention to whatever was coming after that. “Ah, princess, you know that’s not how this goes. You don’t get a say on this.” 

“But-” “Unless you want those pictures running around...” The man’s voice cut her off. “No! Please, just- don’t do this.” Her voice sounded quieter and more distant.

And that was it. In a quick movement, you kicked the door down, seeing one of the most heartbreaking scenes you had ever witnessed in all of your long years of the mafia. The fragile fourteen years old who once held so much light on her eyes, was with her eyes consumed by tears, shaking by fear and probably cold as her breasts were exposed to the eyes of a random fucker you had disliked ever since day 1. He was already taking off his belt and his eyes were disgustingly admiring her figure, making you want to throw up. 

“What the fuck is going on here?” You seethed, instinctively closing your fists while you burned the fucker alive with the look on your face. 

“Y/N... w-what, what are you doing-” He stuttered out of surprise, taking a few steps away from the girl as you started to slowly walk closer to him. 

“For you, it’s boss, you son of a bitch.” You quickly threw your jacket to the crying little girl, who at that point was already sobbing and avoiding to look at your eyes. 

“Senior, I am so sorry.” The girl rushed to apologize while covering her shaking upper body with your jacket.

“Young, listen very carefully to what I'm gonna say.” You started, not daring to take your eyes off of the man a few meters away from you. In a matter of seconds, you got in with the right, knocking him down. “Don’t ever apologize for someone else’s shit.” “Teacher... I-”

“What did he mean by pictures?” You asked, staring at the man’s immobile body.

“You heard that? How much did you-” “It doesn’t matter, you’re okay now.” You cut her off, being careful as you approached her. The girl’s condition was heartbreaking. Her stomach and neck were filled by what seemed to be hickeys. The poor little thing was so frightened, that she even flinched when you tried to touch her. “Hey, it’s okay. You can trust me. I won’t cause you any harm.” 

“He said he would expose the pictures if I didn’t become his bitch.” She muttered, lacing her arms around her body as she tried to stop herself from shaking.

“What pictures?” You gently asked. “Pictures of me... naked.” Young whispered the last part, closing her eyes and flinching, almost like she was expecting you to scold her. But your heart was too broken for that. 

“Oh honey.” You closed your eyes for a few seconds, slowly shaking your head. “How would he have pictures of you naked?” 

“I- I don’t know.” The girl opened her eyes once she realized you weren’t going to scold her, and deep down she wished you to lecture instead of looking at her with so much worry. “A few months later, I was insecure about my lack of curves. I talked to Mark about it, and back then he said that our true beauty can only be seen by someone else’s eyes. And I wanted to see it, I wanted to feel pretty in my own skin... so I took a few Polaroid pictures of myself fully naked... they weren’t supposed to be seen by anyone else, I was gonna burn them later, but then he... he keeps them in his third drawer, that’s the only thing I know, I swear.” Young kept her body slumped downward, looking at her aggressor while more tears fell down her cheeks.

“Okay.” You nodded, taking a deep breath in pure frustration before you continued to talk. “Listen, right now I want you to take a long 10 minutes shower, put on some comfortable clothes, and wait for me here. I’ll be back in 15. Don’t talk to anyone and don’t open the door to anyone but me. Do you understand?” You asked in a serious tone, with your hands itching to touch her and comfort her, but you knew better than that. You had to respect her space.

“What are you gonna do?” Young asked as her small hands cleaned some of her tears away from her face.

“I’m gonna make this fucker wish he was dead.” You threateningly stated. Your eyes were glued on the man's figure on the floor, and the only reason why you still hadn't beaten the crap out of him, was because Young was too unstable to take all the violence. “Go to the bathroom. We’ll talk later.” 

Once Young was nowhere to be seen, and the sound of the water dropping filled the room, you grabbed the motherfucker's by his hair and slapped his face with all of your strength. 

“Wake the damn up!” You hollered on his ear, causing Leon to open his eyes, still with a confused expression on his face. “What are you doing?” He muttered when his eyes finally focused on the pissed figure of you. “Let go of me.” 

“Wrong answer. Let’s go for a walk.” You hissed with your half-shut eyes, dragging the motherfucker out of the room and through the empty hall with nothing but a pure and unstoppable rage burning and rushing through your veins. 

As you kicked the son of a bitch's body at the top of the stairs, you silently hoped he wouldn’t get downstairs alive. But unfortunately, bad people never die easily. When the asshole's body finally hit the flat floor, the first thing he attempted to do was run. In a matter of seconds, the Glock that was resting on your waistline was already on your hands. 

“You run, you get a hole in your head!” You shouted, quickly getting the safety off as you pointed the gun right at the brains of that fucker. 

You calmly went downstairs, with your eyes never leaving the eyes of the man who had awakened the worst part of you. It wasn’t easy to get to your feelings, but he had the fucking nerves to do it when he laughed at your face when you questioned him about what you had just seen. He had left you no other choice but to push him down the stairs. Oops?

When your feet finally touched the ground, Leon, who had now the side of his head bleeding, adjusted his posture trying to somehow look taller than you, almost like an animal trying to terrify his prey. If only he knew the prey in the situation was himself, he wouldn’t have dared to act like that. You were going to hunt him in hell if you needed to. The outcome of his action was your anger growing stronger. 

“Look at you. I didn’t even start it and you barely can keep yourself on your feet.” You laughed bitterly with a disgusted look on your face. Leon spitting his blood next to your feet in purpose didn’t help you with getting any calmer. “On your knees.” You growled, motioning to the floor with the gun, never breaking eye contact with him. 

Your eyes were on fire and if you weren’t holding yourself back as much as you were, you would’ve exterminated his ass by now. 

“You’ve gotta be kidding me.” He huffed with a mocking smile directed to you as he chuckled, almost like you were talking nonsense. 

“Do I sound like I’m fucking kidding? Huh?” You hit his chest with your glock, silently wishing would “accidentally” pull the trigger while doing that. “You fucking psycho!” In a quick move, you hit his head with the gun and kick his stomach, getting him straight to the floor, writhing from the pain that was burning his body. “On. Your. Knees. NOW!” You hollered in pure hatred, shooting next to his body, causing him to flinch and quickly get on his knees as you told him to.

“What the hell is happening here?!” You heard Mark's voice yelling at you, followed by the sound of his feet hectic coming downstairs. Your heart was beating so fast that you were finding it difficult to hear anything that wasn’t yourself and all the ways you were quietly weighing on how to kill that son of a bitch. 

“Don’t get involved, Mark.” You clenched your jaw as an attempt to control yourself to avoid the situation to escalate any more. 

“Y/N, put the damn gun down. He’s family. You can’t kill family.” He firmly stated, walking slowly towards you. 

“Mark, right now, I’m not talking as your friend, I’m talking as your fucking superior, so if I told you to not get involved, you will stay the fuck out of this!” You looked at Mark out of the corner of your eye, not daring to move a muscle as you constrained the anger inside of your body. “Call Taeyong. Or I will drag this idiot's bleeding ass through the whole base till Taeyong's office to show our leader the shit this fucker has been doing.” You added in baring teeth, refusing to look anywhere but Leon's face who still had the guts to maintain his mocking smile. 

“Y/N!” You heard more voices calling for you, as more and more noises of steps started to resound in your ears, but you were too busy to care.

In a blink of an eye, there was already a circle full of people around you. Most of them were just curious students. If the situation was different, you would probably wonder if showing them that much violence was healthy, but it was not like you were in your perfect state of mind. 

“What do you think you’re doing?” Jeno questioned, attempting to get closer to the fallen man, only to find your open left arm as an obstacle, stopping him to move further. 

“Jeno. Room 149. Third drawer. Go. Bring me whatever you find there.” You told the black-haired boy, who just stared at you in confusion before muttering a quiet ”okay” and vanishing.

“Why are you doing this to him? Isn’t he family?” One of your students asked in a scared tone, making your confidence falter for a second. 

“Shh, don't ask.” Donghyuck warned him, taking a few steps closer to you till he was on your left side. “Whatever this is, are you sure you want to do this here? There are too many kids down here, and some high-level men are also starting to arrive.” He whispered, placing his hand on your shoulder, trying to get your attention.

“Believe me, you would do the same thing if you were on my shoes.” You answered with a dry mouth.

“Ms. Y/N.” Taeyong's voice filled the place, with all heads turning to face him as he slowly went down the stairs with Yuta, your fiancée, behind him. 

Immediately, everyone who was around you opened space for Taeyong to go through the crowd and reach you with no problems. Deep down, many of those people were expecting you to be scolded by Taeyong. The outcome was much different.

“Mind explaining what’s going on?” Taeyong asked in crossed arms as his eyes wandered indifferently at the bleeding man that he recognized seconds later as one of his own.

“This bitch is threatening to kill me, boss! She’s crazy!” Leon crawled closer to Taeyong, only to stop at the sound of Yuta's gun safety going off. “One step closer and you’re done.” Yuta stated, threatening to point his gun at the disgusting man.

“I would be more careful with your words if I was you. Her future husband is standing right by my side, and I can assure you he won’t be as patient as I am. And besides, I didn’t ask you, I asked her.” Taeyong turned his face to stare at you, nodding as permission for you to speak. 

“As you know, Neo Culture treasures and nourishes family as the most important thing in life. We should always have the back of our own, right?” You started with a clear irony on your voice, waving your gun around in circles with a tight-lipped smile on your face.

“Correct.” Taeyong nodded once in agreement, furrowing his brows with attentiveness. “Go on.”

“Then tell me why the fuck this son of a bitch was abusing one of our juniors? A minor?” You snapped, pointing your gun back at his forehead in a quick movement. 

The whole place started to be filled with gasps and whispering. 

“She's lying!” Leon shouted in anger, pointing his finger at you, trying to get Taeyong's attention back to him, but the leader’s eyes never left your figure.

“Y/N, are you sure of this?” Taeyong leaned forward with his eyes narrowed angrily.

“Jeno. The pictures.” You motioned for the black-haired boy to come closer and hand them to Taeyong.

When the leader’s eyes met with the pictures on his hands, he wanted to throw up. By his expression, you could tell there were more pictures than you acknowledged. Your anger was undescribable at that point, you were on the edge.  

“He blackmailed her with these. And I caught him trying to take off his shitty pants next to her.” You stared disgustedly at Leon who still had his belt falling off of his pants. 

“Taeyong, don’t believe her, she’s-” “Don’t you dare to say my name.” Taeyong cut off Leon with a crisp voice, before handing the pictures back to Jeno with his eyes fuming. “Burn them. I don’t want to see those pictures ever again.”

“You gotta be fucking kidding me! This is clearly not true!” Leon hit the floor with his closed fists, making you want to laugh at his liar ass. 

“Then why the fuck those pictures were in your room?!” You hollered, hitting his head once again with your gun. “You did this shit to family.” Yuta shook his head with disgust on his eyes. 

You stared at Taeyong once again, silently asking for permission to go on, receiving a positive nod from the leader. 

“LISTEN THE FUCK UP, YOU IDIOTS!” You yelled as you aggressively kicked Leon's body to the ground a few meters away from you, causing all the juniors to stare at you wide-eyed at the sight of their teacher being hostile. “This is the first and the last time I’m ever going to say this. No matter where I am, no matter what I'm doing, I will maintain contact and regularly visit every single girl in this base. And if it ever comes to my ear that any of you fucking men has bothered them... this will happen.” You shot Leon's left leg, causing the man's scream to resound on your ears. “YOU BETTER LEARN HOW TO TREAT WOMEN RIGHT! I don't fucking care who you know inside the mafia, I don't fucking care if you're a junior or a senior, I don’t fucking care if you have a relationship with them or not, I will end you. For good.” You shot his another leg, making more screams from pain to leave his annoying lips. 

“You fucking whore...” Leon murmured, spitting blood as he uselessly attempted to staunch his wounds. 

In two seconds, Yuta came running from his spot next to Taeyong just to hit a kick right onto Leon’s wounds, he was agonizing in pain.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying about my soon-to-be wife? I was too far, I couldn’t hear you right.” Yuta forces his foot down, making more and more blood stain the floor. 

When you checked on your juniors’ faces, a lot of them looked terrified, and as much as part of you lowkey wanted to murder each man standing on that place, you knew not all of them were like that douchebag. 

“Mark.” You called for the attention of the black-haired boy, pointing at the kids with your head, motioning for him to call the shots. 

“You’re dismissed.” Mark announced, clapping both of his hands to get everyone’s attention. It didn’t take long until only the older members stayed behind.

“Would you like to do the honors, babe?” Yuta asked, turning his head to see you looking down with your eyes closed. Your hands were trembling as you could barely hold your gun anymore. 

You had been raped before. Something that only you, Yuta, and the closest members knew. Whatever you had seen in that room, it triggered your past. 

“You have no idea of the damage you’ve made. Even if I kill you right now, you still won’t be any close of feeling what she’s feeling.” You stated on the edge of shedding tears, but still not daring to let a single tear drop off of your face, you were too stubborn for that. “I won’t fucking give you the pleasure of being killed by me. But the only reason why I won’t it’s because there is someone who needs my attention more than you.” You dropped your gun on the floor, with the loud sound of the steel attracting everybody’s attention back to you. 

“Yuta, get her out of here.” Mark stated, receiving a positive nod from the older man who quickly went to your side, guiding you out of there as you silently sobbed, feeling taken and swallowed by the bad memories that took your mind. 

[imladris-soldier]

Burn Him Out

DISCLAIMER!!!!!: This piece is 100% just me trying to deal with issues I still have regarding R*an and everything he did. I’m only sharing it here in case it might help anyone else. Please do not take it too seriously. I just thought that writing something out would help me.

The Vagabond betrayed the team. He has to pay.

“He betrayed us.”

The declaration was definitive, though one would be lying if they said they couldn't see the weary grief in Geoff's eyes from behind his desk. The rest of the crew were scattered around his penthouse office in various states of discomfort.

You were leaned up against the wall to Geoff's right with your arms crossed tightly over your chest and your eyes on the floor. It had come first as a shock, and then as a gut wrenching blow when the news about The Vagabond was revealed. Jeremy had been the one to text you. Perhaps they'd known he would be the best choice – or perhaps none of the others were brave enough to do it. You'd gone off grid for days and done a few things you weren't proud of, almost going so far as to revert back to the person you were before the Fake AH Crew had found you and adopted you into their ranks.

Something had convinced you to turn your phone back on, and you'd been greeted by a call from Jack, begging you to come back to the pent house. Her voice was rough as though she'd been crying. That had been enough to bring you back to them – to stand in this room with them and decide what was going to be done about the man who had destroyed your unit. Your family.

“He has to pay,” Lindsay finally said, her voice sharp and brittle. “We can't let this go.”

“We won't,” Geoff assured her. “That's why I wanted you all here. To talk about our options.”

“Let's just snipe him and be done with it,” Trevor suggested from where he sat in a cushy white chair with his elbows on his knees.

“That's an idea. But I figured you lot would want something bigger.”

“He knows what he did,” Jeremy cut in. “He won't show his face long enough for that to work. He knows we'll be coming for him eventually.”

Matt asked, “Then how do we know he's even still in Los Santos?”

“I've kept my ear to the ground,” Geoff answered. “The Vagabond has been seen. Fleetingly, but he's here.”

“Fucking fool,” you muttered under your breath. He should have left and kept his mouth shut – disappeared off the face of the god damn Earth, but no. He was too proud; too convinced of his invulnerability. On one hand, perhaps you could understand why. Even after this, there would still be crews willing to work with him or take him in. Despicable. He'd do the same things all over again if given the chance. He had to go.

“Anyone in particular want the honors?”

The room was quiet. Despite everything, he'd been a friend. Everyone there had cared about him, laughed with him, run jobs with him at their back. The crew was harsh when it had to be, but this even they balked at.

Fiona quietly spoke up. “Well, we have to draw him out first, right? How do we do that?”

Geoff nodded. “I have contacts all throughout this city. We could set up a fake job. Get word out that they're looking to hire him specifically? Could work. We have to be careful though. Can't have any of us connected to it, whispers or otherwise. He'll know it's a trap.”

“It should be secluded,” Trevor added. “Whatever it is. He's done enough harm. We don't need collateral damage.”

Slowly, an idea began to form in your head. “Would a few dead cops bother you, Treh?”

He thought on that for a moment, then shook his head. “Nah. Just no civilians, alright?”

“What are you thinking, Y/N?” Jack asked.

Your eyes scanned the room, meeting the gaze of most of your crew in the process. “You know that out of use gondola station up on Chilead? We lure him up there, and set the cops on him. Get him caught. Then we sabotage the cop cars. Options there, obviously, but I personally wouldn't mind sticky bombs.” You paused, your voice hovering over the thought that had come to you. “I wouldn't mind pushing the button.”

The silence that greeted you was humming with a little bit of surprise, but it soon dissipated as the plan was considered.

“Seems a little flashy,” Alfredo replied. “Why not just gang up on him at the gondola station?”

You shrugged. “We could do that too. But it needs to send a message. Don't fuck with us. Don't fuck with the people we protect. We take care of our own, and nothing gets in our way. Not cops, not sick, traitorous bastards like The Vagabond. Nothing.”

Geoff nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “Anyone got any better ideas?” No one spoke up, so he nodded again. “Fine. We'll do it your way, Y/N. You'll need someone with you to help you plant the bombs without being seen. Who do you want?”

Your eyes passed between each of your friends, considering the pros and cons of each. In truth, you would have preferred Jeremy at your side, but getting him out of his Rimmy Tim outfit for work was nigh impossible, and bright orange was the last thing you needed to pull this off. Matt was quiet enough, but too easily fumbled things – not a good quality when dealing with bombs. Jack would have worked if she wasn't so clearly emotionally affected by everything that had happened.

You sighed, massaging your temples. Fiona and Alfredo were too loud. Gavin goofed too easily and might just as soon attach a bomb to his own foot before the car. Lindsay may have been a good choice as she seemed to share your rage, but she was showing it too much. Given how much of a wild card she could be, you weren't sure she wouldn't run off to beat the Vagabond to death herself and get arrested in the process. Trevor maybe, but he looked so tired already. He was angry, but beat down.

At long last, your eyes landed on Michael. He stared back in stony silence – a resolve and quiet that you needed. “Michael comes with me.”

Geoff looked over to the younger man who nodded shortly. “Fine. Get the supplies you need. I'll start setting it up.”

With that, the crew broke ranks and spread throughout the apartment to brood and stew on it all. You touched bases with Michael briefly, giving him a list of things to acquire while you looked over the map and decided on where to place the two of you for the job.

As you stared down at the paper, Jeremy joined you. He stood there silently for a time, watching you work, then finally murmured, “You sure about this?”

“Yeah. Easy enough. I've run car bombing jobs dozens of times.”

“That's not what I mean.”

You sighed, feeling your shoulders sink some. “You mean am I sure I want to press the button.” He nodded. “I want him gone, Jeremy. From Los Santos. From this planet. But mostly from here.” You pointed to your head. “I want to forget I ever knew his name, ever saw his face, ever heard his laugh. I don't want to spend another god damn second of my life thinking about Ryan fucking Haywood. I don't want him to have this shadow over me anymore. So yeah. I'm ok with writing him out of this story. Burning him out. Fuck him for what he did. He hurt so many people. Including me.”

Jeremy nodded. “I know.” He put his hand on your shoulder and squeezed. “Get it done. I'll be here when you're finished.”

He left you alone. An angry tear slipped down your nose onto the map beneath you.

It took a few weeks for Geoff to get the fake job planted, but soon his informants were letting him know that the Vagabond had taken the bait. The job would be run, just as planned, and you and Michael would be waiting.

The two of you staked out the gondola station hours before the job was supposed to take place, keeping to your hiding places in case the Vagabond had done the same. You were quiet for a long time, but eventually you looked over to your companion and told him, “Thank you for coming with me.”

“Sure,” he replied. “It needs to be done.”

You nodded. “Still. Thanks.”

Something about him softened. “I know this isn't easy for you. It's not easy for me either. But it's the right thing to do. I got your back, Y/N.”

With that, a peace settled over you, and you were content to wait out the rest of the afternoon in silence.

As the sun dipped low, you began to strategically place your items to make for quick work. Once that was done, you texted Jack to call the police. It would take them a bit to get mobilized and up the mountain, but just a hint of the Vagabond would send them running.

As expected, in the hazy purple of twilight, you heard a motorcycle heading up the road. You and Michael looked at one another before you peaked out over the large boulder you'd set up behind. It was him, alright. The blue and black of his jacket struck a nostalgic chord inside you, causing your insides to clench in pain. Fuck.

As soon as he disappeared into the building to begin collecting the “loot” (it was really just several boxes of rocks that Matt and Alfredo had put together), Michael slipped out into the darkness to drag his knife through the tires of the motorcycle the Vagabond had arrived on to keep him from escaping on it, then hid himself on the other side of the road, just as the sounds of cars reached you.

The police didn't have their lights or sirens on – some actual wisdom on their part for once. Not until they had blocked the whole road with their vehicles and surrounded the building did they make their presence known.

“Vagabond! We know you're in there. Come out with your hands up!”

He was outnumbered, but of course that didn't keep him from trying to shoot his way out. In the chaos, you and Michael weaved between the police cars, sticking the explosives to the bottoms. You met at the back of the line, then ran off the road once more into the brush and trees.

A few cops went down in the fray, but they were soon leading the Vagabond out in handcuffs. They'd ripped his mask off, smearing his makeup and leaving his dark hair in a frizzy mess. You stared at him as they took him to one of the cars. For so long he had made you feel safe and happy, despite his darker turns. You'd never thought him capable of such a betrayal – of something so fucking heinous. Looking at him now made you feel sick and sad and broken. You missed the man you thought he was. Fuck, you missed that man.

But this one. He wasn't that man. The mask was off at last. Not so infallible after all.

The cars started down the mountain in single file, due to the narrow road, and the one they had placed their prisoner in went last. You waited until they were about 50 yards away before stepping out of your hiding spot into the middle of the road.

“What are you doing?” Michael hissed.

You ignored him and waited for what you were hoping to see. The rear car slowed as the cop driving it saw you, and then you saw him look. The Vagabond turned his head to look out the rear windshield at what the cop had seen. And he saw you – standing there with the detonator in hand. You met his blue eyes and held it up between you.

“Go directly the fuck to hell, Ryan,” you said as you pressed the button.

The cars lit up like a botched 4th of July celebration, sending careening, burning metal flying across the mountainside. The entire parade of them burst into flames and crashed into one another, shrieking and rumbling.

You stood there, staring at the carnage and listening to the screams. The last car in the line was just a pile of shredded car parts, but in the flames you could see the black and blue jacket, burning, and you let that image flood through your veins and into the folds of your brain. Burn him out. Forget.

Michael met you in the road, nodding some in approval. “Nicely done,” he told you. “Let's get back before more cops show up.”

You nodded too and threw the detonator into the fire. “Let's go home.”

The penthouse was quiet when the pair of you arrived back, but everyone slowly filtered into the living room to be briefed. You opened your mouth a few times, but found that nothing would come out. Instead, you turned on the TV and navigated to the news station which was reporting the explosion on the side of Mount Chilead.

The group watched it in silence for a while, then Geoff said, “Well done.”

After that, people began to trickle back to their rooms. Michael pat you on the back and followed Lindsay out. Gavin came and gave you a somewhat awkward hug before he left. In the end, only you and Jeremy remained in the room, staring at the TV emptily.

He came and stood next to you, taking your hand into his own. “Did it help?” he asked gently.

You nodded.

“Good.”