#like i know where so many people would exist in this au but it’d be like starting tons of offshoots

[lady-assnali]

Ok, as promised here’s the continuation of This Part where Gigi comes back from Paris and Crystal is confused about things. With Jan’s advice, Crystal has to talk feelings

“I missed you so much, I’m so glad you’re here.” Gigi swings open the door and throws herself at Crystal, nearly knocking her over in the process. She wraps her arms around her and squeezes tight, burying her face in Crystal’s shoulder. The brunette sinks into the feeling for just a moment before stepping back, clearing the fuzziness from her headspace.

           “Are you embarrassed by me?” Well, shit. That isn’t how she’d intended to have this conversation. Gigi falters in her own movements, stopping in her tracks and spinning around with wide eyes.

           “What?” Her mouth stays open a bit, her head tilting. “Crys, I-what?”

           “I didn’t mean to ask you so up-front. That was supposed to come out really, really differently. I just-I need to talk to you, I didn’t want to chicken out.”

           “Okay, I…can we sit down?”

           She gestures for the couch and Crystal slips off her shoes, leaving them by the door. Gigi paces around the room, closing cabinets and tossing her blanket over the back of the couch, rearranging the pillows. Finding her place on the couch, Crystal sits on the edge of her seat. The room is suddenly filled with an awkward sort of tension. Gigi looks as if she’s about to cry, deflated and confused and uncomfortable in her own skin. For a moment, Crystal considers dropping the whole conversation. Then, she sees Nicky’s sweatshirt draped over the back of the armchair by the window. This isn’t a later conversation; it has to be done now.

           “Do you really think I’m embarrassed by you?” Gigi starts, her voice an imitation of the way she shrinks into herself.

           “I mean…yeah, kind of. Actually, not just kind of. I’ve been thinking that for a while now.”

           “Crystal,”

           “Why don’t you ever stay during my lives?” Gigi stiffens in her seat, shifting her gaze to the floor. The action both infuriates Crystal and upsets her even further. “Why don’t you ever do any of yours here? You always say how much people love to see you work, but you’re always doing them when I’m not around. I just…I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. My brain is putting things together.”

           It takes Gigi a long time to respond. Her lower lip is jutted out slightly, her head down. She runs a hand through her hair. She shifts in her seat. She breathes slowly until she’s finally looking up at Crystal, eyes glossed over with emotion.

           “I’ve been doing it on purpose. You’re right.”

           “Okay.”

           “But it’s not because of that; Crystal, I could never be embarrassed by you. You’re my favorite person on this earth. I miss you every second of time I’m traveling. I’m obsessed with your art, and your drive, and your passion, and I just…people were ruining that. They will ruin that.”

           “Wha-what do you mean?”

           “The only time I posted you in my story after getting my first job was just…I didn’t realize what I was doing. We were both at the studio; you were painting and I was trying to get some designs done. You put on some 90s hits station or whatever and we were just jamming, hanging out, I thought it would be a cute little thing to put on there like we always do. But then people were commenting on the story asking who you were, going to your profile, snooping around…they were throwing out some pretty hurtful things.”

           “Oh.”

           “I deleted the post and made sure the people who commented were blocked. It just…it threw me. I didn’t realize everything that comes with this. You have a full career ahead of you, you’re insanely talented, and I’m just getting likes for putting clothes on and looking pretty. And these idiots can’t see that.”

           “Why didn’t you say anything?”

           “I didn’t want you to deep dive. I didn’t want any of that to get stuck in your head, or to mess you up. I’m realizing now that I made that decision for you.”

           “Yeah, you did. And it still messed me up-I don’t get comments, sure,  but you not having anything to do with me was just so confusing. Because you’re always saying things about Nicky, or Symone, or any of your other friends. Just not me.”

           “I know, I see that now. I never meant to hurt you, you’re just…you’re different than everyone else. Knowing that people could hurt you just because you’re my friend? Knowing that I would be the person that triggered all this negativity? It’s a shitty excuse, but seeing you hurt like that would kill me.”

           Crystal doesn’t respond. She digs her toes into the carpet, head swirling with conflicting feelings. She wants to forgive Gigi immensely, hug her and reassure her and coddle her until they’ve both forgotten this even happened. Another part of her, the stubbornness inherited by the long line of powerful women in her family, forces her to keep her eyes off of Gigi and her head clear.

           “People can hurt everyone else you’re tagging too.” She murmurs. Gigi bites her bottom lip, fiddling with her hands in her lap. “I just wish you said something sooner, or gave me the choice. I just…I’m lost in the shuffle, y’know? And you say you value me more than that,”

           “-I do,”

           “-Then just…I don’t know. I’m not asking you to make some big long best friends forever post because that feels icky. I don’t want to come across as the kind of friend who doesn’t like you having other friends. I’m happy that you have people in your corner when you’re gone. I just want to be able to let people know how proud I am of you without it crossing some kind of invisible boundary. We talk about everything, and this just came out of nowhere.”

           “You’re right. I’m sorry, Crys.” She shuffles closer to her on the couch, grabbing her arm. “I don’t ever want you to feel like you’re less than. You’re the most important person in my life, and I’m really really sorry.”

           She’s near tears now, and Crystal squeezes her hand before opening her arms. Gigi falls into them, engulfing her in a tight hug with her legs curled up behind her. They sit like this for a while, contemplating where to go from here when one half of their world knows who Crystal is and the other is completely unaware. She’d been in one photo before, when Gigi had seen her first billboard, but it had been from behind and was tucked away in her feed, buried by professional photos and PR packages. Bringing her to light feels like coming out all over again, and it strikes a nervous chord for both of them even though they’re only admitting friendship.

           After a while Gigi pulls her phone off of the coffee table, tapping her fingers against the screen nervously. She wipes at the bottom of her eyes, opening the front facing camera.

           “Would you be ready to meet the world now?” She asks. The question comes out a bit slow, hesitant, but Crystal nods enthusiastically.

“Wait, I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this right now.”

“I do have to do this right now, but not because I have to. I have to do this because I need to make things right. I never want you to feel less than again.”

The model can see her best friend nod through the screen, pressing their faces together. Crystal’s smile is brilliant; effervescent. Gigi isn’t crafting an image of herself, rather she lets the expression on her own face come naturally. After she takes the photo, she briefly contemplates posting it. Her eyes are wide like saucers, and she’s sure the world can see the way she’s lit up, turned into one giant heart. Maybe this is the look Nicky teases her about after she hangs up with Crystal when they’re away. Maybe this is the dead giveaway. But if Crystal is ready for the world to see them, then she’ll do it.

           She’ll just have to ignore her followers exposing her for who she really is; a person painfully  in love with their best friend.

[peppertoastuniverse]

pep reads: gojo satoru – long fics (pt.2)

Part 1 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ ☆ The Theory of Relativity by LuckyGh0st [AO3] [status: ongoing ◦ 11/13 chapters ] #gojo just loves you so much in this one You've lived your life without purpose. It's always been simplicity - sugar, flour, butter, mix, sugar, flour, butter, mix, simplicity, stability.

Everything changes when you find a man, bloody and beaten half to death, laying discarded in the snow.

or, Gojo Satoru is transported into a world where he doesn't exist, where you stand to change the course of everything with nothing but a kind smile and a generous hand.

☆ beyond the unending night by @stellamancer [AO3/tumblr: long one shot] [status: completed ] #the intensity of this fic omg

it is october 31, 2018— halloween in shibuya.

and you are trapped.

(you are unfortunate enough to be trapped in shibuya on october 31, 2018 in more ways in one. after many trials and many errors, you come to the conclusion the only way out is seeking out the man named satoru gojo.)

☆ you are not a god (just the man i love) by haveuseenthis [AO3 ] [status: completed ◦ 2/2 chapters] [slowburn] [tw!ptsd] [friends to lovers] #SUPER SOFT SATORU

they said gojo satoru was a god. unreachable. faraway. meant to be alone. but you knew better.

☆symptoms and causes by @lostfracturess [AO3/tumblr] [status: on going ◦ collection of fics 13/?] [professor gojo x med student reader] [smut!] #pep is OBSESSED wit this AU he's arrogant, self-centered, and he's your professor. renowned for his brilliance in neurosurgery and infamous for his allure. too bad you have to work with him on this research team. now you're stuck with dr. satoru gojo, delving into the complexities of both the brain and the heart—and of how far you'd go for a love that could destroy not only him but you as well.

☆out of the shadows by @extralively [AO3/tumblr] [status: completed ◦ 50/50 chapters + extras! ] [slow burn] [eventual smut!] [original female character] #pep's fav OC character #the CHEMISTRY?

No one had expected Gojo Satoru to form a friendship with the unknown girl that joined school in the same year he did. Not even Gojo Satoru, or Yura herself, especially considering he’d been an asshole to her the first time they met. A complicated friendship was born, one that would last years to come no matter how many headaches the white haired menace would give her – he was like gum in your hair, she mused, too much work to cut it out so why even bother trying?

☆ gods, monsters, monkeys by yuzudrops [AO3: ] [status: completed ◦ 23/23 chapters + extras!] [SUPER slowburn] [eventual smut!] [original female character] [student gojo!teacher reader (but they get together like 10 YEARS after)] [angst] #pep binged this so hard #complex/strong oc

“I thought it’d be you, if I’m being honest.” “It’d be me who what?” “Who’d go mad. Who’d go on a killing spree. Who’d just wake up one day and decide none of us are worth anything.” “Damn, sensei. Didn’t think you thought so little of yourself.” Didn’t think you thought so little of me simmers beneath. She wonders how Gojou, of all people, knows which lines can’t be crossed when his entire Cursed Technique is full of asymptotes.

A grossly under-qualified graduate of Jujutsu High is hired to teach a class of Special Grades. They learn there is more to power than strength. It doesn't end well.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆｡･:*:･ﾟ

bonus! satosugu!

☆ to feel is to love by cj_ackerman [AO3: 10/10 chapters] [status: completed] [satoru x suguru] [tw!ptsd] [college!AU] #this was so so so cute #soft sugu x soft toru

In another universe, instead of his eyes being the most powerful asset, Satoru is blind. Because of this, he’s mostly alone, unable to be the star child his high-ranking parents wanted him to be.

It’s Suguru Geto that makes him believe he deserves to be loved, and that he is seen. Suguru learns that to feel, is to love.

[therhythmafterthesummer]

In the Labyrinth (M) ~Changbin

Pairing: Minotaur!Changbin x AFAB.Reader Themes: Mythical AU | Angst | Smut | Fluff Word Count: ~14k | AO3 Synopsis: The Labyrinth was an enigma for most people. Its existence was known, but what exactly happened within it was a complete mystery. When you entered the Labyrinth, you weren’t really sure what you’d have to come face to face with… Not even in a million years would you have guessed just exactly what you’d find in here. Warnings: descriptors of the reader such as: having long hair · mentions of murder · mentions of assault · depictions of anxiety · violence (in many different forms) · Changbin is 300cm tall (feels like that warrants a warning) · graphic depictions of outercourse (smut warnings under the cut). - feel free to let me know if i missed any.

Author’s Note: shout out to the anon that sent this ask back in august and ingrained the mental image of minotaur!changbin in my brain. more notes at the end.

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.

Smut Warnings: size kink · literal monster cock (he’s a giant… and a half-bull, half-man one at that…) · nipple play · mutual masturbation · non-penetrative sex.

Disclaimer: the story presented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

The sound of your footsteps bounced off of the walls. The corridors were more than spacious, well over twenty metres wide, with the ceiling probably twice as high, but even if it wasn’t crowded in here, it still made you a bit claustrophobic.

You supposed that the few holes in the ceiling did help ease that feeling a little bit. Emphasis on a little bit.

Even if you weren’t particularly thrilled about being down here, you still walked, because there was simply nothing else to do.

You could’ve sat down and awaited your death exactly where you had landed when they threw you in here, but you were never one to remain still for too long. 

So, after having a good crying session, and after hours had passed since you’d been given your death sentence, you had finally stood up and started to walk.

You knew what this place was, although you’d never really seen it. You hadn’t even known it was here in this exact area. 

The Labyrinth.

It was said that the place was humongous, practically never-ending, built by a king in ancient times as an offering to the Gods. Presumably, it’d ended up buried in the earth as time passed, and it stretched over kilometres and kilometres of land, but no one had really seen it and lived to tell the tale. At least, no one you knew of.

Law enforcement clearly knew the place, but you weren’t really sure if you could call them people. After all, they had never taken you seriously when you’d sought out their help. In a way, you felt like it was their fault you’d ended up here in the first place…

Although you’d heard of this place, you never really imagined it’d look like this inside. The brick walls were looking a bit worn down, but still structurally sound. They were lined with torches lit with eternal fire, just like the tales said. The floor would alternate between dirt, gravel, actual flooring, and mud. 

As you walked, you saw some ponds, some that even had fish inside. You figured that could be a potential way out, but you weren’t sure how deep you’d have to swim or if that’d be viable at all, so you scrapped the thought altogether. 

Sometimes, you’d see trees. Especially in those areas where there were holes on the ceiling. 

Some of those holes were partially blocked by metal rods, like law enforcement realised they were there and did the minimum required to keep a person or an animal from falling inside. Others were fully open, they varied in sizes, but they were honestly too high up for a person to reach them.

The trees, the mismatched flooring, and the occasional patch of grass weren’t that odd, though. They fit in well, and their presence made sense. What did feel out of place were the drawings on the walls. 

They weren’t on every wall, but there were so many of them it was hard not to notice they were there. Some looked like they’d been there for a long time, the colours were a bit washed out and some of the pigment had probably been absorbed by the brick overtime. Others looked like they could’ve been made a few weeks ago.

Birds, trees, deer, the sun, the moon… They were mostly nature themed, and, in any other context, you might’ve been inspired by the artistry. Even if they intrigued you, it was hard to appreciate them when you felt so hopeless, when you felt so… empty.

As soon as you had stopped crying earlier, you had accepted your fate–how long had it been since then? How long have you been walking for? Hours? How many? It was hard to tell down here… 

You realised just how much time had passed once you noticed another hole in the ceiling. You might’ve missed a few before, since it was clearly now well into the night and there was no light to highlight their presence. 

The faint stars you could see out of that hole made a knot form in your throat and tears well in your eyes. 

This was unfair.

You shouldn’t be the one in here. 

If anything, it should’ve been him.

If anyone had paid attention to you, it would’ve been him.

But instead, here you were.

You found a patch of grass under that hole you saw, so you just laid down and curled in on yourself and called it a night.

As the tears started to fall again, you reminded yourself that you had accepted your fate.

There was no going back now.

It was hard to tell how long you’d been inside the Labyrinth for. 

The first couple of days, you kept count diligently, but at some point you realised it was absolutely pointless. Why would you even want to know that information, if you weren’t going to be able to leave?

You were on your own here. 

You’d seen items that clearly belonged to someone at some point scattered around the many corridors of the Labyrinth, but you hadn’t seen a single soul. Only the fish you’d caught from the occasional pond you found that helped keep your stomach full, or the odd magpie that would come from one of the ceiling’s holes and jump around for a bit before taking off and leaving you alone once again.

You were on your own here… That was, as long as the stories weren’t true.

At first, you thought that the death sentence meant you’d be locked here to starve to death, but that logic started to crumble when you saw just how many sources of sustenance were available. Fresh water, fruit, fish, birds–if one was skilled enough to be able to hunt one of those, or at least have the will to…

You wondered if law enforcement knew this place was like this… Whether they knew or not, you figured it probably didn’t matter. The longer you spent here, the more it made sense to you that the stories were true.

It was said that a beast lived inside the Labyrinth. 

A beast that would make the strongest, bravest man cower in fear.

Some people said it had multiple sets of arms, or that it was as big as the royal library building, bigger than any temple anyone had seen. Others said it was such a deformed being that just the sight of it would kill you, and if that didn’t, it would make sure to do so by eating its victims piece by piece.

You knew these were nothing but stories to garner attention, for people to cause unnecessary chaos just because they could. If these people had actually seen this alleged beast, you supposed they wouldn’t even be alive to share their experience with the world.

You had never believed such a thing existed, but as nights and days went by, there was a small–and very scared–part of you that believed it might be true. Maybe this beast was very real, and was roaming the corridors of the Labyrinth.

Even if you’d been lucky to have found a few ponds that were large enough for you to bathe in, you still had pretty much only what you’d been wearing since you were thrown in here. You had used those ponds to wash your peplos a few times, but, unfortunately, it wasn’t even in good shape to begin with, and rinsing it in water seemed to hardly help its condition.

Your feet ached, your sandals were certainly not meant to be used to walk these distances, and the feeling of your dirty garments, combined with the lack of human contact, were steadily driving you crazy with every day that passed. Maybe this was the punishment. To be driven to insanity by what would usually be a minor inconvenience, by the amount of nothing that was happening around you.

The fact that you kept seeing his face in your dreams didn’t help it one bit.

Sometimes, you’d see it even when you were awake. You just needed to close your eyes, and you immediately got flashes of red and the feeling of pure hatred and anger… 

You always felt like washing your hands after, like jumping into any pond or puddle you could find. And whenever you could, you did.

Unfortunately, no amount of hand-washing and bathing would make the feeling go away.

You figured you’d have to learn to live with it.

As you furiously scrubbed your palms for the millionth time that day, you started to hear something.

Your movements stopped, but your hands remained submerged in the pond. It was usually quiet inside the Labyrinth, save for the few birds that’d sometimes fly and sing above you, or the occasional splashing fish inside the numerous bodies of water. 

But, right now, you could definitely hear something… Not only that, but you could feel something.

You could barely notice while you still had your hands under the water, but the rippling on the surface of it couldn’t have been made by you. Not when the little pebbles on the ground were shaking, too.

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

The sound seemed to be coming from the corridor on your right. It was growing closer, but your body wouldn’t move. You couldn’t move. You were just kneeling there, looking at the flickering torches lining the walls, with your hands still inside the pond, completely paralysed.

It wasn’t until you saw the shadow of something popping from around the corner that you actually came to your senses.

You had to run.

And you had to run now.

You stood up from the ground faster than you could even blink. Taking the lower part of your peplos with tight, wet fists, you just started to run as fast as you could. 

You could practically feel your heart in your throat as anxiety started to kick in. You had convinced yourself that this beast didn’t exist, you had thought that since you hadn’t seen it in your time here, it must’ve not existed at all.

But the deep bellow that resonated within the corridor was proof enough that you had been severely mistaken.

It was so loud that the sound seemed to penetrate into your skin and rattle your bones from deep within. A ringing broke free in your ears, accompanying your agitated heartbeat.

Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… 

The whole ground shook with each heavy step the beast took, so much so, you tripped and fell into a path of rough gravel, ripping your clothing and scraping your knees in the process.

You couldn’t stop, though. There was no pain, no moment to think twice, you just stood up and kept running. You ran and ran and ran, turning the many corners of the Labyrinth as you went… 

There was a little voice in the back of your mind telling you it was useless, but you didn’t want to hear it. You refused to hear it.

At least, until you turned and found yourself in a dead end. 

Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… 

Whatever it was, it drew closer and closer, shaking the ceiling and the walls as it tried to catch up with you.

Maybe you could still escape it somehow. Maybe, you’d be able to run past it and lose it in the many corridors of the Labyrinth.

When you turned around, you realised just how foolish that thought had been.

The air escaped your lungs when your back hit the wall. Your feet weren’t touching the ground, and you could feel pressure on your sides from where you were being held against the wall.

Your vision was blurry from the lack of oxygen, you could barely make out the shape in front of you. Horns, fur, and… and a face.

You’d accepted your fate…

Or so you had thought.

“Please…” Your voice was barely above a whisper, not only due to how breathless you were after running for so long and after being pushed so forcibly against the wall, but also because the knot in your throat was just too big. “Don’t–Don’t hurt me”.

The first tear fell down your cheek, and many more followed soon after. You couldn’t see properly. Whatever was in front of you, was big enough to shield all light from hitting whichever parts you could’ve potentially seen.

The creature huffed, and you closed your eyes tightly as its face moved closer to yours.

Its breath was warm against your face. You almost flinched, expecting the smell of rotten flesh to envelop you, but, instead, all you could smell was laurel.

You could feel yourself tremble in its hold as sobs kept escaping your throat. The creature sniffed you, first your face, then your neck. It got so close in its exploration that you could feel the tip of a textured, moist nose against your skin. You braced yourself for what was to come. You were sure it was getting ready to eat you whole, hopefully in one single chomp, so you wouldn’t have to suffer too much…

The thing pulled away from your neck, and just when you thought it was going to go for it, you were moving. 

It was so unexpected you barely registered it.

One second you were pressed against the bricks, and the next your stomach was pressing against firm muscle, and your arms were dangling over the creature’s back. Almost like it… like it had thrown you over its shoulder. And, after a few seconds of shock, you realised it had.

The beast had a strong hold on your back as it started to walk, presumably taking you somewhere.

You tried to blink the remaining tears away, at least enough so you could properly see something, anything.

You caught sight of the ground. You were definitely moving, and, for a moment, you thought you were imagining things. 

You could see smooth skin, you could feel it against your arms and hands whenever they hit it as they moved with each of the creature’s steps. Its back was very human-like… However, that smooth skin transitioned into dark fur towards the lower part of its body.

The tail of the creature swishing from side to side was the last thing you saw before you lost grasp of your surroundings.

Warmth.

You felt warm, but it wasn’t an unpleasant feeling. It was more like… a cosy feeling.

There was soft fabric under your hands, you could feel it dragging against your skin as your consciousness woke up.

Laurel… The smell of it filled your senses with that first intake of breath. 

Laurel… like the beast’s breath.

Your eyes snapped open. They immediately landed on the patch of night sky that could be seen from the hole in the ceiling, right on top of you. You blinked slowly, taking in the sight of the twinkling stars above you. 

Faint chewing sounds brought you back into the room, they made you remember what had happened before you lost consciousness. With quick movements, you sat up, and your breath hitched in your throat when your eyes locked onto the beast sitting a few metres in front of you.

Its eyes bore into yours as it chewed leisurely, on what you assumed to be a deer leg based on the shape of it. It didn’t make any movements, nor did it make any sounds–other than the occasional grunt when the meat was too stuck to the bone.

You were, quite honestly, speechless.

You had heard of the beast, but none of the descriptions truly matched what you were seeing right now.

A big, big creature. Inhumanly tall. Its torso was that of a man. Well defined, smooth, tanned skin, strong–very strong…–pecs, nipples adorned with silver jewellery, even stronger looking arms, and, although bigger than you had ever seen them, very human-looking hands. 

That torso transitioned into bovine-like lower limbs–covered in thick, dark fur, strong thighs and calves, ending in hooves. But, most impactful, was its head. Human-looking as well, save for the pair of horns that protruded from its skull and a cattle-like nose. The horns were decorated with thick silver rings that glistened with the very few torches lit around the room.

Its face, though… Chubby cheeks, pouty lips, and a strong, but bull-looking nose, pierced with a thick silver hoop. Objectively, the face of a handsome man, all things considered…

You had truly never, ever seen anything like it.

The way it was looking at you felt purposeful, like it wasn’t doing it just for the sake of it, but more like it was aware of your presence in a conscious, coherent way. It wasn’t just the way an animal would look at another animal, more like a human would look at another human.

You swallowed, suddenly hyper aware of your body. Everything hurt. Your feet, your knees, your arms… you were sore all over. When you finally broke eye contact with the creature–man…?–in front of you, and looked at yourself instead, you were perplexed at the sight of your bandaged knees.

Your eyes snapped back up to meet the beast’s, who was eating the last few pieces of meat off the bone in his hand, but still looking at you. 

“Did you…” Your voice broke due to your sore throat. You cleared it before you tried to speak again. “Did you do this?”

You gestured to the bandages, and it nodded to your question.

The beast understood you. It understood you and was able to answer the question.

“…Why?”

It seemed to be thoughtful for a moment, suckling on the bone to leave it completely clean before it threw it on a pile of bones in a corner of the room. Ultimately it simply shrugged, rendering you speechless once again.

The beast stood up from the ground, and walked towards another corner of the room, where a pond was. It knelt on the edge of it, and dipped its hands into the water. After scooping some water into its palms, it brought them close to his face and drank from them. 

Was it… washing its hands? And its mouth?

You realised it was, in fact, washing its mouth when it–he…?–finally stood up and walked over to some trees, where he plucked some leaves to eat them–or, more accurately, to chew on them.

“What… What are you?” You couldn’t help the question from leaving your mouth. What you were seeing right now was so absurd you just needed to ask.

He shrugged once again, chewing leisurely as it finally started walking closer to you. 

You honestly didn’t even try to move away, you were too in awe of his entire existence for your body to properly send you into fight or flight response. 

He was so… big. Even when he finally crouched in front of the pile of fabric you’d been laying on, he just looked huge.

“Changbin”, he said all of a sudden.

Your jaw went slack for a moment. He could speak.

“Ch–Changbin?”

He nodded. “That’s what… my father calls me”.

Changbin spoke slowly, like he wasn’t used to speaking at all. You supposed it made sense, considering the stories surrounding the beast inside the Labyrinth.

But… father, he said? “You… you have a father?”

He nodded again, but didn’t say anything else. Changbin just looked at you, in complete silence.

You’d admit it was a bit… awkward.

“Do you… Is this what you do with the people that are thrown into the Labyrinth?”

Changbin shook his head, which further puzzled you.

“I usually kill them. Sometimes I eat them if there’s nothing else to eat… Other times, just use them as food for the plants and birds that live here”, he said simply, like it was nothing. You supposed to him it was nothing.

“Why haven’t you killed me?” You had to ask, because you just couldn’t comprehend how you could still be alive.

His eyes jumped from one of yours to the other repeatedly for a bit. Until he eventually shrugged. “Don’t want to”.

You didn’t really feel like asking ‘Why?’ again, so you just cleared your throat, and decided to introduce yourself instead.

Changbin remained quiet for a few moments, until he repeated your name a few times out loud, like he was trying to get used to the sound. 

After about ten minutes of prying, Changbin explained to you that this was his den. It was at the very centre of the Labyrinth. He knew this whole place like the back of his hand, every twist and turn, every pond and every tree, he knew where absolutely everything was. Apparently, he’d lived here a long, long time.

You wanted to inquire more, but before you could, his ears perked up, and he looked towards the one and only exit of this area.

“Someone’s entered the Labyrinth”, he mumbled, almost to himself. He stood up from the floor, and wiped his hands on his fur before he started walking. When he reached the entrance, he turned back to look at you. “Stay here. Will be back in a couple of days”.

You didn’t really think you had any other choice.

Coexisting with Changbin was… weird.

It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but it was certainly weird. 

He clearly didn’t understand human behaviour much. As in, he’d do things people typically didn’t do.

He’d stare at you a lot–very intensely, if you might add–he spoke in short sentences, or was too forward with what he said. For the most part, though, you didn’t mind. Considering the type of men you were used to, Changbin was far from bad.

Was he a huge half-man, half-bull creature that ate humans sometimes?

Yes.

But even then, he was heaps better than other men you’d met.

He had offered his nest for you to sleep on. He’d shared with you any fish he caught, and even brought you fruit sometimes. For the most part, you didn’t leave his den, and he simply let you stay.

Being honest, part of the reason why you didn’t leave was because you weren’t sure if you were allowed to. After all, he’d brought you in here himself. 

Whenever someone entered the Labyrinth, he’d always ask you to stay while he left to look for them. Upon his return, he’d also share whichever goods he’d retrieved.

“You want this?” Changbin offered you a lump of fabric. It almost looked like a napkin in his hands, but when you took it and had a good look at it, you realised it was a chiton. And a fairly new one at that.

Your peplos was way too worn by now. You weren’t really sure how long you’d been inside the Labyrinth at this point, but you also figured it really didn’t matter. You’d washed your clothes plenty of times during your time here, but the rips and tears were just too many already, so you accepted the fresh garment.

“Thank you”, you looked up at him, trying not to focus too much on the swell of his chest, or the trail of fur that started from his navel and continued downwards, turning into his bovine legs.

Changbin was, truly, a sight to behold. Roughly three metres of hunk… The longer you spent around him, the longer you just… wanted to look at him. 

You supposed you weren’t any different than him in that regard. At least, he didn’t seem bothered by it when you stared at him.

Changbin nodded, and made his way to his makeshift, newer nest. You felt a bit bad that you’d taken his much bigger sleeping space, but when you tried to get him to use it again, he simply told you ‘It’s your nest now’, so you just… kept using it to lay and sleep on.

“Washed it on my way here”, Changbin said once he was sitting on his nest, looking at you. Only then did you realise he’d not only brought the chiton with him, but also a bowl full of what looked like wildberries, and a guest.

The guest sat on the very top of his head, it was a bird. A fairly small one, but one that was clearly injured, if the way it weakly fluttered its wings was anything to go by.

You nodded, and repeated a soft ‘Thank you’. You honestly tried not to think too much about the person this piece of clothing belonged to just a few days ago. There was no point in that… It was yours now. 

When you brought your hand to the fabric belt around your waist, you untied the knot that kept your peplos in place. The garment loosened, but before you could remove it, you looked back at Changbin.

He was just… staring at you. Like he always did.

You swallowed, trying to ignore the heat you felt spreading on your cheeks. “Could you, uhm…”

His ears perked up, listening intently to what you had to say. 

“Could you maybe look away?” 

Changbin blinked slowly, and his tail started swishing calmly behind him. “Why?”

“Because, y’know… I’m going to undress”, you replied simply, bringing the chiton closer to your chest. The heat on your face seemed to intensify.

“And?” 

You were slightly taken aback by that. But as you looked at him, you couldn’t see anything other than genuine curiosity in his eyes. “I’ll undress… That means I’ll be naked in front of you”.

“Okay”.

Now you started blinking slowly. Okay he said. Just… Okay. How… odd. “Changbin, I don’t want you to, uh… see”.

His eyebrows furrowed at that. “Why?”

“Because it’s not appropriate”.

“How come?” He placed the bowl on the ground and leaned back on his hands, spreading his legs in front of him. “I’m naked right now”.

Ah… You supposed he was naked.

You tried really hard not to move your eyes away from his face, especially considering the position he was in… You didn’t want your eyes to just wander to improper territories. After all, there seemed to be a lot to look at…

As you pushed aside the chaotic thoughts inside your head, his comment made you realise that maybe it wasn’t inappropriate to be naked. At least not here, not with Changbin.

You weren’t on the surface anymore. You weren’t bound to human customs anymore, not since the moment you’d been sentenced, and the more you thought of that, the more you started to understand. 

This was your safe place now. There was no judgement here, or, at least, you hadn’t felt any at all.

So you swallowed, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. With your eyes fixed on Changbin’s, you tried your best to ignore the warmth that took over your face as you undid your peplos. 

The garment fell to the floor, and only then did his eyes wander. He looked at you, with his head tilted to the side. You could’ve sworn you saw his eyes twinkle under the light of the few flickering torches on the wall. ‘Don’t like to keep too many in here… Too bright’, Changbin had told you a few days ago, when you’d asked why there weren’t as many torches in his den as in the corridor walls, and his answer had just made sense to you.

You could almost feel his eyes tracing every curve of your body, and you tried to not focus on how that made you feel. Instead, you just threw the chiton on and quickly fastened it with the belt around your waist.

Changbin’s eyes were back on yours as you finished fixing your clothes, before you started to plait your hair.

“Are you cold?” He asked all of a sudden, just as you finished tying your hair.

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Not… not particularly?” 

“Why’d you wear that, then?”

“Wear what? This?” You gestured to the garment you’d just put on, and Changbin simply nodded to your question. You blinked blankly at him for a few moments before you answered him. “I don’t… I shouldn’t be showing my body like that, y’know? It’s inappropriate. At least, on the surface it is. So we just… wear clothes”.

“That’s why humans wear clothes?” He sounded genuinely incredulous, and based on the way his eyes widened, you figured he was. “Thought y’all were just cold all the time”.

You couldn’t help but snort at that. You laughed. You laughed like you hadn’t laughed in weeks, almost madly even. 

This was all just so, so absurd. You’d been sentenced to death, and somehow, you’d ended up here, with a creature like Changbin. A sentient creature that thought humans wore clothes just because ‘they were cold all the time’.

“Why shouldn’t you show your body?” Changbin looked beyond confused, and somehow it made you laugh harder. “It’s… well, there. It’s you. Why hide it?”

Your laugh died down, and you wiped the few stray tears that had fallen from your eyes. There was a small smile tugging at his lips, he didn’t seem fazed by your fit of laughter other than looking mildly confused now, so you just composed yourself and answered him as honestly as you could. “It’s… a private thing…”

“Private?” Changbin asked, tilting his head cutely to the side. “So no one has seen you naked?”

You went quiet at that, and started fidgeting with the end of your belt. “Some people have… Y’know, my mum… My–my husband…”

The title left a bitter taste on your tongue, but you tried to ignore it. You didn’t like thinking about him. Whenever you did, you always tried to squash the mental image to the deepest recesses of your mind. It was just… a bit too much still.

“You’re married?” Changbin asked, curiously, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees.

“Not anymore”, you looked away from him, trying to ignore his peering eyes. You really didn’t feel like elaborating further, so you tried to divert the conversation by talking about literally anything else. The weather, the flowers that had started to bloom in his garden, the bird on top of his head…

Changbin didn’t really pry further, he just followed your chaotic rambling as best as he could, until he eventually started crushing the berries in his bowl and telling you about the bird.

Apparently, he’d found it yesterday when he was on his way back here, and had been trying to nurse it back into health since. While he told you the story, he kept crushing the wildberries in his bowl, and he’d occasionally bring his free hand up to the little critter. It simply pecked his fingertip a few times before it resumed grooming his hair. 

After a while, he stood up from his makeshift nest. With his bowl of crushed berries in hand, and the injured bird nestled on the crown of his head among his messy hair, Changbin made his way to a nearby wall. You just watched him curiously from where you were laying on his original nest.

Changbin dipped two of his fingers in the mixture of crushed berries, and then he just… drew a line on the wall.

Then another…

And another… 

He was silent for the most part, but low noises would occasionally resonate from his chest when the little bird on his head chirped. It was almost like they were having a conversation.

And you figured they were. Mostly because every couple of lines he made, he’d huff, and the bird would chirp in response. Changbin simply nodded–carefully, as to not let the bird fall with the movement–and kept on drawing.

You weren’t sure how long you spent there, just looking at him doing his thing, but it was genuinely fascinating. The way his tail would sway every once in a while, the way the muscles on his back flexed and relaxed as he moved all sorts of ways as he painted on the walls…

Eventually, his lines took the very distinct shape of a bird, one that mirrored the one on his head almost perfectly.

“Changbin?” You asked after a while. He hummed to let you know he was listening, so you continued. “Did you make all the other drawings throughout the Labyrinth?”

It seemed like a silly question to ask, because, who else would’ve done it, if not the beast doing one just now in front of you?

Changbin added the finishing touches to his drawing, then he turned to look at you. He offered the remnants of crushed berries in his bowl to the bird, just as he brought the two fingers he’d been using to his mouth so he could lick them clean.

You tried not to focus too much on the action by fixing your eyes on his. 

He pulled his digits out of his mouth with a slight sucking sound, and nodded. “I did”.

“Mmm… They’re pretty”, you said simply.

Because, to you, they were.

You found them odd when you first saw them, since they didn’t seem to fit the aura surrounding this place, but they were certainly pretty. And knowing they’d been made by him, just seemed to make them even prettier.

Changbin finally put the bowl down on one of the many tall–but flat–rocks scattered throughout the room, and, for a moment, you could’ve sworn his cheeks had reddened. “Thanks…”

You just offered him a smile, even if he wasn’t looking at you. 

A cold wind filtered through the hole in the ceiling, it had your teeth chattering and your whole body shivering. You tried to cover yourself further, but the way Changbin had built his nest made it so you really couldn’t pull fabric from it without messing it up, and there was no spare cloth close by that you could use as a blanket.

It made sense, you supposed. He didn’t seem like he needed anything to keep himself warm, and you also hadn’t needed it before during your stay here, so you hadn’t even tried to ask for one.

You heard faint shuffling, followed by quiet thump, thump, thumps, until you felt warmth close to you.

“Tiny human”, Changbin mumbled, pulling your attention fully towards him.

You hummed to let him know you were listening, but you didn’t open your eyes, nor did you feel like wasting energy saying actual words. You needed to use every bit of it you could to try to keep yourself warm.

“You’re whimpering. Why?”

Had you been whimpering?

You hadn’t even realised you were. Maybe you’d fallen asleep without noticing… 

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your trembling form, but it only brought a rush of cold air inside your body. “M’cold��”

There was silence for a moment. With half lidded eyes, you could’ve sworn you were seeing your breath coming out of your mouth in little white clouds. It didn’t make you feel any better. If anything, it agitated you a bit more, but you couldn’t even express it fully.

Changbin was quiet for a long while, but you could still feel him close. You appreciated it. It felt like moral support, at least. 

Eventually, you heard–and felt–him shuffle closer to the nest. “Can I… Can I keep you warm?”

You immediately nodded. You didn’t care what he did, or how he did it. You just needed to be warm, and if he could give you that you’d honestly take it.

There was more shuffling, and then there was a minute dip in the nest. You yelped when you felt Changbin’s arm wrap around your waist and pull you into him from behind.

His hold was strong, firm, but also… gentle. He kept you close, with his chin resting on the top of your head and a hand pressed firmly against your stomach. He was so close, and so, so warm, you immediately felt yourself relaxing, moulding into his body, almost like… like you’d always been meant to.

Slowly, his warmth seeped into you, until you were no longer shivering. Tentatively, you placed a hand on top of the one he kept on your stomach. You could’ve sworn you felt him jump a bit behind you, but as soon as you started tracing his knuckles with your fingertips, he seemed to relax once again.

You weren’t really sure what compelled you to do it, you had just… felt like doing it. You spent a while just like that, feeling each knuckle of his fingers, feeling the prominent veins on the back of his hand. They were so big… especially compared to your own.

You’d never felt like a particularly small person, but next to him, you certainly looked tiny, you felt tiny. But only physically. Being honest, you’d never felt as equal to someone as you felt with Changbin.

“I think you’re pretty, too”, he mumbled all of a sudden, and for a moment, you felt your heart stop, only to resume its beating at record-breaking speeds. “Like my drawings, I mean…”

You turned in his hold, and immediately buried your face in his neck. Not only seeking the heat of his skin, but also trying to hide the flustered reaction on your face. He just held you closer, further enveloping you in his warmth. 

“Thank you…” You mumbled against the skin of his neck, and he simply offered you a tiny sound of content in response.

In the safety of Changbin’s arms, blanketed in his body heat, you finally fell asleep. 

You didn’t mind staying at Changbin’s den, but you were starting to get a bit… bored. 

Mostly if he was gone. When he was there, you could at least strike conversation, or play some sort of game. Knucklebones was a favourite of yours, for example.

When he wasn’t here, all you did was try to keep yourself entertained with whatever items Changbin had lying around, or by tending to the garden inside the den.

At some point, you’d managed to use some of the numerous pieces of fabric he’d collected to make yourself a proper blanket. Although, to be fair, you hardly ever needed it.

It was a given at this point that he’d snuggle up next to you to keep you warm. Since that very first night, you’d only had to use your blanket when someone had entered the Labyrinth and he wasn’t here.

You’d admit, sleeping with Changbin was… nice. Especially since temperatures seemed to be decreasing by the day.

He was all plush and warm and his heartbeat just helped you relax. Ever since you got married–since you were forced to get married…–you had never enjoyed sharing your sleeping space, but, with Changbin, it was different. You just… felt safe. As odd as that might sound.

“It’s not fair! You got it so much easier to pick those up!” Changbin huffed, clicking his tongue when you, once again, beat him at your game of knucklebones.

“Find bigger pieces, then!” You chuckled, jiggling the small set of bones in your hand. “I’m sure there are plenty of huge rocks you can get in here”.

He just clicked his tongue again, finishing in a cute pout as he crossed his arms over his chest. All that did was bring your attention to the swell of his pecs and the size of his arms, which immediately made you swallow. 

Dear Gods, was he big… 

You scrambled to fix your eyes on his face. These were thoughts you didn’t feel like entertaining… what would be the point of it if you did? What would you even do with someone like Changbin? It felt a bit too… complicated. But, there was a little voice in the deepest areas of your conscience begging you to entertain the thought… telling you that it’d surely be worth it.

You decided to ignore it.

“Hey, Changbin”, you tried to get his attention back on you, disregarding the plethora of sinful scenarios that were playing in the back of your mind. 

Changbin’s ears flickered before he was fixing his eyes on you again, so you took it as a sign to speak. “You think I could… go out for a walk?”

He uncrossed his arms so he could lean back on his hands, once again, making you absolutely struggle to keep your eyes on his face and not on whatever was going on between his legs. “You want to?”

You just nodded in response, nervously tapping on the floor one of the bones you held in your hand.

“Then you can”, he replied simply.

“I can?” You didn’t mean to sound incredulous, but you supposed his nonchalance did take you by surprise.

“‘Course. If you want to, you can”.

“You don’t mind?”

Changbin blinked slowly at you for a moment, before his eyebrows furrowed. “Why would I mind?”

“Dunno… I thought you… thought you might”.

“Why did you think that?”

Huh, good question… Why would you think that?

You supposed there was a part of you that had just kind of… assumed he’d mind. But you realised then that he’d never really said anything about it.

He’d only ever asked you to stay when someone else came into the Labyrinth, and you supposed it made sense he would if he cared for your safety. Which you were pretty sure he did, considering all he’d done for you so far… So you just offered him a smile and a slight shake of your head. 

“Ah, it’s nothing…” You stood up from the floor and wiped your hands on your chiton. “‘Suppose I’ll be back in a bit…”

Changbin just hummed to acknowledge you, but didn’t say anything else, so you made your way to the entrance of the room.

When you finally reached it, you stopped. As you looked at the corridor outside of the circle-shaped area that made Changbin’s den, you couldn’t help but feel your stomach sink. No matter where you looked, left or right, the way was seemingly endless. Every direction looked almost the same–save for the few paintings on the walls and the different textures on the floor.

If you left for a walk, would you be able to find your way back? You honestly weren’t too sure, and, truly… you wanted to come back. You were sure there was no better place to be inside the Labyrinth other than here, with Changbin.

So you turned around, finding the beast himself looking at you. 

His tail swayed calmly behind him, his ears occasionally flickered, but, for the most part, he looked serene, sitting there on the floor where he’d been just before you stood up yourself.

“Would you… uhm…” You pinched a piece of your chiton between your fingers, and started fidgeting with it, looking in his overall direction but not really looking at him. “Would you like to come with me?”

You finally looked at his face. There was a small smile on his lips, and it honestly made your heart flutter. “Y’know I’ll find you if you get lost, right?”

No.

No, you didn’t know that.

You didn’t know he’d go out of his way to find you if you disappeared. You knew that he cared about what happened to you to some degree, but enough to look for you if you got lost? Even if it could potentially take days?

If you thought about it, maybe that, too, made sense. Maybe he enjoyed your presence just as much as you did his.

Licking your lips, you let go of that bit of fabric you’d been rolling between your fingers. “Would you come with me anyway?”

With a huff, Changbin stood up from the ground. He wiped his hands on his thighs, just before he walked to stand next to you. That was a good enough answer for you.

So, you finally stepped out into the corridor, and Changbin followed soon after.

The farther you tried to look, the more anxiety seemed to pool in your stomach. If the Labyrinth had made you claustrophobic when you first stepped in it, right now, leaving Changbin’s den, you felt haunted with agoraphobia. 

The corridors were endless, the ceiling felt like it was way too high–unlikely, since it was pretty much the same height as it was inside the den…–and the fact that you couldn’t see the first turn in either direction you looked had your head spinning. So you turned back to Changbin.

“Is there any place you like? If there is, I’d like you to show me”.

Changbin just nodded, and started walking. You followed him from closely behind, nervously looking over your shoulder sometimes, but, for the most part, you tried to focus on the drawings on the walls, or the flashes of nature around you.

It was quiet, save for the flicker of the eternal fire and the thumps produced with each step Changbin took. They weren’t as loud as they’d been the first time you heard him, probably because he was walking very, very slowly.

Even if he was walking slowly, though, you were starting to get out of breath from trying to keep up with the steps his long legs could take. One of Chanbin’s steps could’ve very well been ten of yours…

You weren’t sure how many turns you took, you simply followed him wherever he would go, asking for a few pauses sometimes when you felt like you needed to catch your breath.

There were parts of the Labyrinth that were dimmer than others. As Changbin explained to you, it was either because someone had taken a torch off its support on the wall and never returned it, or he himself had moved the torches somewhere else.

When you asked him why he’d moved them, he just said he’d get bored, and just found some entertainment in moving things around. Fair enough, you guessed…

Both of you finally came to a full stop in front of a tree. A big, very old-looking one. There was a patch of grass all around it, and it was almost tall enough to reach the ceiling. The hole above it surely provided enough light and water for the tree to thrive even down here. 

“This is a place I like. Birds come in here sometimes. They keep me company”, Changbin plopped down at the base of the tree and leaned on it. While he looked at you, he patted the grass in front of him, right between his legs.

Your body reacted before your mind could, and, almost instinctively, you found yourself sitting on the grass and snuggled against his chest. He just wrapped his arms around your frame and kept you close, like he often did. 

Soon enough, birds started coming in from the hole high above your heads, and you simply closed your eyes and started to hum a melody to accompany their chirping. You could certainly understand why he’d like being in a place like this, it was peaceful.

“You…” Changbin mumbled after a while, while he softly traced shapes on your arm with his thumb. “You used to pray, didn’t you?”

Your eyebrows furrowed, just before you pulled yourself away from his embrace to look him in the eyes. There was a bird perched on one of his horns already, picking at his hair, but he seemed unbothered by it.

“How’d you… How do you know that?” No one knew you prayed. In fact, you hadn’t prayed in a long, long time. It used to bring you comfort, maybe even hope, but that, too, had been crushed by the heavy weight of reality many moons ago.

Changbin looked up at the hole in the ceiling, which was covered by iron rods. His gaze was fixed on it for a while, and he remained quiet for a bit.

“I think I used to hear you pray”, his eyes were on yours again, and you suddenly felt your cheeks heating up at the attention. “You used to sing, too. Hum, like you did just now… The birds back then used to tell me you brought them food”.

The site you prayed at was incredibly far from where you’d been dropped into the Labyrinth. You knew this place was huge, but you honestly hadn’t realised just how much until this very moment.

“You stopped coming, though”, Changbin looked at you in a way that made you feel almost like he knew… “Was it because of him?”

Please! Don’t hurt me!

The memory was fresh, it wasn’t one you could just forget. Your husband… he wasn’t fond of the Gods, especially not the ones you prayed to. After all, you were praying in hopes they’d just… do something.

When law enforcement didn’t pay attention to you, you had turned to your faith for help.

But they, too, had failed you.

When your husband found out you’d been going to that specific place in the forest to pray, that you had your own humble shrine in there, he made absolutely sure you never returned. The place was now riddled with memories of nothing but pain, sorrow…

You felt a knot swell in your throat, out of fury more than anything else. You refused to let tears fall, though. The damage was done already, and even if you felt infuriated by how unjust everything that happened back then had been, the nightmare was over, and you had no one to thank but yourself for it.

Looking at Changbin, you nodded, just to let him know that it had been, in fact, because of him that you’d stopped going to pray to the forest currently above your heads.

“Even back then… I felt like it was unfair”, Changbin’s eyes jumped all over your face, while his thumb kept caressing the skin of your arm.

“It was”, you replied simply, looking up at him from where you were sitting between his legs. “But it’s no longer a problem. It’s stopped now”.

The bird that had been picking at Changbin’s hair finally flew away when he nodded. You looked him in the eyes for a while longer, until you finally leaned into him once again, and rested your head on his chest, right over his heart.

Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump… Thump…

The gentle rhythm vibrated against your ear, and, right then and there, you knew that it had all truly stopped. You were safe. It was, definitely, no longer a problem. In a way, you’d made sure of that…

You both stayed under that tree for a long time that afternoon, until you asked Changbin to show you anywhere else he liked before you made it back to the den.

Without saying a word, he effortlessly picked you up from the ground, and took you in his arms, making you all flustered when he offered you a ‘Tiny legs. Makes you slow…’ which you supposed you couldn’t argue with. To him, your legs were surely tiny, especially when compared to his own.

When you were back at Changbin’s den, you were tired, so you quickly washed up before you had dinner. Seared fish–courtesy of the eternal fire from one of the torches–with an assortment of fruits that somehow worked together, finished off with the corresponding pile of laurel leaves Changbin liked to chew on often–a habit which you yourself had picked up overtime.

It wasn’t long until you found yourself in Changbin’s nest, surrounded by soft fabric and his warmth. Cuddling had become one of your favourite winding down activities, and you certainly liked to do it for as long as you could. There was something about the closeness to someone else that felt… fulfilling. And you’d never truly felt this close to someone in your life.

Oftentimes, while cuddling, you also found yourself having the most profound conversations with Changbin. Either you or him–or both–would start bearing their hearts out for the other, and it was… nice.

Regardless of what you spoke about, it was nice.

“You…” Changbin mumbled, burying his fingers in your hair to gently caress your scalp. “Why’d they drop you here?”

You took a deep breath, mindlessly playing with the thick fur in the middle of his chest. “I took someone’s life…”

Changbin hummed, nuzzling your forehead with his nose. It was moist against your skin, but you didn’t mind.

“My husband…” You started, stilling the movement of your fingers in his fur to instead lay your hand on his chest. “I was just… I tried to get help. Every time he hurt me, I tried to get help. So, so many times… but no one listened. One night, he was trying to force himself on me and I just… took one of those hideous stone busts he kept around the house and I… hit him in the head”.

The memory wasn’t pleasant. You still remembered the first moment of shock, when you stared at his limp body on the floor. You remembered the blood, how it started to pool and stain that equally hideous rug he’d purchased for way too much money. You remembered the mess left behind when you tried to move your husband’s body out of the house so you could hide it in the forest…

But you were caught.

You were caught and no matter how much you explained what had happened, no one believed you.

“So I was sentenced to die”, you looked away from his chest to look him in the eyes. They seemed to be sparkling under the moonlight shining on you both. His eyes… They were gentle, and had the prettiest shade of brown you’d ever seen. “I should be dead by now. They were expecting you to kill me”.

Changbin’s eyes flickered between yours. They danced around your face for a moment, until they settled on your mouth. “I couldn’t. Don’t want to, either”.

“I know”, you mumbled simply. Bringing a hand to his face, you started tracing his features, his eyebrows, his nose, his cheeks… Changbin just closed his eyes as soon as your fingertips were on his skin, and his ears flickered happily as you did. “You’re way more than the beast people make you out to be”.

“You think so?” He asked it in a way that made it seem like he genuinely cared about what you had to say, like your opinion was valuable to him.

You hummed in confirmation, nodding slowly, because you truly meant it. Changbin was a bit of a brute, he was very capable of harming you, but he was also capable of being so incredibly gentle. Like he’d been with the injured bird he’d brought to his den many months ago. Like he’d been with you when he tended to your wounds when he brought you in here, or when you were shivering from the cold…

“Changbin…” You broke the silence after a while, placing your hand on his cheek and stroking the skin with your thumb. “Do you know what a kiss is?”

Changbin opened his eyes then, offering you an almost shy nod of his head.

“Have you kissed anyone before?” You placed your free hand on his chest, right over his heart. It was beating so incredibly fast… It was almost like you could feel every thump penetrate into your palm and rattle your insides.

Changbin shook his head, fixing his eyes on your mouth once again.

You licked your lips, almost absentmindedly. He was so close, and so warm, and you just… wanted him. “Would you like to?”

Changbin nodded again, so you just went for it.

Slowly, you leaned in, brushing your lips softly against his for a moment before you connected them fully. It was almost shy, just a tender peck on his lips, but it was a kiss nonetheless.

You pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes. Sparkly… Even more so than before. In an instant, his hand was at your waist, pulling you closer against his body as he leaned in to kiss you again.

It was slow, gentle, and it made your heart flutter. His lips slotted so perfectly with yours, you couldn’t even believe you’d ever kissed anyone else. So many kisses wasted, when you could’ve been giving them to him instead…

Tentatively, your tongue made contact with his bottom lip. He seemed to get the hint, since he parted his lips to let you in. With your arms around his neck, you kissed him deeply. He kissed you deeply.

At this very moment, there was nothing else in the world that wasn’t you and Changbin. The only thing that mattered was him and you in his nest, slowly getting your mouths acquainted with one another.

You didn’t know how long you spent right there, but you also didn’t care. By the time the moon had moved around in the sky and left you in partial darkness in Changbin’s den, you could already feel him poking your stomach.

The feeling of him, hard against your belly, set your insides alight.

You’d known for a long time, you’d been trying to ignore it, but you couldn’t do that any longer… You really wanted Changbin. Carnally. Like you’d want any other person.

His hands… His big, warm hands roamed your back, your rear, your thighs… It was like he wanted to make sure no part of your body was left untouched–at least the ones he currently had access to over your clothes. The kiss was turning sloppier and sloppier by the second, and, in no time, low bellows were resonating from Changbin’s chest.

It was just when you carded your fingers through his hair that he stiffened, fixing his hands on your waist and gripping you tightly to stop the grind of your hips you hadn’t even realised you’d started doing. 

When had he laid on his back? When had you straddled his waist? You were so lost in your kiss you hadn’t even noticed…

He pulled back fully, offering you an apologetic look while he brought his thumb to your bottom lip and swiped it over the swollen skin.

“Someone’s entered the Labyrinth…” Changbin mumbled, so quietly you wouldn’t have heard him if you hadn’t been so close.

You pouted sadly, but nodded in understanding. With one final peck on his lips, you finally rolled off of him and onto the plush nest, where you curled into yourself as you watched him get up.

Changbin bent down to kiss your forehead. He brushed his textured nose tenderly against yours for a moment, just before he threw your makeshift blanket over your body.

“I’ll be back in a few days. Hm?”

You simply nodded again, feeling your eyes growing heavier as sleep started to cling to your muscles. 

After one final smile, Changbin finally turned around and made his way out of his den. 

You couldn’t help but sneak a glance at him before he left, and, Gods… You really, really wanted him…

As you let your hand find its way between your legs, and even in your sleepy state, you couldn’t help but fully come face to face with the realisation that you wanted him, more than you’d ever wanted anyone else before.

With the tingles of pleasure you were coaxing from your centre that spread to all of your limbs, your mind wandered, trying to figure out just how you could… take him.

You had to find a way. You were determined to find a way.

You didn’t know how you’d do it, but you were certain you would.

Eventually, you would.

Changbin was taking longer than usual to come back from his last outing, and it was starting to worry you.

The first couple of days went by as usual. You washed any garments of clothing you’d collected over time, you tended to any of Changbin’s friends–meaning, the birds that would come from the surface–whenever they dropped by, or you simply spent it brainstorming all the possible ways in which you could pleasure such a monstrous cock.

Not only that, but how you could get pleasure from that monstrous cock. Because you were set on making the most of it. Gone were the days in which you shied away from your desires. You were a living being with needs, and if you couldn’t fulfil those needs with a literal giant half-bull, half-man creature, you were sure you wouldn’t have been able to do it with anyone else.

Besides, though, you didn’t want anyone else. 

And it wasn’t the fact that you were living in the Labyrinth and couldn’t even meet other human beings. What you felt for Changbin was something you’d never felt before. You genuinely cared about him… You cared a lot.

Which was why, by the fifth day he hadn’t returned to the den, you had bitten all ten of your nails almost to the flesh.

Where was he?

You were convinced it was pretty much impossible for him to get lost inside the Labyrinth, but what if he had?

Or worse…

What if whoever had been dropped in here hurt him?

What if he was hurt and you couldn’t help him?

Oh, Gods… 

What if he was dead?

Your chest felt heavy, you could barely breathe… What would you do without Changbin? You could definitely survive with all the resources you had here, but the question was… did you want to?

What was the point of staying alive inside the Labyrinth without him?

You wanted to cry just thinking about it. 

Tears were pricking your eyes, and it felt like your throat was closing up. 

At least, until…

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

Thump…

You pretty much jumped from where you’d been sitting on the floor, sprinted out of the den and into the corridor. At this point, you could recognise Changbin’s heavy steps like your own heartbeat.

Looking left and right, you were unsure where exactly he was coming from, since the echo seemed to be coming from every direction. After a few moments of panic, you finally saw him to your left, so you ran.

You barely heard him saying your name when you were close, you were too focused on getting to him. When you buried your face in his stomach, he immediately started to caress your hair.

“Shh, hey…” He mumbled, dropping whatever he had in his free hand so he could press his palm on your back. “Don’t cry”.

You were sobbing, and you hadn’t even realised it until he had pointed it out.

When you pulled away, you could barely see him through your blurry vision. With one of his knuckles, he gently wiped the tears running down your cheeks.

It was only then that you noticed them, the cuts and gashes that littered his whole torso. The sight had adrenaline rushing into your body immediately.

“Oh, my dear Gods! What happened to you?!”

“Kid was resilient”, was all he said when he pulled himself away from your hold. He bent down–with seemingly great effort–and took the bag that he’d dropped on the ground. “C’mon, need to… to lay down. Will tell you everything after…”

You took the bag from him immediately, and wrapped your free hand around one of his fingers to gently tug him forward–as if that would do anything…

It took several minutes for both of you to reach the den once again. As soon as you were inside, Changbin pretty much collapsed on the ground, and started instructing you to bring him all sorts of herbs from his garden along with some fresh water.

You got to work, following Changbin’s directions to clean him up, apply the freshly chewed mix of leaves on the open wounds, and dress them with whichever extra pieces of fabric you could find laying around. As you did this, he told you about the young man that had entered the Labyrinth. 

Apparently, he was skilled enough to not only hurt Changbin, but also to essentially defeat him.

“All these years, no one has ever come this close to killing me…”

The concept of Changbin being killed made your heart ache, but you pushed the feeling away as you tried to focus on the task at hand, as well as to continue listening to him. 

The young man had spared him. He’d told Changbin that he’d come into the Labyrinth out of his own free will because he was looking for something. 

“Told him I’d help him find it if he let me live”, Changbin said once you’d finished dressing his wounds and he’d finally laid down on your nest.

“And? Did you?” You asked as you gathered two heavy jugs of fresh water to bring them to him. After all, two jugs were pretty much two glasses of water for him…

Changbin drank both jugs one after the other, each one in one gulp, offering a quiet ‘Thank you’ before he answered your question. “Yeah. Pointed him in the right direction, told him how to find the way to the spot he was looking for…”

You laid down next to him, and snuggled yourself as close as you could. Changbin pulled you even closer, and only then did he seem to fully relax, practically melting into your nest.

“He wanted me to go with him… But I was too hurt”, he mumbled against your hair, sounding just so incredibly tired. “Also… I had to come home. Needed to be here with you…”

You felt tears well in your eyes again. Holding him tight–being careful to not apply too much pressure on his wounds–you craned your neck, just so you could press a lingering kiss on his cheek.

Changbin exhaled a shaky breath with the motion, and, after pressing a few more pecks on his skin, you finally laid your head on his chest.

“Welcome home…” The words came out of your mouth as barely a whisper, mostly because you didn’t trust your voice right now. You were already feeling your whole body trembling as the tears started to fall again.

Changbin held you tight, pressing a final kiss on the crown of your head.

“Missed you, tiny human…” was the last thing to come out of his mouth before he passed out.

Caring for an injured giant was easier than you had expected it to be. Although, you’d admit that helping him wash up was a bit hard.

Not because you had to provide any sort of support when he got into a pond or anything like that, but mostly because Changbin insisted that he needed you in there with him.

He got extra whiny about it, but you didn’t let him coax you into it. Not because you didn’t want to, but because, if you did get naked with him in the water, you knew you’d get distracted and his wounds could suffer the consequences.

After a few days, he seemed to have regained most of his strength, and the cuts scattered over his body were healing nicely. Even then, he kept insisting he needed you to help him.

“If you want to see me naked, just say so”, you couldn’t hold that back any longer. The words just flew past your lips, and you knew they’d had the desired effect as soon as you saw the pink tint on his cheeks.

“I don’t–I mean, I do, but it’s not–” He was tumbling over his words, and it was absolutely adorable. 

You stood up from where you’d been sitting cross-legged by the edge of the pond, and started toying with the belt of your chiton. He went quiet immediately, and his eyes zeroed in on the way you played with the fabric between your fingertips.

“Do you want to see me naked, Changbin?”

He blinked slowly for a moment, and his ears flickered cutely. “Maybe…”

“Maybe?” You untied the knot, and the garment immediately loosened.

You saw him swallow. His gaze remained fixed on your belt, like he was trying to somehow make it disappear completely. 

“Changbin?” You called him again, and his eyes snapped back up to meet yours, giving you his undivided attention. “Do you want to?”

Changbin stared at you for a moment before he nodded. That tiny movement, coupled with the light blush on his cheeks made you feel… empowered. Which was something you had never really felt before in this context.

You’d heard other people tell you about it, you’d read about it in the romance novels you used to read, but you had never truly experienced it. That feeling, coupled with how pliant a literal giant like Changbin got when you so much hinted at being naked, filled you with confidence.

So you removed your clothes, and slowly, you went into the pond.

Changbin was sitting on the ground, which made it so you were almost at eye level with him. You could practically feel his eyes all over your body, leaving an almost searing sensation on your skin. 

When you finally stood in front of him, his hands found your waist. Changbin pulled you closer, so your bodies could be flush to each other. With your arms around his neck, you leaned in for a kiss.

He held you tightly, but gently. You knew he was well aware of his strength, and you knew he liked to be careful so as to not hurt you, which you certainly appreciated.

When you pulled back from the kiss, Changbin brushed your nose against yours, making you giggle. As usual, it was moist, but you didn’t mind.

“You’re pretty”, he whispered the words against your shoulder, where he was pressing lingering kisses on your skin–being extra careful not to poke you with his horns.

“And you’re very handsome”, you replied simply, because it was the truth. Months ago, you hadn’t even known someone like him could exist, and here you were now, absolutely smitten by what most would consider an oddity.

“You think so?” He mumbled absentmindedly, dragging his hands all over your back. His large hands…

“Mm… I do think so”.

He pulled away so he could look at you. A smile had spread across his face, making his eyes turn into little crescents. It always made your heart flutter whenever he smiled, and it was certainly a contagious gesture.

Changbin kissed your cheek once, twice, thrice more, before he was speaking again. 

“Y’know… I haven’t… I’ve never…” He sighed, frowning before he shook his head and started all over again. “Want to make you feel good, but I don’t know how”.

Your eyes widened a bit. Not because you didn’t know that he wouldn’t know how to make you feel good, but because he seemed to genuinely care about it.

“I can show you”, you caressed his shoulders briefly before you cupped his cheeks. “Then you can show me how to make you feel good, hm?”

Changbin nodded, rather enthusiastically, and it made you smile.

“There are… many places you can touch to make me feel good”, you dragged your hands down his arms, until you reached his hands and pulled them away from your back. “For example, here…”

You brought his hands to your chest, and he reflexively squeezed the flesh. “That feels nice, but… touch here”.

Taking a hold of one of his fingers, you guided it to your nipple. The rough pad of his fingertip dragging over the sensitive skin immediately had a shiver running up and down your spine. 

He seemed to catch on very quickly, because the moment you let go of his hands, he immediately started to stimulate your chest. Between his motions and the cool water around you, your nipples stiffened further, and the first whimper came out of your mouth.

Changbin looked at you for a moment, like he was unsure if he had done something wrong, so you immediately reassured him.

“That’s good… Feels good”.

“Feels good?” He asked, adding a bit more pressure.

You nodded in confirmation, and then took a hold of his wrists. “Pinch them harder between your fingers”.

“Don’t wanna hurt you, though”, he sounded genuinely worried about it, which would’ve made you heart melt in other circumstances, but in these circumstances, you needed him to give you all he had–or, at least, all you could stand.

“Do it gradually, I’ll let you know ‘til when. Trust me?”

Changbin nodded, and immediately obliged. As soon as he reached the pressure that was just perfect, you let him know–in quite possibly the most desperate tone you’d ever mustered.

Your lips were on his thereafter. He tugged and pulled and stimulated your nipples in ways that had you moaning into his mouth, that seemed to be coaxing inhuman noises from deep within him.

Your centre was throbbing, desperate for some attention, so you pulled away from the kiss. You were met with Changbin’s blown pupils and flushed cheeks, a sight so incredibly delectable you started to seriously entertain the impossible. Would he fit…?

“Here, too”, you took a hold of one of his hands and brought it between your thighs, giving him enough space to manoeuvre. “You feel that bump?”

When the pad of his finger made contact with your clit you almost jolted in place, but you tried to stay focused as best as you could. 

“Rub in circles. Gently”.

He complied, following the same motions as before, increasing the speed and pressure until you told him exactly how you liked it to be. 

It all became a blur of moans and pants and bellows… All you could feel was the pleasure coursing through your body and Changbin’s warmth all around you. His teeth, his tongue, his lips, his fingers… He was working you up diligently, bringing you closer to the edge.

“So good…” You whimpered against his lips, just before your tongues were intertwined again.

Changbin nodded, almost mindlessly. 

When you’d finally reached your climax, you did so with his name on your tongue. Repeating it over and over again like it was the only word you knew in this world.

You’d found pleasure on your own many, many times, but it’d never felt like this. You weren’t sure if it was the weight of your feelings for him, or if it’d been the thrill of having this experience with Changbin for the first time, but the way that orgasm seemed to be consuming every single one of your senses was absolutely mind-blowing.

He didn’t stop working you up until you asked him to. As soon as he did, you wrapped your arms around his neck and leaned your weight on him for support. Changbin held you tightly, lovingly caressing your back and pressing kisses on your shoulder as you caught your breath.

“Prettiest sounds I’ve ever heard…” He mumbled against your skin, and it made you laugh.

You felt light, like tonnes had just been lifted off of your shoulders. When you pulled away, you cupped his cheeks, and started peppering kisses all over his face, which made him giggle. So adorably you felt your heart swell in your chest.

“Now…” With one final kiss on his lips, you placed your hands on his chest, squishing the soft muscle. “You show me”.

A smirk made its way onto his lips, and after taking one of your hands, he moved it away from his chest to let it sink further underwater, until it met the warm, smooth skin of his length. He left your other hand on his chest, but instead of just letting it rest there, he guided your fingers to one of his nipples so you could gently rub your fingertip against it and play with the jewellery.

“I’ll show you”, he emphasised his words by using his hand to coax your hold around his cock to tighten. Your fingers didn’t even meet as you held him, and the thought, along with the feel, made you feel dizzy with arousal. “Will show you anything. Everything…”

‘You think this could… fit you?’ Changbin had shyly asked you a couple of weeks ago, when he offered you one of the silver hoops he usually wore on one of his horns. Where he got the idea to do that was beyond you, but it honestly didn’t matter, it made you giddy all the same.

It did fit–as an armlet, at least. It was purely material and maybe even a bit vain, but having this item on you at all times simply made you feel tingly. It made your heart swell in your chest and it had butterflies fluttering in your belly.

It felt significant, in a way. Kind of like… like your own version of a wedding band.

In the past, you had never been excited about being a bride, or about being someone’s wife. But you realised things could change. 

Changbin had certainly changed you. You would’ve never imagined that your death sentence would be the thing to actually help you feel alive, and yet, that was exactly what had happened to you. 

Did you sometimes have bouts of fury and rage because of how unfair everything that you’d gone through had been?

Yes.

Did you want all those officials to die a very painful death for judging you the way they did?

Also yes.

But at least, here, you found your place. You found love.

Because you loved Changbin. Horns and tail and hooves and all. Even with his annoyingly big cock that you knew you’d never be able to fit inside you without tearing you in half, even then, you loved him. Truly. 

It took only a visit from that young man he had encountered months ago for you to fully realise it.

He’d appeared out of nowhere, on a random day. Changbin had put himself between you and the young man, but the boy wasn’t a real threat, he’d come just to ask for help to find something else within the Labyrinth.

It was over supper that he’d talked to you, right there in front of Changbin. 

‘Don’t you want to go back to the surface? I know a way out…’

You could still remember how Changbin’s tail started to thrash anxiously behind him, but he didn’t say anything. He’d just fixed his eyes on the floor, slowly chewing his food. He didn’t interrupt or even attempt to divert the conversation. Back then, at least to you, it felt like he was getting ready to accept whichever decision you took.

‘Why would I go back? This is my home. There’s nothing up there for me’.

And when you’d said it, you truly meant it.

This was your home… but it wasn’t the Labyrinth.

It was all Changbin.

You’d wandered the Labyrinth together for a few days after that, helping that young man look for the mysterious artefact he needed. It’d been an adventure for sure…

When you were back in your cosy den after that little adventure, Changbin had given you the thick hoop, your armlet. You’d gotten so used to wearing it, you sometimes forgot you had it on.

At least, until you caught a glimpse of it in your peripheral vision, like you did just now. Somehow, the reminder of its existence further fed the fire that was burning bright in the pit of your stomach. 

The feel of Changbin’s hands on your hips, gripping you tightly–as tight as he knew your body could handle–made you moan. The feel of him, hard and warm against your folds had your mind all fogged up and hazy, especially when he was under you like this, guiding the movement of your hips to increase the pressure of your centre grinding against his bare length, trapping it between your core and his abdomen.

“Mmm… fuck…” He whined under his breath, staring at the place your bodies connected, at the way your slick cunt dragged against his cock.

You nodded in agreement, rather eagerly, because you couldn’t bring yourself to say anything. Not when the way you were essentially humping him felt this incredibly good.

With your hands on his chest, both for support and so you could play with his nipples in just the way he loved so much, you chased that sweet, sweet relief that’d been steadily growing closer to you since you sat on him however long ago. The pressure on your clit was just absolutely perfect like this, especially when he was pushing you down and assisting your own movement.

“Changbin, darling, I’m… fuck, want to…” You could barely speak, but you knew he understood you perfectly, because he had you moving faster, he pushed you down harder, making your eyes roll to the back of your head.

Before you knew it, you were trembling with your release. The only thing keeping you from collapsing was Changbin’s tight hold, but you still tried your best to keep moving, to keep providing him with as much pleasure as you could.

With a broken plea of your name, the first of many shots of thick cum spouted from the tip of his cock. The results of his orgasm’s were, of course, proportional to his size. He always seemed to produce bucket-loads of cum whenever he came, drenching his whole torso, and you in the process.

Changbin looked so, so pretty like this. Flushed, whining, bellowing, desperately rutting into you to make the most out of his release. You didn’t care that you were close to the point of oversensitivity, you just wanted to continue seeing him like this for as long as it lasted.

When the final spurt of cum landed on his abdomen, the tight grip he had on your hips loosened. The lack of his support made it so that you simply collapsed on top of him, gasping for air. 

Oh, how fulfilling it was to hear his increased heartbeat against your ear, to feel his warm cum sticking to you…

You both laid there for a moment, just enjoying the feel of one another and catching your breaths. 

Changbin had to act a bit quickly after coming, though. Otherwise his cock would retreat into its sheath covered in his drying cum, which could not only become a gross mess, but also cause him real, painful problems the next time he got hard.

So as soon as he regained his strength, he was moving, carrying you in his arms and getting you both inside the nearest pond to get cleaned up. 

You always helped him, of course. Just like he helped you.

Getting to bathe each other felt intimate, like a bonding experience, so you enjoyed it. 

You barely spoke to each other during these moments. You just took the time to further enjoy the other’s body in a more profound way. 

It wasn’t until you were out of that pond, dry, in a fresh set of clothes, and huddled together in your cosy nest that he was finally speaking again.

“I really like it when we do it like that…” He mumbled against your hair, softly dragging his fingertips on your back.

You chuckled softly, pressing a soft peck on his collarbone. “Is it better than when you fuck my thighs?”

Changbin inhaled sharply, placing his free hand on your bum. “It’s different. It’s easier to come together this way”. 

You hummed, smiling in amusement at the comment. 

There was silence for a while, but you knew he was awake. If he hadn’t been, the soft caresses on your back would’ve stopped already.

The armlet shone in your peripheral vision, and you were reminded once again that this was your home. That you belonged here.

“Changbin?”

He hummed to let you know he was listening, not stopping the movement of his hands.

“Why didn’t you kill me when you found me wandering the Labyrinth?”

Changbin was quiet for a while, until he nuzzled your hair before he placed a kiss on the top of your head. 

“I recognised your voice”, he replied simply. “You fed my friends. You didn’t have to, but you did it anyway. They always appreciated it, and I couldn’t help but appreciate it, too”.

You pulled yourself away from his hold a bit, enough to look him in the eyes. “Can you imagine if I’d never spoken in the forest? Or if I never fed the birds? You would’ve eaten me”.

He frowned. “Don’t wanna think about that. Besides, you did do it. Why think about the past like that?”

You smiled at him, just before you pressed a quick peck on his lips.

As you buried your face further in the crook of his neck, and started to feel the pull of sleep on your body, you figured Changbin was right.

There was no point in thinking about the past. No point in dwelling on the what-ifs. The only thing that mattered was the present, and the future you hoped to have with him here, in your home.

Author’s Note x2: i came into this expecting this story to be nothing but filth and a horny mess, not... whatever this ended up being. it definitely didn’t go the way i thought it was going to go when i had originally read that ask, but, y’know… the little lizard in my brain just does whatever it wants. i’m happy with it, and, if you made it this far, i hope you enjoyed it, too.  especial thanks to @notastraykid and @channieskies for reading this before anyone else and for giving me their valuable opinions and suggestions.

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General Masterlist

[megamindsecretlair]

Could you do a quick one shot where someone tries to flirt with the reader from vampire Tyrone. How does he react?

Chapter 5 Chapter 7

Midnight Sin - Chapter 6

Pairing: Vampire!Tyrone x Black!Fem!/ Plus Size reader

Warnings: 18+, Minors DNI, You are in charge of your own reading experience. Intentional use of AAVE. SMUT. Public sex, PIV, cursing, AU Tyrone, Toxic Tyrone. Dark fic. Dirty talk. Mentions of blood, overstimulation. Slighty bratty reader. The concept of "rolling" is brought up when Tyrone is able to hypnotize reader, but it is consensual. Exhibition kink. This one is a littler darker, reader gets aroused by violence and violent thoughts. Non-inclusive language used.

Summary: A chance meeting at a club introduced you to the enigmatic Tyrone. He was interesting in ways that you weren't expecting. Back in Tyrone's world, full of heavy clouds of lust in the air, Tyrone catches you flirting with another man and he loses his mind.

Word Count: 4,101k

Midnight Sin Masterlist

A/N: Woooo, had to get this one off my chest! Are you sneaking a look at my outline, anon?? I swear I love jealousy in fiction! I don't tag ageless blogs. Toss a comment or reblog to save a writer!

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You felt desired. You bravely walked through the room in nothing but your panties and black high heels, parading around. Back at Tyrone’s sex house, he had been teasing you all night. He combined rolling with wine, and fingering with powerful kisses so now you were in a sex-crazed brain fog and loving every second. 

You asked him to roll you and make you do something. It was a sign of extreme trust and you didn’t know where it came from. You only wanted to see what it was like once. If he could truly make you do anything and if you would remember or if it would feel like a dream. 

You also told him that if he did anything that crossed one of your hard lines, he’d never see you again. Vampire or not. He promised to behave himself. You’d had many, many talks about your boundaries and his. He never wanted to make you uncomfortable.

That was why you were comfortable letting him roll you all night. God. If they could bottle this feeling and sell it, it’d be the fastest selling drug to ever exist. 

The other vampires and donors, who were members of Tyrone’s club, looked at you as if you were the sexiest thing in this room. Tyrone rolled you to make you strip slow for him and walk around with your breasts out.

Getting pounded in front of a mirror was one thing. It felt like you and Tyrone were the only two people in the room, though he constantly reminded you that there was an audience. And they loved seeing you. 

You still had your wits about you, but you had to do what Tyrone asked you to. You wanted to. Your clothes were too hot and itchy and you clawed them off, relishing the cool air that rushed over your skin. 

The way Tyrone stared at you…like he wanted to eat you made you desperately horny. And now others stared at you too while you walked around. You modeled for them. Modeled your body. Modeled everything your mama and God gave you. And the men nodded appreciatively. The woman gave you knowing smirks. 

You’d never felt more alive. More in control. Turn around for me. Tyrone’s voice whispered through your mind. You turned around, eyes searching for Tyrone. He stood at the other end of the playroom, one of many in his giant ass mansion. This one had dark walls and low lights strung across it.

In the middle of the room, there was a platform where a scene played out of a male vampire getting dominated by his female donor. She cracked the whip against the man’s flesh and tortured ecstasy sprang from his lips. Some in the room watched. There were chairs, tables, and couches set up around the room and some took advantage. There was also a room or three in the back for people who wanted a little privacy.

You, however, only had eyes for Tyrone. He only wore his briefs, so his chest was out and shining against the lighting. He would be an angel if he wasn’t a confirmed devil. You grinned in his direction. He was so gorgeous. So sexy. So otherworldly you wanted to pinch yourself. Come here.

Your foot moved without a second thought from you. You were aware that he was still in your mind, still commanding you. But you couldn’t stop moving towards him if you tried. It was freaky and exciting. 

Kneel and crawl.

You stopped and then lowered yourself to your knees. Your wet pussy squelched and you bit back a moan. You were achingly wet, so hungry for Tyrone’s dick that you were ready to sing for it. You crawled to Tyrone, eyes eagerly on his. 

He smirked and let you stop, not wanting you to hurt your knees on the rough floor. A loud crack split the air as the whip hit the vampire again. His moan was longer this time. He was getting his. Why the hell couldn’t you get yours?

Tyrone closed the distance and stared into your eyes. “Come back,” he said. His voice echoed in your mind. You felt like you were getting yanked through a pit of darkness. 

“Come back,” he repeated. That pit of darkness was endless. You weren’t afraid just…reverent. Like there was something in the darkness with you that recognized a kindred spirit and winked.

Like death.

“Come back.” His voice stopped echoing and you stopped feeling the flighty, floaty feeling of rolling. It was a trip being pulled back into reality, but Tyrone wanted to give your mind a rest. 

“Are you okay?” He asked. 

You nodded. You wanted to tell him about the odd visions and feelings in your mind whenever he rolled you. You weren’t sure if it would give him concern or if he would stop. You had lunch with Nikki tomorrow. You needed more answers.

Tyrone answered as much as he could, but it seemed like he acknowledged that you were unprepared but was unwilling to teach you more. If there was something bad waiting for you at the end of this, you were going to be pissed.

Tyrone kissed your cheek and held your hands. “I’m going to make sure everyone is behaving and bring you some water,” he said. “That means you behave too.”

You smiled at him. He was so damn cute. “I always behave myself,” you said.

Tyrone shook his head and moved away lightning fast. You moved about the room. No one approached you. No one talked to you. You could only guess that it was Tyrone’s doing. Everyone too busy being afraid of him than to extend a hand to you. 

They still looked at your body, at your breasts. They could probably smell how needy you were. How wet you were, clenching around nothing. Wishing Tyrone would go on and fuck you.

You were surrounded by debauched people, each giving in to carnal desires right before your eyes. You scooted around a couch where a couple was practically in each other’s laps. They got each other off, staring deeply into each other’s eyes. 

There was still the vampire on stage. You stopped and stared at him, at his prone form in supplication to his donor. She was a gorgeous, thick Black woman with tightly curled hair in puff balls on her head. She wore nothing but high heels, digging that heel into his side.

“Are you okay, baby?” The donor asked.

“Yes, yes, yes,” the man said, chanting like he wasn’t really here anymore. Even though the donor was in charge, there was genuine love and affection between them. They constantly checked in on each other, knowing exactly when to push and when to pull back.

Would that be you and Tyrone one day? Would you let everyone look at you while Tyrone dominated you so publicly? Your thoughts turned sour as you imagined a future with Tyrone. One in which you start to get older, wrinkly. If you managed to live that long.

“I thought these things were supposed to be arousing. Why you frownin’?” Tyrone asked from behind and off to the side of you. You started to turn around.

“Mhm, eyes forward,” he said. He sounded…different. Like his voice got deeper or he scratched his vocal cords on something. Tyrone’s voice was always deep, but this one seemed different. 

You faced forward, interested in this new game of Tyrone’s. You watched the couple on stage.

“I am aroused,” you said. If he would fuckin’ touch you, he’d know that. Maybe you just weren’t used to denying yourself an orgasm. Your previous lovers were ehh. Certainly nothing to write home about. Certainly nothing like Tyrone who could say two words and have your panties dropping to the floor. 

Your pussy throbbed and you rubbed your thighs together. Your panties were ruined at this point. You wanted to be ruined.

“Why do you smell so good?” He asked. He took a deep sniff and you shivered.

You huffed, the breathy sound burning your lungs. You were out of your mind with desire. You didn’t have another rolling in you if he didn’t touch you. Your body felt acutely aware of everything he did. He stepped closer, running a finger down your side.

You moaned, that much contact from him was too much to bear. Your skin tingled where his finger had been. Your breathing increased, feeling like a rabbit caught in a wolf’s path. 

Tyrone stepped even closer, dropping a simple kiss to your neck. He smelled different. You tilted your head, confused about his presence. Something was telling you that something was off. Something was wrong with Tyrone.

You turned your head but Tyrone roughly grabbed your chin and pushed it away from him. “You are too damn beautiful to be standing here by yo’self,” he said. 

“Ty-” You went to say but he was suddenly away from you. Snarls filled the room. You turned to your left and then did a double take. 

Tyrone stood next to…Tyrone. There were two of them? There were two of them. Only, the other wasn’t half dressed like everyone in the room. He still wore dark jeans and a hoodie. His hair was wilder, kinkier, sticking up and away from his head. He had a bigger beard than your Tyrone and grills in his mouth. 

He smiled, running his tongue along his golden, elongated canine tooth. He gave your Tyrone a wink. “Little brother,” he said. He held out his hands as if inviting your Tyrone in for a hug. 

You were so confused, your head bobbing back and forth like you were watching a tennis match. The intensity of the room seeped away to curiosity and nosiness. The moans and groans and curses stopped. There was only your Tyrone and the…other Tyrone. You were still trying to wrap your mind around that.

“She’s mine, Fontaine,” Tyrone said. There was your man. Deep voice, but with a thick LA accent. 

Fontaine, the other Tyrone, tilted his head at you. His eyes raked over your body but you didn’t feel the need to cover up. Everyone saw your body tonight, he’d already gotten an eyeful. “Must be special, little brother,” Fontaine said. 

He looked at you and his red eyes seemed to swirl in the low lighting. His face clouded over like he’d just inhaled something delicious. “Smells really good in here,” he said. He stepped in your direction and Tyrone punched him. 

“She’s mine,” Tyrone said once more. 

Fontaine smiled, blood pooling in his mouth before he licked his lips. “Heard you the first time,” he said.

“Tyrone, what the hell is this?” You asked. 

Tyrone rolled his neck and then looked at you. He held out his hand but you were too nervous to take it. He looked feral. Animalistic. But you still got the sense that he was holding back. That he refused to show you the monster beneath. 

You stepped closer but only eyed his hand. If you touched him, you’d get distracted. Tyrone was a sin in and of himself. One touch and then you’d be on hands and knees sucking him off. 

He withdrew, staring at his lonely hand before turning to Fontaine. “This is my brother, Fontaine,” Tyrone said. He introduced you by your name and Fontaine said it a few times, getting the hang of it. 

“Nice to meet you,” Fontaine said. 

“Tyrone? Explain?” You asked.

“My brother is usually on the East Coast or overseas. It’s rare for him to make it back West. It’s been some time since he’s been here last,” Tyrone said. 

“I didn’t even know you had a brother,” you said. You looked at Fontaine. They were eerily similar. And yet wildly different. Fontaine seemed rougher around the edges. Like he liked to pull on girl’s hair while he disrespected your soul. 

“Tyrone don’t never talk about me. He knows I’m usually the one picking up the pretty girls,” he said with a wink. You rolled your eyes, but smiled a little. The next punch to Fontaine’s face made you gasp. 

You didn’t see Tyrone move. You didn’t see him cross the short distance and knock Fontaine’s head to the side. Red fire lit up Tyrone’s eyes as he looked at his brother. Fontaine wiped his mouth, another bloody smile for Tyrone. 

“I’m going to find some hole to stick this long dick into. You get tired of him, find me,” Fontaine said. He winked at you and then looked at Tyrone. “I’ll see you later.”

The threat was evident in Fontaine’s tone. He slunk off through the room, leaving entirely. Tyrone had other playrooms, you’d yet to see them all. You wondered what else Fontaine was into. 

“Did he touch you?” Tyrone asked. 

“I thought it was you,” you said, biting your lip. Fuck. Did you screw all of this up? Were your days of being a donor over now because he never told you to be on the lookout for someone who looked and talked like him? 

“Where?” Tyrone asked. He stepped closer to you, hands gripping your arms. It wasn’t hurtful. It was more like desperation. Like you were the only thing keeping him sane at the moment. If he let go, there was no telling where his mind would go. 

You floundered for what to say. Fontaine hadn’t really done anything bad to you. Nothing worse than what you dealt with on a daily basis growing up a woman. Tyrone looked so pissed…until his dick slapped against your thigh. You looked down at the growing tent in his pants. He was…turned on? 

“He only touched my side. And kissed my neck,” you said. 

Tyrone’s nostrils flared. Without a word, he moved from the room. There were too many people looking at you. Vampires with fangs bared like they wanted some of what you were having. You were confused and horny and you weren’t sure if you wanted answers at the exclusion of a dicking down, or to hope you getting dicked down didn’t mess with your desire to have answers. 

Tyrone dragged you up the stairs and to his side of the house. In his bedroom, no sooner had he closed the door than did he slam your back against it. His kiss was punishing, hard, and rough. 

His breathing fanned over your face. He panted so hard like he’d just run a marathon. He ran his thumb over your lip, cupping your jaw and tilting your head. “You’re mine,” he said.

His dark, red eyes still had that feral glint. He wasn’t all there, not truly. You weren’t sure where his mind went. But you hoped he stayed there a little longer. You liked that he was taking off the kid gloves. You wanted to see him unleash that tight hold on his control. 

“Is that so?” You asked. You didn’t know where this wild, reckless part of you was coming from. This fascination with toying with a deadly creature. It was like you were flirting with your own mortality. You’d spent so long worried about the curse, that you started to admire it. Study it. Tease it. 

Tyrone’s grip tightened around your neck. You groaned, tilting your head up and rolling your eyes. Tyrone stepped closer, pushing his erection against your belly. 

“I’m not fuckin’ around right now. I’ll allow a lot of things, little doll, but this ain’t one of them. I’ll kill anybody that look in your direction,” he said.

Shivers wracked your body. You stared into his red eyes. He had to know, right? He had to sense how turned on you were. You rubbed against his erection, palming him. He hissed and moved away. He used his free hand to grab your wandering one and pin it against the door. 

You still had your left hand free and you moved it closer to his body. You slipped your fingers beneath his black briefs. He was still shirtless from your little game earlier. When you found his dick once more, you rubbed him.

“I can’t be held responsible for shit you didn’t tell me,” you said.

Tyrone’s eyes widened before he smirked. “You trynna be cute right now?” He asked.

“Telling the truth,” you said.

Tyrone chuckled. Too fast for your brain to comprehend, your cheek was pressed against the cool, smooth wood. One of Tyrone’s hands pinned both of your wrists behind your back. You hadn’t felt like you moved. One minute you faced him, one minute you didn’t.

Tyrone leaned down and bit your ear. Hard. You cried out, a big wave of arousal flooding your panties again. “Ty-Ty–” You shivered.

“I’on usually deal with brats, so we gon’ fix you,” he said. 

He moved behind you and then he was pulling your panties to the side, grabbing his dick and swirling it through your dripping entrance. You cried a wretched sound. You were incredibly sensitive. Too sensitive.

He hadn’t done anything yet and you were ready to explode. He got the tip wet with your juices and then slipped inside you. You gasped, bucking away from the door. Tyrone shushed you, kissing along your ear and neck. He found a spot just below your ear that made you giggle. It felt good, but was too sensitive to hold for long. 

“Nothin’ more to say? It only took one hit?” He teased, nibbling on your ear. He could bite into you at any moment. You didn’t tell him, but you loved when he drank from you. When he gained energy just by biting into your soft flesh. 

“If that’s all you got, then you can’t really claim me,” you said, taunting him back. 

Tyrone chuckled. He looped his arm around your torso, grabbing hold of your titty like he was holding a liferaft. His fingers toyed with your nipples while he started to stroke roughly, making you take his big dick. Incoherent moans left you, crying with every deep stroke. 

“This pussy know who own it,” he growled in your ear. “Feel how wet she is. Takin’ this dick too fuckin’ well.” He moaned in your ear and you nearly came undone right then and there. 

He stroked deeper, groaning as he found a new angle. “My fuckin’ pussy,” he moaned.

He stroked harder and it sounded like you were stirring thick cake batter. It was wet. It was lewd. Tyrone had you against the door like he couldn’t wait for the bed. Like he needed you at the first opportunity you weren’t around other people.

Like he couldn’t wait. Like he needed you.

Tyrone had your arm pinned so you couldn’t leverage yourself against him. Your heels dug into the carpet of his room and you were amazed that you hadn’t toppled over yet. “Oh fuck!” You shrieked. “Dick feelin’ so good.” 

“I know it do. This all mine,” he said. To prove his point, he angled his hips against until he was thrusting up and hitting that perfect spot that made your eyes cross. You climaxed, screaming to the rooftop with the force of your orgasm. 

It was unbelievable. Primal. Beast and prey. Prey and beast. There was nothing but the underlying drive to fuck. To copulate. To poke and be poked. 

You shook on Tyrone’s dick while he continued to stroke. “Mhf, gonna fuck this shit outta this pussy till you beg me to stop,” he moaned.

“Don’t stop,” you moaned, twitching on his dick while he continued to take his pleasure from your body. 

“Can’t stop,” he groaned. The sound of him deep in it made you moan even louder, rivaling him at this point. You loved a vocal man. The way he didn’t care about what he looked or sounded like. Your pussy was just that damn good where he couldn’t stay quiet. He had to let you know. 

Whether it was by the way he squeezed your nipples past the point of pain, or your wrists bound by his hand, or the wet and aggressive smack of his balls on your clit. 

“Fuuuuck,” Tyrone moaned, unleashing a hot sticky load into you. You moaned, dropping your head against the door. 

Still, Tyrone kept fucking you. The force of his dick inside was keeping you upright. You slid up and down his dick like he was your personal toy and you squealed and moaned. “Don’t fuckin’ stop, don’t fuckin’ stop,” you moaned. You were on the heels of another orgasm. 

Tyrone kept his same pace, but angled his hips again. He pushed into your hips until you were practically flush with the door. He dropped your nipple and it grazed the door. You hissed from the cold and it bloomed into unnameable pleasure. 

Tyrone slapped your ass, moaning as your ass jiggled from it. “So fuckin’ gorgeous. I’ll never let anyone else have you,” he moaned.

And fuck if that thought didn’t send you over the edge. Your nails clawed at the door as you whined, panting, huffing, lungs burning, and knees wobbling. You felt like you were being burned from the inside out and you liked it. 

As if sensing your thoughts, Tyrone cursed through an orgasm of his own, your name on his tongue. His hips jerked and twitched, but he still sloppily slammed into you. His cum began to seep out of you, leaking down your legs. You moaned from the weird sensation. You were full and not full enough.

Each encounter with Tyrone felt like he was splitting you in half. You lived in a sea of dichotomy. Living in excess and moderation. Bliss and pain. Where ‘stop’ hovered on your lips but your brain knew not to make you say. 

Your mind drifted into some other realm. A space in your mind where you were at home in your body. Completely in yourself and not only feeling the pleasure, but your overly analytical brain finally shut off. 

A silent hum of pleasure vibrated along your skin. His hand massaged your ass. His other had your wrists against your lower back. Sweat dropped from him and onto your back and ass. Sweat gathered in all of your crevices. 

Huffing pants of ecstasy filled the air. Tangled with moans and soft fucks. “I-ca-can–” You stuttered.

“Sure you can. You was big and bad earlier, where that go?” He asked. 

It was on the tip of your tongue to apologize. To take it back. But Tyrone wasn’t done. He slowed down, letting more of his cum slip out of you before pushing back in. You heard the wet noises and it made you clench harder around his dick.

For what seemed like hours, there was a call and response to your orgasms. Tyrone came over and over inside you, an endless supply of cum. He said he had decades worth of cum to give you. Every time he came, you were hot on his heels. Coming with loud, raucous moans. Your throat was dry and ragged.

No more than bursts of air escaped you. Your face was covered with tears and snot. You lost track of how many times you came. You were going to be sore as fuck in the morning. You were sore now. Tyrone absolutely bullied your pussy and the sick part of you wanted to hurry and recover so you could do it all over again.

“No more,” you whispered. Tyrone panted beside you. Rivulets of sweat ran down his body. He smirked. 

“No more, little doll,” he said. He planted a kiss on your forehead. He massaged feeling back into your arms, having been kept in the same position too long. He apologized but that was the least of your worries.

The floor beneath you was wet with your combined, nasty juices. Your legs wobbled with aftershocks from a deep fucking and you sighed dreamily, ready to fall asleep. You thought getting fucked to sleep had been a myth when you were younger. Tyrone changed all notions about that.

You didn’t notice that Tyrone had lifted you and placed you on the bed. You didn’t notice that he was placing you down into a warm hot bath. He slid in behind you and kissed your neck and back, cleaning you off from what you shared. You tried to kiss him back, but he told you to relax.

“Don’t you fuckin’ say sorry neither,” you mumbled before you passed out, tucked softly into his bed. This wasn’t his resting place, but it damn sure smelled like him. Like home. You curled up and went right to sleep.

Masterlist | Chapter 5 | Chapter 7

[queenie-official]

Chapter Thirteen: ‘One Thousand Apologies’ Bridgerton Au!Anakin

part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

a/n: this chapter is a pretty short one solely because it leads directly into the next chapter and if i where to combine them it’d 100% would of been way to long😭😭 anyways hope you huns enjoy Xx<3💋

apologizing to Anakin was one thing. it was easy especially after you’d both opened your hearts to one another, apologizing to Padme however was going to be a completely different thing. everything was going smooth thus far since Anakin’s confession that morning, but you were nervous. you knew Padme and you knew she’d forgive you but you had this overwhelming guilt. it was eating you alive as you waited for her to arrive for the day. you twist the ring on your finger becoming lost in your thoughts as you await her arrival. not even entirely sure of what you were going to say or how to start your apology.

as soon as she enters the tea room you’re on your feet. she freezes for a moment processing the fact that your actually acknowledging her existence before carefully continuing in, closing the doors behind her. there’s an awkward silence as you both stare at each other waiting for someone to make the first move. you almost wished you could just pretend as if everything was normal and although you knew if you did do that she’d go along with it, you also knew she deserved better.

she was your best friend and the distance you wedged between the two of you albeit one sided- needed to be addressed. you clear your throat and gesture to the chair beside you wordlessly asking her to take a seat, she takes the offer. silently walking over to you and sitting down, you pull another seat directly in front of her to join her. still you both remain silent for a moment as you struggle to find the words, reaching forward to take her hands into yours as she had done to you days ago when trying to offer you comfort.

“Padme…” you force yourself to keep eye contact as you start to speak, wanting to show your sincerity. “i am so sorry, what i did was wrong. i should not have ignored you the way i did, it was childish-” she cuts you off before you can finish your sentence “y/n, i am not mad at you” she looks at you with nothing but pure sympathy. “i know you aren’t mad but it doesn’t excuse my behavior” she shakes her head at you “you where hurting and reacted accordingly, yes it wasn’t the best way to go about it but i understood- i understand” she squeezes your hands reassuringly.

“please let me apologize, i know you understand but you must realize you did not have to do what you did- what you’ve done. you stick beside me even as i pushed you away, you didn’t give up on me even though i would of more than understood if you had.” she gives you a gentle smile, letting out a soft chuckle “y/n you forget our friendship is not one sided, nor is it fragile. i will always be here for you the same way i know you will be for me.” you feel your eyes begin to water and just as quickly you are pulled into her arms. “thank you for the apology i appreciate it” she adds not wanting to brush off what you where trying to do. you both indulge in the hug for a moment, staying in each others embrace before pulling away and smiling.

you both can’t help but laugh. it felt nice, therapeutic almost. “i think we may have more important matters to discuss now” she says with a smile, leaning back in her chair. “like what?” you snort, shifting in your own seat to get more comfortable. “well for starters who’s responsible for finally pulling you out of your own head, who should i be thanking for giving me my friend back?” she’s smiling as she asks, giving you a look that you could only assume meant she already knew.

to be fair it’s not like there where many options for people who’d speak out to you. “You and I both know you’ve already got an idea as to who it was” she laughs, turning her head to the side and gestures silently over to a few of the castle servants. they work quickly, moving the small table to where you both where sat. setting up a small tea party for you both, one of the servants pouring you both a cup of tea adding in milk and sugar to your likings. “of course i do but that doesn’t mean i don’t want to hear you say it” you can’t help but roll your eyes, bringing your cup of tea to your lips before taking a sip. she gives you a smug smile before mirroring your actions.

“what else did you want to discuss?” you ask curiously, she hums for a short moment as she thinks to herself. “we have to address the situation publicly…” you feel your heart sink, looking down into your tea cup to stare at the liquid in order to avoid eye contact. “you don’t have to do a announcement if that’s what your worried about- there are other ways we can go about this matter y/n” you take a deep breath, looking back up at her and placing your tea down. “i don’t have to do an announcement but if feels like i should, a murder and attempted one is not something that can just be so easily looked over”

“well there are ways you could do so indirectly” she quips perking your interest in an instant. “how so?” she places her own tea down now, sitting a bit straighter before she begins. “let’s start with the council members. forget an announcement, skip straight to punishing them and let the news come out in articles as it usually would. then simply replace them, business as usual. you’re the queen, the people already know what’s happened there so there’s no real need to address them in particular.” you nod carefully taking in her advice, tapping on the table beside you with one of your fingers as you think. “that leaves us with one thing”

“addressing your fathers murder and the attempted murder on Anakin” you nod letting out a sigh, leaning your head into your palm. “i don’t feel as if you have to address it head on. write a statement about what happened to your father and have it printed and released in the papers” you purse your lips in thought “but what about the attempt on Anakin’s life?” Padme goes silently, briefly contemplating what you could do to address it while also avoiding the spotlight. “maybe not a statement with words but a gesture, something to show you and him aren’t going anywhere nor are you scared. even though you are but they don’t need to know that.”

a gesture? what could you do to act as a gesture big enough to garner everyone’s attention whilst simultaneously showing there’s nothing to fear.

Anakin sat directly beside you, Listening carefully as you and Padme explained what you’d been discussing. you’d called him in for more than just coming up with an idea- actually you’d already figured out what you wanted to do the problem was you didn’t know how to execute it without his help.

“so you need help coming up with a gesture then?” he asks curiously running a hand through his hair as he thinks. “Yes-” “No-” you and Padme both speak at the same time, her turning to you in confusion when she hears you say no. you keep your attention on Anakin however as you speak “do you remember when we discussed the things you liked about your kingdom?” he blinks a few times processing your words as he thinks back through your conversations, the gears turning in his head. you watch as he visibly lights up once he realizes what you’re hinting at “The Races?”

“Yes!” you exclaim happily now turning to Padme to see if she was beginning to see where you were going with this. she seems more curious than anything, which to be fair you didn’t have horse races in Alderaan so it made sense it hadn’t clicked for her yet. “It’s a big event that brings together a lot of people. pretty much anyone can participate as long as they have a horse to ride” Anakin begins to explain the details behind the Tatooine tradition, happily reciting the rules and regulations.

“it’s the perfect thing that could unite the people and us, a public event for the Ton to participate in and if Anakin raced as well then it’d also serve as a way for us to show we aren’t afraid. let them know we’re with them. we could add a Ball as well, so that we can socialize and maybe give a brief statement?” you suggest the idea to the both of them, Anakin grows more excited at the mention of him being able to participate. Padme seems completely onboard as well, perking up at all the new info.

“i think this to be a wonderful idea, and in all honesty you could probably use the excitement of the whole event to sweep this under the rug. at the end of the day its up to you of course” you nod at her comment. there was a lot to think of and a lot to take care of if you wanted this to happen and for it to be successful. you couldn’t help the excitement that bubbled over all of the fear and doubts. Anakin seemed to be even more excited than you, tapping his foot against the ground ready to jump up at any moment.

“well for this to work we’d better get started now, i believe we have a letter to write.” you say with a smile as you turn to Anakin.

part 14

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this chapter was a bit short but the next chapter is going to be very long ☝️ not to mention possibly a big milestone for reader and Anakin👀 it’s either going to happen in this next chapter or the one after 💪 but anyways love you all and i hope you love reader and Padmes friendship as much as me💋💋 oh and one more thing, i hope you guys haven’t forgotten about Barclay 🌝

[imagionationstation]

Hey again…I have more ideas for the 2012 Donnie raised by BM au thing, (If I’m being annoying w/ this tell me to stop and this’ll be my last ask about it.)

Hey again…I have more ideas for the 2012 Donnie raised by BM au thing, (If I’m being annoying w/ this tell me to stop and this’ll be my last ask about it.)

Rich, self-centered, spoiled brat who’s never been told no. Ever.

he’s rude, thinks (knows) he’s smarter than everyone else, doesn’t expect consequences for his actions, expects to be waited on hand and foot (probably cuz he has been by hotel staff), etc etc

the whole nine yards. He enjoys the battle nexus fights. He finds them a bit inhumane but…why should he care? They don’t impact him at all.

He does get better after meeting Leo and Splinter and stuff.

Idk, I think it’d be funny lol

— ♊️

(Sorry this took so long!)

Relates back to this Ask which has links to other Asks.

Rude? Yes. Stubborn? Yes. A bit narcissistic? Unfortunately.

Incapable of understanding that the world does not exist to serve his every whim? For a while, yes.

Well, he has been told no. But only by one person. Big Mama.

His entire life it was made very clear who controlled everything. His meals, his attire, his routine, his likes and dislikes, his studies and his hobbies- everything is a gift, and he’s eternally grateful.

Why shouldn’t he be? She’s given him everything.

He deserves as much as she’s willing to offer.

It makes him feel small, sometimes. Being so utterly dependent.

Donnie makes up for his insignificance by leaning on the one thing that she can’t control. His intelligence. His genius.

His ego is his wall against the insecurities that she’s programmed in. Something else that she intended, because very few people can tolerate him and his pride. And even less people can understand his interests and his rants. He is unintentionally isolating himself.

And that’s just fine with her.

See, now this is where our opinions separate.

I can’t imagine any kind of AU where a 2012Donnie is chill with a murder arena. I could be convinced that he’d kill because of loyalty or to protect his family, or even just because he sees it as the only way to survive. But this is senseless.

It’s a place where a great number of Yokai walk in while expecting most of them not to walk out. It’s a choice to walk into a situation where the rewards are a heavy payment and a champion title, and the price is their life. He doesn’t understand. There are so many other ways to get that kind of cash. Stealing, for instance. Fraud, with the right skills. Plain old scamming gets the goods.

He knows how smart he is, but he thinks this should be basic information. Even the most brainless of oafs know how to steal. So why would anyone in their right mind fight in the arena?

It confuses him. Him, Donatello, the genius. And he hates it.

He’d rather die than admit to anyone that he isn’t able to comprehend. So he simply pretends that he does when he’s working in the arena or brought to be shown off at Mother’s gatherings. He listens to what the others say and he repeats it as best he can.

He just doesn’t see why anyone needs to stoop to that level. It’s gory and disturbing and completely senseless. So much blood is spilled for a crowd of Yokai who cheer when faced with a life lost. It’s horrific, brutal violence that so many Yokai seem to crave.

It’s why he’s so interested in Raphael.

Yes, Raph fights and, yes, he kills- but not once has he needlessly splattered blood. Not once has he ripped a warrior apart or continued to harm after a life is lost. He doesn’t celebrate his victories or appreciate the roars of the crowd. He gives them just enough flair to keep them happy, and he does what he came to do.

It fascinates Donnie to no end. That he’s so much different than the other Yokai. That he doesn’t slaughter merely because he can, sparing his opponents lives even when the crowd calls for a bloodbath. Unless Big Mama gives the word, he is firm in mercy.

He only ever glares out at them, daring a single member to come make him take that life. Donnie secretly thinks that he hates the crowd more than his opponents.

When he fights, he’s holding back. It’s incredible to watch.

A small part of him itches to know what that’s like. To have that much power and skill and to be able to use it without bloodthirsty intent. Was it possible, to learn how to fight, but not become savage?

Of course, he never openly speaks to his Mother about any of this.

Eventually, Splinter and Leo do clear the air. Donnie finally gets to understand why he dislike the arena and why that was actually a good thing. He’s still struggling to understand that his Mother isn’t the saint that she appears, but the answer satisfies both his ego and consciousness. It helps him sleep at night.

At least, it does until he actually fights in the arena.

Then his nightmares take a different turn.

[a-vivid-dreamer]

Hey, I am now fully obsessed with this AU and I wanted to ask more questions:

1. Once the Trailblazer knows about Qingyan and Ashim existence, what will they think of them?

2. What is Ashim and Qingyan's relationship really like? What do they think of each other? What are these "dire incidents" that cause both of them to become close?

3. What do both Ashim and Qingyan think of the other characters? Like Fu Xuan, Jingyuan, the Astral Express and The Trailblazer?

4. Since you have confirmed that Qingyan actually did some pranks if someone makes gets him in a very bad mood, what are these times where Qingyan snapped and decided to prank on that person? Who was the one who pranked him? What was actually the prank like?

5.  Will any of the characters, who picked up Ashim and Qingyan's presence but never know about them, soon found out about them in this AU? If so, who was the first one (other than Jingyuan) to fully found out? And was their reaction?

6. When did Yanqing and Misha's powers become sentimental? Were Ashim and Qingyan sentimental ever since birth?

I hope these questions aren't too much for you to answer. Btw, I have just realized that most of the asks about Mirror image AU are pretty much from me💀

Haha, it’s alright. <3

1. I’d say, definitely a bit wary. Though, the trailblazer will be more casual and relaxed about them once Qingyan and Ahsim make it clear they’re not gonna be enemies to the trailblazer.

2.

Qingyan and Ahsim have ended up with a close relationship and think highly of each other even though they tend to bicker. While it may seem that they have trouble getting along, they have gained a better understanding of each other and wouldn’t hesitate to help each other. In a way, their relationship has a similar energy to Qingyan being able to give Ahsim the middle finger and get an “love you too” in response.

For Qingyan’s pov on Ahsim: “That one…ugh. He knows exactly how to get on my nerves and the amount of times he’s messed with me for fun leaves me fuming just thinking about it! …But he’s one of the rare few I’d entrust my life to. …Never tell him I said that.”

For Ahsim’s pov on Qingyan: “Ha, he’s a fun one to tease. Incredibly easy to mess with too. It’s especially cute how that strand of hair seems to move according to his mood. I once suggested plucking it and he got incredibly defensive, haha. Ah…of course I wouldn’t actually, but it’d be nice if he learned how to relax. Maybe one day he’ll take my jokes in stride.”

As for the “dire incidents”… unfortunately that’s very important to this au’s plot so I won’t be spoiling it. ;)

3. Since this would get a bit long, I’ll keep it to 3 for each for now.

Qingyan:

About Jing Yuan - “A capable man for a general, but it’s never good for a schemer to have a laidback attitude. He may be Yanqing’s guardian, but I won’t be so easy to win over. I’ve got my eyes on him… If only Yanqing could understand why to not have such blind worship toward him.”

About Fu Xuan - “For someone’s job to be divining potential futures… It’s no wonder she comes off as a grumpy office worker. That device stuck in her head definitely doesn’t help. But I respect what she’s trying to do…and I especially enjoy seeing her chew people out.”

About Astral Express - “I’ve learned about the Astral Express before… Who would’ve thought someone would start dusting off those old tracks and get things running again. Fortunately, it seems its current Nameless have nothing but good intentions. But any future members…you should always watch out for snakes if you plan to pick up people from different parts of the universe with their own stories and motivations.”

Ahsim:

About The Family - “The Family… It would be a lie to say they haven’t done anything good. However, I… Ahem. This isn’t a very safe place to discuss this.”

About Clockie - “A fascinating one, isn’t he? Ah, there’s been many fun times between us. Though, I’m mostly grateful that he could become a friend for Misha. I hope that Misha will someday get the chance to make even more wonderful friends.”

About Gallagher - “I’ve had my eyes on him for a while. I’d approach him myself but…ah. It’s not quite the right time.”

4. This was meant more as a background funfact so it unfortunately doesn’t have that much in-depth details to it. However, Qingyan may or may not have done the following: misplacing documents that needed to be turned in, using ice to make armor harder to take off, making someone slip/trip, sticking embarrassing sticky notes on someone’s back, tampering with someone’s food, etc.

5. At the moment, this is highly subject to change so I won’t provide any solid answers to this yet. However, Fu Xuan and Blackswan are certainly higher in the list. Both of them would have rather calm reactions to be honest. Fu Xuan might be more exasperated and Blackswan probably more intrigued.

6. Qingyan and Ahsim became fully sentient and made first true contact with their respective hosts when Yanqing and Misha were little. Before that, their sentience needed some time to develop.

[silvfyre-writings]

Snapshots Pt. 6 (BSD Fanfic)

The plot bunnies have hit me hard, because not only am I nearly finished the next chapter of paperboy au, but I smashed out this chapter in just a few hours which, honestly, is impressive considering I slept most of today haha.

I'd also like to point out that no matter how much a tried, this chapter refused to be written in past tense, so um, enjoy the present tense I guess?

Anyways, enjoy the chapter!!!

Everyone had scars.

It didn’t matter whether they were minor scars from childhood mishaps, or major ones from near death experiences, everyone had scars, and every scar had a story to tell. The stories that they held weren’t always obvious; time and trauma often led to those stories being lost, and while it was sad to no longer know the truth behind the scars, sometimes it was simply for the best that they be forgotten. Because there were times where the stories were just too painful to remember, and it was safer to just forget about them in the first place.

Like Poe had.

Poe had acquired many scars over his twenty-eight years of living, and there were only a few that he actually remembered the origin of. There were the scars on his knees, brought into existence when he’d ridden a bike for the first time and fallen down an embankment, ripping his knees to shreds. It hadn’t just been his knees that he’d torn apart that day, but they’d been the only part of him to scar, so that was what he remembered. There was also the scar beneath his eye that he’d gotten after running headfirst into the dining table as a child, nearly blinding himself on top of the concussion he’d given himself. And then there was the scar on his elbow, where he’d had to have surgery after a fall had broken it.

Those were the scars that Poe looked back on fondly, for they were the ones with the kind of stories that you could tell other people around a cup of coffee or share after a few drinks with friends.

But there were scars on Poe’s body that whenever someone asked him about them, he couldn’t give an answer, because he just didn’t know the stories behind them. He had a vague idea of what had caused them, but no distinct memory of how they had happened in the first place. There were two burn scars on his shoulder, in a shape that could only belong to cigarette’s, and he knew what had caused them, but he couldn’t remember how. There was a series of small scars located just below his ribs that could only have come from being stabbed, but again, he had no memory of ever being stabbed in the first place. And then there was the one scar that Poe did remember, the one scar that would send him into a panic if someone so much as acknowledged it; a scar that was both on his stomach and his back, where he’d once been impaled by a fire poker after his adoptive father had had too much to drink.

It was such a small scar, yet held a memory so powerful that Poe wished it’d been one he could forget—that wasn’t to say he hadn’t tried, because he had. But apparently, out of all the scars that Poe had, that was one he was destined to remember forever. And it was because of that scar, and the story behind it that he couldn’t forget, that he became interested in the stories behind other people’s scars; he never asked people outright how they obtained them, because that was rude and Poe already had a hard enough time talking to people as is.

Over the years, Poe heard many stories, and saw many scars, yet it wasn’t until he met Ranpo again that his interest piqued.

When he’d first met Ranpo, back when he was twenty-two, his rival had been loud and exuberant, but most of all, he’d been soft, and not in the way most people would think. No, Ranpo was soft in that his skin was unmarked, free of the stories that a person’s skin told—or at least, so Poe had thought. It’d been at the end of their competition, when Poe had been filled with despair over losing and on his knees that he’d seen it; Ranpo’s shirt, a size too big, had allowed Poe to see a scar, a story that told him Ranpo wasn’t as soft as he appeared.

But Poe had been filled with too much despair and fury for his curiosity to surface, so that knowledge was forced to the back of the mind where, six years later, he’d long forgotten about it.

Poe’s reminded of that day when he and Ranpo are in bed, lazily trading kisses with each other, and his fingers trail over a piece of raised skin on Ranpo’s abdomen. Poe pauses for just a moment before he presses another kiss to Ranpo’s lips, and runs his thumb over the scar he’d just felt. Ranpo shivers underneath his touch, eyes flicking open, and Poe moves to kiss his partner’s cheek, murmuring against his skin. “You have a scar here.”

Ranpo blinks, and Poe brushes the raised skin again, which brings realization to Ranpo’s eyes, and the detective leans up to capture Poe’s lips with his own again. “I have a lot of scars, Poe-kun.”

“You do?” Poe questions, and Ranpo nods, a wary look on his face now, a stark difference to the look of bliss that he’d had earlier. “How come I’ve never seen these ones?”

Ranpo groans and sinks into the bed, throwing his arms over his face to hide, which does nothing but allow Poe to see more of the scars he didn’t know Ranpo had. Poe knew that from Ranpo’s reaction to his question, that Ranpo didn’t want to talk, but he was pretty sure that that was just because the other just wanted to return to their kissing session. Over the time they’d been involved with each other, Poe had learnt to differentiate between when Ranpo genuinely didn’t want to talk about something, and when he didn’t want to talk about something because of the mood they were in. And in this case, it was the later, but no matter.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.” Poe shifts lower so that he can graze his lips over the scar with a gentle, but featherlight touch. “But I’d love to hear the stories behind your scars.”

“Ever the storyteller, even when making out with me.” Ranpo chuckles, lowering his arms, one coming to pat at Poe’s hair. “That one’s from when I had my appendix removed. Before my parents died.”

Poe hums and trails his lips up towards Ranpo’s chest, ignoring the way Ranpo shivers from the touch, to the next scar; a straight line down the middle of the detective’s chest that was still fairly pink. “And this one?”

Ranpo threads his hand into Poe’s hair. “Heart surgery. I got shot last year, and the bullet got stuck, so Yosano couldn’t use her ability without actually killing me.”

“Yosano is a talented doctor, even without her ability.” Poe says, rising onto his elbows and gazing down at Ranpo’s face. He takes a moment to study his partner’s face, looking for any signs of discomfort, and when he finds none, he dips his head to kiss the tip of Ranpo’s nose. “Heart surgery is dangerous, so I’m glad it was successful.”

“As if a bullet is enough to bring me down.” Ranpo grins at him, eyes opening just enough for Poe to fall into their green depths. Ranpo uses that brief moment of distraction to his advantage, pulling Poe closer for a deeper kiss that he is quick to reciprocate.

Poe lets the kiss go on longer than any of their other ones, pulling away with a smile on his face as he continues on his journey in mapping out Ranpo’s scar. He find the next one on Ranpo’s shoulder, close to his neck, and this is one he doesn’t kiss, but he bring a hand up to run his fingers over. Unlike the other scars Poe had touched, this scar is indented rather than raised, and he can tell from the way that Ranpo freezes beneath him that he’s about to step into unfamiliar territory. “What about this one?”

Ranpo is silent for a long time, so long that Poe is just about to apologize and move on when he speaks. “I can’t tell you the whole story… but that one’s from my time on the streets.”

“I understand.” And Poe did understand, because some scars were just too painful to talk about. He kisses the skin next to the scar. “If you do ever want to tell me…”

“I know.” Ranpo relaxes and his hand falls from Poe’s hair to rest in between his shoulder blades. “You’ll be there to listen.”

Poe moves on quickly after that, but the next scars he winds up at—a series of scars actually—that fall under the same category as the one on Ranpo’s shoulder. The only difference between these ones and the previous one, is that these are scars that Poe was already aware of the existence of, and that was only because there’d been recent additions after the war between the Guild and the Agency. Poe intertwines his hand with Ranpo’s, drawing his arm close; it gives Ranpo plenty of time to refuse him, but the detective just stares at him with open eyes. There’s a little bit of tension forming with Ranpo’s body, which gives Poe the courage he needs to kiss the scars on Ranpo’s arm. He gives light kisses to the lines that are faded, and firmer kisses to the ones that are still pink and fresh.

“You know the story behind those already.” Ranpo says before Poe can even ask the question. There’s a pained look now that has Poe squeezing Ranpo’s hand. He does indeed know the story behind those scars, remembers the tears that followed as Ranpo told him, so he doesn’t ask, he just kisses each individual scar once more before he moves on.

The next scar he finds is on Ranpo’s upper arm, a thin line from being grazed by a stray bullet. After that, he moves to Ranpo’s other arm where the only scars are the ones on his elbow and wrist; an accident not long after he’d been taken in by Fukuzawa where he’d fallen down some stairs and broken his arm bad enough to need surgery. Poe can’t help but smile as he runs his fingers over those scars, and Ranpo pouts at him. “What, aren’t those ones worthy of kisses?”

“Of course they are.” Poe’s smile grows wider and he kisses the raised skin beneath his fingers. “I was simply marvelling over how we have similar scars.”

Ranpo’s hand slides down to feel Poe’s own scar, and his mouth drops open a little. “How did you break your arm?”

“I fell out of a tree when I was seven.” Poe explains. “But I only broke my elbow when I fell, unlike you.”

Ranpo scoffs as his fingers continue to dance across Poe’s skin. “Fukuzawa says I have bones of glass because he’s never seen someone break bones as much as I do.”

“Oh? Just how many bones have you broken then?” Poe says, intrigued now, and he plans his chin on Ranpo’s chest so that he can listen to the other.

“Well, aside from my arm, I have broken…” Ranpo trails off as he thinks. It takes him a couple of minutes before he continues. “Two fingers, an ankle, three ribs, a leg… oh! I also broke my other wrist twice.”

I think we need to start injecting you with calcium. Poe stares, both amazed and mildly horrified at just how many bones Ranpo has broken throughout the course of his life. He makes a mental vow to wrap his partner in bubble wrap whenever they leave the house from now on, and to coerce Ranpo into drinking more milk; he understands now, why the President of the Agency had said Ranpo had bones of glass, because it was true.

“Why the sudden interest in my scars anyway?” Ranpo says when Poe just continues to stare at him, bringing a hand to brush Poe’s hair out of his face, trailing his hands through tangled locks in a way that has Poe relaxing into the other’s arms.

“I’ve always had an interest.” Poe murmurs. “Every scar has a story to tell, whether it be light-hearted and funny, or dark and fearful. I find it fascinating how some people wear their scars with pride and share the stories of how they got them so easily, while there are others who are fearful and refuse to speak of them. And, well, I am a writer at heart, so I love hearing those stories when they are shared with me.”

Ranpo is silent and still, so still, that Poe lifts himself up to he can see Ranpo’s face easier to try and determine what the other is thinking about. What he sees is hesitation, and a little bit of fear; it’s a look that has Poe frowning. “What is it?”

“Would you like to know?” Ranpo asks him.

“Know what?”

Instead of answering, Ranpo shifts the shoulder of the indented scar, and Poe gives his partner a soft smile, leaning forward to place a kiss against Ranpo’s forehead. “If it makes you uncomfortable or afraid, then no, I do not wish to know. You only need tell me if you want to tell me.”

Ranpo hums.

“Do you want to tell me?” Poe presses, and Ranpo sighs before he shakes his head. “Then you don’t need to tell me.”

“But you’re curious now—”

“My curiosity does not come before your comfort, Ranpo-kun.” Poe kisses Ranpo’s forehead once again, and then his nose, his cheek, before he tenderly brushes his lips against Ranpo’s own; Ranpo relaxes with each kiss, and his arms come to wrap around Poe’s waist, holding him close. Neither of them say anything, letting the conversation die off as they, once again, get lost within each other with gentle touches and affectionate gestures.

One day, you’ll tell me the story of that scar, Ranpo-kun, and it will be a story worth hearing.

[liminalpsych-in-teyvat]

Personal fanfic prompts (Genshin)

Fanfic prompts for myself (or if you know a fic that already exists with these themes, please point me in that direction so I can read it!):

Explore Ayato’s parentified childhood. Him avoiding dealing with it as an adult. Eventually having no choice but to deal with it. (Touching on this in A Matter of Duty but would like to do a short story focusing on it.)

Writing this one as A Matter of Duty (it’s extremely NSFW, mind the tags on AO3). That political period after the Kamisato parents died and before Ayato succeeded at proving himself as not one to be messed with. How did he manage that? Hurt/comfort where Thoma and/or Ayaka finally uncover what it cost Ayato behind the scenes. Insert trauma here.

Childe's 3 months in the Abyss. Hurt/comfort of actually revealing some of the details with ??? Zhongli maybe? Someone else? Or they find out some other way, without him telling them, and then confront him about it, insert feels here. (Is it just exhilaration that makes him seek out fights and to become stronger, or is it so he won't be a victim of that ever again? Or is he halfway suicidal, since "He has unusual tastes when it comes to combat — the encounters he craves the most being those that bring him closest to his own demise.")

Also Scara's time in the Abyss/as an experiment of Dottore. I haven't been able to find fic about this which is just confusing.

Venti drinks as self-medication/avoidance (I believe all addiction is self medication), uses deflection and humor to avoid vulnerability or dealing with his grief, he's not as happy as he seems. (Haven't gone looking for this fic, it's just my personal headcanon, it probably exists somewhere.)

Something about the Traveler as witness. Angsty experimental piece. It’s a theme that comes up repeatedly, in every land they go to: “witness this, remember this, write this, sing this when I am gone, you are not of this land and can remember when no one else can”. It hits me hard every time (as a psychotherapist, who witnesses so many inner lives that then move on without me, as they should; and I am the container for so many stories that I cannot share; and it is sometimes terribly lonely). Hits harder still when the Traveler remembers Rukkhadevata and no one else does, and the Traveler can’t even talk about it. Holding the space for people and nations and gods. They are not the main character, they are the lens.

Therapy AU with Traveler as therapist (fuck. It’d happen too. He’s the witness, after all)

Jeht/Lumine. Seriously anything. They get together finally, or they have a long distance type relationship where they meet up here and there, or hurt/comfort after everything that happened in 3.4 (at least I found a couple good fics of this), or Jeht joins Lumine for traveling around Teyvat (also a couple well done stories about that).

Fix-it fic for Tadhla because ouch did her story hurt. And she deserved better.

Tadhla/Jeht when they were both in training, maybe. I could see this being a thing. (Which means Tadhla/Jeht/Lumine could absolutely be a thing too. At least as a one-off.)

Xiao/Aether exploring Xiao's need to be owned/wielded/fear of having his own agency or making his own choices. The bindings of contracts and duty that he entered into with Morax that kept him intact even as his duties poisoned him. The mess he's become in the aftermath of Zhongli's retirement.

Zhongli didn't foresee this, thinks he's doing what's best for Xiao or it didn't even occur to him that Xiao would be undone by his strings being cut.

Or Zhongli did foresee this / did notice it, and isn't sure how to fix it or handle it. He's watching Xiao slip further and further and nothing he's tried has worked. Calls in Aether. Transfer of contract/"ownership"? (Insert kink aspects here.)

Bonus Zhongli/Childe, either past or current? Childe being another barely-held-together soul in need of grounding and containment (which of course Geo is great for).

Ayato speaks always with a purpose. “He has forgotten how to do this, Ayato realizes, panic sparking at the bottom of his chest. He doesn't know how to say useless things anymore, to talk for the sake of bringing words into the world.” (From this excellent fic.) Play with this as a therapist parallel, like what happens to me when I’ve been saying every disclosure and every line with intent, focused on clients and their well being and then struggling to switch modes to talk with my interpersonal connections.

Ayato's relationship with Shuumatsuban. Thanks to "Lord Commissioner, the Momoyo flowers have not withered. The branches grow yet. Do not worry." Vaguely The Cost of the Crown (Lackey/Valdemar) but about Thoma and Shuumatsuban and Kazuha's friend and Kazuha and all those sworn to Kamisato and to Yashiro. Possibly he is closer to the Shuumatsuban than he lets on, and also feels very very responsible to them; orphans that are raised in a ninja village to be extra loyal to the Kamisato Clan and Yashiro Commission? Whose names no one remembers (no one, perhaps, except Ayato). ooo. remembering their names. Regularly. (Check Thoma's hangout about the ninken but also the Momoyo flowers quest. Maybe this centers around getting that note? starts or ends with it?)

Cut for the kinkier stuff:

A Matter of Duty (working on this one!): Ayato isn't above using sex to get information or get closer to people, a la Kushiel's Dart.

And/or, Thoma will do anything for the Kamisato Clan, and his role as "fixer" is "fix the situation by any means necessary". Sometimes this is bribery, favors exchanged, gifts. Other times it's interrogation, assassination, threats. Still others are sexual (for information, as payment, or to get close enough for assassination/thievery/etc).

and/or, Thoma and Ayato are close and they do all the dirty work behind the scenes. Keep Ayaka from having to know about it, see it, or deal with it. They've paid a high price. Ayato uses Thoma as currency and for dirty work, with Thoma's consent. Thoma stepped up to this role when the Kamisato parents died and he caught Ayato using his own body as currency; he volunteered himself to try to save Ayato from it.

Thoma as a party favor/servant at a formal dinner event.

yes diplomat shenanigans and service / sacrifice is absolutely one of my narrative kinks, don’t judge me. I might have to write this story / set of stories. We’ll see if I can get my crap together enough to do so.

Ayato meets Alhaitham on a diplomatic errand to Sumeru. Sparks. They fall into bed to gain information about the other and for mutual attraction, and discover they've met their match at subterfuge and dissembling. It's a tantalizing challenge for them both, rarely meeting another of equivalent competence and intelligence. They flirt by playing sociopolitical chess (metaphorically speaking) against each other across the years. Eventually Feelings develop, oops. Slow burn. (Thoma/Kaveh too? Polyamorous quad? Thoma sent as surrogate at some point? Trading Thoma and Kaveh somehow?

Could also combine with the previous set of prompts, they’re not mutually exclusive.

Spin-off from Matter of Duty, but it's Thoma who's on the diplomatic errand first, and Ayato grows fascinated with Alhaitham through Thoma's accounts?

this story concept is getting out of control, why do I do this to myself

Babel/Lumine and how would Jeht respond to that, hurt no comfort in that case probably. Could eventually lead to Lumine/Jeht as Babel is absolutely just setting Lumine up for betrayal, which would be more in the hurt/comfort vein. Or maybe Babel is getting with Lumine because she knows Jeht has a thing for Lumine and she wants to break that tie to isolate Jeht further. Probably would have been a smarter approach than trying to get them to kill each other.

Babel/someone (Lumine, Jeht, Azariq, doesn’t really matter) with a whole worshipping-Domme-as-goddess dynamic. Because she absolutely sets herself up that way.

Babel/Jeht in a grooming-Jeht-for-awful-roles kind of way. Kind of squicky for me so I might not write it but it has a lot of potential to be interesting.

A dominant recovering from an emotionally abusive relationship with a submissive. …what’s awful is that Alhaitham/Kaveh would work for this. But probably people would hate it? I would disclaimer the hell out of it with “I actually love Alhaitham/Kaveh and it’s one of my favorite ships, but I really wanted/needed to write a story with this dynamic, and they were the best option.” Alternatively Alhaitham/Kaveh and Alhaitham had an ex who was abusive, but… I can’t see him being okay with the dynamic he has with Kaveh then. Other options?

Thoma has a yokai/shapeshifter/monster kink. That's it, that's the prompt, I don't know what to do with it yet, but we know he loves stories of yokai and shapeshifters canonically, this is just taking it to the next level.

EDIT: whoo boy I completely forgot Childe was a *literal child* when he fell into the Abyss, scratch that fic concept from the record unless it involves an aged-up Childe, yikes. (I haven’t dug into Childe much as a character and I don’t have him in my roster so I didn’t actually know the details of his story.)

[lifblogs]

Summer Reading/Writing/Arting Tag

Tagged by: @evilwriter37

Tagging: @ashleybenlove, @knowerofuselessfacts, @eddieelliotmunson, @poisonedyouth, @stand-up-and-screamo, @jayalaw, @strawbearri-frog, @thetrapperstrap, @envydean, @uh-ohspaghettio, @cascigarette, @fictionalnormalcy, @flurbejurbvondurp, @iidigestive-readerii, and @thepagemasternerd

1) Describe one creative WIP project you’re planning to work on over the summer.

I just finished my first ever novelette “The Dragon Mark,” and I actually really loved being in that world. I am planning on writing a companion piece, “Zhang Jue’s Demon,” and I just want to know more too! Maybe I’ll start writing something from the character Yuxuan’s POV before he’s assassinated. He seems fun to work with. Am I planning a book? I don’t know, but I would love to stay with these characters for the summer.

2) Rec a book!

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan! It’s great political and war fantasy and with only 411 pages it still somehow seems so jam packed! It’s also queer in its own way. Basically the main character was told her fate was nothing, to truly be nothing. So what does she do? Try to steal her brother’s fate after he dies, and she takes on his name, Zhu Chongba. So publicly, one of the main characters is a man and has roles that a man would have. Another central character is a eunuch general named Ouyang, and I love him. This takes place near the end of the Great Yuan Dynasty (the rule of the Mongols) and the rise of the Ming Dynasty.

But okay if you need a summery book read Son of a Sailor by Marshall J. Moore. Pirate Captain Quint Thatch goes back to his island home of Ember Bay after the death of his father, and is trying to hide his pirate identity from everyone. This doesn’t go very well because his crew eventually shows up, and two parts of his life collide. It’s summery, it’s fun! I didn’t even think it’d be my kind of book and I adored it. The author suggests reading it near a body of water and with a cold drink nearby, and I heartily agree!

3) Rec a fic!

Holy crap, A Thousand Lives is so good. It actually understands the Force and the Jedi! It’s a Star Wars: Rebels AU where Kanan is an Inquisitor hunting down Ezra while he slowly falls in love with Hera. The implication of a thousand versions of them existing that’s put in the epigraphs is truly fantastic. I don’t usually like Star Wars fics because of how many people misunderstand the Jedi but this one was truly amazing. I can’t wait to read it again.

4) Rec music!

Fam, I’m forever listening to the album If I Can’t Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey. I do want to update my music at some point though, see what my favorite artists have been putting out.

5) Share one piece of advice!

Find something you like and own it, without any shame. If others want to join then good! If people want to be negative about what you enjoy then they’re not worth your time. Your own enjoyment is precious, and when you work towards it you will find moments you like—or even, love—existing in.

[drunktuesdays]

Oh my GOD. I want more!!! If that’s a first draft how is it even going to get better. Do you have any fully abandoned draft material you would ever want to share? You’re honestly so good it blows my mind

oh my gosh thank you. that's VERY nice!!!!!!

i combed through my wip folder, and honestly i have so many that when i open the doc, it says something like, "So it's positive,' Jim said, not meeting his eye." and then NOTHING else because past!me is an asshole. OR it has more to it, but I'm not convinced it's FULLY abandoned.

But here's a wip I really think I'm unlikely to ever seriously work on, because I truly cannot become Aliens AU girl. I don't know if you ever watched Stargate: Atlantis, anon, but this was intended as a big juicy crossover with that show, with all of the AEW wrestlers slotted in as either marines, scientists, or other civilians, alongside the main SGA characters that already exist. Dustin and Greg are Marines, Jim's a scientist, and Kris is an alien who joined their team at some point, and she is their Ronan.

Again, disclaimer that this is rough first draft level writing and also the three scenes are not as well connected as they would be if I really knew where I was going

The room they were keeping him in was sterile, white everywhere.  It could be comforting to think that across millions of alien cultures, evil labs were almost always all the same. 

It’d be comforting if Dustin wasn’t the one being held in one, of course.  

He was on a gurney, arms strapped down by his sides, feet handcuffed to the edge.  The Xcyzu held up its hands, said “Lieutenant, we mean you no harm--”

“You know who says that the most?” Dustin snapped, trying to wiggle his arm out again.  “People who mean me harm.”

“I wish you’d calm yourself,” the Xcyzu said.  “Maybe if--” and he shimmered a little, went opaque for a second, and then Jim was standing there, a tray full of instruments in his arms. 

“Hey,” he said, low. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Dustin knew it wasn’t Jim.  He'd watched the alien morph into Jim in front of him, and still--his heart rate felt like it was settling against his will. "Fuck off," he said weakly.

Jim—the alien—made a face. "Rude," he said, and then he set the tray of instruments down and came closer, reaching out to touch Dustin again. "Relax," he said. "It's just me."  Jim's fingers skated down the side of his face, and Dustin was—he wasn't—he knew it wasn't Jim—

Then, an alarm came over the speakers. The alien that was wearing Jim's face swore in a very un-Jimlike way. "I'll be right back," he said, and dashed out of the room, leaving Dustin strapped there, sweaty and bewildered. 

The Xcyzu came in again, still wearing Jim's face. “Oh, you’re back, are you?” Dustin said bitterly.  “Give it up, you're not going to make me fucking cooperate.”

“Dustin?” the Xcyzu said, frowning at him.  “What are you--”

"Stop it,” Dustin snapped. "Just stop it, okay? He's not—I don't know what you think is—but you can't just wear his face and suddenly I'll let you put stuff in my ass, okay?"

The Xcyzu froze awkwardly and then flushed beet red, which Dustin thought was pretty innovative in terms of face stealing technology. They'd even managed to mimic the way Jim's eyes went wide and freaked.  After a beat, he came over to Dustin, and pulled a knife out of his tac-vest. 

"Whoa," Dustin said, cringing away. "Wait, hang on, don't—" but the alien only cut through Dustin’s restraints, freeing him. Then he stepped back, and busied himself putting his knife away, and fixing his hair.

“Uh,”  Dustin said, sitting up and flexing the stiffness out of his arms.  “Oh, uh. Jim?”

“Yeah,” Jim said, not looking at him.  

“I think they wanted me because I’m clearly the hottest one,” Dustin said, as they tramped back to the ship.  “They looked at you freaks and were like, oh yeah, that one--”

“Bullshit,” Greg said. “They probably heard you talking shit and were trying to do us a favor.”

“Fuck you,” Dustin said.  “I finally get kidnapped by sex perverts for my hot bod, and you’re trying to ruin this for me. Unbelievable.”

“The thing I don't understand,” Jim said, "is why they chose my face."

“I think the jumper’s up ahead,” Dustin said, and sped up.

Jim and Kris were talking quietly in the back when Dustin finished his pre-flight checks.  He watched them for a minute, their two heads ducked together, talking seriously.  

He hated this stupid day.  He looked over at Greg, who was also being kind of a freak.  He was sitting very still, hands folded carefully over the bag in his lap, and had a placid, far away look on his face which was the instant give away that he was up to some shit.  

Dustin sighed.  Of course his team would ruin his sex pervert kidnapping this thoroughly.  Assholes.  

When they flew back through the gate, Colonel Sheppard was waiting.  

“Lieutenant Howard, I’d love to know how your visit to a planet we have successfully traded with--” and he looked at an anthropologist, who quickly volunteered, “two hundred and thirty two times.”

“Thanks,” Sheppard said.  “A planet we have successfully traded with two hundred and thirty-two times went this badly.”

“Okay, well, sir,” Dustin started a little indignantly, and behind him, Jim stepped warningly on his heel. Dustin changed tacks, and instead tried blinking up at Shep charmingly. “I guess we’re just lucky?”

Sheppard barked his weird, alarming laugh.  “Get out of my sight before I stick you in the brig.”

“Blaming the victims,” Dustin muttered, but he left anyway, walking quickly until he was out of Sheppard’s sight.  

He changed out of his BDUs quickly, throwing on a t-shirt and shorts, and headed right back into the hallway.  If Greg was hiding something, it was better that Dustin knew now before it got out of hand.  

When he got to Greg’s room, Jim was outside, just raising his hand to knock.  “You noticed too?” Dustin said grimly.

Jim shrugged, and from behind Dustin, Kris said “better we deal with it as a team.”

When Greg answered the door, he seemed not surprised but disappointed to see them.  “You can't make me send him back,” he said. "I love him."

“Okay, fucked up place to start,” Dustin said, and shoved his way forward into the room to see a tiny alien creature busily devouring one of Greg's boots.  "Oh shit," he said, staring at it. "I hate this fucking day."

[stargazeraldroth]

Haha, I don’t see Ink as a wholly good and naive character either, no worries there! I more meant that he… Tries? Because I do think he cares about his friends and family, whether or not someone views it as being in the same way as everyone else. To be fair, I also don’t think he can afford to be wholly good and naive, since he protects the Entire Multiverse and has to take care to not interfere too heavily in the AUs (something someone who was wholly good and naive would struggle much more heavily with, I think). Anyways, yeah, Ink is a largely chaotic neutral character! I just imagine that he does lean more towards good and tries to be considerate to make his friends happier, if that makes sense.

I don’t remember his initial motivations all that well myself (a good memory, I do not have-), but I do think the idea that so many creators were leaving (and abandoning him to become a husk again) would shake him up very badly. I still don’t see him endangering an AU because of it- But I could see it making it a bit more difficult for him to be rational, and potentially make him overlook what the other Stars are doing. Blue and Dream couldn’t possibly be endangering the Multiverse behind his back, right? They’re his friends, they know the creators are slowly beginning to leave! And they’re good people, they’re the ones who help him in his own struggles with morality, they tell him when he isn’t being a good person. They’re like his moral compass. So they wouldn’t risk something he’s dedicated his entire existence to. They wouldn’t do that to him, right…? Right?

To be fair! Core can be Tough to work into plots (omniscience and omnipresence is difficult to work with, after all), and I don’t believe they can impact things physically… They’d definitely have a lot weighing on them regardless, I think- And no matter what, I think it’d distress them a lot, even if it isn’t their fault. Like you said! They’re a little kid, all-knowing or not, they can’t fix every problem, much as they might wish to… I do wonder if Blue and Dream would see them as a threat, though. Hm.

Cross has a lot of room for development, here… I’d like to think that, eventually, he’d realize Ink was as much of a victim of overbearing control as he was (XGaster for Cross, Dream and Blue for Ink)- Like you said, a lot of his reactions would depend on how emotionally tired he is, but I do think he’d feel guilty for contributing to everything Ink went through during that series of events, after a while. And depending on how much this has emotionally exhausted Ink, I could almost see him being offended on his behalf, if Ink is just too tired to care? Either way, I’m a sucker for the… Oreo Bros, I think it is? So I think eventually brotherly Cross and Ink could be interesting! Also, the imagine of Cross carrying around tiny, emotionally blank Ink (blank because everything is So Much and he doesn’t wanna feel anything right now-) on his back smacked me in the face and I just think it’s a neat dynamic, haha.

Hm… Error is a tough one, and I think his characterization would largely depend on what kind of tone you’d want the story to take, and what kind of ending you’d want to give it.

If Error is also a yandere (romantic, like you said, because I’m also a sucker for Errorink-), it gives the story a much more hopeless feeling- Because the only one on Error’s level is Ink, but he’s shut himself down because he just. Can’t deal with everything? It hurts too much. Which might be an interesting chance for a more bittersweet tone, where someone (Cross? Core? Someone else?) has to drag him back into feeling, kicking and screaming. In that scenario, I could see an ending where Error and Dream and Blue and XGaster have all been stopped, and the Multiverse can heal, but there’s still so much damage, and you know it isn’t going to be easily or painless, even if Ink has new friends who hopefully won’t turn on him like that. I’m not sure, though.

And then there’s the idea of a not yandere Error, which I feel could lend a more humorous, almost lighthearted and hopeful tone to the whole thing- Not a work of comedy or anything, obviously, but it lends itself to a better ending, you know? And it has another advantage, for Ink- He knows Error doesn’t like him, but he’s still trying to help him, and I could see that helping stabilize Ink’s mental state, just a little bit. And on Error’s end, begrudging fondness for the tiny artist aside, I do think he genuinely respects in in a way he doesn’t most others- If nothing else, that’s the only goddamn person he’s been consistently interacting with for a long, long time, and the only person who’s truly earned his respect. Ink is capable of matching him blow for blow, so how dare these uppity brats try and do so much damage to his rival?

Ink is gonna be on the brink of either losing it or letting himself drain out regardless, I think, which would definitely make Blue and Dream panic- He’s their friend! They just wanted to make things good for him, to make him happy and set him free! Why can’t he see that? They couldn’t have made a mistake, right? There has to be someway to help him, to fix this. He has to see things their way eventually, right?

And who’s to say they don’t start thinking of stealing Overwrite for themselves, at that point? Maybe, if they could just make a perfect world, one where Ink doesn’t have to worry about protecting (and maybe doesn’t remember any of this- For his own good, of course! It’s upset him so much!), things will be okay again.

asmsnsjsm I feel like I ramble more and more in these asks, whoops??? Sorry about that! I’ll try and shut up now, but! I’m really glad you like this idea!!!

ANON YOU'RE ALLOWED TO TALK AS MUCH AS YOU WANT

Ngl I don't really remember everything I said, so I'm so sorry if my points don't connect or if I repeat myself!! Anyway, I thiiiink I explained it like that because the fandom generally has a big issue when it comes to Ink where he's either the vilest creature to have ever been spawned or he's an UwU baby (can we bring the UwU-pocalypse back for shits and giggles y'all /j). But I do agree! I just don't think it'd be possible for Ink to be entirely good, especially with everything he would logically see in the AUs, you know? Even if he WAS that way at the start, hypothetically speaking (just in general, not specifically for this idea), I think he'd be too desensitized to stuff by this point to really... care? Maybe that's not the right word to use, but it doesn't really affect him anymore.

Personally, I like to imagine Ink's fear of abandonment isn't just limited to the Creators. I actually don't know if it's canonically limited to the Creators or not, I'm just going off a whim here. But I do headcanon that once he's formed an actual attachment to someone, like his friendship with Dream and Blue, he then gets paranoid about them leaving him. And this... this can actually be used to Dream and Blue's advantage, oh my- I'm just realizing this- maybe that can also tie into his denial/obliviousness to their role in this whole mess. It can also lead to some good manipulation scenes and angst later on, after he does find out about their betrayal and all. They were doing this because of him. I wonder if Ink would actually blame himself at all for what happened, like actually blame himself. Not just blaming himself for not being as proactive, but also blaming himself for things out of his control.

CORE's omnipresence and omnisight are part of why it's so hard for me to actually take them (and the idea of the Council) into consideration when making AUs or planning new fanfics. It just feels like it makes it too... easy?? If you wanna throw in some CORE angst (which is extremely underrated in my opinion), then they can end up having a breakdown from all the stress. They're so used to being this person that people look to for help and guidance, and they've witnessed all these things across the Multiverse against their will, and they're powerless to do anything to STOP IT- the poor kid's gonna give themself burnout. I can picture Dream and Blue watching CORE have a breakdown and glance at each other like "Damn. We kinda screwed up, didn't we?" All things considered, I don't really think they'd see CORE as a serious threat until a later time.

Cross is easily the MOST flexible character in this idea. There are so many ways his character can be developed and how his dynamics with the others can change over the course of the story. I have a soft spot for Oreo Bros, so... I'm gonna personally take that route, don't mind me y'all! I do think X-Chara would stay largely bitter, just in general, but they also realize that Ink was also greatly wronged in the situation. Even if they've got a potential grudge against him, being the Protector and all, they do have some sympathy. Maybe not a lot, but some. Cross is independent from X-Chara's opinions, and he sees so much of his own situation in Ink's. Their situations are different, greatly so, but maybe he can... try to make things right between them. If Ink hasn't just shut down emotionally, I think he might just be in too much shock to really respond to anything. I can see Cross getting angry on Ink's behalf, especially at Dream and Blue.

(Also that little imagine of Cross carrying Ink?? I have such a soft spot for Oreo Bros, I love them so much-)

Yeeeeah Errorink gang rise up!!! I'd say that it takes a combined effort rather than just one person to pull Ink out of his funk. I think that once everything's over and they can start healing, Ink can only bring himself to trust CORE. He's known them longer and, given their... restrictions, he's more willing to trust them. For Cross, it's definitely going to take a lot of time, but I think there's hope for them.

Error in the non-yandere one feels like he would look at Ink, disgusted, and go "You're just gonna let them treat you like that?" Now I'm not saying Error would treat Ink as his favorite person in the Multiverse, but I do think he'd get a defensive attitude like "Only I'M allowed to make Ink feel miserable!!"

Oof, this is just one twist after the other. Dream and Blue betray Ink, X-Gaster betrays them, then they try to go against him. I would not trust either of these two maniacs with the OVERWRITE, I wholeheartedly would not. I don't think they'd necessarily do anything malicious with it, but they might get... tempted. Like what we talked about before, with the possibility of cutting Ink from the Creators or even giving him a soul. They get these ideas on how they can help Ink, but would they remember that Ink should have the final say? Would they care about his input at all, or would they be too lost in their delusions that they know what's best for him?

[tarnishedxknight]

I think in terms of fairytales, it would be cool if Ashe and Thor were Snow White and Sleeping Beauty. If you’ve seen the musical Into The Woods before, you’ll know their princes were brothers. I also think it’d be interesting to have Noah be the one to wake Ashe up! But idk what you or Thor-mun think of that

__________

{out of dalmasca} I haven’t seen Into the Woods, but I am very familiar with many versions of Snow White and I have a decent working knowledge of Sleeping Beauty. I did not know their princes were brothers, though... that is interesting and very cool. So yeah, this might work. But omg, Noah waking up Ashe? She might slap him, hahaha. They don’t have a good relationship to say the least. But I guess they wouldn’t have their FFXII backgrounds at all? And that’s where I have trouble constructing AUs like this, because I’m really not very good at removing canon people from their source material, at least not completely. I usually have to keep a decent part of their background intact otherwise it changes their personalities completely. Like if, for example, Ashelia didn’t have Dalmasca, didn’t live in a place like that at all, wasn’t a Dynast King descendent, etc., her entire personality might be different. And I’m just not very good at kindof transplanting people into totally new backgrounds because I don’t know how they would be if some of the most important or influential things that shaped them as a person never happened or don’t exist, you know? But I will think about this and see what I can do after I’ve refreshed myself on Sleeping Beauty and have decompressed a bit from work!

[thisisallthehattersfault]

Yes yes body horror and Becoming The Monster as in Losing Oneself and the grotesqueries of transgression, of ill-fitting skin stretched too-tight over bones that feel like they don’t belong to you anymore ��� but what about body horror as metamorphoses? What about Becoming The Monster as in Embracing The Shadow? What about Wen Ning who has never felt more himself when he was alive than he does now that he’s dead?

He is a MASTERPIECE, the greatest work of the greatest demonic cultivator of all time! His life was characterized by fear and uncertainty and loneliness and it was only in death that he learned how strong he really was, how capable, how resilient. If he had been the Ghost General during the war, or right after it, would the Dafan Wen have still died?

I just want Wen Ning to settle into the whole being undead thing and decide that he’s pretty okay with it actually! There’s so little left for him to fear, and the few things he does find actively unpleasant are all things that Wei Gongzi can probably fix if he takes some time to work on it. Wen Ning doesn’t like asking people for things, most certainly not for his own sake, but at the same time… Wei Wuxian, as an inventor, would want to know how his master work is faring, right? He’s never completely satisfied with anything he makes, always tweaking and tinkering, and he does keep Asking of Wen Ning needs anything, so…

I dunno where I’m really going with this but I think it’d be interesting to explore an AU where maybe Wen Ning gets to be lowkey kind of excited that he’s now an unkillable hyperbadass literally powered by all the rage he suppressed for so many years AND he gets to have that while also maintaining his cognizance and his genuine desire to help other people. Wen Qing shielded him from as much as she could but the results of that were Wen Ning feeling like he was quietly suffocating under the weight of his sister’s controlling brand of overprotectiveness — he loves her and appreciates everything she did for him but god was she good at making him feel small and helpless — and it didn’t even work because life under Wen Rohan was such constant stress that by the time Lotus Pier was burned Wen Ning was damn near numb to it. Now? Wen Ning only answers to one master. A master who Knows How To Utilize Him. A master who respects and cares for him as a person without trying to smother him! Wen Ning takes quiet pride in his existence as Wei Wuxian’s magnum opus and consequently in his ability to actually function as his General (personal bodyguard, second in command, right hand man!) he is the living (kinda) embodiment of both his family’s drive to survive and protect each other and his master’s brilliance and ingenuity.

I just think it would be cool! I just think it would be cool.

[saebyeoked]

hi!! i absolutely adore your blog! 💘 your writing is fantastic and you should give yourself more credit! if you get a second, would you possibly do a gihun marriage headcanon? you mentioned it in the dating one you wrote and i thought it’d be sweet!

good luck with your blog 🤍🤍 i’ll be following!!

sure! i'm using this request for these headcanons because it's the most recent so i hope the other people who requested this find it! set in an au where squid game doesn't exist because we want to be happy

gn!reader

being married to seong gihun headcanons

he wouldn't want a big wedding. he just doesn't see the point in a bunch of distant relatives you don't even talk to being invited. of course, he'd invite sangwoo, his mom, his daughter and a few friends but he wouldn't really care about anyone else

he'll be preparing his vows for YEARS before he even proposed to you. he'd update them every now and then whenever he saw you do something kind or noticed something else he adored about you

even though you worry sometimes about marriage not being something he wants you still want to marry him. you would always hint at it and hope he would understand

he finally pops the question about two years after you began dating. he didn't want to take too long but he didn't want to scare you away by proposing so soon so he thought it was a safer option. a nice middle

of course you'd say yes and he'd pick you up by your waist and spin around, holding you up in the air as he laughs. you'd be so happy seeing a smile on his face that you wished you could rewind time to see it again

he would want to get married as fast as possible. he loves being your boyfriend but there's something about being your husband that makes his heart beat so quick he feels like it'll explode

gihun is a caring man. he'll make sure to let you pick the venue and design the invitations. if you wanted him to help you he would, but he doesn't know really anything about preparing for a wedding since he didn't do it for his last marriage

speaking of his last marriage, he isn't worried that his relationship with you will turn out the same way. he knows you love each other and if anything- he wants to marry you much more than he wanted to marry his ex-wife

your marriage would be scheduled quickly and he's never been more excited for anything in his life. he wants to be married to you so much that it physically hurts him

he still has his doubts sometimes that he won't be the best husband to you, but you notice and always tell him otherwise. even after the two of you are married he'll worry about not being good enough

you've already met his daughter prior to your marriage but now you're officially her stepparent. it warms his heart seeing her smile up at you the way she does. she's told him before that she's glad you came into his life because you helped him so much

without you, he knows that he would still be gambling and digging himself deeper into debt. but with you around, he's back on his feet and is working towards paying everything off one step at a time with your help

your wedding is small, not too extravagant but it's lovely for the two of you. the both of you love it and he's so happy you picked the venue you wanted because he knows you had the better taste for it

his vows are 10 miles long. he has so many things to say about you that he starts crying at the first word. you can hear the crowd laugh but your eyes are focused solely on him as he speaks

he tells you all the things he loves about you. how— because of you— he's recovering from his addiction, something he never thought he'd overcome. he tells you that every time he looks into your eyes he sees so much love and kindness that he feels like he doesn't deserve

he recounts the first time you met and how you looked at him. you didn't pity him but you still talked to him as if you were best friends. he talks about your first date and how much he made you laugh

his vows go on for a long time, but the smile never leaves your face as he looks at you. he's sobbing by the end of it and you can't help but pull him into a hug

when he finally collects himself you say your own vows. yours aren't as long as his is, but you still spoke for a decent amount of time about all of the things you love and adore about him

when it comes time to kiss you he dips you like something out of a movie. you'd wrap your arms around his neck and pull him so close to you that you feel like you're suffocating. you finally pull away and burst out into flustered laughter

the two of you take one of those wedding pictures where you're feeding each other cake. it's adorable and it hangs up on your wall in your home together

for your honeymoon you'd go wherever he wanted to go. it was an all expense paid trip as a gift from your parents so he wouldn't have to worry about more debt

he chooses a stereotypical romantic city like paris for your honeymoon because he thinks you'd like it. you would and it would be magical there

you'd stay for a week or so and head back home, cuddled as close as you could be on the plane. he'll kiss the top of your head if you fall asleep on his shoulder

as a married couple, it's practically the same as you were while you're dating. though he can't take his eyes off of the rings on your finger that shows to the world that you're married to him

he'll show you off to anyone. "this is my husband/wife/spouse!" oh, my husband/wife/spouse showed me that a few days ago-" he will always find an excuse to shove the fact that you're married into any conversation

he's an amazing husband just like he was as a boyfriend. he's still in shock that you wanted to marry him, but he will never complain about how you chose him to have for the rest of your lives <3

[hihereami]

HELLO. i see you have answered most of your TMA fics for the WIP game but I'm gonna bite on "jonmartin ctm au". in part because i cannot for the life of me remember if ctm is something i should know the meaning of. is it a fandom. an acronym. i cannot say. i feel like it's something obvious and i will look daft when you explain. but i googled it and got "corporate travel management". if it's that, know that i support you 😂

Heya opal!!!

''Ctm'' is Call the Midwife! yeah THATS WHERE MY BRAIN WENT, i'm also very surprised this AU existed in my google drive. I had no memories of it. But here it is!

1940s Martin is a priest working as a nurse in London. Jon is a doctor. The ladies are nurses. Have a little except of the two men bonding, sharing a cigarrette and slowly and quietly falling in love against society's expectations (and their own).

‘’Are you a godly man, Doctor Sims?’’

‘’I don’t think I can answer that question in a way that matters”

‘’Rest assured I don’t expect that”

Quiet.

‘’I believe…” He starts, then stops to breathe in, deeply. Just to stall, just to think, just to avoid Father Lucas’s attentive gaze, he takes a drag off his cigarette ‘’I believe in people. On the best of people. On their worst, too. But it’s very difficult to be surrounded by dying men in a tent that smells of stale blood and gunpowder and believe there’s someone up there looking out for us.’’

And he can see them now. Clutching their rosaries, calling out to their mothers, to their gods, to their long lost lovers. He can see them while the nurses held hands that would inevitably grow still and he could see himself, the only one with the responsibility to change their fate, useless in the center of it.

Suddenly, he feels a touch on his arm. Timid, almost a caress, a ghost impression of a forbidden comfort that last long after Father Lukas has removed his hand.

‘’I…” He forces himself to talk, to change the subject, to remove the heavy silence spreaded like molten honey between them. ‘’I think it’d be rather stupid of me to ask you the same question”

Martin’s voice is almost hushed.

‘’You can ask’’

“Are you a godly man?’’

‘’I’m sure I was”

‘’And now?’’

‘’I…I don’t doubt him. I find myself doubting the plans He laid ahead for me ’’

And here's the foggy road scene, after Martin contracts tuberculosis, barely survives, has a crisis of faith and decides to quit priesthood -- calling a certain doctor in the process to pick him up while he's lost on a foggy road.

‘’Good god, you must be absolutely soaked, running in this cold”

(Jon gives Martin his coat. He has just a box and his old clothes on)

‘’I was lost” He says, trembling down to the bone, mad smile across his face. The other man might be the one with the illness but it’s Jon who now feels he can barely breathe ‘’I was all on my own and there was nothing but fog and I couldn’t see”

‘’I’m here” It’s all he can utter out ‘’You’re not alone, won’t be, not if I can prevent it...”

Jon realises, then. He knows so many things about the other man's semblant, his secretive little smiles and mournful passing thoughts. And yet, he doesn't know his name.

‘’Martin. My name is Martin”

‘’Martin” He repeats, tasting the word. It feels new. It feels familiar. It feels absolutely fitting for the broad man in front of him, enveloped in a coat way too small for his frame, eyes shining with a warmth and fondness that seemed to be the answer all along ‘’Jon. Please, call me Jon”

‘’It’s nice to meet you, Jon.’’