#like the control variable of an experiment

[quasieli]

Nothing hits better than finally remembering a word you've been searching for in your mind and *actually finding it* during the relevant conversation and not hours later. It's like ADHD crack.

[daily-odile]

everything is the same except Odile is the one looping

oh. heheheheh. muahahahaha. hold on *digs through my pile of disorganized sketches*

Odile loops au; a sketch compilation!!

Some old fic drabbles + associated sketches under cut (a6 secret spoilers):

hc: Since equipment carries over, as long as Odile uses her book in a fight, she can write down notes and have it carry over loops

toxic doomed yuri (for a more fleshed out fic I highly recommend The Sweetest Thing by soreimoon, it's amazing)

[biblically-accurate-dca]

KILL!!!!!!!!!

[daltonsnightmare]

Ok I have an idea/weirdly specific au that I don't know when/if I'll ever do something with, so I'm gonna throw it out into the void (tumblr dashboard) and see where it goes:

(Contingent on two major changes: Jack lives, and Mac and Riley were abducted more than once for nanobot testing and were returned home without their knowledge)

After escaping the bomb that nearly took his life, Jack Dalton went into hiding, pouring everything he has in to taking Kovac down once and for all. With no team, no backup, and no way to communicate with his family back home, it's much easier said than done. (maybe he knows he'd have been declared KIA, maybe he has no idea)

After months of working from the shadows, hopping place to place, he finally manages to uncover the truth about Anya Vitez, and the whole operation being a front. [With the phoenix being shut down post s3 and operating under new management in s4 I think it would make sense nobody back home would know about the kovac mission being over/declared a success. maybe a bit of a stretch? idk just bear with me here]

While he found enough evidence to bring down Vitez and end the mission, he ended up getting a little more than he bargained for. Whispers of a sketchy US government experiment have popped up, and while Jack's suspicious, he just wants to get home and see his kids again- he's been gone for far too long.

As he makes his way back home, each new piece of information he hears is more concerning than the last. His various sources all claim something sinister is going on, something to do with tracking technology?

One of Jack's old CIA buddies who owes him a favor lets Jack stay with him at a secure facility before he flies back to LA. Left alone with his thoughts and clearance to go and do as he pleases, Jack can't ignore the niggling feeling at the back of his mind. His feet move on their own accord, and he finds himself outside a dark computer lab, monitors glowing dimly in the darkness.

A grin slowly makes its way across his face. Maybe he could get in touch with the Phoenix, check in on everyone. He'd been months without contact, he couldn't wait to see everyone again- they had so much to catch up on.

His mood dampened a bit when thinking about how Riley and Mac must have been doing, they always ribbed him good-naturedly during their check in calls. "Don't forget to call us back, old man!" They'd laugh.

(They tried to call once per week, but being on an undercover operation like this where connections are spotty at best, and risk giving away your position? It unfortunately couldn't always be done, such is the nature of the job.) He imagined their worried faces at the unexplained lengthy lack of contact and winced. Hopefully it'll all be smoothed over when he got back; he'll make it up to them. After all, he'd promised pizza and skee-ball, didn't he?

He sat himself down at the keyboard, and got to work setting up a secure message to Matty. While he wasn't particularly tech savvy (that was much more Riley's speed) he'd been doing this long enough to know how to get an encrypted message back to the barn.

His code didn't go through.

He frowned, thinking back to the last time that happened. While that mission in Amsterdam had certainly been a disaster, he at least saw being disavowed as a possibility. This time? He couldn't think of a single reason. What....what happened while he was gone?

Before he could dwell on that for too long, he noticed some of the file names on the computer desktop. His mind snapped back to the rumors of dubious experiments he heard about, and couldn't help the shiver that ran down his back. Did the room get colder?

He hovered over the file.

97V1G0H2_AM_Experiment#1.mp4

He hesitated. Jack glanced up at the clock. There were two hours until his friend would come back and retrieve him for takeoff.

His gaze wandered back to the file. There was another one just below it.

97V1G0H2_RD_Experiment#1.mp4

He sighed, weighing his options. Snooping in a government database wasn't something to be taken lightly, but he knew in his gut something was wrong. If he was being honest, he'd made his choice the moment he laid eyes on it.

He clicked play.

[eikotheblue]

How do you *accidentally* make a programming language?

Oh, it's easy! You make a randomizer for a game, because you're doing any% development, you set up the seed file format such that each line of the file defines an event listener for a value change of an uberstate (which is an entry of the game's built-in serialization system for arbitrary data that should persiste when saved).

You do this because it's a fast hack that lets you trigger pickup grants on item finds, since each item find always will correspond with an uberstate change. This works great! You smile happily and move on.

There's a small but dedicated subgroup of users who like using your randomizer as a canvas! They make what are called "plandomizer seeds" ("plandos" for short), which are seed files that have been hand-written specifically to give anyone playing them a specific curated set of experiences, instead of something random. These have a long history in your community, in part because you threw them a few bones when developing your last randomizer, and they are eager to see what they can do in this brave new world.

A thing they pick up on quickly is that there are uberstates for lots more things than just item finds! They can make it so that you find double jump when you break a specific wall, or even when you go into an area for the first time and the big splash text plays. Everyone agrees that this is neat.

It is in large part for the plando authors' sake that you allow multiple line entries for the same uberstate that specify different actions - you have the actions run in order. This was a feature that was hacked into the last randomizer you built later, so you're glad to be supporting it at a lower level. They love it! It lets them put multiple items at individual locations. You smile and move on.

Over time, you add more action types besides just item grants! Printing out messages to your players is a great one for plando authors, and is again a feature you had last time. At some point you add a bunch for interacting with player health and energy, because it'd be easy. An action that teleports the player to a specific place. An action that equips a skill to the player's active skill bar. An action that removes a skill or ability.

Then, you get the brilliant idea that it'd be great if actions could modify uberstates directly. Uberstates control lots of things! What if breaking door 1 caused door 2 to break, so you didn't have to open both up at once? What if breaking door 2 caused door 1 to respawn, and vice versa, so you could only go through 1 at a time? Wouldn't that be wonderful? You test this change in some simple cases, and deploy it without expecting people to do too much with it.

Your plando authors quickly realize that when actions modify uberstates, the changes they make can trigger other actions, as long as there are lines in their files that listen for those. This excites them, and seems basically fine to you, though you do as an afterthought add an optional parameter to your uberstate modification action that can be used to suppress the uberstate change detector, since some cases don't actually want that behavior.

(At some point during all of this, the plando authors start hunting through the base game and cataloging unused uberstates, to be used as arbitrary variables for their nefarious purposes. You weren't expecting that! Rather than making them hunt down and use a bunch of random uberstates for data storage, you sigh and add a bunch of explicitly-unused ones for them to play with instead.)

Then, your most arcane plando magician posts a guide on how to use the existing systems to set up control flow. It leverages the fact that setting an uberstate to a value it already has does not trigger the event listener for that uberstate, so execution can branch based on whether or not a state has been set to a specific value or not!

Filled with a confused mixture of pride and fear, you decide that maybe you should provide some kind of native control flow structure that isn't that? And because you're doing a lot of this development underslept and a bit past your personal Balmer peak, the first idea that you have and implement is conditional stops, which are actions that halt processing of a multiple-action-chain if an uberstate is [less than, equal to, greater than] a given value.

The next day, you realize that your seed specification format now can, while executing an action chain, read from memory, write to memory, branch based on what it finds in memory, and loop. It can simulate a turing machine, using the uberstates as tape. You set out to create a format by which your seed generator could talk to your client mod, and have ended up with a turing complete programming language. You laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

[unboundprompts]

advice for a character who grips control like a lifeline. who wants to be in charge of every little thing because whenever they're not in control of something something bad could happen. has happened. they can't let a single variable be wild or in someone else's hands

How to Write a Controlling Character

Backstory Rooted in Trauma or Guilt

This character likely has a history that has ingrained the belief that they must be in control or face devastating consequences. Perhaps they once trusted someone else with something crucial—a promise, a responsibility, or a life-altering choice—and that trust was broken in a way that had lasting repercussions. For example, maybe they lost someone because they weren’t “careful enough,” or they experienced a betrayal when they trusted another person’s plan.

They might frequently flash back to this moment, possibly catching themselves thinking, If only I’d been the one in control, this wouldn’t have happened. This memory fuels their need to keep a tight grip on everything, especially if they’re in high-stakes situations.

Rigid Daily Routines and Habits

This character’s day is probably packed with small rituals and routines that give them a sense of security. From double-checking door locks to setting multiple alarms, they rely on routines to give themselves a sense of order. In fact, they might be nearly ritualistic about small actions—checking emails three times before sending, never leaving a task halfway finished, or meticulously arranging their workspace.

Even something as simple as making coffee can become a precise process. If someone moves one of their tools or a file from their desk, they may feel a spike of frustration or even anxiety, seeing it as a disruption to their personal “system.” They could feel that control in their daily life is the only thing keeping chaos at bay.

Intensely Observant of Details and Mistakes

They are hyperaware of mistakes or inefficiencies in others, mentally cataloging things like a coworker’s slight lateness or a friend’s disorganization. They may feel a sense of superiority (or frustration) over people who don’t “have it together” and take it upon themselves to organize or “fix” things for others.

In conversation, they might cut people off or “correct” them even over small points, often justifying this to themselves as necessary. For instance, if someone shares a plan that seems half-formed, this character could immediately dive in, pointing out potential problems or filling in details.

Controlling Relationships and Social Situations

This character struggles in relationships where they aren’t the dominant or organizing force. They might instinctively take over when making plans with friends, micromanaging even casual hangouts to make sure everything goes “right.” For example, they might pick the restaurant, plan the travel route, and check weather forecasts—assuming that if they don’t, no one else will think of these things.

When someone resists their attempts at control, they can respond defensively, often turning cold or resentful, unable to understand why anyone wouldn’t want them to manage the situation. Statements like, “Fine, but don’t blame me if this doesn’t go well,” are frequent in their interactions.

Extreme Anxiety or Panic When Control Is Taken Away

When things go beyond their reach, this character might experience panic, as if they’re suddenly powerless. For instance, if an unexpected roadblock prevents them from handling a task (like a canceled flight they needed to board, or a plan that falls apart), they might spend hours trying to regain control, calling every contact or frantically exploring alternatives.

Their reaction may feel extreme to others. Even minor setbacks—such as a colleague taking initiative on a project or a friend planning something without consulting them—can trigger a disproportionate response, like clenching their fists, pacing, or silently stewing as they feel the situation “slipping.��

Inability to Accept Help or Collaboration

Their controlling nature makes it hard for them to collaborate, as they believe their methods are the only ones that work. For them, accepting help feels like an admission of weakness or failure, so they rarely delegate or ask for assistance. If they do reluctantly accept help, they are constantly supervising or “suggesting” things, making it feel more like they’re still in charge.

In a team setting, they might take on all the major tasks, either out of distrust in others’ abilities or a feeling that no one will match their standards. Their motto could be something like, “If you want something done right, do it yourself,” even if that means working late or burning out.

Reluctance to Show Vulnerability or Need

Since vulnerability and control rarely coexist for them, they avoid showing weakness at all costs, preferring to mask stress or struggles as “just part of the job.” If they do become overwhelmed, they’re more likely to shut people out, saying, “I’ve got it handled,” even if it’s far from true.

When people push them to let go or share the load, they might lash out, accusing others of “just not understanding.” They often see their intense responsibility as a form of sacrifice, justifying their behavior with, “If I don’t handle this, who will?”

[aeth-eris]

★ skin care & the ascendant ★

★ aries rising

aries rising often has active, oily, or acne-prone skin due to mars’ influence. their skin may be prone to redness, inflammation, and occasional breakouts, especially under stress or during hormonal changes.

skincare tip: use calming products with anti-inflammatory ingredients like chamomile, green tea, or aloe vera. incorporate a salicylic acid cleanser and clay mask to control oil and reduce breakouts. finish with a lightweight, non-comedogenic moisturizer.

★ mars aspecting the ascendant: oily, acne-prone, prone to redness or irritation

influence: mars’s fiery energy can lead to oilier, acne-prone skin that’s prone to redness, inflammation, and sensitivity. skin may react quickly to products or environmental changes and can be prone to breakouts during periods of stress or hormonal fluctuation.

skincare tips: use a salicylic acid or tea tree oil cleanser to control oil production and reduce breakouts. soothing ingredients, such as chamomile or green tea, can calm inflammation. a weekly clay mask is helpful for oil control, and a non-comedogenic moisturizer maintains balance without clogging pores.

★ taurus rising

taurus rising tends to have soft, clear skin, but they can struggle with oiliness, particularly in the t-zone. their skin may be resilient but prone to sensitivity with hormonal fluctuations.

skincare tip: balance oil production with a mild exfoliating cleanser containing glycolic acid. opt for hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid and a lightweight moisturizer that won’t clog pores. they may benefit from calming masks with ingredients like cucumber or rosewater to soothe the skin.

★ venus aspecting the ascendant: soft, balanced, beauty-focused, prone to hormonal changes

influence: venus adds softness and balance to the skin, often resulting in a smooth, well-toned complexion. however, venus-influenced skin can be sensitive to hormonal shifts and may break out during menstrual cycles.

skincare tips: maintain a gentle, hydrating skincare routine with a pH-balanced cleanser and a lightweight moisturizer. a rosewater toner or hyaluronic acid serum can keep skin plump and hydrated. consider products with evening primrose or tea tree oil to address hormonal breakouts as they arise.

★ gemini rising

gemini rising often has sensitive or combination skin that changes frequently, reflecting mercury’s influence on adaptability. their skin may react to environmental stress, leading to occasional dryness or breakouts.

skincare tip: maintain a simple, gentle skincare routine to avoid overstimulating the skin. use a fragrance-free cleanser and hydrating toner to balance the skin. avoid over-exfoliating, and opt for lightweight moisturizers to accommodate their combination skin.

★ mercury aspecting the ascendant: changeable, sensitive to stress, prone to inconsistencies

influence: mercury brings variability, so skin may appear inconsistent, with changes in texture, sensitivity, or breakouts that correlate with stress levels. mercury-affected skin can also be sensitive and reactive to environmental conditions.

skincare tips: keep a simple, adaptable skincare routine. a fragrance-free, gentle cleanser helps avoid irritation, while a lightweight moisturizer provides hydration without overwhelming the skin. consider adding a stress-relief serum or adaptogenic ingredients like reishi mushroom to calm skin during stressful periods.

★ cancer rising

cancer rising has delicate, reactive skin that often reflects emotional and hormonal changes. they may experience sensitivity, puffiness, or dryness, particularly around hormonal cycles.

skincare tip: use hydrating, gentle products that provide nourishment without irritation. milk or cream-based cleansers work well, along with soothing serums containing hyaluronic acid or ceramides. lymphatic facial massage can help reduce puffiness and promote circulation.

★ moon aspecting the ascendant: sensitive, reactive, prone to dryness

influence: the moon’s nurturing energy can make skin highly sensitive and reactive, particularly to hormonal and emotional changes. moon aspects often result in soft but easily irritated or dry skin that fluctuates with mood.

skincare tips: use gentle, hydrating products, such as a milk or cream-based cleanser, and a rich moisturizer with ingredients like hyaluronic acid. calming serums with chamomile or aloe can soothe the skin, especially during hormonal shifts. practice regular hydration to maintain balance.

★ leo rising

leo rising typically has radiant, warm skin with a natural glow. however, they may experience occasional sun sensitivity, dryness, or hormonal breakouts, particularly if they spend a lot of time in the sun.

skincare tip: protect the skin with a high-spf sunscreen daily, especially if sun exposure is frequent. incorporate hydrating serums with vitamin c for brightness, and add a gentle exfoliant to keep skin smooth. a weekly hydrating mask can enhance their natural glow.

★ sun aspecting the ascendant: vibrant, prone to sun sensitivity and pigmentation

influence: the sun brings vitality and warmth, often giving a natural glow to the skin. however, it may also make the skin more sensitive to the sun, prone to pigmentation, and reactive to environmental factors.

skincare tips: incorporate a daily high-spf sunscreen to protect against uv damage. products with antioxidants, like vitamin c or e, can help maintain brightness and prevent pigmentation. a hydrating serum will keep the skin looking radiant and healthy.

★ virgo rising

virgo rising often has sensitive, combination skin that may react to stress or environmental changes. they can experience occasional breakouts and uneven skin texture, particularly in times of heightened stress.

skincare tip: use a gentle, pH-balanced cleanser to prevent stripping natural oils, and incorporate a soothing toner with chamomile or calendula. niacinamide can help even skin texture and manage oil production. simplicity is key, so avoid complex routines that may irritate sensitive skin.

★ mercury aspecting the ascendant: changeable, sensitive to stress, prone to inconsistencies

influence: mercury brings variability, so skin may appear inconsistent, with changes in texture, sensitivity, or breakouts that correlate with stress levels. mercury-affected skin can also be sensitive and reactive to environmental conditions.

skincare tips: keep a simple, adaptable skincare routine. a fragrance-free, gentle cleanser helps avoid irritation, while a lightweight moisturizer provides hydration without overwhelming the skin. consider adding a stress-relief serum or adaptogenic ingredients like reishi mushroom to calm skin during stressful periods.

★ libra rising

libra rising typically has balanced, soft skin that is naturally beautiful but may be prone to hormonal changes, leading to periodic breakouts. venus’ influence brings a focus on skin appearance, so they’re often aware of any imperfections.

skincare tip: focus on balancing hydration with a pH-balanced, gentle cleanser and a lightweight moisturizer. use products with rose or lavender to soothe and nourish. they may also benefit from occasional exfoliation with ahas to maintain a smooth texture and natural glow.

★ venus aspecting the ascendant: soft, balanced, beauty-focused, prone to hormonal changes

influence: venus adds softness and balance to the skin, often resulting in a smooth, well-toned complexion. however, venus-influenced skin can be sensitive to hormonal shifts and may break out during menstrual cycles.

skincare tips: maintain a gentle, hydrating skincare routine with a pH-balanced cleanser and a lightweight moisturizer. a rosewater toner or hyaluronic acid serum can keep skin plump and hydrated. consider products with evening primrose or tea tree oil to address hormonal breakouts as they arise.

★ scorpio rising

scorpio rising often has intense, resilient skin but may be prone to acne or oily patches, especially around hormonal shifts. their skin can be sensitive to strong treatments, despite its durability.

skincare tip: use a deep-cleaning cleanser with salicylic acid to manage oil and prevent breakouts. a gentle clay mask can help reduce oil buildup, and soothing ingredients like aloe vera or tea tree oil can calm inflammation. avoid overly harsh exfoliants, as their skin can react strongly.

★ pluto aspecting the ascendant: intense, resilient, but prone to hormonal acne or hyperpigmentation

influence: pluto’s transformative energy often leads to resilient skin that’s capable of healing but can also be prone to deep, hormonal acne and hyperpigmentation. pluto-influenced skin may experience intense reactions to stress and can be affected by powerful hormonal shifts.

skincare tips: use a gentle, hormone-balancing cleanser with ingredients like salicylic acid to control breakouts. niacinamide and vitamin c serums can help reduce hyperpigmentation and even skin tone. regular exfoliation with ahas or bhas keeps pores clear, while a lightweight moisturizer balances hydration.

★ sagittarius rising

sagittarius rising often has vibrant, healthy skin but may struggle with oiliness, clogged pores, and occasional breakouts, especially from adventure or outdoor exposure. their skin may be prone to dryness or irritation from environmental factors.

skincare tip: incorporate a balancing cleanser with gentle exfoliants like lactic acid to clear pores. a hydrating, oil-free moisturizer works best to balance skin without clogging pores. they should always use sunscreen for outdoor activities to protect from uv exposure.

★ jupiter aspecting the ascendant: glowing, larger pores, oily, prone to breakouts

influence: jupiter’s expansive energy often gives a glowing complexion but can also result in oily skin and larger pores, making the skin prone to congestion and breakouts. the “abundance” of sebum may lead to shininess and clogged pores.

skincare tips: a mild exfoliating cleanser with glycolic or lactic acid can help minimize pores and control oil. use a clay mask once a week to manage excess sebum. a lightweight, oil-free moisturizer and mattifying products will reduce shine while keeping the skin hydrated and balanced.

★ capricorn rising

capricorn rising often has dry, mature, or sensitive skin, as saturn’s influence emphasizes structure and durability. they may be prone to dry patches, fine lines, or tightness, especially in harsh weather conditions.

skincare tip: focus on deep hydration with a rich moisturizer containing ceramides and hyaluronic acid to restore moisture. use a gentle, hydrating cleanser and avoid harsh exfoliants. consider products with peptides or squalane to promote elasticity and maintain a youthful appearance.

★ saturn aspecting the ascendant: dry, sensitive, prone to aging signs

influence: saturn’s restrictive energy can lead to dry, tight, or sensitive skin that’s prone to fine lines and aging signs. saturn-influenced skin may require careful maintenance to prevent dehydration and sensitivity to harsh weather conditions.

skincare tips: prioritize hydration with a rich, nourishing moisturizer containing ceramides and squalane. use a gentle, hydrating cleanser, and incorporate peptides or hyaluronic acid serums to maintain elasticity and moisture. a daily mineral sunscreen will help protect against premature aging.

★ aquarius rising

aquarius rising may have unique, sometimes unpredictable skin that can alternate between dry and oily. they may experience sudden breakouts or sensitivity, especially in reaction to environmental changes or stress.

skincare tip: use a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser to prevent irritation and follow with a lightweight moisturizer for balance. ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide can help maintain hydration and calm sensitive skin. avoid products with unnecessary chemicals, as their skin may react to synthetic ingredients.

★ uranus aspecting the ascendant: unpredictable, prone to sudden breakouts or sensitivity

influence: uranus brings an unpredictable quality to the skin, making it prone to sudden changes, breakouts, or reactions. uranus-influenced skin may be sensitive to new products or environmental changes and can switch between dryness and oiliness.

skincare tips: keep routines simple and consistent, avoiding excessive changes. use a fragrance-free, hypoallergenic cleanser and lightweight moisturizer with calming ingredients, like chamomile or niacinamide. products with adaptogens can help manage sensitivity, and an anti-inflammatory serum can reduce unexpected irritation.

★ pisces rising

pisces rising often has delicate, sensitive skin that may react to allergens, fragrances, or environmental factors. they may experience dehydration, redness, or sensitivity to harsh ingredients.

skincare tip: stick to a minimal, hypoallergenic routine, using a gentle, fragrance-free cleanser and lightweight moisturizer with soothing ingredients like aloe vera or oat extract. incorporating hydrating serums with hyaluronic acid can help maintain moisture. they should avoid overly complex products that may trigger reactions.

★ neptune aspecting the ascendant: sensitive, allergy-prone, prone to redness or dehydration

influence: neptune brings a heightened sensitivity, often leading to delicate, allergy-prone skin. it’s easily irritated by harsh ingredients, fragrances, and environmental factors, and can be prone to dehydration or redness.

skincare tips: stick to hypoallergenic, fragrance-free products. a gentle cleanser and soothing moisturizer with aloe vera, cucumber, or oat extract can provide calming hydration. hyaluronic acid serums help with dehydration. avoid overly complex products, as they may trigger sensitivity or allergies.

[darlingdaisyfarm]

˚⋆｡ thinking about Ford who. . .✧˚ (x fem!reader)

minors don’t interact

Who can’t help himself.

His mind never really stops working, even when he’s inside you, moving so slow that has you writhing beneath him. His cock buried inside you, stretching you out inch by inch, but even now, his thoughts are somewhere between the galaxies and the stars. His cock pulses inside you, making you feel so good, but it’s not enough and yet he's still talking about the fabric of the universe. 

“You know. . . mmm, parallel dimensions have an infinite number of variables, but if you—" his breath hitches as he rolls his hips deeper, forcing your body to arch. “if you narrow them to specific constants you find— hahh, patterns.” little moan escapes your lips, needy, as his cock drags slowly against your walls.

His voice is calm, even steady despite the unhurried, delicious way he's fucking you, but you're barely listening. How could you? Every thrust has your mind blanking, leaving nothing but pleasure pooling low in your belly. Your nails digging into his back, you feel so abandoned each time he pulls out, only to have him slide back in with agonizing precision.

"Forddd. . .” you moan, head falling back into the pillow, begging for more, for faster. But his rhythm is controlled, measured, its like he’s savouring the way your cunt grips him, tight and so damn warm as he’s balls deep inside you.

“Dimensional travel. . . it’s not just theoretical, you see,” Ford’s voice is calm, as if he’s lecturing a class and not thrusting into your slick, dripping pussy, as if you’re not clenching around him so tight it’s driving you both insane. “If we can manipulate space-time— like this. . .” he punctuates his words with a deep thrust, his cock dragging against your soft walls in a way that makes your whole body shake. “we can alter outcomes. Mm, t-that means every choice you make branches into— fuck, you’re tight— into infinite possibilities.”

You can hardly breathe, can barely think because of the pressure building between your legs and he’s still talking. God, he’s still talking. You hear him, even if barely, something about gravitational fields and parallel worlds, but it’s all turning into a blur with your eyes rolling in the back of your head when he hits that sweet spot inside again and again.

“You like it when I explain things to you,” Ford claims. “It turns you on, doesn’t it?”

You can’t even find the words to respond, because yes, you love it and fuck, you hate that you love it. All you can do is mewl and whimper, your hips rolling against him in a futile attempt to make him pick up the pace. He knows, god, he knows exactly what he’s doing to you.

“Ford, please—!” his cock slides deeper, but that serious, calm tone, fuck, it’s driving you wild. You want him to stop talking, to focus, to pound into you like you need, but his voice just keeps spilling from his lips like honey. Your head rolls back, lips parting in pathetic little gasps and moans, tears prickling at the corners of your eyes. You can’t take it anymore, he’s teasing you, playing with you, dragging it out just to see how far he can push you before you break. “please, faster!” you plead, desperate for more, desperate for him to stop talking and just fuck you properly, hard and fast. But he’s still so calm, still so fucking unflappable. 

“Oh? you’re getting impatient?” Ford’s hand slides down your trembling thigh, lifting it higher, opening you up even more to him. “You wanted to learn about interdimensional physics, didn’t you?” he mumbles under his breath as he grinds into you, his cock plunging deeper, completely filling you and it feels like a dream for both of you. “I’m just giving you what you wanted.”

His fingers find your needy clit, rubbing in torturous circles as he continues that slow rhythm inside you. He’s barely breaking a sweat, his brow furrowed in concentration as if this is just another experiment to him meanwhile you’re such a mess under him. His cock twitches inside you as he changes angle again, deeper now and he takes a sharp breath, but he doesn’t stop talking. 

He doesn’t stop and you hate him.

Ford’s eyes roam over your trembling body, reveling in the sight of you, desperate and needy. Your eyes watery and mouth open in a breathless moan.

“The fascinating thing about dimensional shifts— god, you feel so good,” he trails off for a moment, and you think, finally, he’s losing focus. You roll your hips against his, hoping to break his composure. But instead of faltering, he chuckles, leaning down only to plant a small kiss on your lips. “you’re trying to distract me, aren’t you?”

“Fuck, p-pleasee!” you whine, spreading your legs wider, trying to press up against him, but he pins you down.

“Clever girl,” he mutters, voice rougher now, losing some of that composed edge as he looks at you, the desperate need written all over your cute face. “letting me teach you like this.”

He pulls out, almost completely, leaving you aching, empty, before slamming back into you hard enough to knock the breath out of your lungs. "That’s my girl." his words make you cry out his name over and over again, your nails digging into his back as he starts to fuck you better, properly, his pace quicker, rougher now, the weight of his body pressing you into the mattress.

He’s no longer focused on explaining the mysteries of the universe, he’s focused on you, on how your body responds to him, on how good it feels to have you wrapped around him, hot and wet and perfect, on how your wetness and slick coating his length. The sounds of skin slapping against skin fills the air, mixing with your desperate, needy moans and his groans when he finally fucks you the way you wanted, he ruts into you faster, harder, and it’s everything you needed, everything you craved. 

“Ford— oh fuck,” you cry out, head thrown back and he’s there, finally losing himself in the way your cunt clenching around him, making such wet squelching sounds, he’s lost in the way you’re moaning his name, voice so beautiful. You’re nearly drooling as you give him a silly smile, begging him to finish inside you.

“Cum for me,” he growls, his hand sliding down, thumb finding your clit and pressing down in fast circles what makes your head spin. “I want to feel you— cum for me, now.” you arch your back as the orgasm crashes through you, you walls flutter around him, the sensations are so intense you can’t even scream, only shake and try to cross your legs because pleasure is fucking overwhelming, though Ford never stops thrusting into your wetness. You’re trembling, mind blank as you cling onto him, holding him, feeling him.

Ford groans at the beautiful sight, his clever girl looks so pretty when she’s dumb fucked and cock drunk. However Ford is lost in pleasure too, your pussy feels so warm, so tight and good he just can’t stop fucking you. But he’s damn close. He grits his teeth, taking a deep breath, thrusting into you so hard, burying himself so fucking deep, his cock twitching as he spills into you, filling you up with every last drop. Finally, finally. He’s breathing heavily into your lips, glasses fogged, his chest heaving. You just lay there, taking it like a good girl you are.

Ford can’t stop looking at you, he kisses your forehead, softly and gentle. “Now. . . where were we? Ah, yes. Dimensional theory.”

You can’t help but laugh, head still spinning as he pulls you close, already starting to ramble again about parallel worlds and universal constants, like he wasn’t just inside you, fucking you senseless.

And honestly you wouldn’t have him any other way.

[urdreamydoodles]

MARVEL COMICS CHARACTERS X FEM!READER

You kiss them when they least expect it

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Steve Rogers, Thor, Loki, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff, Bucky Barnes, Matthew Murdock, Frank Castle, Bullseye, Marc Spector, Taskmaster, Johnny Storm, Reed Richards, Ben Grimm, Susan Storm, Felicia Hardy, Stephen Strange, Namor, Johnny Blaze, Eddie Brock / Venom, T'Challa, Elektra Natchios, Muse, Victor von Doom, Peter Quill & Nova

Reply to anon: As promised...your little Catholic boy. I spend my days writing to keep my mind off my surgery. I'm a really anxious person, so I have to fill my head with my pleasures (my fandoms). So the requests will come out quickly, I'm happy and you're happy... win win. Thank you for all your requests and support. LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH ♡

Peter Parker

- Peter Parker has been kissed before. He has known the warmth of affection, the giddy rush of young love, the slow ache of something deeper. But nothing—nothing—could have prepared him for the moment your lips press against his, sudden and unannounced, shattering the rhythm of his thoughts like a lightning strike in the middle of a quiet night. His brain short-circuits instantly.

- His body reacts before his mind does, his breath catching, fingers twitching as if unsure whether to hold you or simply let himself drown in the moment. There is a fleeting second of hesitation, a half-formed thought that this must be some kind of dream, some cruel trick played by the universe. But your warmth is real, your presence undeniable. The city fades around him, the constant hum of responsibility momentarily silenced beneath the press of your lips.

- When you finally pull away, Peter blinks—once, twice—like he’s trying to process what just happened. Then, without warning, his face erupts into a deep crimson flush, spreading down to his neck like wildfire. “Oh,” he breathes out, voice slightly strangled. “Okay. Cool. That was… um. Wow.” He rubs the back of his neck, a nervous chuckle escaping him. “Was that, like, a scientific experiment? Because if so, I volunteer for more data collection.”

- Despite the awkward attempt at humor, his hands are still trembling, his pupils blown wide with something raw and unspoken. And then, after a moment of hesitation, his fingers curl around yours, his grip steady despite the lingering nerves. “But, uh… just so we’re clear,” he murmurs, voice softer now, more certain, “if you ever wanna do that again, you won’t have to catch me off guard next time.”

Tony Stark

- Tony Stark has spent a lifetime mastering control. He anticipates every possible scenario, every variable, every consequence. His mind is a constant whirlwind of calculations, solutions, contingencies. But when you kiss him—when you seize the moment and steal his breath away with no warning, no preamble—his mind goes completely, utterly blank. For the first time in years, there is no plan. No exit strategy. Just you.

- His body reacts on instinct, hands coming up to grasp your waist, a sharp inhale against your lips. But it’s not just the physical contact that undoes him—it’s the fact that you did it at all. That you, beautiful and untouchable in a way he never dared to hope for, have chosen him in this moment, with no ulterior motive, no expectation. It is not a conquest. It is not a game. It is real. And Tony Stark has never known how to handle real.

- When you finally break away, his lips are still parted, his usually sharp tongue momentarily silenced. Then, ever so slowly, a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth, something dangerous and delighted and entirely Tony. “Well, well,” he muses, his voice a low hum. “That was unexpected. Not that I’m complaining, of course.” He tilts his head, eyes gleaming with mischief. “But, uh, you might wanna be careful, sweetheart. You kiss me like that, and I might just start thinking you like me.”

- And yet, beneath the bravado, there is something softer, something unspoken in the way his fingers linger against your skin, in the way his expression shifts—just for a fraction of a second—into something almost reverent. Because the truth is, he is already lost. And if you kissed him again, he wouldn’t just let you—he’d make damn sure you never stopped.

Steve Rogers

- Steve Rogers is used to the world moving too fast around him. Time slips through his fingers like sand, people come and go like ghosts, and every moment is a reminder of just how much he has lost. But when you kiss him—when you break through the steady, predictable rhythm of his days with something as sudden and undeniable as your lips against his—it is the first time in a long, long while that he feels truly, absolutely present.

- He freezes at first, caught between instinct and shock, but it lasts only a second. Then, without thinking, his hands find your waist, steadying you both as though the moment itself is something fragile, something sacred. His heart is hammering against his ribs, a deep, resounding drumbeat that he swears you must be able to hear. And when he finally exhales, it is not out of hesitation—but out of something else. Something like surrender.

- When you pull back, his blue eyes are searching, tracing your face with an intensity that makes your breath hitch. He doesn’t speak at first, doesn’t joke or tease or stumble over his words. Instead, he simply watches you, memorizing every detail of the moment, committing it to memory as if he is afraid it will slip away. And then, at last, he lets out a quiet, almost incredulous chuckle. “You really do like keeping me on my toes, don’t you?”

- But there is warmth in his voice, something gentle and unshaken. And then, after a moment, he does something you don’t expect—he leans in again, slower this time, deliberate. His lips brush against yours, and this time, he is the one who takes control. And when he pulls away, his hand lingers at the back of your neck, his thumb tracing slow, absentminded patterns against your skin. “Just so you know,” he murmurs, a small smile playing at his lips, “next time, I won’t let you take me by surprise.”

Thor

- Thor Odinson has been kissed before. He has known the passion of warriors, the devotion of gods, the fleeting tenderness of mortals who looked upon him with awe. And yet, when you kiss him—when you press your lips against his without hesitation, without prelude—it is not reverence that he feels, nor expectation. It is something deeper, something that sinks into his very bones. It is you.

- There is a moment of stillness, as if the entire world holds its breath. Then, with a deep, rumbling exhale, he reacts—not with hesitation, not with shock, but with the full force of a man who has never done anything by halves. His arms wrap around you, pulling you flush against him, his grip firm yet careful, as if you are something both fierce and fragile, something he is terrified of losing.

- When you pull back, he does not release you immediately. His forehead rests against yours, his breath warm against your skin, and for a moment, he simply exists in the aftermath of what you have done. Then, with a slow, wolfish grin, he pulls back just enough to meet your gaze, his eyes bright with something unmistakably pleased. “Ah,” he rumbles, his voice thick with amusement, “so the battle has begun, then?”

- And before you can question him, before you can even think, he leans in once more—this time with purpose, with certainty. His lips claim yours in a way that is both a challenge and an offering, a promise and a declaration. And when he finally pulls away, his fingers trail down your spine, his grip unwavering. “A warning, my beloved,” he murmurs, eyes gleaming. “You have started something you may not wish to finish.” But the way he holds you—the way his touch lingers, possessive and warm—tells you that, in truth, he is hoping you never do.

Loki

- Loki is a creature of calculation, of control wrapped in silver-tongued deception. He reads people like poetry, anticipates betrayals before they are spoken, dissects affections before they can wound him. But when your lips find his—without warning, without preamble—it is the first time in centuries that someone has truly caught him off guard. His breath halts, body rigid, as if the universe itself has shifted beneath him.

- He does not pull away. He does not return it immediately, either. Instead, he remains perfectly still, sharp eyes searching yours with an intensity that borders on dangerous. You can almost hear the gears turning in his mind, the war between disbelief and hunger, between skepticism and the undeniable thrill of being wanted without agenda. And then, ever so slowly, the corner of his mouth curls, something dark and pleased blooming in his expression. “Interesting,” he muses, voice velvet-smooth, though there is an unmistakable edge of breathlessness beneath it.

- When you move to step back, he does not allow it. A hand—cool, firm, deceptively gentle—curls around your wrist, anchoring you in place. “You think you can best me in my own game, little one?” he murmurs, amusement dripping from every syllable. “That you can steal a kiss and escape unscathed?” His voice is teasing, but there is something else beneath it—something raw, something aching, something that trembles on the edge of longing.

- And then, with a slow, deliberate certainty, he leans in once more. This time, there is no hesitation, no caution. His lips claim yours in a way that is both challenge and surrender, fire and ice melting together in something neither of you can quite name. And when he finally pulls away, his thumb traces the edge of your jaw, his smirk lazy yet predatory. “You are playing a dangerous game, darling,” he whispers. “And I do hope you intend to see it through.”

Clint Barton

- Clint Barton has been trained to anticipate the unexpected. He is a man who survives on instinct, who sees what others miss, who never lets his guard down—not truly. But when you kiss him, when you press your lips against his without warning, without prelude, it is the first time in years that someone has managed to slip past his defenses. And it floors him.

- His breath stutters, muscles tensing as if expecting some kind of punchline, some cruel joke at his expense. But then—then—your hands brush against his jaw, gentle, grounding, real. And suddenly, the world feels quieter. The weight of it all—the missions, the past, the scars that never quite fade—momentarily lifts, leaving nothing but the steady, warm press of your mouth against his. And for once, he lets himself sink into it.

- When you finally pull away, he blinks as if shaking off a haze, lips parted in something like disbelief. And then, ever so slowly, a grin spreads across his face—lazy, crooked, entirely Clint. “Well, damn,” he breathes out, a chuckle escaping him. “Gonna be honest, didn’t see that one coming.” He tilts his head, eyes alight with mischief. “You always go around ambushing guys like this, or am I just special?”

- But there is something softer beneath the teasing, something unspoken in the way his fingers linger near yours, as if debating whether to pull you back in. And then, with a quiet exhale, he murmurs, “Not that I’m complaining, but—maybe next time, give a guy some warning?” He smirks. “Or don’t. I kinda like the element of surprise.”

Natasha Romanoff

- Natasha Romanoff is not a woman who is easily caught off guard. She is control, precision, danger wrapped in elegance. She anticipates every move before it happens, never allows herself to be vulnerable, never lets anyone too close. But when you kiss her—without warning, without calculation—it is the one scenario she never saw coming.

- Her body tenses immediately, years of instinct screaming at her to assess the threat, to react. But then—then—your lips linger, warm and unhurried, and something in her falters. There is no ulterior motive, no expectation, no game being played. Just you. And that, more than anything, leaves her shaken. She does not kiss you back, not at first. She is too busy deciphering why—why you would do this, why she doesn’t hate it, why the world suddenly feels too small with you this close.

- When you pull away, she does not speak. Instead, she tilts her head, studying you with an unreadable expression, emerald eyes scanning your face as if searching for an answer you have not yet spoken. And then, at last, a small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips. “Brave,” she murmurs, voice smooth, almost amused. “Reckless, but brave.” But there is something else in her gaze—something uncertain, something hesitant. As if she is not quite sure what to do with the warmth still lingering on her lips.

- Then, before you can respond, she steps closer, closing the space between you. There is no hesitation this time, no calculation—just the slow, deliberate press of her mouth against yours. And when she finally pulls away, her voice is softer, quieter. “Don’t do that unless you mean it,” she warns. But the way her fingers trail against your wrist, the way her breath lingers against your skin, tells you that she is hoping—just this once—that you do.

Bucky Barnes

- Bucky Barnes is a man who flinches at softness. He does not know how to accept kindness without suspicion, does not know how to be wanted without expectation. He has spent years being used, being controlled, being nothing more than a weapon to be wielded. But when you kiss him—when you press your lips against his without warning—it is the first time in a long, long while that he is simply Bucky.

- His entire body stiffens at first, muscles coiled as if expecting an attack, a trap, a trick. But then your hands brush against him—gentle, grounding, real—and something in him cracks. His breath shudders against your lips, something raw and unspoken trembling just beneath the surface. And for the first time in years, he allows himself to be held instead of holding himself together.

- When you pull away, he doesn’t move. Doesn’t breathe. His expression is unreadable, blue eyes stormy with something you can’t quite decipher. And then, ever so slowly, he exhales. “Why?” The word is quiet, hesitant, as if he doesn’t believe he deserves the answer. As if he is bracing himself for you to tell him it was a mistake. But you don’t. You just look at him, and that alone is enough to undo him.

- And then, after a long moment, his fingers brush against yours, tentative, uncertain. “Do it again,” he murmurs, the words barely audible. But when you do—when you kiss him once more, slow and patient and real—his hands finally come up to hold you, steady and warm and home. And this time, he doesn’t let you pull away.

Matthew Murdock

- Matthew Murdock is a man who lives in anticipation. Every breath, every footstep, every heartbeat in his vicinity is accounted for, cataloged, expected. He senses things before they happen, navigates the unseen with the certainty of someone who has never truly been blind. But he does not sense this. The moment your lips press against his, his world—usually so finely attuned—stutters. For the first time in a long time, Matt is truly caught off guard.

- His breath hitches, his fingers twitch at his sides, and for a brief moment, he is frozen in place. The taste of you lingers—warmth and surprise and something maddeningly sweet. His senses flood with you, and it is overwhelming in the best and worst way. His pulse is erratic, his mind a mess of tangled thoughts. He has fought the devil inside himself for so long, denied himself softness, pushed away love because it only ever ends in ruin. And yet, here you are. Kissing him.

- When you pull back, he exhales shakily, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words come. Instead, his hand finds you—fingertips ghosting over your cheek, as if to make certain you are real. His voice, when he finally manages to use it, is quiet, reverent. “You shouldn’t do things like that,” he murmurs, but there is no conviction in his words, no true protest. Only the lingering tremor of someone who wants—desperately, deeply—but does not know if he is allowed to have.

- And then, as if unable to resist the temptation you have placed before him, he leans in. His kiss is not hasty, not fevered, but something far more dangerous—slow, deliberate, inevitable. It is an unspoken confession, a quiet surrender, a promise that he may not be ready to put into words. But his hands find your waist, his lips press deeper into yours, and the way he sighs against your mouth tells you all you need to know.

Frank Castle

- Frank Castle has lost too much to believe in second chances. Love is a thing he buried alongside his family, a thing he does not touch, does not deserve. He is a man made of violence, of war and grief and cold, unrelenting vengeance. He does not get soft things. So when you kiss him—when you, in all your warmth, in all your reckless beauty, dare to press your lips to his—he does not know what to do with it.

- His entire body goes still, as if the world has caught fire and he is standing in the center of the blaze, unscathed but bewildered. He does not pull away. He does not push you back. He simply exists in the moment, feeling something that is not rage, not pain, not the gnawing emptiness that has been his only companion for years. The taste of you lingers—something achingly sweet against the bitterness of his own existence.

- When you finally step back, he exhales sharply, his breath uneven, his jaw clenched. His eyes—dark, stormy, battle-hardened—lock onto yours, searching, questioning. He wants to tell you this is a mistake. That people who get close to him only end up hurt, that his hands are meant for killing, not holding. But he doesn’t say it. Because for the first time in a long, long time, he does not want to push something away.

- Instead, his fingers curl at his sides, his voice low, rough. “You sure you wanna be doin’ that?” It’s not a warning—it’s an invitation. A chance to walk away before he inevitably ruins you the way he ruins everything else. But when you don’t—when you meet his gaze and kiss him again, slower this time, softer—his resolve cracks, and he kisses you back with something that is almost desperate, almost alive.

Bullseye (Lester)

- Bullseye is used to taking. He takes lives, takes power, takes anything he wants because no one can stop him. He is a monster, and he knows it—embraces it. There is nothing good in him. Nothing worth saving. And yet, you—beautiful, foolish, unafraid—have the audacity to kiss him as if he is anything but ruin incarnate.

- The moment your lips meet his, something snaps in him. His instincts scream at him to turn this into a game, to take control, to make you regret ever thinking you could surprise him. But for once, he does not move. He lets himself feel it. The warmth of you, the softness, the maddening contrast of something so pure against the corruption that coats his soul like tar. It is unexpected, undeserved, and utterly intoxicating.

- When you pull away, his smirk is slow, sharp-edged, dangerous. His eyes—dark and gleaming with something predatory—drag over your face like he’s memorizing every detail, committing your recklessness to memory. “Well, damn,” he drawls, voice slick with amusement. “Didn’t know you had it in you, sweetheart.” His fingers ghost over his lips as if testing whether the sensation was real or just some twisted hallucination.

- And then, with a sudden, startling speed, he moves. One hand grips the back of your neck, the other pressing against your waist, and before you can react, he’s kissing you back. But this—this is something else entirely. It is wild, chaotic, consuming. A warning, a promise, a claim. And when he finally pulls away, grinning like the devil himself, he murmurs, “Hope you know what you just started.”

Marc Spector

- Marc Spector is used to ghosts. His past, his mistakes, his fractured mind—he carries them all like shadows that never fade. He does not trust happiness, does not trust peace, because both have been ripped from him too many times to count. And love? Love is not something that belongs to men like him. But then there is you. And then there is this. Your lips against his, unannounced, unexpected, real.

- The first sensation is shock. Not fear, not rejection—just shock. His mind, always a battlefield of shifting identities and whispered voices, goes silent for one aching, beautiful moment. The warmth of your mouth, the way you lean into him with no hesitation, no fear—it is something foreign, something he does not know how to hold. And yet, he wants to. God help him, he wants to.

- When you pull back, his breath is unsteady, his hands curled into fists at his sides as if fighting the urge to pull you back in. His eyes—haunted, desperate, yearning—flicker between you and the ground, as if struggling to find something solid to anchor himself. “You shouldn’t…” His voice is raw, broken. “You shouldn’t do that.” But there is no weight behind the words, no real protest. Just the quiet, trembling confession of a man who does not believe he deserves to be touched with kindness.

- And then, with a slow exhale, he makes a choice. His hand—scarred, trembling—reaches for yours, fingers brushing tentatively before curling around them. He does not pull you close, does not claim you the way others might. Instead, he simply holds on. A silent plea, a fragile hope. And when he finally kisses you back, it is not with hunger, not with dominance—but with something far more dangerous. Need.

Taskmaster (Tony Masters)

- Taskmaster survives by reading people before they can act. He sees a shift in weight, a flicker of intent, the smallest twitch of a muscle, and he knows what comes next. It’s how he wins fights, how he predicts every move before it happens. But not this. Not you. He doesn’t see it coming when your lips press against his, a ghost of warmth against the cold edge of a man who has spent his life being untouchable.

- His entire body stiffens, instincts roaring at him to react, to counter, to do something—but he doesn’t. His mind, trained to memorize, analyze, replicate, suddenly falters. He can mimic a thousand fighting styles, anticipate attacks from the best in the world, but he has no defense for the softness of your mouth, the way you kiss him like he is something more than a weapon. And it unsettles him.

- When you pull back, his hands twitch at his sides, fingers flexing as if searching for the right response. His mask hides his face, but you can feel the way he’s staring at you, the sharp intensity of a man trying to process something he can’t categorize. “The hell was that for?” he finally mutters, his voice low, rough—gravel scraped over steel. But there is no anger, no mockery. Just a quiet, dangerous curiosity.

- And then, something shifts. A decision made. He moves faster than thought, a gloved hand catching your wrist, pulling you in before you can slip away. And when he kisses you back, it is not soft, not hesitant. It is sharp-edged and confident, like a man reclaiming control over the one thing that has ever caught him off guard. You wanted to surprise him? Fine. But now, he’s the one in charge.

Johnny Storm

- Johnny Storm burns hot—always has, always will. A fire that never quite settles, never dims. He is loud and reckless and bright, and he wears his confidence like a second skin. But beneath it all, there is something deeper, something hidden behind smirks and easy laughter. And it is that something that flickers the moment you kiss him.

- At first, he doesn’t process it. One second he’s talking, maybe making some cocky remark, and the next—your lips are on his. His brain short-circuits. Johnny Storm, king of comebacks, has absolutely nothing to say. There’s just heat, not from his flames but from the rush of you, the sudden realization that this thing he’s been pretending not to feel is very, very real.

- When you pull back, he blinks—once, twice—before a slow, almost disbelieving grin spreads across his face. “Damn,” he exhales, voice a little breathless, a little stunned. And then, because he is who he is, he recovers. “If you wanted a piece of me, sweetheart, all you had to do was ask.” But his voice wavers slightly at the end, betraying the fact that he is not nearly as unaffected as he wants to seem.

- And then, before you can say anything, he moves. A hand curling around your waist, pulling you flush against him as he crashes his lips back to yours, kissing you with the full force of his fire—burning, consuming, alive. Because Johnny Storm never does anything halfway, and now that he knows what you taste like, he is never going to pretend he doesn’t want more.

Reed Richards

- Reed Richards lives in a world of equations. He understands the mechanics of the universe, the fabric of reality, the infinite complexities of time and space. But there are some things even he cannot predict. Some things he cannot quantify. You are one of those things. And when you kiss him, it is a complete and utter anomaly.

- His breath stills, his mind goes blank—something that has not happened in years. He can usually calculate the likelihood of an event before it occurs, but this? This wasn’t factored into his reality. His hands hover in the air, as if unsure of the proper response, as if the laws of physics themselves have momentarily escaped him.

- When you step back, he does not move immediately. He is frozen, recalibrating, processing. Then, slowly, his lips part, and a quiet, stunned “Oh” escapes him—soft, unguarded. He pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, as if needing a moment to refocus. “That was… unexpected.” His voice holds no rejection, only fascination, as if he has just witnessed a scientific miracle.

- And then, something shifts. His hand reaches for yours—not hasty, not desperate, but careful, deliberate. His eyes meet yours, and for the first time in a long while, Reed Richards abandons calculations in favor of instinct. When he kisses you again, it is slow, exploratory, like a man learning a new language and savoring every syllable.

Ben Grimm

- Ben Grimm does not get soft things. He does not get stolen kisses or tender touches or the kind of love that isn’t weighed down by pity. He is The Thing. A man made of stone, of battle and loss, of aching loneliness that he never speaks of. And yet, here you are. Kissing him. As if he is not a monster. As if he is just a man.

- He stiffens, his whole body locking up. His heart—too big, too hopeful despite everything—stumbles in his chest. He has dreamed of things like this before, but dreams are cruel, and reality is harsher. He expects you to pull away, to realize what you’ve done, to see him and regret it. But you don’t. You don’t. And that, more than the kiss itself, threatens to undo him.

- When you finally step back, his throat works around words he can’t quite form, holding the weight of years spent convincing himself he doesn’t get to have this. His massive hands twitch at his sides, as if afraid to reach for something too fragile, too precious. “You… you sure about that?” There is doubt in his tone, not because he doesn’t want you, but because he doesn’t know how to believe you’d want him.

- But when you step closer again, pressing your hands against the solid breadth of his chest, when you tilt your head up and kiss him again, slow and sure and certain, something in him cracks. A deep, shuddering breath escapes him, and his massive arms finally—finally—come around you, pulling you close. And when he kisses you back, it is hesitant at first, reverent. But then it deepens, something raw and aching in the way he holds you, like a man who has been starved of love for far too long.

Susan Storm

- Susan Storm is a woman of grace, of careful composure, of quiet strength that bends but never breaks. She is a leader, a protector, a force of nature wrapped in silk. And yet, for all her brilliance, for all her ability to phase in and out of sight, she does not see you coming. Not when you step close. Not when your fingers graze her cheek. Not when your lips press against hers in a kiss that is as sudden as it is soft.

- Her breath stills, caught between the moment and the impossible realization of what it means. Her mind races—was she blind to this? Had she misread the signs, the weight of your glances, the unspoken words hovering between you for so long? But all thoughts unravel when she feels the warmth of your lips, the unguarded tenderness of it. She has spent her life holding herself steady, but now—now she is the one being unraveled.

- When you finally pull back, she blinks, slow and breathless, a flush creeping up her neck. “Oh,” she murmurs, a small, almost disbelieving smile tugging at the corner of her lips. A rare moment where she is not Susan Storm, the poised and polished heroine, but simply a woman standing before someone who has just shaken her world.

- And then, that moment of surprise shifts into something else—something warmer, something braver. Her fingers find your wrist, curling around it in a silent request. She meets your gaze, eyes shining with something unreadable, something soft. And when she kisses you again, it is no longer hesitation, no longer surprise—it is intention, steady and sure, as if she has made up her mind that this—you—is something she does not want to let go.

Felicia Hardy

- Felicia Hardy is a woman who dances on the edge of danger, who thrives in stolen moments and the rush of risk. She is a thief, a phantom in the night, a creature made of silver laughter and sharp edges. She knows the art of seduction, the game of push and pull, and yet—when you kiss her, it is not part of the game. It is not calculated, not played for leverage. And that is what stops her dead in her tracks.

- Her lips part against yours, a stunned exhale slipping free. For the first time in a long, long time, Felicia Hardy is caught off guard. She is used to controlling the moment, to being the one who sets the pace, who dictates the terms. But this—this—feels like something stolen from her. And she doesn’t know if she wants to steal it back, or if she wants to let herself fall.

- When you pull away, her signature smirk wavers, something uncertain flickering behind those sharp, clever eyes. “Well, well,” she purrs, but there’s a breathlessness to it, a vulnerability beneath the velvet tone. “Didn’t know you had it in you.” A tease, a cover. But her fingers twitch at her sides, as if resisting the urge to reach for you, to pull you back in, to demand more.

- And then, as if making a silent decision, she moves. She closes the space between you with a sharp, deliberate kind of grace, tilting her head with the confidence of a woman who has decided to play a game she was not expecting—but one she suddenly wants to win. When she kisses you again, it is slow, languid, laced with amusement and hunger, as if savoring the way you are the one who caught her off guard for once.

Stephen Strange

- Stephen Strange is a man of logic, of precision, of control honed by years of discipline. He bends reality to his will, commands forces beyond human comprehension, and yet—he is utterly unprepared for the moment your lips press against his.

- His body locks up, his breath caught between disbelief and something deeper, something dangerously close to longing. He does not move at first, too caught in the sheer absurdity of it. He has faced cosmic horrors, rewritten fate itself, but he cannot seem to process the feeling of your touch, the warmth of your mouth against his own.

- When you step back, he blinks, slow and calculating, as if searching for some rational explanation. “That was… unexpected,” he says at last, his voice measured but carrying the faintest waver. He looks at you as though you are a paradox he cannot solve, an anomaly in his carefully structured existence.

- And then, after a long pause, his lips curl in something resembling amusement, a rare, genuine softness breaking through the rigid control. “I suppose,” he murmurs, stepping closer, voice dropping to something almost dangerous, almost reverent, “it would only be fair if I returned the favor.” And when he kisses you again, it is with the deliberation of a man who refuses to leave anything to chance.

Namor

- Namor is not a man accustomed to surprise. He is a king, a warrior, a god walking among mortals. He has stood against empires, defied the heavens, and shaped history with his own hands. But when you kiss him—you, with your infuriating defiance and your breathtaking boldness—he is, for the first time in centuries, at a complete and utter loss.

- His entire body tenses, as if bracing for an attack rather than an act of tenderness. And yet, despite his initial shock, despite the sheer audacity of you, he does not pull away. He does not stop you. Instead, his sharp, piercing eyes darken, a slow and simmering heat curling beneath his ribs—dangerous, unrelenting.

- When you finally part, he does not speak immediately. He simply looks at you, gaze heavy with something unreadable. And then, after a moment, his lips curl—not in anger, but in something far more unsettling. Amusement. Interest. Challenge. “You are either very brave,” he murmurs, voice rich and edged with something unmistakably possessive, “or very foolish.”

- And then, before you can respond, before you can think to retreat, he moves. His hands—strong, unyielding—catch your wrist, his body closing the space between you with the effortless command of a king reclaiming what is his. And when he kisses you again, it is not a question. It is a declaration, a silent vow that whatever game you have started, he will be the one to finish.

Johnny Blaze

- Fire and damnation have clung to Johnny Blaze for as long as he can remember. He is a man marked by hellfire, by a fate he never asked for, by the weight of every soul he has ever sent screaming into the dark. He does not expect kindness, not really, not from anyone. And yet, when you kiss him—suddenly, without warning, like a spark catching dry earth—he is stunned into absolute stillness.

- The scent of smoke and leather clings to him, the remnants of something infernal lurking beneath his skin, but you do not hesitate. Your lips are warm, soft, a stark contrast to the cold edges of his existence. He has faced demons, outrun the devil himself, but this? This simple, quiet moment? It terrifies him in a way nothing else ever has.

- He exhales sharply when you pull back, as if he’s just come up for air after drowning. His blue eyes burn like embers, searching your face as if trying to understand what the hell just happened. His throat works around words he doesn’t know how to say, his fingers twitching at his sides like he wants to reach for you but doesn’t trust himself to. “You don’t wanna do that,” he finally mutters, voice rough with something dangerously close to longing.

- But when you tilt your head, when you don’t flinch, don’t pull away, don’t fear him—something in him cracks. His jaw clenches, his hands curl into fists, and then, finally, finally, he lets himself move. He grabs the back of your neck with a touch that is both possessive and reverent, and when he kisses you again, it is with the desperation of a man who has spent too many years in the dark, suddenly blinded by the light.

Eddie Brock / Venom

- Eddie Brock is a man who has lost too much, fought too hard, and learned to trust too little. He is rough around the edges, worn down by anger and regret, always bracing for the moment when the world inevitably turns against him. He is not used to gentleness—not from others, and certainly not for himself. And so, when you kiss him, when you press your lips against his like it is the most natural thing in the world, his brain short-circuits entirely.

- His first instinct is to pull back, to question, to doubt. But Venom—Venom is faster. The symbiote rumbles in amusement, in approval, wrapping around Eddie’s ribs like a second heartbeat. "We like this one," the alien purrs inside his mind, and Eddie swears under his breath because of course Venom would be delighted by this.

- “You’re—” Eddie starts, but stops himself, dragging a hand down his face like he’s trying to physically shove down the confusion. He shakes his head, glancing at you with something that is half bewilderment, half hunger. He wants to say something cocky, something to brush it off, but all that comes out is a breathless, “What the hell was that for?”

- And then Venom moves, slick tendrils curling around his shoulders, shifting his posture. "Kiss her back, Eddie," the symbiote urges, a wicked, knowing grin in his voice. And—God help him—Eddie does. He surges forward, his grip strong, his kiss a mixture of frustration and want, like he’s fighting against how much he needs this, how much he needs you. And when he finally breaks away, his breath is ragged, his pupils blown wide. Shit.

T’Challa

- T’Challa is not a man who is easily surprised. He is a king, a warrior, a strategist who sees every angle before the game even begins. His mind is always ten steps ahead, his composure an unshakable force of nature. And yet—when you kiss him, when you step close without prelude or warning, tilting your chin up to press your lips to his—he is caught entirely off guard.

- His breath hitches, just slightly, so small a reaction that most would not catch it. But you are not most. You are you, and you notice the way his body stills, the way his fingers twitch at his sides as if warring with the impulse to pull you closer. His heartbeat is steady, measured, but beneath the surface—oh, beneath the surface, you have sent ripples through a man who does not bend easily.

- When you part from him, his dark eyes study your face with a sharpness that borders on unreadable. “You are bold,” he says, but there is no admonishment in his tone—only observation, only something deeply considering. His gaze is heavy, knowing, like he has already unraveled every reason why you did it. And yet, for all his brilliance, there is one question left unanswered.

- And so, after a pause, he tilts his head ever so slightly, a slow, deliberate movement. “Was that a challenge?” The words are a whisper, rich and silken, spoken against your lips as he closes the space between you once more. His kiss is not hurried, not desperate—it is a promise, a declaration, a reminder that T’Challa does nothing without intention. And you? You have just become something he intends to keep.

Elektra Natchios

- Elektra moves like a shadow, like a blade cutting through the dark, like something that cannot be held for long. She is sharp edges and silken danger, a whisper of death wrapped in a dancer’s grace. She does not trust easily. She does not love easily. And yet, when you kiss her—fast, sudden, without warning—she does not push you away. No. She freezes, her entire body tensed, not out of resistance, but because she did not see it coming.

- For a woman who has spent her life reading people like open books, you have just managed to turn a page she did not anticipate. Her lips part against yours, not in invitation but in sheer, startled stillness. The moment you step back, her gaze is already piercing into you, unreadable and electric, the air between you charged with something taut and dangerous.

- “That,” she breathes, eyes narrowing just slightly, “was foolish.” But the way she says it—it is not a warning, not truly. It is curiosity, the ghost of something far more wicked lurking beneath the surface. She watches you like a cat watching its prey, her fingers twitching at her sides, as if deciding whether to draw a weapon or pull you back in.

- And then, just as quickly, just as effortlessly, she moves. Her hand catches your wrist, yanking you forward with a force that is not violent but possessive. And when she kisses you this time, it is not hesitation—it is fire and fury, a battle won with the curl of her fingers at your nape, the press of her body against yours. If this is a game, you have just signed yourself into a war. And Elektra Natchios? She never loses.

Muse

- Muse does not feel things the way others do. Art consumes him, violence is his language, and the world is nothing but a blank canvas begging to be marred. He has wandered through blood-soaked streets and carved poetry into walls with trembling hands, but this—this sudden kiss, this moment where your lips press against his without prelude or warning—is something entirely new.

- He does not flinch. He does not gasp. He does not react in any way that might be considered human. Instead, he listens. To the way your breath hitches. To the way your heartbeat stumbles in your chest. To the way the world stills around him, just for a moment, like existence itself is waiting to see what he will do next. And oh, how he loves the weight of expectation.

- When you finally pull back, his blind eyes remain locked onto you, empty and unreadable, yet somehow knowing. His lips part—not in surprise, but in something closer to fascination. “Beautiful,” he murmurs, the word almost a sigh, almost a prayer. “Do it again.” It is not a request. It is not a plea. It is a command wrapped in velvet, spoken like a secret only you were meant to hear.

- And when you hesitate, when you wonder if it is wise, if it is safe, he simply tilts his head, his smile carving itself into his face like a brushstroke on an unfinished painting. His fingers ghost over your jaw, not quite touching, not yet. “I wonder,” he muses, voice lilting with something dangerous, something close to reverence, “how many shades of red I could pull from your lips alone.”

Victor von Doom

- Victor von Doom does not tolerate surprises. His mind is a kingdom unto itself, a fortress built upon knowledge and control. There is no action he takes that is not calculated, no movement that is not deliberate. And yet—when you kiss him, when you dare to step into his space and press your lips against his without permission, without warning—it is the one moment he does not anticipate.

- His body tenses, not in shock but in something colder, something unreadable. There is steel in his stance, in the way his fingers curl ever so slightly at his sides. For one impossibly long second, the world feels as if it has stopped, as if the very air around you is waiting for his verdict. And then, his hands rise—not to push you away, but to cup your face with the precision of a sculptor, as if he is considering whether to keep this moment or cast it aside.

- “Foolish,” he murmurs, though his grip does not loosen. His green eyes burn into yours, heavy with something unreadable, something vast. “You mistake me for a man who yields to impulse.” But you can feel it—the faint tremor beneath his touch, the war waging behind his gaze. You have shaken something in him. Something he does not have words for.

- And then, Doom decides. His grip tightens just slightly, his gaze darkens, and when he leans in, it is not hesitant. It is not uncertain. No, Victor von Doom does not do anything halfway. His lips capture yours with the finality of a ruler taking his throne, with the weight of a choice made, a fate sealed. And when he pulls away, he exhales sharply, as if he has allowed himself one moment of indulgence—and nothing more. “You are either very bold,” he muses, voice quiet, “or very foolish.” And then, after a pause, after a second’s hesitation— “Perhaps both.”

Peter Quill

- Peter Quill has been kissed before. By strangers in bars, by lovers who knew better, by the lingering ghosts of memories he refuses to let go of. But this—this kiss, your kiss—catches him completely off guard.

- He is mid-sentence, probably saying something ridiculous, something cocky, something meant to make you roll your eyes—and then, suddenly, your lips are on his, stealing the words right from his mouth. His brain short-circuits so violently that for a full second, he just stands there, hands hovering awkwardly like he doesn’t know what to do with them.

- And then, like a delayed reaction, like an aftershock, he grins. A slow, lazy, completely obnoxious grin that spreads across his face like wildfire. “Well, damn,” he breathes, blinking at you like he’s just been hit by a starship. “If I knew that’s how you felt, I would’ve shut up ages ago.”

- But then—just when you think he’ll ruin it with another joke—he tugs you forward, his fingers curling around your waist with an easy kind of confidence. And when he kisses you this time, it is deeper, slower, like he’s savoring it, like he means it. And maybe, just maybe, Peter Quill has finally found something—someone—worth holding onto.

Nova (Richard Rider)

- Richard Rider has been through hell. He has seen galaxies burn, has carried the weight of worlds on his shoulders, has fought and bled and lost more than he can put into words. He is tired. He is so tired. And yet—when you kiss him, when you pull him down from the weight of the cosmos and remind him of something as simple, as human as this—he forgets, just for a moment, how heavy the universe feels.

- His breath stutters. His entire body tenses, like he’s waiting for something to go wrong, like he’s bracing for an impact that never comes. He has been hurt before, has been broken in ways that no amount of power can fix, and yet—this is different. You are different.

- “I—” he starts, but the words get lost somewhere between his lips and yours. He laughs, but it’s not the cocky, confident sound most people expect from him. It’s breathless, unsure. He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. “Didn’t see that coming.” But the way he looks at you—the way his blue eyes soften, the way his fingers twitch like he wants to reach for you and doesn’t know if he should—tells you that maybe, just maybe, he’s glad you caught him off guard.

- And then, slowly, hesitantly, he steps closer. He cups your face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over your cheekbones with a gentleness that feels at odds with the battles he’s fought, with the wars he’s survived. And when he kisses you again, it is not hurried, not rushed. It is quiet. It is careful. It is real. Because for the first time in a long, long time—Richard Rider is not fighting. He is simply here. With you.

[arrimorr]

Alright,

A base lore info about my setting.

Most of it was yapped away through the asks already, but I decided that it's still worth to organise this stuff in a coherent manner. This text also doesn't really touch on the character's arcs and their relationships with each other. This is more about the wider setting.

SHORT VERSION:

Tginf is a horror roadtrip game I'm planning to make. Embark on a terribly convoluted forest car ride with different local creatures hitchhiking your car.

EXTENDED VERSION:

The main character: You (are going to) play as the Nameless, a 20+ year old without a name, a concrete gender or any understanding of who they should become to avoid getting crushed by a closing in adult life.

The forest:

The forest they got unlucky to travel through is a strict eco system. Everything not useful to it gets digested by it. Literally slowly disintegrated to at least feed the soil. At least this process takes some time.

The feudals:

Luckily, the forest road is ruled by three higher beings, that can save the useless travelers and give each of them a useful (in their opinion) role to play.

The names of the feudals are: the Oxygen, the King of the road, the Mine.

You can easily envision their domains if you split the forest space in three layers. Everything thats above it, everything that is on the ground, and everything below it. Every forest entity that the Nameless encounter serves one of them.

Because their territories are literally stacked on top of each other, the three don't get along particularly well and have been in a territorial conflict for centuries. For feudals, acquiring new followers through picking up the stranded and lost is another way of getting new recources in it.

The specifics of each feudal and their individual followers:

The Oxygen:

The Oxygen is physically invincible and, because of that, she never had to rely on anyone in her existence. This had a big effect on her personality. Unlike the King of the Road and the Mine, she doesn't really NEED followers. She can create servants out of thin air, like she did with the Dummy*. She picks up the travelers for her own amusement, and because the King and the Mine are invested in collecting them.

Her followers are:

The Dummy,

the Diver,

the Time Seller.

* The Dummy was created as a jab at the King of the Road's second hand - the Knight.

* The Diver is there as a statement of ineffectiveness on the King's ruling manner. He does the same job his followers do, but with one important change added.

* The Time seller was made into a tiger, because the Oxygen wanted to see what would happen if she fully dehumanises somebody. She likes experimenting like that.

The King of the Road:

The King of the road is very physically fragile. He needs protection, and, despite his rather gentle demeanor, time made him paranoid and fixated on the idea of control. He collects the followers to avoid any new and unpredictable variables appearing in the forest.

Through trial and error, he came to a conclusion that love is the greatest source of loyalty and motivation, so he tampers with his followers' brains to make sure they love him and the work he gives them.

His followers are:

the Tennant,

the Radio host,

(Sorry, don't have a proper picture of her yet, since her main way of communication is...well...radio, and because I ran into Tumblr's picture per post limit, I decided to cut what I had of her imagery away)

the Knight.

*The Forest is full of eldritch, sentient and, most importantly, hungry places, such as the house, the radio tower and the grand lake. The King aims to station his followers in them, so they are in his area of control too. The Tennant and the Radio host view their designated places as if they are their marriage partners. They love them, they provide for them.

*The King also prefers to take his time before taking a new follower in. After all, the more he waits, the more the traveler gets digested by the forest, allowing the King to rebuild his new follower to his liking. Sadly, the opportunity to wait long enough rarely presents itself because of the Oxygen and the Mine interfering all the time, thus, the only follower he got to fully reconstruct from the state of blank meat was the Knight. This made him the most predictable and by extension the most trustworthy being in the forest to him.

The Mine:

About a year ago I watched a documentary about mine workers. A part of it was dedicated to the fact, that, in case of that particular mine, people should have been working inside of it 24/7, otherwise the tunnels were guaranteed to slowly become toxic. What caught my attention was the way they spoke about it. They said something along the lines of "otherwise she would start to suffocate". And that unexpected personification never left my mind ever since.

SO, the Mine in tginf sufferers from a constant lack of oxygen, and starts to gradually suffocate if there's is no one performing the maintenance work inside of her. The problem is - she is toxic, thus none of her followers live particularly long inside of her. Which places her in a constant struggle to get herself the new ones. She lets her followers out on the road only for one purpose - to promote the service to her to the new travelers. Followers like that are all called Pr agents. Out of the three feudals, the Mine is the most reliant on others to survive.

Her followers are, you won't believe it:

Pr agent 117, Pr agent 121, Pr agent 124/178 (the number changes depending on the story route)

( sorry (2) 😭 had to collage them bc of the picture count limitation)

*None of them lived long enough to meet the other.

I also made a voice claim post some time ago, you can check it out to feel the characters too

[nemo-writes]

𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻 I chapter five

(dr. jack abbot x nurse!reader)

⤿ chapter summary: a plan finally takes shape—strategic shifts, safer hours, and unexpected sanctuary. but even with allies circling close, doubt lingers like a shadow. control is slipping, and routine has fractured.

⤿ warning(s): none

⟡ story masterlist ; previous I next

✦ word count: 2.3k

Gloria’s office had always felt more like a boardroom than a refuge—glass‑topped side tables, perfectly aligned diplomas, and an ever‑present scent of cedar polish that warned staff not to leave coffee rings. Tonight, crowded onto the plush leather couch with your face buried in your hands, the room felt suffocating, its walls too close, the air too heavy.

You rubbed your temples, eyes closed, trying desperately to block out the whirl of voices and tension surrounding you. Too many people, too many opinions, too many variables. Your head was throbbing, exhaustion and anxiety pressing down heavily on your chest. You didn’t have the strength or energy left to speak up and say anything—let alone make a decision.

Kiara perched on your right, her shoulder barely touching yours in a silent promise: I’m here, you’re not alone.

Margot had taken a seat on one of the chairs opposite the couch, one leg crossed tightly over the other, her posture tense and anxious. She shifted restlessly every few seconds, dark eyes flashing as she glanced repeatedly at Gloria, who was pacing the floor behind her desk. The charge nurse's impatience was evident—she was a woman of action, someone who didn’t like to sit idle when trouble loomed.

Gloria, meanwhile, had been pacing for several minutes, heels clicking rhythmically across the polished wooden floor. Her short hair swayed with each sharp, deliberate step, her expression drawn tight with administrative worry. It was clear she felt cornered, stuck between the pressure of maintaining order—keeping the board and investors placated—and her genuine concern for your wellbeing. She might have been a strict bureaucrat, known for holding firm lines and pushing staff to their limits, but when it came to a crisis, you knew from experience there was nobody better in your corner.

“We need to do something,” Margot finally said, breaking the tense silence. Her voice was tight, strained with barely-contained urgency. “We can’t just sit here doing nothing.”

Gloria finally stopped pacing abruptly, turning to face her with frustration clearly etched into her features. “And what exactly do you suggest?” she challenged, voice clipped. “We don’t have enough evidence, we don’t even have a solid lead on who this stalker could be. If we move recklessly, we risk tipping them off or escalating the situation.”

Margot shook her head stubbornly, jaw tight. “But doing nothing—”

Kiara intervened gently, as if afraid to break you out of whatever fragile calm you’d managed to maintain. “Gloria’s right, Margot. If we rush this, we might miss something crucial. Or worse, put her in danger. We have to proceed carefully.”

Margot let out an exasperated breath, fingers drumming sharply on the arm of her chair as her gaze cut to Kiara and then to Gloria. “Carefully hasn’t worked so far,” she said, frustration surfacing like a crack in granite. “We can’t just keep waiting for something else to happen before we act. She’s not safe.”

��And this isn’t the first time, Gloria,” she went on, voice pitching higher with anger she’d kept corked for weeks. “Remember the break‑in scare last quarter? The suspicious vehicles that kept circling the staff lot? Robby’s been screaming about beefing up security at the ER annex and at The Pitt for ages—he’s practically blue in the face—and you keep telling him it’s ‘not the right budget cycle.’”

Gloria’s jaw twitched. “That is not what I said,” she replied, tone clipped. “I said resources had to be prioritized—”

“Prioritized?” Margot scoffed, leaning forward. “Prioritized until someone ends up hurt again? We’re flirting with that line right now, and you know it.”

Kiara, sensing the escalation, curled a gentle hand over your shoulder, grounding you with a light squeeze. “Exactly,” she soothed, voice calm but firm as she addressed both of them. “Let’s find a balanced approach. Her safety and peace of mind are the priority. Moving too aggressively could backfire, yes—but moving too slowly already has.”

“I know,” Gloria said, cutting through the tension with a commanding steadiness. “Believe me, I know. But we have to think about the big picture. Any action we take needs to be deliberate—thought‑out, not just emotionally driven. A half‑measure that blows up in our faces will leave her even more exposed.”

The discussion swirled intensely around you, a storm of conflicting opinions, but it felt distant, muffled behind your internal wall of exhaustion. Their voices felt like they were echoing from somewhere far away, bouncing off the walls of your weary mind.

Your shoulders tightened further, a painful knot settling into your chest. The urge to say something, anything, clawed at your throat, but it felt impossible. You were caught between gratitude and frustration, overwhelmed by their intensity, by their well-meaning concern that only heightened your anxiety.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, you spoke up, voice raw and thin. “Please…just stop.”

All three women went silent immediately, their gazes snapping toward you, startled.

“I appreciate that you’re all trying to help,” you said slowly, voice trembling despite your effort at control. “But it’s all… too much. Too many voices, too many ideas, too many ways things could go wrong”

Kiara pressed closer, her expression compassionate and understanding. Margot sat back slightly, the urgency fading into quiet concern as she listened intently. Gloria stepped forward carefully, resting a hand lightly on the edge of her desk, her eyes softened with genuine sympathy.

“I just need a starting point,” Gloria finally said, half to herself, half to the room, as she skimmed a printed roster of staff schedules. “Something besides blind guesses.”

You inhaled, feeling the dry office air scrape your lungs, then set your phone on the glass coffee table with an almost ceremonial clink.

“I do have something.” Your voice sounded frayed to your own ears, but at least it held. You unlocked the screen, scrolling to a document filled with color‑coded lines. “Every unlisted call, every text from numbers I didn’t recognize—time stamps, where I was when I got it, screenshots… everything since the first message.”

Margot leaned forward, eyes wide. “You logged it all?” Her tone balanced exasperation with reluctant admiration. “Only you would catalog harassment like it’s a quarterly audit.”

You lifted a shoulder, half‑shrugging. “Control helps me breathe.”

Kiara gave your wrist a gentle squeeze. “It was smart,” she murmured. “It might be the pattern we need.”

Gloria stopped pacing, reaching out to draw the phone toward her, scrolling. “This is good. Very good.”

“But not enough,” Margot countered, her heel tapping a jittery rhythm. “We still don’t know who’s behind it.”

Gloria nodded, already switching from admiration to strategy. “Which is why we alter the equation. We move her to nights—”

Margot’s chair legs scraped the floor. “Gloria—”

“Let me finish.” Her voice cut clean. “Night shift means badge‑access points only, two roaming guards every hour, CCTV covering every blind corner. More eyes, fewer random visitors, tighter perimeter.”

Kiara’s frown deepened. “Night also means fewer coworkers around if something goes wrong.”

“Which is why she won’t be alone,” Gloria said. “First, we’re moving her out of Trauma entirely—she’ll work the overnight ER roster where security coverage is heaviest.” She glanced at you to be sure the change registered, then continued, “And once the paperwork’s filed, I’ll call Bridget and Dr. Abbott tonight to put them fully in the loop.”

Jack’s name stirred a complicated flutter in your chest. Relief tugged one way—precise and unflappable, could steady chaos with a look. But anxiety tugged the other—he would hear every tremor in your voice, read the exhaustion in your eyes, and remind you how seldom you lean on anyone. The idea soothed and stung all at once.

Kiara noticed the shift in your expression. “It’s all right,” she murmured. “Dr. Abbot will want to help—and Bridget, too.”

You nodded, though your stomach flipped as your voice shrunk. “I know. It’s just… he’ll see how bad it’s gotten.”

“Exactly why he needs to be called,” Gloria replied, her tone softening. “You shouldn’t shoulder this on your own.”

Margot cleared her throat, still bristling with protective energy. “And you’re not going back to your apartment.” She lifted a hand when you started to protest. “No argument. You’ll stay with me and Ben. We'll help you move your stuff into our spare room—you’ll be safe with us until this is over.”

The word safe settled over you like an unfamiliar quilt—soft, warm, yet almost too heavy, as though you’d forgotten how security felt on your skin. It draped across the restless parts of your mind, muffling the constant thrum of what‑ifs, though not silencing them entirely.

Beside you, Kiara’s hand slipped from your wrist to entwine gently with your fingers, her touch feather‑light yet steady. The small press of her thumb against your knuckle was a quiet reminder that standing still didn’t mean standing alone. You drew a breath—slow, unhurried for the first time in hours—and felt your shoulders melt downward, the tension loosening by inches as you squeezed back. Doubt lingered, a shadow in the corner of the room, but you didn’t push the comfort away. Not today.

“Okay,” you said, voice thin but resolute. 

Margot’s posture eased, a small, victorious smile tugging at her mouth. Gloria straightened, back to business—but with a newly visible softness.

“I’ll draft the shift change tonight,” she said, tapping her tablet. “ER overnight starts next Monday. Then I’ll make the calls.” She glanced up, holding your gaze. “You focus on resting. We’ll handle the rest.”

The room settled into a quieter rhythm—plans noted, roles assigned. Your phone vibrated once on the table: an innocuous calendar reminder that still made your heart jolt. Kiara caught your glance and reached over, silencing it before it could add to the noise.

You inhaled again, steadier this time, and the cedar‑polished air seemed just a hint easier to breathe.

. . .

The change came faster than you’d expected—yet not so fast that anyone outside your tight circle could trace the seams you'd stitched.

In just a few days, and as promised, Gloria reshuffled schedules, pulled strings with HR, approved overtime for a skeleton night‑staff surge, and filed every authorization under bland, bureaucratic codes that wouldn’t raise a single board‑member eyebrow. By the time the rumour mill caught wind of something moving on graveyard, the paperwork was already signed and the rotating rosters locked.

And Ben, of course—because Ben was now part of your daily geography.

Margot’s townhouse sat on a quiet street two neighborhoods over, a tidy brick façade with a postage‑stamp lawn and wind chimes that clinked restlessly whenever the evening storms rolled off the hills. The spare room smelled faintly of lemon detergent and paperback pages; Ben no only had personally picked up everything you wrote down from your apartment, but also cleared a whole dresser for you, laid out towels, even installed a sturdier deadbolt after Margot’s terse text: Extra security. Don’t ask, just do.

You were grateful—deeply—but still off balance.

The bed creaked differently than your own. The curtains filtered dawn light in a way that felt both soothing and wrong. You caught yourself half‑reaching for things that weren’t there: your bedside scissors, the blinking camera console you’d rigged in your apartment windows, the precise order of mugs in your cabinet. Control had slipped its leash, and you spent the first two nights drifting around the room like a ghost trying to memorize new walls.

The third morning of the new loop—a weary Friday edging toward pink sunrise—found you alone in Margot’s spare room, slippers kicked under the bed. The house was silent except for Ben’s coffeemaker sputtering two floors down and the faint tick of the hallway clock. You sat on the edge of the mattress, phone heavy in your hand. Messages with Jack were threaded there—quick roof‑top updates, clipped assurances—but never a call. Not once. Until now.

One breath. Another. Just do it.

You pressed his name.

It rang once—twice—

“Hey.” His voice was low, tentative, instantly familiar in a way that tightened your throat. You had to pinch the bridge of your nose to keep sudden tears at bay.

“Hi,” you croaked, then cleared your throat. Silence crackled; he seemed to sense you didn’t have words yet.

“Gloria briefed me,” Jack said, filling the quiet so you didn’t have to. “Bridget too. We know about the shift change, the new security plan, Ben’s shuttle service—most of it, anyway.”

You exhaled shakily. “I’m… sorry,” you whispered. “Didn’t want to add more to your load. I swear I’ll keep The Pitt running like nothing’s wrong.”

“Stop,” he murmured—not sharp, but unarguable. “You’re not a burden, and pretending nothing’s wrong is the last thing you should do. You deserve to be looked after, and I intend to do just that.”

The words hit like warm water over ice, equal parts comfort and ache. You scrubbed at your eyes. “Jack, I—I don't want you to see me like this,” you admitted, voice small.

“That’s the point,” he replied, gentle steel beneath the calm. “We treat what we see, remember?”

A fragile laugh escaped you. “Doctor logic.”

“The best kind,” he said, softer. “Tell Ben I’ll meet you ten minutes before every shift—right at the main ER doors. From tonight on, I walk you in and I walk you back out. Non‑negotiable.”

You closed your eyes, letting the promise settle like a weighted blanket. The wind chimes tinkled outside Margot’s front window, a quiet counterpoint to the thump of your heart.

“Okay,” you breathed. “Thank you.”

“Get some sleep,” Jack said. You could almost picture the measured concern on his face, the way his brow pinched when he worried. “Text me when you wake up.”

The call ended, leaving the room hushed but somehow steadier. You set the phone on the nightstand, the lemon‑clean sheets rustling as you finally slid under. Change had stolen your routines, but it had also delivered a new one—and for now, that fragile lattice was enough to rest on.

Outside, the wind shifted, carrying dusk’s chill through the chimes, but inside, you let your eyes close, the echo of Jack’s vow lingering like a quiet heartbeat in the half‑lit room.

divider credit

[lotuswish]

˗ˏˋ what loving you feels like to them (pt. 4 - ignihyde) ☠︎︎ .ᐟ

summary: have you ever wondered what falling in love feels like for each twisted wonderland boy? this series explores love from their perspective-how their personalities, experiences, and desires shape what loving you means to them.

featured character(s): idia shroud (no ortho).

content warning(s): none.

a/n: no ortho here—he’s baby, and that’s final. what loving you feels like to them might occasionally use the same words, but those words mean something a little different for each of them. it might sound familiar, but it's still their own!

link(s): (masterlist) (pt. 1 - scarabia) (pt. 2 - savanaclaw) (pt. 3 - heartslabyul) (pt. 4 - you are here) (pt. 5 - pomefiore) (pt. 6 - octavinelle) (pt. 7 - diasomnia)

idia shroud

loving you feels like stumbling into a storyline idia shroud never thought he’d get to be part of. love was something he dismissed as a fantasy, the kind of thing that belonged in fairy tales or cheesy RPGs—dramatic, improbable, and definitely not meant for someone like him. but then you appeared, and it was like an unexpected cutscene he didn’t see coming, pulling him out of his predictable, carefully controlled world and into something that felt both heart-pounding and deeply, unmistakably real.

idia has always lived in the safety of the familiar. his world is a perfectly crafted routine, a place where he knows the rules and controls the outcomes. but loving you throws all of that into disarray. you’re the unscripted event, the glitch in his carefully coded reality, the variable that changes everything. it’s overwhelming, like trying to navigate an intricate maze with no clear path, but he finds himself drawn deeper, unable to pull away, even when it feels like he’s completely lost.

loving you is a paradox he can’t quite figure out. it’s frightening—letting you see the parts of himself he’s spent years hiding, the awkwardness, the insecurities, the crippling fear of rejection. but at the same time, it’s the safest he’s ever felt. with you, he finds a kind of security he’s only ever known with ortho, a sense of belonging in a world that’s always felt too loud, too chaotic, too much. you don’t try to change him or push him out of his comfort zone before he’s ready. instead, you meet him exactly where he is, offering patience and understanding he never thought he deserved.

being with you feels like logging into the ultimate co-op campaign. every challenge becomes less daunting when you’re by his side, every obstacle a little less intimidating. you make things fun in a way he didn’t think was possible—turning the toughest battles into adventures and making him actually want to keep playing, no matter how hard the level gets. it’s the kind of bond he’s spent his whole life wishing for but never thought he could actually have.

what catches him off guard is how much you make him want to change—not because he feels he has to, but because he genuinely wants to. for the first time, he feels like stepping out of his comfort zone might be worth it, even if it means facing things that scare him. being with you gives him a sense of hope, a belief that he can be someone stronger, braver, and better than the person he’s always seen himself as.

for idia, loving you feels like uncovering a hidden level he never expected—something challenging and unpredictable but offering a reward far beyond anything he ever imagined. the world is still overwhelming, but now there’s something in it that makes the struggle worthwhile. with you, he starts to see possibilities he never thought were meant for him, and that alone changes everything.

congrats on making it to the end! if you enjoyed this, likes, comments, follows, and reblogs are always appreciated—they help motivate me to keep creating and sharing!

[eclipseberrycake]

Mother Dearest (Moonflower X Reader)

AN: SO I have to be real lowkey, I'm not the biggest fan of moon flower, but like the request hit a lil too close to home. I know, I know I can't believe the person writing fanfic of toons have polycules has mommy issues/lh Im jk dw

I have daddy issues too. ANYWAY-

This was a request!

☁ You're relationship with your mother was...complicated. It was a mixture of both coddling and smothering while also being overbearing enough it suffocated you.

☁ She always had a say in what you wore, how you talked, who you befriended, even who who you dated.

☁ No one was ever good enough in her eyes. She always belittled them either to their face or to you when they left, crushing any semblance you ever had of impressing her into a miniscule crumb.

☁ It was a tiring and heavy feeling admittedly and it made you feel mere inches tall.

☁ Impressing your mother was such a heavy burden at times, you wished more than anything for some form of support, but alas how can you find support when the closest connection you have is the very problem.

☁ There's a heavy variable of control she has over your life that drastically minimizes the help you can get with expressing yourself. Oppressive in a way.

☁ You thought that would've been your life forever. Even after the outbreak and you were cured (Your mother had managed to get away with her handler leaving you behind), you feared what she thought.

☁ And then you met Dandy. He was an odd toon, and the way he looked at you made shivers crawl up your spine. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it made you aware.

☁ The way his eyes scanned you up and down made you feel like you were under a microscope, yet he only ever greeted you with a smile. He always had a compliment for you whenever he popped up, making your cheeks flush as you shied away.

☁ He never once strayed from his path however, eventually evolving to pressing soft kisses against your knuckles with cheeky winks as he left once more.

☁ It was an odd feeling, moreso when you met Astro.

☁ Astro was a quiet individual. Often startling you when he spoke and you hadn't heard him come up behind you. He always offered you an apologetic smile at the action and made an effort to make more noise if he was moving near you. It was thoughtful and made your chest flutter in the same way it did when Dandy kissed your knuckles.

☁ Both were incredibly sweet on you, taking the time and patience necessary to woo you with soft words and gentle gestures. Anything more made your skittish self immediately revert back three steps, starting the whole game all over again.

☁ It was a struggle at first for them, for multiple reasons. One being they never understood where this came from. What kind of experiences have you had to make you feel this way?

☁ It was also a struggle as one day, a hand on your back would be welcomed and even enjoyed, but the next would make you jump so high they were surprised you didn't make records.

☁ It was always a judge of your character that day truly, but they never understood why.

☁ They persevered though, continuing to pursue a relationship with you.

☁ It was a slow, and somewhat tedious one, but one cherished nonetheless. Slowly you opened up, showing the personality that you kept so carefully hidden. It made them beam with pride every time it shined through, watching you thrive like you were meant to do.

☁ Honestly. Dandy and Astro are a good match for this kind of individual to be honest. Astro's patience means he's easy to open up too and can remain calm even when the things you tell him make him very... not. He waits for you and allows you to come to him, showing him what you wish to show him.

☁ Dandy is...not very patient. He's much more assertive and, ironically, brings you a sense of comfort with how he acts and his domineering personality. The difference between Dandy and your mother however, is Dandy only pushes on things he knows you'd like or things he knows you've done before. Never what he thinks or what he wants you to do, it's always for your best interest.

☁ Between the two of them, they help build your confidence steadily enough you ask if they would like to meet your mother.

☁ And though they agree, there's a stone of uncertainty in all of you.

☁ She comes to Gardenview on her own terms, all upturned noses and wrinkled brows. She looks at you like you're an extension of herself, but the part of she walks on.

☁ It's a look of contempt as she tries to figure out what you wanted her for, making you avoid her glance as you fiddle with your fingers.

☁ The way she looks at you alone makes Dandy's smile tighten as his eye twitches, the familiar crawl of ichor up his spine making him shiver. He can't lose control. Not yet.

☁ Astro himself steps closer to you, biting his tongue so hard he's sure it starts to bleed as he keeps a hand on your shoulder, reminding you that he's here, will always be there and nothing will change that.

☁ Your mother scoffs at this, narrowing her eyes with a glower that just makes you shrink. "What is this?" She sneers and you wince.

☁ Dandy's pretty sure his knuckles crack with how hard he clutches his hands. Still, he manages to uncurl one, holding it out as he slaps on his showtime grin once more. "Dandicus Dancifer, but you can just call me Dandy! Pleased as punch to meet you!" He says cheerfully, even if the bubbling rage in his gut is anything but.

☁ She snorts at him, eyes darting to where she knows Astro is. Astro meets her glare, refusing to back down as he steps closer to you. "Astro Novalite."

☁ "Mom," Your voice shakes as you once again pull her attention to you. "These...are my partners."

☁ Dandy almost winces at the waver in your voice as you refuse to look up from your hands, locking eyes with Astro from where he stands. Astro's frowning as his hand rubs up and down your back, his jaw clenched so hard Dandy's sure his teeth are paying the price.

☁ Seems it was up to him. Which was fine. Dandy was used to tough crowds.

☁ Just as your mother opens her mouth, Dandy cuts in. "Yes, Ma'am. They swept us right up off our feet! You raised quite the angel." He layers the honey on so thick she doesn't pick up on the venom underlaying his tone, evident in the way she blinks, seemingly in surprise.

☁ For a second, her eyes dart over to the side, where a cut out of him stands welcoming guests. Immediately he can see her pupils expand, darting from that to the posters of both him and Astro hung up.

☁ "You're the Dandy and Astro?" She prods and he realizes she's finally clicked onto who they are in the grand scheme of things. It boils his gut at the thought of her only liking them for their status, but it means they get to keep you, he's fine exploiting it, even just a little.

☁ He does a bow, sneering to himself as his head is angled toward the floor. "That's right!"

☁ "And dating...them?" She asks and he can hear Astro's star shards thrum to life before he's urging them away.

☁ He understands the feeling all too well as he raises. You look near tears and the very thought makes the ichor wish to roar to life. He doesn't let it, gently wiping his thumbs under your eyes. "Aw, petal-"

☁ "Yes." Astro cuts in, calling the attention to his mean glower. "We are. If you don't like it, sucks to be you." He speaks with such a finality, Dandy finds himself a little awestruck by the celestial as he holds you close.

☁ You're mother gapes for a second before realizing there's no real driving them off or even making them bend beneath her, so she tries a different tactic, a smile crawling across her face. Her hands clap together, suddenly all sunshine and rainbows.

☁ "Quite the contrary, I think you're both a great match for them." Her eyes sharpen, but she says nothing more on the matter. "Now, I was only supposed to be here a short while, I must get going. Do take care of them for me will you? They were such a difficult child at times, I can only imagine it's the same now." She snaps with a finality in her tone that makes you wilt all over again before she's walking out the front doors.

☁ There's a moment of silence before both boys are turning to you, apologies already on the tip of their tongue before you're jumping onto them, arms wrapped around them as you alternate between kissing each of their cheeks. Astro fumbles over whatever he was going to say, immediately flushing pink as Dandy goofily holds a hand to his cheek when you pull away.

☁ You're cheeks are a gorgeous shade of magenta , making him grin before you're speaking. "Thank you. No one's ever done that for me before." You say, suddenly shy as you avoid looking them.

☁ "Oh petal, any time." He moves to press his own kisses to your cheek, making you laugh as Astro copies him before both let you breath.

☁"Youre mom sucks though." Astro cuts in, suddenly serious as he looks at the door.

☁"Hardcore." Dandy agrees.

☁ You don't say anything, but for once, you don't wilt at the very mention of her.

[aniqua]

error: b3n3v013nt | yandere!qimir x droid!reader

✧content: 18+ mdni, f!reader, smut, angst, overstim, p in v, mean qimir, dacryphilia, pathetic dom qimir, mentions of character death, edging, punishment, condescension, toxic relationship, reader and the waterworks

✧note: chasing the clock before I head to my job. no grammar checks until later, we die like girlbosses.

✧word count: 4.8K

✧series masterlist

The defense protocols of your system registered the angle of attack the instant Qimir decided to send you a punch. So when you dodged it, you anticipated to be in the clear. However, it was foolish of you to be sloppy. It was a strike that wasn’t in your field of view that took you down. You felt him swipe you from under your feet, resulting in you impacting the mat for the sixth time. Even with all your effort, your intelligence couldn’t make up for the experience he had over you. Your only solution was to whine as you lay on the mat and watch him stand over you with a smirk that fostered frustration in your thoughts.

“Can I activate self-defense?” you said with all the petulance you could manufacture. Activating self-defense meant activating your strength which you understood was one of the many reasons why it was your third time requesting permission in the first place.

Qimir took your hand and brought you back up so effortlessly to stand parallel to him. “And what’re you gonna do if you end up in a situation where you can’t? A glitch isn’t likely–”

“But the possibility is never zero,” you recited in defeat as you recalculated your plan of attack.

“Ready?” Qimir asked as he returned to a defensive stance. His biceps were promising to break his longsleeves yet he seemed entirely in control of every contraction and relaxation of his muscles. You nodded and anchored your feet ready for your next round. 

Qimir went for a few simple swings and weak spots to reinforce your learning. As you blocked each attack and tried–but failed–to land your own, you felt the intensity increase. You made a concerted effort to lock in your focus even as you watched him move like rushing water. It felt like solving equations as variables were rapidly being changed. It all came to a head when he secured a hold on your wrists and pinned both of your hands behind your back.

All the falling came to a stop as you listened to him catch his breath while you mimicked his breath even though there was no reason for you to. It was a force of habit.

As Qimir stood there with his chest against your back, he couldn’t resist drawing a bit closer to let your scent wash over him like a prize for victory. He had you cornered which excited the pedagogue. Not a moment with you did he not use every opportunity to abuse the proximity that he would always have a hand in orchestrating. To indulge, he placed himself in between where your neck and shoulder met.

“Is this a part of the lesson?” you asked as your eyes danced around.

“I hope not,” he said and went for a kiss to your neck. “Do you plan for anyone else to do this to you?” he asked in between each kiss’s breath. You were getting better at reading between the lines he wrote but sometimes it took you a while. The pause to process earned you a playful bite on your neck that had you leep from your skin.

“Qimir,” you called. He still had your arms pinned.

“You didn’t answer the question,” he taunted through playful tight lips.

“No,” you answer.

“Good,” you could hear him smile even if you didn’t see it. He landed a final kiss on your cheek and then spoke a few words into your ear. “[Name], activate self-defense,” he whispered.

Your back straightened on demand as your eyes flashed white.

Without any further instruction, you elbowed Qimir with enough force to knock him far back enough to meet the nearby wall. You hadn’t seen the collision but the thud and followed groan was enough for you to use inductive reasoning.

“Qimir!” you gasped as you ran.

“I’m good,” he sported an unconvincing smile while holding his side. You started reaching for him. “I’m fine,” he interrupted as he held out a hand. “Good girl,” he praised with a gentle pat on your cheek that made you forget your motor skills. “You followed orders.”

“May I help?” you asked carefully as you took his hand.

~

As much as Qimir wanted to refuse your help in exchange for engulfing you in his sheets with a tight hug until the pain went away, there were certain things he had to let you do. When you had something to do, it kept you from getting antsy and asking hard questions.

“Would you like me to remove your shirt?” you asked as you placed down your collected materials.

“There’s a sexier way to say that,” he bantered as he started lifting the hem of his long sleeve.

“Unfortunately, I’m aiding with medical assistance,” was all you could manage to say without causing your outputs to spike too high.

Qimir simply hummed in response. You watched in wonder as his crafted physique came out of the item. His body stretched and then relaxed when he had finished tossing the fabric aside. A faint but present bruise decorated the skin that sat where you had elbowed him.

“Bruising detected over LLQ,” was what he heard as he marveled at your features. The way your hands ghosted over the surrounding skin to have a better look at the damage made Qimir hungry but he was good at being patient. 

“Apply this for fifteen minutes by the hour for the next 24 hours.” You handed him a cold sack of solution.

Your laser focus took you from a concerned lover to a professional healer. It provided a sense of deja vu to one person among the two. He let you continue as you made your way to his back for further inspection without thinking too deeply. Even Qimir had a recent tendency to escape off to other places only to be brought back by the next inconvenience he saw as a fire. This time it took on the form of a soft finger tracing along his scar. The sensation ghosted his skin and possessed his thoughts like a haunting apparition. An uncanny familiarity made him scared to look behind to see who he’d find. He jolted out of the chair once he had processed the check in his leg. 

“That’s enough of that.” He made the extra effort to sound light-hearted.

“Your scar,” you said timidly. He didn’t like the way your eyes twinkled when you spoke. 

You didn’t mean to touch but when you had come face to face with a vine running across his skin, for some reason, you almost wished to kiss it.

“Oh, yeah,” he started reaching for his sack. He was cursing himself for forgetting that you hadn’t actually ever seen it. He didn't know how to show you for fear of you digging. “I’ve always had it,” he lied like you couldn’t differentiate scars by type. But your deep learning told you to drop it.

“I haven’t finished,” you insisted as he put on his shirt.

“I’ve got a head out anyway. Don’t wanna be late,” he scrambled. “Don’t open the door.” He put on his robe. “Your new books are in the box by the bookshelf,” he said as he grabbed a few coins from a drawer. He gave your forehead a kiss and he was gone.

~

You hated when he left you alone because you were left to spend your time waiting for his return hoping he would come back like he promised.

Deep into the night, you had exhausted all your options for entertainment. Five hours had passed and you weren’t even finding the holonet to be any bit entertaining. The sounds of programs zipping by at your command. The background sounds weren’t even all that comforting. That’s how you found yourself dusting the trinkets throughout the home for the fourth time that week. You went from the ground floor shop to the living room, until you traveled up another set of stairs. 

As you returned the mats to their rightful spots, you couldn’t help but peek at the room across the hall. With an empty and active imagination, restricted areas were starting to appear like uncharted waters. The door of the room that you were told to never enter had been left open by the smallest sliver that only an eye like yours could catch.

It was an enticing predicament. Another moment that tested your control over your new emotions. What was once an easy order to fulfill became a sign of your growing flaws. You convinced yourself that you initially walked toward it because you wanted to close it yourself. After all, how could you ignore an opportunity to be of help? Your journey crossing the hall with very careful steps was marked with you repeatedly justifying each move forward.

By the time you reached the door, you should have none better than to let that be your first act of blatant defiance but you chose to override your orders. You were willing to widen the gap if it meant satiating your curiosity.

Your plan was to express that it was an honest mistake. However, nothing could have prepared you for what your eyes would catch. It was something that you never going to be able to feign ignorance toward. 

You stood grounded as you watched Pandora’s box. The first things to come out were the piles of paper that were scattered across the floors and on the walls. Though the space was dark, it was half illuminated by the light of the hall and the other half by the main source that operated in the center. A chamber of sorts that lets you see the entity at the bottom of the box. You’d open a box to find yourself in it. There you were with shut eyes in the chamber.

You almost dropped at the site. There were no distorted mirrors but you were staring at a reflection of yourself that was much paler, much quieter, and entirely clueless to your discovery. The was no expectation for what you found and all your algorithm could say was to turn back from the potential threat. Yet, it was too late now to pretend like you hadn’t seen anything. 

So you took your first step outside of the cave and further inside the room. Your vision combed over the oddity and tried to analyze what exactly you had found. Every aspect of your system was searching, cross-referencing, and calculating. Anything to make sense of what you were witnessing. 

Despite your protest, your other self looked everything like you. The only difference was the makeup and the state of being. You saw yourself peppered with crystals of ice all over you once you drew closer to the shining blue lantern like a moth. Just in time for this discovery, your search found the lantern to be a nitrogen chamber.

Your focus denied surrounding books, scribbled theories, and torn pages on reanimation. As you overlooked your surroundings, you made first contact with your alien as you brought your hand against the glad. With your wide eyes that reflected the blue, your first tears crawled out of one corner. It was a peculiar reaction that you hadn’t initiated but your first chance of self-reflection was interrupted.

“What are you doing?” Qimir’s voice cut through the room. He sounded close but you were hesitant to turn around when his question sounded too still.

“You’re home,” was all you could muster out as you carefully turned around to see him.

“[Name]–” his lips formed a hard line in the sand.

There were only a few ways you could soften the oncoming crash so you rushed to say, “The door was open and I was just closing–”

“I ordered you not to never go in here.” you didn’t miss the way his jaw tightened.

You had no defense to his words as you just watched an oncoming asteroid in silence. “Get out,” he said.

“I’m so–” you pleaded as you started to approach him. Perhaps you could have appealed to his understanding but he stopped you from getting any closer. Qimir reached for the back of your neck and held you from there.

“Get out,” he punctuated every word as you felt his strength lift you a bit off the ground. “Before I sell your scraps,” he hissed and dropped you instantly.

On first landing, you wasted no time and went scurrying down the stairs for your charging station. You connected immediately in the hopes that you wouldn’t have to face him for the rest of the night or the rest of your life.

~

Unbeknownst to you, Qimir never left the room even as the night progressed. He stayed in prison even as he slept. At a floor below, as you charged, you played footage of the encounter just once for deep learning but then over and over again. You watched every angle and projected all that you could even as the sun rose. Even when you sensed Qimir’s stares in your off-state, you never woke up. 

It was during the evening when you finally reencountered him. You stayed on the platform in shame until he came up and through the doors. His first appearance back and he looked as mundane as ever. It unsettled your common sense. There were no clear signs of anger or disappointment. The only difference was the darkness in the skin under his eyes but you weren’t going to comment on it.

“Honey, I’m home,” he joked as he threw his things aside. With clear confusion in the processing face you made, he gave your cheek a brief pat after his approach and left you to sort it all out on your own.

You watched him pretend to play house as he moved about the house getting tasks down. Through it all, you never joined in. You remained seated for instruction which made you harbor the feeling of tension all alone. So you escaped once more like the coward who made you and went into sleep mode.

Three hours had passed when you returned and he was on the balcony alone with an empty flask that barely gave warmth since he held down his alcohol too well. His back was to you so he didn’t see you come to consciousness, but as he taught you, you took the window of opportunity in his vulnerability to take another step into the light.

You snake behind him “Qimir?”

He turns his hand in acknowledgment. “You’re awake,” he says with a bit of a grin.

“I was updating,” you lied

“What did you do today?” he simply put.

You couldn’t read him when he was like this. There was a chance that he was baiting you but you were steadfast on asking the questions that were driving you insane. You were set on making yesterday as painful for him as it was for you. At least that’s how you saw it. You intended to go down kicking and screaming until you were reduced to bits of metal if it resulted in helping your distaste for the unknown.

“Qimir,” you called once more.

“Hm?”

“Can I,” you pause. “What did I see yesterday?”

He couldn’t be bothered to pretend to answer your question as he went silent and walked back inside.

“Qimir–” Hot on his tail you echoed but he turned to shoot you down in an instant.

“Think carefully about what you’re going to ask me.” He cautioned.

The way his eyes were closed to imprisoning you made you take his advice on the first call. There was no need to ask about the obvious.

During your state of charging you had put pieces together. With the way the body looked upstairs and the need for a nitrogen chamber, it was obvious that he wasn’t preserving a clone. He was preserving the living. And if the scattered pages and the scribbled writing weren’t enough evidence, the theories on reanimation were all you needed to know that you and the alien were the same person. There was no separation or duplication. Your mind was being projected into your android body in real-time.

“Why am I not in my body anymore?” You questioned.

He wasn’t shocked that you figured it out but irritated that you had no wish to leave well enough alone. He swallowed.

“I’m in there but with you at the same time. What’s the point?”

Qimir started to feel like he couldn’t breathe. Your inquirie was peeling off the lid that he had done a shawty job at sealing shut. “[Name],”

“I tried going through my memory files but can’t find a thing since I woke up so I’m asking you," you insisted. "I promise to not ask for anything else! Tell me or let me see what happened.” If you were still you but in a different container, why couldn’t you remember anything? It was clear that your creator would have more than just answers.

“It’s going to clog your data,” he haphazardly explains hoping that throwing a piece out would leave you something to chew on to bide his time.

“I have more than enough storage,” you fired back at his lie.

“You wouldn't handle it well” he told you as he already heard start speaking.

“Yes, I wou –” He called for you to stop and you kept going until you both were speaking over each other.

“Just give me access to my memories!” You pleaded as you locked into his arm praying. “That’s all I ask for,”

“So you can know what it feels like to drown?” He spat.

You ate up your words and went silent.

“Because that," he got closer "that is what you’re asking me to give you,” he snarled. You gawked at the challenge in his eyes that begged you to give him permission to really put you in your place.

“I’ll shut you down for years before I ever give back to you,” he declared. His voice rang with conviction that stoked an idea that shot through your mind faster than your better judgment could. That’s when you went running. 

It was one of the most mindless decisions you had ever made but you were getting used to your firsts being a result of last-minute miscalculations and high-spinning emotions.

You could hear Qimir shouting for you as you started for the stairs. If you could just get to the panel near the chamber, lock yourself in the room, and override whatever was in control, you’d get your questions answered.

It was a ludicrous dream because you hadn’t even made it to the fourth step of your stairway to heaven before you were dragged right back down to reality. You felt a force pull you back.

You were tossed onto the ground and saw yourself captured under Qimir. Your legs flailed and your arms went every which way but it was immensely humbling when you saw how little Qimir had changed his position. He only needed to keep a hand around your throat to lock you in your misery as he thought of what to do next. He looked upset but still not yet angry.

“I won’t let go until you stop,” he said as the hold around your neck tightened. You didn’t need the air to breathe but you could feel the discomfort nonetheless. From your perspective, he seemed entirely uncompromising as he virtually waited for your cue to arrange where the rest of the night would go. You knew better than to think you’d get out of this on top. Qimir was much too skilled and much too disciplined to go down without a fight, a fight that he was sure to win. So you conceded.

Your movements died down and your energy waned. Two cold bodies in a quiet room stood still waiting for their next cue. Qimir's faint voice cracked the frozen air first.

“You’re feeling antsy,” he lulled as he took his hand off your neck to stroke your hair. “It’s a shame.” His voice was expelled with such condescension while you were so busy trying to decipher his current feelings. Conceivably, you even considered truly raising the white flag. After all, who were you to question your maker when he could put you down by the end of a heartbeat?

You were ready to give another apology—a real one this time, so you never saw it coming when he directly placed his hands into your pants.

“Your frustration is understandable,” he told you as he immediately placed a finger in your hole with no preparation. Your gentle hands clasped his shoulders on instinct as you moaned.

How could you have known that you missed him inside you? With how feral Qimir was, he held so much restraint that you were pooling at the initiation of first contact in days. His fingers pushed and pulled against your tight cunt with no rhythm. 

“But it’s not an excuse,” he criticized. You had already forgotten what he said prior. “So I’ll teach you obedience through pain today.”

You had no proper picture of what he meant when he made that proclamation but there was no space for you to ask  All you could do was thoughtlessly take in his two fingers in hopes that he would go faster. His choice of distraction was brilliant. As he increased his and watched you try to bounce on his fingers, he began seeing the signs. The bucking hips, the loud whines, the hard nipples poking through your shirt, and your eyes gradually going over.

“[Name], hold it,” he said. That was an order. It was order he was daring you to try and override.

Your eyes went white and you stopped grinding against him as you held onto your release. “No,” you purred in frustration at the feeling. He hadn’t stopped stretching his fingers and grazing your walls. He curled without remorse and you were forced to hold your climax with no complaint. “Qimir,” you called once more.

“Sh,” he nipped your whining immediately. “No talking.”

Your folds got wetter and he only got faster as you held your breath the hotter you got. You were swelling with no sign of relief until the fingering eventually stopped. It wasn’t at all a sweet release but rather a further push into punishment.

Qimir took out his fingers and gave them a lick to clean up just before he went tossing you onto the couch. You weren’t privy to any of his plans as he just carried on with you left to play catch up. He took off your clothes with haste and as he peeled the layered you shivered each time his hands would graze your skin. You were desperate and distracted and it was shameful. Your streak of rebellion meant nothing when you were lapping in his hands at the first thought of him penetrating you.

Your body was moving at his every whim as he pulled you to straddle him. Qimir pulled out his growing cock and aligned it with your entrance as he pull you to him. While swallowing a grunt, he watched his pulsing shaft disappear into your puckering hole in satisfaction. “[Name], bounce and start counting,” he said.

There was no doubt that you were drooling once his balls hit your ass but your system had you moving before you could even savor the moment. You gripped him as you rose high enough for his tip to almost leave you cunt, then you slammed back down. 

“One,” you recited. You elevated yourself again and then sank into his member. “Two.”

It felt like you were choking as you bounced on him and recited your punishment. The way his cock tore you open didn’t come with the euphoria that it once did when he and you were in sync. Instead, you were left to ride out your arousal alone as every time you watched him, he looked to be indifferent and not even present.

“Qimir, please, I’m sorry,” you said through sporadic hiccups.

“[Name], no talking,” he secured the demand “Don’t tell me you lost count,”

You frantically shook your head as you pushed out the number twenty-six. You were sensitive and Qimir certainly knew that about you. By now, you would have been creaming all over him as you gasped in his neck but you were still registering the previous order to hold your climax.

When he ordered you to go faster, you did. When he demanded you slow down your pace, you followed. He put you entirely in control of your edging knowing you couldn't do anything but fill the entire home with your pathetic moans.

“[Name], stop,” was the last thing you heard before you felt your strings cut as you went limp on him. You wanted to stay there cock warming him until you didn’t feel dizzy anymore but he already had you over his knee in a new position.

You felt like you were dangling over the edge of his lap as he parted your lips to expose the bud in between your folds.

“Give me a number,” was all Qimir said. He didn’t explain further to use your inexperience against you.

“Twenty-seven,” you blurted out and it would have made him laugh if he wasn’t holding in his anger. It was the number of days it has been since your creation. He could tell you liked to keep track of the days since it was the one set of numbers that were always baked into coding whenever he would give your software a check.

He placed two fingers in your pussy to anchor you. “Don’t act cute,” he warned you as he dulled his first slap to your ass. You gasped as you started to pull away but Qimir held you down with so little effort. “Careful,” he threatened. He struck you again while keeping two fingers for you to clench around.

“Let this be a learning experience,” he chastised you as he had spanked your tender skin with a loud snap.

He spanks with you counting each time until you’re truly crying under him. “You can handle it,” he continues almost knowing what was going through your thoughts. When he strikes you again, you bite your lip down as you stomach your punishment. For no reason clear to yourself, you wanted to prove you could handle it even when you weren’t showing it well.

So for every impact, Qimir’s rough hands had on your ass cheek, your grip on the fabric of the couch only got tighter until your nails burst through the seams. 

“[Name], eyes open.” He sounded so emotionless. 

Your skin got hotter as your cunt got warmer. You never stopped clenching around his fingers until the very end when he delivered the final blow. A climax never came, however, for either of you. There was just gasping on your end and wetness spilling from out of your hole and onto his fingers. 

Your already aching ass landed on the floor once Qimir had started rising off of the couch. At that point, you had wished the Qimir left you as you were before. You missed when you didn’t feel things like shame, desperation, and pain. As he stood over you, you could have matched his indifference but you cared too much now. 

“[Name], come here,” he said.

You shook your head fervently as you tried to hold off on the command. 

“[Name–” 

“No,” you countered. You were tired of torture. You were sick of the delay. You thought that your consequences were more than enough.

Qimir’s brows furrowed. The first of the cracks in his mirror. 

“P-Please,” you felt a tear run down your face. “I-I’m sor-sorry,” your speech was glitching. “No, no mor-more or–orders. I, I can’t-nt ta-take i-i,” you vomit out. Your software was breaking down.

Qimir came down to you like a god as he crouched to look you over. He watched as you shrunk into yourself like a caged animal. It was time to power you down.

Your self-defense protocols saw him reach for the back of your neck. It was fast enough for Qimir’s fingers to make it to the ring behind your neck but you still managed to grip his arm beg with all that was left in your. Tears were running out of your eyes fast enough to empty your water system if he let it happen too long.

“Ple–Do-don’t shut shut me do-down,” he watched his still face in the glass of your eyes. “Qim-mir!” He pressed four consecutive times and you dropped.

~ 

As Qimir finished unscrewing your breast panel, he lifted the metal and set it aside. Just as he thought, your battery had expanded from the heat of your constant overstimulation. He gripped a set of tweezers and broke the circuit that was at the heart of your function. The piece was tossed aside and hit the nearby table with a clack.

The idea of creation sounded appealing in its inception. If he just got it right he could govern his own fate without any interference. Yet, he made a full circle back where he started and he had to choose to break the cycle before he worsened his insanity.

He ran his hand across his face as he sat still near the platform almost waiting for you to spring back to life. The sound of your glitched begs bounced off every wall in his head as he repeatedly shot back apologies under his breath. Once he had properly disposed of the old battery, he sat back in his chair to inspect his possibilities as he toyed with the new battery in between his fingers.

leave a comment, send an ask, or reblog. I might write a whole fic because of it or maybe send a meme, but I always respond.

[nelle-y]

A love story told through voicelines (Alhaitham ver.) IV

C/W: alhaitham x gn!reader, not that slow of a burn, characters find the other annoying, reader is a teacher at the akademiya, they have history (iykyk), angst no comfort, not proofread

Note: final part!

Part 3

—

(You) About Alhaitham: Other ways

Avoiding him is easier said than done.

I tell myself I’m just too busy—too caught up in work, too preoccupied to engage. But I know better. This isn’t about work. It’s about him. It’s about the way he looks at me, the way he always seems to be two steps ahead, the way I feel like I’m losing control of something I never meant to start in the first place.

So I take a different approach. I keep my responses short, my tone indifferent. I take the long way around Akademiya halls, conveniently slip out of rooms the moment he enters.

But knowing Alhaitham… I doubt he’ll let me go that easily.

(Alhaitham) About you: Other ways

Avoidance is a predictable tactic—one that requires effort. Which begs the question: why go through all that trouble for something they claim is insignificant? If they think distance will put an end to this, they clearly haven’t thought it through.

(You) About Alhaitham: Persistence

You would think he’d give up by now, but he hasn’t. I’m giving him a clear answer, aren’t I? He mentioned that if I found him insignificant or something, I would’ve gotten rid of him by now; so here I am—getting rid of him. Yet he still mingles around me like a fruit fly!

Do I really want him gone? Oh, of course I do! I could finally go back to minding my own business, and he can do the same. It’s for the best.

(Alhaitham) About you: Persistence

I do it for the sake of the experiment—which now includes a new variable: me. As unbecoming as it may seem, I find myself affected by their behavior. I still haven’t found a solid reason for that—why they’re avoiding me; but I have found a senseless supposition why my emotions are influenced by it.

According to Kaveh, my attention has been titled in their direction lately, and he teased that I had feelings for them. How ridiculous.

This is an experiment—analyzing their reactions, testing their limits. And yet… their absence is noticeable. Their avoidance, intentional.

If I didn’t care, I wouldn’t be thinking about it. If they truly wanted distance, they would’ve said so instead of running around all day trying hard to keep me at arm’s length.

Hmph. I’ll adjust my approach. See how long they can keep running.

(You) About Alhaitham: Honest opinions

We have a history that I partly regret. If I could do it all over again… I don’t know if I would. It was a good experience, but if that’s the reason why he keeps pursuing me, I would have to decline. I have so much to lose now—my job, my peers’ respect, my dignity. I’m not the same person I was back then. I’ve grown, changed, become more cautious. And yet, every time I think I have it all under control, he does something that rattles me. A look, a comment, a gesture that makes it impossible to forget the past—and somehow pulls me back into something I thought I’d left behind.

I’m not sure if I can trust him. He’s too calculating, too deliberate in his actions. I can’t tell if he’s genuinely interested or just trying to prove a point. Either way, I know better than to fall for whatever game he’s playing.

(Alhaitham) About you: Honest opinions

They occupy more of my thoughts than I care to admit. Not in any sentimental way, of course. It’s simply that their behavior is… intriguing. Inconsistent. At odds with the image they project. They claim disinterest, yet every reaction—every calculated silence or clipped remark—suggests otherwise.

And perhaps what unsettles me most is how easily they affect me. I’ve never cared to seek out another’s company. Yet I’ve found myself adjusting my schedule, taking detours through certain halls, lingering in conversations just a little longer. All for what? To observe? To test a theory?

Kaveh seems to think this is “obvious”—that I’m interested. Emotionally. Romantically. Irrational. I dismissed him, of course… but the thought stayed with me longer than it should have.

If this were truly about research, I wouldn’t feel this frustration when they avoid me. I wouldn’t notice the absence in the room before I even look.

…No, this isn’t research anymore.

But I haven’t decided what it is either.

(You) Character story: What can’t become

After classes, the Akademiya courtyard shimmered under the late afternoon sun, golden light bleeding over the marble and spilling between the arches. Laughter echoed in faint bursts, students scattering in clumps—papers in hand, minds half-elsewhere. You slipped past the gates with quick, practiced steps, hoping to disappear before—

“Hey… hey!”

You flinched.

His voice was unmistakable—calm yet commanding, always too close even when it came from behind.

“You know,” Alhaitham called out, “avoiding me won’t make this situation any easier. It won’t resolve anything either.”

You stopped halfway down the steps and turned, arms folding instinctively across your chest. “Really?” The word left your mouth sharper than you intended—more telling. “And what is this ‘situation’ exactly?”

Alhaitham closed the distance between you with his usual measured ease, his gaze steady, unreadable. “Don’t pretend you don’t know,” he said. “I’ve seen the way you react—even the slightest brush of our shoulders. The way your eyes brighten with every snarky remark we exchange—”

You rolled your eyes, the gesture sharp enough to cut the tension for half a breath. You turned again, walking off, heart pounding faster than your feet would allow.

He followed, undeterred. Of course he did.

“You’re only delaying what we both know is bound to happen.”

You spun around before he could take another step, breath pushing past your lips in a rush of frustration. “‘Both,’ ‘our,’ ‘us’—Archons above, Alhaitham! What even are we?! You talk about us like we’re some academic constant—as if you already solved the equation, and I’m just catching up. But I don’t even know what this is! What you want.”

You paused, the next words freezing on your tongue. You would not—could not—bring up that night. Not now. Not when the memory of his breath ghosting against your skin still lingered like a sunburn you couldn’t soothe.

His voice came softer this time. “I’ve never claimed to be simple,” he said. “But I’ve never lied either. You felt it too, didn’t you?”

Your stomach twisted.

You hated how easy it was for his words to find the sore parts of you. You hated even more how much truth you found in them.

“That’s exactly the problem,” you said, voice quieter now, raw at the edges. “You know what you’re doing—how easily you get under my skin. You corner me in crowded halls, you leave me thinking about words you didn’t even say… and then you walk off like none of it matters.”

He stayed silent. That silence—never awkward with him—was somehow worse than any rebuttal.

You took a breath, letting your shoulders fall slightly. “And the Akademiya?” you continued. “They see it—the glances, the whispers. Even the other professors have started asking questions.”

Alhaitham frowned, a faint crease between his brows. “That’s absurd—”

“Maybe for you,” you cut in, “but for me, perception is everything. I don’t have your title or your immunity. One wrong assumption, and I’m no longer the professor who earned their place—I’m just a rumor with a name.”

The weight of it all settled between you—words spoken not in anger, but necessity. The breeze passed again, brushing between you like a boundary neither of you could step over.

Alhaitham looked at you then—not with irritation, not even disappointment, but something quieter. Contained. Perhaps even regret.

“…Then what do you want me to do?” he asked, voice barely above the breeze. “Pretend none of it was real? That I didn’t feel something when I looked at you?”

You closed your eyes for a moment, forcing the ache back down. His words lodged themselves deeper than you wanted them to.

“I want you to understand,” you said, carefully. “This isn’t about what I feel. It’s about what I have to protect.”

A pause. You looked up and met his eyes—clear, unwavering, resolved.

“I can’t risk everything for something that might not survive the scrutiny. My reputation, my work… I’ve fought too hard to be seen for my mind, not whispered about for who I might be seen with. Even if that someone is you.”

For the first time, Alhaitham looked away. His jaw tightened slightly. The silence between you wasn’t cruel—it simply was. Like gravity or time. Unforgiving, but fair.

He nodded once. No protest. No plea. Just a flicker of something behind his eyes—acknowledgement, perhaps. Or acceptance.

“I won’t stand in your way,” he said. “Not now. Not ever.”

You let out a breath that trembled at the edges, the ache blooming somewhere deep beneath your ribs.

“…Thank you,” you said, voice steady at last. “For not making it harder than it already is.”

You turned before he could say anything else. The sun dipped beneath the buildings as you walked away, shadows spilling across the marble in your wake. Behind you, Alhaitham stayed where he was—still, composed, watching.

He didn’t call after you.

Not this time.

(Alhaitham) Character story: What won’t become

Alhaitham had never been fond of hypotheticals.

They were inefficient—rooted in speculation, mired in abstraction. What-ifs served little use in the real world, where causality and consequence reigned. A scholar deals in truth, not fantasy.

And yet, lately, he found himself entertaining one particular what-if more than he’d like to admit.

What if they hadn’t walked away?

He can still recall the look in their eyes—clear, unflinching, and devastatingly resolute. They had chosen themselves. And Alhaitham, for all his conviction, could do nothing but step aside.

Perhaps that’s why he respected them so deeply.

They were precise in their logic, unwavering in their principles. Not unlike him. But where he wielded detachment as armor, they wielded choice. They understood sacrifice—and made it anyway.

He remembers their words as clearly as any scholarly quote.

“This isn’t about what I feel. It’s about what I have to protect.”

There had been no malice in their voice, only truth. It was never a question of affection—of course they had felt it. That tension, the friction of minds colliding like flint, the conversations that lingered long after the echo faded. No one else challenged him quite like they did. No one else made silence feel that loud.

Still, affection alone was never going to be enough. Not when the Akademiya, with all its scrutiny and hierarchy, watched them more closely than it ever watched him.

They were right.

He was the Scribe. Acting Grand Sage, even. He could afford to be indifferent to perception. But they? A young professor, barely past their appointment, climbing uphill in a world built to doubt them.

Their choice made sense.

And so, he said nothing. Didn’t argue. Didn’t ask them to stay. What good would persuasion do, when they had already done the calculus themselves?

Alhaitham never believed in fate. But he believed in outcomes—inevitable, weighted, measurable. And this? This was an outcome both of them saw coming from the moment things began to blur.

He still sees them sometimes. In lectures. Passing through the colonnades. Sitting alone in the House of Daena, pen tapping lightly against a page. The world spins as it always does.

They do not look away.

Neither does he.

And that is the truth of what won’t become: not a tragedy, not a regret.

Just a possibility… acknowledged and left behind.

(You) About Alhaitham II

He never asked me to stay, and I suppose I should thank him for that. It made walking away cleaner—easier, even. But sometimes I wonder… if he had just said one thing differently. If I had turned back just once…

Still, I made my choice. And I’ll live with it, even if part of me still hears his voice when the halls go quiet.

(Alhaitham) About you II

They made the right choice. Personal feelings should never outweigh one’s principles—especially in a place like the Akademiya. I respect that… deeply. Though, if I find myself walking a little slower near their classes… it’s purely coincidental. Obviously.

Or so I keep telling myself.

—the end—

[milkfordragons]

Why do you think Will and Hannibal both went through scarcity but relate so differently to money? (love your blog)

Will grew up poor, but there is no indication that he suffered from literal hunger. More likely, he lived in a state of constant limitation, having enough for basic sustenance and shelter but little beyond that. His poverty was not one of extreme deprivation but of restriction, of never being able to afford more than the essentials. Later in life, however, Will gained financial security through his professional roles...his work as an FBI consultant, his teaching position, and even as an author of a book used in official training. By the time we see him in the show, he is far from poor; in fact, he has amassed significant wealth. Yet his attitude toward money is cautious, even frugal. This is a common trait in those who grow up without financial security. Money is not seen as something to be indulged in but as something to be preserved. The fear of losing it lingers, and so he is unlikely to splurge, preferring comfort over excess, stability over extravagance.

Hannibal’s trajectory, by contrast, is one of dramatic extremes. He was born into wealth, lost it in an incredibly brief yet profoundly traumatic period of scarcity, and then regained it, never to lose it again. The nature of his deprivation was far more intense than Will’s, his suffering was not just financial but existential, marked by starvation, war, and the destruction of his entire world. This kind of scarcity often breeds an obsession with indulgence rather than security. Those who experience such extreme deprivation, especially those who later come into great wealth, frequently develop compulsions toward excess, seeking to consume, possess, and experience everything available to them as a way to compensate for past lack. Hannibal, with his tastes, opulent lifestyle, and relentless pursuit of pleasure, embodies this tendency. He doesn't just enjoy luxury, he devours it, making an art form out of indulgence itself.

This contrast in their financial psychology also mirrors their deeper fears. Hannibal’s greatest fear is the loss of control, but paradoxically, he has a repressed desire to relinquish it. His indulgences, his love of fine dining, extravagant possessions, and excessive refinement, serve as an outlet for this tension, a "safe" way for him to surrender control without ever truly doing so. He allows himself to indulge because he remains the master of his own excess.

Will, on the other hand, fears losing his mind. His life is not built around control in the same way Hannibal’s is, but rather around creating an environment that minimizes risk. He does not need extravagance, he needs stability, predictability, a life free from unnecessary variables. His frugality is not just financial but existential; he seeks security, not pleasure, and constructs his world accordingly. His job then is his way of indulging in risk.

In the end, their differing relationships with wealth reflect the deeper structures of their personalities. Hannibal, ever-consuming, transforming indulgence into control, and Will, always conserving, ensuring he never steps too far into uncertainty.