#reclamation of sleep

[spockvarietyhour]

Goodnight tumblr

[siyurikspakvariisis]

of course a bg3 npc not having a surname listed doesn't mean they don't have one. but i thought of Nocturne taking Shadowheart's last name because she doesn't remember hers and a wave of existential horror washed over me

another way her bond with Shadowheart is the only thing that she has. Another stitch to the graft.

Even from an extradiegetic perspective she exists to answer a question about Shadowheart??

there is something there begging to be explored, about who is she outside of Shar and outside of Shadowheart...

[rotyolk]

fancy a gyaru wip on this fine evening?

[blooms-in-april]

"Here."

Jaskier looks up from his lute to see Eskel holding the reins of a horse so beautiful it looks like a pearlescent moon.

"She's for you." Eskel says.

Jaskier moves as if in a dream, taking the reins of the albino mare. Eskel continues, the words flowing.

"She was a steal, blemished. Someone cut her deep in the head and sides. But I thought you'd find that romantic, you know. Make a wounded unicorn out of her marks. And you need a horse and you like pretty things. It made sense to me."

The chords of his throat knot, cut short. Jaskier draws his fingers through the white mare's mane, lute callouses catching on hair white as snow. He picks at a stuck burr and his heart clenches with the familiarity of the movement .

"Why couldn't it have been you?" He says.

Eskel stops abruptly. There is something wild and despairing in the bards voice, a reclamation of destiny.

"Why couldn't it have been you I met in Posada all those years ago?" Jaskier says. "Where were you twenty years ago? Where were you ten? Where were you when I was young and green and full of music?Of course I meet you now,"

He laughs, and there is no melody in it.

"Of course I meet you now, when I am full and sick of loving. You would have been- kind, when you finally sent me away. You would have killed it quickly, killed the dream quiet and fast, in my sleep, like a horse with a broken leg too weak to stand."

[imitationgame77]

Mensah's family (from books 1, 4, 5, 6)

It takes slow deciphering to work out Mensah's family.

Ratthi came over to see if I was all right, and I asked him to tell me about Preservation and how Mensah lived there. He said when she wasn’t doing admin work, she lived on a farm outside the capital city, with two marital partners, plus her sister and brother and their three marital partners, and a bunch of relatives and kids who Ratthi had lost count of.

[All Systems Red]

That was the first mention of her family. It went right over my head - except, wow, she's married, wow, two marrital partners, and BIG family!! So. There Mensah, brother, sister, mensah's 2 marital partners, siblings' 3 marital partners - EIGHT adults! (+ relatives)

Then I picked up Mensah arriving in the outer foyer with two humans and a small juvenile human, who looked like a miniature version of Mensah. I stood up and waited.

Faint steps on audio told me the small human had followed me out. She stepped up to the railing, frowning curiously at me. She said, “Hello.” “Hello,” I said. “I’m your mother’s pet security consultant.”

[Exit Strategy]

OK, so Mensah and spouses have at least one little daughter.

(Thiago is a marital partner of Dr. Mensah’s brother, which is why I gave a crap about his opinion.)

[Network Effect]

Thiago is one of the three marital partners of Mensah's siblings, and married to the brother. So, Mensah's sister could still have one or two marital partners.

In the pavilion, I located Mensah near the edge of the crowd talking to Thiago and Farai, who was one of her marital partners.

[Network Effect]

Now we know one of Mensah's marital partners is called Farai, and the subsequent paragraph refers to her as "she".

(That didn’t apply to the seven kids. I was illicitly tradingdownloads via the feed with three of them.)

[Network Effect]

Now we know there are seven kids in Mensah's family. It is possible that all of them are Mensah's, but it seems more likely that some of them belong to Mensah's siblings.

It was just me-the-SecUnit they didn’t like. (That didn’t apply to the seven kids. I was illicitly trading downloads via the feed with three of them.)

[Network Effect]

At least three of the seven kids are old enough to be downloading media.

The fifth incursion was the one that got me in trouble with Amena, Mensah’s oldest offspring.

(...)

You might think the obvious thing to do was to notify Mensah or Farai or Tano, the third marital partner. I didn’t.

[Network Effect]

Amena is Mensah's oldest, and a teenage girl. She did not seem to know much about MB, so the ones swapping media did not include her. Oh, and Mensah's other marital partner is called Tano.

I said, “You need to sleep.” She (Amena) yawned. “Okay, third mom.”

[Network Effect]

Mensah is the second mon. Farai is a she, so probably she is a mom, too. If Amena is calling MB a third mom, Tano is not a mom. Could be dad, could be something else.

And Mensah had called her marital partners Farai and Tano on the planet, and said she thought the future of humanity was pretty dismal, and they should take all the kids, siblings, their kids, and assorted relatives and move to a shack in the terraforming sector on the unsettled continent and start working in soil reclamation, whatever that was.

[Fugitive Telemetry]

This takes place prior to Network Effect, chronologically speaking. Anyway, there could be more of them... assorted reratives??

CONCLUSION: Working out Mensah's family is like complicated detective work. Harder than trying to remember all the characters in Agatha Christie's mysteries with large cast!

[iwillneverforgiveyousunghanbin]

bully⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

saturday, reclamation— game day

⋆˙⟡ zbully1 smut series masterlist! hanbin, jiwoong, hao, matthew, and taerae included.

⋆˙⟡ read all possible endings here!

⋆˙⟡ wc: 7k (idk ur welcome)

⋆˙⟡ reader: femme afab (listed first, she/her are used) // gender neutral (alternate version listed second, no pronouns used at all to describe reader— scroll down)

⋆˙⟡ series summary: five bullies. six days. it's gonna be a hell of a week, babe. stay hydrated.

⋆˙⟡ saturday summary: nearly every student is gathered for your university's big soccer match against your rival school. you're hoping to steer clear of the boys you've had such strange (and steamy) encounters with this week. i think you can guess by now that fate is not on your side. or is it?

⋆˙⟡ warnings: explicit smut. 18+. minors do not interact. please read specific smut warnings under the cut! swearing. angst. bullying. when you're done, proceed to the endings :)

EXPLICIT SMUT 18+ WARNINGS: okay here we go. clitoral stimulation, g-spot stimulation, lots of penetrative p-in-v sex, oral (male receiving), mild cum play, mostly dom/soft dom boys but also subby!matthew for fun, this is a CONSENSUAL gang bang. and all raw penetration whoops.

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　

“enjoy the game! fighting!”

the words leave your mouth for the five hundredth time this evening as you hand out yet another set of programs. you give each attendee your most authentic smile as you greet them at the north entrance. 

“we’re at almost four hundred at the south entrance,” mina’s voice rings through the walkie-talkie on the table in front of you. it’s no surprise how well-attended tonight’s game is— everyone was invested in the long-held rivalry between your university and the opposing school. it had been a few years since your university’s soccer team had won this match-up. you wondered if they would tonight...

perhaps hanbin being made team captain this year would be the missing link to victory.

“hi! enjoy the game— fighting!” you exclaim once more. speaking of hanbin, he’d been right about one thing. tea with honey had repaired your voice perfectly. you’d even remembered to brew chamomile tea instead of black, so that good night’s sleep you’d been desperately needing was finally gifted to you.

you called mina that morning. you didn’t tell her what had happened per se, but you told her about each of the boys pursuing you... and you conveniently left jiwoong out of the equation for her own sake.

“i need to figure out how to get all of them in the same room,” you said, sending the finalized program for the big game to the campus activities director to print. you’d actually managed to finish it early this morning after emailing it to your sunbaenims to promptly approve. “but i don’t know how i’d manage to do that.”

“the campus activities interviews!” mina shouts excitedly. “sunbaenim was looking for a volunteer to do it for him tonight. if i make sure he recruits the right players, you’ll have them all to yourself in the activities lounge.”

all to yourself? 

just how lucky could you be?

~

“and number 13 approaches the goal, weaving through the opposition,” the announcer calls as hanbin dribbles the ball across the field. two defensive players from the rival team close in on him. “and he seems to be caught in a defensive trap. number 25 comes up behind him on his right and number 12 is ahead of him on his left— will 13 be able to pass the ball successfully?”

you’re on the edge of your seat as hao waves at hanbin to signal he’s open. jiwoong’s making the same signal, but a bit more aggressively. personal issues with several members of the soccer team aside, you’re rooting for their win. it would mean a lot of positive attention and increased funding for your whole university to have the soccer team finally progress to the championship again.

you glance at the rest of the field. matthew’s in defense, the number 28 on his jersey shining in the flood lights as he blocks two rival offensive players all by himself. and, on the bench in his perfectly clean uniform sits taerae— number 14 kicking the grass with his cleats, not really paying attention to the riveting game going on in front of him.

“and 13 successfully passes to 25! 25 dodges a defensive player on his right, making a beeline for the goal,” the announcer continues, everyone in the stands beginning to stand up as the anticipation grows unbearable. 

the scoreboard reads: 1-1.

hao is shooting distance from the goal, but he can’t seem to shake a couple defense players on his heels. there’s no way he’ll be able to make the goal like this. he looks at jiwoong, who is also preoccupied with defensive players of his own. it seems like all hope is lost until...

“number 13 sprints out ahead— a clear path between him and 25! 25 passes quickly to 13...”

hanbin’s cleat touches the ball, steadying himself for less than a second before he squares up and takes the shot.

the ball flies through the air. though it’s certainly going at least 70 miles per hour, it feels like you’re watching it in slow motion. mina grabs your hand, anxiety overflowing from every direction.

swish.

the ball flies over the goalie’s hands and into the netting behind him. the crowd erupts into cheers as the timeclock buzzer signals the end of the game.

hanbin stands in shock as the rest of his teammates rush toward him, engulfing him in their celebration. he’s lifted onto someone’s shoulders, grinning from ear to ear in pure joy and relief in a way you haven’t seen since you first met him. it’s a nice sight, if you’re being honest.

“i’m ready when you are,” mina says, squeezing your hand. “just fill me in after on how the revenge goes.”

“will do,” you say, making your way down the stairs of the stands. “just remember it’s what you asked for!”

the phrase sends a chill down your spine as you remember taerae’s thumb pressed to your tongue. you shake your head to snap out of it. there’s no time for hesitation.

you watch patiently as the celebration continues on the field. coach yang’s practically crying with pride. you don’t think you’ve ever seen him display an emotion other than boredom and annoyance before. camera now slung around your neck, you watch as the many attendees file out of the bleachers and out the exits. 

the players shake hands cordially with the other team, one of the rival defense players starting to give matthew a hard time— undoubtedly for being pig-headed and brash during the game. you’re sure he deserves a little roughing up, but you need him in good condition.

after the excitement finally dies down, the campus activities president makes his way over to you with a smirking mina at his side. “ready to get some good portraits of the players?”

you nod happily. more than ready.

“thanks for volunteering to do this for me. i’ve gotta be at the senior leadership conference way too early tomorrow morning,” your sunbaenim says as he and mina head out onto the field. “you can head to the activities lounge now and set up. mina will escort them right over!”

mina grins at you over her shoulder before you exit the soccer field and head towards kang hall. the warm night air calms you as you walk through the doors and make your way down the empty hallway, stopping when you finally reach the activities lounge. several desks, a few office chairs and a small sofa litter the room.

this could work.

you grab the stack of interview consent forms out of the filing cabinet to your right before setting up the photo wall and camera at the back of the room. if, by chance, a few extra players are sent in, you’ll just have to get them out of the way first.

buzz buzz.

you check your phone to see a message from mina.

i’m sorry, coach yang made me take jiwoong, too. BLEGH. something about him being the left forward and “crucial to the game” or whatever. like, whatever helps him sleep at night, i guess. anyway, they’ll be there in a minute.

a minute. you can do this.

“two red flags!? it wasn’t even my fault. that guy was being a total dick,” you hear a muffled voice through the door. “so what i grabbed him by the collar? he should have a stronger windpipe if he can’t handle a little bit of good-natured choking!”

“it was the waterboy,” hao replies with a sigh. “you choked our waterboy.”

the door cracks open.

“he was in my way,” matthew says with a huff.

“he was trying to give you water,” taerae says quietly. 

“you guys never fucking support me,” matthew grumbles, the door flying open as he takes a step inside the lounge. his lips part at the sight of you as the other boys push him through.

soon you’re met with five pairs of wide eyes, all staring back at you from where you sit on top of a desk in the middle of the room— clipboard resting on your knees.

you smile at them, clicking your pen eerily. “welcome! and congratulations on your fantastic win. please line up across from me.”

after a few moments of uneasy silence, hanbin is the first to make his way to the middle of the room. he stands a few feet away from you, the rest of the boys walking over and creating a neat, horizontal line.

“you didn’t hear the stuff about the waterboy, did you?” matthew asks, pressing his lips together awkwardly.

“i absolutely did,” you answer shortly. “i also watched it happen. and the purposeful cleat to the nuts of that other player.”

“that other player being me,” hanbin says with a frown.

“oooh, tough luck,” you console, shaking your head. “they still work though, right?”

hanbin’s brow raises in surprise. to be able to catch him off-guard is literally thrilling.

“so, i assume you all know why we’re gathered here today,” you say, clicking your pen again.

“i’m guessing it’s not for a post-game interview,” jiwoong says, looking around the room.

you bite your cheek in a smile. “unfortunately, we do still have to do those. but first, i thought we’d start with an interview about a different game we all played this week.”

taerae’s brow raises immediately, turning to look at hanbin. “i thought you said she didn’t know about that!”

your face falls. “know about what?”

“she doesn’t. it was a play on words. she uses them in her poetry all the time and it was cute the first five times, but it’s actually becoming a bit redundant now if i do say so myself,” hanbin says, glaring at taerae. “but now you’ve gone and opened your gigantic mou—.”

“it was a game,” hao interjects flatly. “this week was all just a game to see who could fuck you first.”

leave it to hao to always cut the bullshit. and always cut deep.

you knew there had to be a reason why these boys that had bullied you for years suddenly all wanted a taste of you. this explanation did make the most sense.

“well, it wasn’t just a game,” jiwoong replies with a shrug. “it was a really good game.”

“yeah, i’d play again,” matthew says with a grin. “especially considering nobody won.”

you scoff.  “you literally lectured me for ten minutes about how you have no interest in fucking me, because i’m so tainted now.”

“yeah, i mean, definitely not how i prefer ‘em, but...” matthew smirks at taerae. “what was it you said yesterday? ‘a hole’s a hole’?”

taerae gulps as your eyes narrow at him in fury. “how—... how does he know you said that!?”

“hyung screen-recorded it,” matthew answers with an oblivious smile. “highest bidder got the file.”

“oh, so the game has mini-games now, too!?” you shout, staring daggers into hanbin. “do you have any moral decency left?”

“of course,” he answers, frowning as if he’s offended by the accusation. “if i didn’t, i would’ve just posted it. but i played it fair and took the 1,400 won.”

“YOU SOLD MY SEX TAPE FOR A DOLLAR!?”

“a dollar and five cents,” hanbin corrects with a smile.

“i forgot to bring my wallet to practice,” jiwoong says with a sorry shrug. “otherwise i would’ve bid at least two.”

“and i didn’t want it,” hao follows, absentmindedly examining his fingers. “i’m not depraved like the rest of them.”

you laugh incredulously. “oh, that’s rich, coming from the guy who put 86,000 won tree sap up my—”

“but seriously, man, that was cold,” matthew interrupts, patting taerae on the back in praise. “didn’t know you were cool like that.”

“oh, well i—,” taerae starts, almost sounding like he’s about to deny it. but instead he just shrugs, meekly replying, “me neither.”

“that’s ‘cause he’s not,” you seethe. “how about you tell all of your cool, new friends how you sucked your thumb until sophomore year of—.”

“why don’t you pick a winner?” hanbin asks, smiling at you gently. “isn’t that even better than what we’d planned? you got to experience it all.”

your lips purse in contemplation. “like... pick who got the farthest?”

he shakes his head. “pick who you want to fuck you the most.”

“i see,” you hum after a moment. you scan the line of boys in their soccer uniforms and university apparel. each looks a different version of eager as they await your answer. but unfortunately, they’d all already fallen straight into your trap the moment they’d stepped in the activities lounge. 

you lean forward, pretending to size them all up.

“i’m sorry, but i don’t think i can do that,” you respond finally, hopping off of the desk. “you’ve all been nothing but awful to me this whole year. why would i ever pick one of you? do you think i fucking hate myself?”

the boys begin to give each other cautious glances. 

“don’t answer that,” you snap, setting your clipboard and pen down on the desk to your left.

matthew scratches the back of his neck, clarifying, “so… you’re not gonna pick?”

“no, i’m not gonna pick,” you assert, walking towards the door as your plan propels into motion. there’s a few disappointed sighs from the boys who’d made a game out of your body. it was demeaning. it was sadistic. 

it was… hot.

“why would i pick one of you,” you say as you lock the door, turning back around to face the gaggle of idiots hanging on your every word. “... when i can have all of you?”

“oh shit,” hao whispers, breaking the stunned silence filling the room. all of the other boys stare at you, jaws dropped.

“(y/n),” taerae pleadss quietly, eyes worried and sincere. “what are you saying? you don’t want that!”

“you don’t get to tell me what i want anymore,” you reply succinctly. you’re drinking it in, the feeling of being needed by five men at once. it fills you with a sense of power: the thing these same men tried to take away from you. it’s intoxicating. “and stop pretending like you still know me. you don’t. but...”

taerae’s left eyebrow raises ever-so-slightly as your thought hangs still-incomplete in the air.

“you could know me again,” you suggest softly, running the tip of your tongue across the back of your teeth. “and you could know me really well this time.”

your former best friend exhales, shaking his head weakly.

“you’re really gonna pass that up?” jiwoong asks, stepping forward indignantly as if he thinks taerae’s insane. “been waiting to get my hands back on you all week.”

“it sounds good to you then?” you reply, holding back a smile as jiwoong starts rolling up his jacket sleeves— a definitive nod in your direction. “is jiwoongie really the only taker?”

“fuck no,” matthew responds suddenly, any restraint he was previously demonstrating wiped away completely. “that’s what you want? i’m all in. let’s start now.”

hao hits his arm, hissing, “get it together.”

“why?” matt asks, folding his arms across his chest as he turns to face hao. “i wanna get my dick wet. so do you. so does everyone here. isn’t this the best solution?”

“yeah, isn’t it?” you ask, walking up to hao slowly. enough talking. it’s time for action. you close in on him, nearly chest-to-chest as you hold him with your gaze. you fight a smug grin as your hand gently tugs at the waistband of his joggers, “please... concertmaster?”

you’re thrown onto the desk behind you in seconds, hao’s long fingers wrapping around your jaw as his tongue slips down your throat. situating himself between your legs, your cores grow closer and closer together. he raises your arms, pulling your shirt over your head and dropping it on the floor in a careless ball.

“holy fucking—... this is really happening,” matthew mumbles as he takes a step closer, standing a few feet from your side so he can get a better view. though his brazenness isn’t so great for his teammates, you’d be lying if you said it didn’t turn you on in this context. you don’t want to give into him just yet, though. you have plans for him.

you glance over at jiwoong, worried for the state of his bottom lip as he chews it anxiously. you pull back from hao, wrapping your hand around his forearm to keep him close to you and batting your eyelashes invitingly at the older boy.

he points to himself, brow raising happily when you nod in affirmation. he walks over to you, obviously trying to stay as suave and nonchalant as he possibly can. 

“you want hyung instead?” hao asks possessively, an undeniable pout on his lips at the thought of being discarded for someone better.

you squeeze his arm reassuringly, whispering in his ear, “he wants me.”

“so do i,” he replies, running his hand up your thigh. the unexpected display of jealousy from hao sends you reeling; another wave of arousal rushing to your heat as jiwoong closes the gap between you. “need something, hyung?”

“i was just watching you swap saliva, when i remembered how we didn’t kiss on monday,” jiwoong answers, eyes locked with yours. “i just think you might like the privilege of kissing me.”

“oh, you think that, do you?” you reply with a smirk. “well, if you’re that certain... i’m willing to hear you out.”

jiwoong smiles, placing a hand on your cheek as he presses his lips to yours sweetly. he pulls back, perhaps trying to gauge your reaction. 

“well that was a let down,” matthew mumbles from beside you, rolling his eyes. you notice that taerae’s also come closer, standing a bit farther back than him but watching intently. and concernedly.

jiwoong laughs, kissing you again— this time, leaving you breathless with how passionately and skillfully his lips move against yours. it might be the best kiss you’ve ever had. you moan softly against him as hao’s hand now grazes over your clothed core.

your hand moves from hao’s arm to his fingers, holding him there against you. he huffs a laugh as jiwoong pulls back, smirking at hao.

“it’s all about teamwork,” jiwoong jokes, hand making its way to the button on your shorts. he undoes it quickly, advancing toward the zipper next. “that’ll be my quote for the interview.”

“i’ll send it to print,” you reply as jiwoong reattaches his lips to yours. your zipper comes undone and two sets of hands pull your shorts down, matthew walking over to lift you slightly as they shimmy them off of you. he smiles at you— a kind one.

“can i kiss you, too?” he asks, boyish looks on full display. you’d love to indulge him when he’s playing nice like this. 

you shake your head. “not yet.”

matthew sighs dramatically, hand running through his hair as hao chuckles.

“be careful,” jiwoong warns with a smirk. “he can only take so much of that.”

“oh, shut up,” matthew huffs before resuming his content observation of you.

hao pulls your panties to the side easily— flimsy, lace material you picked out just for tonight. “were you expecting this to happen?”

jiwoong sighs at the sight. “fuck, baby. were you dreaming about this? hm?”

you whimper as jiwoong kisses up your neck and hao rubs lazy circles around your clit with his thumb. 

“she loves that,” jiwoong whispers against your skin, glancing at hao next to him. “heart’s already racing.”

“is that right, baby? this feel good?” hao asks, suddenly applying more pressure. you throw your head back at the escalation, leaning back farther on your hands— subconsciously asking for even more friction. “dripping for us, honey girl.”

“please,” you beg with a mewl. “wanna feel you inside me.”

“which one?” jiwoong asks, glancing at hao.

“don’t care,” you answer, shaking your head.

“really? no preference?” hao asks with a smirk. “then i guess i’ll just leave and you can—.”

you grab hao by his shirt collar, causing him to stumble into you. he smiles: clearly happy he’s been chosen. 

jiwoong steps aside as hao takes his place in between your legs, hands in the air as he accepts his temporary rejection like a man. unfortunately this makes you want him all the more and you reach out your hand for him to hold.

“demoted to hand-holder,” he jokes, shaking his head. luckily, he figures out something to occupy him quickly as he sticks two of your fingers in his mouth— sucking on them gently.

your attention turns back to hao, who grabs your hips and pulls you closer to the edge of the desk. with your free hand, you reach for the waistband of his joggers— tugging at it until he finally indulges you and pulls them down along with his boxers. 

he stares at your pretty core, bottom lip catching in his teeth before lining himself up with your entrance. you take in the sight of his cock, somehow as elegant and refined as he is. hao’s hands latch around your hips again, fingers digging into the plush of your ass as he slowly pushes himself inside you.

the stretch is unbelievable— nothing like the tiny cake of rosin. you clench around him instinctively and hao hisses at the added pressure.

“relax, baby,” he whispers, touching his forehead to yours in an uncharacteristically sweet gesture. “everything’s okay. we’re just gonna make some more music, is all.”

you take a deep breath at his words, walls relaxing as you exhale. hao takes the opportunity to push himself further inside of you until he reaches the hilt. you sigh with satisfaction, more than happy to be this full.

hao pulls back, starting to slowly thrust in and out of you until he finds the perfect rhythm. “you feel fucking amazing.”

you smile as he moves his hands to your thighs, picking them up and deepening the angle as you wrap your left arm around his neck for support. a moan escapes you as the tip of him hits your cervix. 

“that’s it, honey,” he grunts, thrusts becoming sharper as he continues to hit your back-most wall. “sound so, so pretty like that.”

the pressure inside of you is becoming overwhelming. you need something to occupy you further as your high steadily approaches. you sit up slightly, kicking jiwoong lightly with your foot until he lets go of your hand. once it’s free, your fingers move to palm him through his shorts until matthew chuckles behind him.

“seems like she wants more than a hand to hold,” he observes with a smirk.

jiwoong’s brow raises reflexively in excitement. he nods at you in permission as you reach into his uniform shorts and pull out his cock. he exhales breathily as you explore him with your hand before wrapping your fist around it and beginning to pump.

his head lolls back at the teasing pace as you return your attention to hao, whose cheeks have flushed with his orgasm quickly approaching.

you push his hair from his forehead with your free hand, trying to savor how needy he looks in this moment. “gonna cum for me, haohao?”

“fuck, yes,” he breathes as his rhythm begins to falter. probably the only time in his life that hao’s ever been off the beat. “your thighs. wanna paint your pretty thighs again.”

you don’t need any more convincing. “let’s see it then.”

a few more shallow thrusts until hao pulls out of you, hand wrapping around his cock— cumming with a sweet moan as he drips onto your inner thighs. his lips part as he stares at the mess he’s made before sinking to his knees and licking every last drop from your skin.

“damn,” matthew whispers. “that’s hardcore.”

“so much better than the rosin,” hao remarks, standing up and kissing you before pulling his joggers up and taking a step back. 

a draft hits your impossibly wet cunt, glancing to your right for someone to fill the spot between your legs. matthew’s eyes widen eagerly, smiling at you far too politely in the hope of being picked. but you still weren’t done letting him simmer.

luckily, someone else’s cock is already in your hand.

jiwoong is gripping the desk beside you as you continue to lazily pump him, trying his best to maintain control as he stares at the ceiling. it’s actually kind of cute.

“jiwoong-ah,” you call softly, hand stopping its motion. he meets your gaze, clearing his throat when you smile at him. “want you to fuck me.”

“i thought you might say that,” jiwoong replies nonchalantly, his tone starkly contrasting the speed at which he moves to stand between your legs. “let’s change things up, shall we?”

he holds his hand out to you, helping you off the desk and then turning you around to face it. your stomach pressed up against the wooden desk, jiwoong runs his hands down your waist— cupping your ass with a firm squeeze when he reaches it.

“like it?” you ask, wiggling your ass slightly for him.

“i’ve seen better,” he says with a shrug, hands still kneading hungrily at your cheeks.

you look up over your shoulder, meeting his gaze. “well i’d love to hear any suggestions for improvement that you have when this is all over.”

jiwoong gulps, biting his lip as he spreads your legs with his hand. you step a little further apart, gasping when he suddenly shoves his cock inside of you. 

“you’re sure you’ve done this before?” jiwoong asks with a groan as he laboredly manages to push himself all the way in. “kinda tight in here.”

“seriously? it so doesn’t work like that. and do you really think i’d lose my virginity to any of you assholes?” you retort, glancing over your shoulder to find taerae staring quietly back at you. “but it seems like someone here wants to lose there’s to me.”

everyone looks at taerae, who is standing with his arms folded across his chest— painfully hard even through his grey joggers. he shakes his head weakly, “th-that’s not true.”

you motion him closer, watching as he takes cautious, shaky steps towards you. like you’re not the person who knows the most about him in this world. like you’re a monster in a haunted house.

when he’s finally in reach, you grab his shirt sleeve and pull him to your side. he stares at you with wide eyes before you raise your brow expectantly and instruct: “kiss me.”

“what!?” he exclaims, like you’ve asked him to kill you instead. like he didn’t just kiss you yesterday. like he hadn’t just fucked your throat in the middle of class until you couldn’t speak. “i—...”

tired of his nonsense, you kiss him instead as jiwoong coils an arm up your stomach— groping at your chest as he thrusts into you: fast, hungry, and desperate. taerae pulls back after a moment, blinking at you before diving in for more.

the head of jiwoong’s cock pounds against the spongy, soft spot in your front wall and you can’t help but moan into taerae’s mouth as your climax approaches. he breaks your kiss, lips parted as you stare directly at him— whimpering for release as your hand balls his shirt sleeve into a fist.

jiwoong pulls you toward him so that your back is flush against his chest. you look over your shoulder, his lips immediately attaching to yours as you whine against them.

“i really like it,” jiwoong rambles deliriously between kisses, grabbing your ass so hard you think the flesh might bruise. “sorry for lying, baby. it’s perfect. s’perfect. gonna cum all over it.”

“oh my god,” you cry as your orgasm hits you. jiwoong sighs, most likely relieved he doesn’t have to keep holding on himself. “woongie.”

“that’s it, baby,” he coaxes, sucking and biting at your neck as his thrusts become erratic. “such a good girl, cumming all over my cock.”

when your walls finally stop spasming around him, jiwoong pulls out of you— cumming with a weak sigh all over the top of your ass. just as he promised.

“good?” he asks, giving your ass one last smack before backing away.

you nod happily, the hot liquid starting to drip down onto your cheeks. “good.”

someone begins to blot at jiwoong’s cum with a piece of fabric and you turn over your shoulder to see who it is.

“you’re so fucking hot right now,” matthew compliments, cheeks noticeably redder than before as he wipes up the mess with his jersey. maybe you’re being too harsh in testing his patience. “you have no idea. or maybe you do, i dunno.”

you shift your body to face him, pressing your lips to his. he responds almost instantly, attempting to deepen the kiss when you pull away. “i’m gonna deal with this one first, actually,” you say, hand gripping taerae’s shirt sleeve a little tighter.

at your denial, matthew swallows hard— the metaphorical gloves starting to come off. “i think i’ve been waiting pretty patiently.”

“you have, honey,” you coo patronizingly, running your free hand through his hair. “do you think you can be patient for a little while longer?”

he inhales sharply at the soft language, pupils dilating as he unconsciously gives away his enjoyment of this tone. you wink, causing matthew to step back with an angry huff out of your reach. “whatever,” he reluctantly agrees before sulking over to a chair in the corner.

“he’s gonna explode,” hao mutters under his breath to jiwoong.

you turn to your right, eyes meeting taerae’s. he’s chewing his lip nervously and you’re not really sure what the right approach is. you take his hand and lead him over to the couch— lying down on your back and spreading your legs, gesturing for him to lie down in between them. after a long moment, he does.

you stare at his joggers until he gets the hint to pull them down, hard cock hitting his lower abdomen as he releases it. he stares at it, inches from your pussy before looking back up at you in disbelief.

“don’t get too worked up,” you tease, reaching your hand through your legs and wrapping it around his cock. you align it with your entrance as taerae’s chest falls closer to yours. “don’t you wanna last longer than you did yesterday?”

the tips of his ears burn at what seems to be a new mortally embarrassing core memory for him. “shut up.”

“taerae-ya,” you call, eyes meeting his again. you hope he can see how genuine you are as you ask, “do you really wanna do this?”

once more, his eyes are a whirlpool of conflict. you think he might even say no... until he suddenly shoves himself inside of you with one quick thrust.

“oh my fucking god,” he moans, harmonizing with your cry at the abrupt fullness. “oh my god.”

you wrap your legs around him to ensure he doesn’t try to bite off more than he can chew in this moment. “if you cum right now, i swear to whatever god you’re name-dropping, tae...”

“i won’t, i won’t,” he assures raspily, but the way his face is screwed up in pleasure leaves you unconvinced. 

“wouldn’t have to be giving that warning to me,” matthew mumbles saltily from the corner. “just saying.”

“damn, i never thought i’d watch someone i wasn’t fucking lose their virginity,” jiwoong comments with fascination. “was i this pathetic?”

“probably,” hao replies matter-of-factly. “you were pretty pathetic just now, too.”

“not. a. virgin,” taerae asserts, punctuating each word with a rough thrust. you moan at the sensation, an audible queue for him to continue at that intensity. his motion is surprisingly fluid. you were positive he’d been lying about having lost his virginity, but now you weren’t so sure.

the brutal pace at which he’s bucking into you, however, is leaving you a bit dumb. it’s like he’s fucking the thoughts out of you. maybe it’s intentional. maybe it’s because you can’t stop whining for more.

“fuck, you’ve got her begging,” jiwoong says, tongue already licking his lips again as he watches your tits bounce with each thrust. “not bad, kid.”

matthew sighs exasperatedly in the corner. you know what he’s thinking: he could do better.

taerae shakes his head softly, biting his lip as he tries his best to keep going. “i—... fuck, you feel so good. don’t wanna stop, but...”

“you need to cum?” you finish for him.

he nods frantically. “but i can’t yet, i... have to last longer, like you want me to...”

your hand rushes to the back of his neck, toying with the hairs at the nape. he mewls, clearly seconds from busting inside of you. “i was just kidding with you, tae. you did so good. you can cum now.”

his forehead falls to your chest with relief. “thank fuck, oh my god. where? where do you want me to—?”

“tits,” you interject your answer, grabbing his hands in yours and putting them on your breasts. “want you to cum on my tits.”

taerae pulls out so fast, you’re afraid he’ll get whiplash— pumping his cock over your pretty chest and cumming with a throaty moan. “fuck. holy fuck.”

you look around the room as taerae sits up, having been so preoccupied with all these boys that you hadn’t realized that one of them had been virtually absent this whole time. you’re puzzled as you spot hanbin sitting pensively on a desk toward the front of the room— quietly watching you get fucked by all his friends. 

you stand up from the couch, hao grabbing your arm for stability until you can walk on your shaky legs— gently brushing past the rest of the boys and walking over to the star of the soccer team.

he smiles at you, one brow piquing in interest as his eyes trail down to the cum dripping down your chest. “to what do i owe the honor of your undivided attention?”

something clicks for you now as you stand in front of him. “it was your idea, wasn’t it? the competition?”

hanbin doesn’t answer, he just tilts his head.

“and if it was your idea, doesn’t it mean that you wanted to win?” you ask, hand finding his bare thigh— inching dangerously closer towards his clothed bulge. “you wanted to fuck me? wanted a more literal way to get under my skin?”

“i just told you the little play on word thing was getting a bit old, didn’t—.”

he stops abruptly as you begin to palm him gently through the fabric of his shorts. he exhales breathily at the feeling, but doesn’t give you any more than that. 

instead, he replies softly, “think you got me all figured out then?”

“mm,” you affirm, applying a bit more pressure. he places his hand over yours to keep you there, but he doesn’t make another sound. “think you’re fucked in the head.”

“what’s taking so long?” matthew asks impatiently, far too close to losing his temper.

“this is my game now. you already played yours,” you say, slipping your hand out from underneath hanbin’s. again, he doesn’t protest, but the way his eyes are shining lets you know he doesn’t want to lose your attention just yet. you take the bottom of his jersey and wipe taerae’s cum off your skin to assert your dominance. “they all want to play by the rules. but you don’t. so you’ll have to wait here, i guess. watch all your friends ruin me, when it was your idea in the first place.”

you head back over to the other boys, walking over to matthew and immediately straddling him in his chair. “didn’t i tell you to be patient?”

“wanna fuck you so bad,” matthew growls, hands digging hungrily at your waist. you grind down on him in a warning. he moans softly. “i mean, under the circumstances, i think i did a pretty good job.”

“yeah? you think?” you ask, your condescending tone and another harsh grind against him causing him to whimper. “so i should give you what you want, then?”

there’s a flash of hope in his eyes. you start to lean in to kiss him when you’re suddenly thrown from matthew’s lap and manhandled to the carpeted floor. hanbin hovers between your legs, hands kneading into your thighs.

“hey,” he says with a grin.

you grin back. “hey.”

“sorry about that,” he apologizes, pulling his shorts down and gently tapping at your entrance with the head of his cock. “but you were right. and i didn’t wanna be last.”

“and where the fuck is my apology, huh!?” matthew yells, standing up in a fury. “we were clearly in the middle of something.”

“well, now we’re in the middle of something,” hanbin replies, pushing himself inside of you with a shrug. you whimper at the stretch, fist balling up the neckline of hanbin’s jersey. “so deal with it.”

“you always do this!” matthew shouts and you’re nearly positive he’s about to punch his hyung, when hao and jiwoong stand up and force him into a chair between them. jiwoong rubs his back comfortingly, attempting to calm him down for the time being. 

“look at you,” hanbin says with a smirk— long, slow strokes into you that effectively drive you insane. “he’d throw hands just to get a moment with you. s’gotta make you feel pretty good, right?”

you nod as his hips continue to roll into yours, languid and teasing. you moan when his thumb finds your clit, circling it gently as he begins to increase the pace of his thrusts.

“yeah? well it makes me feel fucking awful,” he confesses, hips snapping into you harshly. you cry out, second orgasm building rapidly as you try to pay attention to hanbin’s words. “thought i was throwing you to the wolves, not a handful of potential suitors.”

you’re not quite sure what he’s trying to say, brain focused on only one thing right now. 

“gonna cum for me, baby?” he asks with a smirk, sweat beginning to bead at his forehead. you nod frantically in response, fingers digging into his upperarm as he brings you to the edge. “go on, then— let everyone know who made you feel this good.”

he’s expecting you to scream his name. instead, when your climax hits, you pull hanbin down to you by his collar— pressing your lips to his and moaning against them as your walls flutter around his cock. your action surprises him, eyes wide until he finally responds. deepening the kiss, his thrusts suddenly grow passionate and tender as he works you through your high.

hanbin moves his hand from your clit, bringing it up to your face and running his thumb across your cheek. coming up for air, he whispers, “you’re so fucking gorgeous.”

“you’ve called me ugly to my face almost every thursday for a year,” you reply, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck to bring him even closer still. 

“it’s your fault, you... i—,” hanbin stutters, his thrusts grow haphazard as you feel his cock start to twitch inside you. “fuck, i’m gonna—.”

“how about you cum on my face then?” you suggest, tugging at hanbin’s hair— nails scratching at his scalp gently. “at least you won’t have to look at it if you cover it up.”

“that’s not—... m’not gonna...,” he protests before pulling out of you and climbing up to straddle your chest. hanbin pumps his cock in front of your face. “open your mouth.”

you prop yourself up on your elbows, opening your mouth for him and sticking out your tongue. with a throaty moan, he cums on your tongue— pumping out every last salty drop. you swallow it down, opening wide and showing hanbin that you’d done it. 

“fuck,” hanbin marvels before kissing you warmly. “i can’t believe you.”

“happy with the vulture you made?” you ask with a smirk.

he shakes his head. “not a vulture. a bird of fucking paradise.”

you’re about to tell him that a bird of paradise is a flower, not an actual species of bird, but hanbin stands up too quickly and returns to his seat on top of the corner desk— rubbing his forehead with his hands as if he’s upset by something. unfortunately, you don’t have any more time to dwell on him. you have one last boy to deal with.

you sit up on your knees, eyes locking with matthew before he abruptly turns away in the ultimate display of pettiness. seems like you were more than right about how he’d be in a situation like this. you crawl over to him seductively, placing your hands on his knees as you kneel in front of him.

“look at me, baby,” you plead in a soft voice, running your hands up and down his thighs. “wanna play with you.”

he sighs sadly. “do you? it kinda seems like you wanna play with everyone else more.”

“this kid,” jiwoong remarks with a chuckle. “weren’t you the one that said this was a great idea?”

“i didn’t think i’d have to wait so long to get a turn,” matthew sulks, eyes finally meeting yours again. you must look particularly enticing all fucked up like this, as a growl deep in his throat sounds at the sight of you. “waited so patiently.”

“you almost took a swing at hanbinnie, honey,” you remind him, reaching for the waistband of his shorts and pulling it down until matthew’s angry, thick cock is in your view. “how would you have explained his black eye to everyone at the championship game? hm?”

matthew whimpers as you wrap both hands around his length, popping the tip into your mouth and swirling your tongue around it. “they w-wouldn’t be surprised.”

taerae snorts in response before returning to his silent observation from the couch.

you take him further into your mouth, sucking lazily as matthew breathes harder. when he’s nice and lubricated, you pull off of him and stand up— straddling him again like you had before hanbin interrupted you. this time, you lower yourself onto his impossibly hard cock with a satisfied sigh.

you start to fuck yourself on him, slow until you can find the right rhythm. there’s uncharacteristic silence coming from the boy beneath you.

“do you really want me the least?” matthew asks as your eyes meet, the adorable pout on his lips driving you crazy. 

you shake your head softly. “of course not, baby. but you’ve gotta be good. boys who choke waterboys have to be punished.”

matthew tilts his head innocently. “i didn’t mean to do that.”

you grab a fistful of hair at the back of his neck, yanking tightly. “don’t fucking lie to me.”

“holy shit,” jiwoong whispers.

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry,” matthew whines quickly until your grip loosens. “i... i did sort of mean to do that.”

“i know, baby,” you reply, the pace of your bouncing growing quicker. “that’s why you had to go last this time.”

“this time?” hao and matthew ask at the same time.

you shrug. “so if you behave, you can go first next time.”

“next time?” jiwoong and taerae repeat.

matthew nods eagerly. “i can do that. i promise!”

“yeah?” you reply, promptly stopping your motion as you sink down onto him fully. “you promise to be a good boy?”

at the same time you ask the question, you squeeze his cock with your walls. 

“yes, mommy,” matthew cries, head lolling backward to expose his jugular to you. a stunned hush falls over the room. taerae’s jaw drops.

you glance behind you, three pairs of saucer-shaped eyes staring back at you. an impressed hao nods, holding out his hand for you to shake in respect. you do.

“wait, wait—... no, i—...” the boy underneath you pleads. “i didn’t—... that’s not what—.”

you squeeze your walls around him again, a strangled moan falling from his lips as he resumes his submissive state. “d’you want me to keep milking your cock or not, baby?”

“please,” he answers quickly, taking your hand and placing it gently at the base of his neck. “feels so good. want you to milk me dry.”

you oblige, thrilled to get exactly what you wanted out of him. you squeeze him tighter and tighter inside of you, grinding your hips softly against him— massaging softly up his neck with your hand until he’s begging for release.

“gonna cum,” matthew whines, hands moving down your waist before finally situating on your ass. “please, let me cum. (y/n). can’t take it anymore! gonna cum inside you if you don’t—.”

you hop off of him quickly, watching as his cock falls to his lower abdomen— cum covering his own skin as he sighs defeatedly through the ruined pleasure. his head falls to his hands, contemplating his life and where he went wrong.

“fuck, that was hot,” jiwoong says. you glance over, both him and hao now hard again in their joggers.

you smile, entirely satisfied with how this turned out. you try to take a step back toward the desk, but your legs aren’t as steady as you thought. taerae stands up from the couch, running to keep you on your feet. jiwoong and hao both get up after him, helping you up onto the desk with concerned expressions.

“are you okay?” taerae asks, bending down to the floor and grabbing your shirt. he hands it to you and you put it on with what little strength you have left. 

jiwoong walks over to his bag, grabbing a water bottle from the side pocket and bringing it back to you. he pops open the top and places it in your hand. “you need to drink, okay? we don’t need you passing out and us all getting questioned at a hospital.”

you nod, taking a sip from the water bottle. hao grabs a tissue from the box on the corner desk, walking over to you and dabbing your forehead gently.

this is bliss, you think. but... how does it all end?

CHOOSE YOUR ENDING ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

click above or here to choose from one of seven endings <3 jiwoong, hao, matthew, hanbin, taerae, group, and revenge

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　

gender neutral version below

EXPLICIT SMUT 18+ WARNINGS: heavy petting (reader and male receiving), penetrative sex (reader receiving), mild cum play, oral (male receiving), mostly dom/soft!dom boys but also subby!matthew, this is a CONSENSUAL gang bang, also all raw penetration whoops. language surrounding reader's genitals and penetration is vague to keep things as inclusive as possible. a couple mentions of reader's body being gorgeous, pretty, other aesthetic compliments but no gendered language.

˚　　　　✦　　　.　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　

“enjoy the game! fighting!”

the words leave your mouth for the five hundredth time this evening as you hand out yet another set of programs. you give each attendee your most authentic smile as you greet them at the north entrance. 

“we’re at almost four hundred at the south entrance,” mina’s voice rings through the walkie-talkie on the table in front of you. it’s no surprise how well-attended tonight’s game is— everyone was invested in the long-held rivalry between your university and the opposing school. it had been a few years since your university’s soccer team had won this match-up. you wondered if they would tonight...

perhaps hanbin being made team captain this year would be the missing link to victory.

“hi! enjoy the game— fighting!” you exclaim once more. speaking of hanbin, he’d been right about one thing. tea with honey had repaired your voice perfectly. you’d even remembered to brew chamomile tea instead of black, so that good night’s sleep you’d been desperately needing was finally gifted to you.

you called mina that morning. you didn’t tell her what had happened per se, but you told her about each of the boys pursuing you... and you conveniently left jiwoong out of the equation for her own sake.

“i need to figure out how to get all of them in the same room,” you said, sending the finalized program for the big game to the campus activities director to print. you’d actually managed to finish it early this morning after emailing it to your sunbaenims to promptly approve. “but i don’t know how i’d manage to do that.”

“the campus activities interviews!” mina shouts excitedly. “sunbaenim was looking for a volunteer to do it for him tonight. if i make sure he recruits the right players, you’ll have them all to yourself in the activities lounge.”

all to yourself? 

just how lucky could you be?

~

“and number 13 approaches the goal, weaving through the opposition,” the announcer calls as hanbin dribbles the ball across the field. two defensive players from the rival team close in on him. “and he seems to be caught in a defensive trap. number 25 comes up behind him on his right and number 12 is on his left— will 13 be able to pass the ball successfully?”

you’re on the edge of your seat as hao waves at hanbin to signal he’s open. jiwoong’s making the same signal, but a bit more aggressively. personal issues with several members of the soccer team aside, you’re rooting for their win. it would mean a lot of positive attention and increased funding for your whole university to have the soccer team finally progress to the championship again.

you glance at the rest of the field. matthew’s in defense, the number 28 on his jersey shining in the flood lights as he blocks two rival offensive players all by himself. and, on the bench in his perfectly clean uniform sits taerae— number 14 kicking the grass with his cleats, not really paying attention to the riveting game going on in front of him.

“and 13 successfully passes to 25! 25 dodges a defensive player on his right, making a beeline for the goal,” the announcer continues, everyone in the stands beginning to rise to their feet as the anticipation grows unbearable. 

the scoreboard reads: 1-1.

hao is shooting distance from the goal, but he can’t seem to shake a couple defense players on his heels. there’s no way he’ll be able to make the goal like this. he looks at jiwoong, who is also preoccupied with defensive players of his own. it seems like all hope is lost until...

“number 13 sprints out ahead— a clear path between him and 25! 25 passes quickly to 13...”

hanbin’s cleat touches the ball, steadying himself for less than a second before he squares up and takes the shot.

the ball flies through the air. though it’s certainly going at least 70 miles per hour, it feels like you’re watching it in slow motion. mina grabs your hand, anxiety overflowing from every direction.

swish.

the ball flies over the goalie’s hands and into the netting behind him. the crowd erupts into cheers as the timeclock buzzer signals the end of the game.

hanbin stands in shock as the rest of his teammates rush toward him, engulfing him in their celebration. he’s lifted onto someone’s shoulders, grinning from ear to ear in pure joy and relief in a way you haven’t seen since you first met him. it’s a nice sight, if you’re being honest.

“i’m ready when you are,” mina says, squeezing your hand. “just fill me in after on how the revenge goes.”

“will do,” you say, making your way down the stairs of the stands. “just remember it’s what you asked for!”

the phrase sends a chill down your spine as you remember taerae’s thumb pressed to your tongue. you shake your head to snap out of it. there’s no time for hesitation.

you watch patiently as the celebration continues on the field. coach yang’s practically crying with pride. you don’t think you’ve ever seen him display an emotion other than boredom and annoyance before. camera now slung around your neck, you watch as the many attendees file out of the bleachers and out the exits. 

the players shake hands cordially with the other team, one of the rival defense players starting to give matthew a hard time— undoubtedly for being pig-headed and brash during the game. you’re sure he deserves a little roughing up, but you need him in good condition.

after the excitement finally dies down, the campus activities president makes his way over to you with a smirking mina at his side. “ready to get some good portraits of the players?”

you nod happily. more than ready.

“thanks for volunteering to do this for me. i’ve gotta be at the senior leadership conference way too early tomorrow morning,” your sunbaenim says as he and mina head out onto the field. “you can head to the activities lounge now and set up. mina will escort them right over!”

mina grins at you over her shoulder before you exit the soccer field and head towards kang hall. the warm night air calms you as you walk through the doors and make your way down the empty hallway, stopping when you finally reach the activities lounge. several desks, a few office chairs, and a small sofa litter the room.

this could work.

you grab the stack of interview consent forms out of the filing cabinet to your right before setting up the photo wall and camera at the back of the room. if, by chance, a few extra players are sent in, you’ll just have to get them out of the way first.

buzz buzz.

you check your phone to see a message from mina.

i’m sorry, coach yang made me take jiwoong, too. BLEGH. something about him being the left forward and “crucial to the game” or whatever. like, whatever helps him sleep at night, i guess. anyway, they’ll be there in a minute.

a minute. you can do this.

“two red flags!? it wasn’t even my fault. that guy was being a total dick,” you hear a muffled voice through the door. “so what i grabbed him by the collar? he should have a stronger windpipe if he can’t handle a little bit of good-natured choking!”

“it was the waterboy,” hao replies with a sigh. “you choked our waterboy.”

the door cracks open.

“he was in my way,” matthew says with a huff.

“he was trying to give you water,” taerae says quietly. 

“you guys never fucking support me,” matthew grumbles, the door flying open as he takes a step inside the lounge. his lips part at the sight of you as the other boys push him through.

soon you’re met with five pairs of wide eyes, all staring back at you from where you sit on top of a desk in the middle of the room— clipboard resting on your knees.

you smile at them, clicking your pen eerily. “welcome! and congratulations on your fantastic win. please line up across from me.”

after a few moments of uneasy silence, hanbin is the first to make his way to the middle of the room. he stands a few feet away from you, the rest of the boys walking over and creating a neat, horizontal line.

“you didn’t hear the stuff about the waterboy, did you?” matthew asks, pressing his lips together awkwardly.

“i absolutely did,” you answer shortly. “i also watched it happen. and the purposeful cleat to the nuts of that other player.”

“that other player being me,” hanbin says with a frown.

“oooh, tough luck,” you console, shaking your head. “they still work though, right?”

hanbin’s brow raises in surprise. to be able to catch him off-guard is literally thrilling.

“so, i assume you all know why we’re gathered here today,” you say, clicking your pen again.

“i’m guessing it’s not for a post-game interview,” jiwoong says, looking around the room.

you bite your cheek in a smile. “unfortunately, we do still have to do those. but first, i thought we’d start with an interview about a different game we all played this week.”

taerae’s brow raises immediately, turning to look at hanbin. “i thought you said (y/n) didn’t know about that!”

your face falls. “know about what?”

“i believe it was a play on words. (y/n)’s poetry, recently, has been littered with them. it was cute the first five times, but it’s actually becoming a bit redundant now if i do say so myself,” hanbin says, glaring at taerae. “but now you’ve gone and opened your gigantic mou—.”

“it was a game,” hao interjects flatly. “this week was all just a game to see who could fuck you first.”

leave it to hao to always cut the bullshit. and always cut deep.

you knew there had to be a reason why these boys that had bullied you for years suddenly all wanted a taste of you. this explanation did make the most sense.

“well, it wasn’t just a game,” jiwoong replies with a shrug. “it was a really good game.”

“yeah, i’d play again,” matthew says with a grin. “especially considering nobody won.”

you scoff.  “you literally lectured me for ten minutes about how you have no interest in fucking me, because i’m so tainted now.”

“yeah, i mean, definitely not how i prefer ‘em, but...” matthew smirks at taerae. “what was it you said yesterday? ‘a hole’s a hole’?”

taerae gulps as your eyes narrow at him in fury. “how—... how does he know you said that!?”

“hyung screen-recorded it,” matthew answers with an oblivious smile. “highest bidder got the file.”

“oh, so the game has mini-games now, too!?” you shout, staring daggers into hanbin. “do you have any moral decency left?”

“of course,” he answers, frowning as if he’s offended by the accusation. “if i didn’t, i would’ve just posted it. but i played it fair and took the 1,400 won.”

“YOU SOLD MY SEX TAPE FOR A DOLLAR!?”

“a dollar and five cents,” hanbin corrects with a smile.

“i forgot to bring my wallet to practice,” jiwoong says with a sorry shrug. “otherwise i would’ve bid at least two.”

“and i didn’t want it,” hao follows, absentmindedly examining his fingers. “i’m not depraved like the rest of them.”

you laugh incredulously. “oh, that’s rich, coming from the guy who covered 86,000 won tree sap with my—”

“but seriously, man, that was cold,” matthew interrupts, patting taerae on the back in praise. “didn’t know you were cool like that.”

“oh, well i—,” taerae starts, almost sounding like he’s about to deny it. but instead he just shrugs, meekly replying, “me neither.”

“that’s ‘cause he’s not,” you seethe. “how about you tell all of your cool, new friends how you sucked your thumb until sophomore year of—.”

“why don’t you pick a winner?” hanbin asks, smiling at you gently. “isn’t that even better than what we’d planned? you got to experience it all.”

your lips purse in contemplation. “like... pick who got the farthest?”

he shakes his head. “pick who you want to fuck you the most.”

“i see,” you hum after a moment. you scan the line of boys in their soccer uniforms and university apparel. each looks a different version of eager as they await your answer. but unfortunately, they’d all already fallen straight into your trap the moment they’d stepped in the activities lounge. 

you lean forward, pretending to size them all up.

“i’m sorry, but i don’t think i can do that,” you respond finally, hopping off of the desk. “you’ve all been nothing but awful to me this whole year. why would i ever pick one of you? do you think i fucking hate myself?”

the boys begin to give each other cautious glances. 

“don’t answer that,” you snap, setting your clipboard and pen down on the desk to your left.

matthew scratches the back of his neck, clarifying, “so… you’re not gonna pick?”

“no, i’m not gonna pick,” you assert, walking towards the door as your plan propels into motion. there’s a few disappointed sighs from the boys who’d made a game out of your body. it was demeaning. it was sadistic. 

it was… hot.

“why would i pick one of you,” you say as you lock the door, turning back around to face the gaggle of idiots hanging on your every word. “... when i can have all of you?”

“oh shit,” hao whispers, breaking the stunned silence filling the room. all of the other boys stare at you, jaws dropped.

“(y/n),” taerae pleads quietly, eyes worried and sincere. “what are you saying? you don’t want that!”

“you don’t get to tell me what i want anymore,” you reply succinctly. you’re drinking it in, the feeling of being needed by five men at once. it fills you with a sense of power: the thing these same men tried to take away from you. it’s intoxicating. “and stop pretending like you still know me. you don’t. but...”

taerae’s left eyebrow raises ever-so-slightly as your thought hangs still-incomplete in the air.

“you could know me again,” you suggest softly, running the tip of your tongue across the back of your teeth. “and you could know me really well this time.”

your former best friend exhales, shaking his head weakly.

“you’re really gonna pass that up?” jiwoong asks, stepping forward indignantly as if he thinks taerae’s insane. “been waiting to get my hands back on you all week.”

“it sounds good to you then?” you reply, holding back a smile as jiwoong starts rolling up his jacket sleeves— a definitive nod in your direction. “is jiwoongie really the only taker?”

“fuck no,” matthew responds suddenly, any restraint he was previously demonstrating wiped away completely. “that’s what you want? i’m all in. let’s start now.”

hao hits his arm, hissing, “get it together.”

“why?” matt asks, folding his arms across his chest as he turns to face hao. “i wanna get my dick wet. so do you. so does everyone here. isn’t this the best solution?”

“yeah, isn’t it?” you ask, walking up to hao slowly. enough talking. it’s time for action. you close in on him, nearly chest-to-chest as you hold him with your gaze. you fight a smug grin as your hand gently tugs at the waistband of his joggers, “please... concertmaster?”

you’re thrown onto the desk behind you in seconds, hao’s long fingers wrapping around your jaw as his tongue slips down your throat. situating himself between your legs, your cores grow closer and closer together. he raises your arms, pulling your shirt over your head and dropping it on the floor in a careless ball.

“holy fucking—... this is really happening,” matthew mumbles as he takes a step closer, standing a few feet from your side so he can get a better view. though his brazenness isn’t so great for his teammates, you’d be lying if you said it didn’t turn you on in this context. you don’t want to give into him just yet, though. you have plans for him.

you glance over at jiwoong, worried for the state of his bottom lip as he chews it anxiously. you pull back from hao, wrapping your hand around his forearm to keep him close to you and batting your eyelashes invitingly at the older boy.

he points to himself, brow raising happily when you nod in affirmation. he walks over to you, obviously trying to stay as suave and nonchalant as he possibly can. 

“you want hyung instead?” hao asks possessively, an undeniable pout on his lips at the thought of being discarded for someone better.

you squeeze his arm reassuringly, whispering in his ear, “he wants me.”

“so do i,” he replies, running his hand up your thigh. the unexpected display of jealousy from hao sends you reeling; another wave of arousal rushing to your heat as jiwoong closes the gap between you. “need something, hyung?”

“i was just watching you swap saliva, when i remembered how we didn’t kiss on monday,” jiwoong answers, eyes locked with yours. “i just think you might like the privilege of kissing me.”

“oh, you think that, do you?” you reply with a smirk. “well, if you’re that certain... i’m willing to hear you out.”

jiwoong smiles, placing a hand on your cheek as he presses his lips to yours sweetly. he pulls back, perhaps trying to gauge your reaction. 

“well that was a let down,” matthew mumbles from beside you, rolling his eyes. you notice that taerae’s also come closer, standing a bit farther back than him but watching intently. and concernedly.

jiwoong laughs, kissing you again— this time, leaving you breathless with how passionately and skillfully his lips move against yours. it might be the best kiss you’ve ever had. you moan softly against him as hao’s hand now grazes over your clothed core.

your hand moves from hao’s arm to his fingers, holding him there against you. he huffs a laugh as jiwoong pulls back, smirking at hao.

“it’s all about teamwork,” jiwoong jokes, hand making its way to the button on your shorts. he undoes it quickly, advancing toward the zipper next. “that’ll be my quote for the interview.”

“i’ll send it to print,” you reply as jiwoong reattaches his lips to yours. your zipper comes undone and two sets of hands pull your shorts down, matthew walking over to lift you slightly as they shimmy them off of you. he smiles at you— a kind one.

“can i kiss you, too?” he asks, boyish looks on full display. you’d love to indulge him when he’s playing nice like this. 

you shake your head. “not yet.”

matthew sighs dramatically, hand running through his hair as hao chuckles.

“be careful,” jiwoong warns with a smirk. “he can only take so much of that.”

“oh, shut up,” matthew huffs before resuming his content observation of you.

hao bites his lip when he realizes you weren’t wearing any underwear. “were you expecting this to happen?”

jiwoong sighs at the sight. “fuck, baby. were you dreaming about this? hm?”

you whimper as jiwoong kisses up your neck and hao begins to lazily stroke you where you need him most.

“you love that, don’t you?” jiwoong whispers against your skin, glancing at hao next to him. “heart’s already racing.”

“is that right, baby? this feel good?” hao asks, suddenly applying more pressure. you throw your head back at the escalation, leaning back farther on your hands— subconsciously asking for even more friction.

“please,” you beg with a mewl. “wanna feel you inside me.”

“which one?” jiwoong asks, glancing at hao.

“don’t care,” you answer, shaking your head.

“really? no preference?” hao asks with a smirk. “then i guess i’ll just leave and you can—.”

you grab hao by his shirt collar, causing him to stumble into you. he smiles: clearly happy he’s been chosen. 

jiwoong steps aside as hao takes his place in between your legs, hands in the air as he accepts his temporary rejection like a man. unfortunately this makes you want him all the more and you reach out your hand for him to hold.

“demoted to hand-holder,” he jokes, shaking his head. luckily, he figures out something to occupy him quickly as he sticks two of your fingers in his mouth— sucking on them gently.

your attention turns back to hao, who grabs your hips and pulls you closer to the edge of the desk and leaning you back so that you’re fully exposed to him. with your free hand, you reach for the waistband of his joggers— tugging at it until he finally indulges you and pulls them down along with his boxers. 

he stares at your opening, bottom lip catching in his teeth before lining himself up with your entrance. you take in the sight of his cock, somehow as elegant and refined as he is. hao’s hands latch around your hips again, fingers digging into the plush of your ass as he slowly pushes himself inside you.

the stretch is unbelievable and you clench around him instinctively, causing him to hiss at the added pressure.

“relax, baby,” he whispers, running his hands up and down your thighs to calm you in an uncharacteristically sweet gesture. “everything’s okay. we’re just gonna make some more music, is all.”

you take a deep breath at his words, walls relaxing as you exhale. hao takes the opportunity to push himself further inside of you until he reaches the hilt. you sigh with satisfaction, more than happy to be this full.

hao pulls back, starting to slowly thrust in and out of you until he finds the perfect rhythm. “you feel fucking amazing.”

you’re unable to contain the pretty sounds that have been building up inside you as he fucks you even deeper.

“that’s it, honey,” he grunts, thrusts becoming sharper as he continues to hit your back-most wall. “sound so, so pretty like that.”

the pressure inside of you is becoming overwhelming. you need something to occupy you further as your high steadily builds. you sit up slightly, kicking jiwoong lightly with your foot until he lets go of your hand. once it’s free, your fingers move to palm him through his shorts until matthew chuckles behind him.

“seems like you want more than a hand to hold,” he observes with a smirk.

jiwoong’s brow raises reflexively in excitement. he nods at you in permission as you reach into his uniform shorts and pull out his cock. he exhales breathily as you explore him with your hand before wrapping your fist around it and beginning to pump.

his head lolls back at the teasing pace as you return your attention to hao, whose cheeks have flushed with his orgasm quickly approaching.

you push his hair from his forehead with your free hand, trying to savor how needy he looks in this moment. “gonna cum for me, haohao?”

“fuck, yes,” he breathes as his rhythm begins to falter. probably the only time in his life that hao’s ever been off the beat. “your thighs. wanna paint your perfect thighs again.”

you don’t need any more convincing. “let’s see it then.”

a few more shallow thrusts until hao pulls out of you, hand wrapping around his cock— cumming with a sweet moan as he drips onto your inner thighs. his lips part as he stares at the mess he’s made before sinking to his knees and licking every last drop from your skin.

“damn,” matthew whispers. “that’s hardcore.”

“so much better than the rosin,” hao remarks, standing up and kissing you before pulling his joggers up and taking a step back. 

a draft hits your aching heat, glancing to your right for someone to fill the spot between your legs. matthew’s eyes widen eagerly, smiling at you far too politely in the hope of being picked. but you still weren’t done letting him simmer.

luckily, someone else’s cock is already in your hand.

jiwoong is gripping the desk beside you as you continue to lazily pump him, trying his best to maintain control as he stares at the ceiling. it’s actually kind of cute.

“jiwoong-ah,” you call softly, hand stopping its motion. he meets your gaze, clearing his throat when you smile at him. “want you to fuck me.”

“i thought you might say that,” jiwoong replies nonchalantly, his tone starkly contrasting the speed at which he moves to stand between your legs. “let’s change things up, shall we?”

he holds his hand out to you, helping you off the desk and then turning you around to face it. your stomach pressed up against the wooden desk, jiwoong runs his hands down your waist— cupping your ass with a firm squeeze when he reaches it.

“like it?” you ask, wiggling your ass slightly for him.

“i’ve seen better,” he says with a shrug, hands still kneading hungrily at your cheeks.

you look up over your shoulder, meeting his gaze. “well i’d love to hear any suggestions for improvement that you have when this is all over.”

jiwoong gulps, biting his lip as he spreads your legs with his hand. you step a little further apart, gasping when he suddenly shoves his cock inside of you. 

“you’re sure you’ve done this before?” jiwoong asks with a groan as he laboredly manages to push himself all the way in. “kinda tight in here.”

“seriously? do you really think i’d lose my virginity to any of you assholes?” you retort, glancing over your shoulder to find taerae staring quietly back at you. “but it seems like someone here wants to lose there’s to me.”

everyone looks at taerae, who is standing with his arms folded across his chest— painfully hard even through his grey joggers. he shakes his head weakly, “th-that’s not true.”

you motion him closer, watching as he takes cautious, shaky steps towards you. like you’re not the person who knows the most about him in this world. like you’re a monster in a haunted house.

when he’s finally in reach, you grab his shirt sleeve and pull him to your side. he stares at you with wide eyes before you raise your brow expectantly and instruct: “kiss me.”

“what!?” he exclaims, like you’ve asked him to kill you instead. like he didn’t just kiss you yesterday. like he hadn’t just fucked your throat in the middle of class until you couldn’t speak. “i—...”

tired of his nonsense, you kiss him instead as jiwoong coils an arm up your stomach— groping at your chest as he thrusts into you: fast, hungry, and desperate. taerae pulls back after a moment, blinking at you before diving in for more.

the head of jiwoong’s cock pounds into your sweet spot and you can’t help but moan into taerae’s mouth as your climax approaches. he breaks your kiss, lips parted as you stare directly at him— whimpering for release as your hand balls his shirt sleeve into a fist.

jiwoong pulls you toward him so that your back is flush against his chest. you look over your shoulder, his lips immediately attaching to yours as you whine against them.

“i really like it,” jiwoong rambles deliriously between kisses, grabbing your ass so hard you think the flesh might bruise. “sorry for lying, baby. it’s perfect. s’perfect. gonna cum all over it.”

“oh my god,” you cry as your orgasm hits you. jiwoong sighs, most likely relieved he doesn’t have to keep holding on himself. “woongie.”

“that’s it, baby,” he coaxes, sucking and biting at your neck as his thrusts become erratic. “so good for me, cumming all over my cock.”

when you come down, jiwoong pulls out of you— cumming with a weak sigh all over the top of your ass. just as he promised.

“good?” he asks, giving your ass one last smack before backing away.

you nod happily, the hot liquid starting to drip down onto your cheeks. “good.”

someone begins to blot at jiwoong’s cum with a piece of fabric and you turn over your shoulder to see who it is.

“you’re so fucking hot right now,” matthew compliments, cheeks noticeably redder than before as he wipes up the mess with his jersey. maybe you’re being too harsh in testing his patience. “you have no idea. or maybe you do, i dunno.”

you shift your body to face him, pressing your lips to his. he responds almost instantly, attempting to deepen the kiss when you pull away. “i’m gonna deal with this one first, actually,” you say, hand gripping taerae’s shirt sleeve a little tighter.

at your denial, matthew swallows hard— the metaphorical gloves starting to come off. “i think i’ve been waiting pretty patiently.”

“you have, honey,” you coo patronizingly, running your free hand through his hair. “do you think you can be patient for a little while longer?”

he inhales sharply at the soft language, pupils dilating as he unconsciously gives away his enjoyment of this tone. you wink, causing matthew to step back with an angry huff out of your reach. “whatever,” he reluctantly agrees before sulking over to a chair in the corner.

“he’s gonna explode,” hao mutters under his breath to jiwoong.

you turn to your right, eyes meeting taerae’s. he’s chewing his lip nervously and you’re not really sure what the right approach is. you take his hand and lead him over to the couch— lying down on your back and spreading your legs, gesturing for him to lie down in between them. after a long moment, he does.

you stare at his joggers until he gets the hint to pull them down, hard cock hitting his lower abdomen as he releases it. he stares at it, inches from your core before looking back up at you in disbelief.

“don’t get too worked up,” you tease, reaching your hand through your legs and wrapping it around his cock. you align it with your entrance as taerae’s chest falls closer to yours. “don’t you wanna last longer than you did yesterday?”

the tips of his ears burn at what seems to be a new mortally embarrassing core memory for him. “shut up.”

“taerae-ya,” you call, eyes meeting his again. you hope he can see how genuine you are as you ask, “do you really wanna do this?”

once more, his eyes are a whirlpool of conflict. you think he might even say no... until he suddenly shoves himself inside of you with one quick thrust.

“oh my fucking god,” he moans, harmonizing with your cry at the abrupt fullness. “oh my god.”

you wrap your legs around him to ensure he doesn’t try to bite off more than he can chew in this moment. “if you cum right now, i swear to whatever god you’re name-dropping, tae...”

“i won’t, i won’t,” he assures raspily, but the way his face is screwed up in pleasure leaves you unconvinced. 

“wouldn’t have to be giving that warning to me,” matthew mumbles saltily from the corner. “just saying.”

“damn, i never thought i’d watch someone i wasn’t fucking lose their virginity,” jiwoong comments with fascination. “was i this pathetic?”

“probably,” hao replies matter-of-factly. “you were pretty pathetic just now, too.”

“not. a. virgin,” taerae asserts, punctuating each word with a rough thrust. you moan at the sensation, an audible queue for him to continue at that intensity. his motion is surprisingly fluid. you were positive he’d been lying about having lost his virginity, but now you weren’t so sure.

the brutal pace at which he’s bucking into you, however, is leaving you a bit dumb. it’s like he’s fucking the thoughts out of you. maybe it’s intentional. maybe it’s because you can’t stop whining for more.

“fuck, you’ve got (y/n) begging,” jiwoong says, tongue already licking his lips again as he watches your body bounce with each thrust. “not bad, kid.”

matthew sighs exasperatedly in the corner. you know what he’s thinking: he could do better.

taerae shakes his head softly, biting his lip as he tries his best to keep going. “i—... fuck, you feel so good. don’t wanna stop, but...”

“you need to cum?” you finish for him.

he nods frantically. “but i can’t yet, i... have to last longer, like you want me to...”

your hand rushes to the back of his neck, toying with the hairs at the nape. he mewls, clearly seconds from busting inside of you. “i was just kidding with you, tae. you did so good. you can cum now.”

his forehead falls to your chest with relief. “thank fuck, oh my god. where? where do you want me to—?”

“stomach,” you interject your answer, grabbing his hands in yours and putting them on your breasts. “want you to cum on my stomach.”

taerae pulls out so fast, you’re afraid he’ll get whiplash— pumping his cock over your stomach and cumming with a breathy moan. “fuck. holy fuck.”

you look around the room as taerae sits up, having been so preoccupied with all these boys that you hadn’t realized that one of them had been virtually absent this whole time. you’re puzzled as you spot hanbin sitting pensively on a desk toward the front of the room— quietly watching you get fucked by all his friends. 

you stand up from the couch, hao grabbing your arm for stability until you can walk on your shaky legs— gently brushing past the rest of the boys and walking over to the star of the soccer team.

he smiles at you, one brow piquing in interest as his eyes trail down to the cum dripping down your stomach. “to what do i owe the honor of your undivided attention?”

something clicks for you now as you stand in front of him. “it was your idea, wasn’t it? the competition?”

hanbin doesn’t answer, he just tilts his head.

“and if it was your idea, doesn’t it mean that you wanted to win?” you ask, hand finding his bare thigh— inching dangerously closer towards his clothed bulge. “you wanted to fuck me? wanted a more literal way to get under my skin?”

“i just told you the little play on word thing was getting a bit old, didn’t—.”

he stops abruptly as you begin to palm him gently through the fabric of his shorts. he exhales breathily at the feeling, but doesn’t give you any more than that. 

instead, he replies softly, “think you got me all figured out then?”

“mm,” you affirm, applying a bit more pressure. he places his hand over yours to keep you there, but he doesn’t make another sound. “think you’re fucked in the head.”

“what’s taking so long?” matthew asks impatiently, far too close to losing his temper.

“this is my game now. you already played yours,” you say, slipping your hand out from underneath hanbin’s. again, he doesn’t protest, but the way his eyes are shining lets you know he doesn’t want to lose your attention just yet. you take the bottom of his jersey and wipe taerae’s cum off your skin to assert your dominance. “they all want to play by the rules. but you don’t. so you’ll have to wait here, i guess. watch all your friends ruin me, when it was your idea in the first place.”

you head back over to the other boys, walking over to matthew and immediately straddling him in his chair. “didn’t i tell you to be patient?”

“wanna fuck you so bad,” matthew growls, hands digging hungrily at your waist. you grind down on him in a warning. he moans softly. “i mean, under the circumstances, i think i did a pretty good job.”

“yeah? you think?” you ask, your condescending tone and another harsh grind against him causing him to whimper. “so i should give you what you want, then?”

there’s a flash of hope in his eyes. you start to lean in to kiss him when you’re suddenly thrown from matthew’s lap and manhandled to the carpeted floor. hanbin hovers between your legs, hands kneading into your thighs.

“hey,” he says with a grin.

you grin back. “hey.”

“sorry about that,” he apologizes, pulling his shorts down and gently tapping at your entrance with the head of his cock. “but you were right. and i didn’t wanna be last.”

“and where the fuck is my apology, huh!?” matthew yells, standing up in a fury. “we were clearly in the middle of something.”

“well, now we’re in the middle of something,” hanbin replies, burying himself inside of you with a shrug. you whimper at the stretch, fist balling up the neckline of hanbin’s jersey. “so deal with it.”

“you always do this!” matthew shouts and you’re nearly positive he’s about to punch his hyung, when hao and jiwoong stand up and force him into a chair between them. jiwoong rubs his back comfortingly, attempting to calm him down for the time being. 

“look at you,” hanbin says with a smirk— long, slow strokes into you that effectively drive you insane. “he’d throw hands just to get a moment with you. s’gotta make you feel pretty good, right?”

you nod as his hips continue to roll into yours, languid and teasing. you moan when he begins to increase the pace of his thrusts.

“yeah? well it makes me feel fucking awful,” he confesses, hips snapping into you harshly. you cry out, second orgasm building rapidly as you try to pay attention to hanbin’s words. “thought i was throwing you to the wolves, not a handful of potential suitors.”

you’re not quite sure what he’s trying to say, brain focused on only one thing right now. 

“gonna cum for me, baby?” he asks with a smirk, sweat beginning to bead at his forehead. you nod frantically in response, fingers digging into his upperarm as he brings you to the edge. “go on, then— let everyone know who made you feel this good.”

he’s expecting you to scream his name. instead, when your climax hits, you pull hanbin down to you by his collar— pressing your lips to his and moaning against them. your action surprises him, eyes wide until he finally responds. deepening the kiss, his thrusts suddenly grow passionate and tender as he works you through your high.

hanbin brings his hand up to your face and runs his thumb across your cheek. coming up for air, he whispers, “you’re so fucking gorgeous.”

“you’ve called me ugly to my face almost every thursday for a year,” you reply, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck to bring him even closer still. 

“it’s your fault, you... i—,” hanbin stutters, his thrusts grow haphazard as you feel his cock start to twitch inside you. “fuck, i’m gonna—.”

“how about you cum on my face then?” you suggest, tugging at hanbin’s hair— nails scratching at his scalp gently. “at least you won’t have to look at it if you cover it up.”

“that’s not—... m’not gonna...,” he protests before pulling out of you and climbing up to straddle your chest. hanbin pumps his cock in front of your face. “open your mouth.”

you prop yourself up on your elbows, opening your mouth for him and sticking out your tongue. with a throaty moan, he cums on your tongue— pumping out every last salty drop. you swallow it down, opening wide and showing hanbin that you’d done it. 

“fuck,” hanbin marvels before kissing you warmly. “i can’t believe you.”

“happy with the vulture you made?” you ask with a smirk.

he shakes his head. “not a vulture. a bird of fucking paradise.”

you’re about to tell him that a bird of paradise is a flower, not an actual species of bird, but hanbin stands up too quickly and returns to his seat on top of the corner desk— rubbing his forehead with his hands as if he’s upset by something. unfortunately, you don’t have any more time to dwell on him. you have one last boy to deal with.

you sit up on your knees, eyes locking with matthew before he abruptly turns away in the ultimate display of pettiness. seems like you were more than right about how he’d be in a situation like this. you crawl over to him seductively, placing your hands on his knees as you kneel in front of him.

“look at me, baby,” you plead in a soft voice, running your hands up and down his thighs. “wanna play with you.”

he sighs sadly. “do you? it kinda seems like you wanna play with everyone else more.”

“this kid,” jiwoong remarks with a chuckle. “weren’t you the one that said this was a great idea?”

“i didn’t think i’d have to wait so long to get a turn,” matthew sulks, eyes finally meeting yours again. you must look particularly enticing all fucked up like this, as a growl deep in his throat sounds at the sight of you. “waited so patiently.”

“you almost took a swing at hanbinnie, honey,” you remind him, reaching for the waistband of his shorts and pulling it down until matthew’s angry, thick cock is in your view. “how would you have explained his black eye to everyone at the championship game? hm?”

matthew whimpers as you wrap both hands around his length, popping the tip into your mouth and swirling your tongue around it. “they w-wouldn’t be surprised.”

taerae snorts in response before returning to his silent observation from the couch.

you take him further into your mouth, sucking lazily as matthew breathes harder. when he’s nice and lubricated, you pull off of him and stand up— straddling him again like you had before hanbin interrupted you. this time, you lower yourself onto his impossibly hard cock with a satisfied sigh.

you start to fuck yourself on him, slow until you can find the right rhythm. there’s uncharacteristic silence coming from the boy beneath you.

“do you really want me the least?” matthew asks as your eyes meet, the adorable pout on his lips driving you crazy. 

you shake your head softly. “of course not, baby. but you’ve gotta be good. boys who choke waterboys have to be punished.”

matthew tilts his head innocently. “i didn’t mean to do that.”

you grab a fistful of hair at the back of his neck, yanking tightly. “don’t fucking lie to me.”

“holy shit,” jiwoong whispers.

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry, i’m sorry,” matthew whines quickly until your grip loosens. “i... i did sort of mean to do that.”

“i know, baby,” you reply, the pace of your bouncing growing quicker. “that’s why you had to go last this time.”

“this time?” hao and matthew ask at the same time.

you shrug. “so if you behave, you can go first next time.”

“next time?” jiwoong and taerae repeat.

matthew nods eagerly. “i can do that. i promise!”

“yeah?” you reply, promptly stopping your motion as you sink down onto him fully. “you promise to be a good boy?”

at the same time you ask the question, you squeeze his cock with your walls. 

matthew lets out a pathetic cry, head lolling backward to expose his jugular to you. a stunned hush falls over the room. taerae’s jaw drops.

you glance behind you, three pairs of saucer-shaped eyes staring back at you. an impressed hao nods, holding out his hand for you to shake in respect. you do.

“wait, wait—... no, i—...” the boy underneath you pleads. “i didn’t—... that’s not what—.”

you squeeze your walls around him again, a strangled moan falling from his lips as he resumes his submissive state. “d’you want me to keep milking your cock or not, baby?”

“please,” he answers quickly, taking your hand and placing it gently at the base of his neck. “feels so good. want you to milk me dry.”

you oblige, thrilled to get exactly what you wanted out of him. you squeeze him tighter and tighter inside of you, grinding your hips softly against him— massaging softly up his neck with your hand until he’s begging for release.

“gonna cum,” matthew whines, hands moving down your waist before finally situating on your ass. “please, let me cum. (y/n). can’t take it anymore! gonna cum inside you if you don’t—.”

you hop off of him quickly, watching as his cock falls to his lower abdomen— cum covering his own skin as he sighs defeatedly through the ruined pleasure. his head falls to his hands, contemplating his life and where he went wrong.

“fuck, that was hot,” jiwoong says. you glance over, both him and hao now hard again through their pants.

you smile, entirely satisfied with how this turned out. you try to take a step back toward the desk, but your legs aren’t as steady as you thought. taerae stands up from the couch, running to keep you on your feet. jiwoong and hao both get up after him, helping you up onto the desk with concerned expressions.

“are you okay?” taerae asks, bending down to the floor and grabbing your shirt. he hands it to you and you put it on with what little strength you have left. 

jiwoong walks over to his bag, grabbing a water bottle from the side pocket and bringing it back to you. he pops open the top and places it in your hand. “you need to drink, okay? we don’t need you passing out and us all getting questioned at a hospital.”

you nod, taking a sip from the water bottle. hao grabs a tissue from the box on the corner desk, walking over to you and dabbing your forehead gently.

this is bliss, you think. but... how does it all end?

CHOOSE YOUR ENDING ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

click above or here to choose from one of seven endings <3 jiwoong, hao, matthew, hanbin, taerae, group (poly), and group (revenge)

[irislightsims]

Endless Summer Collab: Backyard Camp (Gratis /Free Pose pack)

ESP / ENG👇

☀️ ESP

Simmerianne93 amablemente me invitó a formar parte de esta colaboración junto con otros talentosos simmers: Endless Summer!

Estoy muy contenta y muy agradecida de poder participar en esta dinámica. Me emocioné tanto que cree mis propios accesorios y modifiqué algunos objetos del juego para lograr hacer las poses que quería. Así que, por favor, tengan en cuenta que es la primera vez que hago algo así e intenté que no hubiera errores, pero pueden llegar a ocurrir inevitablemente; sin embargo, confío en que todo salió bien y espero que les gusten estas poses familiares de un Campamento en el patio trasero.

Encontrarás los accesorios y los objetos, así como la guía de poses dentro del archivo descargable.

No olviden visitar el Tumblr y las redes de los integrantes de la colaboración ❤️ ¡Cada día un pack de poses nuevo!

☀️ ENG

Simmerianne93 kindly invited me to be part of this collaboration along with other talented simmers: Endless Summer!

I am very happy and very grateful to be able to participate in this dynamic. I got so excited that I created my own props and modified some in-game objects to get the poses I wanted. So please keep in mind that this is the first time I've done something like this and I tried to make sure there were no errors, but they can inevitably happen; however, I trust everything turned out well and I hope you like these family Backyard Camp poses.

You will find the props and objects as well as the posing guide inside the downloadable file..

Don't forget to visit the Tumblr and the networks of the members of the collaboration ❤️ Every day a new pose pack!

☀️ Tarjeta de poses / Poses Card

☀️ Descarga / Download:

Simfileshare

Incluye dos objetos modificados (Tienda de campaña / Bolsa para dormir) y dos accesorio (Libro infantil / Palito con malvaviscos)

Includes two modified objects (Tent / Sleeping bag) and two accessories (Children's book / Marshmallow stick)

☀️ Necesitas / You'll need:

Pose Player

Teleport Any Sim

☀️ Colaboradoras / Members:

1.- @herecirmsims 2.- @irislightsims 3.- @simmireen 4.- @whimsyalien 5.- @theserenadeofshadows 6.- @surely-sims 7.- @simmerianne93

☀️ Agradecimientos especiales / Special thanks:

Freepik

Kyra Starr

Rawpixel

Dung Tran *por las imágenes para mi libro infantil

☀️ Términos de uso / TOU:

• Español • No reclames mis animaciones o poses como tuyas. • No reclames o resubas mis accesorios u objetos originales como tuyos. • No resubas mis animaciones o poses en ningún otro sitio. • Te agradezco que me des créditos si usas mis animaciones o poses (no obligatorio, pero me ayuda).

• English • Don’t claim my animations or poses as your own. • Do not claim or re-upload my accessories or original items as yours. • Don’t re-upload my animations or poses on any other site. • I appreciate you giving me credits if you use my animations or poses (not required, but it help me).

[kit-williams]

Anrir Husbandry

Husbandry tags: @egrets-not-regrets @liar-anubiass-blog @barn-anon @bleedingichorhearts @gallifreyianrosearkytiorsusan

@ms--lobotomy @nekotaetae @sleepyfan-blog @c-u-c-koo-4-40k @the-raven-lady

@bispecsual

Edit: forgot to thank @justahuman1757 for help with some of the translations and other help

Song on repeat: Cradles by Sub Urban (also most of the remixes for this SLAP)

tw: smut, yandere, obsessive behavior, manipulation

Anrir cooed at the little human in his arms finishing up singing them back to sleep знішчыць.... знішчыць... His voice carried low and softly. It was naptime... they needed to sleep as it was good for them of course they didn't seem to realize that. His long back hair was tied back into a slightly messy bun as his nearly completely black eyes dart around the pastel colored room just looking for anything wrong. His Dragă wanted to work with children in childcare and perhaps it took a couple of years to get here since he had first found her.

She was so much happier since he had first found her... happy about their bond... no more worry in her eyes... no more stress making her hands tremble or her loosing sleep... no more worrying about her next meal or if her car were to break... no more crying... well no more senseless crying. He puts the child down looking around at the sleeping forms but he cant help but grin as this really was all possible because of him, Anrir purrs softly at the satisfaction of how well he has done his job... and how he has covered his trail...

5 years prior

Anrir was a drifter... he drifted around as he had yet to find his own bonded, which given how some legions seemed to be more inclined to get a bond; with Night Lords being one of the ones with very few "feral" Astartes it was only a matter of time before Anrir would find his. But Anrir in all definitions was a feral Astartes having been unbonded since he arrived forty years ago. However, it was fine as Anrir hadn't spent that time just moping about he spent a majority of his time politicking and reuniting with other Terran Night Lords long dead and of course reuniting with those who were under his knife when they were aspirants and scouts which he affectionately called them his kids.

He was also using this time to take a break, a forced break, from running his warband; not that he could run it right now anyway. But he would mull over plans for when he returned back to his time period... if he did was another thought. His eyes moved up to the sky as he could smell the water gathering in the air. Which meant that the group he was with would start a debate on if they were going to settle down or continue on despite the weather. He did not care too much and decided to wander off to look around at where they were.

He walked out of the tree covering that the group was skulking through as he looked at the abandoned parking lot he had walked out into. It was rotting away neglected and abandoned as the painted lines were faded and practically gone, the pavement was cracked with plants growing through cracks; with the asphalt under his feet turning to gravel as plants come to reclaim this section of human infrastructure. And Anrir... he savored this reclamation of nature and decay of it all. Compared to the prison pit he was born into on the other side of the globe; he had already made his pilgrimage to the eventual site of his birth... a town full of people whose existence was never known as a great chasm of the guilty was there.

But that dark pit in the ground was not there now... there were no babies being born in that dark hellhole... his neck tattoo had a phantom itch as he is reminded why it was put on his neck... as he is reminded that at some point he was truly innocent... he is reminded of the hand gently petting his head... the soft voice cooing at him telling him how brave he was being... as he remembers having tears in his eyes as the ink is shoved into his skin... he gently starts to suffocate the memories of a child long gone and a woman paradoxically long dead and yet had yet to be born. His eyes flick to the far side of the quiet parking lot as a car just sits in the dark. The only other thing in this lot, far from the flickering road light... he could hear the annoying buzz of the light as it flickered... the flick... flick... flick... as it finally goes out. He moves with soft steps towards the vehicle as the summer insects scream their sonorous songs it was almost overstimulating for some of his brothers with how alive this planet felt with no foe to focus down on. Anrir felt his gums itch like he craved an oral inhalant and the way the hair on the back of his neck rose as he wandered closer not giving into the craving.

Anrir had seen many homeless humans both back in his own time and here. His eyes looked through the windows of the car seeing how it was lived in, he could hear the soft breathing akin to how someone was asleep... the slow beat of a heart was barely audible to him as the insects continued to scream their songs. There was nothing special about what he saw as it was a baseline female just buried under an assortment of clothes, a towel, a jacket, and some blanket... a bucket with a strainer lid to collect the impending rain... he chuckled at the cleverness but he understood the need to just survive. He turned to walk back to the others but something rooted him in place. He could practically taste the misery mixing with the rain. His throat tightened as it silently moved in foreign ways but he knew what he was trying to do... to mimic the noises they make at humans.

He lets out a dark chuckle as they were right... it really was something that he would know when it happened. Worry soon festered in his gut as his eyes roamed over her vehicle and while he hardly knew about how it worked he could see the signs of disrepair. His nose wrinkled for a moment as he unclipped his helmet from his hip, slipping it over his head as the rain finally let loose. He listened to the rain slap against the metal roof of the car, the way she moved inside her comfortable cocoon for a moment, and the way water was gathering in the bucket... Anrir had to do something.

You did your best to ignore the Night Lord that was hanging around. Affectionate bastards you were told as you remember those videos of just them being friendly. You shiver at the memory of that one gang member who thought he was so big... being homeless you quickly learned how sleeping near warbands meant that you had to ignore certain things... certain sounds especially at night. Astartes always scared you... you couldn't point to any incident that had happened involving them just that you got bad feelings from them... a certain type of dread. So it wasn't exactly like a fear of dogs but the way they looked and acted they were so human... why were they here... you make yourself look smaller as the Night Lord with what looked like a metal spider on his back sat next to you.

You hear him coo and trill at you trying to get your attention, his head tilting slightly as you could hear the slightly distorted trill to his voice from his helmet, and you did your best to ignore him. Eventually he did leave you alone and you had hoped that would be the last you saw him. But, every day for the next week he kept finding you... he would click and coo at you beckoning you closer with those armored claws of his. It was the last day in the week that you broke and approached him as you chose to fill your car with gas over eating and he had shown up with food. You feel tears gather with each bite as he trills down at you and you feel him hold you close... you hear his purr... you've seen this display online it was a bonding display. You do your best to not choak on the hot food as you can feel tears gather in the corner of your eyes, really the last thing you want is an Astartes bonding to you.

You feel the Astartis petting your head as you eat, trilling at you and you're certain if he wasn't in armor he would be purring. When you look up at him miserably he coos at you trying to sooth the clear distress you were in. His hands flexing each time you try to pull away from him, "You don't want me to be your bonded buddy," You finally speak up and that just breaks something in you and you feel those heavy tears roll down your cheeks even as you try to use the heel of your palm to rub your eyes clean they still fall, "I can't give you anything." Your voice cracks as you admit that.

Anrir sat there silently as you tried to reject the bond… he could feel it fraying at the edges like a lighter had been taken to it. But Anrir was calm even as his entire existence seemed to reel on its axis as you try to push it away. Your voice cracking gave way to the tears that ran down your face, his black eyes darting over your face as baselines crying was familiar to him given what he was but it felt so different… so wrong. Why are you letting her cry Anrir? A soft voice in the back of his mind seems to say. He could feel it fray more and more… but Anrir was aware that when a bond frays… it never attaches back normally. There was also a small high for him as would this be how he tasted death? Not after millennia of being alive just some mortal woman would be the death of him? He would have laughed if it actually broke but he pulled her against him and you did not make the effort to pull away… and so the bond repairs wrong. He did not need anything from you except you. 

How you lean against him trying to hide away. So he was okay if you couldn’t give him anything now. He didn’t expect you to give him anything in the first place… but a wicked thought plants itself in his mind. Perhaps it was old fashioned… after all he watched the radical social changes in a mere 40 years and yet like always the Astartes remained unchanged. But… why couldn’t he provide for you? Anrir was a capable Astartes and he did not survive this long by chance but memories flicker by of how generous others were towards their humans. He grinned darkly as he could recognize the signs now… oh… he had intensely bonded to you… he had read the manuals and grimoires both in person and on the noosphere… he had helped write some of those too… so he knew what to look for in terms of side effects and was filing away mental notes about his deviances. And as much as he wanted to act on those feelings Anrir was patient, he was an Apothacarion after all, and his Dragă needed to be taken care of. He purrs and chirps at her to calm her down and gets her to finish her meal.

Thrones, credits, souls, cash… it was annoying dealing with baselines as most societies revolved around needing a good or currency for things and this was not their reality or time period where refusing an Astartes was suicidal. He noted his lack of desire to skin the man yelling at his Dragă to get him to stop “loitering”. But he, like most Astartes, relied on each other and the complex network and ecosystem they built like a parasite on the infrastructure of what was already there or was it the other way around? The Iron Warriors and Imperial Fists would say they laid out efficient infrastructure… but he found resources; since it was no longer allowed to simply take humans as serfs anymore and just have them live in a base full time… not that the Night Lords had one yet. It would be a few more years till the base was operational and that would be a mustering point for most Night Lords in the area. But Anrir noted how jumpy his precious Dragă got at the idea of getting help from Salamanders or staying in a shelter; he was fine with her choice. He wrinkled his nose as her car was falling apart and he couldn’t fit in it and him being a Night Lord did not help his goal of getting money. However, Anrir had a long reputation having worked in the Consortium with Bile too being a prominent figure in his legion’s hierarchy, no matter how much he tried to stay out of the politicking, so when the Alpharii approached him he wasn’t too surprised. 

There were treaties and edicts that any Astartes had to agree to if they wanted to stay near the humans. Besides the obvious of not killing any humans; which before Anrir was bonded was a surprisingly hard ask, but they were not allowed to mettle with them. Technology was to be kept away from them at all costs, no extending their life spans, no augmetics beyond simple necessary prosthetics, and a few others. It all made sense as it was clear they were not ready at all for the horrors of the wider galaxy… no they would not play a hand into accidentally smothering humanity in the cradle because they helped them reach the stars earlier than they were ready for. But just like how human killers existed… and Night Lord trafficker Hunts happened… there was always some bending and breaking of these rules.

The Alpharii couldn’t help mettle in the affairs of the baselines, it was their legion’s expertise, they were information brokers and information hiders… they modified records to hide the sudden birth of a child from a woman and a Astartes… to all the way of covering up when forbidden technology falls into the hands of baselines and there needs to be a raid. They had their fingers in many pies as the saying goes… and Anrir could not play the moral high ground for their request. They weren’t supposed to extend the baselines lives… there was the crude method of giving them a transfusion of Astartes blood and hope they survive all the way to getting the chemicals and components needed for rejuvenation treatments. The latter took time to get what they needed as they could only synthesis so much being limited to what was only on this one planet; and it was hard to keep the Iron Hands from getting eager in “helping” them be able to colonize the Sol system. 

But… Anrir looked down at the old corrupt man. Such greedy creatures humans could be and Anrir could never be like his kin who were able to see themselves as being above humanity… Anrir was far too aware of his own humanity and also his own lack of humanity too. “How do I know it will work?” The old man interrupts Anrir’s explanation of what he will be doing in transplanting his heart, “You could be some… con artist.” He says with malice in his frail voice.

Anrir never liked nobles… and he was always surprised at how… self important they could be. His smooth voice answers the question before one of the Alpharii can speak, “My reputation,” He had asked the Alpharii before this and he was not bonded to any of them… he was very much a pawn that the Alpharii weren’t ready to loose yet, “your… companions wouldn’t have gotten me if they doubted my skills. The heart is made for you so there is no chance of rejection.” He says truthfully as it was child's play growing the organ for him.

Anrir voxes one of the Alpharii, “As for my payment for this?” He hisses letting his displeasure bleed through as how dare he speak to Anrir in such a way.

“Everything is set up in ways that won’t tip off the government officials to the sudden influx of wealth. And conveniently set up so that if you choose to help us again…” 

Anrir waved his armored hand over his shoulder as his medical mechadendrites unfolded like a spider on his back, “Yes yes you lot have me for several surgeries,” He goes through the process of setting everything for fine movements and working on humans, “But please be aware should anything go wrong in the payments that I can be quite spiteful.” He threatens and enjoys the place of power he is able to come from given how specialists are in such short supplies here and he is certain there is only one other Consortium member on the planet… he knows his expertise is invaluable he is certain he is on many lists to be kept alive.

“Of course Anrir.” Is all one says and that was good enough as Anrir headed into the prepared room.

You were happy that Anrir returned as he did keep you safe and maybe you were feeling those good vibes that people always say they get around Astartes. But now? You looked at what was holding out to you with apprehension. You’re sure that it was a thousand dollars in his hand and you felt hesitant to take it from him as no one just gives people money and not expecting something back… your spine crawls at a memory… He just sighs looking at you passively and perhaps a little annoyed, “Dragă. Go get your car looked at and get it fixed.” He says and you take the money from him as your AC had died and you’re certain that also meant your heating was gone… “Unless,” Your eyes returned to his face as your eyes picked up the bit of white at the roots of his sideburns, “You want to get a bigger vehicle?”

“But I can’t-” You start.

“Don’t worry about money for a second Dragă.” He says putting his hands on your shoulders.

You squirm under his gaze as you considered rejecting it as Anrir gave you such feelings that there was something else he was after… then again you never felt truly comfortable around Astartes… always a lingering sense of dread but… “Maybe… maybe we get something you can fit in as well. Wouldn’t that be nice?” You say softly as you’re certain those cars are far beyond what you can afford and from what you heard basically never break down. 

You hold your breath for a moment as Anrir cups your face, you could hear him trill at you, as he grinned down at you with a smile that you’re certain the devil himself would envy, “What a thoughtful Dragă.” Was all he cooed at you.

After that, with much fussing from him, he made you use the money to stay in a motel for a week and you don’t remember when the last time you ate so much food. Anrir in the meanwhile took care of things. You were torn on letting him do such as wasn’t this the reason you had a fallout with your family? Your hands shake at the memories… he ruined your life. Yet while you’re certain Anrir is doing the same thing… it feels different. Anrir only suggested what you use the money for never using it to tell you what to do… Anrir confused you but you took comfort in the thought that he wanted something from you that he could get at your absolute lowest… everyone says bonds are precious things so maybe you should trust him more.

Anrir makes sure he always has enough money on him as he was making sure that there was a positive association in your mind that he was able to provide for you. The fuss you made when he got the car customized so that you could live out of it as long as you wanted, he hopped it wouldn’t be much longer, but it was your choice and all he could do was nudge his Dragă. The excitement he felt rush up his spine when he heard you say “Anrir” in a specific tone… a tone he associated with his Dragă needing something… Dragă needed him to provide. Sometimes you were like a skittish animal only staying for the exchange but sometimes you lingered like an animal and he could get what he wanted from you too. He felt that dopamine rush as you tolerated his touches, the joy he felt when you let him cup your face, how loudly he purred as you let him nuzzle you, petting your head, or rubbing your back. He could still see the hesitation in your eyes… he could tell you weren’t as (warp blind) (bond blind) as other humans were and Anrir is fine with that in fact it made this all the more enjoyable for him.

Winter always comes too soon and once again Anrir brings up places you can stay over the colder months and as hard as you try you still can’t get rid of the feelings that if you acquiesce he will want something. Anrir himself is disappointed that you wont ask him for much more; he does use winter to get something he does want. He finally gets to hold you for as long as he wants, usually your whole sleep cycle. He’s slept in far worse spots and just being a little cramped is hardly anywhere near the list of worst rests he has had. He purrs loudly as you’re glued to his side or his chest at night. Cooing to you as you drift off each night with a full belly in his arms. Its hard not to drift off with how he purrs and the rhythmic beating of his twin hearts… this feels like it’s going to be an easy winter for once so of course you get sick as a dog.

“Poor Dragă.” Anrir’s voice breaks you through your sick haze as the chills don’t help but Anrir being so warm helps. “I know you won’t like this suggestion but as a health specialist I do recommend that perhaps it is time for you to live inside more regularly again?” You can barely hear the quiet engine over the Heater going, Anrir not allowing you to fuss about anything right now once more saying he had it under control, “Arata mizerabil... (Miserable looking…)” He says in Nostroman letting his tongue click as you bury yourself closer to his chest, feeling those ports dig into your skin, “At least something temporary, yes?” He says sounding a little worried, “Wouldn’t that be nice? A temporary place to stay till you find what you want to do?”

“Daycare.” You croak out.

“Hmm?” Anrir looks down at you cocking his head to the side surprised you answered him. 

“I want to take care of kids. I like taking care of kids. Don’t know why… so I want to start a daycare.” You say but you soon get weepy, “But who is going to let me do that. Look at me! I’m living in my car running away from my family and I can’t -” You stop your distressed rant as you cough and your nose plugs up again making it hard for you to breath and you can’t help but squirm in Anrir’s grip.

“Shh Dragă, I’ll take care of  you.” Anrir says softly a uncharacteristic gentleness in his voice you weren’t expecting from a Night Lord, “You don’t need to worry anymore, Dragă.” Again it’s a soft and warmth to his voice you didn’t know he could have, “Do you trust me?” He asks in a tone you have trouble reading. 

Bonds are supposed to be good things… that’s what everyone says… you have a companion for life… and you can tell that they get so much out of what we give them as they were clearly made for something far more violent. But… did you trust Anrir. No… you did not trust him as that feeling never goes away… “What do you want Anrir?” You finally say after a minute of silence.

“You, Dragă.” Anrir says quickly breathlessly.

Again you lay there silently thinking… you didn’t know what he wanted… was it really just being with you? You’ve been with him for months at this point and you couldn’t figure out what he wanted. You did research on bonds from what little you could find and everything kept coming back to just wanting to keep their bonded alive and safe. You were scared to let someone in your safe little world but you were so tired of keeping everything so tight to your chest. Maybe it was because you were sick but you nod and let out a heavy sigh softly saying, “I trust you Anrir.”

His reaction was immediate as he pressed his cheek to yours and you could feel the purring in your teeth as it was so loud, your finger bones felt like they were vibrating, but you didn’t feel the quick kisses that he leaves on your skin. You whimper at the sudden affection. It was anrir’s quirk as he was odd with his affection as whenever you would seek him out for affection he would smother you in his affection but you were okay with it because it was on your terms… your gut wouldn’t stop at the feeling that sometimes it was on his terms luring you in… He presses a kiss to your forehead trilling, his accent thick, “I don’t want you to worry any more my Dragă. I will take care of everything.” His black eyes seem to glitter in delight as he makes his declaration. And you just let go of that tension a bit more.

You don’t know how Anrir found this place, it had a horribly short lease but you knew that it was just to get you out of the weather… you’re certain this place wasn’t built for Astartes in mind so usually that meant they weren’t allowed. You guessed that the landlord looked the other way if said Astartes was paying in cash. It was small and cramped... but it was warm and you could store more than just a bit of food. You were sitting in the tub as Anrir sat on the side shirtless as his hands were massaging shampoo into your hair. You didn't need help with your hair but that didn't stop you from leaning into his hands as he helped you feel clean.

Anrir chuckled at your gentle groaning and moaning as it was clear you were enjoying yourself. He enjoyed helping you feel this way helping you clean and take care of you in this small way... he shivered as he was cleaning his Dragă... he wrapped his Dragă in a nice fluffy towel... he carried his Dragă to the bedroom and savored the laugh that left your mouth as he just tossed you onto the bed with a bounce.

You just laid there, eyes closed, enjoying yourself... sure there was only one bed which was fine as you had spent most of the winter snuggling up to Anrir in the car, it was not the most comfortable mattress in the world... the apartment was quiet...no it was never quiet not with the thin walls... but Anrir was quiet. You became aware of how you were just laying naked on the bed... alarms were going off in your head as you feel his smooth hands run over your knees, feeling his thumbs push into the side as he spreads your legs open slowly. This wasn't normal... and yet this felt like what everything was building up too... but you were always told that bonds were selfless things, right?

Your skin trembles as his hands move over your drying flesh, your breathing shivers, you can feel the bed shift as Anrir climbs onto it. Your throat bobs as you swallow the nervous energy but your eyes open as you feel the bare skin of his legs as he had divested himself of his pants. Anrir's silent still as he presses his scarred lips against your cheek, his body leaning over yours as he settles between your legs, and you feel his hand move to your chin to slowly turn you to meet him. His lips dragging against your flesh as the scarred flesh presses against your own lips. You were close enough that you could tell that his eyes were not fully black... you could see the dark blue of his iris darting with micromovements as he took in your face. But, you could see the predator in his eyes... but it was something more the term hyper-predator comes to mind because what monsters would someone like Anrir need to hunt?

Anrir presses his mouth to yours more and you close your eyes allowing the kiss to deepen. Anrir had been nothing but good to you... but you worry... would he use this against you? You desperately hope that he wouldn't. "Mina..." His voice rumbles like thunder as his hands drag across your flesh in a way that feels dominant and possessive. You can't stop the shuddering moan that leaves your mouth as his mouth moves against the front of your neck, licking the way your throat moves in its swallowing motion. "Toate ale mele… (All mine...)" He says whispering to you in a language that you don't know, "Fiecare parte din tine… toată a mea… trupul și sufletul tău. (Every part of you... all mine... your body and your soul.)" He says again as Anrir presses his cock against your entrance. His mouth continuing its worship of your neck and chin as you open your eyes slightly and just watch Anrir with lidded eyes. He cups your face as his tongue presses hard on your lower lip before pushing his tongue back into your mouth just kissing you hard.

You knew you had fringe thoughts about Astartes... Anrir was just proving to you one thing... that they were far too human to ignore. Far too human and far too predatory... you could never get that feel good emotion from Anrir... from any Astartes really. They were all predators... they were man made monsters made to fight monsters that you didn't know would exist beyond the silver screen of Hollywood or the writings of horror writers. He pulls his mouth away trilling at you and pausing when he sees the look on your face. You were looking at a predator looking at prey a malicious looking thing that tried to play the part of a friendly thing... a wolf playing the role of a dog. "Anrir."

"Yes Dragă." He says as a hand cups your face.

"What do you want?" You again ask... because... you don't think he's lying about the bond but this wasn't normal? You felt everything rushing anxiously to a point.

"You, Dragă." He says devotedly.

You were tired... so tired of being on your own for years before Anrir came. Oh how much Anrir had helped beyond just the money he gave you and the food... just being here... even if it was wrong... even if... you were so tired. You pull Anrir into a kiss as you didn't want to think anymore! You didn't want to worry any more... you whimper as Anrir just purrs loudly as you decide to let Anrir take care of it... take care of you... just for today you tell yourself as you melt into the embrace.

You feel the slight discomforting sensation of your walls spreading open as his cock slowly pushes in. When it becomes too much your hand or foot pushes against his chest which makes him stop till your brow stops furrowing and you for him to continue. This continues until his hips are flush with yours and Anrir hisses in delight, "Atât de strâns atât de bine cu mine… draga mea… a mea. (So tight so good to me... my dear... mine.)" You once more don't understand him but you decide to not worry about it as he starts moving. Your thighs burn slightly at the stretch to have them spread open wide for Anrir to thrust into you. Your eyes close as you focus on the feeling and enjoy that he doesn't ask you to look at him but that doesn't stop him from talking, "Mă simți fată frumoasă? (Do you feel me pretty girl?)" He trills in that unknown tongue, "Te concentrezi pe penisul meu din interiorul tău? (Are you focused on my cock inside of you?)" He asks something else perhaps not realizing or caring that you don't understand him.

He picks up the pace as he pants down at you and you just yowl and moan in pleasure. Porn making everything feel so fake when real sex sounds so unsexy at times but you had no need to make things sound sexy or be perfect. You could hear Anrir chuckle at an unflattering noise you make as he slams his hips into yours again making you repeat it. Eventually things feel tighter and more anxious as Anrir tilts you slightly so his cock pushes into you at a downward angle and you just laugh at the unflattering squeak and squawk that you make. Anrir laughs with you at all those weird and all those distinctively you vocalizations but you just don't care as no one is telling you that you're being unappealing... you throw your head back and arch up as you earned the right to not worry. You moan loudly moaning his name as you feel so good! You earned this reward! You deserve this... you deserve to just let go... you orgasm with little fan fair... just a simple gasp.

You feel so good... everything feels so good as Anrir continues to chase his release, the feeling of a bed against your back, the fuzzy climbdown from an orgasm, the oily drop of sweat from Anrir that lands on your shoulder, and the comforting stutter from him that stutter causes you to open your eyes to watch his brow furrow and you watch how surprisingly expressive he gets as he cums.

The apartment is mostly quiet... as quiet as you can get with thin walls... you lay there with him not thinking about anything... not thinking as you feel his cock softening against your inner thigh. He lets out a loud breath as he lays back in bed in his spot as you meanwhile are pushing away the worry about the consequences of sleeping with Anrir. You cuddle against his side, his arm wrapping around you, you feel the cum ooze out of you ... you're still tired of thinking... you're so tired of it... so tired of worrying why and what Anrir was doing for money... You put your head against his chest over his hearts ignoring the discomfort of the ports against your face... you just listen to the way his hearts beat.

Present day

You were in a much better spot than when you were a couple of years ago... you actually came into money, no it wasn't a rich distant relative dying but it was another person you had camped with when you were homeless. They had actually won the lottery and were being smart with it, which you think was more so their Ultramarine had helped in making smart choices. Though you had your suspicions... the Alpharii... a few seem to come by every few months some to coo at the kids, eager to find a bonded, and some to talk with Anrir as you watched them take containers from your home. But being given money you sudden just kept finding yourself with more money and it was stupid how much money you got after investing some of it... you didn't want to question it and Anrir was very good at distracting you.

Oh speaking of Anrir... he got you so many gifts. He would still give you random bouts of cash but he was finally acting more and more like how a bonded Astartis is supposed to act. You also were seeing how talented he was with his hands as besides his occupation you discovered his macabre hobby that all Night Lords seem to have... bone scrimshawing and taxidermy. You could point out all the time that he acted like a normal bonded Astartis and yet at the same time... how many gestures were more. You got outfits, jewelry, wines, your current house, and hell even your job you know he had a hand in financing... it spiraled out of control with his gifts that your friends noticed and asked who your 'sugar daddy' was or rather if he had any friends.

You smile warmly and wave goodbye as the last child finally gets picked up. You head back inside letting out a soft exhale and start picking up the room not getting very far into cleaning up when Anrir wraps his arms around you and purrs into your shoulder... purring into where he tattooed you years ago. You feel him give a playful tug onto the choker collar that he made for you, expensive thing and you know he liked you wearing it. You were lucky that no one asked you what Anrir was... everyone just assumed he was a Raven Guard...

"I can smell your worry Dragă." He says nipping your earlobe.

"I'm just tired Anrir."

"Then lets go home." He kisses your cheek.

"But I have stuff to pick up-"

"And this is why we hire others to clean," He says gentle cocking his head to the side, "You're worried about something." Anrir takes the toy from your hands as you pick at the seams.

You let out a heavy sigh bringing your thumb to your lips, "I'm just scared everything is about to go wrong." Anrir takes your hand to stop you from biting your nails.

"And if it does... I will take care of it." Anrir says with such certainty and authority that makes you believe him.

The breath in your chest you let out with a heavy sigh, "Okay." You nod.

He tugs on your choker bringing you close for a kiss as he trills softly, "I will always take care of you my frumoasă dragă (beautiful darling)." And you chose to believe it.

[encantobrainrot365]

Ok so, I can’t believe I missed this but, look.

I’ve always loved this moment in the song. The way she’s basically projecting herself onto a wall of roses 🌹 The way the wall changes color from pink 🌷 to blue 🪻as she sends a giant wave of flower petals throughout the room.

But did you catch that?

The way the room changes color. The way her projection of herself no longer appears to us as the delicate flower 🌺🌸, or pretty pink princess 👸🏾 her Abuela wants.

But a more bold and beautiful shade of purple and blue 💙💠💜 with a hint of yellowish-orange 💛🏵️🧡 and some green 🌴🌵 thrown in there too.

It’s foreshadowing people! The reclamation of her identity! Look at her, now!

Look at the way she is no longer dressed to reflect her Abuela’s influence or her need to please her, but takes a tip from Mirabel and is instead, dressed to reflect the rest of the family she loves so much.

There’s the *bright* violet blue color of the dress that reflects her parents and sisters. The yellows and bright oranges that symbolize joy and her Tia Pepa’s side of the family. Then, there’s the bright green color that symbolizes truth and her Tio Bruno, whose prophecy finally came true.

Now compare that to the way she used to dress! In pale blue, lavender and pink pastels.

The way she almost looks muted and repressed compared to the rest of her family’s far brighter color palettes 🎨

I also think it’s a call back to Sleeping Beauty, and Flora and Merry Weather’s iconic disagreement on whether to make Aurora’s dress pink or blue. Makes sense since Sleeping Beauty came out in the late 50s. The same time period that Encanto takes place in. I’m sure Isabela can relate.

[littlesparklight]

There's something vaguely funny how, when reading papers touching on Helen and Menelaos' scenes in the Odyssey, the interpretation of the marital relationship can vary so wildly.

It goes from anywhere between "marital bliss" to "obviously tense and questionable reconciliation". So different readings from the same thing!

And like, I can definitely see both ends of these very disparate interpretations.

Helen seems relaxed, she and Menelaos to all appearances amicable as they speak with each other, she walks around the palace/comes down into the hall as she wishes, they sleep together, etc.

And yet, also; she just single-handedly decides to drug both her husband and her guests, no apparent warning or question about it. Her and Menelaos' Trojan tales are distinctly at odds with how Helen and her actions are shown. Menelaos comes after Helen, he chooses a story that immediately questions and problematizes Helen's proclaimed feelings and motives in her story.

And when you put that in conjunction with what seems to have been the mainstream version of the reclamation of Helen, that is, that Menelaos attempted to kill her but Aphrodite had to intervene... Well, I don't think it's impossible or improbable that they actually have truly reconciled and are back at a good spot in their relationship, ten years after the sack and having spent nothing but time together for eight of those years as they travelled.

But still. I could also equally see it the other way, given the very insistent general tradition that Helen left of her own will/desire, and an attempted murder might be hard to forgive. So the ambiguity in the Sparta scenes is really interesting.

[lazyyogi]

Spring Renewal: Healing from Time

Feeling lethargic, unfocused, or apathetic despite the onset of Spring? You may benefit from the practice of Renewal.

In this post:

What is the purpose of renewal and why do we need it? -> How burdens accumulate through the passage of time -> Timeless = freshness

Technical elements of renewal practices: -> Recapitulation -> Defragmentation -> Trauma shard release -> Reclamation of loaned energies

When we rinse away the dust of wear & tear and shed the accumulated burdens of time, we experience renewal. We regain a feeling of the timeless brightness that was once so natural to us.

Time exists for us as memory of past and imagination of the future, but also in the way we interpret the present according to those memories and imaginations. 

Time exists in this moment as the imprints we have absorbed in the form of judgments and beliefs as well as the ways in which our repeated experiences have dulled our senses.

Think of an older adult. How they are as living beings is mainly shaped by the ways in which they have accumulated time: the weight of lifestyle choices on the physical body, the definitions and perceptions fixed into the mind, and the various forms of conditioning programmed by life experiences.

A common reason for low levels of energy and enthusiasm in adults is due to the accumulation of time, which leads to a state of staleness.

Now think of an infant, a creature who embodies the very essence of newness: unburdened by imprints or conditioning, undistracted by thoughts of past or future, undefended in their naked experience of consciousness in the moment.

An infant radiates freshness.

Habituation and conditioning are the marks left in the subtle (energy) body by the passage of time. Some of that is useful and part of what makes us more functional than an infant. But much if not most of this is accumulated garbage.

Just as a diamond coated in dust still possesses its inherent luster and clarity, so too do we still possess that freshness of infancy. Such is the esoteric meaning of "innocence." It can be obscured but it can never be lost.

When we engage in renewing practices, we first recognize and then rejoice in our fundamental essence. It has not gone anywhere, nor will it ever. It is us. Only, it can be forgotten and therefore go unknown and unseen. So, we dust off the diamond.

There are many ways to discuss the elements of self-renewal. In this post, I will address four of them.

The first is recapitulation.

"You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them." ~ Maya Angelou

"They believed that by means of the recapitulation, however, they could acquire a degree of control that could permit them to separate their life experiences from their life force." ~ Carlos Castaneda

The events of our lives, and the way we experience them, invariably impact us deeply. Sometimes it's a good thing, leading to self-discovery and inspiration. Yet at times it can be traumatic, confusing, and weakening. Especially when we unquestionably believe that we are those experiences.

When this happens, our enthusiasm and brightness (in other words our energy) becomes drained and muted. Through recapitulation, there is a therapeutic and cathartic disentanglement of our living reality from our past history. We can still reference our memory of the past for practical purposes but we are no longer reduced or limited by our past experiences.

The next two elements are defragmentation and trauma shard release.

Like a computer, we don't always develop in an orderly and optimized fashion. It's not surprising when you consider the disjointed and fast paced unfolding of experiences from the moment we wake up to when we go to sleep. Unfinished thoughts, half-baked daydreams, subconscious micro-emotions, and more all swirling just out of sight of our conscious attention. In a sense, we play host to fragments in many forms within us.

Related to this is the piercing placement of traumatic shards within our minds and bodies. A trauma is an experience that overwhelms and bypasses our capacity for healthy processing. In an acute form, when its fresh, it can cause us persistent distress in several ways and we will consciously suffer. In a chronic form, it can be more subtle in the form of triggers, crippling fears, avoidance and dependance behaviors, and more. These tend to be semi-conscious due to the way the trauma has integrated into your sense of self or identity. Any suggestion of being free from that trauma can feel like an affront on your identity, your self.

Instead of dealing with the discomfort of the healing process, many will instead resign themselves to coping mechanisms designed to prevent the re-activation of their traumatic wounds.

The burden of fragments and traumatic shards are just a few examples of how we carry time inside of us.

Lastly is the reclamation of loaned energies.

Through our prayers, intentions, and karmas, we have become involved with the paths and energies of other beings--be they people, animals, or other forms of sentience. This may be positive or negative, such as beings you have supported emotionally or beings with whom you have engaged previously in repeated conflicts. Those connections can persist on subconscious levels, influencing and siphoning our energies.

Through the practice of self-renewal, we can call all of those energies back to us and sever the obsolete connections that remain. This leaves us fresh and capable of forming new connections while moving forward from a place more whole and wise.

For a practice to reach down deep enough to be more than just a momentary relaxation or distraction, it must touch our fundamental nature: primordial awareness. This is the stainless diamond beneath the dust of time.

It is from that stainless place of beingness within us all that we can find both the perspective and the power necessary to free ourselves from the accumulated burdens of time.

Next up will be a sequel post about combining these elements to find a renewal practice that works for you.

LY

[coffeekaspbrak]

I think the audience of interview with the vampire often overlooks an element that is so frequently referenced in the actual narrative (especially in season 1 more so), the element of loneliness. I am a human person with a mortal life that could end at any moment and there are still nights that I cannot put to rest how long life will be, how long it already has been, how it seems to stretch endlessly when there’s no one there to hold my hand. I have already lost people that I thought I would know for the rest of my life, I cannot imagine trying to conceptualize an eternity of carrying a loss with you. I struggle to face every day alone with no promise (or even prospect) of a partner. I cannot imagine attempting to imagine eternity with no one to cling to. Time does her trick on and on and on and you cannot die and there is no one to hold you when you sleep, only the eternal memory of hands engulfing your body. I found it hard to unlatch from an abuser knowing my life was finite, knowing if I didn’t move I’d be trapped for what little time I had, stuck there wasting time. But I also thought, what is waiting for me on the other side? Life is also long, who will I have to be with me? Imagine trying to shuck comfort when there is infinite time. There is nothing to be wasted and only cold, unending loneliness waiting for you when you break free. “Life is too short to be with someone who hurts you.” What does that mean when life isn’t short at all? Killing Lestat was a human expression of pain, of reclamation, of life, and of retribution against time lost. Staying with Armand is the vampire instinct of preservation, of comfort, of security, of attempting to bargain with what’s already with you, because what else will you have?

[scham-wcan]

Gala Socialite: And the reform wing just keeps making amazing progress, have you seen what the SDC has done for soil reclamation? Oh, of course you have you’re one of the ones doing, and I must say in a much smaller and short fashion than what I really think-

Winter, running out of social battery at a gala: Yes.. Indeed..

Winter, spying over this person’s shoulder: Apologies, I am in need of assistance

Socialite: Oh? And whatever could be the issue-?

Winter, nearly falling over getting passed the person just to fall brow first into Cinder’s collar:

Cinder, still talking to Ruby and Weiss without missing a beat: And I said that there was no fashion he could have been using the bow which would result in that shot-

Weiss, aside: I remember when they were intimidating

Ruby: They still are, why else would we be whispering this and not laughing when your sister is sleeping on her?

Weiss: .. Fair.. Do I do that?

Ruby: Obviously you do that too

[crushedsweets]

hii!! i’m currently obsessed with your au! it’s amazing!!

how does EJ feel about his mask? like how does he feel about taking it off in front of people? are there only certain people he will take it off in front of or does he prefer to keep it on all the time? honestly just talk about EJ i love him smsmsms!!

HII THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! <3333

EJ has mixed feelings with his mask. at first, he was just scrambling to find something to hide himself. he was drenched in so much shame and humiliation, so he clung to that mask every chance he could. now that he's in a slightly better place, he's realizing that its quite literally the mask used from the cult. part of him keeps it as a sort of.. reclamation of it, part of him keeps it as a comfort item. another mask wouldnt be the same

he doesn't like to take it off in front of people at all. he'd only take it off in front of toby and clocky for a LOOOONG while. he's more comfortable in front of clocky, cuz if she's staring, he cant tell. but toby turns his whole head towards jack to stare, and jack can kinda tell with thermavision/echolocation... he just feels like a monster, and showing the grey skin, empty eyes, sharp teeth, scars along his cheeks - it makes him uncomfortable, and he fears that taking off his mask will confirm it for others, and they'll be scared of him.

for a LONG time he wore it 24/7. only took it off to eat(and that would only be lifted onto his head) and to sleep. now, he takes it off when he's alone. . . which is good. progress.

i don't think he'd ever get to the point of taking it off forever. he'll never take it off in front of tim, brian, ann, jane, dina, liu... unlikely for ben, jeff, sally, and kate... possible for nina and toby... and without a doubt, he'd take it off in front of lulu, lazari, and clocky. everytime he senses they're coming, he'd take it off as a sign of respect

[oftenwantedafton]

the new hire | steve raglan x female reader

rating | explicit

part 2/?

words | 2.4k

ao3 link

You arrive at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza with one minute to spare.

You had tried and failed to sleep all afternoon as the career counselor had suggested, the elusive slumber finally claiming your restless body moments before it had been time to get up and get ready. You shower quickly, then brush your teeth and get dressed. You’re not certain exactly what Steve Raglan considers ‘appropriate’ attire, but your feel black slacks and another white blouse, this one buttoned properly, seem suitable.

The restaurant is on the outskirts of town, a sprawling structure that looks as if it has seen better days, the once bright primary colors of the exterior faded from prolonged exposure to the sun and the elements. Some sort of stubborn vine thrives despite the less than ideal circumstances, a sinister growth that crawls wildly all over the building, spidery strokes of menancing looking crimson leaves that remind you of blood vessels. It is the only living thing existing in that parking lot, the other weeds and wild vegetation that had begun the assault of reclamation dead, brown, withered; it is as if the second they touch any part of that property they are doomed, instantly terminated.

There’s a car parked out front, and your own soon joins it. The automobile has the look of something old as well, though it is in much better repair than your own vehicle that is beyond second hand, changing owners many times, a cheap used car that’s more rust than anything at this point, the salt on the roads during the harsh winters taking their toll on the body. Still, it functions, getting you from point A to point B and back again, and that’s really all that matters.

You spy the career counselor still inside his car, his gaze apparently fixed on the establishment until you arrive. Then you feel those eyes watch as you hit the brakes and shift gears to park, unfastening your seatbelt and sliding from behind the wheel. You hope he hasn’t been waiting long. You feel certain you’ll be reprimanded for it.

The street lamps on the property are still active, but the light they shed doesn’t quite seem to touch you, or the man that emerges from the vehicle beside yours. There’s an ominous aura about the place, a palpable feel of something very, very wrong.

Steve doesn’t return the greeting you offer, merely striding towards the pizzeria, leaving you to catch up, hurrying across the broken, crumbling asphalt. There is a steel gate blocking the front doors. He wordlessly holds up a keyring as you draw closer, indicating which key will unseal this barrier, then repeats the process for the glass doors of the entrance after he’s dragged the gate aside. The keyring is then held out for you to take, the older man letting the bits of metal dangle from his index finger in a makeshift sort of hook.

You swipe for the loop and he pulls his arm back, making you move closer to him. The long arm stretches far above your head, above your reach. That smile is back, that cruel curve of wickedness reminding you of just how at his mercy you are. He drops the keyring, accidentally/on purpose, and you’re forced to crouch down to retrieve it.

It occurs to you now that you’re at his feet, much as you’d fantasized about earlier that day in his office. You look up and he looks down and there is so much distance between you, so much more than just that physical measurement separating the two of you. He shoves at the door and you rise, not entirely trusting this narrow space he’s allotted you to enter. Surely the door opens further than that. Intentional, no doubt, yet to any casual observer it would simply seem as if your companion was politely in the process of holding the door open for you.

You have no choice but to make the attempt, wedging yourself through that gap, your breasts brushing across his chest as you go. You don’t dare try to make eye contact, instead focusing on the dimly lit interior of the establishment.

You clear the social worker’s body and he follows you closely, the door swinging closed with a very loud bang, the jaws of the entrance snapping shut. Strange to use that analogy. You’re not sure why you’d thought it.

“Welcome to Freddy’s,” a rusted voice says beside you, but you do not feel welcome at all.

Your initial impression is that you’ve entered some kind of mausoleum. Not based off of its appearance of course, from what little you can discern in the gloom; but the overall feel of the place. You can smell the dust that stirs into the air, lifting because of your footsteps. Everything echoes strangely. It feels wrong to be here, disturbing this quiet.

“This place was a hit back in the eighties. Too bad you weren’t living around here back then to see it in its full glory,” Raglan adds, moving confidently forward into the dining area. You hurry to keep up. You don’t want to be alone in this dark place. “Arcade, animatronics, inexpensive pizza and cold beer, this place was the destination for adults and kids alike.” His voice carries confidently, sounding a bit theatrical, as if he’s trying to sell you on the idea of the establishment’s former appeal.

“Why did it close?”

Steve either doesn’t hear you or chooses to ignore your question, leading you now through another set of doors, this time letting you manage them yourself. It’s as if he’s impatient, now that he’s inside. Eager. Your path is lit by some faint crimson glow, making the already disturbing environment seem even more unfriendly. You walk past an open doorway and catch a glimpse of what must be the kitchen, stainless steel counters and appliances hulking further back. There is a large area that looks like some sort of storage center, the shelves loaded with objects you can’t quite make out in the shadows.

There is no tour of any of these rooms. Instead you’re directed to a panel on the wall, the switch for the power dragged upward with a resolute sounding clank. Light immediately blossoms and you feel a sense of relief. It is still not nearly as bright as you would like, but the fluorescent bulbs that hum above are a vast improvement from the eerie red of the emergency lighting.

Steve turns and begins walking again and it strikes you how fresh and alert he looks. He should, by all rights, be tired after working all day. But his steps are brisk and full of energy. The eyes that rove over you as you enter the security office you’re guided to are bright and sharp. You wished you had slept more. You wished you weren’t going to be left alone in this shuttered building once the career counselor departs for the evening after your orientation is complete. You wished for many things, that first night, and none of them are what you should have been asking, pleading, begging for.

“The switch I just showed you might need to be flipped during the course of your shift. The electricity is a bit fickle. The controls for the cameras are here. Don’t touch them,” Raglan warns, as if you’d even have the first clue of how to operate them. You admit as much and he snorts derisively. “Of course you don’t.”

“Why did you give me this position?” The query sounds bitter in your own ears.

“Because no one else wants it. Because it is the only job someone with your checkered past can accept.” He seems unreasonably pleased with this last statement, his eyes flicking to the black and white patterned linoleum that covers most of the restaurant’s flooring, save that carpeted area in front of the stage and the arcade, before returning to your face. Mocking you again. Amused by his own pun, made at your expense.

“What am I supposed to do?”

He clucks his tongue and sighs. “You watch these,” he taps the top of one of the monitors and the footage captured on the screen flickers, “and you don’t let anyone in.”

“Who would want to come in?”

“Vagrants. Thieves. Thrill seekers. Freddy’s is still popular, it just attracts a different type of clientele these days.”

“What do I do if someone tries to break in? Call the police?”

“No. You call me.” He withdraws a leather billfold from his pants pocket and extracts a business card, grabbing a pen from his shirt pocket to scrawl a number on the reverse side, then drops it onto the battered desk the stacked monitors rest on.

“You want me to call you in the middle of the night?”

“I’m a light sleeper.”

“Shouldn’t I be alerting the authorities?”

“No. I have my own intimate connections with the law enforcement in this town.”

You don’t understand what he’s implying, but you can hear something buried in those words. What did he have on the police, that they were so subservient and indebted to him? He was just a social worker, wasn’t he?

Seeing your expression, he seems to sense your puzzlement. “Don’t think too much about it. It’s not your concern. All you need to worry about is watching the monitors until dawn.”

“What about doing rounds? Shouldn’t I be checking—”

“—You do exactly as I tell you to and nothing else. Do I make myself clear?” His voice has lowered an octave. Maybe two. There is no longer any trace of jovial teasing or calm reassurance. You’ve worn right through his patience in mere minutes. You’re disappointing him again. Misbehaving. Making a bad impression.

You nod frantically, your head motions exaggerated, your trembling fingers clutching the office chair for support. You needed to make this work. You’d changed jobs and addresses so many times now. You wanted to settle. You were tired of wandering, trying to find a place to fit in. You don’t feel welcome here, but it seems like your last chance. You can’t squander it.

“Say it. Out loud. Confirm that you understand my instructions.”

“I watch the monitors until dawn. I call you if someone tries to break in.”

“Good girl.” The praise sends a sizzle through your abdomen, at odds with the shiver running down your spine. You hate this man. You want him. Your body and mind can’t reconcile these conflicting ideas, clashing somewhere in the middle. “Have a seat. You have a long shift ahead of you.”

You comply, pulling the chair out from under the desk and sinking down into it. It’s cloth, padded but worn looking. Not much more comfortable than the seat you’d occupied in his office that morning. You watch as he returns the pen to his shirt pocket and the wallet to his pants, pausing when his fingers brush something in its depths. He withdraws what you think at first might be a quarter, but it’s the wrong color. The normally platinum shade is instead brassy. A little larger than that standard currency, too. He flicks it into the air and catches it neatly on the top of his hand, sending it rolling down his knuckles and then back up again, a shining waterfall working in reverse. He flips it back into the air, aiming it towards you and you manage to catch it, clutching the round metal piece in your palm. Your fingers uncurl and you can see what it is now: a token for the arcade bearing the image of, well a bear (Raglan might appreciate that little bit of humor, but you’re not brave enough to test it out) that is the lead mascot and namesake of the establishment. You offer it back to him but he shakes his head.

“Keep it. Consider it a souvenir. I’ll lock the doors on my way out. Don’t forget to lock up after you leave in the morning.”

“I won’t forget to lock up in the morning,” you parrot back to him. The lack of praise this time is more disappointing than you care to admit. “How are you going to lock the doors behind you? I have the keys now.”

“Those are copies. I have the originals.” You don’t even have time to ponder why a social worker might be in possession of such items when his fingers close over the back of the chair, turning you to fully face him. He leans towards you, drawing closer but still not close enough. Your skin itches, your limbs ache. You’ve never been more afraid. You’ve never wanted anyone so badly in your entire pitiful existence. “I’ll leave your uniform here before your next shift.” You can’t imagine what possible difference it could make. Who would ever see it? The would-be criminals? “You didn’t sleep today, did you?” The hand not occupying the back of your seat lifts, one thumb dragging across your cheekbone in an oddly tender gesture, underlining the almost bruised looking crescent beneath your eye. His second touch, after the handshake in his office, and already you want more.

“I tried. I couldn’t.”

“You’ll adjust. Don’t fall asleep on the job.”

“How would anyone know?” You’re suddenly wondering if there aren’t more cameras you don’t know about. But that would be insane, right? Someone monitoring the guard monitoring the restaurant? Where did the chain end? An ouroboros, chasing its own tail.

“I’ll know,” he breathes. You nearly whimper when his hand leaves your face. You wish he would touch you in other places. “Have a good night.” He releases the chair and straightens, adjusting the tie that has partially bunched up against the tie bar securing it in place.

Then he leaves the room and you are alone, watching his departure on the screens, your eyes seemingly meeting across that distance when he looks in the exact direction the camera faces just before he exits. You wonder how he knows where to look, but you never remember to ask. You do not question why a career counselor is so intimately acquainted with a closed pizzeria. You just follow his instructions, watching the monitors with eyes that grow heavier and heavier, your earlier misgivings dissipating. Nothing happens that first night. Morning comes and you lock the doors behind you and return home, gratefully flopping into your bed.

It’s the second night that brings the first signs of trouble.

[frostgears]

no one likes to throw away expensive toys

this truism applies to living weapons as much as anything else, and the durability and survivability of combat augments led to several programs attempting to refit and reuse units that had become surplus to requirements for surface, submarine, or aerospace combat operations. while exploration augments have become a commonplace sight on frontier worlds and megastructure reclamation sites, the command and medical retasking efforts were somewhat less successful, and will not be discussed here.

yielding intermediate results was a later attempt to turn augments to engineering purposes, which produced a number of qualified successes: maintenance augments tend to be even more territorial and protective of their systems of responsibility than human engineers, with the additional capabilities of operating continuously without sleep and being able to throw a screwdriver accurately through a human sternum from tens of meters away.

arguing with a maintenance augment in its own "territory" is not recommended, even if you are its handler. it is best to try to remove it from the immediate situation before issuing it orders. arguments between maintenance augments are best viewed at a distance, through protective eyewear. □