#right now it's following a LOT of the same story beats and i'm like :'] please...you can do sm more

[datastate]

even though i wish it was possible to keep both sou and alice alive for more lore on the story, it does actually make sense why they’re restricted to their specific routes!

of course, for context, we need to acknowledge the significant choice just before the main game as well.

to keep reko alive, you follow your logic. you kill her doll because it is “just a doll.” you have to hope that the real reko hasn’t been harmed from this choice, or harmed before the final attraction began at all - because that was the last essence of her. and alice knows it, and runs toward his death because he’s so desperate to make sure his sister is alive - that sliver of hope... and maybe, he was able to see her one last time depending on your previous choices.

to keep alice alive, you’re following emotion in the last moments of the final attraction. reko - even with the ai - can cry and she’s begging for you to save her, she’s insisting she’s still human. and unfortunately, keeping her alive when she’s so desperate to live results in the human reko’s death because the floormasters state it plainly: we don’t need two reko yabusames. and alice lives on alone, with little reason to keep his information concealed now that the person he was trying to protect from the crossfire is gone.

reko & sou is the true logic route, by this.

reko’s arc, by all means, occurred before the death game. chapter two explores this in incredible depth and ties it directly to the game’s core question through the reko ai. there isn’t much else she can add now, so to keep her alive will balance the grim nature of the death game, but...within the story as it is now? she doesn’t know as much as alice would. her death would be the next necessary one to keep the story going without interfering with current plot lines. it’s unfortunate, but it makes more sense in this context than alice dying.

there’s also a nice contrast where you’re again proven through ranmaru, kurumada, and mai especially - dolls are practically perfect replications of their original base. you have never known the original version, so to you, these dolls are just as real as the real person. and you’re forced to confront that with the memory that you killed the doll reko.

then, alice & kanna is the true emotion route.

sara has had her hope restored thanks to sou’s final act, his offer of reconciliation, and because of this, she is able to keep her composure for the most part. ranmaru isn’t driven to kill the yabusame in his attempt to reassure her that she can live, and i’m sure even if nao had made her appearance (as is in the cut dialogue) to taunt sara, that she would be able to regain herself and move forward with [yabusame] support. maybe there’d be a talk here where instead of sara getting completely caught in her head [i don’t want to die], that she was able to regain herself and tell ranmaru firmly that she didn’t want to see that happen to anyone else, ever again.

*whereas for the logic route, she’s lost the connection she formed with the others through joe (that is why he was a detriment, bc of his social affinity, he formed the bridge and unintentionally ensured she’d be closer to the others throughout chapter 1. and especially when he offered support toward in his last moments...), and with keiji missing (who, despite jou’s initial suspicion, was someone who sara herself sought out to try to find the truth of. this was one of the few where she made the active choice to stay with him & he had offered support and empathy...the rest were generally ones who reached out to her first, if that makes sense. so this relationship still holds significance, but the other relationships after jou was forgotten ended up losing a lot of weight in her mind.)

ALTERNATIVELY! if nao shows up, it could be an emotion-route ONLY thing on hiyori’s part. he’s seeing that sara is regaining her strength, and tries to use this to knock her down again, to break her and force her back to that mindset. however, it still keeps ranmaru from taking any drastic action because he’s forced to see that [yabusame] is genuinely a source of support and can empathize with her over unfairly losing someone to the sacrifice card, again. there are a lot of ways this could be used! and i really wish it was kept - nao still deserved to hold her significance in the third chapter, and it shouldn’t be completely overshadowed with sou and kanna’s choice now that we’re no longer in the main game.

and then of course, as the pay-off, alice is able to stay alive and provide further information on the plot. even if there is less technological advantage, alice makes up for it through the advantage on hiyori himself as a floormaster and what will unsettle him more. it’s a more personal battle. it’s also possible that reko will have some information of her own to provide, although i’m sure alice’s would be more useful throughout chapter 3-2 depending on the prison he was in...? (the prison had the asunaro symbol iirc). he could help lead a route to escape, here. while reko herself could only really help through her brief interactions with hiyori before the game began.

i know this isn’t how it goes in-game, but i think it would’ve been interesting to have the emotion route be the one where you get under hiyori’s skin. for all he’s tried taunting you with (especially if nao’s corpse is an emotion-route only threat), you’re finally able to realize that his primary support is control. when he loses control of a situation, his grip begins to slip. it would proceed as it did in chapter 3-1b currently.

then, for logic route, it could be possible that there was another way that the system of the “banquet” roulette was overwritten with sou’s expertise now that he realized gin was in danger. even if he doesn’t care for the group as a whole, it would cement that he still has to contribute if he doesn’t want another child dead (and prove that he still hardly trusts sara and keiji after the events of last chapter, and with the [yabusame] death where ranmaru claims it was for sara. the distrust is embedded), and it would create a fun change that also serves to prove sou’s use here! because the reason you would keep him alive is for the logical reason - he has more skills than kanna did. and this could be a good place to showcase it and also give that sort of...revenge against hiyori? he’s got a more personal vendetta now that hiyori’s part in asunaro has been confirmed & hiyori made light of kanna’s death & after witnessing hiyori’s treatment of maple, especially with the lines littered throughout the chapter of his own manipulative relationship with sou (regardless of personal reasoning that hiyori sees it as, and the fact that tsukimi really did grow into the role hiyori set him up for to make him “stronger”)

hmmm i’ve gone on. but tl;dr i think it’d be interesting to have more significant differences between the route that is chosen! and even if these are the preferred choices for “true” logic/emotion routes, it’s nice that it isn’t something that has to be stuck to when you continue the plot. in this scenario, sou and kanna still remains as the big choice in how the plot would go (especially with sou’s use & the group’s dynamic), but it’s still possible to choose something for more specific information regarding the yabusames! they’re still an important choice and i only wish it was expanded on more, although i’m sure i’ll learn to be content with what is presented as it continues.

[hoshigray]

𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐙 𝐀 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 | tōji fushiguro

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: Everyone knows you are Toji's favorite stripper. So, it's no surprise that he'd want to have you to himself for a night at the V.I.P. section, not that you're complaining.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Toji x stripper fem! reader - explicit content; minors DNI - sex at a public place; strip club V.I.P. room - kissing/making out - oral (m! + f! receiving) - ball massaging + sucking + heavy depiction of a blowjob - slight anal fingering (f! receiving) - orgasm denial - impact play (spanking + f! receiving) - sir kink - reverse oral + backshots positions - unprotected sex (psa: wrap it up or get tf up) - clitoral play (swiping and pinching) - pet names (angel, baby, good girl, mama, sweetheart, sweetie) - cameos: Miguel, Mei Mei and Ino (stripper, manager and DJ) - mentions of spit/saliva.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 5.6k

𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐞: yesssss, finally, a piece for toji !! this was based on a request/scenario that had me thinking about this prompt a lot afterward, so I'm glad I got the time to go more into the story with this c: enjoyyyy !!

“Toji! Back here like you said?”

“Yup, just as promised. It’s Saturday, after all.” 

“Mmm, I see. Right this way, please; Lady Mei is waiting for you right there..” 

Tonight is Saturday night, the middle of the weekend. How Toji spends his weekends comes and goes, depending on how much cash his pockets are willing to withdraw. Luckily, his stacks are ready for whatever this night has in store for him. And since he’s walking down in a strip club right now, you can guess he’s prepared for something grand. 

Saturdays tend to be one of the busiest nights – if not Fridays. The vibrating bass from the speakers could be felt in his bones, music getting people bumping and grinding by the DJ booth. Crowds swarm the bar to grab their drinks – and perhaps flirt with the bartender – as the special menus catch their eyes. And, of course, the wolf whistles and exclaimed shouts of men and women fill the open area where the dancers give the clients a night of promised fun.

Toji’s guided by one of the male strippers to the back of the club that transitions to the upstairs. By the stairwell, he sees a woman with silverish, pale-blue braided hair, wearing a white cold-shoulder blouse and a long black pencil skirt that emphasizes her hips nicely. Lilac eyes flicker in his direction, and her red lips curl into a smile. 

“Thank you, Miguel.” Mei Mei greets and dismisses the male entertainer in the same breath, watching him bow and return to his business, leaving the woman with Toji. “Well, well, well. I’m sure you’ve been waiting for this moment all day.”

“Ever since ya called me this morning, Lady Mei.” The older man refers to her by her business name with a smirk and a tilt of his head. “So, they’re on board?”

She nods. “That would be the reason I gave you the call, no? The money you brought goes straight to them after this, and they said there’s no need to tip them extra.”

He snickers. “That I can’t promise; I always gotta tip my favorite girl for their service. They treat me right, and I do the same.” 

“Good service means good tips, Mr. Fushiguro. Please, follow me; they’re waiting for you.” 

As far as clubs go, this one was undoubtedly one of Toji’s spots to come to. Here, he can trust that he can have a good time and get his money’s worth with every visit. Good drinks from the bar from that Nanami guy; that rookie DJ, Ino, who likes to humor the older man whenever he’s off his set; and all the entertainers who know of Toji from his frequent visits, all good people that ensure he’s relaxed and welcomed, whether it be service from them or chit-chat on the side between sessions.

But let’s not beat around the bush here; Toji won’t lie and say he doesn’t have favorites — or else why would he be here? There had to be a reason this bulky man comes back for more, and having him known as a loyal customer by the staff of this place and their clients. 

The reason is that out of all the people here, Toji does have a favorite. This favored person is who’s making this man willingly follow the manager up the stairs and walk through the hallway. Only those worth his respect and time could have him do that.

“It’s been a while since you’ve been up here, so let me re-specify,” Mei Mei speaks, ignoring the faint howls of men and women from behind the doors they walk past. “This is V.I.P., meaning people pay extra just to have the room to themselves and my dancers. The rules downstairs apply upstairs…Well, except for today with—“

“Me and them, right?” See? He's listening.

Mei Mei hums. “You two are scheduled for two hours. Food and drinks can be brought up here, but absolutely no messes whatsoever. I don’t care what you two do in there — all I ask is that you two clean up after yourselves.” She stops at the last door of the hallway on the right. “And as for you, since no one is up here to get in the way of you two, no breaking stuff. You break it, you pay for it.” She pauses when he nods. 

“I won’t.” Forest green eyes stay on her as a dark brow rises.

“Especially on my girl tonight.” Lavender orbs narrow faintly. “I don’t want to see so much as a scratch on them. Otherwise, your account won’t be the only thing I’ll have dropped in the negatives. Am I clear?”

“Crystal. Not doin’ anything they don’t wanna do.”

A curt nod to his response, extending her hand out to him. “Their cash?”

Without hesitation, Toji slings the bag he carried on his shoulder to hand to the manager. She holds and unzips it to check the contents, and the smile on her face gets bigger before she peers back at him. 

“Enjoy yourself, Mr. Fushiguro,” she zips the bag and excuses herself before placing a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be too rough.” Toji eyes at her slender fingers sliding away, and the clack of her heels drew further and further away, clicking on the stairs to join the lively bunch down below.

Toji’s eyes examine the door before him but can’t seem to fight the sneer molding into his face. He cracks his knuckle and neck before taking a moment to himself for a deep breath. There’s something in this room that ignites his excitement before it can skyrocket, and it gets a little difficult to contain it once he turns the doorknob.

The V.I.P. rooms are all set up the same: to his right was a single booth seat from one side of the room to the other, a circle table centered by the furniture. The ceiling lights can be dimmed or dialed up, but the ones here were dimmed to a warm glow, which was pleasing and subtly set the mood with the soft white LED lights behind the booth. And the temperature felt just right, prompting the older man to remove his jacket.  

Although he appreciates the change of atmosphere, Toji doesn’t mind what mood the room is set in — because he didn’t come here for that. He came for whatever caught his attention the moment he walked in. The smirk on his face brought the scar on the right side of his lips upright. 

To his right stood a mini stage where a silver pole comes from the center to the top of the ceiling; the light from the mounted full-length mirror on the wall casts a silhouette of something slinging around the pole. Or better yet, on someone. Alas, the person he’s longed to see this entire night is before him. Y/n, Toji’s favorite stripper, was in his sights.

You maneuver around the pole and drift your limbs through the air. Elegant motions perceived by Toji alone, daring not to say anything until you noticed him. And when you do, your eyes lock in on him, and your lips twinge into a smile. Fate was sealed, and the evening for you two had finally begun.

“Toji,” he loved how you said his name. You skillfully transition from a recliner move to a pole sit. “You made it; worried you’d have cold feet on me.”

“And miss seeing you tonight?” He strides in your direction before throwing his jacket to the booth seat, his feet stopping at the steps of your stage. He takes this chance to observe what you picked to wear tonight, elated knowing that you chose one of his favorite looks. “Not a chance.”

Your makeup was the first thing that caught his eye; pink and blue eyeshadow blended perfectly well and compliment your skin, aided with glossy lipstick that entices him. There were rhinestones added at the corner and lids of your eyes, making them shine more with the lighting. Since it’s just the two of you tonight, you opted to show more skin than usual. You wore a white, long-sleeved mesh shirt that had your chest area open, exposing the black laced bra that hugged your breasts nicely. White fishnet pantyhose that comes to your upper thigh, gartered to your lacy, black underwear. And to complete the look, transparent ultra-high heels. You were dolled up — just for him.

Your smile broadens — the brightest thing in the room to him. “That’s so sweet. Please take a seat and let me warm things up, okay?” And you continue back with your routine, swinging on the pole in the ballerina move. Your movements were effortlessly beautiful. Captivating to watch you operate your body around the item and your hand gracefully float around the air as you swing.

But then you come to a stop, finding that Toji is now on the stage and taking your hand in his. Emerald eyes instantly capture yours as his fingers intertwine with yours.

“No need to warm up,” he says in a low tone, as if the music around the room wasn’t already lowered enough for you two to speak normally. His face inches closer to yours, and your breathing becomes slow. “I’ve been waitin’ for this all night.”

His abrupt change was kind of shocking as he’s never one to switch up your procedure. But you don’t take it to heart because you understand, offering him a small smile before your eyes drift to his lips coming to yours. “Impatient much, huh?”

“That’s what happens when ya spoil me all the time,” he jests before a hand comes to your cheek, bringing his lips to yours for an awaited kiss. 

You two kiss with slow pecks, waiting for someone to make the first move. And Toji’s the one to do it, licking your bottom lip and playfully nibbling it. You titter faintly, opening your mouth to permit him to insert his tongue inside and play with yours. And you moan to him when he sucks and teases yours with his teeth.

Toji’s hand on your cheek goes to the back of your neck, wanting to keep the kiss in contact. And you follow suit, carefully placing your hands on his shoulders one by one from the pole. To hope you don’t fall, his other hand comes to your back for assistance. Yet your legs are still tightly wrapped around the metal pole. 

He breaks the kiss to see for himself, chortling at the display. And you beam at him, using your finger to drag his raven bangs along his forehead. “Spoiling you, huh?” You inquire, kissing his nose. “With how this night is set up, we’ll have to see who’s treating who.” 

He liked the sound of that. “Two hours to make it count, then.”

You wink. “Two hours.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“—Mmph…! Hoohh, fuck, that tongue…keep swirlin’ like that…”

“Nnmm…enjoying yourself there?” 

“Heh, keep teasing’ me like that, and we’ll see what happens, Y/n…Hmmm…”

Toji sits on the booth seat with his denim-clad legs spread out for you to crouch in between. Your hand snakes inside his shirt; the dent of his abs is sensed by your fingertips. And the free one is gliding up and down the exposed erection that’s out for your very eyes to see. 

Oh, fuck, this was a sight to see: crouching in front of your favorite client, having his cock in your very grasp. The limb is so big and girthy that it drives you crazy just marveling at it, and the twitch of your chasm below refuses to calm down. Every slow pump urges a bit of precum to slip out the urethra, and you gasp faintly at the contact of the substance staining your pretty nails. Shit, from his veins to the delicious tip, it’s been so long since you’ve seen a dick this oddly gorgeous. 

Hell, it’s been a long while since you’ve given head. And, holy fuck, it felt too good doing it right now — especially with a dick as mouthwatering as Toji’s. You started with slow licks to the cockhead and kisses to the frenulum, evoking hushed grunts from the older man; sounds you love entering your eardrums, pushing you to want more. Slow laps gradually lose to adventurous curiosity as you take in every inch of his length til the hilt meets your lips, humming at the sensation of him filling your throat. 

You suck on his shaft with glee, swirling your tongue on the underside with every bob to the mouth. And your hand still moves to please him, your fingers eventually finding his balls to give them a knead. A hiss leaves scarred lips, and he grabs for the top of your head. Oh, he’s definitely loving this. 

“Hshhh, shiiit, just like that, baby,” the pet name makes you mewl; he said it so hot. “Fuuuck, y’re so good.”

“Mmmm…Phuaa!” You release his girth from your lips, attacking the sensitive head with teasing licks, rubbing the limb on your face while placing chaste kisses. God, he loved how beautifully dirty you were being. “Hnnmm, yo’ thwink so…?”

Talking with your mouth full results in a laugh from Toji. “Fuck yeah; barely hangin’ on right now…Oh shit,” he shouldn’t have said that because you kiss his shaft down to his balls, sucking one into your mouth to have the man almost choke on his spit. “Hmng…!! Oh, shit, shit, I’m gonna cum, mama. Take me back in, Y/n—Ahhh!”

No can do! Because you immediately remove yourself from him, standing on your toes and walking backward. Observing the genuine staggered expression on Toji has you giggling, making him sneer in return. “You fuckin’ tease.”

“Come on now; you gotta do your part as well, you know.” You turn to crawl atop the stage, your hands on the pole while swaying your ass to the side. You know he’s watching, feeling his green eyes boring holes into your being. Knowing you’re being desired like this turns you on even more. 

Toji wastes no time, marching towards your ass with a hungry grin. Rough fingers come to your underwear, bringing it down with ease, biting his lip at the wet display of your cunt. “Oh, aren’t you a pretty thing, huh.” 

You titter, shivers crawling up your spine when his thumbs spread your folds to expose your bare vagina. You grab hold of the pole for preparation. “Please be delicate with me.”

He blows on your cunt, and you take a sharp breath. “After that lil’ stunt of y’rs a few seconds ago? You better hold on to that thing tight.” Toji gives your wetness a tantalizingly slow lick, taking in every shudder of your body. “Hnnm, taste good…” 

His hands find your waist and then stuffs his face to your ass, his lips and tongue going to work and sucking in your liquids. You cry out, gripping the pole as soon as you feel a flick to your clit. Your eyes instinctively shut, and your arch elates to bring your butt closer to him. 

Toji’s strong hold on you aids him in making sure you don’t get away from him; your soapy slit is right where he wants it, and he doesn’t plan on letting go. His tongue hurries through your labia, and your essence coats his tastebuds. You moan out loud at the feeling of the muscle pushing to the entrance, your hips jerking with his nose bumping close to your taint. 

“Ahaaa, ohh Jesus, yesss,” your words come out in pretty wails. “Yess, Toji, ‘eel so good…”

He hears and gives you another taunting lick from your clit to the vagina. This time, he notes your ass jolt when he comes close to your asshole. And he can’t fight his mischievous soul, bringing his tongue ever so slowly to it for you to gasp and realize what he’s doing.

“W–Wait, no, Tojiii!” You whine. Fuck, you sounded so cute. “Not there, please…!”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?” He brings a thumb to lather it with spit before pressing it to your anus. The choked sob erupting from you has him tingle, pushing the digit further in. “Don’t want me playin’ with this?”

“—Hnnff! Noooo, stop, that’s—Mmmm!” Goddamn, how could someone look so good while whining like this? Oh, he could never get enough of you before. Now, this little infatuation for you could dwell into an obsession if you keep batting your hooded eyes at him like that. “That's dirty…!” 

He shakes his head with a prurient leer and trenched brows. “Don’t worry, angel; I like dirty.” You gulped. That’s not what I meant! “Be dirty fr’ me, ‘kay? Wanna see it all...” Toji brings his face back to your southern lips, sucking and licking in an excitable fashion that has you trying so hard not to scream (even if the walls are supposedly soundproof). 

It’s here that you give up and have your face meet the floor of the stage, sinking into the feeling of Toji ravishing your cunt to feast on your come entirely. You can shake and try to move your hips all you want, but it won’t work; Toji will instantly shut you down and shove his mouth right back to your folds. And with his thumb scraping the walls of your tight asshole, chewing your lips does nothing to suppress the haze. 

“Hohhh, hnmm, oh my God, Ohhh…!” A hand finds its way to Toji’s wrist, holding onto it to prepare for what’s bound to happen. “Haaah, I’m about to cum…Please, like that, keep going…Oooo!!”

Nope. He doesn’t let you off the hook, withdrawing his face and thumb away from you, and the climb of your promised orgasm dissipates in seconds. You turn to him with an albeit hurt expression, expectedly being met with a smug look on his handsome face. “Hahhh, so mean…”

“Oh, I know y’re not talking, sweetheart.” Toji removes and discards your underwear somewhere across the room, giving your bare ass a playful smack to which you faux cry in pain with laughs. He then picks you up bridal style and walks you back to the couch, your face gently placed on the furniture with your buttocks up in front of him. He brings the tip of his cock to kiss your labia. “Ya ready?” You nod to him hurriedly with bitten lips of glee. All he wants to do is grab you by the chin and kiss the hell out of you. “Nice and slow fr’ ya, sweetie.” 

Your breath hitches at Toji’s glans being pushed into you, using your slick and his saliva to lubricate himself for easy access. Your hands grip the booth seat with every push of him, and you gasp loudly at the insertion of his tip. The subtle pain declined in mere seconds before being raptured by the sensation of his girth stretching you. Your body quakes by the time his pelvis meets the flesh of your ass, unable to contain the pants of air leaving your lips.

Toji moves his hips tremendously slowly, making you feel every bit of him. Holy shit, it’s been a while having a living, breathing dick inside you. The indistinct dents grazing your entrance with every push and pull, the veins scraping along your inner walls ever feels so fucking good, and his tip jabbing so deep inside you. Jesus Christ, you can’t blame your slit clamping onto him; he feels so good!

“Hmm? Ya like that, baby?”And Toji can tell, grinding his hips, stimulating a shaky howl. “Y’re grippin’ on me like crazy.”

“Ahhaaa, fuhuuuck, you feel so good, Toji,” you hum, gnawing on your lips as his pace goes faster by the second. Yes, yes! “Ohhhh, ’m so full…!”

He comes down to lick on the helix of your ear. His voice being so close to you has you clamping onto him harder. “Fuuck, that grip…Just stay like this fr’ me, all nice and pretty. Can ya do that?”

“Yesss, sir.” 

Oh, that title sparked something within him. The snicker to your ear had you swooned. “Keep callin’ me that.”

You giggle softly. “Of course, sir—Rrryahhh!!” He didn’t warn you when he started bucking his hips unexpectedly. 

Strokes to your cunt became quick, the sensation of him becoming rushed for your senses to comprehend after each thrust. The sounds of skin smacking against each other fill the space between you, and the heat transferring from your warm bodies is given in quick exchanges.

It doesn’t take long for your head to be thrown into a daze, your eyes shot up to the stars with every jab to your sensitive spots. Restraint is held by a thread, finding it strenuous to keep your voice down to a respectable volume. Your fingernails leave crescents on the booth seat beneath you as Toji drives his length into you. 

“—Ohhh! Fuuuu, oh shit, Tojiii, slow d—Owwhhn!!” He slaps your ass, an action you couldn’t foretell, and prevent a shriek from leaving your mouth. 

“Not ‘Toji’ right now,” he corrects you, grinding his pelvis again to scrape your walls to the point of wails. Gripping your ass like a toy, “What do you call me?”

“Mmmph!! I’m sorry, sir; forgive me…!” Another smack and the pain stings the skin to the point your eyes water. 

“Good girl,” he’s satisfied, coming down to place kisses on your shoulder and travel down your back. 

Toji straightens at the sight before him, taking in every detail of the situation. Having his favorite stripper be a whimpering mess for him: your mouth agape for cute sounds to fly out, the motion of your ass cheeks bouncing with every rut of him, and his dick digging into your alluring body. Fuck, if only he could take a picture of this. But thankfully, he still has another hour and a half to go — an hour and a half to indulge himself more with you. He paid good money for this, so he’ll make it worth every cent.

“Hey, mama,” he comes down to cup your face with his right hand, bringing you in for a hot kiss. You happily reciprocate, allowing him access and sucking his tongue with a mewl.

The kiss has him drink your high-pitched huffs while his tempo increases to an irregular speed. Your eyes screwed shut at the pacing; the feeling of his girth filling you so much is fucking crazy. Your head begins to pound with the heat that spreads across your face, and your brain gradually churns to mush as you can sense the climb of your climax. 

“—Shhhiiit, oh shiit!!” You pule with the trembles crawling up to your shoulders, a tiny streak of drool coming down from the corner of your lips. “F–Fhhh, I’m gonna cum, sir! Please, let me cummm…!”

“Hhhck!! Fuck, me too,” he confesses in between kisses. “Lemme finish here...” Toji sneaks a hand down to your lower region, his forefinger grazing your clitoris that was left unattended throughout this time. Until now. “Cum on me, angel. Let loose…”

The rough pads of his fingers swipe on your clit; your eyes widen at the action and force you to break the kiss. Your moans come out from his swipes and pinches on your delicate bud, and the growth of your orgasm ascends tenfold. Oh fuck, it’s coming, I’m— “Ohh–Ohoooo!!”

And then it hits you; the walls of your cunt clamp around Toji tightly, making the older man groan at the fluttering contraction. So engulfed with how good you feel that it prompts him to spill his load into you. But he doesn’t stop jerking his hips, smacking his cock into your sensitive chasm until he knows every drop of his ejaculation is pumped deep inside you. 

Toji brings his body down to your heaving one, your breathing synced with his as you two let your pleasurable highs subside. When things feel as though they’ve calmed down, he’ll bury his face in the crook of your neck and place kisses while rubbing your ass. You hum to his touch, deep exhales seeping through your nostrils.

“Mmmm, that was good,” he says to your skin before lifting his face to examine you properly, removing his length from your cunt and watching the trail of his come ooze out. “Heh, fuck that’s crazy…Ready for another round, sweetheart?”

Of course, you laugh at that. “Well, sir, if you’d like to go again, please be sure to use the condoms this time. I wouldn’t like Mei Mei to come here and murder us for not cleaning after ourselves.”

He lifts a brow. “Condoms?”

You point with your chin to the table at the booth center, noting the silver tray that displayed items for this occasion. Towels, water bottles, and, of course, packets of rubbers that were meant to be used. 

Toji blinks, and then a fit of laughter bubbles inside him. “Well, now I know. But I don’t see the point since I already fucked you raw. Already spoiled the fun for ya.”

You shrug with a smile, standing up to grab the towel to wipe yourself. “Boss’ orders.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he obliges with a kiss on your cheek before he shifts to lie on the couch. He discards his jeans and drawls, spreading his strong legs to showcase his member standing strong. He pats on his thigh, “Get y’r cute ass over here.”

You beam at him, grabbing for a wrapper and tearing it up to release a condom. “Yes, sir~.”

─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───

“And so? You two cleaned up everything?”

“Yup, made sure it was all clean and neat the way it was before.”

“Good. Because I had a meeting in that room this morning, and neither my client nor I would like to have the smell of sex fill our conversation. Or seeing a condom wrapper on the floor.” 

“Hehe, well, I hoped you checked under the seats. He’d probably be sneaky enough to kick at least one down there.”

“Oh, you’re such a little…” Your manager doesn’t finish that sentence and hits you on the head with a makeup brush, resulting in a strong laugh from you.

Tonight was the following night after that event. You’re now in the dressing room, adding finishing touches to your make-up before you can go out to perform for the last day of the weekend. Mei Mei was with you, helping you fix yourself since she likes to help her performers feel at the top of their game. Also, as your friend, she wanted to hear the details of what transpired last night. 

“That man, I swear…” She says while looking at you through the vanity mirror, surveying your last touches to your brows and eyelids. “I knew he was whipped for you since the first time you danced for him. Now that you two finally did the deed, I can only imagine how much he’d do for you…Ugh, I’ll need to hire security specifically for him.”

The remark has you laughing some more. “Oh, stop it. I’m sure he knows better than to flip this place down.”

“Hmmm, you sure about that?” Silver brows go upward. “Considering the fact that we’ve had multiple close calls with him and other customers, scaring your clients when they’re not out of his seat – not to mention breaking someone’s arm for you – it’s not far out to imagine this man throwing shit and bodies all over if someone so much looks at you, especially now that he got his dick wet. Oh, he’s smitten.”

You shake your head throughout her explanation with a smile, knowing that it’s all semi-true. “Guess that’s men for you, huh?”

“Don’t I know it.” She scoffs, using this small time with you to braid her hair into two pigtails. “…You do like him, right?”

The question doesn’t take you aback, not showing any expression of shock while continuing to fix the straps of your pink bra under your mesh shirt. “Yeah…I think so. He’s one of my—“

“One of?”

You roll your eyes at your manager egging you on. “Okay. He is my favorite client. I think he’s a good company; plus, he pays a good amount of money to see me.”

“Oh? Was it the money that’s always made your heart thump? I wonder…” Mei Mei doesn’t try to suppress the smirk growing on her face, aware that you’re meekly glaring at her. She grabs for your lipstick to apply to her lips. “Maybe it never was because I can recall you telling me how hot you found you the first time. Hmph, maybe now that’s dialed up since you’ve been slapped with some good dick—“

“Okay, okay!” God, you couldn’t stand her sinister chuckle, precisely when it’s directed towards you.

“I’m just teasing~. I’m happy that you two are getting along, really.” She straightens up to examine her whole figure now that she’s done. “But he’s still one of my customers at the end of the day, and you one of my people. Money on the table or not, I won’t tolerate if he does anything to inconvenience me or you.” 

The sincerity in Mei Mei’s words wasn’t hard to grasp. After all, she was doing what any good boss would do. As well as your friend above anything else. And you appreciated it. “I know. You’ll be the first I run to if stuff goes left.”

The silver-haired woman gave a genuine smile and nodded, placing a hand on your shoulder to clutch before excusing herself from the dressing room. “See you out there; I have another meeting with a priest from the other side of the neighborhood.”

You gawk. “A priest? Is he here to be serviced?” 

“Nope, but if he keeps getting in the way of my business, I just might have to make some phone calls and endow my other services to deal with him.” Your blood shifted to ice cold at that sentence. Mei Mei is your friend by all means; however, that didn’t diminish how scary that woman can be sometimes. 

She opens the door and closes it behind her, leaving you alone to finish up. You stand up from your seat and maneuver around to admire tonight’s outfit choice. A mesh shirt that showcased your pink bra and black pantyhose that contrasted with your pink undies. Now, all you need to do is go to your locker and find whatever shoes to match and—

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Yo, Y/n?” It was Ino’s voice. He doesn’t come inside the room but creaks the door for you to hear him. “Sorry, but someone wishes to speak with you.”

Huh, someone wants to see me? “Oh, okay. Tell them to wait for me by the door.”

“Sure thing!” And then the young DJ closes the door, and you decide the shoes can wait for later. Giving yourself a look or two in the mirror, you walk up to the door and pull it open to see who wishes to see you. Only to find that the person is standing in front of the doorway.

It was Toji, standing tall and greets you with a smirk once you entered his vision. The mild anxiousness from a few seconds was gone, exchanging it for a smile. “Hey,” he said it cooly.

“Hi,” you return the greeting, watching him step closer to you to lean against the doorframe. “You just got here?” 

“Mhmm, didn’t have much to do, so I figured I’d come before things are about to pick up.” Toji brings his face to yours, daring to give your lips a peck. And you allow it, kissing his scar when he draws back. “I thought last night was fun.”

“Me too,” you whisper back to him before he kisses your neck. “I’d like to have fun like that with you sometime. You know, not during business hours and such.”

He quirks up a brow. “Yeah? Hmm, me too.” He puts his forehead to yours, his hands snaking around your waist to bring you two together. “I’d love to have you around somewhere.”

You hum, bringing your arms up to wrap around his neck. “That’d be nice.”

“…But I’d also love to fuck the hell outta you like last time.” His honesty has you erupting in laughter, and your sweet voice has him grinning. “I’m serious; you drove me crazy last time. Pussy like that can’t be shared, I’m sorry—”

“Oh, my God, stop!” You try to get out of his hold, even if your laughs get louder when he tightens his grip on you. “Drove you crazy, huh?” You peer to see him nod before kissing his chin. “Well, I got a few minutes before I go out there…Want me to suck you off?”

Did you even have to ask? The man immediately leers from ear to ear, taking your wrist and pulling you back into the dressing room. And you allow him with a laugh, making sure to lock the door before the thought of getting caught fills your mind.

“Good thing you caught me dressing,” you say as he sits on the couch from across the dressing room, and you crouch between his legs. You pull down his zipper, “This one’s free of charge.”

And he shifts comfortably, taking off his jacket to discard. “Lucky me.”

© 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲2024 – reblogs + comments are appreciated wholeheartedly ☆ header art by melkor mancin + dividers by @/cafekitsune.

[bvidzsoo]

Preying on you tonight

Author: bvidzsoo

Warning: smut, cursing, alcohol consumption, violence, bullying (nothing extreme), saying wet dog as an insult, mentions of injury and blood

Pairing: Song Mingi x female reader

Word count: 29k

Summary: Nocturnal Parade was a safe haven for creatures like yourself, vampires, and for creatures like Mingi, werewolves. After a misfortunate event, you come to hate the other kind with your whole being despite having to live in unity and peace. What happens after a drunken night spent with your enemy, a night which changes everything for forever?

A/N: Hello, lovelies!! Surprise, another Mingi oneshot! (because the brainrot is at its peak and I'm a Mingtis *cries*) I'd like to point out a few things before you start reading the story:

✦  1. I did a different take on vampires and both werewolves here, let's say, it's my version of these creatures mixed with all the lore I know about them.

✦  2. Please, please, please, imagine Halazia Era Mingi while reading this!!! And Deja Vu Era Yunho!

✦  3. This is important! For the sake of the story, the siblings are all called Song, after Mingi's surname! (I didn't mention it in the story, but Mingi's fur is white!)

✦  4. Yes, I used Katherine's surname because I have an unhealthy obsession with her and because Y/N's character was partially inspired by her. (my TVD lovers know)

Also, I feel like I accidentally made a lot of puns in the story, so don't mind me lol. I think that's all for now, and I'm veery excited to hear your thoughts about this story, so your feedback is very welcomed! I hope you enjoy it, and happy reading now! ^^

Taglist: @orshii @sharksandminhos @cheolliehugs @dollce-exe @kikiskz

            Creatures like ourselves needed a safe haven away from the looming, close-minded, humans roaming the streets of cities, constantly pondering whether they’d fall victim next in our sharp claws. Their view of us was rather cartoonish, and disfigured, and we could only thank all those made-up legends for scaring humans away from peculiar creatures, like ourselves. We were nowhere close to being the scary monsters parents warn their children of in the bedtime stories they tell them, however, we could be dangerous if provoked and forced into an uncanny situation.

Communities have been formed a long time ago, altogether with a treaty, in hopes of making peace between the supernatural creatures roaming the same Earth as humans. However, most still didn’t take kindly of us, and therefore, we were forced out of their circles, made to fend for ourselves on our own. Laws weren’t abiding at first, quite deceitful when it came to the rights night creatures had, but after the Raging Revolution, everything changed. Humans became less animus towards us and finally started acknowledging us, step by step setting up things for us, allowing us to join their circles, of course, in a restricting and well-supervised manner. Therefore, after a party has been formed in order to defend our rights and fight for the future of the night creatures, a clergy was founded with it simultaneously, trying to prove to the humans that we were just like them, albeit a little rough and more menacing. We had the same beating hearts, the same iron and hot blood gushing through our veins; we weren’t indestructible either, and most of all, we needed the same resources as them. With the creation of the clergy, it had seemed that the humans had finally settled down, accepting us fully into their society. They remained cold to us, but they weren’t so rude and threatening anymore about their ideologies and beliefs.

This gave us the opportunities to finally meddle with them, to freely follow their footsteps, establishing a lifestyle similar to theirs. We were allowed inside their cities and towns, offered jobs and given permission to step inside the same buildings as them. Society was finally progressing after decades of oppression and pain, the night creatures were somewhat finally free from the clutches of their oppressors, living the lives our ancestors have fought so hard for. However, that did not mean that everything was joint, or that you didn’t have the choice of living secluded in the safety of your own kind. My parents have chosen to raise me up far away from the rambunctious big cities, instead settling in a heavily protected town, infused by only night creatures on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods, South from anything lively. But just because humans were scarce here, did not mean that our lives were quiet and boring. It was far from it. My life was anything but boring, childhood filled with mischief and misbehavior as I was always allowed to do whatever I wanted.

Perhaps it was the privilege of having extremely rich parents, being the descendent of a bloodline so ancient that I would get a headache trying to remember every family member that was still alive whenever we would gather for our annual new year celebratory balls. Raised in lavish and puff, I was content with the way things were, and I had no intentions of moving out of Nocturnal Parade anytime soon, if ever at all. My family had settled down here in 1250, and only those curious and adventure seeking ventured far from our homeland, sometimes returning with the promise of never wanting to join the human joint cities, with others never returning, calling our safe haven a lie and depraved of everything else the ‘real’ world had to offer us. To my parents joy, I had no such intentions, content with the Petrova family’s fortune and assets, rightfully so wanting to join the family business.

The Petrova bloodline had been around far before records were even made of humankind, they have survived plagues, wars, treason and disasters, always returning stronger and stronger, their names present in history books, marking historic events and building a community that welcomed any and all kinds of night creatures, not once discriminating anyone. There wasn’t an anarchy when it came to us, creatures, everyone was equal. That’s what the clergy preached and instilled in each one of us, however, I couldn’t help but harbor hard feelings against one kind, werewolves, more exactly. I most probably wouldn’t have had any problems against them, but an unfortunate event seemed to mark me for life, and I would carry it on with myself until the end of Earth. There was nothing and no one that could change my mind about those wild, feracious, and obnoxious animals. Even if the clergy said hating one kind meant being just the same as the humans were once towards us, I couldn’t help myself. Hating someone was not a crime, and with the deep webbed hatred in myself, not even the clergy could stop me from sending glares at those wet dogs, whispering threats at them, or making their days a living hell at our Academy.

Wilden Pine Academy was a place for Vampires and Werewolves; however, the occasional Fae and Druids would make their appearance as well. Nocturnal Parade was famous for its large population of Vampires and Werewolves alike; therefore it came as no surprise that the Academy closest to our town was littered with both kinds. A four-hour drive, deep into the Pinecone Forest, and you’d be presented with our majestic Academy, its towers high and dark for vampires not keen of sunlight, and fields widely expanding, perfect for the ever loud and restless werewolves. This place was made to bring everyone together, to strengthen the bond between the two kinds, their animosity against each other quite famous, well-known even between mere humans. And it seemed that Wilden Pine Academy did an extraordinary job at bringing vampires and werewolves to a truce, to control the deep-rooted hatred for each other, and to forge an alliance that became nondestructive over the decades as both remained on the front, fighting for the night creatures’ rights and lives. Not that those stupid history books could dictate how I would feel about such wild creatures.

The Academy was serene, with eager and passionate professors all around, spreading their knowledge about anything supernatural or quite mundane. Our curriculums were closely constructed in a way that would allow us to learn everything we needed to know about ourselves and our history, but also about the humans and their atrocious self-destructive stories. The grounds were separated in two, left wing for the vampires, and for the occasional fae folk, right wing for the werewolves and their little druid friends that would show up uninvited. Of course, there were more common grounds than one could possibly imagine here at Wilden Pine Academy, the academics following the clergy’s words like the Holy Grail. Everyone must be united at all times, discrimination between kinds to be severely punished, following the laws of the Night Creatures Rule Book. One of these said common grounds was quite unfortunately the study hall, which was open at all times, and warmly welcomed anyone who wished to catch up on their projects and homework. The separation between these two kinds was only ever present in my own mind, casting a glance upon the vast study hall, you’d realize that nobody cared who sat next to them as long as they didn’t bother them. Vampires next to werewolves were a common sighting, yet I couldn’t bring myself to stay in their vicinity for longer than three minutes. And even like that, I was being generous. I always made sure to pick the furthest table from those animals in the study hall, and was rather thankful that they weren’t stupid enough to approach my table. It didn’t take two brain cells to know I hated werewolves, and therefore, for most part they left me alone. Not that anyone had anything to say against a Petrova, now Bae, having changed our family name after the revolution due to some legal issues amongst the humankind.

People who usually came to the study hall did so because they wished to have a relaxed ambience around themselves, not quite as restrictive as the library as here you could eat, drink, and chat with your friends freely, without anyone giving you the stink eye or the librarian breathing down your neck to reprimand you. With that being said, the study hall had a friendly atmosphere made for the Academy’s students to be able to study in peace, which presented to be harder and harder to do with seconds ticking by. Of course, when a certain five wet dogs would show up, the quiet and peace wouldn’t even last for one second. Despite their table being towards the middle of the large room, and my own table towards the back, close to the large bookcases, their loud howls and laughter carried over. It blew my mind how nobody even as much as glanced their way or said anything to quieten their table down. Everyone seemed content with the ruckus they were creating, and it made my blood boil even more that I couldn’t be as unbothered as the rest of the creatures around me. But perhaps if it was a bunch of vampires being rascals, I also wouldn’t have batten an eyelash in their direction, but this was the Song family. A family I hated with my whole being, the five creatures having risen from Hell itself, marched all the way to Wilden Pine Academy to reign chaos upon its once peaceful grounds. I never thought a body could yield such strong emotions, until I met the Song boys, and girls as well, their disgusting scent alone driving me up the wall. Especially of one certain person, who smelled like an actual wet dog, mixed with fresh grass that would make anyone gag. His scent was just as atrocious as his existence, making me grit my teeth whenever I was in the vicinity of him. Which happened more often than I would have liked it to.

The Song twins, unfortunately, had been part of my life ever since I was eight years old. Not by choice, of course. If I could’ve, I would’ve eradicated their existence a very long time ago. The Song’s weren’t native to Nocturnal Parade, they have moved into our safe haven just before our first academic year would start, coating the town in chaos like never seen before. They were well-known for being loud and eccentric, their parents just as much of a bother as their children were. And there were five of them, five horrific werewolves, howling and cackling every time you’d cross their paths. Song Mingi and Song Yunho were not your identical twins, however, they did seem to resemble each other in more ways than others. Both were tall, boisterous, loud, and hyperactive to a point where once Yunho had to be sedated as he wouldn’t stop running around the fields before curfew. Despite Yunho being the louder twin, Mingi wasn’t far behind, his personality more irritating than the older twin’s one. He never failed to drop whatever he carried in his hands, bumping into anything possible as if his coordination was off—not that I had expected anything more from a filthy dog. And despite being similar, they were quite easily very different when it came to their styles. Yunho, ever colorful and peculiar when choosing his attire, his black hair highlighted with fiery red highlights, nails always painted either turquoise or yellow, and shoes mismatching for whatever mysterious reason that I really wasn’t curious about. Mingi, however, only wore dark clothes, with the occasional odd white colored graphic t-shirts—or that one funky white jacket with a bunny on it—always heavily littered with silver jewelry around his neck, wrists, and fingers, his nails never bare, always tinted black or chrome silver.

Both Yunho and Mingi had a phase, back when we were all fourteen, when they have started heavily smudging their eyes with black kohl eyeliner, always looking like pandas after we had to run around the flower fields while it rained heavily. It seemed that only Mingi stuck with the makeup, Yunho opting to experiment with different lip colors, weirdly sticking to a dark purple or light pink one for most times. I never allowed myself to ponder too much about their preferences, the twins a sighting everyone found odd at times, perhaps even intriguing as they seemed to have personalities that was liked by the masses, giving me a headache whenever I saw creatures flocking around them, vampires and werewolves alike, desperate for some attention from them.

But if having the Song twins a constant in my life until I would graduate from the Academy was bad, I really had no idea what more this family had in store for me. With the appearance of their younger brother, Wooyoung, I finally learned what absolute and utter chaos and madness meant, the boy a spawn of Satan himself, sent to destroy anything in its wake. The boy was a werewolf, yet he cackled like an old, evil, witch, his dark eyes staring into yours as if he wanted to suck your soul out. And he was cocky, way too confident in himself, perhaps a defective trait he learned from Mingi, who wasn’t lacking in the ego department either. And when I thought I was finally safe of that horrible family, two more additions of the family showed up at the Academy, two girls, their sisters. Yeri, who was three years younger than the twins and one year younger than Wooyoung, was a deceitful girl. Her angelic face had fooled everyone at first, sweet smile and soft giggles quickly making everyone fall for her charm naively. But that girl was another spawn of Satan, the biggest troublemaker dated at the Academy so far, every professor’s nightmare from the very first class she attended, successfully blowing up a frog to everyone’s horror, only giggling when brought to the Principle’s office, saying that she hadn’t seen the instructions in her book and decided to improvise. And if the family wasn’t complete already, their youngest sibling also showed up at the Academy, and she was the oddest of them all. Dahyun never really spoke until she felt the need to. Her face a constant mask of blankness, lips downturned and eyebrows furrowed. She’d hold eye contact with anyone who looked her way, and smile almost threateningly when they averted their eyes disturbed by her emotionlessness. She often whispered to herself and, to my utmost horror, I was unfortunate enough to catch her speaking to the air once I was out in the fields with a fae friend, whispering about some dead animal she had found a day ago. Three were rascals and two were possible future murderers, weren’t they a wonderful family?

My fist tightened, fingers flexing around the pencil I held in my hand, lower lip sucked in as my glare settled upon the loud Song table, blood boiling, and ears ringing from oversensitivity as I struggled blocking out their voices. Wooyoung had been cackling like a madman for over thirty minutes now, Yunho also constantly giggling as they were hunched over a book, scribbling in it furiously and snickering every time Yeri tried to see what they were doing. Mingi seemed to be the only one doing his homework, however, he would contribute to the mess by his own loud, irritating, laughter, unless he was pestering Dahyun about eating something, throwing chips at his younger sister’s face. The girl sat unmoving in her chair, staring ahead at one fixed point, her eyes slowly shifting onto Mingi every so often, almost smiling at him when Mingi was too busy furrowing his eyebrows as he probably struggled solving his homework. There was a knock against the wooden table, and my eyes finally snapped away from the distasteful scene, falling on my fae friend.

“Your homework won’t solve itself, Y/N.” Krystal, the Fae with undying beauty and velvety voice, said with a chuckle. Perhaps she was the least judgmental in our four-member friend group, always kind to others, and way too understanding.

“I can’t work when it’s so loud in here,” I said with a sigh, twirling my pencil around my fingers as I looked at my unfinished potion for Alchemy disheartened.

“Try blocking them out,” Krystal said with an encouraging smile as she patted my cold hand twice.

“Easy for you to say,” Seulgi hissed, turning back in her seat to glare at the Song family, “when you don’t have heightened hearing.”

Krystal chuckled, eyeing Irene for a second, who seemed unbothered as she sat next to Seulgi, head buried in her book, “Irene seems pretty unbothered.”

“That’s because I am.” Irene’s voice was lighter, a little on the shrill side, yet strong as she snapped. She looked up, amused for a second, before she placed her hand on Seulgi’s thigh, giving it a squeeze. I watched the action without saying much, but feeling suspicious of them lately.

“They’ve been in here for more than two hours and haven’t shut up for once, for fuck’s sake.” Seulgi gritted through teeth, the only one in our friend group who shared a hatred with me towards the Song family. Perhaps a failed relationship and broken promises lead to her current emotions towards the five people, but I wasn’t one to pry if she didn’t want to talk about it.

“You tell me,” I muttered, eyes falling back on their table, Mingi leaned over it and shoving chips forcefully in Dahyun’s mouth as she had opened it, only to bite down hard on Mingi’s thumb. Perhaps that was funny as I chuckled, trying to mask it with a huff, until the first spawn of Satan suddenly jumped up on the table, making my jaw drop.

“Ahoy, everyone get on board!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, finally everyone in the study hall looking at Wooyoung, “This ship is about to sail outside, who’s with me?!”

To my utmost disgust, there were people who cheered and suddenly approached the Song family’s table, jumping up and making sounds inadequate for such setting. They were howling, like dogs. I took in a deep breath, but couldn’t control my rage as it finally burst from all the irritation I had bottled up since the morning class I had to share with the twins, forced to sit next to Mingi by the professor, “Okay, that’s it. I need to leave.”

My friends looked at me, and Seulgi nodded as she started packing up, “Fuck, same. I’m about to bite Yunho’s throat off.”

Irene quirked an eyebrow at her friend, but said nothing, just chuckled. My hands shook as I pushed my chair back forcefully, making it screech loudly against the floor, yet the ruckus Wooyoung had created was overbearing, and nobody even heard my chair falling to the floor. I grabbed the two books I had picked in order to inspire me for my potion, and turned to head towards the bookcases. Krystal had an apologetic smile on her face as she raised one hand, “I think I will stay; I still need to finish my project.”

“That’s alright.” Irene said with a reassuring smile, her stoic expression instantly melting, “I also want to read some more. Should we head to a smaller table?”

“Sure!” Krystal grinned and both girls started packing their things as Seulgi and I made eye contact, her cheeks red.

“Do you mind if I wait for you outside?” Her voice sounded strained and I shook my head no, knowing that she was on the verge of snapping. Not that I was far off from doing the same. I picked my previously fallen chair up, and placed it back on its feet before taking off towards the very last bookcase, the returning band being placed there. Despite knowing where I took my books from, I found it only logical to place them on the return band, hence why it was put there. I bypassed a vampire staring at one of the bookshelves, almost crashing into them when they stepped backward, thankful to my quick reflexes as I avoided colliding into them. I gave them a glare as I continued walking, hurrying when the cheers of Wooyoung and those having joined him had gotten louder, making my jaw tighten as I sucked in another deep breath, ears ringing from the commotion. There were some days when I woke up overstimulated and sensitive to everyone around me. Even the softest of sighs could make my ears ring and bring forward a migraine, and today was one of those days, and the Song family made sure to worsen my symptoms with their loud antics.

I finally reached the band at the end of the bookcase, and neatly placed the two books on top of other ones, to be sorted and placed on their respective shelves later. A particular loud shriek made my body tense as it felt like a vein was close to popping in my forehead, head thumping, forcing my eyes squeezed shut. I took a second to regain my composure, gulping hard, and inhaling deeply, almost choking on the wet dog smell invading my senses. It took everything in me not to gag, and as I turned to speed walk out of this wrenched place, I crashed harshly against another hard body. They gasped loudly, books tumbling to the floor. As the smell got prominent, I jumped back upon realizing it was Mingi who had ran into me. My eyes instantly narrowed, piercing on Mingi as he looked at his feet almost defeated, five books laying scattered around him. His blonde hair with fading red at the ends was long, and in a half-up ponytail, with the front strands framing his sharp features, his thick eyebrows furrowed as he looked up at me.

“Hey, next time—”

“Watch where you go, dog.” I hissed, voice low and threatening, “I’m sick of you always stumbling into me.”

Mingi’s eyebrows raised in disbelief and he scoffed, “You crashed into me, Y/N, not me into you.”

“Right,” I snapped, rolling my eyes, “because I could have possibly seen there’s someone behind me to purposefully run into them.”

“Don’t you have heightened senses for a reason?” Mingi mocked as he crouched down to gather his books, making me look down at him, glare furious.

“All my heightened senses are good for when you’re around is to smell the wet dog stench you carry with yourself.” I scoffed, quirking an eyebrow at Mingi as he paused for a second, raising his head slowly to look at me. His expression seemed to suddenly shift, eyes narrowing as he let the books stumble to the floor again.

“Excuse me?” His deep voice dropped even lower, raspy in its undertone as his jaw clenched.

“I’m sick of you and your inept family always creating a scene wherever you are,” I snapped, leaning down slightly as Mingi’s eyes slowly seemed to darken, pupils blown wide, “Always screaming, shouting, acting like delinquents, bothering absolutely everyone around yourselves.”

Mingi stood, looming over my form with his tall body, lips pulled into a sneer, “Little miss princess wants to teach me and my inept family some etiquette, when she can’t even bring her books back to their own places?”

I gulped, scoffing as I felt my blood pumping faster, harder, when Mingi’s eyes suddenly flashed their menacing orchid color. His wolf was probably fighting to come forward, but it looked like Mingi was trying to suppress it, “This band is here for a reason, Mingi. Lord knows you and your inept family need that etiquette lesson. Perhaps it would finally give you some sense, perhaps you’d finally realize you have no place at Wilden Pine Academy and Nocturnal Parade—”

My heated words were cut off by a loud gasp as I was slammed into the bookshelves behind me in the blind of an eye, hard wood digging into my spine as a strong grip curled around my left bicep tightly, claws almost piercing my skin. Mingi’s eyes shone a bright orchid, and his fangs suddenly grew as he hissed lowly, lowering his head to the point that it was in my face, mere centimeters away from my own. My body reacted instantly, freezing in shock, starting to tremble as my heart thumped wildly in my chest. I tried to fight the flashbacks, but the stronger Mingi’s grip got, the more frozen to my spot I was. I could picture Mingi shifting into his werewolf form, easily ripping me in half, the Petrova bloodline lost without me. We could only reproduce once.

“Mingi—” I gasped when I felt claws pressing into my flesh, making my eyes widen greatly. All of my heightened senses and strength was forgotten in that moment, body trembling uncontrollably. I was frozen to my spot, shaking eyes boring into Mingi’s orchid ones, throat constricting to the point I couldn’t breathe anymore. I struggled in gathering myself, my trauma response stronger than my will to push Mingi off myself and rip him in two. I was good under pressure, I rarely panicked and I prided myself for being level-headed, until a werewolf had me in its clutches, ready to end my life. I tried to take a ragged breath, and Mingi suddenly growled, something warm trickling down my upper arm. Frozen in terror, I could see this moment would be my demise, until suddenly voices flooded my ears, sounding rapid and panicked.

“Get him off, Yunho!” Still in a haze, mind jumbled, I realized slowly that Irene was shrieking next to me, suddenly cradling my head against her chest, but my eyes were on Mingi’s, who was trembling as well, but in anger.

“Mingi!” Yunho exclaimed, grabbing his twin’s face in both hands, yanking his head to the side as Mingi and I finally broke eye contact, “Release her, right now.”

Mingi didn’t budge for another minute, and I gasped when I felt my skin painfully pierced by his claws, but then it all suddenly stopped as Mingi jumped backwards, eyes wide as he looked around frantically. His orchid eyes flicked back to their usual warm brown tone, fangs still poking through his plump lips. Without Mingi caging me against the bookshelves, I crumbled into Irene’s arms, hyperventilating as my bicep pulsed, the painful sting clouding my vision with tears.

“Go away.” Yunho’s voice was stern as I squeezed my eyes shut, thankful for Irene’s comforting embrace as she quietly shushed me, petting my head. She was smaller than me, but her body was strong and firm, holding me captive in a motherly manner against herself. I took deep breaths, taking notice of Mingi’s scent disappearing, only Yunho’s remaining, who didn’t stink as badly of wet dog like Mingi.

“I’m sorry,” Suddenly, I felt Yunho’s eyes on me, and I gently pushed Irene away, wiping at my face, “The full moon is close and it’s always hard for Mingi to control his anger around this time. I’d like to apologize on his behalf—”

“Stay away from me!” I snapped, hissing at Yunho menacingly, my eyes shining scarlet, “All of you filthy dogs!”

Abandoning my things, which were least of my worries now, I stormed away from everyone in the study hall, out through the wide doors, having a bewildered Seulgi race after me upon noticing me. My body shook as I carefully wrapped my right hand around my bicep, biting my lower lip as it started trembling, the faded old bite mark suddenly pulsating violently, memories of that repressed day resurfacing, feeling that excruciating pain all over again. I paid no mind to the blood trickling down my arm as Seulgi fussed behind me panicked, asking question after question. I ignored her and sped up, wanting to be alone for the time being. For at least until I calmed down and repressed those awful snarls, sharp fangs and thick fur flashing behind my eyes. I hated werewolves with a passion, and nothing could change my mind about them.

            Hours later, I have finally calmed down enough to leave my room and head to the canteen designed for Vampires to do my daily feed as I have skipped it this morning, having accidentally slept in. The hallways were warmly lit up, yet rather cold as the breeze wandered inside through the small cracks in the stone walls or through the opened windows. Night had fallen upon us, and everyone was finishing up their business as curfew came closer and closer. Thankfully there was no sign of the Song family through my journey to the canteen and back to my room, I don’t think I would’ve been able to even as much as look at them without wanting to rip their heads off. I had to bandage my arm after cleansing it thoroughly, since the wound was made by a werewolf it would take a day or two to fully heal, no matter how little the injury. I knew everyone heard about our little scene in the study hall as I was given inquisitive looks, only for me to ignore them as I held my head even higher, glaring at anyone who wouldn’t look away after the first poisonous look I sent their way.

Irene wasn’t in our room when I returned, but there was a small note on her bed saying that she would return late, and that I shouldn’t stay up and wait for her as she had taken our key to the room. She never explained where she disappeared to so late in the night, and I never bothered to ask, knowing well that Irene wouldn’t tell me anything, unless she was certain of whatever was going on between her and the suspected person I had in mind. That being Seulgi. Ever since her and Yunho broke up, Irene’s been breathing down her neck and it wasn’t difficult to spot the subtle changes in their friendship. The lasting stares, the subconscious touches, always looking for the other in overcrowded areas. The signs were there, but perhaps I was just reading too much into things. Seulgi needed someone who’d fully support her after the break up as she was struggling with accepting the way things ended between her and Yunho as he seemed quite unphased by it all. It was a saddening view, to see Seulgi suffer so much, mop around all day and cry even at the mention of said werewolf—it only made me hate the Song twins more. They only brought trouble and headache wherever they went, breaking hearts left and right.

I sighed as I opened the window to let some fresh air in, noticing a small letter placed on the windowsill outside. Upon noticing the emblem binding the envelope together, I quickly reached for it and delicately opened it, being presented with my mother’s fancy handwriting, just like I have expected. I sighed and leaned against the wall, eyes running over her words as the black ink seemed fresh still.

Dear Y/N,

I hope you are doing well and this letter finds you before Irene can get her hands on it, I know the last one she burned just to force me to call you. But you know I like old fashioned things, my dear, cellphones are simply not up for my taste.

To get to the point, I hope you haven’t forgotten about Parents’ Day approaching rapidly, but in case you have, here’s your reminder to start getting ready in time, daughter. If you have unpacked your luggage yourself, you must have seen the ruby red dress I have slipped inside it. I hope to see you wearing it, dear, it would bring out your pretty eyes so well. And do not forget, your makeup shouldn’t be too harsh, it gives your father a heart attack each time he sees you wearing it.

Granma and grandpa are doing well, actually, they have gone on a trip to the Maldives, said something about buying a vacation house over there so that we can stay there over the summer. Doesn’t that sound exciting? Aunt Lannie and Uncle Jaehyun would be joining us as well. It’s been quite a while since you have seen your cousins, right? How exciting!

I shall be wrapping this letter up now. I look forward to seeing you very soon, my dear, and don’t forget to be on your best behavior until then. I’d hate to get a phone call from the Principal, again, about you setting on fire one of the Song children. Mother and father loves you much!

Yours sincerely,

Petrova Yurim

I chewed on my bottom lip as I finished reading my mother’s letter, closing the window and sauntering over to my bed, dropping down on it as my grip tightened around the letter. Parents’ Day was in two days and I was far from ready for it. I have seen the dress in my luggage my mother was talking about, but I sincerely would’ve preferred not wearing it as it was a rather old dress, very out of trend as of right now. But I knew my mother’s heart would break if I didn’t wear it for her, and I closed my eyes as I fell back on my bed, wondering how I could modify it a little bit so that it would fit my style. My choice of makeup was never ‘heavy’, but my father never seemed to understand that a little eyeliner, mascara, and red lips didn’t mean the Earth was ending.

My parents have always been strict and quite demanding when it came to their preferences, rarely lenient about whatever I wanted for myself. After a while, I just learned to go with the flow and follow their teachings and words, knowing very well that once I was away from them I could do as I wished. Like setting on fire one of the Song children. To be fair, it was an accident, and it happened one year ago when we were in Alchemy class, the only class where pure chaos would ensue each time without any doubt. Yunho and Mingi had been sitting in front of me and Seulgi, loudly giggling and chatting about something completely irrelevant to our lesson, distracting me, which lead to a mild arsoning incident. I had dropped the match I had just lit up when Yunho suddenly cheered loudly, the match falling on Mingi’s chair, the long fluffy cardigan he had been wearing catching on fire. At first, I thought it would just stop burning—not one of my wisest thoughts—but it only flamed up, making Mingi yelp and Yunho shout in panic as they jumped up from their seats, frantically wrestling Mingi out of his cardigan before it could do any real damage to the werewolf. It was a rather hilarious sight, and instead of panicking and trying to help them put out the small fire, I sat cackling and high-fiving Seulgi…which, of course, caught the attention of our Professor, thus I had no choice but to admit my mistake to the Principal. I wasn’t punished for it, but Yunho would growl at me for a whole month if we were close enough to each other that his scent bothered me, and Mingi would just glare, keeping away for the most part. It had been the best month of my life; I wish it would’ve lasted for longer.

Suddenly the door of my room slamming open made me jump, alerting me to my surroundings as I had been lost in thought, unaware of an approaching Seulgi. She skipped inside with a huge grin on her face, dumping her bag on the floor and jumping on my bed, almost crushing my knee. I yelped and rolled over just in time, which apparently was an open invitation for Seulgi to cuddle me. I grumbled as her arms wrapped around my middle, her head nuzzling against my back with a giggle.

“What are you doing?” I asked with an amused huff, trying to pry her arms off me.

“I need some love,” Seulgi muttered, kicking my leg when I dug my nails into her skin, “Ow, just because we’re vampires doesn’t mean that doesn’t hurt!”

“Get off,” I laughed, rolling onto my back, forcing her to release me, “I don’t like cuddling.”

“You’re the worst.” Seulgi pouted, glaring as we turned our heads to face each other. I rolled my eyes, disregarding my letter onto my bedside table before settling back down.

“I thought you were with Irene.” I muttered, raising an eyebrow. Seulgi shook her head no and pursed her lips.

“Haven’t seen her since the study hall, she was really pissed.” Seulgi explained, turning onto her back as she stared up at the white ceiling of my shared room with Irene, “It wouldn’t come as a surprise if Mingi was found ripped in half somewhere.”

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest, “If Mingi dies, it better be by my hands and not anyone else’s.”

Seulgi snickered, raising an eyebrow, “Would you really kill him?”

I pondered for a second, eyebrows furrowing. Was I really capable of hurting someone to the point it would cause their death? Not exactly. Did Song Mingi piss me off so much that I have envisioned myself ripping him up into tiny particles, never to be seen again? Well, yes.

“No.” I settled with my answer, sighing loudly as Seulgi hummed, silence falling over us as there was a quiet rumble in the sky, further somewhere. A storm was coming.

“This took a dark turn, anyways,” Seulgi chuckled, sitting up and grinning down at me, “did you know about the bonfire happening tomorrow night?”

“First time I hear about it.” I grinned as I looked up at Seulgi, knowing where this conversation was leading to.

“Well then,” She wiggled her eyebrows, “You better get ready to attend another legendary party! The werewolves got the Principal to drop the curfew for the seniors tomorrow night, and we’ve got the whole lake house to ourselves!”

“What?” I asked surprised, eyes widening. Well, that was something. The lake house was off limits, unless we were supervised or had swimming classes.

“Yeah, cool stuff, isn’t it?” Seulgi nudged my thigh with her elbow, “You have to admit…these wet dogs are good for something, sometimes.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I shot Seulgi a glare, the faded bite mark and fresh wound on my left bicep suddenly pulsing in pain, “Never. They are the worst and they’ll always be. They shouldn’t even exist.”

“Okay,” Seulgi drew the word out, giving me an exasperated look, “before you start ranting about why vampires are superior and why werewolves should’ve been eradicated a long time ago, I’m going to dip!”

“Leaving so soon?” I asked with a pout as I watched Seulgi get off my bed.

“Yeah, unless we’re having a sleepover, I have to reach my own room before the curfew.” Seulgi said as she grabbed her bag and adjusted her hair in the mirror.

“Irene’s bed is free for the night, she’s not sleeping here, I think.” I muttered absentmindedly.

“Oh, I know.” Seulgi winked as my eyes narrowed at her, and then she was gone, slipping through the door, and skidding down the hallway outside of my room, her light footsteps loud to my sensitive ears. Tomorrow’s party came in handy; I really needed a drink after today. I couldn’t help but fall back into my bed with a loud huff, forcing my eyes shut when my scar started pulsing harsher, the claw marks left by Mingi fresh and just a reminder of that horrific night I was forced to live through so many years ago. And if the universe was against me, howls of those wrenched creatures traveled all the way inside my room, terrifying and loud, covering my skin in goosebumps. I truly hated those awful creatures of the night.

            My hand clenched and unclenched above the tray of food placed in front of myself as I reached for the cold-water bottle, jaw clenched as the skin of my right hand burned with each jerk of my raw skin. I have been injured, again, by Song Mingi. It all happened this morning, in Alchemy. Our professor loves switching up seatmates every few days, therefore I cannot escape the wrath of having to sit next to Song Mingi for a totality of an hour and thirty minutes. Every Alchemy class had been a nightmare when we were seated next to each other, but perhaps today’s was the worst of all as Mingi managed to burn my skin with hot, sizzling, lead. Despite being a vampire, it was the second most painful thing I’ve felt so far, and it made my blood boil as the table the Song’s were sitting at was the loudest in the vast cafeteria. These idiots were enjoying their free time, as usual, loudly while bothering everyone around themselves. My eyes fell on Mingi as he threw his head back and wheezed loudly, eyes forced shut and mouth wide open as his body trashed in his seat, hand rubbing his belly as Yunho continued spouting out non-sense at his twin, making Mingi laugh even harder.

I scoffed with a venomous look on my face, unclasping my bottle of water, and taking a long swing of it. The icy water felt refreshing against my dry throat, and after screwing it shut, I placed the bottom of the bottle on top of the healing burn, sighing at the cooling sensation. Because I wasn’t feeding as often as I was supposed to, due to personal reasons, my body wasn’t healing as fast as it should have been. My senses were all over the place today as well, and it didn’t come much of a surprise, when I woke up this morning overstimulated, again, head thumping violently and ears ringing as my neighbor’s blaring alarm from three doors down woke me up. Today felt like a total nightmare, and as suddenly Wooyoung started slamming his fists on the table, edging a guy I didn’t know on to down some sort of disgusting looking liquid, I felt myself reach my limit again. I groaned, looking away from them, wincing when Wooyoung started cackling loudly, like a witch, followed by Yeri’s very shrill shouts, the sounds too harsh and piercing my sensitive ears.

“I can’t fucking stand this.” I hissed, squeezing my eyes shut as I threw the water bottle down on the table harshly, freeing my hands in order to be able to massage my thumping forehead. My migraine was only getting worse.

“Maybe you should try eating something, Y/N.” Irene’s tone was scolding, and I just shook my head, repulsed just by the thought of eating that disgusting stew placed on the plate in my tray. That was straight up dog food, and I refused to eat it. I was craving blood now more than ever, not disgusting human food.

“I’m not eating this—glop.” I motioned towards the stew on my plate and Krystal groaned loudly, throwing me a glare.

“This glop is quite tasty, Y/N, try not to ruin other’s appetite.” She spoke up with an irritated tone, “Thank you.”

I rolled my eyes but decided to shut up, “Sorry.”

“Yeah, this isn’t for my taste either.” It seemed like only Seulgi was on my side, but perhaps that wasn’t a surprise anymore. I saw the subtle glances she stole at Yunho, and when she noticed him inhaling his stew like it was the tastiest meal he’d ever had, she made a face and pushed her tray just a little bit away from herself. But in the end, she still gave in and started eating it, albeit grimacing at each spoonful.

“Why are you eating it then?” Irene asked with a roll of her eyes, pausing to give her friend a glare. I chuckled when Seulgi shrugged, averting her eyes with a blush on her cheeks. I looked down at my hand and flexed my fingers, sighing when the burning feeling intensified. I felt defeated as I leaned back in my chair, realizing that I needed to feed this afternoon too. I couldn’t go around without healing my wounds anymore, my parents would be visiting tomorrow and they’d certainly throw a fit upon noticing the fresh wounds. And that’s something I didn’t wish for at the moment.

“What happened to your hand?” Krystal asked with a frown, having finally noticed my pain as I kept wincing and glaring at the red, raw, skin of my right hand.

“Ask Mingi, he’ll gladly tell you.” I scoffed, shooting daggers at the back of his head. Almost as if sensing my harsh stare, he paused mid-air as he was raising his spoon to his mouth, and very puppy-like looked around the canteen, searching for someone. That is until his eyes fell on me, and they widened before he whipped his head around, audibly choking on his stew as he started coughing, forcing Dahyun to tap his back with strength a little girl like her shouldn’t have.

“That was interesting.” Krystal muttered as she took a longer glance at Mingi, “Almost makes me think you cursed him or something.”

“If I were a witch,” I grinned, looking at Krystal with a malicious glint in my eyes, “I would’ve gladly done it a long time ago.”

“So, will you tell us what happened?” Irene spoke up, eyebrows raised as she reminded us of Krystal’s question.

“He burned my hand, with lead.” I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest while being careful not to touch the raw skin, “We were supposed to melt lead and mix it with chloride, professor said something about wanting to try and make aurene glass. Guess who decided to fuck up everything? That’s right, Song Mingi.”

My jaw clenched as I was taken back to that moment in the classroom, cauldrons steaming and a low murmur echoing around the dark room as everyone conversed with their seatmate, talking about the exercise we were given. Everyone except Mingi and I. We remained silent, a tense silence if I may specify, as the textbook was opened and placed in the middle of the long desk, between the two of us. It served like an unspoken barrier, yet Mingi managed to cross it every time he went to grab something, elbowing me even a few times. I tried to control myself, ears ringing as I could hear his loud heartbeat, my nose crying at the stench of wet dog mixed with fresh grass and perhaps something that oddly smelled like cinnamon. Mingi was fidgety and kept glancing at me from the corner of his eyes, licking his lips every so often. I kept on looking ahead, or at what I was doing, completely ignoring his existence. I wore a sleeveless tank top; therefore my bandages were quite obvious. The wounds have closed up already, but perhaps I wanted to be a little bit dramatic as I knew I had class with the Song twins today. I noticed the way Mingi’s body tensed when his eyes fell on my arm, and Yunho had to grab his shoulder and drag him to their table, muttering something so low into his twin’s ear, that even my sensitive hearing didn’t catch it. Not that I was curious.

After the professor assigned Mingi and I as partners, he very begrudgingly trudged over, head hanging low and pouting like a little boy forced to do something he didn’t want to. It was almost hilarious that he thought he was the only one not keen of our current predicament, but I certainly wouldn’t speak to him first about what has transpired yesterday in the study hall. I organized everything on our table as Mingi took his seat while staring at the table, avoiding eye contact when I directed my sharp gaze on his chiseled face, glaring hard at him.

“Think you can melt the lead?” My tone was snappy and cold as I raised an eyebrow at Mingi, obviously mocking him as I knew he could easily do something so easy.

“Of course, I can.” His tone was hard too as his eyes snapped up, connecting with my gaze, glaring back. I smirked as I pushed the material towards him, motioning with my chin for him to start doing so then, “I’m not your slave.”

“I’m sorry, come again?” I asked with a sweet smile despite having heard his mumbling. Mingi took a deep breath, and I watched as his sharp jaw clenched.

“Nothing, if I melt this, you mix it with the chloride, right?” He didn’t look at me as he turned on the fire underneath the steel cauldron. I hummed, pretending to think it over as my eyes ran over our textbook despite already knowing the whole process. Alchemy was always my forte, I always studied in advance for it.

“If I’ll be in the mood—”

“This is supposed to be teamwork!” Mingi snapped quietly, eyes furious as he turned to face me. His eyebrows furrowed a little and I watched as he took a deep breath, his eyes switching for a second between orchid and their deep brown. My heart stilled, the memory of his claws ripping my skin apart too fresh in my mind as my faded wound started pulsing again. I gulped and sneered at him, leaning just a little bit closer, nose burning from his horrible stench.

“Maybe if you wouldn’t have tried killing me yesterday, I would work together with a dog like you.” I hissed, Mingi’s eyes flaring orchid all of a sudden. I stiffened as we stared each other down, faces close to each other, but a few inches in between still.

“If you think calling me a dog does something to annoy me, you’re wrong, you bloodsucker.” Mingi hissed back and I chuckled, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Is that why you’re losing your cool again?” I mocked, pursing my lips in thought, “Your eyes are a dead giveaway, Mingi.”

“Perhaps you should then know by now to stop.” His voice dropped eerily low, shivers running up all over my arms, “Unless you want a repeat of yesterday.”

My heart stilled for a second and body froze up, mouth opening in shock. I only gaped at Mingi for a second, flabbergasted by the amused smirk on his lips as he stared me down, almost challengingly. But as I went to threaten him back, suddenly Yunho was behind him, large hands grabbing Mingi’s shoulders and yanking him backwards. Mingi just blinked, eyes back to brown, and looked up at his twin innocently. I couldn’t help but glare at the two, blood boiling for being rendered speechless by a dog like Mingi.

“I forgot my notebook,” Yunho’s voice was irritatingly cheery, yet I didn’t miss the warning tone in it as he squeezed Mingi’s shoulders, “can you hand it over, Mingi?”

“It’s not here.” Mingi said with a frown, looking around our shared desk, “It’s in your backpack, Yunho.”

“Oh,” Yunho chuckled, scratching the back of his head as he released Mingi’s shoulders, “my bad, I forgot. Don’t cause too much trouble.”

And with a wink, he was gone, but not without stealing a glance at me, eyes narrowing as I rolled mine, turning around to face my notebook. And after that, Mingi and I got to work, wordlessly moving around each other, making sure to never even as much as touch the other, abruptly halting when we noticed the other’s hand coming closer to our own. Time ticked away and everything was going well, until it wasn’t. Until Mingi decided to touch the tube containing the sizzling hot lead with his bare hands, spilling it all over our desk, my notebook, and my hand. I gasped loudly and couldn’t help but moan in pain as I shoot up from my seat, clutching my right wrist with my left hand as I squeezed my eyes shut in pain, hearing the professor race over as he shouted at Mingi to get the lead wipes, tissues specifically made for lead removal. The professor carefully pushed me back into my chair and took my hand into his hands, inspecting the skin closely as Mingi crashed into the table with the lead wipes in his hands. The impact sent the other tubes tumbling to the ground, but everyone ignored the sound of breaking glass as suddenly Mingi was all up in my personal space, looming over me as he clumsily handed the professor a wipe. I hissed as the professor removed the hot lead from my skin, biting my lower lip as it started burning instantly, the pain bearable, but strong.

“Thankfully the damage isn’t too bad or harsh,” The professor said as he raised my hand and inspected it from closer, “Since you’re a vampire it will heal by tomorrow, but I advise feeding and getting a lot of sleep tonight.”

Sleep, which I won’t be getting because of the bonfire party tonight, “Thank you, professor.”

He hummed before turning his stern gaze on Mingi, releasing my hands and placing them on his hips, a scolding following, “And you, young man. You’re always breaking and spilling stuff in my class, this has become unacceptable, Song Mingi. You could’ve seriously injured your classmate. I cannot accept clumsy students to my classes, I’m afraid I will have to talk to the Principal about your future in my classroom.”

“But, Professor—” However, before Mingi could even defend himself, Yunho was by his side, smiling sweetly at the professor. Of course, he would speak up for Mingi, always the knight in shining armor, acting as if Mingi didn’t have a tongue, a mouth, and a brain. But perhaps that’s why he was speaking up for Mingi, because he didn’t have all those.

“Professor, Mingi really needs this class in his curriculum.” Yunho started with a soft voice, “And the full moon is almost here, he gets stressed and unfocused around this time of the month. I can assure you that something like this won’t happen again, Professor, even if Mingi is clumsy.”

The professor sighed, rubbing his forehead, looking tired all of a sudden. And it was just the morning. I rolled my eyes when I saw the professor nod his head silently, fixing Mingi with a stern glare, “Alright, young man, get yourself together if this truly is caused by the upcoming full moon. I don’t see other wolves acting out, perhaps a counselor could help with your struggles. I will let you off this one time, but you better clear up all that broken glass!”

And just like that, Mingi was let off, and Yunho stood grinning next to his twin, both of them bowing and thanking the professor profusely. I had scoffed loudly, shaking my head as I have started putting my things away, completely ignoring the twins staring as I stormed out of the classroom, not before whirling my destroyed notebook at Mingi, who caught it with a huff as it slammed against his chest.

My eyes snapped back onto the Song table, brought back from my memory as they cheered loudly, while someone sat next to Wooyoung kept throwing grapes in his mouth, cackling at the same time. I closed my eyes with a loud groan, all three girls looking at me with amused expressions. And if this day couldn’t have gotten worse, as I opened my eyes, I was met with a stone faced Hongjoong storming past our table, throwing a piercing stare at me. I rolled my eyes and slid a little lower in my chair, the girls chuckling around me as they watched Hongjoong sit at a table with a very elegant and handsome vampire.

“He’s still butthurt?” Seulgi asked with a chuckle, watching Hongjoong behind me.

“Wouldn’t you also be?” Irene scoffed, throwing a glare at Seulgi, “Y/N literally dumped him after half a year of dating, because she found out he wasn’t rich.”

“Well, if he wouldn’t have lied to me from the very beginning,” I said with a scoff, giving them a look, “I wouldn’t have dated him for half a year, even. You know my parents would flip out if I didn’t date someone our caliber.”

“Sure, keep telling yourself that.” Krystal snorted, making me look at her questioningly, “What? You always blame your parents for the way you are, but you fail to realize it’s just you, not your parents.”

“Sure, Krystal,” I snapped, angered by the words of my supposed friend, who should’ve been on my side, “Please, do keep a lecture about how I am, and what my parents prefer if you seem to know everything so well about me!”

“Why are we fighting now?” Seulgi asked exasperated, giving me a tired look, “What is the reason for it?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve had enough.” I snapped and pushed my chair back, ears ringing as the Song table roared with laughter, the guy sitting beside Wooyoung suddenly jumping up and doing silly dances, “I have a migraine, I’m not sitting here for a second longer. See y’all at the bonfire.”

Before my friends could stop me, I grabbed my tray and walked off, forced to head towards the Song table as I had to return my untouched glop of a stew. I couldn’t help but watch Mingi as the sunlight shone inside brightly, falling on his tan skin, his blonde and red hair glinting in the light, which was in a ponytail much like yesterday. His uniform was a little array, the top of his shirt unbuttoned and tie disregarded after our Alchemy class. Of course, he was enjoying life without a care in the world, despite maiming me again, despite causing pain to me again. These bloody werewolves acted like they ruled the world and suffered no consequences when they did something wrong. I scoffed, but smirked a second later as I looked down at my still hot stew, a simple plan formulating in my mind.

It didn’t take long to reach their table, and to my ‘horror’, the front of my shoe got stuck in a ‘misplaced’ tile as it sent me tumbling forward, yelping loudly as I crashed into the back of Mingi’s chair, my tray falling from my hand and to the floor with a loud clank, Mingi’s loud cry following suit. I watched with wide eyes as Mingi jumped to his feet, sending me stumbling backwards, as my hot stew dripped down the back of his neck, his white shirt soaking through as the food trickled down his back. Everyone quieted around us, the Song table freezing as they watched Mingi yank the buttons of his shirt open, ripping the fabric off himself in a frenzy. Yunho and Dahyun were the first to spring into action, the young girl grabbing tissues as she jumped to the aid of her older brother. Yunho took the tissues and he started wiping the stew off Mingi quickly, who was whimpering quietly, as Dahyun took his larger hand in her small one, looking up at his brother with furrowed eyebrows.

“Oh, no.” I said coldly, the attention on me now, “There’s a protruding tile, I didn’t see it.”

Perhaps the insincerity and mockery in my tone sent Yunho over the edge as his expression suddenly switched up, his eyes glazing over in anger, face scrunching as his fangs suddenly poked through his lips. His eyes didn’t switch colors like Mingi’s would’ve already, but Yunho looked terrifying to the onlookers, not to me. I’ve seen Yunho angry before, and it didn’t faze me because I knew he was all bark and no bite. The giant couldn’t hurt a fly, even.

“Which tile?!” Yunho’s voice was shaking, “Show me! Right now!”

“Yunho.” Mingi whispered, grabbing his brother’s bicep.

“No, Mingi, no!” Yunho snapped, furious eyes settling on his brother, warning him to stay quiet, “I’ve had enough of her always bullying us! I’ve had enough of you, Y/N, always making Mingi suffer. What’s your fucking problem, huh?!”

“You,” I snarled, fangs growing out as I lost composure, “and your pathetic family are my fucking problem, Yunho. You act like animals and parade around thinking there’s no consequence to your actions?! He burned my fucking hand, Yunho! He pierced my skin with his claws, Yunho! What’s next, huh? He bites me and kills me?! Do you not see Mingi isn’t fit to be here? Your whole family shouldn’t be here, Yunho!”

“Until when do you think your werewolf hating agenda can go on, Y/N?” Yunho’s ears and neck have gotten red, eyes shaking as they flickered orchid for a second, but were quickly back to their light brown color. I could hear Yunho’s heart hammer against his chest, Mingi’s heartbeat fast as well, but not out of anger like Yunho’s, instead out of fear. His grip tightened around Yunho’s bicep, and I chuckled as a smirk slipped onto my lips.

“Until the day the Earth ends?” I raised an eyebrow, “Don’t forget your place, Werewolf. You are nobody and nothing, I am a Petrova. My family paved the way for everything you are able to experience comfortably today. So think again before you try to threaten me, Song Yunho.”

“Your family would be ashamed of you, Y/N.” Perhaps that jab shouldn’t have hurt as much as I did, it visibly made me recoil as my eyebrows furrowed, bitterness raising in my throat. No, they wouldn’t be. Just because I hated this family didn’t mean my own would be ashamed of me.

“You’re wrong.” I found myself saying back, voice not as strong as it was, “Stay away from me, all of you!”

And before anyone could say anything, I stormed out of the canteen, ignoring the loud whispers that followed even when I was far away, mind a jumbled mess of thoughts. I tried to forget Yunho’s words, but they were messing with my head. Maybe if his own kind wouldn’t act like such wild animals, I wouldn’t hate them. Maybe if his own feral kind wouldn’t have tried to kill me when I was a child, I wouldn’t hate them so much.

            Somewhere along the day I managed to put past myself everything that’s happened in the morning and at noon in the canteen, and after having fed, I was pleased to see the burn on my hand heal by itself by the time the girls and I headed out to the bonfire party. Despite it being a spring evening, the air was chilly and the breeze cool, therefore I opted to wear a light patterned jacket over my black off-shoulder fluffy blouse, ripped black jeans hugging my legs and keeping them warm. Not that I was too cold, a vampire’s body reacted differently to the temperatures compared to the human ones. The party had been in full swing by the time the girls and I have arrived, having had to walk through a short passage of the woods, feeling quite disturbed by the louds howls of the werewolves. The girls only laughed and made comments about them being too excited for such a simple party, but all I could think about was one of them jumping out and ripping us to shreds. I kept closer to Irene, who never questioned it when I snuggled up against her side or held onto her arm tightly, even went as far as to offer me a huge smile and rub my arm up and down reassuringly. Nobody really knew about how I acquired the bite mark on my left bicep, forever marked, but it wasn’t hard to put two and two together. A vampire’s bite looked a lot different, and if a vampire bit another vampire, it faded away in less than three hours. However, if a werewolf bit a vampire, if the vampire was fortunate enough to survive the attack then the wound would scar and fade into a light, but very visible, bite marks.

But I tried to put past myself such grey thoughts tonight, and instead, welcomed the lively atmosphere as we were presented with the gravel path that lead down towards the lake house, the big bonfire a few good meters away from it, in the small meadow surrounding the lake. Vampires and Werewolves alike were gathered around, forming smaller or larger groups, and I was quickly pulled in the direction of the crackling fire as Irene excitedly pointed towards the roasted marshmallows others were having. I chuckled as I released her thin arm and accepted the red solo cup Seulgi pushed into my hands, not bothering to ask what was in it, knowing that it was most likely some unbranded hard liquor which would get us drunk fast, and hit hard, leaving us hungover tomorrow. Which probably wasn’t too smart as our parents would be visiting, but I couldn’t find it in myself to care as my body and mind screamed for a little release as these past few days have been quite stressful. I downed the contents of the red cup in one go, and perhaps that was a mistake as it burned my esophagus, making me cough loudly as Irene happily roasted her marshmallow, giggling about something with Krystal, who was crouched down next to her. Seulgi leaned against my side, resting her arm on my shoulder, and laughed as she watched me wheeze for air, clutching at my own throat desperately.

“Girl, nobody told you to down it in one go.” Seulgi seemed amused by my suffering, and I could only glare at her. That is, until I felt a foreign arm wrap around my shoulders, scent extremely new, but not too bothersome as I inhaled sharply.

“Here, wash it down with beer.” It was a senior vampire I have seen around, his eyes sharp and glinting with mischief. I narrowed my eyes at him before looking at the canned beer, and reluctantly accepted it when he pushed it in my hand, “Don’t worry, it’s unopened. Saw you downing your drink and knew you’d regret it instantly, the name’s Joshua, by the way.”

I opened the beer and took a big gulp of it, welcoming the cool drink as it poured down my throat, finally washing away the awful burn of the previous alcohol, “Nice to meet you, I’m Y/N.”

“Right,” Joshua chuckled, releasing me as he stepped back, “Hard to miss a Petrova.”

And with a wink he was gone, making me smirk as he threw a lasting stare back at me. Seulgi chuckled; her eyebrows raised when I looked at her.

“What was that?” She mocked, using a manly voice, trying to imitate Joshua despite his soft-spoken, melodic voice.

“Don’t know, but he’s cute.” I mused with a shrug and took another big gulp of my beer, humming as I could feel my body jittery already. Alcohol affected us, night creatures, harder, but judging my current mental state, I would get drunk a lot faster tonight than I would do so usually.

“Maybe he’s got his eyes on you?” Seulgi smirked, eyes sweeping over the place, searching for Joshua.

“If he’s rich, I don’t mind.” I said with a chuckle and Seulgi just shook her head, detaching herself as Irene and Krystal finally joined us again, instead going up to Irene to ruffle her perfect dark brown hair. Irene whined and pushed at Seulgi’s hand, pouting as she rearranged her curls, exchanging places with Krystal so that Seulgi wouldn’t bother her again.

“Where’d you get those drinks from?” She asked, pointing at Seulgi’s.

“From the open bar.” Seulgi said while pointing with her head towards a long table only a few feet away from us, littered with all sorts of alcohol, four people behind the table handing everyone a red cup as they walked up to them. Two vampires and two werewolves, I could only hope Seulgi accepted our drinks from the vampires.

“Let’s grab some!” Krystal said excitedly, and I nodded, downing my beer and throwing the crumpled can to the ground as I followed after them.

“Wait for me, I need a refill!”

“Already?” Irene asked with wide eyes and I grinned as I nodded, holding my empty red cup up.

“I’m getting wasted tonight.” I chuckled as the girls gave me weary looks, but commented nothing on it.

And wasted I got not even two hours into the party. The world was a little fuzzy and hazy around me, but I maneuvered myself around the crowd quite skillfully, I was one hundred percent sure that someone from the outside wouldn’t have been able to tell that I was, well, drunk. Maybe the way my laughter got louder and more frequent would’ve been a tell-tale sign that, perhaps, I should take it easy on the alcohol from now on, but nobody paid enough attention to me to actually stop me from doing so. Irene and Seulgi were perhaps even drunker than I was, falling over each other and giggling at everything as they whispered in each other’s ears, completely forgetting that with our sensitive hearing we could still hear them if we listened closely. But I was too in my own head to be curious of their conversation, and instead found myself in a heated debate with Krystal and a druid friend of hers about which herbs were actually healing, and which were known to have healing proprieties but weren’t actually used to heal, but to poison instead. Of course, I thought I was quite right at the beginning about some black roots I have found two weeks ago in the forest, but turns out it only gives you diarrhea if you drink it two days in a row. Which was excellent, and perhaps a piece of information I shouldn’t bear as my mind instantly went to Mingi, making me cackle to myself. Krystal said nothing despite me probably looking like a mad woman, and instead came to my aid when she noticed me trying to stand up from the log we had been lounging on for the past one hour.

“I’m getting a drink,” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes for a second as the world swirled with me upon standing up, “and then I’m going to dance, want to come?”

Krystal hummed, looking around the bonfire, eyes pausing on somebody I couldn’t see due to my alcohol infused brain, “Perhaps later, would you mind that?”

“Of course not!” I exclaimed with a grin and petted her head, albeit a little too aggressively, before turning my head to look for Irene and Seulgi…but they weren’t where we had left them not even fifteen minutes ago. My eyes narrowed as I searched the place, closing my eyes to tune into their voices, listening closely, but failing as there were too many voices surrounding me. On a normal day, finding them even a crowd as big and loud as this one would’ve been child’s splay, but with my fogged-up brain, it turned out to be mission impossible right now. And closing my eyes made me feel nauseous, so I quickly opened them and with a drunken wave directed at Krystal, I took off towards the open bar. I was quite skilled at walking in a straight line without bumping into anyone despite my current state, and could only grin at the people behind the table once I arrived there. I failed to notice the werewolf dude leaning over the table, asking what I wanted. I held up one finger before pointing at the beer, and he handed it to me quickly with a smile, making me chuckle as I opened it and took a big gulp of it. He chuckled and cheered for me, making me wink at him before I turned and took off, headed towards the lake house. I had been in the mood to dance for hours now, but the girls kept me busy with stories, and I continuously kept bumping into people I knew, forced to converse with each one. But now, finally the time to join the dance floor came, and I felt giddy as I sped up, not noticing that I was using my vampire speed, the world blurring even more in front of my eyes, that is until my body slammed into another one, halting me back with a loud gasp as the beer was slapped out of my hand.

“What the fuck?!” I called out loudly, pushing my arm out in front of me as my arm dripped with disgusting beer. The music was louder as I was almost near the lake house.

“Sorry, I wasn’t—oh.” My eyes snapped up at the sudden attitude in the tone of the person who had run into me, only needing a few seconds for the wet dog stench to register, the blonde hair of the deceitful girl standing in front of me way too familiar.

“You.” I snarled, eyes darkening as my fangs appeared, out of control  due to the alcohol in my system at this point as I glared down at the shorter girl in front of myself. Yeri’s eyes were just as dark as mine, her hands balled into fists as her cheeks were flushed red, “What the fuck are you doing here, little dog? This party is for seniors, and you’re not even a junior.”

“Fuck off, bitch!” Yeri snapped, growling at me, sending me into a giggling fit as I stared the younger girl down, raising an eyebrow.

“Did one of your disgusting brother’s snuggle you inside?” I tilted my head to the side, pouting my lips in mockery, “Or did you slip in by yourself? How about I show you where wet dog’s like you belong?”

“Don’t touch me!” Yeri yelped when my hand shoot out, wrapping around her bicep painfully, my eyes flashing scarlet red.

“I keep telling your brother the same thing, yet he never listening, little Yeri.” I sighed loudly, making fake crying sounds in my drunken stupor, “How about I teach him a lesson through you?”

I flashed my fangs as I stepped all up in Yeri’s personal space, her eyes widening in fright as she started yanking on her arm, her heartbeat fast in panic.

“If you struggle, it’ll only hurt more.” I whispered menacingly as I started leaning closer to her neck, grabbing her other arm with my free hand, stilling her movements with my inhumane strength. The girl whimpered loudly and I watched as her lips trembled in fright, shaking her head furiously no. I grinned sadistically at her, chuckling when I got close enough to her neck, hearing her quiet sniffs as she had started crying, “How pathetic.”

I loosened my grip on her and she instantly pushed me away to the point I staggered backwards, almost loosing my footing as the world swirled with me, “You fucking psychotic bitch!”

Yeri cried at the top of her lungs, a few night creatures glancing our way, but they continued walking on when they saw that nothing bad was actually happening, “Oh, little puppy got scared? How sad!”

“I will rip you to fucking shreds when I have my first shifting!” Yeri screamed, voice shrill and breathing heavily as I threw my head back in laughter, gulping down the sudden wave of nausea which hit me.

“Stupid dog, in your place I’d be more worried about growing a beard!” I stuck my tongue out at Yeri in child-like mockery, and watched as her eyes widened to the point of popping, choking back a scream. I just laughed as she threw me one last furious glare before turning around and storming off, her mumbling quite loud as I laughed hearing her curse me to the heavens and back.

“Great, now my beer is gone.” I grumbled to myself once Yeri was out of sight and not entertaining me anymore, making me sigh as I remembered my mission before I was interrupted by the stupid girl. I turned around and grinned as I spotted the door to the lake house open, and once again using my vampire speed, I waltzed inside quite clumsily, knocking into the doorframe and groaning as I stumbled towards. Somebody caught me but I quickly shook their hands off, and pushed my way through the crowd, settling somewhere towards the middle of it, closing my eyes and getting lost to the even beat of the EDM music playing.

I smiled as I threw my arms up, jumping to the beat, until I felt someone tapping my shoulder, making me turn around. It was a girl I knew from one of my classes and she looked quite excited as she waved, making me chuckle as I waved back. She was quite the cute fae and extremely friendly, so I didn’t object as she pushed a red cup into my hands, prompting me to drink from it. Perhaps it was the tastiest cocktail I drank all night long, and I thanked her with a big grin when she said I could keep it. I closed my eyes and swayed my hips to the rhythm of the music, enjoying myself with the small fae girl as she twirled around cutely, making me laugh at some of her movements as I found them hilarious, but endearing. The DJ suddenly changed the song and everyone screamed, making me excited as it was one of my favorite song’s, the fae girl’s eyes also widening as she grabbed my arm and started jumping up and down in excitement. Soon, I found myself taking large gulps of the sweet cocktail as I jumped up and down with the fae, screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs as we were just two drunken bodies enjoying ourselves in the crowd of the night creatures. That is, however, until I felt a harsh grip on my right bicep, forcefully yanking me backwards and away from my fae friend. My eyebrows furrowed in confusion, and I pouted when the fae girl suddenly stepped back, eyes wide and set behind me before she got lost in the crowd, my body whirled around so fast that everything went hazy around me, and I was forced to shut my eyes for a few moments, stomach doing weird flips. It also didn’t help that suddenly it smelled like wet dogs.

“Listen here, bloodsucker,” A deep and raspy male voice hissed, my eyes snapping open as I found myself face to face with Mingi, “you can insult me and threaten me all day long, if you want, but if you touch my sister one more time, Y/N, I will rip you apart!”

I stared into Mingi’s handsome face for a second, and then the next I was laughing, head falling back as my body shook with the motion, hardly able to control myself in my inebriated state. But my fun didn’t last for long as I felt the red cup slapped out of my hand, making my blood boil as I glared at Mingi.

“This is the second time one of you, Song wet dog’s, slap my drink out of my hand, Mingi,” I hissed, unimpressed at this point, “It’s getting tiring and annoying.”

“I don’t give a shit about your drinks, Y/N,” Mingi growled, stepping closer, “What I do care about is you having a problem with my sister and—”

“Blah-blah-blah, Mingi.” I scoffed, pulling on my arm, but Mingi’s grip only tightened, “Quit yapping, I don’t give a shit. You’re irrelevant, irritating, and you fucking stink.”

“Listen to me, you fucking entitled bitch!” Mingi’s raw voice boomed over the music as he grabbed me by both arms, shaking my body harshly as his breathing got heavier, heart thumping wildly in his chest. I chuckled and bit my lower lip, surprised by this new side of Mingi. His breath was mingled with alcohol, no wonder he was acting so wild all of a sudden, not that he usually wasn’t. It was just…more raw tonight, seemed more sincere than before, “I want you to leave my family alone. We’ve had enough of your torment and constant taunts, what the fuck did we do to you?!”

I groaned and threw my head back to stare at the dark ceiling of the lake house, “You’re just too dense, Mingi, aren’t you? Do you seriously want me to go on a rant and repeat every single thing I’ve told you these past two days? You have no place at Wilden Pine Academy, let alone in Nocturnal Parade.”

“I’m done with this conversation,” Mingi hissed through his teeth, making me smirk as he stepped back, letting go of my arms finally.

“Are you?” I mocked as I cocked an eyebrow at him, blinking at him sweetly, “I thought you were here to put me in my place for touching your precious little sister. She’s quite dumb, by the way, but I suppose it runs in the family.”

Mingi didn’t say anything, but it wasn’t hard to miss the way his jaw clenched, ebbing me on more to continue taunting him. I felt confident as I allowed my eyes to run over his body, taking in his tall and lanky form. The dark grey jeans hung loosely around his lower half, a little low on his hips, held in place by the thick belt he wore, making him look like a cowboy, almost. There were quite big rips in his jeans, the lower half of his thighs uncovered just to below his knees, a quite delicious sight for hungry eyes. I slowly dragged my eyes up, and perhaps, they lingered a tad bit too long on his narrow waist, the black muscle shirt tucked inside his jeans clinging deliciously tight against his lean muscles, which were not too harsh, but quite obvious now that he was out of his loose Academy uniform. I knew werewolves were night creatures with higher body temperature, but it was still a bit surprising that he didn’t wear a jacket, his neck decorated with various silver chains, similar much to the collars dogs would wear. I giggled at my own thoughts as I finally looked back into Mingi’s eyes, forgetting for a second where I was going with this, or what I initially had in mind as I felt my own heartrate pick up, almost matching Mingi’s. I failed to notice his fluffy hair was out of his day-to-day manbun, lusciously falling around his face, framing his sharp eyes which looked even sharper with the harsh black eyeliner rimming them.

“Nice necklaces, Mingi,” I complimented, twirling my finger around a chain until Mingi slapped it away with a hiss, “reminds me of dogs and their collars their owners make them wear. Do you also have an owner?”

Mingi’s cheeks flared in an instant, and I wasn’t surprise to see his eyes flash orchid, flickering back to their warm brown color the next second. I tilted my head and licked my lips as I stepped just a bit closer, suddenly meowing at him in a mocking way, “Do big, bad, dogs like you like little kitties too?”

It really happened in a flash, perhaps in a sober state I would’ve been impressed by how fast he moved even for a werewolf, but all of my senses were dull at the moment as my world was hazy, and all I could do was remain frozen in surprise as Mingi’s large hand took ahold of my neck and tightly wrapped around it, his silver rings digging into my skin. His puffs of breath hit my face as he was breathing hard, and I could hear the blood race through his veins, flush to his head deliciously as his heart thumped wildly, the strange cinnamon scent I have smelled before on him very prominent all of a sudden. My blood ran cold as Mingi’s eyes flashed orchid again, fingers squeezing my throat just a bit more, but now it hurt. However, I felt my heart race pick up as butterflies flew freely in my stomach, making me giggle breathlessly. The alcohol could really make you a fool if it wanted to, if you allowed it to.

“Will you snap my neck in half?” I whispered against Mingi’s lips, almost touching, knowing well that he could hear me crystal clear. Mingi sucked in a harsh breath of air, shaking his head, body trembling. I smirked, very aware of the conflicting emotions on Mingi’s face, and of the growing and shrinking claws against the soft skin of my neck. He really could’ve snapped my neck in half right then and there if he wanted to, and I would’ve been too drunk to realize it in time and defend myself. Making it even worse, I was the one asking for it, edging him on, laughing danger in its face, forgetting why I hate werewolves so much. Forgetting that I almost lost my life because of one of them.

Perhaps the planets stilled and galaxies aligned as one, and not even that could’ve prepared me for Mingi’s next actions, or the crippling shock I felt in my body, as Mingi pulled my body into his, ferociously chasing after my red lips as his plump ones found mine, inhaling them as he sucked on my lower lip, my body too numb on the inside to show on the outside the shock I was feeling. His teeth clamped down on my bottom lip painfully so, making me gasp as I yanked my head back, very aware of Mingi’s huge palm kneading the flesh of my ass through my jeans, forcing a hysteric laugh out of my body as I threw an arm around his shoulders, feeling weak all of a sudden, and needing something to anchor myself in. My laughter was high-pitched and extremely loud, but it didn’t deter Mingi from me as I felt his left hand grab my nape and yank my head back up, our eyes boring into each other.

“What the fuck, Mingi.” I found myself chuckling, fingers tangling into his soft hair, grip firm and painful as Mingi grimaced slightly.

“Fuck you, Y/N.” Mingi’s growl was animalistic as he crashed our lips together again, the dancing bodies around us forcing us closer together, flushed to the point where I didn’t know where Mingi ended and where I began. His lips set a feracious pace, slotting perfectly against mine, inhaling my breath like I was his only oxygen supply. I didn’t realize it in that moment, but I clung onto him as if my life depended on it, as if he was my life source and I desperately needed him. I sucked and bit at his lips, unashamedly moaning when his hand grabbed onto my ass firmly, rocking our lower bodies in sync to the rhythm of the song while he inhaled my lips, thumb pressing into my cheek painfully as he had grabbed my jaw, keeping me in place, refusing to allow me to pull my head back again. I sucked on his plump lower lip, hearing a small whimper slip through his lips as they parted, granting me the access inside his mouth as I pushed my tongue through his parted lips, forcing his mouth open wider. Mingi groaned deep in his throat, fingers slotting back into my hair and yanking harshly on it, making me gasp as he refused to let me dominate the kiss as his tongue lapped at mine, forcefully entering my own mouth, tilting my head in a way that would grant him even more access to reach deeper. My only body felt alive the longer Mingi’s mouth pressed against mine, no matter the pain as I fisted his muscle shirt, struggling to keep my moans at bay as Mingi’s hand slipped inside the back pocket of my jeans, cupping my ass and guiding my body against his as they grinded together to the music. His tongue was hot as it explored my mouth, licking at every corner, making my breath still as he licked at my fangs almost mockingly, almost as if he tried to draw his own blood, making my head thump with wild lust I’ve never felt before. I didn’t think much, clearly, as I felt with my right hand down his broad shoulders, firm chest, and abdomen, slipping between our bodies without Mingi noticing. My lungs screamed for air, but I refused to pull back first, grabbing at Mingi’s hard-on through his jeans, eliciting a choked back moan. Putting pressure on his dick with the heel of my hand, I started massaging him, Mingi’s breath hitching as he flushed our bodies together even more if that was possible, no longer paying any attention to the music or keeping up with the dancing bodies in the crowd around us. The longer I kept on rubbing his dick slowly but firmly, the sloppier Mingi’s kisses got, gasps and groans slipping past his occupied mouth. I smirked against his slick lips, and felt triumphant when he was the first one to pull back, gasping against my mouth as a string of saliva connected our mouths together still, Mingi’s eyebrows scrunched up in pleasure as I raised my hand enough to slip it inside his jeans, the belt not making it much too difficult to do so. My eyes widened when I realized Mingi wore no underwear, and my throat became drier instantly at the thought of how easy he made everything as my fingers slowly wrapped around his bare member.

“Fuck, not here.” Mingi’s deep voice was raspy and raw as he grabbed my wrist, biting his swollen lower lip.

I chuckled, licking at his red lips, enticed by the flush of his cheeks as I tightened my grip around his shaft, making him gasp in pleasure, “So the big, bad, dog does like playing with kitties, after all.”

“Shut the fuck up,” Mingi hissed, eyes narrowing into slits as he glared at me, yanking my hand out of his jeans, his long and sharp nose pressing against mine, “You won’t be calling me no dog after tonight.”

            Something lay heavily on my chest, hot air tickling the sore skin of my neck. Not much needed to be said as I groaned lowly, all of my muscles feeling heavy and sore, head thumping violently due to the ticking of a clock, which seemed to only become louder and louder, too piercing to my sensitive ears in the quiet of my room. My mouth felt dry and my throat almost felt like burning up, the feeling quite similar to bloodthirst, which wouldn’t make much sense as I have fed yesterday. I wasn’t thirsty, yet my body felt alive, almost alert, as I sighed softly, trying to stretch out my muscles, but unable to move, almost as if I was pinned down by something. I licked my lips and rubbed at my eyes, suddenly registering the foreign scents mingling together around me. The scent of cinnamon was nauseatingly overbearing, making my stomach flip when it mixed with fresh grass, somehow clashing with a completely different scent that reminded me a lot of those stupid wet dogs. Werewolves, only they smelled like that.

My eyes flew open, heartbeat kicking off in a frenzy as my dry eyes burned, having to blink them multiple times until the ache went away, telling myself that this must be just a bad dream as the room I found myself in looked nothing like the dorm room I share with Irene. It was scaringly the opposite of it, quite messy and littered with boyish things, a family picture framed, and placed on the wall opposite the bed I lay in, almost making me scream at the top of my lungs as my eyes swept over the Song family. I jumped when a soft breath tickled the skin of my neck again, and my jaw dropped as I finally took the bother to look down at myself, muscles locking up, and a scream choked back in the back of my throat as I lay frozen with an asleep Song Mingi on top of me, naked. Both of us were naked, and I felt myself starting to panic as I licked my chapped lips, pressing my head back harshly into the pillow, racking my brain for any memories of last night, coming up almost empty handed after my fifth red cup, everything a haze as I desperately tried to find the reason why I was in Mingi’s room, laying naked in bed, and why we have even slept in the same bed…naked.

And the blurry pieces of my recollection that I managed to find were horrifying as obscene memories flooded my mind, heart fluttering and cheeks flaming as Mingi’s breathless moans all of a sudden felt too loud in my ears, his strong body looming over mine as he kissed down my neck, gasping for air when my hand tightened just a little bit harder around his dick, hand moving up and down fast. It made Mingi whimper as he whispered in my ear that he was close to coming, sucking and biting on the soft flesh of my neck, making me moan as his hand cupped my breast, kneading it and squeezing it, body yearning to feel more of him.

But the memory became hazy again, and as I gripped my hair in frustration, I was shocked to find myself just barely remembering Mingi’s face scrunched in pure bliss, head thrown back as his calloused hands gripped my hips to the point of bruising, his hips pistoning upwards as my thighs trembled with my body leaned over him and hands holding onto the headboard as I rode him, our loud moans tangling together in wanton noises, no doubt disturbing Mingi’s neighbors. I could remember my heart beating out of my chest as my orgasm was quickly approaching, hip movements picking up as I started moving up and down faster, calling out Mingi’s name when his thumb found my clit, his eyes suddenly flashing orchid as he growled, letting me fuck myself on him as he looked up at me with the hungriest look in his eyes.

My breath stuttered in my throat as I tried to push the memory away, appalled by the way my body felt hot all over suddenly, Mingi’s naked weight pressing down on me not helping my situation at all as another stray fogged-up memory lurked at the back of my mind, fighting to push through, despite my attempts to keep it at bay. But it was a lost cause as I licked my lips, remembering the feel of Mingi’s lean body above mine and pressing into me, slick with sweat as Mingi’s mouth was parted, puffs of breath leaving his lips with each sharp thrust of his hips, hiking my body a little higher after each one due to the sheer force he was using, my toes curling and fingers gripping the sheets overhead. Mingi had one of my leg’s pushed flushed to my chest as he used it as leverage to turn his pace brutal, my other leg wrapped around his waist, digging into his backside, as I urged him on to move rougher as his thick member pulsed inside my tight walls, tears springing into my eyes when my third orgasm was fast approaching, my body too sensitive to take any more, but Mingi wasn’t stopping. He clamped his free hand down on my mouth as I was borderline screaming, body completely numb at this point as Mingi desperately chased after his own release, growls escaping through his parted lips as his orchid-colored eyes bore into my scarlet ones. Never have I ever felt such intense pleasure before, and I almost had to slap myself to push the memory away, skin tingling as Mingi suddenly shifted on top of me, lips brushing against my collarbones. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts and trying to remain level-headed, but the more the realization that I have slept with Mingi dawned on me, the more hysterical I started feeling. My body trembled in anger, and confusion over how much I liked it and how much my body was yearning for it again.

I did the next best thing I could, raised my hand and whacked Mingi in the back of his head hard, making him jump up with a loud growl and eyes orchid. He looked around the room frantically as his lower half pressed into mine, making my heartbeat quicken. It took Mingi almost the same amount of time as for me to realize just what happened, and as he whipped his head around, eyes back to their usual brown, his mouth fell open, and a very shrill scream left his lungs, making me close my eyes in pain as my ears rung.

“What the fuck!” Mingi continued to scream, horrified eyes looking at me, then at himself, continuing to do so for a few minutes until I realized he was basically looking at my naked breasts, making me smack him in the face, but not in a painful way, “What the fuck?!”

“Shut up!” I screamed back at Mingi as my head thumped violently, his screaming only adding onto my migraine and hangover.

“What are you doing in my bed naked?!” Mingi still seemed too shocked to move, and I pushed his head away so that he wouldn’t look at me anymore. I went to wriggle out from underneath him, but that only made matters worse as I rubbed up against his morning wood, making me gasp as my body instantly reacted, wanting nothing more than to spread my legs wide open for Mingi, a thought so terrifying that I froze. I didn’t miss Mingi’s sharp inhale and his reddening cheeks.

“What do you think, you fucking idiot?!” I managed to fire back, Mingi suddenly realizing just how naked we were as he rolled over, finally his body off mine. I finally felt like I could breathe as I rolled to my side as well, shielding my private parts from him as the sheet on us wasn’t big enough to cover the both of us anymore.

“Oh, my God,” Mingi sounded mortified and I felt the bed dip behind myself, “Where’s Yunho? Did he not come back here?”

“I fucking hope not!” I snapped as I sharply turned around, pushing Mingi hard, kicking him off his bed as he yelped loudly, hitting the carpeted floor with a heavy thud.

“What the fuck!” He called out, reaching a hand up and ripping the sheet covering me off, to shield himself. I yelped and scattered off the bed as well, wildly looking for my clothes, thankfully finding them disregarded by the bed as I used my inhumane speed to dress myself before Mingi could see me.

“Did we—why were you naked in my bed?!” Mingi stood, sheet wrapped around himself like a burrito, only his head visible as his face looked pale. He better was just as hungover as I as I struggled to button my jeans due to it, blood boiling at his stupid question.

“What do you think, you stupid boy?!” I hissed, scarlet eyes snapping onto him menacingly, “Surely not because we read the Holy Book Of The Clergy!”

“Don’t bring up the Clergy right now, oh, my God!” Mingi looked mortified as he looked around, eyes pausing on his family photo, face blenching even more, “We had sex.”

“You don’t say!” I snapped accusingly, eyes falling on the clock, mortified when I realized I barely had an hour to get ready until the gates of the Academy would open for all parents to be welcomed. I went to throw the door open just as Mingi marched up to me, grabbing me by my arm, face hard, and eyes set in a glare.

“Get out.” He snapped, grabbing the doorknob, the sheet wrapped around his body almost falling to the floor. I scoffed and yanked my arm out of his, glaring back just as viciously.

“You hypocrite,” I pushed him back, sneering at him, “you act like I’m the one who put my dick inside of you.”

“I don’t doubt you wouldn’t have, if you had one!” I huffed as I was appalled, my eyes turning scarlet once again as Mingi scoffed at me

“I’m pretty sure you started this on the dancefloor, Mingi—”

“Don’t say my name!” Mingi cringed, turning around and pulling the sheet over his head as he started wailing silently. I rolled my eyes at his theatrics and went to leave the room, never wanting to see his stupid face again, until I remembered just how big of a louse mouth Mingi actually was, and it made my heart thump wildly in fear that he’d go around blabbering about what we had done. So, I turned sharply, and using my vampire speed, appeared in front of Mingi, clutching his throat tightly, only to be faced with no face and only a white sheet. I closed my eyes in exasperation as Mingi gasped and started wailing that he couldn’t breathe, so, I ripped the sheet off his head, glaring at him, almost amused by the way his blonde and red hair stuck up in all directions.

“If you say anything to anyone, Song Mingi, I swear to you right now, that I will suck your blood dry and eradicate your whole family afterwards.” Mingi’s nose scrunched in disgust as I leered the words at him, my fangs menacing, and scarlet eyes terrifying. When Mingi didn’t say anything, I tightened my fingers around his neck, making him roll his eyes at me.

“Don’t flatter yourself, Y/N, I wouldn’t want a soul to know about this.” I narrowed my eyes at him, but upon being convinced based on his heartbeat and stoic face that he was saying the truth, I released him and left his room in a hurry once making sure that nobody would see me. Was it really necessary that my days would turn into nightmares each day lately?

            The image I was presented with when I looked in the mirror in my own room was nightmarish, mouth falling open when I saw the dark bruises creating a whole constellation on my neck. I needed a few minutes to calm myself as I took in deep breaths, otherwise Mingi would be laying now in a puddle of his own blood. The sight of myself was disappointing, and I couldn’t help but feel angry with myself for letting this happen. If we weren’t so drunk this would’ve never happened. I can’t believe I let a werewolf touch me…let alone in such inappropriate ways. My mind kept trying to wander off to memories of last night with Mingi, but I forced myself to focus and forget everything that happened, marking it as a stupid drunken mistake that would never again happen. Despite having barely an hour to get ready, I was done in record time. I was fresh and clean after the deep cleanse shower I took, all bruises and miscolored spots instantly covered up afterwards. I curled my hair nicely and applied very light makeup, adding a little color to my pale cheeks and lips, wearing the dress my mother sent. Irene thankfully helped me change it a bit, and now it was up to my taste as I wore my black high heels to match the color of my nails, and left the dorms, not wanting to be late when my parents would arrive. I would certainly get chastised for it, and my still thumping head wouldn’t have been able to take that as well. I was finally regretting the fact that I mixed so many drinks last night and that there wasn’t anyone to stop me from wrecking myself. Surviving today would prove to be almost an impossible mission.

By the time I made it to the gardens, it was buzzing to the brim with students, the younger ones all excited to see their parents, the older ones not as quite happily waiting for them. I easily found Irene in the crowd as I smelled her sweet perfume, and came to stand next to her, arms crossed over my chest as I grimaced when the fifth graders kept cheering and screaming in our vicinity. I didn’t want to ruin the moods of those poor children, but if they didn’t shut up soon, my head would surely explode.

“Oh, Y/N,” Irene said as she finally noticed me, her eyebrows furrowing as she took me in, snapping me out of glaring at a blonde little girl, “When did you arrive? I didn’t notice you.”

I sighed and looked at her tiredly, my muscles quite sore after…the night I had, “Just now, this is dreadful.”

Irene chuckled as she followed my sight, which was back on the loud kids, “Well, yes, you shouldn’t have had so much to drink last night…”

I rolled my eyes, looking back at my friend, “Look who’s talking. I thought friends are supposed to stop you from doing stupid shit? Oh, well, you couldn’t possibly have done so since you disappeared with Seulgi, again.”

Irene blushed and looked away abashed, clearing her throat awkwardly, “Sorry about that, won’t happen again, I promise.”

“Yeah, right.” I chuckled unamused, knowing very well they will most likely disappear off to somewhere together the second they get the chance to. Irene looked at me with a small smile, twirling a strand of hair around her finger, lightly bumping her shoulder against mine. I watched as her eyebrows slowly furrowed and nose scrunched, leaning closer to sniff me. I yanked my head back and gave her a confused look, Irene looking even more confused, “What?”

“Uh,” She paused, sniffing me again deeply, her eyebrows raising in mild interest, “Y/N, you kinda smell like those werewolves you hate so much…”

“What?!” I snapped, heart somersaulting in my ribcage as I raised my arms to sniff them thoroughly, then raised the front of my dress too, but smelled nothing peculiar, “No, I don’t. What are you talking about?!”

“I mean, you kinda do,” Irene looked at me like I was crazy, “Especially that Mingi guy—”

“No, I don’t.” I hissed, looming over my best friend, muscles tense and blood boiling, “And don’t ever again bring him up!”

Before Irene could react or even look at me like I was crazy, I stormed off towards the opened gates just as my parents car rolled up, their butler getting off first to open the door for them. I took a deep breath and brushed all thoughts aside, assuring myself that the copious shower and intense perfume I downed on myself surely masked any remaining scent of Mingi’s on my body, Irene must’ve smelled it wrong. Perhaps Mingi was lurking around and that’s why she felt his scent on me.

            Two more hours. I only had to survive two more hours of this mayhem until the gates would be closed once again, parents away, serenity coating the Academy once again. I was barely holding on at this point, ears ringing to the point I barely heard anyone talking to me, and head thumping so violently I would’ve willingly asked Mingi to rip my head off. But I had to keep an image, and therefore, I made sure to drink lots of water and mask everything I felt under a small smile that would turn into a grimace whenever nobody was looking at me. Our table was simple and small as it only consisted of my parents and I, and it was more towards the middle of the garden, of course, the prestigious families sat closely together, Irene’s just to our left, with Seulgi a few tables down, Krystal’s nowhere in sight as the druids were seated more towards the entrance, close to the faes. My father and mother found this opportunity perfect to spread their business ideas to the other night creatures, thankfully not bothering me as much as I thought they would. However, the second we sat down to eat is when the real headache started as they drilled me with questions and didn’t fail to remind me of our principles and rules that I must follow at all times.

When my mother saw me, she wasn’t too keen of the changes done to the dress, but she said nothing as she enveloped me in a big hug, smiling at me brightly as she pulled away, her skin absolutely perfect and glinting in the sunlight. She looked very young, almost younger than me, her vampire genes certainly more on the fortunate side, thankfully passed down to me as well. My father was less affectionate, but he was quick to offer me a side hug and smile at me cheekily, playfully asking if I had been up to no good last night as he apparently knew about the bonfire party. I merely laughed and brushed it off, assuring him that I was in bed by twelve, my beauty sleep absolutely necessary. They didn’t have to know of my endeavors last night, not that they would’ve been against me mingling with a werewolf, the opposite, my parents were huge werewolf lovers and supporters. After the clergy, they were the first ones to preach unity between our kinds, urging everyone to love and respect each other, to live in harmony. One would think almost losing their only daughter to a monster would scar them, but they only became bigger believers of the necessity of peace between us, using me as an example quite often. Perhaps my parents played a significant part in my life when it came to me hating werewolves so much.

Barely even half an hour had passed since their arrival when I felt my mother adjusting my hair and telling me to stand up straight, eyebrows furrowed as she kept leaning close, inspecting my face closely. She muttered about the skin of my neck being darker, and for a second, I thought the coverage came off, but my father just told her to leave me alone as nothing was wrong with my neck. I knew my mother would keep a scrutinizing eye on me, but I hoped she wouldn’t try to spot every little flaw about me today. However, that wasn’t the case as she pinched her nose and threw me a disgusted look. I paled, mouth hanging open as she cleared her throat, slapping my father’s arm as she motioned towards me.

“Sweetheart, doesn’t she smell a bit funny today?” She had asked my father, making me freeze as they both stared at me. I felt like a little child all over again.

“Not at all, let the girl relax a little, dear, she’s been tense all day,” My father had sighed and had gently pulled me into his side, chuckling, “She’s walking a bit funny, I bet those physical training classes are quite challenging for you.”

If my face looked as mortified as I had felt in that moment, my parents said nothing about it, they just hummed to each other and let me off, asking me to walk with them as they caught up with old acquittances and present business partners. I wanted to burry myself hearing my parents words, but I just brushed them off and laughed anytime someone mentioned my scent being a little different, hands clenching behind my back into fists, itching to connect with Mingi’s sharp jaw.

Finally, my parents have grown bored of talking to everyone and we were seated at our table currently, them enjoying the copious amount of food placed on our table, me, not so much. I ate very little and told them that I have fed earlier in the morning and wasn’t feeling too keen about having human food as well, which, thankfully, they accepted and didn’t push for more answers. The truth was that I would’ve thrown up right then and there if they would’ve forced me to eat the raw meat on my plate. My eyes were trained on the Song family’s table as my eardrums shook each time they roared with laughter, falling off chairs and conversing just way too loudly taken the setting we were in. I grit my teeth as the sunlight fell perfectly on Mingi’s face, coating him in a golden hue as his longish hair had little braids in it, highlighting the red against his blonde hair. Everything about him was infuriating, and I gulped when my stomach started doing weird flips upon hearing his laughter. His mouth opened wide and his head fell back, body shaking in time with his wheezes, soft skin looking like precious gemstones glinting under the sunlight. I scoffed and grabbed my tall glass, taking a sip of my orange juice as Wooyoung’s witchy laughter pierced my ears, making me shut my eyes in pain.

“Are you still sensitive, love?” My father’s gruff voice made my eyes snap open as I averted my gaze from the Song’s, looking at my father with a forced smile on my lips.

“Yes, some days it’s worse than others.” I explained, making him hum as he looked at my mother.

“Well, that’s not exactly healthy,” He muttered under his breath before shaking his head, “but many things changed in your immune system after you were bitten—”

“I don’t want to talk about this here.” I snapped, voice harsh and body tense as my grip tightened around my glass. Anyone could hear us. My faded bite mark suddenly started pulsating hotly against my skin and I gulped, heartrate accelerating.

“Dear, it’s nothing to be ashamed of—”

“Mother,” I snapped, eyes shooting to her, “Not here.”

My parents fell silent as I remained tense, shooting them piercing stares, the two of them sighing in sync as my mother leaned back in her chair, looking defeated.

“Well, I’m just glad you’re doing alright.” My father suddenly smiled and reached over the table, patting my hand a few times. I nodded with a silent hum and took another gulp of my orange juice, eyes finding the Song table again as they roared with laughter once again. I was about to sneer in their direction, when I realized Mingi was already looking at me, eyebrows lightly furrowed. I threw him a piercing stare, making him avert his gaze as he joined the cheers of his family, making me scoff.

“Aren’t they just a lovely bunch?” My mother mused with a dreamy sigh, “I have always wished vampires were able to reproduce more than once. Imagine all the little fangs we’d find once they fell out, little toes hitting the floorboards loudly, the giggles resounding in our vast mansion, the warm feeling of being a big family.”

Nothing could’ve sounded more horrible than the exact same thing my mother was describing. My father chuckled and took a sip of his wine, watching the Song family too now, “I bet those five pups were rascals while growing up.”

“Still are.” I muttered underneath my breath, thankful that my parents were too busy staring yearningly at the Song family.

“I love the warm and homey feeling they spread around themselves,” My mother smiled fondly, looking back at me, making me sick to my stomach when I saw the look in her eyes, “They truly are a treasure to Nocturnal Parade, lighting up every corner they pass with their positive energy. You’re lucky you get to go to the Academy at the same time as the pups.”

“Lucky,” I almost snorted, but quickly masked it as I took another sip of my orange juice, eyes finding Mingi’s again, “You’re right. I’m so lucky.”

For some unknown reason, I felt enticed by Mingi’s eyes on me, mind fuzzy for a second as I watched him stand and excuse himself from his parents, headed towards the side of the garden where large pillars kept the construction of the greenhouse up. My jaw ticked and I took a deep breath, trying to fight the sudden urge to go after Mingi, but I figured he deserved to be chastised for leaving his strong scent all over me, so, I quickly stood and told my parents I would be back as I tried not to hurry after him, instead ended up doing a speedwalk towards Mingi. When I came up behind him, I grabbed his arm and yanked him after me, away from the prying eyes and curious glances, behind a tall pillar, silence finally enveloping around me as I was away from the loud chatter and laughter of the gardens.

“What are you—”

“Why do I still smell like you?!” I snapped, glaring at Mingi as he pulled his arm out of my grip rather harshly, “Everyone can tell, Mingi! I thought nobody was supposed to know about—”

“And nobody knows, alright?!” Mingi snapped back, eyebrows furrowed as he didn’t look me in the eyes, “It’s not my fault you smell like me. It happens with anyone, not just me, Y/N.”

“Well nobody else’s scent I’ve slept with was as strong as yours, so it is your fault.” I hissed back, stepping closer, confused as to why Mingi wasn’t looking me in the face. Something felt off, something was wrong. I could simply feel it. There was a nervosity in my system that wasn’t there before, I almost felt the way Mingi looked. My faced blanked as something dropped deep in my stomach, eyebrows furrowing at the sudden need to reach out and touch Mingi. There was something so magnetic about him, something so luring that I stepped back with a gasp, watching Mingi alarmed and confused as his head whipped up.

“What have you done to me?” I asked in a whisper, hugging myself, trying to comfort myself as Mingi’s mouth fell open, gaping at me. The color drained from his face and my heartrate matched his as it started racing, profoundly confused.

“No—nothing.” It wasn’t like Mingi to stutter, it wasn’t like Mingi to suddenly avert his eyes and look small. It unsettled me and made me feel more panicked as I took a step forward, eyebrows furrowing more.

“Mingi.” I hissed, leaning down to try and look into his eyes, but he just looked further away, “Something happened, didn’t it?”

“No?” Mingi sounded far away from being convincing and I licked my lips in frustration, reaching out and grabbing his elbow. Mingi’s head whipped up towards me suddenly, his body heat so overwhelming that I felt dizzy as his cinnamon scent entered my senses, so calming that I felt my tense muscles suddenly relax. It was too confusing, never having experienced something like it before.

“I—” Mingi hesitated, sounding almost breathless as he looked me in my eyes finally, “I have imprinted on you, Y/N.”

“What?!” I screamed, releasing his elbow as if it burned me, eyes bulging and jaw on the floor as everything stilled around me. Mingi looked nervous and embarrassed as his cheeks flushed red, clearing his throat when I said nothing else, hoping that he’d say that he was just pulling a stupid prank on me.

“Mingi.” I hissed, getting all up in his face in a sudden burst of anger, glaring at him furiously, “What do you mean you imprinted on me?!”

“Exactly that, Y/N, oh, my God.” Mingi groaned, rubbing his face, taking a deep breath.

“No.” I snapped, fisting his grey sweater, “I—I refuse. No, unimprint on me or something!”

“What?” Mingi looked confused, rolling his eyes, “I can’t unimprint on you—that word doesn’t even exist, Y/N.”

“I don’t care what word exists and doesn’t, Mingi.” I hissed, yanking him down to be eye level with me, “You can’t fucking imprint on me. I’m a vampire and you’re a werewolf. What is wrong with you?!”

“Nothing’s wrong with me, stop being a bitch!” Mingi hissed, gripping my wrists. Electricity coursed through my skin where he touched me and my eyes widened in fright, giving him a look, but it didn’t seem to phase Mingi.

“Do you imprint on everyone you sleep with?!” I hissed, body shaking in anger, heart beating fast. It wasn’t helping that Mingi looked calm, almost defeated, as if this was final and he had accepted his fate.

The glare he gave me was sharp and unimpressed, “That’s not what this was—”

“Really?!” My voice raised again, panic coating my voice, “Because we were completely fine until last night, Mingi! And now you’re telling me that—you—I—that we’re—mates?!”

“We’ll be mates if you accept me, I thought you knew this by now—”

“It doesn’t make any sense!” I exclaimed, breathing fast as Mingi’s fingers suddenly started rubbing the skin of my wrist softly, sighing quietly, “You can’t imprint on me.”

“Calm down first, your heart is beating like crazy.” Mingi whispered, voice soft and raspy, warm brown eyes boring into mine. I felt on the verge of teras as his warmth engulfed me, coating me in safety I’ve never felt before, a bubble of safety and calmness wrapping around us. He started taking slow deep breaths, making me subconsciously copy him as I felt myself relax once again, shake his hands off once I felt fine. I took a step back and was rather rattled when my body instantly yearned for Mingi’s. This was bad. Very bad.

“You need to sort this out, Mingi.” I gestured around wildly, eyes wide, “Whatever you do, I don’t care. But you can’t imprint on me.”

“Well, I already did.” Mingi seemed annoyed as his words felt sharp, giving me a pointed stare, “So accept it, because it won’t change.”

“You can’t just say that!” I whisper-shouted, feeling furious again as Mingi continued acting nonchalant about this whole ordeal.

“I’m not as horrible as you think I am—”

“Mingi.” I snapped, shaking my head at him, “No. Just no. We’re not having this conversation. Unimprint on me and we’re done, that’s it!”

“I just told you, I can’t possibly—”

“Mingi?” A quiet voice called out, soft and timid as I whirled around, Mingi walking past me instantly.

“Yes, Dahyun?” Mingi smiled, previous tension and anger gone from his face, and he crouched in front of his much shorter sister. Dahyun gave me a warry look before poking Mingi’s cheek, giggling.

“Mom and dad are wondering where you are,” She muttered, casting me another warry look, “I saw you walking off with the vampire that smells like you, so I told them I’ll bring you back.”

It wasn’t hard to notice Mingi’s body freeze at his younger sister’s words and I scoffed, completely flabbergasted that this little girl could tell I smelled like Mingi. This was the absolute worst, and I was close to simply ceasing my existence once and for all. Before they could say anything to me, I stormed past them, headed back to my table, thinking of excuses I could use to get my parents out of the garden and away from the Song family.

            The past few days have been…silent, weird, different, empty, almost. They felt unsettling and I found myself unable to sleep at night, and even if I did, I would wake up in a cold sweat, chest heavy and lungs heaving for air. Something just simply didn’t feel alright and I knew there was nothing wrong with me per se, with my vampire being, yet something was affecting me rather harshly. And it was noticeable in my appearance as well. No matter how often and how much I fed, my skin looked sickly pale and the glow of my dense hair seemed absent no matter how much I tried fixing it. My cheeks had fallen slightly in, creating a hollowness in them that wasn’t there before. I looked like I was decaying and I didn’t understand why when I was completely healthy and fine. Yet, something was doing this to me and I couldn’t help but blame it on this whole imprinting thing, and Mingi. I haven’t seen him since Parents Day, and despite deciding to avoid him for an eternity, it seemed like Mingi had the same thing in mind as me. Even in our shared classes, he was nowhere to be seen. I couldn’t even smell him or hear him, yet Yunho was certainly there, his aura very much so present. Nobody said anything, perhaps too afraid to make a comment about my sickly appearance, and I knew I needed answers. I couldn’t go on like this anymore despite not wanting to see Mingi. There was something very wrong about my body, something internal and scarily real as the longer I stayed away from him, the stronger the yearning became. The heaviness in my chest only got worse with each ticking minute, and I knew I couldn’t go on like this anymore when I started listening in on the creatures’ conversations around me, searching for Mingi’s name, searching for his voice even, for his infuriatingly loud and obnoxious laughter, his unbearable stench, and his stupid siblings. I needed to put an end to my own suffering, therefore I decided to act like an adult for the first time in my life, and find Mingi in order to talk things through, even if I didn’t want to.

History of the Vampires was an excruciatingly long class and I couldn’t wait to be finished with it, unable to sit still as my mind kept wandering elsewhere, desperately trying to clock Mingi’s voice or even aura in the building. But it was harder to find him than I thought it would be, almost as if he was hiding himself from me, Yunho’s strong aura overbearing Mingi’s whenever they were together. And I knew those two were together as I searched for familiar voices conversing, lowering my head so that my professor wouldn’t notice my closed eyes as I focused on singling out Mingi’s raspy and deep voice amongst his siblings as they were out in the fields, not too far away from the classroom I was in. Dahyun was talking to him, and it was the first time I heard the younger girl’s voice for such a long period, animatedly retelling a story to Mingi about a boy she liked in her class. At first I thought Mingi wasn’t talking to her, until I realized Wooyoung and Yeri’s cackling was too loud for me to pinpoint Mingi’s soft voice as he muttered to Dahyun words I couldn’t understand. It felt alarming how easily I found myself wanting to know more about Mingi’s bond with his siblings, wondering whether I would fit in with them. And it was hard to listen to Mingi’s quiet voice as he departed with Yunho from the rest of their siblings, the twins headed to class as Mingi’s aura remained still dull, washed out by Yunho’s. I didn’t think masking one’s existence was possible, but then again, I didn’t know much about werewolves and their abilities as I always remained ignorant to them due to my hatred towards them.

Once class was over I excused myself from my friends in a hurry, finally able to pinpoint Mingi’s exact location as Yunho wasn’t so close to him anymore, making it easy for me to follow Mingi’s voice and scent. He was two floors below my classroom, having their own history class about Werewolves. By the time I got to the classroom not many students were there, however, I could hear a few still inside, Mingi included. Closing my eyes as I leaned against the stone wall, I could hear him scribbling something in his notebook, muttering to himself about having forgotten to do his physics homework. Yunho had left Mingi behind, saying that he was becoming restless, and how he needed a run before their next class. The full moon was tonight, I could only assume it had something to do with their moods, werewolves became rather restless in the afternoons on full moon nights. Finally, the last three students left the classroom laughing and whispering to each other, looking back inside, no doubt gawking at Mingi. Something clenched in my stomach, making me hiss at the three girls as they passed in front of me, looking fearful once they noticed who I was. The scurried away and I couldn’t help but smirk in glee, that is until I heard Mingi scrambling around the classroom, gathering his things to leave. I took a deep breath and willed myself to push off the wall, hands slightly trembling as I appeared in the doorway just when Mingi was about to step through it.

He gasped; eyes wide. Our gazed connected and I couldn’t help but smile at him, tilting my head in wonder as he gulped hard, audibly, licking his chapped lips. There was little distance between our bodies, and he suddenly took three big steps backwards, making my eyebrows furrow in disdain as his comfortable warmth disappeared with him. My heart shouldn’t have picked up so fast, racing just at the sight of him, senses flooded with his cinnamon and fresh grass scent. I took a step forward, the door shutting behind me with a loud thud, trapping Mingi and I inside the otherwise empty classroom. The windows were open, a warm fresh breeze slithering inside. It probably wasn’t the reason why Mingi’s cheeks were suddenly flushed, gaze averted again as he cleared his throat loudly, as if something was stuck there. I allowed myself a short moment to take in his appearance, and was taken aback to find him sickly looking, dark bags underneath his tired looking eyes, lips chapped to the point of looking painful, and cheeks as hollow as mine. It was startling, and it only raised more questions in my mind as I took a deep breath, the strong cinnamon scent burning the back of my throat.

“We need to speak,” I spoke up, voice unsure as I continued looking at Mingi, who was still avoiding eye contact, “something is…happening to me.”

Ever so slowly, he turned his head, eyes reluctantly falling on me. His thick eyebrows furrowed as his eyes racked my body, then stopped on my face, looking very confused, “Were you avoiding me?”

Mingi hummed, pursing his lips as he cleared his throat, “Yes.”

I didn’t expect him to be so honest, for some reason it didn’t feel nice at all, “How did you mask yourself so well?”

“A pack can mask their wolves when sensing danger.” Mingi explained, eyes suddenly steeling as he licked his lips again. My eyebrows furrowed, feeling confused all over again.

“Am I a danger to you?” I found myself whispering, looking at Mingi questioningly. Something in my stomach dropped at the prospect of me being the cause of danger to Mingi.

“With how much you keep threatening me, yes.” I chuckled humorlessly at Mingi’s words, and he looked just as unamused as I felt. His shoulders were slouched forward as he shook his head, looking defeated, “What do you want, Y/N?”

“To talk.”

“Then talk.”

I gulped, feeling off thrown by Mingi’s hostile attitude, acting as if he didn’t even want to see me. Hadn’t he imprinted on me? Weren’t we supposed to be mates now? Why was he being so cold towards me? My heart beat faster, body yearning to feel Mingi’s warmth so desperately that I had to dig my nails in my palms to stop myself from marching up to him and latching myself onto his body.

“Ever since you—imprinted on me, I just—I don’t know.” I gulped, averting my eyes as Mingi’s sharp gaze bore into mine, “We haven’t seen each other in almost four days and I—I don’t feel well, Mingi. Something is happening to me, and I don’t understand what—”

I gasped at how fast Mingi closed the gap between us, orchid-colored eyes boring into mine, making me shrink back in fear. Have I angered him again? Was he going to hurt me? But to my surprise, Mingi’s hand gently cupped my cheek as he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, holding it in his lungs as I remained still, afraid to breathe. Nobody spoke as he slowly exhaled, eyes snapping open, once again brown, staring at me with a newfound softness in them. I gulped, taken aback by the tingles traveling all over my body, cheek warm from Mingi’s palm, a safety bubble nestling around us. I felt complete again, the heaviness in my chest not as strong as before, my heartbeat beating fast like never before, a pull so strong towards Mingi deep in my being that I realized I couldn’t ignore it anymore. Mingi licked his lips again, suddenly looking like he’s made up his mind about something, softly exhaling again as he opened his mouth to speak, probably, but I couldn’t focus on anything else anymore but the feel of Mingi so close to myself. I didn’t need to hear his words in this moment, I needed to feel him. And I did just that as I desperately cupped his cheeks, pressing my lips against his. Mingi froze, unmoving and hand falling from my cheek limply as I squeezed my eyes shut tight, inhaling his comforting scent as our lips molded together.

As I went to pull back, realizing that Mingi wouldn’t kiss back, suddenly fingers tangled in my hair and pushed my head back with a newfound force, our lips crashing against each other as Mingi whimpered, not wasting any time as he set a bruising pace. My hands slipped from his cheeks to hug around his neck as I flushed my body against his, sighing into the kiss as my body almost felt like it was lit from the inside, heart fluttering, and the yearning in my stomach turning into a desperate want as the pace of our slick lips quickened, desperately needing more of Mingi. I moaned against his mouth as he captured my bottom lip between his lips, suckling on it softly before licking it, and hovering his lips against mine, breathing through his mouth as shivers racked my spine. My fingers tangled in his hair, which was in a half-up ponytail again, and I quickly got rid of the hair tie as I gently pulled on his soft locks, parting my mouth in permission for Mingi. I could hear his heart beating like crazy, faster than mine even, and in a flash, his tongue was pushing past my lips, tangling with mine, my skin feeling as if it was on fire. Mingi was warm, almost to the point he was burning up, and I failed to notice it getting transferred to my own body as I clung to him, moaning when he skillfully licked inside my mouth, taking his sweet time to suck on my tongue before allowing me to push mine inside his mouth, relishing in the quiet whimpers that left the back of his throat. His hands eagerly explored my body as they slowly slipped towards my backside, squeezing my ass hard through the skirt of my uniform, my eyebrows furrowing as I tried not to moan. With our heads now tilted, I felt myself turn into a puddle as Mingi hiked one of my leg’s up before making me jump up, legs squeezing around his waist firmly as I held onto him. Mingi didn’t stop kissing me as he walked us towards a desk, gently setting me down as we broke apart for a second to fill our lungs with air.

As he tried to step back, I tightened my legs around his waist and pulled him even closer to myself, biting my lower lip when his heavily ring clad fingers grasped at my left thigh, black tinted nails digging into my flesh. Mingi’s hot puffs of air landed on my lips and I licked mine, failing to notice the lust in Mingi’s eyes as he watched me closely, eyes constantly flickering between brown and orchid. He rested his right hand on the desk, next to my hip, as he pressed his forehead against mine. My breathing was heavy as I realized just how badly I needed to feel all of him, feeling on the verge of craze as he lifted his chin ever so slightly when I went to kiss his lips, making my eyebrows furrow as I whined at the denial. But I quickly was forced to inhale sharply as Mingi’s calloused, big, hand slowly slipped up higher on my thigh, underneath my skirt, making me groan as he massaged the inside of my thigh, my lips attaching to the skin of chin. It was soft despite the little stubble growing out, and Mingi moaned as my lips travelled lower, pressing open mouthed kissed against his neck, his Adam’s apple, nipping at his hot skin at the junction between his neck and collarbones, slightly distracted by Mingi’s grip on my thigh tightening as I slipped a hand under his shirt. His abdomen was firm and his muscles tensed under my fingertips as Mingi looked down at me while breathing heavily as I blinked at him innocently, a soft groan escaping his lips before he crashed his lips against mine.

It felt like my soul was alive again, a fire lit deep in my stomach as our tongues battled for dominance, and I pulled Mingi’s body flush against mine, moaning when I felt his erection press against my core, fingers tangling in his hair once again firmly. Mingi moaned as I pulled on the longer strands around his nape, making me gasp against his lips as he moved his hips, slowly grinding against me. His warm palm slowly slipped from my thigh and I whined at the loss of it, but his hand instead went and gripped my waist firmly, keeping me in place as he moved slowly, dragging his hard-on against my throbbing core. His free hand cupped my covered breast and I moaned into his mouth as his tongue pushed deep inside my mouth, toes curling as he kept grinding against me, setting my skin on fire, his scent intoxicating as the layers separating us became unbearable.

“Mingi,” I pulled my head back, moaning as Mingi didn’t stop kissing me, latching his lips onto my neck instead, “this isn’t talking—Mingi!”

I yelped as his fangs nipped against the sensitive skin of my neck, making me throw my head back as I gripped his belt, trying to stop him from grinding against me anymore, everything becoming too much.

“Mingi,” I tried again, voice breathless as he sucked at a spot under my collarbones harshly, licking it slowly afterwards, “we’re in a classroom, we have to stop.”

“I never thought you’d be a prude.” Mingi’s voice was extremely low as he spoke against my skin, lips like feather as they brushed against my heated body.

“I’m not a prude,” I hissed as Mingi’s hips stilled, but with his hard-on pressing sharply against my clothed core, “but if a professor walks in, we’re done for.”

Mingi groaned and he raised his head to rest his forehead against my shoulder, taking deep breaths as I licked my lips, staring up at the ceiling as I tried to ignore the desperate need to rip his clothes off and let him take me on this desk. Mingi took a deep breath, which tickled me once he exhaled, and I felt him move as he looked up at me, releasing my waist as he gently cupped my face again, pushing the strands of hair behind my ears, smiling cutely as his cheeks were flushed pink.

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt this alive before.” He whispered, truly looking like he felt lighter. It was a little disheartening as I realized that the heaviness was lifted off of my chest, my own skin buzzing with excitement as I felt myself smiling back. The truth was that I felt the same as Mingi, but I was too afraid to admit it. Something was changing and I was afraid to acknowledge it when I spent my whole life hating on the species right in front of me, in between my legs, making my heart swell with his gorgeous smile and cute flush, his deep eyes, and clumsy personality. I was still afraid of werewolves, I still hated them, but I couldn’t deny the sudden pull towards Mingi anymore.

“We have to talk.” I didn’t mean to break the serene bubble around us, but we needed to clarify so many things, “I have too many questions, and you have a lot to explain.”

Mingi nodded with a hum, lowering his head, surprising me as he slowly nuzzled his cheek against mine, inhaling deeply, making me blush as the endearing action. Nobody has ever done that before, and it made my skin jittery as it felt good.

“I promise we will talk, but tonight’s the full moon and my mind is all fogged-up, Y/N,” Mingi explained as he gave me an awkward smile, “I can’t exactly…think right now, if you know what I mean. And I don’t want to do something we’d both regret later. All I can think about is marking you right now, and that needs a serious conversation first.”

My heart jumped in fright at the mention of marking, and I gulped as I slowly nodded my head, realizing finally that Mingi had no malicious intentions towards me. If he did, he wouldn’t be saying things like that, nor treating me gently. I offered him a small smile and he chuckled, leaning down to press a lasting kiss against my lips.

“It’s a shame we must stop, but,” Mingi smiled cheekily as he removed himself from my body, much to my dismay, “I have to go to class, I’m already late, and I know Yunho will come looking for me in exactly three minutes.”

I chuckled as I watched Mingi try and straighten his clothes, brushing through his long strands, searching for the hair tie, which seemed to be gone. I grinned as he gave up searching for it, instead went and grabbed his backpack discarded on the floor.

“See you tomorrow?” He raised his eyebrows, still adjusting his messy hair, “When I’m not thinking with my dick?”

I snorted, nodding my head as I licked my lips and crossed my legs, remaining seated on top of the desk, “See you tomorrow after lunch break, I know you have a free period.”

“Someone’s been stalking me, huh?” Mingi smirked as I looked away embarrassed, gulping before I admitted a little secret of mine.

“When you spend so much time hating on someone, it’s alarming how much you learn about them.” Mingi’s smirk only widened to my horror, completely amused by my admission, instead of feeling hurt or even angry.

“What a little freak I have to deal with—”

“I’m not a freak!” I exclaimed in irritation, making Mingi chuckle as he walked backwards towards the door.

“We’ll see after I find out more about you,” He winked as he opened the door, “Take care, doll.”

I rolled my eyes as my face flushed at the pet name, and my eyes stayed glued to the door even after Mingi was long gone, his footsteps faded as he made his way towards his classroom, Yunho making a ruckus as to why he was late and why he looked so shaken up. I chuckled and fell backwards on the desk, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly as I raised my hands, playing with the black hair tie around my wrist. This was becoming real, wasn’t it?

            I bobbed my head to the music as I wrote down some more numbers, rubbing my forehead as I had been doing equations for more than an hour now. It was late in the evening, and after Irene and I studied for a while together, she said she needed to go somewhere, and left around half an hour ago. She promised she’d be back early tonight and we could have a girl’s night, but I had my doubts about that as I knew she was with Seulgi. It didn’t bother me as much as it normally would’ve as my mind was distracted with thoughts of Mingi, impatiently waiting for tomorrow to arrive so that we’d finally discuss where this…something…was headed between us. The wind had picked up and it was rattling the old hinges of the window, and I turned my head to look out the window, lightning in the distance. A storm was coming, and the dark clouds made it hard to spot the full moon, but its light was strong enough to pinpoint it on the dark sky.

As I started solving another equation, the guitar in the song I was listening to was soft and calming, but there were rapid knocks against the door of the room, disturbing my peace, making me look towards it with furrowed eyebrows. It was almost eight in the evening, slowly we were approaching curfew. Only the wolves were allowed outside past curfew tonight, so it made me wonder who it could have been. I placed my pen down and pushed away from my desk, standing and stretching my stiff muscles as I went to swing the door open. I was rather surprised to find a short, dark haired, girl standing in the hallway, chewing on her lower lip as she looked up at me. We stared at each other for a few seconds, me flabbergasted to find Dahyun standing in my doorway, and the little girl staring past me, inside my room, wonderingly.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” I asked confused, eyebrows furrowing.

“Is Mingi here?” She asked quietly, trying to look inside my room again.

“No, why?” I answered curtly, watching the girl warily.

“Are you sure?” She pressed, looking up with a glare at me, “Are you lying to me?”

I scoffed and crossed my arms in front of my chest as a rather strong gust of wind rattled the windows out in the hallway. The lights flickered for a second, making both Dahyun and I pause as we looked around.

“Why would I lie to you?” I asked once Dahyun faced me again, and I rolled my eyes when the girl continued glaring at me, “Be my guest and have a look inside my room. I haven’t seen Mingi, why would I even know where he is? Isn’t he your brother?”

Dahyun didn’t seem too happy with my answer, and suddenly her small hand grabbed mine and I was yanked down with such force that I gasped, taken aback by just how strong the little werewolf girl was. I stiffened when her face suddenly pressed forward, nose pressing against the junction between my neck and collarbone, inhaling deeply.

“What—what are you doing?” I stuttered, brushing the girl off, feeling weirded out.

“Mingi scented you.” The girl said, eyebrows furrowing as she took a step back, taking me in fully, “You smell like him, that’s why I thought he was here.”

I felt rather confused as I smelled myself, but felt no scent of Mingi on myself. What did she mean that he scented me? Wasn’t that a werewolf thing? How could he even scent a vampire? When did he do it that I didn’t even notice?

“I don’t smell like him.” I objected, glaring down at the girl as she looked suddenly scared when there was a flash of lightning in the distance. I opened my mouth to send her off, but the way she latched onto my arm and looked up at me pleadingly made me pause.

“I can’t feel Mingi’s scent,” The little girl whimpered, “and a storm is coming, I’m scared. Mingi always tucks me in before bed, and I’ve searched for him everywhere and I can’t find him.”

I felt awkward as I cleared my throat, not knowing how to comfort the distressed girl, “Uh, well, you have many siblings. Go find them.”

“I need to find Mingi.” Dahyun stressed, “I know where Yunho is as I can feel his aura and smell his scent, but for some reason Mingi’s gone. I’m scared something happened to him, Y/N.”

I gulped, suddenly fearing the same as I tried to listen closely as I searched for Mingi’s voice in the vicinity, but came up empty handed. I sighed as I continued looking at the girl, who started shaking now, and I shook my head, “Wooyoung and Yeri will certainly help you.”

“Wooyoung is also shifting tonight and Yeri didn’t even open the door when I told her it was me knocking,” My eyebrows furrowed at the cruelty of her older sister, feeling a sneer wanting to settle on my face, “Can you help me, please?”

Perhaps the sweet, and teary, puppy eyes staring up into mine were what broke my resolve as I sighed and nodded tiredly, watching a smile appear on Dahyun’s face, “Where should I look for Mingi?”

“They are usually at the shed at this time.” She said, detaching herself from me. My eyebrows furrowed as my heart lightly picked up, mouth going dry at the prospect of having to step outside during a full moon while the campus was littered with wild, animalistic, werewolves running around freely.

“I can’t go out there, I’m sorry.” I muttered, eyebrows furrowed, “The whole place is infested with werewolves and I—”

“They haven’t shifted yet, I promise.” Dahyun quickly interjected, “Mingi always struggles shifting, and Yunho always waits for him. Please, it’s not dangerous to look for them, they are very docile and still recognize everyone in their wolf forms. Please, Y/N, please.”

I gulped and looked outside through the window behind Dahyun, feeling a coldness seep through my bones the longer I thought about this stupid request. But I couldn’t deny that I also felt worried for Mingi now, and one more look at Dahyun had me giving in, “Alright, wait here, and I’ll go look for Mingi. If Irene, my roommate, comes back, tell her that I let you stay here until I come back, okay?”

“Yes, thank you very much!” Dahyun almost cried in happiness as she walked inside my room, making me sigh again as I grabbed my light cardigan, wrapping it around myself tightly as I left the room. I tied my hair with the black hair tie forgotten on my wrist as I knew the harsh wind would whip it all around in my face.

            Perhaps coming out to the shed in a long skirt and a t-shirt with nothing but a cardigan on in such violent wind wasn’t the brightest idea as I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to warm myself by rubbing my hands up and down quickly. However, it offered little to no warmth, and I shivered as I heard howling in the distance, my skirt getting caught in dry weed as I hissed, tumbling a little forward and into the door of the shed. At least I have finally reached it. It isn’t too far from the dorms, but it’s on the outskirts of the forest, and I could feel my heartbeat picking up as I knocked on the door loudly.

“Mingi?!” I called out over the loud wind, carefully pushing the door open, sticking my head inside to see if anyone was in. But it seemed empty and I took a warry step inside, feeling my eyes turn scarlet as my senses spiked as I felt on edge so exposed and alone. I slowly walked further inside, scanning the shed, but Mingi’s scent was absent, and he was nowhere to be seen as well. I sighed as I tightened the cardigan around myself and leaned over the table discarded in the middle of the room, finding clothes scattered around. I could smell the stench of wet dog, yet Mingi’s scent was absent. Maybe it weren’t his clothes, however the disregarded chains looked a lot like his necklaces. I sighed, and went to turn around when the old floorboard creaked up front, making me freeze. I slowly raised my head, looking around again, feeling my heartbeat quicken even more.

“Mingi?” I whispered, chewing on my bottom lip in fear, my breath coming in short as there was another creak. Just as I opened my mouth to call out his name again, two glowing orchid-colored eyes appeared in the dense darkness, making me gasp loudly as my hands slapped against the desk as they fell from around my body. I stared into the beasts eyes as it stepped forward from the shadows, form huge and menacing as its fangs were long. Its fur was midnight black and thick, scent completely unrecognizable as I tried to sniff around for Mingi. My body trembled as we looked each other dead in the eyes, memories of that dreadful night flashing in my mind.

The weather had been similar, wind blowing harshly and a distant rumble in the skies as the storm was fast approaching. I was playing in the flower field on our propriety, gathering flowers before the pouring rain arrived, humming a song to myself, oblivious to the world around myself. I had turned five years old just a few days ago, I had no worries in the world, nothing to be afraid of. That is until I realized something was snarling not too far away from me, staring at me piercingly, as I giggled while playing with my imaginary friends. It wasn’t a full moon, but for rogue werewolves it didn’t matter whether it was day or night, full moon or not. Just as I was about to turn around and leave for the mansion, it pounced on me, snarling in my face as I was pinned to the cold ground, shrieking and screaming as its saliva dripped on me. I could still remember, and feel, the pure terror that coursed through my whole being, screaming and calling for my parents to help me. The werewolf didn’t like that I was being so loud, or a vampire, and it bared its teeth at me when I started crying, begging it to let me go. The rogue wolf was scary and strong, no matter how hard I tried to escape, I couldn’t. It happened in a flash, it’s claws pressing painfully against my chest as its teeth ripped through the skin of my forearm, making me cry out so loudly that I thought I broke my vocal cords. It felt as if someone pushed a burning rod inside my body one after another, two sharp needles ripping your skin apart, tearing you up from the inside. My body started convulsing as I continued screaming, mind hazy and breathing ragged from the excruciating pain. I didn’t remember much after that, only waking up numb in the hospital, tubes connected to my left arm and bicep bandaged tightly, my mother sitting at my side, and only crying harder when she saw I had opened my eyes. The second my father walked in with the werewolf doctor is when everything suddenly dawned on me, sending me into a hysterical fit, to the point I needed to be sedated, trembling and crying out for the poor doctor to stay away from me. It was a trauma I was forced to live with, and I could never actually put it past myself, that pain forever present in the back of my mind as my faded bite mark started pulsing painfully once again.

I took a slow step backwards, barely even moving, but the werewolf caught it and suddenly snarled, making me jump in terror as even my head started shaking violently in fear. I was taken back to that day, when I was a defenseless little girl, almost killed by a monster so similar to the one facing me right now. My attacker had black fur with white patches, I could never forget its fur and orchid eyes. I knew wolves had the urge to chase their prey once they started running, but it was either I stayed here and surely died, or tried to run and save myself. I acted upon realizing I wasn’t ready to die at the claws of this monster, and turned swiftly, taking off as I heard the werewolf howl behind me, jumping over the table to chase after me. I screamed when I realized he was really after me, snarling and howling every few minutes, a lot faster than I had anticipated. I had to grip my skirt and raise it above my knees as my lungs burned and muscles strained, never having ran this fast before in my life. My mind was only focused on saving myself, on taking me far away from danger. I didn’t realize that I was running further inside the forest instead of heading towards the dorms, where the werewolves were forbidden of entering once they have shifted.

I ran even faster as my sensitive ears picked up on the loud thuds the werewolf was making as it chased after me, snarling louder, sounding completely furious as I was gasping for air, lungs completely empty and begging for me to take a breather, but if I stopped, I would die. I pushed even more, using my inhumane speed to try and get rid of the beast, but it seemed like it did nothing as the wolf chased after me without sounding tired and nowhere near of giving up on its pursuit of me. I was becoming desperate, I couldn’t go on like this for much longer, my body was shaking despite me running. I was filled with adrenaline, heart pumping my blood fast as I ran for my life, until I felt the werewolf nipping at the back of my skirt with its large teeth, making me cry out in fright. I turned my head to see the distance between us, but it was a foolish action as it caused me to lose my footing, tripping in the huge twigs scattered around the forest floor, sending me to the ground with a painful tumble. I cried out as I felt my skin scrape through my cardigan, even if it would heal in mere seconds, it was still painful. I hadn’t even realized that I have started crying, and now that the werewolf was just a foot behind me, snarling and hissing at me animalistically, I started crying loudly, trying to get away from it until my back hit a tree.

“Please,” I whimpered, jumping when the wolf growled at me, staring me menacingly in the eyes. I shook my head and pressed my hands against my mouth, lungs heaving for air as my whole body shook, eyes filled to the brim with tears, my vision blurry, “Mingi!”

I didn’t understand why I called out his name, but I found myself desperately clinging onto his name as if it would save me, as if it would send the werewolf away, “Mingi! Please, Mingi! Help!”

My screams were shrill and my throat hurt, but it only made me shake more as the black wolf growled and almost jumped at me, hitting its paws against the forest floor annoyed, hissing, and puffing. I could feel the pain I felt that day, spreading from my bicep down to my arm, infecting my brain with that excruciating ache, and I started sobbing as I pressed my head against my knees, curling up in a ball as if it would’ve protected me from the beast. I didn’t even realize it in that moment, but I started calling out Mingi’s name as if it were a mantra, praying to all celestial powers that he would show up and save me from this monster, which was coming closer and closer, its hisses and growls louder by the second. I hate werewolves, I hate them so much, yet I was calling out the name of one until my throat was too dry to scream anymore. Only my sobs could be heard around us, and the scream I let out when I felt arms wrapping around me, sending me into a panicked state as I trashed around, trying to fight the grip they had on me off. I couldn’t hear and I couldn’t see due to the deep-rooted fear I felt, that is, until a faint voice slowly started getting to me, my brain registering the familiar rasp of it, the deep tone I was used to hearing.

“Y/N, Y/N, please, it’s me,” The voice was soft and scared, sounding almost like it was talking to a scared little child, “It’s me, Y/N, Mingi. I’m Mingi, you’re safe, please—”

My arms flew around Mingi’s neck as I threw myself at him, gasping for air loudly as I clung to him to the point my nails dug into his naked shoulders, drawing blood. Mingi’s body felt warm, muscles stiff, but he instantly cradled me against himself, fingers tangling in my hair as he started quietly shushing me. I continued to cry for a few more minutes, hard to completely calm down, but Mingi’s warmth and reassuring words seemed to get my heartrate back to normal, making me forget the panic I felt just minutes ago.

“You’re alright, I’m here.” Mingi’s nose pressed into my hair, lips barely brushing against my ear as he whispered quietly into it, “You’re safe, I’m here. Nothing will hurt you, Y/N, you can calm down now. I’m here, I got you.”

I let out a shuddered breath as I closed my eyes, pressing my face into Mingi’s neck and inhaling his comforting scent, feeling my muscles ease up as Mingi’s fingers brushed through my disheveled hair, pressing kisses against my temple. I took a deep breath and let out a long sigh, heart still beating fast, and body on high alert as the adrenaline didn’t leave me yet.

“Mingi.” I croaked out, slowly pulling my head back to look at him, feeling my lips tremble as I realized just how terrified I had been, “I was so—”

“It’s okay now,” Mingi cut me off with a small smile, expression soft as he nuzzled his nose against mine, closing his eyes for a second, “You don’t have to talk. Just sit in my arms and calm down.”

“Mingi,” I whispered, feeling the need to cry again, but I forced the tears away just as Mingi’s cheek touched mine, and he nuzzled them together just like he had done earlier today, in the classroom, “Thank you. I’m so sorry.”

Mingi looked confused once he pulled back, but when he noticed I was looking at the bloody nail marks on his shoulders, he just chuckled and shrugged, “Don’t worry, I’ve been roughed up way worse before.”

I looked into his eyes again and loosened my suffocating grip around him, but still clung onto him, overlooking the fact that he was completely naked. I was still trembling and afraid, I wasn’t physically able to let go of him yet. And just then, there was a growl to our right, and I gasped as I turned my head and saw the black werewolf standing there, eyes set sharply on Mingi. My body started shaking violently again and I felt my fight or flight kick in again, but Mingi held me strongly against himself, caging me against his body as he hugged me tightly, shushing me when I tried to speak up.

“You, asshole!” Mingi hissed towards the werewolf, making my eyes widen, “What is wrong with you, Yunho?!”

My eyes widened as I snapped my head towards the wolf, finding him shuffling on his four legs, snarling his teeth at us.

“Why would you chase her, are you nuts?!” Mingi’s voice was raising, I could feel his heartrate quicken underneath my cold hand, “You know she has some sort of trauma with werewolves and you go chasing her around the fucking forest, during a full moon, you idiot!”

Mingi’s words were sharp, and it was visible on his face that he was beyond pissed as he snarled his own fangs at the black werewolf, which was Yunho, apparently. I remained silent as I watched the exchange between the twins, one in human form, the other in werewolf form, my muscles tense but not like before as I realized I was away from danger now. There was a whimper and I cast my eyes upon Yunho, who was looking down at the forest floor, dragging his front paws as if he was asking for forgiveness.

“We’ll talk about this tomorrow, dude,” Mingi snapped, shaking his head in disappointment, “I’m done running around for tonight, go find Wooyoung or someone else. And don’t come back tonight to the dorm after you’re done being an asshole. Get lost!”

I watched with an open mouth as the big, black, and scary werewolf hung its head even lower, cries and whimpers leaving its mouth as it started jumping around, pressing its front paws forcefully and harshly into the solid soil.

“Stop throwing a fit, Yunho.” Mingi said with a roll of his eyes, his hands rubbing my back up and down in a comforting manner, “I won’t tell you to get lost again.”

The werewolf growled, but it lacked power and menace as he cast us one lasting stare before it turned around and ran off with loud howls, making Mingi roll his eyes again before he looked back at me. He had an apologetic look on his face and I sniffed, snot threatening to come out of my nose due to the extensive crying I had done tonight. Mingi’s hands cupped my face again and he gently wiped the fresh tears off, pressing kisses against my cheeks before he pressed a soft one against my lips, my eyes falling shut at the plushness of his warm and soft lips.

“I’m sorry about that,” Mingi sighed, sounding ashamed and disappointed, “Yunho can be a huge idiot. He thought chasing you around was a way to get back at you, but I don’t find it funny at all.”

I gulped and nodded wordlessly, clearing my throat despite it feeling sore, “How did you know…about my trauma…”

Mingi hummed, sitting back and gently pulling me in his lap, my cheeks flushing as he sat naked, looking quite unbothered, as I forced myself to look at his face only, preferably in his warm brown eyes.

“Well, first of all, the bite mark.” Mingi explained, gently touching where my mark was, looking sad, “And well, you know, the whole hatred towards us and all that shit, it’s not hard to put two and two together.”

“I’m sorry.” I found myself whispering, feeling ashamed of myself all of a sudden.

“Hey, don’t be, it’s alright—”

“It’s not,” I cut him off, eyes hardening as I gulped, “I put you through so much just because I’m traumatized, and you have nothing to do with it. I’m a horrible creature.”

“I can’t imagine what you must’ve went through to feel so strongly against us,” Mingi’s fingers intertwined with mine as he rested our hands in my lap, “And I never blamed you for it one second. Of course, your bullying did get too much at times, but I always had my family to back me up and reassure me. I never had a problem with you bothering me as long as you left my family one.”

My cheeks turned pink as I looked to the side, biting my lower lip as Mingi chuckled. I blushed even harder when he leaned closer and kissed my cheek again, “I guess you always had a thing for me.”

“Shut up, Mingi,” I groaned, looking him in the eyes again, “This is so not the moment nor place to turn cocky on me.”

“I could turn into only one thing right now,” Mingi chuckled, eyes flashing an orchid-color, “But I think the cocky thing is something we could take care of faster—”

“Song Mingi!” I slapped his hard chest, glaring at him for saying such things while I sat in his naked lap. Mingi cackled, biting his lower lip once he was done, watching me amused as I tried to get off his lap, but he didn’t let me.

“Glad to see you calm and comfortable again,” Mingi mused, grinning as he ruffled my hair, making it even worse than it already was from all the running, “but I must ask, why the hell were you even outside on a full moon, Y/N?”

“Because of your stupid sister—” I cleared my throat quickly, “I mean, sweet sister, Dahyun. She said she couldn’t feel your scent and was scared of the approaching storm. Plus that you tuck her in every night, so…”

Mingi sighed loudly, looking up at the dark sky. I looked around us, realizing that the sky was rumbling, the lightning just above our heads. I was too distracted to realize that the storm was minutes away from starting.

“That silly girl,” Mingi muttered, chuckling as he gently pushed me off himself, “I hate to tell you, but she was only pranking you, a plan probably elaborated with Yunho—”

“What?!” I exclaimed as I scurried off to my feet, gaping at Mingi as he chuckled, rubbing his nape.

“Yeah, well, uh…you know, she hasn’t let me inside her room since she was in fourth grade, which was like…four years ago.” Mingi pursed his lips, also standing, the view quite a sight as I quickly plastered my gaze on his face only, “She didn’t lie about the storm though as she usually comes to me for comfort. She must’ve gotten scared and went looking for me, having a pretext to send you outside.”

“Why couldn’t she feel your scent, then?” I asked as Mingi suddenly swept me off of my feet, making me yelp as I clung onto him as he held me bridal style.

“I don’t know,” Mingi shrugged, looking nonchalant, “My scent comes and goes sometimes when I shift.”

“Oh,” I muttered, giving Mingi a questioning gaze as he started walking through the forest, headed back to the shed, “What are you doing?”

“Taking you back to the dorms.” He said with a smile, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “You certainly must’ve grown thirsty after seeing me in all of my naked glory.”

“Mingi.” I blanched, giving him a deadpan look, “You better put me down right now.”

“Hmm, let me think about it,” He pursed his lips mockingly, looking up towards the sky, “No.”

“Mingi—”

“I’ll put you down once we’re in my room.” He winked, and something coiled in my stomach as I gulped.

“Your room?” I mused, looking at him with wide eyes.

“Of course, don’t think I’m leaving you alone tonight, what if the big, scary, black wolf comes back to eat you?” He cackled and I smacked his chest hard, making him groan in pain.

“You’re making me think you were in on the plan too.” I hissed, glaring at his perfect jawline. Mingi chuckled and just shook his head, giving me a pointed stare.

“Tormenting my mate isn’t top of my list, you know?”

“We’re not mates.” I muttered.

“Yet.” Mingi grinned.

“Ever.” I hissed and Mingi licked his lips before biting his bottom lip, his heart thumping just a little bit faster as I could feel his giddiness radiate off of him.

“Do you know you drank my blood when we slept together—”

“What?!” I snapped mortified, almost jumping out of his arms, “I did not!”

“Uh, yes, you did.” Mingi chuckled, wriggling his head at me funnily, “I found two little punctures at the base of my neck.”

I felt mortified hearing that, face turning completely red and muscles tensing. It wasn’t forbidden to feed off of other night creatures, it’s just that it was a very intimate action, usually only practiced between vampire lovers.

“You know, it’s funny,” Mingi’s eyes were glinting as he looked down at me, “It’s where my scent gland is, the spot where werewolves mark each other when mating—”

“Mingi, please, stop.” I pressed a hand against his mouth, completely and utterly embarrassed. But he licked my palm, making me yelp as I ripped my hand away from his mouth.

“I think you triggered my imprinting, isn’t that the funniest thing ever?”

“Oh, my fucking God,” I wailed, squeezing my eyes shut in mortification, “Kill me right now, Mingi.”

“Can’t do that, doll, not when you’re the love of my life.” Mingi chuckled, nearing the edge of the forest finally.

“Stop spewing non-sense,” Yet I felt my heart beat just a little faster, cheeks heating up hearing his words, “I thought we agreed to talk about this whole thing tomorrow.”

“True,” Mingi hummed, smiling contently, “So, how’s your memory?”

“Why?” I raised an eyebrow in suspicion as Mingi smirked, looking ahead.

“Mine’s a little foggy, that’s why.” He said nonchalantly, making me gulp as I had a hunch what he was talking about.

“Well, so is mine.” I said in a small voice, Mingi’s attractive face turned downwards as his sharp eyes bore into mine, plump lips pulled into the most attractive smirk I had ever seen.

“Good, I think it’s time we give it a refresh, then,” He whispered seductively, leaning just a little closer, “You know, make sure we don’t forget this time, not even the littlest details.”

My mouth went dry and I felt my stomach coil at his suggestion, and all I could do was nod at him speechless, licking my lips as a warm feeling washed over me, going straight to my core. Mingi’s eyes were glinting and he chuckled, kicking the shed’s door open as he walked us inside.

I don’t think there was a single thing I would’ve been able to forget about Song Mingi, even after having lived for an eternity.

≡  Masterlist ≡ 

[creadigol]

Hello i just recently found this blog and i'm in love with your writing.

Can you please continue the hero x villain story with the criminal please?

I am so sorry for the long wait…but here it finally is! Thank you so much for the ask! I hope y’all like part 2! 

*Warning for slight flashbacks of a traumatic event, but nothing bad.

Part One here.

“Once again Detective, I have no answers to your questions, I have no clue where they are, and if you don’t leave my property within the next thirty seconds I claim the right to shoot you for trespassing.” 

 Hero heard the voice below them speak with little attempt at patience. Their eyes were heavy and their body felt like lead, but their ears seemed to awaken with no problem. Why would Villain be threatening to shoot Detective? Hero had thought the two tended to keep out of each other’s way. Wait, why was Hero asleep in the same vicinity as Villain in the first place? 

“I know you have them! All accounts place you following Hero into the house! Dammit Villain! What happened?” 

God, Hero had never heard Detective so worked up before. The man was usually made of stone, even in the face of absolute evil. Hell, Hero once saw the man play a game of russian roulette with a mob boss and win through sheer intimidation. How had Villain got him so worked up? Of course they were enemies, being on opposite sides of a moral code tended to do that…but they had never been outright hostile to each other. 

“Fifteen…sixteen…seventeen…” Villain counted. Hero could just picture them casually looking at their watch while unholstering a weapon. 

“Fine!” Screamed Detective. “But don’t think I won’t be back! I’ll not rest until Hero is found!” 

Hero heard the stomping of boot heels on the walk. 

“Then maybe you shouldn’t have lost them in the first place!” Villain yelled back. 

“Fuck you!” 

Hero fought to open their eyes. They moved their fingers and toes, feeling like they were some kind of mummy awakening after centuries of death. 

What was Detective talking about? Hero was right here. They had just finished up another case for them when…

The memory flashed before their eyes…the Criminal…the knife…that goddamn smile as Hero bled onto the kitchen floor…the fear…Villain!

No amount of lead in their veins could keep them down at the thought. Hero shot out of the plush bed with speed their body was not ready for. 

The window to their right was open, that must be how they heard the conversation at the front door, and Hero stumbled towards it. It took a moment, as their foot got caught in the exceptionally soft bedspread, but they made it. 

Hero stood to the side, not wanting anyone outside to see them in such a state of weakness…nor did they want Detective to see them…and looked out. Sure enough, this was Villains street…at least this was the street of their safe house. Hero had found it six months ago while following Villain after a deal gone wrong. They had just wanted to make sure Villain wasn’t too beat up…they ended up staying all night wrapping the Villains wounds. 

Hero assumed Villain would have changed houses after that. Guess not. 

Hero watched as Detective stomped angrily to his silver sedan. Now how had Detective found the safe house? And why did he not just raid the place? Why put up with Villain’s taunts if he knew Hero was here? 

Hero took stock of the room. It was a nice bedroom, rather typical. Blue walls and a matching white and blue quilt. There was a small dresser, night stand and desk that looked like they were bought together at the local Big Lots. Nothing expensive, like how Villain usually liked. Nothing gleaming of elegance or gilding. Nothing special…but comfortable. Actually really comfortable. And kind of cute. 

Nothing at all like Villain. 

A shuffling outside the bedroom door made Hero stiffen. The door opened revealing Villain, still muttering to themselves about ‘nosy, pain in the ass detectives’. Hero stayed frozen by the window. 

Villain was carrying a tray with a sup and bowl on it, something steaming from the bowl when they glanced at the bed and saw it was empty. 

“Shit!” They swung around frantically, somehow not spilling anything, and immediately laid eyes on Hero. 

“Hero!” Villain gasped. They placed the tray on the nightstand as the tension in their shoulders released. “What in the hell are you doing up? Do you have any idea wha…”

“Where am I?” Hero interrupted them. Villain froze. “What the hell is going on?” 

Villain’s eyebrows scrunched. “Hero…” They started. “Do you remember what happened? I mean, I understand if not…” 

“Of course I remember,” Hero snapped. “But that does not explain why I’m in your safe house or why Detective was here.” 

“Fuck. I knew his voice carried,” muttered Villain. They looked at Hero, seeming to take in their appearance, which Hero felt was probably not great. “You were stabbed Hero. It was bad…really bad. I had to heal you, but…” Villain gestured vaguely. 

“You redirected my body’s energy to heal the wound,” Hero finished. That’s why they were sleeping. That’s why they had no energy to spare. 

“You should still be out,” Villain said as they walked forward. “I estimated at least another week, if not more. Had planned on Doctor giving you an IV tonight.” 

Hero looked down at themselves and took stock of their appearance. Their hair was down, though that had happened during their scuffle with Criminal, and their arms were bruised. Finger prints littered their wrists and elbows. They lifted the front of their t-shirt and glanced at their stomach. Only a slight discoloration showed any sign of the life threatening injury they had received. 

“How long was I out?” 

“Four days. Detective’s been following me incessantly after they couldn’t find you in that damn house.” 

Villain had walked to only an arm's length away. Seeming reluctant to come any closer, yet holding themselves as if to reach out. 

“Followed you here I see,” Hero said. They traced their fingers over the discoloration on their stomach. 

“Unfortunately.” 

Hero let the shirt fall back down and only then comprehended their attire.

“Did you dress me in your pajamas?” Hero asked incredulously. 

Villain laughed, “Well your clothes were ruined and there wasn’t much else here.”

“You didn’t…” Hero gave them a look that promised quick vengeance should they hear the wrong answer to their question. 

“I was perfectly professional, I assure you. Nothing but doctoring on my part.” Villain clapped them on the shoulder. “You should get back to bed though. You still need time to recover.” 

Hero was feeling faint standing, so they agreed and got back into the bed. They got situated under the covers, but sat up by the headboard. Villain stood hovering for a moment before stepping back.

“Why did Detective need to follow you? Why not just tell him I’m here?” Hero eyed Villain as they fiddled with the covered steaming bowl, “Not like saving my life is very illegal. Unless you..you know.” 

Hero didn’t finish as they thought about Villain’s words to them before they passed out. 

Best not to look to your right though…you have too fair a disposition to look at Criminal now.

“Criminal’s alive,” Villain spoke as if reading their mind. “Did my best, but the bastard lived.” 

Hero felt their insides freeze. 

You really are perfect aren't you?

Let’s not prolong this dear. 

“They’re secured in the hospital ward of the prison.” Villain sat down on the edge of the bed and placed their hand over Hero’s pale one. “You got enough for the case while you were undercover. Better than a confession.” 

Villain made eye contact, “They’re never getting out Hero. And if they did, I would finish the job.” 

Hero smiled softly. “I have no doubt you would finish the job now if I asked.” 

Villain chuckled, “Wouldn’t be the worst job I ever took.” 

“But why Detective?” Asked Hero. 

“But why Detective what?” Villain said. They patted Hero’s hand and got up to go back to the tray once more. 

“Why lie about saving me?” 

Villain took the top off the bowl and Hero saw that it contained hot water and a white cloth. 

“Should have known you’d have heard that. Damn hearing.” 

“Why?” Hero pressed. 

Villain handed them a hair tie. “Because I don’t trust him. Or at least I don’t trust who he works for.” 

Hero pulled their hair into a bun. “Why?”

Villain swirled the cloth through the water a couple of times. Hero could smell what they assumed were salts or oils mixed in. 

“They never should have called you in,” Villain spoke.

Hero reached out for the cloth, “They call me in all the time.” 

The cloth stayed in Villain’s hand, submerged in water. “They don’t for the petty stuff.” 

“Well this wasn’t exactly petty. Criminal was the killer we’ve been looking for.” 

“Exactly!” The water sloshed with Villain’s outburst. “All the victims look like you. All the Criminal’s ‘types’ look like you. Every outfit, hair style, and mannerism was just like you. Criminal’s had an obsession for a while Hero and those bastards banked on it.” 

Hero faltered. 

“You’re saying they tricked me to get them?” 

“I’m saying something’s going on and until we figure it out you’re not safe to go back.” 

Hero went silent for a few moments.

“Damn.” They finally whispered.

Villain handed them the warm cloth. “Yeah…damn.” 

The scent infused water felt heavenly on Hero’s neck and face. They wondered if this was how Villain kept them clean while they slept. 

“So what do we do?” 

“You,” Villain pointed, “rest. At least for the next couple of days.”

“And you?” Hero handed the cloth back. 

“I’m going to pay the good Commissioner a little visit this week.” 

[class1akids]

I'm not that annon, I promise. But please don't forget to share what you think the child versions for the fights were important in Horikoshi's intentions. Especially for Toga's case because I can't find myself understanding why it was needed. (And that Hawks and Twice never got child imagery)

I think the Toga-Ochako fight has obvious parallels to the Hawks-Twice fight, with phrases like "don't you dare pity me" and the focus on how when two egos clash, someone has to die. When Ochako offers to talk about romance with Toga, it's similar to how Hawks offers Twice support to pay the consequences and turn his life around - offering something they think the other need, but not getting it quite right. Toga and Ochako as they are now - villain and hero - have vastly different experiences so they cannot connect over this offer, just like Hawks and Twice couldn't either.

But when Toga rejects Ochako, she doesn't give up but tries to dig deeper and either by luck or pure observation, she taps into something child Himiko needed to hear (about her smile not being creepy). The moment is even framed a lot like Midoriya vs Todoroki "your power" because that was also basically Deku stumbling upon something that managed to break through the layers Shoto built around his child self.

The first child image is Ochako's POV. She's tapping into her own childhood experiences about people smiling and picturing what Himiko as a child would have been like and that helps to get to that breakthrough point, where she's not pitying Toga but admires her and is jealous of her (when Himiko spent her whole life wanting to be other people).

And then Ochako showing this emotion towards Toga and offering again to talk to her and give her blood, she is trying to connect with that part of Himiko who is just a child desperately wanting to fit in. This is still Ochako's POV btw, but the following chapter makes it clear that she hasn't fully gotten through yet.

So she keeps trying - she opens up about herself and her denied feelings about Izuku, etc. etc., and asking again about Toga's feelings. And this is where we go to Toga's POV and see Ochako there as a child. (Btw, this also is the same sort of story-beat as Toya seeing Shoto as a child)

Then they start to talk - and there is an interesting overlay of their child and grown-up characters, where the child-selves connect, but Toga's grown-up version is still raging about the way both Ochako and Izuku rejected her earlier. (Similar to how Toya is ranting at his family in the end). But in the end the child version wins, and Toga doesn't hurt Ochako anymore and Jin's blood has run out, so everything is over for her.

And this is the point where Ochako could just be like "well, I won", but instead she shows that she's listened to Toga and understood that she needs acceptance, so she gives that to her (about how her smile is special) - (I think this moment parallels when Shoto acknowledges Toya's fire being amazing and Endeavor apologizes to him for not coming to Sekoto peak).

So both the child-self and the adult self gets an important moment of relief and fulfilling a basic need which changes her perception of herself from someone who desperately wanted to be someone else, to someone who can accept herself and choose to die as her own person.

[justwearthegoddamncardigan]

Hello:)

so I was looking thru ur pinned post and saw that u wrote for Harry Potter and was wondering if you would do a fic for George Weasley? ( fem reader pls) but basically, I was just kind of thinking of an introverted Gryffindor who loves books and George meets them and they both (very obvious to others) have a crush on each other? Maybe George just asks them for book recs even tho he had no interest in reading before just so he can find a way to talk to the reader? I know you have a lot of fics in the making so take ur time please<3

A HP REQUEST?? This is amazing I'm so excited to be branching out from maze runner again, and I absolutely love this request it's super cute ❤❤. Ty for being so kind and sweet as well :)

Umm :D So I wrote the above ^^^ response as soon as the request came in and now... IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS IM SO SORRY ANON!! Hope you're still out there to read 😭

It's a love story

George Weasley x fem!reader

I am not British *thumbs up in australian* so prepare either for out-of-place non-british dialogue or cringe attempts to fit into the universe. idk which one it's gonna be so I guess we'll find out

3.1k words

Warnings: language (swearing)

You turn the corner and register a flash of red hair before colliding hard with a body.

"Shit!"

You groan as you sit up, staring around to see your books have been knocked out of your arms and onto the floor.

"Fuck, sorry, listen I've gotta-"

"Weasley!"

You turn in surprise as Filch marches down the corridor, fist raised with an expression of rage on his face.

"Shit," you whisper.

"Yeah," says the person who knocked you over, who you've now found is none other than George Weasley. Of course, the guy you've kinda sorta maybe liked for years is only talking to you after literally bowling you over.

"Here." He points his wand and charms all your books into little palm-sized rectangles, before gathering them up and stuffing them in his pockets. "We've gotta go."

"Where?" you stare around the empty corridor, unable to find a decent hiding spot.

"Follow me." George leads you over to a dusty-looking tapestry and ducks behind it.

"What the-"

"Come on!" he reaches out and grabs your hand, tugging you in.

You stumble through the gap between the tapestry and the wall, practically falling into George's chest.

"Sorry," you mutter, and you're glad it's dark because you can feel your face blushing like crazy.

"I know you're 'round 'ere, Weasley," you hear Filch snarl from outside.

You hear him muttering to himself as his footsteps eventually recede, and you let out a breath. "He's gone."

You turn to push through the tapestry to get out, only to be met with a thin slab of solid stone. "What-"

George winces. "Yeah, once you get in here it closes for about half an hour."

"Half an hour?" you repeat incredulously.

You can barely see his nod in the dark. "I mean, one of them closes for two hours once you get in, so half isn't too bad."

There's beat of silence, before, "Lumos."

The tip of George's wand lights up, illuminating the small space. "Oh, it's you," he says, seemingly on instinct the moment the light appears.

"Pardon?"

He seems to catch himself, shaking his head. "Nevermind, just- Here, sit down."

You sit down on the floor with your legs crossed, heart skipping a beat as your knee brushes against his in the cramped space.

"We're in the same Transfiguration class, aren't we?" asks George.

"I- yeah." You're pleasantly surprised by that. You tend to be pretty quiet in class, mostly keeping to yourself.

"You're always the first person to get a new transfiguration successfully. Bird to glass on the first try, right?"

"I- yeah," you say, warming at the recognition of the hard work you've always put into Transfiguration.

He nods. "Took me the whole lesson to get that one right. Hey, I never caught your name in class?"

"It's L/n," you say. "Y/n L/n."

"Good to meet ya, Y/n," he grins. "I'm George."

"I know," you can't help but say, smiling slightly.

"Oh, your books." George empties his pockets of your miniaturised books. "Engorgio." He waves his wand over them, changing them back to their normal size.

"Thanks," you say, pulling them towards you and stacking them up.

"You read a lot?"

You smile to yourself, picturing the dozens of books you go through in a term. "Just a bit."

"Sure," says George, eyeing the four novels sitting in front of you now.

Before long, you reach out and push against the tapestry, finding it to be cloth again instead of stone.

"Time to go?" George stands and pushes through, and you follow him into the corridor.

"Finally," you say, stretching before grabbing your books.

"Sorry about earlier," says George with a sheepish smile. "And for trapping you for half an hour."

You shake your head. "It's okay."

He grins at you. "Alright then, see you 'round Y/n."

You stand still, rooted to the ground as he leaves, waving behind him, and something in you clicks. Oh shit.

⭒----⭒

Any thoughts about George a put aside for the night when you settle down with your book.

The common room late at night is your happy place. Most people are sleeping in the dorms, save for a couple 6th years finishing their assignments.

You tune out their little whisperings as you sit beside the crackling fire, and you can just pretend you're alone in the common room, getting lost in your book.

Before long, you're actually alone, with the remaining people all retreating to their dorms - except for one that you haven't noticed.

George is sitting across the room, barely paying attention to the essay he's meant to be editing. Every so often, he glances up at you without you noticing.

After years of sharing the same Transfig class, something about you has piqued George's interest, though he's always tried to mark it down as pure curiosity.

He can't believe it's taken literally knocking you to the ground to get your attention, and he doesn't understand how he hadn't properly met you before earlier that day. But now, he can't seem to resist the strange pull you have on him.

Get yourself together, you've only met once, idiot. George frowns as he silently berates himself, but he can't help but watch as you repeatedly flick away a strand of hair that keeps falling into your eyes.

Fuck it. Go talk to her.

George stands abruptly, nearly knocking over a goblet in the process.

You, the oblivious centre of all his thoughts for the past few hours, are still just sitting beside the fire, reading your book.

"Hey."

You jerk slightly in surprise, grabbing your book as it starts sliding out of your lap.

"Um, hi. What's up?" you manage to say coolly.

George blanks. He hadn't exactly come in with a plan. He glances down at the assignment he'd been working on; good enough. "Did you finish that work Flitwick gave us?"

"I haven't yet," you say slowly, slightly confused as to why he's here. "I've just gotta write a conclusion and edit the rest."

"I haven't got a clue how to write the damn conclusion," says George, flopping down beside you and complaining about the rigid essay structure.

You realise as he's talking that it's strangely intimate. Earlier, you'd been sitting on the floor with your back leaning on a couch and your knees up, braced against the coffee table.

Now, you're both wedged between said couch and table, and despite the generous space between the two of you, you feel oddly close to him.

"Can I read yours?" he asks, pointing to where your assignment has been sitting since you gave up and decided to just read your book.

"Sure," you say, sliding it to him.

He leans against the couch as he skims your work, fingers tapping absent-mindedly.

"God you write like a professor, Y/n," comments George. "...the fuck are all these words- incandescence?"

"I... read a little," you say with a little smile, cheeks warming at the way your name sounds in his mouth.

He glances up at you. "This is brilliant. So you've just got the conclusion to do?"

You nod, taking back the assignment as he pushes it to you.

You end up staying up way longer than you'd intended, talking to George as the conversation topic quickly strays away from any Charms essays.

By the time you go to your dorms, you haven't even finished your conclusion.

⭒----⭒

"Mate, you're not nearly as subtle as you think you are," says Fred, elbowing his brother.

George elbows him right back. "What're you on about?"

"The staring," says Fred, grin teasing. "It's getting embarrassing. If whatever little crush you've now got starts affecting my reputation, we're gonna have to have a chat about this twin thing."

George rolls his eyes. "Git."

"So..." Fred drags out the word. "Who is it then?"

He jerks his chin towards the group of girls on the other side of the Gryffindor breakfast table, where George had been conspicuously staring at you all morning.

"The one on the left - Y/L/N, she's in our Transfig class."

"Oh!" says Fred, eyes lighting up in understanding. "Oh she's great, I did a project with her once. Quiet type, bookish. Fun, though. Pretty, too," he adds, raising an eyebrow at George.

"Shut it," retorts George. "What should I do then?"

"I don't fuckin' know Georgie, just go talk to her. Ask for book recommendations or something."

"That's... actually a decent idea."

" 'course it is," says Fred. "Anything to get you guys together as fast as possible so I don't have to deal with your lovesick horsecrap."

⭒----⭒

A Quidditch game has just finished (Gryffindor victory, of course), and you're avoiding the inevitable party in the common room. You can enjoy parties on a good day, but you're just not feeling it right now.

So you're in the library, wandering around as you wait for dinner.

"Y/n!" You turn to see George doing a weird half-run toward you, not wanting to be yelled at for running in the library.

"Oh, George. Hey."

"I figured you'd be in here," he says.

"You figured...?"

"Well," he raises an eyebrow at you. "Since you read a little."

You huff out a soft laugh, shaking your head. "So why were you looking for me?"

You try to listen as he speaks, but you're immediately distracted by just about everything about him.

His cheeks are flushed red, probably cause he just transitioned from the cold outside to the heated library, and his hair is windswept and slightly wet from melted snowflakes.

He's gotten rid of his Quidditch gear, but it's strange to see him in just the casual clothes students usually wear in the dorms and common room again.

And he's still speaking. Pay attention, Y/n.

"Anyways, I just wanted to find you, cause you know, hobbies... and literature, are really... important. And the Christmas holidays are coming up. So I just wanted to ask if you had any recommendations."

You frown slightly as you remember it's only the start of November, and he barrels on, almost seeming nervous.

"For books, I mean. To read, over the holidays. I don't, uh- come in here very often, so I don't know what's good. You seemed like a good person to ask." He scrubs a hand over the back of his neck as he speaks, giving you a hopeful smile.

"I am," you say with a smirk. You straighten up confidently, banishing any nervousness because books; books you can do.

"Great," says George. "What've you got for me, Y/L/N?"

"Well what kind of books do you like?"

His grin falters. "Um-"

"Fiction, non-fiction, stories, biographies?"

"...stories?"

"Sure." You navigate to another aisle, moving into the more fiction-y section. "Action, ooh- historical, adventure, romance?" You lift an eyebrow at the last one.

"I-" He clears his throat, and you smile slightly to yourself. "Action is good, I think," he says uncertainly.

You scan the shelf currently at your eye level, before picking out a book. "I love this one," you tell him. "Pretty fast paced, which might be good for you. Also, dragons."

"Dragons," he repeats. "Great."

"How many books are you looking for?" you ask.

"Just one, I think. I wanna... get into reading, before the holidays start."

"Sure," you say, holding the book out to him.

It's like sun breaking through, when he smiles in return. "Do you think we could meet up?" he begins. "To talk about the book once I've read it?"

"Yeah, I'd like that," you smile. "And you have to tell me what you like, so I can recommend you the next one."

"Excellent."

⭒----⭒

Ever since giving George that first book you've started seeing him almost every day.

The two of you can be found huddled together in the little nooks around the library, or behind the greenhouses, or down by the lake, talking about books and school and everything in between.

But soon the holidays arrive, and you're saying goodbye to him and the rest of your friends.

Your parents are being forced to travel a lot over Christmas for work, so the first month of the holiday flies by in a whirlwind of tea in the morning with the few remaining students in Hogwarts, long peaceful walks on the grounds, and lots and lots of reading.

You've devoured a row of books in the library by the time Christmas has passed, and you've planned to go through another row, when George materialises in the common room one day, two weeks after Christmas.

"George?" you exclaim, spotting him in the common room.

He turns as he hears your voice, and his face splits into a wide grin. Without hesitation, he runs up to you and pulls you into a hug, lifting you just slightly above the floor.

Your heart swells as his laughter rings in the air, and suddenly everything is complete.

"I missed you so much," you tell him, almost surprised at your own admission. Truth is, Hogwarts is beautiful during Christmas, but it's a little lonely with everyone else having gone home.

George's responding smile is worth the wait though, and he tosses an arm around your shoulder as he leads you out of the common room.

"C'mon, it's a Hogsmeade day. No time to waste!"

⭒----⭒

The two of you settle down at a table in the Three Broomsticks, grabbing Butterbeers as you go.

"Alright then, Weasley. Did you get through the holiday book I got you?"

He smiles. "I did. And you know what I was thinking when I read it?"

"What?"

"Y/n would hate Chaolie, and she'd love Alosia."

You blink in surprise. "I- yeah, those are my exact thoughts on the book."

George smirks. "See? I know you."

"I mean yeah, I loved every chapter Alosia was in; she's my favourite. Typical, I know, everyone likes the side characters, but god, Allo would've been so much better as a main character than fucking Chaolie. G.T.L. is brilliant- we know that, she fits insane arcs and storylines into a single book, but please,-"

George listens, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth, as you continue rambling animatedly about the book, your hands gesturing enthusiastically as you speak.

"And the cover: gorgeous. You know stories like this can have the silliest cover art if they're not done well, and the choice to go almost muggle-style with a non-moving cover is perfect."

You brush a stray piece of hair away from your face, oblivious to the way George tracks the movement, desperately wanting to reach out and tuck it behind your ear for you.

The bell on the door chimes and you look over George's shoulder to see a bunch of familiar redheads walking in.

"Ah, Y/n," says Fred, floating towards your table. "Lovely to finally see you again after having to hear so much about you over Christmas."

You giggle as George thumps his brother with his book, face turning almost as red as his hair. "Stupid- git."

"This is the Y/n?" says Ron, another one of George's brothers.

His sister joins in too. "Ah, so you're the reason we had to come back early."

"Early?" you repeat, confused.

"Enough," snaps George. "Piss off, all of you," he says, fruitlessly shoving his siblings away from your table.

He groans. "Come on Y/n, we're leaving." He tugs on your hand, and you snort as his family's antics as you down the last sip of Butterbeer and hop off your seat.

"Until we meet again, Y/n." Fred salutes you as you exit, and you laugh as you wave to the rest of the Weasleys.

"Sorry about them," says George, slightly pink in the cheeks.

"Don't worry," you laugh. "It's fine. But what did Ginny mean when- hey!"

You're cut off as George yanks off his scarf and starts wrapping it around your neck and face. "...It's cold out," he explains weakly as you give him a look.

You pin him down with your gaze, and he sighs. "Fine."

He grabs your hand and leads you away from the Three Broomsticks, brushing snow off a park bench before sitting down.

Every memory he's had with you, every moment he's spent falling for you, flashes through his head.

The shy smile you had in your first few days of meeting, which he could only describe as cute, the mischievous glint in your eye when you'd almost recommended him a romance book, your laugh that he's memorised the sound of... damn it, he better not fuck this up.

You sit down beside him, giving him a concerned look.

"Okay, here it is," he says abruptly. "I like you."

You blink, caught off guard.

"You're so- you're bright," he says. "There's this light in you, and it's so fucking bright, and people don't see it. I don't get that. But whatever, they don't matter. I just mean, I've been pretty much blinded by you since we met... well, since I knocked you over running from Filch. I- god, fuck this metaphor. The point is, every time I'm not with you, I'm just wishing that I was. Cause I like you, and I wish- I'd hoped, that maybe you like me back?"

You're still silent, your brain trying to catch up with what your ears are hearing.

But George takes the silence differently. "It- it's okay if you don't. You know, I don't want to pressure you, at all. It's completely-"

"George." You take his hand. "I like you too, so damn much. I was just... I've never done this before. I didn't know if I should ask you out, or confess, or anything."

George lets out an incredulous breath. "Oh. Well then."

He rests his forehead against yours. "Y/n, will you do me the great honour of becoming my girlfriend."

You're smiling so much it almost hurts. "I'd love to," you whisper.

⭒----⭒

It's only on your first date, that you realise; "You know, we've practically be dating this whole time."

"What do you mean?" asks George, digging into his icecream.

"Meeting up, just the two of us. We've been doing it for ages, except we thought it was just book meetings."

The spoon stills halfway to George's mouth. "...fuck."

You snort, "We're both idiots, aren't we."

"Could've saved me so much grief if I'd known we were already dating. It was well shit, overthinking everything over the holidays."

"You mean when you missed me so much you convinced your whole family to come back to school early?"

"Sod off," he replies, nudging your foot and grinning. "You thought it was cute, anyway."

"I did."

There's a beat, before; "Kissing," you say, pointing your spoon at him. "We weren't totally dating, cause we didn't kiss."

"Right," agrees George, nodding. "Speaking of..."

You let out a laugh, setting your icecream down on the table, and then you let him pull you in.

Silly details cause I can't help myself: Alosia is a music project by dodie, Chaolie is based on Chaol from tog (sorry), and GTL is the fictional author from Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. Thank you for tolerating my self-indulgent easter eggs.

Thank you for reading, everyone! Hope you enjoyed my first fic in the HP universe <3

[epickiya722]

Kiya, you're the first person who I follow, who are a Yuuji & Sukuna fan but not shipping them. Like, it's so cool....Most JJK fan that I know are people who love either one of them, hate both of them, or love both of them (and must shipping them romantically)....Do you think in the end, Yuuji is the one who will kill Sukuna for good?

Thanks @epickiya722 for sharing your fanfics and many reviews and analysis (especially for BNHA & JJK). Love reading them 💐🌻🌷

I prefer tumblr then twitter. I sometimes tired to see many negative comments around fandom. You're right, Kiya,.there are many people who love to talk negatively about a certain fandom, like if you hate it that much, why not just stop watching or reading them (yes 'a certain fandom' that I mean are BNHA & JJK)......

Is that rare?! To like both characters and not ship them?

Anyways!!

To that question, I do!! I'll be honest, I think out of all the characters, it would make sense if Yuji is the one to land the final attack and ending Sukuna for good. It honestly frightens me a little that this makes it possible that some of the other characters may be put out commission. But! Let's think about it!

I apologize beforehand because I know this is going to get long!

It makes sense to me that Yuji is the one to kill Sukuna because out of the characters, who annoys Sukuna the most? Who does he view now as his "main dish" because of his unbreakable resolve? Yuji Itadori!

This kinda plays into some thoughts of mine I'm working on.

For one, I think of Yuji and Sukuna's relationship as more twisted version of Yugi Muto and Yami Yugi (to an extent, Ryou and Yami Bakura).

A while back, in this post, I talked a little about how JJK share some similarities to YGO, which apparently Gege likes, I don't know, I read a post. I believe so with the references thrown in there and again, similarities that could be coincidences.

Yuji and Yugi have similar names, spiky multicolored hair (black, pink and blond... Yuji used to be blond), they're high school students who wear blue uniforms, raised by their grandfathers who also happen to look like the spirit possessing them in some way, they stick to their morals, got possessed by a spirit with a "King" title through a cursed objects...

Both stories involve something about souls, Kenjaku rocked the Bandit Keith special, in the anime, you can see Gojo hold a DVD that looks like Bonds Beyond Time (I have a post here showing so)...

That's all I can capture, but thinking about all that I wondered "well, how funny it would be if Yuji turns out to be Sukuna's reincarnation? Like his soul reborn just like Yugi is to Yami/Atem?"

If that's the case, then for sure it would be possible for another similarity to be thrown in.

At the end of YGO, guess what happens to Yami and Yugi? Spoiler, Yugi beats Yami in a duel for Yami to pass onto the afterlife.

In a way, it was like he was putting his past self to rest.

So couldn't it be possible for Yuji to do the same to Sukuna? Put the King of Curses to rest as he should be? Sukuna was reawaken into an era he does not belong to. It's something I don't see talked about a lot. A clash of generations.

Think of Gojo and the Higher-Ups. Gojo doesn't like their ways of handling the Jujutsu world. Another example, Kirara's technique is more "new age" which the HUs don't care for.

With Sukuna, in 248, he's used his opponents being people who fight him to prove something or fearing him. Now? Yuji breaks that mold. He's not someone fighting Sukuna to entertain him or even fears him. He's mad at him, he hates him and doesn't seek for his praise or to please him. He has accepted that he is a Jujutsu sorcerer.

Sukuna was used to his "old" ways, that he didn't account for Yuji to come at him with a different or "new" vibe.

So yeah, Yuji being the one to kill Sukuna would be fitting in my opinion. He was created to be Sukuna's vessel, but who says he couldn't also have been created to be Sukuna's threat? I mean, it is funny that Yuji was able to suppress Sukuna with ease.

Okay, that was long! 😆

**

Seriously, it's like do some of these people ever enjoy anything and want to talk about those things?

I get not enjoying something, but the endless cycle of complaining that "this chapter is too short", "that wasn't how I wanted it go", even "break again"!

Like, damn! Is there anything in the chapter you did like? Oh, now writers and artists can't take breaks? Wonder why we have strikes...

I'm not always optimistic, but I like some enjoyment in my life, too. Post some funny memes, write about why you like a character, ramble about a ship fic you like ans trust me you will feel so much better, folks.

Also, thank you, Anon!! 🌸💜💫

I don't think of myself as a bigtime blog with analysis and theory posts, but just someone who likes to share her many thoughts. I don't except anyone to agree with me or anything. I just have thoughts that I just post.

[aromanticannibal]

Ok, Feldup recs post!

Mostly my opinion (which is wildly positive) on his most recent album, Stared at from a Distance.

Warnings, this entire album talks about Feldup's SA from a woman twice his age. It's hard to listen to, it was hard to listen to for me, who suffered through no such experiences and isn't triggered, squicked or made uncomfortable by many things.

First, I'd advise that you listen to the entire album all at once (which breaks throughout if needed), in order and with lyrics (there are subtitles in the linked video). I promise it's worth it. Now for my favorite songs :

Stared at from a Distance (2nd track, 12:06), is obviously incredible and one of my faves. It's pretty long and is way more explicit on what it's talking about than Waters (4:55), the first track (which I really liked too, the music video for it is excellently made as well). I really love the way the instrumental and beat switches throughout to accompany the story, and the end of the song made me think I was going to cry (I just needed to sneeze but tbh it's still crying material). Really good, if you listen to only one song in the album I think it should be this one. (Side note, I'm also wondering if I didn't hear part of that song when I was at Feldup's concert - it was before the album was out, but you know. I don't think I heard all of it, but maybe I just forgot).

Naked and Afraid (3rd track, 3:11) is very good and picks up very well after the second track. It makes you understand that this album really is a story you're following, and you're going to get every detail of it. The following track, Dizzy (4:11) is transitioned to so well I thought it was the same song (it's also excellent), and Fear of Abandonment (4:07) right after is like. Painful. /pos

Shove it (6th track, 03:39) is honestly terrifying to listen to, and it works very well for its subject. I don't even have much to talk about for this one, it's just really good. The 7th track, Moment of Sobriety (5:30) managed to be even scarier, because of how real it gets then (if that makes sense. The whole album is painfully real, and it reminds you of this regularly).

Crying as a Weapon (8th track, 5:20) is where I had to take a break. I think it might be one of the most relatable songs for many people who were abused, not just sexually.

Death of an Illusion (9th track, 10:23) is the other very long track of this album and it is, unsurprisingly, incredible, and one of my absolute favorites. It's also one I could relate to a lot, and its progression is very satisfying. It Never Leaves (9:09) is similar to Death of an Illusion, its continuity, and its ending made me incredibly happy.

The last one, To Love Again (4:49), is the song I enjoyed the less, musically speaking, but one of my favorites nevertheless, and a perfect ending for the album in my opinion. It also has a shift in the... well, not the narration, but I guess the message, somewhat (trying not to spoil because it's so incredible to realize to me), which entirely convinced me this is actually my favorite album of all time construction-wise.

In conclusion, Oh My Fucking God this is so incredible.

Feldup is a great person who writes incredible texts and makes excellent music. The constructions of his songs and the way his story is told throughout eleven tracks is beautiful and heartbreaking and hopeful, and it genuinely is currently changing my brain chemistry /hj. It is so good. It's on Spotify and Bandcamp for sure, and I think it's on most other streaming services, and you still have the Youtube video I linked at the top. Please give it a try.

I'll quickly give my favorite songs from his other album, A Thousand Doors, Just One Key, but they're all really good too : Falling Apart (2nd track, 4:08) which is his most known song as far as I'm aware and is a fucking banger from the first notes, Mental Health (6th, 4:25), Attention (3rd, 3:54), and Stockholm (10th, 11:21), which holds one of my favorite lyrics ever (There is no cure/I am the disease).

Anyways, have a good day or night, stream Feldup's music.

[cirilla-fiona-riannon]

Kicho's Main Story Ch. 13 Part 1 Dramatic

These translations are not intended as a replacement for the game. Please support cybird by buying their stories. SPOILERS under the cut.

I've been rushing all these translations because of my exams, so expect a lot of mistakes.

Kicho: ".........."

Motonari: "Hey, don't stare at me like that. You betrayed me first."

Motonari: "Well, I hope your naivety will make you suffer in hell."

Kicho: "I give up."

Motonari: "Ha?"

Kicho dropped his pistol to the ground and quietly raised his hands.

Motonari: "What's this all about? Did you come here to beg for your life?"

Kicho: "Yeah, you should too."

Motonari: "Ha! That doesn't make any sense."

Motonari: "What the!?"

BOOM!

Motonari: "Guh!"

Motonari: "Damn it! Where the hell are they shooting that big cannon at?"

Kicho: "Guh. Of course, it's aimed at us."

Kicho: "That man really does bring more than expected to the places I don't like."

Kicho: "But thanks to him, I don't have to beg for my life anymore."

Motonari: "Did you get that sword from one of my men?"

Motonari: "Interesting. Then let's kill each other."

Motonari's blood-red eyes twinkled, and Kicho's face contorted as he caught the heavy slash of his sword swinging.

Motonari: "Heh? Are you injured somewhere? You must have gone through a lot of trouble just to get here."

Motonari: "Then let me make it easy for you!"

Motonari turned his sword and struck several slashes.

Kicho: "Ugh..."

Motonari: "Hey, hey, don't collapse. Is that all you got without a gun?"

Motonari: "You're a top-notch shooter, but you're never going to beat me if you rely on that."

Motonari: "You're the kind of guy who gets distracted when blood rushes to your head."

Kicho: "I doubt that."

Motonari: "-----!"

Taking advantage of a momentary opening, Kicho sharply aimed at his vital point.

Kicho's hand felt the blade cut through his flesh, and blood fell silently onto the grass at Motonari's feet.

Motonari: "Damn it!"

Kicho: "Before this is settled, let me tell you that I don't consider my actions to be just."

Kicho: "But I swore to live and to protect myself."

Motonari: "You're saying a lot of fancy words!"

The two blades danced and sliced through the air.

Just as they were about to collide, Kicho's blade deflected the oncoming strike and slashed at Motonari's abdomen with blinding speed.

Motonari: "-----!"

Motonari: "Guh! Aaaah!"

Motonari grunted and fell, holding his stomach while Kicho looked down at him, holding his right shoulder, which was starting to bleed.

Kicho: "Is it really over this time?"

Kicho: "Guh..."

Breathing painfully, he collapsed to the ground helplessly.

I finished wrapping the last bandage and looked up.

(Huh? It was so noisy outside, but now it suddenly became quiet.)

The people also noticed it and looked anxiously at the doors.

(I hear footsteps. Who on earth is that?)

Oda soldier 1: "Report!"

Oda soldier 1: "We seized all the rebels who fled to this town and recovered their weapons."

Oda soldier 1: "We also received the same news from the other units!"

Townspeople: "-----!"

Mai: "Thank God!"

The hall instantly erupted in joy after hearing the report.

After hearing the good news, I left the place to the Oda soldiers, who had come in turns and headed for the rendezvous point we had decided upon beforehand.

Ranmaru: "Ah, here she comes. This way!"

Mai: "Ranmaru, Nobunaga!"

Upon spotting the two, I got off the horse and rushed over to them.

Mai: "I'm glad you guys are safe. Are you hurt?"

Nobunaga: "We're fine."

Ranmaru: "How about you? Are you okay?"

Mai: "Yes, I'm fine. Thanks."

Mai: "By the way, where's Kennyo?"

Nobunaga: "If you're looking for Kennyo, he won't return here."

Mai: "What?"

Nobunaga: "This agreement is temporary."

Nobunaga: "I guess he decided that if the rebellion had died down, there was no longer any need to join forces with us."

Nobunaga: "He disappeared with his followers after leaving the weapons he took to us."

Mai: "I see."

(So the truce is over. They will try to kill each other again someday.)

Ranmaru: "Lady Mai."

Ranmaru called my name briefly, then narrowed his eyes gently.

(So I don't have to worry about it?)

(Then I hope we can meet again someday, somewhere.)

Mai: "Do you know what happened to the others?"

Mai: "From what I've seen, it looks like there's still no one else in the group except for you two."

Ieyasu: "You're blind, then."

Mai: "Waah!?"

Startled by a voice from behind me, I turned to see Ieyasu and Masamune.

Mai: "I-Ieyasu, don't just appear out of nowhere."

Ieyasu: "I just came back as usual. What were you doing in Sakai to be startled by something like this?"

Ieyasu: "I'm surprised you lasted more than a day with your slowness."

Masamune: "No, it's because of her slowness that she was a pretty good choice."

(I'll just keep quiet about the fact that I almost blew my cover pretty quickly.)

Mai: "Welcome back, both of you. You came back safely, which means..."

Masamune: "Yeah. We recovered all the weapons stored in the harbor."

Masamune: "Right now, the soldiers in my unit are taking them off the ship."

Ieyasu: "If it had been a little later, they would have been spread all over Japan."

Mai: "Thank goodness. Good work, guys."

(Now, all that's left is Mitsuhide and Kicho.)

(I wonder if they're both safe.)

I felt relieved after seeing everyone was safe.

(I can't wait to see Kicho.)

(I want to touch him, feel his warmth, and make sure he's alive.)

Ieyasu: "There's no need to be so fidgety. They'll be fine."

Mai: "But..."

Masamune: "You know what they're like, so just sit tight and wait."

Ranmaru: "Speaking of the devils. Lady Mai, look over there."

Mai: "Ah!"

From a distance, I saw two horses running toward us. One of them had a fluttering white coat.

(That white horse… It's Kicho's horse!)

(But...huh?)

Feeling uneasy, I stopped in my tracks when I saw no one on the white horse and instead saw two figures on Mitsuhide's horse.

(Don't tell me...)

Perhaps noticing that I had started to run, Mitsuhide pulled the reins back, and as the distance drew closer, I could see the person behind him.

Mai: "Kicho!"

My mind went blank as I saw his blood-soaked haori and weak, limping body.

Mai: "W-Why...?"

Mitsuhide: "Calm down, Mai. He's still breathing. He's just unconscious right now."

Mitsuhide: "I found him lying by a big tree when I came and got him."

Mitsuhide: "I'll take him to the tent, so can you take his horse?"

Mai: "Okay."

(Kicho is alive. This is not the time to panic.)

After carrying Kicho together, Mitsuhide quickly closed the tent's entrance.

Mai: "Wait, don't!"

Mai: "Kicho is claustrophobic."

Kicho: "It's fine. It can be avoided depending on some conditions."

Mai: "I see, that's good."

Mai: "Wait, Kicho!? You're awake."

Kicho: "Yeah, for quite a while now."

Mitsuhide: "That was a fine nap you took, Kicho. Wait, no. Maybe I should say it differently."

Mitsuhide: "At any rate, it was a success. Good for you."

Mai: "What...?"

(So it was all an act? I was really worried.)

Kicho: “Mai!”

As I was about to collapse, he supported me and held me up, his large hand gently caressing my back.

Kicho: “Sorry. Don’t worry. I heard your voice.”

Kicho: “I didn’t do this out of meanness.”

Mai: “Yes. I know. You’re not that kind of person.”

Mai: “But sorry. It’s going to take me a little while to sort this out.”

(Even though he was breathing, I was still really worried.)

(I almost lost myself when I saw him swaying on the horse like a doll, looking so beat up.)

He quietly took me in his arms as I hugged him back and buried my face in his chest, clinging to him with my overflowing feelings.

Eventually, the sound of his heart and the gentle warmth of the room gradually calmed me.

(I’m glad he’s okay.)

(Just knowing that is enough for me.)

Mitsuhide: “.............”

Mai: “............”

Mai: “Sorry, Mitsuhide.”

Mitsuhide: “No, don’t worry about it. It’s good that you remembered that I’m still here.”

Mai: “Ugh, sorry I got caught up in our own world.”

Mai: “Um, anyway, how did you end up pretending to be unconscious?”

Mitsuhide: "This was the only quickest way to give the three of us a place to talk privately."

Mai: "I see. What is it that you need to talk about?"

Mitsuhide: "I'll leave it to you to decide whether Kicho's story is true or not."

Mitsuhide: "I'll decide on the disposal of this guy after that."

(Disposal!?)

Mitsuhide quickly raised his gun and pointed it at Kicho.

Mitsuhide: "Then let me ask you a question. Why did you intentionally let Motonari escape?"

Mai: "Huh!?"

Kicho: "I knew it was about that."

(If he's not denying it, then it's true that Motonari ran away.)

(Why did he do that?)

Kicho: "I didn't let him escape. He escaped."

Kicho: "It was only temporary, but we were both out cold."

Kicho: "After regaining consciousness, I couldn't move due to blood loss, so there was no way I could stop him."

Kicho: "By the time you arrived, his men had taken him away."

Mitsuhide: "Then how do you explain this? When I arrived, you seemed to be talking to each other."

Mitsuhide: "I couldn't hear it, so I have no idea what you were talking about."

Mitsuhide: "Did you arrange a prearranged escape plan?"

Kicho: "No. There's already no need for me to work with that guy."

Kicho: "That's why I had to say something one last time."

Mitsuhide: "Oh? And what was that?"

Kicho: "That's..."

Kicho thought for a moment and then glanced at me.

Kicho: "Mai. I've already revealed your identity to Mitsuhide."

Kicho: "There are now two people who know about the future.”

Mai: "Huh? Really!?"

(When did they talk about it?)

Kicho: "That's why, as long as it's just for this occasion, there won't be any problem."

Kicho: "There's something I've been hiding from that man for a long time."

Mai: "What have you been hiding?"

Kicho: "Nobunaga's purpose is to achieve unification and make Japan prosperous, while Motonari's goal is to continue the turbulent times and make the country a land where no man rules over another."

Kicho: "What they stand for is completely different. Therefore, they're in conflict."

Mitsuhide: "Yeah, that's why we're in this situation."

Kicho: "But I knew an alternative way for a country to realize the will of both sides."

Kicho: "It's to abolish status and rank and adopt a parliamentary system."

(Is that...!)

Kicho: "Mai. You know it very well."

Mai: "Yes, just like they do in future Japan."

Mai: "It will be difficult to achieve this in a country that’s not yet united, but I'm sure we can build a nation based on the will of everyone."

(If that's what everyone is after, we need a discussion, not a war.)

Mitsuhide: “I see. If Japan will eventually become a country like that, I can’t say that it’s an impossible plan.”

Mitsuhide: “And you didn’t tell Motonari about it to achieve your goal.”

Kicho: “Yeah.”

Mitsuhide: “...........”

Mitsuhide: “Mai, what do you think?”

Mai: “He’s not lying.”

Mai: “I know what he’s saying, and that he is on our side.”

Mai: “No matter what happens, I trust him.”

Mitsuhide: “Is that so? But that decision of yours is based on your personal feelings.”

Mai: “Ah…”

(He’s right. He’s not going to believe me.)

Kicho: “Don’t worry about it. This guy probably didn’t mean that in the first place.”

Kicho: “Mitsuhide, don’t be too mean. Mai takes everything seriously.”

Mitsuhide: “Yeah, I just wanted to tease her.”

Mitsuhide: “Oh well. I’m the one who said I’d leave the judging to you.”

Nodding lightly, Mitsuhide quietly lowered his gun.

Mitsuhide: “Your life is saved, Kicho.”

Mitsuhide: “But failure is a failure. We will continue our search for Motonari.”

Kicho: “Yeah.”

Mitsuhide: “Then, I’ll return now to Lord Nobunaga. Those of you who are injured may sleep soundly here.”

Mitsuhide waved his hand and walked out of the tent.

Mai: "Ah, wait!"

I ran after him and grabbed his sleeve in a hurry.

Mai: "Um, thank you so much."

Mitsuhide: "What? I don't remember doing anything worthy of a thank you."

(I knew he would say that.)

Mai: "There are a lot of them."

Mai: "But I don't want to list them all and hold you back, so I'll just leave you with one."

Mai: "Thank you for coming back alive."

Mitsuhide: "..........."

Mitsuhide: "I see. Your skill in winning people's hearts and minds is quite terrifying."

Mitsuhide: "You may be the best spy in the Oda army."

Mai: "Is that also one of your highest compliments?"

Mitsuhide: "No. The opposite. It's not a compliment."

Mai: "What!?"

Mitsuhide: "Being under your spell is like hell."

He took my hand and stroked it gently with his fingertips.

(Hell?)

Unsure of his intentions, I looked at his long, strong fingers and saw numerous scars that seemed so painful just by looking at them.

Mai: "U-Um..."

Mitsuhide: "This world is hard to live in. That's why I thought there was nothing you could do about it."

Mitsuhide: "But you never broke. You faced it, and you reached out."

Mitsuhide: "I have no intention of taking you away."

He gently pulled away without a second thought.

(Is it rude to think that I might be thinking something?)

Unable to say anything, he turned his back to me.

Mitsuhide: "The injured need rest and someone to look after them."

Mitsuhide: "I'll leave the rest to you."

Mai: "Okay."

After fetching water at a nearby river, I returned to the tent, and Kicho, who had been lying down, sat up.

Kicho: "Sorry."

Mai: "Don't worry about it. The wound on your shoulder still hasn't healed, and you've reached your limit."

Mai: "By the way, do you want me to leave this entrance open?"

Kicho: "No, it's fine. Keep it closed like before."

Mai: "Okay."

(True, it's better to close it so he can rest.)

After closing it, I went to his side.

Mai: "I got some clean water. Would you like some?"

Kicho: "Yeah, thanks."

Kicho: "Mai."

Mai: "Yeah? What is一mnn…"

After taking the bamboo flask, he tilted it to take a sip, held me close, and kissed me.

(Ah...)

I swallowed the cold water that flowed into my mouth, and he slipped his slightly cold tongue inside it.

Mai: "Mnn...ngh..."

We sweetly intertwine our tongues together, bringing the heat back up again in our touch.

After a long, suffocating kiss, Kicho slowly pulled away.

Mai: "Haa...Kicho?"

Kicho: "I just remembered something I have to do."

Kicho: "Sorry for worrying you, but I need to confirm it."

Previous Part╏Masterlist╏Premium

[yocalio]

Hii! First of all, I'm an old follower of yours and I always loved your gifs. Recently I started watching Shōgun thanks to you. I didn't read the books (are they good?), but I'm really enjoying it. The only thing that bothers me is that they keep bringing up how John and Mariko are close to each other, while it's been a few episodes now since we saw them being intimate (I don't mean the sex scene in particular, but them being alone, deep conversations or little things, anything). It's like everybody understood the thing between them, but they're not doing much. If they wanted to keep the focus on their relationship, why didn't they show us more of them? I'm all in for the yearning, it's not like I want them as a couple right from the start, but this all talking about them but at the same time leaving them to the sides feels weird. What do you think about it? Sorry, this ask is too long (:

First of all, thanks for being a long-time follower! And I'm glad you started watching Shogun. I did read the book late last year after I found out about the new FX adaptation and it was amazing. I really recommend it. It's only one book but it's very long. 1,300 pages approximately.

As far as what's going on with John and Mariko. You're not the first person to notice this and I guess I should've seen this coming after going back recently and reading some of the earlier reviews of the show. Some journalist made a point to say that the core romance between them "fails to ignite" in a Hollywood Reporter article and in others that the romance from the book/original miniseries had been purposefully minimized. I don't necessarily think it's failed. It's igniting alright, it's just not living up to its full potential and is leaving us all a bit confused and frustrated after getting invested, especially those of us that have read the book.

(IN MY OPINION) I think this was a creative decision by the showrunners to make a more culturally sensitive and historically accurate show set in feudal Japan. This also explains why they haven't missed a beat on Buntaro's jealousy subplot while they've left out a lot of what Mariko and John go through together. I may not like it because I believe it really hamstrings John and Mariko's personalities and alters their motivations moving forward and even possibly the ending, but I really think that's why we haven't seen them interact after episode four other than some yearning glances and frosty conversations.

Never fear though, I still think we'll get some great moments between them coming up soon and probably in this next episode as Shinnosuke Abe's (who plays Buntaro) latest Instagram post hints "As Buntaro, I don't wanna watch this episode" coupled with the trailer for episode eight. Sounds like Mariko may have had enough of his crap and gives in to her feelings for the Anjin? Finally? Please?! We shall see. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up, I'm just going by what I know to be true in the book but can't say for sure because adaptations have a way of telling a different story than their source material.

Anyway, this was long. Hope it helps though, lol.

[lunariamv]

its time, im in my charon era

ive made my first three rpg horror games :DDD

there's three because two of them are parodies and then there's one actual legit one

all three are in authentic charon game format: rpg maker 2000, similar art style, similar horror premise, short story

i did it for the aesthetic OKAY

⚠️ Before venturing into any of my works, please heed my disclaimer/rules;; I don't want obstructive people engaging with me or my works ⚠️

✿ warning: running these games is a gamble because rpg maker 2000 is old software that windows is trying to assassinate (i cant even run it on my computer sometimes, i have to use a virtual machine or the game editor lol) so i apologize if it doesn't work ✿

the readme has troubleshooting solutions, and easyrpg exists to combat this, but it's not perfect. for example, it changes the text a little bit, which ruins the aesthetic

if ur like me and u care about the aesthetic a lot, then use a virtual machine, otherwise if you have a laptop and not a hardcore gaming pc, the game will probably run fine.

(the one time that having low quality graphics is good xD)

windows 11 users beware, im sticking with 10-

when all else fails i have gameplays available on my youtube

🌸 HERE IS THE GAME MASTERLIST 🌸 PLAY THEM HERE

✿ warning: running these games is a gamble because rpg maker 2000 is old software that windows is trying to assassinate (i cant even run it on my computer sometimes, i have to use a virtual machine or the game editor lol) so i apologize if it doesn't work ✿

!! please care and heed my content warnings when playing these games, as they contain dark subject matter; i promise ill make less edgy stuff in the future its just rn i REALLY WANNA MAKE CHARON GAMES FOR FUN !!

the first two (Akeno Delusion and Carousel) are strictly parody games on the genre, and Doom Stones is the authentic 100% serious charon game

looking back akeno delusion sucks to me but thats cuz its my first one and i gotta start somewhere, the quality only goes up from there

eventually ill stop using rpg maker 2000 and make games with the other makers for more versatility but rn im in love with the retro aesthetic im so sorry

*my art isnt that good but im getting there ok!!

also just a heads up, im not 1 to 1 charon; the aesthetic, artstyle, and story elements are the same, but i dabble in male yanderes instead and i go different places with the story;

🌸 mostly male yans

🌸 protagonist is actually a character

🌸 story goes a little more in depth

🌸 more focus on the horror aspect than sexual

so basically im like a female charon right now heheheh

i plan to make more rpg games, but for sure i want to make at least three more games with similar story beats.

its because i want my own take on the concepts -- doom stones is my take on makoto mobius, but i also wanna make a "scavenger hunt a person's house" type game like makoto nikki and a yanderella equivalent (but the love triangle has more drama)

AND…. MIX ORE BUT YANDERE BUBBLE TEA??????? :DDDD

once im done ill move onto dsp era cuz i wanna make some actual rpgs; like with the cute assets and pixel art

🌸 please follow and support me if you like these and want me to make more; this is just a small portion in the large list of games i wanna make <3

💮 please feel free to contact me regarding game ratings if you sincerely think they're off, im a noob when it comes to posting stuff;; and im just going off code of conduct, if it has any hint of explicit content its going to be 18+, whereas implicit would be like 17+ idk

im not taking any chances lol

🌸 I'd prefer if people don't contact me about troubleshooting problems, but if they have to, carefully go through my instructions first. even then keep in mind i might not be able to help;;

💮 I'm posting these games on tumblr only because they're short. If I make longer games, I'll crosspost them to itch.io or something.

🌸 I'll also make a website in the future, but for now I'll post the games on here. Thank you for stopping by!!

[1-800-local-slut]

Knocking

Sam Winchester x Black! Goth! Fem! reader

Sam is haunted by a memory

Warnings: angst, reader doesn't appear in this, it's all from Sam's point of view after they broke up, and we also don't know why they broke up. Sam doesn't know if he wants her back or not. It could've been Sam's fault or hers, anger, is he having a nightmare? A vivid hallucination? I'm not totally sure myself. Sam and reader may have been toxic or obsessive but we don't know who was worse.

I adore Edgar Allan Poe's work, I've been a fan of gothic literature since I was a little kid and writing this character has been really nice for me. I've studied his works since I was a young girl, and I try to replicate his writing style a lot. I also try to follow his workings of every word adding something to the story. I really hope I pulled it off, I'm really passionate about this one. Please let me know your thoughts!

I feel like I never give Sammy enough love </3

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻

Since they broke up, Sam's nights were long and filled with loneliness. Since she left, he was no more cursed than the people he helped with ghastly issues revolving around ghosts of the past. How ironic, that he was now the haunted one. The torment of his life, from his mothers life being ripped away right before his young eyes to now could never compare to this pain.

Her dark brown eyes seemed to be in the moon, the night sky, everything around him. His work impeded, of course because he mainly works at night, stopped simply because she was gone. Her dark hair reflected in every surface, in every rose he saw, each star in the sky.

Shrouded in pain, the room silently slipped away from around him. Was this it? His grip on sanity finally leaving him once and for all? No. Like his body was being shaken and squeezed, then released. Still in the same pain and agony.

Now, he laid alone in his bed. His room, empty and his arms bereft of her. Yet, if he shut his eyes he could imagine the pillow beside him was her. He could imagine the soft silk, the feel of her skin, her scent filling his nostrils.

A soft, scratching noise was heard through the halls, a scampering that scratched his brain. Morphing into a noise he missed, of feet padding down the hall to his room. Should he sit up? What was the point? A monster there to eradicate him, would ease his pain and suffering. The sound stopped, right before his door a familiar pair of black socks sitting outside his door. It couldn't be, could it? His love coming back?

No. It couldn't be. Not after his mistakes. After those she made, could he let her back? Had she truly made any against him? Was he even sure anymore? A knocking tore him from his despairing thoughts, soft and sweet. Like her knocking.

It couldn't be. More knocking followed, and it grew louder with each soft beat. Gentle raps pounded through his skull.

"Go away, Dean." The mutter was soft as the knocks, yet it did nothing against his persistent visitor. More knocking.

"Dean, stop." No other solution existed. It had to be Dean.

"It's not Dean." Was all he heard. The voice haunted him, sending shocks through his mind, at the haunting voice. It wasn't her. She swore she would never return. Or had he forced her to that oath? His blood pumped rapidly, palms began to perspire against the cold of the room. His stomach turned, an empty coldness.

Knocking followed.

"It isn't." It isn't you. That was all he could do against the thrum of fear through his body. Eyes seared him through the door, and his eyes burned with tears. Tears of anger burned him, and tears of sadness cooled his heart. All he wanted was to tear the door off its hinges.

Whether to scream her away, and welcome her back into his arms he was unsure. Would he make his same mistake? Would he scare her off once more? Would she force her way into his heart once again? Force her way into his everything? The way she had before?

"No." He breathed, his breath into the cold room. More knocking.

"Go. I want you to go." More knocking, as if to say 'I will never go'. The way she had before. Dragging him down into depths of instability. Had he given her any option? He persisted, holding her down with the passion of his intense love. But was it not her, who drove him to those insane lengths? Matching her intense adoration was part of their passionate dance that ended in tragedy.

Her knock repeated, like saying 'you know that isn't true'. Was it not true? Would she come back even if he wanted her to?

"If it was you would you come back?" The one thing he wanted, he was given no response. A chill went through him then a flash of heat. A flash of anger. Why come to toy with his mind and heart more than she already had?

"Answer me. Would you come back?" A singular knock.

As if to say 'no'. No? What answer is no? If not the answer he already knew? Isn't ‘no’ the answer he truly desired? Had he lied to himself all this time?

The wrath of God cut through him. What torments him? What has the audacity to torment him more than it has already? Her. Her spirit continued to torment him, through violence and wanting. What did he want? What did she desire? Did she desire to torment him? It was her one true desire.

Of course, how could he not see it sooner. How could he not see how weak and foolish he was to fall to her traps of love? Her dark fabrics, and raven hair. Her silver chains, and dark makeup entrapped him.

More knocks, six to be exact, rang through his skull. An evil noise that tore his heart out, the way their ending had. Had she not done enough to him? Had her obsessive calling, consistent hours of bickering over nonsense?

'Where have you been? Who's calling? What's wrong with you? Why don't you love me anymore? Why don't you answer my calls?' Constantly, never allowing his heart space to beat on its own. Were the questions unwarranted? Had he done better? Not precisely. Yet, it tore him apart when he no longer had her.

Oh! How his heart pounded, like the knocking that carried on through his room. Though his heart and head both told him two different things. To chase her off. To pull her back in. What was it he wanted?

"I said go!" He breathed, throat raw from the hours of crying. A single knock sounded and no more. As if to say 'no' once more.

"Is it even you?" He choked out, pushing his heavy body. It was like he had been dragged through glass, each emotion he felt stabbing him like a new shard.

Another knock. No, or yes?

"Is it you?" He bellowed, with instant regret. It was his yelling that soured their bond. He yelled for reasons. But it was the yelling that played a large part.

His head throbbed, and he flopped back down onto his stomach in pain. The room spun, that same darkness squeezed him once more, his heart cried 'no more!'. Could Sam take more? No, no more. It was time for an end.

"I do not want you back, go." He breathed, cold breath coming out into the room. He dragged his weakened body from the bed, the floor feeling false under his feet.

Yet another knock. Another no?

"Did you want me back?" No response.

"Go!" He screamed, and his eyes throbbed behind his head.

"Why have you come?" The knocking started again. Monotonous and cruel.

"Did you come to mess with me? Did you come here, to try and convince me to take you back? Do you want to come back? What is it, what do you want?!" Tripping over a dark object on the ground, he fell just before the door. Seeing the black socks under the crack of the door. Then more knocks.

Slowly, as Sam listened, his tear ducts gave out.

"Please go. I don't know what it is I want from you, but I can't take it anymore." Louder and louder the knocks increased in volume and force, as if an attempt to remove his door.

"Go, please. Did you want to hurt me? You have, please. Go. Or come back, I can't take anymore. I'll have either." Pleading, his arms rubbed against the ground and the cold chafed his skin.

As Sam's heart weakened, the knocks did as well. Was it a wait for him to crack? Was she waiting for him to get to the point where he could take no more?

Broken sobs tore through his broken lungs, and he shivered from the cold. The socks slipped away down the hall, yet the knocks continued to sound through his head. And for each question he asked, a singular knock came in response.

The soft steps retreated, but the knocking did not. And the cry of Sam's heart continued to plead for 'no more'.

༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻༺༻

I love Sam, he's such a cutie pie <3

[greatfunkystatic]

Tales of Zestiria (2015)

Holy shit this game sucks so much ass.

I thought Arise was the worst Tales game I played until I had to go through this fuckshit. Arise had absolutely no soul or drive behind it, but at least it was competently made. Just straight stale bread. You can eat it, but you're gonna get bored of chewing real quick. No real potential, either. Zestiria had the exact opposite. When we first started the game, I tried to hold out some hope, despite the complaints I had heard kind of on the periphery of my friend circles. They were right. This game was so fucking horribly made that while I can see the potential for some aspects of the game, the game has tried my trust so much that I just had to give up. There were multiple times that I just wanted to not play the game and walk away, but unfortunately, I had to follow through on this. I will forever hate my friends for making me play the two worst Tales games back to back after putting me on the peak that is Rokurou Rangetsu from Tales of Berseria. It also didn't help that due to circumstances, this game took us about 2 1/2 months to finish (from mid-March to a couple of days ago). My thoughts have been coalescing and ruminating for all this time, and honestly, I had been dreading writing about this ever since we finished because I knew that once I started, I wouldn't be able to stop. And boy, was I right on that prediction.

Ok, I think that's enough of an introduction. Let's break down into the nitty gritty of this fool's parade of a game.

Oh, this game is just dogshit…

THE FOREWORD

Last note before I get into the absolute stream-of-consciousness rant I want to make about this game: I am currently playing Shadow the Hedgehog for the first time on my way to get my 6th ending. That game is peak and I will not hear fucking anything else from anyone. Get ready for me to be the biggest dickrider for that game on its thread, it's raw kino swag. This also means that if I did get some facts about the story or the characters wrong, I apologize, I tried to the best of my memory and from the previous and current accounts of the friends that I went through this game with.

Along with this, we had a playing crew of 6 people from all over the world, with 4 people actually playing, 1 hosting the Parsec for the game despite not playing it, and 1 who is part of the core crew going through every single Tales game together but decided to sit out. Making our schedules work was difficult (considering 1 was in Europe, I was in East Asia, and the rest were in America (Albeit they all had very different sleep schedules)) It was the same crew we had for Berseria, and although it was difficult to make it all work, we made it work for both games. It did, however, end up making the actual time to beat the game take much longer than what one would have on a solo run, or even a 4-player local run. It did make the whole process more tiring than it would be, but please understand that despite all this, we were still able to enjoy Berseria for what it is and I don't think it really affected my overall sentiment on this game. Just some context for some moments mentioned later, and explains the long time between start to finish.

Expect full game spoilers. I'm not holding anything back. (And a minor spoiler for a moment in Tales of Arise, nothing too big nor specific)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First off: some context. Tales of Zestiria was a game that was riddled with many different forms of development issues. I will not get too into it (because I am too annoyed right now to even try to find the sources that I read about the development) but long story short it was a combination of the game being made on a new engine, the development team losing like half the members partway into the development cycle, the director (allegedly) making drastic changes to the story to try to fit a character into the party earlier and have a lot more of a showing in the story, and to top it all off: a very tight schedule due to this game being Tales's 20th anniversary game. Crazy how two of the worst games in the series both ended up having a situation of being the series's anniversary game. A lot of this culminated in many different root issues in this game, whether it be the story, the battle system, the characters, or even the exploration.

PROLOGUE: THE GOOD

Before we get into my criticisms, let's talk about the good. Mikleo. He's pretty and he's cool and I like him and him and unfortunately, due to circumstances (WHICH I WILL GET TO LATER), I had to forgo on playing him and instead was playing as Sorey in the group. I will say, I played this with 3 other friends (and 2 extra friends watching for different reasons), and we got pretty lucky that 3/4 the people got to play the characters that they wanted.

Look at his smile and optimism. Incredible.

Out of the rest of the cast, I found Edna to be pretty alright, Rose I didn't personally care for but I can see why some might like her (and also why some really don't), and Zaveid was cool but that might be Berseria bias. Speaking of bias, I like that this game introduced Eizen as a character so that we can have the fucking legend in the prequel game Tales of Berseria. But out of everyone in the cast, Mikleo and Edna seemed to be the only ones who didn't make absolutely stupid decisions in the plot, and coincidentally they also kinda ended up being the most passive characters in terms of making an impact on the main storyline. Oh also, Mayvin has a cool design. Yeah, that's basically all the good I can muster up for this game. Moving on to the rest of the game.

THE REST OF THE FUCKING GAME

At the start of the game, it seemed like a simple little jaunt with Sorey and Mikleo. I liked the two exploring random ruins and being absolute history nerds. The beginning I don't really have much to say, other than the battle system itself seemed fine, with 1 button for regular melee combos and another button for your artes. All in all, it had a decent start. But we were never prepared for just how far down this roller coaster could go.

ACT I: THE GAMEPLAY

Before we continue, let's talk about gameplay first, because the rest of the story kind of relies on understanding some of the gameplay aspects. First things first, party members are split into two different classifications: Humans and Seraphim. The game really hammered on the mechanic on armatization, in which a human and a Seraph would fuse and the human would get this cool-looking white and whatever-aspect-the-Seraph-is-colored outfit and be able to throw out much stronger attacks, and also stronger heals. Along with this, the game also allowed the Seraphim to swap with each other mid battle, and even allow for passive regeneration of their HP when they're not currently in battle, even if downed. Along with this, if the human is dead but the Seraph is still alive, you can still armatize and when they split, the human will be revived. This all sounds cool as a mechanic, and I did actually appreciate this aspect of the game. This, however, came with one huge caveat: We only ever had a maximum of 2 humans in the party, and you were required to have a human to act as a vessel for each Seraph character you wanted in the battle. Hence, you had to - at all times - have both Sorey and Alisha/Rose in the battle, and if at any point in the story Alisha/Rose ever left for story reasons, that would turn half of our members playing the game into a captive audience. And this happened many times in the story. Oh and by the way, due to reasons, for about 2/3rds of the time Alisha was in the party, she couldn't act as a vessel for a Seraph. So she was also lacking the flagship battle mechanic for this game. This also meant that whenever Alisha was in the party, we were forced to be dropped to 3 players. And one of us was forced to play as her. Still better than the dropping to 2 players that happened whenever Rose left temporarily, but it still very much sucked.

The flagship mechanic aside, the rest of the gameplay was found to be severely wanting. Firstly, the movement and dodging were target relative, so hitting the analog stick to the left doesn't make you dodge to the left based on the camera but to the left of where you are when facing the enemy you are targeting. This, along with the free-form movement around the arena, was very jarring. This seemed to be a trend for the Tales games coming out in this era, so I can't pin the blame fully on Zestiria, but I still hate that aspect of the movement. I can blame Zestiria for the other multitude of issues it had in terms of gameplay. Before that, I want to talk about the controls. We haven't really had this many problems with controller order as we did for any other Tales game, and on top of that Zestiria had its own set of controller issues. For some reason, it's one of those games that you had to back out to the title screen whenever you wanted to change controller settings, so we were just kinda fucked in relation to that. It also was so fun how whenever we had a tutorial section in the middle of a battle or a cutscene between battles, the player order would randomly get swapped to default and we would have to fix it manually after the battle. This was annoying because while I was player 2, I was controlling Sorey (who by default is the player 1 slot), and the friend controlling the game in the overworld would play Rose (who is by default the player 2 slot), hence having many issues of getting our characters swapped randomly right as we go into a battle, and not being able to change it because the only way we could would involve having to go back to the menu, but we wouldn't be able to save because it's between two immediate battles, so we would just run into the problem again. It also didn't help that swapping characters in the in-battle menu temporarily didn't work half the time, so that wasn't a consistent solution either. Going back to the movement, the way that the battle arena worked really made this problem 100 times worse. Now, in all other Tales games (to my knowledge), when you encounter a battle, it would take you to a sort of special zone that looked kind of like where you were in the overworld. So for the 2D/2.5D games, it's how the floor and background looked, and for the 3D games you get this big circle area unconnected to the overworld but looks like where you were fighting aesthetically. Zestiria thought it would be cool to instead have the battle be placed where in the overworld you ran into the enemy. In concept, that seemed very cool, with you needing to be more strategic not only about what enemies you fight in the overworld, but also trying to pick a favorable spot to engage the battle, whether it be a wide open space, a narrow hallway, or even halfway between. In execution? Oh my god, it was so dogshit.

And it was dogshit due to 1 very simple reason: the camera. The camera was basically an object in the battle that would move around depending on the space it had, so like in tight hallways it would be a lot closer as its back is on the walls, while in an open space, the camera would go out to the edge of the "arena". Now, 2 things I forgot to mention are that the camera loves to move around, and that any environmental objects like rocks or trees were also objects the cameras would interact with. This would mean that in the case of having the arena be half a hallway and half an open space, it would jump between getting caught on the hallway wall and zooming super close in or zooming all the way out. Constantly. In succession. The trees and other environmental objects would also catch the camera, thus causing an even bigger example of this issue, with many fights having the camera sometimes just be stuck right on the butt of a character because they're behind some rock or a tree. It's really hard to put into words, but I implore you to go search up some battle videos of Tales of Zestiria from some gameplay so you can see just how bad the camera is. All these issues, along with the very little control the player(s) have over setting the camera manually, made this quite definitively the worst camera in the Tales series, and gaming in general.

Oh boy, we didn't even get into the actual battles and fight design! They fucking suck! But before that, quick sidetrack to dungeons!

For the sake of brevity, I'll only talk about the elemental trials for now, and even from those I'll only talk about 2 out of the 4 we had. The fire trial's puzzles were absolutely dogshit. There would be rooms where you had to light up a set of pedestals, and we had a lot of trouble trying to understand how to do it. We thought about doing them in a certain order and soon realized the numbers on the floor next to the pedestals. We followed the order and even then it just wouldn't light. It got to the point where we were wondering if the game was just bugging out and it was reading a pedestal as wrongly lit or something. A quick Google search later, turns out no, it's just the game is really bad at indicating how to solve it. You have to both follow the order of the numbers on the floor and light the pedestals on specific sides, something the game doesn't indicate at all.

The water dungeon was also terrible, with the number of tile puzzles where you had to cross different eye pillars while using a bubble spell that lasted a very short time, lest you be teleported back to your last checkpoint. This got genuinely frustrating because of the various amount of pillars in rooms being placed either on the other side of the room thus hard to spot, or the camera very sneakily blocking certain pillars from view until it's too late. The most egregious example of this is fucking dungeon mechanic was after a room with many different eye pillars and having to constantly rush with the bubble between safe spots, there was a teleporter to another level of the dungeon. We teleported and took one step forward, thinking it might be safe. But one thing you learn in Zestiria: it will never allow you to feel safe or comfortable. Bam, we step into an eye pillar that the camera is DELIBERATELY pointed away from in the default position, and we got sent all the way back like 10 minutes of progress. Fuck this Panopticon ass dungeon.

Ok, let's actually get to the battle and fight design. The RPS aspect between your melee combo, Hidden artes (Physical artes), and your Seraphic artes (Casting artes) was a neat little thing. What wasn't neat was how healing and the SP system worked. Firstly, the healing casts for 80% of the game sucked and brought back pitiful health for how long they cast, with the only ones I can give a note to are Edna's healing circle, and the various armatization healing casts. Other than those two, just use gels please for the love of god.

Now for the SP system. Every battle action you do has a set SP gauge cost, including things like dodging, and the only way to regain it is by either standing still or guarding. This is similar to many other gauge systems in other Tales games, and this in itself would be fine if it weren't for just how long it takes to recharge your gauge and just how much SP your artes would drain in turn. This would make it so that anyone attacking often (like, the physically-fighting humans) would run out of SP often and half of the time in battles would be spent just guarding. Along with this, the game had a FATIGUE system built in, that takes out SP from the start of the battle if a character has been in too many fights often, along with slower SP regeneration in the battles. This in concept would incentivize swapping out characters or not rushing headlong into every encounter, but the fatigue system would kick in a lot more often than you think. It also had a severe oversight in the fact that due to the game's party system, THE HUMANS WERE IN EVERY FIGHT. THE PEOPLE PLAYING SOREY AND ROSE WOULD CONSTANTLY BE RUNNING INTO THE FATIGUE SYSTEM AND HAVING THIS PROBLEM. It also really didn't help that as far as I know, the game never really tells you this, so imagine how I felt when I would actively be gaslit into thinking that I was just ending battles with no SP. So one time I tried to guard for the second half of a random encounter until the fight finished, got into another battle later, then immediately got slapped in the face by my SP being nearly drained. I had thought the game just liked to drain SP from the start, and only later on did one of us find that there was a fatigue system by searching on the web. It's really fucking frustrating how the game doesn't tell you this, but it would instead yap for what felt like hours in tutorial skits and tutorial battles about the needlessly complicated gearing system, which immediately turned most of our gang off from the damn near misleading moments of seeing there's a new skit to watch, only to be hit with the equivalent of an unskippable 30-second car insurance ad on a YouTube video.

Rose and Sorey starting the 6th battle of the session.

Getting to the fight design, the enemies were also wonky in the extremes they would do. Different enemies would typically range from doing absolutely no damage to one- or two-shotting someone, possibly from an inescapable combo as well (due to just how much hitlag the game loves to give the players), with these extremes fluctuating between enemies in the same zone oftentimes. It also didn't help that enemy attacks were random and also happened so fast that they could be so unreactable that even if you started attacking first, the enemy might have enough time to hit you first, possibly starting a combo and killing you. We've had moments where we ended up being pretty close to each other (typically because of the tight spaces we had to fight in), and an enemy threw an attack or two and we immediately got sent to the game over screen. While most random enemies were alright with some notable exceptions, this problem is accentuated super hard by boss fights, with how 75% of them were on the "I wish to fucking kill you" side of the spectrum more often than the "ezez baby game" side.

Speaking on the battle system a bit more, I want to talk about just how little oomphs any of your attacks feel like they have. You can rarely juggle enemies in this game, let alone stun them (sometimes with the RPS aspect, but not always). They also just feel very weak animation-wise, so it made the pitiful numbers you would have during some boss fights feel even sadder. Even the mystic artes fell victim to this, with many of them lacking any form of impact, both in terms of presentation or damage. All this, despite spending 3 or 4 BG meter (think of them like special meters in fighting games) out of 4 or 5 at max, and sometimes even requiring you to rack up combos on enemies. It just led to feeling very dissatisfied with how your attacks were. Unless you were Rose. Then you could just do your death blossom attack over and over and rack up 5 morbillion damage. This weak animation issue permeates throughout the entire game btw, so that's neat. :)

God's Favorite Child.

Overall, the game had a trend of trying to do something cool on paper, but due to how it was implemented just ended up falling flat and hindering the experience way more, and unfortunately, I wish it was only for the gameplay.

ACT II: THE BIRTH OF THE SHEPHERD

The story is one that just. Holy fuck, I couldn't make heads or tales of it. It started sorta ok but kinda boring after the whole showing Alisha to the Seraph village. Lailah's introduction was pretty alright, but it was also the start of the ongoing trend of Sorey making idiotically dumb decisions that the game and the rest of the characters would then pretend to make it look like he was so cool for and trying to ride off the whole "plucky protagonist who seems dumb but has his heart in the right place and makes the right decisions" trope. It also was the start of the ongoing limitations of the Seraphs not being able to interact with any human in the story other than Sorey, Rose, Alisha, or any malevolence-ridden enemy. One, that I should note, is that the dev team mentioned in interviews just how much they struggled to develop the Seraphim with this tight restriction in the plot. all I can really say to this is:

Along the way, we start to see Dezel, although from a bit afar. We picked up on how much of a mystery Dezel was, with him being sort of an unknown to anyone and we also picked up how similar he looked to Zaveid, with them both being a wind Seraph and also having similar hairstyles and colors (since we played Berseria first, we all did like Zaveid in that game so we were definitely interested in Dezel from the jump). I personally even had some musings about the connection between the two, since I knew both of them would show up as pretty important characters in the story. The fact that he had the upper half of his face covered by his hat certainly added to the air of mystery, along with (shown later on when he joins the party) him being so filled with feelings of revenge that if he didn't have Rose as a vessel for him, he would've been turned into a monster by the malevolence, much like other Seraphim have in the story. This, along with Zaveid at this point of the story just kinda going out to fight said monsters and killing them as a way of helping them find some peace in death, led me to think that there was a possible Piccolo from DBZ situation where the unnamed Namekian had split himself into two, expelling all of his evil into the creature known as King Piccolo, and the one who became the god of Earth, Kami. Was it kind of a reach? Prolly. But we also didn't understand how Seraphs worked and it didn't seem like out of the realm of possibility, especially with the evidence I pointed out earlier.

Spoiler alert: He turned out to be the worst party member story-wise.

ACT III: WE HATE DEZEL WOOOOOOOOOOO.

Dezel does some really weird shit, and is really clingy and protective of Rose - for at the time ??? questions - to the point of forcibly overtaking her body with armatization at times (which is really fucking weird dawg) - and we know nothing much about his story at all until like, his final moments. Around 2/3rds into the story, the main villains start to confront Dezel's and Rose's backstory, leading to a snooze-fest of a boss fight which, by the way, sucked absolute dog ass. It was just a stationary weird dark orb thing stuck to the ground and only shot lasers right in front of it. It didn't turn or anything, so it was literally just standing to the side or behind it and you get a free training dummy of a boss fight to test your artes on. After we fight this, we just get this big info dump on both of their backstory that I honestly couldn't be assed to really care for or try to understand. It felt very dissatisfying as what seemed to be a sort of big payoff and revelation moment, and it was compounded by Dezel sacrificing himself to save the rest of the party. Genuinely couldn't care for the guy, the whole final cutscene with him and Rose felt lame due to just the distaste I had built up for the game, and honestly after that session, if I had been playing the game solo, I would've absolutely just dropped the game then and there and never look back. Unfortunately, I like having friends and following through with a promise, and so we trekked on. Not without me just having to boot up Symphonia in my Steam library after being fed up with just how much dogshit I had to deal with, with Arise and Zestiria back to back, and looking out for any form of hope for the Tales series. Turns out, Symphonia was really fucking fun for the first couple hours I played, and I inevitably got even more mad at just how unfortunate of circumstances I had to end up playing some of the worst games in the series BACK TO BACK.

Oh by the way, yeah Dezel dies and so we lose out on a wind aspected party member. Which, by the way, this is like the 5th or 6th time so far after having gotten 4 party members for the first time in which someone just leaves the party, whether temporary, like Rose leaving like 3 times for no reason, or permanent, like Alisha and Dezel.

Oh by the way, Dezel's whole thing about hiding his eyes with his hat? It only mattered for like one random boss fight where we were fighting a Medusa enemy, where the party was stuck and Dezel stepped up and the enemy knocked his hat off, and no wayyyy he's bliiiind whaaaat. That literally only mattered for that one fight and is never touched upon or brought up again, btw.

Oh yeah by the way, the reason why Dezel and Zaveid looked so similar? When Dezel was first born, Zaveid just kinda raised him for a bit, and although Dezel forgot about that, it seems that he subconsciously tried to emulate how Zaveid looked. So literally was just a red herring.

OH AND BY THE WAY. LIKE RIGHT AFTER DEZEL DIES (RIP BOZO), ZAVEID JUST RANDOMLY SHOWS UP AND GOES "HEY SOREY YOU STUPID FUCKIN SHEPHERD, LEMME JOIN YOUR PARTY LMAO" AND WE JUST GET HIM TO REPLACE DEZEL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AND ZAVEID IS JUST A COOLER CHARACTER ON ALL ASPECTS AND WAS MORE FUN AND WE ALL LIKED HIM AND JUST. WHY DID WE HAVE DEZEL??? WHY DID WE CARE ABOUT HIM? WHY WAS HE IN THE PARTY EVER IF HE WAS JUST GONNA GET REPLACED BY ZAVEID IMMEDIATELY, WHO LOOKED SIMILAR AND PLAYED FUNCTIONALLY THE SAME??? WHY DID WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH DEZEL BEING A THING WHEN WE HAD A WAY COOLER CHARACTER FROM THE START THAT WE KEPT RUNNING INTO??? Dezel is such a perfect embodiment of how fucking stupid the characters and the story is and how it just likes to do weird twists and turns for no real reason.

No Seriously. Why did Dezel exist.

Nothing anybody does makes any sense. I used to find the skits kinda entertaining at the start, but constant decisions and actions like this and other examples that I am just too tired to bring up made me start to actively not give a shit about like, almost every party member. Hence again, why Mikleo and Edna, the two who during the main plotline didn't really do much on their own but did have cool plotlines tied to them, ended up being the most palatable characters. Lailah just kinda kept acting dumb whenever we had to ask her for any actual important plot information, and even when we figured out the truth behind the story, she still just like, didn't make any real impact or revelation despite how the game kept hyping up how important she was and how she was connected to the previous Shepherds?? Rose sure was God's Favorite Child with how she was in the story, and I particularly didn't care for her. Oh btw, she would not shut up about how she is willing to kill considering she is an assassin by trade, and yet she only ever killed like one? two? people on screen? She has like, the same number of kills as Sorey does in the story, the guy who ACTIVELY AND CONSTANTLY agonized about not wanting to kill/was told not to kill because of his status as Shepherd. And again, Rose kept talking about how she would kill in place of Sorey because it's not his burden to bear, yet proceeds to never fucking do it. Horrendous K/D ratio, I would absolutely not have her in my TF2 competitive party, cause she can never hit a fucking backstab even if the enemy held S towards her.

ACT IV: IT JUST KEEPS GETTING WORSE

Sorey is a fucking idiot who kept making decisions and "answers" that just, ???? Why the fuck when we were fighting the FINAL BOSS did he just halfway through the fight go "Ok yeah whatever let's do the fight later"???? LIKE WERE YOU GONNA SEND IN GOHAN TO FIGHT THE GUY? WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU THINKING. AND WHY DID THE FINAL BOSS JUST AGREE AFTER HAVING HIS RIGHT-HAND LACKEY KINDA GET BEATEN THE FUCK UP BUT ALSO HAVING A SEVERE ADVANTAGE AGAINST THE PROTAGONISTS JUST GO "YEAH SURE WHATEVER" AND JUST LEAVE FOR ANOTHER 20 HOURS???? AND WHY AFTER THAT DID THE GAME JUST TELL YOU "HEY YOU KNOW THOSE ORBS IN THE MAP THAT YOU SOMETIMES PASSED BY AND GAVE SOME PRETTY COOL LORE ABOUT THE PREVIOUS SHEPHERDS AND THE LORD OF CALAMITY? YEAH YOU'RE REQUIRED TO BACKTRACK AND COLLECT ALL OF THEM NOW BEFORE YOU CAN PROGRESS IN THE GAME." OH AND ALSO YOU HAD TO PIECE WHAT EACH FLASHBACK MEANT YOURSELF BECAUSE THE FLASHBACKS BARELY SHOWED SHIT AND THE CHARACTERS DISCUSSING IT AFTER JUST DIDN'T REALLY EXPLAIN WHAT WAS HAPPENING THAT WELL? IT ALSO DIDN'T HELP THAT YOU COULD COLLECT THEM IN ANY ORDER AND THE ORBS THEMSELVES WERE VERY NON-LINEAR IN TELLING THEIR STORIES, THUS MAKING IT EVEN HARDER TO PIECE TOGETHER. The orbs would've been cool as fuck as kinda like secondary sources of lore for people that wanted to seek it out for themselves, but they ended up being a slog as we had to go and fight random bosses that totally made us like the gameplay more and definitely didn't make us frustrated at the constant failings of the battle system, the camera, and the fight designs forcing us to just stall at times by having one person run around and dodge attacks as the Seraphim regenerate in the background because everyone else got fucking casually Messatsu'd by the boss. Oh yeah, the random trees in the arena were there too, just in case you didn't have enough stage hazards for the camera to start grinding and doing tricks like it's Tony Hawk Pro Skater.

Mayvin whenever he locked the fuck in.

So we had to essentially set half of our gang to be navigators searching up for the locations of the orbs on places like Steam forums and GameFAQs threads while the other half had to basically be in-game navigators directing us which dialogue option we should search up, we also had to follow boring minor plotlines about random characters and the different towns, in which we had an extremely funny situation wherein the plot we were starting to run out of time before the Lord of Calamity started to take over the entire world with malevolence, but we instead have time to follow some random kids in a town who were caught pick-pocketing. Now that in and of itself wasn't that bad, considering that helping towns with problems and solving issues for the people around the world to naturally get rid of malevolence in the area. The very egregious part was the fact that we just fade to black and the characters go "Aw man we have been following these kids for several days". Cue to everyone in the call collectively going "WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK". We had the same fucking scenario as in Tales of Arise, where the game also had a cut to black into flash forward to TWO MONTHS having passed. Both of these scenarios just had an absolutely crazy moment that could've been fixed by just cutting down the time to like, a day and two weeks respectively.

That complaint aside, after multiple sessions we managed to finish the world's most boring collectathon. We then go to where we originally got gated in the story and were told to go add an extra 20 hours to make sure that we can't refund this game on Steam, in which we got shown the truth of Sorey and Mikleo. Which yeah it's fine. I don't really mind it, it explained why Sorey and Mikleo were where they were at the start of the game. Couldn't give a shit about Lailah's involvement in the past and the previous Shepherds tho. After this, we would have to fight the storyteller Mayvin (which by the way, still a sick-ass design. We love strong and cool old men). Fight was like any other fight in the game, except btw the game started to have severe problems on the computer of the guy hosting the parsec (it was taking up like 80% of the CPU according to task manager) at the start of our session that day, enough to the point of us being delayed by like 45m just trying to figure out what the fuck was going on and having to cancel to play it another day.

Group morale at an all time low.

ACT V: THE FINALE

It seemed that my brain either had blunt head trauma at around that time or decided to block out a lot of my memories of the next few hours after that point as a coping mechanism. Or maybe I just didn't give enough of a shit to remember. It's very possible, considering I had already given up on the game multiple times many hours ago. Nearing the end, we beat the scantily dressed girl who was the right-hand lackey of Heldalf, the Lord of Calamity. Yes, the same one we beat earlier when we fought Heldalf before Sorey called time out and exited to stage left to go fucking collect the Triforce pieces. And then finally, we fight the final boss. Phase 1 was a snooze, with him just sitting there doing nothing for like 30s as we attacked him, only for him to start revving up his engines and embodying the spirit of an EVO finalist level fighting game player and just absolutely instantly vaporizing anyone who thought it would be a funny idea to press a single button in the past 2.37 seconds within a 15-yard radius of him. After a 10-minute slog, we get welcomed by the second phase of the boss fight.

Welcome to Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker fight design, for this one is a wall boss.

HE'LL GIVE US SPECIAL CELLS!

It also was a very beautiful sendoff for just how broken this game is. Firstly, since it was a situation of cutscene interrupting a battle, so we had the same problem of the player order being reversed once again. I was forced from Rose to Sorey, and the friend playing Rose was forced onto Sorey. The game struggled to show which part of the boss each person was targeting because the targeting indicators for every party member were stuck on where player 1 was targeting. Along with this, we had the lovely attacks that covered half the arena while also being too fast to react to, knocking sizable chunks of our health every time. Nothing we hadn't dealt with before, and we had plenty of healing and reviving through our artes, armatization, and the items we stocked up on. At certain HP checkpoints, we would hit a kind of cinematic story flag in which Sorey would armatize with a Seraph and have to use them as a bullet against the boss, hence expending them and locking them out for the rest of the battle. We had 4 Seraphim, so we had to do it 4 times, makes sense yeah? Well, funny enough, on the final time for this, we would run into a bug in which the boss would break out of this cinematic flag and start going back to its usual attack patterns, as the characters and the rest of the game was still stuck in the cinematic. Fear started to well in us as we started to worry about how our player 1 was pressing the button to activate the cutscene but nothing happened. Our fear and anger all became substantiated when one of our friends who wasn't playing found on a Steam community thread that yup, this was a bug that other people had, and the only known solution was to restart the battle. Hence having to roll back the whole hour of gameplay we had that session, cutting into our European friend's already delayed sleep schedule and the tiredness of me waking up at 6am to make the schedule work starting to kick in (again, 1 in Europe, me in East Asia, 4 in America. 3 different timezones and 5 different sleep schedules). We were stuck in this supposed softlock for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, contemplating whether or not to just close the game and go watch a playthrough of the final fight and the credits. During all this, the guy who's been hosting the parsec for us to play has gotten so frustrated at watching all of this that he had started drinking at about the start of phase 2. In the beginnings of his drunken stupor, he decided to plug in his controller and randomly press buttons, and ended up pressing the button to trigger the cutscene.

It worked.

We somehow managed to trigger the cutscene and finish the fight. An eruption of cheer and relief that I can only compare to the feelings the control team of NASA felt after the first successful launch of a man-piloted spacecraft after so much stress and failed attempts rose in the voice call, with us being happy finally being done with the game after trudging through the slop that this game was. After this, we had a final phase in which Sorey, the Shepherd and protagonist, would have a duel against Heldalf, the Lord of Calamity and major antagonist looming over the party since the start of the game, would fight without anyone else involved. A classic Tales tradition, in which every game has a 1-on-1 duel, and are very typically a memorable moment in each game. One that even Arise, the game that was barely even a Tales game, had at the end of the game (and also ended up being one of the only good parts of Arise). With this in mind, we found it extremely funny and ironic how this was both one of the least impactful/memorable duel in the entire series, and we also had to have the Parsec host handle this duel. The guy who has played at most 3 battles over the course of the game, *and is currently drunk*. We already gave up taking this game seriously since second 1 of this final boss fight and have just been cracking jokes about the characters in the game, which ended up making it an actually enjoyable experience and session (note: not BECAUSE of the game, but IN SPITE OF it). The duel comes and goes, we see the final cutscene in which Sorey makes the weakest stab into Heldalf in the world, yet is strong enough to push not only all the way through him, but also ALL THE WAY through the throne that Heldalf was sitting on in the cutscene (which btw, the throne looked to be made of solid stone lol), and the credits start rolling. The game was done. It was honestly so poetic and the final session perfectly embodied just how done everyone was with the game and just how much this game made no sense and broke down. Any hope of potential we saw earlier in the game had already died down many sessions ago, and we were just happy that this trial sent to us from the gods of fate out of diabolical whimsy was finally over.

If you mention how we didn't do all of the side content or Alisha's DLC, I will come to your house and download a zipbomb on all of your electronic devices. Yes, even the toaster. And your PSP too.

THE CURTAIN CALL TO THIS TALE

All in all, I fucking hate this game. But if you couldn't tell after this much writing, then you surely have skipped to this section because ain't no way you skipped the numerous times I have stated how bad and broken this game is. It proved itself as a worthy competition to Arise for the worst Tales entry of all time very early into the game, and possibly ended up being one of the worst games I've ever played in my life. I am writing this both as a moment of grief for the emotions and time lost forever to this blight of my life, and as a form of closure for myself to finally rid myself of the curse that is this game. Please don't play this game ever, even if you want to search for the diamond in the rough or to see the unmet potential. It's not worth it. Please just go watch a video playthrough or read the myriad of fanfics for this story to get that. My only feeling of regret and sympathy for this game is that I just wish that the characters in this had a chance to be properly written and be in a game that didn't feel the equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine of incompetency. Mikleo and Edna didn't deserve this.

I wish to end this with a quote from our very lovely Sorel Yasu (The Dezel/Zaveid player of the group) on a 2am Thursday morning:

"This wasn't staying up for"

[yjano]

Never The Same.

Part 2.

Pairings: Jake x Mc.

Warnings: Swearing, violence, angst, smut, other pairings;), traumatic experiences.

Words: 6.3k

Author's note: Honestly, this story is going to be a big piece of work and a lot of angst. It's not connected to the game at all. Because I always want to try something new and newer. Read it only if you're into angst stories, please. Thank you and let's go!

I took a deep breath as I walked through the big heavy doors of the country's biggest prison. Today would be the day I finally got to meet my new client and I would love to blame the fact that my heart was beating more rapidly in my chest than normal because I was excited. I knew a huge part of it was also fear. Last night I dreamt that I had lost the case, no matter how hard I tried. I had lost completely. Of course, Jake hadn't been happy with this which resulted in the prisoner ordering his man on the outside to kill me for it.

This morning I had woken up completely drenched in sweat and with an abnormally high heart rate. I had taken a quick shower to wash off all my sweat and tried to forget what had happened that night but the thought of the nightmare alone made me clench my bag the whole way to prison while fearing my upcoming meeting with Jake.

There were multiple prisons within the country, this one being the one with the highest security and biggest criminals, criminals who were considered a big risk to humanity and their country. Knowing that my client was considered a big risk to society didn't help me and my nerves at all, it made it worse, to be honest.

The lobby of the prison looked pretty normal to me. In a way, you could even see some similarities with DW inc. It was big and filled with chairs and a small reception desk at one of the corners of the room. I slowly walked up to the receptionist I could only hope she would be as friendly as Lilly. The moment the receptionist noticed me, a small smile fell on her face.

"What can I do for you?" A friendly tone laced her voice.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I put down my bag and looked at the woman who had just spoken to me. The woman behind the counter seemed a bit older than me, but still not too old to be considered middle-aged. She had red hair, and brown eyes and looked way too sweet to work in a prison.

"I'm here to see Jake Dalton, I'm his lawyer."

The young woman smiled and nodded.

"I'll make a call to get him to the visitor's area, if you walk through the red doors on your right you will enter the security room. They will shortly check if you carry any suspicious items on your body or in your bag and after that one of the guards will take you to the visitor's room."

I nodded, picked up my bag, and made my way to the red doors. Each step I took felt heavier than the step before. Within a few minutes, I would be sitting face to face with one of the biggest criminals in the country, a man who had probably murdered and tortured a lot of people just for fun.

I didn't notice I was clenching the handle of my bag again until I started to feel my nails dig painfully into the skin of my palm. I quickly let out a huge breath and walked further to the doors, it was now or never.

Reaching the doors sooner than I had expected, I pushed them open and I was immediately faced with a completely different room than the one that I had come out of. The place looked like the security check at an airport. On my left and right assembly lines to check any luggage which would be brought into the prison, gates to check if people carried something on their bodies, and multiple guards surrounding the room to make sure everyone followed these rules as told.

I walked over to the assembly line and put my bag in a dull grey tray. The only things in my bag were some papers I needed to discuss Jake's case with him and a pen to take some notes, nothing really special now that I thought about it. All things I hoped helped me get some information from my client would prove Jake's innocence in some of the things the man was being accused of.

I watched my bag go through the scan and saw a guard checking on a screen to see if I brought anything which I wasn't allowed to. Being pretty sure I didn't I walked to the gate to get scanned myself.

"Please stand in the middle of the gate and hold your hands up like this," The security guard behind the gate told me as he demonstrated the position by holding up both his hands in the air.

I copied the guard's pose and smiled when a green light came up a few seconds later. Even though I knew I didn't carry anything I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. What would have happened if I accidentally carried a pocket knife or something?

Not that I even owned one in the first place, but you never know what kinds of stuff magically appear in your pockets when you have to go through a security check in a high-risk prison.

"Please come out of the gate and stand before me." The guard behind the gate asked me with his tone low and demanding. Following his instructions, I stepped out of the gate and stood before the man who had talked to me a few seconds ago.

The man was way taller than me and had intimidating brown eyes. If I were asked to describe the man it would be something like 'Do not mess with him if you value your life.'

"Is it okay if I search you for any forbidden items?" The intimidating man questioned me and I instantly nodded. It's not like I had a choice anyway. What would the man have done if I had said no? Not let me inside the prison, the place where I needed to be right now.

"Please spread your arms and legs so I can properly search you." The guard demanded, his voice still low and laced with a slight tone of anger. I followed the order immediately, not even trying to ignore it.

Not much later I felt the tall man begin to touch my arms and torso. After the guard would be done searching me, he would bring me to Jake.

The man I was excited, yet scared to meet. How would the dangerous mobster-hacker boss react to me being his lawyer? Wouldn't he think I was too young to be a good lawyer? Would he murder me if I lost the case? Way too many questions started to run through my head, making me completely oblivious to the body search the guard was performing on me.

"You are done, you can go and collect your bag now." The guard shook me out of my thoughts and pointed to the assembly line. On it was my bag waiting for me to come and collect it.

"After you have collected your bag you can follow me, I will bring you to the visitor's room," The tall man said and I gave the intimidating guard a small smile and nodded before I walked over to the assembly line. I picked up my bag and made sure to hold it firmly in my grasp.

If I lost my bag this visit would be worthless, I wasn't here to drink coffee and become friends with Jake, I was here to discuss the prisoner's case and without the papers inside my bag, I would be unable to do so.

After I had picked up my bag, I made my way back to the security guard, following me when the tall man started to walk towards a big glass door on his right. The demanding man took big steps through the room, resulting in me having to speed walk after him.

Embarrassment took over my body and I felt like I looked like an idiot following the big man. Almost like a child running after her father. Did he have to walk that fast?

Soon I walked through the big glass doors, not a minute later stood in front of an elevator. I had been in countless elevators in my life, the most recent one being the one back at DW inc. But this elevator had to be the biggest one I had ever seen. The metal cabin had huge doors that looked bulletproof, and the number of the floor the elevator was currently on was displayed above it.

Multiple numbers were displayed before my eyes while the elevator made its way downstairs.

The sudden realization that once I would step inside the metal cabin there was no going back suddenly overwhelmed me. I was going to meet my new client and I wouldn't be able to run away from it anymore. I would meet Jake Dalton and nothing would be able to stop me now.

Soon the big doors of the elevator opened, and the security guard and I both got on instantly. I watched as the big male next to me pressed the button for the seventh floor, followed by him impatiently pressing the button for the doors to close multiple times. After a few seconds they finally closed and the elevator started moving up.

I smiled to myself at the little action the man had just performed. My older cousin used to do the same thing back home. My cousin hated waiting and believed that pressing the button multiple times would make the elevator close the doors faster. This man. seemed to think the same thing even though I knew it wouldn't help at all.

Suddenly a small ding indicated that the elevator had reached the seventh floor. The big doors opened and both the security guard and me quickly got off.

"Please follow me." The intimidating male spoke while he started to walk in a certain direction on his left. Not wanting to get lost I began to speed walk behind him. Both of us soon reached another big metal door with a sign which read 'Visitors room' above it. The tall man gave me a short look before he motioned toward the door.

"Please go through this door, the inmate you're here to visit is already in the room. Another guard will watch the two of you inside."

I clenched my fingers around the handle of my bag, my nails once again digging painfully inside my palms. My heart started to hammer in my chest while a nervous feeling started to rush through my body. My blood slowly drained from my face while my hands became sweaty and cold chills started to run down my back.

I softly shook my head, trying to get rid of the nervousness, and took a deep breath. There was no going back now, a great lawyer would never back down from a case, especially not when I was so close to meeting my client for the first time. I let the air escape my lungs again and reached for the door handle.

This was either going to be my breakthrough or the biggest failure of my life.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the visitor's room was how cold it looked. The room had just plain white walls, a cheap-looking black floor, no windows, 2 doors one to enter and one to leave, and three sets of a table with two chairs all made out of complete metal. The whole atmosphere of the room screamed cold to me.

Nothing seemed welcoming or warm at all. It was more than clear that everybody who came in here just did their business and left, with no friendly chats or lovely visiting at all.

My eyes wandered to the back of the room, a guard as intimidating as the one who had taken me to this room stood next to a heavy metal door with a big lock on it. The door probably led back to the cells in the prison, cells filled with dangerous criminals.

In other words, a place I didn't wanna be at all. I did feel a little saver knowing that a guard would be in the room while I would be discussing Jake's case with him but it never took away all of my nerves.

My eyes slowly wandered to the center of the room, immediately locking eyes with a guy around my age but most likely older. He had short jet-black hair, piercing blue eyes, and multiple fresh scars on his face and exposed arms. Arms that were covered in tattoos, starting from the guy's fingers up to under his sleeves.

The guy wore an oversized orange prison suit but I was still able to see the muscled body that was underneath it. He looked like he had come straight out of an action movie, the only thing missing was an ugly red scar on his eye.

He was sitting down on a metal chair in the middle of the room, a simple and small metal table before him which was just big enough for two people. Both inmates' hands were handcuffed to the armrests of the chair and his feet were cuffed to each other to make sure he couldn't move them.

I was relieved they were kept in a place away from me but I still couldn't help but feel some form of pity toward the other. The prisoner looked like an animal caged to some furniture but on the other hand who knew what the jet black-haired guy could do to me with those hands, kill me, strangle me?

I swallowed hard and quickly averted my eyes away from my new client, not being able to look at him for much longer without getting even more scared.

The guy however still kept his gaze aimed at me, following every move I made like a predator watching its prey. It felt intimidating and uncomfortable to me. If I would have been in any other setting I would have turned around without a second thought and walked away from the guy in front of me, but I knew I couldn't.

This was my dream case for god's sake, I couldn't walk away from it now. I needed to be strong and get over myself, the guy was chained so there was nothing he could do to me.

I was scared for nothing...Right?

I took a deep breath and clenched my bag in my hand before I slowly made my way toward the guy in front of me, still feeling the inmate's piercing gaze on my body. Within a few seconds, I reached the metal table and put my bag carefully down on the ground before taking a seat on the opposite side of the table, all while I avoided looking at the guy in front of me.

As I looked up I immediately locked eyes with him. His piercing blue eyes instantly buried themselves in my face. I immediately noticed some details on his face I had failed to see when I was standing further away from him. The guy had a small scar on his cheek, multiple little scars surrounding his neck, and blue eyes with a hint of coldness in them.

His hands and arms were filled with tattoos, I could now make out more clearly. Some looked like completely random drawings while others were complete. He looked a lot more dangerous from up close, his whole aura screamed 'If you mess with me I will kill you' to me and I didn't like it one bit.

I blinked my eyes a few times to not get lost in his face. I wasn't here to study his anatomy. I had to focus on discussing Jake's case with him, after all, that is why I came here in the first place. I swallowed hard before he took a deep breath.

"Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Mc Estrada and I'm your lawyer. I came here today to discuss your case with you." I said while looking at him and waiting for him to respond.

Silence...Complete and utter silence fell over the room.

The inmate before me didn't respond, he just kept looking with his intimidating gaze at me. The longer Jake didn't say anything, the more nervous I became.

Had I already said something that he didn't like? I wasn't even in this room for more than 5 minutes.

"Mc Estrada huh, from which shithole did they get you?" Jake suddenly asked with a small smirk on his face. "You know, most of my lawyers don't even dare to come near me. All of them were too scared that I will hurt them. I must say I'm impressed you dared to come this close to me." He continued, while the smirk was still plastered on his face.

"You must either be very brave or very stupid, you can fill that one in yourself. I would go for the last one." The inmate spoke while still looking at me in front of him.

I swallowed with some difficulty, this guy was tough and surely didn't seem like he wanted to make me less nervous in any way. He didn't even look like he wanted to discuss his case with me at all.

"I don't think I'm any of those. I came here to do my job, and that is what we're gonna do now, discuss your case."

I slowly reached down to grab my bag. My eyes once again fell on both the guy's feet who were handcuffed to the legs of the chair. I didn't know why but it made me feel a little bit less nervous, knowing the guy was bound to that chair and couldn't in any way come closer to me made me feel somewhat safe.

A deep haunting chuckle left the prisoner's mouth, instantly bringing my eyes back up to him.

"You've got some nerve ordering me around, pretty face. Wouldn't do that again if I were you though or your face won't be as pretty by the end of this hour."

My eyes widened while all color started to drain from my face. Okay, I had made a mistake by saying that to the inmate and I already started to regret this whole job. There was no way I would be able to work with this guy, he was way too scary and dangerous for me. On the other hand, backing out would probably seem even weaker to the man before me.

With a deep sigh, I grabbed the handle of my bag and carefully placed it on my lap.  I opened the zipper while looking inside, already knowing what I needed to grab. My eyes instantly fell on a few papers, a notebook, and a pen. I quickly took them all out, closing the zipper and placing the bag on the ground again.

"I would like to quickly go through your case, read out everything you have been accused of, and then find some way to make sure you won't get accused of them...If you are okay with that." I said a little uncertainly to the guy on the other side of the table, again getting no response from him. Did he even know how serious this was? If I failed to plead him not guilty, he would be on death row, he surely must know that.

I was his only chance at living, so why wasn't he helping me by discussing his case?

"Okay... Let's start by looking at the things you are being accused of." I said as I was ready to start reading them out loud before I got interrupted by the inmate on the other side of the table.

"Are you fucking serious right now?" He said before he started laughing right at my face. I looked at him confused, why was he laughing? I surely hadn't said anything funny.

"You're seriously gonna try and tell me the shit I did, what do you think this is? Fucking law school? This must be the joke of the century right?" He said while his laughter died down and a smirk crept onto his face. He looked at me with his piercing eyes. The amount of arrogance within them not being able to miss at all.

"Trust me, Estrada, if there would be one person here who would know what I did and if I did the shit I'm being accused of it would be me. I wouldn't need you to figure all that out." Arrogance laced his voice.

He was making fun of me and I didn't like it one bit. I had spent hour after hour working on his case and this was what I got in return? An arrogant inmate who told me he didn't need me. Let's say this wasn't how I had pictured my first big case to turn out at all.

I closed my eyes, counted to ten in my head, and looked at him with a sharp look. My emotions getting the better of me despite the threat the inmate had just made at me a few minutes ago.

"I don't care if you did it or not Dalton, I only care about how I can prove you didn't."

This guy was getting on my nerves but I wasn't giving up yet, I needed to win this case and I wasn't going to let anyone come between me and my big breakthrough, not even this scary inmate. Jake did make it unnecessarily hard for me though. It was clear he wasn't planning on helping me with his case at all.

A creepy smile crept upon Jake's face. The look on his face looked like it came straight out of a horror movie. He instantly gave me the chills again, already regretting my previous statement.

The inmate's gaze landed on me again, looking me straight in the eyes. A challenging look with Jake's own eyes while another creepy smirk crept on his face.

"You can't plead me innocent of the things I'm being accused of, Estrada. After all, everyone knows I did them and I'm proud of them."

I looked at him with disbelief in my eyes. Did he just confess he did everything he was being accused of? He had to be kidding me right?

I narrowed my eyes, why did he admit it this easily? Didn't he know his life was on the line? Why was he so keen on making my job so much harder?

I let out a soft sigh and began to grab my papers again and put them in my bag, There was no way I was going to win this case if Jake just straight up confessed everything. I was wasting my time, he wasn't going to help me anytime soon and I had a feeling Jake didn't even know how serious his case was.

The inmate clearly didn't understand his own life was on the line and I decided to make sure he did.

"Just so you know, if you won't help me I'm not going to be able to plead you innocent," I said, grabbing my bag from the ground and standing up from the metal chair I had been sitting on during my visit.

"And if I won't manage to plead you innocent, you will be put on death row. You are playing with your life Jake, think about that next time I visit you." I said to the inmate, who in return only shook his head at me.

As I was ready to turn around and leave Jake began laughing again. I locked eyes with him and saw that challenging gaze in his eyes again.

"You know, to plead guilty or innocent you have to come to the actual pleading part of this whole trial, let's try that first, shall we? I don't need you, Estrada, just so you know." Jake said an arrogant tone laced his voice and a smirk visible on his face.

I looked at him one last time before I turned around and quickly made my way to the exit of the room. I knew Jake Dalton wasn't easy to work with but I never imagined it to be this hard. I surely would hope in my next visit the guy would be a bit nicer.

Even though I already knew that wouldn't be the case at all...

I blinked as yet another glass of red wine was placed before me. It had been my 6th glass of cherry red liquor this evening. I was currently in a bar called 'Aurora' to properly celebrate my promotion together with Lilly.

The bar on the inside looked pretty nice. It was a small bar with wooden walls and floors, on the right side was a huge bar situated, and right next to it were some boots. On the left side was a huge dancefloor which was filled with people dancing like there was no tomorrow. Some of them performed some crazy moves while others looked like they knew what they were doing. Even though the place was pretty busy it gave off a cozy and warm feeling, and I wouldn't mind it if I would come here more often.

The moment I had told Lilly about my promotion she had insisted on taking me somewhere to properly celebrate the fact that I finally got a big case. But because I was busy with work ever since I got my promotion, she wasn't able to do so until five days later. Even though I wasn't the type to party and become drunk I did like spending time with Lilly, and ever since I had gotten the case I had been super busy which resulted in me barely seeing my best friend.

Of course, Lilly understood, but I couldn't help but feel guilty toward her. Nevertheless, I was happy with every moment that I did get to spend with her, which is why I agreed to come here tonight.

"So, missy super busy, tell me what you have been up to this week," Lilly said as she smiled at me. It was one of the things I loved so much about Lilly, her smile. She had the kind of smile that could brighten a whole room. The blonde girl never seemed to be in a bad mood and always found a way to lighten up any situation.

Whenever I was sad or stressed she always told me' Why be sad when you can be happy, don't overthink things Mc. It hasn't done anyone well before you know.' All while she had that beautiful smile plastered on her face.

"Well, I worked on my case a lot, it's a tough one," I said and looked down. The case itself was indeed hard, with the evidence against Jake being overwhelming. But the fact that the inmate hadn't done anything to help me and instead just decided to mess with me made it even worse.

His behavior had been stressing out me for the past couple of days. How in the world was I supposed to defend someone who just straight-up admitted he had done everything he was being accused of? How for god's sake would I be able to plead him innocent when the prisoner even told me he was proud of every single thing he did?

"Ah poor Mc, I'm sure you will figure it out though, you always do." She said as she picked up her glass and took a sip of her wine.

"I sure hope so," I answered her, uncertainty laced my voice. Lilly had no idea who my client was and I was keen on keeping it that way. The moment I would tell her she would be worried to death, which was something I wanted to avoid at all costs. I decided to do this case, so Jake was my burden. And only mine.

I smiled at her and picked up my glass of red wine to take a sip of it. As the cherry red liquor touched my tongue I couldn't help but feel some sort of relief. Wine always made me lose some stress and today was no exception. I wasn't planning on becoming drunk, I just wanted to relax for a bit before I had to go back to my hectic life.

"So have you already seen someone you like?" Lilly asked which shook me out of my thoughts. As the question processed in my mind, I grew a questioning look on my face.

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking at her and she quickly took a small sip out of her glass.

"You know, have you already seen a guy you like, you said you wanted to release some stress tonight right?" She asked while she got that huge smile on her face again. "What better way to release stress than to have fun with a handsome man, right?" She winked at me and I in return became completely red.

"I'm not going to go home and fuck some guy Lilly," I said, putting my head in my hands out of embarrassment, which caused Lilly to laugh. While I knew Lilly had had a one-night stand once in a while, the thought of it alone never appealed to me. What fun would there be out of just fucking someone and never seeing the person again?

Call me old fashioned, but I believed in true love, hoping to one day find the right person with who I will spend the rest of my life. Someone who I will marry, raise children with and grow old with.

As Lilly went to speak again she got interrupted by a blue-haired girl. The girl seemed to be around my age and had a friendly smile supporting her face.

"Excuse me, I came here alone tonight and you two seemed to be having so much fun, do you two mind if I join you guys?" The unknown girl spoke with a friendly tone. She got a pretty face and pretty dark brown eyes which almost completely disappeared once her smile grew larger.

"Sure, I have to go to the bathroom anyway but you can keep Mc company," Lilly said before she quickly took her glass and left us.

The unknown girl smiled and took a seat opposite me and made herself comfortable.

"So is your name really Mc or?" She asked said while she looked me in the eyes. I noticed her eyes were dark brown with a hazel lining to them, they for sure made her face even prettier than she already was when I hadn't looked into her eyes properly.

"Ah yes, my name is Mc." I quickly said, looking at her and sipping my wine.

"That's a pretty name," The girl said with a smile. I instantly felt my cheeks warm up. It was nice to hear that.

"I'm Lex by the way," She said before she took a sip out of her glass. Her glass was filled with some sort of blue liquor and I had no idea what it could be. She noticed me staring at her glass and smiled.

"It's a blue lagoon cocktail, you wanna try it?" She asked, leaning over the table to offer me her glass.

"No thanks, I'll stick to the wine," I said to her. Even though the color of the drink was pretty, I knew looks could be deceiving and the liquor could be much stronger than its sweet color suggested. I wasn't going to risk having a gross burning liquor rolling down my throat.

After a bit of small talk between us, Lex became distracted by something happening behind me.

"Isn't that your friend?" She suddenly asked while she pointed to the space behind me. I turned around and saw Lilly on the dancefloor kissing a big and muscly guy. I quickly turned around in my seat again and immediately noticed that Lex had swapped seats and was now sitting beside me.

"I couldn't hear you properly when I was sitting across from you, you don't mind right?" She asked with a friendly smile supporting her face. I slightly shook my head which made Lex who was now sitting next to me smile.

"Can you tell me a bit more about yourself, I'm eager to get to know you better," Lex said and looked at me patiently waiting for me to answer.

"Uhm, what do you wanna know?" I asked, not sure what to answer. She smiled and picked up her glass of blue liquor.

"You know, the usual stuff, family, friends, job, pets, favorite color," Lex said before she took a sip out of her glass.

"I'm a very curious person, you name it and I wanna know it." She finished and gave me a friendly wink.

I didn't know why but I felt comfortable around her. Lex was easygoing and wasn't keen on making me uncomfortable. She even found ways to make me laugh, which is exactly what I was doing right now. I felt safe and had a feeling Lex and I could become great friends.

"Well, where shall I start," I hummed while looking at her. I picked up my glass of wine before I started speaking.

"I'm from Duskwood, I have a younger sister who is the most important person in my world. You just met my best friend, I work as a lawyer at DW Inc. I don't have pets, but I would like to adopt a dog one day, and my favorite color is black." I said before taking a sip out of his glass. It was almost empty now, and it made me somewhat sad.

To my surprise, Lex grew a small smirk on her face before she took a sip out of her glass. I raised my eyebrows slightly. Did I say something weird?

"What?" I decided to say to find out why she was smirking. Lex put her glass down and straightened her back before she looked me in the eyes. But suddenly her phone rang. I saw her look at the caller ID and heard her silently curse before excusing herself and walking a few steps away from me to pick up her phone.

I couldn't hear everything she was saying, only having heard the words boss, target, information, job, car, and outside before Lex ended the call. I wasn't the person to sneakily listen to someone's private calls, but I couldn't help myself this time. I was left all alone in a booth with Lex talking to someone not even five steps away from me.

What was I supposed to do, put my hands over my ears? As Lex made her way back to me and looked at me with friendly yet sad eyes. She almost looked disappointed.

"Sorry, Mc, but I have to go. My boyfriend is waiting for me outside." She said before picking up her glass and emptying it in one go, something I would never be able to do without throwing up right after. I was kind of shocked at the boyfriend thing though, she didn't mention it before. She carefully placed her now empty glass back on the table of the wood-colored booth again and looked at me with a hint of nervousness in my eyes.

"Look, I had a great time tonight, and I think we could become great friends." I looked into her dark brown eyes, waiting for her to continue with what she was trying to say.

"I just uh..." A small silence fell between us while she was trying to find the right words to finish her sentence "Ah fuck it what I'm trying to say Mc is that I would love to get your number if you're okay with that." She finally managed to say with a hint of insecurity lacing her voice. It was kind of cute,

"Sure, I would like to be friends. As long as your boyfriend is okay with that." I smiled while taking a sip from my glass of wine.

Lex smiled at me and unlocked her phone before handing it over to me. I carefully took it to not let it drop and smiled when I looked at the background that was displayed on the phone. Lex was getting a kiss on her cheek from an older-looking guy with silver eyes and brown hair while he held Lex against his chest in his arms, a protective gesture that clearly showed how much the silver-eyed guy loved her. He somehow resembled Jake. I don't know how.

Lex, on the other hand, had a smile from ear to ear on her face and looked like she had the time of her life. Overall, the picture was really sweet in my eyes, and I hoped that one day, I would be able to have a moment like this with someone.

I quickly went to put my number in Lex's phone and handed it back to her who in return smiled.

"Don't worry Mc, Kaden won't be mad, he knows how much I like making new friends," Lex said before standing up from the boot again.

"After 5 years he's pretty used to it," She said with a smile on her face. I thought it was cute, the way Lex smiled while thinking about her boyfriend. I hoped one day I would be in that situation too, just thinking about someone and having a smile on my face. That would be perfect.

"Well anyways, thanks for tonight Mc, I'll text you tomorrow," Lex said before she turned around and began making her way to the exit of the bar. I smiled at myself.

After all, what could go wrong with making some friends right?

[crooked-haven]

Soulmates? | Na Jaemin Oneshot

➭ Pairing: Na Jaemin x (F) Reader

➭ Genre: Fluff, Small bits of Angst

➭ Warnings/Tags: Sad at the start, Happy Ending, Cursing (maybe?), Not proof read, Tiny heartache, super fluffy and cheesy, a lot of pov changes, boyfriend Jaemin.

➭ Disclaimer: All members of NCT are faces and name claims for this story. This is entirely a work of fiction and by no means is meant to be a projection, judgment or representation of real-life people. Any scenarios or representations of the people and places mentioned in works are purely coincidental. Also this is my story so please don’t steal!

➭ By: Serendipity_Haven (Taexxgukkie & Crooked-haven)

Word count: 1k

－Author's POV－

Jaemin and y/n had been dating for four years. They had met in high-school, and had been inseparable ever since. They had been through a lot together, but they had always managed to come out on top. They had even been planning on getting married, but something had happened that changed everything.

Jaemin had started to feel like something was off in their relationship. He didn't know what it was, but he just didn't feel the same way about y/n anymore. He tried to ignore it at first, thinking that it was just a phase, but the feeling only grew stronger as time passed by. He slowly realized that sparking gut feeling when he looked in her eyes was no longer there.

One day, out of the blue, Jaemin decided that he needed to talk to y/n about how he was feeling. He asked her to come over to his apartment, well the apartment that they practically shared, and when she arrived, he was going to sit her down and explain to her that he needed to end their relationship.

-Jaemin's POV-

I grabbed her hands tightly, and stared deeply into her eyes. I can already see her smile fade, and her skin go pale. My heart is beating faster with every passing second that goes by until suddenly she stands up with a worried look on her face. "Jaemin is everything ok?" She sat down to the right of me, I gulped hard and looked down, avoiding her gaze. I love her, I know I do, but I am no longer in love with her.

I also know I'm not happy with this relationship anymore, and I can not go on with this. I look back up to her eyes, now her eyebrows are knitted together with a worried expression. As if she knows what's coming next. I go to mutter out some words, but at first nothing seems to come out. Not even a sound. I take a deep and a long sigh, closing my eyes for a little, just wondering if I am making the right decision or if I am throwing everything good in my life away.

Something suddenly sparks in my mind, and I don't know if it was real confidence or if my brain somehow turned off my heart, but I managed to utter the words I once couldn't bare to think. "I think it's best if we end this relationship, and move on from each other." I sounded cold, and I almost felt sick. Nothing was said. It was a cold silence for almost 5 whole minutes before she stood up, slowly taking off the promise ring I gifted to her just 2 years ago, and set it before me on the transparent coffee table. She spoke in a nearly inaudible tone.

"Ok Jaemin, I wish you the best of luck, but just know, I love you and always will." And with that, she left.

-Author's POV-

y/n was shocked and confused. She didn't understand what had happened, and she had practically begged Jaemin to tell her what was going on. He tried to explain how he was feeling, but he couldn't find the right words. He just knew that something had changed, and he couldn't pretend that everything was okay anymore. So instead of trying to continuously dig it out of him, she decided to say what she thought was the simplest way of getting out of that situation fast, before she started breaking.

The following months were difficult for both Jaemin and y/n. They tried to stay away from each other as much as possible, but they always seemed to run into each other in their shared college campus or at social events, such as parties or friends of friends hang outs. Every time they saw each other, it was like a knife in the heart, possibly thousands of knives. They both missed each other terribly, but they knew that they couldn't go back to the way things were before.

As time passed, Jaemin started to feel like he had made the right decision. He had started to feel like himself again, and he realized that he had been unhappy for a long time. He knew that it was painful for y/n, but he hoped that she would eventually understand that they were better off apart. That they didn't need each other to survive. He hoped that she had already moved on from him, so that she wasn't in so much pain.

Y/n, on the other hand, was indeed struggling to move on. She still loved Jaemin, and she couldn't imagine life without him. She tried to date other people, but nothing felt right. She missed the way that Jaemin looked at her and warmly smiled at her for no reason, the way that he made her laugh until she saw stars, and the way that he held her when she was upset or down. She missed his love.

A couple years passed, and Jaemin and y/n had both graduated from college. They had both moved on with their lives, but they still thought about each other from time to time. They had both grown and changed since their breakup, but they never forgot the love that they had shared. Jaemin also slowly realized that the spark he had in his gut never actually went out during that time, it was his own stress that simply covered it up.

One day, Jaemin ended up bumping into y/n at the supermarket, of all places. They talked about how much they both accomplished in the short years that they weren't in contact, and this time Jaemin followed his heart rather than his overthinking brain. They agreed to meet at a coffee shop in the city of Seoul, and when they saw each other, it was like no time had passed at all. They hugged each other tightly, and Jaemin felt a rush of emotions that he hadn't felt in a long time.

y/n started to speak, and she told Jaemin that she had realized something over the past few years. She had realized that she still loved him, and that she wanted to try to make things work between them again. Jaemin was surprised, but he was also happy. He had missed y/n more than he wanted to admit, and he knew that he still loved her too.

-Your POV-

I smiled brightly at the now pink headed man sitting in front of me. He has definitely matured. The last time I saw him he had a pretty shade of blue hair, all fluffy. I took a short sip of my coffee and handed him my phone to put his contact in, he too handed me his. I gasped lightly when I noticed his wallpaper, still the same goofy selfie we took years ago even before our relationship.

We exchanged phones back, and stood up before hugging each other warmly. I missed his fresh cherry like scent. He grabbed my hand and gave a warm smile while speaking. "Should we go on a proper date now?" I blushed, he has the same affect on me and my heart after all this time. "Yes of course." I spoke slowly, almost as if I was scared of the time going by too fast. We paid, and walked out, and with that, I was finally convinced that fate is real.

"Soulmates."

We both said at the same time, startling each other, but in the end laughing it off.

End♡︎

A/N-

Wow that was a longer one, well anyways I hope you liked it and if you did don't forget to leave a comment and ♥️. It is really appreciated!

I actually loved this story-line, and I put so much time and effort into it, I may continue it, but until next time~

[with-love-from-hell]

5 Sides of Human

{Part Twenty-Four}

Genre: Mixed WC: ~5.8k CW: mentions of blood, mentions of death, Verbal abuse/physical abuse, choking implication, use of the word "Bitch," Heavy Illusion to past trauma, sexual jokes, swearing, use of some ableist language (e.g. dumb, stupid, idiot), Storm has a stutter but I am not depicting it with written word consistently, prolly lots of typos lol, spoilers for season 1&2, I'm skipping over/changing some things I didn't like in the main story so it will be a bit different from canon! Series Masterlist

©️ artwork commissioned by @vivi8bit ©️  

As the group entered the cave behind Solomon, they were at first faced with what one would expect when walking into a hole in the side of a mountain. The air was cold and stale, and surrounding them was complete darkness, other than the light from the outside of the long tunnel ahead of them. Suddenly, the dark grey rock around them fizzled out, and soon they were standing in the middle of a hillside. Small yellow dandelions and white wild flowers littered the area between seas of long blades of plush emerald grass. The bright sun beat down upon them from the bluest of skies, and any sign of a cave, or the entrance to it, was completely abandoned.

"Whoa, what's going on?" Levi stopped dead in his tracks, causing Fern and Mammon to run straight into him. "We're supposed to be in a cave, so why are we in a field? I mean, this totally feels like something out of a video game."

"Please tell me we didn't get sucked into one of Levi's games again." Vivi sighed in irritation, remembering back to a fiasco shortly before Storm's arrival where she, Levi, Mammon, Fern, and Satan were thrown into one of Levi's dating simulators.

"Honestly, this whole reaper's cave thing isn't that different from being inside a video game to begin with, so it doesn't really matter." Satan shrugged, casting a teasing smirk Vivi. "At least this game doesn't have anything to do with intimacy points."

Vivi scoffed, but Satan saw the small smile that formed on her lips.

"Solomon, what's this?" Heart stopped just in front of Levi, pointing to the ground at his feet. Right above the tip of his shoe was a message written in the same scrawled font as the cave entrance.

"Ah, a message written in blood?" Solomon swiftly paced to Heart's side, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "That would be the rules for level 1."

Storm stood on her tip-toes, trying to read what was written in the grass over Fern's shoulder. She felt a chill run up her spine as she re-read the statement, the cryptic message sinking in deeper as her eyes passed over the words.

Satan raised a brow in disbelief. "'Don't look back?' Really..? that's it?"

"So we just have to keep walking right? That'll be easy!" Levi grinned, stepping over the message quickly. Heart walked around it with Asmo at their side, matching Levi's pace. The others followed, with Storm and Lucifer taking up the rear.

"Knowing my reaper friend, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Solomon cast glances around the group members in front of him, resisting the urge to ensure everyone else followed behind. "You're liable to get yourself in trouble if you assume it's going to be that easy."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Vivi snarled, about to turn to face Solomon, but was stopped by Satan frantically gripping both of her shoulders. She immediately shook him off, casting a scowl at him. Though it faded when she saw the fear present in his eyes, now realizing that he had saved her from whatever punishment breaking the rule would bear. She cast her gaze downward, trying to figure out how to respond.

Solomon shook his head as he stepped on the other side of her. "It just means that you shouldn't let your guard down. Now let's keep going."

They continued on for a short distance, the field seeming to stretch on and on. The discomfort Storm felt didn't cease as they walked, and nearly doubled as a faint, familiar voice tickled her ears. Her movements were roboticly slow as she tried to convince herself it was all in her imagination.

"Storm...What are you doing?! Get back here, NOW!"

Lucifer noticed her gate falter, slowing down himself to ensure she wasn't left behind.

"Hey...Did anyone hear that?" Mammon looked to his side to get confirmation from the twins and Fern that they had also heard something.

"No?" Fern looked to Belphie who also shook his head.

"I didn't hear anything either." Beel shrugged.

"It sound's like...'" Mammon scrunched his brow, trying to listen for it again.

"Ignore it." Lucifer sighed, noticing the gap between him and his brothers widening slightly.

"I expect you to look at me when I talk to you, bitch."

Storm's movements now stopped completely as a wave of fear washed over her. She recognized the owner of the voice.

That voice...It-it couldn't be...

Lucifer paused as Storm did, but was careful not to turn completely around to face her.

"There it is again!" Mammon also stopped, causing the others to now pause their movements as well. "That voice...It...Storm, you ain't talkin' ta me, are ya?"

"Huh?" Storm glanced up to the back of Mammon's head several feet in front of her, cast out of her fear-laced stooper. "No, I-I didn't say anything."

"Are ya sure? It sounds exactly like ya." Mammon hesitated, now hearing a slight difference in the inflection in Storm- the real Storm-'s tone. "I can hear it callin' out to me...Callin' my name in the sweetest way!"

"I'm not saying anything, Mammon." She reiterated, now ignoring the increasing volume of the voice she heard behind her. It sounded close; much closer than before.

"You guys seriously can't hear that?" Mammon asked the others once more, who only had looks of confusion on their faces.

"I...I do hear something too..." Storm added, swallowing hard.

"I guess I can hear some meows, but I haven't heard Storm talking..." Satan murmured, looking uncertainly to Vivi, who shook her head in disbelief.

"All I hear is my fans saying how much they love me, but that's not unusual, hehe." Asmo grinned, squeezing Heart's hand. "But...it would be rude of me to just ignore them..."

"No, Asmo!" Heart yanked on his hand to re-shift his focus from the noise.

"None of what you're hearing is real." Lucifer stated sternly. "Ignore it. It's the reaper's cave playing tricks on you."

"I'm not hearin' things! I'm tellin' ya, it's as real as can be!" Mammon snapped, now becoming irritated with the other's denial of what he was sure was the truth.

"That's exactly what the reaper wants, yes. It's all to get you to break the rule for this level." Lucifer crossed his arms. "Don't look back. You have to resist the urge."

"Don't you dare ignore me!"

"T-this is starting to freak me out a little." Storm felt her knees begin to tremble slightly as her breath became uneven. The last thing she wanted was to have to experience this nightmare all over again.

Lucifer heard the fear in Storms voice, making him wonder what she was hearing from behind her. He reached back toward her without looking, trying to provide his hand for her to hold on to for comfort.

"Pfffhaha, sucks that you guys could fall for something that-" Levi paused, his eyes widening. "R-rui-chan!? Ruri-chan is calling to me!"

"What?!" Mammon blinked at him, now focusing on Levi's frantic attempts to turn around, which were only halted by Sarah holding him firmly in place.

"If you don't turn around right now-"

"She needs me to fight along side her! I can't let her down!" Levi whined, trying to pry Sarah's hand out of his.

"Levi, Ruri-chan isn't real!" Heart sighed, still trying to force Asmo's gaze to the front.

"-I'll make sure you regret it..."

"I'm telling you, it's a trap!" Lucifer snapped, trying to walk backwards slowly toward Storm, who still stood frozen in place. Trying to be cautiously soft toward her and harsh toward his brothers at the same time was proving to be a lot more difficult than he had thought it would be.

"Even so, I can't risk abandoning Ruri-chan now!" Levi confidently puffed out his chest, finally ripping his hand out of Sarah's. "Hold on, Ruri-chan, I'm coming!!"

"...Do I have to remind you of the last time you turned your back on me?"

"Wh- LEVI! You idiot!" Belphie shouted as Levi turned and pushed past him, running in the reverse direction of the group.

As Levi ran past her, Storm began to feel the sensation of hands trying to wrap themselves around her neck. She shrieked, closing her eyes and bolting forward, rushing past everyone as fast as she could. If the voice behind her was trying to get her to turn around, the effect it had was the opposite.

"Shit." Lucifer hissed through gritted teeth, trying his best to keep his grip on Levi's jacket without turning around accidentally. "Somebody, grab Storm!"

Just as the words left Lucifer's lips, the scenery around the group fizzled and a doorway opened in the distance. Storm headed directly toward it, bursting through in a fit of pants. She tripped and fell to the floor, gasping for air.

Vivi was the first to be at Storm's side, having a faster reaction time than anyone in the group. Part of her recognized the type of fear she exhibited in her scream and frantic escape, and made her feel angry at the fact that she had clearly suffered similarly to what Vivi herself experienced in the past. As she helped to comfort Storm, she wondered if she should ask what it was she had heard. Though, she thought better of it as the rest of the group came rushing into the room behind her.

"-Well, Lucifer told you it was a trap." Belphie snorted as he sauntered into the room. He shook his head as the group turned to look, some gasping, and others erupting into a fit of laughter at the sight that was in front of them. A basketball sized and shaped, soot-colored figure was being held by the scruff in the hands of the eldest brother, kicking and flailing as he screamed at Lucifer to put him down. It had a long, snake-like tail, bright orange eyes, and coral-like horns sticking out of its head. The voice emitting from the small creature seemed to sound...a lot like Leviathan.

Lucifer kicked the door closed behind him, dropping the creature to the floor with a thud. He whimpered at the impact, cursing at the others who laughed at his plight.

"Laugh all you want!" Leviathan pouted, crossing his small, stick-thin arms. "But I would do it again if it was for Ruri-chan!"

"Aww Levi! Look at youuu!" Sarah cooed, rushing to him and taking him up into her arms. "You're so cute!"

"He kinda looks like a little D..." Beel chuckled as Sarah squeezed Levi.

"AHHEE...Sarah! GAHHH! S-Stop kissing me!" He squealed as she peppered his face with kisses. Fern, Heart, Mammon, and Asmo collapsed to the floor into a fit of laughter, finding Levi's current state of being amusing.

Lucifer clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes at the immaturity of the others. He refocused his attention to Storm, who had been finally helped to her feet by Vivi. She looked as if she was breathing more evenly now, though the remnants of fresh tears still littered her cheeks.

"You okay?" Vivi asked quietly, placing a hand on her back to try to comfort her.

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Storm gave her a weak smile, dusting off her clothing from the fall.

Lucifer watched on, finding himself grateful for Vivi's aid in whatever had happened to cause her to flee so quickly from the first level of the reaper's cave.

"I suppose we're in level 2 now." Satan glanced around the humongous room they found themselves in. "It looks like a giant library."

"We'd better make sure to keep facing forward." Beel nervously fidgeted with his fingers. "If you're not careful, you'll end up like Levi."

Satan glanced toward Levi, who was still screeching and trying to wriggle his way out of Sarah's over-affectionate arms.

"We're out of the first level now, so that rule no longer applies. See?" Solomon turned around, smiling at everyone. "Though we should find the second rule quickly, we don't want to accidentally break it."

"Yeah, I don't really wanna end up like Levi." Belphie grimaced.

Levi finally got out of Sarah's hold, waddling his way over to Storm to hide behind her legs as fast as he could. "Ugh, yeah, no kidding! I might as well face it...I'll be doomed to look like this for the rest of my life now. It's so embarrassing, I would rather die than be stuck like this forever!"

Heart frowned. "You're still you, no matter what you look like, Levi."

"Yeah, and you look so adorable now! I just cant get enough of you! Ahh!" Sarah squealed, squishing her cheeks. "I mean, you were cute before, but now you look like a squishmallow!!"

A deep red hue formed on Levi's dark cheeks. "Eh...Thanks, I guess."

"Hey, check this out!" Fern called out from behind a book case, peaking their head around to beckon the others toward them. "I think I found the next rule."

The group meandered towards them to find the next message. This time, it was smaller, but the message had been scrawled over numerous books on the shelf.

"'Do not touch...'" Beel read aloud before shrugging.

"I can't believe someone would actually deface such perfectly good books like this." Satan scowled, "it's unforgivable."

"Pff, this is so dumb. Who would wanna touch a buncha lame books anyways?" Mammon scoffed, crossing his arms. "Now, if these shelves were packed with stacks of cash or gold bars instead'a books, then I'd do more than just touch 'em."

"Yeah, yeah. You get a boner for money and wanna stick your dick in a wad of bills. We get it." Fern rolled their eyes.

"Oi! T-that's not was gonna say!" Mammon glowered, closing his arms tighter around himself to fight back against the embarrassment. "I was gonna say- I'd throw 'em up in the air and let 'em rain down on me!"

"So...like a stripper?" Heart snorted before bursting into laughter, joined by Fern, Levi, and Asmo.

"Shaddap!!" Mammon's cheeks burned as he tried to maintain his cool.

"Mammon, hold still a second..." Beel cocked his head, pointing to Mammon's wrist. "What's that?"

Mammon looked around him, flipping up his jacket to try to see what Beelzebub was pointing at. "Huh? Whatcha talkin' about?"

"You've got some sort of mark there. It sort of looks like some ink rubbed off there- right by your thumb." Beel pointed again, but leaned closer to get a better look.

"I dunno what that is, it could be anything!" Mammon rolled his eyes, yanking his sleeve back down.

Satan caught a glimpse of the mark as Mammon tried to hide it from view. "Wait...that looks like a Midas Crest, I think."

"My-dass...what now?" Mammon slowly rolled back up his sleeve, observing the mark more closely now.

"Midas crest." Satan repeated getting a closer look at Mammon's arm. "From that old human-world fairy tale: The man who was cursed by a witch so that everything he touched turned to gold. This looks just like the mark that reflects that curse."

"All riiiiiight! I'm gonna be loaded! Ahahah!" Mammon cackled.

"Mammon, remember what happened to Levi." Lucifer narrowed his eyes. "This is likely a trick. If you touch anything..."

"Yeah, it's probably fake, dude." Fern scoffed before pausing. After a few seconds of silence, a wide grin spread across their face. "Though...maybe you should test it out, just to be sure."

"That means...this whole room..." Mammon looked around him, his pupils dialating like an excited cat. "That means everything in this room could turn to gold! All of it!"

"Yeah, yeah! So get touchin'!" Fern snorted, relishing in how riled up Mammon seemed to be getting.

"Fern!" Storm hissed as they stifled a laugh. "Mammon, if you touch anything, you'll turn into...whatever it is Levi is!"

"Like I give a shit?!" Mammon cackled running toward the fullest book shelf in sight. "I'll be rich! Rich, I tell ya!"

"Mammon!" Storm called to him, lurching forward to try to stop what he was about to do. Her hand was grabbed and she was subsequently pulled back by Lucifer, who shook his head and sighed in a dismissive manner.

"Let him learn, Storm."

"Sweet, sweet gold! Come to papa!" Mammon cheerfully sang as he reached out to the shelf. A bright white light burst from the book that his fingers grazed, blinding everyone in the room. When the light finally dimmed down, Mammon was no where to be seen. In the place that he had been, stood another basketball-soot-demon. This one had spiral horns and bat-like wings sticking out of its back.

Fern doubled over in laughter as Mammon shouted in anger, furious that the "Midas crest" was clearly just a trick.

"DAMMIT! STOP LAUGHIN' AT ME FERN!"

"We tried to warn you, dip shit." Belphie rolled his eyes. "But you just had to go and touch something."

"Heeey! Now we're twins, haha!" Levi laughed along with Fern. The fact that Mammon now also had to share in his misery made the experience a little better.

"SHADDAP, LEVI! Don't go lumpin' me together with a loser like you!" He roared, but it only made the others laugh harder and how pathetic the tiny demon looked when trying to be intimidating.

Lucifer rolled his eyes, unamused by the scene unfolding before him as Levi and Mammon began bickering. He glanced toward Solomon, Vivi, and Satan, wandering toward where they stood near the opposite wall.

"What are you two looking at?"

"This library...it's covered wall-to-wall with rare books." Satan leaned in, reading the spine of a book on a lower shelf. "Look at this! Magical Fungi of the Three Worlds: Distribution and Ecology- and it's in perfect condition!"

"They may be rare, but make sure you just look at them. Is that clear, Satan?" Solomon shook his head.

"I know the rule, Solomon. Don't mistake me for a certain idiotic brother of mine." Satan crossed his arms, glaring at the sorcerer.

"Oi! I heard that!" Mammon growled from the other side of the room.

"Good." Vivi gave her voice a teasing inflection made a face at him before turning back around, causing Mammon to again start another tirade.

From the corner of the shelf, a soft mewling emitted, causing Satan to freeze.

"Did...did you hear that?" Satan snapped his attention in the direction of the sound, abandoning the book that had previously caught his attention. He squatted in front of the shelf as Solomon groaned, trying to see where the noise was coming from.

"Satan, it was probably just your imagination." Vivi warned.

"No, I didn't imagine it. It was the sound of a cat meowing..." Satan ducked and turned his head, trying to see between the books on the shelves.

"Uh oh." Storm's eyes widened as she quickly paced to where Lucifer stood.

The meow sounded off again, this time in the direction of another room. Satan immediately bolted toward it, leaving the others in the dust. After a moment of pause, they quickly followed, only to be blinded by another bright light.

They blinked as the light fizzled, rounding the corner to the next room where Satan- or rather, who they assumed to be Satan- stood in the doorway. The small demon had deep green eyes, curled horns, and a tail swishing back and forth in irritation, but he said nothing.

"...Is there something you'd like to say, Satan?" Lucifer snickered, putting his hands on his hips.

The small creature paused. "...I...Well! If a tiny kitten who'd just opened its eyes started meowing at you in a weak fragile voice, hungry and trembling with fear...would you be able to resist the urge to scoop it up in your arms?? Hm!?"

"You're a fucking idiot!" Vivi snorted as she began to laugh, clearly enjoying the view of the small, pudgy Satan that stood before her.

"The rule here was 'do not touch', remember?" Lucifer smirked, trying to resist the urge to join in on Vivi's laughing fit.

"I take responsibility for my actions...and I regret nothing." Satan stated, finishing his statement with a "hmpf" when it was met with laughter.

"That was real smooth, bro...but ya can't pull off a confident line like that when you look like this. Ya just sound dumb."

"The lot of you...Your lack of self control is embarrassing." Lucifer sighed.

"Well, it's not our fault, right? We are demons, after all." Levi shrugged.

"You may be demons, but you can't lose your head in situations like this. Need I remind you that we are here to save your brother? Not to screw around."

"We had no idea what these curses would do. What if it would have killed you?" Storm squatted down with a frown, petting Mammon gently on the head. Mammon flushed, trying to hide his shame from worrying Storm.

"You all need to learn some sense of self-control." Lucifer shook his head in disappointment.

"Whatever. I left all that behind with the celestial realm along with them stupid angel wings." Mammon grumbled, but leaned into Storms touch as she continued petting his head.

"Aahaha! There's never a dull moment with you brothers. You really are a lot of fun." Solomon laughed. "Wouldn't you agree, Storm?"

Storm sighed, shaking her head. "Well, "fun" is now always the way I would describe things like this...but I love them to death."

Solomon smiled, but behind it was a slight grimace. "Well, I'm sure you're pleased to hear that, aren't you Lucifer."

Lucifer side-eyed him. "Pardon?"

"In any event!" Solomon moved on, ignoring Lucifer's suspicion. "I honestly thought that something worse would happen if you broke the rules here. Considering the sort of reaper my friend is, being turned into a cute little d seems like an awfully mild punishment."

"Good thing you were wrong..." Beel mumbled sadly, not liking to think about the fact that his carelessness had put his brothers in danger.

"Well, the thing is...I can't help but wonder if you have something protecting you." Solomon pondered aloud, giving Storm a cheeky grin.