#someone also said they were in a time loop which would be. intriguing

[soupdreamer]

hey brennan what the fuck

[sixpossumsinatrenchcoat]

Memories of Defeat (pt 4/4)

An In Stars and Time retrospective that revolves around everyone's favorite star. Major "secret ending"/epilogue spoilers below the cut!!

[Start from Part One here.]

Once upon a time, there were two brothers: one made of light, and one made of meat.

The elder brother was capable. Resourceful. He’s the one who had to point the way. Even if he was lost, or exhausted, or hungry and scared and alone, he didn’t have a choice. There was nowhere left for him to go. So he died! He died on purpose!! He’d rather be dead!!! Anything would be better than this!!!!

The younger brother burrowed out of their sibling’s ribcage. They were afraid, too, but they weren’t hungry. How could they be? They were born from a banquet of muscle and bone. Fermented in a womb of fresh-spilled blood.

The younger brother swallowed their elder. They swallowed his liver and his entrails, his heart and lungs and light. Everything good that was ever inside him would be theirs now. Then they wiped their mouth and howled their loneliness into the stars. Why did it have to be like this? What can’t I remember? Why am I so alone???

The night sky looked down and said, Because I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hope you eat shit and die. Die unloved and alone. It’s what you deserve.

But I didn’t do anything wrong! the younger brother wailed, pathetically, and also totally blinding hypocritically because they literally just ate their only kin, like, ten minutes ago. I only wanted to be loved!!!

Cool, the Universe said. Try telling someone who cares.

* * *

There’s no room for Loop in the caravan.

Which is fine. Preferable, even. It’s not as though they’re particularly eager to spend the night two inches away from the nation’s most nauseating lovebirds.

Siffrin insists on pitching a tent for them. That’s fine, too. It’s a free country. Siffrin can do whatever he wants. It doesn’t mean that Loop actually has to sleep there.

(They can’t even look at it. It smells like the past. Like the hole in their chest.)

They sleep on the ground, with a scarf draped over their eyes. They don’t want to look at the stars.

* * *

Loop’s eyes snap open a few minutes before sunrise. There’s someone watching them.

“You’re not sneaky,” they announce, without looking up. “I’m not one of your oblivious little friends. You can’t hide from me. I’m better at it, anyway.”

“Maybe I wasn’t trying to.”

“You know it’s pointless trying to lie to me.”

“…Yeah.”

Loop rolls their eyes. He’s the one who won, isn’t he? So why does he always go around acting like a sopping wet cat left out in the rain? “What do you want, stardust.”

“I’m deciding if I have to give you our cloak,” Siffrin admits.

That gets their attention. Loop sits up, intrigued.

Siffrin tucks their chin behind their collar. “It seems maybe… right? Um. Morally. But I really don’t want to.”

“Aww, stardust. You think I want that ratty old thing?”

“Of course.”

…Of course.

Loop smiles sunnily. “I bet you think I’m going to say something like, Ohh, you don’t have to do that. It’s the thought that counts! That you even considered it is more than enough for me!”

Siffrin looks hopeful. Stupid little beast. How were a hundred bloody deaths still not enough to wring all the optimism out of them?

“Well, maybe I won’t! We don’t all find you so charming, you know. Maybe I do want it! It was mine first!”

Siffrin’s face scrunches miserably. As they reach for the clasp that holds their collar shut, the first gleam of dawn catches on a silver coin, still pinned to their lapel.

…Ugh. “It’s fine, okay? It’s not even my style anymore. Anyway, I got to keep both our eyes, so. Who’s the loser here, really?”

Siffrin opens their mouth.

“If you answer that, I’m taking the cloak just so I can throw it in the river.”

Siffrin closes their mouth. But they don’t walk away. They just keep standing there, staring.

“Stars, what?” Loop demands. “Have you got some more restitutions for me? Going to give me your other eye?”

Siffrin shakes his head. “It’s just, um. Loop.”

“What?”

“No, I mean the name. ‘Loop.’ Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“Stars, it’s one thing after another with you! Talk about intrusive! Do you do this with all your little friends, or it just me you can’t trust to make a single blinding decision for myself?”

Siffrin scuffs the heel of their boot through the dirt. “It just… doesn’t seem fair.”

“Oh, you figured it out, did you!! Ve~ry clever, stardust! It is unfair! Much like everything else in this miserable world! Nothing was ever going to be fair! What do you want me to do about it? Well? Go on! I’d love to hear your brilliant solution!”

Siffrin just keeps standing there, silent.

Loop’s fingernails dig into their palms. “Do you think I should be Siffrin again? Is that it? You think we should both be Siffrin? I’m sure that won’t confuse anyone. When your pet Fighter calls your name and the both of us come running.”

“...It would get confusing.”

“I’m not him anymore, anyway,” Loop spits. “They’re dead. You should know. You’re the one who killed them. And killed them and killed them and killed them and killed them! And—if I can be honest? Good blinding riddance!! You think I liked being you? Being some desperate, needy little freak with no past and no future?” They let out a tinkling laugh. “Get over yourself, stardust. Frankly, I’d rather die.”

“I’m not saying you should be me,” Siffrin says quietly. “I just mean… Loop, specifically. It doesn’t seem a little… masochistic?”

Loop blinks at them.

“I know you’re not me,” Siffrin says again. “Or even the me you used to be. But you’re not the loops, either. They’re just—something that happened to us.”

Loop rolls their eyes. “You escape one time loop and suddenly you’re a qualified therapist?”

“Do you really like it, though?”

…Well. Well of course they don’t blinding like it. But it’s fitting, isn’t it? It’s funny, isn’t it? Just like them!! Soooo~ funny!!!

“…Loop?”

“I don’t like it,” Loop hisses. “But. It’s… not as though I like anything else. And it’s. Familiar.”

Siffrin nods. Even he can understand that much. This world’s Siffrin may have had it easy—like, really, ridiculously, embarrassingly easy—but both of them went years without finding anything familiar. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

“And you know you can change your mind.”

“Hard as it may be to believe, I am, in fact, fully capable of thinking for myself! But thanks ever so much for trying to dictate another aspect of my life! I was starting to worry that I might actually have to be a real person!”

Siffrin frowns. “You’re a real person.”

“Oh, for Stars— Haven’t you done enough? I’m exhausted. You’re exhausting.” They flop back in their bedroll, draping the scarf back over their eyes. “Just leave me alone, stardust. It’s what you do best.”

[You dreamed that you were drowning. Even now, you still can’t catch your breath.]

There’s an old fairytale, back in (don’t think it DON’T THINK IT IT HURTS) about the saddest man in the world. He’s so miserable, so totally consumed by his hurt that he can’t even talk about it, because no one would ever understand. He is utterly alone in his grief.

So the world’s saddest man makes a wish. He wishes for a copy of himself! Someone else, someone new, who might reflect the emptiness inside him.

But the copy is too good. Much, much better than the man ever was. There’s no bitterness inside it because, for as long as it’s lived, it’s always had him. It never had to learn how it feels to be alone.

The man hates it. He hates it. He can't stand to see it walking around, smiling and laughing and failing and trying. So he lures it back into his study. He gives it a smile. He opens his arms.

It’s still smiling at him, trusting, when he drives the knife into its chest.

The man drinks the light from its veins and swallows the wish in its heart. He leaves it empty empty empty. And do you know what?? In the end, when he’s left shuddering in a puddle of blood and spattered viscera, nothing has changed!! There’s nothing different at all!!! He still isn’t any less alone!!!!!

*

* *

* * *

The morning after the party sets out from Bambouche, Loop wakes up to find Bonnie standing over them.

“How come you don’t glow anymore?” they ask bluntly.

Loop blinks. “Oh. Um. W-Well, it was wreaking havoc on my beauty sleep. Looking this good doesn’t come cheap, you know! It’s practically a full-time job!”

“But how? What happened to your sparkles?”

“They… washed off?” It is sort-of true. For a while after Siffrin set them free, Loop wasn’t anywhere at all. When they finally gasped awake, they were neck-deep in the same black, frigid water that carried them to Vaugaurde, all those years ago. Except this world’s Siffrin already took the boat. Loop had to claw their way to shore with their own two hands.

Bonnie looks disappointed. What else is new? Water is wet and Loop is disappointing. “That sucks. It was cool. But I guess it’s good you can sleep now. Being tired sucks too.”

Loop’s mouth ticks up. “I’ll tell you a secret,” they find themself saying. “But only if you won’t tell Siffrin.”

“DEAL.”

“You promise?”

“Yeah!!”

“Super promise?”

“Of course!!!!”

“Super duper promise?”

Bonnie flaps their arms. “You gotta tell me right now or I’m gonna explode!!!!!”

Loop looks left and right, conspiratorial, before beckoning them close enough to whisper in their ear. “...I can still glow a little.”

“What!!!!!”

“Shh!!”

“Ahem!” Boniface clears their throat. “Ahem, hem. Of course what I meant was: forsooth, how doth you, um. Glow?”

Wow, they really have been going to school. Loop’s mouth ticks up. They might not be the real Boniface, but they’re still way too cute. “Okayyyy, okay. You wore me down! I can’t hold out any longer! I have no choice but to confess!”

“Yeah,” Bonnie agrees, scowling fiercely.

“Okay, check this out.” Loop scoops a fistful of dust from the ground beside their bedroll and holds it in front of their nose. Their eyes scrunch. Their face puckers—

—and they sneeze a spray of sparks into their palm.

Bonnie’s eyes light up. “What!! What!!!! You sneeze light?????”

“Not always,” Loop explains. They still don’t really understand why it happens. It’s not as though the Universe ever deigned to explain. “And don’t tell anyone! It’s our secret, okay?”

“But why!!! It’s cool!!!!!”

“Haha, well. Sometimes people don’t like things that are cool.”

“But it’s shiny!!!!”

Loop smiles wryly. “Sometimes people don’t even like things that are shiny.”

Bonnie’s shoulders sag a little. “But that’s… That stinks.”

(Do NOT make Bonnie sad.) “Oh, no, i-it’s not bad! It’s, um, cool! Like having superpowers! Or a secret identity or something!”

“It is bad!” Bonnie snaps back at them. “People are so stupid!! I think your sparks are cool!!!”

For a second, Loop almost forgets to laugh. “Haha! Well, I commend your exemplary taste. But there’s no need to worry about me, Bonb– Boniface. I’m doing just fine!”

Bonnie frowns at them. “Frin says that sometimes.”

The nickname nearly knocks the smile off their face. “...Is that right.”

“But usually only when they’re not.”

“Well. I wouldn’t think too hard about it. Siffrin is pretty stupid.”

“You’re his friend, though.”

(…Are they?) “Of course!”

“So maybe you’re stupid too.”

Loop chokes on a laugh. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re sort of scary-smart?”

“No,” Bonnie says promptly. “Mostly they say I have learning disabrilties. ‘Cause my brain is bad at words.”

“Well,” Loop tells them, confidential. “Don’t tell your sister, but between you and me… I think the people who say that might be even stupider than me.”

“Pffft— You can’t say that about teachers!! They’re in charge!!!”

“Not of me, they’re not.”

Bonnie stares for a second before breaking into a radiant, gap-toothed smile. “You’re cool, Loop.”

“I— Ah?” For the first time in several lifetimes, Loop finds themself at a loss for words.

“It’s okay!” Bonnie says generously. “Frin doesn’t know what to do when people are nice to them either. You don’t hafta say anything. You can just know you’re cool and not even say anything.”

Not as cool as YOU! That’s what they could have said. But of course it’s always already too late. “Um…”

“I’ll leave you alone!!” Bonnie shouts in their face. “Cause Nille says I’m bossy which is a strenth but sometimes means I have to give people space so they can decide if they wanna keep hanging out or not! But I’m glad you came back!! ‘Cause Frin and Za are all gross and lame now, so it’s cool to have someone cool!!”

“H-Haha. Well. I’ll… try to meet your expectations?”

“You don’t hafta worry ‘bout that,” Bonnie scoffs. “You already sneezed glitter.”

* * *

When the party meets Madame Odile at the crossing, she looks at Loop very, very closely. She shakes their hand politely enough. But she doesn’t approach them directly until later, after the Fighter’s already turned in for the night and Boniface is fast asleep.

“Loop,” she greets them. “I wasn’t sure you’d want to discuss it in front of everyone, but I wanted to tell you that I’m very glad to see you again. I’d been hoping for a chance to give you my thanks. I know I was a bit, ah, preoccupied when last we met… But it seems we owe you a great debt. Siffrin’s life, for one. Not to mention the state of our physical world.”

Loop bites back a sigh and readies the usual spiel. Haha, yes, that’s me! Eternally helpful etcetera etcetera! I can see that you’ve noticed the new look; would you believe, it’s actually a very funny story—

“And Siffrin,” Odile says levelly. She doesn’t look away. “It seems we owe you an apology.”

Loop chokes. “Aha? Haha, um… I think you’ve… perhaps… mistaken me for someone? H-Haha, ah… Maybe in your old age, your eyes have finally—“

“She knows,” Sif blurts out, from across the fire. “Sorry. I had to tell her. She’d already mostly figured it out.”

“Not when it might have counted,” Odile says ruefully.

“Which would be….?”

Odile looks at them like they’re stupid. “Obviously, when it still could have saved you.”

OHHHkay. Hahaha, okay!! So they’re just going to talk about that!!! She’s just going to look at them with remorse in her eyes, and regret, like she can actually see them!! Like she thinks it’s not their own blinding fault that everything went—

“…Siffrin?”

“Don’t call me that.” That’s someone else now.

“Of course. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

She quirks an eyebrow. “Hmh. Well. I think it probably isn’t.”

“What do you know?” S— Loop snaps. “No, let me guess. Because you’re old, you think you must be wise? Well, I do hate to be the one to tell you this, but I’m afraid that’s just not how it works. I would know.”

“Of course,” she says again, backing off. “I’m sorry.”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“I know.”

“And I don’t want anyone’s apologies. It’s not like there’s anything any of you could have done.”

“Hmh,” she says. Probably thinks she’s being diplomatic. Maybe she would be, if she were talking to someone as stupid as Siffrin.

“And I’m not—” The words lodge in their throat. Loop is seized by the violent urge to take a deep breath, but just thinking about it makes them want to peel their skin off.

They can feel Odile’s eyes on them, assessing. “...What was she like?”

“Wh-What?”

“Me,” she explains. “The one that you knew.”

...Oh. “Different,” Loop admits. “And… the same? You—or. She never figured it out, like you did. But I think maybe she might’ve. If I’d been less—” Weak. Spineless. Pathetic.

“Tch,” Odile scoffs. “Doesn’t matter what she might have done, if she didn’t.”

Loop blinks.

For once in her life, Odile actually looks embarrassed. “Ah. My apologies. I only mean that… I’m sorry that I was so useless.”

She startles when Loop barks a laugh. “You—haha!!! Hahaha!!!! You’re sorry! For being useless!!! That’s—no, no, it’s very funny!!”

Because their Odile could have been plenty useful, if they hadn’t been such a blinding coward. If they’d trusted her enough to let her in. But they didn’t, and now the Odile that Loop loved is gone. She needed them and S— Loop couldn’t take the heat. They gave up. They left her behind.

“I’m not sure I get the joke,” Odile says quietly.

“Well! It’s not exactly your strong suit, is it!”

Madame Odile studies their face, frowning. Then, disconcertingly, her gaze flicks toward Siffrin.

“Don’t look at them,” Loop snarls. Instinct thuds in their ears, take it back take it back TAKE IT BACK—

—but they won’t. What would be the point?

“Did you think we’d be the same?” they ask, sneering. Contempt dripping from every word like blood from the tip of a blade. “That you’d have one more cute little Siffrin tiptoeing around, hiding and crying and lying to people? Well! I’m ever so sorry to disappoint, but I think you’ll find otherwise. Oh, but don't get the wrong idea! It's not just me, teehee! We're both soooo~ much worse than you think."

“…Is that right.”

In another life, Loop let the King squeeze Bonnie into bloody pulp. They let the King throw Mira around like a ragdoll. They lied and lied and lied till they were sick with it, till their throat scorched black and their tongue dripped silver. They smiled and let her die and die and die.

“It really is!” They flash a bright, brittle smile. “How many times do you think I let you die, Madame? Would you like to take a guess?”

“I would not.”

“Too easy? I’ll try another, then. How many times do you think I killed you?”

She doesn’t flinch. Every muscle in her body deliberately Doesn’t Flinch. “...Loop.”

“Madame~?”

“I like your jewelry.”

“I—um?”

“Did you make it yourself?”

“I… did, yes.” When Loop finally clawed their way out of the sea, they had every intention of lying there until they died. But it wasn’t long before they were found. Apparently they’d washed ashore just a stone’s throw from a beachcomber’s hut: an artisan whose dilapidated hovel glittered with gleaming fusions of glass and stone and rusted steel.

Loop’s savior never spoke. Maybe they couldn’t. But their quick, clever hands could turn the ugliest, most disintegrating flotsam into inimitable treasures.

“Impressive.” Madame Odile says coolly, nodding. “Siffrin never had the knack for that sort of thing. Carving wood with physical tools is one thing, but mixing media? And across different Craft types, no less? That’s very advanced Crafting.”

“I—ah? Or, I mean… it’s not like it’s hard…”

“You may just have the knack,” Odile informs them. “Not everyone does. It’s a valuable skill, nonetheless.”

“R-Right.”

Madame Odile yawns. “Forgive me. I’m too old to be up this late. But I’ll see you tomorrow, I expect. And, ah—I suspect you don’t care to hear this sort of thing, but—I really am grateful. Truly.”

And before they can even begin to consider their reply, she’s vanished into her tent.

*

* *

* * *

Have you heard this one before? A Traveler walks into a House. Says, Housemaiden, I'm depressed. I can't find the joy in anything. I can't connect with people. I can’t feel ANYTHING. I can't eat, I can't sleep. No, I mean, literally, it’s been eons since I slept. The insides of my eyelids are brighter than the sun. It’s like a fireworks show in here.

Housemaiden says, You should talk to the Savior of Vaugarde. They’re soooo cute and special and pretty and perfect and everyone loves them no matter how many times they ruin everything by being a stupid little freak who can’t even talk right. I bet they could give you some advice!

The Traveler puts their head in their hands and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs and laughs. Says, But Housemaiden! I -am- the Savior of Vaugarde!!!!

Aaa~nyway, they kill her and eat her heart. And would you believe? It doesn’t make them feel anything!!!!!!

[you’re fine you’re fine you’re fine you’re—]

—fine. You’re totally fine. It’s a clear, bright morning, the breeze brisk and playful, and walking into Dormont doesn’t make you feel sick. The smell of flowers and pastries and juniper doesn’t make you want to vomit. The spiraled roof and crenelled towers of the House don’t turn your breakfast to stone in your stomach. Looking down the path through the trees doesn’t make you want to pull your spine out through your mouth. You’re fine.

Why wouldn’t you be? Just because you abandoned this place? Just because it killed you? No. No. You’re toooo~tally fine. You’re being so normal about this.

A few steps from the House’s gate, Siffrin jerks his hand out of the Fighter’s and throws up. Pathetic. You step into their line of sight to make sure they can see you roll your eyes. They were always soooo~ sensitive.

* * *

Siffrin refuses to enter the House, because they’re a delicate flower who insists on making their damage everyone else’s problem. Loop, of course, never had that privilege.

* * *

“Ugh!” Mirabelle huffs, scowling down at her pottery wheel. “I’ve ruined it again! Siffrin, would you—”

She stops short.

“I-I’m so sorry!!” she squeaks, one hand flying to her mouth. “I meant Loop, of course!! Sorry!! That was so rude; I promise I wasn’t thinking of someone else, it’s just that you… remind me of them, sometimes? N-Not because you’re from the same country! The King was, too, and he felt very very different!! The two of you just… feel sort of similar, is all. The way you take up space, and… the things that catch your eye… It’s almost like you’re—” She shakes her head vigorously. “Ohh, never mind!! I know it doesn’t make any sense!! ”

To Loop’s horror, they can feel their eyes start to itch. Oh, Stars. It’s the worst thing imaginable. They absolutely cannot cry.

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean— I-I’m so sorry!!!” Mira’s hands flit toward them before landing in her lap. “I shouldn’t have said anything; I didn’t mean to make things even worse, I— Do you want a, a… cup of tea? Or some cookies?”

Don’t worry! Loop tries to tell her. I’m completely fine, haha! No problems here! I’m probably just allergic to ceramics!!!! Unfortunately, the best they can manage is, “No Thank You.”

“I—!!” Mirabelle squares her jaw, both hands clenching in the fabric of her skirt. “Loop. Is there, maybe, some way I can help you? I know you don’t think much of us, but we owe you so much!!”

Loop looks away. “You… think I don’t think much of you.”

“Oh. W-Well, um. We… never saw you again, after you helped us save Siffrin. And they’d go quiet anytime we tried to ask about you, so I—I wasn’t sure if—”

“Mira,” Loop says. They take a moment to collect their thoughts. “...Mirabelle.”

“Y-Yes?”

“That’s not a very reliable gauge for what someone thinks of you.”

Mira’s eyes widen.

“For all you know, I might’ve thought the world of you,” they go on, uncharacteristically reckless. “Anyone might. People disappear all the time! They hide, or they die, or they… go somewhere else. It doesn’t mean they never cared. It only means that they cared about something else, too. Or they cared a little too much. Or they’re dead, teehee!”

Mirabelle pulls out a handkerchief and dabs at her nose. “I-I’m sorry… I know you’re only here for our sakes, and now I’m being nothing but trouble…”

Um. What? “I’m here for what?”

“W-Well, um… I guess I thought you’d come to visit because Siffrin told you how upset we were, after you disappeared? Because you saved us—saved everyone—and then we couldn’t even thank you?”

“…What?”

Mira blinks at them, her disorientation mirroring their own. “Which part are you confused by…?”

For the first time in several eternities, Loop lifts a hand to their chest. They take a deep breath in, and out. “H-Haha. I guess, all of it? I certainly didn’t save anyone. Much less everyone.”

“But you did!!!”

“Uh…”

Mira’s eyes widen. “Ohhh,” she gasps, “I see. You don’t like that, do you?”

“—Um?”

“People giving you compliments and things. Praising the things you accomplished, as though you were some sort of storybook hero. When you know that what happened was much less heroic, and much more… accidental. Embarrassing.”

Oh. Huh. Loop had never thought about it in so many words. Probably because no one's ever tried to give them a compliment. But now that she mentions it... yeah. Maybe they can sort of relate.

“I’m sorry,” Mira says again, looking despondent. She slaps both palms against her cheeks. “Sorry!! I won’t do it again!! You just want to feel normal, right? So let’s—let’s Craft some clay!”

“If you’re sure,” Loop says faintly. (Calm down. You’re freaking her out. For once in your life just BE NORMAL.) “…But don’t take it personally if I turn out to be pretty good at this. I have it on high authority that I may have something of a knack.”

* * *

They keep it together for the rest of the afternoon. They finish Crafting their vase and help Mirabelle patch the weak points on hers, smoothing rough edges and pressing air pockets so it won’t shatter in the kiln.

They make it all the way to the bathroom before their smile drops.

The bathroom’s undergone some renovations since the last time they broke down here. Now tiny clay figures dance over the sink, and childish painted murals adorn the doors. A little Change God stands guard over each stall: waving its clumsy arms, kicking its stumpy legs. Its eyes are obscured, its expression unreadable. Its face is laughing. Leering. Mocking. What does it see when it looks at them? A memory? A means to an end? Or only a ghost?

Loop reaches out and takes it in their hands. The Craft that animates it makes it squirm like a worm on a hook. Loop doesn’t pity it. It’s only fair. The Change God never pitied them, either.

“Was it fun?” they whisper, as they squeeze. “Did you have fun? What about now? Are you having fun yet?”

Wet clay oozes between their fingers. The statue twitches and jerks. Loop’s chest feels hot. Their skull hums like a nest of wasps. Lumpy paper swollen with stinging hate.

“I’m having fun,” they tell the wriggling godling, smiling wide. They can’t even tell if they’re lying. To make the distinction, they’d probably need something to compare it to.

The wriggling slows. The heat of Craft fades as the statue goes limp in their hands.

Loop opens their palms. There’s no god there anymore. Only dead, lifeless clay.

They flick open the lock and shoulder through the door.

Outside the stall, there’s someone waiting. Watching. Staring straight at them.

Loop flinches. The stranger looks familiar, but also not. Like maybe Loop’s seen them before, but only in a dream.

—Claude. That’s who it is. Mirabelle’s roommate, Claude. (And who says they don’t have a good memory!)

Claude narrows her eyes. “…Did you just mulch that statue?”

Loop looks down at their hands, crusted with molten clay.

“People work hard on those,” Claude informs them.

Loop has already used up all their willpower for the day. They don’t have the strength to stop themself rolling their eyes. “People work hard on lots of things.”

Her eyebrows go up. “I could report you.”

“Please do,” Loop spits; and in one fluid movement, they’ve whirled around and flung themself out the bathroom window.

They’re three stories up, but they’re not worried about the fall. Worst-case scenario, they’ll drive their blades into the mortar and grind to a halt before they splat on the ground. Best-case, they die on impact.

[You dreamed you were being eaten alive. You can still feel the crunch and grind of tearing cartilage. The way the sinews stretch before they snap.]

Siffrin is fishing by the river. Just looking at the rod in their hands makes Loop want to throw up. They snapped that rod in half once. Tore it out of the fisherperson’s hands and broke it clean over their knee. And then they threw it in the river. And then then jumped in after it.

It’s not just the total futility of it all. It’s the whole process. Catching a thrashing, squirming being in your hands and squeezing the life out of it. Aligning your blade with the seam of its gills, just behind the thrum of its throat. Staring into those gaping eyes, that gulping mouth as you press down hard and harder. Careful, now! If you hit the angle wrong, you’ll miss the artery entirely! It’ll take ages to die! Minutes that stretch into eternities. Gasping, gulping, choking on the hot slick slurry of your own black blood.

Loop shudders. “…I can’t believe you can still touch that thing.”

Siffrin hums thoughtfully. “I think it’s the only thing that never got worse.”

“Ew. Or, I mean. Can’t relate.”

“Well,” Siffrin says. “We were always pretty different.” They flick the rod expertly, sending the fly dancing over the surface. “How’s Mira?”

“She recognized me.”

That gets their attention. “She what?”

“Not specifically,” Loop admits. “But. She said I felt… familiar. Like…” The words lodge in their throat. It doesn’t matter. Siffrin knows what they mean.

“…Hm.”

“Aw,” Loop purrs, mocking. “Does that scare you? Is it scary, to know that you could be so easily replaced?”

“No,” Siffrin says right away. “I guess I feel… relieved?”

(…What?) “Why.”

“I wasn’t sure they’d know me,” Siffrin shrugs. “You, I mean. Us. I wasn’t sure they’d even want to, if we were being… less careful.”

Loop bristles. “I’m more careful than you could ever imagine.”

“No, you’re not.”

Yeah, no, they’re really not.

“So it’s… comforting,” Siffrin shrugs. “To think they’d still like us, even if we were—“

“What? A failure? A ghost? A pathetic piece of work?”

“Well. Yeah.”

Loop squawks a laugh. “Well!! Aren’t you the lucky one!! Even if you wind up as disgusting as me, your friends will still love you! Isn’t that nice!!”

“Yeah,” Siffrin says. “It really is.” They shift their weight, thoughtful, and then seem to remember something. “Oh, yeah. I’ve been meaning to ask you something.”

Loop rolls their eyes, but they don’t not listen.

“Why won’t you talk to Isa?”

Loop fails to suppress a flinch.

“He keeps asking,” Siffrin explains. “And I don’t know how to answer. But it’s getting harder to not-answer. I’m… not a very good liar.”

“…Is that right.”

“I’m an okay liar,” Siffrin concedes. “It just—feels bad.”

Loop is very much aware of that, yes.

“He just wants you to like him,” Siffrin says quietly.

“Be reasonable.”

“It’s hurting his feelings, I think.”

“Good,” Loop says coldly. They hope it does. It doesn’t even come close to evening the score.

Siffrin opens their mouth to argue and then just—shrugs, instead. “It’s your life.”

[You dreamed you were alone. You dreamed you were alone. You dreamed you were alone. You dreamed you were—]

—having a nightmare. You know it’s a nightmare because it’s the same one you have every night. You’re standing under a tree, looking at the man you love. He can’t be more than an armslength away. If you stepped out of the shadows, he would see you.

But he wouldn’t know you.

You watch him think of you. You watch him think of what to say to you. You watch him lose himself to heady daydreams. (This is not a metaphor. Subtlety is not his strong suit. The man you love is very obvious.)

You watch yourself approach him. You are short and strange and awkward. You are hiding and lying and you’re so, so, so-so-so-so stupid. The man you love loves you anyway, because he’s stupid, too.

“Isa!”

“Sif!!!” he shouts, when he sees you. “I was just looking at this Favor Tree!! Isn’t it cool!!!”

“Yeah,” you say slyly. “You might say it’s a pretty… TREE-mendous tree.”

Ha ha!! Ha ha ha!!!!! What a stupid blinding joke!!! It’s almost like your pathetic sense of humor wasn’t what won him in the first place!!! Almost like, all along, he was laughing along because he loved you!!!

Not that it matters now. The tree is in the past. The man is in the past. Your future is in the past. Everything you love was meant for someone else. There’s nothing left for you.

*

* *

* * *

Loop jerks awake. The dark is intractable. Undisturbed by any snore or snuffling wheeze. They are utterly alone.

Siffrin begged them to sleep in the Clocktower with everyone else. They even offered to sleep on the ground so Loop could have a whole bed to themself. But Loop wouldn’t budge. How could they? The thought made them physically sick.

They twist out of their bedroll and onto their feet in one smooth motion. They don’t know where they’re going, but they do know that if they have to lie here, alone with their thoughts, for a single second longer, it is actually going to kill them. So—getting up! Getting moving! One foot in front of the other! If they walk fast enough, maybe they can outrun an eternity of unrelenting dread!!!

They don’t have anywhere to go, so they just—go. They just walk. Anywhere would be better than here.

 * * *

Their feet take them to the Tree. Probably because it’s the closest thing they still have to a home. (And isn’t that just the saddest thing you’ve ever heard!!!!!)

They stand at the foot of the trunk and look up at the canopy. Thick strong boughs and wide, glossy leaves framing little windows to the starry void beyond. Idly, without any real urgency, they imagine setting it on fire. It would be easy. They don’t even need flint or tinder, now that their lungs crackle with swallowed stars. All they’d need is a bit of kindling, some pine cones or dry needles, and they could reduce this place to ash.

—A twig snaps.

Loop’s stance stiffens, then hardens. They know that gait. The slow, careful breath before each heavy clumsy footfall. No one sounds more obvious than a great stupid oaf of a Fighter trying to be discreet.

Maybe he won’t notice them. They could make sure he wouldn’t, if they wanted. Loop knows how to disappear. But they’re tired of going unseen.

“…Can’t sleep?”

The Fighter startles so violently that he nearly keels over backwards. Loop could catch him by the elbow, if they wanted. Steady him; help him catch his balance.

They don’t move.

“W-Woah!!” the Fighter gasps. “Haha, whoa! Um… Loop? That’s you, right? Wow, you are really quiet! I totally didn’t see you there at all!!”

Yes, well, what else is new. “I’d expect nothing less, teehee! You’re not exactly observant.”

“Oh. Haha, um, yeah. I guess not.” Siffrin’s Fighter shifts his weight, uneasy. “ Um… Loop?”

“That’s what they call me!!!”

“Did I… do something wrong?”

Loop stiffens.

“Like… I don’t know. Step on your feelings, somehow? It just feels like you… maybe sort of don’t like me? Which is fine!!” he rushes to clarify. “Not everyone has to like me!! It’s just… if it’s something I did, I could… make sure I don’t do it again?”

Loop almost hits him. They want to. They want to grab him by the collar and shake him. To throw him back against the trunk of the Tree and shove into his space until he can’t not see them. They can see the angry thrum of his pulse in his throat and they want to trap it under their thumb. To close the space and feel his heartrate spike. For months they had to watch themself stand in front of him, wanting and wanting and doing nothing, knowing all the while that if it was them, they wouldn’t just stand there, wanting. They’d take him apart with their hands. They’d eat him alive.

“...Loop?”

“Siffrin,” Loop grates out, an ugly scrape of sound. “Sif. Before I killed myself, that’s what you—all of you used to call me.”

“Wh-What?” the Fighter asks, baffled. “What does that even—”

“But that doesn’t matter now!!!!" Loop shouts, grinning wildly. "He’s dead now!! Now there’s only me!!!!”

“I—I don’t understand. I just saw Sif? Th-They’re totally fine!“

Loop rolls their eyes theatrically. “Ugh. Weren’t you supposed to be smart now? Not your Siffrin, obviously. I obviously meant another Siffrin.”

“But—what? What do you… How would that even work?”

A molten sort of hunger comes over them. Loop flashes a glittering smile. “Isn’t it obvious? ~I’m~ what happens when you don’t save me! When you just let me die!!”

“N-No,” the Fighter mumbles.

“Y-Yeah, actually,” they stammer, mocking. Throwing his pathetic stutter right back in his face.

“No, but… Come on. No way. Sif would’ve said something!”

“Oh, because you can definitely count on Siffrin to tell you anything that matters.”

The Fighter has the gall to look offended. “Hey!! They’re honest about important stuff!!”

“I am literally telling you that we are not!!!”

Isabeau shrinks a little. “B-But— But that’s not possible. It doesn’t make any—”

“Then how do I know them?” Siffrin snarls. “How do I know everything about them? Why do I blinding hate you?”

“I don’t…” Isabeau trails off. They can see him starting to wrap his mind around it. Blood cooling, stance wilting. “You… Are you telling the truth?”

“What do you think.”

His shoulders slump a little. “You… killed yourself?”

“Your Sif tried to break the world,” Loop says scornfully. “I think we can all agree on who’s the more well-adjusted.”

Isabeau staggers back. They can see him getting ready to freak out.

“Nope!!” they shrill. “Not allowed!! This is mine!! You weren’t even there!! Besides, you already saved your Sif! So clearly I wasn’t worth saving!! Or were you just holding out for the new model?”

“That’s not—”

Bile sours in their stomach. Steel screams in their veins. Their blood burns with the absolute assurance of what will hurt him the most.

“Do you want to know the truth?” Loop asks sweetly. “If you must know… I hate you! I always hated you. You had everything. Everything!! A home, a family, friends… and still you were dissatisfied? I mean!! Talk about entitled!!”

“I— What? I never said—”

“But you di~id! To every version of me! Even the pathetic rotten failures, teehee! You shared all your ugliest, stupidest hang-ups and guess what? They were all soooo~ lame! Barely an inconvenience! Baby-school trauma for babies!!! It's no wonder you couldn't save me, teehee… You were way, way, way out of your league!”

Isabeau just stares.

Loop’s fists clench. They wish he would get angry. This would be so much more satisfying if he would lash out already. Throw them back against the Tree and snap their brittle neck. But instead he just keeps standing there, looking devastated.

“Ugh,” Loop spits. “This is pointless. You’re pointless. I’m done.”

“L— Sif!!” Isabeau yelps, and that’s the last blinding straw. Loop tucks their head and bolts.

* * *

Isabeau tries to chase after them, but he’s big and slow and Loop can reach terminal velocity in about three seconds from a standstill. He might as well have tried to catch the wind.

They don’t slow down until they reach the field.

Then they cry.

(The cruelest thing is this: If there was no Siffrin in this world, Loop would be the one everyone loved. Loop would be the one who was difficult but loyal; high-maintenance and universally adored. Loop could have been the weird little freak who everyone considered worth the effort.

But Loop gave up. They gave their chance away. And now they’ve got what they deserved: absolutely nothing.)

What are they even doing here? Why would they come back? They knew what was waiting for them. There’s no space for them here, in this place, with these people. The understudy already took their place.

It’s all Siffrin’s fault. Siffrin the hero, leading their perfect shiny life surrounded by all their perfect shiny friends. Siffrin, who got everything they ever wanted and still demanded more. Siffrin wishing wishing wishing to see them again, yanking on Loop’s subconscious mind all day and night to make sure they could never, ever forget. To make sure they’d never be truly free.

…Maybe they’ll just leave. Without telling anyone, without leaving a note. That would show them, wouldn’t it? Siffrin would be so blinding pathetic about it. So hurt and confused. Almost as hurt and confused as Isa, when he found out that his precious little Siffrin could turn into something like this. Something ugly, broken, hateful. Living spite, made manifest. A ghost haunting their own blinding life.

There’s a rustle from the bushes. Light, uncertain footfalls. Loop stiffens. There’s someone coming up the path. Not Isabeau. Not Siffrin, either. A stranger?

From the shadows, someone clears their throat. “Um—”

They don’t get the chance to say anything else. Loop already has the jagged teeth of their knife pressed tight against their throat. “Who are you? What do you want???”

“I’d let go if I were you,” the stranger says coolly. “Unless you want to lose that hand.”

“You wish,” Loop spits. “You’re out of your league.”

“Bet?”

Against their better judgment, Loop can feel themself starting to smile. It’s strangely comforting to be on the receiving end of a threat, for a change. Talking to someone who doesn’t quiver and quail and bend over backwards to accommodate their every demand.

Loop flits backwards, out of slashing range. Probably Siffrin would land in a fighting stance, but Loop is above that sort of petty, childish showmanship. They don’t need a lot of posturing just to kill someone. “What do you want?”

“I heard crying.”

Oh. Was Loop crying? They didn’t notice. Though now that they think of it, their vision does seem a little blurry. “So?”

“Are you stupid or something? So I thought someone might need help. Obviously.”

Hm. That voice isn’t entirely unfamiliar, is it? It feels like Loop might have heard it before. Possibly recently.

—Oh. “Claude,” Loop realizes.

The stranger’s eyes narrow. “So what if I am?”

“Mira’s roommate, Claude.”

“Oh. You’re with the Saviors.”

“I’m not,” Loop snarls. (STOP IT, calm down, you’re going to scare her. Just apologize and run. Say something conciliatory and disappear, like every other—)

“Change,” Claude swears grumpily. “Sorry for breathing, I’m sure. I know you’re lying, anyway. I saw you show up with the Saviors. I’m not gonna act like I didn’t.”

…Oh. She… really isn’t scared, is she? “I—um. Traveled with them, I guess. For a little. I’m not with them.”

“I wasn’t asking if you all made crabbing friendship bracelets,” Claude huffs. “I just meant you’re not from here. What’s your damage, anyway? Why are acting like that?”

Loop chokes on a laugh. Wow, she really isn’t scared. “…Lifestyle choice?”

“Kind of a shitty one.”

“Like you’re one to judge.”

“Takes one to know one,” Claude says coolly.

Hah!! “Well. I’m sure you were really looking forward to swooping in to save some pathetic little loser, but I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I’m doing great, actually. Just… out on a walk.”

“Uh huh.”

Why do they feel so defensive about this? “Sometimes I can’t sleep! Is there a law against that? Is it illegal to go for a walk?”

“It’s not illegal to go for a walk.”

“Well! What a relief! Then it seems like you have no justifiable cause to follow me around, harassing me!”

Claude snorts. “Wow. Okay, now I know you’re not with the Saviors. Those guys are way too sensitive for this kinda thing. And too sanctimonious for all that… you know. Lying.”

“Shows what you know,” Loop sniffs. “They’re not half as righteous as they’d like you to think.”

(But even so… She’s right, isn’t she? Siffrin would hate getting talked to like this. For a party of powerful warriors, the gang was awfully terrified by confrontation. Fighting Sadnesses is one thing, but fighting with each other? You couldn’t pay them enough.)

Claude gives Loop a flat stare. “For someone who’s not with the saviors, you sure act like you know them.”

“Well!” Loop says brightly. “W-Well!!! What if I told you that I used to be with them! For long enough to know them better than they know themselves!”

“I’d say you were full of shit.”

“Shows what you know!!!” Loop practically screams. “You have no idea what you’re talking about!!!”

“So tell me.”

* * *

Somehow, the whole story comes pouring out of them, in fits and starts and halting, hysterical gasps. Another life, another world. Another Wish. Another Mirabelle, abandoned to her fate. Another pathetic blinding failure of a Savior.

Claude listens, nodding. Then she says, “The King.”

“I’m familiar.”

“I wanted to be the one who beat him. The one Euph— The Head Housemaiden chose. I’m not saying I was right,” she adds, defensive. “Mirabelle is a marvel. There might be no one else who could do what she did. But I— I still wanted it to be me.”

Loop blinks.

“Mirabelle was… the right choice, probably,” Claude concedes. “Better suited. She’s got the right constitution, or whatever. No one could have done it alone. And I’m— I don’t know if I could have recruited like she did. Going around making friends and things. People don’t like me,” she explains. “People love Mirabelle.”

“I like you,” Loop hears themself say.

“Oh.” Claude stares for a beat, unblinking. “Really?”

“Yes.” They’re 90% sure that it’s not even a lie. When’s the last time they could say that?

“Oh. Well, um. Thanks. But I think you might have sort of bad taste. And maybe a bad personality.”

Loop sputters a laugh. “Haha!!! Yeah! I get that a lot.”

“Really?”

“No.” Most people are too scared to say it. “I should, though.”

Claude nods. She can understand that. “But I never got the chance. I couldn’t save everyone. I couldn’t even save anyone.”

“...How do you live with it?”

Claude shrugs. “Eat. Sleep. Don’t die.”

…Right.

“You should probably get out of here, though.”

Loop raises an eyebrow. “Are you throwing me out?”

“Are you actually stupid? Or are you just being difficult?”

(Hah!!!) “I’m being difficult.”

Claude rolls her eyes. “I just mean… You can’t step out of someone’s shadow if you’re still walking side-by-side. You gotta do your own thing.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then you can’t.”

“And if it kills me?”

“Then you die,” she shrugs. “Isn’t that what you said you wanted?”

Wow. Mirabelle’s roommate is… actually cool? “I think you could have done it,” Loop finds themself saying. “If you’d been the one Chosen. I think you could have beat the King. You just didn’t get the chance.”

Claude stares at them for a moment before her mouth ticks up. “Hah. Yeah. Maybe. No way to know now, huh? We just hafta go from here.”

*

* *

* * *

At the outskirts of town, a blot of stillness catches Loop’s eye. The absolute absence of movement. A hole in the dark, black against the surrounding gray.

“I told you,” Loop says coldly. “You’re not sneaky.”

Siffrin huffs a quiet laugh.

Loop eyes them warily. Even now, Siffrin has almost no presence. Almost like Loop is the one who survived, and they're the one who's dead.

For once, Siffrin is first to break the silence. “Running away from home again?”

“You are not my home,” they can’t help snapping. “But, well. I suppose so. Why not? After all, it went so well the last time.”

Siffrin chokes on a laugh. Then the smile drops. “I don’t want you to go.”

“I should hope not! I’m excellent company.”

Siffrin looks unconvinced.

“But there comes a time in every beautiful traveler’s life when they must shake off the bonds that hold them back and move on to bigger and better things! Forge their own path; digest their own trauma, etcetera and so forth! Maybe I’ll wind up even more famous than you!!”

Siffrin frowns. “…If you’re really leaving, can I ask a favor?”

“You can ask.”

“Can you tell me the truth?”

Ugh. “Fiiiine. I can’t stay because I—I can’t be here without— Without wanting my—” Their throat closes over the words. Fortunately, Siffrin isn’t so stupid that they can’t connect the dots. (My friends back. My life back. Everything that was supposed to be mine.)

Siffrin gives them a plaintive look. “We could share..:”

“Aw, stardust,” Loop laughs. Not a fake laugh. “Two people can’t be the same person. Anyway, we already aren’t.”

“...I know.”

This world’s Siffrin is the source of all of their problems. The root of all their suffering. So why does it make them so sad to see his shoulders droop?

“I’ll come back,” they hear themself mutter, grudging. “I won’t be gone forever. I wouldn’t—”

Loop falls silent. They know that they’re both thinking of the same scrap of paper, crumpled on the library floor.

“I won’t be gone forever,” they say again; only this time, they say it like a Wish. Like they can make it true just by wanting it. “I won’t disappear. I just—can’t be here. Yet.”

“I’m sorry,” Siffrin whispers.

“We all had our roles,” Loop shrugs. “You just got a better one.”

“But— But what if I never find you? What if we never—”

“We’re family,” Loop tells them firmly. A different kind of family. Not the kind you choose—the one you’re saddled with, by blood and bone, whether you wanted it or not. “Aww~~ Don’t worry, stardust. We’re bonded, aren’t we? You know I’ll always find you.”

“If you even want to,” Siffrin mumbles.

“Stars, how are you still such a brat!!! I’ll find you when I find you! Okay? You don’t get to control this! Just let there be one blinding choice that’s mine!”

Siffrin takes a breath. They let it out. “…Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay,” they say again. “You can be in charge. But you have to tell me everything, next time. How you came back, and… everything else. Because we’re family.”

Loop can’t stop themself from smiling. It’s just that—it’s all so unfair. They way Siffrin always gets what he wants, and… the way they can’t help loving him anyway. “Yeah. Okay. I promise.”

Before vanishing from sight, Loop glances over their shoulder. “Stardust?”

“Loop.”

“How do you get used to it?”

Siffrin tilts their head. To what?

“The not-knowing.”

“Hah,” Siffrin huffs softly. “If you find out, write me a letter. I’d really like to find out.”

[You dreamed you were alive.]

Did you know that hamsters eat their young? If you stress out a nursing mother—leave her out in an earthquake, or make too much noise around her tank—she’ll eat her pups alive. You’ll open the lid to find her nest stained black with blood. The half-eaten husks of her children, their claws and bones and hindpaws shriveled-pink and lifeless. It isn’t malice. It’s pragmatism. We can’t survive this threat, she’s saying. We must recoup these resources. Some of us, any of us, have to survive.

Wish Craft can’t hear your words. It only knows the Wish inside your heart. Loop ran away, but they never gave up. They wanted to be free, but they didn’t want to lose. And besides! What’s a little cannibalism between friends! They are family, after all.

There are things that Siffrin wants, too. Things they want and can’t have, because they’ve sunk their roots into the present. Loop isn’t trapped like that. Loop can go where they please.

Off the coast to the north lies an island that Vaugarde forgot. A graveyard for the lost. A monument to stories long forgotten.

But Loop knows how it is to be forgotten.

They look to the sky. The stars have already started to fade, making way for the brilliant flare of dawn. Loop runs a few calculations, cross-comparing the angles from the horizon to the Highstar and the sun.

They go north.

If you want, feel free to read the series in full here! Or if you want for something a lil comfier, you're invited to this very cozy isa/sif side-story.

[mariegoos]

This year, this holiday season, I invite you all to share my tale of Christmas woe. A tale I haven't told in many moons.

'Twas 2013 or 2014 I don't especially remember which. I had been invited to a Christmas party and told to bring a gift for a white elephant exchange below 15 dollars. I didn't know anyone especially well, but I was convinced this was a chance to make friends-- I had met these people through a special interest that basically amounted to competitive fanart. I had a hint for gift themes through that alone, yet so much nerd stuff was well over my budget. And I was determined to win this gift exchange.

You see, this wasn't my first white elephant. I had endured many since they had gained pinterest popularity in 2011 or so. And each time I carefully curated a crowd-pleasing gift of high-end sweets or thoughtful glassware-- each one visibly and loudly poopoo'd by the receiver at the end of the game. I had walked away from those social groups (they were not great besides these things) and I was meeting new people, so now a little desperate. But also jaded from my past.

After so much searching I realized-- my gift, no matter how thoughtful, will at best be set aside and forgotten. So why not go all out, burn every bridge, and use this gift to create a MOMENT? Yes, an unforgettable gag gift was what I needed. And boy, did I ever find one. A blend of pop culture meme and sheer absurdity that was so 2010s I'll never forget it.

I arrived at the party, mingled, waited for my moment. I knew the moment I heard the discussions of comics and D&D, saw the loop of Darth Vader yule log on the television, that I had chosen wisely. The game began, and I was so consumed with the opening of the gift I had given that I don't remember what I ended up receiving. I watched as it passed through hands, people clamoring for it. They were intrigued by its shape, a large tube wrapped tightly with a bow. What could it be, they wondered?

Finally, it settled in the hands of the lucky recipient and the time had come to open the prize. And when he tore the paper from the tube, pulled out the contents within, and allowed it to unfurl, I could barely contain my mirth.

Hidden within was was wall mural sized vinyl sticker of a cartoon-style drawn Sith Lord Jar Jar Binks. That's right, from that old meme theory. Complete with dark side lightning. I'm talking 24" x 36". I had found it by chance on a print-on-demand shop for small artists and purchased it immediately, imagining the laughter and recognition of my peers that would follow.

The room was silent. Awkwardly so. Finally, the man who had unwrapped the sticker asked. "What is it?" as he looked around the group for the perpetrator.

"It's Jar Jar Binks," I said. "As a sith lord." There was more silence. "Like the meme?"

"Oh," someone else in the crowd said, in the uncomfortable tone of someone trying to ease the tension of such a moment. "I get it."

More silence.

"Thanks, I guess," the gift recipient said with a shrug. The festivities moved on.

There are multiple morals to this story.

Never purchase a gift in service to yourself, even if it's a gag.

Never bring salad to a potluck (it was a good salad!!!)

I am the funniest person alive and am simply unappreciated in my time.

[zargontari]

"I'm thinking 'Rook,'" the older, less handsome me says with a calm smile. That's one thing that really kind of throws me off, I guess. He's so calm. Collected. In charge— and that's what people expect of me, I guess, but I never thought I'd actually see it on my own face. It looks better than I thought it would. Less fake.

Of course, Skippy has his own thoughts on the matter. "Rook? Really?" The sarcasm would drip off of his tongue if he had one. "We're going with the chess thing?"

"It's a theme," the other me protests, though not snappishly. "I need to at least try to use a different name."

"There's always what your mother would have named you if you were a girl—"

"No."

"—Josephine, which really is a very lovely name, for a monkey."

"Rook is fine."

Skippy sighs, dramatically, and I'm sure that if he had hands he'd throw them up in exasperation. "You are no fun at all! Aren't you humans supposed to become more entertaining as you age?"

"Some of them, sure."

Them, he'd said.

And that really strikes me as odd, for some reason. I've had my own slip ups here and there; in the heat of the moment, especially during talks with Skippy, I've had slips of the tongue. Called us humans, or monkeys, even, in those moments that really called into question why I even bother to try and save my species. But I've always been a part of it. Never have I tried so hard to distance myself from my own humanity that I don't even loop myself in with them.

Maybe I'm overthinking it. He could have just done the same thing I have on so many occasions— but I really don't think so. Maybe it doesn't make sense, unless you're me, or maybe it only makes sense because he is me. Everything that he does is very deliberate, I can tell. He's had a lot of time to perfect his lying face, but I've seen him lie since then and I know what that face looks like because I see it every day in the mirror. Maybe he can hide from the crew, or Skippy, but you can't hide from your own reflection. I see it. He's deliberate to the point of suspicion. Nothing he says is said accidentally.

Them.

I ask Skippy about it, later, and he tells me that while the other me— Rook, I guess— has been friendly enough to convince the AI that they're still friends in whatever universe he comes from, he hasn't been able to get anything of real use out of him. Rook is very good at deflection, he says. I don't point out that Skippy is very easy to distract, because I am a good friend and also because I don't want to argue about that right now. When I finally bring up the comment that's been bothering me, Skippy isn't impressed.

"It really isn't as big of a deal as you're making it," the AI groans, as I'm halfway through getting ready for bed. "You humans focus so much on the tiny, insignificant social details."

I pull my shoes to the edge of my bed and sit down. "It's not insignificant, Skippy. Nothing's ever insignificant for us. Haven't we been through enough together for you to know that?"

"I suppose, but there really is nothing there. He is as human as you are, but from what I have been able to gather, he has spent a lot of time with me— er, future me, at any rate. I talk about your species as someone who is not a part of it. Provided that this is a habit that my future self continues to emulate, which is highly probable, it is not unlikely that your future self would also begin to use that language subconsciously."

That makes sense, but something doesn't feel right, still. "I guess."

"Of course, there is always the other option."

"Other option?" I look up, intrigued. Maybe he's had some kind of—

"He has massive brain damage from all the accumulate horrible ideas that you have had over the years."

"Thanks, Skippy."

[xhanisai]

My Lady

AO3 / FFN

Pairing - Ladynoir

Prompt - ‘His Lady’

Summary -

"Hey, mon Chaton. I've always wondered...why do you call me 'My Lady'?"

"Why, My Lady~ been thinking about me all day or something? What an absolute honour~! To think that your Chaton lives rent-free in your head!" That earned him a light flick across the forehead from her polka-dotted finger, an endeared chuckle escaping him whilst she simply pouted from his obvious tactics to avoid answering.

"Just answer my question you silly tomcat. What's with that nickname in particular?"

"Other than it being a wonderful pun on your even more wonderful name, ma Buguinette?" This time, she rolled her eyes at him exasperatedly, his childish snickering growing louder in volume, eating up her miffed expressions with glee. "Ah, that's the reaction I live for. Your adorable little eye rolls and your even cuter groans in annoyance. Hehe~!"

"Chat No-waaaaaaah?"

.

"Okay, okay. Fine, you win."

~(x)~ . . . "Hey, mon Chaton. I've always wondered...why do you call me 'My Lady'?" Ladybug asked innocently on a whim, baby blues twinkling from curiosity and intrigue as she peered at her partner under her dark, thick lashes. Said boy was clearly taken aback, gasping quietly as he spun away from the lovely view of the orange sky on the rooftop they were settled upon to her inquisitive and virtually adorable face. A sight that was a thousand times more beautiful than the sunset according to his pounding, excited heart. Regardless, he was quick to flash his iconic flamboyancy, a devilish smirk resting on his peachy pink lips as he leaned in close to his cherished and spectacular heroine. The tip of his sharp nose almost grazing her softer one with mischief and feline mannerism and his faux tail steadily looped itself around his Lady's slim waist. "Why, My Lady~ been thinking about me all day or something? What an absolute honour~! To think that your Chaton lives rent-free in your head!" That earned him a light flick across the forehead from her polka-dotted finger, an endeared chuckle escaping him whilst she simply pouted from his obvious tactics to avoid answering. "Just answer my question you silly tomcat. What's with that nickname in particular?" "Other than it being a wonderful pun on your even more wonderful name, ma Buguinette?" This time, she rolled her eyes at him exasperatedly, his childish snickering growing louder in volume, eating up her miffed expressions with glee. "Ah, that's the reaction I live for. Your adorable little eye rolls and your even cuter groans in annoyance. Hehe~!" "Chat No-waaaaaaah?" . "Okay, okay. Fine, you win." A subtle bloom of rose began to spread on the apples of his sun-kissed cheekbones, his teeth nibbling on his lower lip anxiously as he averted his gaze for a little bit. The tangerine sky that reflected within his feline greens created a spectacular shade of dark, golden honey and the setting sun illuminated the ends of his blond tresses into a brilliant halo which almost made him seem ethereal. Seeing her bubbly partner look quite vulnerable and almost timid was an infrequent sight (a rarity that rivalled the appearance of a blue moon) so Ladybug couldn't help but be thoroughly entranced. . "You see, you're...you're one of the first most important and most personal someone to me...especially after Maman suddenly left the picture a few years ago," Oh...? Her lively, energetic and extremely compassionate Minou didn't have his Maman anymore? Oh, oh no. She never would have guessed if he never told her. And the way his eyes momentarily flashed with pained grief and yearning indicated just how much he loved and missed his mother. Her pouvre Chaton... Ladybug felt her breath catch in her throat, taking away all the words she wanted to say in order to comfort him and soothe his broken heart. However, all she could do was eye him with some encouragement, beckoning her partner to carry on. "You're not just my partner, not just my friend...but you're also irreplaceable in my heart. And I can't help but call you mine. You are my most trusted someone. My most bravest someone. My most...most beloved Lady." His heart couldn't take it anymore and he had to look away just so the hammering organ didn't explode in his chest after sharing some of the most rawest and sensitive parts of himself. "Ehem...so that's...that's why...that's why I call you 'My Lady'," Chat Noir gathered all the courage within himself to face her once more, his boyish lips tight and his hands clenching behind his back. The heroine continued to watch him with pure reverence, capturing every single detail on his handsome face, tattooing the moment to her brain just so that she could remember such treasure for the rest of eternity. The way his face resumed to blossom in a beautiful sakura hue, blending beautifully with his tan, flawless skin. The way the subtle wind breezed through his short, tousled hair, individual strands taking up all the light of the setting sun and making them seem like strings of gold glittering within his soft locks. The way that his feline emerald-topaz greens just sparkled and glittered and shimmered as he gazed down at her almost nervously after having poured out his entire heart before her. . And Ladybug would be utterly damned if she didn't cradle his beautiful, dazzling heart with all the tender care and unconditional love she could ever muster in her entire lifetime and the ones to come. . All she could do was give him a brilliant and true smile dancing on her rosy lips, her face indescribably soft, her sky blues filled with fervour and her heart beating generously with gusto and might. "I see, I'm honoured that you chose me to be your Lady, mon Chaton." She then wordlessly leaned into his now relaxed shoulder, a happy hum leaving her mouth as she basked in his delicious warmth. . And if someone were to ask why she didn't protest against her Chat Noir's sweet nuzzles against her head and his even sweeter kisses against her hair, well, she was just being extra nice to him that evening. Her traitorous, lovesick heart ignored. . . . ~(x)~

[imjusttrynalive]

Just a little rant

Hi everyone, this is my first post here and I'm going to be talking about my LOA journey. As of now, it is the 7th of December 2023 and I've always known about manifesting ever since grade 9 when I found out about subs. And got a little success from one and then never got any afterwards, then I found out about loa and had a few successes here and there but I never thought much about it and then till May when I stumbled upon a pin of a success story on Pinterest. I went down a loop hoke of Sammy Ingram, Neville Goddard, LOA Tumblr, etc and here I am now.

It's okay if you don't read this cause it will be long and I've always been holding myself back from making this blog because of some limiting beliefs of me not acting the way I should be if I had my desires. (Basically, my desired self wouldn't need to rant about my journey cause I already have it)

As I mentioned I found out about LOA through Pinterest and was very intrigued cause who wouldn't, people were getting massive success stories here and there and I also want to have my desires too. I then found out about Loa Tumblr and Sammy Ingram at the same time but started with Loa Tumblr. All the success stories here and the informational posts gave me a dopamine boost and I was very excited cause duh I could finally get what I wanted. But since I had a lot of limiting beliefs back then I would do robotic affirming causes that sounded easier to me and all the success I heard about people using robotic affirmations gave me confidence.

I never really went into the void up until a few months later in August but that's not important right now. As I was drowning in Loa's Tumblr I was also drowning in Sammy ingrams content and she also motivated me. Telling me this is my world and I can do whatever I want, I never have to wait for anything, nothing ever takes longer than three days, the void is the am state and also Neville Goddard. (I know this is alittle messy but I want to get everything out)

So you could say that my mindset was slowly starting to change and for the fact that I had always felt a little different form everyone else (I'm not a pick me BTW been single since birth and don't talk to boys either) and always felt lost. Like everytime someone would ask me where do I see myself in the future and what course I would like to do in uni, I was always blank and felt alittle sad cause it wa slike I was the only one that didn't have a passion for anything. Me finding about loa was like I had awakened from some deep slumber and started having desires od things I would also like to have.

Buttt because I was everywhere and anywhere consuming information like it was water. I had been getting doubts and alittle worried and sad cause at the end of the day if this whole thing was fake then I'd be stuck living a life that I really really hate. On one end I would see something say do this it works on another it doesn't. Here someone posts a success story everyone loves and here they say it's fake and loa isn't real. Here someone wad able to manifest their dream life on 2 days and another it took months. Another ine wa sthat self concept doesnt matter and the other side said it did. I was honestly just a mess, depressed, desperate and overwhelmed.

I decided to delete tumblr and just focus on robotic affirming which wa sbasically me affirming the whole day and because I was anxious and new to this I wpuld feel like I'm doing everything wrong if I stopped affirming and what not. Bow just because robotic affirming hasn't worked for me doesn't mean its fake and doesn't work. I was obviously going through alot and had many limiting beliefs and was trying to be logical with the law.

I and been robotic affirming for over a month and hadn't gotten my desires and again started overconfident cause why wanst mine coming in less than 2 weeks like everybody else's. But I still continued to perist and continued affirming and overtime I just naturally began to affirm subconsciously. I even stopped watching and reading loa content cause I had to stop overconsuming.

It was now in August when I still hadn't seen any results besides a change in my self concept like with how I no longer though everything was expensive but rather cheap and my inner conversations about myself changed.

I still was struggling with the whole ignore your 3d, circumstances don't matter, instant manifestation, deadlines. And especially the dead lines part cause I ajd planned to visit my friend for her birthday and give her a gift she had always wanted and thought I've got a month before her birthday I can have the money I'm manifesting by then. But it didn't happen. All my plasm were ruined and I became depressed again cause why wasn't I getting my desires like everyone else.

(I'm starting to tear up as I right this)

But I told myself it was okay, devied to rea dsome success stories for success ans saw a post that said something about believing in people's success stories even if I don't know whether they're genuine or not and how I've got nothing to lose and that I'm the god of my reality and nothing is impossible and all I and to do was perist. And persist I did. But this time I tried the void for the first time.

When I tried the void on the first day and till date, I wanst sure if I was supposed to stop feeling like I'm breathing or I wa sdoinv everything wrong cause I just ha dto be pure consciousness. But I did feel a few symptoms likes feeling like I was spiraling, itching but I cpukd still here the sub I was using and could still eel my limbs ams eventually lose focus. I qpikd affirm 30 times for every hour for 2 days and eventually gave up and got tired cause you know the void isn't the only method.

So back to affirming I went, but this time I had more desire than ever now that my self contained had improved. I worked a lost of Google docs and formed a routine. Iw pull affirm for 30 times in the morning and before sleeping but as time went on iwpuld feel like I wanst affirming for my other things so ny the time it was November I had 10 differently affirmations that I wpudl repeat 10 times morning and night including my self created loa rules.

Obviously all the posts that talk about not wanting it in the 3d only the 4d and not even caring if they even manifest or not were giving me anxiety. And I deleted pintrest and tumblr to stay away from loa amd focus on my self. But lawd, isn't my 3d just my biggest enemy.

I wa scolding in my emotions till the 17th of October when I finally cracked and journaled about my lack of success and how everything keeps getting worse and worser in my life and time keeps on moving and everything I don't want to happen keeps happening. And I'm just an average girl that's just wants to live her dream life like everybody else and I feel like I'm always doing everything wrong even though I affirm to myself saying that I'm doing everything right.

I finally read bambis post on manifestation and it gave me hope. Again my self concept has improved form how iq a sin the beginning but every once in a whole my emotions catch up to me and i end up ranting and crying cause in my current 3d I'm still ugly and poor whilst I know I'm everything I want in my 4d.

So right now I've finally gone to uni and it's not my desired uni or the time frame I even want to go to school to and ive inky been here for 3 days and realising how other girls are so much more prettier than me, have better clothes, have friend sto hangout with and basically are living their best lives. I couldn't help but feel lonely and the whole day I've been trying not to think about it cause I know comparison the worst thing I cpild even do to myself right now but I can't help it.

I can't help but look at other people living my dream life when I've been trying and peristing for 7 months nows and still haven't gotten one desire of mine. I even reas bmneveiless book to gain more insight on me being the creator of my reality and understood things alot better.

Compared to me now and me when I first found out about loa alot has changed mentally and I'm wrintg this knowing that I'm still going to persist and affirm but I just ha dto let my feeling out and cry alittle(and by that I mean for 2 hours and right now as I type this)

So yes I've made this blog caus edits been something I've been wanting to do and to gold myself accountable. It's late rn and tomorrow I'm going to evaluate myself amd see what I'm doing wrong and give my all again for the nth time cause at the end of the day I've got nothing to lose amd I'd rather try and fail to get my dream life than not try at all.

And I always tell myself that its either my dream life or nothing at all cause if for some reason I'm the only being in this e tire universe ethat can't even get one desire put of my lost of desires. I'd rather die than live I life that I don't want to live in.

I'm not going to proofread this now. im tired mentally and physically, so I'm sorry for the grammar mistakes. I'll probability proof read later.

But I'm going to keep updates on my journey maybe tomorrow this week or this month. But I will come back with a success story.

[pinkeoni]

I'm curious. What are your thoughts on time travel theory, parallel worlds theory, and loop theory?

I'm not sure if you are asking just in general or regarding st so I'm gonna answer like you were asking about st lol.

To be honest... time travel narratives don't interest me that much in media so I personally haven't read too deep into a lot of time travel theories. I might change my mind as we get closer to season 5, and I know that time in itself will become important, but I don't think that the show would do a traditional time travel narrative where they have to go back in time I think it would be too cliche for the show.

I haven't ever really made a post about this but... from what I have seen from time travel theories I think I largely disagree with some common theories on how time works in the Upside Down. And this isn't a slight on any of these theorists! This is just how I personally see things.

A common interpretation is that because the Upside Down seems to be stuck in 1983, that when the teenagers go into the UD they are able to affect the outside world in 1983 (I know this is also the basis for flickrgate, sorry to flickrgate truthers). But this... is not what we are shown in the show. When the teenagers are messing with lights in the UD they are affecting what's happening in 1986, not what's happening in 1983. I also don't think that there is a younger Will running around in the UD still, I don't think we have been shown anything to suggest that. However, ideas like time travel are completely theoretical real world and the rules often differ from media to media, so trying to theorize about time in this show can be really difficult because there is not much of any real world basis to base it off of.

I don't think that the UD is necessarily stuck in time, at least not completely. I think it's possible that the way that Will's time powers work (since it's hinted through dialogue that the UD being frozen is because of Will) is that he is able to freeze certain atoms in time, so all of the structures are frozen meanwhile the creatures are not. I think if all of time itself were frozen in the UD then the creatures inhabiting it wouldn't be able to reproduce. Someone said that in the ST Experience one of the powers you can use is freezing a demogorgon in time, so it's not about freezing all of time but rather focusing on specific atoms to freeze in time.

I think I'm more intrigued in the parallel worlds theory. The Upside Down in itself is basically a parallel world in itself so I could see them going with something like that. I think I reblogged a post talking about this earlier today but I'm a lot less familiar with the theory in itself.

Loop theories kinda correlates with time travel which again I'm not that well versed in. I'm open to reading more theories about it though.

[maniac-charmer]

PANDORA ~ Chapter 4: My Pace

This story (and this blog) is strictly +18 minors do not interact.

-Kim Seungmin x female reader (mentions of other members)

-Academic rivals au. University setting. 

-TW: Mentions of angst and jealousy, making out, drinking (alcohol), smoking, hint of depression (not directly but implied).

-Word count: 1.9k

Series Masterlist

General Masterlist

The second you saw Seungmin, you felt your body and mind went numb. You forgot how to act like a normal human being. His eyes were on you, you could feel his look. You had no idea Seungmin and Changbin would know each other. 

You literally met two of them in different circles and you had no idea how they met but you suspected the culprit as being the only men in the room you were not familiar with. 

Your mind turned to your body as soon as you felt Changbin`s hand on your waist, Changbin was very attractive but him touching your waist exactly where Seungmin did when he kissed you, send shivers down your spine. 

You saw Seungmin physically get stiffer, his eyes getting darker and his face getting serious. 

Seungmin was hanging around the studio before he went to the ball. When Chan told him that a friend would be there you didn`t mind the company since he also featured on the track. 

When he went there and saw a buff guy in a suit, he was confused at first. When the guy asked him if he was also going to the ball, he said he was and when Changbin told him that he was going as someone`s plus one he had no idea. 

After spending some time there, Changbin told everyone that his date was there, and she was coming to the studio and Seungmin did not intrude. He was focused on the track with Chan. 

The second studio`s door opened, and he saw you from the corner of his eye, his face took a shocked expression. You were Changbin`s date? 

Seungmin couldn`t take his eyes off you. He looked at you from head to toe. Your beautiful hair framing your face like an angel and styled, your red lipstick that could make him go crazy, your black dress in which you looked so angelic yet so sinful, your high heels that gave you some height but still short enough that Seungmin could tower over you. 

You looked incredible. You looked breathtaking and he could not take his eyes off you. 

But you seemed to also look at him the same way. 

The second Changbin held your waist, Seungmin couldn`t help himself and rolled his fingers into a fist, trying to contain himself from saying anything and he simply tried to ignore what was happening before him. 

Changbin started to introduce you to Chan and when he turned to Seungmin, you simply smiled and nodded. When both Chan and Seungmin continued to look at the screen in front of them you took the moment to get close to Changbin`s ear to tell him that Seungmin was the classmate you were talking about. Since Chan and Seungmin were having a conversation to themselves, and Changbin was your emotional support for tonight it was best to keep him in the loop. 

Changbin nodded and took your hand to his. You did not know how to react and simply took your hand back with a smile and pretending to look at your purse for your phone. 

``Do you want to head out? `` You asked Changbin. You saw Seungmin`s head turning towards you. 

``Actually before we do, do you want to hear this out? `` Changbin asked with a proud smile, and he got up to offer you the huge headphones that was next to Chan. You were intrigued, so you agreed. Taking the headphones and placing them on your head, Chan started the track.

The second you heard the rhythm, you felt like spiders were crawling on your skin. When the track officially started, you heard Changbin rapping, and you gave him a smile and a thumbs up. 

The next verse, when you heard Seungmin`s angelic voice you had no idea how to feel. Your heart beating in a pace you never knew could, you looked at Seungmin. Who was looking around the studio instead of you. 

`` No escape 忘れた感覚 can't feel my fingers 捕まる You got me wrapped up around your fingers``

That second Seungmin looked at your eyes and you tried to look away but couldn`t. You simply decided to close your eyes and feel the track that was playing in your ears. Feeling every beat in your veins. 

You never knew that music could make you feel like this, uncomfortable but at the same time making you want to listen to it in a loop. 

You also never heard Seungmin sing before, but his voice was unique, you could recognize it from anywhere. 

You listened to the track with your mind blown. You never heard anything like this, not even coming close. How the track made you feel almost scared and itchy one moment and, in another second, comforted you like a lullaby. 

You took the headphones out and all you could say was ``Wow… I have no words; this is the best song I ever heard. `` You stated to the three men standing in the room with you. Your eyes browsed them all. ``I don`t know how to describe it but it made have goosebumps. `` you gave them all a huge smile and pulled your arm out. ``Look at this! `` you pointed out your arm, covered in goosebumps and laughed. Chan held your arm and started to laugh.

After congratulating them for the millionth time, Changbin told them that they were heading out. You agreed to him and made your way out of the studio with him. You couldn`t help yourself and looked over your shoulder to see Seungmin, looking back at you. 

His gaze almost burned your skin. You turned around to make your way to the hall where the ball will be taking place. 

When you entered the hall, it looked like everything was sparkling. Everyone chatting and laughs filled the hall. 

You made your way to an available spot near the stage with Changbin. You were nervous and your palms were sweaty, heart beating with anticipation. 

Changbin grabbed two glasses of champagne for both of you and you thanked him as you took a sip from the champagne. The bubbles in contrast with your inner heat created a relief. 

The dean taking the stage, started giving his speech and making his announcements. You felt someone`s eyes on you, turning your head you saw Seungmin sipping his champagne and looking at you. He had a different look in his eyes. 

It was almost like a predator, waiting for his prey. Almost like he caught you doing something you shouldn`t have. 

You took a big gulp from the champagne and tried to focus on the dean as he was announcing the valedictorian for your department. He started the sentence with saying that ``this was a unique situation and usually does not happen. `` 

You were all ears, not understanding what was happening the Dean announces.

``Y/N Y/L/N…` ` Your eyes went wide and as you tried to react the Dean continued

``And the co-valedictorian Kim Seungmin. `` Your head snapped back at Seungmin who was smiling and taking the praises from people around him, you felt Changbin`s hug and you let out a relieved huff and hugged him as you laughed.  

This was a win no matter what. 

The Dean starts talking once again ``Both students had the exact GPA to the point. Congratulations to both. `` 

You smiled at the announcement, technically you achieved your goal, it was not ideal to share it with someone but nevertheless you did it. Everything you worked for now is a reality. A tear slipped down your eyes to your cheek and you turn your eyes to Seungmin and give him a warm smile and wiped your tear. 

After the announcements, everyone was chatting once again. After few champagnes you told Changbin that you would use the restroom and be back in few minutes.   

You made your way to the restrooms with a smile on your face thanks to your victory. You can`t wait to tell your family. As you made your way to the hallway where the restrooms were, you felt a hand on your arm. Turning you around. 

Seungmin standing in front of you. Towering around you. 

He looked at you with a smile and placed his hand on your waist. ``Congrats beautiful. `` He placed his other hand on your cheek. You could smell his scent under the smell of alcohol. You looked at him, couldn`t stop smiling ``Congrats Seungmin. `` 

He smirked as he kissed you, you knew that he was acting with the liquid encouragement, but you were too. The liquid encouragement and your happiness. You kiss him back, placing one of your hands on his shoulder and the other on his cheek. 

You lost track of the time, you two were kissing each other like it was the first time you were kissing. He pressed you against the wall and looked at your eyes. His eyes were glossy from the alcohol, and he caressed your cheek, came close to your ear, you felt his breath on your skin. Warm and familiar.

``I can`t hold myself away from you. `` Seungmin whispered. Your breath hitched, heart skipping a beat. ``I need you Y/N.`` He whispered, his nose touching your neck. 

``Seungmin…`` You couldn`t find anything to say, his face came close to yours once again. Waiting for you to continue. Your brain short circuited and you kissed him. 

His lips feeling so natural on yours. You nibbled on his lips, tasting him. Placing your hands on his shoulders and pulling him closer to yourself. Not leaving any room between your bodies. 

He was squeezing your sides. Kissing you with a passion you never knew you could experience. He was kissing you like he was starving. 

Two of you kissed each other until you ran out of breath. When he pulled away, you were both panting. The tension between you could be cut with a knife. 

``Tomorrow, come to my place and we will talk about it. `` You breathe on his lips. You tried to stop yourself from kissing him again but your body almost gravitating towards him like he was gravity. 

You kissed him again, this time it was hotter, heavier. His hands travelling all over your body and yours travelling amongst his hair. His tongue dominating yourself and exploring your lips and mouth. 

You couldn`t stop yourself from kissing his plum lips.

His strawberry pink lips tainted with a hint of red courtesy of your lipstick. Looking even more delicious. 

Like an addict you couldn`t stop anything but him. Everything about him. 

His strong hands, his biceps, his body radiating heat pressed to yours. His toned chest, his perfect face. 

When he ran out of breath, you pulled back and he nodded. ``I will see you tomorrow Y/N.`` He placed a peck on your cheek and gave you a warm smile, making his way inside. 

Your legs trembled as he left. You almost ran to the restroom, panting. You looked at your reflection on the mirror. You were glowing. 

Almost unable to recognize yourself, you fixed your hair, dress, and lipstick. Making your way back to the hall, to Changbin who was waiting for you.

[thejennhall]

I'm going to be completely honest here and tell you this was my first time reading a YA Fantasy book ( not usually a genre that I read). That being said, I can not give you a comparison to other books in this genre. What I will give you is my honest review of this book. I can also tell you based off this book I will be adding YA Fantasy to my list of book genres that I will be reading a lot more of.

Title

Frequency

Author

Christopher Krovatin

About the book

Follow the music if you want to live.Eight years ago, Fiona was just a kid. But everything changed the night the Pit Viper came to town. Sure, he rid the quiet, idyllic suburb of Hamm of its darkest problems. But Fiona witnessed something much, much worse when the town drove him away.And now, the Pit Viper is back. Fiona's not just a kid anymore. She can handle the darkness she sees in the Pit Viper, a DJ whose wicked tattoos, quiet anger, and hypnotic music seem to speak to every teen in town.. except her. She can handle watching as each of her friends seems to be overcome, nearly possessed by the music. She can even handle her unnerving suspicion that the DJ is hell bent on revenge. But she's not sure she can handle falling in love with him.

Book Blurb

"It's you". Fiona froze. That voice.In a dressing room illuminated by mirror lamps, he sat on a folding chair. His hoodie had been tossed to the floor, revealing a taut physique more knotted together than chiseled, absolutely covered in tattoos of looping concentric circles and ancient runic characters. But for all the new muscles, new location, and the new way he made her feel when she looked at him, the Pit Viper's eyes were the same shimmering orbs that had watched Fiona as she'd approached him with an apple in her hand that night."It is you." He said, his voice dark and smooth, like a black diamond, " isn't it"?Fiona wanted to play it cool, to pretend like she barely remembered him, but that was impossible. Her heart raced. Her head spun. " Yes," she said, her eyes locked on his. " Of course it is."

Review

I saw this book at the store and couldn't resist buying it based on the title and cover. I'm so happy I bought this book. It has a nice steady pace and relatable characters that you will love. The main character Fiona is someone everyone can identify with no matter what age you are. She has a tight knit group of friends but still feels like she doesn't quite belong for some reason which is something I believe everyone can relate to at some point in their life. I was intrigued by the plot because it was music and that is one of the reasons I chose to buy this book. As a huge fan of music I couldn't wait to see where this story would go. When we first see Fiona she's just a child and is a witness to something no child should see. As the story progresses we discover that small towns and their residents hide some pretty dark secrets. Fiona's only escape is in her music but will that passion be used as a weapon against her? Fiona thinks she has everything figured out but everything begins to unravel and it's up to her to save her friends and the town she can't wait to leave. This book also gives an honest look at the relationship between parents and their children and just how far parents are willing to go to protect their children. I read this book cover to cover in one day, Yes! It really is that good!

[asm5129]

Okay then

My first edition of Flash thoughts. Here we go.

Extremely strong premiere I thought. Took us back to basics a bit while setting up the threads to come in the season.

First of all, really well balanced! None of the characters felt like they got the short end of the stick, which has definitely been an issue at times in recent seasons (I don’t agree with the THE FLASH ISN’T EVEN ABOUT THE FLASH ANYMORE whiners though. Maybe I’ll give my thoughts about that in the future.)

Last season finally really got me on board with Barry and Iris quite frankly no other season of the flash did (I was a Snowbarry shipper basically until last season, but I also knew that wasn’t going to happen and made my peace with that.) Great to see that’s still going strong, I’m really happy about the fact that I feel like they aren’t together just because the comics say they are together and because everyone says they have feelings for each other and are perfect together—which is how I often felt in the past. Really nice to be able to just…enjoy these two together. I’m genuinely happy about it.

On that front, I think the time loop concept—as somewhat tired as it is—was used very well to help us settle into what’s going on with all our characters right now. (Well, almost all of them—we’ll get to one unique character in this regard later)

Barry’s core fatal flaws have always been his impulsiveness and his obsessiveness. While his compassion and heart are strengths, coupled with those flaws they can take him in very negative directions—as we saw with the mapbook. Honestly? Really interesting idea. I totally buy that after everything Barry’s been through in the last nine years, he just wants a happily ever after—even if it’s stagnant, even if it’s predetermined. But Iris, Joe and Cecile were right.

That said, you can see how running from crisis to crisis for 9 years has affected several of our main characters, not just Barry—specifically, Joe is exhausted, and looks like he might be looking to retire. He’s clearly concerned about Cecile getting into the thick of it, and from what he said it also looks like maybe he wants everyone else to retire with him? We’ll see.

Barry’s experience as the flash shines through in a big way in this episode, and it’s great to see. He really knows what he’s doing now. I mean, phasing a nuclear explosion through the entirety of central city and its population?!? Hell yeah. That’s such a cool use of his powers.

On the villain front, we didn’t get much time with this new Captain Boomerang, but I liked what we got. I like the performance, and I like the insecurity at his core. We know the Rogues are gonna play a big role this season, so we’re starting strong there.

I’m kinda over the vibrating speedster voice deepening thing tbh, so I’m looking forward to when Red Death is just being performed by Javicia Leslie as that is what will make Red Death great. Really looking forward to seeing her in the Arrowverse one last time (😭). Anyways I’ll make my judgment then. (And no, I don’t think Oliver would have been a “better pick” for Red Death because A. he was never just a bargain bin Batman despite what people say—I’m sure I’ll talk about that at some point to—so slotting him in for Bruce would be just as egregious as the League of Assassins crap on season 3 and B. We don’t know the story they want to tell. They chose Ryan. They have a reason. Let them tell their story before you judge them for not telling a different one.)

And finally, that ending. Not Caitlin, not Frost. Interestingly, this was what was teased at the end of season 3, but was disregarded in favor of the Caitlin/Frost as sisters stuff—which I know is controversial, but I’ve grown to appreciate it. At some point you have to accept the decisions writers make, because you can’t force them to have made a different one.

So I’m really intrigued to see what happens here. I mean, who is this woman? Is she a combination of Frost and Caitlin? Or someone who comes from them but is completely new? Clearly that’s what the next episode will be about. And I’m excited. I’ll miss Caitlin in particular quite a bit, but I’m glad the always wonderful Danielle Panabaker is getting some good new material to work with. I’m a little mixed on the design at this point—the blue and brown hair is a little off-putting—but presumably she is a women in transition so-to-speak, so we’ll see what she ends up looking like. Or if this is just who she is, I’ll get used to it.

Overall, this episode filled me with a lot of faith that the strengths of the previous season aren’t going to go away. I think this is gonna be a great last run. And no, I don’t think this show plans to wrap up all the other shows—I think the Legends, Nia, Ryan and the other guest stars are going to be there just so we can have a chance to say goodbye. And that’s probably the right call, even in a 23 episode season there probably wouldn’t be enough time to wrap up everything from all the shows that were cancelled on top of everything that needs wrapping up on The Flash.

So yeah. Excited for what comes next. Bring it on!

[ijustwant2write]

Bold Moves-Halfdan The Black x Reader

(GIF credit to @charming-merlin​ I didn’t even mean to do that, it just seemed like the perfect GIF for your request)

MASTERLIST

Requested by @charming-merlin​: ‘Heyy, you were the first writer I requested something from and I just needed to do it again bc I love your writing and I still read the story from time to time. I would like to request Halfdan x f. reader that has secrets feelings for Halfdan but thinks she has no chance so she hangs out with another guy and Halfdan doesn't like it at all because he also has feelings for her and thinks the guy only wants to harm her. You can decide if it's true or not, but please some fluff (or more idk) in the end because I live for soft!Halfdan moments 🥺’

Characters: Halfdan the Black x Reader

Meanings: (Y/N)=Your name 

Warnings: Mentions of rape, smut, violence, swearing, fluff

(A/N: That message was so sweet, I would love to know what you requested from me before! I hope you enjoy this one just as much)

                                           *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

“You won’t get anywhere by just staring.” my friend, Gertrude, pointed out.

She was right, I had been staring, staring at a man who would never be mine. How could he be? He he had his pick of ladies, though it seemed that he was the more strong, silent type. That didn’t stop women, much like myself, drooling over him. It was pathetic, and I could admit that. The rare times I had spoken to him were just mortifying; desperately trying to engage in small talk that could eventually lead to a proper conversation. It didn’t get that far, he only knew my name and how my day had been.So why was I still chasing him?

“I know.” I sighed.“I don’t know what it is, he just attracts me towards him.”

“He is a good looking man.”

“It’s not just that either. He’s mysterious. He’s interesting. But I need to stop this fantasy. It’s clearly never going to happen.”

“Do not be hard on yourself, (Y/N). I feel that Halfdan is a very reserved man, he is never seen dancing or laughing much at feasts.”

“No, but he does gaze after Astrid.”

Astrid, undoubtedly the most beautiful woman in our town, seemed to receive attention from Halfdan. It was a surprise, seeing as she was a very sociable person, very popular too, and somewhat over the top with how she acted. No one could deny she was sweet, but she didn’t seem Halfdan’s type.

Gertrude looped my arm with hers, dragging me towards the harbour.“We need to see who else is out there. I am yet to be married too.”

I giggled.“So we are seeking out husbands now?”

“Yes.” she beamed.“You have plenty of options. I’m not saying choose anyone today, just see who else is out there. It will probably take your mind off of your fantasies.” 

I rolled my eyes playfully as she urged us to walk faster. As usual, it was busy by the ships, trading was happening, and goods were being hauled off, ready for the market. We walked away from the crowds, though we could still keep an eye on everything and everyone. There were plenty of other men that were good suitors, I would have to be blind to not see some of the handsome men in town, and I knew many that had good hearts as well as being fierce warriors. Halfdan just seemed to have that edge to him, something that made me intrigued; maybe it was because he wasn’t as friendly or forward as the other men that had the effect on women, he wasn’t trying hard which made us want him to try more.

“You couldn’t wait another day to see the new furs, could you?” someone said beside me.

I turned my head to see a man carrying piles of fur skins in his hands. I had never met him before. He was a lot taller than me, with dark, brown hair that was scraped back into a plait which allowed you to see the features of his face better; he had lovely green eyes, a mixture of dark and light shades of green actually. He was stocky, his muscles probably came from lifting the boxes of goods everyday, as well as manning a ship.

He saw the confused look on my face.“I joke, I know you are not here to steal the latest fur.”

“Oh.” I smiled.“No, I find I am searching for the perfect necklace at the moment. Furs are at the back of my mind.”

“Well, I cannot help you there unfortunately.”

“And why is that so unfortunate?”

“Because that means this conversation is over.”

“And who says that?”

“By the gods you are both killing me.” Gertrude interrupted from behind me.“She shall see you in the market this afternoon. Perhaps you will both come up with better conversations and be better at flirting by then.”

Me and the man were both shocked by her forwardness, and I could hear him laughing as she dragged me away. I also began laughing, stumbling as she continued to have a grip on me. 

“Why would you do that? I was talking to him.” I complained.

“I’m keeping you mysterious. If you told him everything straight away, he wouldn’t have anything to chase after. And I meant what I said back there.”

I felt foolish waiting in the market place for a chance to see that man again. He had been forward and charming, but it didn’t mean I was instantly interested in him. Maybe I was holding back because of Halfdan, though I couldn’t let him stop me anymore, I had to take the risk. I tried to walk around the stalls already set up, Gertrude had all but left my side, also staying in the market though she refused to help in my efforts of wooing a man. Gods, was I really this bad at finding someone suitable for me?

“You weren’t making up wanting the necklace then?” a familiar voice said behind me.

Glancing behind me, I smiled when the man from the ship was there. I was doubting him seeing me again, or even wanting to. A bit of flirting sometimes didn’t get you anywhere. Now I had a chance to see who he really was. Surprisingly we dived straight back into a conversation, there were no pauses or awkward small talk, it was quite refreshing. My mind didn’t wander at all to Halfdan, and not because I suddenly thought this man was better, but because...because I was distracted. 

That made me feel awful for thinking that but I was. Of course I wasn’t going to fall for this man just because he showed interest in me (and because I was trying to forget about someone else), though it was nice to have the attention on me for once. It never happened. I wasn’t one of those beautiful maidens that drew the eyes of every man she waltzed by, men didn’t ask me to dance at feasts until they were stupidly drunk, I never experienced that look a man gave a woman when he was interested, even if it only was for one thing. I never understood why either.

I learnt the man’s name, Birger, and he insisted on walking me home, despite the market still heaving with customers. Our talk continued, it made the time pass so quickly that I was saddened when my house was already in view. He sweetly bid me farewell, and I admittedly felt my stomach flip as he smiled before walking away. Our visits continued with one another over the next few days, Gertrude wanting details about every word said. We thankfully strayed away from the market, talking walks away from the crowds and town, and one day he asked for me to join him in a hunt.

“I was apprehensive when you agreed to this.” Birger said as I approached him and our two horses, weapons attached to my body.

“And why is that?” I asked, not yet mounting my horse.

“I assumed you could protect yourself, though I seem to have doubted your experience.” he gestured to the weapons.“You have hunted before, I presume?”

I smiled.“Yes, I just haven’t had the chance to fight anyone. Not that I’m looking for trouble.”

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that.”

“No?”

“Because I’ll get rid of the trouble before it can even look at you.”

There it was again, that charming and heroic response. I let out a surprised gasp as he effortlessly lifted me onto my horse, a smirk on his face as he got on his own. I followed him, clouded by my thoughts.I did like Birger, but I felt guilty. I felt that I was using his company to keep my mind from Halfdan, I wanted to lie to myself and blame my confusion on nerves. However I knew that Birger was here to fill the void. I had a wild idea in my head that Halfdan would come after me. The Gods were all probably laughing at me right now.

We had journeyed into the nearby forest where everyone got food supplies. We were lucky that it was heaving with wildlife, enough for everyone. After dismounting our horses, we strayed from the travelling path, Birger was hoping to find a deer. Staying low and incredibly quiet, we didn’t have to wait as long as we thought we would, spotting a doe further ahead. With grins on our faces, we ducked down, I was already getting an arrow prepared.

“Take the shot, I want you to do it.” Birger whispered.

I nodded, slowly pulling back the string of the bow, though I almost let go in fright as Birger wrapped his arms around me. I wasn’t sure what he was doing, his face was now pressed against mine, hands covering my own, his body flushed against my back.

“A perfect shot.” he breathed into my ear, and if I wasn’t concentrating so much I would have let a shiver run through me.

A second passed before I let go of the string, the arrow whizzing through the air and hitting the doe. It cried out before collapsing, I had given her a swift death. Birger and I laughed in victory, I stood to retrieve our prize until I was pulled back down. I fell onto my backside, but I had no time to comprehend what was happening because Birger was leaning over me.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. But, (Y/N), you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, I am a lucky man to have been graced with your presence, it was fate us meeting at the harbour. I...I wanted to be alone with you properly.” 

I could not deny the hot feeling I was feeling below, I had not slept with someone for some time. There it was again, that sudden realisation of using him. But men did this to women, was it such a crime that I do the same for some pleasure? As long as the pleasure was worth it at least, and not some swift, sweaty experience. 

I accepted what might come, closing my eyes and waiting for the feeling of his lips to press against mine, his hands were already gripping at my waist. Instead, there was a harsh tug that threw Birger’s body off of my own. I yelped out in confusion as I spotted another man wrestling with him. Springing to my feet, I leapt onto the bastard that was attacking us, only realising it was Halfdan as I bested him.

“Halfdan?” I exclaimed.

“Get yourself away (Y/N)! I can handle him.” he ordered as he stood, setting me on my feet in the process.

“Handle him?”

His head whipped round to look at me.“He was attacking you.”

“We were about to fuck.”

“What?”

Birger was grunting.“What do you think you’re doing?! Just because your brother claims to be a king does not mean you have the right to do what you want!”

“I’ve figured out what you’re doing. I know you are using this woman for your own benefit.”

“Even if I was, what does that have to do with you?”

“You were going to rape her?”

“What?!” Birger and I gasped at the same time.

“Halfdan,” I needed to have a calmer tone,“I wasn’t against it.”

“You weren’t in danger?”

“No, I was about to have sex for the first time in forever.”

“But, he looked like-”

“You are a crazy man.” Birger snapped.

“Birger.” I warned.“Not right now.”

“You are on his side?”

“No, I just think we all need to take a step back and talk about this.”

“What? Talk about how you were about to get fucked? And just that?”

“What?” 

“You talk as if I am some animal. It’s almost as if you’re siding with him.”

“Birger, you sound crazy.”

“The moment has passed.” he collected his things.“I am leaving. The moment has passed.”

“Birger, wait.”

“Was anything meaningful to you? Or were you just using me?”

“I wasn’t using you! I...I was-”

“Alright, I’ll let you have her. Seems like she’ll let anybody ‘use’ her.”

Halfdan’s nostrils flared, his lips in a tight line and brow furrowed as he stormed over to Birger, sending a punch to his face without warning. Birger stumbled backwards, clutching his nose. He took a second to steady himself, glaring at Halfdan as if he were about to attack back, only he didn’t, storming away in the other direction. 

Halfdan cleared his throat.“(Y/N), I-”

“What did you think you would achieve from this?” 

“I thought he was about to rape you, I thought he had lured you out here, he had confused you-”

“And I am easily confused?” I didn’t know where this confidence came from.

“No! You women, you are so sensitive.”

I only had to open my mouth in shock for him to start panicking.

“I’m sorry. For that comment and for what I have done.” he huffed.“I shall take my leave.”

“Halfdan.” I called out, making him halt.“How did you know we were here? Did you follow us?”

“I...I just happened to be here.”

“Really?”

“Fine. If you wish to know so badly, I have been following you. And not just today I embarrassingly admit.”

“What do you mean?”

“For some reason, I never trust men around you. I have this...protectiveness over you. And I understand that is strange to say, seeing as we have only spoken a few times, but, you have this hold on me. The first time we spoke to one another, I lost all my ability to seduce a woman. I could have had you that night if I wanted, and I did want you, but somehow you overpowered me by just smiling.”

I was not expecting that confession. This was the most I had heard him speak, ever.“I really don’t know what to say to that.”

“Forget it. This day could not get more mortifying.”

“Wait, Halfdan, you can’t just leave it at that. Not when I feel the same.”

“You do?”

“Have you not seen my lingering stares? I always have to catch myself to make sure I do not scare you away. I always thought you a cold, silent man that only had interest in...well, I was about to say whores but I suppose I seem like one today.”

“You really had no feelings for that man?”

I shook my head.“No. I thought I did, but I think I was trying to convince myself as to not feel guilty. But I cannot let this go lightly Halfdan. I thank you for your bravery and looking out for me, though I fear we have tarnished Birger’s pride.”

“I could give two shits about what that man thinks.”

I smiled.“That is understandable.”

“Should I be sorry?”

“To me?”

“Yes.”

I picked up my bow and arrow, heading back to the horses.“I guess so. But it will take more than words.”

“What will it take?”

“You said so yourself, you have a way with women, surprise me.”

[dangermousie]

Mousie’s absolutely subjective, very biased Top 10 web novels list

Please note that this is hardly aiming to be objective, if one can even be properly objective about a work of fiction. It is 110% based on my preferences, which means this list is heavy on the angst and has nothing set in the modern day. It is also heavily danmei-centric, even though I read way more het romance than danmei, because for whatever reason, most of the danmei I’ve read has been insanely good.

10. Return of the Swallow - one of the two non-danmeis on this list. Smart and nuanced and with a large cast of characters. Our heroine is a long-lost daughter of the family that is brought back in and has to cope with familial struggles, crazy royals, court intrigue, invasion et al. It’s SO GOOD! There is romance with the sexy smart enemy general but honestly, it’s the heroine that is the main selling point for me.

9. Transmigrator Meets Reincarnator - the only other non-danmei novel on this list, this was my very first web novel and what drew me into this insanity. This is just a ton of fun, probably the lightest novel on this list, not an ounce of angst to be found. But it’s hilarious and features competent heroine and tsundere hero and I will always love it for opening a new world to me. Anyway, our heroine transmigrates into the novel as the female lead. Unlike the original lead though she doesn’t want to seek adventures and angst - she just wants to comfortably live with the wealthy, nice husband heroine has. Alas, said husband is no longer nice since he has previously lived this story where he was betrayed by FL and then transmigrated/reincarnated into the past. Oh well, the heroine opens up businesses and makes friends. And eventually, her husband realizes his wife is way different this time around. This actually doesn’t have much romance, not until close to the end, but this is so fun I don’t care.

8. Lord Seventh - I am only partway through this so far, but it’s already on the list because it’s smart and somehow intense AND laid-back (not sure how this works, but it does) and is honestly just a really really solid and smart period novel, with the OTP a cherry on top of a narrative sundae. Plus, I love the concept of MC deciding he is not going for his supposedly fated love - he’s tried for six lifetimes, always with disaster, and he’s just plain done and tired. When he opens his life in his seventh reincarnation and sees the person he would have given up the world for, he genuinely feels nothing at all. (Spoiler - his OTP is actually a barbarian shaman this time around, thank you Lord!)

7. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (MDZS) - oh come on, how are you even on this tumblr if you don’t know MDZS/The Untamed? This was my very first danmei and it’s so much fun! I love everything about it - the unreliable narrator, the looping structure, the main OTP, Wei Wuxian’s laidback, traumatized insouciance, everything. Anyway, the plot in the event you somehow transported here from 2005 is that the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, Wei Wuxian, was defeated by the righteous sects over a decade ago and fell of a cliff to his death. Only now that same Wei Wuxian opens his eyes in another body and everything that was supposed to stay in the past starts again.

6. Heaven Official’s Blessing (TGCF) - people either love its meandering narrative, picaresque structure and cast of thousands, or find it a detriment compared to much more compact MDZS. I love it even more than MDZS for those very qualities. It does have a rock-solid, darling OTP, but what really elevates it to me are the MXTX trademark combo of snarky/light tone hiding a ton of trauma underneath, the insanely intricate world-building, and what it has to say about the nature of grace and goodness. Xie Lian is one of my top 5 web novel characters and probably in top 10 from anywhere. Oh, and while MXTX’s stuff is not as angsty for me as Meatbun’s or even Priest’s, there are always exceptions, and there is one chapter in this novel that pretty much broke me and sometimes I still flashback to it and feel unwell.

Anyway, what is it about? There is a commotion in the heavenly realm - Xie Lian, the Crown Prince of a long-destroyed kingdom, has ascended to Godhood. That in itself is not so exciting. However for Xie Lian this is the third time (!!!!) as he’s ascended and lost his godhood twice prior. And now, the biggest joke of the divine realm is back, throwing the heavenly realm into chaos. And elsewhere, Hua Cheng, one of the four most powerful demons of that Universe, sits up and takes notice.

5. Golden Stage - my perfect comfort novel. Probably the least angsty of any danmei novel on this list (which still means plenty angsty :P) It also has a dedicated, smart OTP that is an OTP for the bulk of the book - I think you will notice that in most of the novels in this list, I go for “OTP against the world” trope - I can’t stand love triangles and the same. Anyway, Fu Shen, is a famous general whose fame is making the emperor antsy. When he gets injured and can’t walk any more, the emperor gladly recalls him and marries him off to his most faithful court lackey, the head of sort of secret police, Yan Xiaohan. The emperor intends it both as a check on the general and a general spite move since the two men always clash in court whenever they meet. But not all is at is seems. They used to be friends a long time ago, had a falling out, and one of the loveliest parts of the novel is them finding their way to each other, but there is also finding the middle path between their two very different philosophies and ways of being, not to mention solving a conspiracy or dozen, and putting a new dynasty on the throne, among other things. It always makes me think, a little, of “if Mei Changsu x Jingyan were canon.”

4. Sha Po Lang - if you like a lot of fantasy politics and world-building and steampunk with your novels, this one is for you. This one is VERY plot-heavy with smart, dedicated characters and a deconstruction of many traditional virtues - our protagonist Chang Geng, a long-lost son of the Emperor, is someone who wants to modernize the country but also take down the current emperor his brother for progress’ sake and the person he’s in love with is the general who saved him when he was a kid who is nominally his foster father. Anyway, the romance is mainly a garnish in this one, not even a big side dish, but the relationship between two smart, dedicated, deadly individuals with very different concepts of duty is fascinating long before it turns romantic. And if you like angst, while overall it’s not as angsty as e.g., Meatbun stuff, Chang Geng’s childhood is the stuff of nightmares and probably freaks me out more than anything else in any novel on this list, 2ha included.

3. To Rule In a Turbulent World (LSWW) - gay Minglan. No seriously. This is how I think of it. it’s a slice of life period novel with fascinating characters and setting that happens to have a gay OTP, not a romance in a period setting per se and I always prefer stories where the romance is not the only thing that is going on. It’s meticulously written and smart and deals with character development and somehow makes daily minutia fascinating. Our protagonist, You Miao, is the son of a fabulously wealthy merchant, sent to the capital to make connections and study. As the story starts, he sees his friend’s servants beating someone to death, feels bad, and buys him because, as we discover gradually and organically, You Miao may be wealthy and occasionally immature but he is a genuinely good person. The person he buys is a barbarian from beyond the wall, named Li Zhifeng. It’s touch and go if the man will survive but eventually he does and You Miao, who by then has to return home, gives him his papers and lets him go. However, LZF decides to stick with You Miao instead, both out of sense of debt for YM saving his life and because he genuinely likes him (and yet, there is no instalove on either of their parts, their bodies have fun a lot quicker than their souls.) Anyway, the two take up farming, get involved in the imperial exams and it’s the life of prosperity and peace, until an invasion happens and things go rapidly to hell. This is so nuanced, so smart (smart people in this actually ARE!) and has secondary characters who are just as complex as the mains (for example, I ended up adoring YM’s friend, the one who starts the plot by almost beating LZF to death for no reason) because the novel never forgets that few people are all villain. There is a lovely character arc or two - watching YM grow up and LZF thaw - there is the fact that You Miao is a unicorn in web novels being laid back and calm. This whole thing is a masterpiece.

2. Stains of Filth (Yuwu) - want the emotional hit of 2ha but want to read something half its length? Well, the author of 2ha is here to eviscerate you in a shorter amount of time. This has the beautiful world-building, plot twists that all make sense and, at the center of it all, an intense and all-consuming and gloriously painful relationship between two generals - one aristocratic loner Mo Xi, and the other gregarious former slave general Gu Mang. Once they were best friends and lovers, but when the novel starts, Gu Mang has long turned traitor and went to serve the enemy kingdom and has now been returned and Mo Xi, who now commands the remnants of his slave army, has to cope with the fact that he has never been able to get over the man who stabbed him through the heart. Literally. This novel has a gorgeously looping structure, with flashbacks interwoven into present storyline. There is so much love and longing and sacrifice in this that I am tearing up a bit just thinking of it. If you don’t love Mo Xi and Gu Mang, separately and together, by the end of it, you have no soul.

1. The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha/erha) - if you’ve been following my tumblr for more than a hot second, you know my obsession with this novel. Honestly, even if I were to make a list of my top 10 novels of any kind, not just webnovels, this would be on the list. It has everything I want - a complicated, intricate plot with an insane amount of plot twists, all of which are both unexpected and make total sense, a rich and large cast of characters, a truly epic OTP that makes me bawl, emotional intensity that sometimes maxes even me out and so much character nuance and growth. Also, Moran is my favorite web novel character ever, hands down.

Anyway, the plot (or at least the way it first appears) is that the evil emperor of the cultivation world, Taxian Jun, kills himself at 32 and wakes up in the body of his 16 year old self, birth name Moran. Excited to get a redo, Moran wants to save his supposed true love Shimei, whose death the last go-around pushed him towards evil. He also wants to avoid entanglement with Chu Wanning, his shizun and sworn enemy in past life. And that’s all you are best off knowing, trust me. The only hint I am going to give is oooh boy the mother of all unreliable narrators has arrived!

The novel starts light and funny on boil the frog principle - if someone told me I would be full bawling multiple times with this novel, I’d have thought they were insane, but i swear my eyes hurt by the end of it. I started out being amused and/or disliking the mains and by the end I would die for either of them.

[luimagines]

the boys with a merperson s/o (or crushing on them) scenarios or headcannons?

 Masterlist

MERMAIDS!! OCTMERS!! Crustacean mers? Shark mers?

...It's not mermay... It’s belated mermay since I’m sure I actually got this request by the end of it.

BUT I can do this regardless!

The possibilities are endless.

These are when they’re in their own Hyrule. Without the group, so to speak.

Headcanon time! but also like half scenario?

Content under the cut!

Legend

You are a mermaid or merman

Just a typical mer

Obviously you meet when he’s exploring with his mermaid tail. 

You thought he was from far away because you’ve never seen him before nor was his accent similar with pods across the reef.

You ask your friends and neighbors if they knew him but no one could say where he was from.

And he wasn’t exactly forthcoming with any answers, always telling you something else to change the subject.

But regardless of his secrecy you enjoyed his company and his stories.

Sometimes you would find things from the surface and give them to him

You noticed he liked to collect things from above and thought it would make him happy

You were always trying to find things that would make him happy

He seemed to be full of hurt and bitterness

But you knew him to be a kind and sincere soul so you didn’t want him to hurt anymore than he already has.

But you get curious one day.

“Link, where do you live?”

“In land.”

“But if you’re a fresh water mer, how can be out here in the ocean?”

He stalls and blinks at you. 

“I’m not a mer.”

That’s throws you for a loop.

“But... you’re tail....???”

You ask more questions

And Legend complies because he totally thought you knew he was Hylian.

That would explain why no one knew where he was from.

He was one of the dry dwellers.

You’re quick to ask him about his travels and he tells you

He finds comfort in someone else knowing what he’s been through and being able to talk everything out.

He also finds more comfort in the water and finds himself thinking about you even when he’s by rivers and lakes

But you wouldn’t survive in fresh water

He begins to bring over some of his more water worthy items to show you

And impress you

But he’s not being honest with himself

So he tries to keep you as close as he can and visit you as often as he can when his blacksmithing apprenticeship lets him get away from time to time

His feelings are slow going

But they’re there.

But he’s pretending they’re not there

Your feelings are also slow going

You confuse them with admiration and curiosity

So of course nothing is actually happening

You’re both being idiots

But your feelings are requited.

Everyone who’s witnessing this is in agony.

Hyrule

You are a fresh water mer!

Hyrule can’t swim so he’s got inclined to go out into the ocean any time soon.

Or into any lakes for that matter.

But he does spend a lot of time near rivers when he has to chance to relax for a change.

It’s where you see him first actually

You were swimming up river from your home to check out what may have been left behind.

You were intrigued by him 

But he saw you and ran, not wanting to interact with you incase you were about to attack him

It hurt to see that but you were determined to get to know him

It took months

Mostly because he didn’t go back to that spot for a long time

Next time he appeared you were farther back and raised your hand, waving to him slowly

He stared at you like a deer in headlights

But you stayed your distance

It a reoccurring process.

Each time you’d get a little closer but try to be as non-confrontational as possible

When Hyrule felt at ease enough with your pretense that you could be right next to him, you finally told him your name

He told you his.

Your friendship was grow at a quicker rate than before and you thought he was incredibly interesting

With even more time, you manage to get him into the water and try to teach him how to swim.

You have to take a while to get around how his limbs work verses how you typically swim but somehow you both make it work

Hyrule is a little less afraid of the water now that you’ve been by his side but he still avoids it when you’re not with him

One day you get a little bold and take him to your lake 

He’s quick to join you but he won’t go to where the water goes above his head.

It’s a little frustrating to you because you weren’t going to hurt him

You want to show him your home

Even if it was under water

You tell him such

And you can see him consider the option and the possibilities.

“You’ll lead the way?”

You grin and take his hand.

“It’s not like you’d know the way.”

“I can’t breath under water though.”

“I can help with that.”

There’s a magical ability your people possess that when gifted willingly will grant to recipient the ability to breath underwater.

You tell him such with a small blush on your face

It’s something you’ve been wanting to give him for awhile but...

You could see how long it took for Link to warm up to you

And you’d hate to ruin what you have

But your boldness speaks ahead of you.

“What is it?”

“We call it the Stolen Breath.”

“But what is it?”

“...”

You gulp and float on your back to avoid eye contact. 

“A kiss.”

You can feel him stare at you in silence for a hot second before he takes a breath.

“Ok.”

Four

You were a river dolphin mer!

Because of Four’s job he’s mostly landlocked so he’s not exactly going to be going to the ocean any time soon.

But there’s plenty of rivers nearby for him to visit in whatever free time he can buy for himself.

When he first meets you it’s not because of those times though.

He actually heard about you through the minish first.

They talked about how you helped them and what you do to keep the place safe, and occasionally you let them ride on your back for a small fee.

The fee is stories of the land beyond.

Intrigued, Four visited your river in hopes of finding you

And he did.

As a minish.

He kept visiting you both out of curiosity and because well...

He thought you were cool.

That being said, you thought he was just another minish and had adored your new found little friend who always seemed so happy to see you.

When Four heard about your fee, he gladly told you about all his adventures, his friends and how he saved the world time and time again

You didn’t believe him at first but loved a good story when you could hear one so you let him talk

Some of the details seemed familiar, when the minish would talk about their savior and friend- The Hero of the Four Sword or The Hero of Men

You asked him about it- why he knew some details that the other minish left out

He stalls and hesitates to let you know the truth

With a small breath, he promises you that when he comes back, he’ll let you know why

You expect him to come back in a week or two like usual but he comes back the next day and leads you to one of the minish doors.

Before your eyes you see him hop through it and come back as a hylian

“Oh.”

“Oh?” Four winces and begins to nervously wring his hands together.

“Does that mean you’re the hero?” You grin and jump out of your river.

“Yes.”

That means all of his stories are true!

You stare at him and begin to feel a little giddy.

“Tell me everything!”

Four smiles a little to himself as he relaxes.

“What else haven’t I told you yet?”

“Well... What do you do when you’re not the hero?”

Four grins wider and sits down on the wet rock next to you.

“Not a whole lot.”

“Tell me anyway.”

Time

You were a hermit crab mer!

Time, similar to Four, is mostly landlocked and as such doesn’t get a lot of opportunities to go to the ocean

But Lake Hylia is definitely within his reach

And considering that you had your shell to keep you from drying out completely on dry land, you had the ability to travel on land for a day or two before you had to return

You were still chained to the water but so much as the others you knew to exist

Time had met you when he was younger, exploring the lake in its entirety with his Zora mask 

That being said, he thought he was initially a zora

Your relationship was a little shaky at first.

He had attacked you at first, not knowing what you were or whether you proposed a threat or not

And you had attacked him in turn because the zora were never really welcome near your home- they looked down on you for claiming to be a superior species and they could keep that attitude away from you, thank you very much

When you disengaged, you yelled at him for being a prick and attacking you when you did nothing wrong- even throwing in some less than welcome zora stereotypes of the era toward his face

Later on you grow to really hate that moment- and it embarrasses you every time you think about it but Link laughs

Mostly because in his mind and how he remembers it- he deserved it 100%

It was weeks after when Link had enough of the guessing games and faced you head on to explain himself and apologize.

However you were in the water this time around and he was once again wearing the mask

It took nearly three years of your friendship for you to even learn that he was actually hylian

Which complicated your feelings somewhat

Because as a zora, he was quick to put down your inner prejudice against them by just being himself

Enough so that you thought that maybe there was something happening between you two

But knowing that he was hylian- and could not actually breath under water or spend any more time with you than his life expectancy would allow- hurt you a lot

You had distanced yourself from him for a while as you digested this

Link obviously took it wrong way entirely

He thought you had cut him off from your life and had nothing else to do with him

He wasn’t entirely sure of his feelings at the time

But thought of you cutting him off was painful

He wasn’t sure how to fix it- or even if he could

In the time you were stewing and trying to figure out if this actually changes anything in your relationship, Link was trying to find anything little thing he could get to impress you and express how much he cares for you

Coincidentally, you both look for each to make up on the same day

Link with something shiny and obnoxious for you to add to your steadily growing collection of nick nacks

And you with a confession on your tongue and your heart on your sleeve

Naturally, nothing goes to plan and you don’t confess

Link for his part feels infinitely better about you not shunning him in disgust or heartbreak

You’re glad that he still wants to spend time with you, even if you will eventually out live him

But you’re both young and tenderly feeling this out

There’s still a chance for you two, you think.

There’s still time to let him think about it and for you to try again

Keep going.

Warrior

You were a squid mer

The bioluminescent kind

Warrior actually thought that you were a weird type of zora

From an area that he had yet to see or experience

He was shocked at first when you made your appearance at the surface and screamed

A very manly scream

You shot back down into the water and kept only your eyes above the water

He stared with child like interest after the initial scare when you stared to glow

You stared at each other for a really long time

He was the first Hylian that you’ve seen

You thought that he was cute

Like newly hatched guppies or a jellyfish

You pulled yourself up onto the dock, your extra limbs carrying you with easy strength until you were face to face with him

He was smaller than you thought he would be and you thought that he was missing a few necessary limbs

Your arms caress him with piqued curiosity

He’s tense and panicked but you’ve shown no sign of hostility so he’s refraining from reaching for his weapon.

You pull back after a few tense minutes and plop yourself back into the water.

It’s warmer than you’re accustomed to so you’re uncomfortable and the sun is beginning to rise on the horizon, making it a little brighter than your eyes can handle

You have to leave

But you hope that you can see him again

And you do

He’s a on ship during a storm

And he falls into the water

You’re quick to push through the warmer waters and grab him before the current can

You swim as fast as you can to the surface and hold his head above the water

He’s a coughing mess and tries to swim away from you in his efforts

You hold him close, not trusting his personal strength to fight the ocean

After a brief moment, he notices you and calms down

You’re quick to try and find some land

But you’re too far out into the water and it would take a while

You frown, holding him securely and pick a direction to go.

You force this smaller creature onto your back as you swim

It takes all night and you’re sure would have blinded yourself if you had to stay out any longer than you did

Warrior lets go when land comes, and begins to swim the rest of the way

He says something in his native tongue that you don’t understand but he salutes you

You copy the move and duck under the waves once more

Over multiple weeks afterwards you try to find him again. Continuously resurfacing to try and find him but you’re low on luck.

Until one day

He finds you

You were caught up by some deep sea fisherman, the zora working hard to keep you from destroying their net.

He’s on the docks where they bring you.

The light is killer and blinding and the heat starts to dry your skin.

He saves you in your vulnerability and says, “You save me. I save you. My name is Link. What’s yours?”

It’s your language

You reply before you can question how he speaks it

It’s a special necklace that he had Lana make

You’re back in the water before you know it

Relief comes over you like a tidal wave and you say your thanks to your new friend

Warrior then finds you after that again

And again

And again

You think you like him

He’s not so sure why he likes being around just yet

But he’ll get there

Twilight

You were a crayfish mer!

Here’s the thing, Twilight is also pretty landlocked himself

He’s not exactly going to be by the ocean any time soon and he’s more inclined to relax by a lake than on a riverbank.

That being said, you meet at Lake Hylia.

Since you had a shell, it protected you from the sun and from drying out too fast on land.

Twilight’s first inclination is to freeze up on the spot because he thought you were an aquatic version of the Oocca.

And he wasn’t happy about it.

But you seemed friendly and he wasn’t raised by wolves, so he makes polite conversation with you

He thought it would stop there but nope

You somehow found him no matter where by the lake he was sitting

After awhile he got used to you and even welcomed your presence.

You were none the wiser about his discomfort and just thought he was a nice guy you could talk to to get the news from the land beyond.

You crushed on him first

Your home was buried by a strong storm one day and he wasted no time in helping you dig it out and get it back in working order

That was a love arrow straight through your heart and you were smitten ever since

Twilight had just begun his process wanting to be by your side

At this point he would visit Lake Hylia- not to see you (he wasn’t there yet)- but he would hope you would come and spend some time with him

You knew that you two were from very different words so you tried your hardest to keep your feelings to yourself

Your friendship actually lasted years before Twilight had to come to terms with himself and the thought he might like you

He doesn’t like the idea of falling in love only to have it ripped away from him again

But you can wait for him just as long as he needs to

With time he brings you little gifts

Small things made of glass and stone- things that would survive underwater that he thought you would like

You keep them in a special place inside your burrow

Another storm struck

Late at night when everyone was still asleep, and your burrow collapsed with you inside of it

It was hard for you to move and dig yourself out

You could reach your little treasures that Link would give you 

But that was about it.

Link, for his part, was coming to visit you

Not the lake

You

But what he found sunk his heart

A mudslide covered at least half of the shore line and went into the lake

He ran all the way to where he knew your burrow was but he couldn’t find the opening 

He didn’t even think that calling your name would have worked

Link swallowed hard, concern and worry latching onto his whole being.

He ran all the way back to his house, getting his shovel and zora armor to go underwater.

Knowing that he was running low on time and you were running out of oxygen, he hitched up Epona and rode all the way back to the lake.

He jumped right into the thick of it and began to dig

Epona wasn’t sure what got Link all up in a tizzy but she pounded the ground by the shoreline nervously 

It was hard work

All that would be moved away was replaced by by more mud that would slide over it.

Link was determined though

And terrified

He kept digging until he was able to make some progress with it and eventually he found you huddled where you would normally sleep, clutching your little nick nacks that he gave you.

The fresh water seemed heaven sent and you gulped down what you could, reaching for him to pull you out.

Link grabbed your hand swam with you to the surface, pulling you to the shoreline and washing off all the mud from your shell and your hair

His feelings had to take a step on the backburner for a moment

He had to see that you were ok first.

It may have been the first moment that you could see how much he cared about you

You were starting to suspect where his feelings were before he did

But you’d wait for him. 

Sky

You were an Octomer! 

But since it’s Hyrule, I’m saying that your have the immortality of a jellyfish. Like how Zora’s can live hundreds of years compared to hylians but longer.

The first time you meet, it’s when he’s exploring more of what the surface has to offer.

Now Sky isn’t like the others.

He doesn’t have the same perception of the others

So while the others would have perceived you as a threat- Sky is mostly confused by your lack of action toward him and the fact that he’s never seen something like you before

So if your species is new to him- and you’re not attacking him-

Then maybe you’re friendly?

You grin and he’s a little taken aback by your teeth.

Slowly you crawl to where he is, each arm pulling you toward him.

You greet him in an ancient language

It has been a while since you’ve seen his kind and you want to know where they’ve gone and what kind of lives they live now.

Unfortunately he doesn’t understand you

You frown and try again, reaching out your hand for him to take

He does take it and replies in a language you’re unfamiliar with

Maybe in the time they’ve been gone the language has evolved.

This can be a problem

While you’re contemplating this, you dip back into the water somewhat and fish out (no pun intended) a stick and begin to draw on the supple sand beneath the both of you

He’s quick to catch on to what you’re doing and uses the tip of his sword to draw in the sand next to you

Slowly but surely, you both come up with some degree of communication.

You learn that the literary aspect of their language has changed somewhat as well but it’s still comprehensible to your mind

He comes back

Time and time again

He begins to slowly teach you his language as it is now

And you answer his question of the world long past

Link is actually the first to fall between the two of you

You can’t seem to take whatever hint he gives you

When he finally gives up with gift giving and subtle sweet nothings, he tells you directly

Now before this, you hadn’t considered him in such a way

You didn’t think it was even an option

Link is quick to tell you what he’ll do if you give him a chance.

He’ll live out in the ocean.

He’ll learn how to man a boat

He can find an underwater cave to be there instead if you’d prefer

He’ll leave his people behind

You think this one in particular goes a little too far and you’re quick to tell him so

You turn him down

At first

Link comes back again and again because he still enjoys your company and he can get past his emotions to not make it awkward between you two

But now that you know it’s an option

You don’t stop thinking about him

Link is on your mind day and night with all sorts of possibilities and struggles you two would have together and how to get around them

Weeks go by

And the somehow, you talk away your sensible side- the idea of what you could be becoming more and appealing each day

You confess randomly on a sunny afternoon and it takes the both of you by surprise

It’s not what you wanted to say at all.

Link is ecstatic!

He had pretty much given up hope that you two could be an item but his feelings were giving him more trouble than he thought they would

But you liked him back!

So maybe this time things can go a little smoother.

Wild

You are a shark mer!

Because Wild has a type.

Now, you live just beyond Lurelin’s borders

Wild meets you when he’s pushing the limits of a deku leaf before it breaks on him and he’s forced to turn around with his second one because he doesn’t want to be stranded in the middle of the ocean with his dinky little raft.

You’re closer to the surface than you’re usually willing to be.

Seeing the raft was a new thing for you and you swim closer to it to inspect it.

Wild actually managed, somehow to throw himself over board and into the ocean

Coming face to face

with you!

Both of you shoot away from each other in shock and he scrambles to get back onboard the wood planks

For your part, you stall for a moment not used to seeing his king so far out into the deep waters.

Intrigued at this anomaly you break the surface and place your hands on the side of the raft, watching him as he catches his breath. 

He begins speaking in a rapid fire language that you don’t understand and tell him as much

He jumps and spins over to you, pointing a finger in your direction and even growling

You tilt your head- not at all feeling intimidated by this smaller creature

You tell him your name and ask him for his

But he doesn’t understand you

He then makes a few hand gestures and you brighten

You know that!

Some sailors use that to communicate between each other when the storms get really bad

You recognize some of them but you don’t know the rest of it

You try to sign back to the best of your ability trying to tell him you don’t know that much and once again introducing yourself

He smiles and tells you his name is Link

It starts from there.

You find yourself swimming and spending more time in the shallows than you used to do

He visits regularly

Link is quick to even bring some of his friends over

You are quickly introduced to the Prince of the Zora, named Sidon and he’s been more or less a translator between you two since you speak similar languages from birth.

He visits you as well and teaches you sign on the side to help you communicate with Link without his help.

Link does not know this is happening

You wanted to surprise your friend and Sidon had his full approval of the plan

Because of Sidon’s duties however, there wasn’t a definitive schedule and you were learning at a snails pace

But progress is progress

Link is having some kind of crisis while he’s at home

Because he wants to show it to you but it’s too far inland

He’d also like to know what your home looks like, if you have one, or if you have a family or a community like the zora

There’s so many things he wants to know about you and he thinks he’s beginning to crush

And crush hard

On someone he can’t even communicate properly with no less.

He then asks Sidon to give him lessons on the language you speak

As if that would help in anyway shape or form

Sidon agrees- fully supportive of this idea

So he begins to teach Link on the side as well in order for you two to be able to talk to each other with ease

You do not know this is happening

Sidon knows what’s happening is waiting for the day for this to blow up in both of your faces 

It’s a train wreck waiting to happen

Sidon is glad Link met you

This is the most excitement he’s had since Link showed up in the domain

He really hopes this ends well for the both of you

Wind

You were a stingray mer!

You meet when he goes flying overboard from a storm.

He goes deep

You find him unconscious and try your hardest to swim to the surface and to the nearest beach.

It’s hard for you to get a grip on him and swim at the same time but somehow- by someone’s grace and mercy, you manage

You have to get him away from the water without beaching yourself and that’s another challenge all together.

You think about leaving him there and hoping for the best but a strong waves comes through and nearly drags him out to sea again

You resolve to stay by his side until he wakes up

The sun feels nice and warm, but the problem is that you dry out incredibly fast compared to other mers and it’s very quickly an uncomfortable experience

Luckily- or unluckily if you ask Wind- there was a ship coming by and seemingly coming to whatever island this is.

You take your cue and push yourself backwards into the ocean, watching the ship and the boy you found and trying to see if they were actually going to come to his aid.

The ship does eventually come to the island and you think that the boy would be fine.

But out of curiosity, you do come up to the surface every now and then when you think there’s a ship going back- hoping to see him again- trying to see if he was actually ok.

You see him on what has to be a pirate ship.

You try to get close enough to see him but somehow get yourself caught up in a net and pulled up into the boat.

“Wait! Wait!” The boy calls out and runs over to help you out. “Put it back in the water!”

“What are you doing Link?” Someone from the crew yells. “This is the catch of the century!”

“This thing saved my life! It has to be in the water!”

“What if we don’t?”

“It’ll get sick!”

The boy begins to frantically cutting away the rope from you, throwing it to the side and lessening the pressure around you.

You sigh in relief and try to make your way to the side of the boat.

It’s not easy.

The boy lifts you up from one side but he can’t get a grip on you.

Someone else comes in and helps him, getting on your other side and together they throw you over board.

The relief is immeasurable.

The boy jumps over quickly and splashes next to you.

You grin and wave at him. 

He waves back and  swims up to the surface. 

“Hi! I’m Link!”

You tell him your name in reply and swim around him. 

“I’m glad you’re ok! I didn’t think you saw me when I saved you.”

“I woke up right as you got into the water. I saw you swim and dive away as I got back onto the boat.”

“Are you two friends or something?” Someone calls from the ship.

“I’d like to be.” You admit with a smile

“I’m Link.” He smiles. “I’d like to be your friend to.”

Your friendship skyrockets from there.

Wind was already on the ship to travel the great sea, so it was easy for you to spend time with him and get to know the rest of the crew and the pirate captain Tetra as well.

Everything about their stories of land excited you so much.

It was a world so different than yours.

In return you told them stories of everything under the water, of all the places you’ve seen and been to.

Every part of you wanted to impress Link and you cherished him.

You don’t have any one to tell you want your feelings but what you do know is that you like him. He’s a good friend and he cares deeply about his people.

You hope that maybe you can be someone he cares about too.

Link for his part wanted to find pretty things for you and show his home, his family, everything that is important to him.

Tetra figures out what’s going on before he does.

She waits a bit before telling Link to his face what’s up with him, wanting to see if you’ll make a move or if he’ll come to his senses.

Neither happens.

So she tells Link and he’s quick to talk to you and confess.

He cares about you more than you’d ever realize.

[themaribatpit]

Jasonette July Day 19: Mistakes

Written by: The Maribat Pit  Prompt: Mistakes Rating: T 

Soulmate AU - red string of fate around the ankles, references to other versions of the myth

A/N: This might become a mult-chap, we’re not entirely sure.  Comment on this post if you want to see this story continue.  There will be some Adrien/Chat Noir salt.

Marinette often heard stories about the ‘red string of fate’, the idea that there was a soulmate out there who was chosen just for her.  No one believed her when she told them she could see a red thread looped around her ankle. No one really explained what it meant, they would just tell her that she would grow out of that silly superstition.  She would look down at the floor, towards her ankle, where she could clearly see the red string tied around it.  Maybe they couldn’t see it, but she could, clear as day. When she became Ladybug and fought alongside Chat Noir, he would go on and on about how they were soulmates and destined for each other.  When she became Master Fu’s pupil, she asked him if he knew anything about it. “What brought this on?” he asked curiously. “I see this red string around my ankle, I’ve known about it ever since I was little. Everyone says it’s just a legend or a silly superstition.” she explained. “Around the ankle is a new one, but it’s also the oldest version of the legend,” Master Fu explained, “most prefer the version where it’s around the little finger, or a woman’s little finger and a man’s thumb.” “What does it mean?” she asked, “no one will tell me.” “It means the string will lead you to the person you are destined to be with,” he explained, “it may stretch and tangle, but it will never break.” For many years, she brushed aside other boys and their advances, much to the chagrin of anyone who knew the real reason why.    Whenever Chat Noir rambled on about them being soulmates, she knew it wasn’t true. It was infuriating, really, as she would look down at the red string leading away from him.  She would tell him that she was in love with someone else, because someone else was out there waiting for her.   Not that he would listen to her, but still she always kept him at arm’s length.  Some might say that her standards were too high, never mind that some boys just could not take “no” for an answer.   She thought about using Kaalki to find her soulmate, opening a portal directly to them.  The only problem was she only knew which direction the string was pointing, and not having a clear idea of where she was going could lead to complications. Marinette kept her head held high through Lila and Chloe bullying her, and the teachers doing very little to stop them.  She didn’t hate Adrien as much as she did on that first day of school, but he had done very little to stop his childhood friend from bullying people.  Marinette had been humiliated, insulted, and almost kicked out of school on multiple occasions.   Chat Noir, on the other hand, was only in love with the idea of her.   He had absolutely no clue who she was under the mask, and vice versa.  There were times when Marinette felt like she couldn’t step one toe out of line without someone breathing down her neck about being the bigger person.  She felt like she was the only one bearing the heavy burden of carrying the Ladybug mantle.  She took being a heroine seriously, but she knew that she couldn’t do everything perfectly.  Sometimes Chat Noir was more of a hindrance than a help, and this continued for many years. When days felt tough for Marinette, she only needed to look down at the string around her ankle and remind herself of what it meant.  It meant that someone out there was waiting for her, destined to love her with all their heart and she would love them in turn.  So Marinette kept her head down by day, and as Ladybug she would fight to bring an end to Hawk Moth’s reign of terror. Whoever her soulmate was, they would know the truth about her, they would love and accept her.  Sometimes she would wonder if Master Fu had chosen wrong when he decided that she should be the next Guardian of the Miraculous.  The red string on the other hand would stretch or tangle, but never break.  She could be certain that her soulmate was one choice that couldn’t be a mistake. Most of Jason’s earliest living memories were spent in hiding.  He would hide under the table with the family dog in his arms, while the adults around him argued.  When he got older, he would scurry back to the crevices in Gotham’s streets, hiding from whoever he just stole from.   All the time he’d worry they could see the glowing red thread wrapped around his ankle.  He could never understand what it meant, he assumed everyone had one at the time.   When his questions were met with mockery or indifference, he stopped sharing his curiosity about it.  It would always be glowing in the corner of his eye, like a bright light on a summer’s day.   One day he wandered into a bakery inside Gotham’s Chinatown.  He was waiting for the shopkeeper to look away so that he could grab a pastry without them noticing.  Their topic of conversation turned to a ‘red string of fate’ and Jason was intrigued.  Supposedly, the thread around his ankle bound him to someone. That someone was the person he was destined to be with forever, his soulmate.  He left the shop empty handed, hoping to try his luck finding food elsewhere.  If his soulmate was out there, whoever they were, they were going to be sorely disappointed.  He remembered thinking, whoever decided to pair him up with someone had made a terrible mistake.   If his soulmate could see him now, they would probably think so too. When he encountered Batman that fateful night in Crime Alley, his whole world had drastically changed from that night forth.  As Bruce Wayne took him under his wing and as he took on the Robin mantle, a secret part of him had hoped that he was becoming someone his soulmate could be proud of.  Still he kept it to himself, Alfred would occasionally find him staring off into space whenever he was alone.  If Jason asked Bruce about it, he would probably tell him that he needed to focus on other things. The glowing red string was the last thing he would see at night before letting sleep take him, this time, he wasn’t afraid. When she was 15, Marinette woke up one morning to find the string no longer glowed bright red.  Instead it was grey and limp, and she was desperate to know what this meant.  At the first opportunity, she ran to Master Fu, he was the only one she could confide in about this.  He lowered his head, almost unwilling to tell Marinette what it meant for fear of how she would react.  He told her solemnly, it meant that her soulmate had died… Elsewhere, a bomb was counting down the seconds until it could go off.  Jason had been battered, bruised and broken, but as long as his heart was still beating he still had a chance. Ten… He pushed against the locked door.  That damned clown had locked him in, probably for the sheer delight of it. Nine… He had only just noticed the bomb, he had to find a way out of the building and fast.  Bruce, Alfred, Barbara, Dick and...he looked down at his ankle, his soulmate...they were all waiting for him.  Eight… This was all a mistake, he had been led into a trap.  He hoped that Batman would arrive just in time to save him.  He would probably slap him upside the head after he had recovered, and lecture him about being far too reckless, but at least he’d be alive. Seven… Strength was leaving his body, most of which was probably beaten out of him moments earlier.  The fighting spirit that always burned like a raging inferno inside of him was dimming.   Six… In those last few seconds, all he had left in him was a silent apology.   Wherever his soulmate was, he wished them nothing but happiness.  He was sorry that he couldn’t meet them for the first time.  He wanted to tell them that the mere idea of them gave him hope.  Hope that quite literally hung by a very thin thread, but it was what kept him going all these years.  It kept him going through living on the street, through pushing himself to meet Bruce’s expectations, even through the ordeal he had just endured.  All he needed to do was look down and remind himself that whoever chose him to be someone’s soulmate hadn’t made a mistake.  The reason he wouldn’t get to meet them was because of his mistake. Five...four...three..two...one. Marinette didn’t know how to mourn someone she had never seen, met, or even spoken to.  All she knew was that for the next three years, the string around her ankle was limp and grey.  The legend said that it would tangle, it would stretch, but it would never break.  Sometimes she would lay awake at night and wonder what could have possibly happened to her soulmate.  Had they even noticed the red string around their ankle? Did they even care about what it meant?  How did they die? Was it an accident or did someone kill them? These were questions that kept Marinette up at night as she gazed up at her bedroom ceiling.  She didn’t notice that the string was slowly starting to regain it’s glow, though it remained very dim.  She barely paid any attention to it anymore, and thought the faint red glow was just a trick of the eye.  It was a cruel reminder of what that thread meant and what she looked forward to. By the time she was 18, Marinette decided she needed to get out of Paris.  She wanted to be a designer, but she also thought a change of scenery would be good for her.  She kept the Miracle Box with her when she moved to Gotham City,  to keep the rest of the Miraculous from falling into the wrong hands.  Around this time, the thread around her ankle began to glow bright red, just as it had done a few years ago.  She was honestly curious to follow the thread and see where it led, but Plagg and Tikki were unsure about it.  They could sense that something was amiss with the thread reignighting, and they had a bad feeling that the forces of creation and destruction were involved. That’s how Marinette found herself pacing around her dorm room, trying to think of an explanation.  “How can you tell?” she asked them, “Maybe whoever did this chose someone else to be my soulmate? Someone who wasn’t dead.” “That’s not really how this works, Marinette.” Tikki told her. “Well, not according to Master Fu anyway,” said Plagg, “if the string is turning red again, that means whoever it is was brought back to life.” “But that’s impossible...is it?” Marinette looked at them,  not that long ago she had fought a man who wanted to use them to bring his comatose wife back.  Was it really so impossible? “Long ago, we were forced to grant such a wish.” Plagg confessed. “Plagg!” Tikki hissed, “you’re not suggesting that maybe…” “I am,” Plagg told her, “and she needs to know if she’s going to go herring off looking for someone who might be dead.”  Plagg turned his attention back to Marinette, “long ago, someone did acquire the Miraculous and they did use it to grant one wish…to make them young and strong forever.” “How did they do it?” Marinette asked, a little afraid of their answer. “We created what humans call ‘The Lazarus Pits’.  Anyone who bathed in its waters would be healed, rejuvenated, even snatched from the jaws of death.” he explained “Tikki’s healing magic is infused in the waters, that’s the healing part.” Marinette looked over at Tikki, “So what’s the catch? It can’t be that easy, can it?” “Well, the more they bathe in them, the more it destroys their mind,” she explains before giving Plagg a pointed look.  “It heals them on the outside, while their mind is slowly destroyed.” Marinette is slightly horrified by the thought.   “Can it bring someone back to life?” She asked, they exchanged worried glances. “Yes, but...Marinette, the person they were could have easily eroded away.” Tikki explained, but Marinette was growing tired of imagining and daydreaming.  She had to see for herself the person that her soulmate had become, so that’s how Ladybug set off to see where the red string led.

[aghoulishtale]

more than meets the eye

Nathan Young x Reader // Misfits 

Request: “oc or y/n picks him up after community service, and she’s all bubbly and sweet, so everyone is shocked why she would be with someone like him” for @not-just-fantasy

Word Count: 875  Warnings: none 

[gif]

You pushed open the community centre doors, your car keys swinging on your finger as you stepped in. A woman was leaving at the same time as you were entering, so you stepped to the side holding the door open for her to go through. She looked at you with surprise before thanking you. 

“You’re welcome,” you answered her, returning her smile as she walked away. You let the door swing shut and turned to walk further into the centre, halting to a stop when you were met by a group of four watching you, two men and two women, three of them seated in wheelchairs and one leaning against the wall. They were wearing their orange jumpsuits and none of them spoke. 

“Hi,” you smiled, giving them a small wave. They continued to stare at you in silence. “I’m looking for Nathan?” 

“Why?” one of the girls asked, her brows drawn down, genuinely confused as to why someone would be looking for him. Based on the descriptions Nathan had given you, you deduced that this was Kelly. 

“I’m here to pick him up,” you answered, holding your keys up. 

“Hey, babe.” The familiar Irish voice came from the side of you. Nathan walked in carrying a mop, which he proceeded to drop on the floor as he saw you standing there, stepping over it as he made his way towards you. 

“Hey, sweetie,” you replied, walking over to him and wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him down. 

“Sweetie?” You heard someone sneer, a female voice not belonging to Kelly, as the others all snickered. Nathan shot a glance at them, his eyes narrowing on whoever it was that had spoken. You tilted his head back to look at you.

“Ignore them,” you whispered, leaning up to kiss him. He returned it eagerly, parting your lips to deepen the kiss, his hands sliding down your back to squeeze your ass causing you to giggle as you pulled back a little. You weren’t usually so keen on pda, but knowing who was watching and after hearing Nathan’s stories about them you wanted to prove to them that he did in fact have a girlfriend who liked him very much. When he had told you what they had been saying to him, things such as “the only way someone would date you is if you paid them”, he had played it off as a joke, as just a bit of banter between friends, but you could tell that it had hurt him. As well as that, it was also an attack on you as someone who is definitely not being paid to date him, which is why you had taken the day off work to come and pick him up. 

“I’ll just go get change, wait here,” he told you, pressing a quick kiss to your cheek. You impulsively smacked his ass as he began to walk away, causing him to look back in shock. You winked at him as you smirked, and he grinned, kicking the chair that one of the men was seated in, Simon you figured, as he walked past, wiping the amused look from his face. As Nathan left the room, all focus was back on you.

“What?” you asked them, fed up of their silent staring. They shrugged, muttering over each other. “Well, it’s something, so tell me.” 

“It’s just-” the man leaning against the wall, Curtis, started. “You’re not exactly what we were expecting.” 

“And what were you expecting?” you pushed, intrigued to see if they would be brave enough to say it to your face. They all spoke over each other, stuttering as they tried to find a polite way of saying what they actually meant. 

“You’re so-” / “Not someone that-” / “Someone a bit less-” / “Not so-”

“Nice.” / “Pretty.” / “Happy.”

“Clean” Alisha murmured, receiving a scowl from Kelly, though she didn’t apologise. You pushed your tongue into your cheek as you nodded, the answers surprising you even though you had been expecting them. 

“Nathan’s a good boyfriend,” you spoke carefully, like a parent about to scold their children. “He’s actually a damn good catch, anyone who actually takes the time to get to know him knows that. Have any of you ever actually spent any time with him outside of community service?” Nobody answered, their eyes flicking to each other. “Exactly.” You felt a small sense of pride as an awkwardness filled the room, the four of them looking a little ashamed. They didn’t need to know that you had exaggerated a bit, making Nathan seem more popular than he actually was. He had been a good boyfriend to you so far, and you hoped that maybe now he would be able to enjoy community service a little more. When he came back, he looked confused as to why everyone was being so quiet and refusing to make eye contact with him, walking up to you to loop his arm over your shoulders. 

“I’ll see you lot tomorrow,” he said to them, leading you towards the door. You heard their muttered goodbyes as you walked out, wrapping your arm behind his back to pull yourself into his side as you made your way back to your car. 

Taglist: @bisexualnathanyoung @misskittysmagicportal @nightingale-rose @forenschik @love-is-dirty-baby @slutforrobbiebro @mon-charmante

[weirdlittlecorner]

Lin Kuei Hospitality: Sektor

Notes: nsfw, 18+, rough, dominant MC

Plot: Sektor gets on a lot of people's nerves. Nothing a little cloth can't fix

Tags: @lilliannmac @onesillybeach @icy-spicy

__

It was an easy choice. Once the Grandmaster had given you the go-ahead to pick your gift, your eyes instantly settled on the most curious of the men. The one who took to copying the monarch himself. You were attracted to that long, black hair and the bulging muscles. But what really solidified your choice was that face of his. Or, rather, the expression on it. The other men had kept their expressions neutral, their gazes fixated ahead of them as you made your rounds. But when you had passed over the man in red, he took it as an invitation to conduct an exam of his own. His brown eyes trailed you when you came near as if you were a gift for him. And that tiny smirk that he gave you didn’t help his case, either.

A spark of feistiness flared within you as you returned the judgemental gaze, “I suppose you’ll do,” You snapped.

The tension in the room was tangible. The others were amused by your standoff with who you would soon come to find out was the spoiled brat of the clan. Your target huffed, turning toward the Grandmaster as if seeking assistance. But he was only met with a stern warning from the older man, “Miss L/n is our guest. You will not disappoint me, Sektor,”

It was hard to keep a straight face as the overgrown child- Sektor- crumbled under the Grandmaster’s words, “Of course not, Father,” Father? It all made sense now. The similar clothing, and more notably, the arrogance. Being the child of the closest thing to royalty would surely go to anyone’s head. He clearly had some sort of attitude problem and needed a lesson in humility. You would happily oblige.

After the impromptu scolding, the younger man turned his attention back to you. Without another complaint, he separated from his fellow assassins in favor of following you out of the throne room.

--

“You’re getting on my nerves already. I’d like you better if you just shut your mouth,” You snapped, your teeth grinding in annoyance. In the span of ten minutes, Sektor had already managed to push all your buttons. And not in a good way.

“I will do nothing of the sort,” He snapped back without hesitation. You were starting to question your decision and wondered if it was too late to exchange the man. No, you couldn’t do that, as you didn’t want to look ungrateful. Especially not when it was the Grandmaster’s own son. This was a strange situation already; it would be best not to make it worse.

So you settled on one more attempt at reasoning with the clan’s golden child, “Try. It might do you some good,” This was supposed to be pleasurable for you, after all. It was silent for a moment, and you grew smug at the fact that the man hadn’t been able to come up with a witty response. But while you did expect some type of attitude, you hadn’t expected what the man in question actually said next.

“Make me.”

Wait-... What? That took you aback, and your resolve momentarily crumbled as you looked at him. And he looked dead serious, too...

Well, you had promised yourself that you would correct that attitude of his.

Positioning yourself behind him, you untied the f/c sash that secured your tunic, “What are you-” But you had already placed the fabric over his mouth, tying it securely at the back of his head. That was much better. He grew sexier now that he was silent. Now that you didn’t have to listen to his sarcastic droning, you could actually get on to using your present. Proud of your work, you walked back around to face the man.

Upon feeling your form looming over him, Sektor sunk down to his knees, hands clasped behind his back. A h/c brow arched in surprise, but soon your expression turned to one of mischief. He must’ve been partial to being submissive. The thought intrigued you, to say the least. While having been on top a few times in previous experiences, you had never actually dominated your partner. But what better time to try it out than now? Especially on someone as arrogant as the Grandmaster’s son. He needed to be taken down a notch. Or two.

“You like it when a woman is in control, don’t you?” You asked rhetorically, to which he nodded, his brown eyes boring into your e/c ones. There was no question that you could have some fun with this. Taking hold of the red sash on his uniform, you snatched it off of his waist before making your way to his backside once more. With a fluid motion, you looped it around his wrists twice before tying it. He flexed his forearms in response, testing the resistance of his bondage, to which you clucked, “You’re not escaping that easily,” Though you had tied it gently enough for him to break free should he need to. But for all intents and purposes, he was helpless. Completely at your disposal. Ready for anything and everything you had in mind.

The raw, devious power surged through you so beautifully. And submissiveness looked equally enticing on Sektor. Since he was incapacitated, you took the liberty of peeling off his armor for him. It took a bit longer than you had expected to get through all of the various knots and clasps, but that was no problem. Every second was blissful agony for the man who was trapped under your touch. But eventually, your gift was unwrapped, save for his ivory undergarments. By the tenting in the fabric, he was already ready for you. But there would be none of that. Not anytime soon, anyway.

A maniacal giggle made its way past your lips as you reached around his head. With a loud snap, the red tie that was holding his long hair in place was between your fingers. You waved it in front of him teasingly before pushing the loose hair out of his eyes, “Lay down,” Your voice was a soft, but harsh whisper.

At your command, the Grandmaster’s son swung his knees out from under him and lowered his muscular back onto the cold marble floor. He winced as the cold penetrated his skin, but he made no effort to get up. Not when he was consumed by the overwhelming desire to be obedient for his mistress. Who, had he been able to speak, would have been showered in praises. You were easily one of the most beautiful women he had bedded. Being the chosen child had its perks, but it also had its drawbacks; one being that he could never explore his desire for domination. It would be too embarrassing if he, the next Grandmaster, were found under a woman. Or, one of the Lin Kuei women, anyway. But you were an outsider. Someone who passed through twice a year at most. There was no shame in this. Only pleasure as you stripped down to your f/c undergarments, taking care to leave your boots on. It fit the aesthetic, after all.

“You have a sharp tongue for someone who’s supposed to be a disciplined assassin,” You chided, your hands positioning themselves on your hips as you stood over him, your boots dangerously close to his face, “But you know what? I think we can put it to better use,” Sektor didn’t have time to consider your words before you unceremoniously squatted, the satin fabric of your underwear meeting the resistant cloth of your makeshift gag.

With an exaggerated sigh, you settled in on your new chair, your boots resting easily on either side of his head. This was much better. No noise and the pleasure of having your sex serviced. Well, not so much the second part as Sektor had a gag in place that prevented the latter. Though you did have to say that seeing him grow frustrated at his bondage was pleasurable in its own right. You sat like this for a few moments, basking in the feeling of control, until you felt a small vibration against your clothed sex.

“What was that? ‘Take the gag off’? And my panties?” You repeated, to which he nodded desperately. Another triumphant laugh rippled through your chest. As if you would give the spoiled brat what he wanted. That would be counterintuitive on your part. E/c irises clouded over as you looked down at your whining subject, “No. You haven’t earned the right to taste me,”

But that didn’t stop him from trying, much to your amusement. Sektor continued to strain against the gag, trying to do something; anything. His full beard provided some nice friction though, and you almost considered giving in and letting him eat you out. Almost, “Now look at me,” A s/c hand reached out and grabbed his chin, forcing him to give you his undivided attention. His dark pupils dilated in excitement at your roughness, “You’re going to be a good boy for me, right?” You cooed, being rewarded by another needy jerk of his head.

“Good,” H/t, h/c locks bobbed as you nodded your head in satisfaction. In fact, you were so pleased with his broken obedience that you resumed a squatting position, taking the weight off of his face momentarily. You reached down and pulled the gag free, letting it bunch around his neck instead. Sektor was only allowed a second to breathe through his mouth before your sex pressed against it once more.

But there were no complaints from the brat, only gratitude as his tongue traced the outline of your folds, “Thank you, Mistress L/n,” He mumbled as he pressed a soft kiss to your clit. You sighed, rocking your hips a bit to catch some of the friction from his beard scratching your thighs.

This felt very, very good. So good that you almost considered dropping your facade and letting yourself fully enjoy the man’s mouth. But where was the fun in that? As far as you were concerned, he was still a jerk. A whiny, beautifully submissive, brat that still hadn’t learned his lesson. Tucking your knees to your chest, you pulled yourself into a standing position, much to the disappointment of your submissive.

“Aw, don’t pout. I don’t like pouting,” Your stern voice commanded, causing Sektor to amend his expression immediately. Basking in the high of your authority, you shifted your attention to his lower half. Saying that the man was weeping for attention was an understatement as you rubbed his aching erection through the cloth. Curious, you bent over and removed his hard length from his undershorts. You gave him a sly smile as your nimble fingers worked him, “I’m surprised that you’ve actually managed to impress me,” He merely moaned in response as your stroking got faster, “Please,” His voice, hoarse from the gag, pleaded for your audience, “Please ride my cock, Mistress. I want to make you cum,” He begged while you pursed your lips, considering the proposition.

The ache in your stomach had only grown more prominent throughout your teasing. And coupled with the stimulation from Sektor’s mouth, you were beyond wet enough for intercourse. Sighing, “Very well. You’ve been a good boy so far,” Your hand ceased its movement in favor of hooking itself inside your panties along with the other. Straightening up, you pulled the silk down, stepping out of the garment to free your ankles, “I’ll give you what you want; on one condition. No thrusting,” He gave a weak nod in agreement.

Satisfied with his obedience once more, you allowed yourself to squat over him, this time over his erect dick. Once he was lined up, you began sinking down, allowing him to enter you at the most agonizingly slow rate. Only when you were comfortable did you begin moving. And it felt damn good. Overcome with desire, you allowed yourself to ride him at an excruciating pace, momentarily forgetting your cool, stone demeanor. A moan akin to a wind-chime clawed its way out of your throat as your hand found its way to your clit. You rubbed furiously while your other hand tangled itself in that long black hair, tugging it roughly. He let out a guttural sound at the lovely pain you were causing him, but he kept his promise of not thrusting into you despite an overwhelming desire to. Though that didn’t stop you from eventually changing your own rule, overcome by the pleasure.

“Fuck me. Make me cum,” You demanded, amending your previous instruction. Sektor knew better than to question your orders, his only focus on doing just what you had asked. He was able to flip you over with his strong hips despite his hands still being tied behind his back. Once you were comfortable, he wasted no time snapping his hips into yours as fast as he could. His pace was relentless, causing your toes to curl and stars to enter your vision as he rubbed against your precious spot. Your fingers bunched his loose hair up, pulling as hard as humanly possible as you met an intense climax. Shaking, your breathing grew even more ragged as the heat ravished your body. All of your neurons felt as if they were on fire as you came.

His hips slowed as the last of your orgasm made its way through you, stopping once your hand detangled itself from his black locks and fell limp across your ribs. With a tired smile, your eyes focused on him once more, “I will let you cum as a reward for being obedient,” Just not inside of you. He wasn’t that good. But he was excited nonetheless. Proud that he had lived up to your expectations. His cock exited your trembling pussy, saturated in your orgasm. When your breathing eventually slowed, you slowly shifted to sit on your knees, your hand replacing itself on his shaft.

Your hand stroked him as fast as you could manage while he whimpered in pleasure. It didn’t take long before his seed erupted from the tip of his cock, effectively coating your hand and splattering on his abs. Looking down at the mess, Sektor grew sheepish as the post-orgasm clarity seeped in. You had definitely shown him; maybe he should learn to be more humble. Or maybe he would be just as much of an asshole the next time you visited so you could teach him another lesson, “Thank you,” He managed to get out once he caught his breath.

You hated to say it, but Sektor had been right. He sure didn’t disappoint the Grandmaster.

“You’re welcome. Now go get a towel so you can clean up your mess.”