#sorry for a long delay!

[apollodarling-writes]

Simon Says...

MINORS DNI!!!

desc: Simon “Ghost” Riley decides to take Simon says a bit further...

cw: multiple creampies, unsafe sex, ghost was out here rawdoggin you without a condom or even asking if you were on contraceptives beforehand smh, afab reader but no specified pronouns, marking, rough sex, uhh a lil blood play cause i feel like ghost would kinda be into that, dom!ghost/sub!reader, manhandling, spanking, bruising mention, public play, a little degradation, praise, Ghost is kinda mean at first, i use the term ‘pretty’ but it’s meant to sound gn, it might be kinda shitty... sorry ;(, idk if i mentioned it already but ghost is a sadist in this, reader shows slight masochism btw, kinda??? blood drinking, some possessive themes, throat fucking, this is fucking absolute filth, ghosty boy goes feral, simon's orgasm hits real hard for him- it's prolly the mutual pining and finally being able to fuck you tbh, uhhh also pussy drunk! simon, and some cunnilingus, dumbification, virgin!reader

this isn't proofread. it's also prolly a little shitty at the end. I was rushing to get this out.

@willywonkagirly @darklordofthesimp @ifellinthebongebong @midnightlockhearth

Everything started with you challenging Ghost to a drinking contest. No one in the 141 Task Force had the pleasure of seeing the man drunk, and you would be the one to change that. Upon deciding the night was nice enough, and hoping that luck would be on your side, you had slung your arm over the man’s shoulder and proposed the idea. Surprisingly, with enough begging and batting your eyelashes halfheartedly, Ghost had finally agreed. 

The rest of it was a blur. One moment you were flirting with Ghost, and the next you were being dragged to the bathrooms in the back of the bar, shoulders slamming against the cool metal of the divider. 

“Ghost! What the hell?” You weakly protest, your words slurring together.

“You like to play games, don’t you?” The man growls, venom dripping from every word that leaves his lips.

“What are you-“ Ghost’s hand shoots out, gripping your jaw.

“Did I say you could speak, [Name]?” Your eyes widen as you gently shake your head. “Then don’t speak.”

You bite your lip as the Lieutenant purrs, “You learn quick don’t you, Angel?”

“Now, since you like to play games with me, what d’ya say to a nice ol’ game of Simon Says?”

Simon says?

You furrow your brows at the man’s choice of game, but agree nonetheless. With a slight nod of the head, you hear Ghost chuckle.

“We’ll start off simple, yeah?” He doesn’t give you a chance to respond. “Simon Says: Take off my mask.”

You blanch. “A-Are you sure, Gh-“

The Lieutenant clicks his tongue, followed by a disappointed sigh. Thick fingers wrap around the soft flesh of your throat as he ghosts his cloth-covered lips along your jaw, nipping at your flesh here and there.

“Are you gonna be good for me, or am I going to have to make you? I’d prefer that you be the good little bitch you are, but…” Ghost trails off for a moment, an arm wrapping around your back, pulling you flush against his broad chest, his other hand trailing lower and lower. “I don’t mind putting you in your place, Angel.”

His fingers just barely brush against your clothed clit- a promise of what’s to come if you’re good for him.

“Will you be good for me, Pretty?” Parting your lips as the man applies gentle pressure, you quickly nod your head. Ghost releases a sultry chuckle, butterflies filling your tummy as a result, and removes his grip on you.

“Good.”

The LT takes a step back, allowing you to shakily pull his mask off.

He’s beautiful, is your first thought.

The man had to be a god. With pretty, plush lips, dirty blond hair that’s grown out just a tad more than Ghost- no, Simon- would’ve liked, long lashes that frame his gorgeous ice-blue eyes… you couldn’t bring yourself to look away.

"Ya like what ya see, Sargeant?"

"You weren't kidding when you said you were far from ugly..." You murmur, causing the man to chuckle. His eyes meet yours, a hungry, lustful look swirling within. Simon reaches his hand forward, cupping your cheek and brushing the pad of his thumb against your lip.

"Simon Says: kiss me."

You inch closer to him, gently pressing your lips against his and wrapping your arms around the back of his neck. The man quickly takes the lead, tongue brushing over your bottom lip and fingers gripping the meat of your waist- surely, there would be bruises tomorrow. Simon kisses you heatedly, lifting one of your thighs and pinning it against his hip, biting your lip and tongue here and there.

"You drive me fuckin' crazy, love." He murmurs, pressing chaste kisses to your jaw, trailing down the length of your neck.

Ghost bites down on the apex of your shoulder, forcing a pained whine to erupt from your throat. He shivers at the sound and sinks his canines deeper into your flesh, reluctantly pulling away as you begin to squirm and licks up the droplets of blood leaking from the wound.

Simon's gaze drops to the bitemark he left- a pretty purple and red taking up a portion of your shoulder. Blood rushes to the man's cock, the pants he wears beginning to strain rather painfully against his flushed tip.

"Simon says: get on your knees."

You immediately obey, mouth watering at the promise those four words held. He hurriedly unzips his jeans, the imprint of his cock making you whimper. Your core pulses as he lowers his boxers, length slapping against his abdomen, the sensitivity of it causing a poorly contained groan to form in his throat.

One hand wraps around the base, roughly tapping your lips with the leaking tip, while the other tangles itself in your hair.

"Open."

You obey.

"Suck"

You obey.

Simon's hand guides your head, forcing his cock deep into your throat.

"Doin' so good for me." He groans. "Feels so fuckin' good."

Ghost holds your head in place as he comes closer and closer to his climax, length thrusting in and out of your throat. Heat pools in your tummy, thighs clenching together as one hand slowly reaches down to fondle your clit.

"'m gonna fuckin' cum. 'm gonna fuckin cum-" Simon groans, hips suddenly stilling and eyes screwing shut as his vision borders a delicious white. He shakily pulls out, fingers brushing against your cheek, and orders you to swallow all of it.

Just like before, you obey.

"Simon says: Strip."

Swallowing thickly, you begin to strip off your clothes. By now, your underwear was practically transparent- glistening in the dim lighting, the outline of your heat on display for the LT. He hooks a finger around the seams of the garment and tears the fabric from your body.

Simon is quick to replace the fabric- his tongue lazily drawing circles on your nub and fingers prodding at your slit.

"'m gonna make you cum 'fore I fuck you." Ghost murmurs his promise into the meat of your inner thigh, releasing a throaty groan as he relishes in the taste of you.

He coaxes one orgasm out of you.

Two orgasms.

Three orgasms.

Simon didn't want to stop. Between your fingers tugging harshly in his hair, the pretty purple marks blooming in the shape of his hand on your outer thighs, and the name carved into your tummy- Simon Riley was sure he was dreaming. The taste of you, the feel of you, the scent of you; everything was just too good to be true.

"Simon please- hah fuck!- need you inside me." You whine, hips bucking at just the right angle forcing a fourth orgasm from you.

"'m so proud of you, Angel. Did so fuckin good for me, yeah?" Simon stands from his kneeling position, picking you up and pressing your back against his chest- arms hooked beneath your knees and aligning your hole with his cock. "How about I fuck you dumb, hm? How about that, baby?"

"Please. Please, Si- I just need you. Need'ta be filled."

Ghost sinks you on his cock slowly, the pain from the stretch causing you to bite your lip and tears to prick your eyes.

"Si- I've never- I've never-"

"I'll be gentle, pretty. Just feel good for me." Simon begins raising you to the middle of his shaft, and sinks you down ever so slowly. Tension pools into the pit of your stomach, growing tighter and tighter, making you more sensitive as time goes on. Simon adjusts his angle, hitting a spot inside you that makes the tension crash down on you- your mind going blank and walls fluttering around Simon.

"Fuck-" Simon increases his pace- hips snapping into yours as he comes closer to his own orgasm. His hips never still as he spurts thick ropes of cum into you, fucking it back into you with each thrust.

Simon slams you on his cock, back pressed against the cool metal, as his hips snap up to meet halfway.

"'s too much Si-"

"Take what I give you, slut- oh god, 'm gonna fuckin cum again-"

Simon fucks into you faster and faster as he chases his own orgasm, forcing another from you. "'m gonna fuckin breed that pretty little pussy of yours. Need'ta make you mine-"

Simon cums a final time, dripping onto the floor as he gently pulls out from you, pressing a kiss to your temple and cleaning you up.

.

.

.

.

"Ya think they're fuckin?"

"Soap MacTavsish."

"Sorry, sorry."

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

The Agency's Older Brother: or, Ranpo's Character Development

I want to talk about Ranpo and the development he goes through in the series, because for as much as Ranpo is an important member of the Agency, his story is focused on in small chunks that may not always, at first read, seem to be overly significant. In fact, Ranpo’s arc is very consistent and I’m fascinated to know where it’s building to, because he’s done a lot of growing in the series. A lot of the themes of his story are to do with responsibility and faith in others.

The Ranpo we meet at the beginning of the story is not the Ranpo we see now. The biggest change is that he’s a lot more personally involved with the struggles of the Agency members, taking it on himself to be proactive and protective, while previously he had to be pushed and bribed into helping much of the time. When did this change?

Well...

[ID: Two screenshots from a scene in Poe's introductory episode of the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. In the first screenshot, Yosano lies on the carpeted ground, an axe embedded in her chest, blood pooling around her. Ranpo is crouched beside her, supporting her shoulders with one hand and clasping her hand with the other. The second screenshot is a close up of Ranpo's distressed face. End ID.]

The thing is, it's almost easy to overlook the effect this scene had on Ranpo, because Poe’s introductory chapter/episode is such a brief one. Moreover, afterwards, Poe becomes an ally and is a bit of a silly character, so it’s easy to forget sometimes that he was a legitimate threat here - and Yosano nearly died for it. This scene was incredibly significant to Ranpo for a few notable reasons.

It’s the first time someone in the Agency was in serious trouble/died without a backup plan.

It is, unfortunately, kind of on him. (Let me be real clear here: I am not blaming Ranpo. But he probably was blaming himself and that's something to keep in mind.)

To recap: Poe pulls Ranpo into his novel out of revenge, also trapping Yosano, who went with him. Ranpo realizes that they are in a world with no abilities, and importantly, he doesn't have the glasses Fukuzawa gave him.

We know those glasses mean a lot to him. When Ranpo was at his lowest, when he was convinced the world hated him, Fukuzawa gave him those glasses and told him he had a special ability. That he had a gift that no one else did that allowed him to see the truth that no one else could. Untold Origins makes it very clear that if Fukuzawa hadn't reached out to Ranpo when he did, Ranpo may have forever been outcasted. He was a kid kept in a bubble then suddenly and rudely shoved into a world he was unprepared to cope with, where he continued to get rejected and thrown out over and over - and all this on top of the grief he felt from his parents' passing. Ranpo was bitter and terrified of people, and thought everyone was pretending to be oblivious just to hurt him. Fukuzawa saved him the only way he could, in the only way Ranpo would hear him. It's not an exaggeration to say Fukuzawa saved Ranpo's life. And, while cute, it's also telling how quickly those glasses became an intrinsic part of his identity. Only maybe twenty minutes after he first received them, he was already making little doodles of himself wearing them.

Suddenly, the glasses are gone, and Ranpo goes into a funk because he "can't activate his ability without them". Obviously, we know that isn't true, and so does Yosano. Ranpo probably, deep down, knows this too, but to admit that would be to admit the president lied to him, and to uproot the very thing that gave him the means to perceive the world in a brighter light. The reason Fukuzawa had to lie in the first place was because the truth would be to tell Ranpo that his parents lied to him, something he angrily denies could ever be the case. And now, Fukuzawa is very plainly stated to be Ranpo's adoptive father. Ranpo's parents do not lie to him. He does not want to see it - and so he doesn't. This is a recurring thing with Ranpo. For as much as he sees the truth clearly, he also chooses not to see it at times when it would be uncomfortable/go against the intuition of someone he deeply trusts and respects.

And I think it's very easy to just leave it there, and say, "Oh, Ranpo realized at the end of this chapter/episode that he didn't need the glasses, that he doesn't have an ability, and that's a key turning point" but I don't feel that's the full picture or even the focus here, especially since Ranpo still hasn't reached the point where he can properly admit it aloud, even to Yosano.

The thing is, those glasses aren't just of use to Ranpo - they have sentimental value. A heck of a lot of it, for a character who is not very sentimental. The real turning point here is that Ranpo put on Yosano's glasses in order to save her.

[ID: A screenshot of a panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo puts on a pair of glasses. His hair is blown out of his face and he wears an intense expression. End ID.]

Shortly before this, we are informed by Yosano that not only was the Agency specifically formed for Ranpo to make use of his talents, but also that it was Ranpo who invited her to join - which we later learn was a pivotal moment for her to start over after she was completely broken by her experiences in the war. And now, he is watching her bleed out because she had to take over. Because he couldn't solve it. And that, to Ranpo, is unacceptable.

But again, there's more to it. Ranpo is fundamentally a self-centered character - this is not a judgement; I actually love that about him. He's the center of the Agency, the (ostensibly) good guys of the series; a narcissistic guy with little in the way of sensitivity who wants to use his skills to help others. Not for some higher ideal, or because it's "right" necessarily, but because he's good at it, and because he's supposed to protect all the "babies" who can't solve things for themselves. I love it because it highlights a major theme of BSD, which is good as something you do rather than something you are, and also because it explains something about Ranpo himself.

See, if everyone in the world is a "baby" who needs Ranpo's assistance, then the people in the Agency are a little different. They're people hand-picked by Fukuzawa to support him, both through praise and through backup. Remember that Ranpo trusts Fukuzawa's judgement more than anything - this means that he expects the Agency members can handle themselves. So, in chapter 10, when Ranpo doesn't really care that Atsushi has been taken, citing that it's a "personal problem" and he should handle it, I really think this was some odd form of "Atsushi will be fine" and "why should I worry or do anything when I know he'll be fine". And in the past, this has been true - the Agency members always pull through. None of them, up until that point, have been in a situation that they couldn't eventually fix. Ranpo has a bubble of safety in the Agency, that basically amounts to a "villain of the week" type beat from his perspective, where troubles gets fixed up pretty quickly. All in a day's work.

But then Yosano dies in Poe's book, someone he actually had some level of responsibility for when he invited her to join his safe little circle in a world that had no place for people like them. And it's a direct result of Ranpo's refusal/inability to act.

In order to fix this, Ranpo uses Yosano's glasses. The lens he's seeing through has changed. The people in the Agency were initially "his" in that they were meant to support Ranpo, the special one "chosen" by Fukuzawa's glasses, the reason for the Agency's existence in the first place. But now the people in the Agency are "his" in that they are his to protect. He's their big brother they all look up to in a way, and as the big brother, he's got to take responsibility for their safety.

Why did this not stand out in the moment? Well, we learn something about Ranpo from Untold Origins: he's very good at pretending he's doing okay and things aren't bothering him as much as they are. He's able to hold it together up until it all comes spilling out of him during the play. Also, I do think Ranpo cares about people a good deal more than he'd have you believe. A common fanon thing about Ranpo (from what I've seen) is that he tends to forget people, which, I can see how one would come to that conclusion, but I actually think it's completely wrong. I don't think Ranpo's forgotten a single person he's accused. I don't think he's forgotten a single person he's helped.

He lied about not remembering Poe, in fact, he remembered him pretty fondly as a real challenge. He remembers the information on a person from the Special Division he was asked to look into and gave the info to Mushitarou to allow him an in. He recognizes an officer he'd helped, and it's implied he recognizes every single officer who had been present while he was working on cases in the past. Does this mean he cares about all of them? ...eh. Probably not. But it does mean that Ranpo keeps a lot of his cards close to his chest. He's disarming with his intentional childishness. And so it can be difficult for the characters and readers both to notice that events like Yosano's almost-death... actually bothered him a lot more than he let on.

Because it was his fault. Because she was his responsibility. Because he's supposed to be invincible.

And unfortunately, the story from here on out does not get any kinder to Ranpo as his safe bubble that is the Agency is repeatedly targeted in ways that are increasingly hard to repair.

Fukuzawa falls ill and nearly dies in Cannibalism arc.

A girl gets blown up and Kunikida ends up in jail because Fyodor managed to manipulate Ranpo's intel.

Mushitarou is believed to have been shot and killed trying to warn Ranpo about the Decay of Angels plan.

Taneda bleeds out from a stab wound and falls into a coma. Ranpo can do nothing but listen and cannot get him help.

The amount of times Ranpo has seen people nearly die in front of him... bro it's almost as bad as Kunikida.

Much like Kunikida having extreme faith in his lofty ideals which make him fall just that much harder when he fails to uphold them, Ranpo has practically zero self-doubt and complete and utter confidence in his abilities... so when problems arise, Ranpo is very harsh on himself. He takes the blame because he's supposed to be better than that. Because he is the one with the powerful "ability" that should never fail.

In this sense, Ranpo's position in the Agency reminds me a lot of a certain person in the Port Mafia, someone who also has a powerful skill he puts towards protecting his own, someone who also received life changing words from the boss which earned him his loyalty, and someone who would do anything to defend the only place in the world he feels secure.

I think there's definitely a reason Cannibalism arc had Ranpo and Chuuya face off, I'm just saying. Both of them ostracized and thrown out as young teens by people who should've been looking out for them. Both the instigators of that arc, proactive and desperate to protect the person they are most loyal to who changed their perspectives. They've even got the same power stance, look. :P

[ID: Two panels from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. The first is a panel of Ranpo with the silhouette of Fyodor behind him. He is standing with his hands in his pockets, facing front with his head tilted back and to the left a little, a fierce expression on his face and his cloak billowing outwards. The second is a panel of Chuuya standing in a similar manner, arms crossed, facing front with a fierce expression as his coat billows out around him. End ID.]

Of course, there's more interesting comparisons and contrasts to be drawn between them, but I'm focusing on Ranpo in this analysis, so I think I've made my point. Chuuya is the Port Mafia's best martial artist. Ranpo is the Agency's strongest man. And that places a burden of responsibility on them that they both believe they must uphold. They're both ready and willing to do whatever it takes.

The thing is though, is that Ranpo doesn't actually have an ability. When up against someone like Chuuya, he is at a distinct disadvantage, and he knows it. "Regular people can't defeat ability users". But he's still going to come up with a way to do it anyways, and why?

[ID: A screencap from the Bungou Stray Dogs anime. The members of the Agency all stand around Ranpo, who is seated at his desk with a smile, one hand holding his cap, the other held up in a casual gesture. The image is filtered in a soft light. End ID.]

Because his friends think he's invincible.

If Ranpo wants to maintain his safe place in a world of fear, then he has to step up to defend it, and he has to get creative about it. And that's exactly what he does. Ranpo becomes steadily more active throughout the story, which is a huge change from the start, where he had to be practically bribed to help at all. I see a lot of people point out his channeling of Fyodor's tactics to secure Kunikida's release, which is definitely a dark turn for his character, but it's not the only change.

Ranpo is now choosing to place his faith in others, the first obvious instance of this being his use of Poe's novels - which was how he defeated Chuuya. Ranpo knows that he is not going to succeed against people who drastically overpower him all alone, even if he does still take things on as personal burdens. He's also far more obvious about his protectiveness, going on the rescue himself to save the Agency members, driving a car (whereas before he needed someone to take transit with him - another indication of his increased proactivity since he's now literally driving instead of being driven), and bodily shoving Atsushi out of harm's way.

It all culminates in one of my favourite Ranpo scenes where he speaks at the conference to the police, who've worked with him before, where he asks if they will think for themselves - and tells everyone gathered there that anyone can be a detective if they think for themselves and look with their own eyes (!!!). He manages to get half the police force on his side, just through his words and his logic alone! Minoura assumes he somehow knew it would all work out, because, well, it's Ranpo. Ranpo knows everything.

But...

[ID: An image from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo sits in the passenger seat of a car with an honest, helpless smile. End ID.]

He reveals he didn't know if his ploy would work at all. He had to trust that it would with no solid proof. He had to trust these people would use their heads and look beyond the obvious. He respects these people enough that he thinks at least some of them will make the right call.

Fourteen year old Ranpo, bitter and estranged from other people, would never. For him to have come such a long way is testament to the security that the Agency provided him with. In a way, Fukuzawa forming the Agency allowed Ranpo to "complete" his childhood in relative safety, so that when the world became hostile once again and his family destabilized, Ranpo had matured enough to meet it and defend himself and those he has a responsibility towards head on. The Agency is his family, and Ranpo cares for them enough that he puts his faith, not just in them, but in the people they put their faith in too.

[ID: A panel from the Bungou Stray Dogs manga. Ranpo is kneeling in front of Fukuchi, who is sitting backwards on his chair to face him. End ID.]

...aaaaand then Fukuchi went and ruined it. Thanks, Fukuchi.

Ranpo again chooses to put his trust in someone without proof because Fukuzawa trusts him, only for that to have gotten thrown back into his face in the worst way possible. And it's in this regard, the trust aspect, that I think we'll see Ranpo develop as the story goes on.

Will he continue to show this tentative faith in people? Or will he begin to hyper-analyze, unwilling to trust again without proof?

If this arc gets resolved decently well, I think Ranpo will have no issue brushing this off as a one-time thing. However, if what I fear might happen does and Fukuzawa doesn't make it out of this arc... Ranpo will be destabilized.

I don't know that Ranpo would go "bad" per se. He likes the other Agency members. He cares about them - that's genuine. But if Fukuzawa dies, then Ranpo may begin to take darker actions in order to keep them safe, almost overprotective and harshly logical, with little room for blind trust or risks in the name of justice or honour. It may put him at odds with Kunikida, in that Ranpo may start to develop a strong "do what's necessary" mentality, even if that may be immoral. He may regress a little into his old trust issues.

However, I really don't think Ranpo will go too far down the path of darkness, even if the worst should happen. He's a lot tougher than he seems, and he has a good support system in the Agency. I guess it remains to be seen where Ranpo's story takes him next.

Until then...

[ID: A screencap from the Bungo Stray Dogs anime. Ranpo sits in his chair in a cuter art style, having taken a bite from the pastry he has in his left hand. End ID.]

I love one good boy. :)

[sheyhem]

Just got a letter informing me that my good friend Jonathan is going on a business trip to Transylvania in a bit under two weeks! I'm sure he will have a wonderful time on his travels! Can't wait to hear all about it through his letters!

[were-changing-cake-vaults]

Doc is really, really, really tired of getting dragged into things.

That’s the problem with this server: he tries to do his own thing, but people cannot leave him alone. No matter what he does to deter them, whether that be harmless threat or psychological warfare, they always come back to dance on his metaphorical lawn. Or actual lawn. Or precious one-of-a-kind bush.

And at this point, he thought he had gotten used to all the shenanigans. He doesn’t want to be the grumpy old man amongst his friends and colleagues, so Doc tries to laugh it off, not take it so seriously. Occasionally, he’ll even join in on the jokes and put a little extra pizzazz into his mannerisms. Doc has his limits, of course, everyone does, but he’s been working on pushing those limits further for the past while.

So when Beef makes the joke about Big Salmon on day one, he joins in on it for the moment. It’s a good joke, really. It gets a hearty laugh out of him more than once. The joke is made, people laugh, Doc is included, he moves on and goes back to doing his own thing.

Honestly, he doesn’t even remember what he said. The joke should’ve been a one-and-done, forgotten after a week’s time. Whatever he said should’ve been inconsequential. Should be. Beef’s not one to drag out a bit for that long, usually, but here he is, dressed as a salmon and saying he got emails from a fish. Doc is utterly clueless throughout most of it- he doesn’t even understand what constituted him getting dragged in this time. And the way Beef and Skizz are talking is scaring him, just a little bit. Skizz is too aggressive, Beef is laying down the charmspeak, and both of their eyes are glossy and strange. There’s a hollow echo in the room.

But Doc, absurd as this is, plays along. Watches as one of his villagers gets killed. Lets nervous laughter through as he’s given 10 salmon heads, and leaves. When he gets back to his base out in the middle of nowhere, he realizes that these aren’t normal salmon heads, they’re worse: deformed, many-eyed, slimy and reeking of rot. And while this isn’t the strangest thing Doc has seen, as far as he knows, Beef isn’t one for game-breaking like he is. The deformities on the heads don’t even look player made. Whatever this is, it’s bizaarre, and it’s not something Doc wants to be involved in.

Then the whispers start.

He doesn’t do what he’s asked—build a shrine for whatever Big Salmon is—initially. He lets it be for a bit, shrugs it off, and keeps building. But it’s hard to focus when you can’t sleep—in his dreams he’s drowning, sinking deeper and deeper, sea life surrounding him and screaming and he’s screaming too as a pair of eyes stare him down—and when you can’t get a moment of quiet. He keeps hearing that damn slapping sound and little nothings about shrine schematics, block pallets, glorious statues. The air starts reeking of rot, far more than a swamp should. Strange slime crawls up the scaffolding that he keeps slipping on.

And this is why Doc is tired: Big Salmon is not his first rodeo. This isn’t the first time something has grabbed hold of his soul and tried to puppeteer it to his own demise. This isn’t even the scariest thing he’s come across- he still dreams of watching himself rip his own arm off. He knows gods and entities like he knows redstone, all the intricacies of magic that weave through the universe. They want to be satisfied, satiated. Doc will not give whatever Big Salmon is that satisfaction, not for long.

So he puts up with the rot, the slime, the dreams. Keeps the salmon heads, perpetually grotesque, in a chest where he can see them. Gives them a minuscule in: blueprints are crafted of the shrine he is meant to build, dying leaves are placed and waterlogged, copper is bent and formed into a worthless statue. The sky is cloudy. The sky has been cloudy all week, swamp air thick with the smell of rotting fish. He gives Beef a call, tells him to bring Skizz along.

When what should be Doc’s friend arrives, he is more fish than man. The tinnitus-like whisper of the thing trying to get him reaches a roar as he gives Beef a look over- there is no telling where the suit ends and the skin begins, all scaled, slimy and opalescent. Skizz, on the contrary, is looking relatively normal; the only strange thing about him are his glazed over eyes. Something about that makes Doc queasy about his plan, but he swallows the bile rising in his throat and steels himself, forces himself to be calm. This is not his first rodeo.

Doc’s faked smile doesn’t fail him as he leads Beef and Skizz to the statue. It doesn’t fail him as he hands the last rotting head to Beef for him to place, on top of an over-polished button. His grin only widens as Skizz counts down his boss pressing the button.

With a single button press, the voices that have taken residence in Doc’s head are wiped out, as are Skizz and Beef: bloody…fish…bits fly high into the sky when they fall into the exploding trap. There is a deafening boom, and then there is Doc, unscathed, laughing wickedly, organic eye sparkling with mania. Gods never win against him. There is no winning against the goat.

And finally, with the threat of Big Salmon defeated, Doc can finally rest. After all, he is incredibly tired.

[sheep-turtles-and-pizza]

could you share some of your rottmnt headcanons? <•v•> like turtle habits or lgbt? Any headcanon.

Raph: Straight, demisexual.

Leo: Pansexual (demiboy maybeh).

Donnie: Bisexual (with preference for girls)

Mikey: Pansexual, Genderqueer.

[wen-kexing-apologist]

ngl i am waiting for you to write about physical touch and HANDS in last twilight *insert manifestation circle.gif here*

Not gonna lie, as much as I have been enjoying Last Twilight, I haven't felt all that inspired to write about it, but it has been making me feel all warm and fuzzy now that people are reaching out and asking for my thoughts. Turns out people actually seem to enjoy my horrendously long posts!

Alright, I will talk about physical touch and hands in Last Twilight, but before I get too far in to it, I just want to say, I love the use of physical touch in shows, but I will dare to claim the use of physical touch seems particularly important, and especially complicated in Last Twilight, compared to most of the other shows I've written about. Why?

Because Day is blind, and Mhok is his caretaker, and if you are remotely aware of disability, the autonomy of disabled people, the privacy of disabled people, the survival of disabled people are often disrupted by abled bodied people. I saw a post somewhere, sorry I can't find it, where someone mentioned the rates of abuse of disabled people by their caretakers and how that might weigh in to Day's reaction to touching a shirtless Mhok in Episode 2.

So.

With Day's blindness, grief, and intentional isolation, as well as his family's anxiety, how much control has Day really had over his own life in the last year? As @bengiyo said in Episode 1, "Day's brashness in the interview when he asks Mhok if he's hot sounds like a gay man knowing that he is about to be touched a lot by a stranger" [not a direct quote, apologies].

Episode 1

gif from @dragonsareawesome123

The first physical touch we get between Day and Mhok is when Mhok touches Day's chin, making a comment that essentially boils down to Day having a punchable face. You can see how shocked Day is to feel Mhok's thumb on him. But the motion is quick, light, and slightly flirty (though maybe I'm reading a bit in to that last one since I know this is a BL). While Day seems taken aback, he doesn't seem uncomfortable with the touch at all, moreso, to me at least, he seems surprised that Mhok *isn't* shying away from touching Day after Day so loudly and blatantly declared his queerness and hit on Mhok.

photo from @thescrumptiousstuffs

The second physical touch we get is when Day leaves his car and winds up on the street with traffic whizzing past. Mhok pulls Day off the street when Day gets overwhelmed and Day goes crashing in to Mhok. I don't remember them staying pressed together for too long, but there is a moment where Mhok is embracing Day. Mhok's hands go to Day's hips while Day's hand rests on Mhok's chest near his collarbone. From my view, this is a decently intimate position for relative strangers, but they don't feel uncomfortable in it. Which is a great hint that Mhok and Day are going to become more to each other. Mhok does something here that I do think is important, which is to tell Day who is he, so Day knows he isn't being manhandled by a *complete* stranger. And though I suspect the biggest reason why Day ends up being driven home by Mhok is because Day wants to be away from Night, it cannot be denied that Day already has some modicum of trust in this random, crass man that burst in for an interview just the other day. Because, as we know, Mhok was really the only person who interacted with Day without falling victim to pity, inspiration porn, or infantilization.

The third physical touch I consider important is when Day's mother stops him from standing up. I've been reading @waitmyturtles PhD level thesis on Bad Buddy so filial piety and saving face is pretty present on my mind. I think it is important to acknowledge that Day does have some autonomy, but where he exercises it is very clear. He can leverage his blindness and his bad experiences with past caretakers to get what he wants out of his mother, and he can double, triple, quadruple the caretaker salary without consulting his mother. But when it comes to physical movement, he listens to his mother, but not to Night. Night tells him to stay in the car, and Day almost immediately leaves the car and goes in to the Society. Day gets out in the middle of traffic after a fight with Night, even after Night begs him to stay in the car. But that moment of challenge from Mhok where he tells Day to come get his ID himself, and Day starts to stand, everything stops dead in its tracks at the first light touch of his mother's hand on Day's chest. So, despite the moments of anger and rebellion we see from Day, he still listens to his mother.

gif from @dragonsareawesome123

And then Day moves to get his ID, and here is where I will mention a moment where there was not any touch. Which, probably could be an essay in and of itself, but I don't have the capacity at the moment, on this airplane, to comb through all the scenes and look for it. But here, this one feels important, because Day takes the ID from Mhok, but Mhok does not let go right away. Their fingers are so close, and in a lot of movies, the handing over of an item would usually involve some sort of moment where fingertips brush and a shockwave of electricity ripples through the future couple. But we don't get that here. The moment of connection, the moment that Day really knows he can trust Mhok, the moment Day decides he is going to hire Mhok has nothing to do with touch, and everything to do with sound. He hears Mhok read Chapter 21 of The Little Prince, a book that is desperately important to Day, and that is that. And I do think it is important that these little touches that we've had, and where we break from the romance tradition for touch are important. Because, I think it is totally fine for feelings to grow between Mhok and Day rather quickly, but I do not think it would have been wise to show Mhok having some sort of actual crush on Day from the beginning. If Mhok had some sort of romantic or sexually attractive feelings for Day before he started working there, that would, in my opinion, read as predatory in some sense. Especially looking ahead to Episode 2, when Mhok is shirtless in Day's room.

Because, the thing about physical touch in television is that a lot of different elements go in to selling it as romantic chemistry. One of the most important components is timing and close up. As a side note, I think timing is a huge factor in to why I did not enjoy Perth and Chimon together in Dangerous Romance (before I dropped it) because the camera just never lingered long enough on their faces or on their touches for me to believe they had feelings for each other. But, by Episode 3 of Last Twilight I can see the care and the chemistry between Mhok and Day. I can see the comfortability that Mhok and Day have from almost the very beginning of knowing each other, but I don't take much of their physical interactions to be sexually charged or romantic in Episode 1. Why would they be? These two don't know each other. By generally avoiding zooming in on just Day and Mhok's hands when they touch, by having Mhok grabbing Day's chin with his thumb quickly and lightly you aren't building to tension. Aof is merely demonstrating that physical touch between Day and Mhok is welcomed and Day is not going to be uncomfortable with having Mhok take care of him.

So we head in to Episode 2 with the understanding that there is some fundamental aspect of Mhok that Day is drawn to, and that Mhok and Day are going to get along.

Episode 2

Now, as much as I have loved the rapidly developing relationship between Mhok and Day, I do kind of wish we had had a full episode's worth of two angry, grieving people coming head to head. But, regardless, Aof handles the transition between casual touch and Something More with expert precision. Unsurprising, considering his oeuvre.

gif by @mooninaugust

So we get absolutely my favorite touch moment to date in Episode 2 with the absolutely terrible secret handshake between two blind people. I love how Mhok is witness to this moment of excitement and friendship between Day and Aon, and that we are too. Because it shows us where Mhok currently stands in Day's hierarchy of relationships. Mhok at the beginning of Episode 2 is still an acquaintance, some dude they hired because he cursed the family out and read The Little Prince during his interview process. The cut scene between Mhok saying Day might not want to see him, and Aon and Day hugging and doing their stupid loser handshake (I love them) shows Mhok and the audience that Day does have joy within him, and that Day is starting to build friendship and connection within his new (read: blind) community. We won't know until a little later in the episode how much Day has been cutting himself off from his old life, but for the time being Mhok knows his place in Day's life.

And Aon picks up on the fact that there is *something* even if it is not necessarily romantic there between Mhok and Day, again not by seeing anything physical between them because a) Mhok and Day did not touch in front of Aon and b) Aon would not have been able to see it anyway. But instead calls out the fact that Day has never talked about a single one of his caregivers before. We know now (and definitely should know already) that Mhok is different from other people Day has engaged with since he started going blind. We just haven't had time for their relationship to mature.

photo from @thatgirl4815

If I recall correctly, the first physical touch between Mhok and Day we get in Episode 2 is when Day accidentally touches Mhok's titty while searching for the eye drops. You can see Day recoil in shock a bit and he questions Mhok almost immediately as to why his shirt is off. Mhok is incredibly matter-of-fact in explaining that Day said he didn't like the smell of cigarettes, so he took his shirt off so as not to stink up Day's room (we can ignore the fact that he would still smell like cigs, but we ignore it For The Vine) and Day relaxes and makes some sort of annoyed comment. Again here, there is no romantic attraction in this rather intimate touch. I mean, this is Mhok's what? Second or third day? Mhok and Day barely know each other, Mhok is constantly fucking up the Whole Routine because he isn't communicating with Day about what Day's needs are, and here he is in his employer's room having his pec fondled. This is supposed to read as funny, and ultimately I think it does, but it doesn't read as romantic, and it definitely should not. What has Mhok done up to this point that would cause Day to have Genuine Romantic Feelings for him? Nothing.

photo from @moonchildridden

Again, the first hint that feelings may be approaching comes outside of the touch, with Mhok seeing how excited Day is to use those few precious seconds of better vision to watch his goldfish. And even moreso, it's not just the action that I think start the train rolling, but the conversation that Mhok has with Day where he asks if the goldfish is lonely. Mhok is able to con Day in to leaving his room by leveraging the health and safety of one of the few things Mhok has seen Day care about and connect with in the short time they've known each other. Day gets outside for the first time in god knows how long, to find that the jasmine is in bloom and to have a lovely conversation with Mhok about it. Mhok asks about Day's vision, how he sees, what he can see, and he tries to adapt to Day's necessary distance requirements. Day of course, has his head turned away and thus does not see Mhok coming in to Day's eyesight range, and bumps his nose against the top of Mhok's finger.

This little, accidental movement is one of my favorites of the episode, mostly because it opens up the conversation where Day asks what Mhok is doing and Mhok asks if Day wants to see his face. And this scene establishes exactly what I mean about timing as it relates to building sexual tension. Day ponders for a moment, the camera lingers on his face, the audience begins to feel like Day is caught off-guard, like maybe he does have some sort of crush on Mhok and he does want to see his face. Only for Day to break that tension right before it gets awkwardly long and tell Mhok he does not. This is closer to the shit that friends would pull. And thus we see that in a very quick period of time Mhok is becoming more important in Day's life as a waypoint. He is listening to Mhok, he has a slight bit of banter going with Mhok when they watch a movie, and even after Day fires Mhok (for the physical touches I will talk about next) Mhok's influence on Day's general day to day (haha) existence is clear in the fact that Day is sitting on the couch and trying to pick a movie entirely independently of anyone.

Things are starting to go smoothly, when Day's friends show up asking when he got back from America. Day panics at the unexpected arrival of friends who seem not to know about his condition, spills his popcorn, and falls to the floor, where he is desperately scrambling to get back on his feet and Get The Fuck Out. Mhok tries to help him up, but he's pretty quickly brushed off. This is the first time we see Day reject a touch from Mhok. Knowing what I know now about where we end up in Episode 3, I am realizing how important this entire scene (from Day tripping to Mhok getting fired) is for establishing a comparison point for change. Because the unwanted touch continues when Mhok breaks in to Day's room, also in a panic when Day is bathing.

gif by @btwinlines

We get such a juicy moment of Mhok and Day's trauma clashing with each other in a way that is unintentionally terrible all around. Day does not know about Mhok's backstory, Day does not know that by putting in his headphones and intentionally ignoring Mhok he is accidentally triggering Mhok regarding the death of his sister. Mhok knows that Day is upset, but only hears the room fall quiet, he does not know that Day is in the bathtub (read: naked) when he comes barging in. Again, to reference the post whoever it was made that talked about the rates of abuse/assault of disabled people by caregivers, this is a horrifically vunerable position that Day finds himself in. Mhok is far enough away from Day's range of vision for Day to see him immediately duck behind a wall to give Day privacy while he wraps himself in a towel. And before Day can really process what is happening, with both his emotions and Mhok's running high, Mhok is grabbing at Day's wrists to check them for cuts. A beautiful (and terrible) detail.

Personally, I do not think anyone's reaction to that situation is wrong, but it does give Day a second round of extremely uncomfortable and unwelcome touching from Mhok, when he's already escalated, and trying to process the fact that Mhok just barged in to his room while Day was naked and got a little peek. Here Day demonstrates that he does have autonomy, and that Mhok respects that autonomy with Day firing Mhok after two particularly awful physical interactions, and with Mhok not even saying a word in protest and just accepting his termination and leaving the house.

photo from @thescrumptiousstuffs

Now. Mhok isn't completely going out fighting, and Mhok I think has really started to realize that he cares for Day (even if he doesn't necessarily have feelings at this point) because of how badly he was triggered by Day falling silent. Mhok is a thoughtful person and respects Day's boundaries by sending Porjai to the house instead of going himself. Much to Day's chagrin, because the second the doorbell rings, you can see this hopeful look that maybe Mhok is going to walk through that door. Porjai hands Day the present Mhok bought him, and Mhok does hold the slippers close, but he relies heavily on his hands to feel the slippers to figure out what they are and what they look like. He knows immediately that Mhok has been paying attention and trying to get to know Day immediately because the slippers solve the problem Day has had with hitting his feet on furniture corners, and the slippers look like goldfish, one of the few things Day has seemed to care about since knowing Mhok.

Beyond the fact that I think Day already felt bad about what happened the other day and regrets firing Mhok, this really does demonstrate to Day that people still care about him, want to get to know him, and understand that adaptation is a constant in Day's new reality. But Mhok takes it further, by committing to the motherfucking bit to understand Day better.

Aside: I fucking *love* Aof for how often his stories focus on the overlooked or disenfranchised people, and I think that while it is going to be a feat for Last Twilight to become my favorite Aof piece considering how important Moonlight Chicken is to me, the backstories of Mhok and Day and the way they inform character decisions is perhaps my favorite of all of the shows I've seen of Aof's. I *love* the conversation that Mhok and Aon have where Aon says Day is scared of being looked at and judged by people, and how Mhok is like "why?" because he has spent the last year a visible criminal, trying to get a job, and being constantly rejected for exactly the reason he thinks. Mhok has spent so much time and energy over the last year trying to reintegrate himself in to society, while Day has spent so much time and energy over the last year trying to remove himself from society as completely as he can. Even if I am not sure that he believes it wholly, I do think Mhok understands that he isn't an inherently bad person because he was locked up, but that he is a victim of circumstance, and yet even reformed from his truancy past, Mhok found it impossible to get a job because people stopped caring about him as a person the second they saw his ankle monitor. Thus, Mhok knows exactly what it is like to be written off, to be abandoned, to be forgotten and I think it is for precisely those reasons that Mhok decides to spend the time and effort to understand the world that Day is living in.

The ankle monitor has served as an embarrassment for Mhok in such a way that I truly do not think Mhok is concerned about seeming like a complete and utter fool. And even so, he starts to understand the fear that Day is living with existing as a blind person in public, because Mhok is extremely used to seeing what people think of him without them having to say anything, and now he has no idea.

gif by @btwinlines

Which I think is a good segue in to the next physical touch we get, which is Day feeling Mhok's face in the marketplace after he asks Porjai to take him there. Again, the distance of the camera, the timing of the movement does not come off as romantic, at least to me. But it does come off as comfortable. I think Day is fucking with Mhok a little bit when he touches his face, and we don't actually acknowledge or get any conversation around the way Day has just demonstrated what it feels like to be touched without warning.

And YET AGAIN Aof has their bond strength not through touch, but through conversation. Because they aren't falling for each other yet, they are still learning about one another. And so they have a conversation where Mhok apologies and Mhok explains what he was trying to do and Mhok identifies what it is that makes Day so afraid of being in public. And we end Episode 2 with Mhok being re-hired as Day's caregiver. But wait!

Remember the last touch we get in Episode 1 is not a touch at all, it's Day taking his ID back from Mhok. Well, the last touch we get in Episode 2 is not a touch at all, it's Day throwing his hands to the sky on the back of Mhok's motorcycle and letting the wind hit his face. It's Day sitting on the complete opposite side of a glass tank, and using his moment of improved vision to catch a glimpse of Mhok. They aren't touching, yet we end the episode with the understanding that Day and Mhok have strengthened their relationship and are on the fast road to friendship. Personally, I feel like it is extremely responsible of Aof to not treat touching a blind person or having a blind person touch you as inherently romantic, and to have the more stomach swoopy moments come from actions and observations entirely devoid of touch. But, I'm not blind so I don't know how much something like that might actually matter to blind people who are engaging with this story.

Episode 3

IT IS TIME FOR FEELINGS!

There are so many physical touches in this episode. The first we get is Mhok unwrapping a bandage on Day's foot, with Day looking extremely at peace with the action. The second we get is Mhok kind of poking at Day and then jokingly moving to pick Day up when he refuses to start cleaning his room. Day doesn't seem like a person generally fond of man-handling, but you can tell very easily that Mhok is just fucking with Day because Day fucked with Mhok. We are witnessing friendship! Which persists throughout the entire episode. 

photo by @athousandbyeol

I like too that Mhok using the blindfold to better understand Day is not a one and done situation. Again there are a few friendly touch moments that do not at all read as romantic.Mhok steals Day’s sunglasses and is perfectly at peace with Day feeling up his face to try to see if the sunglasses Mhok is wearing are his; and when Mhok's hand envelopes Day's when they are trying to guess the shirts in Day's closet by feel alone. Day does not tense up, he doesn't suck in a breath, he doesn't really let that touch linger. He shakes it off quickly and is like "that's my hand". And again, as an aside (I hope this does not come across inappropriately but) I kinda like that Mhok is almost gamifying Day's blindness. What I mean by that is that Day and Mhok are engaging in friendly competition to see who can accurately guess the article of clothing. It seems like a great way to bring some joy and levity to helping Day get better at understanding his surroundings without the use of his vision.

I am an absolute sucker for couples in shows that have an established friendship beforehand. I don't mean friends to lovers necessarily, but too often in BLs I have noticed that romantic interests are only ever that and we don't get a lot of moments of stupidity, tomfoolery, and fun. So you better believe I was living my best life in the next physical touch scene when Day and Mhok are fighting with the dinosaur costumes on. And this is where the physical touches start to change, because we start without physical touch and end with it, where we have up until this point been ending every moment of connection and relationship progression ending without touch. 

gif by @raypakorn

For the dinosaur fight, we get the non-romantic, entirely platonic assistive touch of Mhok helping (poorly) to guide Day to the driveway (this fucker was so ready to wrestle he forgot to tell Day to mind the stairs at first lmfao). The actual point of connection starts with Mhok intentionally trying to dive out of the way of Day’s touch. And once again Mhok Day’s blindness to elevate a game between them, by clapping and then diving out of the way to try to avoid Day’s movements. But that avoidance of physical interaction very quickly devolves in to a wrestling embrace, laughing, having fun, and then settling on the ground to chat until Day hears his mother’s car and they run back inside to hide the evidence of childish glee. 

Day’s mother returns to find a very different Day from who she left, he’s out of his room, he’s eating in the dining room, he’s seeming much more confident in his ability to navigate around the house. And of course, she has to go and ruin the moment by pushing too quickly on a nerve about going back to school. Day wants to withdraw from school and he needs to go in person. 

Now. 

We have seen Day taking massive strides in his own healing process in the last few episodes because he is starting to ask for help when he needs it, and Mhok is getting better at caretaking because he is started to ask if Day wants help for certain tasks or if Day is going to do them himself, thus allowing Day to set his limitations. Knowing that Day is going in to school, he asks Mhok to help him fix up his hair, and we get the first of many more crush-level physical touches in the show. 

gif by @jimmysea

I’m not Thai, so forgive me if this is wrong, but I am pretty sure that in Thai culture the head is considered sacred and having people touch your head carries a significance that I do not think Western audiences really understand (speaking as a Western viewer). If this is indeed true, then the scene where Mhok is fixing Day’s hair gets even more intense, even when there is a clear change in Mhok’s view of Day from friendly to starting to see something more. Mhok even makes a comment about how Day is a stunner (or something) when his hair is done, and when Mhok asks Day if he likes it and Day returns the question, there is a pause that is not at all dissimilar to the pause Day had after Mhok asked him if Day wanted to know what Mhok looked like. 

But where the tension from Episode 2 when Mhok asks the question is broken in a way that makes it seem more like Day is just teasing, I don’t think Mhok’s deflection of “it’s alright” really returns the same level of dismissal. Because Mhok is starting to realize something about the way he is feeling for Day. 

We get the inside of the Thai subway for the first time in maybe ever? As Mhok and Day make their way to Day’s college. And thus the not-a-date-kind-of-a-date adventure begins. Day is clinging on to Mhok’s arm as they navigate on to the subway car, at which point Mhok breaks off from Day to try to ask for a seat for Day. But Day grabs him and pulls him back, choosing instead of hold on to Mhok’s arm. Like I have been saying, Aof has been doing a really great job at differentiating the types of touches, and up until this point, the more intimate touches between Mhok and Day, such as when Day feels Mhok’s titty in his bedroom or Mhok’s face at the market, don’t read as romantic, because Day is taking in information to supplement his vision. Similarly, the moments where Day is holding on to Mhok for assistance in environmental navigation, such as when Mhok helps guide Day to his professor’s office or helps him down the stairs the physical touch is matter-of-fact on both ends. 

photo by @athousandbyeol

But here, in the subway, we get the first instance of physical touch from an environmental navigation standpoint that reads more like a man who is developing a crush rather than Day just being guided…

…but that comes from Day, not from Mhok. Which I appreciate massively from the standpoint of ensuring that Mhok as the caretaker does not appear to be taking advantage of Day. In the subway, Day could have sat down, he didn’t need to stay standing, he didn’t need to continue holding on to  Mhok. But he chooses to do that. He chooses to keep his arm linked tightly with Mhok’s, he chooses to get a little flirty with Mhok when he says as long as Mhok stays close to him, that’s all Day needs. And we get the close up of Mhok and Day’s hands when Mhok moves to tap Day’s hand gently, and the shot lingers. Because things are starting to change.

I said in a previous reblog last week when Episode 3 came out that Aof does this really interesting thing in his direction and cinematography when characters share intimate moments, in that he breaks from his standard visual format. The lighting often changes, the camera isn’t held as steady, the moments are zoomed in much closer than we are used to. We get it with Heart and Li Ming playing that spider game with their fingers the night that Li Ming sleeps over and we get it in the subway when Day stumbles slightly and swallows hard, embarrassed and avoiding eye contact while Mhok looks at Day kind of fondly. 

gif by @taeminie

So we see the spark in the subway and then watch that spark begin to catch when they end up in the dressing room together. Day and Mhok both establish that they have never been in a dressing room with another person to cut the tension and nerves a bit. Afterall, this is the first time that we’ve seen where Mhok is getting up close and personal with Day’s partially nude body, when they are both calm, collected, and not amidst a panic attack about a potential medical emergency. No one is feeling violated, no one is feeling scared, no one is having their privacy forcibly removed from them. But that makes them all that more aware of how they are feeling, physically, when they are touching and being touched. 

And we get a secondary Aof Camerawork Moment where the style of shot changes and we get that gorgeous zoom in on Mhok’s hands and Day’s chest when Mhok helps Day back in to his shirt. And isn’t it wonderful that the most sensual and intimate moment that we have seen from Mhok and Day so far is putting Day’s clothes back on? 

gif by @wanderlust-in-my-soul

Check out @btwinlines’ post about this scene.

Day and Mhok continue their day, find the Last Twilight book, and are hanging about the market where Mhok leaves Day standing against a pole while he runs to grab a drink. As a result, we get a bombardment of physical touch, the most overwhelming to date because Day is getting just absolutely shunted around, bumping elbows and shoulders with the people at the market with no idea of where he is or where he is going. And this is where we really get an understanding of how terrible physical touch can be when you don’t have any bearing of your surroundings and can’t see where people are coming from or anticipate contact. 

We got a scene in Episode 1 where we see how dangerous being blind has the potential to be, but Day isn’t being touched by anybody at that point until he is pulled off the street by Mhok. But this time while Day does have a moment where he is in more physical danger because he stumbles on to the street, he is relatively much more safe getting lost in the marketplace than when he ran out on to the street in Episode 1, cause the few cars that are present are moving slow and know to be looking out for pedestrians. Day is grabbed and directed by random strangers who are trying to help him and kind of just…drag him along until he is out of the street when he is visibly panicking and then just…left on the side of the road with an offhanded statement from strangers that he is “safe now” and they just…leave him alone and continue on their way. Even there, with a helpful touch, there is no safety or comfortability in Day’s posture, he is not calmed by hearing that he is safe. Which serves as a really great comparison point for how comfortable Day has pretty much always been with Mhok (minus the one moment of severe dysregulation after being surprised by his friends and then by Mhok when Day was buck ass naked). 

Especially when compared to the relief that just rushes through Day’s body when he and Mhok are reunited and they embrace. 

AND LIKE OKAY, CAN I GO ON A BRIEF TANGENT TO TALK ABOUT THE PINK SHIRT? 

gif by @tomystars

You know how in a lot of romances you get that moment where you get the like, love at first sight thing? Time slows down, one half of the romantic pair picks the other half of the romantic pair out of the crowd? WE GET THAT HERE, WITH THE BLIND CHARACTER BEING THE ONE WHO PICKS THE FUTURE LOVE INTEREST OUT OF THE CROWD. 

The pink shirt is brilliant, and I love how it both acts as an anchor point for Day who is able to calm down upon seeing it, and not panic or freak out when being grabbed and embraced by Mhok after having a decently traumatic experience with physical touch just minutes before while also reaffirming that Mhok is learning and internalizing the adaptations he needs to incorporate in to his own life to make Day’s daily life easier and more accessible. Mhok understands how Day’s vision functions, he remembers that Day has said he could see that shirt from Mars it’s so bright, and he provides an in for Day to maintain his autonomy by making it possible for Day to potentially see Mhok before Mhok sees Day. 

ANYWAY

@athousandbyeol

The embrace they share when Day and Mhok are reunited is not charged, is not romantic, at least not to me. But what it does show is how much care Day and Mhok have for each other, how quickly their friendship is developing, and the safe spaces these two will find in the other. Day calms so quickly the second he and Mhok are touching, as soon as he has an anchor. And he won’t let go of Mhok either. 

Aof and co have been playing well with dichotomies, here, a situation that pulls Day and Mhok physically apart ends up bringing them emotionally closer together. It is clear that Day does not blame Mhok for what happened, even if Mhok was gone much longer than anticipated, and that is affirmed by Day defending Mhok to his mother when she questions Mhok’s caretaking skills and holds his criminal record over his head. 

And, let’s not forget, this is just writing about the physical touch, this post does not discuss whether or not the lack of touch is important. I wrote a decent chunk of this in the airport without wifi, so I could only talk about physical touch from memory, I didn't rewatch anything like I normally do, so apologies if I missed stuff.

[mcytchildbracket]

WELCOME TO OUR SEMIFINALS!

info and propoganda under cut

Micheal_Beloved

Nicknames: none Smp: Dream smp Parents: Tubbo_ and Ranboo Propaganda:

just a little bundle of joy :]

He is so cute he is just a little muffin:D

HE’S JUST A LITTLE GUY?? little man?? liddol creature???!!?

Juanaflippa

Nicknames: Juana, Flippa, little heuvo Smp: Qsmp Parents: ElMariana and Slimecicle Propaganda:

She’s so tragic. Trans queen, slaughtered by her own mother, brought back to life after a court case, then murdered by her mother again after watching her best friend be slaughtered by her father, who her last words to were “I hate you” Literally a soap opera life. Long live Flippa, may she shoot again one day.

She's got a gun. She shoots, she hunts for fun

she canonically went to hell but was resurrected, killed a man with a gun, got killed on accident twice by her dad mariana, her papa charlie killed her best friend on accident, vegan and has multiple allergies

[vincentaureliuslin]

something something there are no answers but who would i be if you had not been my friend something who would i be if i had not loved you how would i know what love is and whatnot

[crabsnpersimmons]

Who has the other pair of his shoes. I don’t believe you can buy a red and black pair

good question! i hadn't thought about it until you asked so here's the answer i came up with:

he got them at a discount at the thrift store

the cashier just saw his excitement and couldn't bear to charge him the full price

they aren't even the same style of slides, this silly guy just marches to the beat of his own drum

[elena-illustration]

get scooped idiot

[paluding]

Updating... The Tattooer (ver. 3.4)!

Finally! Took me a while, huh. This is the updated version of the Tattooer project. It skips some steps, making the workflow much, much faster! Huge thanks to @applewatersugar for his suggestion on how to bake textures while preserving the transparency. This is kind of a repost of the original Tattooer post, but it actually has some new stuff and a few changes here and there, so please take a look if you want to learn how to use this new version.

This is a series of Blender template files already set up to quickly bake textures from The Sims 4 to The Sims 2. The different Blender files will allow you to: -Bake body textures from TS4 to TS2 (Female) -Bake body textures from TS4 to TS2 (Male) -Bake body textures from TS4 (Female) to TS2 (Male) -Bake body textures from TS2 (Female) to TS2 (Male) [Bonus!] -New! Bake face textures from TS4 to TS2 (Unisex) [Bonus!] -Bake head textures from TS4 to TS2 (Face + Scalp) (Unisex) [Still experimental] Check the file names to see which one is which, and the resolution of the baked texture it will give. Everything you see in the render above was 100% converted using those Blender files.

Download here! SFS / GD

Update: Version 3.4.1 (27/08/2023) Fixed some issues on the shoulders for the AF-body-4t2-1024 and AF-body-4t2-2048 templates. Now the top straps on most converted underwear/swimwear should look right.

Update: Same version (13/12/2023) As requested, added a new spanish version of the included pdf guide!

These templates were made mainly to bake and convert tattoos, but there’s more you can do with them if you get creative. I have to say, these are NOT perfect. Results may vary depending on what you are trying to convert, so! With that in mind, this is all the stuff you will be able to convert almost seamlessly from TS4 to TS2: -Tattoos. -Other body details such as body hair, scars, freckles, supernatural/occult details… -Body painted underwear and swimwear, as well as some other clothing that’s mostly painted on the body. -Socks, stockings and maybe leggings. -Even skintones! In some areas they will look weird, so I recommend editing and blending them with other existing TS2 skins. -Makeup, eyebrows and beards. In the old version this was just a proof of concept, but now I’ve added a new Face file template which gives some pretty decent results! -Hair scalps. Very useful when converting some hairs! Although keep in mind part of that texture might also need to be baked on the face mesh, you know, that hairline makeup stuff.

Got your attention? Nice! Editing some of the textures from TS4 to match the UV mapping in TS2 using a 2D editing program can be incredibly hard. That’s where texture baking in Blender comes to the rescue!

You will need to download Blender, at least version 3.4, but you could always use a newer version. It is only incompatible with versions older than 3.4. -You can download Blender for free here. -You will also need Sims 4 Studio to extract the original Sims 4 CC textures you want. In the first version of these Blender files, there was a necessary step using Photoshop, but that’s no longer needed. However, there’s still a tiny extra step which requires resizing the newly baked texture on some of the high resolution templates, so you might need a 2D editing program like Photoshop. More on that later.

So, before we begin, let’s clear out some questions you might have. What the heck is this texture baking thing and what does it do? Well, let’s imagine you have a video projector and point an image into a blank wall. Then you pick up some brushes and start painting and copying that projected image in that wall. Texture baking is kinda like that when it comes to 3D models. You align two models and match them as closely as you can in shape and form, and once you adjust some parameters and values, Blender does the rest for you: it will give you a new texture for a new model with a different UV map. These files I’m sharing have everything already set up, so it’s a matter of plopping in that Sims 4 texture and you will get that new texture for TS2 in just a few clicks.

This tutorial assumes you know literally nothing about how to use Blender, so if you feel uncomfortable with it, worry no more! This will guide you with pictures showing where you need to click and explaining what is happening. For Sims 4 Studio and Photoshop the process might be a bit less detailed, but still this should be pretty beginner friendly. For this tutorial, I will use some tattoos as an example (properly credited at the end of the post). Alright, enough with the rambling. Let’s get started!

·EXTRACTING TEXTURES IN SIMS 4 STUDIO: First things first, you will need to extract as pngs all the textures you want to convert from TS4 using Sims 4 Studio. It should be pretty straightforward. Just open the packages and export the Diffuse textures. Keep them organized in a folder for easy access.

·BAKING THE TEXTURES IN BLENDER: PRELIMINARY STEP 1: CONFIGURING BLENDER’S GRAPHICS SETTINGS: Open your preferred Blender file depending on what you’re going to bake and the desired resolution (in this example I’m going to use the AF-body-4t2-1024 file). Before we start messing around in Blender, there’s one thing you should set up. It is a onetime step, and once it’s done, you won’t need to do it again. So, does your computer have a dedicated graphics card? If you don’t know or you’re not sure, just skip to the next step. Configuring Blender so it uses your graphics card instead of your CPU will make the baking render much faster, so it is recommended you set it up correctly. If your computer has a dedicated graphics card, click File (1) > Preferences (2) > and on the window that pops up click System (3) > and select CUDA and make sure your graphics card is there and tick it (4). I have an Nvidia Graphics card but your case may vary. Once you’re done, click on the tiny button on the bottom left corner and Save Preferences (5).

PRELIMINARY STEP 2: CHOOSING THE RENDERING DEVICE: Click on the tiny camera button on the right, called Render Properties (1), and on Device (2) select GPU Compute if it’s not already selected. If you’re not sure if you have a graphics card or not, just select CPU. Then select the Material Properties tab (3) and Save your changes, either by pressing Ctrl + S, or clicking File (4) > Save (5). You might need to do this second step with the other Blender files, but once you have it done and saved, you won’t need to do this again. Okay, time to get into the good stuff!

·STEP 1: LOADING YOUR TS4 BASE TEXTURE: In the Material Properties tab, click the folder icon that says Open (1) and on the window that pops up, navigate through your folders and select your first texture. To navigate easily, the 3 buttons on the top right (2) are for the display mode. They will show your files in list mode, vertical and horizontal, and the one on the right will display the file thumbnails, pretty useful if you want to easily preview your textures here. The icons on the left side (3) will let you go one folder back and forward, go to the parent directory, and refresh the folder in case you just dropped something new in there. Double click on the image you need and that will load the texture into the Sims 4 body model, named “ts4 body”.

·STEP 2: SETTING UP YOUR SELECTION AND BAKING THE TEXTURE: On the top right of the screen, you will see the names of the 2 models in the scene. Hold the Ctrl key in your keyboard and left click on the “ts2 body” model (1). If you did it correctly, you should see “ts2 body” in a yellowish orange color, and right down below, “ts4 body” should look more like a red orange. If not, try again by clicking first on ts4 body, and then while holding Ctrl click again on ts2 body. Then switch to the Render Properties tab by clicking the tiny camera icon (2) and click Bake (3). Depending on your screen resolution, you might need to scroll down a bit with your mouse to see the Bake button. Wait a few seconds for it to finish. You will see the progress percentage down on the bottom of your screen. Don’t panic if you notice your computer fans start ramping up, that’s completely normal! As I said in the beginning, using your GPU will bake the textures much faster than the CPU.

·STEP 3: SAVING YOUR NEW TS2 TEXTURE: Once it’s finished, switch to the UV Editing Mode by clicking “UV Editing” on the top of your screen. And there it is: your new texture! You might have to scroll up your mouse wheel a bit to zoom in and see it in all its glory on the left side of the screen. We’re still not done yet though. You need to save it to yet another new folder (always try to keep your stuff organized!).

You can save it by pressing Shift + Alt + S, or clicking on Image* (1) and then Save As… (2). That will pop a window where you’ll need to navigate again and save it somewhere. Give it a proper name (3) and hit Enter to save it… well, Enter doesn’t always work for me for some reason, so if that happens just click Save As Image (4). And that’s it! You’ve successfully converted your baked texture. Congrats!

·STEP 4: GOING BACK TO STEP 1: Alright! If you’re done with your textures, you can close Blender without saving and call it a day. But let’s say you want to keep baking other swatches. In order to go back to step 1 and start the process once again, click Layout (1), go back to the Material Properties tab (2), select “ts4 body” (3) and click on the folder icon (4) to open and load your next swatch.

Then it’s just a matter of repeating the process from step 2. When you’re ready to move on, close Blender without saving. If you see a small check telling you it will save some images, make sure you uncheck it, so you will be able to use it again in the future from the starting point with no issues. I don’t think it really matters if you accidentally save your progress in these files, but I like to keep it clean and fresh so I can do the process where I left it from the beginning next time I open it. And in case you mess up and save somewhere, you can always just delete the .blend file and download the template files again.

In case you’d like a video tutorial on how to use these files, the amazing @platinumaspiration recorded this fantastic video showcasing the process! You can watch it here.

One final note: some of the baking .blend files save the textures with a resolution of 2048x2048 pixels, as clearly stated at the end of their file name. That’s way too overkill, because TS2 only properly supports up to 1024x1024 for most of its textures and you should always resize your final product to that max resolution (or lower if needed). I just made those 2048 versions because there might be some really tiny and slim details on some tattoos that might look a little too blurry when baked into a 1024 resolution texture, so for those cases use that if you want and then resize them using your 2D editing software of choice. In Photoshop, in the Resample mode of the Image Size menu, there are a few options to choose. For the fine details, I like the Nearest Neighbor (hard edges) option, which, even if it looks a bit pixelated, it still preserves most of the texture and quality.

For anything else, I would just directly bake them using the 1024 versions in Blender (512 for the face and scalp).

And for the folks who feel comfortable playing around in Blender, this is just the beginning! Texture baking opens a LOT of possibilities, so feel free to move stuff around and edit the models to your liking! If you notice the baked textures look warped or stretched somewhere, or don’t like where some textures are placed in the S2 body, poke around that area moving stuff and then give it another try. The main objective of the baking process is keeping both overlapping models as close in shape as possible. You may also edit and save new copies of the templates, or make new ones from scratch using mine as a reference (keep a close look on those Baking settings and values, I think they work pretty well) and share them if you want to. Go ham, do whatever you want with them! I still have plans on making templates to convert body textures from Sims 3 to Sims 2, but for now it’s not on my priorities, so we’ll see when that happens.

Whew! Hope none of this was too confusing. Need help or have any issues with these? Please ask/message me here and I’ll be glad to help when I’m able to!

Credits for the CC used in the render demonstration: -Skin by Sims3Melancholic. -Eyes by Northern Siberia Winds. -Eyebrows by PeachyFaerie. -Tattoos by xtc. -Top by SerenityCC. And the Tattoo I used for the tutorial can be found here, by ValhallanSim.

Last but not least, a huge thanks to all the people who somehow contributed to make this project and update possible, either by doing initial testing, finding issues to fix, or teaching me new Blender tricks to make the workflow way faster and easier. So thanks again to @elvisgrace @moyokeansimblr and @applewatersugar on Tumblr! <3

And thank you for reading! Hope you have fun playing with this (not so) new toy hehe.

[fantastic-nonsense]

Hi! I've never done this before but I'm new to comics (started with WFA and Zatanna and the Ripper) and I've basically got most of my information from posts on tumblr and r/hobbydrama (including yours.) I think I have a general idea of what Jason Todd is like, but I believe a lot of people are unhappy with his new characterisation.

So, if you were the one in charge, how would you write him? Would you write him with a team or as a solo character? Would you have him use the All-Blades or a crowbar or his guns? Would you have him properly rejoin the batfam or not?

Thanks!

Hi! Welcome to the fandom! I hope you're enjoying your time here.

In general, I think DC (and the fandom) has spent too much time milking Jason's death for trauma porn. They have refused to allow him to find closure, move past that, and exist beyond his daddy issues drama with Bruce. When DC has allowed him to have stories outside of that, they were often written with little consideration for what should be done with Jason beyond making him "badass."

None of this has been conducive to creating any kind of satisfying and coherent narrative or character arc for Jason, especially when both writers and editorial seem more obsessed with stealing traits, relationships, and stories from other people to give to him (most prominently Dick, Selina, and Helena). My hottake is that DC should move beyond "Red Hood" as an identity for Jason entirely, because it drags his character down and keeps him inherently tied to the same problems that have kept his character stagnant for years.

However! I don't think he's unsalvagable. I simply think DC needs to put a decent writer on him and commit to a character direction for more than 2 years at a time. I'm unsure of what Shawn Martinbrough is currently doing with Jason in his The Hill arc, as I'm not reading it, but I've heard that there might be some forward momentum finally happening there?

Anyway, my personal conception of Jason's future (as lovingly brainstormed by me and my friends in our comics discord server) is effectively this: he becomes a street-level paranormal detective who solves cold murder cases by talking with the victims' ghosts and providing closure to restless spirits. Think Lockwood and Co. meets Pushing Daisies with a superhero twist; basically, a supernatural detective noir book.

There's a lot of concepts and lore drops tied into this idea, but basically it was born out of a discussion where I was talking about Jason's many connections with the supernatural and occult across all continuities and how it's kind of a mystery why DC hasn't just formally connected him to the mystical side of the DCU. So I was like "they should just reveal that Superboy-Prime’s reality punch resurrection left him LITERALLY undead, make the event where he finds this out also spark his ability to see and communicate with ghosts, and make him an occult detective. Let him close cold case murder files and put those spectres to rest."

Which is also a great premise for a Bat book and a great unfilled niche for a Batfamily member. Kate's supernatural stories are much more high concept and connected to her family drama. Damian's supernatural/occult connections are traditionally very heavily tied to his family history and the Lazarus Pits. Dick's semi-regular magic encounters are usually stuff he deals with alongside his teammates in the course of working with the Titans. None of the other Bats have enough regular encounters with the supernatural and magic side of the DCU for it to encroach on their shtick, and a Gotham-based supernatural book is well within DC's ability to publish and market given books like Gotham by Midnight.

In terms of how that direction affects all the other questions you asked...I think Jason's relationship with the rest of the Batfam should be complicated. I personally don't think "good/bad relationship with the Batfam" is a particularly useful way to look at it because I think there are people he should never see eye to eye with, people he realistically shouldn't and doesn't have a problem with, and people he should get along with just fine. I don't think everyone needs to or should be friends or enemies with him, but his morals and past actions will (and should!) complicate those relationships in interesting ways.

And re: what weapons I'd like to see him use...using the All-Blades would certainly factor into my proposed narrative direction, as that would lean into the supernatural connections, but I generally prefer the concept of Jason using knives as his preferred weapon over guns/a crowbar/etc. That way he can still be a marksman without using guns, and I think that fits more with his character trajectory as someone attempting to be less lethal but also has no problem roughing people up when he thinks they need to be.

[inkyvendingmachine]

Avedone With All of This Season 4, Episode 4

💀 Call of Cthulhu: Haunted Hijinx Masterpost 💀 Call of Cthulhu Season Four Masterpost (Coming Soon)

Warning: This campaign is an edited version of  a Call of Cthulhu scenario from the Tales of the Crescent City book. While a lot has been changed, there IS spoilers for it throughout these posts.

GUESS WHO FINALLY SHOWED UP!!! and also a lot of other stuff happened. I'm sorry, this one is very long because I didn't take notes, and struggle to leave out details when I'm writing from the records instead of the notes.

Art Credit: @inkdemonapologist : sketching + inking @inkyvendingmachine : concept + colouring

Somehow Jack’s car, with all its original passengers and no extras, manage to make it back to the studio. Joey immediately rushes into the studio, to go rant at Bendy about everything that happened… and possibly to go fuse with Bendy because he feels utterly helpless now after completely draining himself with panicked magic. 

But it’s probably just the first one.

Sammy and Henry arrive as well to find Jack and Peter quietly picking glass out of his broken car in something like shock. Upon getting no responses from Jack about what happened, Sammy storms off to find Joey.

Joey is all too happy to start his entire rant over again for Sammy as he works on fusing with Bendy. They were just following Peter’s leads and driving from location to location and then all of the sudden this ASSHOLE shows up out of nowhere and just stands in front of the car. Busts the car, terrifies poor Jack, and then on top of that tries to break INTO the car and abduct Peter?? It’s a good thing Joey managed to blast him out, but they weren’t even DOING ANYTHING that would have possibly summoned him NOTHING AT ALL... And on top of all that, being an absolute PRICK as he’s doing it! 

… Anyways, how was the moooob?

Sammy updates Joey on everything that happened with Johnny Nero, which is pretty much just that he had seen the Yellow sign, that Henry removed it, and that Nero was pretty intent on getting his hands on whatever the Phantom wants first. Which like… yeah, if you wanna solve all our problems and fix this mess, go ahead! But Joey’s pretty sure that’s not going to happen, so he goes back to working on his ritual.

Sammy leaves to go back to Jack, and right as Joey feels ready to start the ritual his phone rings. The special one. And it’s… Avedon??

Avedon immediately starts info dumping on Joey about everything that’s been going on already… like, all the information Joey already knows. A lot of flat “yeah?”s in reply as Avedon rambles on, until he mentions that it’s already gotten to Norman. Wait, what?? But Avedon doesn’t stop, telling Joey to meet him at his hotel room in NYC so they can go over more information. Before Joey manages to get any clarification, he hangs up. 

That’s Joey’s thing!!!

Joey is the one who hangs up on others!!!!!!!

Frustrated, Joey does try to call Norman, and… Yeah, Norman is talking in weird riddles and speech that doesn’t fit with the Normal Norman Vibes. That call is also ended with little information gained… but at least it DOES seem like Avedon knows what he’s talking about this time, so Joey’s willing to meet with him, even though he’s also feeling done with him already.

Joey finishes the ritual and merges with Bendy.

On his way downstairs, Sammy is still turning over the car event he just heard about… and the increasing evidence that Peter might actually be the Phantom’s target?? Why else would he be trying to drag him out of the car?

Sammy approaches Peter, who has since started exchanging information with Henry as they all get the last of the glass shards out of the car, and says that he wants to see if Prophet can tell anything about what happened. Sammy looks distracted for a moment, and [lack of surprise because it was actually somewhat communicated beforehand,] Prophet is here!

Prophet concentrates, and with no hesitation, mushes his hands all over Peter's face. 

The good news is that, while Prophet can tell that Peter’s been grabbed by the Phantom recently, that’s actually all that he can detect. No additional eldritch stuff, he’s not possessed, he’s not weirdly marked or damaged in a way that can’t normally be seen. Great!

But Prophet can’t tell if Peter is the target or not. For his part, Peter has been muttering that it seemed like the phantom was trying to pull information from Peter on someone else he was looking for, someone who “followed us out”, but there’s nothing Prophet can sense to confirm that… but he realizes he can sense the distortions to reality increasing throughout NYC. They’re in the air, moving about… getting stronger.

Henry can feel it too.

But that’s all the energy Prophet has, and he unfortunately misses Joey showing up and dumping his new plan of action on everyone. He, Henry and Peter are going to go find Avedon’s dumb hotel room and figure out what’s going on with him, while Sammy and Jack are going to go check up on Susie and Norman because Norman is definitely acting weird now and he’s not quite sure if Susie is in over her head or not…

Nobody objects to the plan. And with NYC losing more and more of its reality to the yellow mist rolling in, it seems important that they do something.

Henry, Joey and Peter do make a detour to Henry’s house though to make sure all is well there. The car is gone, the lights are out, things seem as they should if Linda managed to follow through and get the kids out of the city. Peter is concerned when he notices some of Henry’s wards, but don’t worry, those are supposed to be there. Henry checks them over, and they all seem good. Bendy finds a bucket of clay he and Henry's kids had played with before, and brings it along to entertain himself on any following sleepovers, since that is a thing that will probably keep happening. For once, it seems like everything is actually left alone? 

Until they look out back and find the treehouse Henry built for his kids is gone. Actually, it’s almost like all the landscaping and such in the area was just… cleared away? Or never happened. Joey meanwhile is tabbing through Henry's photo albums and makes sure everyone is still there, which they are. But the treehouse isn’t. And, perhaps even worse, there’s also an extra guy in the JDS staff photo now? Joey pockets it, since this guy seems to be in the music department according to the photo, but Joey is sure he’s never seen him before. And it’s not Alan. So. Hopefully the music boys can shed some light on this.

Henry grabs some supplies and his gun, and Joey turns him around to fix his outfit and make sure the gun is properly hidden. Avedon is 2 trigger happy, we don’t want to say our hellos by instantly showing off the weapons we brought.

Meanwhile Jack and Sammy’s drive to Norman’s is more fraught than the previous ones. Not only has he moved house again, (though at least this time they have evidence of his new address from the junk mail they took last time) but… many other roads are starting to move too. Also Sammy is driving, so, speed has been cut in the engine department too… don’t need to hit two things in a single day with all this mist building up, and any sort of navigation trouble puts even more delays in.

At least they do manage to find the place and head on in, with hope that also maybe now that Avedon has arrived Norman will stop being so “sticking it out in a house that keeps wandering off apparently.” Things seem kinda fine at first at least, like they’re not immediately shooed out or attacked or have any weird monsters hanging over the house waiting for them to try the door… But upon Sammy questioning Susie while Jack goes to find Norman in the back, the music boys find out that things are very much not fine.

Susie is… very confident with a knife all of a sudden, and very confident that she will be able to just stab the Phantom when given the word to go out and hunt him down. Y’know just… stab the guy who couldn’t be damaged by a 2 ton vehicle slamming square on into him. And when Sammy tries to argue this logic, it just becomes more and more obvious that Susie and Norman are both… in character. Susie’s speech cadence is even reminiscent of when she’s performing rather than talking normally. But they don't seem aware that their actions seem more scripted than decided.

Jack finds Norman in the back, with a hatchet and a very similar plan to Susie’s. But whatever is happening isn’t strong enough to make them completely forget themselves, and with some facts being pointed out and reminders of who they are, the boys manage to get these two actors back to themselves... kind of. There's still some weirdness going on, and this also doesn't answer the question of what could be done to prevent this happening again?

Neither Susie nor Norman really realized when it started to happen, and it took some serious outside convincing to snap them out of it at all… Do they need Henry to expel something to truly get back to themselves again??

ALSO, IF THE PHANTOM CAN’T BE HARMED WITH A CAR, WHAT ARE THEY GONNA DO ABOUT THAT TOO?? THAT SEEMS CONCERNING!!!!

Meanwhile, Henry parks near the hotel they were directed to by Avedon, and the trio look upon it in… concern. First of all, it doesn’t even look like a hotel, or look like it belongs in NYC. And the entire place is surrounded by a yellow mist… and while they could wait it out or try to somehow call Avedon and tell him to come out, it just feels like the longer they wait the worse it will get. 

Really, it’s starting to feel that way for a lot of things.

But even though everything about this feels bad, they press on and enter the “hotel”. What should be the hotel lobby is abnormally empty, and when they start up the stairs… well, that’s not normal either, the stairs just keep going. Joey is flipping any rugs he finds though to make sure they don’t have stupid destabilization spells underneath them.

After a few rounds of strange rooms, weird hallways, some alien screeching outside the windows, and Henry noticing that NYC is not the city outside said windows, he stops everyone out of worry that they’re walking into a trap… and Joey agrees. But not that this hotel is specifically a trap.

All of New York is a trap.

It doesn’t matter where they go next, the longer they don’t solve this issue, the more of a trap everything will be.

They just gotta press on.

…

Aaaaand start yelling for Avedon because clearly they aren’t gonna be just walking up to his hotel room at this point.

Good news! Avedon replies! Bad news!! Only Henry can hear it for some reason!! And… Avedon can hear Joey but not Henry?? 

It’s all very confusing. They find Henry’s reading glasses on a table. Those were in his pocket how did they get there excuse me. All of this isn't fine actually.

But after a few rounds of Avedon Polo, they finally stumble across each other in a… garden. In the middle of a hotel. And of course, the first thing Avedon says is that they need to leave immediately. He didn’t know it was going to be like THIS, he just stepped out to get a coffee and suddenly the whole place is weird??? Well, now that they’re here, time to immediately leave because YEAH THAT WAS THE PLAN FROM THE START. 

Going through another door leads out into a familiar courtyard, at least familiar to Joey. He had been here a few nights ago, while invading Y’s dream, and indeed, right where he’d expect, he finds the Y twins chatting amongst themselves. Marching up to them, Joey demands to know what they’re doing and what’s going on.

They respond by addressing him as royalty.

✧･ﾟ: *Joey Drew, as Your Highness･ﾟ: *✧

Normally, this would probably inflate Joey’s ego! Currently, it sinks like a stone into his stomach!! He does not want to be part of the play!!!

Unless…

Joey suddenly wonders, because it’s the same courtyard, if they are in a dreamscape of some sort… Does he appear different than himself… and that's why they're addressing him this way?

But no, he looks like Joey, and Henry looks like Henry, and Peter looks like Peter, and Avedon is still here… except Joey also notices some of their hands are starting to turn transparent…………. That's probably fine.

He still doesn’t want to be part of their play.

The Y twins try to get Joey to go somewhere with them, and he makes up a story why they need to not do that rn, so that the group of normal fading humans can attempt once again to leave this place. 

Since it's all weird here, Joey tries his little will-what-he-wants-into-reality trick and… well it doesn't work. Instead, he finds a throne room?? and realizes that they aren’t just in Carcosa, they’re in the castle where the Yellow King’s play takes place. And Joey manages to follow his intuition from here to find some kind of portrait hallway, covered with familiar faces… all labeled as characters from the play. Not recognizing all of them, Henry starts drawing them so we have a record of it later.

But there's a few he doesn't have to draw.

One is Alan Leroy, the guy that they're becoming sure is the target of the Pallid Mask. Part of the royal family, apparently. He's a slender man, black hair slicked back, young looking, quite pretty … kinda looks like Joey…

Which makes more sense perhaps when the portrait of the eldest son in the royal family is none other than Joey himself. Guess this is why he was being addressed as royalty… but that means the Y twins are not quite in their right minds, and anything he finds them doing here is probably just play nonsense.

Also Denis is the youngest prince but who cares about that guy.

What they DO care about is the fact they’re getting more and more transparent, so the boys go to find Avedon, who is oh so helpfully knocking shit over and muttering in french, and Joey manages to get his door trick to actually work this time; he opens the door and there’s…

STAIRS!!

Everyone starts running down them, managing not to get turned around when they start making twisty turns, and get to the front door of this stupid castle in a hotel lobby.

They peek outside.

Sure enough, on the side of the building, there’s a shadow shaped suspiciously like nothing they can really identify, so it must be some sort of angel monster or something.

At this point, there’s really only one option they have: try sneaking to the car and hope it’s looking the other way, and if not, run!

Everyone agrees that this is a great plan.

And then they do that.

There’s a bit of fumbling in the middle, but the car was parked outside of the yellow mist for once, so the creature just fades out as soon as it leaves the mist to chase them. 

Well! Okay then!! That problem is solved!! Let’s go deliver Avedon to Norman so that he can take responsibility for his mad man and then maybe stop hiding at home or something!

Henry drives off, and things seem fine for now…

Until Joey swivels around in the front seat to question Avedon, and out the back window, sees something flying after them, only visible whenever it passes through the mists…

Problem… not solved.

[userkoo]

nothing can stop taekook from being partners in crime, not even being on different teams - for @jung-koook

[serasfanfiction]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3| Part 4 | Part 5| Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11

One afternoon, around the time Charlie was midway through the toddler stage, Lucifer had found himself spending the better part of one of her play dates in the shape of a mouse.

Charlie had been such an easy baby. She rarely cried or got upset. Most of the time when she did cry, it was for the usual things: she was hungry. She wanted to be held. Her diaper needed to be changed. She largely spoiled her parents as much as they spoiled her.

All of this wasn't to say that she didn't have her bad days.

The discovery had largely been an act of desperation. Lilith was away dealing with a matter involving Mammon that required the firm handling of a member of the ruling family. Lucifer had assured her he could look after Charlie for the day. They would be fine. It has seemed like it would be, too.

Then Charlie had started to cry. Started to cry and she wouldn't stop. Nothing he had tried had helped. Out of sheer desperation, he had shapeshifted into the form of the first animal he could think of.

At first, Charlie had stopped crying mostly out of confusion. She hiccupped, confused as to where her father had gone and what this new addition was. She had never seen any Earth animals and wouldn't have known that her father had turned himself into a duck. Because she was a curious thing, she had reached out one of her little hands to snag this new thing she'd discovered. Whatever had ailed her promptly forgotten. Lucifer had allowed himself to be squished and prodded for a few hours and in exchange, Charlie returned to being a happy baby.

So began the act of taking on the forms of Earth animals, both as a distraction and as a teaching tool.

For a while, it was her favorite pass time. Living in Hell as they were, it was hard to expose Charlie to positive things the majority of Earth children took for granted. Most of her experience with animals were the forms sinners took upon arriving, something that could give her a warped impression of what animals were supposed to look like. His favorite form was indeed the duck, but he was more than willing to take on other forms, such as cats, dogs, horses, and other common animals. He sometimes had difficulty with his snake form in the beginning, attached to some traumatic memories as it was, but he had endured the form for educational purposes.

The play date had been Lilith's idea. She had been keeping up ties with the Ars Goetia and had thought it would be good idea for Charlie to play with some other children her own age. Lucifer had thought the idea of being around a gaggle of hyperactive, screaming children had sounded exhausting, but had gone along with it. One thing led to another, and Charlie had strong armed him into showing the other children what a 'mouse' looked like. Mostly by repeating the word 'mouse' until he'd given in and transformed into one.

The other adults, Lilith being the exception, had been hesitant with the idea of the children treating him like a plaything. Lucifer may have been pulling away from his duties for centuries at this point, but he was still the literal King of Hell. What if one of the children did something to upset him and he decided there needed to be some sort of retribution?

Lucifer had thought they were making too big of a deal out of it. They were children. They were going to act like children. He understood that. They understood that. He wasn't going to harm the children for acting like children. He was a bit insulted they thought he was ruthless enough to hurt them for it.

Charlie - dear, sweet Charlie - had brought the whole debate to a resounding close when she had dropped his little mouse form into the hands of one of Paimon's random children. This set off the other children to want a turn and that had been that.

Another side effect of being born and growing up in Hell was that none of the children, Charlie included, understood that small Earth animals were breakable. This wasn't an issue, as Lucifer was still the strongest being in Hell regardless of his form, but he did protest to being stuffed into one of the children's pockets after the third time it happened. The play date had quickly morphed into a mini lesson in teaching the children to be gentle when handling 'fragile' things.

He let Charlie do it because she was his daughter, but what parent didnt give their children special privileges, right?

All of this was to say that Lucifer's current predicament wasn't an altogether new experience, he just couldn't quite understand how he had come to be in snake form, curled up around Alastor's arm and wrist and just barely hidden by his coat sleeve as they made their way through Pentagram City.

He would have liked to blame it on Alastor. To say it was his own fault and that he could suffer a little as a result, thank you very much. As much as he hated it, that wouldn't have been the full truth.

But he was getting ahead of himself.

The events that led up to his current predicament could be traced more immediately back to that morning. It had been determined that the time had come to tell Rosie and Carmilla about the upcoming broadcast. After days of planning and ironing out the finer details of the broadcast itself, it had felt good to finally be moving forward. They had gotten lucky there had been no additional attacks on the hotel during this time, but there was never any way to know how long their luck would hold out.

"Carmilla won't thank you for telling her," Vaggie pointed out from where she was lounging on the couch. "She could care less as long as it's not Heaven on her doorstep."

Charlie, who was sitting up against her side, had a different opinion on the matter. "Aw, I think it's nice! It feels like we have real allies now!"

"Exactly," Alastor chimed in, smug that Charlie agreed with his assessment and more than happy to rub it in. Vaggie glared at him. The only reason she wasn't breathing fire was because she was literally incapable of doing so. Fed by her reaction, Alastor added, "Telling our allies about our plans builds trust and makes them feel included. We wouldn't want them to think we're accusing them of anything, now would we?"

Charlie shook her head vigorously. Vaggie had refused to give any further input out of spite.

Lucifer, taking pity on her, redirected the conversation. "Yes, which is why we should get going." He pointed to the front door with the apple tip of his cane. "Soon."

Charlie had perked up at the 'we.' Since the catastrophe that was the aftermath of Alastor and Lucifer striking their second deal, she had doubled down on trust building exercises. It was debatable if they had made things any better or worse. "You're going together?"

Lucifer opened his mouth to give an affirmative, only to be interrupted by Alastor interjecting with, "Hm. About that."

The blonde crossed his arms, instantly suspicious. "Excuse you?" They had talked about this. He was going.

Alastor circled the little king, coming to stand just out of arms reach. He waved his microphone to encompass all of Lucifer's person. "Just think about it, your Majesty!" His tone was that of an adult talking to a small child. "You're such a rare sight to be seen around the city, people are bound to notice you immediately! Why, they're likely to guess something is afoot from the get-go." Ignoring the glare Lucifer was giving him, Alastor tutted at him. "No, no, it would be much better if I went on my own."

Lucifer didn't buy that for a moment. It was more likely Alastor wanted to control the narrative and the less of that the better. Meeting him grin for grin, he countered, "If we're so keen on building trust, wouldn't it be better if their king showed up in person to thank them?"

Inching closer in his irritation, Alastor stared down his nose at him. "Will they? After all, you've been absentee so long: does your opinion matter anymore?"

Charlie sighed, cutting their momentum short like the bursting of a balloon. Lucifer's eye twitched, remembering that he had indeed promised to work with Alastor, but he was making it so hard to do so! And he knew it, too! The king was tempted to yank on Alastor's chain, literally, even if neither of them had done anything to violate the terms of it. Alastor had agreed to stand with Lucifer during the broadcast, but nothing said he had to cooperate at any other time. It wouldn't have accomplished anything other than making Lucifer feel better in that moment. He only didn't do it was because Alastor was going to have his teeth in him at some point in the future and Lucifer didn't want to encourage any ideas of taking revenge during a vulnerable moment.

In a move that should have been a warning, Charlie gasped, a single finger going up in the air as a preverbal light bulb went off over her head. "Oh! I know just the thing!"

Lucifer softened his grin into a supportive smile as he turned to her. "What have you got for us, sweetie?"

Oblivious to the choas she was about to unleash, Charlie suggested, "What if dad shapeshifted into a mouse or something? Then he could just hide in your pocket and no one would see him!" She smiled at them, clearly believing this to be a good idea.

Lucifer's smile became frozen on his face. He had never regretted using his abilities to help educate her on Earth animals. He still didn't. He just kind of wanted to. All he could imagine was himself in the form of a tiny white mouse and Alastor towering over him as he prepared to stomp on him. He shuddered at the mental image. Oh, that really wouldn't do. Nope.

Alastor's face went through a range of emotions. He didn't shudder himself, but it was clear that he had wanted to, as he shot that one down without holding back. "Ha! Absolutely not!"

Vaggie, ever spiteful, was never one to miss an opening when she spotted one, and boy, was she spotting one. "What's the matter? Don't like mice?"

Alastor, however, had already recovered and if there was ever a master of taking advantage of opportunities, it was him. "Oh, but don't you know? Everyone knows mice and rats are known for carrying diseases. Who would want to carry such a vermin around?"

Charlie wasn't ready to let go of the idea just yet. "What about something around the wrist then? Like a snake?"

The redheaded sinner looked just as thrilled with this idea as the last, possibly even less so. Normally, Lucifer would have been sympathetic about his distaste for being touched, but his patience was running dry. Feeling malicious, he drawled, "Hmmm, I think that might work."

Alastor slowly turned his head around to face him, the rest of his body not following. Head tilting at an alarming angle, his voice deceptively calm, he asked, "Come again?"

Lucifer crossed the short distance between them, Alastor's head turning to follow him as he approached. With every inch he came closer, the redhead's smile grew a little wider, somehow going past what should be humanly possible for his face. Lucifer stopped when they were nearly chest to chest. He stared up at Alastor through his eyelashes, smile anything but innocent. "What's the matter? Is the big, bad Radio Demon scared of little ol' me?"

Alastor's pupils transformed into radio dials; eyes and smile lit up and bordering on manic. His fingers tightened around his microphone, as if imagining wrapping them around something else entirely. Calling his bluff, the redhead held out a wrist, snarling through gritted teeth, "Dear me, who am I to complain about wearing the King of Hell as jewelry?"

Lucifer nearly laughed in his face, thinking it adorable that Alastor seemed to believe that the worst thing he'd ever wrapped himself around was someone's wrist. Not waiting for the sinner to change his mind, the blonde shifted into the shape of a snake, his little top hat and bow the only thing giving him away as anything other than the real thing. He was quick to slither up Alastor's wrist, slipping under the sleeve until he was completely covered. He wriggled up the arm, trying to get comfortable. He paused when a hand wrapped tightly around him, the tightening of the grip threatening to become crushing.

He couldn't see anything but the red of Alastor's coat sleeve, so he couldn't judge his expression, but it was clear from his tone it was taking every ounce of his not inconsiderable self-restraint not to rip Lucifer off and fling him around the room. "I would appreciate it if you didn't go any higher than my gloves."

Lucifer was just at the edge of the glove in question. Just to be contrary, he flicked a tongue out, just enough to disturb the fur of Alastor's bare arm. Static screeched through the air and the hand around him tightened, compulsively, the sharp points of the redhead's claws held back only by the fabric of a coat tailored to withstand the typical violence one would expect in Hell. Not necessarily taking pity on the sinner, but deciding to uphold the illusion of peace, the fallen angel pointed out, voice not even showing a hint of strain, "I can't move back down unless you lighten up there, buddy."

The pressure around him increased, briefly, before very, very slowly decreasing. When he was free to move again, Lucifer slithered his way back down away from the top of the gloves, finally settling near the wrist, but not down far enough to be seen. His head settled against the inside of the wrist, the vibrations of Alastor's pulse a soft melody in his ears.

"Dad, are you alright?" Charlie's voice sounded a little closer. Had she gotten up off the couch?

"All set when Alastor's set." Lucifer gave a light, full body squeeze to show he was ready.

There was a pause, Alastor tense as a board. Slowly, he forced himself to relax until the only one who could likely tell he was still a potential live wire was Lucifer and that was only because he was literally clinging to him. "Yes, I do think it's time to leave. Don't want to keep Rosie waiting."

Charlie's voice was closer still and Lucifer could see her pant legs and shoes appear in his limited vision. "Are you sure you're okay, Alastor? If this is too much--."

Alastor was quick to cut her off, always allergic to showing any kind of weakness. "Don't worry, my dear, it's only for a short period. Nothing I can't handle." He must have tried to wave off the concern, because Lucifer suddenly felt a rocking sensation that nearly turned his stomach. He had never experienced motion sickness before, but was fairly certain this is what it must have felt like. Could snakes be sick? Oooooh, they were going to find out if Alastor kept this up.

Thankfully for all of them, the redhead seemed to remember his passenger and stopped. The landscape outside the sleeve changed as he headed for the door and the blonde closed his eyes in an effort to block out the dizzying effect of it. With a, "Don't wait up for us," they were off.

Which was how Lucifer came to find himself clinging to Alastor's wrist, lulled into a partial doze by the warmth of his hiding place and the general sounds of the city.

It was strange to listen to the city like this: present, but muffled. The rhythm of Alastor's gait soothed his stomach. Lucifer could hear the general hustle and bustle that made up the active and ongoing crime wave that never seemed to end, just move from block to block. The crash of breaking glass. The sounds of explosions in the distance. The escalating shouts of a fight that hadn't yet come to blows. The gift of free will, taken to it's worst heights.

The Devil's kingdom in all it's glory.

Hah. What a joke.

Lucifer was pulled from his thoughts by the jingling of a bell over head. He dared to peak open an eye to the sight of tiled floor. Were they there already?

Alastor answered that question, while raising several others. "Smithson, good chap, I've come to place an order."

An order? Where were they?

The ringing of metal hitting wood sounded through the air. A nervous, masculine voice followed. "A-Alastor!" An audible gulp. "Wh-What are ya lookin' for?"

The redhead came to a stop. Lucifer made the mistake of scenting the air, looking for more clues to their current where abouts. He instantly regretted it as the heavy smell of raw meat, so fresh the scent of blood hung in the air, hit him like a ton of bricks. Coupled with the sounds he heard earlier, the blonde concluded they must have stopped in a butcher's shop. He was never so glad as he was in that moment that he didn't actually need to breathe as he held his breath to avoid the smell.

"I'm looking to pick up a gift for a friend of mine." A pause, broken by a considering hum. "You don't happen to have anything similar to what I picked up two weeks ago, do you? She absolutely loved it!"

A shuffle from the direction of the person - Smithson? - tending the shop. "Uh, no. Pickin's from 3rd street dried up." Another shuffle, this time uneasy.

Alastor made another considering noise. "A shame. Very well, then something fresh. Perhaps some ribs? We're not picky about the bones."

Lucifer full-bodied shuddered. Knowing the redhead and his friend's tastes, he had the horrible sinking feeling he knew what kind of meat was sold in this place. Even if he hadn't been a vegetarian, he was certain he'd be more than a bit sickened.

Something heavy hit the counter. "I just got this in today!" Smithson sounded rushed, almost nervous. "Nice and fresh, just like you wanted."

A rustle of clothing and what could be seen of the counter got closer. A faint sniff followed. Lucifer felt Alastor stiffen. "Smithson," a dangerous undertone crept into the redhead's otherwise pleasant voice. "You wouldn't be trying to pull a fast one on me, now would you?"

Lucifer could see a blurry figure through the glass counter shift from foot to foot. "No. No of course not--"

The air around them grew heavy with static, reality warping harshly. Lucifer hissed as the vibrations pierced his skull with all the kindness of a hammer to an ice pick. It made him want to sink his teeth into the vulnerable flesh of the Radio Demon's wrist and bite and bite until Alastor stopped because it hurt.

"Because if you are, I will eat your limbs joint by joint until you beg for mercy," Alastor continued, not liking the response. With every word, the filter over his voice got more distorted. "And I have none."

Smithson whimpered. Lucifer squeezed the redhead's arm, hoping to bring him back.

As abruptly as it started, reality returned to normal. Lucifer tentatively loosened his hold. His head throbbed.

There was a long pause. Lucifer could smell the distinct aroma of pee, suggesting Smithson had pissed himself. A second sound of something hitting the counter eventually followed a bit of shuffling around behind the counter.

Alastor sounded much more pleased after inspecting it. "Much better, my good man. Now, what do I owe you?"

"N-nothing. I-it's on the house."

Alastor took up the package, the paper crinkling as he did so. "Very good! Always a pleasure doing business with you, Smithson!"

The whimper from the butcher indicated he would very much like to never do business with Alastor again.

The redhead murmured a jaunty tune to himself as he left the shop, taking another whiff of his prize as they set on their way again. The raised arms allowed Lucifer to peak out of his sleeve to give him a judgmental look. "Was that really necessary?"

"Of course!" Alastor responded, as if his overreaction was totally normal. "I'd say I did him a favor. Poor customer service is bad for business." He freed one hand to bop Lucifer on the nose, causing the snake to recoil and hiss at him. "Now, hush, sire. Everyone knows I'm insane, but I don't want everyone to think I talk to myself."

Lucifer wanted to comment that it was a perfectly normal thing to talk to yourself, but didn't want to risk a talk about the part where it tended to happen the longer one was alone. He didn't particularly want to open that can of worms.

The rest of the walk was uneventful, blessedly, giving time for Lucifer's headache to abate and disappear. No one approached Alastor as he passed, and there appeared to be no more detours.

The first indication that they were near their destination came with the general change in ambient noise. The sounds of violence tapered off, giving way to calm, friendly conversations and the laughter of children. Lucifer could swear he even heard music being played from somewhere.

Unable to resist, Lucifer peaked out of Alastor's sleeve. The town - Cannibal Town, a sign nearby proclaimed - was a tribute to an era gone by. Lucifer's grasp on what counted as "modern" on Earth was dodgy at best, but even he could tell that the fashion and look of the town was "old-fashioned." He couldn't pin down the exact time period the dresses and suits were from, although he could tell they appeared to be from an older time period then Alastor's own sense of fashion.

A child, eyes black and face almost inhuman, turned at just the right time to make eye contact with him. Lucifer grinned and winked at their confusion, before the child was quickly distracted by the game their friends were playing.

Alastor paid little attention to the people around him, headed for a single building at the center of the town that read, "Rosie's Emporium." Guessing from the name, Lucifer found it safe to assume that this was their destination. Not wanting to be spotted by anyone else, he withdrew back into his hiding place, content to wait until his cue to show himself.

Alastor soon came to a halt, roughly the correct amount of time having passed to have come to the emporium. Lucifer heard what sounded like knocking on a wooden door. They did not have long to wait, with almost no time at all having passed before the door opened.

"Alastor! Come in, come in!" A woman's voice, cheerful and upbeat. Rosie, perhaps? He could see the black and red hem of a dress swishing into view as Alastor was ushered into what appeared to be a brightly lit room. There was the sound of crinkling paper passing from one of them to the next, as Alastor presumably handed over his gift. "With all this secrecy," the voice went on around the sound of a package being set down, "I would have thought we were expecting the king!"

Lucifer refused to feel bad about crashing their little dinner party. He did give props to Alastor for emphasizing the importance of keeping this information on the down low.

Without seemingly pausing to breathe - did Rosie need to breathe? You could never tell with some Sinners - she noted, "And your cane! Now you really must tell me everything!"

Patient on a level Lucifer usually only saw him reserve for Charlie, Alastor placed his cane, tip down on the floor, folding his hands over the top of it in what the blonde was coming to recognize as his default position. "I believe most of your questions can be summed up by first meeting our guest."

"Oh?" Hard to tell from a single word, but her tone suggested she was curious rather than annoyed at the unexpected curve ball.

The redhead moved the arm with Lucifer clinging to it until it was held out to his side, palm up and lazily pointed at the ground. Able to catch the hint and recognize his cue, Lucifer slithered down and off, his reptilian brain protesting leaving his nice warm perch. Grin in place, he let himself fall, twisting in place as he did. Once he was an acceptable distance from the floor, a simple shift and a poof of smoke, and BAM! Instant King of Hell.

The perks of the little poof also allowed him to settle down into his own default stance. 'Socially Awkward' may have been his middle name of late, but he hadn't completely lost the ability to make a decent first impression. Eyes adjusting to the light, Lucifer got his first look at the Overlord known simply as Rosie.

A tall woman stood before him, similar in height to the Radio Demon off to his left. Large, black eyes gave her away as a cannibal like the residents of the town. Her smile, partially hidden by deceptively dainty hand, was full of teeth sharp enough rip through through the toughest flesh and bone. Her dress and hat were perfectly coordinated, that same old-fashioned look as the town outside.

Lucifer wondered if she was responsible for the theme.

"Oh my stars," she said, not missing a beat. It seemed it would take much more than a surprise royal visit to ruffle her feathers. "Alastor, you've certainly peaked my curiosity."

Alastor's ear twitched, the only sign of his irritation. Voice full of genuine warmth, he said a touch grandly, "Your Majesty, may I introduce my dear friend and fellow Overlord, Rosie."

Rosie, in response, dipped into what Lucifer identified as a curtsy. Human gestures of respect were an ever changing thing. He'd received anything from people throwing themselves, full bodied at the floor at his feet (unnecessary and a little cringe unless he was pissed) to something as simple as a bow (way more acceptable). Curtsying was fairly new in his experience, only from the last several hundred years and something he had only seen a handful of times. From what little experience he did have, he could tell it had been a perfectly executed curtsy, the motion fluid and practiced. It gave the impression she was used to entertaining people of high social status.

Alastor, voice notably less full of respect (and what was there was so far from genuine it was outright insulting), said, "Rosie, may I introduce our King, Lucifer Morningstar."

No embellishments, but no insults. Lucifer supposed this was an improvement from the person who'd insulted his height within minutes of meeting him.

He crossed the short number of steps separating them, reaching out to take Rosie's hand in his own. Smile sly and his voice dropping, he offered, "It's always a pleasure to meet such a beautiful lady." Following up the compliment, he pressed a chaste kiss to the back of her hand.

"Oh, aren't you the charming one," Rosie near coo'ed, her grin widening. Her eyelids dropped to half mast, her expression suggesting she'd eat him alive if he gave her half the chance. Which, considering how she made her way to Hell in the first place, wasn't an empty threat. "I can see where Miss Charlotte gets her moxie from."

Lucifer barked out a laugh, releasing her hand as he stepped back. "Oh, I assure you, Charlotte is a force unto herself with no help from me." Unless one counted the bare minimum of donating their genes.

Behind him, Alastor grunted in disgust, the action barely more than a heavy exhale. Lucifer winked as Rosie's eyes crinkled with her amusement. "If you are done assaulting the dear lady," the redhead said with a sharp tap of his cane on the floor. "I believe you came here for a reason." Voice dripping with annoyance, Alastor added, "You were quite insistent about it."

Lucifer rolled his eyes and pointed a finger over his shoulder, as if to ask, 'can you believe this guy'?

Rosie was the very picture of neutrality, taking no sides in the way only a true friend could. It was obvious she found watching them bicker to be entertaining.

Ignoring the glare he could feel practically burning a hole in the back of his head, Lucifer said, "Charlie and Alastor told me that you were instrumental in getting the army together to defend the Hotel. You have my gratitude for protecting my daughter when I could not." He pulled his hat from his head, pressing it to his chest as he bowed deeply before this sinner who had likely only helped his daughter for her own reasons, but who had helped, nonetheless. "I owe you a debt."

Hands came to rest lightly on his shoulders, pressing against them and urging him to rise. "None of that, your Majesty," Rosie murmured, kindly. "Miss Charlotte convinced that stubborn group to join her with little help on our end." She took his hat from him with little resistance, before placing it back on his head. He could feel the pat she gave the top of it. She gave him a short inspection, before nodding to herself. She shot a look in Alastor's direction over his head. "You certainly know how to surprise a girl, Alastor. First a princess and now a king." Her tone was teasing as she said, "If I didn't know you were drawing all aces, I'd think you were going for a Royal Flush."

Lucifer could only imagine whatever look the redhead was giving her in return. He was given little time to ponder her comment, let alone boggle at someone teasing the Radio Demon and getting away with it, before she was spinning him around towards the interior of the shop. "Uh," he managed, only mildly indignant when she all but handed him off to Alastor, whose expression appeared tolerant in the brief second he managed to catch a glimpse of it. The redhead, in perfect tandem with his friend, curled his hands around the blonde's shoulders and began to push him along. "You play cards?"

Rosie laughed, finding the question adorable, waving her hand dismissively as she led the way over to a table with a pair of chairs around it. "Oh, Heaven's no! The only gambling I do is on my husbands, and I always play with an exit strategy when I do."

Lucifer had the distinct impression that 'an exit strategy' was just a roundabout way of saying that she had no shortage of ways to dispose of any husband she no longer needed.

Yikes.

Between them, they ushered him further into the shop, leaving little time for protest. Any irritation was washed away under his fascination as he observed the way they moved in sync with each other. He was so used to the idea of Alastor being a force unto his own, the lone puppeteer pulling all the strings, it was a little intimidating to see him working as a team with someone he clearly trusted to take the lead. It made something twist in his chest, a feeling of peaking behind the curtain at something he wasn't supposed to have seen.

It made him look... human seeing him like this.

He was pulled from his thoughts as Alastor deftly maneuvered him into one of the two seats, half shoving him down into it as opposed to seating him in it. Reminded there was a reason he personally disliked the redhead, Lucifer flipped him off with a glare after he righted himself while their host wasn't looking.

The redhead placed a hand to his chest, mock affronted. "Come now, sire. Didn't anyone tell you such vulgar gestures are impolite in front of a lady?"

Rosie had undoubtedly seen and done much worse things before and after her arrival in Hell, as evidenced by the way she took her seat with little more than a titter in response to the spectacle they were making. Lucifer blinked as it sunk in that there were only two seats and there were three of them. That damned swell of guilt tried to rise up, even as he tried to shove it back down. It wasn't his fault any more than it had been Rosie's that Alastor had tried to exclude him from his own meeting. He shifted in his seat, also suddenly hyper aware that the current arrangement left Alastor standing just behind and to the right of his chair.

How deeply had he gotten under Lucifer's skin that even though Alastor couldn't do jack shit to him, the fallen angel was uncomfortable with him at his back?

"Um," he asked, trying to hide his awkwardness and aware that he was only making it more obvious. "Should we get a chair for...?"

Alastor leaned against the chair in a blatant disregard for personal space. "Oh, no, sire, don't mind me. I'm perfectly fine where I am." Everything about his body language said that he could see all the ways he was making the little king uncomfortable and was loving every moment of it. He tapped the top of the microphone to the top of Lucifer's hat. "Please, do the honors of explaining the reason for our little visit."

Lucifer's glare promised retribution, the moment he could figure out a way to do it without upsetting Charlie.

The chink of a cup being placed in front of him reminded him they weren't alone. Rosie had poured tea for him while he wasn't paying attention. He tried to eye it without being rude with his suspicions. He didn't outright think that even their tea potentially contained bodily fluids in them, one just couldn't be to careful about these things.

Astute, Rosie seemed to pick up on the issue. "Oh, don't look so worried, your Majesty. I promise it's only tea." If she was insulted by his mistrust, she didn't show it.

Deciding to take the plunge, he picked up the cup. The liquid inside was still steaming, an indication that it was still hot even before he took a sip. He blinked as a fruity, florally taste blossomed across his tongue. "Darjeeling?" He was fairly certain that was the name of it, anyway.

Alastor leaned over to take a sniff of the tea. His eyes danced with laughter as Lucifer snatched the cup away, the latter waving a hand at him to shoo him off and telling him, "Get your own tea!"

"Rosie has been introducing me to new teas," he said by way of explanation. He tapped a finger to his bottom lip thoughtfully as he withdrew back to his former position.

Rosie nodded in agreement. "It's always useful to have an assortment of drinks for any occasion. You never know who you might be entertaining." She set her own drink, half empty, back on the table. Back straight, the perfect picture of a lady host, she placed both of her hands in her lap. "Now, why don't you tell me what all this cloak and dagger is about? I must admit, I'm dying to hear the explanation."

Lucifer eyed Alastor, making certain he wasn't going to do something else, like straight up steal his drink. When the redhead failed to do anything besides smile that eye twitch inducing smile at him, Lucifer properly regained his seat. He held on to the cup, folding both hands around it to feel the heat seep into his hands. He turned his full attention to his host. "I take it Alastor has told you about the attacks on the hotel?"

Cannibals didn't have discernable pupils so it was impossible to tell if Rosie shared a glance with Alastor. Lucifer allowed his neutral expression to confer that he didn't mind if any information had been shared, as no effort had ever been made to hide it.

Her response still caught him off guard. "Everyone knows about the attacks, sire. It's all over the news."

Without thinking, Lucifer turned to Alastor, gaging his response. Alastor's expression had tightened with distain. Voice dripping with scorn, in a tone that suggested he already knew the answer, he asked, "Vox?"

Her tone wasn't as scornful, but it was clear there was no love lost between them, as Rosie confirmed, "Vox."

Not for the first time, Lucifer was almost sorry he hadn't kept up with the inner intricacies of the alliances between the people that more or less ran his city. So many sinners had risen and fallen over the millennia, even before he let it all fall to the wayside, it was difficult to keep track of them, let alone care. He was only mustering up the energy to care in this case because it was affecting his daughter and this upstart sinners were already threatening to give him a headache.

He pondered if it mattered if the attacks were known by the public or not. It was his understanding that Charlie never said anything about the Hotel other than attempts to advertise it. She never commented on previous attacks on the hotel, save to comment that she was glad that they didn't have to rebuild that one wall everyone used to destroy all the time. Between his neglect of Hell and Charlie's lack of negativity, he doubted anyone was expecting anyone to say anything about it in the end.

He nodded in acceptance. The plan should still be fine. "The working theory is that someone is worried about souls being redeemed and potentially losing their contracts." He leaned back in his chair as he crossed his legs, spine flush with the back rest. "I'm going to go on television to deliver a little warning to everyone in Hell about messing with my daughter's little project." Head tilting to the side, nothing nice about his smile, he added, "I'm also going to break an Overlord's contract on air."

Rosie's eyes widened. "Oh, my, that will cause a stir." She leaned forward, considering. "But that's not all, is it?"

Sharp one, this one. He'd have to keep an eye on her, especially since she was Alastor's friend. Playing ignorant, he asked, "Does there have to be more? Alastor tells me that its courteous," these words he said as if they were foul tasting in his mouth, "To include potential allies in future plans."

But the Victorian Overlord wasn't fooled, her expression saying as such. "Come now, as sweet as all this comradery is, there wouldn't be all this fuss over a little broadcast."

There was the soft rustle of cloth from where Lucifer had last seen the redhead, but when he checked, Alastor didn't appear to have moved so much as an inch. Confused, but suspicious the deer demon was the one who'd made a fuss, Lucifer decided there was no harm in including Alastor's role in what was to come. There had been no agreement, after all, to exclude it. To Rosie, Lucifer explained, "Alastor will be joining me during the broadcast, as a sign of solidarity."

Rosie went still. Although her head had not moved at all, Lucifer had the impression she only had eyes for her friend. He glanced at Alastor, who was equally as still. There was nothing out of the ordinary to suggest he might be bothered by the idea of appearing on tv. Perhaps she could see something he could not, because Rosie's brows drew together in what looked like concern.

Alastor's blank expression smoothed over into an easy one. "Oh, don't look at me like that, my dear." Something Lucifer couldn't read passed between them. "I'm more than pleased with the results of our little deal," Alastor went on, running his claws lightly down the stem of his cane to draw attention to it. An explanation to her earlier observation of its reappearance. He tapped those same claws one by one on it, eyes half lidded and smile pleased, as he said, "And there are still pleasant things to come from it."

Rosie's hand came up to cover her mouth, the sway of the feather in her hat in moving with her head as she looked back and forth between them. A knowing smile crossed her lips. "I see," she said. She settled, her expression was still as sweet as ever, but Lucifer could pick up the hint of a threat in her body language. "I'm sure you'll take good care of our dear Alastor, won't you, your Majesty?"

She was no more a threat to him than Alastor was. She didn't have a prayer of taking him in a fair fight. He could take her out before she even thought about moving. Yet, here she was, willing to threaten the most powerful being in all of Hell for her friend.

Lucifer felt that pang in chest return, this time accompanied by longing. How long had it been, since he had last shared this kind of easy rapport with someone? Before he withdrew from everything and his marriage fell apart? Before Eden and his fall? He'd had siblings and his father, once, then he'd had a wife and a daughter.

Had he ever just had a friend, though?

Lucifer swallowed, distracted and feeling like he'd been missed a step while going down a flight of stairs. "Um. Yes?"

Wait, what?

What she'd asked and what he'd agreed to caught up to him in a rush. He set his now lukewarm cup down, indignant. Why did he have to look after Alastor? Alastor was not only more than capable of looking after himself, but he seemed to have most of the cards in his favor! Lucifer couldn't even harm a hair on his furry little head as long as his daughter was attached to him!

He didn't dare look in Alastor's direction. He could all but feel the smugness radiating off him.

Rosie reached across the table, patting his hand sympathetically. "Now that the serious business is out of the way," she proclaimed. "How about some lunch? Alastor was so good as to provide us with the perfect meal!"

"Um." Lucifer felt his stomach drop as he remembered little side trip. He hadn't seen the package during or after it's procurement, but it wasn't hard to guess from what he'd over heard what it was going to be. His suspicions were confirmed, when Rosie retrieved the package and opened it up to reveal a whole chest and torso, head and limbs removed. Old enough for the wounds to have stopped leaking blood, but not so old as for the skin to have begun turning green with putrefaction.

Lucifer covered his mouth with one hand and clutched the arm of the chair with the other, trying not to gag. "Sorry, I'm a vegetarian," he managed as he sat back as far as he could sit in the chair.

Rosie blinked, looking around her shop with a thoughtful eye. A closer look around revealed it was full of various other body parts. This was not the place for someone of his tastes. "Well, that might be a challenge."

Alastor hummed in agreement, utterly unhelpful.

Lucifer could already tell his long day was only going to get longer.

tbc

Part 12

[piscispd]

—                HEY NOW, WE'LL BE OKAY.      ->    hhu.

“I don't care, I love you anyhow. It is too late to turn you out of my heart. Part of you lives there.” — a self portrait in letters × anne sexton.

Their parents don't approve your relationship. After a night where things don’t go as planned, the boys are left mending your broken heart.

wc: 1,6k overall. a/n: i focused more on their reaction after the fight, so this is them easing reader's insecurities! if you wanted something else lmk! im editing this later~ warnings/tags: gn reader, fluff, hurt/comfort. request!

You both barely step foot inside your place before he opens his mouth, like he was waiting impatiently for some privacy to fix talk.

“You’re overthinking, love.” Seungcheol scolds, hands on his hips as he stares at you with a disapproving look, akin to his father’s.

You shiver at the thought, reminiscing tonight’s failure as you shake your head. “No, I’m not.”

“Are so,” he pouts, linking his arms around your waist. “And you need to stop doing it, whatever your pretty head is thinking about right now, stop it.”

You click your tongue, rolling your eyes. “There’s nothing else to think about after tonight, Cheol, is there.”

It’s a bitter remark, not a question. You sound defeated and utterly sad, and his heart breaks a little seeing you in this shape, but Seungcheol is having none of it. He grabs you by the shoulders, his gaze burning you. “Don't you dare say that again. Don’t you tell me we don't belong together, like they said, just because they said it. I love you, and if you don't love me back, you can look at me in the eyes and say it.”

Silence. Cheol’s looking at you dead in the eye, intensely, yet so lovingly and gently because he can’t scold you for real, not really, and that’s so undoubtedly him that it makes your head all dizzy. “Jeez,” you chuckle, shaking your head with a heart much lighter.

“Can't say it, can you?”

“I love you,” you smile, gently. “I won't lie to you, Cheol.”

“But why do you look like you wanna cry,” he pouts, “am I making you sad?”

“No, I was sad, but– you make me feel like we could make this work. Like you’re reliable and I should count on you.”

“So you weren’t counting on me before?”

“Cheol.”

There's a childish mirth in his eyes as he smiles reassuringly, slowly linking his hands around you. “You should do that. You should've been doing that, because that's what I am.”

His hands are cold on your waist, so you caress them with your own, even if yours are a bit colder. He hugs you completely, aligning your body to his until there isn't a hair of yours untouched, unprotected. Kissing your forehead, he sways you both side to side. “I’m your boyfriend,” he chides lightly, his tone more serious now. “And the only thing that’s going to change that is a ring on your finger, nothing and no one else will, understand?”

His heart skips a beat when he sees you smile, all bright and happy and so pretty he wants to eat you. He wants to watch you forever. As his strong arms squeeze your middle, his breathing soft against your neck, you sigh longingly at the feeling. “Yeah, I got it.”

“You know, I had a dream about you last night.” Vernon says suddenly, breaking the silence.

It's the first time he's talked to you ever since you came back from that interesting meeting with his parents, an hour ago.

He’s sitting right next to you on your bed, but you don’t look at him. You’re avoiding it, really, because the second you do you’re going to beg him to stay and forget all about tonight, you’re gonna beg and plead that you’ll be able to work it all out together. That you needed him.

You bite your lip at the thought. You can’t do that– not after what transpired a few hours earlier with his family. You can’t be so selfish, can you?

So you keep looking at your phone, ignoring his sigh– Vernon is a stubborn dude, though, so he faces straightforward and keeps his train of thought.

“Listen, we were in a house with this big yard– big, babe. Huge. We could bring all my members and their families and there'll still be space, I think,” he rambles on, making you lean towards him uncounsciously, attentive to his next words. “It was ours. I mean, it felt like it was. You would've liked it.”

“What's your point,” you mumble grumpily.

“My family was there with us,” he ignores your interruption, smiling reminiscent. “My dad was laughing at something on the tv and my mom was cutting us some fruit. She was trying to get your mbti right, you know that personality test I’ve been telling you about? Seriously, I don't know what devil type you got, but she was arguing with you over it and I was telling her that on the flip side, your zodiac sign matches perfectly with mine– because there's no one better for me than you.”

Insane. He’s very questionable on most days, but right now he sounds a little insane as you ask him, dumbfoundedly, “Babe, what the hell are you on about?”

He shrugs. “Just trying to prove my point.”

You want to cry. You can’t believe he started talking about anything just to make you feel better about tonight, so you allow yourself to lean fully against his side and let your tears fall.

Vernon lets you cry on him, leaning back towards you. He hugs you, slowly, his hands tenderly taking a hold of you, and that leads to new, fresh tears— but you can't bring yourself to raise your arms and hold him back.

(Hold him back. Maybe that's what you were doing without knowing, maybe there is someone out there who's better suited for him and his family's expectations, maybe, maybe, maybe.)

“Hey.”

You look up at him, eyelashes damp and a frown on your face as if to ask what, making him grin and brush your tears away with his thumb.

“You heard what I said, right? There's no one better for me than you. That won't change, I promise.”

In, out. The sound of his breathing was calming, the growing darkness of the late night a protective veil around the both of you, little night birds singing far away. He grins at you, gently but widely like he has all the answers you need, like just staying by his side is the answer.

“We can work this out,” he continues soflty. “What we can't do is have you all sad thinking you're anything but it for me, alright? C'mon, they'll get round.”

You scoff, still feeling uneasy. “You don’t know that.”

“I do. I do know that, because I know them and I know you,” he states firmly. “And I’ll tell you a secret, they'll eventually come around, and I will make that dream come true. Since we’re being cheesy, you wanna hear another secret? I love you.”

“You're really doing the most,” you chuckle despite yourself, letting him cuddle you against his chest and kiss your head. Vernon was right, and you wanted to believe him, so you tell him back, “Okay. I love you too.”

His phone rings with a text from his sister a few hours later, once he’s already fast asleep in your arms. It reads, “— you got this, bro!! ♡”

Mingyu is talking the minute he gets out of the house, walking side by side with you.

“It's okay,” he smiles, trying to cheer you up. “I didn't like you at first either.”

You smack him in the arm, chuckling nervously at him. He grins and links your arms back together, smiling fondly at you. “What? Now I can't live without you. It's a good omen, if you ask me.”

You’re not sure what to make of tonight. Should you answer to his easy going response with the same energy? Should you tell him about his wrong use of the word omen?

“What if it never happens? If they never... like me?” would you leave me then?, you’re too afraid of his answer to blatantly ask, but Mingyu knows how to read between the lines. At least around you.

“That’s a little dramatic, babe, am I rubbing off on you too much?” he teases, like it's no big deal for him, and you don’t know how to feel about that. “You'll grow on them.”

“Like fungus?”

“Like fungus. Just like you did with me.”

You try to smile again, but it's forced. You don't feel good, so you sigh and lean against his arm.

Mingyu is trying his best here. He wants you to know that even if his own President Moon were to ask him today to leave your side he would tell him no.

Maybe. Maybe he'll change names and run away with you, or plan a misterious hit on his nation’s president. Either way, he's not leaving you behind, that's his point. Is it so hard to believe?

He thought that joking was a clear way to tell you hey, I love you, no matter what people say– even if it makes me a bit sad, I'm staying with you.

But you look sad, and it's making Mingyu sweat a little, so he tries a new way to approach it.

“Everything is difficult at first,” he says under his breath. “We just need to keep going at it until they get it, okay? Together.”

You shake your head slightly, such a small, barely perceptible movement that it could be mistaken for a twitch. But Mingyu knows you better than anyone else on the planet, he thinks, and his heart squeezes painfully once he realizes that was a dejected head shake.

“Babe,” he stops walking, his arms encasing you tentatively, his face ghosting on your hair and the familiar scent of your shampoo. “No need to dwell on it, really. I want to make it easier for them, but if they can’t see how great you are, it’s their loss. It’s not like I’ll stop bringing you around or anything. I’m selfish like that, you know. You’re kinda stuck with me.”

You chuckle, squeezing his hand admittedly more relaxed, his truthful words licking your wounded heart. “What a terrible destiny.”

Mingyu rolls his eyes. “Shockingly, I've heard of people having it worse.”

You laugh loudly at his pout, cuddling him and stealing all his warmth. “I love you too. Thank you.”

He doesn't let go of your hand the entire walk back home.

Wonwoo was excited for tonight, and in consequence, so were you. He didn't expect their rude behavior at all, his face growing drier and more defensive as the hours ticked by. Finally, after hearing him say “We’ll get going,” in the coldest voice you’ve ever heard from him, you pick up your stuff with tense shoulders and leave.

Once you reach that godforsaken doorstep, Wonwoo tells you to wait in the car with a parting kiss on your forehead.

“But–”

“No buts,” he says sternly. “I have things to say to them, it won’t take too long. Put some of your music on, alright?”

“Okay,” you agree bregudgely, frowning. “You’ll come back, right?”

Wonwoo's stare softens at of your small voice, grabbing your hands to kiss them, lingering for a moment too long before letting you go. “Don’t worry too much, it's not like they'll do anything to me.”

He comes back to the car exactly ten minutes later, his raven hair a mess on his forehead and he grips the steering wheel so strongly his knuckles turn white, jaw clenched.

It’s only when you arrive home that he confronts you. Your knees are moving the car, shaking up and down, and he’s back to being so quiet and serious you’re half expecting him to tell you to get out and never come back.

Once you finally open your mouth to break the tense silence, he suddenly calls your name. “I'm sorry.”

You gape at him, words stuck in your throat when you notice the intense look on his face. “It's okay,” you gulp. “I. I understand if you want to leave– maybe we should just... accept the inevitable.”

You’re looking down at your hands, missing the raw panic in Wonwoo’s face. “What?”

“I said, maybe we should consider this, I mean, us. Our relationship–”

Wonwoo's stomach goes cold. “No, no. No one's leaving. I’m not leaving you,” he interrupts you in a frenzy, cupping your face and looking so vulnerable you feel the urge to cry.

“Listen, I'm sorry they were out of line. But what they think doesn't change what I feel for you. You were great, you are great, the greatest, and I love you. Don’t jump into conclusions– don't worry about them too much.”

You shake your head between his hands, still hang up on it. “I don’t want you to fight with them for this.”

“We didn't fight.”

You look at him incredulously. Wonwoo raises his chin, childishly stubborn. “We didn't fight, we just... talked. About manners, politely, like family should talk. And I would do it even if it were anyone else, because if you’re hurting, I’m hurting, alright? I can’t just leave it alone, (YN).”

It’s a hot Friday night in Seoul, fancy cars are passing through yours in a blink, unaware of your heart beating painfully against your ribs, thump thump thumping while Wonwoo takes your hand and kisses the palm of it, his lips pressing on the softness of your skin. “Am I being too much?”

“No,” you chuckle wetly, grabbing and squeezing his hand in return. “No, you’re good. Thank you, baby. I love you.”

“Me too,” you feel him squeeze your hands gently before he leans over to kiss you, lingering on your lips. You smile against him when you hear car horns outside, and he begrudgingly pulls away. “Let’s go inside. It's been a long night.”