#that made ‘opportunity’ impossible everywhere else

[ghostieyanyan]

hi ~🤍 how do you think (yan or not). demon twst react to find out mc is a human girl ? they khow she is magicless but ahem...

~Human girl in NRC?!~

Yan!DemonAU!Idia x fab!mc

Yan!DemonAU!Jack x fab!mc

Yan!DemonAU!Leona x fab!mc

I'll still use they/them pronouns even if mc is female. so if you're male, there is talk about future kids so processed with caution

i don't know if you sent this twice or if someone just asked the same question but i don't mind either way. i picked some random students to write about since you didn't specify which one you wanted. i hope you enjoy!!

Warnings: maybe a lot of grammar issues (sorry), future kids talk, stalking, creepy behavior, hint of nsfw, cannibalistic behavior

~~~

Idia

Idia found out second hand, aka from Ortho.

Apparently, when ortho meets anyone, he does an automatic scan of them. It basically tells him everything about the person, mainly physically. That scan also goes into Idia's computer and he happened to see it.

To see the mysterious prefect has more layers of mysteriousness??? You must be a legendary pull!!!!! He HAS to know more. but it wasn't like he'll talk to you himself.... his heart couldn't take that.

Instead, he asked ortho to check up on you. which wasn't too hard cause you already consider Ortho as one of the first years in your group.

He recorded every interaction you had with ortho, pretending you were talking to him~

"How are you today?"

"You did great, Orth--- ████ !!"

"Hey, you wanna stop by Ramshackle dorm after school?"

He'd probably made an AI voice box like your voice for his sick fantasy.

Talking about Ramshackle, he also had installed hidden cameras in every corner of that dorm. One in the kitchen, one in the living room, two in the bathroom, two in your room, and much more. Inside, outside, everywhere!

He likes watching you when you're alone. He also hates to see anyone else in your dorm, with the exception of his own brother and that cute kitty.

Idia likes to think, in a fantasy world where he has more courage, you'll be in the kitchen making him something because work called him in last and when he gets home, you'll greet him with a "welcome home, master" with cat ears---!!!! fantasy world but still!!!

No only is he just feed his sick fantasy of you, he imagined what a future with you would be like... You had no magic so if he took you away to the Island of Woe, you'll have a really hard time running away from him, nearly impossible.

Plus... he's family is a pretty powerful family.... one day, he'll have to think about future kids...

With that, he's decided he'll try to talk to you. It'll be easy with your connect with Ortho, plus Ortho could help.

Ortho would probably see this as helping his older brother with a crush and if that crush helps his brother out of his shell, its a win win!

Idia will, of course, only tell his brother about his innocent pining for you and keep his dark fantasies to himself for now. Until he's sure you wouldn't might him share his fantasies with you. And if you do mind... sorry to break it to you-

Maybe when he takes the overblot students to the island of woe, he'll also take you. saying it's for your safety. No one knows why there's been a coincident amount of students in NRC overblot. Plus you being caught in is most of them time is worrisome. you staying in NRC will likely end you life if you keep in countering these Overblots.

Ortho couldn't help but agree with his brother but also saw this opportunity to get you more closer to his brother.

"What do you think, prefect?"

~~~

Jack

Jack was one of the first to find out about your little secret. It was your scent... But he's not the type to share it if you haven't shared it yourself. And if any other beastmen tried to share that information or point it out without your permissions, he'll have a nice chat with them. You don't have to worry a thing!

Whether you, him, or anyone that notices, wants to admit or point out, jake has been stuck to your hip. He will 100% be like a personal. Make sure no one enters a room when you are changing. Make sure that when you use the restroom, no one is trying to peek at you. Especially makes sure that no one tries anything that might be a threat to you!

He'll total imagine you running your fingers through his hair, scratching behind his ears, and rubbing the base of his horns. He will go feral.

If you ask Jack about how this world works, his tail will start wagging. (he's happy you came to him with your questions.) He'll answer any questions you have, even the "obvious" ones. He not the type to make you feel guilty about asking a question that you don't know, unlike ace.

If the topic changes to the future, he'll say that he's planning to find a mate so that he can proudly work hard for his mate and his pups. But he's "not in a rush to look for one right now." Cause he's already found his mate...

Some people on the outside of your relationship with Jack, might say that you have Jack wrapped around your little finger. You want to lay down on him? He'll turn into his wolf form so you'll be comfortable. You late to something? He'll give you a ride! (He could change into his wolf form but he could also give you a piggy back ride.. and feel your legs wrapped around him~)

Jack tries his hardest to not let his animal instincts scary you off. It's not like he thinks your weak, anything but that! He actually admires you, you were thrown into an unknown world and learned to adapted and you've made yourself home here. You've also make home in his heart~

He could only hope that your relationship grows enough that you wouldn't want to leave...

In dyer situations, Jack will protect you. He'll shield you with his own body, protecting you from tiny things like falling books or from big powerful spells.

He also really likes to watch you nurse him back to health. If you were anyone else, he'll brush you off, saying "he's fine" or "he can take care of himself." But since your the one nursing him, he's a little more weaking on his protest.

Watching you take care of him, makes me super excited for the future. Maybe he'll help you were sick? Or maybe he'll walk in on you care for your pups?

Man... if it weren't for both of you being in college and freakily not financially ready for kids, he would-

~~~

Leona

He was one of the first people to find out. He usually wouldn't care much about it. he would have just allowed you to be and keeps his distance. And if you were paths do cross, he'll be mindful of the things he says to you, aka not being too rude to you. (Only people that were sharp notice his demeaner but it wasn't like they'll go up to the lion about it)

Without realizing it, he kinda became fond of you. How you go get things but not in an obedient pet way, just because you can help way... you often cant say no but you also could stand up for in justince? How you are still kind to the people who hurt you or used you, tricked you.. How you still help people with any background.

He couldn't understand it but he was also fascinated of it.

The day when you came to savanaclaw because you and your cat beast were kicked out of your dorm was, in better words, interesting.

He wasn't proud of it but when you slept in leona's room, he couldn't help himself from watching you sleep. Watching how your chest moved as you breathed in and out subconsciously. How savanaclaw's heat made you kick your blanket away, showing him your sweat glazed body. It made his mouth water..

he wonders how'd you taste..? No, your sweat wasn't enough to satisfy this lion, but you. Your blood, the meat that clung to your skin and bones, your organs... he wont mind killing you here and now just to have a taste...

But it was too soon, way too soon... he'll spoil himself if he wasn't patient.

For right now, watching you from a distance will be enough. unless you keep trying to interact with him, he cant make any promises...

After watching you for quite a while, hes thoughts about killing your just to taste you slowly subsided. but it was quickly replaced with another thought..

Cheka was at NRC for one of his visits, much to leona's dismay. but he'd overheard that cheka had taken a liking to you!

Whenever Cheka returned to leona's side, he'd always asked, "why does that not-demon live so far away..? They must be really lonely.." or "why not bring that not-demon home with us?! Then they wont be lonely anymore!!"

After Cheka left and leona had some time to think to himself. He thought, he could bring you back to Sunset Savana. You took care of cheka like he was your own. You wont be able to say no to cheka.

You'll also be taken care of. Food, roof over your head, secrity, what more could you need?

The only problem was how to make you stay...

He thought about it long enough and rolled over in his bed to take a nap.

Cheka would leave him alone if he had a new cousin to play with...

~~~

[nottswitch]

Hi!! :)

Congrats for your 1k hon! You deserve it🫶🏻

And for the celebration post I wanted to say Mattheo and 3 <3

hey there and thanks, babe!! i appreciate it <3 thanks for sending a request as well. yours turned out really cute! i will forever hold onto the hc that matty’s allergic to flowers. your aesthetic is…

— bloomcore

(based on the theme of flowers, gardens, gardening, and nature)

۶ৎ navigation ; masterlist ; mattheo m-list ; how to request ; 1k celebration

"…and this is our garden."

mattheo’s breath hitched when he saw the sheer expanse of the garden of your family home. it literally hitched – it was spring, and pollen was everywhere in the air, making his airways clog almost immediately. he swallowed, trying his hardest to will his allergies away, but unfortunately, it didn’t work like that.

"how… very nice, baby," he muttered after realizing that he’d been staring ahead like a dumbass for a solid minute.

to his relief, you seemed to take his state for being in awe instead of dread. however, then you gestured for him to follow you, which made him pray to everything that is holy to help him stay alive during the next… minutes? hours? it wouldn’t be that long, right? it was just a garden.

"…and this is where my mom keeps the daisies."

you glanced back at mattheo, your eyes gleaming with excitement – showing your boyfriend the pride and glory of your family estate had been a wish of yours for a while now. mattheo gave you a strained smile that reached his eyes, making it believable – but it only did so because his eyes were itching like hell. when you turned around and continued walking along the cobbled path of the garden, he discreetly rubbed his eyes, even though he knew he shouldn’t. great. now he looked high as fuck.

"babe, come here!"

mattheo’s head snapped to the side when she heard your voice coming from behind the nearest bushes. gathering the last bits of self-control, he walked around them, met by your shiny eyes. he really, really loved seeing you happy, which was why he agreed to this little tour – he just had to be the tough guy and take it. wasn’t the first time (although never quite in this type of a situation).

he started to really doubt his own ‘tough guy’ abilities when you shoved a flower right into his face, grinning widely at his dumbfounded expression that you took for simple surprise. "smell this! divine, right?"

"absolutely…" he muttered, feeling his eye twitch. he tried not to breathe but to appear like he was, which proved to be a practically impossible task. thankfully, you quickly took the flower away, your attention already focused on something else, which gave him an opportunity to blink and wipe away the tears that started streaming down his cheeks.

"…this is where the garden ends…"

a sigh of relief.

"…and the greenhouses begin!"

no. no, no, no, no, no.

"listen, babygirl… i have to tell you something, but please, promise not to laugh."

playlist

❥ summer wine by lana del rey

❥ delicate but taylor swift

❥ lové by emma peters

❥ heartbreak weather by niall horan

❥ fall in love by damien lauretta

[hunkpossession0]

THE NEXT FOOTBALLER SWAP

From a distance, I watched him, my heart pounding with anticipation. For months, I had meticulously planned this—learning the ancient incantations, preparing my mind and body for the ultimate transformation. I was about to take something unimaginable: his body, his life, his very essence. The power to be someone else, someone stronger, someone admired and desired by many. The power to be him.

As Radu drifted into a light sleep, I seized my opportunity. The spell was on the tip of my tongue, each word whispered with a mixture of fear and excitement. A rush of energy coursed through me as the magic took hold. My vision blurred, my heart raced, and then, with a sensation like falling into warm water, I was no longer in my own body.

I was inside his.

When I opened my eyes again, everything felt different. My skin was warmer, my muscles tighter and more defined. I glanced down at the broad chest and strong, sinewy arms that now belonged to me. I couldn’t help but run my hands over the smooth, sculpted flesh, feeling the power and strength beneath. My new heartbeat pounded in my ears, echoing the realization that I had done it—I was Radu Drăgușin.

Standing up, I stretched, feeling the muscles ripple under my skin. Every movement felt sensual, fluid, as if this body had been crafted for both power and pleasure. The feeling of the warm sand beneath my feet, the breeze against my bare chest—it was all more vivid, more intense. My senses were heightened, every touch more electrifying than it had ever been before.

I made my way back to Radu's luxurious hotel suite, my new body moving with a grace and confidence that felt exhilarating. As I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I paused, admiring the tall, athletic figure staring back. I let my hands explore, tracing the firm ridges of my abs, the strong curve of my jawline. The sensation of my own touch was overwhelming, sending shivers of pleasure through me. This body was a masterpiece, and it was mine now.

That night, lying in Radu's bed, I marveled at how perfectly this body responded to my desires. Every sensation was amplified, every touch felt deeper, more intimate. I could feel the heat building inside me, an undeniable hunger that surged through my veins. I knew that with this body, there were no limits to what I could experience, no boundaries to the pleasures I could explore.

The next morning, I arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur training grounds, the anticipation of living Radu's life thrilling me to my core. As I interacted with the team, I felt their admiration, their respect—and their subtle envy. Radu's body was built for performance, and I reveled in how effortlessly it handled the rigors of training. Every sprint, every tackle, every stretch was a reminder of the physical perfection I now possessed.

But as the day ended and night fell, the true excitement began. Showered and dressed in a fitted shirt that clung to my powerful frame, I ventured into the heart of London’s nightlife. The city pulsed with energy, and so did I. My body drew eyes everywhere I went—men looking at me with desire, their gazes lingering on my sculpted chest, my strong thighs. The air around me buzzed with unspoken attraction, and I could feel the heat rising within me, igniting a fire that was impossible to resist.

In the dim light of the club, as the music throbbed and bodies pressed close, I let myself indulge in the intoxicating mix of power and desire. Men gravitated towards me, their touches sending electric thrills through my body. The way they looked at me, the way they whispered in my ear, made my pulse race. In Radu's skin, I was untouchable, unstoppable, and completely free to embrace the hidden desires I had kept secret for so long.

Each night became a sensual journey, exploring the depths of pleasure that this new body allowed me to experience. The taste of sweat and skin, the heat of another body close to mine, the satisfaction of knowing that I could have any man I wanted—all of it was mine to enjoy, over and over again.

I had become Radu Drăgușin, the football star, the object of countless desires. But I was also something more—something only I knew. In the privacy of my own thoughts, I relished the secret that this body was now mine, forever. The thrill of living this double life, of being the public athlete by day and indulging in hidden pleasures by night, was a heady, exhilarating rush that never dulled.

As I lay back in bed after another night of passion, the sheets tangled around my legs, I smiled to myself. This was my life now, a life filled with power, desire, and endless possibilities. I had taken Radu Drăgușin’s body, and I intended to enjoy every moment of it. This body was mine—and with it, every fantasy I had ever dreamed of was now within my reach.

[peachiieu]

hiii!!! :3 I saw ur request are open and you write for cinder so I took the opportunity

May I request some Cinder x reader dating headcanons please? :3

Take ur time!

cinder dating hcs

pairing: cinder x reader (ninjago)

warnings: none

authors note: i’m so glad you requested this! i wish i had more hcs but unfortunately i don’t :( sorry i took so long to respond to ur ask! 🎀

word count: 1.0k

- when he first starts to like you, he doesn’t realize it and scoffs whenever you flirt with him, making it seem like he doesn’t like you

- in the corner of your eye, you’ll see a slight smirk on his face though he doesn’t look at you

- he doesn’t tell anyone about his little crush on you because he doesn’t trust the others in the wolf clan and acts on his best behavior to be favorited by ras

- everyone around you knew you and cinder liked each other before the two of you knew about your feelings for each other

- if smoke bothers you then he’ll try not to poof around and use his power as much around you

- although if he wants to scare you, you’ll either be alone or talking to someone, engrossed in a conversation when you suddenly smell smoke and feel a presence behind you

- will randomly give you a cup of coffee that he made on his own, wanting you to drink it as he watches for any signs of displeasure on your face

- if someone tries to hit on you and they have an elemental power, he’ll try to break them down by saying, “hm. i never knew that could be an element. to me, it just doesn’t seem that important.” so they’ll leave you alone

- he loves skin-to-skin contact and craves it so badly, always trying to be next to you and uncrossing his arms to rub his thumb on your wrist

- you’re a victim of the sassy man apocalypse

- as we all know, he’s a huge drama queen and is always making a scene to make the ninja or jordana look bad

- he’s the biggest shit-talker ever and rants to you about how annoying others are

- you’re probably the only person who hasn’t pissed him off

- he’ll be arguing with the ninja or jordana and will randomly accuse, “are you flirting with my partner? not cool.”

- he just wants attention and to be favorited by others like his master, ras

- whenever he wants your attention he’ll just stare at you or sigh many times, deeper and deeper as he crosses his arms

- if you give him a matching bracelet or something, he’ll wear it after you beg him to

- when having to camp with him with others around a fire, he’ll switch spots with you if the smoke is in your face because he can handle it the best

- follows the sidewalk rule, if you’re closer to the road then he’ll grab your arm and gently redirect you away

- you have to patch him up a lot, he’s obligated to train with nokt the most, and both aren’t known for being gentle so he comes back to you with bruises and occasional scars

- he isn’t entirely fond of pda, he’s not against physical touch in general with you but is extremely aware of how others think of him

- he doesn’t show pda much because if threats or the ninja are nearby, he knows they could hurt you to get to him because of their ulterior motives

- when he’s not in public he’s all over you

- it’s nearly impossible to get his hands off you because he hangs onto you like a koala

- not really a dating hc but your pillow and sheets smell like smoke because cinder sleeps with you

- sometimes jordana will take you away from him just to talk to you and to piss him off

- when he can, he’ll follow you if you’re talking to someone else, just standing behind you with his arms crossed

- wherever you live or spend most of your time, it probably smells like smoke because cinder’s always with you

- whenever the two of you get time alone or a small break from training, you’ll go into a private place and he’ll wrap his arms around your waist and give you kisses

- he doesn’t often get uninterrupted one-on-one time with you, so when alone, he’s touchy and so loving towards you

- follows you around everywhere, claims it’s for your protection and safety

- he’ll go to a different place if ras orders him to, but attempts to get you to come as well

- he’s so scared you’ll get hurt one day because of his actions, although he knows you’re fully capable of keeping yourself safe

- he loves to lay his head on your chest and try to fall asleep as you trace the scars on his back

- he stares at you in public when you’re far away from each other

- you always seem to notice and make eye contact with him, causing him to blush and avert his gaze

- he acts like such a baby when he’s sick, whining for you to sit near his feet when he sleeps on the couch so you can be with each other

- he loves warm food like soup and mac n cheese, so you make those foods when he’s sick

- if you and he are in a situation where you have to make a getaway, he’ll wrap his arm around your midsection and use his smoke power to teleport away

- but he won’t do that with anyone else unless he 100% has to in a life-or-death situation

- whenever you’re shivering and in a top that shows skin, he’ll place his fur coat on your shoulders

- when you realize it’s obvious to the ninja that you and cinder are together, you start holding onto his strong arm, not having to look up to know there’s a smirk on his face

- when his arms aren’t covered with sleeves, he’ll flex them in an attempt that you’ll notice him more than you already do

- he always tries to look his best around you, constantly checking his hair in a nearby mirror

[sleepingdeath-light]

poly relationship hcs ; jumin & v

requested by ; anonymous (02/08/23)

fandom(s) ; mystic messenger

fandom masterlist(s) ; here

character(s) ; v / jihyun kim, jumin han

outline ; “hi death, i hope you’re having a good day! i was wondering if i could request some sfw poly headcanons for mysme, either for v and jumin or jaehee and zen, whichever you feel like more! thank you in advance <3”

warning(s) ; none, just fluff!

with partners like jumin and v it’s impossible for you to not be spoiled rotten — they love providing for you and each make sure, in their own ways, that you’re never without whatever you want, need or crave (whether that’s a home cooked meal, a new outfit, supplies for your hobbies, or anything else)

jumin is incredibly protective of you and v, feeling a lot of guilt about what happened to his best friend (and now partner) in his last relationship and what followed it — so he makes sure that the two of you are accompanied by security whenever you’re out and about (overtly if you’re at a public event, like a gala or a fundraiser by the rfa, and covertly by a smaller group if you’re just running errands or going on a date or something else along those lines)

jihyun took up painting again after settling into your relationship and you and jumin are his muses — pretty much all of his warm up sketches are of the two of you (countless expressions, poses, scenarios, moments captured in pencil and pastel and oils and pen and charcoal and…), he takes pictures of you all of the time, makes sure that you know how wonderful you both are, even if most of his art featuring the two of you never leaves your home

jumin leans towards traditional pet names (like ‘darling’ and ‘dear’, when addressing the two of you) whilst being responsive to anything you use for him — including some ‘sillier’ pet names like ‘honey bunny’ and ‘baby’ — whereas v will generally just call you and jumin by you names or, occasionally, ‘my love’ or ‘my loves’ when addressing you both

the three of you go on frequent holidays just to escape the responsibilities of life for a while — jumin, his business, and you and jihyun, the duties of running the renamed rfa — and you go anywhere and everywhere you can (even tagging along on business trips with jumin just to get away for a few days — which he’s always quietly grateful for)

jumin and v are both early risers, with the former having to get up immediately in order to get to work whilst the latter enjoys staying in bed and cuddling for a little while — but neither leave bed without sharing a kiss amongst the three of you (with jihyun even returning later once you’ve woken up with some freshly made breakfast for you to share after jumin has gone to work — or to have with him if it’s one of his rare days off)

you and v will often venture out to jumin’s office in order to join him for lunch, taking the opportunity to spend some much needed time together in the midst of his packed schedule — but if he’s too busy that day you two will just pack him something with some loving notes for him to read between meetings

between the three of you elizabeth the third is absolutely spoiled rotten and you wouldn’t have it any other way — three sets of hands to give her affection, three humans to play with, three pet parents buying her all of the toys and treats a cat could possibly want, and three laps to curl up on when she’s tired (what a life!)

when it comes to kissing — jumin always kisses you passionately and never fails to leave you flustered and breathless (he also prefers to kiss your knuckles or your lips), whilst jihyun prefers to kiss you sweetly and chastely whilst making every one count (he also prefers to kiss the top of your head and your wrists)

jumin sleeps flat on his back and enjoys having the two of you cuddled up to him — either against his sides or on his chest — whilst v is a side sleeper who prefers to spoon over anything else, but he’s also happy to have you or jumin resting on his chest if you’re comfortable there

[shiny-jr]

Congratulations on hitting such a big milestone you deserve it! :D Also thank you for giving us this opportunity and even if mine doesn't get chosen it will be fun to see what other combos come up. I'll go with, GAZE - “Do you let others stare at you like this?”, with Epel because I'm curious to see how you'll write him. Stay hydrated and have a nice day!

– Warning: Kinda a yandere thing. Gender-neutral reader.

– Prompt: Gaze. “Do you let others stare at you like this?” 

– Character: Epel Felmier.

– Note: Epel is actually one of those characters I kinda struggle with when writing. I started this idea but then deleted the few sentences I had and started anew. It's nothing special, but hopefully it's adequate for a few little lines.

When Epel gazed up at you, you were always the tiniest bit creeped out. At first it was, dare you say it, kinda cute. Although you’d never say that to his face, lest you risk pissing him off. It was hard not to notice those big bright blue eyes looking up at you, the way his soft lavender locks curled to frame his round face. What made it impossible to ignore was the way he’d not-so-discreetly scoot closer to you, testing the waters to see how far he could go with whatever he was planning. Whenever you awkwardly smiled at him, a curve appeared to form on his lips to create a happy smile. However, when you would turn away or seven forbid, look at someone else, he would scowl deeply and become irritated. Not at you though, but at whoever your attention was on. 

For what seemed like the umpteenth time this week, Epel was at it again, gazing up at you and batting his lashes at you. You weren’t sure if he was pushing aside his pride to do that or if it was being done unconsciously, but frankly, you were too afraid to ask. The only other person in the vicinity had just left after you glanced at them, leaving you alone with Epel. At the moment, you were attempting to think of an excuse to leave. 

Abruptly, Epel piped up, “Do you let others look at ya like this?” He was speaking informally again. 

"Huh...?"

The young man frowned and continued, “Why do ya have to look everywhere but me? C’mon, I’m not stupid, you’re avoiding lookin’ at me. Why’s that? Are you nervous? Can’t stand the sight of me? Or are you embarrassed?”

[whiskeynwriting]

i love ghost x bones ... will there be a part 3? ☺️

Not a part 3 but definitely a continuation of their relationship

In Plain Sight

Simon “Ghost” Riley x OFC “Bones” 

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Word Count: 4.6k 

Warnings: 18+ (minors DNI)

Established relationship, public sex (caught in the act), unprotected vaginal sex, size kink, tiny bits of violence, possessive Simon, spanking

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A/N: I. Loved. This.

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Simon “Ghost” Riley Masterlist

Join My Taglist!

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Hiding your relationship isn’t nearly as dull as you thought it’d be. You assumed this would be an easy thing, it’s not like you see the entire team at once, at least, not often. Plus, there aren’t that many people on base, so you figured it would be easy to sneak around. But it’s almost like, on a subconscious level, everybody knew. 

As soon as your relationship began, everyone was around more. The boys all started hanging out in the medical room, cracking jokes and smoking until it got late. When they went out, they’d stay at the bars until midnight at least, dragging Ghost along with them. Even returning from missions, they wouldn't leave Ghost be. In the medical room, in the barracks, in the washrooms, they were always by him. Like fucking flies, they were impossible to get rid of, as of late. 

It made things extremely difficult for you and Ghost, your relationship was really suffering from it. And what made it worse was that you didn’t even have a phone number to call or text. Everywhere you wanted to hug him, hold him, touch him, was occupied by his team. At times, you wondered if Ghost would just rather say fuck it, it was fun while it lasted. But you know that isn’t the case. Every time you pass him, he gives you a knowing glance, looking you over before lifting his attention to your eyes. He still came to see you occasionally, claiming to have pulled a muscle or something else superficial. But you’d have only seconds before the boys came in. Still, it was nice to know he was still there, that he still cared. 

“Ready for a long day, lass?”

Chuckling, you raise an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean, Johnny?”

He’s sweaty, the wetness dripping down the side of his forehead and making his shirt dark from the dampness. His breathing is off, too. They’d just come back from the interior gym. 

“Price is runnin’ us pretty hard today. We’ll be here late.” He sends you a wink, patting the table beside your desk. The one Ghost laid on when you’d patched up his stab wound. “And that means, you’ll be here late, too.” 

Rolling your eyes, you sigh. “Yeah, I’ll be here.”

“Maybe come to the pubs with us afterward?” It’s posed more so as a question than an overt offer, and it makes you grin. Sometimes, Soap was shy when he flirted. 

Nodding, you return with a gentle, “Maybe.”

You haven’t gone out with the team at all, let alone since you started fucking Ghost. But who knows, maybe you could tonight. You’re feeling extra desperate for him, lately. You just want to be around him, sit in his comforting presence. He makes you feel safe, cared for, warm. 

This new knowledge excites you, though. With the boys coming up to the outdoor gym, not only will you be able to see Ghost in passing, but you’ll also be able to watch him. And you’ve never had the opportunity to watch him workout before. 

The main path to the outdoor area is through the medical room, so you’ll be able to see each one of them. Gaz comes up after Soap, not saying much. He never does, just gives you a small smile and nod. And then Alejandro, asking how you are, just to be polite. Price asks the same, hanging around a bit longer than the comrade before him. The captain seems genuinely interested in what you have to say, how you’re feeling, whether or not you’ve had a nice day. You find this incredibly sweet, and also comforting, knowing how much he cares. 

And then there’s Ghost. He purposely hung back in the group, wanting to get even the tiniest amount of alone time with you. When you hear his footsteps, you turn around, your body tingling with excitement. A wide smile makes its way across your face when you see him, that gloved hand now opening the door. 

His eyes are full of admiration as he looks at you, stepping forward with ease. With the boys out of the room, his hands naturally find your hips, his form towering above you. 

“Hey, B.” 

B, a nickname from your nickname. Something he came up with over these past few weeks. 

Grinning from ear to ear, you stare up at him, hands sliding over his chest. “Hey, baby.” 

A small, happy hum comes from his throat, bringing his forehead down to yours. He feels your palms slide over his shoulders, your fingers petting at him. “Miss me?” 

“Desperately.” You answer dramatically, rolling your eyes with a grin. But honestly, it’s true. 

Those thick fingers tighten on your hips, his low chuckle vibrating above his ribs. When he feels your hands on the back of his neck, one of his palms leaves. Rising to his face, he lifts the very edge of his mask, eyes darting up to the glass behind you. It displays the training course - he’s making sure no one can see. 

The kiss isn’t heated or firm, it’s a gentle yet passionate connection. Both of you sigh into it, bodies melting together. He pulls you close, pressing the firmness of his chest to your much softer one. 

“I’m sorry.” He says, releasing an aggravated breath. You only have time for this single kiss. “I’ve gotta go.”

“I know.” You’re nodding, though you can’t hide the disappointment on your face. But as your hands slide down, holding either side of his face, you whisper to him, “It’s okay.” 

Honestly, you’re not that disappointed when he goes. At least, not as disappointed as you usually are. It’s only because he’s remaining close. Just being near Simon brings you a sense of security and genuine happiness; Jesus, you’re really falling for him. 

To say he was a distraction from your afternoon tasks is an understatement. Sitting at your desk, it’s almost impossible to keep your eyes on the papers you’re currently filing. There are many aspects to the outdoor course, a track, an area for weights, rock climbing simulation, etc. The boys started out on the running path with Price shouting  the occasional command. After that, it seems like they’re able to do their own thing, as long as they’re still working. 

Simon’s eyes meet your own as he walks in your direction, toward the station closest to you. Smirking beneath his mask, he takes a seat on one the benches, eyeing the weight equipment surrounding him. Per usual, it’s not long before Soap joins him. He’s trying to talk to Ghost, but he shrugs him off, not saying much in response. You watch dreamily as he lays back on the bench, preparing for a round of bench presses. 

Every time he lifts the weights, his muscles flex - you can see them moving beneath his gray long sleeve. Jesus, he’s so big, so powerful. There are so many weights on either end and he’s lifting it like they’re nothing to him. Honestly, probably just to show off. 

He’s still sweaty from his run when Johnny nudges him, nodding to the pull-up bars. The broadness of Ghost’s shoulders jumps a little; he’s laughing. Whatever Soap said gets him to move, standing from his short time at the bench. Furrowing your eyes, you watch as they move, Soap’s hands immediately grabbing for the higher bar. Simon goes to grab the one next to him, but stops, glancing back at you. It makes your face run hot, a shy smirk crawling across your lips at being caught. But he finds it cute. 

Contemplating his next move, his fingers reach down, finding the edge of his shirt and lifting it from his torso. Your jaw drops when he does it, tossing the shirt onto the sweat-covered bench. With little to no cloud coverage in the sky, the sun shines down on him, glistening across his skin. You can’t believe it, you can’t believe how good he looks, how fucking fit he is. 

Cracking the window open just a pinch, you’re able to listen in on their conversation. 

“Showin’ off for the med. girl, huh, L’t?”

“For the last time, Johnny.” He sighs in that deep voice, approaching the bar. “She’s not some med. girl. She’s got a code name, use it.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Okay.”

Grunting, his fingers wrap around the metal, hauling the bulk of his body into the air. “She deserves our respect.” He says it when he lowers back down, a heavy sigh filtering through his lips.

You’re sure he doesn’t know the window is cracked, you were fairly quiet about it. And to know this is how he speaks about you when you’re not around or can’t hear genuinely flatters you. 

“Think she might come out with us tonight.” Johnny’s up on the bar now, too, the one next to Simon. 

“Yeah? What makes you think that?”

Soap’s heavy grunts and sighs fill the air now, too, their collective noises making you stir inside. It feels strangely, dumbly, primitive. Being so turned on by muscular men. But honestly, you can’t help it. They look fucking fantastic. 

“I invited her again.” Johnny responds, giving up after twenty-five reps. Ghost is still going. “She seemed more open to it.”

Simon doesn’t say anything, he just keeps going. Every single muscle in his torso, arms, and back, they’re all flexing, working to build their volume up to a higher capacity. It’s so impressive, seeing him like this, getting just a tiny glimpse at what he can really do.

“Anyways,” Soap sighs, grabbing a water bottle from the cooler. “Hope she comes, would love to get her a drink.”

Ghost had been ignoring Soap’s comments until that one hits the air. Dropping from the bar, Simon huffs out a breath, dusting his hands off while turning to face his friend.

“You fancy her, yeah?”

“Think she’s alright.” Soap is smirking now, almost bashfully. 

“You don’t think Price would have a problem with that?” Shifting his weight, he crosses his arms over the expanse of his chest, gaze becoming predatory. 

Soap shrugs. “I dunno, don’t think so. As long as it didn’t interfere with work. Why not?” 

If this is true, Ghost thinks, maybe we can make things public after all.

“You talkin’ about Bones again?” Alejandro walks up, reaching between the two men to get to the cooler, too. 

Jesus, is everyone after her?

“Yeah, she’s comin’ out tonight.” Johnny grins, rolling his eyes when Ghost grumbles a maybe under his breath. Winking, he pats his Lieutenant on the chest. “I’ll convince her.” 

That’s it.

Marching forward, he presses past Johnny, earning a disgruntled noise from his friend. Stepping back, he eyes the much longer man, raising a brow. “Ghost? Where are ya goin’?” 

Opening the door to the medical room, he shouts over his shoulder. “Pulled a muscle.”

You’re lighting up with excitement until Price’s voice floats across the yard. “I don’t think so.” Comes that booming voice. “Sparring match, now. Half you lads couldn’t hold your own on the last mission.” 

Fuck, rolling your eyes, you sigh. So close.

You figure this will be pretty entertaining, though. You’ve never seen the boys fight. Honestly, this is all new. 

Sparring takes place in the center of the field, quite a ways away from you. But you can still see clearly enough to see who’s who. Leaning forward in your chair, you listen as well as you can to figure out the rules. Basically, no cheap shots to the groin. Anything else is apparently fair game. 

“Soap,” Ghost is already ordering, “You and me.”

“I thought -” 

“Let’s go.” Stepping up, Ghost grunts quietly, cracking his neck.

Soap isn’t sure why Ghost is acting so confrontational. Usually, Price paired them up. But he figures, why the hell not? Stepping forward, he readies his stance, thinking he has a fighting chance. 

Simon just wants to get some anger out. He knows you’re his, even if they aren’t aware of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to hear them talk about you. He was happy you’d been declining Soap’s offers, and internally, he wanted to knock his jaw for even trying to make a move on you. 

Circling slowly, Soap is the first one to swing, Ghost dodging it and then punching his ribs quickly. It seems like Johnny’s on the attack, surprisingly, but Ghost remains calm, calculated. After missing two more strikes, Ghost lands on upper-cut. The way he’s moving makes the muscles in his torso twist and flex, his biceps bulging when he hits. You’re thinking about making an excuse for them to do this more often. 

It’s obvious who’s winning, but Ghost is starting to get into his head. He hasn’t felt your warmth in so many days now, it’s been more than a week since you slept in his bed. Maybe he can skip out on drinks tonight, opting to sneak you in instead. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Fuck, he can’t wait to hold you, snuggle you, wrap you in his arms and nuzzle into your sweet-smelling hair. He misses you, longs for you, every bit of you. And then, he turns his head, those warm eyes meeting your own from a few yards away. He holds your gaze, a small moment passing between the two of you. 

Just when you think the match will be done with, Johnny takes another stab. Ghost is so in his head with thoughts of you that he doesn’t notice, and doesn’t block it. Sharply, Johnny’s fist and Simon’s face connect, knocking Ghost’s large body to the side. He stumbles a bit, grunting. 

“Oh shit!” You shout in surprise, eyes going wide. 

“Fuckin’ hell, Johnny!” 

“Alright, alright. That’s enough for you two. Gaz, Alejandro, let’s go.” 

“Sorry, Ghost.” Soap is smiling while he shrugs. “Better luck next time.” 

“Ghost, go take a break.” Price orders, “I don’t need you to bruise.” It’s not like anyone will see it, but that’s not the point. He doesn’t want the pain to hinder him. 

Glady, he thinks, licking his lower lip.

As soon as you see him head your way, you’re on your feet, grabbing antiseptic wipes and an ice pack for him. It’s nothing serious but… it's Simon. Your Simon. And you’ve never seen him get hit like that.

“Hey, love.” Comes that deep grunt, the door opening and then shutting behind him.

“Hey, baby. Come sit.” Patting the table, you urge him over, but he just laughs. 

“It’s nothing serious, B.” 

“Well, I’m still going to clean it.” You say firmly, frowning. Reaching over, you grab his bicep, pulling him to the table. He obliges. “I didn’t like that.” You’re murmuring, lifting his mask and sliding the wipe over his cut lip. 

His shoulders scrunch up, then dip. “You know I’ve gotten stabbed right?” He chuckles, admiring your focused expression.

“Yeah, I had to stitch it up.” You remind him with a grin. Shaking your head, you then ask him, “What happened, anyway? Too busy thinking of me?”

“Actually, yeah.” 

“Oh, really?” Backing up, you throw away the wipe, handing him the ice pack you’d retrieved for him.

“Havin’ you around is kind of a big distraction.” Glancing down, he rolls his eyes. “And apparently not just for me.”

“What are you talking about?” 

“Do the boys always flirt with you?”

“Well, yeah. But I can’t really help that.”

A quick sigh is then forced out of his nose, rising to his feet and tossing the ice pack down. It lands on the table, and from your seat, you look at him, surprised. “Are you… mad at me?”

Turning, he reaches down, grabbing you by the arm and lifting you to your feet. His other hand finds your jaw, fingers brushing over your face. 

“I want you, B.” He’s looking down at you with those warm eyes, those deep hues of brown and caramel swirling. “Those assholes don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Exactly.” You’re cooing softly to him, reaching up to hold his face, too. 

Simon’s eyes graze across your face, taking you in. It’s been a little bit since he’s been this close to you. “Don’t worry about them, baby.” You want to reassure him, too. Simon isn’t good with words, he shows his interest through actions. You, on the other hand, are good with words. And that just so happens to be one of Simon’s love languages. 

Leaning down, Simon molds his mouth to yours, the metallic taste of his blood leaking onto your lower lip. But you don’t care, honestly… it’s kind of sexy. Seeing him like this, all rugged and sweaty from working his body and muscles to their limit. From how sweaty he was when he first came up, you know their training inside must have been rigorous.

“Baby, they’re gonna see.” 

“I can’t take it anymore.” His eyes are still closed, mouth insistent with his hands wrapping around you. They squeeze your hips, his small moans making you melt into him. 

His back is facing the windows, completely hiding your smaller body. So, even if someone was looking, they probably wouldn’t see much. That is, until he turns you to face them.

“Simon,” A small gasp leaves your lips, wanting to feel more of his. “W-What are you doing?”

“Said I wanted you, didn’t I?” He’s leaning over you from behind, pressing your front onto the padded table he was just sitting on. His hands are still on your hips, his mouth just beside your ear, and he kisses it. 

“Right here?”

“Fuck,” Dropping his head, he places his hairline at the nape of your neck. His fingers are lining the hem of your pants as he says, “Yeah, sweetheart. Right here.” 

Lowering himself even further, he starts mouthing at your neck, ignoring the sting from his cut. The weight of him presses into you from behind, his forearms resting on either side of you as he cages you in with his body. 

“I’m supposed to be here with you, Price sent me. No one’ll notice I’m gone.” He’s trying to reassure you because Jesus fuck, he wants this. He wants you. 

“Mm…” A small smirk curls on the edge of your lip, feeling him grind into your ass. Lolling your head to the side, you let him kiss your neck, sighing from it. “Okay.”

“Yeah?” He asks hurriedly, groaning. “Yeah, baby?” 

“Yeah,” Now, you’re nodding, rubbing yourself back against him. 

Your insides heat up from the excitement of it, of possibly being caught. You’ve never done anything like this before, but Simon is right. Your chances of being seen are pretty low. The boys are all busy, and they won’t expect him to be back for a while. 

The brazenness of it all comes to life when Simon’s fingers move to your hips, pulling your pants down. He settles them around your mid-thigh, shoving his shorts down, too. 

“Fucking hell, I’ve missed this.” Staring down, he reaches for you, rubbing his fingers over your center. 

Lids dropping along with your head, you release a quiet and airy breath. So much of his skin is available for you to see and feel but you can’t do any of that, not with you still so covered. 

Simon’s hand flies up to his mouth, licking his digits before shoving them back down. He rubs you firmly, his tongue tingling with your taste. Rotating your hips back against him with a tiny moan, he shakes his head, loving the way you respond to him. And then he’s grabbing himself, lining up with your entrance. His head swipes through your sex, pulsing when he feels your wetness. And when he starts to slide in, he doesn’t look away, staring the entire time the two of you connect. 

“Simon,” Fingers reaching for the edge of the table, they curl around it, lungs inhaling a sharp breath. 

But he doesn’t respond, he just groans, wrapping his left arm around your midsection. He palms at your right breast, thumb rubbing your nipple through your shirt. His free hand then clings to your hip, the heavy intrusion of him seated inside when his pelvis meets your ass. 

“Oh my god…” 

“Good,” He grumbles out in that low, accented voice. “Taking it so easy.” 

It’s because you’re starting to get used to him. 

His forehead drops to your covered back, the very top of it. With a heavy breath, he moves his hips, just rotating them. The arm around your torso tightens, the fingers of his opposite hand digging into your hip. Every so lightly, he smacks it, and it makes you gasp.

“That’s it.” The way he says it tells you he’s grinning. “Make some noise for me.”

“Baby,” It comes out as a high whine, completely forgetting about the window you’d opened. 

“Oh…” That gives him the motivation to retract his hips before plunging back into you. 

Already, his pace is hurried, rocking your body against the medical table. Shifting his stance, he angles himself behind you, hitting you deep. Every thrust makes you whine, your little squeaks pleasing him greatly. 

Retracting his arm slightly, his hand travels down, pressing his palm over your lower belly. He’s grunting into your ear, body pressing you down with the weight of his chest on your back. Searching briefly, it doesn’t take long for him to find it, the slight jab of his tip against your inner skin. 

“You feel me?” Simon whispers gruffly, making your skin shiver. His voice seems rougher than ever before. “You feel me in your belly?” 

You’re gasping for him, walls contracting around his length. He doesn’t even pull out all the way before he’s inside you again. The pleasure of it all, of his body and words, overwhelms you, tears forming in the corners of your lids.

“Yes!” You wail out for him, pinching your tear-soaked eyes shut as you nod rapidly. 

“Feel me.” Ghost demands, reaching up and grabbing one of your hands. He then guides it down, his palm pressing your hand into your skin. Turning his head, he mouths at your ear, kissing it before whispering, “You feel that inside? 

You can; it’s the tip of him punching up against your inner skin, fucking himself into you until molded to him.

“Yes, Simon. Simon, I-”

And then his hand is leaving yours, chest heaving from his emotions and physical exertion. That same hand rises, fingers clasping around your neck. His quick movement and brute force prompt you to open your own, blown pupils widening. Palm flying up to hold onto him, squeezing his forearm in your tiny hand, you gasp. But he doesn’t squeeze, he just holds you, growling into your ear, “You’re mine.”

Helplessly, you whine, having craved this for days, for more than a week. And you’d think that after his workouts he’d be tired, but no. The mere idea of taking you forced adrenaline through his veins all over again.

“S-Simon!”

He’s pounding into you ruthlessly, chasing his own pleasure and knowing he’s giving you yours. More so than before, he lets his weight sink into you, hips jutting against your ass as he continues. 

“Feel good, B? Yeah?” Eyes rolling back into your head, you nod, moaning for him. It makes him smile breathlessly, the side profile of your expression. “Where do you want me, darling?”

Both of you had been right with your initial assumption, the boys are busy. But Soap, isn’t. You’d forgotten he was Ghost’s competitor, now taking a rest himself. And during that rest, he takes it upon himself to wander over, grabbing a bottle of water from the cooler. 

You’re too distracted by Simon’s body and words that you don’t even notice when Johnny comes over - but Ghost does. Of course, he does. Flashing his eyes up, they meet quite suddenly with his teammate’s, Johnny’s eyes widening in shock. His lips even part, pupils darting away immediately. 

Satisfied, Simon returns to you. “I asked you a question.” 

“On my ass,” You moan, and Johnny can hear you now. “Can you cum on my ass? Please?” That makes him throb; both of them, actually. 

And now, Soap gets it. From the way you’re talking, it’s clear to him that the two of you have done this before. 

Interesting, he thinks. She’s never asked that of me before.

It actually surprises him so much that he’s at a loss for words, lips parting as his eyes pinch shut. Quietly, he mumbles out a small, “Naughty.”

Something inside him snaps, a feeling in his chest breaking loose. It’s a sensation that’s raw and primal, a feeling of possessiveness and determination. He’s never felt this way about a woman before. 

Wrapping both arms around your midsection again, he grunts, hips stuttering as soon as your words allow them to. And then, he’s pulling out, bringing his dominant hand around. Leaning back, he jerks himself off over your ass, his chest heaving out desperate breaths. It flows through him, the absolute ecstasy of his high. He knew he wouldn’t last long, not when he hasn’t had you in more than a week. But honestly, you’re okay with that. For Ghost, you’re okay with anything. 

Chuckling breathlessly as he watches it, you can feel his body jerk behind you, the fronts of his thighs trembling against the backs of yours. And you can feel it, too, the stickiness of it washing your skin. It’s warm and thick and it makes you sigh. In a strange sense, you feel marked by him.

 “Sorry, princess.”

Reaching to the side, Simon grabs a towel sitting nearby. Glancing down, he uses it to wipe you off, gently running it over your skin while he sighs. And then, he’s tossing it in the laundry bin, palm coming down to smack your ass. It’s playful, now running his hand over your skin while he admires you. 

“Don’t be sorry, baby.” Turning your head to the side, he takes your que, leaning over your body again so he can kiss you. Whispering against his lips, you tell him, “I fucking missed you.” 

Johnny doesn’t look at you for the rest of the night, not even when you’re sitting right across from him. To your utter shock and genuine delight, Ghost invited you out with them. But you’re not appearing as a couple, not yet. Even after fucking in the med. room and now sitting beside each other, Simon going so far as to buy you a drink, no one suspects a thing. You’re hiding in plain sight. 

“Bones!” Alejandro’s accented voice shouts to you from across the bar. Looking up, you lock eyes, giving him your attention. “A drink?”

“That’s okay!” Waving him off, you then lift your cup. “Ghost already got me one!”

Alejandro then looks to Simon, who’s sitting right beside you, and raises a brow at him before turning away again. Exhaling slowly, contentedly, Simon leans back in his chair, settling his arm over the top of yours. He then turns his head, eyeing you. 

“What’s wrong, Simon?” Questioning him, you quickly take a sip, lips hovering on the rim of your glass. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

He shrugs, that deep chuckle wafting into the air. “Maybe, but she’s not that scary.”

“No?”

“Nah,” Shaking his head, he takes a swig from his beer, sighing. “Just makes me wanna bone.” 

“Will you two igits shut up?” Soap’s rubbing his forehead, groaning quietly. 

“What’s your problem?” Your question comes with a hefty amount of attitude, Simon’s hand finding your thigh and then rubbing it. He’s quietly shushing you. 

“Give him a break.” Simon chastises, and this makes Johnny look up. “He saw somethin’ he wasn’t supposed to see today.” 

“What do you mean?”

Simon just releases a breath, turning to look at you again. “He knows, B.” 

[gyusimp]

°•Cry•°

Warnings: No smut today, lol just a bit angst sorry. I've been feeling like Gyutaro lately and today I felt like crying in the office so I better take the opportunity to vent and write a bit.

▪︎Song Inspo: "Cry" - Cigarettes After Sex (i love them so much, pls listen to their music 🤧)

He was better than him, or so Gyutaro thought of his best friend.

Best friend? Since when did he think of him like that? He was quite a close acquaintance, because for Gyutaro friends don't exist.

He sees himself and him thinking that they are complete opposites, so why do they get along so well? And they get along so well why couldn't Gyutaro help but be envious of him from time to time?

Douma was a handsome young man, posting pictures of himself everywhere he went to his hundreds of Instagram followers. His skin was smooth, pale and flawless without any blemishes, his toned body and height would make anyone who looked at him drool, his features well proportioned and even his style of clothing was similar to that of a k-dramas idols or models, dammit.

He had a lot of friends not only in college but also from his old school where he finished high school, all the girls were texting him and would be willing to line up behind him at least to get a closer look.

He loved going out on weekends for walks and raising all the looks he could to feel desired and be the center of attention wherever he went.

Douma wanted a girl? He could have her.

But Gyutaro, oh, poor Gyutaro...he was Gyutaro. Always with the same expression on his face of having smelled shit even if he really felt happy, his laugh was totally outrageous and his shaky and weak voice matched it.

He had a nice skin tone and beautiful blue eyes but these were surrounded by dark circles due to the exhaustion of working all day and being a university student in his free time, the skin of various parts of his body including his face were dotted with peculiar birthmarks, a few scars and little spots caused by the stupid shitty acne he had been fighting for years.

He made an effort to dress well but being too tall he couldn't even find pants that fit him correctly, being tall was not part of his insecurities but being someone that big intimidated other people making them move away from him even when he weren't did it on purpose.

His hair was styled the same way every day, if he tried to do something different with it it was hard to like it and he'd rather opt to tie up his messy curls the same way again. Gyutaro hated his hair.

He had no friends, sometimes he used to talk with Hakuji and Michikatsu in college besides Douma but apart from them he had no one else to talk to. He hated people and his asocial tendencies made it almost impossible for him to want to leave his house when the 3 boys asked him out on a weekend. He had better things to do, like resting at least 1 fucking day a week and spending time with the only person he really cared about in life, his little sister Ume.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

"Did you see her? I think it's her, right?"

Gyutaro looked up from his food towards one of the campus gardens, looking at the girl the blonde was referring to.

"It's her. Bro, do you really like her and can't recognize her yet?"

"It's nerves, I suppose." Douma said, laughing ruefully.

It had been several months since Douma had set his colorful eyes on a girl from college, no idea who it could be because she wasn't in the same class as them so that made things a bit more difficult for Douma to start his goal of getting to know her better. He didn't even know her name.

Gyutaro tried to help and advise his friend in what he could, he had never had a girlfriend before but for some reason he was good at romantic issues, although not when he had to apply them himself.

Recently, a girl at work had made Gyutaro's heart race every time he talked to her. She was too nice to him and they had a common taste for topics of conversation. It is not common for Gyutaro to feel romantically attracted to someone, it had been 4 years since his last disappointment in love so this time he was more mature and thought he would dare to open up more and maybe get to know this adorable and special girl more.

They were small steps but Gyutaro was determined and motivated by his co-workers, he would start by greeting her in a friendly manner, talking with her in free time and even bringing her some sweets or snacks to her desk making her smile and thank him tenderly, making his chest puff up proudly every time they were together... but not everything was rosy.

An idiot was behind her too. He had a girlfriend but he was still after every woman in the office that he could get for himself within the company, 7 years older than her and unattractive but still...she seemed to send all the little but sincere efforts from Gyutaro fucking down the drain. He was very disappointed, again.

Gyutaro cannot forget how one day he came to work earlier than usual and found them laughing and talking as if they had known each other for years and when they saw him they simply went to another place to continue talking alone...as if he was trash.

That day he decided to give up but if only his heart could stop feeling things for her so easily. She preferred that bastard, it wasn't safe at all but seeing them eat lunch together every day, talking when they could and coming to work together would drive Gyutaro into the head without fail, making him feel bad. It wasn't the first time this happened to him, other girls he was interested in before also rejected him without a second thought. They all told him the same shit about "She's missing it, don't worry about her." "The right one will come" but when? How much longer was he going to have to keep waiting when he was getting further and further along in his adult life? Were they sure the problem wasn't him? Because he was convinced of that. Different interests in different people, different places and stages of his life... and he was always rejected.

Gyutaro had so much love to give behind that serious face and "unfeeling" armor, but no one cared to know what was beyond all that. It was frustrating.

☆゜・。。・゜゜・。。・゜★

Gyutaro worked on his computer on some university projects after work, he did it afterward before going to sleep to pay enough attention to his little sister when he got home and had dinner with her. It was almost 9:00 pm and several messages made his cell phone vibrate, he took it to turn on the screen and see the contact "Douma" who had sent him 5 messages. Gyutaro opened the app and everything was a summary of how his partner had gotten the number of the girl he liked at a college event, got her Instagram and following each other accompanied by some screenshots of the random topic conversations with the girl. This made Gyutaro happy for his friend though not entirely, maybe at first but a few days later it all became a bit annoying for him. Douma couldn't stop talking about this girl, how cute she was to him and all the things they both had in common, how she responded to his messages almost immediately, and how they complimented each other. Douma was just excited and he didn't do it with any bad intentions but Gyutaro couldn't help but feel that his college romance was being rubbed in his face while he had been sent to hell a couple of weeks ago.

Gyutaro didn't say any bad comments to his friend, he reserved all kinds of hurtful words because he really appreciated him but envy grew little by little inside him. Douma was smart and handsome, he had gotten the seemingly unattainable girl of his dreams in a matter of weeks even though the only thing they met to socialize with was campus 1 time a week, a year ago he didn't even know she existed and now maybe they would even end up dating or doing things together in college and this disappointed Gyutaro in himself.

Why couldn't he do that? Why didn't these things happen to him? Even Ume got a love confession a few days ago but he never got his turn at anything...he was sick of this crap of feeling like he was "begging" people for some affection...he was fucking tired of the constant rejection .

If Douma did it with a complete stranger then why couldn't he achieve anything with the people he lived with and saw every day at school or work, with people who were even his friends, who took the fucking trouble to learn his name well and greet him every morning, with whom he had common themes and similar details in their life...why not him?

Shit, he was crying, again.

He didn't like to do it but he had to. Ume was asleep in her room so she couldn't hear his sobs in the dark, he sighed heavily and wiped a few tears from his face when his cell phone vibrated again. He scrolled down the notification panel only to find more messages from Douma and more screenshots of his conversations with the girl to tell him that everything was going well.

Gyutaro wasn't in the mood, not now. He tucked his cell phone under his pillow and snuggled under the covers as he was lulled to sleep by the rain outside. Maybe if he slept early today his head would stop aching and spinning in the morning, hoping to have a clearer and less stressful day than today.

[astaraels]

Simple Gifts

Debbie and Mickey go gift hunting for Ian. It's not as easy as they thought it might be. Set post-s10, in the same continuity as New Traditions and Keeping Warm Against the Cold. For @lovekenney, thank you so much for your patience and I hope you enjoy! (on ao3)

The task at hand had started out simple enough—Mickey needed to get Ian a gift that was appropriate enough to open in front of the kids. Debbie may have been fine keeping her vibrators and dental dams in the room she shared with Franny, but she’d known Mickey long enough by now—and heard more than she cared to about his and Ian’s sex life—to think that it’d be smart to leave him to his own devices. And in fairness, Mickey had come to her, asking for help in his own Mickey-ish way that only a few other people could understand. So after breakfast, Debbie asked Ian if he could watch Franny—she knew he’d never turn down an opportunity for baby-sitting.

“You be good for Uncle Ian, okay, Franny?” Debbie told her daughter. Franny gave her a big hug and nodded.

“Yep! Gonna play outside today!”

Ian grinned at the little girl and scooped her up into his arms, causing her to giggle with glee. “Don’t worry, Debs. Just thought we’d go to the park for a little while, maybe get some stuff to make hot chocolate.”

“Don’t forget-”

“-her mittens and her hat,” Ian finished for her. Debbie might have felt silly, since Ian had always kept an eye on them when she and Carl were younger, but she was Franny’s mom, after all. Frank and Monica never bothered caring if any of them were dressed properly for winter. Doing the opposite of their example seemed like a pretty sound strategy to her.

“She’s got some snacks in the fridge, too. Hot cocoa only if she’s a good girl.” Debbie tapped the end of Franny’s nose.

Ian chuckled and tossed his niece into the air, just a little bit. “Franny’s always a good girl, aren’t you, Fran?”

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” the little girl cheered. Debbie couldn’t help but smile—her kid really was a good one.

“You coming or not, little miss sunshine?” Mickey asked, shoving his boots on as he thundered down the stairs. Ian’s face lit up at the sight of his husband, pulling him into a quick kiss before Mickey took a full step into the kitchen.

“I’m ready if you are,” Debbie told him, grinning at his lack of grumbling about the very open display of affection. Sometimes it was hard to believe how far they’d come—Debbie still remembered having to storm into Mickey’s old house and practically drag him back to Ian’s side when they were all trying to handle Ian’s bipolar disorder the first time around. He’d been terrified, she knew that now, and sometimes when things got to be too much you just needed someone else to give you that last push to do what had to be done.

Such as now. Not so much because Mickey was scared, not anymore; now it was just him being indecisive. Really indecisive, like nothing seemed to be quite right. And it made sense, at least to Debbie. It was his and Ian’s first Christmas together as a married couple. Of course he’d want to get just the right gift, if what Ian had told her about Mickey’s pre-wedding antics was accurate. Honestly, the mental image of Mickey Milkovich being a bridezilla about his very, very gay wedding was pretty damn funny. She was just sorry that she hadn’t gotten to see any of it.

“Okay,” Debbie said, after they’d gone to what felt like every damn store in the mall. The place was pretty bougie for the South Side, but better than getting some bullshit gift at Goodwill or Costco or something. “Wait—we haven’t been to this one yet.” She grabbed Mickey by his coat sleeve, leaving him no choice but to follow after her. The storefront in question was small and a bit out of the way, almost impossible to spot among all the gaudy Christmas lights that were thrown around everywhere else.

The sign said “Hazel’s Hideaways” in a fancy script, although Mickey barely had a chance to read it before they were inside. The store itself may have been small, but it was crammed full with wood carvings and wood-burned signs; wooden knick knacks of all kinds were displayed on every possible available surface.

“Whoa,” said Debbie as they both looked around. Mickey only nodded in agreement. They stepped around some of the larger pieces on the floor, careful not to fuck up anything that looked particularly expensive. Mickey had some cash left over from his “savings,” at least, so he knew he could afford to get Ian something decent. But some of this shit—like a whole ass deer that came up to Debbie’s shoulder—looked pricey as hell. Not only that, but nothing really stood out to him right away as something Ian might like, but Mickey was not going home empty-handed. Fuck that shit. He would find something for his husband, today, no matter what.

“Hi!” came a cheery voice from somewhere to Mickey’s left, causing him and Debbie both to jump and nearly land on several worryingly expensive-looking items. “Can I help you?”

A very, very short woman about ten years older than Mickey with bubblegum-pink hair sat on a stool behind the checkout counter. She grinned at them both a little too widely, which put Mickey slightly on edge. Thankfully Debbie stepped up to save him; she was way better with people than he was.

“Hi! My brother-in-law is looking for a gift for his husband—my brother,” she explained, like it was no big deal. “But we’ve been all over the place and we can’t seem to find anything that’s just right.”

“Well, I’m sure I’ve got something around there that will be just the thing!” the woman said. She was way too fucking perky, but Mickey nodded his head and clenched his jaw so he wouldn’t say anything too asshole-ish. Normally he’d already be out the door, but this was for Ian. He could put up with almost anything for Ian.

Twenty minutes later Mickey was about ready to hightail it out and call it a loss. They’d been through half of the bubblegum lady’s shit and still nothing seemed right. Even her perky smile had slowly faded—now she just looked all fucking depressed and shit that she didn’t have exactly what Mickey wanted. It wasn’t even really her fault, considering Mickey himself didn’t really know what he wanted, either.

“Hey, Mickey, what about this?” Debbie asked, holding up some weird-looking wooden circle thing. He put down the deer he’d been staring at for the last few minutes and walked over to her, frowning as he tried to figure out what it even was.

“The fuck is it?” he finally asked, giving up.

“That,” said bubblegum lady, “is a family tree wreath. I can customize it with different family members’ names, birthdays, wedding dates…” She gave Mickey a knowing wink and a glance at his wedding ring. He didn’t blush, but yeah, it might have been a near thing.

Debbie clasped her hands together and grinned. “That’s perfect! Ian would love it, seriously.”

“Yeah?” He glanced over at her, and she nodded. Mickey knew how much Ian’s family meant to him. And it also meant that Mickey could have his name right there next to Ian’s, permanently, with their wedding date and everything. And sure, it seemed cheesy and fucking kitschy as hell, but he knew Ian was gonna light up like the goddamn Christmas tree they’d all put up in the living room when he saw the thing.

“All right, little red, you’re the one who knows all five million Gallagher birthdays,” he said. Debbie beamed and gave him a big hug, which only made Mickey roll his eyes, even as he gave her a reluctant pat on the back. These Gallaghers were making him a sensitive bitch. But maybe that was okay once in a while. Not that he’d ever admit to it out loud.

—

Christmas morning dawned cold and bright, the weak sunlight shining right through the tiny opening in Mickey and Ian’s curtains. Mickey could have gone back to sleep, at least for a little while, except for the fact that Franny came barrelling into their room, crowing, “Presents, Uncle Ian! Uncle Mickey!” She jumped up and down, beaming with excitement. “Christmas presents!”

“Your mom up yet?” Mickey asked, barely half-awake. Nothing against the kid, but he’d rather get more sleep, Christmas morning or no. But the little girl was determined, climbing clumsily onto the bed and starting to jump on the mattress.

“She said no presents till everyone’s awake,” Franny told him. “Uncle Ian, wake up!”

Ian grumbled and felt around for the sweater he’d apparently tossed onto the floor in the middle of the night, but still managed to give her a tired smile. “We’ll be up in a minute, okay, Fran?” he told her. “Go get Uncle Carl and Uncle Liam up, how’s that sound?”

Franny giggled, jumping one more time and landing on them both in the biggest hug she could manage. Mickey groaned, the air practically punched out of his lungs, but Ian just laughed at him, the fucker. Then Franny bounced off the bed and scampered out of their room as quickly as she’d run in, calling out for the other Gallagher brothers as she raced down the hall.

Ian said something into his pillow as he rolled over. “What’s that, mumbles?” Mickey asked, shoving Ian onto his back, heart nearly skipping a beat at the sleepy smile his husband gave him.

“Merry Christmas, Mickey,” Ian said, hand going to the back of Mickey’s neck and pulling him into a soft kiss.

“Yeah, yeah, Merry Christmas, Red,” said Mickey, ruffling Ian’s hair to make his bedhead even worse. Not that Ian seemed to mind, though. “Better get up if we want first dibs at coffee.”

Ian shook his head. “It’s Christmas, Mick, you’re supposed to have cocoa, not coffee.” He said it like it should be obvious. Mickey didn’t bother reminding him that his and Ian’s understanding of the holiday were very different—but if his husband said cocoa, then that was what they’d do. Little domestic bitches, indeed.

Mickey had expected Christmas morning with the Gallaghers to be chaotic, and he was absolutely right. Everyone in the house was milling around the kitchen, Debbie handing out mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows in them, the younger kids ducking under arms as the older Gallagher siblings tried not to spill whatever breakfast they’d managed to scrounge up. Sandy had Franny sitting in her lap and was trying to tame the little girl’s ginger flyaways. Debbie leaned over and gave both of them a loud kiss on the cheek, earning her a giggle from Franny and a soft smirk from Sandy. It was the sappiest look Mickey had ever seen on his cousin’s face, which…well. In Mickey’s own experience, it definitely meant something, coming from a Milkovich.

Finally they were all gathered in the living room, unwrapping gifts and tossing the leftover wrapping paper every which way. Organized chaos—well, disorganized, much as Debbie tried to keep it contained, at least to start with—especially where the kids’ presents were involved. Debbie was the kind of mom who clearly spared no expense when it came to her kid, not to mention Tami and Lip on the other side of the room getting pictures of Fred “opening” his gifts. What that really meant was just Lip holding the baby’s hand pulling paper off some box, but even Ian thought it was cute enough that he took pictures on his phone of every one.

“Here,” Mickey said to Ian as they sat on the couch, squished in next to Debbie and Sandy, watching Franny play with her new Easy Bake oven knock-off. It wasn’t plugged in, thank fuck, but that didn’t stop her from going through all the pieces and parts with ridiculous levels of enthusiasm. Debbie had mentioned to Mickey during their shopping expedition that Sandy wanted to get the kid a BB gun—it wasn’t a bad idea, in Mickey’s opinion, although personally he thought they oughta wait until she was at least six—but that Debbie had vetoed it quite adamantly. Maybe some toy guns were a better idea to start with so she could understand gun safety, at least until she was a little older.

Ian was in the middle of fixing the watch he’d gotten Mickey; he insisted on setting it to the same time as his own, so they wouldn’t have to argue about who was late and who was early. “Oh, shit, I hadn’t even seen this,” Ian said, his eyes lighting up. “Your watch is good to go, by the way.” Not that he bothered handing it over to Mickey, though, as Ian was already pulling the paper off of his gift. Mickey felt his stomach twist almost in a knot—it wasn’t stupid, he reminded himself, it was thoughtful—and Ian’s face split into a wide grin, almost looking astonished as he realized what he was holding. He traced the burned-in names of each of his siblings, ending with his own, his fingers lingering on Mickey’s name and their wedding date.

“Holy shit,” Ian said under his breath, his voice sounding exactly like when he’d turned around in their shared prison cell and seen Mickey standing behind him for the first time. “Mick, this is…” But apparently words weren’t enough, because he leaned over and kissed Mickey, both hands coming up to cup his face. “I fuckin’ love you.”

“Fuckin’ love you, too,” Mickey said, and kissed his husband again. “Debbie helped me pick it out, by the way.”

Ian reached over and gave Debbie a hug behind Mickey’s back. “Thanks for giving my husband a hand, Debs.” His sister grinned at him and elbowed Mickey with a conspiratorial smile before Sandy pulled her into her lap. Franny hopped up into Debbie’s lap, too, causing Sandy to laugh and let out an exaggerated groan. Carl was standing nearby, snapping pictures of them all on his phone with a look of glee.

Maybe there was something to this whole Christmas spirit thing after all, Mickey thought, Ian finally putting the watch on Mickey’s wrist himself. Because as they sat on the couch, surrounded by the people they loved, snow falling outside the windows, Mickey felt happier than he could ever fucking remember.

[littlemissmanga]

The Promise in Your Eyes

Pairing: Echo X Reader, @clonexreaderbingo Square: Echo

w/c: 1,444

Warnings: So much sexual tension but no sex. A shit ton of teasing. Is Reader being a brat, or is she just living the dream? You decide. SFW

A/N: This was a request from this prompt list and it solved my writer's block for my Echo square ^_^ I listed to Paralyzer by Finger Eleven when writing and I have to say it fits really well.

You would have felt a little guilty if the weight of his stare didn’t sit so delightfully on your skin.

It had settled on you the moment you strode into the room and made your way behind the bar at Cid’s. Usually, you hated that you had to moonlight when the guys got to relax after each mission. But tonight, it gave you the perfect opportunity to continue your slightly mean little game.

It wasn’t like you started it intentionally. Sure, you had been intentional in your efforts to grow closer to Echo. But riling him up on the latest mission hadn’t been the plan at first.

Proximity led to a few naturally awkward moments — a jerk of the ship sending you into his side, an injury needing attention in just this side of an appropriate location, seeing one another exiting the small fresher. They were small incidents, barely worth mentioning if not for your crush on the clone. And the way his gaze would always linger on you after, when he thought you weren’t looking.

It gave you a sliver of hope that maybe the infatuation was mutual.

Those moments would make your heart race, but what you loved the most was how flustered the usually so composed trooper would get.

But nothing had prepared you for last night. Echo had been in the pilot’s seat as Tech rested en route to your latest job. You claimed the co-pilot’s seat, keeping him company until the hour grew late enough that he insisted you go to sleep.

You rose to comply as the ship was rocked by a solar flare, sending you crashing into his lap.

For a moment, neither of you moved. You didn’t want to be the one to break the silence, sure he was unaware of how his arms cradled you to him out of instinct and unwilling to bring his attention to it lest he move them away.

Echo, on the other hand, looked paralyzed. His eyes were impossibly wide as they looked everywhere but your own. His hand and scomp both hovered above your arm and back, almost not daring to touch you but moving constantly, as if he wanted nothing else than to really feel you.

You never saw anything more beautiful in your life.

You took pity on him, though, and got up soon after, your apology soft and insincere. And as you lay down in the vacant bunk, your mind began thinking about how you could get him to look at you like that again. About how you can make him come undone.

But you hadn’t actually planned on doing it. It was a twist of fate, brought on by the twist of your ankle as you ran to the rendezvous point after finishing your part of the job. Echo was with you, catching you as you fell sideways. It took everything in you not to smile silly at the slight dusting at the tops of his cheeks and the way he cleared his throat to regain his voice, asking if you were OK.

A comm from Hunter meant you had needed to move quickly, and before you could say anything Echo’s demeanor changed. The mask of the soldier slipped back into place as he bent to sweep your knees and cradle you to his chest. Heat surged into your face and neck as your arms instinctively circled his shoulders, using him to hold yourself in place as he began running.

Shortly after — too short if you were honest — you crossed into the Marauder. You could feel Echo move to put you down and before you could stop yourself, you pulled closer, holding him tight as you whispered your gratitude into his neck. And who could say whether your lips brushed his delicate skin more than necessary.

You let yourself slide down only then, when you knew you’d get to see his owlish blinking.

It was after, once you had wrapped your ankle and iced it that you chose to take any chance to fluster Echo on the way back to Ord Mental — pressing against his back to reach around him to the control panel, very aware of his lack of armor and your lack of breastband under your shirt; letting your hand drag along his waist as you moved past him in the narrow hull; swaying your hips when you knew he was looking at you walk away.

With each tease, Echo would always stiffen and look away, almost always grabbing something to keep his hands busy. But as the trip home progressed, something changed. He stopped looking away. Instead, you rarely felt his eyes leave your form and as you drew closer to Ord Mantel, the weight of his stare intensified.

Your only reprieve had been when you went to change out of your armor to mind the bar. Cid didn’t really have a dress code, so you had free reign to pick. Not wanting something too obvious but not wanting the game to end just yet — even if only you knew you were playing — you had selected an outfit that was just on the acceptable side of immodest.

So when you served the first customer his drink, you made sure to lean over the bar just a bit more than necessary. Nothing was visible directly, but the way your breasts rested against the bar pushed your cleavage up and right into Echo’s line of sight.

With a bold confidence you couldn’t account for, you glanced up to catch his eyes directly for the first time since leaving the ship. Satisfaction thrummed through you at the sight of him stiffening at being caught. It was a miracle his grip didn’t shatter his glass, and you wonder how that grip would feel on you.

You held his gaze for far longer than either of you could write off, reveling in the tension sizzling between you. It was a live thing, sparking so wildly you were sure to catch fire.

Feeling a satisfied smirk sliding into place on your lips, you slid back into the bar and turned to clean your station.

For the rest of the night, you avoided meeting Echo’s eyes, teasing him with the possibility of another heated look … and never delivering. But as fewer and fewer patrons filled the bar, you were running out of distractions. Eventually, it was just the two of you. He had kept his seat at the bar and was tracking every move as you flitted back and forth closing shop.

“Well, I guess that’s it for tonight,” you said loudly, finally turning to look at him.

Your core clenched at the sight waiting for you. Echo’s usually warm eyes were molten as they held yours, the intensity of his gaze melting your stomach to match. Your breath quickened as you could feel the heat encapsulate you.

“Not quite.” Echo’s voice was quiet, no louder than usual. But it was firm in a way that allowed no argument.

Slowly, he stood and made his way around the bar. Where his eyes refused to remain still, taking in every inch of you before him, yours were locked on his face. Gone was any trace of his flustered self from earlier. But it wasn’t the soldier’s mask that replaced it this time. Instead was a new look, one that inspired a delicious jolt of your heart.

“Oh? Did you need something else?” You delighted in how quickly his eyes snapped back to yours at the teasing lilt of your voice. You needed him to know without a doubt you were aware of what you were doing.

“Yeah,” he rasped as he invaded your personal space, leaning in until both arms rested against the bar on either side of you. “Those pretty eyes of yours have been making promises to me all day. I need to know if you’re planning on fulfilling them.”

Oh, you were done for. Everything about Echo in this moment demanded an answer from you, and you were more than happy to give it to him. If you had only known this was hidden under those flustered responses, you would have started this game a long time ago.

Ready to seal your fate, you rest your hands on Echo’s hips, digging in a little to soothe the sensitive muscles above his prosthetics. You lean forward, pressing your chest against his, indulging in the heat you were both giving off as you hold your lips just out of reach of his.

“Why don’t you find out?”

The last thing you saw was the flash of unadulterated desire flood Echo’s eyes before you were consumed by his kiss.

Taglist: @burningfieldof-clover, @blueink-bluesoul

Previous Clone X Reader Bingo Squares:

Don't Forget That, Okay? (Cross x Reader)

Rex (Technically Pt 2 can be read as a standalone, but Pt 1 is here.)

Mechanic (Tech x Reader)

Tatooine (Boba x Reader)

[shinakazami1]

Rhys AI au snippet nr 2 - Personal project

Jack used to love fast travel years ago and while he still found them as if not more useful, his body seemed to disagree. For whatever reason, it was his muscles that kept getting smitten by it. It didn't matter that he felt them already on the planet - he still could run errands quite well, and there was nothing a bit of healing couldn't fix. Too bad that didn't work on the nausea that kept lingering for a day.

He gave a finger gun and a wink to the secretary - whoever this one was, and walked into his office.

"Welcome back, handsome."

"Hiya Rhysie! Missed me?"

"Always, it's not like you carry me in your echo watch everywhere."

Jack bounced from one leg to the other, and then with a last swirl sat in his throne, to turn on the computer.

"Jack, you will have a meeting in two hou-"

"I know I know, cupcake, don't remind me. Dahl just wants to lose some men and piss me off. They are really taking that l in the name seriously."

"Because they're losers."

"Precisely! But there I got my morning coffee by lessening the bandit... number..."

"Hm? Is something wrong?"

Jack's brows furrowed.  As per usual, he first checked his echo device, to see if anyone tried to spy on him. He never thought it was likely for bandits to figure out how to multitask, and since they were all busy dying, they certainly wouldn't even think about doing something like that. It didn't mean, however, that someone else couldn't use that thinking and opportunity to their advantage.

Seeing the few gigabytes added to Rhys' files was not something he expected. He thought he encrypted and hid the guy's code well enough for nobody to even be able to tell he was even there but the number of gigabytes added from the past copy seemed just too suspicious.

"Rhysie, are you feeling any... Different?"

"Different in what way, sir?"

"Heavier."

After a moment of silence, Rhys sighed.

"I really don't think comments about weight are good for your image, sir. It can come as really-"

"No, as in yes, I know that but- I meant your files. Had anything happened to them? "

"Happened?"

"Yeah like, like uh, something was added. Your travel notes are never THAT heavy, even if they are boring."

"I try to get all the details out there and it's not my fault you need everything to be a dopamine rush experience. I like focusing on things that might be useful."

"That one Loader Bot corpse still hadn't come in handy, Rhysie."

"It has been as we updated their shields and weak spots."

"Yeah, it's pretty funny how their crotch was--wait, we are getting off the topic. And you're not panicking so, this means you know what the additional files are."

"You could always open them, sir."

"Yes, since I see it's your encriptions system but what is this supposed to be, kiddo? You working for someone else?"

"You know that's impossible. If I were to do that, I would just cease to exist. You made me this way."

Once the code breaker finished encrypting the files, Jack opened the folder and felt his brows furrow even further.

"Pictures."

"Yes."

"Of what."

"I... Would prefer for you not to open them. I'm going to count the sand grains on them when I'm bored."

"What's the password."

"Jack, you told me I can have my personal project."

"Personal doesn't mean secret. What is this, huh? Are you planning to sell these pictures somewhere? Maybe get some of my angles on Echo Net?"

"No... it's a stupid little project."

'And you would know that if you already opened it but you want to torment me', Rhys thought.  Yet, he decided Jack's blood pressure was already getting into grade 3  hypertension, so he wasn't going to make him angrier.

It was Jack's weird way to show trust but also, to assert dominance and Rhys never understood why humans wasted their energy on being a walking box for paradoxes.

"Sooooo... Cupcake, short and simple. What are these pictures."

"Of you. Sir."

Jack was really checking the boundaries of furrowing eyebrows.

"Rhysie, I was just joking about selling some pictures on Echo Net. Are you..."

"I do edit them, sir. Personal project."

For the first time since Jack Sat next to the desk, his facial muscles finally relaxed, letting the eyebrows rest. Something seemed to click in Jack's brain, letting him not feel in danger anymore.

"The new posters! My, you've been trying to get them out before my birthday to make me a present? Rhysie, you know I hate surprises! I despise them and I could in fact destroy you for one! You should remember it by now! Especially since I check the propaganda to seem most a-hole-like! "

"Yes, and you do a great job with it. A true antihero."

"A true anti-villain. Which is a hero."

"Of course, sir."

"Well then - show me the pictures, Rhys."

Rhys saw that the 'sweet' mode didn't lower Jack's pressure. He liked to shift in emotions so much to make people confused but Rhys was - well, rather embarrassed to say what the photos were actually about. He was happy to have at least had the project hidden for a few weeks, keeping the amount in control but for the past few weeks of Jack just killing bandits most of the time, he had enough time to spare on that.

He knew Jack would take a look somehow without him knowing one way or another. And with how little censor he had on himself, Rhys wasn't willing to risk getting back to the Nice Kid phase. Jack's poster acting was top notch - but the fake familiarity was a technique many fell for. Rhys fortunately couldn't.

But in the end, Jack got what he asked for, as usual.

"These... You've made my body, right sir? You remember that 3D model you've made?"

"Cupcake, I don't work, I commissioned someone to get your sweet ass there. Get to the point."

"You hadn't let me use it for a while now and I thought that I still like it. So, since it's in my programming, I... Just open the first picture, sir."

Jack didn't even let the mouse twitch for a moment. He wanted Rhys to open it, to commit to confessing to whatever bad thing he imagined but Rhys only found it stupid.

Unfortunately for him, though, the anxiety protocol, while a bit tamer than in the past, was still strong. And Rhys was really not looking forward to repeating the last time it got too high, especially since Jack made it this much better for this whole mission he has been on. And Rhys really didn't want to feel something so unbearable nearly all the time, again.

With the need to just get it over with, Rhys opened the newest file and waited for Jack's reaction.

There was a momentary spike in blood pressure but just a moment later, both it and the pulse lowered. The analysis of Jack's facial muscles made Rhys relax again, as the anger and frustration morphed into joy and laughter.

"Rhysie, I know I have been upgrading you with the generative processes but you still like the old photo manipulation ways but this, this is just hilarious! Are- oh my god all of them are like this?! How many edits have you made?"

At that moment, Rhys was very happy not to have a visible face, since he probably wouldn't be able to look at Jack for too long from the embarrassment he probably should feel.

"I... We have been going on these journeys together for a while now and I thought it would be...a nice thing. I have been browsing EchoNet and noticing that people like to take pictures like that. And I want to keep some memory of being on these trips with you."

The folder contained pictures of Jack, from different angles, mostly from the echo watch, and Rhys' body edited into such a level of precision, that it would be hard to tell they were edited at all.

"And the facial expressions..."

"I added them to the model, based on data I've gathered. It wasn't hard to edit the rig and get that to work."

"Wowie, Rhysie, but these..." Rhys let Jack gather his thoughts. "These need to be deleted."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, nobody should know what you look like. Delete them, immediately."

"I...no! They are well encrypted, you have seen that! And without me, they can never open them. Nothing bad will happen, Jack. Nobody is going to try and steal me."

Jack was skimming through the pictures, seeing the model seem to look like it was holding the device to take the picture and ground himself more into the scene. Smiling, eating together, riding in cars and... just looking at a sunset together, backs facing the camera.

"I won't delete them, Jack. And I ask you not to delete them, either. I worked hard on these and I want to keep them. They will never go anywhere but just on the drive."

"Why would you want to keep a memory like that?"

Rhys felt it was a trap question with no good answer. Nothing he would have said would be able to exactly revert the process, but, he knew Jack wasn't exactly in patient moment for him to analyse each answer.

"I thought it would be nice to share these with you, to remind you I was there."

Rhys didn't expect Jack to leave the office without the echo watch. He rarely did that. If it was for the bathroom - even if he had one hidden in the office, or it was to cool down, it wasn't important.

If the pictures still stayed - they would stay there. And that was enough for Rhys.

Jack wanted him to develop a hobby and there it was.

Nothing bad could come out of it.

[rougepancake]

The Summoning (chapter one)

Ft. Leon x F! Gym Leader! Reader

series m.list

SUMMARY: lots of lore building at the beginning here. Bear with me I beg you. I envision your team as Chandelure, Trevenant, Polteageist, Gengar, Cursola, and Runerigus. In this story, Allister is a trainer that studies underneath you, and you run your gym out of Ballonlea.

The Galar region is a beautiful place, each area much more gorgeous than the last. Its beauty almost rivals the lively islands of Alola, a popular tourist attraction for many in the world of Pokémon. Galar is home to many talented Pokémon trainers, even having one of the best Gym Challenge programs throughout the world. Many of the trainers that Galar produces go on to be Gym Leaders or something similar. However, the most unique thing about this region is its ranking system. Every year, a list is posted by the chairman, releasing the top fifty trainers of the region. But that’s not the unique thing. See, for ten whole years, the top three haven’t moved. They are rumored to be the best of the best, and are admired throughout the land.

One is the region’s champion, Leon.

Another is Hammerlocke’s dragon type gym leader Raihan.

And third is ghost type gym leader of Ballonlea, you.

No two of the three are similar, and they each make for an intimidating opponent on the battlefield. That’s why they’re so special. They’re undefeated, in their own right, and there will never be another trainer that will be able to properly replace them.

They’re celebrities, and they know it.

꧁ ༺ ─── ˚₊‧꒰ა ☆ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚ ─── ༻ ꧂

The wild area was a place that you quite enjoyed visiting. The ambience brought you peace, temporarily relieving you of your stress. Plus, it was the perfect training grounds for you and your Pokémon. There was also something about being surrounded by other Pokémon in their natural habitat that made it all the more special. You loved pitching your tent and relaxing with your Pokémon before a long day of work. It wasn’t often that you took time to yourself like this, so when you did, people knew better than to try and get ahold of you.

Sadly, you hadn’t had much time to go out since Opal gifted you her gym. You had unknowingly passed her trial before her passing, despite you not specializing in fairy types. She had monitored your battle style closely, confident in her choice. She had believed in you more than anyone else, and you kept her memory with you everywhere you went. You were grateful for the opportunity to have been mentored by her. She set everything up for you, you just had to work hard to get there. Opal had her eye on you since you started your gym challenge all those years ago. Now, you were twenty something and mentoring a timid child that reminded you a lot of yourself. Funny how that works.

But it wasn’t gym leading that brought you to fame. Much like Opal, the entire region had had its eyes on you since the beginning of your journey. You were a powerful young trainer, and you had gotten dangerously close to taking the spot of champion many times. It was only after Leon became champion that you decided to further your education. Now your intelligence and power made you a weapon, a dangerous enemy to have. You worked as the head at the battle league in Wyndon for years until Opal snatched you up. The trainers you has picked to work alongside yourself had been personally trained by you, making them nearly impossible to get past. Like now, it was rare that trainers reached you, and even rarer that they surpassed you and moved on to the next level. More often than not, gym challengers dropped out after losing to you.

You sighed softly as the gentle wind blew around you. A storm would be rolling in soon, which meant that you’d have to pack it up fast and find proper shelter. It was a shame since you enjoyed being out here. Maybe you’d be able to find a cave big enough to camp in before the storm hit. Your Gengar appeared by your side, tearing you from your thoughts. It came out of the shadows, carrying so many berries that they were practically falling out of its arms. Damn thing. Your Gengar couldn’t go two seconds without stealing something from someone. Or scaring them. There’ve been many times where you’ve had to apologize for Gengar’s behavior. Out of your six Pokémon, Gengar was by far your most troublesome.

Gengar sat off to the side and began to devour the berries. Your other Pokémon looked at it curiously, but paid it no mind. Things like this happened way too often for them to care.

You leaned back and watched the clouds overhead. There was something odd about the formation of them that made you wonder. No tornado warnings had been issued for the area, nor were there any severe thunderstorm warnings. You could hear the wild Pokémon around you screech and squeal as they ran around you and your camp. What were they running from? There was no way of was the storm. Usually they weren’t bothered by the weather. Slowly, you rose to your feet, curiously inspecting your surroundings. While your own Pokémon seemed unbothered, the wild ones were definitely acting strange. Thunder rolled in the distance, causing another wave of panic to erupt from the area. Odd. Yet interesting. You’d have to mention this phenomena to Professor Magnolia before you returned to Ballonlea.

The sound of your Rotom Phone ringing caught you off guard, and you nearly threw it into the air trying to answer it. The fact that someone was calling you while you were out threw you for a loop. Even more so when you saw just who was calling you.

“Gordie?” You held the phone to your ear. “What’s wrong?”

Gordie was the only one of your peers that was ever able to get ahold of you. For whatever reason, you didn’t mind him. He and Kabu were the least annoying people out of your fellow gym leaders. Them and you, of course.

“Chairman Rose is calling in all of the gym leaders for a meeting. I dunno what it’s all about, but by the looks of things, you’re gonna want to get here as soon as possible.” He spoke with a certain urgency that made you curious. The Chairman? What could he possibly want from the gym leaders?

“Oh that’s right… the list is being posted today…” You frowned, putting away the phone and recalling each of your Pokémon. Once they were secured, you began taking down your tent. Thunder rolled once again. If you weren’t quick, the sky would fall out before you were able to call a flying taxi. You worked swiftly with that in mind, rushing to beat the storm. However, as you packed, you remembered that the Chairman didn’t usually call everyone in to read off the list. Especially since the list wasn’t exclusive to gym leaders. You sighed and hurried out of the wild area, heading off in the direction of Wyndon.

Oh how you hated Wyndon. It was far too big of a city for your taste. The hustle and bustle of the streets just wasn’t the way you wanted to live, which is why you avoided leaving Ballonlea at all costs. You couldn’t go anywhere without people recognizing you and begging for your league card. Interactions like that drove you insane.

Gordie met you outside of Rose Tower, wearing a somewhat serious expression. He held the door for you politely before joining you by your side. You felt like he was escorting you. Staff members glanced at you as you passed, making your skin crawl. They had been waiting for you. You just knew it.

Once you had gotten through the lobby, you were directed to the conference room filled with all of Galar’s gym leaders. As you looked around you noticed that not one of them was interacting with the group. How odd. Usually they were excited to see each other.

“I’m so glad you decided to join us today,” Chairman Rose clasped his hands together, smiling at the sight of you. He reached out an arm and gestured to an empty seat beside Raihan. Slowly, you walked over and sat down. Across from you was the champion, Leon. He looked a lot different than you remembered. Maybe it was the tacky cape that was throwing you off.

The Chairman cleared his throat, gaining the attention of everyone in the room. “First things first. The list has been posted. Let us read it before anything else.” He waved his hand at the board behind him, and the list appeared. Photos of each trainer appeared next to their names, making sure that people knew who was who. He began to read it off, and everything was pretty cut and dry.

Leon was first, as always. Raihan second. And you third. Kabu had worked his way up to fourth, to your surprise. Gordie was fifth. Melony was sixth, and so on and so forth.

“Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, I’d like to talk to you all about a growing issue within the region.” The projector shut off and the room grew tense. You looked over at Gordie, who simply shrugged his shoulders. “Intense storms have been hitting the region hard this year, and it’s causing the wild Pokémon to act strangely. These storms have also been interfering with the region’s energy production. I fear that if we don’t come up with a way to reduce the storm damage, then we may lose our power supply.” He rested his hands on the table and looked down it. He was waiting for someone to pitch an idea, but it was silent. You leaned forward and sighed, causing everyone to turn and look at you.

“The child I have been mentoring mentioned seeing something like this in his dreams,” you looked up and made eye contact with Gordie briefly before turning to the Chairman. “He receives premonitions on occasion,” you explained, “He told me about seeing these storms, and seeing Pokémon dynamax in the wild. I believe that if what he is saying is true, then there is something in the stratosphere that is messing with the natural order of our region.” Both the Chairman and Leon tensed at the mention of wild dynamaxing. “Research will have to be conducted by sending something up there to record the data. This experiment will have to be brought to Professor Magnolia and her granddaughter Sonia for further analysis.” You leaned back, folding your hands neatly in your lap.

“Would it be possible to send a Pokémon like Corviknight up there?” Melony asked innocently, tapping her finger against her cheek in thought.

“Not with the risk of wild dynamaxing. If we were to let a dynamaxed Corviknight run wild, all hell would break loose!” Raihan shook his head. “We’ll have to send up a drone or something. No Pokémon. It’s too dangerous.” For once he was thinking rationally, which was rather surprising given the way he ran his gym.

“So what’s to be done about dynamaxed Pokémon in the wild?” Kabu rested his elbows on the table and leaned forward. He looked deep in thought. “What are we to tell the public if they see one? What will we do if someone gets killed?”

“I guess what we’ll have to do is clear the area and then engage. That’s what makes the most sense, anyways,” Gordie shrugged. He was right. No civilians should be around. It’d be far too dangerous for them to be near the fight.

The Chairman stepped forward and raised his hands, causing the room to fall silent. A gentle, but fake, smile painted his lips. “Now now, we cannot just rush into action because of a dream a little boy had. We must think clearly. All it is is weather. Dynamaxing Pokémon in the wild? Such a thing is simply unheard of!” You shot him a glare before rising from your seat and pointing an accusatory finger at him.

“This is a threat that should not be taken lightly regardless of whether or not the source is a child! I have seen his premonitions come true in the past, so who’s to say that this one won’t? Did you not ask for suggestions? Did you not ask for help?” You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “There are going to be innocent lives lost if action isn’t taken.”

“We need you to think rationally for a second, y/n.” Chairman Rose continued to smile, only furthering your anger. You knew the game he was playing, and decided to play along with him. With a deep breath, you wiped your face of any emotion that could be used against you.

“No, what we need are experiments and studies done on the matter at hand. You wanted our input, which is why you put the regions most talented trainers into one room. Why ask for help if you’re going to turn down our suggestions? Do you have something to hide, Rose?” Placing your hands onto the table and hunching over, you eyed your fellow trainers. None of them dared to speak up against the two of you, not even Kabu and Raihan. With a sigh, you stood upright, running your fingers through your hair to collect yourself. The room was filled with tension. You headed towards the door in silence, your hand on the handle as you looked over your shoulder at the Chairman. “You know where to find me.”

And you left just like that. The Chairman struggled to regain the attention of the room afterwards, as everyone seemed uneasy with your warning.

“What if she’s right?” Piers spoke up. Rose had forgotten all about Piers. He cringed internally as he spoke. “The storms and the behavior of the Pokémon. They’ve gotta be connected somehow.” The man crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “I dunno a whole lot ‘bout dynamaxing, but I think I get the gist. A substitute might be able to be used to make up for the lack of the bond between Pokémon and trainer, which could lead to the wild dynamaxing. If there’s somethin’ staring enough in the atmosphere, then that might fuck with the power of the Pokémon.” Piers had always been intelligent, despite not being able to receive a proper education. In a way, it made him all the more unlikeable to Rose.

“Surely not. The weather being related to Pokémon behavior? Who’s heard of such a thing?” Chairman Rose continued to smile softly, his hands folded neatly before him. Raihan stood up to defend his peer, and Leon flinched. It was suddenly becoming too much for him to bear.

“Piers has a point here. The weather has affected the behavior of Pokémon before, so why can’t it be doing that now?” He shrugged. “Anyways, I’ve never seen y/n lose her cool like that before, so things must be serious. I don’t care if you believe in premonitions or whatever, it’s something worth looking into.” He left, and Piers followed him. They didn’t know you all too well, but they did know that you were well versed in your work. If you deemed it to be true, then the chances of it being true were high. Rarely were you wrong.

Not too long after Raihan’s exit, Gordie and Melony left. Kabu followed after them, and Nessa and Milo made excuses to get back to their own gyms. Bea hadn’t even shown up to the meeting in the first place, which left Leon with the Chairman.

And he had never seen him so upset.

“Let them do all the research they want,” he waved his arm dismissively. “They’ll never figure it out. To them, it’s just a little bad weather. But you know it’s much more than that,” he turned around and looked deep into Leon’s eyes. “No matter how close they get, they’ll never get there.”

Meanwhile, you were cursing Ballonlea for not having a train station. Now you were forced to ride a flying taxi. In the rain. A severe thunderstorm warning had been issued right as you were leaving Wyndon, and that was when the sky had begun to fall out. You couldn’t remember the last time it had rained so hard, but you were thankful that the Corviknight taking you home was unbothered by it. The wind was strong, though, and it kept blowing the poor thing off of its course.

Once you had landed, you gave the Pokémon a handful of berries and took shelter in the gym. You were soaked, to say the least. The gym was empty, as it was closed for the weekend. With this in mind, you headed to the locker rooms to get changed. The only thing you had in your locker was the official uniform for ghost types, but that was the least of your worries. You let your Pokémon loose before showering and changing. The uniform made you look fourteen all over again. You shuddered.

Outside, the rain continued to pour, hitting the roof of the gym with such force that it made you wince. Thunder roared and lightning flashed all around the town. It seemed the whole region was subjected to the wrath of nature. You had finally gotten brave enough to enter the lobby when Allister rushed into the gym. He was drenched, and his mask was hanging on by a thread. Quickly, you walked over to him and straightened him up, fixing his mask and handing him your towel.

“Why are you here, child? Why are you not back at the house?” You questioned sternly, drying off his hair as gently as you could. He shook his head anxiously and pointed to the lobby doors.

“M-Mimikyu told me there w-was someone in the woods!” The child managed to get out, his voice shaky. He sounded spooked, despite not seeing this person himself.

“Are they okay? Do you know who they are?” You continued to dry him off.

“No… Mimikyu s-said they were lost! I can’t go h-help I’m too scared!” He was begging you to go out into the pouring rain, again, to go save someone that was stuck in the Glimwood Tangle. You really wanted to tell him no, but you just couldn’t. A heavy sigh left your lips as you begrudgingly walked towards the doors. Your Chandelure took it upon itself to follow you, providing some protection for your trip.

The rain was still coming down harshly, but you didn’t let it sway your movement. Someone was lost in an area that you were meant to protect. You weren’t going to leave them behind in a wicked storm like this. There was no telling what could happen to them if you didn’t make it in time.

You started out by walking fast, but then broke out into a jog upon reaching the entrance to the Glimwood Tangle. After searching for a few minutes, you began to call out, praying that the person you were looking for was still conscious. You had begun to shiver, the rain seeping into your skin and chilling your bones. Panic overwhelmed you as you searched. The area was big, naturally, and a proper search would have lasted hours. Finally, you strayed off the main path and into the deep grass.

“Hey!” You shouted, your voice competing with the rain in volume. You then stumbled across a small cave hidden behind some bushes, and upon peering into the entrance, you found what you were looking for. There lay a man on the ground, unconscious and soaked. A Charizard sat behind him. It eyed you warily the closer you got to him, and you were worried it would attack. Thankfully, you were able to get it into its pokéball before anything bad could happen.

Your Chandelure illuminated the area, allowing you to catch a good look at the man you were saving.

“Leon?!” You shouted in surprise, trying your damndest to pull him up off of the ground. He seemed to come to at the sound of your voice, helping you manage his weight the best he could. All you wanted to know was the reason for him being in Ballonlea. Plus with the storm going on outside, it would have been more reasonable to wait it out before traveling.

With the help of your Chandelure, and your Gengar that had found its way to you, you dragged Leon back to your place. It took quite some time, but you made it. Thankfully, Allister had gone back to the house, greeting you at the door with a worried expression. That had been one of the few times you had seen him without his mask on.

“I need you to help me get him to the guest room,” you said through clenched teeth. The weight of the champion on your shoulder was beginning to become unbearable, and you needed to set him down. Allister nodded and helped you get him to the guest bedroom of your house. Leon was absolutely soaked, but you’d deal with that later. He seemed slightly out of it, which made you feel bad. Hesitantly, you sat down on the edge of the bed and whispered to him. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you warmed up here soon. If you need anything, just call for one of us.”

You had taken off his cape and hat, setting them to the side so that they could dry. He looked so different without them. It was like those two things defined his personality. If not for them, then who would he be? You frowned before leaving the room. The storm continued to rage relentlessly outside. This was not how you wished to spend your evening.

[theresa-of-liechtenstein]

sighing like an old dog

literally nobody gets it. nobody gets it and i can’t even put it in words properly so nobody gets it even more. i really planned to go to school A four years ago but my current school, which i had only applied to as a backup plan and that people generally see as inferior to others in the system, gave me the scholarship that essentially covered half my tuition—the most money i had ever had in my whole life. i would have been stupid not to take that, even though i secretly wished someone else had given it. and when school A offered nothing, it was even clearer which one i should take. i went into this all thinking of it as the economic choice, the practical choice; i didn’t follow my heart to my current school and i just resolved to do my best regardless of my feelings.

but now school A is fully funding me to come to them and keeps fucking bothering me to submit my statement of intent to register and sign up for housing that doesn’t have air conditioning and they won’t publicly show on their website, and i know that 2020 me would be jumping at the opportunity to get out, but 2024 me does not feel that way. four years and i have come to like my current school, come to appreciate the chance it gives to underrepresented students to shine and succeed. sure, many of my peers came to my current school as a backup plan and are vocal in their indifference to the community, but so many others are first-generation students, undocumented, came from backgrounds far from privilege, were given the opportunity to study at the university and seized it with both hands. i’ve met so many professors who made their home here and are so excited about the work they do, about outreach and lifting students up and making a difference in a community that is so often the butt of jokes about our politics or not being as bougie as other regions or whatever

it’s not being prideful that is making me think about how school A did not at first offer me funding and now gives it to me. i mention it because i am consumed by how my current school started out as the economic choice and ended up being like a home. and even though picking school A would be the choice of my younger self, would not make it look like my current school was the only one to take me, and would result in the lesser amount of scrutiny from people who think i settled for less when i picked my current school—i don’t know if i could make it feel like home. i never know if i don’t try, but…

i was born near school A. i’ve been back there almost every summer. the area of my early childhood no longer feels that way. it’s gotten overgrown, sprawling, urban; teslas on the streets, luxury cars everywhere, exorbitant housing prices that would make it impossible to live anywhere but on campus. designer clothes, fashionable, consumerism. which exists elsewhere, but it’s not the place i remember from when i was a child. not the place i played in with my best friend who moved away to england for uni. i wondered why she didn’t stay. i wonder if she’ll come back.

i don’t know. i just want to lie down and cry. why must this be so difficult

[carnivorousyandeere]

Can I rq Erik making a move? (Aka kidnapping his darling) As mentioned in his alphabet? Please 🫶💕💕💕💕💕🥺🥺🥹🥹🤭🤭❤️🫶

Hehehehe yesssss, thank you for another good opportunity to show Erik’s colder side 😈💕💕💕

For Moodie / @havenmoodz

Erik Kidnapping His Darling~

CW: needles, drugging, kidnapping

Erik had tried to avoid you— but it was impossible. Hallways, staff meetings, other places on campus, even the fucking grocery store— you began popping up everywhere. And even when you weren’t around, his mind would get stuck on the smile you had when talking to other people. The way that expression would fade into a careful neutrality when you saw him, and then fade into an annoyed scowl when you thought he’d looked away.

Your presence in his life and mind was driving them mad. They couldn’t concentrate on grading anything or practicing. Even the students in his performance classes had noticed that his conducting was off. They could barely eat or sleep either.

They found that your presence eased his mind ever so slightly more than your absence, and from there an idea began to form. An idea fueled by the increasing amount of time he was spending following you, observing you, trying to figure out what it was about you that was so captivating. An idea that made him feel sick with guilt and anxiety, but an idea nonetheless… He was reaching the end of his rope, and he wasn’t sure what else he could do.

Breaking into your place was horribly easy— there were no cameras, your key was right under your entry mat. Nobody saw him. It was easy to sedate you while you were napping. He had extra needles on-hand from their testosterone regimen, after all. From there, you stumbled along with him when he dragged you up, confused but pliant, to his car. Erik was sick with anxiety, sweating heavily, but again… nobody saw.

Almost like it was fate. He was meant to take you.

You dozed in and out of consciousness through the whole drive, and the short walk up to his apartment. He let you lay down in his bed, and finally you drifted into a world of strange and discomfiting dreams.

Erik tied your wrists together, then your wrists, and gently but firmly slid a gag in your mouth. Erik sighed and sat back, surveying his work. Surveying your peaceful, sleeping form.

Finally… finally… the tightness in his chest loosened. For the first time since bumping into you in that hallway at the beginning of the semester, Erik felt a familiar sense of calm wash over him. He’d missed this feeling.

Erik laid beside you gently, trying not to wake you, although you were out cold. They took the opportunity to study your features more closely. They still couldn’t figure out what it was about you that had burned your image into his mind.

Erik laid there and studied you for hours. He lost track of time, lost track of his thoughts, stuck in a loop.

His breath caught in his throat when you began to stir— would the anxiety come roaring back? You gasped and squirmed, confused and scared, and tried to hit him. He caught and subdued you easily, with your limbs still tied, and attached your arms to the headboard and your feet at the end of the bed.

You began to hyperventilate and cry, whimpering around the gag. Erik laid back down beside you and just watched you for a while, cold eyes darting over your features. He ran his fingers over them slowly, gently, ignoring the way you flinched as his hand came near.

It was more curiosity than comfort, and it only made you panic more. Erik frowned, and rolled out of bed, deciding you would probably need to be sedated again until you could calm down. The previous weeks-long pain in his chest hadn’t returned, but seeing you cry now was starting to make it hurt in a different way.

He absentmindedly licked your tears from his fingertips, and began digging around for the sedative he’d painstakingly crafted. Perhaps a smaller dose would suffice this time around—he could try to explain himself if you were still conscious…

[hypnoneghoul]

wanna practice + rulti pretty pretty please<3

again, sorry it took so long, but here you go, dear anon!

(freshly summoned rain and swiss btw)

Rain was not shy.

Of course, anyone would think that with how little he speaks or engages in anything the pack is doing, but that was not it. The water ghoul just needed to... adjust, feel comfortable in the new environment he got put into on his own before letting his new pack in. He was happy in his little bubble, for now.

The 'now' was ending, apparently.

The cause... well, the cause's name was Swiss.

He was everywhere, he was everything, he was skilled but loud and chaotic, always smiling - no, grinning - laughing and making everyone else laugh too. He was also absurdly hot, but that's not the point.

Rain hated people like that, he thought they were too much, always ruining carefully crafted peace.

Not Swiss. From him the water ghoul couldn't keep away.

Swiss was like a magnet, bringing more and more of the actual Rain out of him, shrinking his bubble.

Rain was falling uncontrollably and fast, and wanting to regain control, he decided to do something about it before Swiss could.

There was just one, small issue...

"Swiss, I- I've never..." the opportunity that had presented itself after one band practice was ideal, they were in the perfect position.

And yet he hesitated.

The water ghoul wasn't shy, but he weren't the most confident ghoul ever, either. There was one, or rather two, things in particular, that made him blush and stutter, with Swiss only mere inches in front of his face.

"You never what, Raincloud?" his voice, the nickname, the smirk, glint in his golden eyes, it all made Rain's knees buckle.

"I've never... you know... kissed... up here," the water ghoul managed to choke out, his cheeks burning impossibly more as he drilled holes in the floor with his gaze.

Rain was scared Swiss would laugh, or worse, leave, but after a moment he just leaned to whisper into his ear, "Wanna practice?"

Rain's head shot up, nodding vigorously, eyes wide. Swiss did laugh then and the sound made the water ghoul's stomach flip, as it did many times before.

The multi ghoul leaned in and his surprisingly soft lips brushed against Rain's slightly chapped ones.

"Better pay attention, sweetheart," Swiss murmured, his breath tickling Rain, and pulled him in for a deep kiss, making him all but melt into his hold.

When the multi ghoul pulled away for breath Rain whined, chasing his lips, making him chuckle "Relax, 'm not going anywhere. Don't have gills."

Rain grumbled and hung his head to hide from Swiss' watchful eyes behind a curtain of onyx hair.

"Hey, love?" another stupid nickname. He didn't lift his head, just looked up with big puppy eyes through his thick lashes. "You're beautiful."

Swiss could watch the blush creeping back up his cheeks in real time, as he leaned back down.

"Were you paying attention?" he didn't get much answer but a quiet whine. "Well, I suppose more practice is in order then, is it not?"

It was Rain who giggled this time, before it was replaced with a moan as Swiss shoved his tongue deep into his mouth.

[bananonbinary]

the main argument I've heard made wrt the IP thing and AI art is that the AI can only ever combine works from other artists. it has no creative input other than combining works that already exist; which, personally, i would be fine with if it was just being trained on work in the public domain and work from people who consented to be included, but these bots are scraping art from literally everywhere on the web with *very* few opportunities to opt out. even a human artist that's heavily inspired by other creators adds something of their own to the mix, it's kind of impossible *not* to unless you're literally tracing someone else's design, but AI is using art taken from other creators And Nothing Else, which when combined with the fact you can ask it to produce art "in the style of X" gets a lot of artists very mad

that feels like a very esoteric complaint though. how does one measure "creative input," and why does the actual method it uses to create not count? if you can't actually point to a bit of AI art like "thats my OC it clearly lifted that from this painting i did" then it's clearly done SOMETHING transformative. what has it actually stolen? the knowledge that your work exists, somewhere?

as far as i understand it, the main practical reason for "intellectual property" to exist as a legal concept, is to prevent someone from harming someone else's livelihood or reputation by claiming the work as their own. parody and free use are allowed only so far as they are sufficiently different from the source work. but these AIs...don't claim credit for the source works. they don't reproduce the source works anywhere at all. and what they create IS pretty transformative, even if it's in a soulless robot kinda way. it can't really be considered to be "taking away" from sales etc of the original works that exist, because it doesn't actually look like any one of them at all. I think even if I, a human, DID create "here's a collage of tiny pieces of shit i found on deviantart" it would still be considered fair use, but the connection between anything in the data sets and the actual art the AIs produce is much, much more tenuous than that.

I think any way that it could hurt an artist that you could define would also just cover competing artists in general. Even if an AI created a picture of, say, a tree In The Style Of Artist (let's call them Phil), it still wouldn't ACTUALLY be the same as the tree Phil would draw, it would just kinda look similar. and anyone who wanted a tree by Phil would know that this wasn't one, and wasn't worth their time. Phil could draw their own tree, and still sell it, and the AI would only really compete with that among Phil fans if it actually tried to claim that its version WAS by Phil.

This is sort of my main hesitation for the IP argument. we here in fandom spaces exist in a grey area of intellectual property, where EVERYTHING is "in the style of" or "based on" existing properties. if we try to legislate those very conceptual qualities, instead of actual concrete "look this was literally my image it made i published it two years ago," then our spaces will cease to exist.

again, that's not to say there's zero valid complaints about AI art. i definitely see the problem with corporations trying to replace human labor with them because the humans wanted better working conditions. (this is a larger problem imo where any progress in the workplace is stagnated because it will inevitably be used as an excuse to fire people instead of give them less work). and a friend explained to me why it's fairly offensive at the very least to try and bring AI art into what was clearly a space to celebrate the process of making art (eg, contests, writers groups and websites, etc). i just don't think this specific argument is a good path to go down.