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feyhunter78 · 3 months

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Sidewalk Kisses

Art cred: mia_bobrhia

“No, so then we get to the next chapter, the one we were supposed to read before class, right? And this dumbass goes wait, who’s Ophelia again? We’re literally reading Hamlet; the book cover is that super famous painting of Ophelia, and he doesn’t even know who she is.” You rant, waving your hands wildly in frustration, recounting the drama from your last class as you and Miguel take the back way to your next classes. You’re walking down the cracked sidewalk, the large looming trees above, birds singing in their branches, it’s quiet, no one else is around.

Miguel hums in halfhearted acknowledgment, and you look over at him, slowing your pace.

“Sorry, I know I’m being dramatic, but it just pisses me off.” You say, and Miguel can see you curling in on yourself.

“Don’t apologize, I’m just enjoying listening.” He says, trying to blink himself out of the trace your beauty has put him in. “And looking at you.”

You look so pretty, your hair tied up, a few strands falling perfectly, framing your face, the sun on your skin, the flowers blooming on the trees and bushes behind you.

You give him a shy smile, looking up at him through your mascara adorned lashes. “You’re so sweet.”

It’s his turn to be shy, and he ducks his head. “It’s easy to be sweet to you, you deserve it.”

You smack his arm playfully, full on beaming at him now. “Shut up, I adore you.”

I love you. The words sit on the tip of his tongue, poised, ready for action, but he chokes them down. “Now who’s being too sweet?”

You giggle, and it’s like music, like bells, like everything he’s ever wanted to hear. He loves to hear you laugh.

Miguel wants to kiss you, but he knows once he starts, he won’t be able to stop, and you both have classes to get to.

“Yeah, yeah, but anyways, so Dr. Wrinkler is like young man she is the very reason we’re reading this book. And dumbass just says I thought we were reading Hamlet because of Hamlet. Literally starts arguing with the professor! And I’m just sitting there dumbfounded, but also happy because I didn’t actually read the chapter before class, so I don’t mind him wasting class time.” You admit, giving Miguel an impish smile.

“My girlfriend, the ever-diligent student, is secretly a rule breaker, who would’ve known?” He jokes, glancing over at you when you stop dead in your tracks. “What’s wrong?”

You smile and go up on your toes, pressing your lips against his cheek. “I just don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me your girlfriend before; I like it.”

His cheeks warm and he ducks his head. “I…I like it too.”

You coo at him and smother his face with quick kisses, wrapping your arms around his neck to pull him down to your height, angling your lips against his in a way that feels both romantic and wildly inappropriate. His head spins and he can’t stop a whimper from escaping when your nails graze against the nape of his neck, and your tongue traces the seam of his lips.

You smile against him, tangling your hands in his hair, manicured nails massaging his scalp, his glasses digging into the bridge of his nose a bit. He doesn’t care, you could devour him, break him into tiny pieces, melt him down, mold him into something new, whatever you want as long as you keep kissing him.

His hands go to your waist, pulling you closer, instinct taking over as he explores every inch of your mouth, the tip of his tongue running across yours, his grip tightening when he feels your breathing speed up.

You break away, breathing harshly, leaning into him like your knees are weak. “You’re um—you’re really good at that.”

“Only with you, mi dulce.” He says, and it’s not a lie, it’s the truest thing he knows. He likes kissing you, it comes naturally, everything he does you like and vice versa, there’s no wrong moves with you. “You inspire greatness in me.”

“Who knew you had such a silver tongue?” You tease, looking up at him with your pupils blown wide, your hands trailing lower, caressing his broad back.

Maybe he could convince you to skip class?

“If you would let me, I could show you more of it.” The words are honeyed, far smoother than he thought they would be, and Miguel holds his breath as he waits for your response.

Your breath catches in your throat and blink at him, stunned, flustered, lips parted in shock, or maybe anticipation? It’s an intoxicating expression, one that fuels him, fills him with courage.

“Déjame mostrarte cómo me has inspirado, mi musa, déjame arrodillarme ante ti, pintarte, tocarte, adorarte.” He whispers, drunk on your reaction, on the feeling of all your attention focused solely on him. Trsl: Let me show you how you have inspired me, my muse, let me kneel before you, paint you, touch you, worship you.

“Oh…” You breathe out, as you tilt your head subconsciously, your eyes flickering down to his lips.

He doesn’t need any other instruction, and he closes the distance, humming at the way you melt into him. He could do this forever, just you and him in the quiet of the day, sheltered by the shadow of the trees.

A sharp wolf whistle breaks you two apart.

“Damn, y/n, is that Honor Council approved?” Kelsy, one of your sisters’ calls, making you turn on your heel.

“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me, Ms. Honor Council Chairman?” You call back, rolling your eyes playfully.

“It’s not, but we’re going to be late for class, so I’ll excuse it.” Kelsy says, linking her arm with yours and pulling you towards the direction of your class, casting a sympathetic look over her shoulder towards Miguel. “Sorry lover boy, gotta steal your girl, good grades and all that.”

He just nods, feeling back in that daze from before. It’s only the sight of you blowing him a kiss that breaks the trance, and he forces himself to head to his own class, the feeling of your lips on his still lingering.

I KNOW THIS ONE IS SHORT BUT I'M TRAINING THE NEW GIRL AT WORK SO I'VE HAD ZERO TIME TO WRITE + EDIT, SO THIS IS ALL I'VE GOT TILL SHE CAN STAND ON HER OWN SO SORRYYYY

TL: @bat-bae, @nyctophilic0vitnir, @smokeywhalee, @obi-mom-kenobi, @prowlingforfood, @penggion, @crystal-crax, @oharasfilipinawife, @generalkenobitrash, @melsimps, @chrishy973, @farrowroyale, @palesatan, @scaryplanetdestroyer, @denzmallows, @36namey, @scoobysnakz, @ihateuguys, @idkbros-world @smartyren, @deputy-videogamer, @blackrose8425, @amberpanda99, @marshhbs, @queerponcho

#meg's writing #nerd miguel #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel ohara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #miguel o'hara x y/n #nerd!miguel #college au #college!miguel #college!reader #sorority!reader #nerd!miguel o'hara

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daechwitatamic · 3 months

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Of Ruin: Chapter 12 || KTH

(banner by @itaeewon)

Of Ruin (Masterpost)

Rating: NSFW - minors dni Genre: vampire!au magic!au royalty!au, s2l, slow burn, eventual smut, angst and fluff

Summary: Taehyung of House Rune, Prince of Infracticus has been cursed. You’re the human world’s leading curse-breaker. It should be simple. But unraveling the curse becomes the least of your problems in the face of a world on the brink of civil war… and the love you start to feel for the prince.

A/N: Thank you endlessly to @sailoryooons for betaing!!! 💕

Section Warnings: language, tense situations with dangerous vampires, violence: vampire biting and feeding!!, lots of blood!!!, kissing wc: 4.8k

You spend the ride back to the palace in silence. You can’t even watch the beautiful landscape roll by, because Taehyung keeps the curtains closed as a precaution.

At the palace, he walks you back to your rooms. He doesn’t kiss you goodbye; you aren’t sure if you expected him to or not. Instead he takes your hand, glances up the hall where a team of guards wait for him, and gives it two quick squeezes before striding away, his footfalls echoing in the stone corridor.

You wait anxiously in the main room until the door opens, Namjoon looking just as relieved to see you as you are to see him.

You wonder if Jimin and the guard who took the main road made it back okay.

You don’t tell Namjoon about this kiss, nor about Taehyung’s comments about wanting you to stay.

You do fill him in on the meeting with the Scores, and Taehyung’s tentative plan for his reign.

“That’s ambitious,” Namjoon admits, rubbing a hand over his forehead. “He’ll have his work cut out for him.”

“He’s determined,” you say, somewhat absently. “I think the Scores might be on board. They’re not immediately objecting, anyway.”

“Would you stay?” Namjoon asks, dark eyes on yours inquisitively. “As, like, a representative for above?”

You shrug, averting your gaze, lest he spy your secrets in your eyes. “If he wanted me,” you say. “Of course, I’d try to help.”

Namjoon hums in response, meaning he doesn’t want to say what he really thinks.

You can’t find it in you to care.

About half the Scores return to court. No more attacks come. Satuel tells you, when you inquire, that that coach had been stopped by riders on the main road, but when they found only Jimin, they made no trouble.

You fall back into your routine. You spend your days reading through the notes Namjoon took at the archives. You spend your nights practicing magic, branching out from defensive spells and beginning to dabble with practical magic, and the odd offensive move.

Over the next week you break your lamp three more times while practicing, and you try to counter Taehyung’s curse - unsuccessfully - just as many.

The first two fizzle out and go nowhere, unceremonious and anticlimactic. The third one goes wrong so immediately that Namjoon physically yanks you away from Taehyung to break the connection, black smoke rising from each of your palms as you break away.

Taehyung heals your burns, the first time he’s touched you since you said goodbye after kissing in the carriage.

You feel stalled out; you feel your wheels spinning.

“Taehyung,” you say heavily, one of the evenings he comes to check your nonexistent progress. “We’re still missing something. Something we thought we had worked out isn’t right. I’m telling you. Something’s messed up.”

“What do you need?” he asks, looking back at you seriously. “More time at the archives? I could take you back -”

“I need to see the curse at work,” you say determinedly. It’s been over a month since you’d last had this argument, since the prince had put his foot down definitively. “I’ve been saying it since the beginning, and it’s still true. I have to.”

“We discussed this already,” he says tightly. “I won’t allow it.”

“Maiesti,” you say desperately. “We’ve run out of other choices. No book will tell me what I need - the curse will. If I can’t crack this, everything else you’re working on will never happen. You can’t do anything you’ve planned until this is solved.”

He stares at you, and it’s plain on his face how much he hates that you’re right.

“I can keep myself safe,” you say. Beside you, Namjoon murmurs your name, apprehensive. “You’ve seen me do it. I’m better now than I was then, I’ve practiced and practiced - I can do it, I can keep you back.”

The prince looks like he wants to vomit. “I can’t,” he croaks. “I can’t allow it.”

“We have to -”

“What if the worst happens?” he snaps, breaking. “What if I kill you? Seriously - that is a serious question! Think about that. I could kill you.”

“I’ll send you through a wall,” you say, half-joking. But you both know you can.

He shakes his head. “It’s too risky.”

“The bigger risk is never breaking the curse,” you say. “Think how much is at stake, now. You can only hold off the Scores for so long before they move back to the offensive. War is on the line, Taehyung, is that what you want for your people? Is my life worth more to you than the good of Infracticus? It shouldn’t be.”

He swears in his people’s ancient language, turning away from you, rubbing his face roughly, as he often does when overwhelmed.

Namjoon takes this opportunity to say your name again, quietly.

“I know what decision I’m making,” you say stonily, to both of them. “I know the risks, I know the dangers. We have to. We’ve come to a point where this is the only solution.”

“Fine,” Taehyung snaps, finally, turning back to you, eyes narrowed and mouth tight. “Fine. Is tonight too soon?”

You blanch. “Tonight?”

He looks at you, pleading. “Please. I can’t go through a whole day knowing it’s coming. The sooner we do this, the less time I’ll spend sick with worry. So - can you? Will you?”

“Yeah,” you say shakily. “Yes. Yes, we can do it tonight.”

“Fine,” he says, and when his voice is cold this time, you know it’s because he’s scared. “Satuel will bring you before midnight.”

He leaves without goodbye, as he used to do.

Namjoon says your name, more insistent this time.

“I know,” you tell him. “Believe me. You trust me, right?”

“I think so,” he says, which makes you laugh.

“It’s going to be fine,” you tell him.

—

The room Prince Taehyung spends his nights in is nicer than you’d envisioned, though not as nice as his actual wing of the palace.

Prince Taehyung sits at a wooden table, legs crossed so that one ankle rests on his knee. He eyes you coldly when the guards let you in the room.

Once, you would have seen his coldness and felt small. You know better now.

“It’s going to be okay,” you tell him, as gently as you can.

He swallows, looks at the floor. Then he rises, walking towards you. He stops before you, raises his gaze to meet yours. His eyes, irises white and human, dance with something too complicated to name.

“How can you be willing to do this?” he asks, something broken in his voice. “How, when you know the risks?”

Something in you breaks too, a dam that has been holding back every foolish, dead-end, illogical feeling you’ve been having these past months: because I love you, you think. Because I love you, and I want to save you.

You don’t say it, don’t say anything, but he’s watching your face carefully, and you think maybe he hears you anyway, somehow. He raises one shaky hand and cups your face, so light it’s barely there.

He kisses you chastely, gently, then shuffles backwards, glancing at the clock on the wall.

“Three minutes,” he says. “Put the wall up now. Do it now.”

“Taehyung,” you say, but you have nothing to follow it. You do as he says, pulsing your palms towards the floor between you, feeling the magic swim through you.

You both watch the clock, together, in silence.

He paces, and you miss the moment he leaves you, leaving only the beast. But you notice his movements grow choppier, and you watch the exact second that he smells you.

His head wheels around, fangs displayed, crackling grumbles beginning to emit from deep in his chest. He stalks towards you, elbows bent up behind him, until he hits your wall. He bounces backwards almost comically, then snarls louder, eyes narrowed at you. They swirl, like pools of ink.

He tries again, slower this time, pressing his hands to the wall he cannot see, investigative. You try to breathe evenly, to ensure the magic holds. His gaze snaps back to you, his mind putting together the pieces and figuring that you are causing the problem.

He snarls at you, jaw snapping, lip curled, cursing your existence in the ancient language of the Infracti, which you aren’t sure he’s even fluent in when he’s himself.

You put your shoulders back and walk closer to the wall you made.

“If you want something,” you tell him firmly, “then you need to ask me in my language.”

The beast freezes in place, eyes locking on you. The curl in his lip relaxes just slightly, and he blinks at you. He cocks his head just slightly and blinks again. It’s like you can see him thinking, cogs in his head turning.

Then, voice raspy and entirely unlike Taehyung’s low, honeyed tones, he grits out, “Drink?”

Your heart pounds.

“Not too much,” you say, still firm, like you’re giving directions to an unruly toddler. “If you take too much, I’ll die, and then you never get more.”

His head cocks to the other side. His brows furrow. “Small?” he asks.

“Very small,” you say. Your legs don’t even feel like jelly beneath you - they feel like nothing, so numb with fear that they could be gone and you wouldn’t know. “From here.”

You hold out your wrist, veins up, and look at him. “You understand?”

“Yes,” he says, licking his lips in anticipation.

“I’m putting the wall down,” you tell him. “Come slowly.”

He waits, and you do. When you nod, he comes forward on that jolting, uneven gait, as if it’s screwing up his whole balance to move at a human pace for your sake.

He takes your arm in his hands, nails biting into your skin as he forgets his inhuman strength, and you grimace.

“Only a little,” you remind him, heart pounding so hard in your ribcage that it’s almost painful.

His swirling, black eyes land on yours as he brings his mouth to your wrist. You feel like you can’t breathe, the anticipation is so strong. A detached part of you knows that he could get one taste and lose this tentative control, that this could be your last moment.

You sort of wish you’d called your parents before coming.

You cry out when his fangs sink into you, instinctively flinching away, but he holds you so tight that you stumble closer to him instead. The pain is bone-deep, not a shallow pinch like a shot - and that’s frightening, your systems telling your brain that there’s danger, that something is wrong. You start to struggle, to try fruitlessly to push him away, alarms going haywire in your mind, and then -

And then the venom hits you.

The pain is eradicated - or, at least, you don’t notice it anymore. Instead, a high comes over you, and you feel like you’re floating away, the room going quite bright as you feel the unfamiliar and startling sensation of blood being pulled towards the wound as Taehyung sucks at it, his tongue running circles over and around the puncture marks.

“Enough,” you manage to say, your voice seeming disembodied to you, coming from nowhere. The beast lifts his mouth and snarls at you, before returning to lap at the rivulets of red that run over your wrist bone.

“You said small,” you remind him, trying to stay grounded. “Let me breathe, let me make sure I’m okay, and then you can have more.”

He utters a sentence at you in his language, hands tightening on your arm to the point they hurt.

“Back off, or I’ll knock you back,” you warn him. His eyes narrow as he processes the threat. It might be empty - you’re not sure you can do it one-handed.

Then, for just a second, his eyes flash human again, the whites showing. It’s him, your Taehyung, and he releases your arm so frantically it’s as if it burns to touch it. He takes two steps back, eyes wide and frightened. You blink, and he’s gone. The beast is back again, that quickly, frustration coming back over his features.

You throw the wall up as quickly as you can.

It doesn’t work.

He’s on you in an instant, so quickly you don’t see him move. Your back hits the wall behind you and you let out an audible grunt. He cages you in, a hand on either shoulder, pressing you into place against the stone, and he uses his tongue to swipe along his fangs, cleaning remnants of your blood from them, as he looks you over. Slowly, he leans his weight on you, his hips pinning your hips, his chest pinning your chest, his hands firm on the fronts of your shoulders.

Your breath comes in and out in shaky waves. You’re not sure you’d still be standing if he weren’t holding you in place. You try not to think about all the places your bodies are touching, the weight of him over you, the stuttering rhythm of your heartbeat, the fiery look that he settles over you. You try not to think about how precarious this is, how easily he could let go of his control and simply tear your throat out in one seamless motion.

He sniffs at you, fangs displayed and ready, as if trying to find the place most palatable. Your heart pounds desperately, and beneath his inhumanly strong hold, you can feel your muscles shaking. Your body knows you are about to die, even if your mind still wants to lie to you about it, to pretend otherwise.

He chooses a spot near the base of your neck, near the front, and laves at the spot with his tongue, giving a happy hum as your pulse thunders visibly over the inch of skin. You close your eyes, feeling your whole body shudder in terror.

“Taehyung,” you whisper, barely able to give volume to the word.

The beast pulls back and looks at you, reacting to the sound of its name. Somewhere in there, he recognizes it. Somewhere in there, he recognizes you; you watch as he draws even further back, then removes one hand from your shoulders and reaches for your uninjured wrist instead.

He lifts your limb to his mouth easily and you flinch before anything even happens.

“Here?” he asks, in that gritty, not-Taehyung voice, and your eyes snap to his.

He’s asking permission.

You are not going to die. Maybe.

“Small,” you utter. Then, since it seemed to work a second ago to use his name, to remind him who he is, “You promised, Taehyung. A small one.”

The puncture hurts - enough that you cry out again, the pain deep and throbbing, the cry morphing into a sob of agony - but the high comes quickly, melting it away. The sensation of blood being pulled to your wrist is less frightening this time, and you breathe deeply, trying to assess how dizzy you are, if you need to tell him to stop yet.

“Enough,” you say, and he licks one last stripe over the wound before taking his mouth away. Blood smears around his lips and down his chin, but his black eyes watch yours, obedient, waiting. His chest heaves as he waits, like it’s hard work.

Maybe it is.

Maybe it is only a sliver of Taehyung’s humanity shining through that is keeping you alive right now.

You both wait, him still pressing you to the wall by one shoulder. You breathe, closing your eyes for a long inhale and then opening them again.

Taehyung’s eyes are human, and he opens his mouth as if to speak. He blinks. They go black again. Whatever comes out of his mouth isn’t human.

He presses closer again, raising the wrist he just bit up to his face and inhaling deeply. He sticks out his tongue and licks over it once more, then continues to trace up your forearm with his tongue, past the crook of your elbow, stopping when he finds the pulsing point of the brachial artery in your fleshy upper arm.

“Here?” he asks again. He shudders, blinks, and your Taehyung looks at you.

This time he manages to speak, all in a rush, before he’s sucked under again. “You should run,” he tells you, breathless, and then only snarls fall from his lips as his eyes flash black again.

You press a hand to the monster’s cheek, blood still rising to clot at the first wound he’d given you. The beast looks at you, waiting, mouth still inches from your bicep, waiting for permission.

“Yes,” you whisper.

This one hurts worse - maybe the bite is deeper. You hear yourself shout and your eyes roll back, your knees giving out beneath you. The beast uses both hands and his hips to hold you up, press you in place, as he sucks and licks at the twin wounds in your arm.

The high comes, but combined with the blood loss it’s no longer pleasant and floaty. Instead, you feel yourself weakening, unable to remind Taehyung to stop, unable to even stand. The room goes fuzzy as he pulls more blood from you, becoming nothing but colors, and your head spins so violently that it makes you want to cry out.

He stops when your head lolls, brow furrowing as if he’s trying to remember why he doesn’t want you gone. He licks at his lips, rising to stand, and picks you up, your jelly-like arms flopping over his shoulders. He carries you easily to the large bed on the other side of the room and places you down gently on your back.

Your head lolls to the side and you work on breathing, work on staying here, not floating away. The beast sits on the bed next to you, cross-legged, and waits, watching your chest rise and fall, watching your eyes go unfocused and then come back again.

After some time, you do settle back into yourself, the high from his venom dissipating and your mind clearing as you rest. You still feel weak, a bit dizzy, but the room comes into focus again.

The beast has been waiting, and he sees it immediately when you’re coherent again. He stretches out his legs and rolls over top of you, holding himself up with his arms. He presses his nose to your most recent wound, the one in your upper arm, and gives it a long sniff, and then one last lick.

Then, he noses his way up your arm, leaving a trail of goosebumps, past your shoulder, and up to the junction of your neck. He presses his lips to the spot he wants, licking at it, feeling your pulse thud against his tongue. You feel him shudder, wanting.

“Here?” he asks, leaning up to look at you.

“Last one,” you breathe, unable to sound any more firm than that. You can only pray that he listens, that enough Taehyung is in there to know you mean it. “Last one, or it’ll be too much.”

“Small,” he says, a promise, and lays himself over you, heavy. He sinks his fangs into your neck and your whole body reacts to the white-hot pain, hands coming up to claw fruitlessly at his upper arms, legs scrabbling against the sheets, eyes screwing shut, breaths heaving noisily through your open mouth as you pant through the pain.

He drinks longer here, despite his promise, licking and licking over the spot like one might scrape the bottom of the bowl for any last dregs of soup. You float, incoherent, trying to count your inhales and exhales, trying to measure your heartbeats and ensure they’re not slowing too much.

He doesn’t remove himself from you when he’s done, and it’s honestly kind of nice having his heaviness over your body - you know you can’t actually float away, something is tethering you here. He sniffs and licks and presses his lips against the wound on your neck, but doesn’t drink more, doesn’t suck anything from it.

Then, as your head begins to clear a final time, he noses his way up your jaw, still pressing his open mouth to spot after spot, tongue tasting your skin but not puncturing it. Finally, he finds your mouth, pressing his lips to yours in a searing, lingering kiss that you try your best to return.

When he pulls away to look at you, his eyes are his own, brown and anguished.

“There you are,” you manage, trying to reach up for his face. You can’t get your hand high enough, and your arm flops uselessly back to the mattress. For some reason, this makes tears prick at your eyes. You want to touch him, your Taehyung, want to feel closer to him, protected by him. Instead, you can only look at him as he pants over top of you, clearly exerting himself even as he’s holding himself still.

“Run,” he begs in between pants. You shake your head, flopping from side to side. You don’t want to leave him. Your Taehyung is here, fighting to get through, and you don’t want to leave him.

“Stay with me,” you whisper, and he closes his eyes, still panting. Fighting. Fighting it with everything he has. “Please.”

“I’m - trying -” he lets out between gritted teeth, but when his eyes open again they’ve gone black again.

You wait for him to pick a new place to bite, to ask permission. Instead, he shifts to lay next to you instead of over top of you. He pulls you tight against his chest, one arm over your middle, tangles his legs between yours, and buries his face in the back of your neck, inhaling deeply.

“No more?” you ask, trying to turn your head to look at him over your shoulder. You find it hard to believe that he’s satiated… but that last bite was long, dizzying. Maybe he is.

“You said,” he grumbles, the monster’s gritty voice still coming out somewhat petulant and pouty. “You said last one.” Then, his voice turns hopeful. “Tomorrow? More tomorrow?”

“Okay,” you breathe; it’s an easy promise to make - tomorrow you can talk to normal Taehyung, your Taehyung. Tomorrow at this time, chances are you’ll be safe in your own rooms. It’s a promise you won’t have to keep.

“Yes,” the beast grumbles, wiggling closer to you, but you think it’s a happy grumble. “More tomorrow. Now, sleep.”

The room spins a few times, then settles. You feel him press his lips to your shoulder, then return to the back of your neck. It takes a lot of strength, but eventually you manage to lift your hand high enough to grip his.

With his body firm behind yours, his hand under your hand, his breath against your neck, you let yourself float away.

—

You’re awakened abruptly by hands jerking you around by your arms - lifting you up, rolling you over, turning you this way and that with a frantic energy that you are too sleepy to comprehend.

“Stop,” you whine, squeezing your eyes shut. Somewhere deep in your mind you know it’s Taehyung, and you know he’s freaking out, but you were sleeping so well, and you’re so bone-tired - probably from the blood loss. You just want him to leave you in peace, in the dark room and fluffy bed, to sleep many more hours. “Taehyung, stop it.”

“I bit you,” he utters, horrified. He’s holding you in a sitting-up position, and you work hard to open your eyes to slits so you can see him. His eyes - humanlike, beautiful brown - dance between the puncture marks on your upper arm and the ones on your neck. He curses in Infracti, the word coming out quieter than a whisper. “I hurt you.”

“I’m fine,” you insist, eyes adjusting. “I’m tired, and I’m starving, but I’m fine.”

You scoot away from him a little, laying back against the headboard, too weak to hold yourself up for long. He’d been kneeling as he turned you from side to side, assessing the damage, but as you get more comfortable he climbs off the bed entirely, coming around and sitting on the edge near your torso.

He clearly hasn’t cleaned up this morning - he’s in last night’s rumpled clothes, dried blood caked on his jaw. Despite this, he looks no more dangerous right now than a teddy bear, with huge, worried eyes and a pronounced frown.

“I can’t believe you’re even alive,” he utters, still whispering. “Why did I agree to this? God, you could have died, I could have killed you -” His voice completely breaks, and he brings up a hand to cover his face, ashamed and guilty.

“Taehyung,” you say, reaching up to tug his hand away. He lets you, but looks steadfastly at his feet, his eyes swimming. “Hey - I let you, I told you it was okay. You didn’t do anything without my permission -”

“I know,” he bites out, then swallows hard, his facial muscles quivering as he fights off emotion. “I know, I remember, but it doesn’t matter - it was still dangerous. It’s a miracle you’re alive -”

You stare at him. “What do you mean, you remember?”

He freezes too, coming to the same realization as you.

“I… remember,” he repeats, eyes widening. He turns his body to face you, looking at you wildly, desperate for an explanation. “I remember every bit of it,” he adds, voice breathy with disbelief. “I couldn’t stop myself from doing any of it, but I was there.” His eyes linger on yours, lost and baffled. “How can that be?”

“You broke through,” you say softly, the only explanation to the magic’s inconsistency. “Somehow, you pushed through it - enough to control yourself, and enough to remember.”

“What does that mean?” he asks, deep voice still breathy, shaking a little.

“It means…” you pause, collecting your thoughts. “It means that even when the curse is active, your humanity isn’t gone, it’s just suppressed. It’s there, we can reach it. I’ve had this wrong all along - my countercurse was trying to replace it… but really, I needed to just… unbury it. And…”

“And?” He tilts his head cutely.

“And… well, there’s probably a level of…”

You trail off, embarrassed, unsure. You don’t know how Taehyung feels, but you know magic and countercurses.

“What?” he asks, reaching for your hands, which lay limp over your lap.

You press your lips together, mine for courage. “It seems like you came through once you recognized me. It makes me wonder… I mean, I’d hypothesize… whatever it is you f-feel for me,” you stumble over the words, starting to mumble, “acts as a counter to something built into the curse.”

He blinks at you a few times, his thumbs absently stroking the backs of your hands. Then, as if he’s asking about your breakfast order, he clarifies, “Love? Love counters something in the curse?”

You pull your hands from his, your body reacting defensively - as if it’s sure this is a joke being played on you.

“What?” he asks, oblivious.

“You what?” you manage, heart pounding desperately against your ribs.

He frowns at you, like you’re being purposely obtuse. “I love you,” he repeats, like it’s not a big deal at all, no more weighty than saying I’m wearing black shoes tonight.

“Taehyung,” you whisper, shaking your head. “What are you saying? You can’t love me - I’m nothing, just a human, I’m not -”

“Are you joking?” he asks, and he actually looks angry, suddenly. “Nothing?” He scoots closer, brushes his thumb up your jaw, then leans closer, pressing his forehead to yours and closing his eyes. “You have never been nothing,” he says, voice dangerously low. “Never.”

You want to protest, to object, but then he’s lifting his chin to slot his lips against yours - soft at first, then more insistent - and the words die on your tongue, replaced by a small, happy sigh.

When he pulls away, he shakes his head, eyes closing. “Y/N, if something had gone wrong last night, and it had been my fault, I think I would have lost my mind. Truly. I might be losing my mind anyway just because it almost happened. I’m so sorry you went through this.”

“Nothing almost happened,” you press back. “I knew what I was getting into. I knew what I was agreeing to.”

He shakes his head again, wordless, and reaches for you, long fingers reaching to pull you from your spot against the pillows into his lap instead. You allow it, letting him pull you closer until you’re straddling his legs, his arms wrapped tight around your back, pulling you ever closer.

Safe, you think, as he presses his face to the top of your head, giving you a squeeze.

Lips close enough to your ear that he can speak so quietly it’s barely there, he murmurs, “You must have been terrified.”

“No,” you assert, shaking your head, causing him to pull away and look at you. “Not once I knew it was you.”

<- Prev || Next ->

KBYE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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oneknightstand-if · 5 months

Text

Fencing Club Route is a Go!

Update 2: Chapter 1 Part 3 - Fencing Club Route

Don't feel like playing polo? Join the fencing club instead!

Play the Updated Beta Test

(Since there were bugs reported throughout Chapter 1 & 2, your current saves are probably going to reset to the beginning of each section of the game)

*If you're getting error messages or the fencing club route isn't showing up properly for you (after you refreshed and restarted the game), you'll need to clear your cache. More details found here.*

Additional Word Count (Sans Code): 120,000+ Additional Word Count (With Code): 155,000+ New Total Word Count (Sans Code): 614,000+ New Total Word Count (With Code): 833,000+ Average Playthrough: ~60,000 words

Note: You can view the game code on my site the same way you do on Dashingdon just add /scenes to the end of the URL.

Next Update

Merlin's Guide to Minor Enemies

A bucketload of owed texts & e-mails to the MC

Decisions of great import... just where are you sleeping in that motorhome?

A̴ ̴C̴o̶m̴p̷l̷e̵t̷e̴l̴y̵ ̶N̴o̷r̸m̴a̶l̵ ̵G̴a̴s̸ ̶S̵t̵a̷t̷i̶o̷n̸ ̵S̴t̸o̷p̷

Take part in your first multi-user spell! (Potentially depending on the length of the gas station stop?)

Meet the next Harbinger - RO #4 (Potentially depending on the length of the gas station stop?)

Link to New Polls on the Update (Which don't auto close in a week like the Tumblr ones)

Also...

I'm currently coming down with something (Covid test says not that, so maybe just the flu?) so I'll be taking a bit of a break after this.

More (Fiddly) Info on the Update Behind the Spoiler Cut...

The Update Also Includes...

Calmly letting Merlin into your apartment after escaping the monster-under-the-bed no longer removes the mute flag

Fixed Adrian literally calling the MC as "MC" in the pub

Fixed expresso back to espresso AGAIN *stares at it*

Fixed the phil_status 2 bug AGAIN (Somehow I must've reverted a bunch of bug fixes in Chapter 1)

Fixed bug where MC's name permanently changes to their pseudonym if the player tried to back out of the renaming screen

Fixed the "On second thought, let me try a different fake first name…" option so it only asks the player to change their fake first name (as originally intended)

Fixed some dialogue with Adrian depending upon your clothing choices in the polo club branch

Fixed the Adrian text messaging bug. Again. Hopefully third time is the charm.

Fixed bug where your current job being your dream employment wasn't triggering the positive job attitude flavor text

Fixed bug where the mute flag was being toggled off when interacting with Adrian regarding your fancy outfit before the polo club meeting

Choice where Lucid Dreamer MC talks to Modern Arthur about Merlin's dreamwalking advice is now set to toggle only when the MC speaks to Merlin in the Camelot dream sequence

Fixed bug with the user's input option for Business Casual outfit

User's choice option for Business Casual & Business Suit now toggles pants or skirt variable

Fixed bug with the Cracking text effect in darkmode

All piercings & scars now available in one choice during customization.

Fixed bug (AGAIN!) when Lucky MC fails the luck check to escape the bed monster

Added reactions to Camelot-affiliated names belonging to inanimate objects.

Fixed *set ag2 2 -1 bug in Camelot dream sequence (I wonder how that didn't trigger QuickTest)

A Bit More Info on the Update Mechanics

The decision on which club you join is one of the first questions in Chapter 1, so players will have to restart from pretty early on. However the fencing club flavor text will continue to run throughout the rest of the game (including in the Camelot dream sequence with the Courtyard branch for the Lucid Dreamer MC).

Otherwise this current update does not progress the game further into Chapter 2.

Also Part 2....

We lost power to part of the house (thankfully not including my computer), and while I'm usually the one who deals with the circuit breakers, since I'm currently sick I asked my mother to do it this one time. She turned the power off to the entire house. 🥲 The uninterruptible power source did nothing and now my computer and the microwave are bugging out. I'm just going to lie down now.

#choice of games #hosted games #interactive fiction #if wip #if game #cog #arthuriana #interactive story #oneknightstand #cog wip #if #choicescript #oks-update #one knight stand #if update #fencing

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weirdmarioenemies · 8 months

Note

So when I was a kid my family moved from America to a major city in China , and was able to get a copy of Super Paper Mario for cheap there but I didn't know until I played it that it was entirely in Mandarin, which I didn't know. This wasn't too much of a problem (I was 8 so reading a bunch of text wasn't exactly a deal breaker) until Chapter 1-3, because I couldn't figure out the "Find ye the tall red palm tree of fortune, and leapeth under its branches ten times" because it was entirely in Chinese. To this day I have not beaten Super Paper Mario in any language.

Out of nothing else to do I'd collect all the Bald Clefts in the level and put them between the two rocks above and just watch them hang out. I don't know why but I really liked these guys, especially since I could jump on them and they wouldn't get hurt. I'd try to hang out with them but if one of them hit me I'd pick it up and throw it upside down for a bit so it'd be in 'time out.' I did this on multiple occasions, and remember enjoying it.

Anyway your blog made me remember this, thank you!

#mod cat flopter #bald cleft #mario enemies

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sebastianswallows · 1 year

Text

POLIA'S FANFIC MASTERLIST

Hello! 💞 I'm Polly. Thanks for visiting my blog. I started out writing mainly for Hogwarts Legacy, but my obsessions branched out to Tom Riddle and Feyd-Rautha. This blog is now a mix of the 1950s and sci-fi lol Hope you enjoy!

TAGS: fanfics • headcanons • moodboards • ai chat bots GENRES: fluff 🌼 • angst 🔪 • smut 🔥 LINKS: AO3 • Pinterest • cAI Masterlist UPDATED: 1 VI 2024

SEBASTIAN SALLOW

IT'S NOT LIKE ANY OTHER LOVE — 🌼🔪🔥 | In order to cast an unforgivable curse, you have to mean it. So how does Sebastian make himself want to hurt the girl he’s been harbouring a huge crush on? AO3 • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • completed

DANGEROUS AND DELIGHTFUL — 🌼🔪🔥 | Sebastian is a purveyor of forbidden artefacts, a dark arts researcher, and a curse-breaker for hire. Ominis, desperate to save him from himself, hires Reader in secret to persuade him, by any means necessary, to leave his illegal activities behind. AO3 • masterlist • completed

THE DARKER SIDE OF LIFE — 🔥 | Prompt: Body worship with Sebastian, in particular his thighs. AO3 • oneshot

NEAT LITTLE CONTRAPTIONS — 🌼 | Prompt: Sebastian and MC take a fluffy shower together. AO3 • oneshot

WHEN IT RAINS — 🌼🔥 | Prompt: Sebastian and MC caught in the rain. AO3 • oneshot

A DIFFERENT KIND OF KEY — 🔪🔥 | Prompt: Breeding kink with Sebastian. AO3 • oneshot • alternative ending

LOVE LESSONS — 🌼🔪🔥 | Prompt: Sebastian teaches reader how to accept love. AO3 • oneshot

BEAUTIFUL MEMORIES — 🌼🔪🔥 | Prompt: Sebastian is sentenced to Azkaban for six months. When he is released, he finds MC is expecting a child. AO3 • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • completed

OMINIS GAUNT

HAND IN HAND — 🌼 | Ominis teaches the main character how to read braille by tenderly placing his hand atop theirs to guide them while reading aloud. AO3 • oneshot

BLIND LUCK — 🌼 | Prompt: MC loses her sight and has to rely on Ominis for guidance. AO3 • oneshot

A NEW FAMILY — 🔪🔥 | Prompt: Ominis gets tired of his family, embraces the dark arts, and murders them. Now, he can start a family of his own. AO3 • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • completed

TOM RIDDLE

ARDOUR — 🌼🔪🔥 | Professor Tom helps his favourite student when she comes to him for help after being hit with a strong aphrodisiac. AO3 • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • completed

THE ENGLISH CLIENT — 🌼🔪🔥| Tom is working for Borgin and Burkes. He has to retrieve an ancient book, but needs to convince the reader to give it to him. AO3 • masterlist • ongoing

FEYD-RAUTHA HARKONNEN

DREAMED OF YOU — 🌼🔪 | A Bene Gesserit sister is sent to kill Feyd. She hesitates as she watches him sleep, all the way until he wakes up and catches her. AO3 • oneshot

THE LITTLE DEATH — 🔪🔥| Feyd wants to have a Bene Gesserit of his own. AO3 • Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 • Part 4 • Part 5 • Part 6 • Part 7 • Part 8 • Part 9 • Part 10 • Part 11 • ongoing

HEADCANONS

Ominis Gaunt Headcanons

Don't think about how Ominis will never be able to see the Mirror of Erised.

Do you ever think about how a female MC reminds Sebastian of Anne?

The link between the Inferi and Anne's curse

Soft Sebastian headcanons

Sad adult!Seb headcanons

Monster boys Ominis and Sebastian

How Sebastian and Ominis would react to Anne's death

Sad Feyd Headcanons

girldad!Feyd

#Sebastian Sallow #Ominis Gaunt #Tom Riddle #Sebastian Sallow fanfiction #Sebastian Sallow x reader #Ominis Gaunt fanfiction #Ominis Gaunt x reader #Tom Riddle fanfiction #Tom Riddle x reader #harry potter fanfiction #hogwarts legacy fanfiction #Feyd #Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen #Feyd Rautha #Feyd Rautha x reader #Feyd Rautha imagine #Feyd oneshot #sswallow;fanfics #sswallow;made a thing

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lovelyjj · 2 years

Text

Wasted

jj maybank x reader

Request: Hiiii can you make a story about y/n being drunk at a kegger and she is being really funny and crazy but jj has to stop her before she gets to crazy. @oogabooga-333

word count: 1.3k

warnings: drinking, alcohol, brief mentions of vomiting.

(not my gif)

The idea for the kegger came from Kiara. You and the other pogues thought it was a great idea. You all wanted to let loose and be care free. Not only did you want to go and party but you wanted to go with your boyfriend.

The others have yet to discover your secret relationship with JJ. What? Tell them that both you pogues started mackin on each other. No way. You told JJ that you weren't a rule breaker. He of course smirked and replied that he in fact was a rule breaker, tossing you a wink.

As hard as it was not to act like a couple in front of everyone, you got to explore your relationship without any input or judgment from the rest of the group. You enjoyed the hushed whispers and the wondering off from the group, the stolen kisses and hugs that lasted a little too long.

The boneyard was littered with sweaty bodies and red solo cups clasped in peoples hands.

The group of you were spread out each socializing with the tourons.

You stood there gulping down your third beer and you would be lying if you said you weren't getting tipsy.

"John B! John B! Pour me another would ya." you shouted. A little too loud as heads started to turn your way.

You outstretched your cup patiently waiting for another refill.

"How much have you had missy?" John B raised a brow at you.

"Don't act all authority figure on me now John B." you teased.

John B reluctantly filled your red solo cup yet again up to the top.

"Pleasure doing business with you sir." You saluted him.

You downed your cup in about 10 seconds. You wanted another and nobody was stopping you. You took the spout and refilled your own cup.

Then you stomped your way around the beach and stood next to a branch drinking your drink.

The alcohol started to enter your veins. You felt way more than tipsy as you had your fifth drink under your belt.

Your mind was clouded as you stumbled down the beach.

"I love this song!" you announced as you made it to the dance floor.

You started singing obnoxiously. As well as dancing and throwing your hands in the air.

You were having a blast as you wildly moved your body to the song that was playing.

It was pure euphoria as you swayed your hips and closed your eyes as you mimicked air guitar.

After your instrument duties, playing a mean air guitar you took off your shoe and used it as a microphone. You sang along loudly to the song playing.

After a while you grew tired and the song ended. As you stood there an idea came to you. You needed another drink.

As you stumbled drunkenly across the boneyard you ran into JJ.

"Hey pretty girl, I've been looking all over for you." He stated.

When JJ saw you he thought you looked beautiful. He wanted to kiss you so badly, but the would definitely blow his cover, so he refrained.

"I'm um on my way to get another drink." You mumbled.

"I'll go with you." JJ suggested.

The two of you made your way to the keg. JJ took your empty cup and filled yours up for you as well as his cup.

He snuck a arm around your waist and whispered in your ear, "Come hang out with me I miss you."

You simply nodded your head at him and lifted your cup before taking a sip, "Let's go."

JJ ushered you toward the fallen tree branch and sat down on the large branch and you sat down next to him.

You leaned your head on his shoulder as your mind started to get fuzzy. You were faintly listening to JJ talk as you rested against him.

Then a question popped into your head. You had to ask right away.

You gasped lifting your head and turning towards JJ.

"JJ." you exclaimed.

"What baby." JJ spoke.

"Baby?!" Pope questioned confused.

JJ tuned him out as he gave you his full attention.

"Would you still love me if I was a worm?" you asked.

"What did she just say?" Pope who was sitting beside JJ voiced.

JJ let out a loud laugh. "If you were a what?"

"A worm." You responded. Your starry eyes looked up at him blinking and waiting for an answer.

"How drunk are you?" JJ questioned as he went to feel your forehead as if you were feverish.

You swatted his hand away, "I'm fine, just tell me you would still love me if I was a worm." You slurred.

"If you were a worm i'd feed you to the birds."

You gasped and swatted at his arm. "How dare you." You sat there pouting.

"Aw love Im sorry. You're so cute when you pout. You know that." JJ reasoned.

"Please tell me you would still love me if i was a worm." You expressed.

"Alright fine. Yes I would still love you if you were a worm." JJ spoke as your herd the honesty in his voice.

"Yay!" You threw your arm up in a fist pounding it and then took a sip of your drink.

"Cheers!" You both bumped cups and you drank more of the liquid in your cup.

"You know I'll always love you no matter what." JJ spoke.

You smiled at him, "and I love you always."

He grinned and rubbed your noses together.

Your mind was getting foggy and your chest was glowing with warmth. You felt hot and almost dizzy and you grew tired of sitting.

You slipped away from JJ's view when Pope was interrogating him on your relationship.

You drunkenly walked around the boneyard almost falling to the ground as you walked in the sand.

Then your mind came up with an idea.

"I wanna strip." you babbled.

"I wanna strip." You repeated as you walked around.

"I umm m need to um strip." you said to no one in particular.

Suddenly you saw a bright red tower and was gravitated towards. You went to climb it and you reached the top.

You stood up and carefully balanced yourself.

"I wanna strip." You drunkenly slurred.

"Whoa." You lost your balanced and dropped the cup of beer onto the ground.

Kiara's voice filled JJ's ears as she spoke, "What is she doing?"

Kiara was looking at you on top of the red metal tower with the number 8 on it. JJ whipped his head around to meet where she was looking.

He was met with you on top of the tower, trailing your hands up your body.

"It's hot. It's hot, really hot." You began fanning yourself. You were sweaty from all the dancing you did.

You than proceeded to take off your shirt. As a crowd of people were watching you, you herd a few whistles as you were left in your bikini top.

JJ stared at you and then he remembered other people were also watching and expecting a show.

You were about to unbutton your shorts when you herd your name.

"Y/n! Get down from there!" The voice belonged to JJ, your lover.

He had his hands outstretched wanting to usher you down from the tower.

"Take my hand baby girl." JJ pushed on.

You laughed and said crazily, "I haven't finished stripping JJ."

"You don't need to do that." JJ ordered.

You misplaced your footing and started to fall backwards and you let out at scream.

Luckily, JJ was right there and he wrapped his hands around your waist and caught you. Your arms wrapped around his neck and you clutched onto him.

“Thank you.” You mumbled to him.

“Your lucky I’m here to take care of you. Let’s get you home party girl.”

Then JJ proceeded to pick up your empty cup and your discarded shirt.

He had his arm around you as he walked you back to the château where he will surely be holding your hair back.

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codeonedigest · 1 year

Text

Proxy Design Pattern Explained with Examples for Software Developers & Beginners

Full Video Link https://youtu.be/6q25hg5fWX0 Hello friends, new #video on #proxydesignpattern #tutorial with #examples is published on #codeonedigest #youtube channel. Learn #microservice #proxy #designpattern #programming #coding with codeonedigest.

In this video we will learn about Proxy design pattern. This is the third design principle in Integration design patterns category for microservices. Proxy service may call different services individually. In Proxy pattern, we can build one level of extra security by providing a dump proxy layer. Proxy microservice pattern is a variation of the Proxy model. In this model we will use proxy…

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#branch pattern #circuit breaker pattern #command query pattern #cqrs pattern #cross cutting concerns in microservices #cross cutting concerns patterns #database patterns #database patterns microservices #decomposition patterns #decomposition patterns microservices #event sourcing pattern #health check pattern #integration patterns #integration patterns best practices #integration patterns in java #integration patterns in microservices #log aggregator pattern #microservice design patterns #microservice design patterns circuit breaker #microservice design patterns in java #microservice design patterns interview questions #microservice design patterns orchestration #microservice design patterns saga #microservice design patterns spring boot #microservices observability patterns #monolithic decomposition patterns #observability patterns #proxy design pattern #proxy design pattern example #proxy design pattern explained

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i-am-just-a-girli · 6 months

Text

Since I don't feel like studying rn (I have tests starting tomorrow but anw) I'mma make a list of all the webtoons I've read till now~ (feel free to recommend more :3)

My Deepest Secret (my 1st webtoon on the app) ✅

UnOrdinary (ongoing)

Freaking Romance ✅

Siren's Lament ✅

My dear cold-blooded king ✅

Age Matters ✅

Hello Baby (ongoing)

Let's Play (completed- gotta catch up)

I love Yoo (ongoing)

Eggnoid ✅

It's Mine ✅

The Remarried Empress (ongoing)

Your Throne (ongoing)

The Makeup Remover ✅

Rotten (paused)

Bastard (paused)

Sweet Home (paused)

My Daughter is a Zombie (paused)

CinnamonRoll ✅

I dropped Noblesse and Goh*

What you wish for (dropped)

Play Dead (Hiatus— last ch on Jul 17, 2020)

I'm the Grim Reaper (ongoing)

The Devil is a Handsome Man

Little Rain (Hiatus)

Her Mannequin (Hiatus)

To Love Your Enemy ✅

Reunion ✅ (by stephattyy)

The Male Lead's Girlfriend (completed- gotta catch up)

The Snake and the Flower (completed- gotta catch up)

So I married the Anti-Fan ✅

Secret Playlist ✅

True Beauty ✅

Beyond Virtual (completed- gotta catch up)

When Jasy Whistles (Hiatus)

LUMINE (Hiatus)

The Duke's Cursed Charm (completed- gotta catch up)

His Majesty's Proposal ✅

My Gently Raised Beast ✅

My In-Laws are Obsessed with Me (Hiatus)

A Tail's Secret (Hiatus)

She's Hopeless ✅

Who's Mr. President? ✅

For My Derelict Favorite (Hiatus)

Take me, I'm Yours ✅

Daytime Star ✅

Play The Game (Hiatus)

The Dark Lord's Confession (Hiatus)

Forever After (Hiatus)

Maybe Meant To Be (Hiatus)

I'm Dating A Psychopath (Ongoing)

The Dragon King's Bride (ongoing)

Only Hope (ongoing)

Phase (ongoing)

Go Away Romeo (ongoing)

Omniscient Reader (ongoing)

Lookism (ongoing)

No Marriage Is Perfect (ongoing)

Trapped (ongoing)

Eaternal Nocturnal (ongoing)

Serena (ongoing)

Baby Tyrant (ongoing)

I am the Villain (ongoing)

Locked Onto You (ongoing)

Leveling Up My Husband To The Max (completed) ✅

Unlovable Replacement (ongoing)

Dreaming Freedom (ongoing)

Operation: True Love (ongoing)

The Guy Upstairs (ongoing)

Men of the Harem (ongoing)

Like Wind On A Dry Branch (ongoing)

Iseop's Romance (ongoing)

Perfect Marriage Revenge (completed) ✅

Marry My Husband ✅

Cry, or Better Yet, Beg (ongoing)

I'm the Queen in this Life (ongoing)

Wind Breaker (paused)

The Age of Arrogance (ongoing)

My Reason to Die (ongoing)

Hero Killer (ongoing)

Get Schooled (Webtoon removed it tho)

A good day to be a dog ✅

The mafia nanny (ongoing)

Following Eunju (completed) ✅

The Price Is Your Everything (ongoing)

Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story (ongoing)

Taming the corrupted (ongoing)

That's all I can remember for now. Remember some might have been completed but I am following the Webtoon so I went according to that. I have written Hiatus on "Will Return" Series as well, lmk if you want me to change it to 'ongoing' instead!

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quinloki · 1 year

Text

Quicksand

Fem Reader x Sir Crocodile

20 Chapters - 46,838 words

Version with images can be found here.

CW: Language, violence, blood, moral ambiguity, murder, sexual themes and situations, yandere, angst with a happy ending, a referenced instance of physical abuse. 18+ only

Summary: You're employed as an Internal Coordinator in the West Branch of Rain Dinners in Grandline Metro. You're well-aware your boss is the Warlord Sir Crocodile, but your sixty days is almost up on the popular dating website Cult of Personality, and you're looking forward to meeting the person you've been talking to for the last sixty days. (This makes it sound way fluffier than it is, oops.)

Chapter 1: The Nitty-Gritty

You smile at the sound of the message popping up on your computer. You'd been chatting online with someone for the last couple months, and after getting to know one another through your shared likes and dislikes, you'd finally decided to meet. You've avoided sharing photos, or even having a conversation on the phone, but all of that had been the point of the website you'd both found yourselves using.

Cult of Personality was a quirky singles site that focused on people getting to know one another purely through interests. The idea behind it was that you could get to know someone without those pesky instincts getting in the way – no getting swept away by someone's voice, or getting too focused on their appearance (for better or worse). Instead, you spent at least sixty days communicating by text through anonymous proxies. If anyone said something that was a deal-breaker during that time, then there were no messy fallouts to deal with.

The connection would be severed without you knowing enough about the other to be able to locate them. The system was even designed to automatically censor location names, so people couldn't accidentally give themselves away. The only thing the service did with location information was use it to randomly match people who were within 100km of one another.

It was great for people who didn't really want to fill out tons of questionaries, or worry about uploading photos, or dealing with talking about themselves.

For you it was nice because after a few failed relationships, and with a job that took a lot of your time, it was an easy way to get yourself back into the whole idea of dating.

As your luck would have it, you found someone who you enjoyed "talking" to after only a couple tries. You had even admitted that you looked forward to your conversations and had been pleasantly surprised to find out he did as well. It was reassuring to know that things weren't one-sided, and shortly after that you'd both started making plans to meet up once the 60 days was completed, and the site gave you the option to lift the automatic censoring.

You had preemptively decided on a Saturday lunch meeting, just in case you were at the edges of the 100km diameter that the site utilized. Better than trying to make a dinner reservation on a Friday after work, and ending up in a panic if one of you were to be stuck in traffic.

The restrictions lifted tomorrow, Wednesday, and as you got ready for work you were humming to yourself.

In Grandline Metropolis, amidst it's 600,000 sq km of land, you worked for one of the seven Warlords who oversaw the second circle of the city. While you knew Mr. Crocodile was a warlord, you weren't directly connected to the city's underground. You knew about the city's underground because you were school friends with people who had ended up in that life, and you still kept in touch. But, like most of the employees of the Rain Dinners – the casino/restaurant/hotel chain with five locations around the Grandline Metro – you weren't a part of the underground directly. There were people closer to Mr. Crocodile who probably had ties to stuff like that, but you were just the secretary to one of the mid-level casino floor managers of the West location, just outside White Beard's territory.

Buggy was, well, buggy. He seemed to be constantly under a lot of stress, but he wasn't a terrible boss. He had a decent sense of humor, was easily brought into focus, and often went out of his way to make sure the people under him were doing well. He was a bit selfish, but whenever someone needed to be legitimately let go, you always had to come to him with well-documented, irrefutable proof. While that could be annoying in some cases, it was also reassuring that he wasn't letting people come and go without being sure there was nothing else to be done for it.

"Hey boss, I won't be available this weekend." You explain, handing over another paper for Buggy to review. "So if something goes wrong you'll have to call Alvida."

"Are we expecting anything unusual this weekend?" He questions calmly.

"No, there's no big events, and Alvida's already aware I'll be unavailable." You're kind of surprised to see Buggy this calm. Usually, he was a complete mess when you took vacations or called out sick.

"Alright, (Y/N), just make sure to let Alvida know that Galdino's going to be the one reaching out. I'm off this weekend as well."

Ah, that explains why he's so relaxed. You muse. After a moment's thought you flinch. You hadn't exchanged names with the person you were meeting this weekend. Statistically, it was improbable that it was Buggy, but it wasn't impossible either. Well, if it was him, you couldn't let your professional assessment of him color how he was in his private life.

"I'll let her know." You assure him flatly, taking back the last of the documents and reorganizing them quickly on his desk. "Your meetings are light today, and tomorrow you have the Staff Luncheon to attend."

Buggy flinches. "Right."

"It's at our branch this month, Buggy."

Your boss sighs. "That's the problem."

You laugh. "It is harder to 'accidentally' miss it due to traffic when it's here."

"You're being a little too flashy, Miss (Y/N)." He grumbles.

"And yet you still appreciate me." You quip, giving him a smile before walking out to get back to your own work.

The rest of your work day went smoothly. You coordinated with Galdino and Alvida about the weekend, making sure they knew that neither you nor Buggy would be available. Alvida had raised an eyebrow over it, since she knew you'd been signed up on Cult of Personality. You had filled her in on your plans for the weekend before now. You were still pretty sure it wasn't Buggy, but she made you promise her that if it turned out to be him you would let her know immediately.

Alvida had her quirks, and she could kind of mean in that haughty beauty sort of way, but she wasn't malicious or cruel. You'd shared a few drinks outside of work, and mainly she just enjoyed drama and gossip.

Getting home you went through your after-work routine. Peeling off your work clothes you slipped into sweats and a t-shirt, made yourself something easy, and relaxed with an episode of your favorite show while you ate. Afterward you checked your messages and settled into the dating website.

You: One more day \o/

Him: I'm glad your enthusiasm hasn't waned.

You: At this rate I'm worried I'll be exhausted come Saturday. I'm really looking forward to this.

Him: Plans can be easily adjusted if need be.

You: Joking aside, I'm sure I'll manage. Though, I have to admit that today has caused me to be very curious about something. >_>

Him: Oh?

You: Well, it seems my boss at work has requested this weekend off as well. O_O

Him: Ah-ha. Did you request your time off today?

You: I did.

Him: Then I wouldn't worry. I didn't have any of my employees request time off to me directly today.

You: Oh good.

Him: My condolences to your boss.

You: lol he's not a bad guy, but that would've been incredibly awkward.

Him: It would've been a mark against you wanting to meet someone new, as well.

You: You're not wrong.

You: Admittedly, I wouldn't hold it against you if we did know one another.

Him: That's reassuring. Though, if I do know you, then I have done myself a great disservice for not knowing you well enough until now.

You feel yourself blush despite it all. It was nice to be appreciated for your, well, you-ness, and not for anything else. You let him know you appreciated the sentiment and the two of you talked about nothing and everything off and on for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow was going to be the longest Wednesday to ever dare to exist, not just because you were looking forward to getting home before you'd even left for work, but also because the monthly staff luncheons always made the days feel longer when they were at your branch. It wasn't nearly as bad when Buggy was ushered out and into a different branch for the event, but every 5th month it meant your casino was filled with important people.

Important people like to feel important, so there were all sorts of extra protocols and fine moving parts to worry about. The hardest part was going to be dealing with the Billions. The people who were only just barely important and wanted to make sure no one could possibly forget it. The Baroque Works staff would be there as well, and if things went well, after the initial meet and greet, all you would have to worry about was filling Buggy's shoes while he was busy at the Luncheon.

. . . . .

You: Good morning, I can't stay on and talk much right now, there's an event at work I need to be in early for. Looking forward to talking to you tonight!

Him: Much anticipated.

The drive into work was faster than usual since you had left a couple hours earlier and traffic was nonexistent. You got into work and got all your normal morning work done before the doors had even opened. Alvida and Galdino were in almost as early and you set them to work organizing the cleaners and preppers. Surfaces that had been polished the night before were polished again just to add a little more luster.

There were three times as many valets available today, to deal with the influx of VIPs, and almost every member of staff was working. People were rotated in and out on tables more often as well to keep every extra sharp. Extra areas had been opened in the back to accommodate people being able to lounge between there active table times so they could recharge properly. It was an untenable schedule every single day, but everyone came together to make it work for the Luncheons.

When the owner, Mr. Crocodile arrived, everyone lined up to greet him. It was the only time all the staff stopped what they were doing to greet a guest. Nothing was said, but everyone lined up neatly in the lobby and bowed slightly as he entered. As far as you knew it wasn't even something he had requested, one of the Numbers had demanded it at their branch some years ago and the tradition stuck.

Frankly, if you ever learned who Mr. Nine was, you would happily punch the lout right in his nose for suggesting it. Fortunately, Mr. Crocodile didn't linger in the entry way, and strode quickly through. Considering he was just over 7', he had an impressive stride. Aside from the company photo, and the occasional glance in the hall when the luncheons were held at your branch, all you ever saw of him were his shoes.

When you first started working at Rain Dinners you'd had a little crush on him, but from the way things went for most of the staff, everyone had a little crush on him. He was the least eccentric of the Warlords, far as you were aware, and the man had style. Most of the ladies swooned over him and half the of the men on staff did as well.

He wasn't much older than you either. Far from the youngest of the Warlords, he was just over 30 and doing remarkably well for himself. He was barely of legal gambling age when he started the first Rain Dinners, and within three years there were 5 of them in the Grandline Metro alone.

With the owner gone, everyone burst into action and the several moments later the casino came alive as the doors opened to the public and the day began properly.

Only eight more hours to go before you could start making proper plans for the coming weekend.

#Quicksand #Sir Crocodile #Crocodile x reader #crocodile x y/n #one piece smut #one piece fanfiction #modern au #reader insert #yandere

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