#the romcom spirits possessed me

[berrryparfait]

wishful thinking ❀˖°

— ༉‧₊ᐟ featuring: sylus, zayne x fem!reader

— ༉‧₊ᐟ premise: feelings were hurt, hearts were broken. and now you fear he might have found someone new. you screwed up big time, and it just might be too late to take it back. 「i still love you, i promise.」

— ༉‧₊ᐟ tags/cws: angst and eventual fluff, reader begs for forgiveness after hurting him, complicated feelings, misunderstandings / miscommunication, jealousy, dramatic bridgerton-style monologues, romcom climax vibes, implied m*rder

— ༉‧₊ᐟ word count: sylus – 1.7k | zayne – 1.4k

— ♫₊ᐟ soundtrack: i miss you, i'm sorry – gracie abrams

✧ a/n: this would've gotten me in trouble on booktok but i love it when the fmc grovels for a change (assuming she was in the wrong ofc). there's something so romantic about stepping up to get ur mans back!!

Those last words you said to him still echo in your head, a torturous reminder of the damage you’d dealt. Guilt is a heavy burden, and that horrible voice in the back of your mind tells you it’s one you’ll have to carry for the rest of your life.

You never meant to say it. You don’t mean it—not even in the slightest.

Two weeks ago, you hurt the man you love. And you haven’t spoken since. You’ve spent the past few days wallowing in regret, consumed by a terrible sadness that’s been eating you alive. Sylus hasn’t reached out either, and part of you knows you deserve it.

How could you have been so stupid, to ruin such a fresh and fragile relationship like that?

You still remember exactly what you said to him. He came home one night with blood on his clothes, most of it undoubtedly not his. You’d been crashing at his place for the week, so you were the first to see the mess he’d created on himself. You don’t know why, but in that moment your first instinct was to lash out at him; to blame him for his needless violence and cruelty. You hadn’t even thought to ask if he was okay, or why he’d caused the mess to begin with.

“I’m tired of you always showing up like…like this!” You gesture to his scarlet-stained shirt, a look of terror on your face. “Why can’t you just live like a normal person for once?”

He sighs, seemingly exhausted. He can’t seem to look you in the eye. “I’ve had a long day. Please don’t yell at me like that.”

“We’ve been together, what, a month? How am I supposed to trust you when you’re always covered in someone else’s blood? How am I supposed to feel safe around you?”

“You feel threatened around me?” A dangerous intensity sparks in his face then, though he still looks strangely solemn and withdrawn, as if the conversation is bleeding him dry.

“Yes. I do.” I glare at him, pulse spiking. “I see why everyone fears you. They have a good reason to. You’re exactly who they say you are, Sylus.” The words come out harsh and hard-edged, and he flinches.

He doesn’t respond, but the look in his eyes changes. The indignation vanishes, replaced by a hurt so painful you have to avert your gaze. He turns from you and stares at the floor, utterly broken.

“I hope I never see you again,” you spit, shoving past him and out the front door, your shoulder brushing against his as you leave.

That was the last time you saw him. The memory remains as raw and merciless as it was the day after. Luke and Kieran had been the ones to fill you in. It turns out he’d hunted down and taken care of a group of bandits who had been stalking you earlier that week. He’d eliminated the threat but chose not to tell you, not wanting to cause you unnecessary worry. Idiot.

You need to do something. Apologize for your stupidity. Admit your mistake.

Get him back.

The past two weeks have been excruciating—suffocating. You wonder if he’s been feeling the same. It wouldn’t be surprising if he never wanted anything to do with me again. I trampled all over him and now I want him back? The nerve.

But you have to try. You need him to know how much you love him.

The annual Linkon Charity Gala is in two days’ time, and if you’re lucky, someone special might be in attendance.

…

The ballroom is swarming with haughty elites, a sight you and Sylus would’ve poked fun at if you’d attended this event together. Once again, your stomach twists sharply and you have to remind yourself not to lose your courage. You were here for one thing and one thing only: to get your man back.

You decided to wear something simple tonight; a short, red dress with black sneakers and your hair shamelessly undone. It wouldn’t take a genius to figure out that you didn’t belong in this crowd. People were already starting to glance your way, but you didn’t care.

You search the sea of people for a head of white hair, which doesn’t take very long. He was always one of the tallest men in the room. As usual, he’s impeccably dressed, in a well-pressed two-piece suit the color of a raven’s feather. He looks devastatingly handsome tonight, and your heart pangs once more.

But as the crowd parts slightly, you feel your breath finally escape your lungs for real. He didn’t come alone.

A beautiful woman stands to his right, her small arm looped around his, a gentle smile on her face. She’s jaw-droppingly gorgeous, and she looks like she comes from this world. His world.

Who is that? Don’t tell me he’s moved on already… They laugh effortlessly at each other’s jokes, never missing a beat as they move through the crowd and sip at their champagne flutes.

Then time stills as his gaze passes over yours, a fleeting moment so intense and powerful that you gasp in surprise. His crimson eyes startle slightly at the sight of you, and you’re unsure if it’s because he wasn’t expecting you to show up at such a pretentious event or because you’re wearing an obscenely casual outfit to a charity ball.

Or if he just wasn’t expecting to see you again period.

You panic and look away, pretending not to notice him. Suddenly, you wonder if this whole grovelling act of yours was a mistake. Who are you to barge your way back into his life? After everything you said to him? He’s probably better off with that girl…

Wait, where did she go? She’s no longer at his side. You frown in confusion, then stop dead in your tracks when you realize she’s walking towards you. Fuck, fuck fuck—

“Hi! I don’t think I’ve seen you around before... What’s your name?” she asked, her smile bright and genuine.

You can’t think of a single reason why she’s talking to you. Your brain goes into high alert, and your eyes scan the crowd for Sylus. He’s staring right at you, a blank look on his face.

“I’m…” You hesitate, but something in her expression tells you she doesn’t have bad intentions. “I’m sorry. I have something to say to your date.”

The girl frowns, puzzled. Nevertheless, she takes a step back to give you and Sylus—who’d squeezed his way through the crowd—some space. You both stand there staring at each other for a few seconds, uncertain and wary. His guard is up, you can tell.

You force yourself to take a deep breath and steady your quavering voice. Now isn’t the time to cower away from him. Not now, not ever. “I came here for you.” When he remains silent, you press on. “I’m an idiot. I hurt you. And I’m so, so sorry.”

A small crowd has begun to form around the scene, but you pay them no mind. “I understand now that you were just trying to protect me. I didn’t even ask…” you trail off as your voice chokes with tears, “I didn’t even ask if you were okay…

I took you for granted. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I can’t stop thinking about what we could’ve had—together. And now I’m here in this stupid dress and these stupid shoes at this stupid charity event, which I think is great, by the way, but everyone’s staring at me and I can’t even pour my heart out to you in peace! God!”

At this, the crowd dissipates a little, leaving a wave of awkward murmurs in its wake. You ignore the tears streaming down your face. Sylus is still staring at you, his piercing eyes unrelenting. “And your new girlfriend is gorgeous and nice and-and—Ugh! You both probably deserve each other more than I’ll ever deserve you. But that’s okay. I just wanted you to know how sorry I am, and that my life has been hell without you, so you’ll hopefully feel better about yourself after the shit I said two weeks ago…

I just miss you. And I needed you to understand that I’m sorry, and I love you, Sylus.”

The air thins and the silence thickens in the moments that follow, everyone else ceasing to exist as you just stand there, face to face.

He takes a step closer, and you can feel the heat emanating off his body. “If you only knew how much you’ve plagued my thoughts…” His eyes search yours, vulnerable and fearful. “I only wanted to keep you safe. It’s still the only thing I want.”

You reach out to cup his cheek, your heart beating so fast you’re certain he can hear it.

“I frightened you away from me. I’m a monster.”

You shake your head with such force your brain rattles. “No. You are not a monster. Would a monster do everything in his power to keep me from harm? I love you, no matter what you think you are. All you have to do now is forgive me, and I’m yours.”

The ridge between his brows deepens, and you know a million doubts are passing through his mind. “I could never hold a grudge against you. You know I adore you—more than anything.”

You smile as you lean your forehead against his, and all feels right in the world again.

A thought startles you from your dream-like state, and you swivel around to face the girl he brought to the event.

She raises a perfect eyebrow and grins smugly at you. “Oh, don’t worry about me. I’m just a plus-one he hired to attract the sponsors.”

You sigh in relief as you turn back to Sylus, who looks so happy you feel your heart expand beyond the confines of your ribcage. “Let’s go home.”

“I’d like nothing more.” He eyes your dress coyly, one hand already reaching out to grab you by the waist. “Cute.”

“Shut up. I was in a rush.”

You’re an awful person. You can’t stop thinking about it—the pure helplessness on his face as you tossed his feelings aside and spat at his pride.

How he’d ever come to like you, you have no idea. Dr. Zayne was the best of us; pure at heart and driven to the core. You know he tries his hardest to balance all aspects of his incredibly busy life, but even a wonder like him can’t always do it all.

He takes his job as a cardiac surgeon more seriously than most. Fates rest in his hands, and it’s common knowledge around the hospital that he’d jump into a boiling volcano before giving anything less than his all to every single patient. That’s just the kind of person he was. Dedicated, compassionate Zayne.

Your Zayne.

No, not anymore. Not since you stomped on his spirit less than a month ago. The memory remains imprinted on your skin, fresh and terrible…

He’s late for your date again. It’s the third time this week. Who does he take you for? You pace back and forth underneath a swaying apple tree in the park, frustrated by his repeated tardiness. You know he’s a busy man, and that doctors don’t have it especially easy in Linkon. But three times? That’s pushing it.

“I apologise for being late. Something came up at the hospital.” He’s clutching two cups of warm coffee in his hands. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” He offers you a cup, his expression frazzled and dazed.

You make no move to take the cup from him. The hostility in your voice is palpable as you spit, “How often is this going to be happening? It’s been a whole hour, and you couldn’t even be bothered to text me? I can’t even look at you right now.”

His hand retreats in shock, and he looks down at the freshly-cut grass beneath his feet. “I’m sorry. Let me take you out for dinner—”

“No. There will be no dinners or dates for as long as you can’t show up on time! God, you’re the worst boyfriend ever.”

You spot the exact moment he utterly crumbles, and your brain kicks into fight or flight mode. Flight. Definitely flight. You storm off in the opposite direction, hoping he doesn’t follow you like a sad puppy, because that would be a hassle you don’t have the emotional capacity to deal with today.

The scene ends as you shake your head at yourself, disgusted by your lack of empathy for a person who—in your eyes—could quite literally do no wrong. You find out days later from a fellow doctor of his that the reason he’d been late so many times that week was that one of the neighbouring hospitals had recently shut down, causing a sudden spike in demand for Akso Hospital’s resources—including their most proficient cardiac surgeon.

You were being immature. Short-sighted. Inconsiderate. The amount of stress he must’ve been feeling, having to deal with such an overwhelming influx of patients… And you’d only made things ten times worse for him. What a shitty girlfriend.

You’re in the midst of scrolling through social media when you see it: Zayne, in another girl’s post??? The air gushes out of your lungs as you try to understand what you’re looking at. Don’t tell me he’s…moved on already?

In the photo, a woman with a pretty smile poses cheekily next to a calm and collected Zayne. It’s a selfie taken at a coffee shop next to the hospital. A steaming cup of coffee sits on the table in front of him, next to a chocolate croissant that has no business being in a platonic setting like this one…right?

Your stomach drops as you scroll through the comments under the post, most of which sound like this: You both look so cute together!!! kekekekeke I wonder if our pretty surgeon will finally be the one to thaw our cool doctor’s heart??? TTTTTT

Fuck these comments. Fuck whoever wrote them. Zayne’s heart had been in the midst of thawing before you froze it right back up again, and it’s unfortunate for those netizens that you never do anything halfway.

…

You stand before the automatic hospital doors and take a deep calming breath. You can do this. You have to do this. Zayne deserves an apology, and he’s going to get one. 

A part of you knows that coming here in the middle of the afternoon to potentially cause a scene that may or may not result in anything good is selfish. Shameless. But your heart has been aching at the mere thought of him. Even if he doesn’t forgive you—which he would probably be right to—you need him to know how you really feel.

“Hi, do you know where I can find Dr. Zayne?” The urgency in your voice is almost embarrassing, but you couldn’t care less right now.

The young nurse frowns in thought, seemingly unsure. “He might be in his office right now. There aren’t any major heart surgeries taking place today, so it’s unlikely you’ll find him anywhere near the operation room.”

“Thanks!” You nearly jog in the direction of his office, a renewed determination coming to life in your chest.

The love of your life is just beyond this—Huh? It’s empty.

You scan the room for any trace of Zayne, instantly remembering how much of a clean freak he is. Nearly every surface is shining spotless, a true reflection of his desire for order and cleanliness.

Maybe he’s on his way back. No harm in waiting a little while. You perch on the edge of his work desk and begin rehearsing your apology speech. I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’ll never do it again…

Just then, the door swings open and not one but two surprised faces stare back at you. Zayne, with the girl in the photo.

Oh, fuck.

Your face flushes as you scramble off the desk and inch towards the door. “I was just leaving…” you chuckle awkwardly, wanting nothing more than to vanish from the face of the earth right about now. The pretty doctor gapes at you, then quietly asks Zayne if she should leave the two of you alone for a minute. He nods at her a little regretfully, and she makes her way down the long hallway.

Silence ensues. He’s the first to break it. “Why are you really here, <y/n>?”

“I wanted to say I’m sorry, Zayne. For everything I said to you that day at the park. I was being thoughtless. Stupid. And you have every right to hate me because lashing out at you like that without finding out what really happened that day was so, so wrong.”

He looks slightly wounded at the mention of what happened. “You found out about the other hospital?”

Your eyes well with tears. “I asked around.”

Zayne glances away then, his tone distant and cold. “You were never meant to find out.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to worry. Besides, we weren’t exactly on great terms at the time.”

The guilt already eating away at your insides multiplies. Goodness, he must’ve felt like absolute shit that day.

“I’m sorry. I had no idea.” You want to scream at yourself. “I understand if you never want to speak to me again. I just had to tell you this much. I know I’m an idiot, but I’m an idiot who loves you.”

He doesn’t speak for a few seconds, a hesitant expression on his face. “It wasn’t your fault,” he whispers, “and I never stopped loving you.”

Your heart flutters back to life at those few simple words, and you run into his arms. The embrace you share is hurt materialized—long overdue, special. You’re both emotional wrecks, but you have each other again, and that’s more important than anything else in the world.

“I’ll always be here for you Zayne, if you’ll let me.”

“I’ll let you. And please don’t refuse the coffee next time. I’ll admit that didn’t feel very good.”

“I’ll drink all the coffee in the world!” You’re full-on sobbing by now, and he wipes your tears away with a handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.

A bitter thought still nags at you. “Wait, what about the lady who was just here?”

“Oh, she’s a friend of mine. We work together in the surgical department.”

“A friend? Have you seen her comments section?”

He stares at you blankly, puzzled. “What’s that?”

You giggle at his social media illiteracy. “We need to get you a new phone. How does the most talented surgeon in Akso not know what a comments section is?”

— ⋆˙⟡ ©berrryparfait

《 please do not copy / plagiarize / translate my works or publish them on any other platforms. 》

[loucifersbitch]

When they finally make it to the bedroom, Buck shoves Tommy so that the backs of his knees hit the bed, and he falls back, bouncing a little as he lands. Tommy stares up at him, that smirk on his face, as Buck yanks his shirt over his head, discarding it carelessly to the side.

"See something you like?"

Tommy thinks for a moment, pulling Buck down to straddle his lap. "Hmm, no."

When Buck pulls back, confused, Tommy says, "I see something I love."

[yourlocalsmutwriter]

This year, I want to be a wetter, I mean better person - Mark Webber x reader

cw: age gaps (reader is in her 20s, Mark is in his 40s), perv! Mark, semi-public, squirting, author loves dilfs and hopes that one day dilfs will love her too

Whichever spirit possessed your parents to decide to move to the middle of nowhere, England was a hidden blessing. It may not have seemed that way when you had to endure their company for the 4 hour drive from the airport or when you knew that there was no one fuckable for miles. Not that you could get down and dirty under a family roof, whether it was somebody else's or your own. Nothing more haunting than staring down at the lone poster of Fernando Alonso from his Renaut era on your hideously painted walls while cumming. Or, more accurately faking an orgasm. So you spent a nice, festive Christmas Eve and Christmas in your new family home. Catalogued everything that went wrong in your life to land you in this position from the 26th onwards. Actually explored the town and found that at least 1 bar (as if it would have more than that not on the main street) was open on New Years.

Your parents were not party people. By 8, they had tucked in on the couch and were yawning through a holiday concert of some Dutch guy. You shimmied into the one presentable dress they had seemed to pack from your childhood home. "Conveniently," your cute clothes were in storage, and the owner was somewhere in Dubai at the moment. So you have to make do with this black piece. It's not your first choice. But at least the fact that you had grown some tits since being 18 a few years ago was comforting. You pass your parents by with a promise to not be long now. Being met with a sleepy "Don't worry, sweetheart." you know that they're going to sleep through the fireworks anyway.

To nobody's surprise, the bar isn't crowded. The raging bull is in a pathetic state. Some top 40 hits radio station is playing. The floor is sticky. The bartender looks like he's your parents' age, and it doesn't seem like he knows just what goes into your favorite Long Island iced tea. You sit down and ask him to keep pouring you rum and cokes until either he runs out or your wallet is empty. You sip his very boozy concoction slowly, as you're texting your friends. Complimenting their party fits. Asking details about potential hookups. Looking at pictures of their pets in ugly sweaters. As midnight draws near, someone else actually gets inside the bar. You look up and see a pair of green eyes and holy shit, it's a holiday miracle. It's Mark Webber. 9 time GP winner. Manager of your current favorite driver on the grid. Ultimate celebrity crush, Mark Webber. With the grace of a newborn giraffe, you slide out of your chair. You don't want him to see you, but at the same time, you need it to survive. There goes your cover of not knowing who he is. Now, the bar name makes sense. It all aligns like a jigsaw puzzle. The car themed coasters. The signed cocktail napkin framed on the wall. The only “fancy” drink on the menu being named the Aussie grit.

After you not so subtly go to the bathroom to reapply your lipstick and try to work wonders with a mascara wand, you go back to your place at the bar. Only Mark is next to you, bendy black straw into his namesake cocktail.

"Look, I don't know how much they paid you to tail me here, but I can double it." he says, and you're confused.

"You're some kind of journalist or something.” You shake your head, still too stunned that he's here, talking to you.

“Don't tell me you're just some big city girl whose boyfriend brought her to meet the parents, and now you're single because you found him groping his cousin. Because, believe me, that romcom's more of a staple than you think." He continues.

"Wow, how bad is this town that a young woman in a bar on NYE is news. My parents moved here in April. I'm visiting them for the first time. And so far, I haven't encountered any guys, much less the ones that think the best part of waking up is Folgers in their cup." You explain.

"Are your folks the couple who hate each other but are always bragging about their daughter's graduation in March?" Mark guesses, and you are once again stunned by just much this small town gets to people. Not only does a man that's starred into many of your wet dreams know your parents. No, that's not enough, he also knows they're not the perfect relationship role models. You can't help but wonder if it's hereditary and also the reason you haven't brought home a partner. Pushing that to the side, you reply to him with

"Just the ones.”

"You know your dad thinks we're best friends, and your mom keeps asking if I can hire you at Porsche or McLaren." He says and suddenly all the facetimes with your parents come back to you. The man with a very nice house who they invite over for tea sometimes. The one that's been a little under the weather lately. The one who drives a sports car to the center.

"You're motorsport Mark? Of course you are. Be grateful that you don't have any kids my age because I'd practically be your daughter in law too." You speak before you think, momentarily forgetting about the man's wife and kid. Then you wonder why he's out here with you and not back at home. You're inching to ask, but there is no way to say “are you divorced, and if yes, can I ride you into next year, please?"”. Especially after he hits you with a reminder of why that's a bad idea.

"You should be happy that your parents are proud of you, sweetheart. And that they want you to stick around with them here." He says.

"If I was, wouldn't I be about to watch the fireworks with them?" You ask.

"Still some time until that, isn't it? Wanna make it count?" He replies to your question with a question.

You agree, and there's two more Aussie Grits on the bar. The bar tender also places two laminated sheets of paper and two markers in front of you. The comic sans text on top says "New Years Resolutions" and the neat little lines give you 5 rows to write in.

"Sick of hearing us talk, aren't you?" Mark asks the other man, and the latter just grunts.

"Bet I can write mine before you finish your drink." The former driver says, clearly still a speed fiend. You shake on it, and you start chugging the strong drink. Meanwhile, he's adding chicken scratch sentences to the A4.

He beats you, and to his credit, all his resolutions are thought out and personal. You're happy to see that he's put "do more for Oscar" in there and giggle at the "post more on Instagram?". While you're still reading, he's busy gloating, making fun of you for not learning the most important thing in college - how to hold your liquor.

"What, like you could do any better. Mark, I'm surprised you're standing after the drinks you already had. I bet that I'll have to see you get locked in here till the morning for your own sake." You say, both posing a challenge and remembering the "beauty" of some more traditional British pubs. You hope that the one booth you see is at least comfortable. He doesn't back down, and you're on the clock, writing down what you want to accomplish in 2025. But your brain is buzzing from the drinks, from the way liquid is dripping down Mark's chin and onto his pants, by the fact that you're a horny drunk and the unavailable dilf next to you is too delicious to pass on. You lose, unsurprisingly. Handing over the list, you absent mindedly say

"You know I wouldn't mind your help with the last one, I'm sure you can make it happen, wink wink, nudge nudge.". You're referring to the item "attend my first grand prix," a dream of yours since getting into the sport. But apparently, in the rush, you had added a more nsfw goal under it. Because the item on your list that ended it prematurely was, in fact, "squirt for the first time.".

"You wanna double-check your work before saying things, sweetheart. " he asks, and you're mortified when you do. You start apologizing and gathering your things to leave. Mark places a strong hand on your bare thigh to stop you.

"I never said I wasn't going to do it. I'd be glad to. I'm just making sure that here and now is the place you want to bring this up." He says. Your jaw drops, and you're like a fish out of water.

"Aren't you married?" You ask. It's not the first that you thought would come out of your mouth. Yet, you have to hear him say it.

"Divorced. Technically, in the process of, but no ring. Empty house, and a cold bed. Only my left hand for relief." He says and you're picturing Mark pumping his cock in his fist. You cross your legs and clench your thighs slightly, which doesn't go unnoticed by the older man. He moves his hand and spreads them.

"And you, sweetheart? Do you have some secret boy toy to make your switch into adulthood more fun? Or a nice pretty girl like yourself that you've been shaking up with since your dorm days?" He asks.

"No. Same as you, but I use my right hand. My clit's too sensitive if I switch up my technique." You say, hellbent on making that man go crazy for you.

Mark looks around and tips a crisp 50-pound note from his wallet. You can't help but notice the little blue wrapper peeking out of the Italian leather. He calls over the bartender and asks for "2 coffees when we come back." You think the Aussie's going to take you to his car. Have you ruin his custom leather seats and make you lick up your mess as punishment? You guess he might even take you to his house, not that you have any idea where it is exactly. Ask you to hold on tight as the headboard to his once marital bed slams against the wall. Makes sure your sensitive little clit humps against the pillow as he's fucking you from behind.

But Mark drags you to the men's room instead. Spreads your legs and makes you grab the sink.

"You know I'm a man of few words. And as much as I'd love to start you off with a hands-on approach, I think you haven't earned it yet. So let's show you some videos first, huh?". He pulls out his phone and opens his Google drive. He's got a folder titled xxx and in it is maliciously organized subfolders by years.

"I can click any of them? And I'll see you making a woman squirt?" You say, impressed.

"Never met a girl whose pussy I couldn't make gush. Although I'd stick to the pre-retirement years." He says and you settle on a 2012 video. You know the later ones probably feature his ex. But this one stars a faceless blonde, all curves and moans. You squirm when Mark smacks her ass, watching it jiggle. You keep your eyes on how his tongue slides between her folds. You try to ignore how he's rolled up your dress and is just staring at your underwear. Watching it get wetter and wetter. You're too preoccupied with younger him to ask for his touch now.

The next video is a brunette, with pierced nipples and a possible disdain for Mark. That's gone when he slides into her, fingers pinching her clit. He makes her come too, and the next one and the one after that. You've seen enough. You turn and find him eye level with your cunt, long legs bent into a squat. He may be more than a decade older than in the video, but an old dog doesn't stop learning new tricks.

"Mark, I need you, please." You beg, beyond ready to be treated like one of his "little starlets" from the spank bank. You wonder if he'd film you too. Have your pussy soaking his cock in your juices as a memento of your time together.

"How do you want me, sweetheart?" He asks.

"Need you to fuck me, want to feel your cock inside of me, please." You moan out. And he's a perfect gentleman, because he promises he'll give it to you.

But first he slides his fingers to the front of your underwear and two of them are on your clit, rubbing. Maybe it's because of his height, that the length has spread even to his limbs. Maybe it's the dexterity, the sheer speed of his movements. Usually you'd prefer it starting slow, and building up. But with Mark, it was all climbing, starting at a 100 and moving towards 200 and above. Your hips are bucking against him, searching more. He slows just for a second in order to thrust two fingers inside of you.

"Look at you, already a mess. Did I get you so rilled up, sweetheart. Does this old man do it so much for you?" He asks and smiles as you can only groan and beg for more. He's not someone who draws out things, so he tells you to keep it up for him as he opens the condom package. He watches you whine that your fingers don't feel as good, that they aren't enough.

"Oh sweetheart, just you wait. You're going to be ruined." Mark says as he feeds you just the tip. He makes you take your hands off, replacing them with his. He thrusts up, matching his movements on your clit.

"It's too big, please." You say. Were you asking him for more or to stop? Your body seemed to favour the latter , because you were practically dripping on the bathroom floor. Mark uses his other hand to bring you closer to himself, his shallow thrusts pumping deeper and deeper. He's hitting that spot in your body, the one which you didn't even know existed.

"Be good and cum for me, will you, sweetheart? I don't have all night. So unless you want me to drag you out like this and fuck you on the town square under the fireworks, you better let go." Mark says. He does miss how tight you get around him when he talks like this. He continues, telling you how good you make him feel and how he can't wait to see your pretty orgasm face.That's what tips you over the edge. They're tears coming out of your eyes, you're pretty sure you're drooling and Mark's cock is indeed soaked with your juices. You can hear the obnoxious squelching of his last few thrusts, before he also comes.

He's still inside you when your alarm rings, the sound coming from your purse, long forgotten on the floor. You scramble to turn it off.

"One minute to midnight. Well, it's more like 20 seconds now." You announce. Mark takes your face in his hands (still slick with you) and kisses you gently. He doesn't have the heart to tell you that this is the first kiss he's had all year. You don't have the heart to tell him the same. All you know is that your return flight might be rebooked to a later date. You finally found something interesting to do in your parent's new town.

[elodieunderglass]

I just wanted to say, i'm SO READY to buy the jockey-romcom-family-drama-horse-sad-story book when it comes out, you have no idea.

(In reference to Killie the Jockey OC and his complicated little life)

Well, thank you so much! I called that incredibly kind and supportive of you, because you are by no means obligated, and I truly appreciate your encouragement.

I’m a new believer that when you are seized by a radiant alien urge to create, then you have been touched by something beautiful and genuine and true, and that you should graciously accept the gift, and follow it where it brings you. That’s why I keep finding myself writing fanfiction, despite constantly saying that I’m Not Sure How Important It Is As A Hobby (I Need To Weed The Allotment Instead). Sometimes you get possessed by an idea, and enter that spirit of flow and power, and wake up a few hours later having written the story - you know how that is? I increasingly believe that you have to say YES to this, and follow it where it’s going, even if it seems somewhere pointless or silly, and you can’t immediately see how it’s a better use of your time than weeding your actual material allotment. But I’ve been thinking about it since the summer, and now I think that being this kind of Possessed is a bit of a gift, and if you take it, and then give it to others in the spirit that you received it - freely, and with generosity and courage, and with no more expectation of reward than a wild animal expects another sunset - then you get more gifts. So we should do this!!

That being said, I’ve got no damned idea how to write a book.

Here’s what I think is probably involved:

Finish my two existing WIPs and the outstanding fundraising work for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund

Have fun with Killie asks for now, because they are FUN and a GIFT

Do my damndest and best in my free time to turn a whole folder of years-old Killie nonsense into three novellas that are also one book.

Hopefully have some friends willing to do this with me, ideally as parallel play with their own tasks, so we can throw eggs at each other

Hire and pay an editor who is brave and true, and who knows how to write a book.

Hire and pay sensitivity readers who are brave and true, so that Jewish and Irish characters remain brave and true: also ideally someone who knows more than me about horse racing, so that nobody forgets about the blood-soaked Problematic Sport.

Work out some self-publishing mechanism by which I don’t have to care about Marketing, or the fact that sad-drama-romcom-messy-sports-fantasy isn’t a marketing genre. Or that people who see that there’s a gay relationship might be expecting Romance.

I will simply be saying HERE IS A GHASTLY LITTLE MAN, BEING TRAMPLED BY 20-30 BUSINESS HORSES. take it or leave it

Include the Killie comics in the books.

Take advice from cleverer people on correct Authorial Behavior, which I believe to be things like being very cool and distant about your work on social media. (Will have to check this.)

Fantasy stretch goal: make enough money from the book to earn back what I paid the editor and sensitivity readers (unlikely but always possible)

Sounds like a fun project for spring/summer if I scramble!

I will be very brave and do this, as a promise and a gift and a privilege.

I would love it if you would be brave with me this year and do something similar too.

[scarefox]

current QLs I am enjoying~

Every You, Every me (Thailand) : alternative universes, drama, soulmates, boss x assistant, car mechanic x customer, guitar teacher x students brother, BL actors, falling in love in every universe, humor, struggles, fluff, death, loss, abusive ex partner (not between the mains) See Your Love (Taiwan) : crime, thriller, drama, rich brat x caretaker, mafia business, mute + deaf main, martial arts, hurt / comfort, attempted murder, rich brats assistant x mafia assassin, dysfunctional family, loving family, friendship

Caged Again (Thailand) : mystery, drama, humor, animal to human transformation, boarding school, bullying, shy x feisty, animal trafficing, spirits, swim tournament, school clubs, friend group, nerd x dorky Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart! (Thailand) : action, humor, debt collector x thief, poverty, (friends to) enemies to lovers, time jump, mafia, dysfunctional family, costuming & cross-dressing, from parents disowned children, heists, betrayal, secret relationships, wound patching, social injustice, martial arts, rich snob x poor thief, child adoption, rich to poor, violence, false friends

Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu / Our Youth (Japan) : high school, nerd x delinquent, abusive parent, secret friendship to lovers, hurt / comfort, opposites attract, wound patching Doku Koi: Doku mo Sugireba Koi to Naru / Love is like a Poison (Japan) : investigation, humor, lawyer x conman, court battles, cohabitation, stern x playful, power couple, blackmail, trauma, abusive parent, talking with succulents (lol), street kids, underground gang, corruption

Petrichor (Thailand) : thriller, mystery, serial killer, forensic investigation, detective x forensic pathologist, crime investigation, enemies to lovers, autopsy, gore, incompetent police, feisty x cold, corruption, lovely siblings, coworker friend group Winter Is Not the Death of Summer but the Birth of Spring (Thailand) : thai prison setting, strangers to lovers, rough environment, prisoner x prisoner, homophobia, sexual harassment, based on a real story, hookups

Love in the Air: Koi no Yokan (Japan) : Love in the Air remake, students, senior x junior, bike racing, auto mechanic, dominant x submissive, friendship, seduction, sexual abuse in the past Bad Guy My Boss (Thailand) : boss x assistant, mutual pining, power couple, possessiv, business life, multiple hookup partner, dubcon, attempted murder, shady business, jealousy, so many HR violations, blackmail, cheating, abusive side couples, spying, scheming, miscommunication, slightly dark romance

recent finished ones I rec to check out:

Affair (Thailand) : childhood friends, rich vs poor, family tragedy, time jump, friends to lovers, possessive, mutual obsession, stalking, rich to poor & poor to rich, abusive ex, divorce, secret relationship, suicide attempts, doctor x musician Let Free the Curse of Taekwondo (S. Korea) : martial arts, strangers to friends, friends to lovers, bullying, unrequired love, abusive parent, time jump, stern x dorky, poor vs rich, hurt / comfort, misunderstandings The On1y One (Taiwan) : enemies to friends, mutual pining, cohabitation, nerd x nerd, power couple, dorm life, exam phases, not blood related soon to be step-siblings, forbidden love, secret love, coming of age, yearning, teacher x teacher side couple, hurt / comfort, unrequired love

4 Minutes (Thailand) : crime investigation, mystery, alternative realities, time jumping, patient x doctor, mafia, shady business, murder, hookups, drug use, corruption, death, violence, criminal x cop, hallucinations, cheating, blackmail, abusive lover (not mains), abusive parent, fixing mistakes Battle of the Writers (Thailand) : romcom, childhood friends, writer x writer, fictional parallel universe, secret relationship, friends to lovers, editor x writer, writer collaboration, BL writing, social commentary, childhood trauma, strangers to lovers Eccentric Romance (S. Korea + Thailand) : mystery, crime, romcom, childhood friends, friends to lovers, mutual pining, murder, bilingual, language students, working out, school club, friend group, investigation

Meet You at the Blossom (China + Thailand + Taiwan) : historical, fantasy, humor, dark romance, magic, rich noble families, playboy, crossdressing, noble son x assassine, fake identity, intrigues, fuck or die, royalty, doctor x servant, betrayal, childhood friends, misunderstandings, hurt / comfort at times, abduction, obsession, jealousy, abuse, imprisonment, torture, illness, implied unrequired cousin crush, abusive parent, dubcon My Damn Business (S. Korea) : office romance, short series, humor, boss x subordinate, misunderstandings, fluff, jealousy, teasing, drinking buddies, BL comic, talk about exes The Hidden Moon (Thailand) : historical & present, ghosts, mystery, horror, unrequired love, death, murder, accident, different era time jumps, ghost x human, time loop, friend group, enemies to lovers, forbidden love, f/f m/m m/f side couples, violence

[valeriianz]

hi! in the spirit of Dreamling Week, here is an updated masterlist, now with clickable links to tags to follow along with a series :) welcome to my corner of the fandom, where it's predominantly human aus!

in time, all of my fics will be transferred to Ao3, so if you're interested in that, follow along here! this list will (finally) include (some) links to fics ive tagged on in reblogs that i usually ignore... but not this time! :'D Everything here is complete unless otherwise stated: (wip)

G - T Rated:

tepid - 1.3k canon, Dream can get sleepy, too

Stay - 1.7k hurt/comfort, vague mafia vibes

the date that never ended - 1.2k humor, established relationship

You Know How That Thrills Me - 2.2k The Devil Wears Prada AU, + blog tag which includes fanart, here!

savvy? - 1.2k pirate au! Hob rescues Dream

daydream - 1.1k fake dating, UST, fitting room pining

Exit Wounds - 2.1k hurt/no comfort, infidelity, angst

call me back for more - 2k NYE, strangers to lovers, sexual tension

scratch a little itch - 5.6k neighbors, pastry chef!Dream and professor!Hob

The magic of the mistletoe - xmas fic, canon

Hob grieves over Dream - canon, vague comic spoilers, angst

Cowboy AU (snippet) - aka Charro!Dream, Mexican rodeo vibes + blog tag with lots of art and collaborators :)

spin the bottle - highschool setting, friends to lovers

Reason in the Noise - 3k+ (wip) musician!Dream, companion piece to Bolt in the Blue (but can be read as a standalone)

Retired!Dream with facial hair along with part 2! - canon(ish), domestic, light spice

The Parent Trap AU and part 2! - loosely inspired by the film.

Hob walks in on Dream dancing - musician!Hob and Dream dancing to his music. marshmallow fluff.

Personal Chef!Hob, single dad Dream - what it says on the tin, part two here! and my 'chef Hob au' tag full of art and recipes!

NYE and slightly possessive Hob - another obligatory New Years Eve fic

The Proposal AU and also a part two! - a couple silly romcom things in collaboration with valiantstarlights here's the tag for it!

Bday fic for ambarden - the night before college graduation, pining,

Road Trip - the start of an idea...

ASMR youtuber!Dream - an add on... Hob is a fan. meet cute

Hard of Hearing Dream - pining, bittersweet, friends to lovers

Spicy/NSFW fics under the cut!

M - E Rated:

Bolt in the Blue - 102k+ (wip) the epic band au, slice of life, fluff, touring. see everything related to this fic in the tag fic: bolt in the blue

skipping breakfast - 667w domestic and a lil spicy

obsession - 1.6k canon, making out on the dancefloor

Fin de siècle - 3.2k vampire hunter!Hob and vampire!Dream

parked - 1.1k canon, car sex, PDA

tease - 1.3k Dream has a vulva, Hob fingers him in a car

ushy gushy pussy Dream - and he refuses to get off Hob's cock

Mr. Gadling's Bodyguard - 11.7k The Hitman's Bodyguard AU, action, humor... second chapter does not relate to the film at all and is just smut

Savory & Sweet - 6k+ (wip) restaurant au, unhinged behavior

Let Me Down Easy - 21k photographer!Hob and model!Dream but they're exes. angst with a happy ending

never enough - 7.3k friends to lovers, love confessions, mutual pining

turn the lights off - 3.3k phone sex, side fic inspired by by the minute by issylra

kiss me properly (and pull me apart) - 4.2k Hob wears a butt plug all day (lol) inspired by this incredible art by messmonte

Dream stepping on Hob - power imbalance, PWP

Bathtub shenanigans - a bit of relaxation ;)

Hob as Sexy Santa - and Dream can't handle it

Celebrity Dream and his normie bf Hob - inspired by that 3am photo of Ferdie looking all sweaty and disheveled

One of Your Girls AU - an ask fic/prompt i sent to Gabe and she added on <3

Let Me Down Easy [deleted scene] - they get frisky the morning after

Dream can feel Hob's lewd daydreams

Bi-curious Dream - basically a summary/headcanon of what i think Dream having his bi awakening with Hob would be like. and then hardly-an-escape went and wrote a full ass fic about it. but im counting this anyway lmao

#my writing

btw i am so sorry, yes i did give up on including the word count. i just... gave up. but everything without a word count is most likely under 1.5k.

[lyon-77]

Hiii, first of all I love all your posts about Erlang, since the game came out I've taken a huge interest in him and I love to read your posts, they are extremely interesting and helpful as someone who loves to learn new things! So thanks a lot for that <3

Anyway I wanted to ask, is there any record of Erlang having a wife or something like that? I've read somewhere before that he was supposedly betrothed to a dragon princess?? (Something like that I don't really remember when or where I read it) And also, in the movie "New Gods: Yang Jian" when Yang Jian is at the casino ambushed by the three monkeys, the little monkey mentioned something like he had abandoned his wife or something similar to that? (I might be wrong here since the site where I watched the movie didn't have the best subtitles available, only good enough to understand the plot).

So I was wondering if you know something about that perhaps? (Btw I'm sorry if there are any grammar mistakes, English is not my first language <3)

Thank you! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my ramblings 😊

To answer your question, no, Erlang Shen does not have a wife or a partner in Chinese mythology. The only source linking him with a dragon princess is The Lotus Lantern TV series, which is more or less a fantasy romcom. Personally, I always feel that assigning every deity a love story is unnecessary and out of character. In New Gods: Yang Jian, the monkeys were referencing the rumor that Erlang Shen abandoned his sister beneath Mount Hua 12 years ago. Erlang didn’t bother explaining himself to them, perhaps because he didn't care about being misunderstood by those who didn’t matter to him. It might also reflect Erlang's self-imposed exile, driven by the guilt over his inability to save his sister when she chose to sacrifice herself for the mortal world.

If we were to make up a partner for Erlang, the dragon princess would still be a poor choice. Erlang Shen’s lore is closely associated with the flood myth, water taming, and, by extension, dragon slaying or subduing. On that note, there’s actually a tale in which Erlang Shen disguises himself as a beautiful woman betrothed to an evil dragon prince. He kills the dragon prince at their wedding banquet, saving the nearby villages from recurring floods.

One unexpected yet fitting adaptation appears in The Legend of Nezha, where a romantic subplot is added between Yang Jian and the mountain spirit (山鬼), a mythological figure tied to a legendary mountain near Sichuan. Following the plot of The Investiture of the Gods, the series concludes with Yang Jian declining the offer to serve in the new court and returning to the mountains, where he and the mountain spirit transform into birds and disappear into the woods. From a characterization standpoint, it is in character for Erlang Shen to step away from power hierarchies and be drawn instead to the untamed world.

Ultimately, Erlang Shen is never depicted with a partner in canonical lore. This might be because he is already a powerful figure with extensive stories of his own, making the addition of a complementary character unnecessary for enriching his narrative. He’s also canonically a young adult, with an apparent age ranging from 16 to 26. This places him forever at the cusp of adulthood—old enough to possess strength and independence, yet unbound by familial or societal responsibilities. It’s a phase of life defined by exploration and self-discovery, free from the constraints of a prescribed role in the worldly system.

I think there's a collective desire among humans to envision certain deities, like Erlang Shen, as unbound young adults, for they embody the idealized traits we often associate with youth—carefree, open-minded, daring, idealistic, hopeful, and full of aspiration. Please indulge me as I end with excerpts from The Song for the Divine Lord (《神君歌》) by Lu You (陆游，1174 C.E.), a tribute poem for Erlang Shen that captures this sentiment:

Great Mount Tai could serve as a whetstone, The Eastern Sea could turn to dust over time. Only the brave one's unyielding will Strives forth through life and death. 泰山可为砺 东海可扬尘 惟有壮士志 死生要一伸 I dream of the Divine Lord descending from the celestial realm, So majestic, too sublime to fully capture. Flying loongs pull his chariot, with no steeds needed. Ghosts and spirits attend him, before and behind his stride. 我梦神君自天下 威仪奕奕难具陈 飞龙驾车不用马 诃前殿后皆鬼神 ... The mortal world is constrained, steeped in sorrow and pain, Yet the Divine Lord rejoices across endless springs. O to live uncrowned and die unhonored—what of it? True ones must not bear their aspirations in silence! 世间局促常悲辛 神君欢乐千万春 呜呼生不封侯死庙食 丈夫岂得抱志长默默

Of note, this poem was written at a temple honoring men who died defending against the Jin invasion. The sorrow and pain in Lu You’s verse reflect the turmoil of his era, marked by war and loss. His resilience and lifelong aspiration to reclaim lost lands draw from the idealism embodied by Erlang Shen.

[taeyongdoyoung]

summary: you're tired of your relatives asking you if you're still single every Christmas. on the spur of the moment, you lie that your have boyfriend. luckily, your best friend sweeps in like your knight in shining armor to save the day pairing: jin x reader genre: romcom with a lil angst, best friends to fake dating to lovers warnings: nosy annoying relatives, lying, fake dating trope, one bed mentioned, some crying, insecurities, confessions, kissing, it is quite mild tbh author's note: the title is super lame but hey, Jin likes dad jokes so here we go 🤷 also i intended to post this for his bday but didn't have enough time to finish it word count: 2.4k

Christmas is the loneliest time of the year for you. Even though you spend it with your relatives, they always make a point of asking whether you are still single. Spoiler alert: you are. It's gotten annoying that they don't appreciate you for your academic and personal achievements and they are only interested in your relationship status. You are so tired of the recurring question which is why you dread Christmas so much. A few weeks before it, you get a call from your parents.

"You're coming home for the holidays, right?"

"Of course, mom," you respond, rolling your eyes.

"So…have you found a special someone?"

There it is. Again. Ugh.

"If I hear this one more time…" you sigh.

"Got it," your mom chuckles condescendingly, which frustrates you to no end.

You don't know what spirit possesses you to do what you do next but the words are out of your mouth before you can think twice about it.

"I actually have a boyfriend but maybe if you weren't nagging me about it every Christmas, I would have told you earlier."

"You do?" your mom exclaims, surprise evident in her voice."Well, isn't that wonderful! You should bring him, introduce him into the family."

"He's really busy, mom, I don't think he'll make it," you keep lying, trying to get out of the situation you'd brought upon yourself.

"Nonsense, no one works on Christmas. I expect to see the happy couple soon. And no excuses!"

Before you could argue, your mom hangs up. Great. Now you have two weeks to magically find a boyfriend to bring home for the holidays.

You are sitting on your best friend's couch, playing games with him.

"Damn, you're so good at this!" you shout in fake annoyance at being defeated but you are actually happy for him. You know how much Jin loves winning.

"What can I say? I was born this way," he smirks confidently and puts the console on the table.

"Humble, as always," you tease him, nudging his shoulder.

"So, do you have any plans for Christmas?"

"Ugh, don't remind me."

"Why? I thought you loved Christmas movies and decorations and all things Christmas-related," Jin tells you and you are beyond touched to have someone who knows you that well and remembers such details.

"I do, but…I got myself in a bit of a predicament."

"Do share," he turns to the side so that he can face you.

"Well, you know how my relatives always ask whether I'm still single? And they're especially persistent around the holidays."

"I know," he laughs. "You've only complained about it like a hundred times."

"Sorry," you grimace at your own predisposition to torment your best friend everytime something goes wrong in your life. "So, um…this year I told my mom I have a boyfriend."

"And I learn about this now?" Jin puts a hand on his heart, expressing disappointment that you'd kept such a big secret from him.

"What? No, I don't have a boyfriend. I lied to my mom and now she expects me to bring a guy to meet the family."

"Oh, shit," he now understands why you're not looking forward to Christmas.

"Yep. I'm such a mess. Everyone will be so mad at me when I come home alone. Again. Kill me now."

"Well…you don't have to be alone."

"Huh?"

"Hear me out. What if I pretend to be your boyfriend? Just for the holidays. Then, your relatives would get off your back."

"Jin…I can't ask this of you."

"Good thing you're not asking. I came up with this brilliant idea myself. If it bothers you, you can tell them we broke up some time next year. Don't you want one Christmas of your relatives not repeating the same old annoying question?"

"I do want it, more than anything. But I would hate to inconvenience you…"

"Come on, it will be fun! My parents are spending this Christmas in Australia, drinking cocktails and soaking in the sun. It's not like I have anything special planned. It would be delightful to spend it with my best friend," Jin keeps talking and you are almost convinced.

"What about your best friend's super messy family?" you try to change his mind.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll charm the pants off them."

You are not worried about how your relatives will immediatelly fall in love with Jin. You are concerned that it will be you being charmed…

You are revising every small detail while Jin is driving his car to your grandparents' place.

"When did we start dating?" you ask him.

"Three months ago. We naturally realized that we are great friends and would make an even greater couple," he responds without hesitation. "How did I ask you out?"

"You told me I am the best thing that happened to you and I would make you the happiest man in the world if I went on a date with you," you reply naturally. "What was our first date like?"

"We went to watch a movie together, after that we had dinner at a lovely restaurant and I walked you to your apartment where I kissed you in front of the doorstep."

"The roses! You forgot to mention the roses!" you cry out, almost panicking. This has to be perfect or your snoopy relatives might suspect something.

"I was supposed to bring roses to your grandparents? I thought the wine would be enough," Jin mumbles in confusion.

"No, for the first date details! We agreed that you'd mention the roses. What if…what if they ask and we mess something up and…"

"Darling, relax. We've got this. We've been best friends for seven years. We know each other well enough to handle anything."

You try to ignore the way your heart flutters when he calls you darling. Damnit. When he'd suggested pretending, you hadn't thought about the fact that it wouldn't be pretending on your part.

"Do you trust me?" Jin asks.

"Unequivocally," you assure him. It is yourself you don't trust.

Once he parks the car, you are immediately greeted by a bunch of your relatives.

"Come, come! It is lovely to meet you," your mom welcomes Jin.

"Mom, this is my best friend," you say by force of habit and then correct yourself, "and now my boyfriend, Jin."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am," Jin shakes her hand politely.

"Pfft, call me by my name," your mom says and introduces herself.

Quickly enough, your poor bestie is hounded by your grandparents, your aunt, your cousin and her kids. It's a lot of excitement considering you'd just arrived and you are already looking forward to going to bed. You love your relatives but sometimes they can be…a lot.

Jin, however, seems to be thriving. He talks to your mom about cooking, to your grandparents about fishing and politics, to your aunt and cousin about acting and singing. Even the kids seem to love him, as he takes the time to play hide and seek with them. He also promises to build a snowman with them when it is warmer tomorrow. You have no reason to worry and yet, seeing him naturally fit in with them on their first meeting…when you have felt like an outsider your whole life, is enough to bring tears to your eyes. You excuse yourself from the table, saying you need to use the bathroom.

Not expecting anyone to notice your absence, you cry quietly in your room, feeling as if you have never been good enough and your relatives were always disappointed in you. You hear a soft knock on the door, which takes you by surprise.

"You alright, love?" Jin asks.

You let him in and he wraps you up in one of his warm hugs that have the magical ability to make you stop crying.

"What's wrong? I thought it was going well," he whispers, not wanting anyone to overhear.

"It's going splendidly," you agree. "It's just that…they love you more than they do me."

"That can't be true, you're the most precious granddaughter, niece and cousin anyone could possibly have."

You sniffle and look up at him.

"You only say that 'cause I'm your best friend," you try to make light out of the situation.

"Girlfriend," he corrects you with a wink.

"Right," you chuckle through the tears.

"Come on. Let's not give them the opportunity to discuss us behind our backs," Jin jokes and you decide to return to the table. He gives you the strength needed to face them again.

The Christmas holidays go by smoothly and in the blink of an eye. The days are filled with laughter, hot chocolate, yummy meals, wholesome Christmas movies, cozy socks and snowball fights with your cousin's kids. This might be the best Christmas you've ever had. You wonder if it's Jin's presence that made it so special and heartwarming. During the family dinners, he is the life of the party, always knowing the right thing to say to each and every one of your relatives. And when the two of you are alone, cuddled up in your room, he is your rock. You know you can count on him and tell him everything that has bothered you. And you know that he would understand you and comfort you like nobody else could.

Which is why it hurts so much when he is now driving you both back to the city. The pretense is over. You would no longer have an excuse to hold his hand or sleep in the same bed as him or kiss his cheek so openly. He is back to being your best friend. And perhaps that's the way it should be. You couldn't risk your friendship by doing something stupid like confessing your undying love for him. No, that would certainly be a terrible idea. Perhaps more terrible than having him as a fake boyfriend for the holidays.

"What's on your mind?" Jin asks.

"Hm?"

"I can see the gears turning in your head. Something is bothering you."

"Hey, aren't you supposed to look at the road instead of the gears in my head?" you tease him.

"I can multitask. Come on, just tell me."

"It's nothing. I just found myself wishing the Christmas holidays could last longer. I really had an amazing time, which doesn't usually happen around my relatives."

"Glad I could be of service," Jin smirks proudly, making you laugh. You would never grow tired of his casually confident nature.

Silence ensues for a couple of minutes and you are back to worrying and thinking about your unresolved feelings for your best friend. When suddenly, he interrupts your thought process with an unexpected suggestion.

"How about we have a second Christmas?"

"A second Christmas?" you repeat in confusion.

"My place. Just the two of us. We'll do all the things we didn't have the chance to do at your grandparents' house."

"Such as?" you inquire, wondering what you've missed.

"We'll play games and I'll make you my famous roast beef. We'll have midnight snacks and watch anime with no one judging us. We'll bake Christmas cookies together and we could even go ice-skating."

"That…sounds lovely. I'm in," you immediately agree, excited to have a second Christmas with Jin. Maybe, just maybe, a miracle will happen.

The next day, you arrive at his place and are amazed to find how magically decorated it is.

"Ta-da! Welcome to your own personal winter wonderland."

"My goodness, Jin, it looks incredible! How did you achieve all this so quickly and all by yourself? You must be exhausted."

"Nah, it was my pleasure. And besides, seeing the smile on your face is the best Christmas present I could hope for," he responds.

"Merry second Christmas to you, too," you grin and give him a hug. It feels so natural and like you were meant to end up right there.

As promised, the two of you get to do all the things you couldn't at your grandparents'. You watch the spiciest animes with zero shame, you eat ramen at 1am and you play violent games that would make your relatives gasp in horror. It is genuinely the most incredible Christmas. Even more incredible than the time you spent with your family.

But all good things inevitably come to an end. Tomorrow, it is time for both you and Jin to go back to work. And with that, the magical holidays will be over. You don't want them to be. You wish you could stay in this bubble forever, with Jin's arms wrapped around you.

"I should probably head home. You have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Or…you could stay. We can share the bed," Jin suggests and you can swear you hear a hopeful hint in his voice.

"Jin…we're no longer surrounded by my nosy relatives. You don't have to pretend it's okay with you to have me intruding on your personal space."

"Who said I was pretending?" he whispers and you probably shouldn't but you allow yourself to dream. There is no way he feels the same…or is there?

"Don't…don't say stuff like that if you don't mean it," you mumble, feeling more vulnerable than ever.

"I'm tired of hiding it, sweetheart," he sighs and presses his hand against your cheek. "I only offered the whole fake dating thing because I was hoping you would finally get the hint and realize how important you are to me. But in case it wasn't obvious enough, let me spell it out for you. I. Am. Crazy. About. You."

You blink in shock.

"Pinch me so I know I'm not dreaming. You…like me back?"

"How about I do something better?" Jin smiles softly and leans in to kiss you. It is slow and sweet, just as how you'd imagined it hundreds of times. No, scratch that. It is so much better. He makes you feel so special and loved. You wish you had confessed earlier. You have been missing out on so many Christmas kisses.

"Look up," Jin says gently once he finally breaks the kiss.

You do as he asks and you realize that you have somehow ended up under a mistletoe decoration he must have put up and you haven't noticed before.

"Aww, man, did you only kiss me because of that mistletoe?"

"Let me take you to my room and prove you otherwise," Jin vows, grabs your hand and urges you to follow his lead.

Christmas is truly the most wonderful time of the year.

The End

[spiritsnsuchconsultationoffice]

Reigen !!! What is your advice for a spiritual possession !!! urgent question !!! The spirit is making me watch hallmark romcoms and it threatens to make me walk off my apartment balcony if i change the channel

please help 😰😰😰

WHAT A HORRORIFIC EXPERIENCE! FEAR NOT, you've come to the right place!

Most posession is typically influenced by the connection people have had with their spiritual overtakers. That could be positive, like a deceased relative or friend seeking closeness or negative, like someone out for revenge or someone you've crossed with poorly in the past. There are also outliers to this, like yokai running amuck or a lost soul who's trying to cause chaos.

Knowing this your first course of action should always be to gauge the threat!! Take a moment to connect with your surroundings and feel out the energy within. If something yearns to cause your poor self harm, you will know! You don't have to be an esper, such as myself, to do this. So carry forward with caution, Anon.

After deciding the type of threat, positive or negative, you next step can be taken in many ways. I always encourage those suffering under the hands of the paranormal to get to me ASAP! The faster I make contact, the safe YOU ARE, my friend. Though, if you are determined to handle this on your own (HIGHLY DISCOURAGED), my suggestion is to find the safest way to disturb the spirit. Do not offend it, do not make clear contact with it if it has clearly cruel intentions, but merely pull yourself away from this trance.

Positive energies are the safest to overcome, but not easy. Usually a conversation or a redirection helps. Exorcisim for these kinds are spirits are a LAST RESORT. ✨️Spirits N' Such✨️ aims to rellocate in these situations, thanks to the suggestion of our deputy officer.

Negative energies, however, are horrendously dangerous and under NO circumstance should you try to force it out on your own. You will need help. Come to us in person or call if you are unable. Consider us 911 for ghosts. Like ghost... I don't know, "busters" or something.

Additionally when there is an absence of a spirit, especially after an exorcisim, cleanse your space. We offer many products to help you do so!

TO RECAP:

Gauge the threat! (Positive or Negative spirit?)

Contact me OR conversate with caution!

Cleanse the space!

Stay safe out there, friend. Come see me ASAP for a quick and easy solution!!

Signed, Reigen Arataka 🌟

[nezumithewriter]

magnus archives season two was REALLY good

ep 41: "as a certain Melanie King would put it, 'EXPLORING THE UNDERGROUND TUNNELS OF MAGNUS INSTITUTE AT 3 AM (GONE WRONG) (SOMETHING IS WATCHING ME)'"

ep 42: absolute dogshit musician wows crowd with worst music ever made (the crowd dies)

ep 43: "hello police officer, good statement, um, could i have confidential evidence please?"

ep 44: 最悪なんだ 涙が 乾かないんだ ずっと

ep 45: "hey jon do you want tea-- what the hell are you doing" "*holding stalkerish pictures of his colleagues after muttering creepily to himself* nothing"

ep 46: oh my god he jumped

ep 47: "oh that's awful you shouldn't have been able to get back" - Michael, before dragging Helen back through the door

ep 48: the power of parental love saves the day

ep 49: "lol this dogshit drug smuggler got himself caught in a sweeney todd situation" - gregory before getting his arm taken

ep 50: jon gets possessed by the spirit of an old 1800's man and gives one of the best vocal performances so far for a statement excluding Jane Prentiss

ep 51: simon fairchild is very silly, and """"sasha"""" is very normal and very human

ep 52: The Hunts don't give a shit about the prison system. also acab

ep 53: "it's hot as hell in this fucking ass hot ass catacombs i'm in. IS THAT THE CEASELESS WATCHER?!?"

ep 54: "they may be terrifying eldritch abominations or whatever but they're not laundering money! :D"

ep 55: "these mfs smell rank when burned on god" "How do you know what they smell like when being burned?" "long story"

ep 56: this is the strangest romcom i've ever listened to

ep 57: 2020

ep 58: "come on babe i'm a snack. literally"

ep 59: The promised neverland but with more spiders

ep 60: "Jon this is an intervention. you need therapy."

ep 61: i love daisy tonner i love daisy tonner i

ep 62: "I enjoy a bit of ritualistic murder and book binding, but I draw the line at using it for money" "you enjoy ritualistic murder???"

ep 63: MY CAREER IS OVER????? (WENT TO MAGNUS INSTITUTE) (THE NEW GIRL IS KINDA CUTE)

ep 64: "please god i just want to die"

ep 65: yapper vs listener, "finally some good fucking food", and then my parents start fighting

ep 66: Bad and naughty customs officers get sent to the box

ep 67: Sucker for Love be like

ep 68: "Yeah I finally got something cool to share with y'all it's really cool!!" dies two days later

ep 69: nice.

ep 70: gertrude robinson really fucking hated books

ep 71: "guess i'll die"

ep 72: "yeahhhh i probably ate some guy's wife but at least it tasted good" the same guy about to cut off his ankle

ep 73: "you know what, i fucking quit" - Basira Hussain after the world's strangest hostage case

ep 74: Sleep is overrated

ep 75: sibling prank goes horribly wrong and it's all michael crew's fault

ep 76: EXPLORING AN ABANDONED TRAIN CAR AT 3AM (GONE WRONG) (GOT STABBED) (THE MAGNUS INSTITUTE IS GASLIGHTING ME)

ep 77: "ah fuck sasha is dead isn't she" jon 'sasha is the only trustworthy one' sims

ep 78: "It is remarkably easy to buy an axe in Central London." jon 'about to break the only thing keeping himself safe' sims

ep 79: Sasha fucking dies again

ep 80: "rent's due" BRUTAL PIPE MURDER SFX

[amnevitahwritesstuff]

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

Alright, I have only a few more hours of 2024 left to do this so it's now or never I guess. Thanks for the tag @starfall-spirit. 🫶

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

86,418 (but the real number is 56,156 since one of those fics is a collab between multiple writers).

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

Ten. Though all of those were one-shots or three-shots.

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Six that have been posted. Another eight in development and in various stages of being ready enough to be posted.

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

I had a lot of fun writing Come Away O Human Child. I've always loved dark fics but had never really written one myself before that point. It was a whirlwind experience to write. I think I wrote the first 5-8k words of it on a single Saturday afternoon. I'd never really understood when other writers said they 'wrote like they were possessed' until that moment.

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

To everyone's surprise—including my own—Take Care of Business for Me. I had never really written a proper modern AU before, and certainly not a RomCom. I tend to stick to AUs, Canon AUs, and darker stuff. So I kind of shocked myself by writing not only a Modern AU RomCom, but one with Daddy Kink in it...which I had never done before and—up until very recently—didn't even like.

(And yes, I know how funny it is that the one now primarily known for writing Soft Dom/Daddy Kink fics used to hate it. I contain hidden depths ok? 🫠)

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

Again, I'll have to point to Take Care of Business for Me, as well as Stuffed. The reception to the latter took me completely by surprise because it was just a silly little piece of self-indulgent smut I wrote to practice writing sex scenes. Clearly that exercise was far more successful than I could've ever envisioned because it's now only a couple hundred hits away from being my most popular fic of all time. 🥲

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Probably The Hungry House, my creepy little haunted house fic that I thought had some pretty fun and spooky imagery. Though it's also a tragedy which I know isn't everyone's cup of tea and probably why it flew under the radar.

I'd also like to shout out The Horrors of Writer's Block, my silly little self-indulgent self-insert fic where a fanfic writer gets stuck inside her own fic with disastrous results. The latter was really me getting back to my roots writing self-insert/isekai fics which were some of my very first fics I ever posted on this site (and which are now hidden because they're so embarrassingly bad). It was a lot of fun and I hope to get back to it at some point, even if I'm only writing it for my own amusement.

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

Loputyn. Not a fandom artist, but she has exactly the kind of creepy but sexy vibe I love.

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

@whatishowedyouinthedark was the reason I felt comfortable and brave enough to write some of my most popular fics (Take Care of Business for Me and Come Away O Human Child respectively) in this fandom. She's a fantastic cheerleader, especially when you want to write the darker, sexier, or more problematic stuff, so I can't thank her enough for her unending support and being such an icon in this fandom. Without her those fics wouldn't exist so everyone go say 'Thank You SVDG'.

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

@pouroverpaloma! I was dragged into the Gale brainrot in the beginning of 2024 and her Gale fics were some of the first I found and loved in the Baldur's Gate fandom.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

Yes! My first one ever in fact! I'm a part of the @feysand-hivemind timeloop project! I contributed a chapter and have another to come in the future.

From what I remember, @gaeleria said something to the effect of 'wouldn't a feysand time loop fic be fun?' and everyone was like 'wait, that's actually a great idea!' and before we knew it a bunch of us were throwing ideas around in a google doc and the rest is history.

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

That I finally finished a multi-chaptered fic! Now, to be fair, it was only three chapters but that still counts! I had never finished a multi-chaptered fic before so I was extremely proud of myself.

(I am, of course, talking about Come Away O Human Child.)

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

That I can actually finish things! And that I am absolutely capable of pushing myself to write and I don't need to just wait around for days or weeks or months on end before 'inspiration' hits and forces me to write 2-4k words in one go. I learned that any progress is good progress. 100 words. 200 words. 500 words. If I managed to put words on the page then it was progress and something I should feel proud of. That mentality helped me write more in the last year than I have in the last ten, and helped improve my writing abilities by leaps and bounds.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

Everything above. Don't give up. Write something. Anything. It doesn't have to be good. It doesn't have to even make sense. Just get it out. Write a little each day. Even if it isn't a lot. Some words are better than no words. You get better by doing.

I also think you should write what you want. Is your idea too problematic and weird? Write it anyway. Is it too derivative and has been done a million times before? Write it anyway. I wrote so many things this year that I was so sure that nobody but me was going to like or even read and I was honestly flabbergasted at the reach and enthusiastic reception some of those same fics ended up having. You won't know until you try. 💜

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

Definitely to finish some of my ongoing fics, even if it's just one or two of them. I also have a ton of new projects I can't wait to share with everyone next year! 🎉

Only a couple hours left of 2024 here so if anyone can squeeze themselves in before then, feel free to tag yourself in!

[22degreehalo]

Man, I know this isn't really anything new to anyone who's in the right audience and is going to be entirely incomprehensible to anyone who isn't. But I really am just enjoying 100 Kanojo ('The 100 Girlfriends Who Really Really Really Really Really Love You') lately, and I really gotta echo that it's a surprisingly great example of positive polyamory!

The last episode of the anime really impressed that on me, that it's not *just* about being poly-positive insofar as it supports the harem. When Hahari talked about still being in love with Hakari's father, I was really expecting some cliche advice about how he'd want her to move on and be happy, blah blah blah. But no: Rentarou tells her there's no reason why she can't love both him AND her ex all the same!!

It's not the sort of thing usually associated with polyamory, but I've seen it brought up in poly circles as an example of toxic monogamy, that current partners are supposed to *despise* their partner's exes, and that people are supposed to never have any relationship with their ex or it comes across as 'unfaithful.' I've even seen widowers saying they relate strongly to the poly community even if they're technically monogamous, because they can only ever love another person *in addition* to their old spouse, and any new lover will just have to be okay with that.

And then it goes even further when Rentarou meets the ghostly spirit of Hahari's old boyfriend (or maybe it was just a dream~?), and once again, Rentarou shows not so much as a lick of jealousy or possessiveness. Rather, he clasps hands with him as a comrade, as someone who made Hahari very happy back in the day, and as someone he still would like to make proud alongside, working together to keep making her happy! (And then the spirit is so satisfied that he has no earthly connections anymore and ascends from ghosthood... which is a bit convenient but which is also funny in context, so. Well!)

But honestly, even aside from all that... I'm reading the manga now, and it's just so. Refreshing. To see a romcom like this where everyone is just so happy and in love all the time...? Harem manga sorta have a reputation for everyone beating up on the protagonist, and of course all the silent angsty pining that lasts unendingly for hundreds of chapters because the 'plot' can never actually be resolved until the story is over. But in this story, everyone really does win! And that doesn't make it less interesting: it's still so crazy and weird and dumb, and just seeing all of these characters bounce off one another and be themselves is entertaining enough without the need for external stresses.

And that all just makes it so... almost wholesome? Everyone is so happy!!! And it isn't boring at all!!!!! Everyone really really really really Really loves each other (the protagonist even more than the girlfriends, if anything), and they gush over romantic stories and get really excited about kissing their boyfriend/girlfriends and love and support their entire family, and it fills me with such warm and fuzzy feelings that I really can't think of anything else to compare it to!

It's just so nice. Characters who really, genuinely love and like each other and work hard for one another and get what they want. And also, truly wacked-out comedy that has made me laugh aloud just reading it.

It's just great. It's so, so nice. :)

[scribbled-anecdotes]

For the AU WIP ask game! What about this psychic AU? 👀

Oh my psychic AU!! Thank you for asking!!!

This is absolutely one of those WIPs that I like binge wrote on a rainy day, poured so much thought into and then forgot about and every time I stumble upon it again I am reminded of how much I like it and need to finish it.

I'm gonna put the summary and snippets under a cut because I have so much to say about this AU lol

it's a SongXiao AU because well I am nothing if not consistent. And it exists for two main reasons: 1. I love it when Xiao Xingchen is weird/ethereal/supernatural and Song Lan is some guy and they love each other very dearly and 2. I wanted to write something that featured Cangse Sanren and Xiao Xingchen's relationship a little more prominently and deal with the effects of living in seclusion all your life and suddenly finding yourself in the world.

Xiao Xingchen is a psychic/medium, who was raised by Baoshan Sanren on a secluded mountain, but Xiao Xingchen eventually leaves the mountain because he can't seem to understand why he and his family cult hide their gift from the world instead of helping people. He very quickly learns that being constantly surrounded by the dead who demand your attention however they can get it is hell on earth. In a frenzied attempted get some relief, he ends up ripping out his own eyes, landing him in the care of nurse Song Lan who cares very deeply about helping this John Doe in the ER. Song Lan tracks down Xiao Xingchen's seemingly sole relation, Cangse, and pays particularly close attention to him while he recovers. While other doctors think Xiao Xingchen is a psych case, Song Lan isn't so sure, noticing that Xiao Xingchen seems to be clinically 'dying' the same way the spirits he's talking about have (because, even if you can't see them and try to ignore them, spirits will make themselves heard. poor XXC). Anyway, Xiao Xingchen is healed, released to the care of his sister, and about a year down the road he and Song Lan run into each other at a coffee shop and Cangse pushes them together. They start dating, fall in love, and build a fairly normal life around Xiao Xingchen's supernatural abilities.

The main bit of the plot follows a married SongXiao who have their heart set on establishing a hospice in a darling old property sold quickly and cheaply. They run into problems when they realize that decades ago the entire family was murdered in the home. They eventually run into another psychic/medium, Xue Yang, who seems to have a lot of interest in the remaining spirits in the home and who promises to help the big hearted couple get these souls off the mortal plane and all they'll need is Xiao Xingchen's unprecedented ability to invite the spirits to possess him (and they definitely don't need to worry about what Xue Yang plans to do with these spirits. no. not at all). Though, Song Lan worries that experiencing the deaths of 50+ people will kill him, Xiao Xingchen and his big heart agree.

This is a really haphazard plot summary, but those are the general vibes of this AU. Honestly, if anyone wants to ask me specific things about scenes, character interpretations, etc or ask for more snippets (because I have more), please do because I am falling in love with this AU again.

Anyway, have some snippets:

Song Lan had just gotten out of the shower and was putting on the scent-free lotion required by the hospital and then his scrubs. On days like this he was grateful he didn’t quit when they decided to pursue their dream of a hospice home. He had called the realtor the moment they had gotten through the door yesterday. Well, after getting Xingchen settled in bed with a cup of tea and some mindless, distracting romcom on Audible. She said there was nothing she could do now that the sale had been finalized. It was also how he learned that realtors only had to disclose violent deaths in three states and Massachusetts was not one of them. 

He felt guilty going to work today, given yesterday’s events. When he slipped out of the ensuite bathroom the room was still dark. It was only 6 am. He sighed when he saw Xingchen sitting up, wrapped in blankets. He knew he hadn’t slept well last night. He never does after an episode. “Did I wake you?” 

Xingchen nodded, softly. 

“I’m sorry.” He came around to Xingchen’s side of the bed to plant a kiss on his forehead. “I can stay home today, if you—“ 

“No. You can’t. We both know that. You’ve already taken six days off this month to take care of me.” 

It was no use arguing. When Xingchen had his mind made up, there was no convincing him otherwise. “I’ll call you sister, then?” He compromised. 

Another fragile nod. “Thank you.” 

…

“Hey, Cangse,” Zichen said, stepping out of the bedroom. “Sorry I know it’s early. But I have to ask a favour.” 

“Xingchen had a rough go?” His sister-in-law asks through a yawn. Zichen can hear the rustling of blankets on the other end of the phone as she gets up without even hearing what he has to ask. They’ve been through this enough times to know. 

“It was really bad, I think.” 

“You think?” Cangse had said before that all deaths are bad and traumatic when spirits haunt you. People who die painlessly and peacefully don’t scream in your ears at 3 in the morning or hang their bloodied, bloated faces over yours at the dinner table. 

“He hasn’t said anything about it really.” That’s the biggest give away; Xingchen always tells him everything. “Except that he thinks it was a murder.” 

Cangse hums into the phone. She says nothing either. 

--

What do you steal for an exorcism? 

Song Lan is standing in front of the medicine cabinet. He’s gotten the basics—gauze, rolls and rolls of bandage, hot water bottles, cold packs, the like—from the superstore. He’d picked up Xingchen’s usual refill of anti-anxiety meds. He went a few days without, insisting that it would be better to have a full restock the day of. Song Lan tried to convince him to turn his back on the plan when the nightmares started and his insomnia flared again. And now Song Lan found himself standing in front of the medicine cabinet thinking about whether or not he should steal a more powerful anti-nausea than Gravol. He thinks of the movies he’s seen, though Cangse told him he shouldn’t. All the crying and puking…..dehydration. He stuffs a few Saline IV bags into his backpack. No one ever thinks of dehydration. The first thing he grabbed had been sedatives, and he grabs a few more. Whatever will limit Xingchen’s suffering. When he finally leaves, he’s not actually sure what he’s grabbed. Initially, he thought about creating a fake intake for a patient and charting all the stolen medicine there. But on a busy night, he figured missing medication could be otherwise explained.

--

The first floor of the house looks like a field hospital. And Song Lan wouldn’t have it any other way. He makes the little cot that they ordered off Amazon as comfortable as possible, adding extra pillows and Xingchen’s favourite blanket. He had spoken his piece once more before finishing the set up. “I don’t think we should be doing this; it’s too much for you to burden alone.” 

And Xingchen pushed back again, the same way he had been for weeks since Xue Yang had come up with this awful plan, “But I’m not alone, Cangse and A-Yang know what they’re doing in the supernatural department and you take care of me, and you know what you’re doing in that department.” 

It’s hardly the reassurance Song Lan wants. Really, he’d only feel content if they took down the cot he’d struggled with for 30 minutes, packed up the rest, and just left this disaster of a house. He feels cruel for thinking that. As far as Xingchen and the others are concerned, they’d be abandoning real people in need of help and Song Lan thinks that, as a nurse, he should consider this part of his duty to care…He does, to some degree, because Xingchen does. If it weren’t for Xingchen, none of them would be here… 

“Speaking of: your arm, please.” And Xingchen obeys, stretching his arm out so that Song Lan can poke until he finds a good vein. “Little poke.” Xingchen laughs softly. He feels the ‘little poke’, as Song Lan has called it since that first faithful meeting in the ED. “You’re already dehydrated,” Song Lan admonishes as he adjusts the needle to try and get just a little drawback. It takes a couple of tries before the red starts to seep into the tubing. He flushes the IV and hangs a bag of saline. “I’ll get you something to drink.” And he moves to do so, but Xingchen catches his wrist with surprising accuracy for someone without sight. 

“Could you stay here, please? Ask Cangse to get it.” 

[literarynerd]

The most ridiculous thing happened to me last night. I was sitting watching a passable Christmas romcom when suddenly the fire alarms started going off. I live in a town house, and I have two that are linked and they talk, because they also do carbon monoxide detection.

So it started saying “FIRE FEU” [bilingual due to being Canadian] while the alarm was going off. So my mom and I jump up and run around to see where the fire is and we can’t find anything, we also can’t smell anything, and it eventually stopped. But then it goes off again and we wonder if the backup batteries are dying and that is why it’s going off. So I frantically change the batteries while my eardrums are being tortured with shrieking and “FIRE FEU”. And they stop going off and I think that it solved the problem. But then the alarm upstairs starts saying “BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY” and I have put that one in backwards. So I fix it.

Then it dawns on me that if it was the battery issue it would have been yelling “BATTERY BATTERY BATTERY” at me. And it starts going off again, this time I try just pressing the test button and the only difference is that it starts screaming “CARBON MONOXIDE CARBON MONOXIDE” and then I’m again freaking out because you can’t smell carbon monoxide. So we open some doors.

Then I decide to try looking outside to see if my neighbours have a fire and somehow our alarm is noticing it before we are, and there is nothing but the alarm has also stopped.

So I look up “fire alarm going off for no reason” and I find out that they can get dusty so I decide to vacuum them, while still attached to the ceiling, and every time I try something new I have to lug the ladder up and down the stairs, just to paint an accurate picture.

The alarm seems to have stopped and it is quiet for about twenty minutes, and I have been lulled into a false sense of security. It goes off again and I am just about at the end of my rope, and I find an article suggesting using canned air, like the kind you use to clean a keyboard. And thankfully we do have some.

So I get back on the damn ladder and spray the shit out both alarms and I notice that one has a solid green light but one has an intermittently blinking green light. More internet searching tells me that means that is the alarm that is detecting the mystery smoke. And I need to reset it, which sets the alarm off again to do the test. My eardrums are crying, I am pissed, but I think I solved the problem.

I go back downstairs, have another twenty minutes of peace and then “FIRE FEU FIRE FEU” and I am furiously swearing at the smoke detector, I drag the ladder back upstairs, I remove it from the ceiling and unplug the main power line. I am going to get the dust out of the smoke detector or I am going to burn the house down, if it wants smoke, it will get smoke.

I take the can of air, my mom is standing in solidarity with me and the can, and I spray it from every angle possible. And then. With the last puff, out pops a very small white spider, we all gasp (probably including the spider, who’s reign of terror is as about to end) and he falls on the floor, and is immediately crushed by a Birkenstock sandal.

And the ordeal is not over because getting that fucking alarm back on the ceiling took me seventeen tries, but no more “FIRE” no more “FEU”, no more “CARBON MONOXIDE” and no more fire alarm.

So if your fire alarm even goes off for seemingly no reason, it could be that the spirit of Puck has possessed a small spider and he is trying to build a web right in front of the smoke sensor.

[blushofpetals]

ຯ .. about her 🫐🫧

she is the warmth of a sunrise, the gentle flow of a river, and the melody that lingers in the heart. she is cassie edelhardt, but she’s always open to new nicknames. ❤︎

as an enfp and a true pisces, she possesses a vibrant and cheerful personality. her days are filled with enthusiasm and creativity. she finds comfort in soft lilac and lavender, colors that feel like quiet afternoons and unspoken thoughts.

with an adventurous spirit, she delights in exploring the great outdoors. she has a natural curiosity and loves to explore new things. always eager to learn and experience the unknown. this inclination towards exploration enriches her life with diverse experiences and continuous personal growth.

in daily life, she speaks in bahasa and broken english, sometimes mixed, and sometimes lost in between. she is the kind of person who switches between languages without even realizing. not because she can’t, but because it’s just her way of expressing things. some say it’s chaotic, but she thinks it’s fun.

her love for music is profound. she enjoys singing and skilled at playing a guitar. this passion not only brings her joy but also reducing stress. one of her aspirations is to experience a classical music or orchestral concert firsthand, immersing herself in the harmonious blend of instruments and the ambiance of the concert hall.

tmi : she really love canon in d with guitar version :D

she really love listening to one direction, celine dion, whitney houston, mariah carey, diana ross, niki, olivia rodrigo, enhypen, yoasobi, the script, bon jovi, sherina munaf, noah, sheila on 7, sal priadi, alex turner, hindia, tulus, day6, westlife, guns n' roses, linkin park, sza, shania twain, michael learns to rock, oasis, taylor swift, eric clapton, novo amor, green day, avril lavigne, exo, gfriend, ive, csr, avenged sevenfold, my chemical romance, coldplay, lana del rey, avicii, queen, chicago, lewis capaldi, and many more.

she is also a film enthusiast who enjoys indulging in various genres, especially action, scifi, fantasy, romcom, romance, comedy horror, thriller, slice of life, and musical. she finds solace in watching her favorite movies and series, such as catch me if you can, the greatest showman, marvel cinematic universe, the devil wears prada, mission impossible, the queen's gambit, 5cm, the grand budapest hotel, and back to the future, which never fail to uplift her spirits. if you want to know more about her movie taste, go check out on her letterboxd!

in the realm of fiction, she often wonders what it would be like to be friend characters like peter parker and elizabeth harmon.

she keeps this account unlabeled as a space to share anything she likes, from random thoughts to things that catch her interest. she also enjoys retweeting stuff that she finds cool or meaningful. so, if you feel uncomfortable with it, please do not interact with her. and this account is totally safe for everyone.

she don't want to interact with problematic account, 02 voters, racist, under 16, tone deaf people, hate her favs, and any religion phobic.

[ajitated]

DannyMay 2021 Compilation

All the fic I wrote for DannyMay '21! ✨ (link to entire ao3 series)

Linked in order, with the day, most relevant tags, and a brief summary of each.

(Originally spread across 5 posts, posted from: 9-13 June 2021)

Day 1: Memory — Blank Spaces — Dark Ages, Memory Loss, Angst

He doesn't remember who he used to be, but he has snippets of who he'll become and that will have to be enough. Surely the future has to be better then whatever past led him to here: injured and chained and with a man he's quite certain contributed to his injuries as his only companion. The only thing he knows for sure, is that he won't cooperate -- he'll ensure all his captor's efforts are wasted, they won't control him even if he doesn't know why he initially refused.

Day 2: Home — Where the Heart Is — Dark Ages, Domestic Fluff, Sleep

Sometimes, home is your stubborn lover that never goes to sleep on time.

Day 3: Portal — Masters Portal — Lost Time, excerpt from my Invisobang fic (Danny grows up in GZ au)

There's a blocked off portal in the Zone, and Danny finally decides to visit it.

Day 4: Stars — The Brightest Burns — Dark Ages, Human au, Rockstar au, Angst

Pariah has been Cassius's manager since before they became Clockwork and has been in love with them just as long, but nothing will ever come of it. They burn too brightly to stick with something long enough to make it last.

Day 5: Doorway — More Than Bargained For — Outside Perspective, Corpse au

Officer Roald is not having a good day. Instead of chilling and writing traffic tickets like usual, he's out searching for the town's ghostly vigilante. At least he has Kite, the force's dog, to keep him company.

Day 6: Core — Second Chances — Dark Ages, Royal Family, Obsessions

Pariah doesn't know what his purpose is meant to be, now that he's gotten a second chance — but he knows what he'll make it.

Day 7: Illusion — Never to Be — Dark Ages, Time, Angst

The worst illusions are the ones you know to be real.

Day 8: Gravity — Stargazing — Royal Family, Constellations, Light Angst, Moving On

Sometimes, the most important part of something isn't the view itself, but the ones you're seeing it with -- and the night sky is even more special, when Danny knows he won't see it again for some time.

Day 9: — Candlelight — Dark Ages, Royal Family, Danny meddling, Romcom themes

Clockwork is avoiding Pariah. Danny decides to do something about it.

Day 10: Shadow — One Another — Lost Time, Slight Horror, Eldritch, Ghosts aren't ghosts

The Zone holds more than just ghosts, and Clockwork can't wait to see what Danny will become.

Day 11: Midnight — Past, Present, Future — Lost Time, Midnight, Time

Humans cannot affect time in the ways they hope to, and even if someone was to succeed one day… they would no longer be human by the end of it.

Day 12: Scars — You, Yours — Dark Ages, Scars, Possessive Behavior

Pariah has many scars, while Clockwork has just one. It takes a lot to scar a ghost.

Day 13: Daydream — Of You — Dark Ages, Daydreaming, Kissing

Some dreams are better than reality.

Day 14: Neon — Ceiling Stars — Royal Family, Post-Identity Reveal, Jack and Maddie Suck, Hurt/Comfort

Sometimes, a blank slate isn't the start of something new: it's just blank... but even then, those that care about you can help make it a little less empty.

Day 15: Nature — Of Trees and Teas — Kitsune Danny au, Yokai au

Adjusting to life as a fox spirit isn't easy, but Danny's getting the hang of it. Now if only the closest thing he has to a mentor would actually answer his questions, instead of sending him out to do tasks with no explanation.

Day 16: Glow — Next To You — Dark Ages, Human au, Rockstar au, Angst

If you love someone, let them go.

Day 17: Freedom — Caged — Dark Ages, Kissing, Implied Sexual Content

Pariah stares at Clockwork's blush and knows exactly what it means.

Day 18: Frozen — On Ice — Royal Family, Fluff, Pariah's a dumbass rip

Famous last words: “Boy, I’m a fire-core. There is very little chance of you freezing me.”

Day 19: Wings — Feathers and Freedoms — Dark Ages, implied Royal Family, Wing au, Hurt/Comfort

Everyone has wings, ghosts included. A ghost's wings are connected directly to their core, and can tell you a lot about the ghost. Pariah isn't very happy with how Clockwork has been treating their own wings.

Day 26: Luck — Luck, or the Lack Thereof — Dark!Danny, Captivity, Hurt no Comfort, Arena/Coliseum au

When they first caught him, he tried keeping track of time. When that failed, he kept track of fights. After the hundredth fight, he stopped caring. Phantom doesn't know how long he's been held here and forced to fight, but he knows exactly what he's going to do when he gets out. If they're lucky, they won't even have time to regret catching him.

Day 27: Rain — Rainy Days — Veggie Burger, Past Everlasting Trio, Heartbreak, Angst

Danny is happy for them — really, he is — he just... would have liked to be part of it, too. Would have liked for it to still be an "us" instead of a "them". 'Till death do us part' doesn't really work for him though, so he probably should've been prepared for this.