#they just get it they get the characters they get everything that wasn't being said out loud

[sleepyangelkami]

Hi!! Could I request a fic about Carl and aftercare? Your writing is so good I’m jealous‼️

DESTRUCTION AND REPARATION c.grimes

 ☆ WORD COUNT - 1.3K

CARL GRIMES X FEM!READER

 ☆ SUMMARY - when everything is said and done, carl wants to make sure you know you still are and always will be his precious girl.

 ☆ WARNINGS - mentions of sex, illusion to sex, aftercare, sexual themes, aged up characters, dom!carl, sub!reader, hickies, nudity, vulnerability, bathing as a couple, kinda real world!au, praise, petnames, intended lower case, nothing i write is ever proofread 🩷

descruction and reparation.

in carl's terms, the act of destroying you until you were nothing but a toy at his will to do whatever it was he wanted with you. then building you back up and showing you that no matter the hour, you were truly the only girl in the world that mattered.

his breath was heavy as he relaxed himself against the bed. it was like a ritual every time it happened, no matter the position you found yourself screwed up in. he'd lay next to you, long fingers coming to brush the hair away from your face.

"hey, pretty girl." he practically cooed at the sight of you. you were so fucked out, breathing heavy with swollen lips. there were many marks and traces he'd left down your neck, across your stomach and between your thighs. he couldn't help but admire them while he studied you. "you okay? everythin' feel good?" his voice was low, like a soft whisper that could have lulled you to sleep.

when carl was finished with you, after you'd lost count of the rounds and he knew you were done it was hard not to take you into his arms and allow them to swallow you whole. "mhm." was your response, though behind the tiredness there was a type of contentedness. you always felt that when you and carl were finished.

you could have opened your mouth to spill every little detail on how you felt, god knew you liked to talk.

but now, in the afterglow with the only light source in the room being the little fairy lights overhead, you found your mind so tired that you couldn't will yourself to speak even if you'd wanted to.

his fingers traced against your skin, eyes never leaving your pretty face.

carl liked taking his time having his way with you. he liked to do it at his own pace, flipping you in every position, letting out all his stamina and making you both feel as though you were on fire.

he loved hearing your whimpers and whined, watching your back arch against the bed and listening to himself unravel you completely.

but this as your body lay still next to his own, eyes peering up at him with love and adoration, this is all he'd never needed.

his face came down, pressing the gentlest of kisses to your forehead. "c'mon, bath time." you made an effort to groan to which the boy merely moved his kiss to your lips, dragging you up from the bed.

he did what he said he would, drawing a bath for you both.

this was not a new thing he'd begun. it was often that you'd take a bath together after everything was said and done but that didn't mean you'd ever get used to the low energy needing a spike to get to the bathroom, despite the fact carl was practically carrying you, wedging you in the door and making you sit on the porcelain toilet seat while he ran the bath. he even added that scent that you liked, the one he claimed made him smell like a girl. he'd just have to make sure he lathered on his spray afterwords.

not much was said, carl helping you into the bath as he climbed in after you, sitting with your back to his front, holding you close.

during bath's like these, carl paid extra attention to your body. it wasn't so much about cleaning. i mean, sure, you got clean some way or another, he'd lather on the scented soap, doing it to himself too. but that wasn't the point of the baths.

the low "love you." that you mumbled as you pressed yourself close to him or the soft sniffle as you tried to wipe away the tiredness from your eyes.

the soft "i love you too." he'd murmur back, soft hands caressing your body, pressing kisses anywhere his lips could reach. "beautiful girl." he'd mumble before correcting himself. "my beautiful girl."

that was the whole point of this.

no matter the sex, rough, soft, quick and easy, hard, long. whether or not you came out teary eyed or not, he didn't care. at the end of the night, just the two of you relaxing in the porcelain bath tub was all he'd ever need.

"did so good." he'd praise softly in your ear, as if not to disturb the peace you had, as if he'd ever let you fall asleep in the bathtub. he was always gently tapping your face with his fingers, not allowing you to sleep. but it was so hard, the hot water and his voice lulling you ever so gently. "such a good girl."

he'd wash your body for you, taking extra care in the places you need, careful when passing your bruises and your fucked out cunt.

if he could, he'd keep you in the bath even when the water went cold.

but by the time he was helping you out, you couldn't even complain. you were more excited about getting beneath his blue covers than anything before.

"c'mere." holding the towel around your body. "let me." never allowing you to do anything for yourself. he made sure you were well taken care of in any way you could ever possibly need. he dried down your body, leaving you in it while he grabbed the pijamas on the island of the sink, dressing you.

your cotton long pijama bottoms and the t-shirt with short sleeves were over your body within a matter of seconds.

"so good f'me." his lips pressing a line down your exposed neck, pushing your damp hair out of the way so you didn't have to deal with it any longer.

he'd praise you until the night was up. the two of you, clad in fresh cotton pijamas beneath those ugly navy blankets that he owened, cuddled up while the pictures moved against the screen.

at a time like this, you were fragile, that much he was well aware of. this is why he didn't speak many words, turning on the tv to the show he knew you liked or the new one you'd both been watching together. his fingers would twist your hair, curling it around his fingers and letting it drop. or perhaps his fingers were drawing lines up and down your arms? shapes against your back? whatever he was doing to you, it was soothing enough for your eyes to flutter shut.

"know her from somewhere." you'd mumble, all dazed as you tried to make out the familiar face on the screen.

"yeah?" he'd murmur back, gentle kisses against the slope of your neck, so soft against the earlier bruises. "from where baby?"

he'd hear that little mumble back from you, a practical babble. you babbled until your voice ran out. could he understand or make out a word you were saying? ... definitely not the point.

though he wasn't too worried, knowing you were much too tired to remember it by morning.

even as you finally drifted off into a sleep, he'd never stop those gentle kisses, soft murmurs, what a pretty way to drift in and out of consciousness.

he did it not because he knew you loved it or because he felt obliged to. he did it because he loved you, through the dawn and the dusk, no matter the hour of the day or night, no matter the things you were up to.

he'd trade the moon and the stars for moments like these.

though they seemed almost cheap, compared to you.

main masterlist/carl's masterlist

[cherrricola]

A Sip From My Devil's Cup

one-shot based on this moodboard

pairing: vampire! sunghoon × reader

genre: smut

warnings: mentions of blood & choking

"Dear passengers, we will be landing at Târgu Mureş airport shortly. Please remain in your seats with your seat belts on."

You look out the plane's window, admiring the landscape unfolding in front of your eyes.

"Beautiful" you murmur, as you cling to the book you were reading.

As a historian, you took an interest in studying characters who left their mark on the past. Count Dracula is one of them and is also the number one reason that led you to Transylvania. You knew that as much of a tyrant as he was, all the legends about him being a vampire were just that. Legends. You also learned that his castle was inherited by a descendant of his. And that's precisely where you're going to stay, after receiving a letter inviting you to study in his library. You couldn't refuse such an invitation.

As you left the airport, you were met by a black limousine. The driver appeared to be of a certain age, the wrinkles on his face getting more prominent as he gave you a small smile.

"The count awaits you, miss." His voice was slurred, the smile seemed forced at this point.

"Count? I didn't know the title remained." You think to yourself , curious to meet the old man who's waiting for you.

During the ride, you couldn’t help but notice the contrast between the landscape and the entrance to the castle. Isolated from everything and everyone, all around you was a thick fog that barely let you see the trees and the sharp rocks of the cliffs. A giant gate automatically opens upon the limousine's arrival, allowing you to admire the ancient construction, every historian's dream.

The castle's open doors were decorated with two wrought iron handles, with bats carved in them. The entrance hall itself was huge, the little light that entered through the stained glass windows was not enough to illuminate it. There was an eerie vibe to it. The portraits seemed to follow you with their gaze, the marble statues depicted Dracula's brutal acts and honestly, you didn't know if the chills you felt were from what you're looking at or from the cold inside that place.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" A sudden voice startles you. It belonged to a youthful-looking man whose appearance could have been sculpted as those statues were.

Not knowing what to say, you just nodded, feeling your face getting hot when he took your hand in his and kissed it. His skin is cold to the touch, but part of you wishes the act wasn't so short-lived.

"Allow me to show you around." He smiles, making him impossibly more charming.

"Oh... but the Count should come to meet me at any moment. Isn't it better to wait for him here?"

The response you get is a laugh. You look at him, confused.

"I am the Count! Well, not that I use the title anyway. Just call me Sunghoon, no need for formalities."

You look at him, dumbfounded.

"I'm sorry... I-I thought I was going to meet someone..."

"Older? Yes, I know. I've been told many times that I look younger for my age." He smiles again, this time with a certain mischief that you don't quite understand.

"Follow me." And you do as he says, as you try your best to memorize all the staircases and corridors in that maze between four walls.

"This is the library I told you about. It's the only one in the castle, so I try my best to keep it in good condition. Feel free to stay here as long as you want. Your room is right next door, so there's no risk of getting lost." Sunghoon said, as if he read your mind.

"And what's up there?" You ask, pointing to a spiral staircase, probably the darkest place in the entire castle.

"Just an old storage room. I advise you not to go there, it's in very bad condition and you could get hurt by the loose boards." You nod, getting back to paying attention to all the books surrounding you.

"I think I'll stay here and start studying, if you don't mind." As much as you want to be with Sunghoon, you hope he leaves, as it would be very difficult to concentrate with someone like him by your side.

"Of course! Someone will let you know when it's dinner time." And with that, Sunghoon gives you a smile once again before leaving.

__

You lost count of the books you've consulted and the notes you've taken. Most of them talked about Dracula's life, interestingly never mentioning Sunghoon's name in any of the official records.

"Dinner is ready, Miss." You hear a female voice calling you from the outside. You mark the remaining pages and follow the old lady to a dining room.

A long table stands in the middle of the room, lit by a chandelier on the ceiling that made the porcelain dishes and golden cutlery shine.

"You must be starving after being locked in that room for so long." You hadn't even noticed that Sunghoon was already there, gesturing for you to sit down too. As soon as you do so, a man dressed as a butler fills your glass with wine. The glass of the man sitting in front of you is already full, making him lick his lips after drinking some of the dark red liquid. You hate your mind at that moment, because you can't help but have far from pure thoughts, such as feeling his tongue and lips on you.

"Is everything ok?" Sunghoon asks, raising his brow.

"Fuck..." Mentally cursing yourself for staring, you take a sip of wine. "Yes, sorry... I was lost in my thoughts."

You don't remember exactly what happened next, just feeling light-headed and the room spinning.

"Take her to the bedroom." Those were the last words that you could make out before you passed out.

__

"The things I want do to you..." You wake up with these words whispered to you. Opening your eyes, you find yourself all alone, a single candle burning on top of the bedside table.

"What just happened?" You mutter, soothing your head as you try to recall the strange episode. The taste of wine still lingering takes you back to the moment you put your lips on the glass. You don't know exactly how's that possible, but you swear Sunghoon's eyes were as red as the wine when he looked at you.

A loud sound echoes through the hallway, making you jolt. After a few seconds of pure silence, it happened again, but this time, it came from the ceiling. Whatever it was, wasn't going to let you sleep, not that you felt rested enough to do that anyway, so you decided to grab the candle and head out into the hallway. Not a single soul could be heard, it was as if the castle was uninhabited. Determined to discover the cause behind the noise, you go up the winding stairs, coming across a door in a very bad condition. The wood was rotten, and the lock threatened to give out at any moment. Carefully twisting the handle, you do your best to keep the noise down.

That room would be completely dark, if it weren't for a crack in the roof that lets the moonlight through. That’s when you notice them. A family of bats going in and out from there. Now you feel pathetic for being scared by the noise just a few minutes ago. You're getting ready to leave when you felt as though you had seen books on one of the shelves. Getting closer, you noticed that there's actually tons of them.

"Sunghoon told me that there's only one library in the entire castle..." You say to yourself as you take one of the books and read the title "Anatomy of a Vampire".

"What the fuck..." Taking another one, you open it without checking the title and are met with gruesome pictures. Men, women, and even children, barely alive as blood runs down their disfigured bodies, held by something that can't be seen.

Covering your mouth with your hand, you try to comprehend what you're looking at. Turning to the next page, you read what seems to be a dedication: "Please my dear wives, make my bastard son one of us and take care of him so that he is my legitimate heir."

You freeze upon reading those words. Was it all true and not just a myth? Was Dracula a real vampire? Was Sunghoon the son mentioned in the text?

As you keep on turning the pages, you find a picture of a Korean woman holding a baby. She looks exhausted. There's an empty gaze staring back at you. Before you could process all of this information, you feel a cool breath fanning your ear.

"Looks like you've found the family album." You recognize this voice, though there's a mix of a mocking yet stern tone to it.

You immediately run away, almost tripping over your own feet as you make your way down the stairs, only stopping once you lock yourself inside the bedroom.

"Tsk tsk tsk, running away from the host? Now, that's not very polite, is it?." Once again, the voice was coming from behind you, lower this time. But now, a strong grip on your waist prevents you from moving.

"I'm so sorry...I-" The grip gets harsher, making you yelp in pain.

"I'm asking you a question." Sunghoon growls, biting your earlobe. One of his hands travels up your body, making you look at him as he digs his fingers on your cheeks. You recognized those scarlet eyes and that wicked green, but now you could see them clear, making you feel helpless.

"You see...I truly wanted to behave during your stay....but you make it so hard, sweetheart..." He exhales, letting his nose brush yours for an instant.

"Sunghoon...Please." You pleaded, noticing how his eyes only leave yours to look momentarily to your parted lips.

"Are you begging me to release you? I can sense your arousal..." He says, sliding his other hand right between your thighs, resting it dangerously close to your core before continuing "...and I could swear you're begging me for something else."

You involuntarily press your legs together, knowing that putting up a fight would be in vain. As soon as Sunghoon feels your body reacting to his touch, he leans in, connecting his cold lips with yours in a lustful kiss. His pace was slow yet harsh, exuding dominance.

Your fingers entwined with his hair, feeling its softness as you tug on it, a subsequent growl echoing against your mouth as Sunghoon deepened the kiss. Pressing you closer to his body, two large hands lifted your legs, making you wrap them around his waist.

Without ever taking his lips off yours, he walked to the bed, sitting you on the edge of it.

"Fuck...You smell so good, sweetheart." Sunghoon's lips were now brushing your neck, searching for your sweet spot. The hitch of your breath gave it away, and you could feel him smirk against your skin right before tracing it with his fangs. You let out a gasp, anticipating his next action.

"So sensitive..." He mutters before nibbling on the exact spot that was driving you crazy. Not enough to break skin, but just enough to have you moan his name. So lost in the pleasure, you didn't even realize that your pants were unbuttoned, allowing Sunghoon's hand to press his cold fingers against your soaked panties.

"I'm not even touching you yet, but you're so wet already...Give me a good reason to fuck you after what you did." His eyes made you feel like a prey about to get killed by the predator, making you unable to pronounce a single word.

"See? You don't have one, do you?" He spats, tightening his hand around your throat, making you yelp.

"Curiosity killed the cat..." Sunghoon continues, sensing the adrenaline rush through your body as his hand keeps on controlling your breath.

"...luckily, you're not a cat. I'd hate to kill such a wicked soul like yours...feeling aroused by being at my mercy, hm?" He taunts you, and all you can do is nod.

Getting down on his knees, Sunghoon swiftly takes off your pants, parting your legs before aligning his face with your heat. He slowly licks a single stripe through your panties, making you throw your head back.

Suddenly, you feel a sharp pain on your inner thigh, Sunghoon's eyes meeting yours as his fangs keep on digging your flesh.

"Eyes on me, sweetheart." He licks the remaining blood before getting back at your core, pulling the thin material to the side and teasing your folds with his tongue. You whine, unconsciously wrapping your legs around his head.

Your sounds only fuel Sunghoon to keep going, diving deeper with his tongue inside your core as his nose brushes against your clit. It was when you started to grind your hips against his face, that he stopped his actions, parting your legs once again and keeping them pinned to the bed.

"Eager little thing." He darkly chuckles, going back to your aching core, sucking your clit as one of his digits entered you.

You cried out in pleasure, arching your back as you felt your orgasm getting closer. Of course Sunghoon could sense it.

"You taste even better when you're about to cum." He groans, pushing a second digit inside you, and curling them both.

It didn't take long for a wave of pleasure to run through your body. You barely came down your high, when yet another sharp pain gets to you. You looked down and noticed a smaller bite mark right next to the first one.

Sunghoon got up, grinning as he licked the mixture of blood and your release from his lips. A teasing look on his eyes.

"If you behave, I might make your stay more pleasurable." He says, leaving you all alone again, sitting on the bed as you try to catch your breath , mentally calling him an asshole for leaving you wanting more.

You eventually lay down, feeling your lids getting heavier. As you fall asleep, a familiar voice resonates inside your head.

"I'll make sure to give you a good morning."

[rvb-canon-grimmons]

RVB RESTORATION THOUGHTS!!!!

LONG POST IM SO SORRY I HAD A LOT OF FEELINGS

(Im so sorry this got so long, but i got emotional while writing it so please bear with me, read this like its the morning paper while u eat breakfast or something i have alot to say)

Before I go into the things I didn't like I do want to focus on some positives.

-Like I said in an earlier post, Geoff's acting…he absolutely killed it, and maybe this is because I'm a little bit Geoff/Grif biased but he was giving so much emotion and everyone else felt a little bit flat. Also only he could have delivered the "Come with me" line with so much Homoeroticism -I Had a pretty fun time watching the fight in the second half, The references to Monty we're sweet and getting to see Tex and Carolina fight together was pretty epic! -A good handful of jokes got me good. "23rd in my class" Shelia translating Caboose's Spanish to Lopez

Ok……. the next bit of this will get a little bit negative, but I do want to say this is coming from a place of deep love and care for this series. I have run this blog for like 6/7 years now and I've been a fan of this show for double that. My biggest fear is that fans get the same treatment we did when no one liked RVBZero. I have criticisms. This is a 21 year old series that so many people have had a part in and so many have loved. I was not looking for perfection, I wasn't even looking for something good. I was looking for an ending to the stories of characters people have held in their hearts for 21 years. Unfortunately, what I feel we were left with was a hastily thrown together hour of basically nothing.

-Why weren't they friends…..Why weren't they friends…No one cared for the others. I understand that we have semi warped perceptions of the characters from fanon works and things of that nature. But even in canon, the reds and blue care about each other. On their own team and the other team. Simmons, Grif, Tucker, and Caboose spent MONTHS together in chorus and same for Donut/Sarge/Wash. I've recently rewatched blood gulch and Caboose and Sarge have a great dynamic! Tucker and Grif canonically get along pretty well. Simmons was ON BLUE TEAM for like a hot minute there. THEY KNOW EACH OTHER AND CARE ABOUT EACH OTHER. This was zero percent present in this film. No one had any motivation to look for Tucker. No one cared that it was Tuckers body inside the suit. THE REDS LEFT CABOOSE FOR DEAD!!!!!! THEY JUST LEFT HIM!!!!

-Tucker, I'm so sorry baby girl, this was supposed to be your arc, your moment. You were hardly in it. No build up to how he became the Meta. The scene where he breaks out of it to not kill caboose was the best part of the arc. And he just wakes up and remembers it "like someone elses Nightmare??" ok sure

-Wash………………WHAT THE FUCK???? WHAT THE FUCK???????????????? WHAT THE FUCK??????? WHAT THE FUCK???? TO RUIN THIS MANS ENTIRE CHARACTER ARC BY MAKING HIM COMPLETELY OBSOLETE. PUTTING HIM IN SOME RANDOM HOSPITAL FOR AN UNKNOWN INJURY THAT HAPPENS OFF SCREEN AND ISN'T EXPLAINED. HAVE HIM HALUCINATING DOC FOR SOME FUCKING REASON. HAVE HIM SHOW UP TO THE FINAL BATTLE AND DO ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING BUT JUMP OFF A FUCKING CLIFF AND NOT SAY A WORD TO ANY OF THE RED AND BLUES I AM LIERALLY ABOUT TO FUCKING CRY TYPING THIS I AM LITERALLY SO FUCKING PISSED OFF. AGENT WASHINGTON, THE CHARACTER THAT WAS SO HAPPY IN THE SEASON RIGHT BEFORE CHORUS JUST TO BE ON BLUE TEAM AND HAVE A FUCKING FAMILY AGAIN. JUST SIDELINE HIM FOR NO FUCKING REASON AND THEN NOT LET HIM SPEAK TO ANY OF HIS FRIENDS EXCEPT CAROLINA AND DEAD DOC. AND DONT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FACT THAT TUCKER BEING THE META WAS LITERALLY A PLOT POINT CATERED TO HAVE WASH BE INVOLVED. THIS IS LIKE AGENT WASHINGTON ANGST BAIT 101. YES IM A TUCKINGTON SHIPPER BUT PUT ALL SHIPPING ASIDE, THEY WERE STILL FRIENDS, THEY WERE FRIENDS THEY WERE FRIENDS.

Grimmons. I am disappointed. But really not surprised. Honestly for everything I disliked I thought Grimmons was handled ok… at this point im like….. they couldn't even throw us a bone. company was dying, final season airing, and they couldn't even throw us a solid Grimmons queerbait joke. Its whatever….I don't wanna get too upset about shipping because at the end of the day, ships becoming canon isn't what shipping is all about (says Tumblr user "RVB-Canon-Grimmons) you get what im saying.

-Donut…..where was he…..Fucking Homophobic honestly

-DOC IS DEAD?????????????????????????????? FUCKING WHY???

-Sarge's death was fine, I'm not upset by it I just didn't feel like it was emotionally satisfying. Especially after the shock of them leaving Caboose and the much better scene of tucker fighting the meta's control over him to not hurt caboose.

-PEOPLE CALLED U SIR ALL THROUGHOUT CHORUS SIMMONS WHAT THE FUCK??????????? WHY IS SIMMONS PROMOTED AND INCHARGE OF NO ONE???? WHY DID GRIF LEAVE HIM???

Im sorry………..this is so long………just remeber this is only my opinions and if u don't agree thats totally ok!!!!! I am just a critical bitch….

[mi-rae07]

Choi San : A Marriage Not Of Love (Part 3/3)

Pairing : Choi San (Ateez) and named character (Kim Sowon)

________________________

Tw//: Mentions of self-harm and blood.

_________________________

3 weeks later :

Sowon felt utterly helpless, it had been 3 weeks since she saw san. She'd asked the maids whether he'd come for meals and they had said that he would come here and there once or twice a week for an occasional breakfast, but that was all. Sowon had also asked san's assistant whether he'd come for work and she said he was even working overtime now, which explained him barely being at home.

Sowon felt guilt for what she had done, the reaction she had given san when he tried touching her arm. He was only trying to get her to eat something, and she had recoiled away from him like he was about to kill her. Now it was 3:30 am and sowon was sure san would be in his room, somewhere she hadn't dared enter after all that happened. But now she felt desperate, and so she stepped out into the hallways and walked up to his room.

She knocked on it, once or twice but there was no response. And so she let herself in, eyeing the empty room as her heart dropped, san wasn't here. She was just about to leave when she heard noises coming from the bathroom, noises that worried her. And so she opened the door to the bathroom without knocking, immediately wishing she hadn't as she saw the horrible sight in front of her.

San, covered in a pool of his own blood and tears as his arm filled with cuts kept dripping blood onto the floor. Sowon gasped in horror, her hands coming up to clasp her mouth as san looked up at her with wide teary eyes

Sowon : no…

San flinched as he dropped the bloodied razor onto the floor, standing up as he hid his arm behind him and said

San : you shouldn't be here.

Sowon felt tears in her eyes as she stared at him before asking in a broken voice

Sowon : is this because of me, san?

That one sentence was all it took for san to regret ever having taken that razor. Sowon shook her head, a sob falling from her lips as she said

Sowon : oh god, your-your arm.

San shook his head desperately, not daring to step forward worried it would scare her like it did last time. Sowon could see that hesitation in his eyes, how he kept himself from moving in order to not scare her. And sowon had gotten her answer, she had broken him.

San : this isn't your fault, none-none of this is. Please, sowon-ah don't-

Sowon : why would you do this to yourself san!

San stared at her with teary eyes, sowon's frantic eyes darting around the large bathroom as she asked

Sowon : how long…

San : sowon please-

Sowon : how long has this been going on, san.

San looked away as he said in quiet voice

San : since…since that night I came into your room asking you to eat-

San cut himself off as sowon pressed her trembling lips together, her hands now shaking as she felt immense guilt wash upon her. She had done this to the only person she loved in this world, how was she different from san then? At least he never hurt her.

San looked at her desperately, tears flowing down his eyes as he said

San : please let me come to you, please I need to hold you sowon.

San's voice broke as he asked her for permission, knowing she was scared of him. That broke sowon even more, her stepping back as she said

Sowon : you shouldn't, you shouldn't when I did this to you.

San : sowon please, you didn't do anything. This isn't your fault, nothing is please listen to me-

Sowon : then whose fault is it san!

San : mine! Mine all mine everything is my fault. I ki-I killed my mother, I deceived you into marrying someone like me for my own selfish desires, I was cruel to you, I took everything away from you and I caused you pain and harm. This is all my fault, please.

San didn't care anymore, he'd do anything to make her not hate herself. Even if it meant making her hate him, making her believe that he deserved this pain. Maybe even more than just this.

Sowon : stop-

San : no. you know this, you know I killed my own mother in cold blood when she tried sav-saving me. You know I tricked you into this loveless marriage and you know I destroyed your life and happiness by binding you to my fucked up life.

Sowon shook her head, sobs wrecking her body as everything in her screamed at her to go and hug her husband. He looked so broken, he looked as if he was hanging by a mere thread. But she couldn't, she felt too much for him, too many emotions.

San : sowon…

Sowon did not say anything more as she walked away, san sobbing as he fell back onto the floor with a gasp. He had a 100 cuts on his arm, and yet nothing compared to the pain he felt right now.

___________________________

2 days later :

Sowon was now packing her bag, putting whatever she found inexpensive into it as she prepared to leave this manor forever. She had found another job, another place where she could stay and work without bothering san. He could marry again if he willed it, but sowon wasn't going to stay anymore. She was hurting san, not just mentally but now physically too. She would rather leave than watch him slowly crumble like this.

It was pouring outside, the rain beating mercilessly against her window glass but sowon didn't care, she was going to leave. She finally pulled the suitcase towards herself before taking her umbrella, stepping out into the hallways and then down the stairs to the main door. She opened it and stepped out into the rain, opening the umbrella as she started walking towards the gate.

She didn't look back, because if she did she was sure she wouldn't be able to leave. This was the only house that had ever really belonged to her, and now it was gone.

Sowon had been halfway through the gardens when a loud voice interrupted her

??? : SOWON!

Sowon paused on her tracks with wide eyes, turning around as she saw san running up to her in the rain. He did not have an umbrella, he was drenched in the rain already.

Sowon : s-san?

San paused a few feet away from her before eyeing her suitcase, breathing heavily as he looked back at her face before saying

San : no. no, you can't.

Sowon : don't try stopping me, it won't work.

San shook his head as sowon turned around, starting to walk again. San rushed up to her, blocking her path as he stood in front of her before saying

San : please, it's raining so bad and the roads are flooded. It is dangerous for you to be walking out like this-

Sowon : I don't care, san. I'm leaving.

Sowon walked past san, making him let out an exasperated breath as he once again rushed up to her before saying

San : sowon please! Please don't do this, please don't leave me like this!

Sowon : go back inside san, and leave me alone.

San : NO!

Sowon paused on her tracks as san screamed at her, him now staring at her with pleading eyes as he said

San : I told you it wasn't your fault, then why…why are you leaving!

Sowon : because I am hurting you san! You…you self-harmed because of me-

San : I used to do it before as well, you didn't start it. I just…relapsed.

Sowon froze, her eyes widening. He had done it before? Sowon stared at san, the rain beating down on his body as he breathed heavily. San let out a shaky breath as he tore his shirt off, sowon gasping at the sight of his bare upper body. There were cuts all over it, not new ones but old healed ones that had left a scar. It looked terrible, she couldn't imagine the pain he had to go through to attain those scars.

Sowon : s-san…

San's face contorted into that of pain and frustration as he said

San : I…I just…please don’t leave. I would die without you sowon, I would…

San cut himself off as he sobbed, shaking his head as he wiped his tears with shaky hands before saying

San : I don't care if I can't touch you, I don't care if you fear me or if I have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life. I don’t care whatever happens to me I just need to keep you safe. I need to know you’re safe and doing well and I can't fucking do that if you're so far away from me.

Sowon stared at san as he said exasperatedly

San : the entire-entire time I've been trying, trying to protect you despite everything that I had to-

San cut himself off as he breathed shakily, sowon frowning as she gripped the umbrella tighter. She didn't know what to say anymore, why was san acting like this?

San : if you go away he might do something and that-I would never be able to live with myself.

Sowon : he? Who is he?

San's hand clutched his hair as he said

San : I shouldn't, I shouldn't-we shouldn't be doing this. I can't say this I've held myself back for so fucking long!

Sowon could see the way san was panicking, his eyes frantic. But she couldn't understand him, why was he still pretending? It was aggravating.

Sowon : san what is wrong with you! Why are you saying all of this when I know I mean nothing to you-

San : I FUCKING LOVE YOU KIM SOWON!

Sowon flinched at his words, her heart freezing as her eyes widened. He could never, he wouldn’t, right? He wouldn't do that to himself if he loved her, it couldn't be true.

Sowon : no. no don't you lie to me-

San sobbed in exasperation, shaking his head as he said

San : I love you, I have always loved you and I will always…always-

San cut himself off as he cried and fell to his knees, realizing that he'd said the one thing he had tried so hard not to say the past few years. He had finally given up, his walls crashing down.

San : I'm so sorry, sowon. Oh I'm so sorry I have no idea what to do…

San sobbed as he covered his face with his hands, his body shaking against the rain as sowon felt tears fill her eyes once again. All this while, all this while he had loved her?

Sowon : you…you told me you didn't san.

San : soohyun…hyung he threatened to kill you if I ever loved you.

San couldn't believe he was finally saying it to her, but he couldn't anymore. He couldn't handle it anymore.

Sowon : what?

San : I…sowon when I was young…someone kidnapped me and lock-locked me in a basement. For a month I was there, I was starved, tortured. It was so…so dark and scary I had no idea and…and then-and then my mother she-

San cut himself off with a sob as he tried to breathe against his tears, failing miserably as he continued in a shaky voice

San : someone suddenly opened the door and stepped in they-they were wearing a mask and I thought it was my captor. So I just…I took the knife lying next to me and stabbed them. I didn't know…I didn't know it was my mother until she-she…

San cried as sowon dropped both her suitcase and the umbrella to the floor, rushing up to san and falling on the floor as she wrapped her arms around his weak body. San shook his head she he tried pushing her away before saying

San : don't, you shouldn't-

Sowon : san, please!

San sobbed, weakly trying to fight against her hold on him as he said

San : no. no no you-

Sowon cut him off as she held his face in her hands, staring into it as sowon said

Sowon : san, let me hold you for once please. You've done so much…so much for me let me at least hold you.

San cried at her words, his trembling hands struggling to grasp hers as he said

San : but hyung wants to…take revenge. He told me that he would kill whichever woman I loved and so I…so I had to pretend-

San cut himself off as sowon placed her hand against the back of his neck, bringing his face to her chest and wrapping her arms around his trembling body as she said

Sowon : I'm so sorry, san-ah. I'm so sorry I had no idea, oh god.

Sowon felt her heart break at how miserable san had been, how miserable he had let it be just so he could protect her. He had brought hell upon himself just so she could live, just so she could be happy and she had no idea and had hurt him even more.

San clutched sowon's shirt in his hands, crying against her chest as he said

San : I'm sc-scared sowon, I'm scared he'll find out someday and kill you. I couldn't bear it, I couldn't bear seeing you hurt let alone die.

Sowon rubbed her hand along san's back as she whispered with tears in her eyes

Sowon : I won't die san, I'll be right here. He won't do anything to me.

Sowon looked at san's arm as she realized he hadn't bandaged it up properly, the blood soaking through his white shirt because of the rain beating against it. He must be in so much pain. Sowon was just about to cover it up with her umbrella when san brought his palm to the top of her head, shielding her head from the rain as he said weakly

San : you'll catch a cold.

Sowon shut her eyes as tears streamed down them, feeling like she wanted to hide san somewhere and never let anything happen to him. She hated herself for all that she had said to him, everything that had hurt him.

Sowon : you're hurt san, stop caring about whether I'd catch a cold when you're bleeding.

She held san's hand that was on top of her head before bringing it down, kissing it as she said

Sowon : you-you don't deserve to be hurt like this san, you haven't done anything to be punishing yourself like this.

San : I killed my mother-

Sowon : that was an accident.

San : I destroyed your life sowon-

Sowon : you were just trying to protect me, san.

San looked up at sowon with his broken teary eyes as he asked

San : why are you being so understanding?

Sowon : when you love someone you try your best to understand their actions, san. Do you not ever try to understand me? The wrongs that I have done-

San : you have never done anything wrong, you never can.

Sowon shook her head as she rested her head on top of san's, her arms wrapped tight around san's figure as she rocked him back and forth just the way he had done when she was sick. That had felt like a dream to her, too good to be true. And she'd thought it was, because there was no way san could take care of her like that.

But now she realized he'd been doing it his entire life.

San wrapped his arm around sowon's waist as he buried his head further into her chest before saying

San : I'm so sorry I hurt you, sowon. I should've done better I'm so sorry.

Sowon : don’t you dare, don't you dare apologize san. You've always only done your best.

Sowon pulled back slightly as she looked at her cracked wedding ring that hung by a necklace around san’s neck, her touching it as she asked

Sowon : this…you-

San : I didn’t want to lose it.

Sowon looked at san with teary eyes as she took the wedding ring from the necklace, putting it back onto her ring finger as she said

Sowon : I will never take it off again, I promise. I will forever belong to you, san.

San sniffled as sowon hugged him tighter before whispering

Sowon : I love you, san.

Sowon kissed the side of san's head as she closed her eyes and said

Sowon : we'll figure a way out of this, together, you and me.

And for the first time in his life san had had someone to share his burdens, someone who could hold him when he broke. Someone he could turn to without being afraid of hurting them.

San : I love you too.

And this time he had meant it, like he had every single time. The only difference was that sowon felt the love in his voice for the first time. And god knew she would do anything to protect it.

___________________________

Sowon was now bandaging san's arm as he played with her fingers, the both of them still drenched from the rain. But the fire crackling gave the room warmth, and for now that was enough.

San : your ring it's…it's cracked.

Sowon paused, staring at it as she remembered throwing it at san and the way he'd looked at her with pain when she'd done that. Sowon felt guilt wash over her once again as she said

Sowon : I'm so sorry-

San : no won-ah, I was just saying that it's cracked, so I'll buy a new one for you. A better one even.

Sowon looked up at san as she shook her head and said

Sowon : nothing will be better than this, because this was the ring you put on me on our wedding day. It might have been just a wedding for everyone else but for me, san, it was the best day of my life. I had been no one's my entire life, no parents, no siblings nothing. But that day, I got you, I finally had someone, a family I could come back to. This ring is a promise of that. I don't care if it's cracked or broken, it still means the same to me.

San stared at sowon with teary eyes as she said

Sowon : please don’t take that away from me.

San shook his head, holding her hand in his as he said

San : never, I'm sorry I even asked. The ring is yours-

Sowon : ours.

San gave sowon a small smile as he said

San : ours.

Sowon nodded as she started putting the final bandage around san's arm, her eyes focused. San stared at her, her blonde locks damp and sticking against her forehead as the fire cast a beautiful glow on her bronze skin. She was beautiful, she has always been so beautiful to him and yet he'd hurt her. When all she wanted was a family, he'd hurt her.

San : won-ah I'm sorry.

Sowon : you don’t have to-

San : no let me say it. For three years I…you had to suffer because of me. Every time I pushed you away instead of holding you close, saying cruel things to you when I should've praised you every single second, slamming the door in your face when I should've kissed you, I'm so sorry sowon. I've never been a husband to you but you've always been a wife to me.

Sowon kept the bandages away as she looked at san, him looking elsewhere as he whispered

San : I'm so sorry.

Sowon's eyes softened as she laid her hand against san's damp cheek, him leaning against it as sowon said

Sowon : do you remember what you told me when we first met?

He had told her many things when he first met her, it was when he could speak openly without being afraid of soohyun. He had disappeared for a year before he came back and threatened san.

Sowon : you told me that I reminded you of sunflowers, because they were almost the same shade as my eyes. And every year, on my birthday you had the gardeners plant sunflowers in the main garden. But you never let them water it, you thought I hadn't seen it but every day after you come back from work I'd see you watering those sunflowers yourself, no matter how tired you were.

San pressed his lips together, he had held himself back from celebrating sowon's birthday because then the maids in the house would inform that to soohyun. He had no other choice except pretend to forget her birthday.

San : you told me they were your favorite flowers as well right after.

Sowon smiled as she nodded

Sowon : I never complained about you missing my birthday because I noticed this about the sunflowers, even though you slammed the door in my face and hurt me you always took care of those sunflowers. You never let any of them wither away, that was enough proof for me that you loved me at least a little bit, san. It was the only hope I had, no matter how pathetic it was.

San : sowon.

Sowon : and on our fifth date, I told you my favorite color was golden. Two years later, on our first wedding anniversary you repainted this entire manor golden, had them drape golden curtains, buy golden headboards for the beds. Even though you told me it was for a party I liked to think it was because it was my favorite color.

San smiled as he said

San : it was because you liked golden. I would never have done it otherwise, I hated golden before you. Too bright.

Sowon chuckled as she sat up on the bed next to san before saying

Sowon : and this…

Sowon touched san's ear piercing before saying

Sowon : was this because I told you I liked men with their ears pierced? This even goes against your company protocols too, doesn't it?

San's grandfather hated men with piercings, he thought it was feminine and never allowed anyone to do it. San had fought with him to get this on their second wedding anniversary. San scoffed as he said

San : do you notice everything, kim sowon?

Sowon : why else do you think I stayed this long sannie? Actions speak louder than words anyway.

Sowon held san's hand in hers as she said

Sowon : you've done so much for me, san. So much without telling me or asking me. That is enough of an apology for me choi san.

San rested his forehead against sowon's shoulder as he whispered

San : so you…you're not angry at me anymore?

Sowon : if you'd just told me the whole truth I never would've been angry at you in the first place. I am still annoyed that you didn't tell me the truth but after hearing what had happened to you in the past, with your mother, I can't stay angry at you anymore.

San let out a sigh in relief as he said

San : thank you.

Sowon smiled as she runs her hand through san's hair, making him close his eyes as they sat like that for a few minutes.

San : won-ah?

Sowon : mhmm?

San : I love you.

Sowon paused as he said those words, that being the first time san ever told her 'I love you' instead of an 'I love you too'. She looked at him, his red eyes staring back at her as a small smile spread on his lips. Looking into his eyes sowon knew he had meant those three words with every fiber of his being, and she felt sudden joy erupt in her heart.

Sowon leaned forward, kissing san as his eyes widened. It had been a while since they kissed, although they had been married for three years it never got to this stage. San supposed tonight was different.

He tangled his hand in her hair as san brought sowon closer to him, tilting his head as he kissed her back passionately. He felt sowon get on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck as she whispered through the kiss

Sowon : I love you too.

And that night sowon kissed san's scars that he had always considered ugly, sowon making it seem like it were the most beautiful thing on earth. She had healed his wounds, san knowing it would still scar. But he didn't care, because sowon had healed them.

San kissed her again and again, finally showing her all love he had wanted to for so long, he told her how much she meant to him, how much he loved her and would protect her until the moment he took his last breath.

And that was the day when a marriage not of love, turned into one of love and comfort. Their vows were finally fulfilled.

______________________________

[elliespuns]

your HBO Ellie posts made me realize something in tlou fics recently. And I'm sure it's because of the personality that Ellie has in the show, it's that almost every fic is more focused on Ellie being the one who is openly aggressive with Joel at first because of her trauma at the FEDRA school (also now 90% of the Ellie angst fics are focused on that theme). Which is interesting because if you compare it to most of tlou's fics before the show, Joel is the more hostile of the two at first.

So idk, I don't like that HBO made that big personality change because it's notable how the fandom's perception in general has changed about what Ellie's personality is like, with her being openly much more aggressive and rude and the beginning of the story. And it makes her relationship with Joel and her development less interesting.

Sweet Jesus, yes! That's what I always thought. 

They made Ellie so bratty and hostile towards Joel that it was neither funny nor natural for the dynamic they were in the middle of making. The original Ellie has never been "hostile" towards Joel; you could actually notice how meek she was once he said his last word—she was always ready to listen and obey—even if she had her own opinions and made sure to say what was bothering her (as when she saved his life and he was being an ass and she wasn't having it!). Even after all this, she'd still do as told when it came to the old man because she knew it wasn't easy on him either. That's what I've always loved and admired about the game Ellie the most. She is emotionally intelligent, and she acts accordingly.

Unlike show Ellie, who was really just being a pain in the ass to Joel, because she was trying to act tough. Which again brings me to game Ellie, who of course didn't even have to act like it because she showed us how tough she was when the situation called for it—not with words but with actions.

And I get it. Ellie in the show couldn't show us because the creators literally banished all the important scenes Ellie and Joel had where Ellie could show her bravery in her character and devotion for Joel's character.

It sucks so much because everything that hasn't happened in the show affects everything about Ellie and Joel's relationship, and it doesn't do its justice. Like sorry, you know I appreciate the show, and I can even say I love it at some point, but they really messed up with Ellie. I always disliked what they did to her unique, original character.

[bcdrawsandwrites]

[ID: A Team Fortress 2 fic banner showing Pyro standing in front of a fireplace with its back to it, tossing a book backward into the fire. Pyro is in shades of gray, the book is in yellow-white, and only the fire is colored orange, mimicking the style of the Cooking the Books achievement icon. The title is on the left, in yellow-white text on a darker background reading, "CHAPTER THREE: COOKING THE BOOKS" /end ID]

Flickering

Fandom: Team Fortress 2 Rating: K+ Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Friendship Characters: Spy, Pyro, Scout (plus the rest of the mercs, but the others have minor roles in this chapter) Warnings: General references to trauma, TF2-typical violence Fic Description: After the events of the comics, the mercs try to go back to how things were, but it’s never that easy.

Spy can see his teammates going through their own struggles… but something seems to be very, very wrong with Pyro in particular.

And since no one else seems to be doing anything about this, Spy makes it his mission to get to the bottom of what is troubling Pyro. For no particular reason. Beta Readers: @mechmolar, @gonturan0, @junuve

---~~~---

Chapter 3: Cooking the Books Summary: In which Pyro takes notice of Spy.

---~~~---

The bustling atmosphere of the pre-match preparation was tinged with tension, at least for Spy. Sniper kept to himself; Soldier went on a rallying, confusing speech that no one other than Demo listened to; Heavy checked over his guns; Medic prepared his ubercharge; Scout... Engineer talked quietly to Pyro about setting up his buildings.

And Pyro stared directly at Spy.

Spy pretended to check through his disguises, but watched Pyro out of the corner of his eye. The Pyro never looked away, though it did give a tiny nod when the Engineer asked if it heard everything.

"Good to hear," Engineer said, and patted Pyro on the back with his good hand.

That made Pyro finally tear its gaze away from Spy to whirl on the Engineer. But the Administrator’s voice had already called for the match to start, and Engineer was hauling his toolbox out into the fray. When Pyro looked back, however, it gave a start; Spy had taken the opportunity to cloak so he could escape that creature's gaze.

Spy barely suppressed a shudder as he put as much distance between himself and the Pyro as possible. Once he was sure he was far enough away, he de-cloaked and let himself breathe.

Well. This was, indeed, going to make things difficult. If the Engineer hadn't startled Pyro, he wasn't sure what it might have done. But even though he'd gotten away, he couldn't imagine this would be the end of it.

Still, for the time being, he focused on the match. Pyro would likely be spending most of its time in their intelligence room, so he wouldn't get the chance to see it. Probably for the best, this time.

The match went on as it typically did, and Spy managed to sneak in to nab the BLU team's intelligence. As he was bringing the briefcase back, the Administrator's voice cried out that their intelligence had been taken as well.

Interesting—the Pyro had slipped up, it seemed.

Sure enough, Spy entered the intelligence room just in time to see the Engineer's precious gadgets be destroyed by enemy sappers. Sighing, he dropped off the stolen intelligence before charging back out to chase down the thief.

Spy followed the path the enemy had likely taken—through the sewers. Not something he enjoyed doing, but work was work, and the respawn would clean his outfit, provided he actually died. As he was mulling this over, he nearly ran smack into the RED merc standing at the edge of the water. "What are you doing?!" he cried. "They are going to—"

He faltered upon realizing whom he was talking to. Pyro did not acknowledge him, still staring at the water. The last time he recalled Pyro avoiding water was when it was “protecting” something it had set aflame, but it wasn’t holding anything other than its axe at the moment.

Before he could think any further on this, an explosion rang out just outside the sewers, followed by an announcement that the enemy had dropped the intelligence.

"Oh, got some of 'em on me shirt that time!" the Demo shouted with a laugh.

Spy snorted, whipping out his butterfly knife and preparing to leave to defend the intelligence when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye—Pyro had turned around to stare at him. Spy stared back, just for a moment, before cloaking and retreating.

He did not see the Pyro for the rest of the match, much to his relief. It must have gone back to defend the intelligence room again, and Spy avoided the room thereafter, instead opting to aid his own teammates in obtaining the enemy intelligence by taking out the enemy sentries and sniper. The remainder of the match went smoothly, with the RED team scoring yet another pointless victory. Spy rolled his shoulders as he headed back to spawn, only to freeze in his tracks.

Scout sat against the wall, breathing heavily.

Spy's mind plunged into a blank, staticy whirl, his heart threatening to break free of his ribcage. He could smell the smoke from the destroyed robots, the metallic tang of blood, and Scout was so hideously pale. There weren't any respawn machines here, and the Medic—

"What're you lookin' at, chucklenuts?" Scout snapped, tipping back the brim of his baseball cap as he fixed Spy with a look. His face was flushed red and glistening with sweat; he wiped his brow.

Rolling his eyes, Spy forcibly shoved the imagery from his mind. "Only wondering why you are wasting time when we need to return to spawn."

"What, I can't take a breather? I ran straight from the BLU intelligence room to here without stopping, or getting hit." Wincing, he held a hand against the side of his chest. "Mostly, anyway."

So he hadn't been imagining the smell of blood. Though it wasn't as strong as it had been back when... "You can rest after you've seen the Medic. Move."

Scout muttered a few unsavory words before pushing himself up to his feet, trudging back toward spawn, and Spy followed, closely inspecting the walls around them so he could look everywhere but at Scout.

When they arrived, Spy busied himself with tidying up his locker. He could hear Scout chatting with Medic, but tuned it out with the rustle of paper and fabric. His hand found a lint brush, and he used it to gently clean off his jacket and pants. Yes, they had another round in a short while, but it never hurt to look one's best.

As he bent down to clean off the bottoms of his pant legs, the hair stood on the back of his neck. Bristling, he whipped around to see Pyro once again staring at him from the other side of the room. This time, he stared right back, maintaining eye contact (or whatever approximated it with that creature's mask) before slamming his locker door shut and striding off to the bathroom to finish tidying himself up.

When he opened the door to step back out, he almost immediately leaped backwards to find the Pyro staring at him from just outside. He half-expected to see an axe or flamethrower being held at the ready, but Pyro's hands were empty.

...Oh. Perhaps it just needed to use the washroom itself. With a grunt, Spy weaved around it and back into the spawn room. But to his consternation, Pyro followed him.

Finally Spy whirled around to face him. "What?" he snapped.

Pyro said nothing, and turned its head slightly to the side.

Frustration mounting, Spy opened his mouth—

"Mission begins in ten seconds!"

Sniper hurried to the Pyro's side. "Mate, can we have a word? An enemy spy caught me last round, and if you could..."

Spy turned away from the conversation, instead checking over his equipment in preparation for the round.

He wasn't sure what he would've gotten out of talking to that thing, anyway.

—-

The match had gone on as normal, other than Spy doing all he could to avoid Pyro. They'd won another swift victory and returned to their base to cool off.

After hanging behind the others to make sure he wasn't tailed by anyone again, Spy quickly found himself in his smoking room, sitting on his chair and facing the fireplace. He had a fire going—entirely unnecessarily for all but atmosphere—and a book open on his lap, a glass of wine at his side. A few drags from his cigarette and a few sips of wine were quickly taking the edge off of the events of the day's match.

A victory, yes. But with more than a few things that bothered him.

Pyro had, of course, realized that Spy had been... well, spying on it. But what it planned to do with that information, Spy had no clue. It had yet to attack him, and he didn't much enjoy being watched by that creature every second it was around him.

It didn't help that he had no way to actually ask the Pyro anything. It couldn't talk intelligibly to begin with, and now it was refusing to vocalize at all. What was he supposed to do? Give it a pen and paper? He didn't even know if it could read or write, let alone hold a pen in its creepy claws.

Sighing, he tried to turn his focus to the book he'd pulled off his shelf. He could figure this out another time—for now, he only wished to unwind.

Of course, no one else in this stupid base seemed to agree.

THUD. THUD.

Spy's lips pulled back in a grimace. "Who is it? What do you want?" he called out, letting the annoyance edge into his voice. Hopefully whoever it was would pick up on it and decide to leave him alone for once.

He gave a bitter laugh at the thought, and sure enough, the bothersome person was once again knocking.

THUD. THUD.

"You have got to be kidding me," Spy muttered, setting his book aside and rising from his chair. He strode over to the door. "Who is it?" he demanded.

No response.

Frowning, he opened the door a crack and peered through. Upon seeing nothing, he opened the door wider, and to his consternation, found absolutely no one outside.

Ah. Probably another one of Scout's stupid pranks. Rolling his eyes, he turned around.

The Pyro stood beside the fireplace, staring directly at him.

Spy gave a start, his heart jumping into his throat before his fear turned to anger. "You—?!" he sputtered, then stormed closer. "How did you get in here?!"

Pyro lifted its left hand, pointing at the door.

Spy glanced back at the door. "Yes, hilarious. But how—" He stopped himself, realizing that Pyro had probably sneaked into here before he'd arrived. But then why go through the trouble of distracting...

Tap, tap.

Turning back to Pyro, he realized abruptly that it was holding something, which it had tapped against the side of the fireplace. It took him a moment to realize it was the book he'd just been reading. "...Wait."

Pyro's head jerked toward the fireplace, and it held the book out.

Spy gave a start. "Don't you dare."

And Pyro tossed the book into the fire, setting it ablaze, and pointed at the burning book.

"Sacré bleu!" he cried, bolting over to the fireplace. "What have you done?!"

The Pyro's head snapped back in his direction, and it pointed at the fire with more emphasis.

Spy stumbled to a halt beside the Pyro and returned its gaze, staring at the reflection of flames in the creature's dark goggles. For a moment he could see himself in Pyro's room the night prior, the creature staring at him through—or with—those same dark lenses. The memory of it sharply brought him back to reality, and he followed where the Pyro was pointing, staring at the pages of the book as they curled and blackened in the flames. After watching this for a second, he looked back.

Pyro gave a brief nod, and reached for him.

"Mon dieu!" Spy stumbled back. "What are you—?!"

Pyro exhaled a sharp breath through its filter, and took a step toward him. Its suit and mask gleamed in the light of the fire, and it made a grab for him.

With a yelp, Spy stumbled back again, looking from the fire to Pyro and quickly realizing what the thing intended to do. Without another word, he bolted for the door.

Yet Pyro had somehow anticipated his move, and swerved to block him. It held one hand out, palm forward, and its breathing was heavy through its filter.

Spy's heart pounded, but he glared. "Out of my way, you mush-mouthed freak!"

To his fury, the Pyro shook its head, and reached for him again.

Later, Spy would tell himself that it was purely on instinct. Maybe it was. Maybe it was something else. Whatever it was, the next thing he knew he had flipped open his butterfly knife and was swinging his arm in a stab. At the last moment he realized what was happening, and adjusted the stab into an awkward slash, tearing across the Pyro's arm.

Maybe because he was expecting it, he thought he heard a strained noise after the slash. But he was more concerned with rushing to the other side of the room, hoping to find another way to get around that deadly creature. But to his surprise, it was already hurrying out of the room, one hand grasping its injured arm. He watched it leave, and, once he was sure it was gone, hurriedly shut and latched the door behind it.

The room now secured, he stumbled back to his chair, numbly retrieving a cloth from his pocket and cleaning the blade of his knife. As he picked up his wine glass to down it, he happened to glance at the cloth, staring at the mix of blood and soot that was smeared across it.

Why had he ever gotten involved?

[spnfanficpond]

April 2024 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)

Nominated by @charliethealpaccaso

Contentment Is A Pearl Of Great Price by ravelqueen (AO3)

This fic captures everything that makes transformation scary but fascinating to read from start to finish. The mental change later on during the fic, Sam has to deal with as the new part of him takes over. It leaves you on the edge of your seat as we have no idea if he will ever be human again or if he will lose himself and his humanity forever. I wish more people would try their hands at more transformation fics, as there are many interesting topics to choose from when creating a fic like this one.

~*~*~

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

God Save The Queen, And Her Handmaids by darali_starscream (AO3)

I have attempted to think up a scenario in which Charlie Bradbury might sit on Dean Winchester's face to no avail. This isn't what you think, I promise—there is no universe in which I'd be OK with a true Charlie/Dean pairing, but this works and it works well. BJ riffs on the spectrum of attraction and sexuality here. The pairing in Charlie and her girlfriend who is bisexual x Dean, and it's a very satisfying little story.

Sleeping Arrangements by @jinkieswouldyoulookatthis

This is very cute and even sexy without being smutty.

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Nominated by @zepskies

The Dangers of Hope by @dean-winchester-is-a-warrior

I had never read an "Endverse!Dean Winchester" series before, but this one completely blew me away -- from world-building to the overarching story to the romance itself. Beginning to end, it's beautifully written.

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Nominated by @mrswhozeewhatsis

Living His Gray Flannel Life by @samanddean76

Warnings to start - As there is prostitution in this one, noncon must be mentioned. Also, this is a Wincest fic, so, you know, incest. That being said, this story is told from Jimmy's POV, so the Wincest of it all is less Wincesty. Which is right up my alley, man! This is the perfect amount of Wincest combined with outsider POV, where the outsider loves what he's seeing as much as we do. I can't say more for spoilery reasons, but know that there is delicious pining, sweet smutty smut, a fascinating monster, and fantastic side characters. I read it twice just because once wasn't enough!!

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Nominated by @salt-n-burn-em-all

House Song by @accordingtothelore

Dean protects Sam from being killed by other Hunters and their dad. Starts Gen, does not stay that way. I just loved everything about it. Fabulous art in the last chapter.

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Nominated by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

What happens in ApocalypseWorld… by masoena (AO3)

This is such an interesting aspect that I’ve never read for a/b/o. **SPOILERS** The moment Dean and Arthur step through the portal everything changes and the world heavily influences their biology. I loved how, of course, Ketch knew exactly what was happening, which really makes me wonder about wtf Ketch has been through. I really wanna know more about that dynamic change and I hope they really do write more. This is also one of the few stories I get to read a soft!Ketch. I love, love soft!Ketch. Gotta check them out.

Second Chances by @mayalaen

First, I am not a fan of incest. Second, I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this because it isn’t tagged. Finally, I love poly fics. It’s so hard to find a poly fic that isn’t just PWP/smut. I really enjoy how the premise is getting Sam to relax and teach him how to handle his health while managing school work in a healthy way. I really like how the relationship between Cas and Sam is setup, Dean gets introduced, and then all hell breaks loose in the different relationship dynamics. The thing is there isn’t an emphasis on their brotherhood and sex. This is NOT a wincest smut story. It’s a story about Sam learning how to be a healthy adult while finishing college and finds a place where he is wanted and feels like he belongs. I also absolutely love the dom/sub and domestic discipline aspects of Cas and Dean’s relationship. It’s really a background aspect until it isn’t. I highly recommend the read even if you aren’t a wincest or wincestiel fan. The plot is written and integrated so well with the character development for all three main characters. It really took me by surprise. I couldn’t put it down.

(Divider by @glygriffe)

THANK YOU ALL, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

- From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, and @heavenssexiestangel!

[the-knife-consumer]

"Yona was just added bc Nintendo wants people to stop shipping sidlink!" Literally what the hell are you talking about

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

Alistair: So I'm not going with you, I see. Any particular reason? Tabris: I'm not going to risk you getting hurt, Alistair. Alistair: And you think I want you going in there and sacrificing yourself? You think I want you to die!? But there's no use arguing with you, is there? We don't have time... and you are a stubborn, stubborn woman. Tabris: You would do something foolish. Alistair: Maybe… I guess we'll never know now, will we? I guess this is the last chance we'll get… before this is finished, one way or another. Be careful in there. Tabris: I love you, Alistair. Alistair:

Guess who made the ultimate sacrifice...?

Me. It was me.

I made the ultimate sacrifice.

The achievement wasn't worth it.

[mel-loly]

-Hey🌹

(also- read the tags please..)

[halforcdad]

really saw someone call lucy immature and compare lucy not telling kate she was looking for a new apartment to lucy getting upset at kate for not telling her why she made the move from DIA to FBI (to point out the hypocrisy of not communicating) like what is context

[bibiana112]

I'm going to draw wktd fanart (to cope with a highly specific situation) while I still have the time for it (looming employment) and that is a promise to myself (I probably have something else I said I'd work on but whatever)

[theinfinitedivides]

hey is it just me or does SRK turn every speech he gives in a film into either 1. a love confession, 2. a motivational message or 3. the most devastating/terrifying news you've ever heard come out of his mouth at any given time

[bylertruther-moved]

the way that so many people watch stranger things like it's a marvel movie where everything is superficial and the plot is delivered and explained to you through flat dialogue instead of years of thorough and elaborate storytelling is so.... upsetting to me lol. as if the fact that stranger things uses a lot of cgi and has fantasy and science fiction elements makes it different from shows like sev*rance, succ*ssion, bl*ck s*ils, or literally any other show that is written with care. as if the fact that it's fun and brought to life by many young actors means that it's not serious, that those writers and costumers and set designers and cinematographers aren't all working together to immerse you into this world and beckoning you to pick up on the hints and substories they've littered along the way. like.... people understand that other shows use basic literary devices to progress the story and engage you and so on but for some reason people are dead set on saying that stranger things isn't like that. that it's on par with a marvel movie or any easily forgettable flashy summer action flick. what makes them think that stranger things doesn't foreshadow, have subtext, have unreliable narrators, show scenes through different povs, use allegories, symbolism, foils, and so on and so forth? like. I Just Do Not Understand.

[shrimp1y]

Every time I'm like wow maybe im wrong about jjk maybe it is good and I go back to read it, I'm disappointed

[sweetblood]

interview with the vampire is so good holy shit i'm emotional...... the books mean so much to me and to see it adapted so well is just incredible