#though I'm not sure what my player character felt

[thealternateuniverse]

How did you handle it?

1st part here

A/N: Didn't expect the number of likes on the first part, thank you so much 😭

Also, I know now who does Paige's braids now. I saw her on tiktok.

Warning/s: Read at your own risk

----------------------

Following Ice's most recent live stream, Y/N's phone is constantly vibrating, and her Instagram feed is overflowing with follow requests and mentions. She didn't leave her apartment on the weekends after hearing from her teammates about their near-brawl on Friday night. She was trying to blow off some steam at the time, but she lost her cool and almost got into it. Azzi gave them a good earful, and Geno had more to say. Y/N apologized to her teammates, explaining that she was acting out of character at the time.

She felt a little better and forgot about her parents' divorce for a while. Not until her father texted her that he will be at her game next week. Dad is always the one who comes to her games; mom is too busy and cannot make time.

Frustrated, Y/N drops the dumbels.

"Yo! "KK, give me back my phone!" KK is running for her life, clutching Paiges' phone. Paige, on the other hand, looks terrified as if her life depends on with whatever is contained within her phone.

"Whaaaat! Dude, I just caught you stalking---asfghgjjhkjlhlk!" Paige caught up with KK and placed her palm on her mouth.

"Shut up!" She took her phone.

KK sounds like a dying goat now, with Paige's hands still on her mouth. Paige lets go of her and KK gasped for air.

"Shit, Hah! I just did not saw you do that P!" KK is shaking her head, laughing.

"I swear K, if you open your mouth I'll make sure that you will nev---" KK immediately zipped her mouth.

"You got it P! Your 'lil secret is safe." KK gave her a mischievous wink.

These two are as mischievous as ever.

Shaking her head, Y/N slips off her sweat-soaked muscle top, revealing only her sports bra. She could see Paige and KK's jaws drop from her peripheral vision. She turned towards them.

"What? "You guys have some saliva here." Y/N pointed to the side of her lip. The two appear to have come to their senses and instantly pretend to do something. Weird. It's as if they're seeing each other for the first time, taking off their clothes. Y/N twisted her hair into a sloppy knot and resumed lifting. She was halfway through lifting when Nika slapped her bum.

"Babe, I need you to braid my hair. Do you have a sec?"

She nodded to Nika and followed her. They walk past the others who were working out, and Y/N couldn't help but notice Paige and the way her biceps and deltoids popped while doing that damn pull up. Get a grip, Miller; you see your teammate doing this on a regular basis. Y/N reprimanded herself.

"So is mine eye enthralled by thy shape," Nika recited dramatically.

Nika came out laughing after noticing Y/N glancing at Paige.

"Don't worry, babe; she gets it a lot. And... Damn, did you just realized she's fine? You have to keep up; you have a home court advantage here." Nika winked. Y/N gave Nika a puzzled glance. It's not that she likes Paige; she just admires the muscles. That is it.

"I don't know what you're talking about, babe." Y/N said making Nika snort.

"Okay, alright. I'm blind, I can't see, must be my poor eyesight."

Y/N endured Nika's teasing while doing her hair; she doesn't want to appear defensive, so she allows her friend and pretends that Nika Muhl seeing her looking at Paige Bueckers didn't affect her.

"Thank you, Baby. "I love the braids." Nika blew her a kiss before they returned to their routines.

------------

Paige glanced around cautiously before scrolling through her phone. She couldn't afford to repeat the same mistake that had led to her being caught by KK. She wasn't stalking, though; the algorithm following Ice's live had led her to Y/N's tagged photos and edits on Instagram. It was kind of annoying that Y/N was now known for being the "pretty girl" from the team instead of for her talent as a player. Paige had witnessed firsthand how great Y/N was during her time at Stanford. If it weren't for her MCL injury during her second year, she would have been neck and neck with Nika's stats in the last 2022-2023 conference.

"Girly, you are still not done? Man you are really living up to be a stalker ." KK tried to glance at Paige's phone, Paige was quick to hide it.

"I am not!" Paige responded defensively.

"Of course, why stalk when you can see her every day. Home court advantage." KK playfully raised her brows and gestured towards where Y/N is, shooting 3 point shots. Yeah, Paige mused to herself. Paige knows she's got the home court advantage, always playing on familiar turf. Y/N, on the other hand, is a social media ghost, her posts as rare as a shooting star, reserved only for strategic brand alliances. Just like she guards the offensive players on the court, she protects her privacy with the same intensity, keeping her personal life shrouded in mystery.

"You are not gonna like this." KK's gasp breaks the silence, drawing Paige's attention as she leans in, sharing her latest sports article discovery. With rapt interest, they both delve into the words, their silent communion speaking volumes as they absorb every line, lost in the world of sports unfolding before them.

Sports Agent Katherine Taylor-Miller Entangled in New Romance Amidst Divorce

In a whirlwind of events, sports agent Katherine Taylor-Miller finds herself at the center of media attention following news of her divorce from husband Craig Miller. The prominent figure in the sports world, best known for representing basketball star Breanna Stewart, is reportedly embarking on a new romance with Los Angeles' top firm lawyer, Drew Ross.

While Taylor-Miller has remained tight-lipped about the circulating photos online, indicating her involvement with Ross, sources close to the situation confirm that the divorce proceedings are well underway. The couple, who share a daughter, aged 22, are navigating this transition as their family dynamic shifts.

Adding a layer of complexity to the situation, their daughter, a talented athlete in her own right, has been making waves on the collegiate basketball scene. Initially playing for Stanford University during her freshman and sophomore years, she has recently transferred to the University of Connecticut for her junior year, following in the footsteps of her mother's client, Breanna Stewart.

The unfolding saga has captivated both sports enthusiasts and gossip followers alike, as speculation mounts about the implications for Taylor-Miller's career and personal life. As the situation continues to develop, all eyes remain on the high-profile sports agent and her newfound path forward.

Paige's confusion bubbles to the surface in her question. "Wait, so... that is Y/N's mom?"

KK nods solemnly. "Yep. Didn't expect that."

Paige's brow furrows as she scans the article again. "That article is nasty. It was unnecessary to mention, Y/N."

The two exchange a knowing glance before their gaze shifts towards Y/N, who remains blissfully unaware of the storm brewing in the tabloids.

KK weighs the options for a moment before nodding resolutely. "Very. She's not gonna like it. Do we tell her?" KK's gaze seeks approval from Paige, who meets it with a shake of her head, silently acknowledging the delicate situation and opting to shield Y/N from unnecessary distress for now. "She'll find out sooner."

KK lets out a low whistle, her disbelief evident in her tone. "Unbelievable. I never thought her mom is Katherine Taylor. That woman was a badass, but yeah, whoever wrote this has some unpaid rent due." Paige nods in agreement, a hint of frustration tainting her expression as they both recognize the injustice of the situation.

The sudden thud startles both Paige and KK. Their heads snap towards the source of the sound, only to find Y/N on the bench-side taking a water break, her hand suspended and her phone on the floor.

"That's what we're talking about."

----------------

Y/N absentmindedly follows her teammates to Subway after they decided to grab some lunch there. Despite the buzz of camaraderie around her, she's lost in her own thoughts, savoring the simple pleasure of a break from today's events. Just as she starts to believe her day couldn't get any better, her world is rocked by the unwelcome intrusion of her parents' divorce being publicized.

Her heart sinks as she grapples with the sudden exposure of her family's private turmoil. Y/N has always been fiercely protective of her personal life, preferring to keep it shielded from prying eyes. The earlier article had already crossed a line, but this latest development feels like a betrayal of trust, a violation of the boundaries she holds sacred. She can't help but feel a surge of anger and frustration at the unnecessary intrusion into her family's affairs, a bitterness that threatens to overshadow the sweetness of her teammates' company.

Y/N finds a glimmer of solace in the silent solidarity of her teammates. As they gather around the table at Subway, not a single word is spoken about the tumultuous news that has shaken her world.

In that moment, Y/N feels a profound gratitude wash over her, a deep appreciation for their unspoken understanding and respect for her boundaries.

"The salad won't eat itself," snapped Paige, jolting Y/N from her deep thoughts. Y/N mechanically took a fork, but her salad remained untouched.

"Eat up, Miller. You need your energy." Paige commandeered the fork and began mixing the salad for Y/N.

"How did you handle it?" Y/N's voice trembled with vulnerability, causing Paige to pause mid-stir.

Paige didn't respond immediately, her mind racing to grasp the depth of Y/N's question. It didn't take long for the realization to sink in—it was about the divorce.

"When your parents divorced? How did you handle it?" Y/N's eyes glistened with unshed tears, a vulnerability she hadn't intended to reveal. Paige felt a pang of empathy twist in her gut. Y/N's question caught her off guard.

"Nevermind," Y/N murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she wiped away the threatening tears. Determinedly, she finally began to eat her salad, hoping to distract herself from the emotional turmoil of the day.

As she savored each bite, Y/N made a conscious effort to push aside the weight of her parents' divorce. Her phone buzzed incessantly with texts and calls, but she only mustered the strength to respond to her dad via text. All she wanted was for their divorce to be finalized so they could all move forward with their lives.

Her thoughts drifted to the inevitable changes ahead. Her mom and dad would each go their separate ways, free to pursue new relationships if they so chose. While the idea of their family no longer being whole was a painful one, Y/N knew it was time to accept reality.

Above all, she yearned for one simple request: no more articles portraying her solely as her mother's daughter. She was determined to forge her own path, to carve out her own identity separate from her family's legacy.

-------

"You okay, babe?" Nika asked Y/N, slinging her arm around her shoulders. Y/N responded with her most convincing smile. "I'm fine," she assured Nika, though the skepticism lingered in her friend's nod. "Just so you know, we're here for you, okay?" Nika offered a comforting hug. "Thanks, babe."

As they strolled back to the university after lunch, Nika, Azzi, and Aaliyah had already forged ahead for their afternoon classes, while Paige had disappeared into god knows where. Y/N's afternoon lay open; no classes to attend. She pondered whether to take a stroll around her apartment's neighborhood or indulge in a swim in the pool.

Waving goodbye to her teammates as they reached the university's parking lot, she contemplated driving back home.

Sighing, Y/N parked her car and headed towards her apartment, only to be surprised by a waiting Paige Bueckers holding a pint of Ben & Jerry's chocolate fudge ice cream.

"Paige, don't you have a class or something?" Y/N asked, noticing Paige still in her training attire: a UConn Huskies hoodie, basketball jersey shorts, socks, and slides.

Paige handed her the pint without saying anything.

"You asked me how I handled my parents' divorce," Paige shrugged.

"W-well forget it. I didn't mean to ---"

"It was hard. I thought we were a happy family, that they had vows, through thick and thin, for better or worse type of shit. I was angry, wondering what could possibly make them decide they weren't meant for each other. They had me for Christ's sake. It hurt to think that one day they'd meet someone new and start over, and what about me if that happens?" Paige took a deep breath before continuing.

"The good thing is, I was able to understand that it's better to have that divorce than to pretend they're still happy. I saw how happy my father is with his new family, happier than he was with my mother... All I'm trying to say is, whatever you feel in your current situation is valid—all the thoughts running in your head, the what-ifs, they're all valid. You'll come to terms with it soon, just give yourself time to feel it. And don't forget, you have us. It sucks to be a divorce child if you don't have siblings. It's okay, Miller. You can mope, you can lash out, feel it all the way."

Y/N burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably, surprising Paige, especially considering they were in a parking lot. Y/N didn't know why the floodgates had opened—was it the news of her parents' divorce? The stress of the article? Or perhaps simply the ice cream? Regardless, she found herself releasing all the pent-up emotions.

"Christ, Miller. I didn't expect you to break down right here," Paige panicked, attempting to pacify her, though Y/N continued crying loudly.

Paige gently grabbed her hand, and together they walked towards Y/N's apartment, Y/N still sobbing loudly.

"People will think I made you cry." Paige said shaking her head.

They entered Y/N's apartment, with Paige leading the way as Y/N was too preoccupied at the moment. Paige settled Y/N on her couch and opened the ice cream she had brought. Y/N accepted it and took a spoonful, still teary-eyed.

Paige looked at her friend in disbelief, finding her oddly cute in this vulnerable state, with red, glistening eyes and puffy cheeks from crying.

They sat in silence, letting the ice cream provide comfort. It worked, as Y/N's tears eventually ceased.

"Thank you, Bueckers. I needed that cry and... the ice cream. How can I ever pay you back?" Y/N leaned her head on Paige's shoulder, grateful it was Paige who knew her favorite ice cream flavor.

Paige pretended to ponder the question. "You don't have to. Just get back to being yourself," she said, gently ruffling Y/N's hair. Y/N sighed in contentment.

"I mean it, though. Thank you for being here. I was resigned to being miserable today," Y/N said, her voice filled with gratitude. They exchanged glances, and Paige found herself momentarily lost in Y/N's mesmerizing eyes. There was something about them that drew her in. She quickly looked away, not wanting to get too carried away and do something she shouldn't.

"Yeah, it's nothing. Get yourself together, Miller," Paige replied, more to herself than to Y/N, feeling her ears grow warm.

"Are you okay? You seem... red?" Y/N asked, noticing Paige's flushed cheeks.

"Not as red as you are. You look ugly when you cry, Y/N," Paige remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

Y/N stiffened at the comment. This was the first time she had heard Paige address her by her first name. The surprise on Y/N's face caused Paige's brows to furrow.

"What?" Paige asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"Nothing, you've never called me by my name before. Or maybe you did, I just didn't hear you," Y/N shrugged, trying to downplay it. She didn't want to make Paige feel awkward.

"I just don't know what to feel hearing it from you. It sounds different," Y/N admitted.

Paige choked on her response, caught off guard by Y/N's vulnerability. This woman will be the death of her one day. -----------------

[reiderwriter]

The Us That Could Have Been

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female BAU Reader

Requested: yes - role reversal of the player!Spencer fic I posted here!

W/C: 5.7k

Summary: They say if you want to get over one man, you have to get under another. Spencer isn't so sure why he dislikes the idea of you doing that quite so much.

Warnings: Mentions of Maeve, spoilers for S8, mentions of minor character deaths, smut, unprotected sex, creampie, angst.

A/N: I'm not going to apologise for this one... Have fun.

Find the rest of my masterlist here.

If you were a genius, you’d know that it took you three hours, twenty-three minutes, and six seconds to fall in love with Spencer Reid. If you were a genius, you’d also know that it took him five years, seven months, twenty-seven days, and two hours to the second for him to break your heart. The thing you were learning about geniuses though, is that they were the most oblivious people on the planet. 

Her name was Maeve, he had told all of you. And he needed your help to save her because he was in love with her. And of course, you went along with it, you tried your best even while your heart was cracked in two because at this point, you couldn’t stand the desperation on his face. The day he told you about her, only days before he died, you cried in the arms of Penelope Garcia for hours, letting her console you as you felt your world get flipped upside down. 

“I don’t know why I’m feeling like this, god, Penelope. Five years, and I knew, I knew that if he liked me like that something would have happened already, but I just…” She rubbed your back as you laid your head on her shoulder, letting your tears fall freely as the sobs wracked through your body. 

“I’ve been in love with him for five years and he never even noticed, and… Penelope he hasn’t seen this girl before and he’s desperate for her. What about me is so unlovable?” Your voice cracked as you broke down again, burying your head in your friend's arms as you let all the emotions hit you at once. 

“Y/N you listen to me right now. You are not unlovable, you have never been unlovable. If Spencer cannot see what is right in front of him, then he is an idiot. You are the most amazing thing that has happened to him, you’re a great friend, you’re smart, you’re beautiful-” 

“I’m not her. Penelope, I… I want to be her-” She held you as you emptied yourself for hours, crying until you were so physically exhausted that you just couldn’t anymore. You couldn’t say that you stopped crying per se, just that your body ran out of emotions to sustain you. 

“Okay, Y/N, here’s what you’re going to do now,” Penelope said. She’d heard you out for long enough, but she wasn’t going to let you be miserable for long. 

“You’re going to pick yourself up, take care of yourself. Get a haircut, dye your hair, whatever you need to do to get some change. And then you’re going to do your goddamn best to forget him, because if he’s too stupid to realize how special and amazing you are then he really doesn’t deserve you.” You sniffled a bit and nodded at her words. 

“And then, you’re going to get back out there. Y/N, when was the last time you went on a date?” 

“I don’t know it’s been… The last one I can remember was before I entered the BAU. I’ve just been so busy-” 

“Bullshit. You’re going to put yourself back out there and find a man, or multiple men, who actually value you and want you. A wise scholar once said the best way to get over a man is to get under another.” 

–X–

A year later and you’d probably taken Penelope’s words to heart a little bit too much. Maeve had died at the hands of her stalker not even a day later, and you felt terrible for Spencer, but he’d pushed you away, he’d pushed everyone away, so you’d decided she was right. 

Your first date had been a few weeks later, and you’d have liked the fact that you’d taken him back to your place and then immediately kicked him out and never seen him again after that to stay a secret. But the BAU copycat didn’t let any of your business stay within the team for long. He had pictures of you with the first guy, the guy from a week later, and the guy after him as well. By the time you’d figured out who the copycat murderer who’d sent you all Zugzwang-themed threats was, he’d got pictures of you locking lips with five separate one-night stands.

The team had said nothing about it, of course, except Hotch’s private aside asking if any of the men in the pictures needed informing about the situation. You’d had to admit to them that you’d not seen any of them since, and, with no reaction from Spencer, you’d felt almost vindicated in taking this step. 

If he didn’t care then, in those tense months where you were all leaning on each other for support, reeling from the death of Erin Strauss and the attacks on the team, closer than you’d really ever been before, then he wouldn’t ever care. 

The thought was freeing. So you’d kept up with your constant stream of men, not letting them get close enough to hurt you in the way that Spencer had, using them and discarding them like broken toys, ignoring that maybe it was you that was the broken one. 

It took a year for him to notice it. A year of you coming in with suspicious bruises on your neck that you laughed off, a year of your newfound confidence, a year of your conscious distance for him to notice that he missed you. It was slow at first. In those first few months, he just accepted that of course, you’d been seeing people. He’d assumed from the photographs everyone had seen that you’d been dating the entire time he’d known you, the feeling unsettling him a little, but he thought that was only because he’d never noticed. 

Now it was all he could notice. The way you’d walk in sometimes smelling unfamiliar, having showered at a hookup's place before taking off, the way you were suddenly open to the flirting by the local PDs on your cases. The way a sadness seeped into his chest every time he saw you with someone else. Envy wasn’t a feeling he was familiar with, so it took him stupidly long to name the emotion. 

You were back at O’Keefe’s after a local case successfully closed, and if you were drinking a lot, no one mentioned it. No one except Spencer, who’d made it his objective to keep you safe and by his side the entire night, for reasons he couldn’t even name. It was stifling, having him constantly hovering over you. 

“Spencer, lighten up a bit, have a drink.” You smiled up at him, trying to get him to loosen up so you could escape the way his sudden care was making you feel. The bartender was eyeing you up from his place behind the bar, and while you were usually careful not to get involved with men whom you’d likely run across again, you were throwing caution to the wind that day. 

“I’ll have a drink if you drink some water and slow down a bit, Y/N.” He handed you the glass he’d retrieved earlier and you sipped it slowly, squirming under the care in his gaze. He ordered a drink, and you eyed up the bartender as he did so, pushing Spencer’s hand off your hip as he approached, offering him a smile. He looked between you and the unfamiliar man, and felt a cold flash in his veins, waiting for his drink and then pulling you away back to the table with the rest of your friends, tangling your hand with his. 

You pulled out of his grip but followed him dutifully. He guided you into your seat quickly, brushing your hair out of your eyes before falling back into conversation with the rest of the team. You hated the way he could still make your heart stutter, still have you feeling hot all over from a single touch, and you felt trapped in the booth, screaming for a way out. 

Your chance came an hour later, when he excused himself to the bathroom, and you excused yourself as well, running back up to the bar. When he came back, you were gone.

“Where is Y/N?” He asked with a scowl, cursing himself for letting his eyes off you for even a second when you’d drank so much that night, having come back to suggest you turn in for the night, getting ready to offer you a ride home. 

“Y/N? By now, she’s either in the back room with the bartender or she’s convinced him to get off early and head back to hers,” Morgan chuckled, taking a swig of his drink. “Took her only two minutes of conversation to have him inviting her out the back entrance, she’s been gone for like five minutes now. 

The constricted feeling settled in his chest again, as his scowl deepened. Not knowing why he was feeling so goddamn destroyed by that statement, he let his head hang and left the bar himself, taking himself outside to get in his car and go home. Unbeknownst to him, you watched him leave from the alley behind the bar, the bartender placing open-mouthed kisses on your exposed neck as you buried your worryingly consistent feelings in the scent of bourbon and lust. 

The next week is rough for both of you. You laugh and play along with Morgan’s jokes about your game, keeping an eye out for him the entire time and ending all the conversations as you feel him enter the room or step closer. It doesn’t stop him from hearing it all, though, all the details about your sex life tormenting him, as he boils with anger at how wreckless you’re being with your constant stream of guys. 

“Mama, you were on fire last week. Took you only two minutes to disappear with that guy, you’re going to have to let me in on your secrets,” Morgan laughed from his perch on your desk. 

“Sorry, a magician never reveals her secrets, and what I do is definitely magic.” Your tone was suggestive and set the man off in a booming laugh, but with your back to the door, you hadn’t heard Spencer’s entrance. 

“The secret is that men are more accepting of casual hook-ups with strangers than women,” he snapped at you both, beginning to ramble as you both looked up at him in shock. 

“Okay, kid, I was just joking-”

“When surveyed over 75% of men said they would be willing to have sex with a complete stranger, vs. 0% of women, and while that’s just one study, there are multiple others that I could quote that have similar results.” 

“Spencer,” you chastised him, but he didn’t stop.

“What? Did you want to know when posing the question of an affair to people in a relationship that 18% of men reacted positively to having casual sex with a stranger, and surprisingly 4% of women also reacted in the affirmative? Did you ask that guy if he had a girlfriend before you fell into his bed, Y/N?” 

“Okay, that’s enough, Spencer, take a walk. I don’t know what’s up with you today, but that was out of line. Hotch is looking for you in his office.” The words came from Morgan, but he kept his eyes locked with yours as he was scolded, memorizing the look of pain in your eyes as he finally backed away. 

He didn’t know why he did it. He knew it would hurt you, and yet he continued anyway, even after you’d begged him to stop. He was hurt, and he didn’t know why, and he didn’t think he had any reason to be hurt, and somehow it was all because you’d been in the back of his mind constantly for as long as he could remember. 

–X– 

“Okay, girl’s night, my place, tomorrow night. There are no cases, and I managed to get Hotch to agree to let us put our phones on silent for the night, so it’s just me, you, JJ, and Blake, a bottle of wine and some good old-fashioned girl talk, what do you say?” Penelope asked you gleefully in the break room one day as you both prepared your drinks for a busy day of paperwork ahead. 

“I’m sorry, Pen, I have plans already.” You grinned up at her as she pouted, promising to make it up to her another time. You didn’t offer an explanation though, just excusing yourself back to your desk and letting her know that you’d make it up to her another time. 

Reid took your place as soon as you vacated it. Almost obsessively, he’d been following you around like a lost puppy since he’d exploded on you the other day. 

“I know you said girls’ night but… Could... Could I come? I think I need some uh, girl talk?” He asked Penelope, an awkward, embarrassed look on his face as he smiled tensely. If anyone knew what was wrong with him, recently, it would be them. 

Last year, he’d have said it was you, but the distance he’d felt recently, combined with the fact that he was almost 90% sure you were the root of his problems had him desperate for other opinions. 

“Oh. Are you sure, Spencer, we’ll be talking about all kinds of gross women stuff?” 

“I was raised by a single mother. I’m sure nothing you say could gross me out. Please?” She nodded her approval telling him what time to get there and to bring his beverage of choice, knowing he didn’t really drink wine all that much if he could help it. 

He turned up twenty minutes late, after spending a great deal of time pacing outside of Penelope’s apartment building wondering if he had any right to unburden himself on them like this. Pacing he wondered whether you’d actually showed up despite your mysterious plans and whether this had been all for naught anyway. 

When he eventually knocked on the door, Penelope opened it and greeted him with a warm hug. “We were wondering when you were going to knock on the door, one more minute and we were going to come out to get you.” 

JJ stood up to hug him, wine glass in her hand, and Blake offered him a wave from her perch on the couch. He took off his scarf and coat and accepted the glass of water Penelope offered him, settling into a chair opposite the three women. 

“Penelope said you wanted advice about something?” Blake was the first to enquire, the three of them getting straight into it, not letting him chicken out of it. 

“Yeah, I think so. Lately, I’ve been having these, I don’t know, weird feelings…” 

“Oh god, I thought I was a few years out from having the talk with someone,” JJ joked, but Penelope shushed her quickly after a quick snicker, letting him continue. 

“I’ve been… I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been acting really weird around Y/N, and I can’t figure out why.” He finally pushed the words out, feeling a weight off his chest at the confession. 

“You can’t?” The room was silent for a minute as they looked at each other, and he looked at them looking at each other, wondering what it was exactly that he’d missed. 

“Yeah? I don’t know, every time I see her I just want to, I don’t know, have her attention on me, even if I have to say something a little mean to get it. And in the bar that time, I was so, I don’t know hurt, I guess, when she disappeared without saying goodbye.” 

They just listened to him go on, not stopping to interrupt him, so he continued. 

“And there’s been this weird distance between us lately, and I guess it’s been there for a while, but I miss her, but she’s still there. I can still talk to her, and I can still spend time with her but I miss her all the time.”

“Spencer,” Blake said with a soft voice. “Since when have you been feeling like this?” 

“I don’t know, I guess it started after everything happened with Strauss and the copycat in New York. But she’s always been… I don’t know, closer than most people? But every time I think we’re getting back to normal recently, she pulls away again and there’s this… void where she should be.”

JJ put her drink down and leaned a little closer to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Spencer, I think you might be in love with her.” He considered the words for a moment, before getting ready to dismiss them. 

“No, love is a good emotion, this doesn’t feel good, it feels… ugly.” Blake stared at him sympathetically, calmly talking him around. 

“Spencer, think about it. You’re protective over her, you don’t like seeing her with other people, this all started right around the time the copycat sent those pictures of her with other people. It is love, and it’s jealousy, too.” 

The words hit him like a tonne of bricks as he suddenly felt the full force of his words. He was in love with you. 

“Oh god, what do I do?” He held his head in his hands, and Penelope scoffed a little from her seat, the rest of them turning to look at him.  

“I’m sorry, you’re going to have to figure this one out on your own genius.” She said with a slightly sharp tone, and even the girls sent her questioning stares as she continued. 

“You don’t just get to decide that you want her after all this time, not after how you’ve been treating her these last few months.” She turns her head away a little bit and sips her drink, her tough-love approach leaving him slightly defeated.  

“Penelope, do you know something?” Blake asks firmly, trying to coax some answers out of her. 

“If I did, I’d be under a strict oath not to tell anyone. And I wouldn’t want to considering how much pain she was in when she made me swear never to tell anyone.” It was clear from the tone of her voice that she really wanted to say something though, the words desperate to spill out. 

“Penelope, your loyalty is commendable, but don’t you think what you have to say could help both of them?” JJ quietly coaxed out of her, and she finally gave in. 

“Okay, but if you hurt her, Spencer Reid, I will never forgive you ever again.” He nodded quickly, hanging onto her every word. 

“Think about what else happened a year ago.” She encouraged him, and for a moment, he was coming up blank.  

“A year ago? We were in the middle of the copycat case. Strauss had just been killed. We were close to being pulled off the case-” 

“You got a girlfriend, Spencer. You came in one day out of the blue and just announced that you were in love with someone you hadn’t met, and you didn’t realize that you were torturing her.” Penelope tried really hard not to snap at him, but his ignorance of your feelings was frustrating, to say the least.  

“What Penelope is trying to say, Spencer, is that we think Y/N was in love with you, too,” JJ added, softening the blow. “And finding out you didn’t feel the same way so suddenly was, well it was a shock to all of us really.”

“What Penelope is trying to say is that she spent six hours with me crying into this couch, and then picked herself up and helped you try to save the woman you had chosen over her. So yeah, she’s been a bit distant, but can you really blame her?” 

“She… She was in love with me?” His heart stopped for a second, dropping to the pit of his stomach as he thought back to those days, how you’d acted around him, the smiles that hadn’t reached your eyes, the reassurances that he’d brushed off, so desperate to help Maeve. 

“Honestly, until you told us about Maeve, I thought you two had something going on,” Blake added. 

“We used to have an office bet when Emily was around about which of the two of you would confess first,” JJ admitted shyly. 

“Oh, god.” He let his head hang a little in shame. “Do you… do you think she still feels the same?” 

They shared another glance at each other again, and he panicked trying desperately to decode whatever it was that had just passed between them. 

“Look, we shouldn’t profile each other but… It’s not a coincidence that all of her hookups tend to happen after you pay her some attention.” Blake observed, letting Reid fill in the blanks of her statement.

“That might be my fault actually, I told her the best way to get over you is to get under someone else.” 

“I don’t want her under someone else,” he stated then, cutting himself off before he could say anything else too damning.  

“She’s not here tonight, why isn’t she here?” He panicked looking frantically around the room for answers, but none of them knew really.  

“She said she had plans, but she didn’t tell me what they are.” 

“Do you think she’s… do you think she’s with…” He couldn’t finish the thought, instead bolting upright and gathering his things. 

“I need to go.” He let out, as the women cheered behind him, finally happy that he was taking action. Penelope shouted your address at him as he left as if he didn’t already have it memorized, running out in the rain, his feet carrying him to your apartment.  

He saw the light on when he approached, thankful that you were still there, and bounded up the stairs to your floor, not giving himself time to second guess this before he pounded on your door.  

You pulled the door open, a confused look on your face as you greeted him, his chest heaving, water dripping down his face. He looked like a mess. 

“Are you alone?” He gasped out, having to pause between each word to catch his breath.  

“Spencer, what are you doing-” The breath left your body as he leaned into you, catching you around the hips and walking you back into your apartment, your back hitting the wall behind you as he rested his forehead against your own, chest still desperately drawing in oxygen. 

“Please, please tell me right now if there’s someone here with you. If there is, I’ll leave, if there isn’t…” His gaze fell to your lips and your entire body lit up, the haze of your confusion finally lifting as you took in each of his words. His lips moved forward, seconds from connecting with your own when his question was finally answered.  

“Y/N? Who is it?” The voice was male, and it was coming from your living room, but it was all Spencer needed to know as he detangled himself from you, pushing his wet hair out of his face and putting some distance between you two, muttering apologies as he backed out of the door again. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t… I’m sorry,” he said, quickly turning away from you and leaving your apartment quickly. 

“Spencer, wait-” You tried to yell after him, but it was too late. He had disappeared into the night, as quickly as he came. 

You returned to the living room, cursing yourself for not answering quickly enough as you crawled back into the seat you’d just left. 

“What was all that?” Your brother asked from his perch, shoveling popcorn into his mouth in a way that had you somehow even more pissed at him for the simple fact of his existence.  

“That was Spencer. He… God, I think he thinks I’m in here with a guy.” 

–X– 

The next few days at work were tense, as you desperately tried everything to catch his eye. But you weren’t sure why you were putting in so much effort. He was the one who had burst into your apartment and practically begged you for your attention, why were you now the one chasing him?

Needless to say, you took your frustrations straight to Penelope Monday morning. 

“And then he left without letting me explain that it was my brother, and he hasn’t talked to me once this morning, he keeps running away from me and I don’t even know what the fuck it was he was trying to gain from all that and- ughh he is so dense.”

Penelope had sensed the oncoming disaster the moment she’d seen your social media post about your brother’s visit Saturday morning, and you only confirmed all her fears as you unloaded onto her. She silently cursed Spencer as well, and once she’d given you some reassurance and reminded you that you had some case files on your desk that were urgent and distracting enough to calm you down, she practically lept from her seat to hunt Reid down.  

“Spencer Reid, you get your ass in my office right this second,” she whisper screamed at him in the breakroom, his sunken eyes showing that his jump to conclusions had left him in a poor emotional state. He jolted at her words, as she watched to see if you noticed the two of them before practically frog-marching him off down the hall.  

“What the hell happened? We sent you off to confess your feelings, and you what? Pin her to the wall and breathe down her neck before running off with your tail between your legs?” 

He looked down guiltily before replying. “She had a guy there, Penelope, I didn’t want to… I didn’t want to get rejected like that.” 

“She did not have a guy there, Spencer, she had her brother there.” She pulled up your post on her phone and thrust it in his face as she watched his eyes go wide at his own stupidity, clutching the phone as he read your words.  

“And if you weren’t a coward, you’d have stayed and told her even if she did actually have someone over.” 

He’d since tuned out her words though, the crushing weight of his almost-confession that had been stuck to him since the weekend dissipating slowly. 

“This is her brother?” He looked up at you again, desperate to confirm the words she’d already said. 

“Yes. You’d know that if you weren’t such a technophobic freak. I love you but this is the 21st Century and you’re an idiot.” 

“Yeah, I am.” He handed her the phone back and slunk out of the office, and back to his desk. He had a chance to try again, and he wasn’t going to fuck it up this time. 

–X– 

You didn’t know how you knew that night, but when you heard the knock at your door, you knew it was him. 

You hesitated before reaching for the door handle, pulling it open, and confirming your suspicions. 

“Hi.” You said, and he returned the greeting with a mumble of his own before the two of you fell into silence again. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something else, but couldn’t, instead letting his gaze fall to your lips. You heard the hidden question in his look and opened the door a little wider. 

It took only a moment for him to come crashing into you, hands holding your face as his lips met yours in a passionate embrace, drinking you in as again walked you back into your apartment, not even breaking away as he closed the door behind you.  

You wrapped your arms up and around his neck, as you let his hands fall to your hips, your chest, your ass, exploring every part of your body he could reach as you stood caught up in each other. In your desperation for each other, you hit walls, and bumped into tables, finally stopping at your kitchen island as he lifted you up, wrapping your legs around his waist as he started pressing kisses down the hollow of your neck. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered between kisses. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it was your brother and I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner, and I’m sorry I’ve been so weird recently.” You pulled his face back up to your own claiming his lips in yours once again, swallowing each of his other apologies. 

He pulled away again, looking at you tenderly as he lifted you into his arms and gently carried you into your room, laying you down on your bed. 

“I love you,” he whispered, and the words broke you. You’d spent five years practically begging him to say them, and another year since trying to bury even the very idea of him feeling the same way deep inside you. Tears fell from your eyes and he kissed each one of them away, muttering confessions into your skin. 

“I love you, please don’t cry.” 

“I love you, you’re so beautiful.” 

“I love you and I’m so so sorry.” You pushed him away again slightly, regaining enough of your composure to finally talk again. 

“I need to know that you’re serious, Spencer. I can’t… I can’t do this if you’re not totally sure, because it will destroy me.” Your voice broke as the words stumbled over the knot in your throat, your hands balled into his shirt, legs still wrapped around him. 

“I’m serious. I don’t want to hurt you ever again.” He pressed his lips back into yours again, and you let the kiss deepen, lips slanting over each other in desperation as the need to be joined overtook your body. 

He lifted your skirt, trailing a hand between the two of you as he checked your arousal. You could feel his cock pressing into your thigh, desperate to be freed from it’s restraints. He began kissing his way down your naval, but you pulled him back up.  

“No, I need you now. There will be time for that later, but if you don’t do this now I think I’ll drive myself mad with wanting.” His lips reconnected with yours again as you began divesting yourselves of clothing, and within another two minutes, he was pressing into you, muttering more adoring serenades into your skin as he began catching the tears escaping your eyes again. 

“Yes, Spencer, more please,” you moaned underneath him, legs tight around him as he began thrusting into you with a ferocity you hadn’t felt from him before. It was tender, but you were both desperate, after months of separation, to come back into one another. 

Your lips and teeth clashed together as you let the room echo with your moans, his moans, and the sound of your skin slapping against each other. His forehead came to rest against your own as he grew closer to his release, lips disconnecting as you just stared into each other's eyes in that moment, seeing each other truly for the very first time. 

“Y/N, I’m gonna… I’m gonna cum.” He pressed down into you harder, looking down to the place where you were joined and letting out a whispered curse as he watched you take every inch of him. His hips stuttered then, and you felt your own climax reach you as you felt him release into you, his lips softly tracing your own as you breathed each other in again. 

He pulled out and immediately went to work making sure you were comfortable, propping you up on the bed, making sure the pillows behind you were plump and soft, and running off to find something to clean yourself up with. You watched him silently, again brushing some of the tears from your eyes. 

“How do you feel?” He said shyly as he returned, having pulled his pants back on at least as he bought you a glass of water. You offered him a small smile and a thank you as you replied. 

“I think… I think we need to talk, Spencer.” You said, not meeting his eyes as he looked down at you attentively. 

“Why did you come tonight, Spencer?” You asked, voice so quiet you resisted the urge to repeat the question, knowing that he heard you perfectly clearly, 

“I needed to tell you how I feel. It’s been staring me in the face for six years, and I somehow didn’t know, but once I did I just… I needed you to know.” You nodded at his words, standing still in front of you on the bed as you swung your legs off and asked him to pass you your nightdress back. You pulled it on over your head as you asked him your next question. 

“Why did you run away the other day?” 

“I didn’t know it was your brother, Y/N, I should’ve-”

“It shouldn’t have mattered who it was. If you love me, you should fight for me, right? The way you fought for Maeve.” Your tears start falling again as you open the wound that brought you this far. 

“Y/N, that was… That was different-” You can hear the panic in his voice as he tries to come up with the words to explain himself. 

“Spencer, if.. If it’s different then I think you should leave. If you don’t love me the same way you loved her, then there’s no point starting something.” 

“Y/N, please.” 

“No, Spencer. I have spent six years of my life filled with nothing but love for you. I wake up and think about you, I go to bed and you’re still there in the back of my mind. My every action is informed by your presence and I am so, so tired. So if you do not feel the same way, you need to turn around and leave this apartment.” 

The silence between you is thick, as you stare up at him through your tears, face stern as you push him away. 

He gathers his things. Moves towards the door and doesn’t say anything, and just as you’re about to break down, to let the sob burst from your chest in an agonized wail, you hear your front door close behind him, and you’re left alone in the empty apartment, stuck in the purgatory of your love for him, unable to move an inch. 

[cheekinpermission]

I wanna talk about the scene in the museum with Azul...

(SPOILERS FOR BOOK 3 AHEAD. ALSO LOTS OF RAMBLING! :D)

During Ch. 38 of Book 3, Azul and Yuu have a short conversation post-overblot in the underwater museum place. I always felt that this bit of dialogue was weirdly charged? The whole scene felt very intimate to me (and the soft music in the background doesn't help lmao), but I never knew WHY since nothing said was inherently romantic.

So, I went back and re-read through every post-overblot and realized that Azul is the only who who has a one-on-one conversation with Yuu after their overblot??

It's rare enough to have one-on-one conversations between Yuu and another character, but then Azul goes a step further. He's the only one to open up to Yuu about his problems:

Some of the other overblot boys talk about their problems, but not to Yuu specifically. It's more of a declaration than confiding in someone, you know? (E.g. Riddle talking about how he prefers milk tea even though the rules stipulate lemon tea)

We, the players, are shown flashbacks of the overblot boys to explain how they reached this point but I can't recall if Yuu is privy to this information as well. (It's theoretically possible since Yuu already has visions / dreams of the Great Seven, but no one ever mentions it so who knows. I'm personally on the side of Yuu NOT knowing because it feels a bit invasive that they'd have this knowledge of people who weren't ready to share it.)

Regardless of whether Yuu can or cannot see those flashbacks, Azul is the only one to willingly talk about his motivations to Yuu. For Azul, this is especially important as he's so protective of his image as a clever and upstanding housewarden, and yet here he openly admits to Yuu that he was a bit of a loser as a kid (his words not mine!).

I guess you could argue that he felt there was no reason to hide it anymore since Yuu already saw him as a chubby octopus baby, but he didn't have to talk about it at all if he didn't want to. But he did. On his own. With no prompting. (Really, though. Yuu can either say they want to make sure he puts the photo back or that they're worried about him, and either way he drops his lore on them lol) And then Yuu tries to help him feel better??

To my knowledge, Yuu doesn't do this with any of the other overblot boys, either. I could have missed it during my research, but if they did it wasn't nearly to the same extent as with Azul.

I still don't know why Azul felt like opening up to Yuu. He didn't have to, but maybe he wanted to? Maybe he wanted to try his hand at being genuine for once and felt Yuu was the least intimidating person to do it with (the magicless human that they are). Who knows? I wish there were more scenes like this. It makes Yuu feel more included in the story. I also think it shows a lot of growth on Azul's end to open up about his problems to Yuu of his own volition.

I'm not sure what I wanted to say with this post, only that I wanted to get my thoughts out there about this scene because it always stood out to me. I felt there was always an undercurrent of something and I think it's because this was the only post-overblot private conversation we got with Yuu and an overblot boy, plus the added encouragement from Yuu at the end.

I'm curious to know if anyone felt the same way about this scene or if I'm just imagining things. I'm also interested in hearing any theories why Azul suddenly felt the urge to open up to Yuu, if you've got them!

Thanks for enduring my rambling!

Bonus!

Azul's so funny for trying to play it off all cool like he isn't doing flips and princess twirls in his head rn. Yuu laid it on THICK. We all know he's freaking out internally.

[cochineal-leviat]

Sweet Dreams, Stardust

Okay, so I have a lot of feelings about In Stars and Time. But let me say first, wow, this game irreversibly changed my brain network. For anyone who is considering buying this game, please do. I don't think I've had a story touch my heart and mind like this for a long time. And that goes without mentioning the stunning visuals and entertaining battle system. (Be careful, though, because this game handles heavy topics regarding mental health)

If you're still hung up on buying it but are curious, there is a free demo on Steam if you like to try.

Thank you, @insertdisc5, for this gem of a game. I will be turning it around in my head like a microwaveable gourmet meal for months to come.

Technically the illustration has no spoilers (unless you count Siffrin having a good nap as a spoiler). But I will be going into heavy spoiler territory under the keep reading since I need to get my thoughts on this game off my chest.

And a monochrome version because you know me, I can't help myself. Even in black and white art pieces, I will put in some colour.

And a very tiny Loop

Initially, I was going to do a piece with a theatre stage and the cast (Siffrin, Mirabelle, Isabeau, Odile, Bonnie and the head house maiden) taking a bow and finally leaving the spectacle to a life not controlled by a script and Wish Craft. But it was more fitting to put my feelings into creating a peaceful scene. Like, oof, I needed this very badly. I used sepia to make the painting warmer and added some more details like headcanons. The stars/colours might be remnants of Siffrin's transformation. Or maybe they were always there, but he never paid attention to it. Who knows.

I'm going to keep this brief. Otherwise, this post will take way too long.

I adore Siff's character. It's perfect for a game and narrative such as this. I saw a post not long ago on Tumblr going into depth about how their role as the rogue and not the hero works so well, so I won't linger on it for long. But how they would rather listen and fade into the background perfectly aligns with the player's experience of being the silent observer. (And the nodding off that changes into zoning out. It took me way too long to realise that small but essential narrative change) Oh, and the portrait change! It flew over my head until I was staring at the game menu. I was so confident Siffrin had a mischievous grin and not a frown. I always feel slightly surprised when the party asks for Siff's opinion or mentions that they have been too quiet. I felt Siffrin's excitement like my own when he got excited at finding clues to end the nightmare they were in. So I knew it would end up falling on their face because they were too excited. I just had this bad gut feeling the whole time during Act 4.

And oh boy, speaking off acts. I thought it would have been the standard 3. Boy, I was wrong. Whenever I felt I was nearing the end, I was thrown back at the start with more mysteries than answers. It made exploring the game intriguing since there is almost no information about it online (at the time of writing this post). There is the Discord, but I didn't know about it until I finished it.

This game has a lot of secrets, and I had a lot of fun uncovering them. The looping mechanic works so well in discovering little details and further leads. (even though my stubborn arse kept trying to do everything in the least amount of loops as possible. I thought the ending would be different if I exceeded a 100. My final number is 59. I am still not sure if I should be mad about it not being a rounded number like 60 or that I went over the 50 threshold)

However, it is a good thing that only some mysteries were solved. Like, what's up with colours in this world? Everyone sees in black and white, and the idea of shades and colours is only spoken of in scientific studies. They do exist and are not a part of the disaster that happened to Siffrin and their land. But there is definitely something mysterious about it. I adore how the dialogue reflects this, as the characters do not speak of shades or colours. Isabeau expresses surprise to see a streak of red colouring the sky in Act 6. It makes you think about how colour is perceived and how you describe it. (The lore inside this game is immaculate. I eat this shit up)

We never find out the name of the country north of Vanguard or what it was like. We can only infer that the beaches had black sand, with shells that shine like stars, high-reaching mountains, forests and plains. Which is vague and yet intriguing enough to make you wonder. It connected me to Siff and King because I also wanted to know. I was desperate to know. I needed to know. But in the end, we never will know because that is not the story's point. Siffrin even says in the game, that King should let go because he is hurting everyone and everything, including himself, in his desperation to preserve Vanguard. This is all the more ironic when Siff accidentally does the same with his family and the loops. I might gush more about what the country might be like and their technology in another post. This game makes me want to theorise. This is the first time I've wanted to write and post theories. ISAT fucked me up good.

Which, by the way, was genius. Siffrin and King are mirrors of each other. Siff does not have King's disastrous ambition, but their love/obsession will be the downfall of both of them. They have more than being each other's countrymen in common, and I imagine Siff despises that.

I love the fact King's question to Siffrin before the showdown was/could never be answered. Usually, in a game such as this, you must figure out how to solve everything, especially for the big bad. But that was never the goal. King is a delusional monster who will not stop before achieving his dream. He will raze everything to the ground and hurt many people because he must succeed. It is what he desires. Nay, the universe wills it. What a witless excuse that can easily be made into someone's truth. Especially to somebody who is driven mad with grief.

How King's character's done is so excellent. Because, at first, I wasn't scared of him at all. He was just the big bad, and I felt nothing much but the glory of victory when Siffrin outsmarted him by looping and making sure Mirabelle learned the shield spell that would protect the party from freezing in time. But each time you fight him, you get more frustrated until Siff figures that talking to him might be fruitful. It does, but unfortunately, you and Siffrin leave yourself emotionally and mentally vulnerable. King stops being a one-dimensional villain and changes into an actual person. Someone you can sympathise with and possibly mend peace with without fighting. You and Siffrin opened his heart for a kindred spirit and got hurt.

King stopped being a monster and became human. And while monsters are wretched, humans have intent behind their cruelty. I felt so betrayed, so angry, but most of all - terrified. I felt it when Siffrin spiralled when fighting King again after their actions caused such a catastrophic turn of events for Bonnie. Every time after that, the fight with King felt tense and nerve-wracking in a dreadful way. Because even victory could not soothe the dread I felt. (The track 'It's finally over" will forever haunt me. I already feel anxious whenever it cycles to that when I listen to the playlist)

He was not, however, the final villain, even though everything that happened was King's fault. You were always your greatest enemy (or Siffrin in this case, since you are supposed to be Siffrin). I never could have guessed that the whole reason why Siffrin could not escape the loops was because Siff accidentally wished to never let go of their friends. This reminds me of Modaka Magica, where (spoilers for the OG anime) Homura goes back in time so much that the universe ties itself around Modoka, making her a waiting egg whose wish and magic will be massive when she becomes a magical girl. The one thing Homura was trying to prevent.

(Siffrin and Homura are identical in that sense. Shy characters who are loyal to a fault but are rendered into something cold, bitter and cutting by their traumatic experiences. Only Siff has people who care about them and would do anything to save him, too, whereas Homura never lets go, making the world a worse place to live in. Yes, I did go into doomed Yuri. That anime lived in my mind rent-free in my mind for years)

The Head House-maiden not being the villain was also a great touch. I am used to the apparent antagonist turning out not to be the big bad and the trusted, friendly character ending up being the evil one. Twist villains no longer work when everyone expects them to be villains.

That was my biggest theory as I played. The second biggest being that Loop is someone who enjoys Siffrin's suffering. I am so glad that was also not the case. They are apathetic but not cruel. Never intentionally, anyway. They were like the player, urging Siffrin to go deeper into the mystery to solve it. Ultimately, I chose and made cold and cruel decisions simply because I wanted to see what would happen. So yeah, I warmed up to this cosmic star thing as the game went on and even started trusting them. Act 5 really is a punch in the gut. I am so sorry, Loop. Thank you for coming through in the end.

Oh man, this is so long, and I haven't even gone into the main cast. I will leave that for another post. They are such great characters, as are the people of Dormant and the House. (Don't think I don't see the wordplay in this game. Very clever)

Going into this game completely blind was the best experience I could have had. I felt anxious, happy and scared so severely that my neurons were rearranged. I don't know if there are more endings (aside from the obvious action of attacking Odile in the True(?) ending of the game), but I am taking a break from it to make art and write for this game before I dive back into despair-o-land.

Anywho, thank you for coming this far and reading my ramblings. Have a fantastic day or evening further! o(*'▽`*)ブ

[hitomisuzuya]

Don't mind this, everyone. This is just me high typing cause I am lonely. I should probably be typing fluffy Childe smut, but I digress. Bear with me.

I really love the idea of self aware Genshin characters. It's such a Yandere thing. I am gonna include my own experience a little in farming for Scara and using him in game for the sake of flow of whatnot so I can talk about this. The narration may change a bit in some places. I'll change the font style and whatnot, continuing on.

My best friend has this fun little headcanon that Scara came somehow manipulate the game in some way, make it glitch for lack of better word. Like, he would know when you are playing him. He would sense it, mainly being able to feel how you feel through your hands, seeing as how, especially if you are a mobile player like I am, your hands around your phone the whole time.

He could feel when you are happy, and when you get unsure about something. He would notice like dependent habits you have, like if you have him in your party and rotate him out for say like his cool down for his burst or ESkill, or to put up a shield with whatever character (for me, it would be Noelle, my girl🥰), he would feel the unease you feel having to rotate him out for a few moments.

Or if you are fighting and have another character on field, and you freeze in the middle combat whether it be because you hesitated or weren't sure about having this particular character on field, and you rotate him back in and he instantly feels you relax because you can rely on him to carry you (no joke, get that boy up in the air and let his tracking go to work😌).

You depend on him, and that's what validates him. He can feel how you feel about him. It sends him reeling when he realizes that someone could depend on him. Could love him? You loved him despite everything he did, and everything he'd been through. You trust him, love him, and rely on him with every fiber of your being.

You were loyal. He can even hear the affection in your voice when you tell him good morning or good night. He loves that you love him.

Basically, the more he feels you through your hands, the more he comes self aware. This feeling is doubled, especially if you are in a high stress situation like..*twitch*..The Spiral Abyss. My two teams are obvious strike teams built around Scara and Childe.

He always went on somewhat of a power trip whenever you went to the Spiral Abyss. You built one of your teams so carefully around him. He'd felt how much thought you'd given it. If he had it his way, you wouldn't need a second team.

He was the only one you needed. Meandering in the Spiral Abyss was just another way for him to prove that he could take care of you.

You were his.

He is even able to see what you look like, being able to widdle away the barrier between you, him, and the game. Soon, very soon, he would be able to breach the barrier and reach his fingers into your very world.

I'm sure we all remember putting our noses to the grindstone farming for him. We all twitched from the same trauma of farming Rukkhashava Mushrooms, all while still exploring a newly released Sumeru. And the Handguards.

He wondered what it had been like preparing for him. You'd had everything all gathered in a nice neat pile for him. He hated that you'd had to rely on another character even though you were preparing for him (for me it was Xiao).

He couldn't stand that you inevitably do have to be away from your phone (or whatever you use). He has a lot of time on his hands to whatever in Teyvat until you returned, but all he could think about was you.

What were you doing? Who were you talking to? Or who you were with? He wouldn't need to worry about that much longer, he could by now hack into your phone and find out whatever he needed to know.

He has to have you now, especially when he saw just how in love with him you really were. Question is, would he stay here in your world with you, or would he steal you away and take you back with him?

Those two questions echoed in his mind as he looked down at you in the dark of your room while you slept. His precious treasure was now close enough for him to touch, to brush some hair off of your face.

Who the hell is gonna read all this 😂 But, I am going to bed now, I gotta get up early tomorrow. Thank you if you even read this far. Goodnight, everyone.

[magua-vida]

SLAY THE QUEEN THORN

I was inspired by Abby's sketch of a hypothetical Queen version of the Princess, so I tried my hand at it with a few vessels, including this one. I... ended up drawing something akin to a fashion design concept art rather than a practical design that won't be tiring to draw over and over after a handful of sprites later. I also had to use a bit more artistic license growing unnatural poppies on the dress and the thick twirly prickly noodles.

some explanations behind the process

For the "mended" Thorn, I pretty much just removed the foreground thorns and added the dirt.

rambling/fangirling/screenshots below:

The Thorn is one of my favorites. If I had to choose only five vessels to offer to Shifty and there's no replayable feature, she'll definitely be one of them. I'm one of those suckers who's into Hurt/Comfort stories. Almost like a masochist for those fics, you could say. If the climax to an Action-heavy story is the defeat of one party, then the catharsis of Hurt/Comfort is when the two characters... well, comfort each other- either due to hurt from each other or someone else. In The Thorn's case, she started off rather innocently, Damsel-like, but not quite. She still had caution. It was until she was literally stabbed in the back that she learned that it was a mistake. And when Long Quiet offered sincere regret and admission of fault, she stabbed him... but she didn't feel the relief she thought she'd get from it. I think many relate to having been betrayed and/or betraying someone they trusted, and the scratches are felt by many players.

The thorns curve inward, as if it's more painful to leave her than it is to approach her.

Poppies grow around along the bramble. Many mistook them for roses because they're red and there are brambles (tbh, I actually dunno if they're brambles or briars, I looked them up and I got confused, forgive me, plant enthusiasts ;.;) that grow around the patches of those poppies. Death and romance~

This brings back to Chapter 1 where Hero was kinda-sorta-maybe-definitely crushing on the Princess and wants to give her the benefit of the doubt, not only because of feelings, but for a reasonable cause of wanting to rescue someone who possibly may actually be a victim of circumstance.

Look, I have reasons why Thorn route is one of my favorites and it definitely doesn't have anything to do with both characters having massive trust issues and the capability to change themselves for better or worse and the emotional moments hitting me like a lovely diamond-dusted dagger. Both of them are rather cat-like with pointy ears too.

I appreciate that you're still given the options to leave or stab Thorn, as if the situation isn't pitiable enough. Even her tiara looks like a crown of thorns. It's as if she views the thorns as both a form of penance and a defence mechanism to protect herself from being hurt again, even though she's hurt by her own making this time.

I chose for the Long Quiet to save her and leave the cabin together.

This part stabbed me the most. Even when shown genuine help, she shrinks back.

This part burns a bit of the jadedness away. Trust is a scary thing, so is love. How can you be so sure that you won't be hurt by the one you love again? But just like what The Prisoner says, it's about trust- blind trust. Thorn looks more human than her previous self- less animalistic, softer. A part of The Damsel returns, even in the music.

I recall weighing on whether I prefer the version with the Voice of the Cheated or Voice of the Smitten. I vaguely remember wondering if there was an option to ask her if it's okay to kiss her. I guess the ideal would be is to have that choice, but I suppose the climactic moment calls for it and she doesn't mind it, at least. It's like the option to hug Astarion from BG3, but you're not sure whether he'd be comfy with it after being hurt so much. He gave approval for it too~

As much as Thorn is one of my favorites, I'm not attracted to her and any of the vessels. Instead, I ship her with the Long Quiet- the character himself. I don't really see myself AS the Long Quiet, more like choosing what actions on what he does and I separate myself from him a lot for many reasons. It's a bit like the Harry situation from Disco Elysium in terms of seemingly blank-slate protagonists.

Instead, I kinda put myself into her situation to feel how she felt in this route. The poppies not only felt symbolic of her nature as part of the Shifting Mound, but also specifically the end of the mutual treachery you've inflicted on each other, potentially beginning anew on a path of healing.

==============ramble-bramble over===================

[maybecoffeemixed]

MAIN PLOT LINE OF DLC HAS BEEN FINISHED, SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT (long post, be warned)

7.8/10, kieran doesn't actually kill us.

Seriously though, I enjoyed it!! Since I don't actually own the game (we poor), I watched a no-commentary playthrough so there are plenty of things I very likely missed, including optional dialog, side-quests, and whatever that thing with the professors is (still lookin' for a video without some guy over it), so I can only comment on the bits I saw! That being said, here we go.

First of all, the BATTLES!! Despite not being able to play them myself, they looked SUPER fun!! I screamed when I saw Lacey's tailwind/lightscreen prankster whimsicott, and even MORE so when I saw it was sashed! I loved the usage of competitive items, and the fact that all their teams weren't completely mono-type, each having one exception to their type (Lacey's excadrill, Crispin's Exeggcutor, Amarys's Reuniclus, and Drayton's Sceptile) that they DIDN'T terrastalize was lovely touch!! Amarys's fight was super hype in particular, despite having an over 20 level advantage, the person I watched still nearly wiped to her! Her trick room AI does appear a bit goofy, but it's a small flaw. Finally, Kieran's battle... I personally adore a good rain team, but unfortunately Kieran's politoed was frozen at the start of the battle, and remained that way all the way til the end, so I can't honestly say how difficult it looked. The one thing I will say is that before the indigo disk was out, I created a hypothetical team for Kieran, and I CALLED that Grimmsnarl!! Literally even the focus sash. If anyone's curious, here was the hypothetical team I made. I'm a nuzlocker, not a competitive player, so it very well may be shit. Apologies in advance.

Next is the characters!! Every design slapped as always, and I enjoyed their personalities! Lacey was adorbs, Crispin was fun, and Amarys might just be one of my new favorites! As for Drayton? Let me tell you, I was side-eyeing him the whole time the MOMENT after he said THIS to Kieran.

After all the hype around dokutaro/peechikeen (now know as pecharunt, apparently), and all the speculation that Kieran would fall victim to its influence, him saying "that's just peachy" made my rat brain go into overdrive. In the end, I think it was just Legends Arceus giving me Volo flashbacks.

Now, the main event... KIERAN! Let me tell you, he gave me GOOSEBUMPS. Every time he appeared, I could feel a chill run up my spine, and his battle had my heart RACING. ESPECIALLY his breakdown at the end of it! One of the best times I've had in a good while. The animation, his reaction, all of it was GREAT!! It was so refreshing to see him not immediately heel-face turn.

Unfortunately, though, what happened after that all disappointed me. I admit I got too attached to the Dokutaro Posession theory, buy it was still disappointing for Dokutaro (I know that's not its name, leave me be) to not play any role in the main story. It felt like a natural conclusion to what the game was setting up, I thought he'd throw the master ball at terapagos, it'd fail, and he'd become so overwhelmed with everything that has happened that he'd succumb to Dokutaro's control and we'd have to fight the Dokutaro-Kieran with Terapagos's aid. That's not what happened, and I felt a bit sad. His recovery from his breakdown was still set up nicely and had some atleast sufficient justification, but it still felt like too-little too-soon. It felt more like he just gave up all together rather than defeated his demons. He'd never be as strong as the player, and that's that, which is a sour note to leave off on.

We see that he legitimately has nothing. All the other students left the MOMENT he was defeated. No one came to help the kid who was clearly having a panic attack. The BB league cares about him, sure, but I wouldn't consider them his friends. They all thought Kieran getting defeated would "fix" him, and even when he clearly wasn't any better after being defeated, they didn't do anything to assist him. Sure, sometimes when someone has climbed so high, you gotta let them fall, but once they do, you can't just leave them lying on the ground. You need to be there to lift them back up before they start digging.

This isn't an attack on the BB league at ALL. Like I said, I really enjoyed their characters! In fact, this reaction is part of the reason I like them so much. It adds depth.

I just wish that Kieran DID start digging, and that it led to something bigger. Even if Dokutaro wasn't involved, I atleast wanted the final battle with him to be that big thing, and not just a turtle that can't do anything but throw out weak earthpowers.

Though the biggest failing to me is that Kieran apologizes to us, but we don't apologize to him. We as in the player, and Carmine

Kieran's actions are his own and I'm not saying he shouldn't have apologized, but he wasn't solely culpable for how things turned out. We and Carmine purposefully lied, kept a secret that was dear to him, and were the straw that broke the camel's back. Even if we the player didn't apologize, Carmine should've!! Her treatment of Kieran heavily impacted him, and he mirrored her abuse (Kieran telling Carmine to "Shut it", just like she did to him, for example).

Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, was in the wrong here. Kieran took things too far, Carmine behavior is a serious problem, and the played character was complicit.

I'm not demonizing anyone here, I am the number one Carmine defender after all, but everyone needs to take responsibility. Not. Just. Kieran.

I relate heavily to both Kitakami siblings, as both an elder sister with younger siblings who she's accidentally mistreated, and as a little sister with an older sibling who treats me like I'm lesser.

I've lashed out at my older sibling, and while my reaction wasn't proportional, it doesn't mean my emotions weren't justified.

I have severe genetic anger issues (that I'm now thankfully medicated for), and have unjustly taken them out on my younger siblings.

Carmine needs to apologize too, or the cycle will just continue. Maybe she already did and I missed it, or maybe it happens in the post-game. However, if she didn't? It makes me feel unresolved.

Anyways, that all I gotta say on it!! Hope someone enjoyed this overly long rambling!!

(P.S. I still don't trust dragon boy. "Thats just peachy" my ASS, you know something ya toothpaste haired cunt. Why did they request to bring ya along to area zero anyways, ya plot relevant FUCK.)

[siredtoyourlips]

Sorry I've been gone for so long but I'm back! I have some thoughts about some of my all time favorite Harry Potter characters that I write smut about:) P.1

Neville Longbottom: There's a lot of people who claim that he's a virgin and he's never had a first kiss and this and that but I don't buy it. On screen it seemed like he had no friends but he's neville, just like Harry he survived. He may not have been popular but there were definitely a few people into him. But it came to sex at first he didn't know what to do but he knew he wanted to take control. He wanted to fuck you. It felt wrong to him but he needed it. You felt so good and warm and sweet and he was dying to do it again and again. He couldn't get enough of you. And not just the sex but the taking care of you afterwards and the kissing you and honestly making you feel good. He cares more about how you feel than how he does because when you feel good he feels good.

Fred Weasley: Now this man is a sex God. But he's also known as a player and that kept people from dating him. But he didn't care about anyone else just you. Every person that he'd fucked, it would be too that he'd think about when he'd cum. He definitely knew what he was doing, he was skilled and he knew that and not just in bed but with his words and looks. So when he finally got you to sleep with him he didn't let you go. All the stories about him being rough and not lasting long well it was completely different for you. He would be so slow and loving. He'd make you cum at least twice before himself. He loves to cum though, more than the average person especially in you. Let's just say it's a family trait.

Remus lupin: Now most people would have called him shy and quiet. But once you got to know him and told you everything. EVERYTHING. And you never looked at him differently. He definitely wasn't a virgin but he wasn't as skilled as some of his friends. But he sure did know how to make you cum. Over and over and over again. He loved to eat you out and make you scream. At times he wouldn't even care who heart. He would be so possessive of you. You're his perfect girl and he isn't going to let you go. When that time comes around, after you've had your period ( if you have it) and right before he turned he'd fuck you so many times, you'd be so sore but it's worth it. He needs to let a little anger out and you need to be fucked. He couldn't have sex with you for a full week now he's going to fuck you until you can't handle it anymore.

[sapphia]

limited life was the best roleplay series for me by far. everyone was just so good at playing into people's bits. the improvised nature of it made it so fun, and barring the odd moment, it truly didn't feel like people were starting much drama for drama's sake.

the best of the rp was fairly spontaneous--scar didn't go into a series planning to become cleo's favourite son, but they just had such a good time being around each other and leaned into the dynamic and extrapolated their rp from how they were around each other. and it really payed off. i'm sooo glad cleo embraced it even though she was reluctant at first. i love how scar and bdubs supported her into her own amazing interpretation of arguably a not-so-fun role. i'm stunned at how into the rp etho got. he absolutely suffered for this rp and it was incredible. all those deaths. his destroyed reputation! but it worked so well.

and the bad boys! sure, joel came in with his predetermined character, but his flexibility in bringing people onto his team, into incorporating jimmy and grian and even offering to rename the bit for pearl if she'd joined--that was what really allowed it to be good. leaning into the ironic bad boys who aren't actually bad (at anything but minecraft) was delightful. bread bridge was wonderful. seeing all the players just get to be so very themselves and enjoy themselves and work as a team while having so much fun with the rp aspect made this team so good.

i loved that we didn't get solo players this season, that martyn and scott teamed up even when they didn't interact much in episode one. coral kids and TIES really felt like everyone was playing not just with their friends, but with the people who played the game in the same way they did. i can't put my finger on what made martyn and scott a good fit together but they are, and ties were the perfect little "nerds" (as scar called them) with so much heart, while etho still got to do his weird thing with bdubs and roleplay with the clockers. and the tension between all these groups! scott and cleo's hard alliance and the rest of the clockers just following along because mom. ties animosity with the clockers despite whatever it was etho was doing. they just let bdubs tag along for the day! etho had a take his kids to work day and it was hilarious! and martyn sticking to scott but also kinda being sketchy in the background with everyone, showing a pleasant face but clearly not being quite as invested in all the relationships as everyone else, which then played into the ending where he betrayed his partner in the series where team bonds were never broken--

and while i wish pearl and bigb had got to be a bit more involved in the storylines and they were a little sidelined from some of the best action, by god they played their nosey neighbour role well. the tension with the clockers, the feud with jimmy, stealing the enchanting table, finding themselves so isolated and alone because they're just neighbours and they built a wall between them and the server. perfection.

so yeah. loved how everyone was enjoying themselves. loved how rp got to flourish in the peaceful periods and how the high death limit played into the drama. loved that everyone mostly just went with the flow and the narratives became so fun because of it. *chefs kiss*

[wren-dy-flowergarden]

Hello, there! Since you got the final request slot open, can I request a fluffy scenario in which Leona and his fem! s/o share a kiss in the rain. Takes place during the Tamashina Mina event. If you can't write Leona or don't know much about him, I understand if you don't wanna write him. Thank you!

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴A/N: You want fluff- I gotchu fam. Also disclaimer- I only played half of this event in Japanese and had to go find the end on a wiki page lolllll. I'm not sure if this is accurate but fluffy hehe I'm sure it is. I hope my rendition of Leona is still in character let me know your thoughts on this sweet request hehe (´∀｀)♡

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Leona x f!Reader (can be read as gn!Reader)

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴WC: 1.2k

*ੈ✩‧˚₊⁀➴Tags: kisses in the rain, fluff, possessive Leona, mine mine mine, gotta do anything to win mindset, good luck rituals

The score is not looking good.

You glance around at the team. Lillia has already been disqualified for using magic, which in your understanding should have been nothing more than a penalty! Which is worse? Being disqualified or that imperial guard cracking his head on the slate after being pushed off the ring?

Vil's ankle is swelling more and more, and it further cements the idea in you that Lillia should still be in the tournament as you see Kalim ready his stance.

Jack was their third member and would have been perfect for the last round but he was already out due to a heatstroke from before.

You're on the edge of your seat as the referee calls the match for Kalim. A stroke of luck that his opponent was the bus driver they helped earlier in the week. Another tick on the board for NRC. That doesn't make you any less nervous, though. 

Grim already moved a couple spaces after you accidentally squished him too hard. That left you to fidget with the end of Leona's outfit as you tried to make plays, any plausible strategies for the last round with the players you had left. 

The fabric that ties around his tunic in golden sunset weaves through your anxiety as you fiddle.

"Nervous Herbivore?"

You jump, looking to your left where you see a Leona, his ears are perked up. Kalim exits the stage for the second time. Two small beast men jump on to clean the stage for its last round, giving you a little more time to think. 

"You're asking me that now? We have no more viable players, and you are going to stay here for an entire week if we don’t win!" You cry as the fabric strains against your pulls. "How are you not nervous?"

It seems like the question went in one ear and out the other, because all Leona is repeats with that sly grin is, "Ah~ So what you're saying is that the little herbivore will miss me?"

Bullseye. 

You stupor for a mere second. "N-No! I'll just miss Ruggie cooking extra for you." In reality, you will miss the late afternoon naps in the garden with Leona. He was like your personal blanket as he wrapped around you in the grass. You never felt better rested after a long day of classes. 

"Oh, really now?" He's closer and you feel warmer than usual even with the pockets of clouds coming in. He knows your lying.

A cough interrupts the both of you as the royal Chamberlin clears his throat, stone eyes not even remotely moving from the empty stage. "It be best for you both to focus right now."

You feel red and turn back to the stage, giving Leona a small push with your shoulder. Of course, her doesn't budge, but you can feel the pleasant hum run through his body into your own as you nudge him. You wish he stop that. "Yeah, focus or else you're giving lessons for a week at least."

Leona, with his signature smirk, lowers the mask on top of his head. You can only see his emerald eyes contrasting against gold. "Don't worry herbivore this is the last play before checkmate."

You stop fiddling with the end of his robes as he stands up, abruptly grabbing your hand leading you towards the staircase leaving the assortment of the NRC team and a few others in confusion.

"And I'm going to be borrowing you."

You hold your hands out, like a private hanger for Leona as he strips down his robes to the tunic beneath. You're a blushing mess as you see the way he slides fabric off bare muscle. He’s such a tease, the way Leona languidly slides his arm through one sleeve of the robes before depositing it in your arms.

Another piece of ornament clinks around your neck you grunt. "Is this really going to work?" Another trail of beaded gems and you swear your arms will start to buckle if he continues, "We look nothing alike ack-!"

A scarf covers your head, and you flail for a moment, before Leona hushes you, "I'm not tucking my tail between my legs and letting that prissy Vil fight with that leg." Large hands wrap the scarf a couple times around you head until you can see Leona's eyes again, "Heh- you sort of look like a wild monkey.”

You open your mouth to rebuttal that comment but the smell of fresh water touches your nose and soon your head, then your cheeks. Rain is falling.

"Ah..." Leona groans. You look up, and he looks displeased.

"What?" You ask, the tip of your lips becoming a smile. "You never told me you were part cat?"

His tail whips against your thigh and you almost drop his clothing out of reaction, "It was just a joke!"

Hu huffs, bringing a hand up to the rain. It was becoming heavier now. "There's nothing to joke about." His tail is swinging back and forward now, a frown etched on your face as he clicks his tongue. You look up into the sky and even with it raining so heavily you can still see the sun peeking through some parts of the clouds.

You blink rain falling down your lashes, "It’s kind of nice it started raining already. Like a good omen of sorts,"

He pauses. "What are you even talking about. Rain is supposed to fall for the victor." Leona crosses his arms over his chest, and you shrug the best you can with everything holding you down.

"Well, yah silly. That’s you.”

Maybe this is why he kept you so close. The way you speak your mind, unhindered by others. The way you break through walls in his life with full force. Something akin to shock is plastered on his face before it quickly disintegrates with laughter. Shoulders bobbing up and down. 

"That's some type of logic there Herbivore."

"Yes, so please hurry and go win.” You joke. The rain is seeping into the fabric around your arms and is starting to drag you down, "Especially if I have to hold this the whole match." The muffle of the announcement echoes in the stadium for the last round.

You're about to make your way inside the arena, but a cool yet warm heat enters your back as Leona holds you still. The ornamental beads trail off his mask onto your head as he tucks his head above, a warm chuckles leave his throat. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

You tilt your head upward to be met with his usual smirk. He’s playing games with you again, but you're not the type to back down.

Twisting around, still captured in his arms you look at his eyes hidden by layers of gold and precious gems hanging off the edges. "Hmmm, no you still look just as pompous as ever."

He huffs as he pulls you closer, you would be chest to chest, but you're carrying his dirty laundry- or soaking laundry. That doesn't stop you from feeling a little abashed though with the proximity. 

"Before battle, there is a tradition of sorts, beast men would receive a trinket from their king before going to battle. Sacrificing themselves for the kingdom."

"We went over this before.” You hum, "I thought you served no king?"

It the same type of rumble in his chest that you fall asleep to those quiet afternoons, "I don't."

"Well Mr. I-don't-follow-anyone, I'm not sure what I can give you." You beam. You want to make him ask for it. They were reserved for special occasions after all.

It's a quiet growl Leona makes close to your ear. The rain is slipping off the two of you, you can it dripping down his cheekbones down to you, you feel the headscarf becoming heavier as it slips of you head onto the back of your neck as you tilt you head to the side, playfully.

"Wasn't it Kifaj saying how a prince should have manners?" You ask as he digs closer into you.

"You can't deny me Herbivore." He mumbles, the strings of gems give a cold tickle on your face as he moves, he mask to his forehead exposing his face.

You laugh, he can be so cute when he wants to be. "I can you can't, but I'm feeling rather nice and I'm sure there will not wait any longer for,"me" to go on stage so just one.”

You tilt your head, and he leans closer than your lips touch. It's sweeter than usual. He tastes like the mix of hibiscus and coconut juices you have been drinking the past weekend.

It's also different from the small pecks you shared in NRC or the sessions you had when no one was watching. The chill of rain soaking you to the bone, the weight of fabric clinging to your skin wanting to drag you down if you were not careful. Leona's hand felt like fire against your back as he held you still, the other rubbing gently massaging your cheek. Gems would clink against gold in a soft chimes vibrant against the pelting of the rain on the concrete. 

He wants to deepen it, you can feel his tongue asking for permission as he swipes against your lips. To explore you deeper in a more intimate fashion compared to other times. It’s so quiet here and you almost let him if you didn't hear the microphone boom again.

NRC last contestant. Make way to the arena immediately or risk disqualification! I repeat-

You break away with a breath and Leona looks irritated as his ears twitch in annoyance. "Damn committee, can't they wait a couple more minutes?"

A laugh erupts out of you push against him escaping towards the arena, "We can continue later 'me'! Back at NRC when you win."

It's a little comedic to see a lion soaking in the rain by himself. You don't even hear him call anything back not that you needed that.

Words are useless in front of actions.

[spacesapphic770]

I'm high key obsessed with the ways Armored Core 6 gives us multiple characters that are a mirrors to 621 and/or you as a player

What follows will be spoilers that include stuff all the way up to the New Game++ ending. Don't click if you're not okay with spoilers:

There are a couple that immediately jumped out to me.

The first is V.I Freud. The first sign you get that he is a mirror to the player is that he is ranked number 1 in the arena, and his bio says people speculate that he is heavily augmented and gets unethical "updates" like snail does. But the truth is that he's not augmented and he's just someone who really fucking loves being an AC pilot. Like us as players, he's just here for the love of the experience. This is further displayed by the fact that even though he is technically commander of the Vespers, he's absent from the story until it's time to fight him. Because he has no interest in doing what Snail does, engaging in logistics and command and subterfuge. He just wants to pilot his mech. And then you finally meet him in the Fires of Raven ending... and his first action is to kill Chatty and complain about the lack of challenge. And you get this chilling mirror into what your devastation across Rubicon has been like. Every AC pilot you've taken on was loved by someone. The way Carla loved Chatty (the way I loved Chatty too). And the rest of the fight is filled with great moments, like Freud silencing Snail on the radio and him revelling in your fight... but the tone has been irreversibly changed by his cold blooded killing of Chatty. To Freud, I'm sure Chatty felt like just another side objective or Loghunt. Freud's fight is an amazing way to make the player reflect in my opinion.

THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO AVOID NG++ SPOILERS

The next one is more of a reflection to 621 in world than the player. Gun 5 Iguazu. I loved this dude and his shitty attitude from the moment I met him. He was such a perfect dickhead. Just a sassy dude. And then you read his arena bio and you realise he sasses you because he gets shit from the other redguns all the time and is scraping for any control in his life. It doesn't make him less of an ass, but you get it on some level.

Then the NG+ missions start happening, and you keep having these fights with Iguazu. It's almost funny how mad he gets and how relentless he is in trying to kill you. And he might take you down once or twice, but you can reload saves and he can't so he's doomed to fail. And he just gets angrier. He even sends a full on assassin to kill you, just to feel in control. In another world the game would be about Iguazu trying to finally beat his rival 621.

He gets more and more desperate. As you take the Coral Release ending he shows up when you ambush Snail, and he's more desparate. A few times he's mentioned a noise in his head he can't get rid of. It's a little unsettling. You continue down the path, get to the final boss, and... it's Iguazu. Sort of. He's joined with Allmind and is serving as its pilot to take you down. It's funny at first, at least I found it so. "No way! Iguazu is the final boss? Hilarious!"

Then you hear his dialogue. I had forgotten by this point that his arena bio says he's also a gen 4 augmented human. And it clicks.

In another world he really *could* have been the protagonist. He's a gen 4 like you. That noise he's been hearing? It was Allmind (And in the same way Iguazu is your reflection, Allmind is Ayre's reflection. Listen to the way Allmind talks to Iguazu. It's more manipulative than Ayre, but when Iguazu overloads your ACS Allmind tells him to take advantage of it the same way Ayre tells you to take advantage when Iguazu's ACS is overloaded). He wants to have the agency 621 has, he wants to have the skills 621 has, when he hears voices he doesn't want it to be painful... he wants a friend like 621 has. Walter says gen 4's can have trouble with their augmentations and we don't really see that with 621, but I get the impression Iguazu DOES struggle and he looks at 621 and says "Why? Why do they get to be free while I suffer?" Which becomes even more painful when you pick a fight with him at the Galia Dam.

As he says with his dying breath... he was envious of 621. And if you're anything like me it makes you reflect on things. Look into the mirror that Iguazu is and was. Think about the life 621 might have led if they weren't the chosen one who gets to be player character. This is not to say 621 does not suffer throughout AC6, because they are often treated like an object, a tool, or an animal. But it does make you think about how things would be if they weren't such a good pilot.

Anyway, yeah AC6 is good.

[tunnelsnacks]

A longish list of Fo4 mods that hopefully won't break your game if you're playing on Next Gen (This list is very much catered to my specific play style and my love of the Minutemen and the Railroad, BOS look elsewhere)

I'll add more or edit this list when I find other mods that I like which play nice or if one's on here are incompatible

The Technical Ones:

Extended Dialogue Interface You'll need F4SE For this one though I'm pretty sure you need it for quite a few. The extended dialogue interface does what it says on the tin and removes the short four options you have for responses and gives you exactly what your sole survivor is going to be saying so you don't end up being incredibly racist towards Nick when the option says 'sarcastic'.

HUDFramework is a UI framework that makes it possible for mods to add new UI elements to the HUD (I say don't worry about this one until it's in a requirement for mods you're getting)

Cheat Terminal Yes, yes I know how some people feel about this kind of mod. I've been playing fallout 4 for like 10 years, I don't have fun scouring every corner of Boston's armpit looking for clipboards. This is a holotape cheat menu that lets you add anything in the game to your inventory, SPECIAL points and other bits. It also lets you teleport companions to your location if they get stuck in an elevator, fix some faction quest if they get broken. This one is great for me because in my little make believe world I have my soul survivor is either a Courser or the Kellogg guinea pig and there's options to make you a little more deadly

Workshop Framework For Players: New controls and faster, more stable workshop scripts. For Modders: Add new resource types, override settings, and generally change the way settlements work dynamically. You'll need this bad boy for a few of the mods on this list They'll be in the requirements for them on nexus

Fallout Priority Next-Gen - CPU Performance FPS Optimizer Does what it says on the tin and stops me from ripping my hair out. Improves performance by elevating the CPU Priority of the game process and minimizes input lags and prevents stutters caused by other processes.

Workshop Menu Missing Tabs Fix Sometimes your workshop tabs will just disappear which is really really annoying. This fixes that with a holotape

The Immersion/Gameplay Ones:

Realistic Death Physics - No Animations decreases the amount of force of both melee and ranged attacks (especially crits) to more realistic levels

Lowered Weapons I hate how your character is always pointing their gun foward 100% of the time in first person, this has your character relax their hold on their gun when not firing it

Improved Maps and Visible Roads A much better high contrast world map with roads, topography, and waterline all clearly visible. Optional number grid and regions

Reverb and Ambiance Overhaul Increases the diversity and dynamics of in-game sound, Great on the ears if you're playing with headphones. My one problem with it though is that it's a little too loud for me and the settings keep resetting every time I boot up the game, but that can be fixed by going into your sound settings, and it takes less than 5 seconds

Enhanced Blood Textures Mixed blood look a little more like well... blood

Vivid Fallout all-in-one In many cases they sharpened the games original textures somewhat, made new normal maps and enhanced shadowing.It looks really good and the textures are less V-Ram heavy than the original ones

Skip Kellogg's Memories I hate that Bethesda felt the need to try to make me sympathetic towards that man, and so I skip his memories all together. Wouldn't recommend for a first play through

Raiders Nonaggressive Raiders are now name "Wastelander" and they are no longer immediately hostile. If the player gets to close the Wastlander will warn you, if you continue to get close the Wastelander will draw a weapon, if you continue to move forward from there they will then attack

Gunners Overhaul makes the Gunners friendly to the player at the start of the game. It also makes all containers and useful items in Gunner areas belong to the Gunner faction, which means you have to steal it from them.  It basically makes them the mercenary/militia faction they're implied to be

Extremely Long Lasting Stealth Boy There is different scales for the length but I do the one that extends it to 1 minute

Pip-Boy Flashlight This one is one of my personal favorites, it overhauls the flashlight on your pip-boy as well as on power armour making it look more like an actual flashlight and like the light is coming from your pip-boy. You can customise what kind of light it is too and some of the options are really cool

Settler and Companion Dialogue Overhaul reduces or eliminates repetitive companion dialogue and adds new situation-appropriate dialogue for companions. They'll have more to say and seem more aware of their surroundings. Settlers are aware of your quest progression, and while they still occasionally complain about "my back hurts, my feet hurt…", they display increased awareness of the dangers lurking in the Commonwealth, expressing gratitude for the protection you've provided them

Better Third Rail this one makes the 3rd rail a little more lively in a lore friendly way

Combat zone restored-restored brings back the cut content that made the combat zone more than just another dungeon

Friendly East City Downs restores the content where this isn't just another dungeon

Fiddler's deliver animation retexture ooooh my god I'm obsessed with this one it makes the loading animations for unarguably the best gun in the game beautiful. And if you're wearing your wedding rings still you can see it in the animation and it makes my heart hurt each time

Natural expression fix helps make the expressions the player and emphasis have a little more...normal

Project reality footsteps changes almost all footstep sounds into more realistic ones. Including subtle gear and backpack rattle

Commonwealth encounter adds almost 300 new encounters to the game

The Faction/Companion Ones:

Afiinity Gains This changes the rate of how you gain affinity with companions. I choose the one that halves it because of the way I play, I get deacon's conversations a lot sooner than I feel is in character for him

Companions Infinite Ammo Gives the vanilla companions infinite ammo for all weapons, just like settlers. As long as they have 1 round in inventory they can fire indefinitely

Companions Stealth Distance Companions can sneak is the one I got before this but it's no longer compatible. It prevents your companion from charging up your booty at full speed whenever you enter stealth. Also slightly increases their follow distance. Now also prevents Dogmeat from entering player crosshairs every damn time you stop

Immersive Dogmeat Makes him a little more sneaky and a little more deadly. He'll wait for you to attack before doing anything for the most part. It also removes his level cap

Everyone's Best Friend Speaking of dog meat, this mod let's you take him with you and a companion at your choice like how it was originally intended before the game was launched

Preston Garvey No Radiant Settlement Quests Until you take the Castle, Preston will give you the quests as normal. After you have control of the castle and the radio powered up again, he'll stop giving you new quests every time you speak with him. Now to receive further quests you simply tune into the Minutemen radio station and will receive the alerts from there.

Deacon outfit change change stop deacon from changing clothes every three seconds. This one's for my own little game play reasons where he gets to a point where he feels like he no longer needs to change his clothes every 5 seconds when he's with Wanderer

Improved Railroad Overhauls the Railroad faction (in a lore friendly way) to more closely resemble the Underground Railroad and put them on the same level relative to the other major factions

Cleaner Railroad HQ Environment This is when I instal a little bit after joining the railroad, it gets rid of all of the trash and random bricks scattered throughout HQ

Railroad redone is an overhaul of HQ Even though the Railroad is a struggling faction in the commonwealth at the start of the game, I still feel that their base of operations in vanilla fallout 4 is extremely underwhelming. This mod fixes that by changing the physical environment. There's now personalized spaces for iconic characters like Desdemona, tinker-tom, deacon and others. The Player character also has their own quarters with a private terminal, bed, and power-armor station. It cleans up all trash -and some bricks and re-navmeshed the cell. And there's a pathway across the waters in the escape tunnel

More railroad exits adds a small little dungeon and two more exits into the inner city through the escape tunnel

Diverse railroad adds new faces to the unnamed NPC associated with the railroad

Railroad redemption This adds more bits to for the railroad associated with settlements, and allure friendly way it makes the railroad feel bigger and outside the scope of just the player

Railroad perks All of the quest reward perks for Railroad quests were cut before the game was released. This mod enables them at the appropriate times in doing Railroad Quests through a scavenger hunt style "quest"

You and what army Have you ever felt like the minutemen were a bit lacking? Perhaps the settlement system feels tedious, extra, or simply lacks real progression for you. Maybe even wondered why the minutemen seem less relevant the more you play? This mod aims to fix that, using your settlements as a base to expand the Minutemen and improve their ability to help the commonwealth. No longer will everything be entirely on the shoulders of one general. I love this one because in my head Preston and I are co-generals

We are the Minutemen The Minutemen are supposed to be the best alternative for rebuilding the Commonwealth because : More settlements = More resources = Better materials = Better fire power and a larger presence in all the Commonwealth. But currently this is not the case, this mod attempts to fix that

We are the men an alias framework gives the Minutemen ranks and lets you find out their names using the Alias Framework.

The Pretty Ones:

Forest Transforms the Commonwealth into a dense and overgrown forest landscape without disabling precombines. It's my favorite nature overhaul. Tree Trim is a 2024 patch for it that improves tree placement and compatibility (but you can open console commands and type 'disable' after selecting one if there's a tree in a place where a tree shouldn't be)

Animated Traffic Lights This makes the traffic lights thought the Commonwealth work again which I think is fun and goes nicely visually wise with the next one on my list

Lighting Series - All In One lights up red rockets, Starlight and other diners neon, bus stops adds, and illuminates billboards in the Commonwealth

Lightweight Lighting The lighting overhaul lighting mod I use, there are others out there higher on the endorsement list, but this is the best I've found for not tanking my fps while still looking fantastic

Interiors Enhanced - Darker Ambient Light and Fog Ambient light power and fog brightness inside all interiors reduced by 60%, without touching any directional light sources whatsoever, keeping lighting 100% true to vanilla except for those dark corners and unlit areas. Subways are actually dark and scary! Not just a filter, actual light data has been altered. 10/10 my fav lighting mod

Enhanced Lights and FX creates more atmospheric and realistic lighting. It overhauls the lights, effects, ambient light and creates a new mood for interiors. If you get a weird teal light at some locations it might be because of this mod

Darker Nights The lighting ones above look really cool with this. I have the lower setting that doesn't make the nights longer but adds just a little more night

The Flora and Fauna Ones:

Glowing Animals Emit Light Makes glowing animal variants emit light, scaled to their size

Fireflies This adds fireflies at night. It gets a little heavy at the start for my taste but there's a holotape that can tweak the settings

Wildlife overhaul less aggressive creatures and companions This mod makes prey cautious but still scared - also stops companions from hunting them down without cause. Additionally randomizes the animals height slightly, and adjusts some stats. Adds aggression radius to most creatures and robots

Squirrels of the Commonwealth there's squirrels now :)

Mutant Menagerie is a real fun one with all new creatures gathered from a wealth of public access sources. These new, lore-friendly creatures come with unique drops and hand-placed spawns. This mod also adds in dozens of dynamic spawns for new, vanilla, and DLC creatures alike! I'm not going to tell you what it's using as a shell but there's a giant hermit crap and the first time I saw one I was genuinely afraid

More Radstags adds more radstags

Commonwealth Chickens and Rabbits adds, you guessed it! Chickens and rabbits

Commonwealth wilderness overhaul adds a ton of hand placed scenes, objects and creatures across the entire commonwealth wilderness

DECAY makes feral ghouls terrifying

The Player and NPC Ones:

Rusty face fix so there's this bug right? Bug changes the colour of your characters and NPC faces and it's really annoying. This mod fixes that

Classic Ghouls Redux Every Ghoul in the vanilla game gets a Fallout 3/NV ghoul look. It gives them that gruesome falling apart look like the older games

FCO - HD Eyes My fav eye mod that just enhances the vanilla eyes. There's the eyes of beauty but I feel like that mod is too over the top and the eyes, while beautiful, don't fit the game

Ponytail Hairstyles This is the hair mod I think fits best with the vanilla textures, also 13 is my favorite

Lore-Friendly Maxson I don't even see his stupid face in my games, I just need to know that he actually looks like a 23 year old before I blow up his stupid blimp. But seriously, there's something more heavy about knowing that you're destroying a ship whose captain is someone who is so so young

Magnolia is not a cartoon makes Magnolia look a little bit more like the fantastic Linda Carter who is her voice actor. Hi Linda!

Shawn goes to bed this one's a spoiler so don't click on it unless you know what happens at the end of the main quest but now your son goes to bed at night

Eli's Armor Compendium Adds a bunch of new lore friendly armors and outfits to the game

Wasteland fashion also adds a bunch of more friendly outfits and armors

Black Metal pip-boy Makes the pip-boys in game black

Player comments and head tracking makes your character speak other then just in dialog scenes. Includes combat taunts, player hello's, responses to NPC's and much, much more including player head tracking

The Settlement Ones:

Transfer Settlement Blueprints This mod is currently not working if you're playing with the next gen. The author's most recent update on the 5th of June says that their hard work's paying off, and they're getting to a point where they're testing the mechanics of it. Basically this mod lets you download other people's settlements that they've made and posted on Nexus to have them be in your game and vice versa. Since this mod is currently out of commission, I won't include any transfer settlement mods in this list but Fiddleflaps has the best one's in my opinion

IDEK's Logistics Station 2 Adds a system to automatically manage supply lines, improve the efficiency of inter-settlement resource sharing, and adds a handful of minor convenience features.

Place Everywhere My beloved, makes building where you want them a lot easier

Scrap Everything And in game version of a console command disable that lets you delete things while you're in build mode. Be very careful with this 'cause if you delete a part of Sanctuary's road I'm not responsible for the 30 minutes you had to reload to

Icebreaker Settlements 400+ new carefully selected lines of settler dialogue to reduce the repetitive sound of the 168 original. All lines in the original actors' voices. Intended to blend in very naturally with the default lines. Settler dialogue lines that insulted the player character were also tweaked

Graygarden Planters Unlocks the ability to craft the planters at Graygarden after you clear the water purifying plant and talk to Supervisor White. Each planter yields the same amount of plants that are visible in the planter

Proper trading stores and animation Changes how trading stand look and settler animations to be the same as the crafting workbenches So now, an armor-smith who sells your armor would be seen like he actually made the armor

Settlers Go Shopping Your stores in your settlement are no longer empty and silent. Settlers occasionally go shopping and start different randomized conversations with the vendors. Or maybe just the vendors asks them about buying something. Invisible Shopping Marker version is available too

Dino's Decorations Gives you the option to craft static clutter, makes settlements feel more lived in

Sanctuary Hills Overhaul is my favorite Sanctuary mod and the one I used for like 7 years straight . It makes it so there were a few plane crashes near sanctuary and previous settlers used the bits of those planes to build walls and homes

Rickety restored Sanctuary bridge fixes the bridge in Sanctuary but in a lore friendly way

Anom's Sanctuary Hills Overhaul makes the houses there somewhere to the ones and the rest of the commonwealth instead of 'houses of the future' It also adds a community centre and a hotel in a lore friendly way

Starlight bus barricade is an overhaul of Starlight Drive, it's very fun but very big

CVC Dead Wasteland Workshop adds 1000s of unique, lore friendly items to build in your settlements and I love it, The candles and other lighting they have or an excellent touch for low/no power settlements

Settlement supplies expanded is another workshop expansion , this one adds about 400 things

[kanonavi]

Something that will never cease to rot my brain is just how brilliantly mhy have developed Xiao's character over the past three years. I'm lucky enough to have started playing Genshin before he was added to the game (which does of course mean newer players have probably had a different experience of him, I'll get into that later) so I've been there for every single moment that Xiao appeared and it's always so amazing to me just how much effort has been put into him. (Long rant and Mild Spoilers for the Poetry Gala Event below lol)

Xiao in the Archon quest and in 1.3 (both in his character quest and 1.3 Lantern Rite) compared to Xiao in the most recent event is truly like night and day, and what's most impressive about that is that how he acts in the poetry event feels completely true to his character. Xiao has earned this gentleness over the past three years, as the traveler but also the other people he's met have urged him to open up and interact with others more often.

This really couldn't have been achieved without mhy taking advantage of every scrap of screen time Xiao has gotten. They absolutely have favorites and Xiao is for sure one of them. I'll use Moonchase as a comparison to the Poetry Gala. Back then we saw Xiao on screen for maybe 5 minutes at most, appearing because the traveler called him, tasting Xiangling's dish and giving her a compliment (at least for his standards for giving compliments) and then disappearing. But now we see him at the poetry event being invited to join by Venti and Hu Tao (and him not outright refusing!!), and then staying to socialize with Chongyun's group when everyone (not just the traveler) asks him to.

3.4 Lantern Rite and the Poetry Gala have felt like the biggest steps due to the fact that we see Xiao actively participating in activities of his own volition. Most of his appearances before 3.4 (and even after, counting Baizhu's quest) are dictated by about 2.5 factors. The first is his duty: protecting Liyue from evil, more specifically keeping its people safe from these evils. The second is being called by the traveler, an act which I would consider a symbol of their friendship later on, but in the beginning and probably still in a lingering capacity now I think can be attributed to a sense of debt towards them. They helped save Liyue in a time of crisis, after having no obligation to do so, and someone like Xiao who takes his duties in protecting Liyue so seriously would absolutely feel like he owes a complete outsider like the traveler a debt after they kinda did his job for him. So much of Xiao's character is about debts, after all. That even ties into the 2.5th reason, where he would probably feel some obligation to appear at Lantern Rite because Zhongli would be there, though it's unclear if Hu Tao mentioned he would be so it might not even count in that case.

Now we see Xiao participating in events on the invitation of Hu Tao and Venti who are seeking him out because they see him as a friend. We see him taking not only the traveler's feelings into account when asked to participate, but also Chongyun and Diona's. It's such a far cry from his "I don't associate with mortals" attitude that we saw back in 2021.

That barely even touches the shift we've seen in his demeanor either. Back in 2021, Xiao always spoke very curtly and in as few words as possible, always seeming displeased any time he had to hold a conversation, but now he's loosened up so much that the difference is honestly staggering. It even shows through in his birthday letters from 2021 vs. 2023 (And even here we see him going out of his way to socialize of his own volition, so proud of him!):

I've gone back and forth between EN and CN voiceovers in the past year, so some of Xiao's appearances I've only experienced in CN, but hearing him in the Poetry Gala event in EN I can only give his voice actress a thousand kudos for how amazing her performance is. Xiao's voice has softened with time, and it's such a small detail, but I honestly think that it's what hammers his growth home more than anything else for me. He's not only willing to have full conversations with people he's less familiar with now, but he also doesn't feel the need to speak as harshly to them either, and that's really amazing to hear play out in the game.

Xiao's voicelines are so fascinating to me for that very reason, because they act as a time capsule for how he was back in 2021, and that's just not what he sounds like anymore. Obviously, voice actors' performances of their characters will shift with time but Xiao is the only character for which I can say that his demeanor really has just changed with time. Of course, I think that in some cases this does actually make sense, namely if a newer player pulls Xiao and has only gotten to experience the Archon Quest and maybe his Character Quest. In that case, all of the time that has passed simply doesn't exist. But at the same time I can only imagine how funny it would be for a long-time player who simply never pulled Xiao for one reason or another to pull him and listen to his lines and hear his older, edgier self lol

Though on that note I do also need to point out the biggest downside of all of this, and what is perhaps my greatest sadness about Xiao's character development, which is that new Genshin players simply won't have the chance to experience it. There are many characters who get the short end of the stick with the nature of Genshin's serialized storytelling and limited-time events (Albedo, Kazuha, and a plethora of 4 stars who don't get featured much, just to name a few), but I think Xiao's actually saddens me the most, because I believe the time that has passed is the greatest strength when it comes to this development. People will get to see his arc from the Archon Quest to Perilous Trail (and thank god they preserved Perilous Trail as an Interlude), but even that is still a shadow of Xiao's actual progression over the years.

These days, newer Genshin players may have only seen Xiao in the Liyue Archon Quest before playing the Poetry Gala event (unless Perilous Trail is a prereq, which I don't know off the top of my head), and I can't even imagine how jarring it would be to see how he acts there and then immediately see him in this event. The way that time works in this case would probably just make it seem like mhy doesn't know what they're doing with Xiao when in reality three years of development have been compressed into a matter of weeks. Knowing that, I'm grateful to have been able to experience his story in its truest form, but it also cannot go unacknowledged that some aspects of Genshin's story have a shorter shelf life than others. It's a major problem with the game, from some perspectives, but at the same time it's just a consequence of how it's being developed.

Anyway, I just needed to gush after seeing Xiao absolutely steal the show in part 2 of the quest with his quiet participation and little smile (crying). He's so good and I love him so much, and it's so nice to see what they've done with him after he finally got some semblance of closure after Perilous Trail <3

[astral--horrorshow]

Around-The-Clock Shadows

Platonic Yandere ROTTMNT x Reader

Info: This will be a full-length fic including multiple ROTTMNT characters, the main storyline revolves around the Mad Dogs

Fic Summary: You sure are likeable, aren't you?

《Previous Chapter》

Chapter 3: A Room With No View

Characters: Raph, Leo, Donnie, Mikey

A/N: I'm so so so sorry for the wait!! I had a nasty case of writers block for a while!! I'm going to try to upload every thursday, but that might change if the series continues into the school year.

If you want to be added to a taglist, just say the word! If you want to draw fanart or make anything based off of this, I would be literally honored. Please don't be shy, I will love whatever you make! If you have any questions about the fic, feel free to ask!

TW: Kidnapping, toxic relationships, reader gets hit with a tranq

I do not condone any of the behaviors found or done in this fic. This story is purely for entertainment purposes. If you or someone you know is being treated like this, please contact the authorities.

Chapter Summary: The brothers finally take you home

Word Count: 1400

☆~☆~☆

Your sock-footed shuffled across the carpet in your hallway, and into the bathroom. As you scrubbed your teeth free of any plaque that had built up over the day, your thoughts wandered to your favorite jacket and the Purple Dragons. Your jacket had been ruined, somehow. It had juice all over it! You didn't even know how it happened, and now it was runied! Even when you had ran it through the wash for the gajillionth time! You huffed sadly, forcing your thoughts to turn to your friends. They were acting weird. Kendra had been even more snappish and irratable, and she took it all out on Jase, who seemed relieved about something, but you couldn't fathom what.

Putting your toothbrush back in the mug on the sink, you started to head towards your bedroom when you heard footsteps. They were gradually growing louder, though you couldn't feel them.

The footsteps stopped.

You clenched your eyes shut, hoping that whoever it was would go away.

Then suddenly, a voice broke the uncomfortable quiet.

"Should I try to hide

The way I feel inside

My heart

For you?"

You opened your eyes again, recognizing the sound of the record player. You laughed at yourself as you went to turn it off. You should've remembered that the song opened up with footsteps. You finally headed to bed, relieved. You, ignoring how the record player was even turned on in the first place, assured yourself that you were in your own home, and you were perfectly safe.

Oh, how wrong you were.

When you were walking back to your bedroom, you felt a sharp pain in your neck. It was sudden, and before you had even been able to reach up and see what it was, you fell unconscious, your face plummeting towards the floor. Leo knocked Mikey out of the way and ducked under Raph’s arm to catch you, scooping you up before you could even hit the ground. He supported your back and the underside of your knees with his arms, pulling you close to his chest and spinning around. When his spin turned him towards his brothers, they were glaring at him, clearly irretated at his antics.

Leo merely grinned in response to their narrowed eyes and crossed arms, simply strolling past them towards the front door. His brothers shook off their annoyance, and excitement and relief bubbled in them as they walked out the door and shut it behind them, marking the last time you would ever see your home again.

☆~☆~☆

You felt terrible.

That is, your body felt terrible. Your mouth was dry and you could feel the bitter taste of the air on your tongue. Your entire being felt rusty, slow, wrapped in cotton and unable to move or produce a single coherent thought other than, “I feel terrible”.

You felt weak, and your bones ached like you were 100 years old. You opened your eyes to be greeted with a dark gray ceiling in a dimly lit room. Though it was extremely difficult, you pulled yourself upright, observing the place you were in. You were in a large bed with tons of stuffed animals, pillows, and blankets adorning it, in an odd bedroom. It looked like somebody furnished an underground bunker, because the walls were made of dark gray stone, and there wasn’t a window in sight. Turning your gaze to the bedside, you silently gasped and threw your hand to your mouth, which made a loud slap echo throughout the room. The creature that made you react the way you did was a sort of humanoid turtle wearing a bright orange bandana around his head. He looked up from his sketchbook, and his gaze locked on you.

Not for long, though, as his eyes lit up and he squealed in what you could only recognize as euphoria as he dropped the sketchbook and pencil he was using to the ground launched forwards at you, capturing you in an embrace that left your ribs aching and your lungs desperate for oxygen.

You panicked internally, who was this? What was he? What were you even doing there? Questions, panic, and fear mixed into a cocktail of emotions in your head, it was all too overwhelming for you. When he finally released his grip on you, he brought his three-fingered hands to your cheeks, and began to pinch and squeeze them like he was a grandmother doting on her grandchildren.

“You’re finally awake!”

You jumped at the sudden sound of his voice, and you tried to pull away from his blue-green hands. To no avail, however, as he had an iron grip and you had a weakened body. “Where am I?” You asked him, voice scratchy from dehydration. “Oh, you poor thing,” he cooed, “Have a drink!” He grabbed a water bottle from the bedside table, and when you tried to reach out and grab it, he held it away from you. “Let me do that!” He cheerfully said, screwing the cap open and finally letting you hold it, although he kept his hands extremely close, as if afraid you might drop it. Feeling the cold, sweet water slide down your dry throat was akin to drinking nectar from the heavens. You tried to drink the entire bottle in one go, but the creature once again pulled the bottle away. “Don’t drink too fast, you’ll drown!”

Feeling much better, you asked your question again. “Where am I?” He gazed at you for a moment, before snapping back into his cheerful demeanor. “Oh, I have to call the rest of your new brothers! They’ll be so thrilled!” Before you could even wonder who the “rest of your new brothers” were, he opened the door, which you leaned forwards to try and see out of, and yelled down the hallway, his voice echoing, "HEY, GUYS, THEY'RE AWAKE!" You jumped yet again at his sudden yell, not knowing his voice could be that loud. Footsteps thundered down the hall from both directions, all sounding different. Three more of the creatures burst through the doorway, all of them different in many ways, but you could tell that they were all turtles. The giant one in a red mask held out his arms and approached slowly, like you were a small animal he was attempting to pick up.

"Hi, little buddy," he softly said, creeping ever closer. You instinctively backed up as far as you could go, frightened and confused. "What's wrong?" He asked, his arms lowering and his head tilting to the side. He actually looked confused about your discomfort.

You swallowed harshly, your widened eyes looking up at the turtles fearfully.

"I-" But before you could even get your sentence out, the one in purple spoke for you. "They're obviously confused, Raph," He said, putting a hand on his hip and frowning dissaprovingly at him. "I thought we all agreed that we were going to introduce ourselves first,"

"Raph was getting to that!" He said, his energy in the sentence leagues different than the soft demeanor he had just seconds earlier. He stood upright and cleared his throat, his head now turned away from the purple guy. He faced you again, a sweet smile on his face. "My name is Raph, little bud. These all are all of your new brothers," He said, gesturing around, "I'm the oldest!" He exaclaimed cheerfully, pointing his thumb to his chest and being the second to not elaborate on the "new brothers" part. The purple one stepped forwards, about to introduce himself, but the one in blue shoved him to the side and stepped directly in front of you. "I'm Leo, and I'm only just about the greatest ninja around these parts!" He boasted, also pointing a thumb to his chest.

"Yeah, okay, 'Nardo," the purple one said, shoving Leo in return. "Ahem. I am Donatello," it was all he had to say, and he looked down at you, as if he was studying you or something. "And I'm Mikey!" The orange one chimed in, raising an arm in the air. Once he was done speaking, they all looked down at you with something sinister in their eyes. "Okay..." You spoke with hesitation, "...Where am I?"

They all stared at you, and you froze. There was something more than sinisterness in their eyes. Raph spoke up.

"You're home, of course!"

☆~☆~☆

A/N: I'm sorry ya'll I originally tried to delete the part where Donnie is called a purple guy but i couldn't make myself. Also, chapters are probably gonna get a little longer from this point onwards!

Taglist <3: @yanteetle @ssak-i @oleander-nin @averagerottmntsimp @katswritingcorner

[black-ish-bird]

"When you're hungry, and you eat a small mouthful of something...it makes you even hungrier." - Osamu Miya

I finally watched the Dumpster Battle and I have so many feelings but Osamu really summed it up.

(spoilers alert)

Beyond the joy of watching an amazing Haikyu match after so long (sooo long 😩), I couldn't help but feel a strong yearning for more after the movie ended. Hq always makes me feel hungry... So it makes sense in a way that I ended up wanting more. But this time, it's different. It's intentional.

Kenma as a protagonist was an interesting choice made by the creators and I have mixed feelings about it. For one, I adore Kenma and I enjoyed seeing his backstory, his friendship with Kuroo, his strategy and feelings about Hinata, everything that gave an insight on him was fascinating to watch. I especially liked his pov shot and his pain of caging Shoyou, of feeling miserable at the inevitable end of everything he enjoys. I think that resonated the most with me. I feel the same about Haikyu ending slowly. (It has ended but you get it, right?)

On the other hand, it felt really limiting. The pacing of the movie was too fast, everything happened at 2x speed, there was no time to process the match at all. It's a bit ironic since in the last match with Inarizaki, that's literally the cause of their downfall.

Was it fast because that's how Kenma experienced it? Or was it because 1 hour 25 minutes was not enough to show everything? [It's not enough ik. This movie could easily have been a season with at least 10 episodes. :(( But I'm grateful for the movie, nonetheless.<3]

We don't see much character interaction, Karasuno's strategy, the coaches and how the players are feeling, what they're thinking, audience or really much of anyone tbh. As someone who especially enjoys these low moments in Haikyu, the ones that makes it distinct from other sports anime, I felt that the movie underdelivered in that camaraderie.

In art, it's often said to keep the specular light to minimal. That's the only way for it to be noticeable. Like in studio ghibli movies, the deliberate slowness makes the action that much more impactful. The light stands out!

The entire match was fantastic to the point that everything blended together and nothing stood out too much. I felt a strange dissonance throughout the movie, hoping for a big moment as is typical of hq matches, and not finding any.

Again, is that because Kenma didn't focus on that or is it the pacing and the time restraint?

There were so many things that I loved about it though. Animation, camera angles, OST, voice acting, and sound effects really made it seem like you were playing with the characters. It's a big shift from the almost omniscient perspective we get of looking in to the match and into the player interactions and mindset. It was exciting for sure, I couldn't take my eyes off the screen (literally because you'd miss something if you do... It's that fast). Hinata's frustration and pain, his silence, reflection and conclusion, and Kageyama stepping up to open up a path for him... I just wanted to give them a hug.

With Kenma and Hinata so lost in the moment and not realising the match ending, it came as a surprise to the viewer too when it did. I think it was genius, we ended up feeling exactly how they did. But it also felt anticlimactic. Which again is what they intended.

The match was great, a small mouthful of the characters and their friendship. I feel hungrier now...

The Party is over. But I'll be reliving it again and again. ❤️

[nczennie]

be my baby.

Final Part of She's Like the Wind

Pairing: Reader x Stray Kid’s Lee Know AU: Summer love, based on the film Dirty Dancing Genre: Smut, Angst, Fluff (18+ only) Preview: "I'm scared of my future, I'm scared that I've been lying to my parents,". Reaching just a foot away from him, you look up at him, "But most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room, of leaving this summer and never feeling my whole life, the way that I feel when I'm with you". Words: 10.1k *Warnings under cut

Warnings: Cursing, mentions of food, mentions of drug use and their effects, mentions of past overdose/death (not main character), smut scene (oral fem. receiving, unprotected penetrative sex)

It’s only a couple of hours later that you find yourself sneaking out the door of your room once again.

Once your dad made sure you were in the room you shared with your sister, he went next door to the one he shared with your mom. You waited until you felt it was long enough, taking off your makeup and changing into comfier clothes before sitting on your bed for a while in case he did come back in to check on you.

Taking the time in silence to think, you can't help but look back at your relationship with Minho. From his cold glares, teaching you to dance, to kissing, when he called you beautiful... It couldn't have been nothing could it? You refuse to believe that no matter how you started, that along the way he didn't feel anything for you even if it was just a fraction of what you felt for him.

Finally having enough of your thoughts, you walk as quickly as you can across the quiet resort, only the sounds of crickets in the grass under the moonlight keep you company. Making your way to your destination, you take a deep breath before knocking firmly on the door. 

Minho opens the door shirtless, moving the shirt he held in his hands over his chest slightly to try to cover himself once he sees it's you. Clearly flustered, he lets you in without a word either way. He closes the door behind you before turning to busy himself tidying the small room he called home. You stare at his bare back, all this time you've spent touching it with dancing and learning the routine but you had never seen his muscles without a shirt. He clears his throat to speak up though he doesn’t turn to look at you, “Sorry about the mess. I know it’s not as nice as the room you must be staying in”. Your eyebrows furrow as you step closer to him, his back still the only thing in your view, “No, it’s perfect”. 

A silence lulls between you both, only the soft music from his record player filling the space. You swallow nervously, “I’m really sorry Minho, about my father. About how he acted towards you”. The boy finally turns around, shaking his head at you, “No, he was amazing, helping Momo like that. I can’t thank you enough for bringing him out”. You open and close your mouth with a sigh, “No, it really wasn’t right to judge you like that, like you were the one at fault”. His mouth quirks at the edge for a split second, “Was he wrong though? Look, I can’t thank you enough for helping me, helping us, but you can’t be blind to the crowd of people we are. We’re not the people you usually surround yourself with, and maybe even it’s better if you don’t, your father knows that for sure”.

Suddenly feeling furious you clench your jaw to stop yourself from speaking irrationally, “Are you serious? Do you really think I’m the type of person to judge others based on miniscule actions like that? That I walk around thinking I’m better than everyone else because of how I grew up?” Minho gulps and averts his gaze as he notices the tears forming in your eyes, but you can’t control your emotion. You can’t believe after all this time he still thought of you as some sort of stuck-up princess. 

Gaze, still averted, he speaks again, “I know you’re better than me,” he mumbles your name and before you can argue with him he continues his speech. “You're kind, you're always smiling like you still see the good in the world, cause you do. You-you got your whole life figured out, going to university and shit and not stuck working at some shithole hotel where you're looked down upon by everyone just because you don't have enough money!" His voice grows louder as he continues his rant, booming over the music in the room, throwing the shirt he was holding in his hands to the floor in frustration.

"That's not true! Minho I-" you raise your voice but he doesn't let you finish, continuing where he left off.

"And you're so brave," he says your name, "You're so brave helping us out like you have, some strangers who you rude to you, who judged you. Not once did you judge us, but gave us your time and money."

"I'm not brave," you finally get out, "I'm scared Minho".

Finally turning to look at you, he looks confused as if he couldn't understand what you could be scared of. "I'm scared," you state again taking tiny steps towards him, "I'm scared of my future, I'm scared that I've been lying to my parents,". Reaching just a foot away from him, you look up at him, "But most of all I'm scared of walking out of this room, of leaving this summer and never feeling my whole life, the way that I feel when I'm with you".

Your bottom lip trembles at your confession, at the silence that follows. It's so quiet you can hear the skip of the record, changing to play a new song.

Swallowing you decide you can't take the silence anymore, "Dance with me". You see his adam's apple bob as he swallows, before his hands make their way up to grab at your hips, pulling you flush against him. Your breath hitches but you quickly recover, moving your hands along his arms up to his bare shoulders. He takes the lead, much like the fateful night where he first taught you to dance. Now as you both move to the music, there is no intricate ballroom moves, just the sensual movement of your hips against each other, his breath fanning into your neck as you pull him closer to you.

Alone with him in his room, there is no longer the pressure of being able to dance as well as those around you. Instead you lose yourself in the music, lose yourself in Minho. The rhythm seems easy to follow, not trying to impress him but instead doing what feels right. You remove your hands from his shoulders, moving them up your neck and above your head as he dips you backwards, hips still moving against yours. Your mouth falls open with a small gasp as you feel him place a kiss on your chest where your tank top reveals your skin.

He continues to run his lips along your skin, up to your neck as he straightens you back up. Leaning your head to the right, you close your eyes as you take in the feeling of his soft lips on your neck. Eventually he smoothly runs his hands down from your hips to your ass, squeezing you and helping your move along him how he pleases.

You can't help the sound that leaves your mouth as you feel Minho everywhere as you dance together. He finally moves away from your neck, looking down at you with hooded eyes. Your eyes automatically close has he leans forward, but rather than kissing you, his lips merely brush yours as he speaks, "Is this okay?" Opening your eyes, you nod profusely, "Yes. Minho, please". Seemingly getting all the assurance he needs, he finally presses his lips against yours.

It starts as a gentle kiss, your hips still moving along to the music, but as soon as you move to run your tongue along his lips. He stops his dancing to put all of his focus on kissing you, both of his hands coming to grasp your jawline as he runs his tongue along yours. You can't help but moan into his mouth as he moves to push you into his bed frame.

You pull away to catch your breath but Minho continues to work on you. Kissing down your neck, collarbones, to your shoulder where he moves the strap of your top down. Once it's down he moves to your other shoulder, kissing it gently after moving the strap. You can feel as he hums against your skin, lips moving to the center of your chest where his hands come up to move your top down under your breasts, much easier with the straps out of the way.

He doesn't bother to remove your shirt all the way, instead focusing on your breasts just as they are. Throwing your head back as one of his hands moves to cup you, groping you softly as his mouth focuses on the other, his tongue warm and wet against your nipple.

Minho pulls his mouth away from you with a wet pop, "My pretty baby," he mumbles out, not stopping as he continues his way down your body. Moving the bottom of your shirt slightly upwards in order to place wet kisses on your stomach. He finally settles onto his knees on the ground between your legs. Humming against your hip bones, he moves to grab at your sleep shorts, hooking his fingers into the soft material to pull them down your legs.

You try not to think too hard about the cotton of your panties as you step out of the shorts and Minho throws them on the floor next to him. Though they don't seem to bother him as he moves forward once again to place open mouthed kisses to your covered mound. The wetness from his mouth seeping through the white material.

He runs his lips across your thigh and you can feel your face flush as he looks up at you, meeting your gaze. "Can I have you? Just like this?" His voice is soft but you nod right away, "Yes. Yes, Minho, I'm yours".

Without another word he turns his attention back on the white material, kissing and running his tongue along it before finally reaching up to remove it completely. You gulp as he drags them down your legs, tossing them to join your shorts. Your breath hitches as he grabs ahold of one of your legs, moving to place it atop his shoulder, granting him better access to you.

Minho moves without hesitance, moving forward to run his tongue completely along your wetness. You gasp at the feeling, stumbling a bit, using one of your hands to grab at the wood of his footboard. "Oh my gosh, Minho," you moan out as he continues to work on you. His tongue works quickly, running along you as he hums as if he were enjoying it at much as you were. You let out a cry as he moves the hand not holding your leg up to run along your folds, moving to spread you open holding you there in order for him to wrap his lips directly around your clit. Your other hand moves to grab onto his hair, running through and pulling on the softness in an attempt to ground your especially as your legs shake from the pleasure.

He moans into your core as you continue to pull at his strands, his tongue switching between running along you to flicking at your clit which causes your mouth to fall open. At his patterns you start to fall apart, toes curling, legs shaking as you struggle to hold yourself up with your grip on his bed. His grip tightens against your leg, moving to fully engulf you with his mouth to bring you to your end.

You eventually have to push him away from his attacks on your clit, whining as he finally pulls away leaving you sensitive. He places your leg softly on the ground and you swallow hard at the obvious wetness lingering on his lips and chin. Breathing still slightly uneven you watching as he moves to stand, attaching his lips to yours in another kiss as his hands round to grip you. Minho bends slightly in order lift you into his arms, moving the short distance to drop you on his bed. You land with a giggle, breasts bouncing on impact as they still hang out over your shirt.

Minho looks down at you from where he stands, a cross between an amused smile and smirk grazing his lips as he moves to remove his belt from his slacks. Sitting up on your forearms, you're able to watch him as he moves his belt, placing it on the chair before he unbuttons and removes his pants and underwear at the same time.

You gulp as you take in his length, it's already standing hard from before, his tip red and ready for your attention. He moves to join you on his bed, straddling over you, eyes wandering over your face. "I thought I could handle just having you with my mouth, but I was wrong. I want to take you completely". Your tongue wanders out to wet your lips, his gaze following before he speaks up, "I need you too, Minho, all of you". As you speak up, you take the chance to run one of your hands up his firm torso, eventually moving to the back of his neck, pulling him down to meet you in an urgent kiss.

Minho kisses you back hard, his lips almost feel as if they're bruising as he pushes you flat onto your back. You stay kissing, intertwining tongues as he ruts slowly against you. Eventually his hand moves between you both in order to grip his length, guiding it to run over your folds. He glances at you one last time as if to see if you changed your mind, but at seeing no hesitation he pushes his cock into you, biting his lip at the feeling.

Letting out a strangled moan at the feeling of him stretching you out, you move your head to the side, your hands gripping his scratchy sheets. After you both adjust, Minho starts to move his hips, his slow pace speeding up to become more steady as he draws more noises of pleasure from you. "That's it, baby" he breathes as he lowers his body down and presses his chest against yours, still rocking his hips, "My pretty baby".

If there was any doubt before about Minho's skillful hips while dancing, there sure wasn't anymore as he expertly drove his hips into yours. Every thrust leaves you breathless and the drag of his chest over yours just leaves you more sensitive. He moves his left hand to grab ahold of your thigh, hoisting it over his hip to drive his cock even deeper into you.

You cry out at the feeling, your hands moving to grip onto his back, nails certainly leaving their mark on him. You can't help but clench around him as you near your end and he groans himself at the feeling. His grip on your thigh tightens as he speeds his pace up, looking to take you both to the end.

You cum with a sob of his name, your arms holding him close to you and his hips continue their fast pace. Whimpering at the sensitivity you wait patiently for him to come to his end, "Minho," you whisper in his ear, "Please, please cum for me." You're whining now as his hips begin to stutter, "You're so good, please Minho". He cums with a quiet moan, hand still gripping you almost painfully and the other braces himself on the bed as to not place all his weight atop of you.

There a few moments of silence, just the sound of you both catching your breath and the music from the record player still coming from the corner. He finally removes himself from you slowly, rolling to lay beside you, "Fuck, baby".

A smile quirks on your lips as you turn your head to look at him, his eyes close, eyebrows furrowed, and face still red. He crack an eye open as if he could feel you staring, "Just give me one moment," he mumbles out, pulling a blanket from the top of the bed to throw over you. "I promise I'll clean you up, I just need my ears to stop ringing first".

You laugh at him, content to just lay there beside him. Feeling safe and comfortable with Minho beside you. You end up staying the night with him, cuddled in his bed still listening to music and just talking. Talking about anything that came to mind. You reluctantly slip out of his housing just as the sun was rising, sneaking back to your room with a smile on your face as you finally get some sleep.

The summer trudges on and so does your time with Minho. Seeing as the performance was over, there was technically no need for you to see the boy anymore. But that didn't stop either of you from sneaking out at random parts of the day or night to see each other.

Dancing in empty rooms, swimming in the lake, loving each other between his sheets. He was your whole summer and more. There wasn't anyone else who knew the extent of your relationship. Not even Momo or Jeongin, not catching the sly glances you give each other when you come to the staff get togethers.

You were curious one early morning as you lay with Minho in his bed, both of you quietly listening to the record playing. Both bare underneath the blanket, you were cuddled to his chest, one of his arms around your shoulder, fingers tracing patterns on your arm.

"Have you had many women?" you finally ask.

"What?" He says after a moment ask if he didn't understand you, but you can hear the beat of his heart pick up under your ear. "Have you had many women?" You ask again, leaning up slightly to take in his face.

He gives you a confused look, "I-what? Why are you asking me that?" You chuckle at how nervous he's getting, you shrug, "I don't care how many if that's what you're thinking." You lean up on one arm, letting the blanket fall from your chest. Watching as he gulps, you speak again, "Earlier this summer Max kind of insinuated that there were some married women at the resort who look to have some fun with the workers. You were dancing with one, her name was Ruby".

Minho leans up on his arms, "Look, baby, I-" He pauses and you watch him, "I'm not judging you, Minho". You try to reassure him but he averts your gaze before talking again, "It's not something I'm proud of okay, being with a married woman. But there are some ladies who pay us workers to have extra fun. I know we shouldn't, it's wrong. But you don't understand what it's like to be tempted by money like that, cause you need it, cause you've never had it".

Nodding slowly you look around his room, you weren't sure what to say. Sure it was wrong but what right did you have to comment on anything dealing with money? That was made clear to you since the beginning.

"Have you," You start, till not meeting his gaze which you can feel on you face, "Have you since we-" "No" he doesn't let you finish as he understands. It hasn't been long since your first night together but you wouldn't know how to feel if he's been having others at the same time too.

But then again did you even have a right to ask him that? You weren't sure, there was never any labels or talk about what you both were. Perhaps because you both knew whatever this was would end with summer. The thought made you nauseous.

"I've always been single if I took up their offer, they may be betraying their husbands but I'm not the type to do that, to even think of that if I were seeing someone myself." He speaks up at your silence. Turning to look at him finally, you give him a small smile, pushing him back to lay down and laying yourself on his chest once again. Suddenly overwhelmed with the feeling of having to leave him you just wanted to hold him as close as possible.

There's silence again, Minho taping along to the beat of the song playing and then he speaks again, "Remember how I told you it was always just me and my mom?"

You nod the best you can on his chest, not moving as he moves his hand to play with your hair. "She was a heavy drug user. My dad left us when I was very young and every since then she escaped with drugs".

You try to move to look at him but he uses his hand in your hair to keep you down, as if he wouldn't be able to tell you these things if he had to see you.

"That's where all of our money went, to her buying. I hated how she acted so that's why I took up dancing after school. It was so nice to be able to do something I enjoy and not have to think about anything at home". You start to rub circles on the side of his bare chest, wanting to at least do something to show you were listening.

"Once I got into high school, I made the wrong friends. I started using too, I thought my mom had been doing it forever so what the hell. But then one day," he starts but pauses when his voice trembles, "One day I came home after dance and I found her, my mom. She had overdosed."

"Minho-" You try to speak but he interrupts you, "No," he says, "Don't, please don't say anything". You gulp but listen to him. "Since that day I swore off that shit and vowed to never put someone through what she put me through. I moved in with Jeongin and his parents and got clean and continued dancing. After graduation Jeongin's dad found me a job using dance here and I've been here since."

No longer being able to ignore him, you sit up, frowning when you see tears streaming down his face. "It wasn't all bad though," he speaks giving a small smile, "Those bad friends I made in school, that's where I met Momo". You move to wipe his tears, "I wanted so badly to help her, I made her join dance with me. That's how we became partners. But she's always been up and down. Especially now with her jackss boyfriend, ruining all her progress".

You make him sit up so you can pull him into a hug. No wonder he had acted the way he did at the party when the worker offered you something. And with Momo, you didn't know he had been trying for years to help her and yet your father acted like it was his fault she was even in that position.

Pulling him tighter you finally speak, "Lee Minho, you're strong and amazing and your friends are so lucky to have you. I'm lucky to have met you this summer".

You pull away slightly to place a soft kiss on both of his cheeks, the taste of his tears lingering on your lips.

He brings a hand up to cup your face, gently running his thumb over your cheek before placing a kiss there. "I think I'm the lucky one".

You enjoy your quiet time with Minho, that's how the two of you had started and been since. Just the two of you, seemingly in your own world, away from the reality of your relationship.

Maybe that's why neither of you made an effort to tell the extent of your relationship to anyone else. Not even Jeongin or Momo knowing that you two continued to see each other outside of the staffing parties they invited you to.

Having your secret meant no one could remind you that summer would end soon, that Minho seemed to hate you at first, that your father seemed to hate him.

Instead you both could hide away from it all, him continuing to teach you dances and spending time in his room. Soaking in all the time you could before it was over.

You had been dancing with Minho between some of his classes and now he was walking you back to the main lounge where you were to meet your family for lunch. Laughing beside him as he tells a story of when Jeongin had gotten drunk last night, you keep your eyes on the dirt path. The path taking you through the trees until making it to the sidewalk of the main resort.

Almost reaching the sidewalk, you pause when you hear some familiar voices. Your eyes widen when you see your dad, sister, and Chan walk out of the building straight ahead of you. Panicking, you quickly push Minho off of the path and against a near tree, ignore the "What the fuck" coming out of his mouth as you try to hide both of you from their view.

You gulp, pushed against Minho as you keep an eye on your family. "Chan," your dad speaks, "Thank you for the tour, why don't you join us for lunch?" Chan seems to hesitate, "Oh, I'm not sure, I wouldn't want to intrude". Your sisters speaks next, "C'mon Chan, you don't work till later". "Obviously it would make Daisy happy," you dad joins, "Plus you can continue telling me about your university". You watch as Chan eventually agrees, your dad putting his arm around him as the three of them continue on the sidewalk to the lounge.

Letting out a breath you didn't know you were holding, you step away from Minho, only to look up and see the boy giving you a dark look. "Sorry," you gulp, "My family," you start but trail off not even sure how to continue the sentence.

Minho hums, throwing his hands in his pockets. You stare at him, unsure of what to say. "You know my dad doesn't know about us, and if he did-" you try to talk but Minho cuts you off with a scoff. "Of course, can't let him know you're with the guy who gets his friends into drugs".

"Minho, no. That's not-" But he doesn't listen, only talks more, "It's fine, it's true. I'll never be like the waiter. Chan and his perfect past and attending university. That's the kind of boy he wants for his daughters".

Reaching to grab him, you want to get him to listen, to let you explain, but he moves back away from your touch. "Look, I know we weren't exactly telling everyone about us but I also didn't expect you to make me hide behind a tree to avoid your family from seeing us together". Your throat tightens and tears between to prick at your eyes, "Please, Minho"

But the boy moves to walk, groaning and running his hand over his face, "I knew it, I knew this is what would happen." He shakes his head, "I'm just a fool to believe I have anything you need".

He turns, going to walk back to where you both came from and you try once more to call out his name. But he just continues to walk and you don't chase him.

Guilt fills your body the next couple of days, you know now that you never should have made Minho hide the way you did. That even knowing how your dad would react, you should have stood up for him. Told your dad what an amazing guy Minho is, that no matter what he would say it wouldn't stop your feelings for him.

But instead you let Minho believe he was no good for you, something he had already told you he thought before this started. How would you be able to recover from this?

You spend the the days looking for Minho, to try to apologize to him, but you can't seem to get him alone. Even when joining Jeongin at the parties, Minho wasn't in attendance. Not quite sure what to do, you feel desperate as you trudge to the staff housing one afternoon.

Knocking at the door you wait a second before it opens, "Hey!" Momo greets, "What are you doing here?" She looks as if she's in the middle of getting ready. You swallow, licking your lips, "I'm sorry, do you have a second to talk?". She purses her lips but nods opening the door, "I have a shift soon but you can talk while I do my makeup".

Taking a seat at the end of her bed you watch as she starts her stage makeup at her small vanity. "Minho and I have the after-dinner shift in the dancing lounge tonight". You nod, swallowing before speaking, "How is Minho?" "He's good, I guess. One of the other dancers has been out for the week so he's been taking his shifts as well". You don't know how to reply, don't know how to tell her what you came here for.

"Are you okay?" she asks, looking at your through the mirror, taking a break from applying her eye shadow. You avert your gaze to your lap, "Momo, do you remember when I told you that I liked Minho?" You can hear her turn around in her seat to look at you. "Well I believe that Minho liked me too".

Looking up to meet her confused gaze, you continue her story, "Since the night of the performance we-I mean he kissed me. He called me beautiful. And ever since that night, we've been...together and it's been so amazing and I-I think I love him Momo". You sigh, tears coming to your eyes as you confront your feelings.

The girl only looks at you blankly, examining your face. "Look," she finally says, "Is there, I mean have you, are you paying Minho?" You look at her in shock and disgust, she must think you're like those married women who pay for the company of the dancers. That Minho being with you has to only do with your money but you fell for him anyways.

"No!" you state, "No, there is no money. You must know we've been dancing together this whole time and it happened. I'm not paying him to sleep with me!" You become frustrated. It seems that no matter what you do, your money will follow you. Minho thinks he's not good for you because of it and now Momo thinks Minho is only with you because of it.

"I'm sorry," she states as she watches your tears start to spill from your eyes, "I was just asking, I didn't mean anything". You shake your head feeling deflated in the place you came for help. "I have to go," you stand and walk to the door as she calls out your name. You ignore her, leaving the room and heading to walk to the main resort trying to wipe your tears.

As you sniffle along the path, you hear someone call your name in the distance. Looking up, you see Jeongin waving at you, a large basket in one of his hands.

You walk to meet him, his big smile falling off his face when he can clearly seen you've been crying. "Are you okay?" he asks and you shake your head, tears starting to fall once more. "Here come help me fold these napkins".

Following him to the outdoor restaurant you stand beside him in silence, watching as he teaches you the proper way to fold the dinner napkins. Moments of quiet follow before he speaks up now that you've seemed to calm, "Will you tell me what happened?"

You huff, paying attention to the white cloth in your hands. "Minho," you finally say. He pauses his folding to look at you, "Minho?" You nod, avoiding his gaze but you finally let yourself speak. You tell Jeongin about the lake, about the night of the performance, of all the times after you and Minho were together, dancing and talking and loving. And of course you tell him about what you did to him when you saw your dad.

Jeongin takes in the story in silence, and you let him process as he must be so confused not having a clue about you and his cousin. "You see," he finally says, "Minho as had a really hard past". He looks at you confused when you nod, "He told me, about his mom". He looks shocked, "He told you?" You nod grabbing another napkin as he continues to look at you. "I was going to say that because of his hard past Minho can be really reserved, it takes him awhile to open up to people, that's why he seems so cold. But it seems you must be something special for him to tell you his story".

Looking up sadly at him, you confess, "I love him, Jeongin". He merely looks, at you, mouth quirking. "I know it's not ideal, with summer ending and all and I'll be leaving but I can't help it. I love him. I love him and I ruined it by making him think he's not enough for me".

Jeongin shakes his head, finally reaching to fold his napkin. "I know it's hard for you too. You have a great relationship with your family so it feels wrong to keep something secret from them no matter how much it means to you". It's true, you had been so scared to be keeping this secret from them, even just when you and Minho were strictly dancing. You had never lied to them before and now you were scared how it would effect your relationship.

"It was a mistake," You confess, "I never should've made Minho doubt himself or how I feel for him. I want to tell him this, to tell him that I love him. But I can't find him and now telling you this or telling Momo it just makes me seem like I shouldn't. That I should just leave him alone".

He sighs, "You know him and Momo's past, she was just trying to look after him like he always does for her". "She probably hates me for making Minho feel this way" you say but Jeongin makes a noise, "That's not true, she's protective but once she sees how you truly feel for him she's understand".

You grumble, "I just need Minho to understand".

That night after dinner you find yourself walking back to your room with your sister. You stifle a yawn as she drags on about why she thinks red lipstick will be out of style soon. Your parents have stayed in the lounge to watch a jazz show but you and Daisy insisted on going back to the room, you're exhausted from your draining day.

You stand in front of the elevator waiting for it to pick you up and take you to your floor. Daisy hums along the the quiet music playing in the hallways and you look down to your feet, moving them slightly and remembering random steps Minho has taught you.

The elevator opens with a ding and you hear Daisy gasp beside you, looking up your eyes widen to see the elevator was not empty. Your stomaching dropping and your chest tightening in a way that makes you feel sick. "Oh, sorry" Daisy giggles slightly embarrassed as your eyebrows furrow.

Inside the elevator is Minho, still dressed in his dancing suit, hands on the hips of another woman, her lips pressing into his neck before she notices you both. She turns to apologize and you recognise her immediately, Ruby. The married woman that was dancing with Minho that fateful night when you first found Momo. The woman Max explained that would get more than dance lessons with the money her husband gave to her.

You ignore as Ruby apologizes to your sister, eyes not leaving Minho's brown ones as he realizes it's you. Your lips begin to tremble, throat burning as you urge your tears to not fall. His lips open and close a couple of times, but his face tells you nothing, blank as it's always been.

Averting your gaze as he and Ruby move out of the elevator and you and your sister take their place. Daisy pushing the button to your floor, the doors closing finally blocking your view of them.

Now that you're finally out of their view you let out a cry, an ugly sob at seeing Minho with another woman. Your sister seems to panic beside you, asking if you're okay but you can't bring yourself to talk. Just trying to calm yourself as she wraps her arms around you.

An hour later you have managed to stop your crying and clean up for bed. You lay now under the comfort of the blankets, gazing at your sister who sits on her own bed across from you. It's silent besides the flipping of her pages of the magazine she looks through.

"Daisy," you call to her, "Are you sad to have to leave Chan soon?"

She purses her lips and looks to you, "Of course I am. We've spent so much time together here. But I know we will see each other more." She sounds confident, "His university is closer to the city so I will easily be able to see him".

Swallowing you decide to ask another question, "Do you love him?"

The small lap beside her bed illuminates the redness that comes to her cheeks. "Yes, I believe I do. That's what makes it so much harder to leave him".

The sinking feeling suddenly returns to your stomach and you turn your body around to face the wall, having enough sister gossiping for the night. You think of what Daisy says, that it will be harder to leave Chan because she loves him. You already had no doubt that it would hurt to leave Minho, but could it hurt worse than this? Hurt more than seeing him with another woman in the elevator? Hurt worse than having him think you believed he wasn't enough for you?

You weren't sure which will cut you deeper but it is clear that this summer will leave you with scars you will never be able to forget.

At this point there were only a couple of days before you and your family left the resort and returned home to the city. Summer was coming to an end and soon your experience here will just be memories.

You sit at lunch now with your family and Chan. Chan explaining to you all about the final show that the resort hosts. There is to be a large dinner in the lounge, everyone dressed in their best attire, and all of the talent staff gets to perform for them.

"It's amazing really," Chan says excitedly, "We have such amazing musicians, singers, and dancers here and they all work really hard to put on one last grand show for the guests". Your mom and sister smile excitedly at the news, already planning what to wear. Your own ears perk up as well, will this mean you will get to watch Minho dance once final time?

You recall the first time you saw him dance, partnered with Momo as the two best dancers you have ever seen. Nothing quite captivated you like their dancing and you find yourself hoping to witness it one more time.

"Chan is friends with some of the singers that are going to perform," Daisy tells you all excitedly, "He actually has an amazing voice himself but he has to work on serving the guests so he isn't able to perform". Chan blushes at the attention your family gives him, "Oh, no no I think I would be too shy to perform anyways, but one of my best friends Seungmin works as a singer here. His voice is truly out of this world".

Your mom excitedly explains she remembers Chan's friend from his performance in the gazebo last week. Suddenly your dad speaks up as he swirls his wine glass, "It's good you have some friends that work with you Chan. But just make sure you stick with the right crowd, son. I know there are employees here that don't make the right decisions and I would hate for a good kid like you to get mixed up in that".

You freeze as he talks, putting your fork down as you feel your rage start to fill your body. Chan only nervously chuckles but you know exactly what your father is talking about. The night he helped Momo is obviously clear in his brain and he still holds a deep judgement for everyone that was there. Perhaps even you.

"My friends are not for you to judge, daddy". You speak to your father across from you.

Everyone stops what they're doing to look at you. Clearly shocked as you were never one to speak up, especially if it meant speaking against your father. He puts his drink down, "Excuse me?" You swallow hard trying not to lose your confidence. "I know what you're implying by what you said, but you have no right to judge them. They are my friends and they are some of the greatest people I have ever met."

Your father's gaze hardens and you can see out of the corner of your eyes that your mother reaches out to grab his arm, "I have every right to judge them," he says your name firmly, "You dragged me to help with the mess that they made. No one ends up in those situations if they make the right decisions".

Clenching your jaw your try to chose your words carefully, "I never would have expected my father to be a man who judges those on such miniscule things. I thought he was better than that".

Your sister looks at you wide eyed before your mother shouts your name, no one pleased with your words. Your father merely keeps your gaze for another moment before he leaves the table without another word.

Your mother calls your name, "How could you speak to your father in such a way?" She looks worried but the rage you felt is still strong. "I am merely sticking up for those that I love".

Hours later and you have cooled off enough to attempt to find your father. After guidance from your mother, you were able to find him sitting alone under a gazebo, seeking shelter from the rain that had started falling.

You move to wordlessly sit next to him but he doesn't even make an attempt to look at you. After a moment of nothing but the sound of rain falling, he finally speaks, "Is that where my money went?"

Looking at him confused, you weren't sure what to say so he speaks again, "When you claimed you had a friend who needed money to get home, is this where it went instead? For them to buy drugs?"

Your eyes widen, "No! Of course not, daddy! You don't understand," you turn in your seat to face him, "That money was for her, but it was for her to enter a program to break her addiction. But that night her boyfriend came and stole that money and caused that mess".

"Her boyfriend?" he questions, "One of those two who were waiting with you outside?". A panicked feeling rises in your chest as you feel you have to hurriedly defend your friends as quickly as possible. "No! Daddy, you have it all wrong. Those guys are Minho and Jeongin, they are her friends and they are the ones who are desperately trying to help her break her addiction!"

Your father only stays silent. You weren't sure what you were expecting, maybe for him to apologize for the misunderstanding, to offer to fix the way he acted towards them. But you're starting to see now that maybe your father is no longer the man you admired since you were a young girl.

"You know I'm starting to think it was a mistake to let you move into a dorm when you go to university this fall, we should look into you staying at home instead" He turns back to face the view of the lake once again, "I'm disappointed in you," he says your name.

Eyes watering as you realize this is forever the turning point in your relationship, "Well I'm disappointed in you too, daddy"

He turns his head quickly to look at you, seemingly more shocked at your words than upset. You will yourself to continue your speech even as your voice wavers, "My whole life I believed you were the greatest man in the world. I looked up to you and thought you could do no wrong. I thought you were the kindest man alive who was eager to help those around him. But now I can see that I'm wrong".

He says your name but you continue to speak your mind, not even bothering to wipe the tears that have fallen down your face, "I'm not your little girl anymore, daddy. I'm an adult who can make my own decisions, and live with my own mistakes. I'm sorry I didn't turn out into the perfect daughter you always dreamed of me being". You finally let out your emotions, feeling a huge weight being lifted that you have felt for years.

This summer wasn't the first time your father made you feel this way but it finally opened your eyes and allowed you to act on it. You don't know what'll happen between you two now, but you find comfort in the fact that you voiced what you really feel to him.

At the end of your speech you get up and make your way to the walking path, not bothering to look back at your father.

You walk the long way through the heavy rain, not even feeling bothered by how soaked you were getting. Now you walked with a mission after the adrenaline from speaking with your father still lingered in your brain.

Making your way to your destination without much thought, you were suddenly knocking on Minho's door. Hoping he would open it and hoping he would even let you in after seeing it was you.

The door suddenly opens and Minho stands there eyes widening when he sees it's you, "What are you doing here, it's pouring" He gestures for you to come inside. You watch as he closes the door behind you and moves to grab a towel as a change of clothes. You hadn't seen him since the incident with your family and your heart thuds loudly at the sight of him.

"Here you need to change quickly" he avoids eye contact but hands you a towel along with a shirt and pants that were his. You move behind a screen he has set up and dry yourself and change, listening as you can hear him move to the record player and starts some music.

You set your wet clothes over the screen to dry and see Minho sitting on the edge of his bed. He's wearing a black tank top and slacks like the many many times where he has taught you to dance. Taking a chance, you move to sit beside him and when it doesn't move away you relax a little.

Thunder booms in the distance and your hand twitches in your lap, wanting nothing more than to reach over and hold onto the man you have come to love. But suddenly the image of him in the elevator with Ruby comes to mind so you squeeze your own hands together instead.

"I spoke to my father today," you start as you stare at your hands, "I had grown up thinking he was the best man in the world but after hearing him talk badly about you and Momo I realized the wasn't the case. For the first time in my life I spoke up". You can feel his gaze burning into your face but your own eyes stay planted to your lap.

"He's your father, baby" Minho speaks, the nickname rolling off his tongue before he can help it, "He only wants best for his daughter, you can't blame him for wanting better for his daughter than to be caught up in a crowd like that".

"No!" you reply, frustrated because he doesn't understand, "You don't get it Minho. "All of my life I have merely been a projection of his idea of a perfect daughter. Everything I have ever done is because he wanted me to." You sniffle and quickly wipe your tears, "This summer was the first time I have truly felt like I have made my own choices. I chose to be friends with Jeongin. I chose to help Momo. I chose to love you". Your voice falters in the end.

A silence follows but you decided not to dwell on it, "The point is that for the first time in my life I spoke out against my father. I defended Momo, I defended you, I defended myself." you look up to the roof to try to stop your tears.

"My father had no right to judge you and I made sure to tell him that. He had no right to make your feel so low about yourself," you pause for a second, "I had no right to make you feel that way, Minho. I regret nothing more than making you believe like you weren't enough for me. I was just a scared little girl who was afraid of her father. But I know now that he wasn't worth making you feel that way about yourself".

Sobs begin to wreck your body and Minho stands to grab tissues from his dresser. He returns to his seat next to you, handing you one tissue while he keeps the other help to dry your tears. One hand strokes your hair as he waits for your to calm down.

Just as you finally catch your breath your reminded of the image of him and Ruby so you speak again, "I'm sorry," you sniffle, "I just didn't want to leave this summer having you think I felt that way about you. Even though you haved moved on, please just know I truly love you Minho, and you were more than enough for me".

Minho frowns as you attempt to stand from his bed, "Hey, what are you doing?" He questions, standing and grabbing your forearms to face him. You shake your head, "I know Minho. And I know you saw me too, with the elevator, and Ruby".

He gulps, "It's not-" he pauses closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, "It's not like that okay". You swallow, "I saw you both with my own eyes".

"Okay, I was upset. When I was working my shift and when Ruby offered me money like all the times before I followed her to her room," You avert your gaze not knowing if you wanted to hear the details he was sharing. "But she had leaned in to kiss me and I couldn't do it. I pulled away before she could and told her I couldn't She offered me double but I still refused. When you saw us in the elevator she was walking me back down so I could leave, she kept grabbing me and kissing my neck to try and change my mind but I was grabbing her to remove her from me".

Looking at him once again, you can't lie to say you didn't feel relieved at hearing the truth, "Really?" You ask just to make sure and he nods, "I told you before I don't do that if I'm taken and no matter what happened I can't stop thinking about you".

You gulp taking in the darkness of his eyes. "So you really defended me in front of your father?" He smirks and you shake your head with a small laugh, "Yes, and I would do it a million times more. I wish I was strong enough to do it before".

He runs his hands up and down your arms, "It's been hard for me to accept that I am good enough to have you, we are so different in every way. But I have come to love you so much that I'm afraid no matter what I can't let you go".

Eyes widening you look up to meet his gaze, "Did you say love?"

His smirk only deepens, eyebrows raised as he replies to you, "Yeah, didn't you say you loved me too? Or did I misunderstand?"

Quickly wrapping your arms around him, you pull him into a tight hug, "Minho, I love you. I don't want to leave". His arms wrap around you just as tightly as he begins to rock you both back in forth. "It'll be okay," he says your name softly, "We'll figure something out".

Unfortunately the night of the final dinner has arrived. It was your last night at the resort and tomorrow morning you would be packing to leave. You sit at a dinner table in the longue with your family, enjoy the show that the talented workers put on.

Just a dessert was served they announced the performance of two talented dancers and you smile widely as Momo and Minho take the stage. "Those are my friends," you say proudly to your family and your mother and sister watch with interest as your dad huffs. Although things are still strained with your dad, the two of you have at least starting talking to each other once more. There's a part of you that hoped he was starting to realize that he was the one is the wrong.

The whole crowd watches in awe at the professional dances that Minho and Momo perform. Their routine include difficult moves that impressed everyone, including the lift you had begged Minho not to include when you were doing your own routine in the beginning of the summer.

You clapped loudly as it came to an end, even standing to show your support. The whole crowd roared and even your mom and sister cheered loudly, clearly impressed.

Quickly excusing yourself from the table, you make your way to where they would come off stage. Smiling brightly as they made their way down the stairs, "You guys were so amazing! It feels like it's been so long since I saw the two of you dance together". They smile back at you, Momo pulling you into a hug. "I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me this summer," she whispers in your ear and you squeeze her. Starting next week she will start attending the rehab your dad had recommended. You wished her luck and she pulls away, "I better see you again next summer".

You chuckle as she walks away, reaching your hand out to grasp Minho's. You hear someone call your name and you turn to see Jeongin making his way over to you with a big smile. Letting go of Minho's hand you pull the younger boy into a big hug, "I'll miss you" you tell him laugh as he spins you around, "Maybe Minho can bring you over to my house something," You nod. Jeongin will be going back to his parents house, attending school until next summer came around.

"I would love that," you say and give him one last squeeze before he has to return to work. Finally to turn back to Minho, "You were so amazing up there, I will never get tired of watching you dance". He chuckles but you can see the redness of his ears. He pulls you into a tight hug, kissing your forehead. Reaching for his hand once again you pull him towards the table where your family sat. Your sister smirks while your mom wears a curious expression, you didn't need to look to see your father had his jaw clenched.

"Everyone," you say, holding onto Minho's arm with both hands, "This is Minho". They give you a questioning look but your mother urges him to take a seat nonetheless.

He bashfully thanks her before taking the seat between you and Daisy. There is a beat of silence but you smile at him to attempt to ease his nerves. "Do you know Chan by chance? He works as a waiter?" Your sister speaks eager to break the quietness.

Minho nods clearly his throat, "I don't see him often but he's very kind". Your mother speaks up next, cutting into her cake. "I know Chan only works here during the summer, is this only a summer job for you too?"

Your father seems to perk up, eyeing him to hear his answer which makes Minho nervous. You grab his hand under the table and give it a squeeze. "That's right, it's pretty slow here the rest of the year. I only work here for summer but the rest of the time I work at another hotel dancing, as well as working at a nearby gas station". He turns to look at you and you give him a reassuring nod. He speaks again, "Although I'm going to start taking classes at the community college here in town this fall".

"Oh? Is that right? What are you planning to study?" You mother gives a smile and Minho blushes, "Childhood education".

The table pauses, as if they didn't hear him right. "Minho, is a wonderful dancer as well as a wonderful dance teacher". You boost for him.

"That makes sense, you were so amazing up there" You sister praises him. He licks his lips, silently thanking her as he reverts his eyes, never one to take compliments so easy. "It's my dream to open a dance academy for kids in school. Dancing helped me as a young kid when I was going through hard times so I would love to provide the same opportunity to others".

You can't keep the smile off your face as Minho explains, so proud of the man that you love. Daisy and your mother gush over him and his plan and urge him to eat some of the many desserts they served the table with.

Some time later you decided to take a walk with Minho, "I'll be back". you say as you and Minho stand. Your mother and sister bidding him farewell.

Suddenly the sound of a moving chair screeches and your eyes widen to see your father has stood up along with you. The three of you stand in shock for a moment before your father moves, reaching his hand out to Minho, "It was nice to meet you. I wish you luck on your schooling as well as your future plans".

It's simple but it makes you smile. He had finally realized he was the one in the wrong.

Minho thanks him profusely and they two of you finally make your way out of the lounge hand in hand. The two of you walk the path outside, taking in the stars and you swing your arms back and forth.

You can't lie that you were terrified to leave Minho tomorrow. The future seemed so unclear without being in the same resort, being hours away from each other instead. But you both promised each other to visit one another when you had the chance.

It'll be hard you know, but you think for Minho anything would be worth it. Worth it to see him accomplish his dreams, worth it to be with the man you love.

"What a crazy summer" Minho speaks, and you laugh, "I never would have imagined my summer would have gone like this". He agrees with a hum, "Do you regret it?" You quickly shake your head, "Never. Even if in fifty years from now you decided you no longer love me, I will never forget this summer and everything you did for me. You helped me more than you can imagine".

Minho wraps his arm around your shoulder and pulls you into his chest, "I think we helped each other, baby".

You reach to place a kiss to his jaw, "I love you, Minho".

He stops walking to place a hand on your jaw, bringing you in for a slow kiss. Pecking you several times after which leaves you giggling as he pulls away, "I love you, baby".

Taglist: @linocvp1d @blankdyean @adeards @lomllino @brooklynie @noellllslut @djeniryuu @eternitywaveshello @drhsthl @urmomma0324 @stormy-skies-falling @dinonuguaegi

Copyright © 2023 by nczennie. All rights reserved.

🌼 All feedback is appreciated and welcomed 🌼