#types of barcode reader

[caramelkoo]

no questions asked— jjk

Jeon jungkook wants nothing more than to get settled with his girlfriend, but what if her fear of commitment makes him take a step back? Will he do it, or will he be able to changer her mind for good?

pairing : Jungkook X reader

genre : established relationship, smut, fluff

word count : 6.6k (im begging for forgiveness)

Based on this ask <33

warnings : nsfw, strong language, mature, oc is an anxious girly (same), mentions of emotionally unavailable parents, jungkook is a man of dreams, simp boyfriend jungkook, car sex, unprotected sex (be safe), begging, reference of titanic if you squint, yeah that's pretty much it.

a/n : this took million business days lmao but finally it's here. the sweetest anon requested a drabble but i couldn't do it and as much as i tried to make it shorter, it got stretched to 6k words 😭 so im deeply sorry anon. the rest of you who enjoy longer fics, dig in. I love you guys so much, you might not know this but yall are my besties for resties. kisses. 💌

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Your boyfriend is going to propose to you.

Oh god

Oh. my. God.

Anxiety is not a foreign feeling for you. Although this time, it’s an indescribable sort. Something which is lingering in the deepest pit of your stomach for a lack of better word. Besides, there’s a mayhem inside your head, the voices are loud and intimidating, causing you to bite your lip to a point where they bleed while also staring at nothing. 

Jungkook has been nothing but secretive— the poor boy has no idea that you have already seen the navy blue box sitting inside his side of the drawer. You can swear it was totally unintentional.

In your defense, you had been searching for your glasses and that was the only place left to fish around. Nobody could have prepared you for the utter shock when your eyes fell on that box and so for a minute or two you just stood there, horrifyingly still and stunned. However, you recovered quickly, because to be quite honest it was about time one of you mustered up enough courage to ask the question.

It’s supposed to make you thrilled right? So why does something feel… off? 

“Penny for your thoughts?”, as soon as Cherry’s voice reaches your ears, you snap out of it and flash her a forced smile. 

“Yeah-” you begin, “Yeah uh- I’m just thinking about nothing in particular.” 

“_____ you’re an amazing girl but you gotta work on those lying skills.”

A chuckle leaves your mouth. You shouldn’t even have bothered in the first place, the girl can read you like a book. 

“What’s going on in that pretty head of yours huh?” 

She picks up the book before scanning it with the barcode scanner all the while you marvel if you should tell her or just let it go, but then you also know how she would become a pain in the ass if you don’t spill the beans to her. Anyway, she can;t make you overthink it any more than you already have. 

You bite your lower lip before saying, “I feel like Jungkook is going to propose.” 

If looks alone could kill, you would have been buried deep by now with the way the man wearing an olive green cardigan, probably in his 50s, gives you side eye when Cherry drops the book with a loud thud on the counter. 

You wince.

“I’m sorry what?” 

When you subtly signal her to pick what she’s dropped, she takes a hold of the book, apologizes to the man who— you’re hundred percent sure hates your guts now, and resumes her work. 

“This is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

“Ha! Girl you better start telling me more or none of us are going home today.”

She’s talking to you but her hands keep shuffling between scanning the books and expeditiously typing on the keyboard.

A spark of hesitation finds a way inside your heart. The thing is, you’re not sure. Do you want to marry the love of your life? Absolutely. Do you think you can keep the marriage going and stable? No. 

There you said it.

And that kills you because jeopardising your bond and connection with Jungkook is the last thing you want to do.

Maybe, it’s because nobody in your family has been able to keep their inner spark alive after they had gotten married or you might as well blame it on the relationship your own parents have had before your eyes. 

For everyone who couldn’t see past the walls of your house, your parents were an ideal couple. A pair who were equally efficient and successful in their respective areas of life. With your father being a renowned businessman and your mother holding the title of a world famous fashion designer, they couldn’t have been a better partner for each other, right?

Wrong. Too bad you had the honor of being an onlooker of their facade slipping away before getting replaced by their real impudent selves. 

But that’s all you could do though. You were merely just an audience. Someone who could see everything shatter before her eyes and not do a single thing to put an end to it. 

Constant fights, fuming with jealousy over one of them achieving more than the other, sabotaging each other.

All hell broke loose when they began making you take sides. 

You think mommy is better don’t you, honey?

You should be proud of your dad, ____. You’re living such a luxurious life thanks to me. 

For the love of god you were five. What does a five year old know about luxury or human ego? What could you have possibly known about who is better? In your eyes, they were your mom and dad and not some squish mellows placed side by side from which you had to take your pick. Let’s not even start with the emotional unavailability they provided you with.

A knot lodges in your throat and you struggle to get the words out. “I happen to see the box inside his drawer”

“You’re sure it had a ring inside- Wait, don't answer that”, she shakes her head as if she just asked the most ridiculous question ever.

No shit.

“But that’s a good thing right? I mean you guys have been seeing each other for a while now and marriage is the final stop.” she continues and you can’t help but feel terrible, because she is making sense. 

A sigh leaves you, “Yeah no- I mean yeah it is but I didn’t expect him to take the initiative so suddenly. No hints were dropped at all. Marriage is, gosh, I can’t believe I’m saying this but it seems intimidating to me.” 

The queue has finally dissipated at this point so she faces you fully showcasing her engrossment in your dilemma. The girl feeds off drama but refuses to get involved in one.

Her expression morphs into something between horrified and sympathetic. “_____, is that because of your parents?” 

Your heart skips a beat. This whole time you and only you had authority over this thought that your fear of marriage is deeply rooted in your own parents’ fucked up relationship. A belief that lay sly and unseen.

Only after those words left Cherry’s mouth did you realise how venomous they sound. It makes you aware that the fear was not as concealed as you intended to keep it. What are you supposed to do when you find out that somebody else knows about your deepest terrors? Run? Hide? Or simply not say anything? 

Your mouth feels suddenly dry. “What?” 

Cherry takes a hold of your palm and rubs it gently, “If it is, I want you to know that it’s not the case for everyone. Marriage is a beautiful concept, a lovely commitment. Are there some pitfalls to it? Yes. But that’s the beauty of it. The way two people come together and resolve them-”

Your phone buzzes inside your pocket causing you to flinch. Releasing your hands from her hold, you take it out and see your grandmother’s number stare up at you. 

“I’ll just be back.” you excuse yourself just as a woman places a stack of books on the counter.

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“Hey, beautiful” you greet her, a smile lighting up your entire face.

“My baby, did I catch you at the wrong time?” her voice is like a balm to your heart. So warm and comforting. It reminds you of your movie nights with her where you didn’t have to be anything or pretend. You just had to exist and she made it worth it. Always. 

“Now you know even the devil himself can’t stop me from talking to you.” 

A loud chortle reaches your ears and you imagine her throwing her head back, laughing. 

“I was calling to ask if you and your eye candy of a boyfriend are visiting home this year for thanksgiving, dear?” 

Dear lord, you can’t believe you forgot about that.

Your eyes widen, and just when you think you could bubble up some other lie, she speaks up, “You forgot, didn’t you?” 

Yeah, bold of you to assume you can do that and get away. You actually need to work on your lying skills. For whatever reason. You want to pluck your eyelashes out one by one because of how gloomy she sounds.

“I’m genuinely sorry, grams.” pinching the bridge of your nose you continue, “I’ve just been busy with work and barely making ends meet. I promise this is the first and last time I let it slip my mind.” 

With the job you have, there’s only so much cash you can count and while you would love to make a career out of writing, the thought of publishing your own book sends shivers down your spine.

Every time you open the draft a new mistake pops up, taking a percentage of your self confidence down the drain. You’re only human. A microscopic slip catches your attention and you start questioning your life choices. 

“Honey, come home and give yourself some time off, what do you youngsters like to call it? Oh yes, grind. Yeah?” 

It’s your turn to laugh. “Wow someone has been too into love island lately.”

Cherry raises her eyebrows from across the room and you mouth her the word ‘grandma’. She nods with a smile on her face, going back to work. 

A long stretch of silence hangs in the air before you hear her ask, “_____, what else is wrong?” 

The smile which has been adorning your face this whole time instantly drops. You blink.

Once

Twice

Thrice 

“I don’t understand.” Liar.

“You know what I mean, baby. I want you to tell me more, because I know something has been bothering you. What is it?”

Humans are so funny sometimes. They can be as close to you as your own soul and not have a hint of your torment. Meanwhile, there is your grandmother, who despite being so far away from you just….. knew. But again, it has always been like this hasn’t it? 

Whenever you got tired of your parents throwing stuff around the house, making each other lick the floors, trying to make their own and your life a living hell, she knew. 

She was the one who allowed you to cry, and assured you that she would not call you dramatic if she happened to hear your sobs.

You were allowed to cry,

You were allowed to ask for help,

You were allowed to not hold back.

Sucking in a deep breath, you release it, “Everything else is perfect, grams.”

Mr William is always the first person to greet you everyday when you reach the apartment. He’s been working as a guard for years now and you’ve grown quite familiar with him. While being the sweetest man you’ve ever come across, he also brings his wife’s yummiest tarts for you whenever she makes them. Arguably, they deserve more hype than they get.

“She knows how much you love her tarts” he says, making you feel immense gratitude towards his kindness. 

This particular night, he seems…. restless. He’s shifting from one foot to another as you shut the cab’s door behind you. Striding over to him, you mentally try your best to figure out his uneasiness. 

Clearing your throat, your throat as you ask, “Is everything alright, Mr William?” 

Only after he hears your voice, he gains his composure. Or so he tries. 

He hands you a piece of paper which feels a bit wet and you wonder what could have been so intense that the man began having clammy palms.

It’s nearly concerning, not to mention it doesn’t help with your own anxiety at all. If not, shoot it up. 

“Your boyfriend dropped by around lunch time, miss. He handed me this and asked me to give it to you as soon as you come back from work.”

He couldn’t have given it to you yesterday when he was with you in the first place? Weird.

“I see, but why are you so tense? Has something happened?” 

He pinches the bridge of his nose. “My wife has been sick and I was supposed to leave early but I figured it would be better if I gave it to you safely before going home to her.” 

Fuck

“You could have given this to me later. Your wife comes first, sir.” you gulp, “Please, I appreciate your gesture but she needs you more. Thank you so much and please let me know if I can be of help.”

He releases an empty chuckle. “Thank you, Miss” 

With one last nod you walk inside the building while also hoping he doesn’t call you for help. Not because you won’t do anything it takes to help him, but because you hope it wouldn’t come to it. The moment you shut the apartment door behind and turn on the light, the piece of paper steals your attention. Without waiting any further, you unfold it, coming across Jungkook’s writing. 

The note alone feels like he whispered it into your ear before placing the softest kiss on your skin. Your lips stretch into a serene smile as you stride over to the bedroom, turning the doorknob as your gaze catches a purple bodycon resting on top of your bed. It is accompanied with a bouquet of pink tulips as well as a bar of Dubai chocolate. 

Your head that has been nothing short of a commotion is now finally at peace. Not entirely but at peace nonetheless.

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Jungkook was 12 when he went on his first roller coaster ride. He was, like every other child, afraid. Afraid that he might fall and hurt himself so bad, he wouldn’t ever be able to get up. The roller coaster had a massive drop followed by a corkscrew which took him upside down. Until the moment Jungkook saw a woman in yellow dress buying a bunch of tulips from the flower shop he very often visited, he had never felt his stomach bottom out as strongly as it did during that drop back then.

There she was, chatting with the florist as if they’re best friends. He could see her behind the glass picking out the pink tulips before sniffing them. Meanwhile, Jungkook stood across the road, soaked and enchanted as he wondered if he should ask for her number or chicken out. Eventually, the latter won. 

But here’s the thing, Jungkook is not one for losing. He hates losing, even the term makes him want to peel his own skin off. 

He saw her hair first, becoming curly locks reaching down to her waist and just above her hips. Granted that his line of sight only allowed him to see her side profile, he assumed she was gorgeous. It was not unlikely for him to see beautiful women on a daily basis, but something about her just sucked him in. His eyes could not leave her face and he believed even if they tried, he would pluck them out just to punish them. Was it weird that his hands itched to hold a woman he doesn’t even know? 

What’s her name?

Where does she live?

What’s her favorite color?

How does she like her coffee?

There’s a japanese phrase called koi no yokan which means that you eventually will fall in love with a person you meet. You’re going to grow so fond of that person that you would want to see no one by your side but them. She was that person for him. 

He rubs his hands for the nth time in a futile attempt to warm them up, waiting outside ____’s building. How is this evening going so slow? He has been here for perhaps half an hour now, so why does it feel like it’s been a decade? 

And funnily enough, the only person who can put him out of his misery is _____. At this point, the guy fears he wouldn’t be able to so much as look her in the eye, but not doing that will be the end of him too.

He looks down and lets his hands run over his black button down shirt, wondering if she would like it. She loved seeing him in black on the first date. A loud click clack of heels grab his attention, perking his ears up. He looked up and there she was in all her glory. 

Jungkook releases a breath and rubs his chest as if his heart hurts. As if it’s telling him how unworthy he is of this woman who is walking up to him, who may be as nervous as him but still chose him as her man. 

The woman who could have anyone she wanted wrapped around her pinky finger gave her days, nights and evenings to him. She smiled at him, for him and if he was lucky, because of him.

_____ stops before him while he’s still adjusting to the sight of her. “How do I look?” 

Unreal, exquisite and way out of his league.

He shakes his head from side to side, thinking of a single word that would suffice the answer to that. He fails and so instead he runs his fingers down her forearm until he reaches her soft hands and takes it into his own cold ones. 

Placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles, he begins. “My imagination of you in this dress has got nothing on this vision.” 

Her face morphs into the softest expression of love, “And exactly how many times have you imagined me in this dress, Jeon Jungkook?” 

He takes a step forward, his chest almost touching hers. “I can’t answer that. You want to know why?” 

“Why?” Her voice is emotionless. His thumb grazes her lower lip as he tries not to smudge her nude lipstick. “Because if I do, we’ll have to go back into your apartment and try not to wake your neighbours up.” She swats his chest and softly pushes him back, dissolving into a giggle. 

“You’re looking quite handsome yourself.” she says as her eyes shamelessly check him out. His sleeves are halfway folded stopping just below his elbow, beautifying his tattooed forearms.

He’s also wearing his favorite blue baggy jeans with his usual black chunky boots. The same ones he goes for when he knows _____ might not be able to bear the pain caused by her heels, so he ends up swapping them with the boots.

He would argue carrying her all the way to her apartment instead, but settles elseways. 

Jungkook opens the car door for her and only after she’s well seated, he runs to his side and takes off. 

The ride to the restaurant is quiet despite the obvious tension that doesn't go unnoticed by either him or her. As much as he would like to spend the rest of the night snuggled into bed with her, he knows there is something more significant than that. So instead he indulges in caressing her thigh. 

“After you, angel.” He places a hand on the small of her back. 

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The ambience looks straight out of the movies. Like a paradise. Violinists are playing a chorus of Fuck her gently by Tenacious D far across the room. 

Jungkook catches an unknown look on her face. “Something’s wrong?” 

She shakes her head, flashing him a smile. “I love this song.”

He places a tiny kiss on her temple. “I know, baby. C’mon.” 

You know how women have this killer instinct of knowing if and when somebody’s watching them? It’s like they have a separate pair of googly eyes on the back of their head to protect them from creeps. 

From the moment you have entered the place, the man in the wine shirt has been making a hole in your face with the way he’s been staring at you. 

Is your dress too revealing? Are you showing too much skin?

“Oh I forgot to tell you. Your grandmother called earlier today.” Jungkook disrupts your thoughts. 

You gulp down the last piece of steak before answering. “Let me guess she asked you to join her for thanksgiving?” He nods, a bright smile on his face. “I told her I would love to.” 

A cheeky smile unfurls slowly on your face. Jungkook loves your grandmother. Maybe a little bit more than you do. Just a tiny bit though. Last year when you and he visited her, he was the first person apart from you to get a hug out of her.

Your grandma is not much of a hugger by the way. Her hugs are totally exclusive. 

“I’m sure she loves having my ‘eye candy of a boyfriend’ there.” 

Jungkook snorts, placing his fork down. “She called me an eye candy?” 

He dissolves into a fit of laughter when you answer his question with a nod. 

“See now that’s the biggest achievement I have had in a while. I mean what are the odds your wife’s grandma calls your an eye candy-”

Something sours in your stomach. The steak here tastes awful or maybe it’s just you feeling pathetic that as soon as he says ‘wife’ your expression morphs into something so dreadful that it causes him to stop. What are the odds that you just gave him a reality check and dragged him out of a fool’s paradise?

“Angel, what’s-” 

You stand abruptly, cutting him off yet again. His eyes bob all over you, and then a sad frown puckers between his brows. 

“I’ll just be back. I need to use the washroom.” You say as you grab your handbag as quickly as you can before leaving him there. Confused and wondering what the fuck just happened?

Few minutes later, just as you’re walking outside the washroom and making a way towards your table someone’s voice causes you to stop midway. 

“Excuse me.” 

Turning to face the person, you come face to face with the same man from earlier. The one wearing a wine colored shirt along with a nasty expression. You believe he’s trying to look cocky but is failing miserably.

“Can I help you?” 

A slow smile spreads over his mouth. “I couldn’t help but notice that the man you’re here with seems to upset you in some way.”

An awkward chuckle leaves you. “The man is my boyfriend and I don’t think it concerns you if he’s upsetting me or not.” 

He walks a little closer. Oh no, this is bad. 

“Fair enough,” he shrugs, “But clearly he’s not being a good boyfriend, is he?” 

The audacity of this man.

You huff out a frustrated breath, “Listen, you need to shut up and stay within your limits. It’s not healthy going around poking your nose into everyone’s business.” 

His sly smile grows even more as he steps closer than before. 

The hair on your body stands up, and not in a good way, but in a very uncomfortable way. You suddenly regret the idea of leaving Jungkook’s side. Bad, bad decision. 

Currently, you have two options. You can either just walk off and act like nothing happened, which by the way, is a safe option or you can kick the man in the balls and then act like nothing happened.

Since you're much more accustomed to the former option, you decide to do just that but when his hands grip your wrist with an iron grip, you settle on the latter. 

You knee him between the legs with an intention to hurt him as he grunts in pain, his hands gripping where you just kicked him. 

“You fucking bitch.” 

Before he can say anything further, you storm off. Your phone buzzes inside your handbag and you automatically assume it to be Jungkook’s call. As soon as you spot him across the room, you feel the clouds parting, there’s a feeling threatening to arise. It’s something between protected and anguished. 

Anguished because you let your mind speak so deafeningly that it silenced the oh so loud love Jungkook has for you. And protected because you know for a fact that if he had any idea about what that man just did to you, he would not think twice before dragging him by the hair before bringing him to his knees in front of you to apologize. 

He stands once he sees you and you waste no time running towards him. Your arms go around him as you nuzzle your face in the crook of his neck. His arms immediately embracing you in return, securing you against his chest.

It feels warm.

Concern laces his voice as he says, “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you. Breathe” 

You don’t even realise you’re panting unless he says that. You’re aware that at this point the way you flung yourself at him must have got everyone’s attention. But you genuinely don’t care. It might as well be an auditorium full of people watching you hug your boyfriend like an anchor, you just don’t care. 

You realise that’s exactly what Jungkook is. Your anchor. Someone who didn’t even ask as to what happened before he straight away began consoling you. 

His hand envelops the back of your head in a protective way while the other soothes your back. 

“Do you want to leave? We can leave right now if you want to.”

“Yes, please.”

His body shakes as though he just nodded. “All right, let me pay real quick and we’ll leave yeah?”

Your voice is muffled against his chest. “Yeah.”

You suck in a sharp breath as he lets you go. The small folder on the table grabs your attention. He opens it only to find a note inside of it saying— “It’s on me, gorgeous”. 

You can see the wheels in his mind turning, but before he starts asking you any questions which may or may not cause a breakdown of yours, you say, “I’ll explain it to you outside. Can we please go?” 

“Let me see wh-”

“Please?” He lets out a defeated sigh and nods. “Yeah- Yeah let’s go.” 

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At first when Jungkook saw that note, the first emotion that he felt was rage and a very serious one at that. But it was soon replaced by realization. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that something nasty went down after _____ left to use the washroom. Something he can’t wait to get to the bottom of. Nevertheless, he didn’t want her to be pressured to answer the more obvious question. 

Jungkook’s girl is attractive. She’s kind and empathetic and fucking stunning which makes her worthy of all the attention she gets. Of course men are going to want to be with her. 

Initially, it bothered him. A lot. 

Now, though? He’s grown rather used to it. However, it has never come to having someone pay for her in a restaurant. Even the thought of someone so much as speaking to her in an inhumanely manner makes him want to punch a hole through a wall. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” 

The silence is too loud inside the car. He can hear ____’s heart beating loudly or is it his own?

She’s leaning back with her head against the headrest. When she doesn’t respond, Jungkook speaks again, “_____ baby, will you please at least look at me?” 

Her eyes connect with his and he flashes her the softest of smiles.

Taking her hand, he kisses the inside of her wrist where he can feel her pulse. 

Thump thump thump. 

“I want you to give me something, angel. Anything.” 

He can see her gulp before admitting, “There was um… there was a guy outside the washroom and he kind of tried to force himself on me,” she closes her eyes for a brief moment, “Maybe I’m just being dramatic, but I handled him.” 

Jungkook’s stomach drops. He was right. His hands fly out to open the car door before _____ holds him back. “Don’t. I said I handled it.”

He turns back, his voice leaking with anger along with something more barbaric. “And I’m proud that you did, but if I don’t go in and beat that asshole into a new one I won’t be able to call myself a man worthy of you anymore. I need him to know that he can’t fuck with my girl and go about his goddamn day.” “Jungkook, please. I can’t take it anymore. Please stop.” 

And he does. For now. 

He leans back, running his hands over his face with frustration. For a few minutes he and ____ just stare outside the front glass of the car. The parking lot slowly gets empty as people leave for their homes one by one. 

Just when he thinks  _____ has dozed off, her voice reaches him. “Can I get one more hug?” 

“Come here.” 

He takes her into a warm embrace before kissing the top of her head, settling his lips there. His anger has yet not fully dissipated, but having her so close calms his heart. It calms his whole being. Her touch, her breath against his skin, her presence heals something in him.

Therefore, he made up his mind about spending his whole life with her. The little slip of words, which by the way was totally unintentional, soured _____'s expression and that didn’t go unnoticed by him. 

She’s scared but he fully intends to let her know that she doesn’t have to.

______ unwraps herself from his arms and pushes back. Just enough for their noses to touch.

She shakes her head, “Don’t give me those eyes.” 

Jungkook holds back a smile. “What eyes, angel?” 

“The same ones you give me when you want something dirty to happen. Those big brown eyes of yours.”

He lets a chuckle slip out. “I’m down if you are.” 

When she offers him her own laugh, gosh it’s as though he comes alive. If he could bottle up the sound, he would. Something passes in _____’s eyes. Lust? Desire? He can’t pinpoint. 

He wants to kiss the hell out of her though and he wants to do it desperately. Her eyes drop to his mouth and he takes it as a sign to lean forward and press his mouth against hers. 

Her lips part ever so slightly followed by her gripping Jungkook’s collar to bring him even closer. So close as if she wants their souls to intertwine. 

The feeling is very much mutual. 

She gets up from the passenger’s seat without breaking the kiss and straddles his lap. Her legs on either side of his thigh as their core’s touch. Jungkook is not sure how long he can endure this sweet pain of waiting. 

In all sincerity, he’s been holding himself back from the very moment he saw her walking up to him in that dress. Do with that information what you will. 

Now, he just wants to say fuck it and get inside her— only that he can’t, because he wants her to take her time and ask for it. Then and then only he will fuck her. If it’s inside this car then so be it. 

The kiss is electric and filled with passion, tingling his skin in all the right places as she matches his enthusiasm with her own.

______ pulls back with a deep breath, leaving Jungkook panting heavily. 

“Please.” she begs. 

A strand of hair falls on her face. He tucks it behind her ear. “Please what baby?” 

“Please fuck me, Jungkook. I want you so bad and I want you right now.” she whines.

He grins. “At your service, ma’am.” 

He hears _____’s light chuckle as he gets out of the car, carrying her with him while also making sure she doesn’t hit her head on the hood. She detaches herself from him once they’re out and settles in the back seat. Only after ensuring she’s comfortable enough, Jungkook follows her. 

His body lays on top of her and he wastes no time as their mouths collide. Her finger grip the hair on his nape and he groans with pleasure, his cock going thick. He rubs it on her lower stomach to show her how much he wants her, gaining a moan out of her. 

Jungkook’s head goes fuzzy with every passing second. He almost comes when she lifts her hips up and rubs a slow circle against his cock. 

“Fuck.” He groans, pulling back from the kiss. _____’s cheeks are heated and lips are swollen. He did that. Her man did that. 

Suddenly, he’s grateful for the tinted glass and his big car. 

_____ lifts her head up and kisses his sweaty cheek, swiping his forehead with her palm. “You’re sweating, honey.” 

“Yeah, I tend to do that in your presence. Do you know how hard it was for me to stay sane after seeing you look so unbelievably gorgeous?” 

She passes him a lazy smile, “You’ve always been so good at controlling yourself, haven’t you?” 

“Not anymore.” He sits up, knees on either side of her body and starts unbuckling his belt all the while panting with excitement. His pants slide halfway down letting his cock spring free. Thick, angry and leaking with precum. His shirt goes next.

______’s eyes flash with lust as she bites her lower lip. The straps of her dress have slipped down, leaving her tits bare and open for Jungkook.

“I’m gonna fuck you so good, baby.” he leans forward as she runs a hand up his bare spine, hooking her legs over his hip.

“Please.” she whispers. 

A loud thunder outside the car grabs Jungkook’s attention. Nice, he’s so horny he didn’t even realise that it’s raining. Another rumble of thunder drowns their panting breath but he still only focuses on the woman beneath him. The goddess of a woman who trusts him with her body. How lucky he is to call her his own. 

She brushes his hair out of his face, her thumb dusting over the mole on the bridge of his nose before her hand follows the path of his tattooed arm, his rib, his ass, until she wraps a fist around his dick. 

He pushes into her hand. “I need to grab the condoms from the console, angel.”

There’s a brief moment of silence, the car filling with the pants and whimpers before she says, “I want you bare. I’m on the pill.” 

Jungkook has never gone without condom nor has he considered going without one, but this woman right here just asked him to get inside her bare and fuck if it doesn’t tempt him.

And so he gives in, but not before asking, “Are you sure?” 

“As sure as one can be.” 

He nods, bringing his lips back to hers. His hand finds her thong under the dress as he slides it down her legs. Then he strokes a single line up and down her slit, wetting his finger with her cum. When he brings the same finger to his mouth and sucks on it, _____ all but whimpers. 

His cock follows next and he does the same with it, rubbing himself up and down her slit as he coats himself in her before he presses his thumb down on the head of his cock, curls his hips forward, and pushes into her. 

Tortuously slowly, inch by fucking inch. 

She’s so warm and tight for him. He’s not sure how long he can take before he shoots his load inside of her. 

“More.” she pleads, her face morphing into the most beautiful expression of pleasure. 

Jungkook pulls back and pushes again, watching more of a length disappear inside of her. He’s not even halfway in and she’s already crying out his name. 

Leaning in, he bites her neck in an attempt to give her his all. All his love, all his nights and all his life. The question is at the tip of his tongue but considering what happened inside, he quickly holds himself back. 

“You’re doing so good for me, my angel. Taking me so well,” He thrusts again. “You’re made for me, aren’t you?” 

She cries out. 

“What was that?” She throws her head back. “Yes. Oh my god” 

Thrust. “Yes, what baby? I’m gonna need you to say it.” 

Jungkook takes her nipple in his mouth, sucking on it until she cries out again, “I’m made for you. Fuck.”

He releases the nipple with a loud pop. “That’s right you are.” His pelvic bone is flush with hers, ____’s legs as wide as possible to accommodate him. She dusts her fingertips up and down his spine while he slowly kisses along her jaw.

When she pushes her heels into his ass, urging him to move, he pulls out part way before pushing back in again. 

She lets out a moan quickly followed by his own. _____’s hands run over Jungkook’s abs, nipples, and wrap around his shoulders. 

He’s fucking her slowly, taking his time, feeling her body and letting her feel his too. Every brush, every graze, every breath is precious to him.

Soft and intimate. 

So when the next words leave Jungkook’s mouth, he blames it on the moment. “Marry me.”

_____’s eyes which were closed earlier, savoring the very moment, pop open and his movement halts. 

“What?” 

“Fuck. Okay, I know this is not a position or place a woman wants to be proposed in, but I have to say this before I go insane. _____, I know you’re scared and I also know the reason behind it. Of course, I won’t ask you why you kept that part a secret from me, because I respect you and want you to take your time. But baby,” he brushes his thumb over her cheekbone, “I need you to know that I will die before I let anything like that go down between us. I love you so much you don’t even realise. Sometimes I even shock myself with how much I cherish you. You’re a gift to me, a gift which brings out the best not just in me but in everyone she meets.”

He places a small kiss on her forehead before continuing, “I can go anywhere, see everything but it still wouldn’t match the level of affection I hold for you in my heart. Still wouldn’t match the beauty of your smile, you amazing woman. You’re all I have ever wanted. So please, make me the happiest motherfucker in the world by saying ye-”

“Yes” 

‘What?”

“Yes, I’ll marry you. Now will you please shut up fuck me like you promised, husband?” 

He bites her jaw, “Oh, I’ll fuck you so nice you’ll be begging for more, wife.”

Soon enough, _____’s lower lip trembles as her orgasm takes over, and he has the privilege to watch it all. The fluttering of her lashes, the marks of her nail down his arm and the way she calls him her husband again when she’s able to find her words. 

He’s so gone.

About half an hour later when he asks her again as to what changed her mind about marriage, she says something so deep yet in such a casual way, he wants to cry. 

“When I hugged you inside, you didn’t ask questions. You just let me be and that may seem like a miniscule thing for someone else, but for me it was enough. Enough to stay with you until I turn all wrinkly and grey haired.” 

[elryuse]

May i request a fluffy smut ive liz x male reader. I just love her so much these days. I have no plot lol

Thanks for making the fluffy sakura smut that i anonymously requested. :3 It was amazing \(-w-)/

Strawberry Milk

Liz X Male Reader

Tags : Vanilla Sex, Idol Girlfriend Liz, Fluff, Romance, Shower Sex Words : 5,283 Words

Thanks for the Request. I hope You Liked It.

The soft hum of fluorescent lights, the constant beep of barcode scanners, the dull murmur of customers shuffling through aisles — it’s just another shift at your part-time job. You stand behind the counter, a little tired, a little bored, your hands idly restocking a rack of gum near the register.

But then—

Your eyes flick up to the TV mounted near the ceiling. It’s muted, but you don’t need the sound to know what’s going on. You know this broadcast by heart. Music Bank — IVE comeback special.

There she is. Liz. Not just “Liz from IVE.” Not just the K-pop idol the whole country’s obsessed with. No. Your Liz. Not the one in the spotlight, but the one who steals your hoodies, complains about ramen, and sends sleepy selfies at 3AM. She’s glowing on screen — hair soft and blonde again, eyes sparkling like there’s starlight caught in them. She’s laughing at something the host just said, dimples showing as she covers her mouth shyly. The fans are probably losing their minds right now. And honestly? So are you.

Even though you’re trying to keep it cool, a grin spreads across your face. You can’t help it. She’s just… Liz. Your girlfriend. Your heart. And even though no one around you knows it, your chest swells with pride every time you see her like this — bright, confident, radiant — owning every second of that spotlight.

You sneak glances whenever you can, in between ringing up customers and double-checking stock. And then the interview shifts. The host turns toward her and asks — you read his lips easily — “Is there someone special you’d like to say something to? Someone watching at home, maybe?”

Liz hesitates for a moment. Her lips part. She bites her lower lip. You lean in instinctively, holding your breath. Then—She smiles. And says: “I miss youuuu~”

It hits you like a wave.

You freeze — smile frozen, heart skipping an entire beat — as those words fall from her lips like a private whisper meant only for you. Of course, no one else around you knows. But you know. You know. That was for you.

You let out a breathless laugh, one hand lifting to rub the back of your neck, warmth blooming in your chest like a thousand butterflies. You glance around the store, hoping no one notices the stupidly smitten expression on your face.

God, you miss her too.

You pull out your phone under the counter and type a quick message.

[You]: I saw it. I miss you more. Idiot.

She doesn’t reply right away — probably swarmed backstage with stylists, staff, and members — but you know she’ll read it later. And when she does, you can already imagine her laughing quietly to herself, phone clutched close to her chest.

That kind of love — quiet, secret, but real — is what you live for.

You get off work just past ten. The night air is cool, the city quiet in that magical kind of way — like it's catching its breath. You walk the same route home, sneakers scuffing the pavement, earbuds in. The playlist she made you plays softly in your ears — a mix of acoustic love songs, chill R&B, and random weird tracks she claims “just feel like you.”

Your phone buzzes.

[Liz 💛]: You were watching?? 😭😭😭 I literally wanted to say your name SO BAD [You]: You did. I heard it. Every letter. Even the extra “u”s. [Liz 💛]: UGH you’re so gross (I love you) [You]: I love you more.

You smile like an idiot again, eyes soft.

Back at your apartment, you make ramen. The cheap kind. The one she always complains about when she visits because “you’re going to die eating this,” but then ends up finishing half your bowl anyway.

You scroll through your gallery while it cooks. Photos of her asleep in your hoodie. Her eating ice cream. Her pouting. Her holding your pinky under a blanket at the movie theater. Each photo is a tiny moment — stolen between comeback schedules, fan signs, rehearsals. Hidden from the world, but deeply yours.

You miss her in all the quiet ways.

In the mornings when your alarm goes off and she’s not there to smack your chest and groan. In the little mundane things like brushing your teeth side-by-side or fighting over who gets the last bite of kimbap. In the silence of your room when you roll over and she’s not curled up beside you.

And yeah — she’s famous. She’s busy. You knew what you were signing up for. But still… Missing her is like a dull ache that never fully fades.

She calls you at midnight.

“Hey,” she says softly.

You close your eyes just hearing her voice. “You’re still up,” you say.

“I’m always up for you.”

God. She doesn’t even try. She just says things like that and you melt.

“Your broadcast was amazing,” you tell her. “You looked unreal.”

She sighs. “I was sweating the whole time. You don’t even know. My bangs were stuck to my forehead like—like seaweed.”

You laugh. “Still looked beautiful to me.”

Silence.

Then she whispers, “I wish I could be there right now.”

“Me too.”

“I want to fall asleep in your bed and smell your gross body wash again.”

“…Rude.”

She giggles. You love her laugh more than you can describe.

“I’ll be back in three days,” she murmurs. “As soon as this promo finishes. I’ll sneak out. Even if it’s just for one night.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

“Promise?”

“Always.”

That night, you sleep with your phone clutched against your chest, her voice playing faintly in your dreams. And somewhere far away, in a hotel room with blackout curtains and a busy schedule waiting for her, Liz sleeps with the same exact longing — dreaming of you.

Well This is Suprising, You didn’t expect to see her tonight.

It’s almost 2:57 AM. You’ve just come back from a late-night run to the convenience store—instant coffee, microwave pizza, and that one bag of spicy chips she always steals from your snack drawer.

Your apartment is quiet, as usual. That kind of lonely quiet that only amplifies the weight on your chest. The warmth of her voice during that call two nights ago still lingers in your head. It’s always like this, the days before she comes home—you're half-excited, half-anxious, barely able to sleep.

So you don’t.

You stay up scrolling through your phone, watching her fan-cam clips, reading fan posts gushing about her smile, and laughing when they point out the little quirks only you truly understand. “Liz tilting her head again when she doesn’t know what to say 😭😭” someone wrote on X. You grin. She’s always done that—even back when she wasn’t famous, just Liz, your girlfriend, that one girl who always wore mismatched socks and drank banana milk like her life depended on it.

You lie back on your bed, phone dimly lit on your chest, letting sleep pull you under—

And then: three soft knocks at your window.

You jolt upright.

What the—?

You live on the second floor.

The knocks come again. You throw off the blanket, heart racing, shuffle to your window and pull open the curtains.

And there she is.

Liz.

"Miss me?" Liz whispers, her breath warm against your ear as she perches on your windowsill, her hoodie slipping back to reveal strands of her dark hair catching the moonlight.

You don’t even think. You yank open the window, letting the cool night air rush in as she tumbles into your arms, her laughter muffled against your chest. “You’re insane,” you mutter, holding her tighter, like if you let go, she might vanish—a midnight illusion.

“Insane for you,” she murmurs, her voice soft but laced with that teasing tone only she can pull off. Her arms wrap around your neck, her fingers tangling in the hair at the base of your skull. “One night. That’s all I could get.”

Your heart clenches. One night. It’s not enough—it’s never enough—but you’ll take it. You’ll take every second she’s willing to give.

“Your manager’s gonna kill me,” you say, pulling back just enough to see her face.

She smirks, her eyes glinting in the dim light. “Let them try.”

You laugh, despite the knot in your chest, and brush her bangs out of her face. Her skin is cool from the night air, but her smile is warm, familiar, home. “God, I missed you.”

“I know,” she says, her voice dripping with that shameless confidence you adore. “I saw your tweets.”

You flush, heat creeping up your neck. “You stalk my account?”

“Mm-hm,” she hums, leaning into your touch. “I’m your number one fan.”

You shake your head, but the smile doesn’t leave your face. “Come on. Let’s get you out of the cold.”

You lead her to the bed, the two of you collapsing onto the mattress in a tangle of limbs. She’s on her side, facing you, her hoodie discarded now, leaving her in an oversized t-shirt that slips off one shoulder. Her eyes are half-lidded, exhaustion etched into her features, but there’s a softness there too—a vulnerability she only ever shows to you.

“Are you okay?” you ask, your voice low, almost a whisper.

She blinks, her brow furrowing slightly. “Why?”

“You looked dizzy in that rehearsal video.”

She sighs, turning onto her back to stare at the ceiling. “I was. I haven’t eaten real food in like, three days. Just cucumber water and black coffee.”

Your stomach twists. “Liz—”

“I know, I know,” she says, cutting you off with a wave of her hand. “It sucks. But I’m okay. I’m here now.”

You reach out, gently brushing your thumb across her cheek. Her skin is soft beneath your touch. “I hate how they work you.”

She turns her head to look at you, her eyes soft, almost sad. “Sometimes I hate it too. But I try not to think about it when I’m with you.”

“Then don’t think,” you say, your voice firm but gentle. “Tonight, you’re just mine.”

Her lips curve into a small smile. “Tonight, I’m always just yours.”

You make her ramen at 4 AM, the good kind you’ve been saving for a special occasion. She leans against the kitchen wall, wearing one of your oversized shirts, her hair tied up in a messy bun. Her eyes are half-lidded, exhaustion written all over her face, but there’s a sparkle in her gaze—a secret joy only you get to see.

“This feels illegal,” she murmurs, sipping the broth like it’s the best thing she’s ever tasted.

You shrug, leaning against the counter across from her. “It probably is.”

She grins, her nose scrunching up in that way that always makes your heart skip a beat. “God, I love you.”

The words hit you like a punch to the chest, stealing your breath. You pause, your heart pounding in your ears. “Say it again.”

She looks up at you, her face lit only by the weak kitchen light. “I love you.”

Again.

“I love you.”

Again.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” she says between bites, laughing now, her voice filling the small space between you. “Are you gonna cry?”

You almost do.

Back in bed, with her curled up beside you and the first rays of dawn peeking through the curtains, she mumbles against your chest, her voice heavy with sleep. “You know, I dream about this every night.”

You run your fingers through her hair, your touch gentle. “What?”

“This. Us. You. Not having to hide.”

Your chest tightens, a familiar ache settling in your heart. “I want a world where I can hold your hand in public,” she continues, her voice soft but steady. “Where I can kiss you on the street and not worry about headlines. Where I can tell my fans about you and still have their support.”

You press a kiss to her forehead, your lips lingering for a moment. “We’ll get there,” you whisper. “Even if it takes years.”

She sighs contentedly, her body relaxing against yours. "I love you," she murmurs again, her breath warm against your skin.

"I love you too," you whisper back, your voice barely audible.

And then she’s kissing you, her lips soft and insistent, her hands gripping your shirt as if she’s afraid you’ll disappear. You kiss her back, your fingers tangling in her hair, pulling her closer until there’s no space left between you. Her body is warm against yours, her hips pressing into you as she deepens the kiss, her tongue sliding against yours.

You break apart, both of you breathless, and she looks at you with a mischievous grin. "I want you," she whispers, her voice shaky but certain.

"Liz," you start, but she cuts you off with another kiss, her hands moving to the hem of your shirt, pulling it over your head. Her lips are on your neck, her teeth grazing your skin, and you can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t do anything but feel.

Her shirt joins yours on the floor, and then she’s straddling you, her hands on your chest, her lips trailing down your body. You groan, your hips arching up to meet her, and she laughs softly, the sound sending a shiver down your spine.

"Relax," she murmurs, her voice low and sultry. "Let me take care of you."

And you do. You let her take control, let her lead, let her show you just how much she’s missed you. Her hands are everywhere, her mouth hot and hungry, and you’re lost in her, completely and utterly lost.

The first rays of sunlight filter through the curtains as she rides you, her body moving in perfect rhythm with yours. Her head tips back, her hair cascading down her back, and she moans your name, the sound sending a wave of euphoria through you. Your hands grip her hips, guiding her, urging her on, and she leans forward, her lips finding yours again in a desperate, feverish kiss.

"Come with me," she whispers against your lips, and you do, the world exploding in a burst of light and heat as you both reach the edge together.

She collapses against you, her body trembling, her breath hot against your skin. You wrap your arms around her, holding her close, and she buries her face in your neck, her lips brushing against your pulse point.

The room is still shrouded in the soft haze of dawn, the air thick with the scent of sweat and intimacy. Liz lies sprawled across your chest, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on your skin. Her breathing has slowed, but her body still hums with the residual energy of what you’ve just shared. You stroke her hair, the strands damp and tangled, and she lets out a contented sigh.

“Hey,” she murmurs, her voice low and raspy, “how about a shower? I feel… sticky.”

You chuckle, the sound rumbling through your chest. “Sticky, huh? That’s your fault.”

She lifts her head to look at you, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “And whose fault is it that I couldn’t keep my hands off you?”

“Fair point,” you concede, grinning. “But you’re the one who climbed through my window at 3 AM.”

She smirks, leaning in to brush her lips against yours. “And you’re the one who let me in. So, shower?”

You nod, and she slips off the bed, her movements graceful despite the exhaustion that must be weighing on her. She extends a hand to you, and you take it, letting her pull you to your feet. The two of you make your way to the bathroom, the tiles cool beneath your feet. Liz turns on the shower, the sound of water hitting the tub filling the room. Steam begins to rise, fogging up the mirror and wrapping the space in a warm, humid embrace.

She steps into the shower first, the water cascading over her body, and you watch as her skin glistens under the stream. She turns to you, her hair already plastered to her face, and extends a hand. “Come on,” she says, her voice soft but laced with something urgent.

You step in after her, the water immediately soaking you from head to toe. Liz pulls you close, her body pressing against yours as the warmth envelops you both. Her hands roam over your chest, exploring every inch of you as if she’s trying to memorize the feel of your skin. Her touch is electric, sending shivers down your spine despite the heat of the water.

She leans in, her lips brushing against your ear. “Let’s make this day unforgettable,” she whispers, her voice low and sultry.

You swallow hard, your heart pounding in your chest as her hands glide down your torso, tracing the lines of your muscles. She presses you gently against the cool tiles, her body pinning you in place. Her lips find yours, and the kiss is slow and deep, a languid exploration that leaves you breathless. Her tongue slips into your mouth, tangling with yours, and you groan, your hands gripping her hips.

Liz pulls back just enough to look at you, her eyes dark with desire. “I’ve missed this,” she admits, her voice barely audible over the sound of the water. “I’ve missed you.”

“I missed you too,” you whisper, your hands moving to cup her face. “Every damn second.”

She smiles, her lips curving into that familiar, mischievous grin. “Good,” she says, her voice teasing. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”

Her hands slide lower, her fingers brushing against the sensitive skin of your stomach before she wraps them around you, her touch firm and confident. You gasp, your head tipping back against the tiles as she begins to move her hand, her strokes slow and deliberate. Her lips find your neck, her teeth grazing your skin as she nips and sucks, leaving behind a trail of marks that she knows you’ll have to hide later.

“Liz,” you groan, your voice ragged. “You’re going to kill me.”

She laughs softly, the sound vibrating against your skin. “Not yet,” she murmurs. “I’m just getting started.”

Her hand picks up speed, and you feel the tension building, coiling in the pit of your stomach. But before you can tip over the edge, she stops, her grip loosening. You open your eyes to look at her, confusion and frustration written all over your face.

She smirks, her expression wicked. “Patience,” she says, her voice dripping with amusement. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

You let out a strangled laugh, shaking your head. “You’re evil.”

“And you love it,” she counters, her hands sliding up your chest as she leans in to kiss you again. This time, the kiss is harder, more demanding, her teeth tugging at your lower lip as she presses herself against you. You can feel her, warm and wet, and the ache in your body intensifies.

She breaks the kiss, her breath hot against your lips. “Turn around,” she instructs, her voice firm.

You hesitate for a moment, but then you do as she says, turning to face the tiles. Liz’s hands are on your back, her fingers tracing the lines of your spine, and then she’s pressing herself against you, her body flush with yours. Her hands move to grip your hips, and she leans in, her lips brushing against your ear. “Relax,” she whispers, her voice soft and soothing.

You feel her shift behind you, and then she’s guiding you into her, the sensation overwhelming as she takes you in, inch by inch. She lets out a soft moan, her hands tightening on your hips as she begins to move, her rhythm slow and deliberate. The water continues to cascade over you both, the sound mingling with the soft, breathy sounds she’s making as she rocks against you.

“Liz,” you groan, your hands splayed against the tiles as she picks up speed, her hips snapping against yours with a force that leaves you gasping. Her nails dig into your skin, leaving crescent-shaped marks that you know will stay with you for days. Her breath is hot against your neck, her moans growing louder, more desperate, as she chases her own release.

“Come with me,” she whispers, her voice breaking as she nears the edge. “Please.”

You don’t need to be told twice. The tension in your body snaps, and you’re lost in the wave of pleasure that crashes over you, her body trembling as she follows you over the edge. She collapses against your back, her breathing ragged, her heart pounding against your skin.

The two of you stay like that for a moment, the water still streaming down around you, as you catch your breath. Liz finally pulls away, her hands sliding up your back as she turns you to face her. Her eyes are soft, her expression tender as she looks at you.

“I love you,” she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. “I don’t think I say it enough.”

You cup her face, brushing a strand of wet hair out of her eyes. “I love you too,” you whisper back. “And you don’t have to say it. I already know.”

You turn off the shower, the room suddenly quiet except for your ragged breaths. Steam lingers in the air, clinging to your skin as you grab a towel, wrapping it around her. She’s still trembling from the intensity of the moment, her cheeks flushed, her lips parted as she looks at you with those eyes—those eyes that always seem to see straight through you.

You lift her effortlessly, her arms instinctively wrapping around your neck as you carry her to the bed. The soft glow of the bedside lamp casts a warm, intimate light over the room, and you lay her down gently, her damp hair fanning out against the pillow. Your body hovers over hers, the towel slipping away as you press her into the mattress.

“I need you,” you whisper, your voice hoarse, thick with desire.

Her hands slide up your chest, her fingertips tracing the contours of your muscles as she nods, her breath hitching. “Always,” she murmurs, her voice barely audible.

You position yourself between her legs, your arousal pressed against her warmth. Slowly, agonizingly so, you slide into her, her body arching to meet yours. Her breath catches, and she lets out a soft moan, her nails digging into your shoulders. You move with her, your bodies perfectly in sync, every thrust deep and deliberate.

Her legs wrap around your waist, pulling you closer, closer, until there’s no space between you. Your foreheads press together as you move, your breaths mingling, her lips brushing yours with every ragged exhale. The rhythm builds, the tension coiling tighter and tighter until it feels like you might shatter.

“You feel so good,” she gasps, her voice trembling. “I don’t ever want this to end.”

You don’t respond with words. Instead, you capture her lips in a searing kiss, your tongues tangling as you pour everything into it—every ounce of love, every ounce of need. Her moans are muffled against your mouth, her hands roaming your back, pulling you impossibly closer.

The sound of skin against skin, her soft whimpers, your harsh breaths—it’s all so intoxicating, so raw. You feel her body tightening around you, her walls clenching as she nears the edge. Her nails rake down your back, and she throws her head back, exposing the delicate curve of her neck.

“I’m close,” she whimpers, her voice breaking. “Please… please don’t stop.”

You don’t. You can’t. You push her closer, deeper, harder, until she’s unraveling beneath you, her climax crashing over her in waves. Her body shakes, her back arching off the bed as she cries out your name, her voice raw and desperate.

It’s enough to push you over the edge, your own release following hers. You bury your face in the crook of her neck, your hips stuttering as you spill into her, your body trembling with the force of it.

For a moment, you stay like that—your bodies still joined, your breaths ragged, your hearts pounding in sync. Her hands slide up your back, her touch gentle as she pulls you closer, her lips brushing against your shoulder.

“I love you,” she murmurs, her voice thick with emotion. “I don’t think I say it enough.”

You press a kiss to her collarbone, your lips lingering against her skin. “I love you too,” you whisper, your voice soft but sure. “And you don’t have to say it. I already know.”

She smiles, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on your back. “Good,” she says, her voice drowsy. “Because I’m never going to stop loving you.”

You lay there together, wrapped up in each other, the world outside your window forgotten. The silence is comfortable, intimate, broken only by the occasional whisper of affection or the soft hum of contentment.

But then, her phone buzzes on the nightstand, shattering the moment.

She groans, reaching for it reluctantly. “Ugh, it’s probably my manager.”

You watch as she unlocks the phone, her expression shifting as she reads the message. Her brows furrow, and she bites her lip, a flicker of worry crossing her face.

“What is it?” you ask, propping yourself up on one elbow.

She hesitates, her thumb hovering over the screen. “It’s… nothing. Just some scheduling stuff. I’ll handle it tomorrow.”

But you can tell it’s more than that. There’s a tension in her shoulders, a tightness in her jaw that wasn’t there moments ago.

“Are you sure?” you press, your voice gentle but insistent.

She sighs, setting the phone down and turning to face you. “Yeah. I’m sure. I don’t want to think about work right now. I just want to be here with you.”

You nod, brushing a strand of hair out of her face. “Okay. Then we’ll forget about it for tonight.”

She smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach her eyes. Instead, she leans in, capturing your lips in a soft, lingering kiss. “Thank you,” she murmurs against your lips. “For always being here for me.”

You kiss her back, your hands sliding down her sides, pulling her closer. “Always,” you whisper.

She hums in response, her fingers tangling in your hair as the kiss deepens, the worry momentarily forgotten. Her body arches into yours, her warmth pressing against you as she whispers, “Do that thing again. The thing you did before.”

You smirk, your lips trailing down her neck. “Which thing?”

She lets out a breathy laugh, her hands sliding down your back. “You know exactly what thing.”

You don’t need to be told twice. Your lips move lower, your hands exploring every inch of her body as you lose yourself in her once again. The world outside fades away, leaving only the two of you, tangled together in the quiet intimacy of the night.

But as her moans fill the room, you can’t shake the feeling that something is coming. Something that could change everything.

You wake up to the smell of strawberry milk.

Not coffee. Not toast. But strawberry milk.

Your eyes open slowly, and for a moment, you think you’re still dreaming — because there’s Liz, crouched on the floor in front of the fridge, hoodie sleeves flopping over her hands, humming a cartoon jingle off-key as she struggles to pull the drink from behind the pickles you never moved.

She doesn’t notice you watching at first. She’s too busy doing a little happy dance after finally getting the bottle out, spinning around and bumping the fridge door shut with her hip.

Then she sees you.

“Oh nooo,” she groans playfully, dramatically shielding her face with the milk. “You weren’t supposed to wake up! I was gonna surprise you!”

You sit up, rubbing your eyes. “With what? Warm strawberry milk in bed?”

She grins, padding over with the bottle and two mugs she clearly grabbed without thinking. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”

You let her pour the pink drink, both of you sitting cross-legged on the bed as if it’s the most normal breakfast in the world. She hands you a mug with a shy smile — like you haven’t already kissed her a dozen times in the last twenty-four hours.

“It’s kind of our thing now,” she says softly, watching you take a sip.

You raise a brow. “Strawberry milk?”

She nods. “Simple. Sweet. A little weird. But comforting.”

You chuckle. “Like us?”

She beams. “Exactly like us.”

You clink mugs. And for a while, you both just sit there — legs tangled, bed messy, morning sunlight slipping through the blinds — sipping strawberry milk like it’s some kind of sacred ritual.

After breakfast, Liz insists on building a “pillow fort.”

You’re skeptical, but the way she pouts — exaggerated bottom lip, big doe eyes, that high-pitched “pleeease” — you fold instantly.

You gather every blanket and cushion in the apartment, while she giggles and crawls around, making up the “official fort layout” as she goes. You accidentally knock over a pile of pillows and she dramatically fake-dies beneath them.

“I’m trapped,” she groans. “Only true love’s kiss can save me.”

You roll your eyes but crawl over anyway, brushing her hair from her forehead. “You’re ridiculous.”

She grins up at you, soft and glowing. “But you love me.”

You kiss her — slow and gentle — just like she likes in the mornings. “Yeah. I really do.”

Inside the fort, the world feels small in the best way.

Your legs are intertwined again, and she’s lying on your chest, doodling hearts with her finger against your shirt.

Her voice is barely above a whisper. “I wish time would stop.”

You run your hand through her hair. “Then let’s pretend it already has.”

She lets out a dreamy sigh, nuzzling closer. “You’re too good at saying the right things.”

“And you’re too good at making me feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”

She laughs, soft and sleepy. “Then I guess we’re even.”

You spend most of the day inside that blanket fort — playing silly games, watching old cartoons, taking blurry selfies that Liz promises to never post (“but secretly keeps for herself”), and holding each other in every possible position a tangle of limbs can manage.

She teases you when you get emotional during a sad episode. You pretend not to notice when she hums your favorite song into your shoulder. She tries on your shirts, dramatically modeling them like it’s Fashion Week, then collapses laughing when you rate each one with a serious poker face.

It’s not the glamorous life of a K-pop idol.

It’s better.

It’s real.

It’s yours.

That night, you lie in bed with her again, this time on your side, faces inches apart.

Her voice is sleepy but laced with something warm. “You know what I love about you?”

“What?”

“You always treat me like a person first. Not an idol. Not a celebrity. Just… me.”

You brush your thumb along her cheek. “Because you are just you. That’s who I fell in love with.”

She smiles so softly it makes your chest ache. “Promise me we’ll keep being like this. Even if things get busy. Even if we’re apart.”

You link your pinky with hers. “I promise.”

She kisses your hand, then rests it against her heart.

Moments later, she’s asleep — peaceful, safe, warm in your arms.

And for once, there’s no noise, no pressure, no flashing lights.

Just Liz.

Just love.

[luveline]

HEY JADE I HOPE UR DOING WELL ILY

im curious to hear ur thoughts on what an interaction between zombie!au steve and reader would look like had the apocalypse not happened. would she fly completely under his radar like in high school or would he be interested in getting to know her?? we know she knew who he was pre-apocalypse but does she really care? i keep thinking about what would happen if she walked into family video one day and if he would hit on her or not lmao

hi I love you! zombie au (ish) | fem, 1.3k

Voices force Steve’s attention. 

“I’ll be five minutes!”

“Two minutes or I’m driving off without you!” 

Steve’s more familiar with the second one. Eddie ‘The Freak’ Munson and his creaky shit van idling on the curb outside of the store. That sheds some light on the first voice —one of the club members. Or, honorary club members? When Steve decides to be kind and drive Dustin home in the winter after his games, you can be seen occasionally sitting on stoops waiting for Eddie to finish. 

Who knew The Freak could get a girlfriend? That makes Steve being single even sadder.

You say something else. Eddie laughs. “Do you want popcorn or not?” you quip. 

“Why, are you paying for it?” 

“Not for you I’m not.” 

“You got a minute and counting.” 

“If you drive off without me, you can forget about Friday night.” 

Steve angles his head to watch you through the open door. Summer heat has made a mess of Munson’s hair where he’s leaning toward the open door. You’re holding the car door, in a light chequered dress with bows on the shoulders and the cutest pair of socks and buckled shoes. How the fuck does Eddie get a girl like that? Also, Steve’s been wondering, where the fuck did you come from? Clearly you went to Hawkins High, and when Robin told him that he swore he could remember you, but there’s nothing in his head. It’s like Robin all over again, in the same homeroom for two years and he didn’t know she was awesome until the summer after high school ended. 

“Can you just go get your fucking movie so we can go?” 

You’re still glaring when you turn around, but you’re quiet as you edge into Family Video. “Jerk,” you mouth to yourself, taking a quick cut to the slasher moves at the back. You don’t spend much time browsing, Steve can see from the back that it’s Day of the Dead. You emerge and head to the blockbusters. 

You catch Steve watching at the desk. 

He knows he doesn’t have a chance, you already have a boyfriend, so all he says is, “Let me know if you need any help.”

You smile weakly and turn back.

Maybe he wasn’t nice to you. He can’t remember, is the thing. He was such a jerk, Tommy and Carol were such jerks. 

He’s not a miserable person, but he does hate himself more often than not. It’s easier because he actually has friends who love him. Robin might give him shit every day, but she’s the first person to teach him what being loved feels like, and it makes him better. He’s less cruel, less quick to anger, less selfish. But Steve knows he isn’t completely kind or patient in turn. He’s a fuck up. He’s nearly twenty three working for $4.50 in an hour with no degree and no prospects and— 

“Hey,” you say, setting three tapes down on the desk. 

“Hey.” He clears his throat. “Is this everything?” 

You look vaguely embarrassed to ask, “Do you guys still do the bags of popcorn, do you know?” 

“Sure, they’re by the window, let me just–”

“That’s okay, I’ll get it.” 

You speed walk for the popcorn. Steve finds himself with a weirdly dry mouth as you reach for one, swallowing hard as you make your way back. It’s just the one bag of popcorn after all. Eddie must’ve really pissed you off. 

Steve rings up your movies. The barcode on Pretty in Pink won’t work. He opens the window and starts to type it in with his keyboard. 

Outside, someone lays on the horn for three long beeps. 

“I’m real sorry about him,” you say, letting out a breathy, nearly-timid laugh. 

“Is he always like that?” 

“Every day of his life.” 

Steve works in customer service. He has mastered the art of the polite smile. “I don’t think you should put up with it. Nice girl like you,” he says lightly. 

“That’s what friends are for, right?” you say with chagrin. 

Steve glances over your shoulder. Just friends? Who the fuck would put up with Eddie voluntarily? Steve understands that love isn’t a choice, but if you’re not even kissing to soften the blow of things, you’re just crazy. 

He slides your tapes back to you. “How long did you want them for, just the one night?” 

“Two, please.” 

“Awesome, can I have a phone number and address?” 

You give them.

Steve uses his employee discount and doesn’t really know why as he clicks it out. “It’s four dollars when you’re ready.” 

You take the swing purse from your hip and clip it open, pulling out a ten dollar bill. “He’s not totally mean,” you say, “I know he seems rude. But that’s just his character.” 

“Sure.” 

You offer him the ten dollars, shifting around on your shoes, eyes over his shoulder toward the back. You seem a little put off by him. He really must’ve been mean to you. Maybe he laughed when Carol called you names. Maybe he ignored you as he put himself in Nancy Wheeler’s path. 

“Steve?” 

He looks up in surprise, still counting your change out. It should be easy, except he doesn’t have a five dollar bill in the register, and he had three one dollars, so he’s counting quarters he’ll have to apologise for. “Yeah?” 

“Are you okay?” 

He pauses. “I’m good. Why?” 

You gesture to your eye. “You have a cut. Did you get hurt?” 

“This? This is nothing. I threw Robin, you know Robin? Robin Buckley? She’s going to college, she actually already left, but I threw her a surprise going away party. When everybody yelled ’surprise’ she sort of panicked and her ring caught me.” He chews his lip. “Yeah, I’m fine though.” 

“Oh, shit. Eddie’s going to do this internship thing in Michigan at the end of the week, I hope he doesn’t get me with his rings when I give him his goodbye present.”

“Lot of rings.” 

“Right? He’ll blind me.” 

Steve startles both of you when he laughs heartily, grabbing the remainder of your change and shutting the register tightly. “Can’t let that happen.”

“So we both find ourselves without best friends for the autumn,” you say, holding out your hand for your change. “Maybe if you’re bored, you can call me. We can go to the movies or something.” 

“You’re serious?” 

“How else do you make friends?” you ask. “If you don’t wanna be my friend that’s fine, I’m putting you on the spot, just don’t call me, but my number’s in there.” 

“And when you come back to return the movies, and I still haven’t called, that won’t be awkward at all,” he says wryly, teasingly, enjoying the way your face has changed. He wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re flirting, but your smile is something else.

“So… call me?” you ask quietly, grabbing your movies, your popcorn, and waiting for an answer. 

Steve thinks that sounds more like a date being planned than a burgeoning friendship, and his grin probably shows that. “Sure. Yeah, I’ll call you. We’ll go to the movies.” 

You’re decidedly quick as you escape the store, rushing down off the curb and upto Eddie’s van. You open the door and climb in fast, Steve only hears a snippet of your conversation as Eddie turns the engine back on. 

“What the hell?”

“What?” 

“I fucking knew you had a crush on that jerk! Look at your face!” 

“Shut up, can we go?” you hiss. “This is why I didn’t get you any popcorn.”

“This is why you can't come to Michigan.” 

Steve presses the back of his hand to his cheek as the van leaves the parking lot. He’s hot as a burning hearth. Probably red as one too. God, who are you? Where have you been this entire time? You might’ve just saved Steve’s life. (Or, his social life.) 

—

I was curious and maybe this is like an au of the au and it’s not as cute as I wanted it to be but I think they’d accidentally trap themselves in the friends box for a while trying to survive being without their best friends together and Steve still falls slowly, I was gonna make this a bit longer but I thought I won’t bother unless it’s something people really want cos there’s a few requests I wanna do soon!! thank you for requesting

[lonerslug]

Zombieboy

chapter three: subject 09

ch 1 ch2 ch3 ch4

18+ only, men dni · Extreme gore · slow, aggressive smut · aftercare · blood · bodily fluids · trauma · experimental torture mentions · cyberpunk horror · semi-verbal zombie sex · possessive Sevika · cum inside · soldiers with high-tech gear · emotional intensity · PTSD themes · ambush · OC death · nonverbal communication · broken trust · imprinting. ZOMBIE!SEVIKA X READER

"Oh, I can't see straight And my hands are tied I could be your type From your zombie bite No, I can't see straight But the feeling's right I could be your type From your zombie bite" -Lady gaga, "Zombieboy"

You don’t sleep.

The words repeat in your skull like a drumbeat.

Come home, baby. We miss you.

You stare at the radio long after the signal dies, eyes burning, chest hollow. The warm body curled around you isn’t warm anymore...or maybe your blood’s just run cold.

Sevika doesn’t move. Just breathes.

You whisper her name. Once. Twice. Three times.

She won’t look at you.

You press a kiss to her hairline, then slowly peel yourself out of bed.

Your body aches. You’re still sore from her, hips bruised, thighs trembling, neck marked and bitten. The echo of her inside you hasn’t left, and you already miss it.

But you can’t think about that now.

You need answers.

So you find Rye's pack by the kitchen corner, right where he left it.

Blood soaked. Torn. Still zipped.

You brace yourself, then open it.

Inside:

A bottle of soju

Two half used rolls of gauze

A loaded pistol

One cracked data drive

And a folder. Sealed in plastic. Labeled: Z.09 PRIMARY ASSET

You freeze.

The folder’s damp with blood. You peel it open with shaking hands.

Inside are documents. Lab scans. Barcodes. Notes scribbled in red ink.

And then...

A photo.

Your knees give out. You sit right on the floor.

It’s Sevika. Strapped to a medical table. Wrists bound. A thick collar locked around her throat. Glowing tubes in her arms.

And her eyes?

They're the same as now.

Purple. Haunted.

SUBJECT 09: SEVIKA, Cognitive Degradation Trial “Stable mutations. Predictive violence. Host-body retention above 90%. Subject exhibits possessive traits and increased resilience in presence of stimulus: F2. Possibly bondable.”

Your name is underlined beside that last sentence.

You can’t breathe.

You hear her footsteps behind you.

When you turn, she’s staring at the photo in your hand.

She kneels. Takes it. Looks at it for a long time.

And she tears it in half.

You cry. You can’t help it.

She pulls you close.

And she holds you.

You sob into her chest, fists balled in her shirt. She doesn't speak, can’t, but she rocks you. Like she’s trying to fix it. Like she wishes she could.

“You were taken from me,” you whisper. “You didn’t just get sick. They made you like this.”

Her hand finds your cheek.

She kisses you. Deep, slow. Desperate.

Soft. Careful. Kisses so slow they make your skin ache.

Her scarred hands tremble slightly as they reach out, brushing a stray lock of hair from your forehead.

Her eyes, purple but soft in this moment, search yours. She’s silent, the words won’t come. But she mouths something, slow and deliberate.

“Don't cry”

You smile, a fragile warmth breaking through the cold dread. You fucking love her.

You reach up and touch her cheek. Her skin is cold, but beneath it, you feel the barely restrained fire.

Her lips meet yours, gentle at first, featherlight kisses that make your skin crawl with anticipation. Her hands trace your jaw, then slide down your neck, fingers mapping every curve like she’s memorising you again.

You arch into her touch, breath hitching.

Her mouth moves to your collarbone, leaving soft, wet kisses, each one a promise.

Her hand drifts down to your breast, thumb brushing your nipple softly, drawing a small moan from your lips. You’re soaking already, needy, raw.

Sevika pulls back just enough to look into your eyes, searching. Her breathing quickens. She presses a finger to your lips, silencing you, then slowly crawls lower, dragging her rough hands over your ribs, your hips.

Her fingers tease the waistband of your pants. You tug at them, desperate for more skin contact.

She pauses, watching you with those wild eyes. then, suddenly, her hands grab your hips and she pulls you closer, pressing her wet mouth to your clit.

The world narrows to her tongue, slow and sure, licking the tender flesh, flicking just right. Your fingers tangle in her hair, tugging gently, wanting to hear her make sound, anything.

She moans, low and guttural, damn. a sound you didn’t think she was capable of. It vibrates through her throat and into your core.

Your breath stutters. Her tongue swirls and teases, every stroke a wave crashing over you.

You cry out her name, it’s the first real sound she’s heard from you in hours.

She looks up, eyes shining. The hunger is growing.

Her hands are suddenly firmer, gripping your hips damn tight. She pulls you down against her mouth harder.

You shudder, hips jerking instinctively.

Her mouth leaves you, only to press hard against your thighs, trailing sloppy kisses and nibbles.

Her hand grabs your wrists and pin them above your head. You’re at her mercy, and you love it.

Sevika mouths your name again, but this time, she’s desperate for you to talk back. She presses her two fingers into your mouth. a rough, commanding gesture. You gag softly, but the feel of her hands on your throat is intoxicating.

You suck and lick between her fingers. She doesn’t say words, but the fire in her eyes says everything: Talk. Make noise for me.

You obey, moaning, panting, letting your voice fill the bunker.

Her hands aren’t gentle anymore.

She removes her fingers from your mouth, and you let out a whine, she slaps your thighs, light at first, then harder. You whimper, biting your lip.

Her lips trail to your jawline, and she presses a hand over your mouth, muffling your breathy moans.

You try to speak, but only manage a broken gasp.

Her other hand finds your throat, not choking, but possessive, marking you.

She growls low, almost animalistic. her mouth crashes onto yours. rough, demanding, teeth scraping your bottom lip.

she pulls back, eyes blazing.

“Mine,” she mouths again, harder this time, almost a growl.

Your body is on fire, your legs are trembling. The ache between your thighs is nearly unbearable.

Sevika lines herself up against you, a long, thick swell pressed to your entrance. A different strap this time. thick, long and black.

Her hands grip your hips, holding you steady.

She pushes in slowly, every inch deliberate.

You gasp, arching your back off the mattress.

Her body molds to yours, her cock deep inside, stretching, filling you.

She moves with a slow, powerful rhythm. deep, slow thrusts that make you see stars.

her hands roam your body, one slipping between your breasts to cup and knead your aching nipples roughly.

You cry out, nails digging into her back.

Her pace picks up.

Thrusts grow harder, hips slamming into yours.

Her mouth finds your neck, biting, sucking bruises into your skin.

Her hand tightens on your throat again, not choking, but marking, possession.

She slaps your ass, hard.

You mewl, words coming broken and breathless.

She shoves two fingers into your mouth, muffling your cries.

Her other hand holds your jaw, tilting your head up so you have no choice but to meet her fierce gaze, bright purple.

She mouths your name again, a desperate plea for your voice.

You scream her name,

"S-sevikaaaaa!!"

Your body convulses around her cock.

You cum hard, clenching

Sevika groans deep in her throat and follows, pulsing inside you.

Her grip loosens on your throat and wrists.

She collapses beside you, breath ragged.

she pulls you close, arms around you. licking the tears off your cheek.

her hands soothe your burning skin, brushing hair from your face while you lie against her, trembling.

She hums softly, a sound you swear is her way of saying I love you.

_

Later, while you’re resting in her arms, you hear something outside.

Not zombies.

Not shuffling.

But the high-pitched hum of something mechanical.

You sit up.

Blue light spills in through the cracks in the bunker ceiling.

Then, a crash.

Sevika is on her feet immediately. Her eyes flash. She grabs your arm, yanks you back behind her.

The door is blown off its hinges.

They enter.

Soldiers.

But not like any you’ve seen before.

Sleek armour, black and chrome, hexagonal plating

Helmets with no eyes, just a strip of glowing orange glass

Their voices distorted, mechanical

Weapons: not guns, but dart launchers, shock rods, energy nets

“Visual on Target Z09.” “Hostile detected. Stimulus present.”

What the fuck is going on?!

They raise their weapons.

“Target is bonded. Use tranquilizers. Kill the human if necessary.”

You flinch. They fire.

Sevika loses it.

She leaps into the nearest one, snaps his neck, rips his mask off.

Blood sprays the wall.

You try to crawl away, grab your gun, but shit, your legs won’t work. Too sore. Too slow.

One grabs you, net thrown over your back. You fire twice. miss the first, second hits their shoulder. They fall.

Sevika sees it happen and goes feral.

“She’s UNSTABLE, we didn’t program this!” “She’s protecting her BOND. Terminate!”

One soldier gets her with a blue dart, she growls, yanks it out of her neck, and throws it back at him.

You try to crawl towards her, another grabs your ankle.

Sevika rips his head off.

Literally.

You’re screaming. There’s blood everywhere. The blue lights flicker with static.

Then a voice comes from one of the helmets.

“Z09… don’t do this.” “You know where you belong.”

Sevika turns. Eyes glowing.

“Come home, baby.”

She crushes the helmet under her boot.

_

The bunker is in ruins.

Blood all over the walls. Two of the bodies are still twitching, cords of thick wires tied around their waists.

You’re shaking.

Sevika walks to you. Picks you up.

You bury your face in her neck.

“They’re not gonna stop,” you whisper. “They’re gonna keep coming.”

She nods once.

Outside, the sky is turning red.

She holds you tighter.

Then, a new noise.

Another radio crackles. Not yours. One of theirs.

“Extraction failed. Z09 is rogue.” “Activate protocol: Reclaimer.” “Send Unit Twelve.”

Fuck. You are in for another ride.

_

something clicks in your head.

You get up. Limp to your bag. Pull out your cracked laptop and a half broken solar charger. It takes minutes to boot. You're praying the old Russian train systems are still semi automated. You click a website while Sevika pulls you to her lap, where she watches behind. her breath grazes your neck.

“Korea’s safer. I heard they locked down early… less infected. Better walls. Better chances.” You whisper it like a prayer, barely loud enough for her to hear.

You click 'buy tickets'.

Destination: Korea, Busan

You buy two tickets. Just enough money left from what you scavenged off Rye’s last trade.

Your hands are shaking as you pack:

A white tank top that sticks to your sweaty back

Grey sweatpants, bloodstained at the ankles

Two pistols and your old sniper, cleaned, loaded, glinting in the flickering light

Food: dried fruit, jerky, gum...

A small medkit, spare batteries, Rye’s corrupted data drive

You glance at Sevika. She’s already pulling on a jacket, black, torn, scorched at the collar. She slings her cleaver on her back.

You nod once.

"We're leaving," you whisper.

She follows.

_

The walk to the station is fast. Silent. You stay to the shadows.

Your boots crunch through cracked pavement and broken glass. Old bones litter the path. A melted stuffed bear lies in a pool of black sludge. A kid’s shoe, tiny. Untouched.

You get there just as the sun disappears behind a cloud of ash.

The station is half collapsed. The roof’s caved in, metal beams hanging like spider legs. The old platform flickers with emergency red lights, still pulsing in intervals. One bench remains upright. Blood smeared on the walls like someone tried to claw their way out. Lights flickering.

Luckily, the screen above the track still works,

TRAIN: 221 - ARRIVAL: 15 MINUTES

You exhale.

“Fifteen fucking minutes.”

Sevika crouches beside you in the dark, her body tense, head on a swivel.

Something stinks. More than usual. A thick copper scent that sticks to your throat.

Then you hear it.

A thump.

Not footsteps.

Pounding. Heavy.

Your stomach drops.

You don’t even have time to curse before the thing lurches out of the dark.

It’s massive. At least eight feet tall, stitched together from multiple corpses. Its muscles bulge unnaturally, seams popping. Its jaw swings loose, lower half missing, tongue hanging like a dead snake. Its back is covered in metal shards, someone tried to kill it... and failed.

And now it’s pissed.

“Holy shi-?”

It charges.

You barely roll to the side.

It backhands a metal beam in half, sending sparks flying. You duck behind a shattered ticket booth. Sevika steps forward like she’s bored.

It lunges for her.

She ducks, dodges, slips behind its back and shoves her blade through its spine. But it keeps going, roars in her face, bleeding black sludge.

You fire your pistol. once, twice. Hit its shoulder. It doesn’t care.

Sevika gets picked up, literally lifted, by the monster. It SLAMS her into the platform wall.

“Fuck!” you scream. “SEVIKA!”

She grunts, flips her body upward, wraps her legs around its neck, and twists.

The beast stumbles.

You reload. Your hands are slick with sweat.

“Come on, come on, come on...”

The thing hurls Sevika across the platform, she lands in a crouch, blood in her teeth, grinning..?

It charges again.

You steady your breath. Raise the sniper. One shot.

CRACK.

You hit it in the face, blows off half its skull.

That slows it.

Just enough.

Sevika dives, grabs a steel rod from the rubble, and drives it up through its mouth and out its skull.

It twitches once.

Then drops.

Blood floods the concrete. Thick, clotted, stinking.

You’re panting. Smeared in gore. Hands shaking.

Sevika walks over, chest heaving, one eye swollen. She holds out her hand.

You take it.

The train screeches into the station.

Still running. Still intact.

“oh my god,” you whisper.

The doors hiss open.

You limp inside. Sevika follows.

You collapse onto a seat. She crouches in front of you, hands on your knees, her eyes locked to yours.

The train door shuts.

A voice crackles from the speakers in korean.

“Destination set. Travel time: 18 hours. Remain seated.”

The train jerks forward.

It’s loud. Rattling. Echoing through the half empty cars like a ghost.

You sit down hard on the nearest seat, breath catching in your throat, hands still shaking from the fight.

Blood is drying on your knuckles. Your sweatpants are spattered with viscera.

And Sevika?

She doesn’t even hesitate.

She crouches down between your legs, quiet, like a shadow, and rests her head on your lap.

Her eyes close.

She breathes you in.

Not in that unhinged, ravenous way she sometimes does when she’s turned on or triggered. This is softer. Slower. Like your scent keeps her grounded. Like you’re the last piece of her old life she can still recognize.

You feel her exhale.

It’s shaky.

Her lashes are wet.

You run your fingers through her dark hair, tucking back the strands matted with gore. You lean down and kiss her forehead.

“We’re safe. Just a little longer, baby. I’ve got you.”

She doesn’t move.

But her arms slowly circle your waist. Tight. Protective.

The train keeps moving. A dim light flickers above you. Outside the window, it’s just forests and black sky, the world gone quiet.

↪️ reblogs are appreciated!

taglist: @aelxnox @butchpuppyy @helaenabugmom @barelykiramman @sevikas-whore @georgiahs-stuff @nothingspecialjustaloserlesbian lmk if u would like to be tagged in the next chapter!

dividers: @/cafekitsune

[sleepynoons]

nagumo yoichi x gn!reader, sfw, not beta read

cw: slight suggestive content, explicit language

notes: wait if you catch several typos/grammar mistakes, that's not on me, that's on ellipsus for constantly glitching out today and preventing me from making edits. this is a drabble, too, and i don't proofread those oops. anyway, i thought it'd be funny if nagumo also got into a relationship the same way sakamoto and aoi got together. i also think it's hilarious that the npcs in this series don't give a fuck lol. nagumo also comes off as weird af at first LMAO wait this was kinda meant to satisfy my belief that nagumo has a sleeper build iykwim - wait i'm realizing there are several references + tidbits in this piece so it'd be funny if y'all catch anything hehe

"WELCOME!"

greeting customers is arguably the least rewarding thing about your job. most people who walk in ignore you, some even look annoyed, and you hate public speaking in the first place. you think you lose five minutes of your life every single time you raise your voice, and those five minutes have probably accumulated to years by now.

you sigh. it can't be helped. another part-timer recently quit, and you can't possibly let the manager of this convenience store, an elderly man in his 60s, take on additional night shifts when he's already handling the early mornings.

besides, there are some pros. since the store is located near a university and a residential area, there are familiar faces. there's a group of computer science students that often drop by, and they play the occasional harmless prank on you. there's also that mother-daughter pair that buys frozen taiyakis every saturday as a reward for the daughter for finishing her weekly violin lesson. and perhaps the most intriguing of them all is a man that pops by every three days around midnight.

he wears the same tan trench coat, along with a loose patterned button-up and black pants. before winter set in, he always went straight to the freezer to fish out a popsicle, bar already in his mouth as he walked over to pay, but in the past two weeks, he's been opting for a cup of hot coffee and small packets of candy instead.

it seems he's craving sour gummies today. with a swift swipe of your arm, you grab and scan the barcode on the back of the plastic bag, and type in the amount for his drink.

"your total's ¥600."

"no discounts for your most loyal customer?"

startled, you freeze, determined to avoid eye contact. you've had conversations with other customers before, but never with him. he's always left as quickly as he came, so you're caught off-guard by this unexpected interaction.

"u-uh, not this time, sorry. i can ask the manager if we have a loyalty program, if you want."

the man hums as he nods happily and hands you two ¥500 coins. his unbothered smile unnerves you a bit, so you count the difference and return the loose change in personal record time.

but he doesn't leave, and instead, asks, "any thoughts on getting hitched?"

your spit-take's almost comical, but the absurdity of the situation takes precedent. "w-what now?"

"one of my co-workers recently got married to a convenience store worker, so i'd thought i'd give it a try, too!"

you're practically shaking from how anxious and overwhelmed this person's making you feel. it doesn't help that he's clearly not disturbed at all, which almost makes you doubt your own ethics and gut instincts. but, the more you think about it, the more you're sure there's something wrong with this man and not you.

"i-i, uh, well, i'm not interested in-in getting married right now."

"oh, that's a shame! guess i'll try again tomorrow!”

–

you wake up with a jolt, almost knocking the crown of your head into nagumo's chin. though, of course, there's no actual need to worry about that.

"hm, what's wrong?"

with a workbook on bayesian statistics in one hand, a pen resting on his ear, and his other arm folded behind his head, he looks down at you curiously. despite having just woken up, your head's never been clearer, and you sit up between his legs before looking behind your shoulder and shooting a glare at him.

you ask, "can i punch your face?"

nagumo laughs, probably already imagining your futile attempts. "sure! but can i ask why?"

"i dreamt about our first conversation, and it reminded me that you're kinda fucked up."

your boyfriend chuckles more, amused by your moral qualms. "you could say that."

the thought that your relationship is weird has never left you. you're (still) a simple convenience store cashier, and nagumo gets filthy rich by murdering people. you were never that interested in the world around you, having been too busy paying back student loans and applying to other jobs throughout your early adolescent years to care about other things, so when he told you about the JAA and the establishment of the assassin industry as a whole, you were shocked. but that's always as far down into the rabbit hole as you let yourself go.

from this view, with nagumo spread out before you, he doesn't look dangerous at all. if anything, he resembles a nerdy graduate student, thanks to his obvious passions for mathematics and reading. moreover, his short-sleeved t-shirt exposes his tattoo-riddled arms, and the bottom of it has ridden up, giving you a pleasurable view of his hip bones and happy trail. in fact, when the two of you got into bed together for the first time (don't ask how he succeeded in seducing you), you were surprised by his physique. his outside clothes certainly don't do his abs or biceps justice.

anyway, the point is, he looks like your fantasy of a dreamy, hot, geeky boyfriend, not your local professional hitman-for-hire.

you sigh. you're not going to punch his stupidly attractive face. you lie back down onto his chest, burrowing your nose into the crook of his neck. you do let yourself get away with a pinch to his cheek.

then, you mutter, "don't hurt me."

"i won't," he chirps.

nagumo presses the knuckles of his free hand into the knots around your shoulder blades and flips his book back open.

he knows you mean more than in the literal sense.

[sincerelywhistler]

⊹ ₊ ❤︎ VIX ❤︎₊ ⊹

My husband, Fox, received Desire Demon as his Redacted demon quiz type result. So, naturally, we cooked up a DemonSona for him. And by we, I mean he called all the shots and I had the utmost pleasure of drawing this flirt. (We also made Vix and my DemonSona, Wolf-Rayet, smooch. Because we’re gay.)

Vulpecula… Vix… like a vixen… l-like a Fox yeah you get it.

Vix’s Pinterest Board

More about Vix (from Fox himself):

HELLO TUMBLR ITS FOX AND ITS MY TURN ON THE WES ACCOUNT, STRAP IN

• Vix first began writing as a way to better understand human desires on a deeper, personal level through passing on letters with anonymous pen pals

• Through sending these letters back and forth, he found his passion for writing as a whole. He excels in writing romance and poetry.

• After sending his pen pals rough copies of his creative works, they encouraged Vix to publish his books. He decided to publish his books under his full name, Vulpecula

• The general public has been lead to believe that the name Vulpecula is a pseudonym, and that it is a pseudonym that was passed down from anonymous writer to anonymous writer as generations passed. Empowered folk likely know that an immortal race— like a demon or vampire— is the person behind the pen

• He was a voracious reader from the start. Vix’s place on Elegy houses an impressive collection of books of all ages and genres

• Vix primarily feeds on humans’ general attraction towards him rather than from sexual relationships. Think of his dietary situation like something rent-a-boyfriend haha. Need a plus one to a wedding or work party? Don’t want to waste a Friday night by staying home? Want a shopping buddy? Call him up, he likes both the company and the attention.

• Bringing people out of their shells to try new things or go on dates is his favorite thing to do, which is why he wants to study Wolf-Rayet’s reclusive self under a microscope so badly in a gay way

• HOW THEY MET IS SO CUTE BUT I DONT THINK I CAN SUMMARIZE IT ALL LIKE WES WOULD BE ABLE TO SO LOOK AT THE THUMBNAIL OF THEM MEETING INSTEAD

barcode: the pleasure is mine

• …I LIED IM DOING IT ANYWAY. Wolf-Rayet finally got out of the house to visit the quaint mom and pop book shop to pick up some new books to read to his patients. By happenstance, Vix was there, setting up for a book signing when he spotted WR looking lost and awkward in the romance section. He caught Vix’s eye in more ways than one, so of course he had to go fluster the shit out of WR. WR explodes and fucking dies because a McDonald’s sprite would kill that Victorian man, but also because Vix wants to see him again, so he handed WR a copy of one of his spicer books he’s published, and on the back he wrote “we could make such a beautiful library together��. It’s then that Wolf-Rayet learns that he is actually the author of that book signing before bolting out the doors in embarrassment 😭

• He and Wolf-Rayet speak Latin together!! Vix learned it because he’s a sucker for dead languages and WR picked it up because he’s old as fuck medical terminology is heavy with Latin roots

• Vix calls WR “his hound” like from Fox and the Hound

That’s all I will share for now GOODBYE TUMBLR

-FOX

[switchbladedreamz]

Door Number Three

Pairing: Ghostface x College!Student Reader, you guessed it, college au.

Requested?: no

Rating: R

Warnings/Tags: stalking (its ghostface), eventual smut

Summary: Y/n makes out with a random guy at a party. A week later someone in her class asks her out only to not show up. Who sent her the picture of herself?

please reblog and comment. Not only does it help blogs grow but it helps fanfiction grow and builds community <33

~~~~

Lively voices buzz all around me. Different types of conversations being held, how someone's day was going, what their parents said to them. Friends catching up, department faculty sitting with each other. The cafeteria is alive with chatter.

Standing at the end of the line, my hangover is thanking the universe that the line isn't that long. I recognize some of the faces in the line in front of me from the party last night. Dozens of drunken flashbacks play in my head all at once like a burst of ink on a page. My fingers ghost over my lips as one flashback in particular sticks out. My lips on some guy's neck. Did I make out with a total stranger? I try to focus my attention on recalling his face but..

"It's ready for ya" the cashier at the counter, her short brown hair is worn in a hairnet today, interrupts my internal investigation. I pull my I.D. out of my wallet and scan it in front of the small barcode scanner. I walk further into the cafeteria. My dry bloodshot eyes lock onto the familiar sight, the grill area. 'Fries. I need fries. French fries will fix me.'

It feels like my rumbling stomach is in charge of my feet as I stumbled a few steps forward, toward the plate stacks on a shelf beneath the dishes of food being served. After stacking my plate in golden, crisp, deliciousness I cross the cafeteria to the drink machine. I get my favorite soda and a seat at a table in the back half of the room, where there's less people. Natural light from the windows warms the tables surrounding them. My shorts do nothing to save me from the shock of the cold chair assaulting the backs of my thighs. Quickly I cross my left leg over the right to warm myself. The salt shaker on this table is almost empty, the remaining salt grains clang as the shaker is put back down to rest in front of me. My phone vibrates in my pocket. From the lock screen the notification is an image text from some random number. Assuming it's from a campaign or mailing list I forgot I signed up for, my thumb slides up my lock screen. Clicking on the text with the only subject being the word "image" in italics.

*bzzt bzzt*

"this u?"

Food gets caught in my throat, my chest instantly fills with air. My nose takes a deep breath in, the different smells mixing in the air. I take a deep drink to wash down the food I'm trying desperately not to choke and die on.

The picture that was sent is a selfie of the guy whose face I couldn't remember until now, myself, and our tongues down each other's throat. There's a mask pushed to the top of his head, sticking to his pale forehead with beads of sweat. Medium length black hair that's hidden behind the back of the mask. As far as his costume goes it's just black.. Well this just got either really creepy or really hot.

I respond. "Are you the guy in the photo?"

"so it is you"

"who are you?"

A grey box pops up into the chat with a loading circle in the middle. The grey fades to color, a girl sitting by self in front of a window, in a crowded room. Wearing a burgundy shirt and grey shorts, hunched over her plate and phone. I look down, its my clothes. That's me in the picture.. right now. My head shoots up, my eyes scanning everyone in the cafeteria. Their facial expressions, who is sitting in front of me, who they're sitting with, what tables are empty.

'Should I go to the police? Is this serious or is this a prank? I don't remember giving this guy my number..' Out of the corner of my eye, a small bubble with three bouncing dots appears above my keyboard. "See you soon bunny🫀🐇"

If this is a prank, I don't like it. And if it's not a prank... I refuse to let this fuck up my day right now, I have a test tomorrow I need to study for. Then I can move this morning on to the long list of things in the last 24 hours I can't or refuse to remember.

Promises, promises..

~~~~

My head hurts and my throat is so dry it feels like I swallowed sand. Every joint aches, my stomach is like a hornet's nest in a duffle bag that was dragged behind a truck. I wanted to skip class so bad, despite the fact that I got up, made myself get dressed and reminded myself that I studied hard the past few days, and I memorized the material well. I see no reason why I would do bad on this test. Also because I'll hate myself if my hard work isn't paid off. The test is over and I'm blissfully on my way to collapse in my bed, someone in hallway calls my name. I stop in the stairwell, turning to look behind me. He's medium height, a dark green shirt that rests over the grey sweat pants he's wearing. Lucky. My sweatpants are dirty. I don't remember where they sit but his voice is one I recognize as someone who sits behind me. He follows the crowd of people from the class room down the stairs although he stops in front of me. "Its uh Y/n? Right?"

"Yeah," Sticking my hand out in front of me, his large hand covers mine when he grasps it for a handshake. "I'm Wayne, I sit behind you. How did you think you did on the test?"

"I'm glad it was easy, I don't know if my brain could've handled one more four paragraph discussion over the same three things we discuss every class because this guy can't move on from the French Revolution." I shift my weight from foot to the next, turning my attention to Wayne.

"I know right? I checked the syllabus, we're supposed to be learning about the industrial era by now. I mean dude, come on." I chuckle at what he said, taking in his features. Tall with high cheek bones, a five o'clock shadow that frames his jaw nicely. Brown eyes, warm smile, long curly brown hair falls below his collarbone. He's cute.

"I've uh, always wanted to tell you, I like your style. The way you dress is really cool. Uh, maybe we could get to know each other over coffee sometime? We could talk about music, or books."

My face is hot and red, blood is rushing everywhere making everything warm and clammy. The one day I look and feel like shit is when I get asked out? I'm not sure if I should be flattered or insulted. "Yeah, I'd like that."

"Does The Better Blend tomorrow at 2 work for you?" I nod dumbly, trying not to smile like an idiot. "Yes, it does. Uh im sorry but I've really gotta get goin, can I give you my snapchat real quick?"

~~~

It's 2:15 and Wayne is nowhere to be found. I text him and wait for a response.

3:00 pm, still nothing and he's leaving me on delivered.

9:00 pm. Dean Winchester is fighting vampires on my tv. Sam is somewhere out of frame getting his ass kicked.

"Ever hear back from the guy that stood you up?"

"Nope." popping the 'p'. I looked at my friend, Reggie, next to me, I called him over to do homework together and keep my mind off my shitty day.

"I'm sorry. Maybe it was for the best." My back is greeted by his big warm hand rubbing in circles. "Probably." I sigh. We work on homework together sitting on my bed for another hour. I stretch my arms up and out, my mouth gapes and I suck in air in a surprise yawn. "Wanna take a break and watch RuPaul's Drag Race?"

"Fuck yes." I giggle. The floor is cold as I stand to put mine and Reg's laptops on my desk. Crawling back in bed I switched from Netflix to Paramount +.

~~

1:15 am, I crawled in bed thirty minutes ago and I can't calm down enough to wind down. My heart feels all swirly. The nightstand next to me vibrates as my phone lights up. A text. Oh joy.

"poor bunny a little birdie told me you got stood up"

I groan, a soft thud sound echoes around my ears as my head deadweights with a whump into the pillow.

"what do you want dude"

"what do i want?"

"i want to play a little game called.."

"guess which room im in"

[homestuckreplay]

I have dishonored my ancestors beyond comprehension with this frivolous accessory.

(page 1349-1358; LOWAS walkaround)

JOHN EGBERT IS BACK. HE’S HERE!!!! Damn it is good to see him. His goofy face and glasses and his cool green slime suit appearing on my screen at the start of Act 4 was such a pleasure and a delight. To be honest I would’ve loved a day or two between the end of the Intermission and the start of Act 4. I am so excited to see John again as well as getting a bunch of new land and lore to explore that it’s super hard to concentrate on both things. The end of the intermission is pretty huge too so one thing at a time.

End Intermission

Beneath the barcode scanner door to English’s vault is a bunker of the kind WV and PM have flown to Jade’s island, complete with a command terminal and some similar establishing shots. For sure this is the bunker that Slick (then the Scurrilous Straggler) hung out in when he first arrived in this wasteland, sending commands to a Sburb player who brought about the apocalypse on this pink and green planet. Slick had a similar city building instinct to WV and succeeded in building this town – it’s uncertain whether he used the bunker’s homing function, but that may be how he met up with the rest of the Midnight Crew and Snowman. The Felt’s species and origin remain unknown. For some reason, Lord English – who still has not been seen now the intermission has ended – wanted to cut off this communication. The terminal allows for communication through time (interesting, considering Slick’s distaste for time based powers) so possibly English was researching this as a way to enhance his or his gang’s own powers?

Slick’s command terminal has twelve windows, in place of WV’s four. On page 1355, we see a Creature of some description – a sprite in the same style as the kids, with pale gray skin, yellow eyes and horns, fangs, and a black shirt with a gray symbol. Behind them floats a pincered, crablike sprite(?). They have a gray cruxite dowel and two black captchalogue cards, and there are purple clouds in the window behind them in the same twelve-square pattern as the monitor.

Barring any major twists I think this is probably carcinoGeneticist, a troll Jade talked to on page 859. They write in gray text, with text color often matching cruxite and/or shirt symbol, and the ‘carcino-’ prefix can refer to either crabs or the astrological sign Cancer, which is their shirt symbol. That’s my star sign also so I’m pretty excited about this little guy, even if he sounded like a jackass while trolling Jade and looks really angry with those fangs.

It seems like Trollslum is another intermission in the Midnight Crew MS Paint Adventure that the beta kids are reading? And therefore possibly a future intermission for actual Homestuck? I’m not sure but these pages set up a fun parallel for carcinoGeneticist and John Egbert, in addition to the ‘weird scientist’ format of both their chumhandles. This intermission did a pretty good job of introducing the Felt and giving them distinct appearances and powers despite their large numbers, so I can imagine a future intermission doing this with twelve trolls, and I’m curious what type of genre the story would slip into for them.

ACT 4

We are dropped into Act 4 with no time to prepare; I have been asking for it, but when the moment came I was not prepared. John has passed through the First Gate, which has portaled him down to the Land of Wind and Shade (!), a planet (!!) ‘where the constellations dance beneath the clouds’ (p.885) (!!!) populated by yellow salamanders (!!!!) who have an extensive mail system (!!!!!) which we the reader get to walk around in and explore (!!!!!!). This mirrors ‘YOU THERE. BOY’ (p.253) where we also get to take over as John after he enters a new area of Sburb.

As previously established John Egbert has probably spent his whole life in western Washington, primarily the suburbs. We don’t know if his family even took vacations. This could be the first other place John has ever been, and it is mystical and magical, glowing blue mushrooms and trees (which look kind of like cruxite!!) surrounding him like some sort of bioluminescent cave video game level. After the day John’s had this place is kind of peaceful when he can find a quiet spot away from the imps. What an absolute dream come true to come to a land this beautiful and get to hang out with such cool, friendly locals. I’m personally delighted by all the visuals on this page, and I’m excited for John to keep exploring LOWAS just so I can see more of it.

John in this panel acts very confused and uncertain about his situation, relying on Nanna’s guidance a lot more than he did while in his house, and nervous around the salamanders (personally, I would be thrilled to meet a secret wizard and behold his robes). That’s definitely a John trait but we don’t get to see so much of his whimsy, stubbornness, problem solving, movie recreations, etc, probably because of the format, which makes me glad this is a single panel. I loved playing through this but wouldn’t want the whole story told in this format.

I’m very grateful for the map linked below the panel, to make sure I’ve explored every corner. I did not 100% Gate 1 because combat is fairly slow and not especially engaging, but the concept is super cool and the programming is impressive. Compared to a video game it feels clunky to play (I got trapped in an endless loop of ejecting and re-captchaloguing items in my sylladex), but as part of a webcomic it’s honestly radical. I feel like I’ve read enough other webcomics at this point to understand how far this is pushing beyond what other authors are doing, and how efficiently this is giving miles of exposition where other comics might take weeks to deliver all this lore (or a handful of wall-of-text comics that readers would complain about).

This panel is PACKED with exposition, from the long distance John and Nanna conversations, and the insights from salamanders. Just like ‘[S] Enter’, this feels like a way to move the story on as quickly as possible. Some of the expository lines do feel clunky, but when it’s paired with the cool visuals and presented in such a novel way, it doesn’t bother me, and I’m sure I’ll reference this page loads just like Nannasprite’s previous exposition. Here are some of the most important things we learn, in my opinion:

John is definitely the Heir of Breath. The Heir’s arrival has long been prophesized among LOWAS’ indigenous creatures; the ‘wind’ in the land’s name presumably links to the ‘breath’ in John’s title.

‘Amphibious and reptilian life forms play a special role in your quest, John.’ ‘Underlings’ (presumably imps, ogres, etc) will deface any frog iconography they come across.

‘The Slumbering One’, who was awake and is now asleep, once cast a spell on the land’s fireflies to trap them within the clouds, much like the trapped firefly WV already rescued from a nugget of amber (p.749).

‘The Slumbering One’ also ‘commissioned’ the underlings (hired them? had them created?) and caused some sort of environmental damage using ‘sludge’, which the salamanders are not happy about.

The mail system is an extremely important part of life on LOWAS to the point of being sacred.

The Second Gate is ‘hidden somewhere in the Land’, although it also might be visible above John’s house (p.251), so there could be multiple possible routes for progression(?)

Jaspersprite’s prototyping has affected the imps on John’s land, who have tentacle, princess and cat characteristics, as well as the imps Rose will fight.

Nannasprite knows that Rose has entered the Medium (and what she looks like).

And most important of all, one salamander essentially gives John a major game quest:

‘The spell I'm sure you've heard from a reliable source cannot be broken unless The Slumbering One is first woken up, and then slain. Then the Breeze will again flow through the Pipes and the Fireflies will be released and allowed to go home. But I do not envy the adventurers who will presumably take on this responsibility!’

Clicking John gives the command ‘I am told your name is John. Is that correct?’, which is closer to the Wayward Vagabond’s ‘BOY WHO IS JOHN. DO AS I SAY’ (p.253) than to the regular player’s ‘John: Action’ command format. So this could indicate that a different future construct is talking to John – possibly the Peregrine Mendicant, because this land is very focused on the mail.

And I LOVE the mail system; it might be my favorite thing about this land. I personally looked in a whole bunch of parcel pyxis, and found several rocks, a shoe, a couple of minitablets, a chunk of amber (firefly not included), a cool frog, and best of all, a jar of bugs. I will guard this jar of bugs with my whole life. The carved minitablets moving through the pipes as a system of trade is very fun worldbuilding.

I guess my one issue with this page is the writing of some of the salamanders. Conceptually they’re great, and I love how their distinct personalities and roles within the culture come through – some are really communicative, while others are unhelpful, some have jobs in the society like mushroom farming, some are entrepreneurial (I would sell my suit to a salamander for 1 Boondollar if it was allowed) and some are outcasts (Crumplehat dishonoring their ancestors). Genuinely I think Hussie did a great job quickly showing a diverse society and hinting at its power structures and politics, but they are SO annoyingly selfconscious about making a fantasy society and it kind of makes me want to punch them? Like I’m okay with some nods to the audience and medium but ‘'GLUB' can basically mean anything I want it to mean. It's really cool having a bullshit language’ and ‘Maybe elders or something like that. Man I don't know. Also, isn't it funny how I'm sort of taking your existence here in stride? I'm treating it like it's no big deal’ do cross a line for me. Like it or not, this isn’t an ironic salamander society for a one off gag, this is a legitimate salamander society that’s going to form an important part of the story. That story isn’t going to be everyone’s thing but being all desperate pick-me about it isn’t going to make people take this story seriously who otherwise wouldn’t.

Anyway to finish on a positive note, getting to look up through the telescope and see John’s house feels very jarring, but also very cool. To see the primary location of the first three acts from a totally different vantage point feels like a point of no return for the story, and maybe John as a character. Hey if things get bad enough down here this kid’s gonna WISH he was homestuck.

[weepingfoxfury]

Friday, Friday, Friday ...

A frosty start to the day. Cold toes, cold typing, cold nose.

Another shiny metropolis trip as Captain Blackbeard and I will be heading to his, erm, favourite place. Poor boy had a bit of an upset stomach so is in need of a few antibiotics and his usual injections to help his immune system.

Supermarket was strangely quiet yesterday. Can only assume it's a week's holiday for the schools and they've all been whisked away somewhere. A true rarity to approach a till and find myself to be the only person putting stuff on the conveyor belt. Tempting to do a Maggie from the Simpsons just to change the expression of the bored checkout person ... although I might prove a little more difficult to swish over the barcode reader plate. ;-)

Time for breakfast ... I'm sure you can guess what I'm having ...

[qetalos]

new jeans ($15,03) | sim jaeyun

p: non idol! jake x fem!reader g: strangers to lovers (couldn't expand it)

warnings! Slight cursing, reader is called Eunji, super short!!

note: last part from the nwjns series! you'll find the mlist here, enjoy!

Walking around the recently opened mall I spotted an interesting shop, wanting to see what they had on display I walked closer. Taking a look at the different clothes they sold, my eyes spotted a pair of jeans. The piece of clothing seemed made for me, I was already imagining myself styling it and the model was perfect- "oh- I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was walking" a manly voice said beside me. Looking up I saw a young boy, around my age, looking down at me. Soon snapping back to reality I noticed how the boy was still looking at me, waiting for an answer "Oh it's okay, don't worry" I said and the boy vowed slightly. I brushed off any thoughts and entered the shop, I walked around it, soon spotting the pair of jeans I had seen before coming inside the shop. I smiled to myself as I brought my hand to grab the hanger, but instead, I felt a hand over mine; looking beside me I saw the same boy who had bumped into me some minutes ago "You again?" I said, chuckling softly. I saw the boy blushing before moving his hand away from mine, I heard him clear his throat before chuckling softly too "haha... Yeah" he said, still a bit awkward. I smiled and then looked at the pair of jeans, which would have caught the attention of both me and the boy. "Were you thinking of getting them?" I asked, taking out the piece of clothing from the hanger. The boy nodded and I smiled "We can ask for it on the counter" I said and the boy nodded, looking away, cute. Wait what?

We walked to the counter and I handed the pair of jeans to the woman behind it "How much is it?" I asked, giving her a kind smile. The woman typed in her computer's keyboard and scanned the jeans' barcode "It's $15,03" the woman said and I nodded smiling "But... There's only one of this left in stock, the restock will be around a month or two" the cashier said and my smile quickly dropped, I turned to look at the boy beside me "Uh.. you can have it" I said and extended the piece of clothing in his direction, the boy shook his head and smiled. He pushed my hands to my chest, with the jeans too "No, it's okay. It's going to be better if you keep it" I thought for a second and then I shook my head again in refusal "No, I can look at another shop. Keep it" I said and pushed the jeans to his chest again, he sighed "Okay, I'll keep them only if you give me your number" I saw him show a playful smirk towards me, feeling my cheeks reddening I nodded "alright, you can have it" I said while avoiding eye contact.

"So... Eunji?" He asked while smiling at me, I nodded as I looked to to the recently contact added in my phone. "You're Jake?" I asked as I finally looked up from my phone, I saw the boy in front of me nod with a smile. Jake moved closer and kissed my cheek in a swift movement, I couldn't stop the blush to creep up my cheeks as he did so "Maybe I can lend you the jeans from time to time if I may have a date with you?" He asked while keeping the eye contact, I chuckled and looked away "More? You want my number and a date to keep those jeans?" I didn't know where did that confidence come from but it did, I heard Jake chuckle "Maybe I wouldn't be asking you so much if you weren't so pretty... Or so interesting.." he said and I choked on my own saliva after he had come closer and tugged a strand of hair behind my ear. Why was he so smooth with every action? "Sure" I said, I couldn't say anything else due to the effect his actions had on me. How could a complete stranger have such strong effect on me?

"Then it's done, I'll text you when and where we're meeting. Until then, see you, Eunji" Jake waved before walking away, this was a completely new experience to me but I'll make sure of making it count.

👖゜・。。

thank you for reading!

do not copy, repost on other socials or translate. all rights reserved to @/stqrlite.

-🏷️

[turtlesocksv2]

7, 17, 23 for the "choose violence" ask meme. kpts!

Alright let's choose some violence!

7. "Which character do you hate not because of canon but how fandom acts" HMMMMM. Honestly this is one hard because I don't actually hate any of the characters but I will say I don't like UwU Sweet Baby Porchay that a segment of fandom seems to be into. No, if Chay's not at least a bit of a little shit it's not fun. Let Chay Have His Teenage Rebellion!

17. "There should be more of this fic type/art" there are many but the NUMBER ONE need is "Nampheung Never Left The Family" AUs, Porsche and Porchay growing up in the mafia, and Minor Family Kittisawats under direction of Mafia Queen Nampheung and her bodyguard husband Pat. how is this not a much bigger genre than it is??? So tasty. So crunchy.

23. "ship you've unwillingly come around to" look, I like KimChay conceptually. the very idea of Mafia Hannah Montana accidentally inserting himself into a Wattpad "x Reader" AU because he's too nosy for his own good is soooooooooo funny. but it just doesn't gel with the vibe of the rest of the show or Barcode was too young and new or something, and the way fandom sometimes treats it can be grating so it took me a while! And i'm still quite picky about it.

also NampheungGun. it's just interesting to pick at. we know NOTHING about that generation and the few things we do know are Sus. something hinky was going on. it is what it is.

[peelerofpotatoes]

okay, so a couple of things.

these can be very dangerous if too powerful. they're used in bombs (similar to the emp weapons in the matrix) to take out electronics, which includes things like pacemakers. so *do not* put one of these near anything you don't want to get fried, and especially do not make them powerful enough to screw up medical equipment in someone nearby. there is a big difference between an RFID tag and most electronics, but please be cautious and only build the *minimum* power and size version to take one out when in *direct contact*.

if you do want to make one, make sure the wire you're making the coil with is insulated, otherwise it will just short itself. also, capacitors can be very dangerous as they still hold charge when not connected to a power supply and can discharge it *fast*. make sure the wire is large enough so it doesn't melt from the current going through it when discharged. there are equations for all of these and probably some calculator tools online. electricity is dangerous. be safe.

one last point. RFID tags can only be read by things that are designed to, at pretty short range; they're essentially electronic barcodes. they are *not* tracking devices and will not tell amazon where you are. there are other uses for them than in amazon stores that can be more nefarious, but the only reason you would want to disable one is to steal what it's attached to (stealing from megacorps is always morally correct i have no problem with this, just don't kill anyone while you're at it) so you probably want to get an RFID reader as well to test if they're fully disabled. they also aren't the only type of anti-theft device (see: the magnetic tags used quite a lot) so make sure everything is disabled

[aidc-india]

Barcode Definition: 5 Types & Common Applications You Should Know

In today’s digital-first business landscape, speed and accuracy are no longer optional—they're essential. Barcodes are one of the simplest yet most powerful technologies that help companies track, manage, and optimize inventory. Understanding the barcode definition in 2025 is vital for businesses aiming to boost productivity, streamline processes, and reduce errors. At AIDC Technologies India, we empower businesses with the right barcode solutions that fit industry-specific needs.

What is a Barcode? A Simple Barcode Definition

The barcode definition refers to a machine-readable visual representation of data that is typically used to identify and manage products, items, or assets. A barcode is made up of a series of black and white lines or patterns that store information such as product codes, serial numbers, or pricing.

When scanned using a barcode reader, the information is instantly retrieved and processed by a software system. This simple yet powerful technology is used in everything from grocery billing to industrial warehouse management. At AIDC Technologies India, we help businesses apply the barcode definition in real-world environments with customized solutions.

Components of a Barcode System: From Scanners to Software

To understand the practical application of the barcode definition, you need to know the main components of a barcode system:

Barcode Labels – Printed tags or stickers containing barcodes.

Barcode Scanners – Devices that read the barcode and capture the information.

Software – Systems that process and organize barcode data.

Printers – Tools used to generate barcode labels for different items.

AIDC Technologies India provides complete barcode systems—integrating hardware and software to create end-to-end tracking and identification solutions. Our offerings ensure seamless operation and high accuracy.

5 Types of Barcodes You Should Know

Understanding the barcode definition means recognizing the different types of barcodes and their specific uses. Here are five popular barcode types used widely in 2025:

UPC (Universal Product Code): One of the most recognized barcode types, used mainly in retail for identifying products at checkout.

QR Code (Quick Response Code): A 2D barcode that stores more data, including URLs, contact details, and payment info—commonly used in marketing and mobile apps.

Data Matrix: A compact 2D barcode used in healthcare, electronics, and manufacturing for marking small items and components.

PDF417: A stacked linear barcode that can store large amounts of data, often used in identification cards and travel documents.

Code 128: A high-density barcode ideal for logistics and shipping labels where space is limited but data needs to be precise.

AIDC Technologies India helps clients choose the most appropriate barcode type based on their industry, product, and operational needs.

Real-World Applications of Barcodes Across Industries

The barcode definition is best understood when you see how it works in real business environments. Here are key industry applications:

Retail: Barcodes enable fast checkout, accurate billing, and real-time inventory updates.

Healthcare: Used for patient ID, tracking medication, and managing medical supplies.

Logistics and Warehousing: Ensures precise inventory control, package tracking, and delivery verification.

Manufacturing: Tracks raw materials, components, and final products across the supply chain.

Education and Libraries: Helps track books, student materials, and assets in schools and universities.

At AIDC Technologies India, we design barcode systems to fit each industry’s specific requirements, ensuring compliance, accuracy, and operational ease.

Benefits of Barcode Technology for Businesses

Adopting the barcode definition into daily operations comes with multiple advantages:

Accuracy: Reduces manual errors during data entry.

Speed: Instant scanning improves customer service and operational efficiency.

Inventory Control: Provides real-time visibility into stock levels.

Cost Savings: Minimizes waste, reduces losses, and saves on labor.

Traceability: Enables complete tracking of products from source to delivery.

Our clients at AIDC India experience these benefits firsthand through custom-tailored barcode implementation strategies that enhance both scalability and efficiency.

How AIDC Technologies India Powers Barcode Solutions

AIDC Technologies India provides end-to-end support for barcode implementation, including system consultation, hardware deployment, software integration, training, and post-sale support.

We ensure that our clients not only understand the barcode definition but also experience its full power in their daily workflows. Whether you need barcode printers for product labels or scanners integrated with your ERP system, we make the process seamless. Our industry experience allows us to handle barcode projects for retail, warehousing, manufacturing, and more with high precision and scalability.

Barcode Technology Trends to Watch in 2025

The barcode definition continues to expand as technology evolves. In 2025, several key trends are influencing the future of barcode use:

Mobile Scanning: Smartphones are increasingly used for reading barcodes in retail and field operations.

Cloud Integration: Barcode systems are now cloud-enabled for real-time data access across locations.

Sustainable Labeling: Eco-friendly label materials are gaining popularity.

AI Integration: Barcode data is used to train AI for predictive analytics and smart inventory planning.

Hybrid Tracking: Combining barcodes with RFID for layered tracking and better asset management.

AIDC India stays updated with these trends to ensure our clients are equipped with future-ready barcode solutions.

Conclusion: Unlock Efficiency with AIDC's Barcode Solutions

The barcode definition may seem basic, but its impact is powerful and far-reaching. With the right barcode system in place, businesses can achieve better control, faster processes, and increased customer satisfaction. From small retail stores to massive industrial operations, barcodes play a key role in digital transformation.

AIDC Technologies India is here to support you in your barcode journey. We offer professional-grade hardware, custom software integration, and expert consulting to ensure your business gets the best results from barcode technology.

Call to Action

Looking to boost your business with barcode technology? Partner with AIDC Technologies India for reliable, scalable, and industry-specific barcode systems.

[intelmarketresearch]

Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System Market 2025

The global Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System market was valued at US$ 47.85 million in 2023 and is anticipated to reach US$ 65.32 million by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 4.56% during the forecast period 2024-2030.

Get more reports of this sample : https://www.intelmarketresearch.com/download-free-sample/465/surgical-sponge-counting-detection-system-market

A surgical sponge counting detection system is a device that is used to help surgical teams ensure that all sponges and other surgical instruments are accounted for during and after a surgical procedure.

These systems typically use radiofrequency identification (RFID) or barcode technology to track the location of sponges and other surgical instruments. The system can be programmed to alert the surgical team if a sponge or instrument is not accounted for, which can help to prevent surgical sponges from being left behind in the patient's body after surgery.

North American market for Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System is estimated to increase from $ 24.19 million in 2023 to reach $ 32.26 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 4.49% during the forecast period of 2024 through 2030.

Asia-Pacific market for Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System is estimated to increase from $ 9.53 million in 2023 to reach $ 14.64 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 5.81% during the forecast period of 2024 through 2030.

The major global manufacturers of Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System include Medtronic, Stryker Corporation, STERIS, Tally Surgical, and etc. In 2023, the world's top three vendors accounted for approximately 82.96% of the revenue.

This report aims to provide a comprehensive presentation of the global market for Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System, with both quantitative and qualitative analysis, to help readers develop business/growth strategies, assess the market competitive situation, analyze their position in the current marketplace, and make informed business decisions regarding Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System.

The Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System market size, estimations, and forecasts are provided in terms of sales volume (Unit) and revenue ($ millions), considering 2023 as the base year, with history and forecast data for the period from 2019 to 2030. This report segments the global Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System market comprehensively. Regional market sizes, concerning products by Type, by Application, and by players, are also provided.

For a more in-depth understanding of the market, the report provides profiles of the competitive landscape, key competitors, and their respective market ranks. The report also discusses technological trends and new product developments.

The report will help the Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System manufacturers, new entrants, and industry chain related companies in this market with information on the revenues, sales volume, and average price for the overall market and the sub-segments across the different segments, by company, by Type, by Application, and by regions.

Market Segmentation

By Company

Medtronic

Stryker Corporation

STERIS

Tally Surgical

Segment by Type

Floor Standing

Other

Segment by Application

Hospital

Ambulatory Surgery Center

Others

Consumption by Region

North America

U.S.

Canada

Asia-Pacific

China

Japan

South Korea

Southeast Asia

India

Europe

Germany

France

U.K.

Italy

Russia

Latin America, Middle East & Africa

Mexico

Brazil

Turkey

GCC Countries

The global Surgical Sponge Counting Detection System market is experiencing significant growth as hospitals and healthcare facilities increasingly implement advanced technologies to ensure patient safety and minimize surgical errors. These systems are designed to track the number of surgical sponges used during operations, helping to prevent the misplacement of sponges and reduce the risk of retained surgical items (RSIs), which can lead to severe complications or legal issues for medical providers.

Market Overview

The market for surgical sponge counting detection systems is primarily driven by the growing demand for patient safety and the need for more accurate and efficient surgical procedures. These systems typically use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) or barcode technology to track sponges, with RFID being the most advanced and widely adopted. As of recent reports, RFID-based systems are gaining traction due to their greater accuracy and automation capabilities, while barcode systems are often considered more cost-effective but may require more manual oversight.

Get more reports of this sample : https://www.intelmarketresearch.com/download-free-sample/465/surgical-sponge-counting-detection-system-market

[technologytrendsinit]

Rapid, Precise, Efficient: A Deep Dive into the World of RFD Printing

What is an RFD Printer?

In the ever-evolving world of printing technology, a relatively new and innovative solution has emerged: the RFD (Radio Frequency Identification) printer. These specialized devices have been gaining traction in various industries, revolutionizing the way we approach data storage, tracking, and printing. In this comprehensive article, we’ll delve into the world of RFD printers, exploring their features, benefits, and applications.

Understanding RFD Printers

An RFD printer is a unique type of printer that combines the functionality of a traditional printer with the capabilities of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. Unlike conventional printers, which use ink or toner to produce printed output, RFD printers utilize RFID tags to store and transmit data.

RFID Technology Explained

RFID technology is a wireless communication system that uses radio waves to identify and track objects. It consists of three main components: a tag (or transponder), a reader, and an antenna. The tag is a small, electronic device that stores data, while the reader and antenna work together to read and write information to the tag.

The Role of RFID in RFD Printers

In the context of RFD printers, the RFID technology plays a crucial role. These printers are designed to print directly onto RFID tags, allowing for the seamless integration of data and physical labeling. This capability enables a wide range of applications, from inventory management and supply chain optimization to asset tracking and product authentication.

Key Features of RFD Printers

RFID Printing Capabilities: The primary function of an RFD printer is to print directly onto RFID tags, embedding the necessary data and information within the tag itself.

Wireless Connectivity: RFD printers often feature wireless communication capabilities, allowing for easy integration with existing systems and network infrastructure.

Compact and Versatile Design: Many RFD printers are designed to be compact and portable, making them suitable for a variety of environments, from warehouses to retail stores.

Increased Efficiency: By combining RFID technology with printing, RFD printers can streamline various business processes, reducing manual labor and improving overall efficiency.

Enhanced Data Accuracy: RFID tags offer a higher level of data accuracy compared to traditional barcodes, reducing the risk of errors and improving the reliability of the printed information.

Applications of RFD Printers

RFD printers have found their way into a wide range of industries, each leveraging their unique capabilities to address specific challenges and needs.

Inventory Management

One of the most prominent applications of RFD printers is in the field of inventory management. These printers can be used to print RFID tags that can be attached to products, allowing for real-time tracking and monitoring of inventory levels, reducing the risk of stockouts and improving supply chain efficiency.

Supply Chain Optimization

RFD printers play a crucial role in optimizing supply chain operations. By printing RFID tags on shipping labels, packages, and pallets, companies can enhance tracking and traceability, leading to better visibility, improved logistics, and reduced errors.

Asset Tracking

RFD printers are also widely used for asset tracking, enabling organizations to monitor and manage valuable equipment, tools, and other physical assets. By printing RFID tags on these items, companies can easily track their location, usage, and maintenance history.

Retail and Point of Sale

In the retail industry, RFD printers are used to print RFID tags on clothing, accessories, and other merchandise. This allows for efficient inventory management, automated checkout processes, and enhanced loss prevention measures.

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

The healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors have also embraced RFD printers, using them to print RFID tags on patient wristbands, medication packaging, and medical equipment. This helps to improve patient safety, reduce medical errors, and enhance the overall efficiency of healthcare delivery.

Automotive and Manufacturing

In the automotive and manufacturing industries, RFD printers are utilized to print RFID tags on parts, components, and finished products. This enables effective tracking, traceability, and quality control throughout the production and assembly process.

Advantages of RFD Printers

Improved Accuracy and Reliability: RFID technology offers a higher level of data accuracy compared to traditional barcodes, reducing the risk of errors and improving the reliability of the printed information.

Enhanced Productivity and Efficiency: By automating various processes, RFD printers can help organizations streamline their operations, reduce manual labor, and improve overall productivity.

Real-Time Tracking and Visibility: The integration of RFID technology in RFD printers provides real-time visibility into the location and status of assets, inventory, and other critical items.

Increased Security and Anti-Counterfeiting: RFID tags can incorporate security features that help prevent counterfeiting and unauthorized access, enhancing the overall security of the printed materials.

Reduced Operational Costs: By optimizing processes and reducing manual labor, RFD printers can contribute to a decrease in operational costs for businesses.

Considerations and Challenges

While RFD printers offer numerous benefits, there are also some considerations and challenges to be aware of:

Integration with Existing Systems: Integrating RFD printers with existing IT infrastructure and software systems can sometimes be a complex process, requiring careful planning and implementation.

Initial Investment: The acquisition of RFD printers and the associated RFID tags can represent a significant initial investment for some organizations, which may be a deterrent for smaller businesses.

Training and Adoption: Transitioning to RFD printers may require employee training and a change in organizational processes, which can pose challenges in terms of user adoption and acceptance.

Environmental Factors: The performance of RFID technology can be affected by various environmental factors, such as interference from metal objects or liquids, which may require careful placement and configuration of the printers and tags.

The Future of RFD Printers

As technology continues to evolve, the future of RFD printers looks promising. Advancements in RFID technology, such as increased read/write range, improved data storage capacity, and enhanced security features, are likely to drive further adoption and innovation in this field.

Additionally, the growing emphasis on supply chain efficiency, asset tracking, and Industry 4.0 initiatives is expected to fuel the demand for RFD printers across various industries. As the technology matures and becomes more cost-effective, we may see a wider proliferation of RFD printers in both small and large-scale organizations.

Conclusion

RFD printers represent a transformative technology that combines the power of RFID with the convenience of printing. By enabling the seamless integration of data and physical labeling, these specialized devices are revolutionizing a wide range of industries, from inventory management and supply chain optimization to asset tracking and product authentication.

As organizations continue to seek innovative solutions to enhance efficiency, productivity, and security, the adoption of RFD printers is likely to grow, paving the way for a future where the physical and digital worlds converge in new and exciting ways.

[boonsoftware]

Warehouse Automation: 2025 Trends, Types, and Best Practices

Warehouse automation, a cornerstone of the fourth industrial revolution, is transforming logistics by enhancing efficiency, accuracy, and scalability. Technologies like robotic pickers, conveyor belts, and AI-driven systems reduce manual labor and streamline operations to meet soaring e-commerce demands. As global retail sales are projected to hit $7.4 trillion by 2025, automation is critical for staying competitive. This 700-word guide explores the benefits, types, trends, and best practices for warehouse automation in 2025.

What is Warehouse Automation?

Warehouse automation leverages advanced technologies—robotics, software, and automated systems—to optimize tasks with minimal human involvement. It replaces repetitive, error-prone manual processes with faster, more accurate solutions. For instance, robotic arms sort goods, while conveyor systems move items seamlessly, saving time, cutting costs, and boosting efficiency in today’s fast-paced logistics landscape.

Benefits of Warehouse Automation

Enhancing Efficiency and Productivity

Automation streamlines workflows, accelerating tasks like storage and retrieval. Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS) maximize space, while robotic pick-and-pack stations enable rapid order fulfillment, supporting services like overnight shipping. Operating 24/7, automated systems reduce bottlenecks and boost productivity.

Reducing Errors and Improving Accuracy

Technologies like barcode readers achieve near-100% data capture, eliminating picking and tracking errors. Real-time monitoring ensures accurate inventory, and precise systems deliver 99.9% picking accuracy, minimizing costly mistakes and enhancing order reliability.

Lowering Operational Costs

Automation reduces labor and material waste, offering significant savings. AS/RS systems provide a 3–5-year payback period and can last 30 years, optimizing resources. By automating repetitive tasks, businesses lower operational expenses and achieve sustainable cost reductions.

Scaling Operations Seamlessly

Automated solutions adapt to seasonal spikes or growth without major overhauls. Scalable systems like Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) integrate new technologies, ensuring warehouses remain agile in dynamic markets.

Types of Warehouse Automation Technologies

Collaborative Robots (Cobots)

Cobots work alongside humans, handling repetitive tasks like sorting or packing. Equipped with safety sensors, they prevent collisions and free workers for complex duties, such as quality checks, improving efficiency and safety.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)

AMRs use AI and sensors to navigate warehouses, transporting goods precisely. Integrated with Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), they enhance inventory tracking, reduce labor costs, and operate 24/7 to support peak periods.

Conveyor and Sortation Systems

Conveyor belts and sortation systems use barcode scanners and RFID to move and sort goods efficiently, streamlining picking, packing, and shipping while reducing manual labor.

Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS)

AS/RS use robots or cranes to store and retrieve items, maximizing vertical space and speeding up inventory management. Integrated with WMS, they reduce congestion and boost throughput.

Key Trends in Warehouse Automation for 2025

Advancements in Robotics

Robots now handle picking, packing, and sorting with 99.9% accuracy. AI and machine learning enable them to manage complex tasks, like handling delicate items. The robotic picking market is expected to reach $5.7 billion by 2028.

Growth of AI Applications

AI optimizes restocking and demand forecasting, preventing stockouts and overstocking. AI-driven systems enhance quality control and adapt to customer demands, integral to modern WMS.

Increasing IoT Connectivity

IoT sensors provide real-time data on equipment and inventory, minimizing downtime via predictive maintenance and streamlining workflows for seamless operations.

Adoption of Predictive Analytics

Predictive analytics tools forecast demand, reducing inventory costs (averaging $3.7 million annually). They drive smarter decisions and faster ROI.

Sustainable Automation

Energy-efficient conveyors and AI-driven energy management reduce environmental impact, aligning with green logistics demands.

Steps to Implement Warehouse Automation

Assess Processes: Identify inefficiencies, like slow picking, to prioritize automation’s impact.

Set Goals: Define targets, such as 20% higher order accuracy, aligned with business needs.

Choose Tools: Select scalable solutions like AGVs or robotic arms, balancing cost and ROI.

Pilot Test: Start small in a low-traffic area, measuring metrics like processing time.

Train Workforce: Upskill staff on WMS and robotics for smooth adoption.

Implement in Phases: Begin with simple tasks like barcode scanning, progressing to robotic sorting.

Monitor and Optimize: Track KPIs like order accuracy and adjust workflows to maintain efficiency.

Overcoming Challenges

High Costs: Use financing or grants to offset investments. Solutions like Pio achieve 99.9% accuracy, reducing long-term costs.

Change Resistance: Involve staff, highlight benefits like less physical strain, and share success stories.

Compatibility: Assess systems and test integrations to ensure seamless operation.

Downtime: Schedule implementations during low-demand periods and monitor early stages.

Calculating ROI

Cost Savings: Automation cuts labor and error-related costs, with savings outweighing investments in 2–3 years.

Productivity: Sorting systems process thousands of packages hourly, far surpassing manual labor.

Error Reduction: Accurate systems boost customer retention, as 17% of consumers abandon brands after one error.

Scalability: Dynamic systems handle growth without reinvestment.

Conclusion

Warehouse automation delivers faster, more accurate, and cost-effective operations. Technologies like cobots, AMRs, and AI enable warehouses to meet e-commerce demands and scale efficiently. By starting small, integrating with WMS, and training staff, businesses can maximize ROI and overcome challenges. With the automation market projected to reach $69 billion by 2025, now is the time to invest for sustainable success.