#introducing my latest comfort character

[forbidden-sunlight]

yandere! literary agent with fem!reader scenario

warnings: implication of obsessive thoughts or love.

There might be potential triggers in this story. If you do not feel comfortable venturing any further, please hit the 'back' button on your mobile device or computer and read something much more pleasant.

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Hey guys, welcome back to another yandere fic, introducing Yulian Prescott. I'd like to give a big shout-out to my dear friend @deathmetalunicorn1 for helping me write this and finding the perfect likeness for my character, especially when this idea came to me all of a sudden on a Sunday night when I should be sleeping instead of staying up an ungodly hour.

As always, bullying on here will not be tolerated. If it does happen, this scenario will be taken down. I'm not sure if this will be a series. At the moment, this is just a scenario.

With that being said, sit back, relax, and let's dive into the cutthroat world of publishing.

PART TWO

Yandere!Literary Agent is a man who prides himself on being very good at his job. He represented one of the best publishing houses in the country. Anything less than what he expected from his clients was unacceptable.  

If the manuscript arrived in his inbox exactly two minutes past the promised deadline, he would not look at it. If his client is acting like a stupid moron at a function or royally fucking up their reputation by posting something inappropriate on their social media account, he is not cleaning up their mess. He is not their babysitter. They are full-grown adults. And if one of them is not able to produce another book that will actually sell past the number of copies slated to be printed, he will let them go. Call him cruel if you want. Yandere!Literary Agent is simply being pragmatic. He wasn’t cheap. He only wants the best of the best.

So imagine Yandere!Literary Agent’s surprise when a particularly difficult client sent him a completed manuscript. He planned on writing her an email that after much deliberation, it was time for her to find another agent to represent her. The client, Abigail Crowley, had written an adult dark academia trilogy and a feminist retelling of the myth of Theseus, told from the perspective of his lover Adriane. The manuscripts following the conclusion of her last book, however, were complete shit. Her royalties were nearly gone, having squandered them on a penthouse in a high-end neighborhood, the latest clothes, and a wine fridge. You heard him. A fucking wine fridge when she could have replaced that shoddy laptop of hers with something better so she could keep writing books and not have it crap out on her. 

Half-amused and half-annoyed at this pathetic attempt to keep her contract with the publishing company from being null and void, Yandere!Literary Agent clicked on the attachment and read it. One page became four, then fifty. He had to force himself to stop when it was lunchtime and he was already at the mid-way point. 

This story, it was…good. No, it was more than good. It was absolutely fantastic. And Yandere!Literary Agent did not compliment his clients’ works very often, which meant he believed at this very moment, this manuscript will most definitely become Abigail’s comeback to the literary industry. Book sales would go through the roof, A Netflix deal was also possible. But the first hurdle he had to overcome was pitching the manuscript, and making sure the query letter was at least consistent with the story that Abigail was trying to sell to him.

And he’ll make it happen. He is very good at his job, after all. 

Once he had successfully pitched it with a bit of extra charm, he contacted Abigail. She was over the moon, promising to make any necessary edits to the manuscript and it will be sent to him on time. From there, time fast forwarded. ARC books were sent out, Abigail selected the cover designs for the regular and special editions, and a tentative book tour was scheduled. Seven cities, and one international trip, maybe another in the future. Sales for this book were projected to exceed expectations. Yandere!Literary Agent was very confident things would go smoothly from here. At least he had thought so.

A month before the book was to be published, his secretary knocked on his door and said he had a visitor. They insisted on seeing him. Yandere!Literary Agent raised his brow, rising from his desk and stepping out into the hall and saw you. 

In the beginning, he will begrudgingly confess that his first impression of you was someone who is painfully average and out of place. A backpack slung over your shoulder, dressed in navy blue medical scrubs and looking absolutely haggard. Your eyes, though, shined with anxiety and determination. You inclined your head. 

“I apologize for the sudden intrusion, I know you’re busy, but I have some concerns about the book that’s going to be released soon by Abigail Crowley.” 

Yandere! Literary Agent’s gaze sharpened.. “And what, pray tell, are your complaints?” He crossed his arms. “Are you one of the people who had signed up to be ARC reader and didn’t get their copy?” 

You raised an eyebrow. “...No?”

“Then why -”

“Because it is my novel that is being published. Without my consent.” You sighed, running a hand through your hair. “Look, I know it is hard to believe, I get it.” You then swung your backpack around to your front, unzipping the larger compartment. You pulled out a large notebook, some papers, and a flash drive. You held them out to him. “But I think what I have here might convince you to allow me ten minutes, if not five, to hear me out. That’s all I’m asking. This isn’t about money, this isn’t about suing your company. I just want my story back. I’ve already tried talking to Abigail about it, and she isn’t picking up my calls. Please.” You said. “Three minutes.” 

His schedule was clear until the two o’clock meeting with another client on the other side of town. That was about an hour and half from now, as he had just come back from lunch. He supposed he could give you three minutes. Rolling his eyes, Yandere!Literary Editor swiveled on his heel. 

“Let’s see what you have. Melissa, please hold my calls until I’m done.” His diligent secretary nodded and went back to her desk. You followed him like a lost little duckling back to his office. Once the door was closed, you handed him everything. 

Yandere!Literary Editor went over the materials carefully, flipping through the pages of the notebook. The outlines and character designs were here, all written in excruciating detail and in such tiny print. He asked you random questions, going off of his memory from the manuscript and these notes. You answered him without hesitation.

“Yes, that’s correct. What? No, absolutely not. I would never have those characters be romantically paired up! Their relationship is too toxic, and wouldn’t set a good example to the target audience. I’m sorry, what? No, that isn’t her name! It’s Cristabel, not Anastasia! She’s supposed to be assisting the Night Emperor with collecting intelligence via the gossip of salons under her alias, not swooning over his brother when he’s already happily married to his wife! Good God, no. That scene should not even be there! That’s filler content and makes the character growth of the protagonist seem like the pay-off wasn’t worth it, or that he didn’t learn anything at all since the beginning of the book!” 

Yandere!Literary Agent grounded the molars of his back teeth, inhaling slow, deep breaths through his nostrils. Keeping his emotions in check is one of the reasons why he has survived in the publishing industry for this long, and he’s such a successful man. 

But hearing you speak about the characters, perfectly recalling the manuscript’s themes and looking back at the notebook in his hand, seeing the colorful  sticky notes with edits and improvised scenes written on them…he couldn’t deny it any further. You were the real author of the book he’s representing, and Abigail Crowley played him like a goddamned fiddle.

 If this wasn’t enough damning evidence of his client’s plagiarism, you had shown him an original illustration of the world you had created. It was done by an artist you had commissioned on Etsy, with proof of purchase for their services and a timestamp. Three years ago. That was when Abigail’s last best-selling book hit the shelves, and when her creative well began to dry out. 

You must have caught on to his irritation, because you told him that you weren’t here to intentionally stir up any trouble. A coworker had told you about Abigail’s newest book coming out, and the premise was exactly yours, at least what was advertised in the BookTok and Youtube trailers online. You’ve been searching high and low for your manuscript, and the only other person who has been in your apartment and knew about your creative endeavors has been Abigail. She wasn’t really your friend, per say. You took some of the same creative writing courses. You eventually found another career to pursue, and you kept writing as a hobby. She went on to become a professional author and never missed an opportunity to show off her success whenever she invited you out for drinks at an upscale bar or went to fancy dinners. 

Why would Abigail steal the book you’ve been working on for three years when you work a full-time day job, you had no idea. She’s living the dream that she’s always wanted, defying her mother’s wishes to get a normal job because writing is everything to her, and she would never give up on it. But if you were to be hypothetical, it might be another attempt to somehow get one up on her self-proclaimed rival, Cindy Chen, who is an even bigger success than her. 

You then rubbed your eyes. “Sorry, it’s been a long day.” You murmured, standing up from your seat. “Keep the notebook, the maps, whatever you want. If you could return them to me when you’re done, that’s all I ask. And an apology from Abigail, if you’re able to get one out of her. Like I said, this isn’t about money, royalties, or fame. I just want my story back.” 

Yandere!Literary Agent immediately stood up, his eyes slightly widened in fear. “Wait, please, just a moment! I know you’re tired, you want to go home…but I need to set things right. If I had known that this manuscript, your story, had been stolen, I would have never spearheaded its  publication.” And he wouldn’t have. Not only would it affect his reputation, but the company’s too. Stocks would plummet, and there would be a feeding frenzy on social media with #abigailcrowley, #plagiarism, #sailboatpublishinghouse. 

When you looked at him, his heart lurched uncomfortably at seeing your lips fall into a crestfallen expression. You looked so tired, so done with everything, and oh god you looked like you were about to cry shit. Walking around his desk, Yandere!Literary Agent eased you to sit back down and quickly prepared an espresso, possessing a machine to make it in his office so he did not have to walk down five flights to the break room. 

You thanked him for the drink and took a sip, wrinkling your nose slightly, no doubt surprised at the taste. You must not be a regular espresso drinker, or prefer how you made it. Either way, he was grateful that you did not bolt out of the office. Picking up his office phone, he dialed Melissa’s number. 

“Call all of the heads, including the marketing and social media departments. This is an emergency meeting. Now!” Bless Melissa, she did not ask him questions and said she would get on it immediately, hanging up on him. The next person he called was Abigail fucking Crowley. He sweet-talked her into coming to the office, apologizing for interrupting her ‘creativity time’ and promised it won’t take long. She swore to be there in a half an hour, so long as traffic didn’t back up. Yandere!Literary Agent played the understanding card and hung up, his smile being replaced with a smirk. Hook, line, and sinker. He scoffed. He then turned to you. 

“Everything will be resolved soon.” He promised. 

“Sir -” You began. 

“Yulian, please.” 

“Mister Yulian, I understand that you want to make things right, but…can you really get Abigail to talk? She blocked my calls, and the book is hitting the shelves in a month, maybe less than that? How are you going to recover the money that has gone into getting it published, the fees for the printing companies, and the marketing? Correct me if I’m wrong, I’m not too familiar with how publishing works these days.” 

You weren’t wrong, at least in the aspect that the company has put a significant amount of money into the publication of the stolen manuscript, your work, he added mentally. It was too late to stop the printing, and the final draft would need a significant amount of changes. Unless…

“Abigail is a plagiarist, and you are the rightful creator. The way I see it, we can salvage the financial loss by putting your name on the cover, and fixing the glaring omissions as well as other scenes you claim shouldn’t even be there.” He sighed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Of course, we would need to have a press conference and explain why we are changing authors, and what she has done. Considering the timetable and coordinating with the printing companies, it will be cutting it close.” 

You stared at him silently for a long moment before placing the espresso cup back onto the tiny saucer with a soft clink, releasing a heavy sigh. “If I agree to do this, to help with the edits, probably fuck up my sleeping pattern and might potentially be fired from my job unless I can use some of my PTO, what will I get in return?” 

He smiled. “Abigail will be the one to pay for publishing and marketing fees. I can extend the deadline for the revisions by a week. And you will be paid for your time, of course. There will be no need to come here to drop off revisions either. All correspondence will be through email. As an agent, I am qualified to be your representative during press conferences, so you will not have to be present. All I would ask of you is to turn in the final manuscript on time and not say anything on social media until our legal team is fully prepared.”

“No need to worry about Twitter or Facebook. Haven’t logged  on to my account in years.” You raised the espresso cup to your lips. “Too much politics.” You tilted your head to the side, a puzzled frown stretching across your face. “Any chance I could get all of this in writing? I might need to get a lawyer if Abigail tries to take it to court and sue me for defamation.” 

Yandere!Literary Agent nodded. He opened up a blank document and immediately typed up the contract, including everything that you have discussed and a few other variables. Once he finished, he printed it out, handing it to you. You read through the contents carefully before handing it back to him.

“It looks good - it’s all here and I’m agreeable to the terms.” You said.

Humming under his breath, Yandere! Literary Agent signed the bottom. You signed your name next to his, with today’s date and the time. 

He ignored the tiny tingle that crawled up his spine when your fingertips brushed against his as you gave him back the pen. You agreed to stay until the matter with Abigail was over, and he would email you the manuscript so you could go through everything when you get home. 

As it turned out, you did not have to wait much longer for the best-selling author to make her entrance at Board Room 3. Exchanging numbers with Yandere! Literary Agent you would wait in the adjacent room until he sent you a text to make your entrance. Melissa escorted you to said room when he received a message from Abigail that she would be here in ten minutes. 

It’s time. That was the message he sent you. When you opened the door, revealing yourself to the staff and the flustered Abigail…she snapped. 

She rambled how she needed a book, just one more successful book, and she would be set for life. She wouldn’t lose her penthouse, she would still be considered a worthy rival to Cindy Chen, and above all else, she could still write as she had always wanted to do since she was a teenager. You already had a normal job, you had a steady income, you weren’t even a writer. Being a hobbyist writer did not count. Yes, she took your manuscript, but it wasn’t a big deal! You could just write another book when you had time between shifts at the hospital, right? 

The look you gave her…it was resignation. Hopelessness. Disappointment. 

“Abbie…it wasn’t just a story I wrote. You should know that. Writing is so much more than that. I’ve tried to be nice, to talk to you but you wouldn’t listen. I’m sorry it’s come to this, I really am.” You said. That was the last thing you said before you were escorted outside of the door. Seeing your part in this is over, Yandere! Literary Agent took control of the room. 

“Whether it is a hobby or professional writing, it doesn’t change the fact that you stole someone’s work and tried to pass it off as your own.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “You are a thief, nothing more and nothing less.” Then the lawyers approached Abigail, presenting her with the fees she will need to pay. If there was an issue, going to court would not be an issue as he had all of the evidence needed to ruin the once best-selling writer Abigail Crowley. 

Her reaction was….amusing. 

After security had escorted the screaming woman off of the premises, Yandere!Literary Agent went to search for you, thinking you had gone back to his office to wait for him. You weren’t there. Melissa said you did stop by her desk, only to leave a message on a sticky note that you needed to go home but promised to get the revisions done as fast as you could, and thanks for the espresso it was really good. 

Yandere!Literary Agent smiled softly at the hastily written chicken scratch, pocketing it in his trousers before going back inside his office. You weren’t like any of his other clients. And he would like to get to know a bit more. Who knows? Perhaps….he could persuade you to sign a contract with him, be your agent. You shouldn’t hide your talents from the world. There were people who would love to read your stories, and he had no doubt that the company would benefit from it too. 

But there was no need to rush. There was a month until the book was to be released. That was more than enough time for him to work his magic. He is good at his job, after all. 

Taglist

@impeakcharacterdesign

@faesdreaming

@faux-ecrivain

@majestichugs

@abelheilonwife

@suiana

@lxdymoon0357

@dxmoness

@tired-of-life-86

@imperfectbloodmoon

@lovely-nightmares

@yandere-dark-cupid

@beardedblizzardexpert

@d10nsaint

@likesugarandcyanide

@justcressida

@mooly-artistic

@cassanderasblog

@swallowtailcherry

@amidst-the-tempest

@usernames-are-so-hard-to-create

@navierkalani

@yanderefangirl

©️do not repost or use any of the characters depicted here without the author’s permission. forbidden-sunlight, 2024

#forbidden-sunlight #yandere x reader #yandere male #yandere #yandere oc #yandere oc x reader #male yandere x reader #yandere x you #fem!reader #yandere! literary agent #yandere fanfiction #yandere manhwa x reader #ns.fw #tw obsessive love #tw obsessive behavior

[mimi-cee-genshin]

Friend-zoned? - Alhaitham x f!reader

Summary: How many Akademiya guys does it take to figure out whether or not you've friend-zoned Alhaitham? After discussing how strong he is, Kaveh, Cyno and Tighnari analyze his relationship with you. Things get interesting when you join their table.

Other info: fluff and humor :D, female reader, my extension of the conversation in Alhaitham's character demo because I loved the guys' interactions there so much

Words: 2.7k

*****

"Essentially, more time on contemplation, less time on execution," Alhaitham tells them. "Simple, isn't it?"

"... Not really," Tighnari and Cyno reply.

"Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have brought this up with you," Kaveh complains.

"I thought my answer was quite engrossing," Alhaitham says. He raises his hand. "Boss, this is good wine. I'll have the same please."

Kaveh swirls his cup. "Well, he has at least one weakness," he comments.

"Do tell," Cyno says.

"He's had the same crush for years," Kaveh tells them. "The guy's completely smitten."

"You can't be serious," says Cyno.

"Why is that so surprising?" Alhaitham says. "It makes less sense that I wouldn't be attracted to her."

"See what I mean?" says Kaveh. "You should see how he is around her. He practically treats her like a queen."

"I have a hard time believing that," Cyno says, crossing his arms.

"Stop exaggerating," Alhaitham tells Kaveh. "I just treat her the way she should be treated."

Kaveh only laughs at his answer.

"I thought you didn't like social interaction," says Cyno. "Or had any friends for that matter."

"It's not tiring to be around her," he says. "She's different."

"Of course she is," says Kaveh.

"Well this is interesting," says Tighnari. "What is she like?"

"We've known each other since we were kids. She was mature for her age. She did things like helping me resolve issues I had with others to keep the peace, making sure other kids didn't bother me while I was reading… Also, comforting me whenever I got discouraged…"

"You? Discouraged?" Kaveh scoffs.

"Yes? I'm only human you know," Alhaitham simply replies. "Anyway, you get the picture."

"That seems reasonable," says Tighnari.

"So it's one-sided?" Cyno asks. "As far as I can tell, you're still single."

"No," says Alhaitham, crossing his arms. "It's not one-sided."

"You're kidding me, right?" Kaveh says. "Are we even talking about the same person?"

Tighnari raises a brow.

"Every time she introduces him to another woman, she's a little too obvious with sharing why they'd be good for Alhaitham," Kaveh explains, "as if she's trying to sell them off to him."

"Don't be so dramatic," Alhaitham says. "She's not selling anyone."

"If that's the case, then why are you sure she likes you?" asks Cyno.

"Well for one, she comes by often to check how I'm doing."

"Perhaps she simply thinks you're incompetent at your job," Kaveh chides.

"Two," he continues, ignoring him. "She's always willing to hear about the latest book I'm reading, no matter how boring others think of it."

"Hmm…" Tighnari mumbles. "I can understand that."

"And three…" Alhaitham puts down his cup. "Whenever she reaches out for my hand, like when she wants to comfort me, she stops short of actually holding it."

"She does?" asks Kaveh.

"Interesting. So it seems that while she does display some sort of affection for you," says Tighnari, "perhaps she just didn't want you to get the wrong idea."

"So you're doubting my conclusion?"

"I'm simply saying it's difficult to judge based on the evidence you've provided. We may need to observe the two of you for ourselves."

Alhaitham sighs. This isn't going anywhere.

"Does she have any reason to not want to date you?" Cyno asks. "I wouldn't be surprised if you were overly critical of her, commenting on her every action."

"I give her nothing but compliments. She knows I think very highly of her."

"Huh," Tighnari says. "That's quite unexpected."

"I've been telling you guys," Kaveh says, "but he's really something else around her."

"Is she… actually older than you by any chance?" asks Tighnari.

"She is."

"Hmm… Well this changes things. Perhaps, she still sees you as a kid and is simply just doting on you."

Kaveh turns to Alhaitham, eagerly waiting for his reply.

Alhaitham clears his throat. "She's less than a couple of years older than me. It's not a big deal."

"Just admit that you're friend-zoned," says Kaveh. "Who'd treat their love interest like a kid?"

"I'm not so sure…" Cyno says.

Both Kaveh and Tighnari raise a brow.

"I think that Alhaitham has a clearer picture and can judge more accurately than any of us. They've known each other for long enough."

"It's just his wishful thinking on his part," says Kaveh. "Who wouldn't want to read into their crush's actions?"

"I agree to an extent," says Tighnari, "but perhaps we're missing some crucial information here. We don't know how well Alhaitham can judge a person's actions when romantic feelings are involved."

"I'm thinking quite clearly, thanks," Alhaitham says.

"This is why you aren't getting anywhere," Kaveh scolds him. "You're assuming she has feelings for you when she doesn't. You still need to win her over."

"Then what do you suggest I do?" Alhaitham crosses his arms.

"Ha. As if I'd help you. She could do way better than you anyway."

Alhaitham groans. Why is he even part of this conversation?

"Well, have you ever told her how you felt?" asks Cyno.

"Of course," replies Alhaitham. "I'm pretty obvious about it."

"For someone as reserved as you, I highly doubt that," Cyno adds.

"I wrote her a letter, eloquently expressing my love for her."

"Pfft. What?" Kaveh snorts.

Tighnari stares in disbelief. "Oh. I get it. You did that when you were children."

"I'm referring to the one I gave her yesterday."

"Pfft."

"That's… pretty obvious," Tighnari adds.

"I bet it was more of an essay than a love letter," Kaveh says with a smirk.

"Well, in that case, she either doesn't like you," says Tighnari, "or there's something that prevents her from admitting her feelings."

"Perhaps she's intimidated by your position," suggests Cyno.

"It's unlike her to care about those things," Alhaitham says. "She even treats me like a kid at times."

"So you do admit she just thinks of you as a kid," Kaveh says.

Alhaitham doesn't answer.

"Honestly, this case is closed," Kaveh continues. "There's nothing more to it."

"Hmm... Have you tried to make her jealous?" asks Cyno.

"You're still not convinced?" Kaveh is surprised at him.

"Knowing the result of that would likely draw us closer to a conclusion," Tighnari adds.

"Why would I purposely try to hurt her?" asks Alhaitham.

They exchange glances. Alhaitham still had the ability to make them go speechless with his matter-of-fact tone.

"Well, he's definitely serious about her," says Cyno.

"I told you," Kaveh says. "Seems like she's the only person he'd open up to as well."

"Of course she is," Alhaitham replies.

"I wonder…" says Tighnari. "Has she ever shared her own struggles with you?"

"Why would that be a factor?"

"Well, that would display how comfortable she is around you."

"Hmm… Not bad…" Alhaitham seems to agree with his line of reasoning.

He goes quiet and uncomfortably so because the other three exchange awkward glances at each other in the meantime.

"Well?" Cyno breaks the silence.

"You may be right," Alhaitham tells Tighnari with a sigh. "But that certainly raises more questions."

"Can we just start playing Genius Invokation TCG?" asks Kaveh. "We just keep going in circles with this topic."

"So you guys did just drag me out to play cards," says Alhaitham.

"It would be interesting to meet her," says Tighnari. "It's gotten me curious."

"Same here," says Cyno.

Kaveh looks up at the tavern entrance. "Huh? She's actually here."

Alhaitham's eyes flicker open for a brief moment. "Nice try. I'm not falling for that."

"I didn't expect to see you here, Alhaitham," you say, ruffling his hair.

He freezes and the three of them take a closer look at his face.

"I never expected him to have that kind of expression," whispers Tighnari.

"Me neither," Cyno agrees.

Alhaitham clears his throat. "They simply invited me here for some cards," he tells you. "Nothing more."

"Can I join?" you ask.

Without question, Alhaitham gets up from his chair. He holds the back of his seat and slides it out, gesturing for you to take it.

Cyno and Tighnari widen their eyes.

"Is it just me or did that feel kind of odd?" says Tighnari.

"Coming from him? You're not wrong there," adds Cyno.

You hesitate for a moment before you accept his kindness and take his seat. He stands next to you, waiting for the other guys to start preparing the game.

The two onlookers feel slightly uncomfortable for some reason while Kaveh tells them another round of 'I-told-you-so's. There isn't anything out of the ordinary as you all take your turns playing each other. Cyno is intense as usual, not just with his tactics but also with how he approaches the battle like an interrogation. Tighnari was calm and collected even under pressure, and Kaveh spoke his mind with every move, regardless of whether it's his or his opponent's. But having you there with Alhaitham is… strange.

Nothing really happens of significance. The two of you treat each other well and with respect. Just having Alhaitham being a complete gentleman around you is unnerving for the rest of them. Curt responses and sarcastic remarks are absent. He's completely agreeable with you and his usual temper isn't there either. Everyone plays the game in peace.

"You should save that card for later," Alhaitham tells you. "He can't do anything for the rest of the round anyway."

"Hmm… I'm not quite sure if that's what I want to do yet," you respond.

"Alright," he says. "You should do what you think is best."

"This guy…" Kaveh turns to you. "How do you get him to be like that? If it were any of us, he would've scolded us with a lengthy explanation about how we'd lose if we didn't follow his exact instructions."

"What? She can think for herself."

"And none of us can't?"

"I'm already familiar with how the three of you play and where you go wrong. I want to see if she does anything differently."

"It seems that he really does only compliment you, huh?" Tighnari tells you.

"Why would I do otherwise?" Alhaitham states.

His straightforward remark stuns them once again.

"Okay, we get it," says Kaveh. "We all know about your huge crush on her."

"Seems like you can't say anything bad about her even if you try," Cyno comments.

"Of course I can."

"You can?" you ask.

The whole table looks at you funny. You fiddle with the cards in your hand, pretending you weren't shocked for a split second.

"Interesting," says Cyno.

Alhaitham crosses his arms. "What is it?"

"I'm keeping my observations to myself for now."

Alhaitham raises a brow, but lets it go for the meantime.

A few rounds go by and you help set up for the next. When Alhaitham picks up a die for you from the floor, your hand brushes against his and the die falls off the table once more.

"What's wrong?" Alhaitham asks as he picks up the die again. "You're not usually this clumsy."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with me," you say.

He takes a closer look at you and you avoid his eyes. "Alright," he says. "You still ready to play?"

"I'll need to head out soon," Tighnari says. "It's my turn to be on patrol for tonight."

"Hold on," Cyno says, placing his cards on the table. "One last round. I'll be your opponent this time," he tells you.

You finish setting up the game and test your skills against Cyno. He certainly doesn't make it easy for you. You fall behind pretty quickly, but at least he's not as intimidating as when he played with some of the others.

"So," Cyno says, "what do you think of Alhaitham?"

Your eyes widen at his sudden question.

"You're straight up asking her?" says Kaveh.

"Why not?"

"I guess he has a point," says Tighnari.

They turn their attention to you to see what you'd say.

"Well…" you say, "he's very intelligent and talented."

"No, not what everyone else says," says Cyno. "What you think."

"What do you think you're doing?" asks Alhaitham. "Are you interrogating her right now?"

"Just let her answer the question."

"Well…" you say, "he's nice? And sweet?"

Cyno raises a brow.

"He's cute?"

"Pfft." Kaveh holds in his laughter.

Cyno ignores him and presses the question.

"I don't know how to respond," you tell him. "We've known each other for so long I can't just sum it up in a sentence."

"Alright. I'll get straight to the point," says Cyno. "What do you think of Alhaitham's feelings for you?"

"I think he should get to know other people… and try dating someone else?"

"See?" says Kaveh.

"I've already told you I'm not interested in anyone else," Alhaitham says.

"No, you should listen to her answer," Cyno tells him. "She's not lying."

"What?" Alhaitham widens his eyes.

"I'm not done yet," says Cyno. "There's more." He turns to you. "How serious do you think Alhaitham is about you?"

"He's definitely sincere."

"I'm pretty sure that was obvious," says Tighnari.

"But you don't take his feelings seriously," Cyno tells you.

"It's not that. It's just…"

"You don't?" asks Alhaitham.

"Alright. It's your turn from here," Cyno tells him.

"But I thought I was clear," Alhaitham tells you.

"You were."

"Apparently not clear enough."

"Look. You used to follow me around like a duckling whenever you weren't reading a book," you tell him. "How was I supposed to take your crush on me seriously?"

"It's been more than a decade since then."

"I... Okay, fair enough," you concede. "But it would disappear once you learned I didn't live up to your expectations."

"What expectations?" Alhaitham raises his brow.

"I don't know. That I'm this perfect woman that you've been pining for more than half your life. You'd know I'm not so great if you'd actually try liking someone else."

"Is that what you've been telling yourself?"

"You never say anything bad about me."

"Why would I want to talk about your flaws? Especially when I've been trying to win you over," he says. "Besides, aren't they obvious to you?"

"What?" You're genuinely surprised. "Like what?"

"Like how stupid you're being right now."

You freeze.

"Besides, I've been around you long enough," Alhaitham continues. "There's plenty I don't like. Like the way you cut me off at times–"

"What?"

"–or your atrocious style–"

"Okay, that one hurt a bit–"

"–or how stupid do you have to be to keep asking Kaveh for money –"

"Alright. I get it."

"–or that time you–"

"Okay! I get it! You like me!"

Kaveh looks at you as if you've grown another head. "How did you come to that conclusion? Are we even listening to the same conversation?"

"I think she's finally realized that his feelings were deeper than she initially thought," says Tighnari. "Especially since she knows that Alhaitham is still objective with her and not blinded with infatuation."

"That's right," Cyno says. "She's been the exception to his behavior for a long time. It makes sense she would think his judgment would be clouded with the information she had."

You hide your face from them. It's embarrassing how they read you like a book once your guard was down.

"I didn't expect the solution to be so simple," Alhaitham says.

He slips his hand into yours and you let out a little squeak. "You've also been wanting to hold my hand for some time haven't you?"

"Ugh. You're all smug now because you know that I return your feelings."

"I also don't like how you rearranged my bookcase."

"You can stop now."

"I think it's time for us to go," says Cyno.

"But we haven't finished our match yet," you tell him.

"I'll just forfeit this one."

"I'm with you on that," says Kaveh. "Anything before they start being gross with each other."

"I guess this is a good time for me to head out as well," says Tighnari.

The two of you are suddenly left alone at the table with a bunch of dice in front of you.

"Well, that's one way to win a match," Alhaitham tells you. "I'd say it's pretty ingenious actually."

You simply groan. You know what's coming.

"Do you want me to help you win every time?"

"Please don't."

*****

I hope you liked it. :)

This is one of those fics I wish had inline commenting like on Wattpad. I would've loved to see how everyone reacted at certain parts in real time but unfortunately Tumblr doesn't have that.

Anyway, you can find links to my masterlist and taglist on my pinned post if you want to check out more of my writing.

#alhaitham x reader #alhaitham scenarios #alhaitham fluff #alhaitham fanfic #genshin impact x reader #genshin impact scenarios #genshin scenarios #genshin x reader #genshin impact fluff #genshin impact fanfics #genshin fluff #cyno #tighnari #kaveh

[yok00k]

truth or dare

pairing: hellokittylover/coquette!oc x boxer!jk

genre: angst, fluff

‧₊˚🎧⊹♡— are you playing? truth or dare

synopsis: rumor has it that jungkook is entertaining other girl(s)

word count: 3.3k

warnings: angsty, oc got: attachment issues, daddy issues [like the author], etc. oc is also kinda dumb (and broken) but she’s figuring shit out, lowkey she’s that bitch, jealous!oc, side characters were kinda introduced, mention of jk making out w/ another girl, jk’s character is complex: one sec he’s a playboy and another sec he’s down bad for oc?, open ending, unedited

a/n: this took place when jk and oc were in 2 month situationship and still getting to know one another! so their boundary wasn’t clear..

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

Everything seems to be a dream as soon as you wake up on another glorious day.

you’ve never felt so energized like this before. it’s a little strange to say but, you even feel like you’ve been reborn for some unknown reason. maybe today is going to be a good day for you.

well let’s see.. you’re off from work plus you basically got nothing to do other than clean your room a little for a little bit and to just chill around!

one of the first things you do as soon as you wake up is stare at your phone, particularly to see if jungkook has sent you a message yet as he always never fails to not. a simple yet sweet “good morning pretty :)” and “did my baby girl sleep well?” can add a bright color to your day. it shows that he cares and that he’s thinking about you too.

the anticipated message from your comfort person unexpectedly did not pop out in your notification. it kind of threw you off. jungkook never misses sending you at least one message, precisely at 8:30 every morning. even in the mornings where he had a boxing match the night before. today is indeed such a strange day.

you’re in no position to be sad just because he didn’t message you. in fact, you’re not, you’re just surprised, or so you think. at the same time, you shouldn’t be in shock owing to the fact that there’s no label between you and jungkook. indeed there’s something going on with you and him, whatever that would be except for being girlfriend and boyfriend.

you often ask yourself where you two stand. for you, it’s indistinct to identify what you are to him. all you know is that he is someone special to you. jungkook makes you feel like you’re the prettiest girl in the whole universe every time he’s around you. it’s the way he articulates his words when speaking to you. you can’t explain it.

you’re more than aware that you’re growing emotional attachment to him. getting used to his affection and now that you didn’t receive a message from him to start off your day, it dismays you. although you’re not sure if there's a hidden motive beyond those gut feeling, you choose to ignore it and start typing on your keyboard.

good morning my ggukie!!

r u free today?? kinda wanna hang out with you >o<

delivered | 9:01 am

since you didn’t establish any kind of plan that you’ll be doing today, you’re thinking of inviting him over. you have lots of things to show him, things you purchased when you went shopping with your best friend who also happens to lives next door, Yun-jin

speaking of her before you even forget, you have to call and ask her how her night went from clubbing last night. she initially invited and forced you to go. but your thousands of homeworks and seventy other things on your checklist didn’t permit you to go. partying is always fun, especially with her, but you have to stay focused on your priorities.

you find her inbox off your message app, the first thing you saw was her latest message from this morning

im aliveeeeeeebwwkwwjhskw

sent at 3:33 am

it made you chuckle lightly. she’s completely wasted. there’s no point of calling her as she’s probably still down. so, you decided to pull up to her apartment, bring a few painkillers with you. you’ll bet seven grand that her hangover is going to be so bad.

opening the door using the key she gave you, you spot her laying on the cream and fluffy rug in her cozy white themed living room. you quickly make your way towards her.

“yunny wake up” you said, gently rubbing her back. “i brought you some painkillers, take them quickly” handling her a couple of pain relievers.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

you’re currently searching for breakfast in her mini fridge, something yun-jin can eat so she’ll feel better. your poor friend is a complete mess as she lazily walks toward the counter in front of you.

“last night was so fun, you should’ve come,” she murmurs, hopping on the bar stool as she watches you cook her breakfast. “Jaeyun won’t stop asking me about you.”

oh you almost forget about him. Jaeyun is Yun-jin’s childhood friend who has a huge interest in you. well that’s what Yun-jin has told you, but you swore to her that you won’t tell him that you know. back in your senior year of high school, you mostly have the same classes as him. oftentimes you two hang out and study together in a local cafe. you enjoy his company a lot, but only as friends. just when you and Jungkook started talking, your friendship with Jaeyun unintentionally grew apart. you lowkey miss hanging out with him. anyways, you take a mental note to check up on him later.

yun-jin tells you more about what you’ve missed. most of them are about the hot guys that she encountered in the night club. that’s not new to you because she’s always out there looking out for hotties.

“oh i forgot to tell you, you remember Blythe? she’s wildin’ last night too” of course, how could you forget about the girl who spreads malicious rumors about you? you genuinely don’t know what’s up with her as she constantly talks shit about you though you never know her personally. to you, she’s just a friend of a friend and some type of hater. indeed, it’s a one- sided beef. she is also known for making out with multiple guys and god knows what at every party she’s in.

“my god, who was her target last night??” you interestedly asked. you and yun-jin have a silly habit of keeping track of her targets. you two soon discover that she goes for the basketball players and athletic guys in general.

“I don't think we’ve seen the guy in a club before but I’ve heard he does underground boxing.” she said as her eyes glanced to her left, trying to recollect her memory. Jungkook might be familiar with the mysterious man. he could be either in his circle or one of his opponents.

you just hum, you expected she’ll go for another basketball player. you guess she’s trying something new.

“but girl, let me tell you. the boxer guy looked so drunk and she was dry humping on him like a damn get a fucking room bro” she adds more details on the tea, while pretending to cry as she covers her eyes.

“wait was the guy totally intoxicated ?” you ask as cracking the eggs on the hot pan.

“No, he was still responding back to her, running his hands around her body and stuff.” you’re glad you didn’t see that yourself, or else you’ll cringe. your friend giving you a summary of how the night went is enough. still, it’s entertaining. for a while.

“let me see if she posted something on her IG” yun-jin utters, pulling out her phone from her pocket.

she taps on her screen multiple times, and finally she finds a story that the girl posted. “look, she posted this”

and with that, yun-jin faces the phone your way. you take a glance on her screen, showing you a low exposure photo of the girl sitting on the uknown guy’s lap. her face is showing while his face wasn't captured. the blurry image seems normal. until your eyes examine the familiar tatted arm that’s wrapped around the girl’s torso. you swear you’ve seen those tattoos before. it takes you a while to recognize the ink into the deep layer of their skin.

then it hits you— those not-so-foreign tattoos belong to jungkook, your jungkook.

oh. your heart suddenly drops.

your eyes lock with the phone screen surface longer than the usual, by which makes your friend frown.

“hey, what’s wrong?” Yun-jin concernedly ask

maybe that’s why he hasn’t texted you yet. maybe he slept wit—

“y/n? you ok?” your friend calls for you again, interrupting your thoughts, though they didn’t fully vanish.

shifting your eyes to her, you blink rapidly “yeah, i’m completely ok,” swallowing your lies away. you can feel your eyes watering, and you don't want your friend to see you break down.

after cooking her breakfast, you decided to head back. “I forgot that I have something to do, I’ll go now” you rapidly put your shoes on

‘she’s not eating this breakfast with me?’ Yun-jin thinks as she watches you leave her apartment.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

As soon as you get back to your apartment, you walk towards your bedroom. immediately, you throw yourself on the bed.

“I’m so stupid” you groan as you kick the baby pink multi layer bedsheets on your bed.

and once again, you can’t explain this bothersome feeling. anger? feeling betrayed? jealousy? sadness? all of the above?

you can’t understand. no, you’re trying to understand in the midst of confusion.

you really like him, you really do. and he says he likes you too. he even confessed his feelings to you first! since then, it was safe to assume that you two will establish a label soon. you were so sure of it, until now.

how.. how come he’s with another woman?

the more you think about, the more you feel the sting in your heart. the unpleasant emotion is spreading inside your system, it’s urging you to throw up. you find yourself removing dead skin out of your cuticle using your thumbnail, a habit which you only do to relieve anxiety.

you have so many questions that need to be answered. were the feelings he felt about you real? or was he just playing you? or did he just forget that you exist in his life last night? or did he just lose interest in you? these questions bring out your inner conflicts. so many questions you’re afraid to know the real answers of.

just before the skin next to your cuticle bleeds, your focus shifts to the triple loud ping coming from your phone. Of course, those messages belong to the one person who you least likely want to face right now.

morning pretty

sorry just woke up, having a severe hangover rn

still down to hang out? I can pull up a little later

sent at 11:59 am

his text confirms your suspicion, proving that he was drinking heavily last night. you can’t stand seeing him today. you will just cancel your initial plan and make up some lame excuse.

nvm, we can just hang out another time.

no, erase that. you’ll avoid him from now on, there won’t be another time!

nvm, I feel sick. please don’t come over.

seen at 12:00 pm

my poor baby, i’ll take care of u

sent | 12:01 pm

no need, thanks tho

delivered | 12:01 pm

not being in the mood to keep talking to him, you send the last message before putting your phone on ‘do not disturb’ mode. leaving jungkook’s messages unseen

considering that your day has been ruined, you choose to shut down the world and take a long nap.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

on the other hand, jungkook definitely notices how cold you turned out to be. maybe it's the time of the month for you. thus, today his mission is to grab things you typically crave for: brown sugar milk tea, some sweet pastries from your favorite bakery shop, and finally, the icing to add on top, a bouquet of white roses.

jungkook usually pampers you with a bunch of food and affection. that’s why he pays attention and takes mental notes (or even notes on his phone) of tiny details about you. it satisfies him to see you all spoiled.

that’s the reason why he jumps out of his messy bed and initiates to get ready. starting off his usual morning routine by taking a cold shower. not much time after, he applies his skincare.

Jungkook hears loud chatters of two men talking from his living room as he walks out of his bedroom. he opens the door and perceives his hyungs chilling by his couch.

“yah jungkook, that chick you brought from last night was way out of control” Jimin complains as soon as jungkook enters the living room.

“yeah kook, kicking her out at 3 in the morning wasn’t a good idea. she’s loud as hell and I had to deal with one of your neighbors' complaints again” Taehyung, who was their designated driver, added annoyingly.

“whose chick?” jungkook confusedly asks.

“yours” both of his hyungs exclaim in unison, which the youngest responds with a shrug.

to be honest, Jungkook doesn’t remember shit from last night. he can recollect some memories, but not a whole bunch. drinks. yes, he drank a lot. there was this girl he randomly made out with, however he can’t remember her name or what she looks like. not that she’s relevant to him anyways.

jungkook chooses to not care about the insignificance, he could spend his time better than that. and by the word better, he spends time thinking about you.

₊˚⊹ ᰔ

the constant sound from your doorbell that’s been ringing for who-knows-how-long wakes you up from your wonderful nap.

you gently rubbing your eyes, then you tap the screen of your cellular to see the time; 3:59 pm.

shit, how long were you out for? no idea. you look at your window and see the raindrops rolling down the glass. it was just sunny before you drifted to sleep a few hours ago.

down below to your screen, you notice jungkook messages and a few missed calls from earlier and just now.

7 missed calls from 🐰

55 mins ago

I’ll stay for the night so I can take care of you

delivered | 12:03 pm

just grabbing few things for my baby and I’ll be there soon.

delivered | 12:30 pm

it’s raining heavily and now I’m stuck in traffic

delivered | 1:01 pm

I’m here!

delivered | 1:44 pm

baby? are you home? I'm here

delivered | 1:51 pm

don’t know where u at but I’ll be here waiting at your front door :(

delivered | 1:56 pm

after reading his texts, you rush to the door. there’s no way that man will wait for those hours outside your front doo-

indeed, he’s in front of your door, waiting for you to open up to him as he’s sitting on the ground. besides him, a couple of light brown paper bags, his backpack, and a bouquet of flowers are also laying on the cold cement.

“hi my pretty!” he cheerfully greeted you, rushing to get up from the ground. jungkook walks up to you with a smile full of relief and happiness as if he wasn’t wasting his time for two hours waiting for you right there.

you attempt to avoid his gaze, your eyes examine his black long sleeve that really fits him nice and is damp.

“come in, you should change your clothes.” you mutter coldy

it’s inevitable to not be concerned that he got wet from the rain. Even if you don’t wanna let him in, it will guilt you if he gets ill.

jungkook does what he was told, gathering all the stuff he brings with him and steps into your flat. he feels the strange coldness as soon as he lands his eyes on yours. something isn’t right. something is wrong with you.

He settles his things by your couch and changes into a new oversized t-shirt in front of you. after changing, he reaches for the paper bags to show you the things he got.

“look baby, I got you your favorite drink, some pastries, i know how much you lov-”

“thank you, but you shouldn’t have. I told you to not come” your stern voice cuts him off before he finishes his sentence. you’re trying to keep your cool. your tone is full of nothing but seriousness. not a hint of sweetness in them, which makes jungkook tilt his head on the side, confused by your odd attitude.

“but baby, I just wanted to be here to take care of you.” he insists. by all means, he won’t listen to what you say.

“I hate when you do this” you sigh

“did i do something wrong? are you mad at me?” he attempts to reach you, but you’re too quick to avoid his touch. “tell me what’s wrong baby, please” Jungkook added once more. he doesn’t understand why you avoid him.

“do you treat your other girls like this too?” you ask, eyes shooting lasers at his. an anger rushes through you as the thoughts of him spoiling girls other than you.

“my pretty, what are you talking about?” Jungkook furrows his eyebrows, looking down closely to you. where are you getting these notions from?

“my friend saw you last night”

it took him a couple seconds to remember

“listen to me baby, whoever I was with, she meant nothing” Jungkook defends himself quickly, reaching for your hand, trying to reassure you that she’s insignificant.

it’s not working.

“I just wish you could’ve told me we weren’t exclusive.” you said wipe a tear from your upper cheek before it could roll down further.

“or maybe I was just dumb to assume we were since you initially told me you liked me, I'm sorry, I don’t really know how this whole thing works” you dryly chuckle, honestly admitting to him that you’ve never been in this type of complicated situation before. now you feel like a fool, getting mad at him for something you can’t hold against him.

jungkook shakes his head, reaching for you one more time, placing his gentle on the side of your face, caressing it. you did nothing as you stood still.

“no, i’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I do like you. I still do and that won’t change. I was just so drunk last night and could barely remember what happened. I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

but somewhere deep down is telling you that he’s only sorry because he got caught.

“you’re free to do whatever you want, Jungkook. I don’t think we’re on the same page so it will be best if we don’t see each other anymore” you articulate as best as you could.

you don’t want to let him go, due to the fact that you’re growing so much feelings towards him. it’s almost as if you’re enamored. but that’s also the same reason why you must let him go. you must, or you’ll get hurt deeper.

“y/n, please don’t say that”

“No, you know how much I like you. you know how much I value you. yet in return, I feel like I’m just a plaything to you that you can play with whenever you want.”

“that’s not true baby, you know that” Jungkook protests, shaking his head. the main problem is you don't. you absolutely have no idea of his motives for pursuing you. is he doing it because he's falling for you too? or he's just playing one of those games. those dangerous games you won't involve yourself with.

he’s looking for words to proves you that his feelings were genuine, but fails to. maybe because he never knows how to show his real feelings. or maybe he was never genuine to start with.

"I'm not one of your playthings. so just— ” you pause, shifting your eyes on the ground. “go away"

Jungkook locks his gaze to you, hoping you will look back at him and take back what you said. but he can read you face and make it seem like he’s not welcome there anymore.

without any words, he leaves, leaving you accompanied with melancholy.

series m.list

#jungkook x reader #jungkook fic #jungkook fanfiction #jungkook fluff #jungkook imagine #jungkookxreader #bts jk #jungkook ff #jeon jk #jjk x you #jeon jungkook #jungkook fanfic #jungkook angst #jeongguk #bts ff #jeon jeongguk #jeongguk x reader

[cruelfeline]

So, for all of y'all who aren't familiar with Dwarf Fortress, I'm going to explain why it's such a phenomenal game.

Dwarf Fortress is a colony simulator that's been developed by two brothers since 2003. A few weeks ago, it finally released on Steam with a UI that even i can understand. It is the grandfather of things like Rimworld and Minecraft.

So what makes it different from all of the other games in the genre? What makes it different is that it simulates a world beyond your colony. A world with gods, monsters, civilizations... a whole history outside of your colony. A real, living world for you to play in.

I can better explain this by showing y'all what happened to my latest fortress. The one that experienced Wereanteater Armageddon.

My dwarves were having a nice time. I'd just figured out how to build instruments and was outfitting the new tavern properly when-

Surprise! Wereanteater.

Said wereanteater eventually turned back into a goblin and ran off-map, but not before infecting some of my dwarves. Which led to... well...

Absolute massacres every month. With more wereanteaters each time. Which eventually led to...

One lone dwarf, haunted by the ghost of one of the many slain, sitting next to the werecorpse of his last companion. They'd fought to the death the moment they'd last transformed, and he was the survivor. But, of course, he couldn't move.

So! That was that. Fortress destroyed, time to move on. I abandoned the fortress and decided to start anew.

But! Where did our wereanteater come from? What was his story?

In Dwarf Fortress, everything has a story.

So before starting a new fortress, I went ahead and checked the Legends mode: the mode that has the whole history of everyone and everything written out for the player to read.

First, I found my fortress' record, and I scanned down to where the deaths began.

There we go... the attack started with a goblin named Azstrog Terrorhymed. Who is that? Why does he turn into a monstrous anteater?

Here he is, in his entry, biting my dwarf. And... actually beating her to death with Sensedterror Explained, which another entry says is a book he wrote. About some sort of horror-pit he had a nightmare about. Huh.

And looking further back, we can see that, about twenty five years before he came to my fortress, he profaned the Abbey of Shafts in a settlement called Gearedopened. Possibly due to having some bad experiences with gambling and false friendships. This resulted in someone called Ngalak cursing him to become a wereanteater every full moon. And who is Ngalak?

Ngalak is apparently a dwarven god associated with caverns and mountains. And also:

Azstrog wasn't the only creature he's cursed with wereform for profanity! There are at least two others potentially running around. So that's... comforting.

And as for Azstrog? His entry says that he settled in the Fair Mines after dooming my fortress. Checking that entry, we find it to be a lair. A lair that now contains a wereanteater. A wereanteater who was once a goblin who seemed down on his luck and, in a moment of forgetting himself, ended up the object of divine wrath. Which in turn led to the violent deaths of about fifty dwarves in the fortress of Knowring twenty five years later!

This is why Dwarf Fortress is so amazing! There are plenty of games that will introduce an obstacle for your characters to face, but how many will ensure that that obstacle had a whole life of his own prior to ever meeting you?

On second thought, I think I'll reclaim Knowring, rather than starting a new fortress. And I'll bury its many dead, take over its workshops, and see if I can find the Fair Mines.

See if I can find Azstrog Terrorhymed again. See if he's still alive, or if he's met his end one way or another.

But first: time to build dozens of tombs!

#dwarf fortress #cf plays df

[lostinlewis]

Forbidden Fruit...

Rating: M ~ 2% plot 98% smut

Words: 3,028

Character: Lewis Hamilton x F!Reader

Description: He's your older brother's best friend but will that stop either of you from playing the most dangerous game of all?

So tempted you were by the thought of him knowing you were close by, you almost slipped up and posted on your story for every one of your followers to see, a mistake that would have made your next move impossible. You thanked the Meta Gods for introducing the ‘Close Friends’ option, allowing you to let him see everything you wanted him to see, whilst keeping everyone else in the dark.

This was a dangerous game, you knew it, yet as you found yourself alone in Malibu, knowing he was home too was a call from fate you just could not ignore. You had waited to have him for so long now, you had lusted after him for so many years, you were not about to waste such a perfect opportunity to finally get him alone.

It took longer than you would have hoped for him to view your story, you had almost given up by hour two but as darkness began to fall on the ocean view you laid in front of, your phone screen lit up with the notification you had been waiting for.

[lewishamilton] What a beautiful view.

You wanted to play it cool, you wanted to make him wait a little longer for a response, but you did not have the patience nor the time for that.

[yourusername] Which one?

You were opening yourself up to rejection, you knew that, but you also remembered the way he looked at you as he passed you in the hallway of your brother's party a few months back, the way his eyes couldn’t help but dance over every curve as he licked his lips. Sure, he could reject you, but he could also give in to what he desired.  

[lewishamilton] You know which one. How long are you here for?

A question that could seem friendly on the surface, an innocent attempt at conversation with the younger sister of his best friend, or it could be read as a man so hungry for a temptation he had known for so long that he was already making plans. 

[yourusername] I fly home tomorrow, I was hoping to not spend my last night here alone.

The silence that fell on the conversation the moment you admitted your intention made you a little anxious, you had known Lewis for years now and he had only made you feel comfortable yet in this moment you felt vulnerable, a little silly even. Had you just imagined the chemistry between you both?

You knew you were in too deep already, you had to let this play out regardless of the repercussions, it was the only way you would ever know if he felt it too, and besides, if you were right, he would be at your door soon enough.

[lewishamilton] That would be a shame. 

You knew Lewis would be careful not to be caught saying anything his friend wouldn't appreciate in your DMs, you knew you would have to lead the moment if you wanted to really get what you wanted.

[yourusername] Just so you know, you’re the only one who can see my story. 

Your reply might have confused him at first, only as he viewed your latest post on your story would it make sense. Your intentions with him had never been clearer, clad in a dress you had bought just that day with the intention of tempting him, you let him see all of the woman who was inviting him to join her for the night. 

He replied nothing else and that gave you a little glimmer of hope, afterall he couldn’t reply to you whilst driving. That hope held on for as long as possible, you did nothing with your evening as you waited for his arrival, not wanting to occupy your time with anything but him, you laid out on your bed, staring out into the ocean, until your eyes closed. 

-

The knocking on the door was so gentle it took a few moments to wake you, it was late, you could tell by the darkness that had become your view. Nothing but the outline of water decorated with the reflection of a few stars, the moon so full it allowed a little light to decorate your room. 

Lewis stood on the other side of your door, dressed in grey sweatpants and a white T Shirt, his eyes devouring your body before he even said hello. Making no attempt to hide the fact he enjoyed the view, he traced the outline of the lace that hid your breasts, before finally drawing his gaze up to meet yours. 

“I didn’t think you would come…” 

You broke the silence just before it became uncomfortable, leading him into the house. You let him watch your hips move in an exaggerated fashion as he followed you into the dark but for a moon lit living room. 

Still he said nothing, you could see the way a thousand thoughts raced through his mind as he looked at you. Did he want you to make the first move? Did he hope you would make it impossible for him to refuse you? Did he need you to make it so should your brother ever find out, he wouldn’t be to blame?

“You can sit down if-” 

Lewis stopped your words with a hand wrapped around your wrist, pulling you towards him so close you could almost hear the way his heart raced with desire. Looking up into his beautiful brown eyes, you all at once felt vulnerable, you could see the fight on his face, so torn he was between giving into his want for you whilst battling the sane part of his mind that told him this was a bad idea. 

Allowing the hand that was not wrapped around your wrist to stroke your cheek, Lewis brushed his thumb across your lips before cupping your chin. 

“You are so dangerous…” It was then that he kissed you, allowing his desire to win, he brought his lips to yours with very little force, not moving them, not initiating more, he kissed you like he was scared of you. “...So fucking dangerous.” 

As he escaped from the kiss to tell you of your menacing ways, you smirked at him, a smirk that told him you knew just how much risk he was taking in that moment and how much you knew he was enjoying it. 

“We can stop-” 

Before the suggestion of anything else left your lips, Lewis pulled you back into a kiss. This time it was with enough force to take your breath away, that he kissed you. With one hand placed firmly on your cheek, he allowed the other to glide down your neck, brushing his fingers over your shoulder, he drew the strap of your dress down your arm before his fingers found your exposed nipple. 

You let out a gasp as he tugged at it, rolling the teat between his thumb and finger before his lips found their way, sucking harshly on your nipple you felt him exhale such a worked up breath, you knew he could only be straining in his pants. 

Taking the lead once more, you pulled down your other strap, allowing your dress to pool at the curve of your hips, inviting him to free you if he wished, and of course he wished. 

Kisses warmed your bare skin as he worked his way down your body until he reached where the silk lay, looking up at you he awaited a sign from you that he could reveal the entirety of your body. You gave it to him in the form of a smile as you stroked your fingers through his braids. 

So concentrated he was on devouring your skin, Lewis did not even dare to look at your body until he lips met it first. The moment your dress fell to your feet you felt his lips place soft kisses over your mound, his hands worked your feet free from the dress, throwing it to the side, he held your foot in the air as he began to trace his kisses up your leg now, closer and closer to the heat that yearned for him. 

You weren't sure what to expect from him, he had always struck you as confident, someone who knew what they wanted and exactly how to get it, yet the ferocity in which his tongue found your clit with ease shocked you. 

He held you steady as he devoured your pussy, a leg placed over his shoulder, he ate you out like you were a meal he had craved forever and in a way you were. Lewis had you whimpering, begging moans of mercy as he worked you in ways you never thought possible, yet the whole time he was gentle with you, protective of you, despite the fact he had you near your peak in a matter of minutes, you could feel him holding back with you. 

It took every bit of your strength to form words that were not complete gibberish, so hard he had made it for you to function as anything but a puddle of pleasure, you fought to have your needs spoken into the air, and the breathy stuttered form in which they took would just have to do. 

“Need you…shit, I need you.” 

Lewis didn’t quite stop lapping at your clit at your words, nor did he stop sucking your folds free of pleasure, but he did slow down just enough to be able to respond. 

“I don’t think you could handle me…” 

Was he challenging you? Did he think you were so inexperienced you wouldn’t know how to take him? Annoyed, you pulled yourself away from his grip, just enough that he could no longer control you with his tongue. 

“I can handle anything…look at me…” 

“I haven’t stopped...” 

Lewis’ response was said half in jest but you both knew that his eyes hadn’t been off of you from the moment he arrived that evening. He stood from the position he knelt in, the contrast of you being completely naked whilst he was fully dressed should have scared you but it didn’t, it was perfect, you needed him to know that you were grown enough to take him. 

“I’m a grown woman, Lewis. There is nothing…nothing…you could give me that I couldn’t handle.” 

He paused for thought for a moment, the hunger in his eyes had never been more evident. 

“Mmm, yes you are.” 

With that, he lifted you up so your legs wrapped around his waist, carrying you with ease into the bedroom just so he could throw you on the bed. He didn’t have his way with you immediately, instead he stood at the end of the bed just watching you as you brushed your legs together, careful to not give him a view of all of you. 

“Since you’re so sure you could handle me, why don’t you take control?” 

Lewis was daring you now, teasing you into submission but you wouldn’t let him win, not yet anyway. Spreading your legs so he could see you in all your glistening glory, you stared into his eyes for a moment, tempting him to hold your gaze and not look at the pussy he had just spent the past 20 minutes eating. He did well, he only really broke when you began to play with yourself, the groan that escaped his lips told you that he loved watching you prepare for him. 

“Are you just going to stand there and watch me get off all night or are you going to come here and fuck me?” 

He needed no more telling, within seconds he had stripped free from his clothes and found his way to kneeling between your legs. You watched him in excitement, you marvelled at how impossibly thick he was, bigger than you ever could have imagined. 

“I want you to watch me fuck you, I want you to watch how much I am going to stretch your pussy out.” 

Resting his tip at your entrance for barely a second, Lewis felt no remorse as he bottomed out inside of you, forcing your head back into the pillow as your eyes rolled back. 

“Too much for you?” 

He smirked as he let you adjust to the size of him for a moment, watching you quiver with sensations you had never felt before underneath him, making him just want to test you more. 

“Fuck me…please.” 

That was all you could say, there were no words quite sufficient for everything you needed from him in that moment but that didn’t matter, he knew just what to do with you anyway. 

With a thumb on your clit to play with, he made sure to fuck into you like he knew you had never been fucked before. Over and over his strokes were so deep, so precise that they hit your spot every time whilst he made sure to bring you closer and closer to orgasm by playing with you. 

It was only when he felt the first contraction of your walls that he made you look at him, removing his thumb now he brought it up to your lips to make you taste yourself as he stroked you to the most mind blowing orgasm you had ever had. 

The pleasure waves flowed through you for what felt like an eternity, never quite allowing you to catch your breath, Lewis slowed his pace as he drew out your pleasure for as long as possible whilst he fought back against his own, deep hisses leaving his lips as he tried to hold so he could have you for as long as possible. 

“Good girl, you did so well…” 

His lips found yours once more as he held still inside of you for a moment, letting you catch your breath for a moment just so he could tell you how proud of you he was. Your lips parted as if to speak but he didn’t quite let you. 

“You want some more, baby?” 

The rapidness in which you nodded your head told him all he needed to know, it was time he really had his way with you. Guiding you onto your stomach, he made sure to kiss every inch of every cheek you held up in the air for him before giving them both a spank. 

“Fuck, you’re are so hot…” 

It was Lewis who taught you about your praise kink, unintentionally he unlocked a part of you that you never knew about until he rained down praise and admiration on you constantly during your night with him. 

Wrapping one of your ankles over another, he held your legs closed as he smacked his dick against your opening. Somehow he felt bigger, somehow he felt like he stretched you to almost breaking point as he thrust inside of you, running his fingers down your back to make you shiver before he spanked both of your cheeks once more. 

He was relentless, unforgiving, he made sure you felt him deeper than you ever had before, he made sure that you knew no man would ever be able to give you quite what he had that night as he fucked you from behind. Wrapping a hand around your throat, he leant over just enough to be able to whisper in your ear as he fucked you. 

“Such a good girl…fuck…such a very good girl.” 

Your moans screamed out into the air, ecstasy wasn’t quite descriptive enough to explain all that he made you feel as he fucked into you over and over again. Lewis was unashamed of the noises he made, grunts, groans, moans of his own fell out into the air in between curse words. 

Every stroke he let out a hiss, it was how you knew he was close now, slow yet deep thrusts, he fucked you with a want to fill you with him yet he fought every second he could to keep going, not wanting to give up this moment easily. 

“Cum for me, Lewis…cum for me.” 

You moaned out permission for him to undo without even thinking, the moan of relief as you said the words told you it was only mercy you were showing him. He picked up pace now, throwing your head down onto the bed as he gripped the back of your hair, Lewis fucked you harder than ever before, the sounds of him fucking you were so loud that they almost drowned out your chorus of moans. 

“Don’t move…ugh, don’t you fucking move.” 

He rose up on his arms as he growled his instructions at you, for a second you were worried he would finish inside of you, a part of you wanted him too, but at the very last moment he pulled out of you, lacing your ass with reams and reams of his warm cum whilst he moaned into the air, telling you all the ways you were such a very good girl for him. 

-

The aftermath was only ever going to be awkward, you hadn’t thought about how you would feel once you had him, you hadn’t considered what you would say now that you had to go back to just being his best friends little sister, so as you came out of the bathroom after freshening up to find him sat on the edge of the bed fully dressed, you felt a little twinge of uncomfortableness. 

The thing about Lewis that you had always known was he cared deeply for people, and having been so intimate with you had only made him care more. Inviting you into him with an outstretched arm, Lewis sat you on his lap so you could feel his tenderness as he spoke with you. 

“I want you to know that nothing changes just because we did that, things won’t be weird between us and I certainly won’t be telling anybody what we did.” 

“Thank you, it’s just…well, I don’t make a habit out of one night stands.” 

Lewis smiled at you before bringing his lips to yours once more. 

“No one said this would be a one night thing, baby.” 

#Lewis Hamilton Smut #forbidden fruit #ex #Lewis #Lewis Hamilton one shot

[spookyserenades]

Trouvaille - Chapter Three

Pairing(s); BTS OT7 x Reader

Genre/Themes; Hybrid!AU, themes of the supernatural and the occult, religious themes, violence, hurt/comfort, horror, romance

Rated; 18+ for swearing, violence/gore, future sexual themes. Reader discretion is advised.

Word Count; 21.5k

Trouvaille Masterlist

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Updates on the 7th of each month

Hi lovelies, it's Dana! Thank you all so much for all of the lovely feedback on the first two chapters of Trouvaille! I always enjoy answering questions, hearing reader theories, and even gushing over the Trouvaille hybrids together. In Chapter Three, we'll finally meet the mysterious wolf hybrid Namjoon, and some of the paranormal aspects of the plot will be introduced as well. There's a bit of angst in this update, a fair amount of awkward interactions between characters, but a healthy amount of soft and domestic moments as well. As always, if you would like to be added to the taglist or chat with me at all, my inbox is open and I'd love to hear from you. Thanks for reading and please enjoy the latest update!

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Pulling into town, the rain had slowed into a light mist, shrouding the homes on Y/N’s street in a blue-gray fog. The orange headlights from her car cut through the haze, guiding her way to the driveway at the side of the house, lamplight from within the first floor illuminating the gloom of the morning storm outside. The Beach Boys CD had looped by now, the sunny melodies doing little to brighten Y/N’s stress-induced jaw clenching. 

With her mother’s last minute visit sprung upon her, Y/N had little to no time to prepare herself for the situation, let alone the six hybrids she had barely just met. She spent much of the ride back grinding her teeth and muttering under her breath, Taehyung periodically rolling the window up and down while she pressed pedal to the metal to beat her mother to the house. The squeaking noise of the window glass set her on edge, trying not to look at Taehyung cross-eyed, praying to the sky that her parents wouldn’t embarrass her within an inch of her life. 

The hybrids had lapsed into pensive silence after her mentioning of the surprise visit, and she didn’t dare glance through the rearview to get a look at Jeongguk’s likely disgusted expression. Y/N hadn’t even noticed the hushed whispering in the backseat, too bewildered to hear much else but the curse-loop bouncing around in her own skull. 

Leave it to her mother to completely disregard Y/N’s insistence she would come around later in the week to introduce the hybrids to her, in a controlled environment with more time to warn the hybrids of her mother’s quirks. She mostly blamed herself, with the fact that her kitchen was bare of food and calling her parents right away to tell them about the adoptions– she kicked herself for not holding out a bit longer, perhaps waiting for when she got Namjoon home– but it was all too late now. There was no convincing her mother to stay away, especially not without worrying her, or even worse, offending her. 

Turning the car off, Y/N twitchily attempted to brighten up, not wanting to taint the first impression Yoongi, Taehyung, and Jeongguk were getting of their newfound home. Clearing her throat, she shakily turned to the backseat, a sheepish smile stretching across her face.

“We’re here,” she ignored Hoseok’s amused expression as he read the discomfort in her air, Yoongi squinting out the window past him to look at the house through the mist. Jeongguk had his bag of items from the drugstore tucked under his armpit, an unlit cigarette already poised between his lips. “Let’s head in and get out of this fog.”

Grabbing the box of donuts from the console and fishing around in her pocket for the house keys, Y/N yanked her car door open, not even bothering to pull up her hood to protect her clammy strands of hair. Jeongguk was right behind her, the flicking of his lighter clicking in her ear, a puff of smoke tantalizingly curling around her. She’d definitely have to have one of those later, when she could grab a moment to be by herself. 

Dodging puddles in the gaping potholes of her crumbling driveway, she popped the trunk, hauling out the trash bag of the hybrid’s belongings. While it was half-full, it was exceptionally heavy– a burden that was immediately lifted by Taehyung’s nimble fingers hefting it over his shoulder along with his bags from the drugstore. Before she could protest, he was following Hoseok to the door to the lit-up kitchen, leaving her to fall into stride with Yoongi. 

“Alright, I get it now. This place does look totally haunted,” Yoongi murmured to her out of the corner of his mouth, fanning away smoke from Jeongguk in front of them. “Marlboros. If you’re gonna smoke, at least have a menthol,” he whispered, low enough for Jeongguk to miss but perfectly audible to Y/N beside the leopard hybrid. Laughing weakly, Y/N had a warm feeling in her stomach at Yoongi’s attempts to make her smile. 

The hybrids made a half-circle around her as she unlocked the door, Jeongguk’s tattooed hand stamping out his cigarette but in the ashtray Y/N had used nights before. She peered into the glass slider while she slid it open, but Seokjin and Jimin were not lingering in the kitchen. 

Inside, it was warm and the air had a faint buttery smell of toast, yet did little to balm Y/N’s anxiety surrounding her parents impending arrival. She could hear the sound of the TV going in the parlor as she and the hybrids filed in behind her, placing the donuts on the island with a thump. It appeared that someone had cleaned up the kitchen meticulously after their breakfast, even the stainless steel of the fridge had been wiped to a polish.

“Whoa, this kitchen is awesome,” Yoongi breathed, immediately circling the island to run his hand along the stovetop with a grin on his face. 

“Yoongi, were you a line cook at that bar you worked at too?” Hoseok remarked teasingly as Yoongi admired the pots hanging from the rack over the island. 

“Yeah, actually. I worked just about every position at one point or another, Foxy,” Yoongi answered, folding his arms over his chest. 

Taehyung had set the garbage bag on the breakfast nook, slowly placing items from it on the table one by one. Jeongguk was impatiently standing behind him, tapping a foot on the tiled floor, snatching a little leather notebook from Taehyung’s hand as soon as he pulled it from the bag. Taehyung simply returned to retrieving items from the bag, tucking a weathered black jean jacket under his armpit as he went. 

“I can show them around, if you need some time to get ready for your parents,” Hoseok said from behind Y/N at the coffee pot, where she was filling a mug up to the brim. Hoseok had somehow become her saving grace the past two days when it came to helping out, and she almost wanted to hug him in relief as the words left his mouth. 

“Thanks, Hoseok. I owe you,” Y/N squeezed his wrist, watching dimples appear on his cheeks. 

“Oh! Did everyone come back today?” Jimin’s voice came from the entry of the kitchen, eyes wide as he scanned the room full of people. Brushing past Hoseok to greet the coyote hybrid, Y/N couldn’t help but wonder where Seokjin was, his absence peculiarly profound to her. 

“Good morning, Jimin!” Y/N said brightly, his smile as he saw her step from behind Hoseok equally as radiant as her voice. “Everyone, apart from Namjoon.”

Jimin hummed, eyeing Hoseok who had stalked off to the mysterious garbage bag on the breakfast bar. Y/N motioned for Jimin to come closer, which he did gracefully in his sock-clad feet, bending low to hear her. 

“My parents are coming today. My mother gave me a call and totally surprised me with it, sorry I couldn’t tell you sooner,” Y/N whispered in his ear while trying to hear what Yoongi was saying to Jeongguk several feet away. Jimin made a noise of surprise, Y/N pushing the opened box of donuts towards him, gesturing for him to take one. 

“Don’t apologize, Miss Y/N. I’m sure they’re lovely people,” Jimin assured her, his penchant for titles slipping into his speech. Heat rising up her neck, she was thankful his sight was trained on the donuts as she took a hearty swig of the coffee in her mug, which probably did nothing but add to her jitteriness. 

“How’s Seokjin?” Y/N changed the subject, hoping that the jaguar hybrid wasn’t nursing a wine hangover. Jimin placed a powdered sugar donut on a paper towel, casting a look over his shoulder towards the foyer. 

“He’s upstairs. He moved up to that pink bedroom this morning, reading a book or something,” Jimin responded, licking a bit of sugar off of his thumb. Y/N began to sweat, forgetting that she had told Seokjin to pick out a bedroom in the first place, and began to worry about cleaning up his previous room if one of the other hybrids decided to claim it that afternoon. While she had left her high stress level job days ago, Y/N had a whole new set of situations that seemed to crop up quickly. 

“Jimin,” Yoongi interrupted, nodding at the coyote hybrid as he approached the island. Yoongi had a bomber jacket slung over his shoulder, sliding a canvas knapsack across the granite countertop. “This yours?” 

Jimin’s mouth fell open, grasping the bag with relief, checking the contents of the bag frantically. Yoongi swiped a chocolate donut from the open box, munching on it thoughtfully as Jimin pulled a dented brown Stetson hat from the bag with a frown. Standing on her tiptoes to peek at the others, she noticed Hoseok with a stack of athletic wear he was most likely wearing prior to his arrival at the shelter, and Taehyung crumpling up the empty garbage bag. 

“This was Jin’s, I’ll take it to him when we find him,” Hoseok joined her, Jimin, and Yoongi at the island, holding up a ratty drawstring bag in one of his hands. Taehyung had snuck his way next to Y/N silently, opening random cabinets with the garbage bag in his fist. Finding the drawer that hid the trash, he tossed the bag in with a grimace, blowing his bangs out of his face with a gust of air. 

“Why don’t you guys get settled before my parents get here? Hoseok has offered to show you around, to pick out your bedrooms,” Y/N urged, still mournfully lamenting the fact that she hadn’t seen Seokjin yet that morning. 

“Before you ask, Yoongi, we aren’t sharing a room, sorry,” Hoseok nudged Yoongi with his shoulder, the leopard hybrid’s mouth set in a grim line. Hoseok was already on his way out to the hall, Yoongi trudging after him with Jeongguk not far behind, leafing through his notebook with a detached expression. 

“I’d sooner share a room with Satan,” Yoongi shot back under his breath, tossing the last piece of his donut in his mouth before disappearing from the room with the fox and elk hybrids. 

Taehyung begrudgingly followed the other three, looking like he wanted to say something to Y/N as he watched her tuck away the leftover donuts for later. Jimin stayed behind, as Y/N predicted he would, finding his own mug in the cabinet to help himself to some more coffee. 

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Jimin asked softly as Y/N brushed crumbs from the counter into the sink, raking a hand through her hair in distress.

“Oh, that’s okay, Jimin, thank you. I guess I should warn you… my mother is a little out there,” Y/N grit her teeth, avoiding Jimin’s eyes as she sipped her coffee. “She might hug you, or ask you if you want a tarot reading…” 

“A… tarot reading?” Jimin’s voice was laced with confusion, slinging his knapsack around his trim shoulder. Nodding, Y/N made her way to the bags of toiletries Taehyung had left on the breakfast nook that were likely for Jimin, Seokjin, and Namjoon, which he had separated so each bag had one of each item. Smiling at Taehyung’s quiet consideration, she selected a bag for Jimin and offered it to him. 

“Yeah, fortune telling. She’s a pagan witch, not so far off from that movie we watched last night,” Y/N joked, realizing the joke went right over his head as he stared at her with alarm. “These are for you, Taehyung helped me pick up some other things you might need,” she thrust the bag into his open palm, the astonishment slipping from his face as it settled back into a more neutral expression. 

“Thank you. Hugging is fine. I’m alright with staying unaware of what the future holds, for now,” Jimin murmured, following Y/N to the foyer. 

“I hear you. Not that she took that into account growing up, however,” Y/N sighed, pausing by the room Seokjin was in previously. He had made the bed. “I’m just going to freshen up a bit before they get here, so I’ll see you in a few?”

“Alright, Miss Y/N. Give a holler if you need anything,” Jimin grinned, Y/N returning the gesture before hurrying away so he wouldn’t see her blushing. She didn’t have the heart to tell Jimin to drop the titles again, and for some reason she found she actually liked it when he used them. 

Like clockwork, as soon as Y/N began to detangle her rain-mussed hair in her bathroom, her phone buzzed with her mother’s “on the way” message. Cursing, Y/N hastily changed into some drier clothes, heart racing as she prayed that a disaster wouldn’t unfold. She hadn’t exactly been forthcoming on the phone with what kind of hybrids she had adopted– all men, almost all large predators. There was a chance her father would blow a gasket seeing that many men living with Y/N, or her mother totally embarrassing her by trying to set her up with one of them; like they were at a wedding and the hybrids were groomsmen. 

Y/N had been single for most of her adult life; a few college hookups were as close as she got to a relationship. Always focused on studies, keeping up with her friends, and spending quality time with her family, she never really found the time to enter the dating scene. Especially as she landed her job after graduation, Y/N was busier than ever working at the animal hospital, with little thought spent on men and relationships. She knew that her mother and father talked behind her back about her lackluster dating life, and that her mother in particular wanted to see her in a loving relationship, but her mother trying to set up blind dates with one of her friend’s sons was more annoying than helpful. There was a real chance her mother would corner one of the hybrids and ask them what she thought of Y/N, or maybe even offer a compatibility reading, the thought mortifying and making Y/N twist her hair up into a bun a little too tightly. 

While Y/N was a little less cosmic than her mother, she did hold the belief that there would be a “right person, right time” situation that magically manifested into her life; whether it be a college romance in her literature class, a new doctor sweeping in from across seas at her job, or a handsome stranger reaching for the same vinyl at the record store– but those instances never came to pass. Instead, Y/N found herself invested in work, house restoration, and antique hunting on her weekends with Roy or her father. Her hope had not diminished in finding the right man, but it had become something she had tucked away and forgotten about. With the adoptions of the hybrids, Y/N was certain her mother would get up to her old tricks again, and Y/N would have few defenses against them after all this time. 

Above her head, Y/N heard scuffling footsteps, likely where the tour Hoseok was leading was at the moment. The room above her bedroom was one of the tower rooms, the gray and maroon one– the room that her older male cousin always stayed in when her grandparents lived in the house. It had a little balcony attached to it, where one or two people could stand on and look out over the backyard, but had no space for a chair or much else. Smoothing the fabric of her fresh tee shirt, Y/N made her way back to the staircase at the front of the house, stowing away the materials she had used on Friday night to strip it in the broom closet. She was a little behind schedule with the restoration work, but she figured she’d be able to get back to the grind in the next coming weeks, once the hybrids felt more at home and fell into a routine. 

After a few moments of polishing a glass vase with a cloth on the table by Seokjin’s previous room, Y/N heard the clanging of the door knocker indicating her parent’s arrival. Tucking the cloth into her back pocket with a curse, Y/N tried her best to compose a pleasant expression on her face as she went for the door. 

“Hi honey! We waited until the rain let up to come on over, oh! I see you’ve started on that staircase,” her mother rushed past her with large recycle bags as soon as Y/N swung the door open, her father sheepishly hobbling after her wheeling a little wooden wagon stacked with containers. Sputtering, Y/N patted her mother’s back as she quickly squeezed her, the midnight blue velvet shawl she was wearing slipping from her shoulders to her hooked elbows. 

“Here, let me take those,” Y/N grabbed two of the bags her mother had stuffed with food, her father ruffling Y/N’s hair affectionately in greeting.

“Don’t refinish that staircase with that horrid glossy varnish again. When my father did that, I thought your grandmother was going to have a heart attack,” her mother warned, narrowing her eyes at the humongous box of hybrid clothes by the stairs Y/N had yet to unpack. 

“I wasn’t planning on it,” Y/N affirmed, making haste after her father who was already on his way to the kitchen.  

“Now, where are your friends, honey?” Her mother inquired, her silver bangles making clinking noises as she gesticulated around the kitchen. Y/N hummed softly as she began unpacking boxes of salad greens and sacks of potatoes from the first bag. 

“They’re upstairs, I think. I just brought three home from the shelter this morning, so one I had brought back yesterday offered to show them around to pick out bedrooms,” Y/N explained, wondering when Hoseok would bring everybody back down, and if he’d let Seokjin in on the situation at hand. “There’s still one I’m going back for tomorrow. It seems that it’s pretty difficult to earn his trust,” Y/N added, sliding several new bottles of condiments into the fridge. 

“It’s good that you’re waiting for him to open up a bit more, darling. One of the worst things you can do to a hybrid is force them into a situation while they’re still distrustful of you,” her father pointed out the obvious, handing her a jug of orange juice. 

“How old are these hybrids of yours, anyways, Y/N?” Her mother asked, packing a bunch of frozen fruit into the freezer. 

“They’re all mid-to-late twenties,” Y/N replied casually, stretching up on her tiptoes to fill the cabinets with cans of various beans and boxes of pasta. Her mother had truly gone all out at the grocery store, like she was preparing her for a hurricane. 

“Oh, good. They’ll fit in with all of your friends during the cookout,” her father said positively, folding up empty bags to put in the wagon he had brought along. His green jacket had a couple of yellow leaves stuck to it. 

“I’m going to make some of those bean burgers out on the grill for lunch, honey. Keep the potato salad out, will you?” Her mother started towards the patio by herself with a lighter and a platter of patties and cheese, her father shaking his head fondly. 

“Everything alright, sweetheart? You look like you haven’t been getting much sleep,” her father asked once her mother was out by the grill, accepting a stack of plates from Y/N. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, Y/N smiled. Her father was always quick to see what was really going on with her. 

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ve been pulling a few late nights, and I had one of those nightmares last night– the one I used to have as a kid,” Y/N admitted, hugging her midsection. Her father’s eyebrows knit together in concern, smoothing his hand over hers on the counter. 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s probably stress related, you’ve had some exciting past few days, with the adoptions and quitting your job,” he assured her, turning around when he heard her mother shouting at him through the glass door. Her father, unlike her mother, was not one for the supernatural or unexplained. 

“She needs the buns. I’ll be right back,” her father murmured, bag of bulkie rolls in his fist as he trudged out into the patio. 

Y/N put the remaining groceries away, the refrigerator and cabinets now fully stocked. She was extremely grateful to her mother, once admiring the full shelves, knowing that she likely wouldn’t have been able to make it to the store for a few more days herself. Somewhat comforted by her father’s logical words on the topic of her nightmare, she decided not to worry about it too much. Thinking about it too much may encourage the nightmares to begin recurring again. 

“Hoseok said your parents are here?” Y/N spun around at the sound of Seokjin’s voice, his fiery eyes trained on her as he leaned against the counter. Again, Y/N wondered how long he had been standing there while she was staring into the cupboard with her eyes glazed over. He had a habit of sneaking up on her. 

“Oh! Hi, Seokjin,” Y/N made her way to him, nodding her head towards the patio. “They’re out there. My mom’s making us some lunch.”

Seokjin followed Y/N’s gesture, peering out the window while she checked him out. His posture was lax, shirt a bit wrinkled from sleep, but there didn’t appear to be any blood leaking out from his patched-up wound through the fabric. Y/N was surprised he didn’t appear to have any sort of hangover, even with the 3/4th’s of a bottle of wine he had the night before.

“Ah. You look like your mom,” Seokjin commented under his breath, a whisper of a smile on his face. Blushing, Y/N busied herself with collecting silverware to place on the counter. 

“How are you feeling today?” Y/N asked, Seokjin tearing his gaze from her parents bickering over the grill. 

“Much better. Look,” turning back to see what Seokjin wanted to show her, Y/N nearly fell over as she came face-to-face with Seokjin lifting his shirt up to his shoulders, rotating slowly so she could see his side. Trying to keep her mouth from falling open, she realized the wound had mended itself to something that looked more like a nasty cat scratch, and his bruising had all but vanished. The fabric of his shirt fell quickly as he lifted it, Y/N’s face as hot as an iron. 

“U-um, good! It looks like it healed pretty quickly!�� Y/N rushed out, hastily stacking napkins on the island and almost shouting in relief as Hoseok bounded into the kitchen with Yoongi and Jimin in tow. 

“They’re here!” Hoseok exclaimed, ears flickering as he looked out the window. Yoongi was reaching for the donut box again, and with the look of his thin cheeks, Y/N had no qualms letting him eat them all at this point. 

“They brought us food, too,” Seokjin added, pointing to the cabinet full of snacks Y/N had left open before he came into the kitchen. 

“Did you all pick out a room you like?” Y/N inquired, Yoongi tucking into a glazed donut. Nodding, he pointed to the ceiling. 

“I’m going to stay in that beige room upstairs, if that’s alright. I like your piano up there, too. It’s beautiful,” Yoongi said through a mouthful of donut, sinking into a barstool. 

“Of course, I was hoping one of you would stay in a tower room. Thank you, by the way– that piano has been here a long time, before my grandparents lived here. I think it was my grandmother’s father’s,” Y/N smiled, fond memories of trying to teach herself songs on the piano as a child popping up in her mind. 

“Jeongguk picked that other tower room, the dark one. He went out to smoke again, said he’ll be down after,” Hoseok rolled his eyes, pushing hair out of his face. So Jeongguk would be in the room above Y/N– fitting, as her older cousin that used to stay there was just as bristly as him. 

Taehyung appeared in the doorway, his expression a touch nervous as he noticed Y/N’s parents outside. He hung back, fiddling with the petals of a wilting flower arrangement on the coffee bar that Y/N had forgotten to replace a couple of days ago. 

“And Taehyung is in that purple room by the billiard’s room. At least, that’s where he put all his stuff. He’s still not talking to us,” Hoseok muttered into Y/N’s ear, helping her set out glasses on the counter. It was curious, Taehyung seemed to only speak directly to her, and avoided the others at all costs. Even now, it looked like Taehyung wanted to say something to her as he watched her and Hoseok at the sink, but with the fox hybrid and Seokjin flanking her sides, he wouldn’t move an inch. 

Flinching as the glass door of the slider screeched open, Y/N took a deep breath bracingly as her mother came in from outside. 

“Honey, I need the hot sau– my goodness!” Her mother exclaimed upon seeing the kitchen filled with the five hybrids, pressing a hand to her mouth with glee. “Oh, honey– honey! Watch the burgers, I’ll be there in a few moments,” she shut the door, shooting Y/N a pointed look as she scanned all of the hybrids with a thoughtful face. 

“Mom! Uh, let’s see,” Y/N panicked, waving her hands around, gesturing to Seokjin, “This is Seokjin, and Hoseok and Jimin… Yoongi is on the stool here, and over by the coffee pot that’s Taehyung,” Y/N blurted, each hybrid’s ears fluttering at the sounds of their names. 

“My, you’re all such handsome young men, something my daughter neglected to tell me,” her mother crossed her arms with a playful expression, a choked sound coming from Hoseok’s throat next to Y/N. Heart falling to her ass, Y/N immediately felt heat shoot up her neck and pool in her cheeks, mouth gaping in horror at her mother’s audacity. 

“Mom!” Y/N squeaked, wishing the floor would open up and suck her into the Earth’s core. Yoongi was laughing, eyes scrunched up in mirth as he watched the mortification bloom across Y/N’s features, and Y/N couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact with any of the others. 

“Relax, honey, could you get me that hot sauce?” Her mother waved her off, apparently not noticing Y/N’s distress. Numbly, she fumbled for the bottle in the fridge, Seokjin opening the door for her with an amused smile smugly set on his lips. 

“Oh! Another one,” she heard her mother say, Y/N whipping her head around to see Jeongguk stalking into the room, eyes wide as he stared at her mother. “What’s your name, sweetheart?” 

Seokjin raised his eyebrows, exchanging a bracing look with Y/N as she hastily brushed past him to shove the hot sauce in her mother’s hand.

“Um… Jeongguk…” the elk hybrid replied warily, trying to nonchalantly tuck the pack of cigarettes in his hand into his sweatpants pocket. Forcing herself to laugh lightly, the sound coming out more chopped up than she had hoped for, Y/N patted her mother on the back, urging her towards the patio again. 

“Y/N, honey, I need another spatula too. Stop trying to shoo me away,” batting Y/N’s hand away, her mother winked at her knowingly. 

“Don’t worry, ma’am, I’ll get it for you,” Jimin pulled a metal spatula off the wall hook by the stove, saving the day as he spoke up bravely. Mouth hanging open, Y/N stepped to the side as Jimin handed her mother the spatula, sliding the glass door to the outside open. “Do you need any help on the grill?”

“Oh, dear, that would be just wonderful…my husband is dreadful on the grill. Are you a Libra? You’re so polite,” her mother hooked a hand around Jimin’s elbow, the coyote hybrid’s bright smile as he led her out the door ever-blinding, but his eyebrows knit together in confusion. 

“A-a Libra?” Y/N heard Jimin stutter, leading her mother out to her father. Head in her hands, Y/N felt a migraine coming on. 

“Jesus Christ. I’m sorry about her, she can be a little forward,” Y/N mumbled, too embarrassed to turn around and face the remaining hybrids. After that show, she wasn’t even worried about her father saying something vaguely silly to any of them. 

“She’s funny. I’m going out there,” Hoseok returned confidently, giving Y/N’s shoulder an encouraging squeeze as he breezed past her and outside. Scoffing, disbelief flooding through her, she watched the fox hybrid saunter out to the grill, giving her father a firm handshake with a dimpled grin. 

“Are we sitting out there?” Seokjin inquired suddenly, next to her with the stack of plates and silverware. Nodding dumbly, he too exited the kitchen in pursuit of the picnic table outside, tail swishing languidly behind him. Apparently, Y/N was the only one feeling the embarrassment of the whole situation. 

“Well, at least Namjoon isn’t here, that’s all I gotta say,” Yoongi piped up as Y/N crawled to the coffee bar. Barking out a short laugh, Y/N pulled a fresh mug from the shelf to pour the dregs of the coffee pot into it, taking it like a shot. Watching her carefully was Taehyung, putting the bag of coffee beans down he had occupied himself with studying during the entire exchange with her mother. 

“Fair, I suppose. Ugh, it’s just like her to ask Jimin about his zodiac sign, I mean seriously… oh shit, I should hide the tarot cards in the library before she gets an idea,” Y/N complained, dropping her mug into the sink with dismay. Yoongi simply chuckled, tucking a lock of his long hair behind his ear and rising from his seat. 

“Should we go out?” Yoongi jabbed a thumb towards where the others were, Jimin appearing to be manning the grill with her father, Seokjin cornered by her mother at the picnic table. Gripping the countertop with unease, Y/N nodded as Yoongi looked at her quizzically, taking the container of potato salad with him. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Y/N muttered to herself, Taehyung underfoot like a shadow as they marched outside. The last to trudge out, of course, was Jeongguk, who kept a good distance between himself and everybody else, eyes narrowing across the backyard towards the one of the trails further out into the property. Y/N wondered if he was planning his escape route, not that she blamed him. 

“Yoongi! You’re a cook, right? Are these done?” Hoseok shouted from the grill, Y/N’s father scratching the back of his head as he hesitantly poked at a burger with a spatula, Jimin checking the propane levels of the tank under the grill. Shaking his head, Yoongi went over to investigate, exchanging the potato salad for the spatula with her father with an encouraging look. 

“I brought these out, too,” jumping at Taehyung’s deep voice beside her, he lifted the napkins and glasses balanced in his arms. Despite his build being less muscular than Jeongguk’s, Taehyung had demonstrated considerable strength in the past couple of hours– especially with the stack of nine water glasses he was currently holding up with three fingers. 

“Oh, good, thank you Taehyung! Let’s go rescue Seokjin and help set the table, shall we?” Y/N eyed her mother, who had somehow managed to get Seokjin to sit down on the bench while she perched on the table in front of him, explaining something with wild hand gestures. Seokjin looked extremely confused, ears turned backwards. 

“Hi, everything alright over here?” Y/N interrupted her mother, who was actually giving Seokjin a history lesson on the grounds. Seokjin’s eyes softened as he saw Y/N peek over her mother’s shoulder. 

“Yes, why wouldn’t it be my silly girl? Don’t worry so much, Y/N, I was just telling Seokjin here about the pond over by the old stable back there,” her mother smoothed a hand over Y/N’s back comfortingly, her spicy perfume suddenly making her nostalgic. Y/N was just glad she wasn’t inquiring about a betrothal between Seokjin and herself. 

“I didn’t know there was so much land back here,” Seokjin straightened out a plate beside him, curiously watching Taehyung place the glasses and napkins and brushing leaves off of the table. 

“Well, that’s because Y/N hasn’t started clearing all the brush out of here, honey. When I was a kid living here, my father and uncles were meticulous with the landscaping,” her mother informed him, irking Y/N as she reminded her of all of the things she had yet to accomplish with the family home. 

Lowering herself onto the dampened wood of the picnic bench across from Seokjin, Y/N grimaced at the slimy feeling, all too familiar from summer's past. Taehyung made himself comfortable next to her, not noticing her mother studying the side of his face as he lowered an ant crawling by his plate onto the grass. 

“You’re Taehyung, right sweetheart?” Standing, her mother found her spot next to Seokjin, whose cheeks were turning rosy as she used his shoulder to lower herself down. Taehyung nodded, twiddling his fingers, evidently not keen on speaking to her mother, either. 

Y/N could hear Jeongguk and Yoongi bickering from all the way where she was sitting, but she sensed no malice in the words yet. Her father was laughing with Jimin and Hoseok, deep in conversation. Y/N had a suspicion earlier that her father would like Hoseok; they were pretty similar in certain ways Y/N had observed in the fox hybrid so far. Jimin was nothing but perfectly pleasant in general, so it was no surprise that he was able to charm both of her parents. 

Starting to relax a little bit now that she had her eye on her mother, Y/N felt the caffeine start to make her crash a little. There were so many things she wanted to do later in the day with the hybrids, namely gifting them all of their new clothes and maybe going for a nice evening walk around the trails in the backyard. She wasn’t too sure if she could fit in a nap that afternoon, but she was determined to make the most of the energy she had left in order to make everyone feel at home, safe, and entertained– perhaps to make up for the spontaneous dropping in of her parents, as well. 

As she was lost in thought, she hardly registered her father, ambling over with the potato salad and a frosty jug of iced tea from the fridge, setting it down on the table and snapping her out of her reverie as he took his spot next to her mother. The latter had gone back to chatting with Seokjin about the house, his attentive listening actually quite adorable. Melting a tad, Y/N poured a glass of tea for Taehyung and then herself, sliding the jug across the table for Seokjin. In the middle of all of this, Jeongguk had found his way to the table, sitting at the farthest part of the table on Y/N’s side. 

“Here we go,” Yoongi carefully approached the table, perfectly cooked burgers nestled on the platter on his arm making Y/N’s mouth water. He had tucked the spatula in the waistband of his sweatpants, Hoseok right behind him with his own plate of buns. 

“Ah, look. Yoongi even toasted the buns,” Hoseok pointed out excitedly, setting them down in front of her father and taking his seat next to him. Yoongi was a little pink from standing in front of the grill, clutching the platter tightly as Jimin danced around him to grab a seat beside Hoseok. Everyone still seemed to be avoiding both Taehyung and Jeongguk, Yoongi reluctantly sitting in between them with his lips pursed. 

“Thank you for taking over, honey. I think you cooked them better than I could have,” her mother gushed to Yoongi, already helping herself to a bun and burger. Yoongi ducked his head in embarrassment, taking a sip of some iced tea Seokjin had kindly poured for everyone else at the table.

“Yoongi said he worked at a bar in the city, cooked there, too,” Hoseok said around a mouthful of potato salad, swatting a mosquito that was buzzing around his twitching ears. 

“What bar? My husband and I have been to almost every bar in Boston,” her mother inquired, putting a bun and burger on Seokjin’s plate for him. Clearing his throat, Yoongi’s hands stilled while slathering ketchup on his bun, an odd look crossing his face. 

 “The Black Lodge,” was all he said in response, quickly taking a bite of his burger to prevent him from having to speak further. The name rang a small bell in Y/N’s mind, but she had no memory of actually spending time at a bar by that name– it certainly wasn’t one on the streets of her old stomping grounds, perhaps it was closer to Cambridge, or tucked away in a corner street she and her friends didn’t venture out to. Her mother and father exchanged identical shrugs, apparently they hadn’t patroned the bar either. 

Her father was extremely interested in Jimin’s time as a rancher, perhaps because he was a fan of old western movies. Thankfully, he didn’t bring this fact up, as Y/N recalled Jimin’s recoil from Hoseok’s cowboy comment. Taehyung remained quiet as a mouse next to her, his elbow occasionally brushing her’s when he reached for his glass of tea. She’d have to do some brainstorming on how to get him to open up a bit more to the others; Y/N was just counting her lucky stars he was even speaking to her. 

“Y/N, honey, remember Mrs. Khan’s hybrid when you were little? Keaon, the white fox… they moved away, our old neighbors– to Maine. Well, anyways, don’t you remember him? You always loved when he’d shift, and play with you in the yard,” her mother suddenly brought up, both embarrassing and puzzling her. She shrunk a little under the gazes of most of the hybrids, their expressions piqued with interest.

“Yeah, I remember Keaon, why do you ask?” 

“Well, I noticed Hoseok is a fox, too! You know, foxes have always been Y/N’s favorite animal ever since she was a kid,” her mother said matter-of-factly, Y/N flinching in her seat with her statement. 

“I–” she started, words dying on her lips as Hoseok began laughing boisterously. 

“Oh, is that true?” Hoseok chuckled, thankfully not sending a wink her way as the table all turned to look at him. 

“Yes, yes! There’s a picture framed in the library of her and Keaon, we took it at the cookout before they moved away. Oh, poor Y/N– she was devastated when he left,” her mother pouted sympathetically, Y/N wanting to bolt into the house and lock her bedroom door. So much for her mother backing down on the humiliation. 

“Alright mom, come on! I was like ten when they moved!” Y/N groaned in exasperation, her appetite vanishing as she poked some potato salad on her plate with a fork. She hadn’t thought about Keaon in years, and was surprised that her mother had made the connection to Hoseok before she had. In addition, she felt eyes boring into her from all directions, increasing her discomfort tenfold. 

“Dear, did you know that Jimin worked at a national park?” Her father changed the subject, picking up on Y/N’s embarrassment, the table breaking into a new conversation with Jimin at the center of it. Breathing a sigh of relief, she happily sunk into the background, her father clearly favoring both the coyote hybrid and Hoseok. Her mother continued to fuss over Seokjin, piling more potato salad onto his plate, before considering Yoongi’s empty plate and reaching over the table to do the same. 

Jeongguk had smuggled his little journal to the table, Y/N noticed him hiding it on his lap, flipping through it almost frantically and periodically checking his surroundings like he was being surveilled. Raising an eyebrow, Y/N wondered what exactly the journal contained – he didn’t seem like the diary type. 

 The sun had come out by now, warming Y/N’s skin pleasantly and evaporating the gloomy mist that was hugging the brush in the backyard. The light shone on pretty strands of crimson in Hoseok’s dark auburn hair as he teased Jimin, who looked more relaxed than ever conversing with the fox hybrid and her father. While the lunch had its hiccups at Y/N’s expense, it brought her happiness that her parents seemed to like all of the hybrids so much, and the latter didn’t seem to mind their questions or antics. 

Now that she thought about it, perhaps she was overestimating her mother’s matchmaking tendencies. While she was certainly aggressive about it in college, over the last couple of years her mother had backed off significantly with the blind dates and nudging her towards handsome strangers at the library whenever she helped out with the book club. She hadn’t even offered Y/N a love reading in quite some time. Y/N started to feel a bit bad for thinking that her mother would try and set her up with hybrids she would be living with, painting such a bad picture of her in her head when in reality she seemed to truly be determined to make the hybrids feel welcomed. 

“Cookout?” Seokjin’s voice had her re-focusing on the flow of the conversation. 

“I guess she hasn’t had the time to tell you all yet. This Friday, Y/N is going to host our end-of-the-summer cookout here. We have a bonfire, lots of food, and you’ll get to meet the neighbors!” Her mother cheerily exclaimed, collecting dishes from people in her immediate surroundings. Seokjin cocked his head, looking at Y/N for confirmation. He had a little bit of ketchup on the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah! It’s always a lot of fun, and you can meet some of my friends, too,” Y/N encouraged, knowing that her weekly three-way video call with Laura and Alice was coming up, creating the perfect opportunity for her to break the news of the adoptions and the upcoming cookout. Laura wasn’t able to come the year before, her son coming down with a fever the day of the event, so Y/N knew that she’d be extremely excited to introduce her son to the hybrids; kids loved them, and it would be very sweet to see the hybrids interact with a child, Y/N thought. 

Y/N hadn’t seen her two friends, the twin sisters Laura and Alice Santos, who she had met in elementary school – in months. With her hours at work, Laura’s packed schedule with little Kai and her husband Tyler taking up much of her time, and Alice’s newly appointed position at the newspaper she wrote for, all three girls passed each other by like ships in the night. Gone were the days of spending the weekends at new tapas bars and trendy brunch spots once the pace of adult life really began to pick up. Y/N was desperate for time with her girlfriends, the thought of a sleepover watching 90’s rom coms and eating greasy pizza with them almost brought a tear to her eye. She was determined to make more plans with them for the future with her newfound free time, once she actually saw them at the cookout, not planning on letting them leave without at least one adventure in the books. 

Y/N began to help everyone clear away the plates, noticing Jeongguk sneaking away towards the side of the house, nose in his notebook and cigarette burning at his fingertips. Shaking her head, Y/N sped into the house, trying to avoid Hoseok in case of the likely event he’d begin to tease her about the fox conversation. Yoongi was hard at work at the sink already with gloves, scrubbing grease off of the spatula and handing Jimin utensils to place in the dishwasher. 

“Oh dear! What time is it, honey? I have to get to the library for the book club by two!” Her mother suddenly gasped as she lugged plates into the kitchen, snatching her father’s wrist to get a look at the time on his watch. A frown settled over her features, pulling her shawl tight around her shoulders in dismay.

“If you want to be on time, we should probably get going, darling,” her father noted calmly, giving Hoseok a pat on the back as he picked up a fork her father dropped in the chaos. 

“I’m sorry, sweets, we wanted to stay a bit longer and get to know you all some more, but I suppose it’ll have to wait until Friday,” her mother rubbed Y/N’s arm mournfully while she put the jug of iced tea back in the fridge, her head turned to speak to the hybrids. Snorting at her mother’s affection for the hybrids already, she walked her parents to the door, Seokjin and Taehyung evidently competing to see who could stick to her more closely on the way. She thought she felt a light tug at the back of her tee shirt, but chalked it up to her wild imagination.

“By the way, honey. I talked to Judy the other day; she’s looking for help at her shop in town. Something to think about, while you figure out what’s next,” her mother suddenly offered, pausing on the porch. Judy, her mother’s friend from high school, owned a metaphysical store in the town square, selling candles, books, and herbs. Not exactly similar to what she was doing at the animal hospital, but a possible source of income nonetheless. 

“Okay, I’ll think about it. Bye mom, dad,” Y/N pulled her parents into a group hug, grateful for the book club’s meeting cutting their visit short. Her father ruffled her hair once more, lugging the wooden wagon that was carrying the food earlier down the porch steps. Waving to Seokjin and Taehyung hanging by the threshold of the front door, her mother spirited away down the street, her father trying his best to keep up in her haste. 

Y/N let out a long, ragged breath of relief as they disappeared from view, making a mental note to check in with Judy sometime during the week. It was highly likely that her mother told Judy that Y/N would be able to start right away, and it wasn’t the worst job she could land while figuring out where her career would take her next. Besides, she definitely needed an income to cover future expenses in order to provide for her new housemates. 

Turning to the two hybrids waiting for her at the door, she gave them a grateful smile, hoping it would convey her sympathy for putting up with her parents for so long. Seokjin, with his sweet disposition, had gotten the brunt of her mother’s fussing and doting. At least Taehyung’s silence saved him from some cheek-pinching. Seokjin stepped to the side, allowing her through the door, closing it as soon as Taehyung scampered out of the way. Y/N stopped short at the stairs, the big box of clothes sparking a happy excitement for the first time that afternoon. 

“What’s in there? I noticed it this morning, did you order a refrigerator or something?” Seokjin wondered aloud, nudging the box with his sock-clad foot. Y/N heard the sound of the dishwasher kicking on, and the hushed voices of Jimin and Yoongi in the kitchen. 

“I got you guys some clothes, just to last you until we can get to the stores and you can pick out stuff yourself. I felt bad you only had that one set from the shelter, but I hope you like some of the things I picked out… I don’t know your personal styles, yet, of course,” Y/N replied, using her thumbnail to slice open the tape on the box. A soft exclamation came from Seokjin as he stood behind her crouched form, curiously watching her peel the flaps of the box open while Taehyung plopped down on the stairs to do the same. 

“You got us clothes? When?” Seokjin breathed, Y/N pulling out all of the sock packs piled on the top of the order and setting them to the side. Humming a tune, she happily made piles for each hybrid, checking the sizes on the packs of boxers to make the piles accordingly. She hadn’t noticed Taehyung turning pink at the sight of the underwear, turning his face to stare at the basement door. 

“Last night! I found a great online site, overnight delivery. I wrote down all your measurements on my phone yesterday morning so I could get things that fit properly.”

“Huh? What’s all this?” Hoseok strolled out of the kitchen, eyes round in surprise at the rather large stacks of underwear, socks, and pajamas Y/N was still adding to. She was amazed at how small the items were folded in order to fit inside the box, it seemed practically bottomless. 

“Y/N bought us some clothes!” Seokjin was now crouched down next to Y/N, eagerly glancing into the box as she unpacked it. Hoseok whistled, plucking up a pair of slides that Y/N placed on top of Jeongguk’s pile to examine. 

“Oh, no, Hoseok, these ones are yours,” Y/N pointed to the pile by his foot, Hoseok promptly setting Jeongguk’s down and trying on his own pair of slides, flexing his feet and taking them for a lap around the foyer. 

“Wow, these are comfy,” Hoseok commented, running in place. Giggling, Y/N pulled out a cobalt blue v-neck long sleeve, checking the tag to recall who she had gotten it for. The material was much silkier and softer than the picture on the website gave justice for, and she had to suppress the urge to press it to her face.

“Taehyung, this is for you,” Y/N sang, placing it gently in his lap instead of his pile she had been stacking on the step next to him. He ran his fingers over the shirt, holding it up to his chest to check the fit. 

“You didn’t have to get all of this, you know,” Hoseok tutted, hesitantly accepting the sage thermal from her outstretched hand. Seokjin grumbled from beside her, shooting the fox hybrid a dirty look. Scoffing, she added the black satin button down she had purchased for Yoongi into his heap. 

“And what? Let you all stroll around in a single set of sweats for a week? Come on, Hoseok,” Y/N scolded, spotting Jimin and Yoongi slinking into the room in search of the commotion. Hoseok was effectively clammed up with her response, scratching the back of his head, his lips pressed together. 

“Whoa, is it Christmas?” Yoongi shouldered past Hoseok, the front of his white tee shirt wet from washing dishes at the sink. Hair falling forward, his ears turned back as Y/N gestured towards his stash of clothing, eyebrow raised. “So that was what was in that huge box.”

“Hmm. Maybe I should leave Namjoon’s things in this box?” Y/N pondered aloud, folding the dusty rose thermal she had gotten for him, the fabric cozy to the touch. She could place his toiletries in there, too, so he’d have everything in one place when he arrived. Judging by his measurements, Namjoon was the biggest of all the hybrids, only piquing Y/N’s curiosity over his appearance, as well as her intimidation towards him already. 

“Where’s the elk?” Hoseok peeked into the kitchen, his slides making a slapping sound against the marble tile of the foyer. “He’s going to give himself lung cancer at this rate.”

“Ah, just leave him, Foxy, it’s nice without the storm cloud he brings along with him,” Yoongi complained from his spot on the floor he had dropped to, throwing his head back in annoyance. Snorting, Y/N finished sorting out all of the clothing, partly regretting stacking everything on the floor because it would be difficult for the hybrids to carry so many items to their rooms without making multiple trips; and she only had two hands to help one at a time. 

“Your parents were so nice,” Jimin commented out of the blue, Y/N almost forgetting he was there leaning against the staircase banister by Taehyung. A noise of surprise ripped from the back of her throat, recalling her mother’s arm looped through Jimin’s when he went outside to help at the grill, like he was walking her through a homecoming promenade. “Although, I felt bad that I didn’t know what your mother meant by being a ‘Libra’,” he trailed off, tucking his hands into his pockets. 

Y/N giggled, tucking away Namjoon’s things for later. Seokjin was busy admiring the lavender shirt she offered him, his tail flicking back and forth in a pleased manner, the appendage occasionally brushing her calf from where she was crouched. 

“It’s a zodiac sign, there’s twelve of them, and they’re given according to your birthday. Funnily enough, you are a Libra, Jimin – October 13th, right?” Y/N had all of the hybrid’s birthdays on her phone already, noticing the night before that Jeongguk and Namjoon’s birthdays were coming up quickly. Y/N loved celebrating birthdays, and had to come up with a scheme to get close to the two hybrids somehow so she could plan a nice celebration for the both of them. 

“How did she even guess that?” Yoongi scoffed, hauling himself to his feet with some of his clothes slung over his arms. 

“My mother has a bit of a knack for knowing, if that’s what you want to call it,” Y/N shrugged as she almost teetered over trying to stand, electricity zapping through her as Seokjin’s hand slid into her’s, gently hoisting her onto her feet. Unfortunately for her, her foot caught an old floor tile that was sticking up a little, making her stumble back directly into Seokjin’s broad chest– a small oof coming from the jaguar hybrid at the contact. 

Though Seokjin was the one she knocked into, it felt like she was the one with the air punched out of her, his hands coming around to grip her waist to right her upwards and away from his chest. Squeaking out an apology and a thank-you, she couldn’t bear to turn and get a look at his face. Horrified, she made awkward eye-contact with Hoseok, who had an eyebrow raised at Seokjin’s hands still around her waist. Quickly stepping away from Seokjin, his hands sliding from her body, she gathered up some of Jimin’s clothes, eager to flee the scene with the coyote hybrid who was surreptitiously looking out the window by the front door. 

“I’ll help you guys carry this stuff to your rooms, okay? Just gonna start with Jimin, his room’s the closest,” Y/N rushed out loudly, halfway down the hall already. Her heart was racing, seeing the smug look on Yoongi’s face and feeling Taehyung’s eyes bore into the side of her skull when she fell into Seokjin. She really had to work on the clumsiness. 

Rushing into Jimin’s room, Y/N laid down the clothes on his impeccably made bed. His window was cracked open, a beat-up copy of Play It as It Lays sitting on the blue velvet chair next positioned next to the window. It wasn’t her copy of the book, but she was pleasantly surprised by Jimin’s taste in literature. The book must have been one of the items in his knapsack from the shelter garbage bag. 

Jimin scuffed into the room shortly after her, Y/N busy placing folded tee shirts into his dresser so she could avoid his eyes. Clearing his throat, he knelt beside her to stack his socks into the drawer. Peeking at him through her peripherals, there was a smirk curling up the corner of his mouth. Huffing, Y/N tucked a pair of pajama pants into the dresser and crossed her arms over her chest. 

“Okay, go ahead and laugh,” Y/N insisted, Jimin’s shoulders shaking with his suppressed chuckling. Shaking his head, he allowed a small laugh to escape, golden eyes squinted with glee. 

“Miss Y/N, you’re pretty clumsy. If it gets any worse, it may become worrisome,” Jimin remarked matter-of-factly, swatting away the tank top Y/N had tossed at his face. Sighing, she couldn’t help but agree with the coyote hybrid as she was more jumpy than ever since they all had arrived at the house. That, and she could still feel the weight of Seokjin’s hands on her waist, adding to her feelings of jitteriness. 

“I have to work on that, don’t I?” Y/N sighed, leaning against the door to the hallway. Jimin worked quickly putting all of his clothes away, humming contentedly as he went, still shaking his head with amusement. “Maybe I should start using that gym downstairs…”

“You could work out with Hoseok, he has great balance,” Jimin encouraged, ear twitching at some sound Y/N couldn’t hear. “I think Jeongguk just came in from the backyard.”

Straightening out, Y/N peered down the hall, nervously grinding her teeth. She’d might as well go out and help Jeongguk with his clothing, as Jimin was pretty much all set with putting his own things away. Cocking his head, Jimin looked at her with sympathy, settling himself on his chair by the window. 

“I’m gonna go check in on him. See you in a bit?” With a nod from Jimin, she left his room, setting off down the hall to search for the elk hybrid. She followed her nose, the scent of smoke clinging to Jeongguk as he stood with his back to her, dumbstruck, in the foyer. The other hybrids had cleared out and already lugged their share of clothing away; all that was left was Namjoon’s box and the everything she had left by the stairs for Jeongguk. 

“Hey, you’re back?” Y/N skipped up to his side, deciding not to be intimidated by his looks or sharp tongue anymore, it was unlike her anyhow. Besides, killing with kindness was her specialty. Jeongguk flinched at the sound of her voice, hurriedly tucking his journal into his pocket and craning his neck to peer down at her by his side. Somewhere, he had found an Anchor Animal Hospital pen Y/N had stolen from the office, tucked behind his heavily pierced ear. Narrowing his eyes at her, he crossed his arms over his chest, nodding towards the clothes. 

“I’m assuming these are for us?” He ignored her greeting, not-so-subtly scooching a few inches away from her. Smirking, Y/N brightened up a bit, loving the potential challenge of getting him to crack. 

“Mm-hm, that pile over there is for you. Left everything for Namjoon in that box,” Y/N confirmed, gathering half of his garments up in her arms to help him up the stairs. “Come on, I’ll help you bring it all up to your room.” 

“Wait,” Jeongguk choked out, scrambling to grab the remainder of his clothes and jog up the stairs behind her. Muttering curses, Jeongguk followed her towards the end of the hallway to his room, the wallpaper peeling on the walls outside of the bedrooms. Y/N had yet to get to the second floor living spaces for restoration purposes, and to be frank, the whole floor gave her the creeps. She was saving the task for last, once she finished working on her bathroom and the staircase, but now that she had the hybrids living there, she felt it was more important to make the space most of them were occupying less Amityville Horror-esque. 

Passing by Taehyung’s room, she caught a glimpse of him shrugging on his new hoodie in the full-length mirror by his closet. Grinning, she continued to Jeongguk’s bedroom, a cool breeze coming in through the little door out to the balcony he had left open. While the bedroom was newly refinished, it still set her on edge, mainly due to the memories of her cousin chasing her out of that very bedroom in a Ghostface mask as a kid. Y/N gently laid Jeongguk’s clothes on the velvet bench in front of his bed, the elk hybrid awkwardly standing in the doorway with his arms full of packs of boxers and socks. She wanted to get a better look at him, especially his tattoos and the antlers encircling his head, but found it hard to stare at him for too long. 

“Did you walk around the back yard a bit? It goes back pretty far,” Y/N opened up his empty wardrobe, the deep scent of hickory smacking her in the face. Jeongguk grunted in response, shuffling over to her side to push the folded clothes into the wardrobe with haste. Snorting, Y/N continued to put his clothes away, smoothing out the materials so they laid flat. As they worked side-by-side, she studied the red iris tattooed on his forearm with minor interest. 

“How are you planning on getting the wolf back here? From the looks of it, he doesn’t like you at all,” Jeongguk said after a few moments, taking Y/N by surprise. Frowning at the pajama pants she was sliding into the wardrobe, she considered his statement– while rude, he wasn’t wrong at all. 

“I’m still thinking about that, honestly. I’m not sure what I can say to get him to trust me just enough to get him out of that shelter, but I really don’t want to have him deal with Gerry much longer. That guy is an asshole,” she admitted, self-consciously squeezing her eyes shut. Jeongguk said nothing, the sound of him traipsing over to the balcony door making her sneak a peek at his form. 

Leaning out the window, Jeongguk spoke with a cigarette poised between his lips, “Well, there’s not much you can say to convince him to trust you; trust doesn’t work like that. He either has to suck it up and get in the car with you or rot in that shelter,” he lifted his pierced brow at her, sparking up his lighter, not bothering to ask whether or not he could smoke in the house. Y/N didn’t have the courage to dissuade him, especially when he was seemingly attempting to help her with the Namjoon situation in his own way.

Shutting his wardrobe, Y/N considered his words as he leaned over the balcony to smoke. Perhaps she was going about getting Namjoon home the wrong way; Jeongguk was right, trust has to be earned over time, not with perfectly strung together pretty words to convince. Y/N didn’t think that pointing out to Namjoon the following morning that he would have to continue enduring life at the shelter unless he came along with her was wise, either. She supposed in the end, all she could do was keep persisting and returning to the shelter until he was comfortable to leave with her. 

There was also the ordeal of Hoseok’s fear of wolves– something Y/N understood as she had a few phobias of her own– which didn’t make things exactly easier. Y/N felt fortunate that Hoseok was so kind to her right off the bat and her affection for him was already growing steadily, so introducing a hybrid into the house that would make him feel on edge was borderline heartbreaking to her. There would have to be a conversation between her and Hoseok in the near future surrounding the issue, which was another thing she had no idea how to go about. Consulting Seokjin would be a likely solution for tips on how to dance around the subject of Hoseok’s wolf phobia. 

Realizing that she was staring at Jeongguk, leaning lazily over the balcony with his eyes roaming rapidly over the landscape of the backyard, Y/N awkwardly shuffled her feet, snapping out of her internal monologue. 

“So… I’ll leave you to it. I’m gonna check on the others and clean up a bit downstairs. Um, thanks for your advice, by the way,” Y/N made her way to the door, Jeongguk humming in response, not sparing her a glance as she slipped from the room. She shut the door behind her, hoping it would block out most of the smoky scent coming from the room, trudging down the hall deep in thought. 

Jeongguk was a bit of an interesting character. Clearly, he wouldn’t be warming up to her as quickly as say, Hoseok and Seokjin. However, the latter two painted such an unflattering picture of him for Y/N the night prior, and she had yet to experience much from Jeongguk to back that up. Sure, there was the exchange at the shelter, but Y/N could understand where he was coming from with his speculation of her intentions, especially when Ben made similar points in nicer words. With time, Y/N had a feeling that Jeongguk would come around; she was just hoping there would be less fights between him and the others now that they had the space to distance themselves. 

“Hi,” a soft greeting had Y/N nearly jump out of her skin, clutching her chest as she whirled around to face the voice– Taehyung, in his new black hoodie, standing outside of his bedroom. She had to get used to people living with her if she didn’t want to have a heart attack every time one of the hybrids sought her out, pronto. Dropping her hand from her chest, she found herself melting under his garnet eyes. 

“Hey, Taehyung, that sweatshirt looks nice! What’s up?” She leaned into the banister by the stairs, hearing Yoongi and Seokjin’s voices from the room down the hall with the piano. 

“Oh, um, thank you… it’s comfortable. I was just wondering what you were doing,”  he murmured while shoving his hands in the hoodie pocket, his voice quite low so Y/N had to strain her ears to hear him. Truthfully, she was on her way to clear out her old wardrobe in the green room on the off-chance Namjoon decided to claim it, as there were plenty of other rooms he would get to choose from. She just didn’t want to be caught with her pants down. 

“I was going to pack up my clothes from when I was a teen, and bring them down to the storage closet in the basement,” Y/N swiped a finger over the banister, collecting a thin layer of dust from the wood with a pout. Looks like she had neglected her cleaning duties during the past few months of mayhem at work. 

“Can I come?” Taehyung quickly asked, shooting a glance down the hall at a peal of laughter coming from Seokjin. A noise of surprise came from Y/N involuntarily, delighted that she would have some company during her task, and even more excited that she could potentially get to know Taehyung better. Grinning, she nodded enthusiastically, motioning to follow her down the stairs. He synched up in her stride, hair curtaining his face in soft curls, almost completely covering his rounded ears just barely peeking out above the dark curls. Taehyung definitely looked the most human compared to some of the other hybrids, apart from the redness in his eye color.

“Taehyung, I’ve been meaning to ask… what kind of bear hybrid are you? It didn’t say on your information sheet at the shelter, and I’m curious,” Y/N wondered as they descended the stairs, a few out-of-tune notes from the piano floating from the billiard’s room as she spoke. 

“Kodiak, I’m from Alaska, originally,” Taehyung answered after a few moments, Y/N having to lean closer to him to hear. 

“Alaska! I’ve always wanted to go there, it’s a beautiful state,” Y/N gushed, part of her wondering how he had made it all the way to Boston. Jimin, too, was from far away, and she still didn’t even know where the others had traveled from besides Yoongi, an apparent Boston native. 

“Yeah…” Taehyung murmured, evidently not keen on elaborating on his former home. 

Again, like when her parents were leaving earlier, Y/N felt a tugging sensation on her shirt hem. Bewildered, she peered at Taehyung�� whose hands were still buried in his pockets. A chill crept up her spine as Taehyung cocked his head quizzically, waiting for her to lead the way to the green room, as she felt unease worm its way into her chest. 

For a long time, Y/N had shut out her connection to the supernatural elements of life. Y/N, picking a career path that was based in science, logic, and method, had done so in an attempt to distance herself from her childhood and the way she was raised. Her mother, a witch, filled her youth with the beautiful aspects of all that the occult can be; reverence of nature, how to identify friendly house spirits, card reading and spiritual cleansing. But as her mother had once told her, something that she had always kept in the back of her mind: once you open yourself up to the spiritual world, there is no turning back. 

There were instances growing up where she had encountered frightening things within her grandparent’s house, and had that recurring nightmare with the terrifying creature pursuing her off and on for years. Spirituality she had once so gleefully embraced had turned into the source of her constantly looking over her shoulder, seeking the owners of whispered words and fingers tugging a lock of hair. She loved the house, but it was full of secrets. Y/N had hoped by the time she had moved in after years of being away from the house, and apart from her dabbling in the supernatural, she could live there with her newly forged skeptic’s mind without a problem. With the return of her nightmare, and the uptick in brushes from an unseen force in the last few days, Y/N saw those hopes dashed and divided. 

Unnerved, she sped into the green room, Taehyung following closely behind. It might be time for her to get back into working some protective magic, she didn’t want things to get to the point where spirits were bothering the hybrids. Spirits, hybrids– these weren’t the sort of things Y/N thought she’d be dealing with months ago, so much for the plan of living a semi-normal life. 

“Alright, I think this will fit everything…” Y/N tabled her worry over the ghost matter, dragging her old duffle bag out from the closet. Taehyung had made himself comfortable on his side, laying on the bed with his head propped up on his arm. Chuckling, she felt a lot better that there was someone with her while she turned over some of her anxieties in her mind. Flinging open the wardrobe, she cringed at the amount of black tee shirts about to tumble out and drown her, most of them stuffed in there without being folded. She shoved her arms in the wardrobe to pull out a big stack, bringing them over to the bed to place in the duffle bag. 

Taehyung sat up, reaching for a tee shirt to fold without a word. Footsteps from upstairs made the tips of Taehyung’s ears flutter, to which he pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt upon noticing Y/N’s eyes on them. Strange. 

“Hmm. Alice In Chains, nice,” Taehyung commented after a few moments, smoothing out the tee shirt on his lap with a smirk. That was one of her favorite shirts in high school, and one of the less embarrassing shirts of the bunch compared to the Green Day crop top she was hurriedly stuffing in the duffle bag. 

“Grunge fan?” Y/N asked with a smile, dumping another batch of baggy garments on the bed beside him. 

“Definitely. Wish I could have seen some of the bands in concert in the 90’s,” he replied with a tone of melancholy. If Taehyung was a classmate of hers in highschool, Y/N would have had an embarrassingly huge crush on him. Nodding in agreement, she wondered if busting out a MTV Unplugged DVD would be a nice bonding moment between them. 

As they worked in comfortable silence, Taehyung would occasionally snort with amusement, lifting up a blink-128 tee shirt to Y/N’s humiliation, but it was all in good humor. Leafing through some of the relics of her past usually made her quite sad, but with Taehyung there, and his thoughtful comments on certain artists she used to love, it was actually an enjoyable experience. 

“Oh, did you know that Mad Season was–” Taehyung began, but was immediately cut off by the sound of the door creaking open and a newcomer barreling into the room. 

“Hey, I was looking for you!” Seokjin exclaimed, his cheeks flushed as his eyes narrowed in on Taehyung before softening at Y/N’s slightly-startled gaping mouth. “What are you guys doing?”

“I’m cleaning out the wardrobe here, just in case Namjoon wants this bedroom. Taehyung’s helping out, too,” she explained, noticing Seokjin’s damp hair and change of clothes. He had donned the lavender tee shirt she had selected for him, which looked unfairly good on him, picking up the sunset in his eyes perfectly. 

“Could you use an extra set of hands?” He made his way to her side, picking up a pair of baggy jeans. They were almost done, but Y/N had no right to deny his help when he was so eager to assist. 

“Thanks, Seokjin. You’re so helpful,” Y/N praised, giving him a fond pat on his shoulder. Seokjin straightened out his back at the praise, fingers fumbling to fold the denim properly. Taehyung fell into his usual silence again, as he normally did when another hybrid was around, much to Y/N’s disappointment. She’d have to ask him later what he was going to say about Mad Season. 

“So, I think tomorrow afternoon, we could all do something fun! We could walk around town, maybe go to the bookstore, get some ice cream before the shop closes for the season. Anything you want to do in particular?” Y/N tucked a plaid pair of pants into the bag, getting it out of her sight as rapidly as possible. After a couple days of mayhem, she thought it would be nice to spend a day out relaxing and getting to know one another. 

“Is there a music store around here?” Taehyung mused, Seokjin dropping the lacy tank top he was holding in shock. Y/N, too, was surprised he spoke in front of the jaguar hybrid, but was more overjoyed that he came out of his shell a little bit to do so. 

“Yeah, there’s a vinyl shop in the town square. They sell instruments, equipment and offer lessons, too,” Y/N zipped the last of the clothes into the duffle, admiring the empty wardrobe with glee. With some of her new free time, she was considering taking up some piano lessons, so the trip to the music store would be a worthwhile venture in tandem with making Taehyung happy.

 With a sweet smile, Taehyung nodded, slinging the duffle bag over his shoulder before Y/N could grasp the straps. Seokjin was still gaping at the Kodiak hybrid, blinking rapidly and nudging Y/N’s ribcage with his elbow. Shrugging, she grasped Seokjin’s wrist to tow him along, hurrying after Taehyung’s path to the basement door. The heavy weight of Seokjin’s wrist in her hand felt grounding, and ever since Seokjin had awoken from his fever the previous day, Y/N couldn’t help but want to be near him, to reach out and touch him in some way. He didn’t seem to mind being pulled along, head hanging bashfully as he tried to match her stride exactly. 

“Here?” Taehyung pointed at the bottom of the basement steps, to a little alcove tucked under the stairway where Y/N stashed her winter jackets. She gave him a thumbs-up, reluctantly dropping Seokjin’s wrist she was still cradling, watching Taehyung heave the bag down and push it under the stairs. 

Peering around the basement in search of her fox hybrid, Y/N poked her head into the bathroom, twirled around the gym, and even stepped into Hoseok’s room to find it empty. Disappointed, as she was already missing him regardless of his incessant teasing, she pouted, returning to Taehyung and Seokjin already bounding up the stairs. Even with the basement being beautifully and cheerily refinished, she didn’t want to be left alone down there, especially with whatever kept tugging at her shirt all day long. 

“Hey Seokjin, you know where Hoseok is?” Y/N gasped as she made it up the stairs, more out-of-shape than she cared to admit. Running after the hybrids was harder than it looked, considering their inhumane speed and strength. Seokjin’s chest wasn’t heaving like her’s from the effort, and Taehyung was even yawning into his elbow. 

“Watching TV with Jimin, last I heard,” as if on cue, she heard Hoseok’s laughter ringing through the halls in the direction of the parlor. Y/N nearly fainted at the thought of sinking into the couch for a couple of hours, hoping to marinate in her thoughts about bringing Namjoon home. 

“I think I might join them, if you two want to come as well,” she pressed her hand over her heart, the rate slowly going back to normal as she admired the way Seokjin’s curls had dried over his face, silkier now that they were clean. Again, the two clung to her like glue as they followed her to the TV room, sandwiching her so closely she could heat coming off of their bodies. She felt like she had bodyguards, which was a pretty silly thought but at the same time made her feel protected from whatever may come her way. 

“Jinnie!” Hoseok sang from the recliner, where he had nestled himself cozily in a throw blanket and an extra pillow. Seokjin cringed next to Y/N, his fingers brushing her arm as he curled them into a fist. Jimin was sitting criss-crossed on the couch close to Hoseok, a glass of iced tea in his hands, an episode of Hell’s Kitchen on the TV. 

“Hoseok, I told you I hated that nickname, I’d rather be called cupcake,” Seokjin grit his teeth, looking about ready to throttle the fox hybrid. Y/N snorted at the utter shock registering on Hoseok’s face, a split second from blossoming into hysterics. 

“Alright, then, come here, cupcake,” Hoseok managed through fits of laughter, Seokjin fuming as he plopped down on the couch as far away from Hoseok as possible. Jimin was rolling his eyes, turning up the TV a notch to rise above Hoseok’s giggling, scooching over with a soft smile so Y/N could settle down next to him. 

Taehyung was left lingering in the doorway, only budging when Y/N patted the open spot between her and Seokjin. As he walked, the hood of his sweatshirt dropped, his hair just matted down enough so his ears were truly visible for the first time. They were positively adorable, rounded and small, and Y/N had to suppress her urge to squeal upon seeing them. Taehyung wiggled in his seat, inching closer to Y/N rather than the grumpy Seokjin muttering under his breath. Jimin smelled delicious next to her, the lavender shampoo she had left in his bathroom for guests coming off of him in tantalizing waves as he raked his hands through his silky honey-colored strands. Getting comfortable, Y/N put her feet up on the ottoman, laughing heartily at Gordon Ramsay calling an unfortunate chef a muppet. 

After a couple of hours, Y/N shook out her stiff limbs, suddenly alert after nodding off while watching TV. She had caught her head lolling over onto Jimin’s shoulder, which is what had woken her up, drowsily murmuring an apology with a pat on the back of his hand as she righted herself. Jimin simply smiled softly, his posture adjusted towards her body, telling her she likely was taking a cat nap on his shoulder all this time. Flushing scarlet, she looked around the room, noticing Hoseok had also fallen asleep on the recliner, his lips parted slightly, ears drooped against his head and blanket pulled up to his chin. Taehyung had gone, judging by the way Seokjin had stretched out his legs over the space the Kodiak hybrid had once occupied, the jaguar hybrid still watching Gordon Ramsay roast a team of contestants. 

“What time is it? How long was I out? Where’s Taehyung?” Y/N rubbed her eyes, stifling a yawn. Damn, she hadn’t even thought about her plans for the following morning while she was sitting there, like she intended. Sorry Namjoon, she thought. 

“It’s 5 PM, two and a half hours, and he went upstairs shortly after you fell asleep,” Seokjin answered completely, not tearing his eyes away from the television as he spoke. He still looked a little ticked, even though the incident with Hoseok was hours ago, and the fox hybrid was fast asleep. Y/N wanted to go and pinch Hoseok’s rosy little cheeks as he snoozed, looking way too precious for his own good. 

“You alright, Jin?” The nickname slipped from her mouth before she could stop it, her drowsiness getting the better of her. Seokjin sat up ramrod straight, ears fluttering furiously as he finally stared her down with a hard-to-read expression. Swallowing thickly, Y/N tried her best not to shrink back into the safety of Jimin’s proximity, painting on nonchalance. 

“Uh, I’m fine? Great, I like this show! I’ve never seen it before,” Seokjin floundered, suddenly trying to mask his emotions as best he could. All of that just because she had used his nickname, Y/N noted that for future purposes. Still, she didn’t buy his excuses, because the way his broad shoulders were tensed up, something was obviously still bothering him. She supposed she couldn’t force it out of him if he didn’t want to disclose. 

“Miss Y/N, Yoongi came in a while ago. He’s making dinner,” Jimin informed her quietly, his husky voice sending a shiver down her spine. All of these hybrids were completely lethal to her nerves. She was pleasantly surprised, though not without a twinge of guilt that Yoongi was cooking while she slept away on the couch drooling on Jimin’s shoulder. Now that her senses were becoming a bit more sharpened as she came back to the land of the living, she could smell a spicy, herbal, tomato scent in the air. God, she hoped Yoongi was making pasta. 

Jimin had switched to whiskey while she was out, and Seokjin had his glass of white wine resting on the coffee table. Shaking her head at the thought of alcohol, she wondered if that was why Hoseok passed out so soundly in his chair, but it seemed there was no drink glass near him. The events of the day must have worn him out – she did make him get up extremely early. 

Struggling to her feet, she set off to find Yoongi, assuming Jeongguk was still shut away in his room as Jimin nor Seokjin had mentioned him. Jimin waved her off with a grin, Seokjin ducking his head as she passed by. Man, was he easily flustered. 

Following the delicious smells coming from the kitchen, she was nearly blinded by all of the lights Yoongi had turned up, compared to the dimness of the parlor she had come from. He was by the stove, his hair tied back with what looked like a rubber band that came from a bundle of vegetables, stirring a large stockpot serenely. He even had a glass of red wine on the island as he worked, and used dishes soaking in soapy water in the sink. Impressed, Y/N skipped into the kitchen, his spotted ears swiveling in her direction, but his face remained trained on the pot he was stirring. 

“Hi, Yoongi!” Y/N greeted, seeking out a glass of water for her dry throat. Reaching by his head for the cabinet containing the glassware, she peeked into one of the pots he had going, a decadent looking tomato sauce simmering away. 

“Good morning, sleep well?” Yoongi replied, setting down the slotted spoon he was using to stir spaghetti on the spoon rest. Cringing at the vaguely suspicious look on Yoongi’s face, she figured he must have caught her napping on Jimin. How embarrassing. 

“I had no idea I was even going to doze off, I swear. The amount of caffeine I drank today was enough to choke a horse,” Y/N raised her hands in defense, Yoongi’s carefully constructed disapproval crumbling into minor amusement. Going back to stirring the pot of pasta, Yoongi used his other hand to bring a sip of wine to his lips, eyes narrowing at the fettuccine dancing in the boiling water. 

Pouring herself some water from the dispenser on the fridge door, Y/N hoisted herself up on the countertop beside the stove, studiously watching Yoongi cook. He simply lifted a brow at her as she drank her water and occasionally sniffed the air, detecting something else that was being cooked. It was a few moments before she realized the oven was on, as she was peering at the floor and swinging her legs happily. 

“What else are you making?” She couldn’t stop her query, excited that the kitchen was getting some use after all that time after the renovations her and Roy had worked so hard to complete. Yoongi hummed, hefting the pot of pasta over to the sink to drain it with her flowery pot holders, his tail flicking like an agitated cat. She hoped she wasn’t bothering him. 

“I roasted some veggies on a sheet pan, put them in the oven. Chicken, too, with some of those herbs in the fridge,” Yoongi returned the pot to the stove, lobbing a giant hunk of butter into the mound of pasta. Mouth watering, she couldn’t believe he had done so much while she snoozed away, and the guilt from earlier returned tenfold. 

“Wow, Yoongi, thank you so much for cooking… lunch, too,” Y/N murmured sheepishly, ashamed that he was picking up slack already in the meal department, mere hours into coming to the house. 

“I like to cook,” Yoongi started after a beat of silence burning a hole into the side of her face with his feline stare, putting a lid on his simmering sauce. “It’s relaxing, brings me peace. You don’t have to feel guilty about me taking it upon myself to do something I enjoy.”

Snapping her head up to lock eyes with him, she wondered how he could possibly read the emotions flooding though her, squirming in her spot on the counter as he dissected her with his eyes. 

“H-how–?” 

“Silly girl. Don’t you know hybrids can pick up on scents better than humans? We can smell your shifts in moods, what they are,” Yoongi turned his back on her, tossing a bowl of salad with a pair of tongs Y/N hadn’t seen before. Dread flooded through her, because no, she did not know that. “I guess you’ve got some research to do.” 

Y/N gripped the lip of the granite countertop with panic, realizing the hybrids had been able to smell her vastly extreme range of emotions all this time. Her embarrassment, her fluster, the annoyance, even the frustration was all perfectly legible to them; and there was no way for her to mask it at all. Even with dropping this bombshell on her, Yoongi appeared as though he had said nothing out of the ordinary, apparently ignoring her distress on the countertop as he dressed the salad. He could smell it, anyways. 

“Uh, is there anything else I should know right away? Can you read my mind?” Y/N squeaked, Yoongi’s ears dropping flat to his skull as he shot her an unimpressed grimace. 

“Who do you think I am, Edward Cullen? No, we can’t read minds,” Yoongi grumbled, although there was a twinkle in his eye that exposed the mirth towards her reactions. “We have better hearing than humans, too. Heart rates, breathing, whispers that you thought we didn’t catch– we can. There’s the scenting, too–”

“Yoongi? Did you make chicken?” Seokjin interrupted, bounding into the kitchen with his empty wine glass. Reeling, Y/N processed all of the new information Yoongi had offered her; the fact they could hear every time her heart skipped a beat, and “scenting”? What on earth was that? 

Yoongi shooed Seokjin over to a barstool, claiming that he was “in the way”, although Y/N was seated right in front of the spice cabinet he had to squeak his hand by every so often while she was sitting there. Seokjin smiled at her widely, his cheeks bunching up roundly as he did so. Y/N could only weakly return the action, turning over hundreds of burning questions in her mind distractedly. 

“Foxy up yet? It’s almost time to eat, I could use some extra hands to bring everything outside to eat,” Yoongi leaned across the island, filling Seokjin’s empty wine glass with the red he had been drinking. Y/N sprung into action, eager to not look like Yoongi had pulled a carpet from under her feet. Easing herself off the counter, she willed her heart beat to stay steady as she slinked towards the hallway. Seokjin opened his mouth to say something, watching her try to escape the room, but she halted him by speaking first.

“I’ll round everyone up,” Y/N offered, nearly smacking headfirst into Jimin as he entered the kitchen. So much for keeping that heart rate down, Jimin grinning at her like the cat who ate the canary. Shaking her head, she hurried by him, feeling his yellow eyes on her long after she made it to the parlor where Hoseok was.

Tiptoeing to the recliner, Y/N turned off the TV, cooing softly at Hoseok curled up with the throw blanket. His face was so serene, it felt wrong to have to poke him awake, one of his ears twitching slightly as she got close. 

“Hoseok?” Y/N whisper-shouted, not wanting to startle him awake. His nose and ears twitched simultaneously, but all he did was pull the blanket closer around his body with a curled fist in the knitted material. Snorting softly, Y/N leaned across his body, tentatively placing her hand on his shoulder and shook. “Hoseok!” She murmured with more volume, squeezing his shoulder. 

All at once, his eyes snapped open, his hand shooting out from under the blanket to wrap around her wrist with alarm. Y/N realized just how close her face was to his, able to detect the flecks of gold in his irises, swallowing thickly as his nails dug into the flesh of her sensitive wrist harshly. Wincing, she found herself unable to free herself, stuck hovering over him with her heart hammering around in her ribcage. 

As soon as he realized it was her, Hoseok’s eyes widened with disbelief, immediately releasing her wrist with shock. Bringing the sore skin to her chest, she rubbed the crescent-shaped marks with her other hand dazedly. Hoseok scrambled out of the chair, cursing and spewing earnest apologies so quickly Y/N could hardly understand them. She wasn’t frightened by his reaction to being woken up; she couldn’t even imagine some of the ways it could have happened to him in the past– but she was admittedly a little startled at the sheer strength he held in his hand alone. Y/N could hardly move under the vice. 

“Shit, shit. I’m so sorry, let me see,” Hoseok held out his hand, eyebrows pinched in concern. Y/N slowly lowered her wrist into his outstretched palm, trying to avoid making him feel worse than he already was. Hoseok sucked in a breath, his fingers curling over her arm and turning it over to grimace at the marks he had left on her, his other hand coming up to brush his fingertips softly over skin erupting in goosebumps at his tender touch. 

“I’m okay, Hoseok, It’s my bad for startling you,” Y/N assured softly, his thumb rubbing slowly over the deepest well his middle fingernail had created. Her words did little to melt the guilt festering over his fine features, corners of his mouth turned down in distress. He hadn’t even broken skin, for crying out loud. 

“You didn’t… fuck. Seokjin won’t like this,” Hoseok muttered to himself, passing his fingers over her wrist one more time before removing his hands to pull them through his mussed hair. Y/N wasn’t sure what he meant by bringing Seokjin into the situation, but decided to let it go. 

“Hey, no harm, no foul! I’m fine. Dinner’s almost ready, that’s why I came to wake you. I should probably grab Taehyung and Jeongguk from upstairs, too,” Y/N nodded towards the kitchen, prompting Hoseok to trudge behind her, tail literally between his legs. 

“Let me go get them,” Hoseok pleaded, the apologetic droop in his eyes almost too much to bear. 

“Sure, thank you, Hoseok,” Y/N smiled encouragingly, holding his eyes just long enough for him to hang his head briefly and dash up the stairs. By the time he had disappeared up the landing, so too, the marks on her wrist faded significantly. Poor Hoseok, she thought, making her way back to the kitchen. 

Shaking off her scattered nerves, she made her way back to the kitchen, Yoongi pulling the tray of chicken and vegetables out of the oven with a grunt. His hair was tumbling out of the flimsy hold the rubber band offered, getting in his eyes as he set the hot pan on the stove. Seokjin appeared to be outside setting the table, his pastel shirt visible by the large willow tree over the dining table. Jimin was with him, two bottles of wine in his arms while he poured several generous glasses for the table. If there was one thing for sure, the hybrids liked to drink. 

“What can I take, Yoongi?” Y/N hid her arm behind her back, not chancing the leopard hybrid spotting anything amiss with her. He was poking the chicken with an extended index finger to check the doneness fastidiously, and Y/N thought to herself all he was missing was a cute apron. 

“Here, you can take the salad out,” Yoongi approached her after ditching a dish towel he was using to wipe his hands clean, salad bowl in hands. Taking it carefully, she inspected the greens dressed with sliced citrus and shaved parmesan. She couldn’t have made something as elegant in her recent frazzled haze if she tried. 

“This looks so good,” she mumbled, mouth watering as she peeked around his shoulder at the sizzling chicken on the cookie sheet. Yoongi smiled slightly, his teeth peeking out adorably, leading her to the door to the patio with a guiding hand hovering over her mid-back. She could feel the warmth of his palm through her shirt even though he wasn’t touching her, grateful for the cooling evening air rushing into her lungs as he urged her outdoors. He assured her he’d be right out, leaving the door open to retrieve the chicken. 

Y/N trudged through the overgrown grass with the salad, hoping Hoseok wasn’t still beating himself up. By now, the marks on her wrist were gone, and it truly was an involuntary reaction he had to being woken up. At the table, Jimin was still filling a glass with a hearty pour of Cabernet, a covered casserole dish with the saucy pasta sitting at the center of the table next to a basket of bread rolls and a dish of butter. Yoongi had gone all out. 

“Hi guys, I brought the salad,” Y/N plopped down at one of the center seats, noting that Seokjin and Taehyung would likely be flanking her either side. She slid the bowl next to the pasta, grinning as Jimin offered her one of the glasses of wine. Y/N felt the wine coat her throat like liquid velvet, trying to avoid smirking at Seokjin immediately scooting onto the bench next to her. 

“Yoongi told me he liked to cook, but I didn’t expect this,” Jimin made himself comfortable across from Y/N, sounding deeply impressed at the spread of food in front of him. Nodding in agreement, Seokjin leaned back on the bench on his palms with his eyes closed, trying to catch rays of the orange sunset on his face. 

“Did you get Hoseok up? He can be pretty grouchy when he wakes up,” Seokjin mused, eyes still closed as he sucked in a deep breath pleasantly. Y/N didn’t feel the need to solidify the truth in that comment by relaying the earlier sequence of events. 

“Mm-hmm. He’s getting Taehyung and Jeongguk,” Y/N confirmed, expertly disguising her glazing-over of facts with another sip of wine. Speaking of the devil, Hoseok had found his way outside, Taehyung close behind. 

“Wow, Yoongi made all this?” Hoseok exclaimed, all evidence of anything amiss with him completely unreadable on his face. Damn, he was good, Y/N thought to herself, as he shot her and Seokjin a cheeky grin. She didn’t miss, however, the way his eyes swept over the skin of her wrist, exposed as she was toying with the stem of her wine glass. The tiny crease between his eyebrows Y/N picked up on disappeared once he realized the marks were gone. 

“Out of the way, Jeongguk,” Y/N heard Yoongi shout from across the yard, the elk hybrid appearing to be blocking the way to the table with his leisurely strides. Yoongi stepped around the taller hybrid, making haste for the table with the pan he was holding. As expected, Taehyung slid into the empty spot on her other side, eagerly grasping his filled wine glass. 

Everyone settled in pretty quickly, praises for Yoongi’s hard work coming from every direction as they tucked into the meal. Seokjin piled spaghetti on Y/N’s plate for her, reminiscent of her mother filling his plate for him earlier in the day, the memory filling her with warmth. The food was absolutely delicious; down to the pasta sauce Yoongi had admitted was from scratch as well. Y/N inquired about how he had learned to cook so well, his answer being working on the line at the bar and watching the cooking channel on his days off. 

“What else did you do at the bar, Yoongi?” Hoseok asked, taking a deep sip from his wine glass, a blush settling over his cheeks. He had avoided eye contact with Y/N for much of the dinner, Y/N distracting herself by lowly speaking to Taehyung beside her about their trip to the record store the next day. 

“I told you, I pretty much did everything. I worked on the line making food for a bit, did some bartending. For a while, I helped out with security, bookkeeping… I played piano often during the weekend,” Yoongi pierced a slice of grapefruit from his salad with a fork, pushing it around his plate. 

“Oh, a piano bar? How fancy,” Hoseok remarked, nudging the leopard hybrid with his elbow. Yoongi looked peeved, inching closer to Jimin, who was minding his business by munching on a buttered roll. 

“Y/N said she’s going to take us to an ice cream shop tomorrow,” Seokjin announced proudly, chest puffing out in excitement. Jimin and Hoseok brightened significantly, Y/N remembering how much they had enjoyed the ice cream bars from their lunch yesterday. Jimin voiced his approval of the plan, smiling fondly at Y/N in a way that made her melt a little in her seat. 

“Oh boy, like we’re twelve?” Jeongguk suddenly quipped, filling his wine glass up while rolling his eyes dramatically. Frowning, Y/N began to feel insecure– maybe she was treating them a little childishly. 

“Will you just shut up? Why complain when you could just be quiet?” Yoongi barked, fed up with the younger hybrid’s never-ending bitching. Besides, it was uncomfortable to watch the shadow of doubt cross over Y/N’s face, her excitement turning to worry at the drop of a hat. 

“Shut up? Maybe you guys are twelve, seriously. I can’t stand it,” Jeongguk shook his head in disgust, pushing his plate of half-eaten food away from him. Hoseok looked positively livid, staring at the elk hybrid so intensely that it made Y/N shiver. Jimin, similarly, had his jaw set in annoyance, however he held his tongue. 

“The rest of you might be okay with being nothing more than a domesticated pet, but I’ve had just about all I can stand for today,” Jeongguk rose from his seat and tossed his napkin on his plate, his words hitting Y/N like he had thrown knives at her, visibly flinching into Taehyung’s shoulder. 

Yoongi calmly got up from his seat, harshly catching Jeongguk’s wrist as he began to storm into the house. While Yoongi was slight, he must have had considerable strength in his grip, yanking Jeongguk to a halt as the leopard hybrid’s lip curled back.

“You know, you could be a lot worse off right now, elk. You have a lot to be grateful for right now. You have clothes on your back, food to eat, a roof over your head– and most importantly, someone who gives a shit if you’re living and breathing,” Yoongi spat, each word enunciated clearly through his teeth. Hoseok was gripping his fork so tightly it looked like his knuckles were about to come through his skin. Jeongguk yanked his wrist from Yoongi’s grasp with a repulsed expression, stalking into the house with an agitated stride. Y/N flinched again as he slammed the glass door into the house, half expecting it to shatter from the impact. 

“He’s such a prick,” Hoseok ground out, appetite vanishing as he read the sadness enveloping Y/N like a heavy shroud. Yoongi returned to his seat, draining his wine glass with measured movements. The scent of guilt was thick in the air, and it made him feel ill. 

“Don’t listen to him, Miss Y/N. He’s young, jaded. It doesn’t make what he said right, though,” Jimin rushed to comfort her, hating the way Jeongguk had ruined a perfectly good meal with his thoughtless words. Y/N offered a weak smile, her lips shaking at the corners. To be honest, she felt like crying, but she wasn’t about to break down into tears in front of them. 

Seokjin had stayed silent during the entire altercation, but Y/N could see in her peripherals how stiff his posture had grown. He was gripping the bench so hard, his fingernails were scraping wood shavings from the seat. 

“It’s alright, Jimin. Um, I’m gonna clean up the kitchen, put away the leftovers… again, thank you for the food Yoongi. It was delicious,” Y/N managed, trying to keep her voice steady, collecting the bowl of pasta, her plate, and Jeongguk’s abandoned setting to dash into the house. 

She knew she had to flee before the first tear fell, harshly scrubbing the plates with a sponge while she used her shirtsleeve to hastily wipe away a pathetic tear rolling down her cheek. Y/N was more upset that Jeongguk was under the impression that she intended to reduce them to pets, rather than the fact that he had said it out loud in front of everyone else. Humiliated, she didn’t know how to face the others, let alone go through with the plans for tomorrow’s outing now that what he had said wormed its way into her brain, convincing her she was treating the hybrids frivolously. 

Watching red sauce from the pot Yoongi used swirl down the drain, she was thankful the tears had stopped as quickly as they came, anxiety over the hybrids walking into her weeping over the sink preventing any more drops from spilling over her lash line. Part of her wanted to peek at the slider to check if they were on their way in, but she was too afraid she would come face-to-face with Jimin’s sympathetic expression or Hoseok’s barely-contained anger. Sniffling, she dried her hands off, quickly wiping down the counter and stuffing the leftovers into the fridge. She knew it would be polite to go back outside and tough it out, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so. A few moments to collect herself was in order. 

In her bedroom, she sighed deeply, head pounding from everything that had occurred that day. She’d abused her body by drinking so much coffee, not getting enough sleep, and running around like a crazy person for days. Numbly, she pulled pajamas out of her dresser, leaving them on her bed and making her way to the shower. Being rained on earlier made her feel sticky and her hair smelled of earth, and a hot shower would be nice to drown her sorrows for a bit. 

Steam filled the bathroom as Y/N stripped down, tossing her raggedy clothing into the hamper with a little more force than necessary. She had dealt with many men like Jeongguk before; quick to anger seemingly from nowhere, rude, and reactionary. Normally, she wouldn’t take anything a man like that would say seriously, in fact, she’d often give their acidity right back. Never before had they affected her the way Jeongguk did, every icy word cutting her deep. In a way, it made her want to try harder to prove him wrong, that she simply wanted to share a nice life together, not treat them as pets. It would be hard to do, considering how much he already disliked her and his current situation. 

She boiled her skin in the shower, using a calming shampoo to make herself feel better. The water was scalding, but she still felt a cold draft coming through the shower door. Frowning, she turned the water up even higher, promising herself to take a screwdriver to her bathroom window tomorrow and fix the draft problem. 

As she rinsed her hair, Y/N’s eyes shot open as she heard a thud from above her, making her frown. Seems Jeongguk was out on his balcony for another smoke break. She felt a touch guilty for buying them for him, considering the intensity of his habit so far, but she was too pissed at him to care enough at that moment. 

Turning the shower off after the remainder of the chamomile body wash suds were rinsed from her skin, Y/N wrapped her body in a thick towel, cursing at the frigid temperature of the bathroom. She didn’t remember it being so cold when she had come in to start the shower, and the temperature of the steam should have heated the room significantly. Pulling the towel closer around her body, she could have sworn she could see her breath in front of her, but blew it off as being completely ridiculous and impossible. Moving to the skin vanity, she reached into the mirror cabinet to retrieve her lotion, mumbling under her breath as goosebumps rose on her arms. The room was deathly quiet, not even the crickets outside that usually kept her awake were chirping. 

Shutting the mirror cabinet distractedly, Y/N set her lotion down, moving to comb her hair, her eyes catching a shape behind her in the mirror. Looking more closely in the fogged-up mirror, she realized it was her, from her childhood, the old woman. Comb clattering to the floor, Y/N shrieked involuntarily, the ghostly sight of the creepy elderly woman scaring her out of her wits. She hadn’t seen her since she was a girl, and had no idea why she had made her presence known. Shaking, she turned around, feeling sick to her stomach, but all at once the apparition was gone. 

Screaming again at the sound of her bathroom door being blasted open, Y/N fell to the floor, clutching her towel so closely to her she thought she’d lose circulation. Seokjin and Taehyung barreled into the room, Seokjin’s eyes blown out in concern as he saw her cowering on the floor. Taehyung’s chest was heaving, head turning in every direction to scope out the bathroom for the source of her fright. 

“What happened?! Are you alright?” Seokjin exclaimed with urgency, kneeling down to collect one of her hands quivering on the floor to brace herself. She was absolutely not alright, the old hag who followed her around the yard as a kid was back, this time inside her house. But there was no way to express this to the jaguar hybrid, smoothing a thumb over the back of her hand with a deep crease of worry etched in his brow. To do so would risk him calling her crazy. 

Taehyung had made a lap around the bathroom, opening up the closet to the towels to check for any intruders, hands on his hips as he came up with nothing.

“I-I… um,” Y/N stuttered, heart threatening to break free from its cage, “I s-saw a spider, huge one. Crawled into the sink drain,” she lied, hoping her anxiety would cover up the absence of the truth. There was no way she was telling them about the hag just yet, especially since they had barely just arrived. A new anxiety was crawling down her spine: she was simply in a towel, and she tried as best she could to stay covered up in front of the two men in her bathroom. 

“A spider?” Seokjin confirmed softly, gently helping her to her feet and never averting her eyes from her face. Nodding, she glanced at Taehyung, who was cocking his head at her inquisitively, eyes on her damp hair. She couldn’t tell if he believed her or not.

“Sorry I worried you guys,” Y/N mumbled, feeling humiliated that she was standing like a drowned rat in front of them, lying to their faces. What would she do if they saw the ghost as well?

Seokjin shook his head, guiding her out into her bedroom. To her surprise, the rest of the hybrids, including Jeongguk, were standing in her bedroom, various expressions of concern across their faces. Jeongguk was close to the door with his eyes narrowed at the window looking out to the yard, and upon seeing that Y/N was unharmed, he nodded and disappeared from the room. Feeling more exposed than ever in the damp towel, Y/N wasn’t sure how to usher everybody out as quickly as possible. Clearly, the remaining hybrids needed extra reassurance that she was alright.

“I’m sorry, guys. I’m okay, just got spooked by a spider,” Y/N explained, Jimin brushing a finger over his lip as he considered her excuse. Half of the room seemed not to buy it, Hoseok frowning as he gripped her bedpost, Yoongi’s eyes roaming over her skin. She chalked it up to him checking for injuries, but the weight of his gaze made heat rise up her throat in embarrassment. 

“We thought there was someone who broke in, or you fell, so I guess a spider is a lot better than those two fates,” Jimin replied, politely staring at the floor while he spoke. Y/N didn’t think he was used to seeing a woman in such a state of undress, his cheeks pink. 

“Come on, everyone, let’s give her some privacy so she can get dressed,” Taehyung suddenly spoke, shocking everyone in the room as he waved his hand to coax everyone out. Y/N didn’t really want to be left alone in the room, but she had to get out of the damp towel before she caught a cold. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Seokjin asked her once more, as the others filed out of her room. Y/N could definitely tell he did not buy her spider cover-up, but he was too kind to say otherwise. Placing a hand on his bicep, Y/N gave him her best encouraging smile.

“Yeah, thank you, Seokjin. It’s nice to have people here to check up on me,” she answered truthfully, feeling a whole lot safer now in the home than she ever did as a child with her grandparents. Seokjin smiled at her, telling her to come out and watch TV with them when she was done. 

As soon as he closed the door behind him, Y/N shakily got dressed, eager to get out of her bedroom for a bit and be around some living people before bed. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to sleep that night, all she knew is she definitely had to do some protective magic in the days to come. With a house that size, it would take her a long time, but it was worth it if she could banish the spirit that had been bothering her all day. As soon as she pulled her pajama top over her head, she set off to the parlor to the hybrids waiting for her. 

Y/N wasn’t sure how she had fallen asleep in her room that night, but thanks to watching several episodes of Twin Peaks late into the night, she had no problem sinking into the mattress and knocking out, regardless of the possibility of a ghost hovering over her while she snored into her pillow. Her alarm shocked her out of her sleep in the morning, her wake-up call to go pick up Namjoon, potentially. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she resolved to tackle all of her obstacles today with positivity. 

She hadn’t asked any of the others if they had wanted to join her to the shelter that morning. For some reason, she felt it would be best to attempt to bring Namjoon home by herself, perhaps he was wary of the others, and she needed to stop by the library to speak with her mother afterwards anyways. Before bed, she texted her mother about getting her some of her black salt for the protection magic, to which her mother sent her a vague reply about retrieving some from her while she was at the book club the following morning. To Y/N’s relief, her mother didn’t push the subject of Y/N beginning to pick up her spiritual practices again. Y/N had a suspicion her mother knew a little bit more about her current situation than she was letting on. 

Y/N threw on a knitted sweater and an old plaid skirt she had gotten from her cousin, pulling on a thick pair of tights to combat the chill of the morning. She wanted to look more presentable than she had the past few days, hoping it would stave off any more concerned looks from not only her hybrids but also her mother, who would definitely comment on the perpetual nervous smile on her face. She had to get rid of that ghost today. 

Turning on the coffee pot in the kitchen, Y/N yawned as she listened for any movement in the house. She couldn’t hear anything, however, it was quite early and they had gone to bed pretty late. Y/N was beginning to think some of the hybrids, like Hoseok and Yoongi, were nocturnal in nature. Filling her to-go container with the hot coffee, Y/N hesitated before pulling out a second cup, filling that one as well. If Namjoon came with her, the least she could do was bring him something to warm his belly. Upon further consideration, she put a couple of protein granola bars and a ripe apple into her bag for him as well. She was crossing all of her fingers that he’d be willing to leave the shelter that morning. 

She wrote a little note to the hybrids letting them know her whereabouts and stuck it to the fridge, confident they would be able to scrounge up their own breakfasts especially with Yoongi there. The draftiness of the house made her shiver, pulling a cozy beret over her head as she loitered by the front door. Autumn seemed to be rolling in quicker than normal, and she worried about reinforcing all of the windows and doors in the house before the winter months as she made her way to her car. 

The drive into Boston had her squirming in her seat. If Namjoon was anything like Jeongguk, she was in trouble. She’d prefer if he was closer to Taehyung’s version of “strange”, as the other hybrids had coined him, but honestly she didn’t know what to expect at all. The weather that morning was clear of rain, the sky a light gray and the scent of briny ocean on the highway filtered through her windows. It was a lovely day for walking around, no humidity, and pleasantly cool. Getting over the fiasco of last night’s dinner, Y/N resolved to go ahead with her plans to take everyone out for a day in the town, even if that meant leaving Jeongguk at home to smoke himself into oblivion in the backyard. While the rest of them were watching TV after her encounter with the spirit, Jeongguk had spent at least an hour on the grounds, nose buried in his notebook. More than ever, Y/N itched to see what was in that notebook of his. 

Traffic was light and Y/N got to the shelter as soon as it opened. Gerry wasn’t there, as she pushed open the glass door; she assumed it was his son, a younger, still gray-looking man in his thirties. Brushing a stray yellow leaf from her sweater, Y/N approached the man counting the register, squinting through the darkness as there was only half of the fluorescent lights turned on in the shop. The man looked up at her when she tapped her fingers on the tin desk, somewhat set at ease she didn’t have to see Gerry’s stupid face for the third morning in a row. 

“Are you Y/N? Here to pick up Namjoon?” The man peered at her over his rectangular glasses, closing the register discreetly. 

“Yes, sir,” Y/N nodded, surprised that he had referred to Namjoon by name. His nametag read Robert. 

“You can go ahead and get him. I think he’s ready to leave now, after I convinced him last night. My old man’s tired of getting snapped at with those teeth of his, and he came down with a cold last night. Wanted him out of here by the time he came back,” Robert explained, handing her the keys to the cells during his speech. Simultaneously enthralled by Robert’s persuasion skills and disgusted with Gerry’s impatience, Y/N started towards the back room without a word. 

She fidgeted with her skirt as she went, nervous now that she knew Namjoon had shifted for sure. At last, she might be able to have a two-sided conversation with the wolf hybrid who caught her eye the most that night she discovered all the hybrids. The heavy metal door was left ajar, Y/N shouldering into the room with a huff to steel herself. Immediately, she headed towards the last remaining occupied cell, eager to get a look at Namjoon. 

He was seated on the edge of his bed, staring straight at her. And of course, like the others, he was absolutely gorgeous. Eyes warm like a thick amber honey, golden skin beneath his green tee shirt, and shining silvery hair swept off his forehead as if he was running his hands through it all morning. Upon making eye contact with her, his eyes narrowed, full lips pursing as he sucked in his cheeks thoughtfully. 

“Good morning,” was all Y/N was able to manage lamely, wrapping her hands around the bars of his cell. He was a large man, even seated, his mass was intimidating– and even shifted, he held all the danger in his eyes of his cautious wolf form. Namjoon stood, walking towards her, his height towering over her as he assessed her attitude, hopefully reading cheerful and friendly from what Y/N was trying to put off. 

“You didn’t bring any back-up today? Not even the fox?” Namjoon’s voice was deep, melodic, the authority dripping from his tone enough to make her want to take a step backwards. She refrained from doing so, in order to stand her ground. 

“Back-up? No, no one came with me today. We stayed up late watching TV, I wanted everyone to get some proper rest,” Y/N laughed, attempting to lighten the mood. Namjoon didn’t crack, lifting an eyebrow as he appeared to consider her answer. 

“Are you ready to come back with me today?” She asked after a few moments, unable to break free from his gaze. Something about his eyes was so familiar, and looking away felt impossible. 

“Do I have much of a choice? Robert said they’re going to stop feeding me,” Namjoon grumbled, the ear that had a piece missing fluttering just so. He shifted from one foot to another, eyeing the key ring in her hand. Y/N hastily unlocked his cell door, eager to free him. 

“Not that they were feeding you much, anyways, the bastards. One of the others told me you only got ham sandwiches twice a day,” Y/N fumed, pulling his door open with great effort. The iron bars were incredibly rusted and heavy, and Y/N was relieved she never had to set foot in the disgusting shelter again after Namjoon and herself got in the car. 

To this, Namjoon didn’t reply. He took a step out into the open room, a little shaky in his stride, like he hadn’t walked on two legs in weeks. It took him a few moments to stretch his legs out, gritting his teeth in annoyance. His incisors were particularly sharp, Y/N noted, and she couldn’t decide if that was cute or concerning. 

“Let’s go,” he grunted finally, after reaching the door to the hallway with more stability. She moved before her mind could catch up, following him briskly down the hall. So far, so good. 

When they reached the front of the store, Robert caught up with the two of them, giving Namjoon a slight nod. He handed Y/N a thick manila envelope, to which she accepted with puzzlement. 

“These are the official adoption papers, I fetched them from the State House myself instead of sending them through the mail. Pleasure doing business with you,” Robert shook her limp hand, Y/N startled by the word “business”. However, she was pleased to have the official documents right away, thoughts turning to the database where she could look up the hybrid’s pasts. Namjoon scoffed from behind her, impatiently tapping his foot.

“Thank you,” Y/N painted a fake smile on her face, finally ridding herself of the forsaken shelter as she led Namjoon out to her Land Cruiser. Namjoon slowly got into the passenger seat, staring at Y/N as she started the engine and straightened out her hat. 

“Here, Namjoon, I brought you some coffee. I have some granola bars and an apple in my bag, too, if you’re hungry,” Y/N held out the to-go cup that wasn’t smudged with berry lip gloss, adjusting her rearview mirror with her other hand nervously. Namjoon’s stare was much more unnerving than gentle Jimin’s, whose gaze was soft around the edges, while Namjoon’s was probing and steely. 

“Hmm… thanks,” Namjoon muttered, breaking free from eye contact as he accepted the coffee with both hands. Bringing it to his lips, it was Y/N’s turn to stare at him as he took in the street surroundings. Namjoon was truly beautiful– devastatingly so. His hair was like starlight, and his side profile was stunning. 

“I hope you don’t mind, but I have to make a short stop before we go home,” Y/N pulled out into the street, navigation to the library playing out in her mind. Traffic was still light for a Monday morning, so she’d get there in no time at all. 

“Do whatever you have to do,” Namjoon replied easily, fidgeting in his seat. He opened the glove box, immediately diving into the CDs to Y/N’s great surprise. “Have any tapes?”

“Tapes?” Y/N furrowed her eyebrows. It was rare to have anyone these days to even know how to operate a tape, but she could have sworn that her dad had left a tape or two in the glovebox. The Land Cruiser did, in fact, have a tape player as well. 

“You have a Rolling Stones tape,” Namjoon relayed matter-of-factly, Y/N cringing. The thing probably had hair on it with age. With practiced ease, Namjoon carefully popped the tape into the player and rewound it. 

“Wow, I’ve never met someone who knows how to play tapes under the age of 50,” Y/N joked, internally scolding herself as soon as the words left her mouth. She had to remember not everyone was Hoseok. 

“I like them, they have a unique sound. You can hear what time does to the tape,” Namjoon said simply, thankfully not taking offense to her joke. Typically, old tapes hiss and fade with age, and she had never considered it as a charm before. 

With an elegant index finger, Namjoon pressed play, the tinny sound of the tape pressing through the speakers instantly. Similarly, Namjoon began to relax, sitting back in his seat and taking another sip of his coffee. Unfortunately, Y/N already found it impossible to relax around him. 

They enjoyed three songs on the tape until Y/N pulled up by the library, throwing the vehicle in park. She was planning on letting Namjoon stay in the car, but he was checking his surroundings in disbelief, already unbuckling himself to get out. 

“I know somebody in here,” Namjoon stated, an interesting edge to his voice. He almost sounded fond. Perhaps Namjoon was a Boston native, but his accent was closer to Jimin’s rather than Yoongi’s. Cocking her head, she hurriedly got out of the car to follow Namjoon rushing into the library. He was pretty fast, all of a sudden, busting through the front doors. 

“Crap,” Y/N muttered, losing Namjoon immediately in the labyrinth of the bookshelves. Dreading having to go find someone to call for him over the intercom system, Y/N thought her best bet was seeking out her mother. Trying not to panic, she remembered that her mother had told her to meet her at the reference desk rather than the book club room, before the meet started. That’s where she’d have to go for Namjoon’s bat signal, anyways. Making a wide circle around some hungover-looking college students, Y/N speed walked to the reference desk, spotting her mother’s mustard yellow shawl of the day.

“Mom!” Y/N exclaimed desperately, her mother scanning a returned book and dropping it in surprise. 

“Honey! You’re early! Here, I’ve got your salt,” her mother pulled a large mason jar of black salt out of her patchwork satchel, handing it over gingerly. Taking it impatiently, not caring at the moment that a young couple standing by the desk was staring at the two of them with confusion, Y/N tucked it into her bag, crushing one of the granola bars. 

“Mom, I need you to call a name over the intercom. The hybrid I picked up this morning disappeared as soon as we got in here,” Y/N breathed, worried sick that Namjoon might already be halfway to Fenway Park. 

“Oh, Christ, honey, I can do that. What’s his name?” Her mother grabbed the mic to the system, frowning with worry. Before Y/N could say anything, her mother looked past her, face splitting into utter shock and recognition. Turning urgently, Y/N spotted him just behind her. 

“Namjoon? Where have you been?” Her mother gasped, blood draining from Y/N’s face. 

Taglist; @blancflms @grazysf @sbromp @jaxavance @sunderlight @ot7nem @mageprincess7 @wittyreader @drenix004 @mayla548 @skyys-universe @ddaeng-angmoh @trtlthts @exfolitae @kalala22 @xiusmarshmallow @bangtans-momma @zae007live @paigetj @singukieee

Please do not repost or translate my work. Thank you!

#bts fanfiction #bts fanfic #bts ot7 x reader #hybrid au #bts ot7 x y/n #bts hybrid au #bts fic #bts au #bts hybrid x reader #bts hybrid fanfic #namjoon fanfic #seokjin fanfic #yoongi fanfic #hoseok fanfic #jimin fanfic #taehyung fanfic #jungkook fanfic

[nanowrimo]

How to World-build Without Knowing Everything

Worldbuilding can be one of the most daunting tasks that a writer can embark on, but fear not! Siera Schubach, an awarding-winning author, is here to save the day and give you a great guide to building your fantasy world without knowing every detail.

Have you ever wanted to write a fantasy story but felt overwhelmed by the concept of worldbuilding?

As a fantasy writer myself, I’m going to tell you a little secret: Worldbuilding isn’t as complicated as it is made out to be. 

Here are a few steps you can take to build a strong, layered, and interesting fantasy world without any prep. 

The Plot is the Point

Do you know every single language on Earth? Do you know the customs and cultures of every person on the planet? I expect the answer is “no” (unless you’re an all knowing oracle in which case, I have some questions). We don’t know every detail of the world we live in now, and you don’t need to know all the details of the world you are creating either. 

There are over seven different species (that I know of) in my fantasy world, but the only ones I know much about are those that factor heavily into the story. You don’t need to know the vast history of a character who is only mentioned in passing.

Listen to Your Characters

When I started my fantasy novel I had no idea where the story was going or any of the details of the world I walked into. Everything I learned about my new world was through my characters. 

When a new character comes into your story, whether you knew they were coming or they showed up unannounced, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:

What does their appearance reveal about their background? 

Do they speak the same language as your main character?

What does their body language show about their culture? 

Is there any tension with other characters?

You don’t have to share everything you learn with the reader (remember, focus on what enhances the plot). But knowing these details can help you develop your own understanding of your fantasy world. 

You Don’t Have To Be a Linguist

Not every human on Earth speaks the same language. The same should be true of your fantasy world. But this doesn’t mean you need to become J.R.R. Tolkien.

A great way to show language diversity without creating a whole new language is by describing what the language sounds like, not necessarily what is being said. 

“He spoke to her in a tongue she did not understand. It was rough and guttural, as though he were pulling the words from the depth of his throat.”

“Her words were soft and lilted. Janine did not understand their meaning, but felt comforted nonetheless.” 

Think of this as a play on the old “show don’t tell” rule. You can show how your language sounds and interacts in your fantasy world without telling any of the words. 

Skip the Exposition

When we meet new people, we don’t spill our entire life story. We share it little by little over time. This should be true for your characters. When introducing a new being or species, don’t overload the reader with details all at once. Let them discover the culture of this character as they get to know them. This can look something like:

Everyone sits down for a meal but character A doesn’t eat anything because they are vegetarian. 

It’s a hot day and everyone takes off their outer layers except for character B because they cannot show the skin of their arms.

Don’t Box Yourself In

If you spend ages on worldbuilding you run the risk of stifling your creativity and bending your story to fit into the box you created. Whether you are a pantser or a planner, creating a new fantasy world can be daunting. But it should also be fun.

Once you get over the fear of creating a new world beneath your fingertips, you will come to realize that you already have all the tools you need to start building.

Siera Schubach is an award-winning writer, storyteller, and random fact collector. She is currently in the depths of editing her latest fantasy novel, and working on a nonfiction book that will be published by Bloomsbury in 2024. 

Photo by Cederic Vandenberghe on Unsplash   

#Writing tips #writing advice #worldbuilding #siera schubach #by nano guest

[tervaneula]

Hi! I'm Terv, welcome to my blog!

How to turn off "Best stuff first" so you'll actually see my posts

Here's some handy-dandy info about my stuff. Might heavily edit this later because I'm nitpicky like that lmao, but anyway, here we go!

Art tag: tervdraws Writing tag: tervdrabbles Personal tag: it's terv

Leonardo/Usagi tag: leoichi

AO3: katterv Pillowfort: tervaneula Bluesky: tervaneula

Commissions: Closed Ko-Fi: tervaneula Redbubble: tervaneula

❌ Do not repost or edit my art and writing! ❌

A little piece about fandom etiquette

My blog is a tcest & apritello & aprileo free zone.

Latest NQK update

Chapter 14: Don't Worry About It

A list of my ROTTMNT related fics under the cut. Most of them are illustrated! 💜

General [9/?]

help me believe (that i'm your brother) (G)

The road to recovery has been long but finally, the brothers are well enough to introduce Future Boy to one of the most comforting of habits - the turtle pile. Unfortunately, Casey has some doubts about his place in their family.

please don't be a hero (again) (G) (part 1 of a series)

Donatello needs his coffee. Leonardo finds him first.

lean on me (i'm strong enough) (G) (part 2 of a series)

Leonardo needs to get better, be better. If not for himself, then for Michelangelo - his baby brother shouldn't worry about him as much as he does.

you make me proud, little brother (G) (part 3 of a series)

Raphael worries and Leo's quip goes wrong. However, it leads to an emotional turnaround neither of them saw coming.

a lesson in trust (G)

Leo feels guilty for getting Raph caught by the Krang and refuses to let go of that burden. His big brother isn't having it anymore.

not quite kintsugi, but close (G) (ongoing)

The plan is simple. If all else fails, Michelangelo will make a time gateway for Casey to undo what Leonardo, in his youthful arrogance, started all those years ago; it will require sacrifice, but they are ready for it. Until the moment comes, of course. Or, in other words - what if Future Leonardo and Michelangelo both end up in the present with Casey? Kintsugi (金継ぎ, "golden joinery") is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold, silver, or platinum. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. (Wikipedia)

repeat until death (T) (Major Character Death)

A companion piece to Chapter 7 of not quite kintsugi, but close. Leonardo doesn't want to let go. In the end, as long as Donatello is concerned, he never did.

Cold Feet (G)

Leonardo is enjoying his lazy morning… until a certain human teenager disrupts his peace.

some boys do lay eggs (T)

Leonardo is just about to fall asleep when the weight of a body thuds against the side of his bed, startling him awake, but not awake enough to shake him out of the heaviness of near slumber. “Whassit,” he mumbles, sticking his hand out from his blankets and feeling about until his fingers touch the edge of a hard shell. Ah, he recognises the shape – it’s Leo. “...are we boys?” 

sleepless (G)

Leo is so, so tired and goes to his dad. Splinter thinks up a plan to put into motion in the morning - but it seems that he's already helping.

Leoichi (Rise x Usagi Chronicles) [6/?]

with friends like these (G) (part 2 of a series)

Meeting up with his old friends and introducing his new boyfriend to them certainly hadn't been in Yuichi's plans for the day - but it turns out to have been a welcome surprise later when it helps him realise something important about his own feelings.

make your home in me (E) (part 4 of a series)

Click the link to read the summary!

world's end boyfriend (T) (AU)

Leonardo lost Yuichi to the apocalypse almost exactly five years ago. It's now been a year since he, Michelangelo and Casey made their impossible portal trip to the present day, successfully preventing the Krang invasion this time - so imagine Leonardo's surprise when his little brother tells him that they're going to rescue his mate. They only have one chance.

and just like that (T) (ongoing) (part 1 of a series)

What was supposed to be a simple shopping trip to the Hidden City turns into an embodiment of a romcom when Leonardo runs into an unfamiliar white rabbit. Or more accurately, the rabbit's dining table.

soft bunny, warm bunny, little ball of— uh oh (G) (part 3 of a series)

Leonardo feels so lucky. He has the world's softest boyfriend who doesn't mind being treated like a giant teddy bear! Too bad it made him forget something very important.

breathe (and let go) (M) (part 5 of a series)

Leonardo needs a break from his… everything, and Yuichi is always more than happy to indulge him.

cracks never healed (they can heal now) (T)

Their plans for a nice date go awry when Leonardo and Yuichi run into a giant rampaging robot. It's swiftly dealt with, but not without a price.

well worth the wait (G)

Hana has been worried about her adoptive father's new relationship. Yuichi puts those worries to rest.

And that's it! For now. <3

#it's terv #tervdraws #tervdrabbles #rottmnt #usagi chronicles #leoichi #rottmnt fanart #rottmnt fanfiction

[justyourtypicaltuesday]

So What's Up With Logan? - a speculating post for the season 2 finale

While I, like everyone else, am anticipating the season finale, I thought I might as well summarise my thoughts in a post.

In LNTAO, Logan outright explains he's irritated with being repeatedly ignored.

"There will be times in which I must be heeded and given our... current circumstances... I clearly haven't been."

This really stands out to me. It's no secret that due to being consistently talked over, shut up and disregarded, Logan's struggling to deal with his emotions- and keep up the facade he puts up pretending he doesn't have any. This is only evidenced further when he throws paper at Roman. But this quote almost feels like foreshadowing, suggesting that there will come a time Logan's the only side with the right answer, and because of the sides and c!Thomas' practice, they won't listen to him and will exacerbate the problem doing so.

Another interesting quote from LNTAO is hidden in plain sight- the overlapping verses from Logan and Thomas in Incomplete.

"This just serves as a testament to the fact that you have a temperament, which is fine, you just haven't accepted it, if you'd let them finish they'd get to the-"

"This just serves as a testament to the fact that to me you're negligent, which is fine, it just works to your detriment, you not letting me finish is proving my-"

Both verses here provide context into Logan's character. This confirms that c!Thomas is fully aware that Logan has emotions, specifically a temper, and that, in his eyes, the song was an attempt to get Logan to accept that part of himself. This could be setting up a very powerful scene in the finale, Janus and/or Thomas confronting Logan at a point when Logan pretending he doesn't have emotions is actually damaging Thomas as a whole.

Additionally, Logan feels neglected by Thomas. That's a word which is not used lightly. He points out that being ignored is actively causing detriment to Thomas, which he conveniently doesn't hear as he's talking (singing?) over him at this point in time.

They're both right. Logan is ignored to the point of detriment, but he also thinks highly of himself ("I'm the most important side here!") and often disregards the others' contributions until he's actively proven wrong. This is a repeated character flaw of Logan's. It's also seen Growing Up, Moving On, and even in Asides like Can Plushies Improve Our Health?. While Logan's been the cause of minor conflicts in the series, having him cause a problem on a scale similar to Patton in POF would be intriguing to see from a narrative standpoint. It's clear that in the latest episodes, Logan is struggling and maybe at some point soon, constantly being antagonised by c!Thomas and the other sides is going to have an effect.

This brings me to WTIT. This is the last plot-dependent episode we've had, so it naturally is where a lot of my theories are coming from. While we can see a lot of Logan's progress as a character- specifically in prioritising Thomas' mental health- we also see his lowest point so far. Thomas' mental health has been steadily declining since SvS, introducing Remus, the discussions during POF and this episode all make it obvious. And this is reflected in Logan. Despite taking precautions and relaxing the schedule so Thomas feels comfortable, Logan loses his cool when he yells at Remus. What the orange eyes mean is TBD, but Logan's emotions in that moment say one thing and one thing only: he can't keep it down much longer. Each time we see Logan lately, he's been more and more distressed. In LTNAO, he throws paper at Roman, in SvS he's left out. In DWIT he's exasperated the whole time trying to calm down the others. In POF he's clearly done with exerting any amount of effort getting them to listen to him. And here is the result of all that pent up anger.

"I just want to help Thomas become the best version of himself he can be, and in order to do that, he needs to listen to me. Unlike yours, my methods aren't the flashiest, and it's not very often I get the chance to get through to him. Please understand my insistence on the matter."

The words right before his outburst mean a lot too. Logan's been already established as a perfectionist, but here he outwardly admits his goal is to improve Thomas as much as possible. We've already seen c!Thomas second-guessing himself because of difference in opinion between sides, so here's an opportunity to explore Janus v Logan conflict. Logan questioning Janus' advice to Thomas to take it easy could mean that the rest isn't as effective as it could be and cause a problem they'll need to discuss. Logan's been largely absent from Janus-related episodes, so an argument in which Janus explains Thomas has worth as he is while Logan is focused on perfectionism and improvement is not unbelievable at this point in the story.

On the topic of Janus, I believe he's going to play a huge role in Logan's character development. The main thing holding Logan back is that he's lying to himself. He repeatedly insinuates and sometimes outwardly states that he doesn't have feelings, and both c!Thomas and Janus know this is a lie.

"I don't feel anything."

"Oh, of course you don't."

My theory is that Janus, as practically a living lie detector, is going to confront the sides about the lies they tell themselves, and being more truthful about themselves will help Thomas long-term. While this can be explored for each side, I'll save that for a post for another day and point out how specifically Logan's lie about not having feelings is already questioned multiple times in the series, setting it up to be confronted soon.

In conclusion, my speculations for the season finale are:

Logan's going to have another outburst- in full view of c!Thomas and the other sides this time, and it will have to be addressed.

Janus/Thomas and Logan are going to confront each other, Logan over being repeatedly ignored and sidelined, and the others over Logan consistently lying about not feeling emotions.

Logan is going to be the outright antagonist in at least one episode of the finale, along the lines of Patton in POF.

On the contrary, in one episode Logan will have the right answer, but be ignored because... well, duh.

Janus v Logan conflict is going to be a large plot point- addressing perfectionism and to what extent you should accept yourself as you are and to what extent you need to work on growth.

If you got this far, thanks for reading. It's my first post as a blog and I hope you enjoyed reading my guesses to what we'll see surrounding Logan in the finale. I'm planning on continuing with in-depth analysis of other sides and other theories I have, but so far this is what I've gathered in regards to Logan's direction at this point in the series.

#sanders sides #ts sanders sides #ts logan #logan sanders #janus sanders #ts janus #sanders sides theory

[rimunagenius]

Welcome to my blog!

ʚ Hi cuties! I’m totally refreshing my blog. I’ve had this blog for a year now? and i never even introduced myself. My name is Ri !!

ʚ I’m bi, i love art, crocheting, doing nails, and being a homebody. i play basketball, made varsity my freshman year and played varsity all the way through!

ʚ I actually love writing, whether it’s a paper for school or little imagines and headcannons for my hyper fixation, celebrity crushes, or comfort characters at the time.

ʚ my favorite colors are deep red, baby pink, and black. My favorite band is the Red Hot Chili Peppers, my favorite individual singer is Harry Styles. I listen to a lot of everything. Literally from metal all the way to r&b. Recently i’ve been super into boygenius and MUNA.

but to know a little more, my fav artists are the smiths, the cure, red hot chili peppers, deftones, soundgarden, audioslave (yes ik they’re both chris cornell’s bands), superheaven, fleetwood mac (saw them in concert before christine mcvie passed), muna, boygenius, tyler childers, noah kahn, kendrick lamar, $uicideboy$, pink floyd, system of a down and many many many many more!!

Here are fandoms i’m currently in if you want to dm random hc’s, ff’s, or just be friends and gossip ab their latest updates and episodes, etc. !!!

WCBB — Iowa, UConn, SC, and Oregon

Station 19

Criminal Minds — i will never not be into this fandom i rewatch it every month

Muna

Boygenius

Chicago Fire

Triple Frontier and

Sons of Anarchy

ʚ NOTE that this is and will continue to be a safe space for anyone who is here and queer! I will not tolerate any racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, and so on…you will be blocked.

I would also like to note, that i would like to keep this page politics and religion free. Starts too many arguments and a lot of hate that I do not want associated to my page!

Thank you, have an amazing day!

Let’s be friends!! I am far too shy and awkward to talk and become friends with people so i just follow in hopes you’d want to be friends, but if your not shy (or you are) but want to be friends but think ill shut it down or won’t answer, im chronically online so im free and open to answer !! i love making new friends!

Here’s some links!!

❀ masterlist

❀ tiktok

#rimunagenius #welcome to the blog #interact in any way #let’s be friends #let’s be mutuals #iowa women’s basketball #muna #the sons of anarchy #boygenius #chicago fire #triple frontier #station 19 #let’s have some fun #rimunagenius speaks #lgbtq

[liuhko]

JJK Characters With A Fashionista S/O

𝜗🤍 ݁ Only doing a few characters that I like. If this isn’t a bust I’ll do more (don’t ask me where this came from, I need to write).

MINORS

Itadori Yuuji

Yuuji isn’t too big on fashion, he just wears what he thinks looks nice but he’ll compliment your outfits and even try to match with you once in while (with whatever clothes he has).

He finds it silly how expensive the fashion industry and fashion itself is. “They’re just clothes…” then Yuuji will direct you to websites like SHEIN, not knowing any better and being sucked in by the cheap prices and nice looking clothes.

Once you inform him of SHEIN’s lore he feels ashamed and doesn’t pay much attention to the expensive purchases.

Now one thing he likes about being with you is how up to date you are with everything fashion related. More specifically, the fashion shows.

He thoroughly enjoys the ridiculous, avant-garde shows the most.

Fushiguro Megumi

Megumi’s the most excited about your love for fashion cause he relates. You CANNOT tell me he isn’t a fashion nerd (projection but it’s also true :3). He thinks you’re UBER cool and is so glad he’s dating you.

He loves seeing your different outfits for the day, he’ll sprinkle compliments but sometimes he feels the usual “Your outfits looks nice.” doesn’t cut it, so he doesn’t compliment it directly.

What does he do? Be sneaky (obvious) with it. If you’re wearing Vivienne Westwood for example: “Vivienne Westwood’s a cool brand. I, personally, think that anyone who wears it has amazing taste in fashion…just saying.” Same goes for whatever else you may be wearing.

He’s SUCH a fashion nerd, oh my days. If you give him the chance he’ll bust out his big book of fashion and will romance/do his best to impress you with it. “I heard you talking about the fashion of the Edo period, so I did some research on it (nerd emoji).”

MAJORS

Gojo Satoru

This goon takes your love for fashion as an insult. “My closet’s better than yours, don’t play with me.” He’ll sneakily try to one up you, and if he fails he’ll be pissy about it.

I mean this seriously. He’ll take pics of your and his outfits, post them online with a poll, and wait patiently for the results.

Gojo is supportive though, fear not! He takes a stupid amount of pics of you and posts them everywhere. He posted you on a billboard once: “Do you like it? I asked for extra resolution so they could get all the detail in your shoes!” When he posts you on his socials for the outfit comparisons he blocks anyone who leaves even the SLIGHTEST negative comment about you.

He brags about you all the time.

Nanami Kento

A stylish man who knows a thing or two about the latest trends! Introducing Nanami to styles outside of his comfort zone isn’t too difficult. He’s usually really invested in the varying styles and if you’re convincing enough he’ll try them a few times.

He loves “Devil Wears Prada” and rewatches it all the time. That movie is like cocomelon is to kids for him; his eyes are GLUED onto the screen.

Remove the movie and he’ll toss you out.

If Nanami hears you talk about some new clothes you want expect them to be shipped the next day. He is not one to play when it comes to your appearance, especially since you care about it so much.

Being around you makes him wonder if he should change his closet (a bit).

𝜗🤍 ݁ gojo fans come to me plsplspls boost me plsplspls i need to take advantage of his popularity plsplspls >_<

TAGS @pekejs @peachop @hannibalistique @rizsu @rivbows @lucstarz @zorosq @m1lkenthusiast

#jjk x you #jjk x reader #jjk #jjk gojo #gojou satoru x reader #gojo x you #gojo x y/n #gojo x reader #jujutsu gojo #gojou satoru x you #jujutsu kaisen #itadori x y/n #itadori x you #jujutsu nanami #nanami x reader #nanami x you #megumi fushiguro #megumi x reader #x reader #y/n #black writers #writing #fanfic writer #fanfiction writer #jjk fanfic #jujutsu itadori #jjk fic recs #jjk fluff #anime fanfic #anime jjk

[dejwrites]

❪ ♡ ❫ ─── ⠀ ⠀⠀ improvise ⠀ 〳 ⠀ a.shouta (shota) ‵

❪ ♡ ❫ ─── ( synopsis ) everyone keeps questioning famous actors aizawa shota & y/n l/n about that one scene.

♡ ˙ ˖ ✧ — afab reader, her/she pronouns, female anatomy, actor au, oral (m.receing), fem petnames (babydoll), reader and aizawa formerly academic lovers at julliard, flirty actor!aizawa, italics means flashback, breath play, cum swallowing, messy head, slight ooc!aizawa, profanity, mentions of a happy trail, mentions of pubes, wc: 3.8k, sorry it's like late bby, an entry for @h-shibas actor au collab event.

THE JOURNALIST GAVE THE TWO OF YOU A SMILE. The bright lights shining on the duo of main actors in Issa Rae’s newest tv show. Aizawa Shouta and you sat side by side dressed to the tens and with the brightest smiles on your faces. The newest HBO show was a hit and managed to trend on Twitter every night, but the latest episode seemed to have everyone in a frenzy when one particular scene played on the world’s television. 

The journalist adjusted the small mic that was clipped on her cream-colored blouse before the producer motioned for her to start the interview. The interviewer started off with easy questions. How was it working with Issa Rae? What to expect for the rest of the season? Simple questions to get Aizawa and you to talk and get comfortable with her. But, the two of you should have known what was going to be the next question that was going to linger off her tongue. 

“In the most recent episode, Chanel and Jax share a quite interesting scene together that had me and many viewers so surprised.” The journalist explained.

Aizawa let out a chuckle as he rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. His publicist had seen many questions like this one coming. Especially considering that he had a segment to read the show’s fans' thirst tweets about him. His dark-colored hair was tied out of his face in a neat man bun. His white button-down shirt had a couple of buttons undone showing a bit of his tone chest with the chest hair he had. The silver dog chain necklace clashed against his chest and he just stared at the journalist with his usual deadpan look (that had many people's hearts fluttering).

“The sex scene, many people complimented how well you two acted out that scene. It seemed so real. Was it a bit awkward at all between you two when you read the script?” The journalist asked.

Aizawa and you shared a look and your cheeks instantly grew hot. The lewd flashbacks ran laps around your mind before it was Aizawa clearing his throat to answer the question.

“It wasn’t awkward at all when you get to know your castmates..a lot of the scenes you just go with the flow,” Aizawa answered.

“Yeah, just go with the flow.” You repeated as you adjusted yourself in your seat. 

You fiddled with the booklet in your lap as you sat in your designated chair that had your name on the back of it. Production was about to wrap up for the day, but your co-stars had one more scene to do, plus the director wanted to talk to you. You usually left the set early to indulge yourself with wine and a warm bath so you can have a clear mind while you memorize your lines, but tonight you were stuck here until the end. 

“That’s a wrap guys! Go home, get some rest, and enjoy your day off tomorrow! We’ll resume filming Saturday morning!”

Your thoughts were interrupted when you could hear the director clearing his throat to gain your attention. “Be here on Saturday, I’ll be here as soon as the sun rises.” You jokingly say until you looked up and saw the director with your co-star Aizawa Shouta. 

“If you don’t know, we will be introducing your character's blossoming relationship in the show soon. I need both of you to be prepared for Saturday. Schedule to meet up to read lines together tomorrow, I need it to feel like I’m watching you two fall in love in front of my fuckin’ cameras. You two understand?” The director’s eyes darted to you then at Aizawa. 

“No need to worry, we won’t disappoint.” You answered. 

“Good. Enjoy the rest of the night.” The director flashed you two a smile before walking away, her assistant not too far behind her. 

That left both you and Aizawa awkwardly staring at each other. It wasn’t because you two would be doing a quite explicit sex scene during this season of the show, but the fact that you two had history. History that got lost as time went on and you two went your separate ways after graduating. You remember vividly the late nights at Julliard practicing lines for a play. The intense pressure of not wanting to let your family down due to the fact that Juilliard was one hard-working school. With an acceptance percentage of 8%, wouldn’t you want to make sure you use your years there in the most hard-working manner? The two of you just took comfort in each other during the harshness of your professors telling you that you weren’t going to make it in the sea of desperate actors if you couldn’t cry on cue.

“So, should meet at your place or my place just to ensure privacy from the paparazzi and fans,” Aizawa suggested. He’s tugging his phone out so you can put your number into it.

Your mouth gaped open just a bit confused. Perhaps he just forgot about you. After all, after graduating he was the one that got his first big role immediately. He meets people every day. It’s no problem.

“However, I suggest we do it at your place. Paparazzi camp out in front of mine on Fridays,” Aizawa pointed out.

Your lips formed a straight line as you were attempting to take in everything he was saying. You didn’t mind him being in your space, it was sacred and you protected it. However, you just knew your little apartment wasn’t anything compared to his big mansion right next to supposedly Kylie Jenner’s house. But your body reacted to his question before your mind did, your head just started nodding like a sports bobblehead figurine. 

“Great, put your number in my phone.” Aizawa gave you his phone which you quickly put your number into before handing it back.

“I guess, I’ll see you tomorrow,” Aizawa gave you a sly smile before walking away, but he stopped before turning around. “Text me your address when you get a chance. Have a good night (Y/N).” 

You watched as he disappeared in the crowd of crew members pushing away stuff to pack up and go home. You walked towards your trailer dialing one of your friend's numbers, when you heard your friend's voice you let out the longest sigh. “Do you remember that one guy I was super close with during college?” 

“The one with the long pretty hair and he always looked dead inside, but he was one hell of an actor,” Your friend described.

“Yes, him! We’re co-stars and he doesn’t even remember me,” You said as you walked into your trailer to grab your belongings. 

“What? You two were so close though,” Your friend reminded you. “Like really close, I remember vividly because you kept me up every Friday and Saturday night. And don’t forget when the plays you two were in was a success, you guys were like horny animals.” 

“Okay, no need to go that far down memory lane with that one.” You said.

“Just speaking the truth. You two were glued to each other's hips on some days,” Your friend replied.

“Well we’re working together and I don’t think he remembers me,” You managed to sadly utter out. “But it’s no big deal. He meets new people every day.”

“Oh come on, that's bullshit. That man licked every inch of your body in college.” Your friend commented. “You should help him remember you.”

“That doesn't sound desperate to you? If he cared to remember, he would have.” You commented as you were walking towards your car after leaving your trailer. 

“I’m sure he’ll remember you when you two finally have scenes together.” Your friend commented.

You could only hum along with what they said before sharing your farewells to end the call. You unlocked your car door climbing into it. The memories of college and Aizawa swirling around your mind are like lines you needed to remember. You just had to get through one reading with him and maybe he’ll remember who you were. 

WHEN THE MORNING CAME, YOU FOUND YOURSELF CLEANING YOUR ALREADY CLEAN APARTMENT. You looked at yourself in the mirror in the bathroom checking your appearance. You weren’t dressed up too fancy, after all, you two were just reading your lines for the season. You had walked into your living room being sure to already have each episode booklet for the season of the show out. You always asked for backup copies just in case you misplaced the original. When you heard the knock on the door, you would waltz over to answer it with a quickness. 

When you saw Aizawa, you were completely breathless. It was as if seeing him in front of you took all the breath out of you. His black hair was tugged into a messy bun that looked like he did in seconds. He wore a white t-shirt and sweatpants. You couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that you both decided to dress comfortably for today’s reading. You were so into eyeing Aizawa up and down, you didn’t even hear his sudden words until after the fact.

“You know, it took me a while to realize who you were.” He would say.

“What?” You questioned as you stepped aside to let him into your apartment. 

“Oh come on, you know what I mean,” Aizawa explained as he was eyeing the decor in your space. “We went to Julliard together,” He responded as he looked at you. “You thought I would forget the one woman who got me through that damn school,” He sighed as he would plop down on your couch. 

You were speechless as you stood staring at him. “Yes, you’re literally Hollywood’s top actors right now. Of course, I would think you forgot about me.” You shrugged as you walked towards the couch grabbing one of the booklets and soon plopping down next to him. 

Aizawa’s lips grazed at his lower lip before he’s speaking once again, “When you put it like that you make it sound like I’m a Hollywood jerk. Hollywood didn’t change me that much,” He sighed as he leaned forward going through the booklets from each episode of the show you two were on. 

You watched in curiosity as he was searching for one particular booklet. “What are you doing? We should start at episode 4, that’s when our characters meet.” You told him.

“We literally have only about five lines each in that episode, we can practice that episode literally on the day of filming,” Aizawa shrugged. 

That was true. In that episode, your character Chanel and Aizawa’s character Jax only would be introduced to each other. Slowly creeping the door open for the relationship the two would be creating as the episodes go on. You watched as he finally found the episode sixteen booklet and you were forced to swallow the large lump in your throat. “I don’t know why I’m not shocked you chose that one,” You said, shaking your head.

“Y/N, it’s our sex scene episode. We have to make sure it looks believable. This scene literally is when our sexual tension between our characters finally explodes,” Aizawa comments.

“I’m aware of that you idiot,” You rolled your eyes at him before finding the other copy of episode sixteen. “I just feel like we should work our way up and then get to episode sixteen. This gives us time to think about how we’re going to portray this. You heard the director, she wants to see us fall in love.” 

Aizawa thought about your suggestion before picking up the episode four booklet. “Fine, but only because I have a suggestion on our scene.” 

Your eyebrows raised wanting to question his statement, but you only grabbed your booklet so you can start. Within the past three hours, you two spent going over lines and practicing the scenes you were in. You stopped to order food and take a break, forcing you two to go down memory lane when it came to your college years. You still felt your cheeks radiate so much heat when Aizawa would mention how close you two were. Perhaps that’s why you were so nervous about this sex scene, the fact that you two actually had sex before. Although in sex scenes you aren’t really having sex with your co-star, it was all about making it look believable. 

“So, do you want to hear my idea for our sex scene?” Aizawa asked as he was sprawled out on your living room floor. Episode sixteen booklet laying on his broad chest as his dark eyes traveled over to you who was laying on the couch. 

“What?” You asked as you were reading over some lines.

“We should improvise it,” Aizawa suggested.

“Improvise a sex scene?” You asked, “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

“Why?” 

“Our sex scene doesn’t even seem like it’s that long,” You responded. 

“Okay, and?” Aizawa questioned. “Not like we didn’t have real sex before,” he bluntly admitted as he looked at you to watch as you sit up with a quickness. “As I said, I remember how close we were, Y/N,” he says. “The director said she wants it to feel like we've fallen in love on screen and I think it’s our only duty to make sure that happens.” 

You were quiet for a second before letting out a sigh, “Fine, let’s practice this damn scene. But keep your hands to yourself.” You commented as you wag your fingers at him.

He would only hold his hand up, “I can’t promise you that.” He commented as he looked at you.

For the remaining thirty minutes, you and Aizawa were practicing the lines leading up to the sex scene. However, as you were getting closer to the first action of the sex scene, you could tell how hard Aizawa was staring at you. His eyes burned holes into you, which transmitted so much heat that you fanned yourself with the booklet you were reading from. Was this how it was when you two were in college? Definitely. 

The late nights of essays about some black and white film and even later nights of practicing lines. The memory that was formerly distant in Aizawa’s head was now coming back full force and he too could feel his skin heat up instantly. The two had always had chemistry. Their professor always pointed it out but also pointed out that it was important for them to have chemistry with other people together. 

The stage action of Aizawa has to be the one to make the first move. You remember specifically reading the lines that the kiss was described to be innocent at first, but it gets heated. Very heated which leads to the sex scene. You hated to admit that you were nervous about that scene. Although the long-haired male in front of you has seen you at your most vulnerable moments and placed kisses upon your body, nervous knots still twisted in your stomach. As the last line before the kiss rolled off your tongue, you found yourself closing your eyes and inhaling sharply. You expected him to kiss you. You knew he would. 

And like some love-struck fool, you eagerly kissed back. Your hand clasping at the back of his neck to tug you closer and when you gravitated closer to his body, you could feel how hot Aizawa’s body was. You could feel his tongue trace alongside your tongue as he deepened the kiss. Your lips gasped apart letting him taste you even more. Your hands toyed with the ends of the graphic t-shirt he wore, timidly your hands climbing up his shirt feeling at his toned torso. 

When the two pulled apart completely breathless and brain filled with explicit thoughts, you started at Aizawa. 

“We’re really going to do this?” He questioned, his head tilting slightly. 

Your teeth grazed at your lower lip before nodding. “You said you wanted to improvise right?” You asked. Once again tugging at his t-shirt. 

The smug look on Aizawa’s look caused you to roll your eyes at him. You have seen that look on his face countless times in college. You stepped backward letting him bring his shirt over his head to pull it off. He let the piece of clothing drop to your living room floor. His hands are now going to undo his bottoms. In your mind, you were thinking that you should stop this. That this could complicate the future of the show you two were on.

Co-stars getting extremely personal with each other never ended well. Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev were examples of that. You could tell the chemistry dying down in each scene in The Vampire Diaries once they decided to part ways romantically behind the scenes. 

“We don’t have to do this,” Aizawa murmured. His pants hung loosely around his waist displaying the band of his Calvin Klein boxer briefs. 

“Let’s do it.” You said as you placed kisses on Aizawa's chest. Your lips clashing upon his heated skin sent a bone-chilling shiver down your spine as you only kissed lower and lower. Your tongue carelessly glided down the base of his toned abs as you plopped down to your knees as if you were about to pray your sins away. 

Your hands eagerly tugged down his bottoms. Despite the two of you only sharing a heated kiss, you still could see the print of Aizawa’s cock through his boxers. Your mouth instantly watered at the sight. It was particularly the fact that you haven’t had sex in a while, L.A was filled with many fame-hungry people. So, you thought it was best to keep to yourself. Afraid that when you finally got that big role, your past would come back to haunt you with an exclusive TMZ story. However, this was just Aizawa. You’ve seen him naked before. You’ve made out with him countless times. He had you folded up in the most pornographic way on some days. But even right now, he still left you breathless and nervous. 

The sight of Aizawa’s cock was something that was extremely memorable. If you were graced the opportunity to sit on it or even suck it, you were going to remember it for sure. On lazy days when he’s wearing just sweatpants, your eyes always traveled down to stare at the thick print that poked out through the fabric of his sweats. When it was free of any clothing and rock hard, it always slapped against his torso eagerly to be balls deep into either your throat or cunt. But the one thing you adored the most was the way his happy trail added much more attractive for you to want to let your tongue glide all over his body. 

You swallowed the lump in your throat before eventually letting your puckered lips place a kiss on his pink shaded tip. The taste of precum staining your lips like lip balm before you’re working your magic. The sound of Aizawa’s groan caused heat to rush up to your ears like an excited dog. Your hand palmed at parts that you didn’t have in your mouth yet while your tongue teased at the tip of his dick. Your tongue glides against the shaft of Aizawa's cock and you watched as he playfully rolled his eyes at you.

“Come on baby doll, stop teasing,” He huffs lowly while bucking his hips. 

You let your hand palm his cock for a bit, your hand now coated with your saliva. “Don’t call me that,” You said. “We’re not in college anymore.” You uttered before your mouth was once again full of Aizawa’s cock again. 

Aizawa’s teeth grazed against his lower lip as his hand went up to tug the hair tie out of his hair, letting his black hair fall out of the messy bun it was previously tied into. His dark eyes stared watching the way his cock disappeared in your mouth dug up old feelings, he thought the two of you buried when you graduated. The way your eyes shifted closed taking in the moment drove the actor insane. His hand is placed on your head guiding your movement before eventually bucking his head to feel even more of the pleasurable feeling of your mouth. Strings of hushed profanity words tumbled off his lip and his chest heaved as if he was running a marathon. 

You found yourself spitting more saliva on Aizawa’s cock before once again latching onto it with ease. Once again making eye contact with the actor as his face flushed of its color before he started to speak again, “Sure feels like college, huh?”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his statement before you notice his hips were bucking forward a bit harshly. The gagging sound bounced off the ways of your apartment and before you knew it, you could feel the tip of your nose brushing against that same happy trail you kept staring at earlier. Your saliva dripping from your mouth making a mess not only on you but on the floors your knees were beginning to bruise from. Your perfectly manicured nails dug into Aizawa’s thighs as you endured the short pleasure of having your ability to breathe taken away from you. When his hand let go of the harsh grip he had on you to gag upon his cock, you pulled away breathless. Saliva and precum dripped out your mouth before you continued to do what you were doing.

Your nails dug into the palm of your hand as your hands were curled into a ball. The lewd gagging sound erupts from the back of your throat with each thrust forward of Aizawa’s hips. Through your teary eyes, you glanced up at Aizawa and you could feel your cunt pulse at the sight of him. It was an exquisite sight to watch him crumble in pure bliss. Feeling the warm ropes of liquid squirt in your mouth with ease as Aizawa’s thrusting grew slow and sloppy. 

When you swallowed the creamy substance, your throat felt like it was on fire. Your lungs still were gasping for air. The shirt you wore was soaked with your saliva and you felt so exhausted. Although you had just experienced one of the best moments of pleasuring someone, you still craved for more. The intense feeling of watching the way Aizawa combed through his disheveled hair a panting mess. You climbed off your knees slowly deciding to claw off the remaining clothes that decorated your body. 

“Let’s go improvise some more.” You bluntly admitted as you would lead him towards your bedroom. 

The interviewer would look between the two actors, obviously sensing the sexual tension. “But will we see more scenes like that between you two? Could you give us a little teaser on that?”

“Hm,” Aizawa brought his hand to his chin to think about the question. “I hope so.” His lips curled into a sly smirk before the interviewer let out a laugh. 

“He’s only saying that to stir up his fangirls.” You rolled your eyes. 

“Or stir up you.” 

TAGS — @indiecursor @maydayaisha @rinhoes @festive @gabzlovesu @thicksimpx @luffysthickwaifu @imperatorkhaleesi @shamelesshoefairy @bubs-world @todorokiskitten @gardenof-venus @pulchritxde @stunnababyyabyyy @sweetheartshouta

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[atonalginger]

Mega OC Q&A

I saw @silurisanguine do this with her OC, Seren and thought, "hey that might be a good way to introduce the latest lil misfit in my band of Starfiend OCs." and by little I mean...well you'll see.

I'm going to put the Q&A under a 'read more' cut because this is long.

BASICS

What’s their full name? He doesn't remember if he's ever had a 'real name'. He's pretty sure he did, everyone get's one, right? but He'll never remember it. Instead he chose the name Frost.

What does their name mean? Why were they named that? Frost: a deposit of small white ice crystals formed on the ground or other surfaces when the temperature falls below freezing. He feels liek he should remember why he chose that name but can't.

Do they have any nicknames? He vaguely remembers people he worked with calling him 7-33. Many call him blue eyes.

How old are they? he looks no older than 30 but he is much older. Or is he? How does Unity work with things like that...;)

When’s their birthday? He doesn't know.

What’s their zodiac sign/element/birthstone/etc.? Do they believe that holds any significance? doesn't know and no he would not.

What’s their species/subspecies? Do they have any special/magical abilities? Human -> starborn, if you could consider that a change worth noting. He has all the starborn abilities and is fairly strong with them...though he doesn't initially remember them when he arrives in a new universe. It's...complicated.

What “class” do they belong to (for fantasy characters)? If none, what weapon do they favor? He favors blades and rifles appears to be a master with any.

What do they look like? 6'0" built like a linebacker/wrestler. Dark brown hair, strong jaw, wide nose, thick lips, hooded eyes, and pale skin with a warm undertone. His eyes are icy pale blue with no visible pupil. This is because they are cybernetic/implants. He catches lots of staring but I think it's less to do with the eyes and more the fact that he's damn handsome.

Do they have a face claim? No...he kind of looks like Sgt Yumi's cousin but

What’s their style like? Clothes, hair, makeup? He always wakes up with hair clipped to about 1/2" all over. He also always goes to Enhance! to change it as soon as he has the credits. This go around he went with a professional looking fade but he's gone full long hair in a bun and mohawks and everything in between. No makeup. He tries to keep clothes simple and comfortable. He does prefer v-necks if he can find them because crew cut necklines are constricting. He also prefers jumpsuits because it's less items to worry about getting dirty...

How do they carry themselves? What’s their default expression? Many mistake him for military with the way he carries himself. His default expression is a stone 100 yd stare, though if he sees something that entertains or delights him he might crack a small smile for a moment.

Do they have any physical ailments or disabilities? No. Appears to be in his prime and peak physical health.

Any defining features to their character? From the front it's his eyes. Any other angle its his size/build. The man is imposing when you first see him.

PERSONALITY

What’s their alignment? True neutral. Some would consider him evil, others would consider him a goodie-too-shoe. His only hard and fast rule in the starfield is no killing innocents. Anything else goes, so long as it gets to his end goal...just don't kill innocents in front of him or you're fucking dead.

Which one of the 16 Personality Types do they fit into? It would depend on the universe and what he ended up doing once he remembered himself. He'd also probably scoff at the notion, if not cringe, due to his past.

What are their hobbies and interests? Do they have any particular “favorites” (food, books, and so on)? he has what he considers the bad habit of collecting knives. He considers it a bad habit because he loses them every jump so what's the point? (the point is they bring him joy). His favorite food is a fresh plum. Much to Cora's dismay, Frost doesn't like books. He can't remember why but he gets really uncomfortable and anxious when someone tries to get him to read books.

What are they bad at? socializing. Horribly awkward. Has definitely been teased for being a robot.

What kind of things do they dislike/hate? Spacers. They find that lot vicious raiders and does not tolerate their presence anywhere. Universalism. He was raised under a very...unique (to us) form of Universalism and because of it he does not trust members of any universe. Popcorn. The kernels always get wedged between his teeth or caught in the back of his throat and it makes his stomach hurt.

Do they have any vices/addictions/mental illnesses? As what is left of his memory comes back to him each jump he gets deeply depressed and anxious. If anyone could get him into a psych's office they'd probably diagnose him with more but I don't se that happening anytime soon and I don't feel comfortable diagnosing him here.

What are their goals and motivations? Figuring out if he can get back core memories that appear gone. Getting the artifacts, making the next jump. Understanding the purpose of it all.

What are their manners like? Any habits? Around most he is quiet. Sometimes it almost feels like he talks in riddles. he's introverted and prefers traveling alone and working alone but will make sacrifices to move things along. He is polite with most, curt with those he doesn't feel deserves the effort. he's a pen twirler/tapper when anxious.

What are they most afraid of? Not remembering anymore

BACKGROUND

Where were they born? What was their childhood like? Frost was born in a rare universe unlike any of the universes he has jumped to since. He doesn't know what planet he was born on but he does know, though it's fuzzy, that he grew up in an underground facility on a planet with 1g. He was trained to kill and hunt from a very young age and used as a child soldier/assassin as his leaders needed.

What’s their family like? He never knew his family. Or if he did, the memory was taken from him. He grew up in a pod of 11 other child soldiers but they weren't really allowed to bond or socialize.

What factions or organizations are they a part of? What ranks and titles do they hold? He was raised by an extremists form of Universalism. They believed that God had chosen them to bring humanity to the stars and any who did not stand with them should be exterminated to make way for God's Glory. They were at war with the Va'ruun as well as the UC and FC. He was used as a child assassin until he was 15 when he was sent to serve as a 'groundpounder' in UC space as the Univeralists attempted to capture the Sol system. When he reached his late 20s he was chosen for the honor of traveling to Unity to spread the word of God across the multiverse. Something...went wrong with the device as he entered it...but he doesn't quite remember...sabotage?

How do they fit into their “story”? It was only after the initial jump that Frost had any real control over his story. He was always a tool for others to wield. The first universe he found himself in...he got into a lot of trouble really fast when he behaved the way he was trained and has since then tried to better himself...he thinks. None of the universes he ends up in make sense to him. Nothing is ever like his home. No one can tell him anything about the various chips and implants in his head or body. Many have never seen anything like it and insist they have to be anomalies in the scans. Someone once said they seemed to be made out of a weird metal that was unlike anything they'd ever seen before...and he's pretty sure that metal is the same as the artifacts.

Where do they currently live? What’s their place like? in his current universe? The Lodge in the room Noel showed him. It's really nice and he's afraid to touch anything just like every other time he's ended up there. Otherwise he's on a ship, currently the Frontier. It's cramped and old.

How do they eventually die? Depending on how you view unity...he's died a lot. How will he die die? Probably by chance, some lucky bastard getting a shot in while he's distracted. Maybe someone will finally figure out how to overpower him. But that doesn't seem likely, given how many universes he's seen.

RELATIONSHIPS

Do they have any friends? Would they consider anyone to be their best friend? He will come to call Doc, Fox, and Sam friend. he always likes Vasco. He doesn't have a best friend, Unity doesn't let him keep those.

What’s their friend group like? What role do they play in it? A rowdy, wild bunch this go around. They cavort with a group called the Liberated, made up of former Crimson Fleet members. Fox is a Ranger and a Vanguard, which makes Frost's head hurt. Doc is a historian who hunts spacers in her spare time. She's the one who found him, along with her partner, Sam.

What’s their love life like? Do they have any kids? Pretty non-existent and no. He's had lovers across plenty of universes but he's shy to talk about them.

Who do they look up to? Who do they trust? Look up to? no one anymore. He doesn't put people on pedestals, given what he can remember. He trusts his friends.

Who do they hate? Do they have any enemies? Spacers. Naeva Mora, he's had a lot of run-ins with her and they'll never get along. Commander Ikande, he thinks he's a wolf in sheep's clothing and something about the Commander reminds him of someone from his childhood. Lillian Hart, she reminds him of one of his handlers growing up. Matteo, he knows Matteo isn't like those of his Universe but when he tries to argue with Frost about 'true Univeralism" all chances at neutrality disappeared. He won't hurt the man, but he won't interact with him either.

Do they have any pets? nope.

Are they good with kids? Animals? He's been told he is, though they make him uncomfortable (both kids and animals). He's afraid he'll hurt them or scare them but kids find him interesting. Cora has lots of questions and when he briefly meets little Sophie she seems enamored by his eyes and isn't scared of his stone stoic face.

Which tropes do they fit? Which archetypes? Stoic ronin

Do they play any instruments? Sports? no and no

What are some items they always carry? a knife, at least one suppressed pistol, a pack of spiced mealworms and a pack of water, a scanner.

Do they collect anything? Knives. He shouldn't, he's just going to lose them all but he can't help it.

What position do they sleep in? it's whatever. You can find him sleeping on his back like a plank, on either side, his stomach, sprawled out on a chair...he was trained to sleep wherever and wake with the first alarm.

Which emoji would they use the most? knife emoji

What languages do they speak? English, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish. He doesn't remember learning any of them.

What’s their favorite expletive? Fuck

What’s their favorite candle scent? food scents like baked goods. A warm vanilla is nice too.

What songs remind you of them? Self-Destruction by I Prevail

Which animal would you say represents them? Tiger (lone hunters, strong, cunning)

What stereotypical high school clique would they fit into? He looks like he's be a jock but personality puts him with the freaks and geeks crowd.

What would their favorite ride at an amusement park be? they'd all be boring for him.

Do they believe in aliens? Ghosts? Reincarnation or something else? aliens, like sapient life? Sure, why not! To some people he's and alien so yeah. Ghosts? jury is out on that. Reincarnation? The starborn? Yea, he believes in that lol

Do they follow any religions/gods? Do they celebrate holidays? NO he is an atheist now. Never got into holidays, never really in a single universe long enough to learn them.

Which Deadly Sin do they most correspond to? Which Heavenly Virtue? Wrath. Diligence.

If you had to choose one tarot card to represent them, which would it be? Knight of wands

1. How does your OC feel about their full name? he likes Frost, it's why he chose it.

2. What do strangers notice about them first? If they see his face it's his eyes. Otherwise its his build/stature.

3. How does their social personality differ from how they act when they’re alone? It doesn't really? He's quicker to anger when alone because he knows most people don't like that sort of thing and/or he doesn't want to scare people. But otherwise there isn't a big difference.

4. How do they act around a crush? awkward.

5. Do they have a “tell” for when they’re lying? He gets really stiff and can't make eye contact. He was never good at infiltration missions back in his og universe where he was expected to interact with people.

6. What do they smell like? he doesn't wear scents because it draws attention but he probably faintly smells of gun oil.

7. What is their hair texture like? thick and straight.

8. How much jewelry do they wear, and do they have a favorite or distinguishing piece? none. he loses everything so no need to and besides that jewelry was always considered a safety risk by his trainers/handlers. Rings can lose you a finger, piercing can get caught/ripped out. Necklaces can be grabbed. Same with bracelets.

9. Do they have a word or phrase that they tend to overuse? I don't think he talks enough for that to be a problem. When talking with Doc he's mention "you sing" "they sing" the plates that sing" so....sings.

10. What is a weird quality that they have (ie their hands are always cold, they’re always hungry, they snort when they laugh, etc)? He's very quiet. His 'outside' voice is most peoples 'inside' voice.

11. What color do they look strikingly good in? Navy blue

12. How do they show affection to someone they love? staying close to them, performing lots of favors, smiles.

13. Do they make strong/frequent eye contact when they talk to someone? oh no, he will avoid eye contact if he can help it. He can do it in business situations but it makes him super uncomfortable. He was raised to never look superiors in the eyes.

14. What attributes do they have that are inherited from their parents or shared with their siblings/other relatives? ...not applicable.

15. Are their greatest flaw and their greatest strength related and in what way? (ie very caring and helpful but a doormat, or very observant and shrewd but often paranoid) I think so. he's a very diligent person, always making sure that the task is done right the first time and completely...which means if it comes to violence there will be no survivors to question. Or for non-violent situations it means the task will take much longer.

16. How has their childhood affected the way they view an aspect of their life (people, education, society, themselves, etc)?

-He are slow to trust anyone, unless that person can quickly show him a reason to trust them. Like Doc and Sam win him over quickly because they help him out of a really bad situation and are kind. -His education was very narrow and specific so there's a lot he struggles with as he jumps/travels. -He doesn't trust the factions, their leaders, or the various religious houses of the Starfield. Not even the Enlightened. In his opinion if they were true atheists they wouldn't have organized. -He is often at odds with himself due to the large gaps in his memory. Whenever he wakes in a new universe he is left with minimal memories and it isn't until he starts finding the artifacts that chunks of his past start to come back to him. He has had lives where his first artifact came to him after living as a pirate for years and being horrified with what he'd done. His one hard and fast rule is no Killing innocents but he has the blood of so many on his hands from his OG universe and beyond.

Basically I envision Frost as potentially an OG starborn from the universe the artifacts were developed in. Even if that isn't the case, that universe figured out how to use the metal the artifacts (and I assume temples and anomaly structures) were made of and designed cybernetics and implants with it. He is permanently missing chunks of his memory because his handlers wiped it. And whenever he jumps Unity seems to wipe some away and block the rest, leaving only a select collection of memories and skills for him to keep. Proximity to the artifacts and those who've pulled them from the rock can help him remember. He doesn't know why.

He wants to be a good person. He doesn't know that he can be with the life he's led. He has definitely sided with the Hunter more than the Emissary because he felt less judged/more accepted. Even if the Hunter broke his only rule...he's guilty of that too.

#starfield #the coemancer crew #OC Frost #starborn #starfield spoilers #behold my beautiful tragic starborn

[ballonleaparadise]

With the reveal of the latest anipoke poster, I wanted to talk about the upcoming arc in Pokemon Horizons bcs I have so many thoughts about it!!

Firstly, FLORAGATO 👀 Secondly, I'm really excited to see the Naranja (Uva) academy being properly adapted in the anime. It'll be an important training arc for Liko, Roy and Dot, who want to develop their skills as trainers. I'm interested to see how the sv characters shown in the poster will be portrayed, since we've already seen Nemona, Brassius, Iono and a Larry cameo.

At first glance, the upcoming arc seems kind of random with the ongoing Lucius plot. However, I think it actually makes a LOT of sense when you think back to the structure of the first arc. We were introduced to Nemona and Brassius back in episode ten, who will presumably have some involvement in the training of Liko, Roy and Dot. It's also an opportunity for the writers to develop the dynamic between Dot and Iono. Since episode fifteen, they've been established as having a competitive rivalry/friendship, so it'll be nice to see how that evolves. On top of this, Liko's Mum Lucca is a teacher so maybe we'll find out more about her. I'm not sure if she's supposed to teach at the Naranja academy or elsewhere in Paldea, but I want to learn more about her regardless.

Even though the adult rvts are not in the new poster, I'm hoping that they'll at least stick around for this arc (Friede and Orla are my comfort characters fr 😭). As Friede's a pokemon professor, I can see him fitting in with the other academics at the school. As for the other adults, they could either help out with the academy's facilities (Murdock being the cook would be a blast) or join as mature students. Collectively, the adults might be interested in researching terapagos and/or learning more about the six heros.

In hindsight, this arc could tie the loose thread of Ann's involvement in the story. Since episode two, she's only appeared through video calls. Since Liko's an exchange student from the Indigo academy, it wouldn't be a stretch for Ann to transfer to Paldea as well. It would give her some much-needed screen time, and give Liko a rival to train against. I don't know whether this will happen but it would be cool if it did!!

Overall, I'm really looking forward to the next arc. The end of the chapter two also looks hype, so I'll be watching it with no interruptions 😤 I think a training arc is necessary for Liko Roy and Dot, so that they can become more independent as trainers.

#pokemon horizons #anipoke #pokeani #pokemon anime #liko #roy #dot #the rising volt tacklers #nemona #iono #larry #brassius #floragato #ann #pokemon hz #spoilers #rambles

[bunnidid-reviews]

DID book Review

DID Book Review

Facts -

Book Title: Pieces of Me by Kate Mclaughlin

Publication date: 2023 (very recent!)

Fiction or Nonfiction: Fiction

Was there a diagnosis of DID? Yes! And very carefully done too

Was the person with DID presented as evil for having DID? Nope!

Major Trigger warning list:

-          Mild sexual scenes/mentions of having sex

-          Mentions of alcohol and vape usage

-          A surprise suicide attempt (ch. 7-8) with descriptions of cutting and blood

-          Lots of time spent in a hospital/psyche ward

-          Loss of autonomy with lotsss of involvement with her family watching over her

-          Non-descriptive incest

-          Locking an alter away

Subjective Review(this is how I felt about it) -

Personal triggering scale from 1 to 10 (1 being not triggering at all, 10 being a badly overwhelming experience that might cause personal harm): 2 with the occasional 4-5(the surprise suicide attempt startled me)

Personal relatability scale from 1 to 10 (1 being unrelatable, 10 being OMG THAT’S ME!): 6

Personal avoidance scale from 1 to 10(1 being eager to get on with it, 10 being impossible to finish): 2, very easy!

My interpretation of the media(Includes spoilers):

The book opens with the main character waking up from a three-day long dissociative fugue state, beside a man she doesn’t quite recognize, but finds she can trust, beside her. Nothing dubious happened, there were no drugs or alcohol involved like she initially assumed (having a history with alcohol abuse and similar fugues). Our main character is sent into a spiral when her new friends address her as Lannie.. But her name’s Dylan.

We find out Dylan’s living a very idyllic life for the most part; her mother’s a semi-famous actress who’s able to give her two children a very comfortable life, including a nice house and letting them both study their respective arts. Dylan’s brother, Mark, is following in his mother’s footsteps into acting. Dylan finds herself to be the black sheep of the family in comparison, struggling with depression, anxiety and BPD all her life. There’s always something amiss with her that doctors haven’t yet figured out, particularly with the memory loss and dissociative tendencies. There’s obviously some tension in the family due to her having so many issues.

With this latest fugue state, it kicks off the search for an answer, any answer, as to why Dylan ends up in these situations. She finds art of hers in all different styles, and the characters she’s been drawing forever seemingly have a presence in her head. Her family and best friend become overbearing in the meanwhile, insisting she can’t be alone anymore, especially in the midst of her blooming romance with the mystery boy she woke up with, Connor. I appreciated that even in the book, Dylan finds it triggering to be so closely watched and loosing her autonomy, because personally that sounds like a nightmare.

After seeing some doctors in the search for something physically wrong with her, Dylan’s best friend suggests Dissociative Identity Disorder. Something she’d seen in youtube videos and did some further research into. She overloads Dylan with information, so she pulls away to process this all..

And wakes up again, this time evidently having attempted suicide in the bathtub.

That’s when the story cracks, and it’s taken from Dylan’s point of view to the other parts, as Dylan floats into the Inner world in a very vivid dream on the cusp of her attempt.

Her inner world is the same house she’d had some dreams of before, loaded with detail and personality that really makes the space her own, inside and out. She has a room of her own there, where she’s introduced to a host(ha) of new characters, like Lannie, Kaz, Dali, Alyss and Scratch. (Scratch being the one who evidently made the attempt on their life)

While in the hospital, Dylan goes through a carousel of parts, especially as her therapist works with her through taking the DES(Is that right? The diagnosis tests, all of em). Dylan is diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, and she launches herself straight into trying to understand herself with this fresh lens.

She goes quickly into trying to figure out what was The Trauma that did this to her, and everyone around her hedges around the same question. As she switches through her posse of alters, what’s left behind paints(or draws in this case) a pretty clear picture of childhood sexual abuse.. By who? No one knows. Everyone wants to know

After about two weeks or so in the hospital, Dylan comes home and gently eases into a life with DID very quickly, smoothly, easily. She builds relationships with her parts, especially Kaz and Lannie, who hang around often for daily life things. Her family, best friend and boyfriend all accept and love her as she is, even if they don’t always get it. But they try, especially the boyfriend, who studies up on helping his new girlfriend ground. (I thought that was very sweet, R does that for me)

It's decided though that Dylan needs to be monitored through her fugue states, and has very little privacy. This is shown.. As a good thing, now that she’s been diagnosed and all.. (I will expand on my thoughts here in a bit)

Halloween comes, it’s the twin’s birthday. Things are going very well, Dylan’s feeling very close to her system as they’d communicated more and switched out less. Life is on a high! She meets with her father and her little half sister and is able to rule out her father as any potential of having abused her…

And then the Uncle Travis shows up to the party. She just knows in her gut, all at once, that it was because of him.

In an instant, Dylan’s pulled back into the inner world to a movie theatre-like room, where all the Main Parts are gathered there. Monet, the part who greets them there, declares that it’s time to know Everything. So they sit down and watch all the memories together on the screen as a different part, Vincent, takes over the front. All together, they remember all the abuse that took place. (It’s described very vaguely, but there’s enough indication to understand that it’s grooming and repeated sexual abuse that took place with Uncle Travis)

Understandably, Dylan is overwhelmed and stays inside a few days. Lannie takes over. No one but the boyfriend had picked up that it was the uncle that did it yet, so the people around her are confused by the sudden change and kinda nudge for Dylan to come back out as soon as possible and adding pressure onto the “What Happened To You” thing again. With the therapists’ help, Lannie is able to switch back to Dylan and communicate to her mother that she can’t be pressured about telling her trauma.

At a family dinner out and about, Dylan is starting to pick up more and more of what makes her uncle a creep. With some concerning mentions of her little half sister spending time with him, she starts to panic when she sees he sits a little too close for comfort with the little sister, and as a hand touches her shoulder.. Dylan cracks.

Scratch comes out immediately, walks straight over and threatens Travis to keep his hands off and that she knows what he’d done. It’s enough to shake him off, the day is saved. the abuser is confronted.

When they get home from eating out, Dylan sits down her family(minus Travis) and explains that she now knows it’s Uncle Travis that had hurt her, and expresses concern for him to continuing the cycle of abuse with other girls, namely the little sister. Everyone is very accepting very quickly for her accusation of incest, but her father and brother stammer in shock to accept. This is snapped down on pretty quickly, though.

Dylan reports the uncle to the police very easily. Evidently everything is very cleanly taken care of because Uncle Travis is arrested shortly after. He attempts suicide in prison, and Dylan only feels the correct feelings feels no shame or apprehension, because he obviously only attempted it because he got caught.

Dylan has the perfect night with her boyfriend. With some warming up, they have the perfect sex.

Dali(the gatekeeper) and Scratch(Persecutor) relent their now obsolete roles and have a very nice, gentle fusion.

Everyone lives happily ever after in the land of functional multiplicity after a month and a half of being diagnosed!

~~~

This book is a Good book. By that I mean that it’s very very carefully written to be respectful and cleaned up to have the right representation. The kind of book you pat on the head and say “Good book!” like a pet who’s successfully fetched the morning paper. It’s written to be very appropriate without any explicit details especially with the trauma memories, to be good for teens to read. I’m absolutely certain that YA DID books are a good niche for this to fill.

But it’s.. Very.. Very clean for a DID representation.

I think all the details for the diagnosis process and healing are correctly written.. For a character who has all the privileges in the world handed to her. A good, honest family who genuinely loves her. Financial support enough that no medical assistance is barred off from her. A good boyfriend who immediately understands. Communication that goes really fucking well right off the bat, the ability to traverse the inner world very quickly.

An immediate understanding of who did it to her. Confrontation of her abuser and his very squeaky clean arrest. All the Correct Feelings. There’s no fighting back from a family confronting the reality of incestuous abuse. There’s no questioning her own memories or real denial portrayed with Dylan aside from a couple of tiny instances sprinkled in.

This is a good book, I’m sure!! But when I read it, I came away feeling.. like I was the dirty one, someone who wasn’t doing it ‘right’, because my healing is incredibly messy and I don’t have an ounce of support from my family like that. I have all the incorrect, messy feelings that lead me to me wanting my own sexual abuser to confirm that I’m lying and that I’m actually the one who hurt him, and have this massive terror of him facing consequences or being hurt.  

I’m certain that a lot of the limitations to depth were due to a word count and a genre limitation, as well as the author’s inexperience with dissociation.

There’s a lot of leaning into some tropes that leave a slightly bitter taste in my mouth, like the insistence that Dylan is the Host and therefore Most Important Of Them All. The family having such a hands-on approach with how she heals makes my skin crawl(as I’m sure many others would feel, because a majority of childhood trauma survivors come from abusive, controlling families), as if Dylan is no longer trustworthy of her own safety because of her new diagnosis. The slap-on-the-persecutor’s-wrist-for-doing-their-job thing. 

(By the way, I want to add that anyone who needs extra support for having a CDD is completely valid!! I do too! But having the family partake in this just.. aaaaa it feels very scary to me!! Especially since Dylan’s persecutor part is an introject of her own mother, and that’s.. Really not touched upon much at all)

The book is Correct. But it’s also.. I don’t know, it leaves me wondering who it’s written for, with such a sanitized version of DID shown here. I’m sure lots might actually find this book empowering, especially if you relate more to Dylan. It’s also a very very easy read because the triggers are kept thankfully super minimal. Maybe this is the book for you? It might be good for you, or it might be alienating, only you can be the judge of that. It feels more like a curiosity for those without a CDD to read(like the author herself)

What they got Right in my opinion:

-          The research and terms used to describe trauma and dissociation seem all up to date

-          Dylan gets a formal, proper diagnosis with both her therapist anddd a phycologist. (It sounds accurate based on what I’ve heard)

-          Each of the Parts that part-take(hehe) in the book seem fleshed out and very well thought-through. They feel like very believable and real parts with believable attachments to each-other. The writer did really nice on building the relationships

-          I really liked the grounding exercises they used in the book! (I tried the one of thinking of animals for the first 5 letters of the alphabet, it really worked?) The boyfriend using multiple senses to calm her down from overstimulation was really nice(a lottt like what R does,..ahh I miss him so)

-          I liked that Dylan was an artist and had actually been drawing Lannie all her life.

-          Scratch being an introject of her mother and having references to the movie Coraline actually line up pretty well with the age Scratch probably split off from, so I found that a bit sneat

-          I liked that Scratch was the one to call out her abuser to protect her little sister, because Scratch was made of resentment for her mother’s not protecting her.

-          Subtle clues throughout that Dylan has trauma before the diagnosis(aversion to touch, inability to connect to people, past alcohol abuse)

 What they got Wrong in my opinion:

-          The extreme ease to which Dylan accesses the inner world, starts communicating and figuring out her memories within… 2 weeks…?

-          Hardly an ounce of denial, either from Dylan, or any of the characters around her. A lot of people aren’t open to understanding DID like that, or even accepting it as a reason for why the way you are.

-          I almost feel like it’s dangerous to insinuate that you should trust your family with so many details about your disorder. (Driven by DID youtube, I told my mom everything once and I’ve regretted it horribly since. This is a memory disorder!! BE CAREFUL OF WHO YOU TELL!! People take advantage of that!!!!!!)

-          Again, in the case of incest in the family, I highly highly doubt telling the family about it ever goes this smoothly. Especially since this is for teens, who likely still have to live with their families, I worry about the influence of ‘must trust your family with details’ might have (again speaking from experience :’) ) I really would have preferred if Dylan’s safety was a found family thing instead

-          The reporting it to the police and having everything solved extremely easily is just.. Insulting to anyone who’s actually had to go through that. Especially for those of who never could find the safe resolve they deserve :(

-          Blackout switches nearly every switch

-          The many mentions of locking away and punishing Scratch for attempting suicide was really difficult to read.. Especially when this was shown as a net positive

-          Host Is Most Important Part trope

-          Host is the only one who Doesn’t Know Yet trope

-          Everything happening in like 2 months???? Extremely easy healing

-          No conflicting worries or feelings about Travis, just all the Right emotions pretty much right away(hatred, desire for justice, ect)

-          A weird line of thinking about how Dylan Created this, as if she had any choice in splitting.

Would I recommend this to someone with DID to read?:  It’s up to you. In some cases, positive reps with happy endings might be just what you need, so I say go for it! But in other cases, it might fuel denial or feelings of self hatred for not being ‘easy’ like this.

If you choose to read, please keep these two things in your pocket: This story is about someone who’s incredibly privileged, and You are not Broken for not healing in 2 MONTHS

#pieces of me #Kate McLaughlin #dissociative identity disorder #complex dissociative disorder #DID in media #actuallydid #dissociative identity disorder fiction #dissociative identity disorder book #did book #bunnidid reviews

[therealdisneyfan2319]

Can’t Help Falling in Love Chapter 8: Surprise!

Summary: Y/N takes Wanda out for a special day with the goal of proposing at the end of the night

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Y/N

Characters: Wanda Maximoff, Y/N, Natasha Romanoff, Pietro Maximoff, Peter Parker

Warnings: May induce tears

Word Count: 2.5K

Chapter 7 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 1 | Story Masterlist | Masterlist

As Wanda was getting ready for their day out, Y/N managed to sneak downstairs to talk with Natasha, who was sitting at the table in the kitchen drinking coffee.

"We're leaving as soon as she gets dressed," Y/N said.

"You got the ring?" Nat asked as she looked up from her mug. Y/N patted the front pocket of his jeans. "Don't lose it," she smirked.

"The ring or my mind?" he joked.

"Both," she chuckled as she took a sip of her drink.

"Well I guess I'll text you when we're headed back," Y/N said. He turned to head back up to his apartment.

"Hey."  He paused to look back at Natasha.

"Don't worry too much. You and I both know she'll say yes." She smiled sweetly up at him as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Thanks, Nat, for everything," he smiled back.

When Y/N returned to his apartment Wanda was sitting on the bed getting her shoes on. She wore a white t-shirt, blue jeans, brown boots, and had her favorite oversized hat and sunglasses next to her. Y/N felt a tad overdressed in his light blue button down, jeans, and brown chukka boots. He anxiously began to roll up his sleeves to make himself feel more casual. She looked up from her boots to him.

"You look nice," she approved as she eyed him up and down.

"So do you," he responded as he pushed his sleeve past his elbow. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

"I'm excited for today," he admitted as he reached his hand out for hers.

"Me too." She gave his hand a comforting squeeze. Y/N felt his heart leap into his throat. It was going to be a long day.

The day couldn't have started any better with lunch at the Hilltop. It was their go-to spot for after mission pick-me-ups. They laughed and reminisced over hot chocolates with whipped cream and stacks of wildberry pancakes dripping with butter and syrup. Y/N found his tension melting away like butter as they ate and talked for ages. After lunch they walked through the quaint village hand-in-hand to the farmers' market by village hall. They walked in silence as they basked in each other's presence and the beautiful spring day. The trees were budding and the air was sweet with the scent of fresh grass.

At the farmers' market Wanda came alive. She loved going from booth to booth talking to the various farmers and sampling their different products. Y/N observed her as she became a completely different person. This was a side of her he rarely saw but absolutely adored, the side of her that wasn't a superhero and wanted nothing more than to have her own quiet piece of land in the country so she could have her own gardens. They spent a couple of hours buying fresh fruits and vegetables, freshly baked pastries, jars of jellies and pickles, freshly cured meats, and, of course, a bouquet of sunflowers. Wanda was beaming as they walked their purchases back to the car. She was planning all the different things she could make with her latest finds.

After they loaded the bags into the car, they walked the two blocks to the Book Nook. It was their favorite local bookshop. Y/N discovered it when he first moved into the Compound and had introduced Wanda to it shortly after they started dating. The shop itself was small. Every wall was crammed with bookshelves that were overflowing with everything from the latest best-sellers to dog-eared paperbacks. Y/N watched as Wanda wandered the aisles, running her fingers across the book spines. She was intentional as she searched through the fiction section. She paused at books that caught her eye, pulling them out to read the summaries on the backs. He half-heartedly did the same. But Y/N was more focused on Wanda: the way she leaned into the bookshelf as she read through the books, how she brushed her hair behind her ear as she bent down to read the titles on the lower shelves, the way she stuck her tongue out when she was concentrating...He put his hands in his pockets and leaned against a shelf as he watched her stretch to replace a paperback from the top shelf. He smiled as he watched her give up, check to make sure no one was looking, and use her magic to send it back up. Wanda suddenly realized that Y/N was staring at her.

"Did you find something you like?" she asked.

"I'm looking right at it." Wanda blushed at his words.

"And why do you like it?" she teased.

"I think you already know." He slowly walked toward her, glancing over his shoulder briefly to make sure they were alone. They were in the back corner of the store hidden between two shelves and the wall.

"Tell me," she coaxed as she played with one of the rings on her finger.

Y/N felt his mouth dry up immediately. His hands felt clammy and sweaty and his heart was pounding in his chest.

"Everything. I like every single little thing. I like the way you light up a room full of people. I like the way you come alive at the farmers' market. I like the way you throw Pietro across the room when he irritates you. The way you hum the same song to yourself when you write up reports, the way you're never afraid to speak your mind, the way you make me feel safe, how you help me to be vulnerable, how you never laugh when I cry at movies, how you hold me when I wake up with flashbacks, how you make me a better man, your kindness, your smile, your laugh. I like everything about you, Wanda. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you." His hands felt numb as he fumbled for the box in his pocket. His whole plan had gone out the window but he didn't care. He was doing this right here and right now. Wanda gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as Y/N dropped to one knee and pulled the velvet box from his pocket. "Wanda, will you marry me?" he asked as he opened the box.

Wanda froze for a second, absolutely gobsmacked by the sight in front of her. As she came back to her senses she began to nod enthusiastically. "Yes," she whispered as tears began to run down her face.

Y/N's legs were shaking as he stood up and removed the ring from the box. He had regained some feeling in his hands but he still worried that he would drop the ring. He reached for Wanda's hand. As he slid the ring on her finger it felt like time had completely stopped. The universe consisted of the two of them, hearts racing and breath shaking, in this infinite moment.

"It's beautiful," she breathed as she admired the sparkling emerald that was resting on the golden band.

Y/N rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand as he held it, making sure to caress its newest addition. "I'm glad you like it," he replied as he smiled down at her.

"I love it."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Wanda wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for a hug.

Y/N wrapped his arms tight around his fiancé not wanting to let her go. He buried his head in her hair as he nuzzled her neck. He was so unbelievably happy. The day had gone perfectly, well...almost perfectly. The romantic waterfront proposal was kaput. He hoped Nat wouldn't be too upset over all her hard work going down the drain.

Knowing it would cause Wanda to giggle, he wrapped his arms around her midsection, leaned back, and lifted her up off the ground. She laughed: it was the most glorious sound he'd ever heard.

"Oh god, we're getting married!" he realized aloud as he placed her back on the ground.

"Yeah," she blushed. "Yeah we are."

Y/N leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. He smiled into her lips, relishing in the ecstasy of the moment. As they broke apart, he saw the radiant smile beaming across her face. He leaned his forehead against hers as he grasped her waist.

"You know, Nat's gonna kill me for screwing up this plan we've been working on all week," he mumbled.

"So is that why everyone's been so weird all week?" Wanda asked, her eyebrows raised in feigned shock.

"Yeah," he admitted. "Nat and Yelena are setting up a picnic for us right now and that's where I was supposed to propose."

"Pietro-?"

"He found out last night. Yelena had him under penalty of death if he spoiled the surprise for you. Everyone knows, actually. I told Nat first. She drove me into the city to buy the ring last week. And we've been working out details since then."

"Well I was definitely surprised. And I'm glad you didn't ask me at a picnic...it would've been such a cliche," she said as she rolled her eyes.

"Since when do you care about cliches?"

"I don't. I just thought it sounded good." She reached up to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"That's my girl," Y/N sighed as he kissed her forehead. "But we should probably get back and-"

"Tell everyone?"

"Yeah."

*************************************************

The drive back to the compound was full of excitement. Wanda was giddy talking about what her dream wedding from her childhood looked like. Planning the wedding would take a fair amount of time and effort but they were having fun throwing 'what if' scenarios out there.

As they got out of the car and headed towards the Compound, Y/N noticed Pietro and Yelena peeking through one of the windows. Before he could blink Pietro was standing in front of them.

"Hey guys! How's it going?" Pietro was fumbling over his words.

"Good! Why?" Wanda decided to have a little fun with her brother.

"No reason. Well, I mean I thought you two were...y'know...after lunch...'" He was gesturing toward the river with his head and eyes.

"What?" Y/N asked, catching on to what Wanda was doing.

"You know..." Pietro leaned in close to whisper in Y/N's ear. "The plan."

"Plan? What plan?" He looked at Wanda, who shrugged. "No idea what you're talking about. We're gonna put away our food and then go for a walk."

Pietro had a dumbstruck look plastered on his face as Wanda and Y/N headed for the door. They were giggling as soon as their backs were turned to him.

"Wait! Don't go in there!" Pietro yelled as Wanda opened the door for Y/N.

"Too late!" Wanda yelled back as Y/N dashed inside.

The two were doubled over in laughter as they got into the elevator.

"Okay, he was acting a little weird back there, I'll give you that," Y/N relented after he managed to stop laughing.

Wanda shot him a look. "Told you so," she murmured.

When the doors opened, Y/N and Wanda were shocked to see Peter standing in front of them holding a bunch of balloons in one hand as he scrolled on his phone with the other.

"Wha-?" His jaw dropped. "You guys aren't supposed to be here yet!"

'What are you talking about?" Wanda asked.

Peter looked extremely uncomfortable as he struggled to string a coherent sentence together.

"PETER! WHERE ARE THOSE BALLOONS?" Natasha bellowed from the kitchen.

"What on earth?" Y/N wondered as he started walking toward the kitchen.

"Wait! Y/N you can't go in there yet we're not-"

Y/N turned the corner into the kitchen and saw a banner taped to the cabinets that read "CONGRATULATIONS Y/N AND WANDA!"

"Ready..." He weakly finished his sentence as Wanda pushed past him. "Oh man, I'm so in trouble now."

Wanda and Y/N looked at each other, the two of them thoroughly confused as to what was unfolding around them.

"About time you got here, I sent you to get those balloons like what, twenty mi-" Natasha stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Y/N and Wanda standing in front of her. "Umm, what's going on?" she asked.

"I think I could ask you the same thing," Y/N retorted as he looked around the room.

"It's just a..." Nat couldn't finish her sentence. The ring on Wanda's finger distracted her.

"Surprise!" Wanda grinned as she held her hand up to show off the engagement ring.

All chaos broke loose at that moment. Everyone was running up to congratulate Wanda and Y/N on their engagement. She proudly showed off her ring as everyone complimented Y/N on a job well done. Through the commotion Nat managed to pull Y/N aside to tell him that she'd been planning a surprise engagement party for them the whole time.

"If there's any couple that deserved an engagement party it would definitely be you two!" she explained.

They set out the contents of the picnic basket for everyone to enjoy while Tony went out to buy an absurd amount of champagne. The afternoon was spent toasting the happy couple, giving Y/N unsolicited marriage advice, and asking Wanda where she was going to buy her dress. It was the most normal the two had felt in a long time and they were relishing every second of it. The party went well into the evening when the booze finally ran out.

After the party fizzled out everyone headed their separate ways, Wanda and Y/N headed to the elevator at the end of the hallway. As the door shut after Wanda pushed the button to take them back up to their apartments, Y/N came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She shrieked at the unexpected contact and turned over her shoulder to look at him. He was resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Do you want to know why I asked you to marry me?" Y/N asked.

"Sure," Wanda giggled, placing her hands over his.

"Because your shoulder is the comfiest chin rest ever," he teased as he began swaying the two of them from side to side.

"That's exactly what every woman wants to hear," she groaned as she playfully swatted his hand. He squeezed her tighter in response.

"Don't ever leave me," he whispered as he tilted his head to fully rest it on her shoulder.

"I'm not planning on it, Hemingway." She turned her head to look at him.

"Good. Life's better when you're around."

Wanda couldn't help but smile.  

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