#than saying something like 'it's rough to be someone who cares about/identifies with women of color in this (read: every) fandom...

[aeide-thea]

seeing multiple ends of a discourse football on my dash, reblogged by good well-intentioned people who i respect and think highly of and whose values i'm pretty sure have a great deal of overlap, and just thinking abt a post i saw recently that i'm p sure is still wending its way thru my queue, abt tumblr/socmed discussions as border skirmishes intended to underscore division, rather than as consensus-building...

#this is not the discourse football in question but i'm also thinking again abt the yennefer discourse in witcher fandom #where like. there ended up being this really binary hardcore divide #between yennefer stans and ppl who had any reservations abt her #and if you belonged to the latter group you often got told it was Definitely You Being Racist #which just. then and now struck me as a much less helpful line of discussion #than saying something like 'it's rough to be someone who cares about/identifies with women of color in this (read: every) fandom... #...bc they get written off for being less than perfectly pleasant and compliant much more quickly than white male characters do' #'and while no one has to love yennefer‚ and there are reasons to find fault with her other than racism... #...it sucks that it's impossible to be a fan of hers and seek out content related to her without seeing people bashing her over and over' #'and maybe we as a fandom could brainstorm about how to create an environment that rubs a little less salt in people's wounds' #'because you don't have to be irredeemably racist to be perpetuating patterns that people have understandably been sensitized to' #'and presumably we'd all like to avoid wounding our fellow fans in those ways‚ rather than writing them off as oversensitive?' #like. that's a long-winded set of tags & i don't mean to‚ like‚ retroactively tone-police people who got too upset to frame things carefully #but i just do think like. things don't have to be Inarguably Inherently Bad to wound people who've seen similar patterns before #and ultimately it's worth saying‚ look‚ this feels different to me but i value you and your presence in my community and i want to listen #rather than being like 'i know i don't mean this the way you're saying i mean it‚ so i'm going to write you off as absurd & over-aggressive' #if you're serious abt building relationships and coalitions you have to actually hear people out about their perspective #and not just say 'your stance sounds ridiculous to me from my perspective‚ which i refuse to step outside of' #anyway these tags make this sound as though this is just abt Fandom which i don't actually think it is at all #just that that was an issue i could raise without getting into the specifics of the current football #but like. ultimately this is about valuing and respecting other people and being willing to hear them out and enter into their perspective #which is frankly fucking hard and i've failed at it plenty of times myself! #theory #interpersonal #also i guess #Fannish Ethical Concerns #given the tag spiral

[tungstenb]

I just wanted to say that your post about gender is 100% what I've been thinking for a long time, but I've never been able to verbalize it because of how it's such a touchy topic. I'm a very masculine of center lesbian and biological female who is constantly mistaken for a man and would probably be described as "butch" by most people, although that term doesn't sit right with me so I don't describe myself that way. I've thought for a while now that the non-binary identity is just shrinking the range of what is acceptable "woman" behavior and traits by encouraging anyone outside the feminine standard to think of themselves as not really women. But why can't being a woman include the entire range of human experience? When I was younger and insecure and got annoyed when someone would call my satchel bag a purse, I probably would have considered myself non-binary if that were as big a trend at the time. But now I can't imagine not considering myself a woman--it would feel like a betrayal. And at the same time, I never correct people who misgender me because it really doesn't matter what gender the guy bagging my groceries thinks I am. Anyway, I'm not going to say all my thoughts because, like I said, you nailed it. I hope you don't get too much backlash for being honest about your thoughts and experiences.

Thank you for sending this. I've actually been considering speaking out for... god... over a year now? But in the current climate, I think it's more important than ever for me to use my limited platform to provide an alternate viewpoint, even if I'm just one small voice. I don't have anything to lose except a handful of followers. (No graphic descriptions of how I should die... yet... but I did receive those when I spoke about my experience elsewhere.)

What really gets me is that our viewpoint is just, like, the bog-standard progressive normie viewpoint. And many who do loudly support everything trans-rights related haven't thought about it more than "be kind." When I pointed out the misogyny I recognized in my thinking, I got a little angry; it's hard not to. But that doesn't mean I think others' thinking is purposely malicious. They just haven't identified the logical fallacies in their thought processes and maybe don't care to---if gender is about feelings, why make it logical? I guess. But I personally couldn't go on without subjecting what I believed to some standard of rigor.

It's scary to think about what I may have gone through had I been born later: feeling like an "incorrect" woman is just a near-universal lesbian experience. Detransitioners---as well as trans people who are still unhappy, facing unexpected side effects from their procedures, and feeling more detached from their bodies than ever---are proof that there's something wrong with the standard of care. Transition may be for some people. It's definitely not for everyone.

I don't think it's always the most compassionate choice to blindly validate someone who's in a rough spot, and it's definitely not the answer to uncritically steer gender-nonconforming people toward medical transition. Why I'm considered hateful and told to die for pointing this out is beyond me. I am still trans by many people's definitions. My detrans experience is a trans experience, too.

But, yeah, same here---refusing to call myself a woman ultimately felt like a betrayal.

Thanks again for reaching out. It means a lot that my words reached someone. <3

#detrans

[hagencase31]

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[ayamturd]

bisexual│mcyt hc

warnings: small mentions of hate, fluff

prompt: (requested 1 & 2) “Hello uh I saw one of your posts about the dream smp reacting to you coming out so I was wondering if you haven't already done it can you do dream smp reacting to you coming out as bisexual?” 

“Hello yamturd so I was wondering if maybe you could do tubbo, Tommy and Ranboo reacting to reader coming out as bisexual or lesbian if you haven't already done it :)” 

pairings: irl platonic! dream, ranboo, tommy and tubbo ; c!technoblade

a/n: if i offend or misinterpret anything in this hc, please feel free to message and correct me otherwise. i will always try to correct or delete this post if asked so <33

sending my love to all those who identify as bisexual <33

wc: (1.5k) - m.list

dream - 

considering his prideful personality sometimes, you probably wanted to play with his ego and drop subtle hints

not anything too obvious, but enough to make him kick himself when he realizes

though it was admittedly difficult since he plays into the dnf ship so much that he thinks you’re also joking more than half the time 

imagine you two were in a voice call one evening and randomly discussing the recent fanon and what would be funny to turn into canon (to mess with the fandom)

you’ve been recently shipped with two other content creators, both of opposing female and male gender, separately and together

“Honestly, I wouldn’t mind hitting that.” “Which one?” “Both.”

He’d laugh, but you didn’t.

“Wait, you’re serious? You actually identify as…?” “Bisexual. Yeah, I’m pretty sure anyway.” “Y/n, that’s amazing.”

takes pride in the fact that you trust him, but would feign being upset that you messed with him for as long as you did

be jokingly offended if he found out someone knew before him

“Wait…” “Yes?” “You told Bad??” “Yeah, he was one of the first.” “W— Why??”

It was your turn to laugh while he gawked in disbelief.

“It’s Bad! Of course I told him.” “… Fair enough.”

hate is a given, and he’ll always be there to support and defend you

he’ll always ask your permission before taking any action, however, because he respects you too much and knows you can fight your own battles

dream is someone will show relentless support, whether that be through words or moral support, he’ll always be there for you 

c!technoblade - 

i honestly feel like you never officially came out to techno

as you began to recognize yourself as bisexual, you slowly expressed yourself around him more openly to the point where he unconsciously knew

it’d probably would have hit him in the most random moment after months of assuming he knew

imagine you’re in the midst of battle when techno paused entirely with wide eyes 

“Y/n!” “What!?” “Are you gay??”

you would tease him when discussing your love life in one-sided conversations with him; him basically choosing to ignore you when you talk to him

“Honestly, Techno, how could you not want to hit that?” “Please, just stop.”

(i’ve written this before but will stand by this that) he truly doesn’t care for your sexuality

you’re a friend, someone he trusts and relies on, he doesn’t need to consider who you’re attracted to since he sees you for your skills and friendship

the only, and only time he is mindful of your sexuality depends on others unnecessary comments about it

the smp is a known judgement free land, but there will always be someone with ignorant opinions that he is always quick to shut down (or kill)

nothing much can be said besides the fact that you’ll always be y/n to him: a loyal friend and someone he would fight the world for

ranboo - 

oh sweet ranboo, dear ranboo

considering how openly supportive and kind he naturally is, you didn’t question the idea of telling him

i’d like to imagine that unlike most where you planned or waited to tell, the moment you knew, he would know soon after

imagine you called him before he began his lore stream to hype him up

you both were talking about more mundane things to calm his nerves as people joined when you brought it up

“Oh actually, before you start, I wanted to tell you something.” “Sure, what is it?” “Well, I— I’m Bisexual.” “…You’re tELLING ME THIS WHEN I’M ABOUT TO START MY STREAM??” “Y/n! I’m so happy for you, that’s amazing!”

he’s incredibly patient concerning how you wanted others to know or when you were ready to be completely out

similar to c!techno with the same beliefs you’re still y/n, and nothing has changed besides you coming out as yourself

he’s your go to when days are rough, because he knows how to help you understand you’re still loved as the same y/n and nothing less

“Hey, hey, listen to me. I love you, y/n. We all do, and you’ll never be alone when things get rough, alright?” (love /p)

knows how to silently deal with hate in his chat unless it becomes evident enough to address it (doesn’t want to bring attention to meaningless words until it becomes serious)

ranboo’s your rock and makes show that he’ll never believe anything other than that you deserve love

tommyinnit - 

as someone who took pride in defending the LGBTQ+ community, you had no hesitation when coming out to tommy

if any, your reluctance would come from accepting yourself to the point to be open with other people

it’s not as if he didn’t accept you, he could never imagine doing so in the slightest, but he probably wouldn’t know what to say initially

imagine you both were in the midst of playing bedwars together in a recording for a video

he had been busy gathering emeralds while you remained at the base, and the comforting silence gave you the confidence to blindly address it

“Hey Tommy?” “What, y/n? I’m in the middle of something right now.” “Oh, um, I’m pretty sure I’m bisexual.” “…” “…Tommy?” “…” “T— Tommy?”

it’d be dead quiet for a few seconds before you heard the noise of him rustling in realization

“Wait wait wait, you’re serious? You’re bisexual?” “Haha yeah, yeah, I am.” “WHA—!”

he was happy for you, to say the least

tommy loves to joke, and one he loved to make would be your attraction to both genders

you like women? pog!

you like men? a shame, honestly

if you were publicly out, his favorite bit would be to include you in his obnoxious swooning

imagine he was streaming while talking about his love for women

“Boys, honestly, the ladies just can’t resist me.”

The ding of discord notified you entering the call, the sound of your laughter immediately coming through.

“I agree, Tommy, I definitely agree.” “Y/n! You are attracted to women, and I am also attracted to women. You can agree women are amazing, yes?” “I can, Tommy. Women are indeed amazing.” “Good lad!” “Tommy, you do realize I’m not only attracted to w—” “Shush, we don’t speak of that.”

he showed his support by normalizing your sexuality, his acceptance quick and easily integrated into your lives

(this is getting long but—) tommy was well aware he lacked some knowledge when being in the LGBTQ+ community, but openly voiced his ignorance as a sign of awareness itself

he was always quick to correct either himself or others, he refused to accept slander of any type in his streams

would probably try to keep it light heartedly, but scold nonetheless

tommy was your figurative cheerleader, always there to include and uplift you, whether that be through the smallest gestures or loudest cheers

tubbo - 

poor tubbo

since he wasn’t the most careful with secrets, you probably withheld telling him till you were ready for most to know

this isn’t to deter anything of not trusting him, he’s still supportive and loving tubbo that wouldn’t dare do anything purposeful against you

if anything, you might have forgotten that he didn’t know when you were casually taking about it within a group

imagine you and Ranboo were trying to get him to sleep one early morning but gave up

you started talking about personal stuff and the topic of your love life came up, specifically the attraction to someone of the same gender

“I don’t know, Ranboo, I mean, I think I like them but at the same time I’m not sure.” “That’s fai—” “Wait, y/n. You’re gay??” “Bisexual, actually.” “WaAA—”

his very sleep deprived state was extremely happy and emotional for you

he’s like the little duckling with a knife, like he loves you completely but will try to hurt anyone that offends you

like tommy, he has no personal knowledge when being in the LGBTQ+ community but will solely learn for your sake

whether you’re younger or not, tubbo never fails to remind you that he looks up to you

he gives his all and won’t hesitate to provide in any way he can if needed

“You matter,” he’ll always say, “you’re important and no one else’s opinion matter.”

is proud to be your friend and expresses his platonic love in full, for you’re you and are so brave to be yourself despite all

choosing not to tag my usual taglist just cause its a headcanon with a specific request <33 (huge ty to @basilly​ and @inniterhq​ though for the advice/motivation to finish this)

#mcyt x reader #mcyt x you #mcyt x y/n #mcyt headcanons #dreamwastaken x reader #dreamwastaken x you #dreamwastaken x gn!reader #dreamwastaken headcanon #technoblade x reader #technoblade x you #technoblade x gn!reader #technoblade headcanon #ranboo x reader #ranboo x you #ranboo x gn!reader #platonic!ranboo x reader #ranboo headcanon #tommyinnit x reader #tommyinnit x you #tommyinnit x y/n #tommyinnit x gn!reader #platonic!tommyinnit x reader #tommyinnit headcanon #tubbo x reader #tubbo x you #tubbo x gn!reader #tubbo underscore x reader #platonic!tubbo x reader #tubbo headcanon #mcyt headcanon fluff

[youngerdrgrey]

relax (this is private, too) // a Mary/Ryan oneshot

about: In a post-2x13 world, Mary welcomes Sophie to the Bat Team, and Sophie derails the conversation with an observation.

“It’s a tale as old as time. ‘Straight’ girl meets somebody that she just has to know, wants to spend all her time with her, starts wearing her clothes….” Sophie and Mary both look down at the color-block jacket that Mary’s wearing — Ryan’s color-block jacket. But Mary couldn’t possibly have a crush on Ryan… could she? + read on ao3

notes: Surprise! Truly, none probably more surprised than me. One moment I'm saying that I probably won't write for a bit, and the next I'm writing this because we really didn't talk enough about Mary saying, "Okay, that's kind of sexy" over the hot shot moment. (As a note, yes, platonic, intimate friendships between women are important. At this moment, though, let's run the tape back with Mary who is very confused.)

🦇

“Sit, sit, sit.” Mary leads Sophie through the loft to the living room. “You must have questions.”

Sophie does sit — on the chair this time, which leaves the couch open for Mary. It’s a slightly different seating arrangement than they had yesterday. There’s definitely a lot less attitude and tension here, but then again, it is only Mary and Sophie right now. Unless Ryan’s patrol goes poorly, but it probably won’t. Besides, Mary had texted Ryan about wanting some one-on-one time to suss Sophie out. Sophie’s a great person, but she might need to come around to Ryan wearing the suit.

Mary uncorks the wine bottle on the coffee table and gives a generous pour into the two stemless glasses. It’s a rosè, which is the perfect drink for a casual conversation. It’s light, airy, and has absolutely no chance of worms or poison in the bottom.

Sophie eyes her glass a moment before picking it up anyway. “Honestly?” She chuckles. “I have less questions now.”

“Really?” Mary settles back into the couch. “Because I won’t judge you if you do. It’s a lot to take in.” Mary’d wanted to rip the suit right off of Ryan the first time that she saw Ryan in it. Granted, at the time, they’d still been trying to find Kate, and a stranger was wearing Mary’s sister’s secret vigilante costume.

Sophie swirls her glass. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m still processing the Ryan Wilder of it all, but… well, it all makes sense now.” She leans forward, her elbows finding the tops of her knees as she pitches towards Mary. “Before last week, I couldn’t understand why Ryan was suddenly everywhere. Sure, she worked at the bar, but then you were roommates out of nowhere. You went from zero to….” Sophie snorts into her wine glass.

Mary laughs too, but she doesn’t quite get why. It’s like they’re playing Never Have I Ever all over again. “Zero to what? I want in on the joke.”

Sophie shakes her head though. Her eyebrows pull together like she’s still puzzling something. Then she gives in, and her voice still has a hint of that humor as she finishes, “Zero to U-haul.” Mary chokes on the air in her lungs. Sophie raises her glass in a silent toast. “So, the Batwoman thing — makes a lot more sense than you suddenly having a girlfriend.”

Mary’s cheeks flush. Leave it to the lesbian to assume Mary’s hiding her sexuality. “A secret girlfriend is much more your speed.” Wait, is that rude? “Uh, no offense.”

Sophie takes a swig of wine. “None taken. You’re right. So, tell me more about working with Ryan.”

Mary smiles. This, she can do. She could talk about Ryan for hours. “She’s amazing. I mean, you know, you’ve seen her. She totally fills out the suit. Like it suits her and not the other way around. You’d think that it wouldn’t, but she really makes it her own.”

“Right, with the wig.”

“With everything!” Mary drinks some more. “She really gets this city, you know? Everything we’re doing with the Center is all Ryan’s idea. She came up with the plan, and she has these rules that we follow as the Bat Team! No killing, no working with Crows — again, no offense. Er, well,” Mary tilts her head to the side, “some offense. You guys have an awful track record at this point.”

Sophie takes another drink. “So you tell me.”

“But we also do team building exercises. It’s mostly us playing Taboo, and Luke getting really tired of us. Ryan’s so great. It’s like we don’t even have to say anything to know what the other is thinking. And even though she’s the boss, and she’s the leader, it’s like we’re really working side by side to make Gotham the place we always wanted it to be. The Center’s only the start. She has ideas about upgraded transitional shelters for people experiencing homelessness, and expanding the clinic if we get enough resources. She listened to my whole pitch about what we would need to do it, and asked questions, and— what?”

Sophie’s staring at Mary. Staring hard, but soft at the same time.

Mary swipes a hand across her cheek. “Is something on my face?”

Sophie shakes her head. “No, it’s nothing.” She drinks again, but her brows stay furrowed.

“Sophie, come on. Whatever it is, you can tell me.” Maybe hearing about all the good that Ryan wants is too much for Sophie right now. Mary can wait. It’s not like she’ll run out of good stuff to say.

“It’s the way you talk about her,” Sophie says finally. That softness is there again. A gentle touch in her voice. “Between that and your ‘kinda sexy’ comment yesterday… I don’t know, Mary, it just sounds like you have a crush.”

“A crush?” Mary repeats. “On Ryan?” She scoffs. “Hate to break it to you, Sophie, but I am straight. Like so straight. Like—”

Sophie puts her hands up in a silent casual defense. She drops them a moment later. “You don’t have to convince me. I believe you.”

“Thank you!” Mary flops back into the couch. Her head bounces just a bit on the top of it. Her curls smush, and she sinks down so that the thought can hopefully follow it out of her head.

She knows what sexy is. She can identify that something could be attractive without actually being attracted to said thing. There are all the different types of attraction. She ran a course on gender and sexuality for the doctors and volunteers at her clinic to make sure that everyone was on the same page in how to properly treat people that the medical field did not always regard with respect. She would know if she had a crush on Ryan.

Wouldn’t she?

Sophie sets her wine onto the coffee table. “It’s a tale as old as time. ‘Straight’ girl meets somebody that she just has to know, wants to spend all her time with her, starts wearing her clothes….” Sophie and Mary both look down at the color-block jacket that Mary’s wearing — Ryan’s color-block jacket.

“Okay, but we live together,” Mary reasons. Roommates borrow each other’s clothes. It’s not like she’s taking her crush’s jacket so that she has an excuse to see Ryan again. She can see Ryan whenever she wants. She does see Ryan whenever she wants. She can’t even count the number of times she’s come back from an awful shift, walked into Ryan’s room, and flopped down onto the bed beside her.

Her bed’s not softer than Mary’s. Mary obviously cared a lot more about her rest than Kate did, so Mary’s mattress is a dream. But Ryan’s room smells like a dialed down greenhouse. It smells alive and hopeful and earthy in a way that instantly calms Mary down. And when Mary’s having a really rough day, Ryan will put a pillow in her lap and run her hands through Mary’s hair until she stops seeing whatever gruesome wounds that she’s spent the last few hours dealing with. That’s not a crush. That’s… comfort. Intimacy. A deep, deep starvation for physical touch after a lifetime of parental neglect.

Friends can be affectionate. Friends can want to be close to each other.

She wants to be close to Luke. And to Sophie! She would love to curl up next to Sophie right now. Though, the more that Mary thinks about curling up with Sophie, the more she recognizes that it wouldn’t be the same as cozying up to Ryan. Ryan’s basically her same size. She’s got this warmth that radiates from her cheeks and her chest, and she hums songs and asks Mary to guess which song it is. Mary’s awful at this game, by the way. She usually ends up giving up, or drifting off to sleep while Ryan’s clearly picking songs that Mary — as someone who did not grow up in a Black household — did not grow up with.

(The one time Mary used that as a defense, Ryan had pointed out that Ryan didn’t grow up in a Black household either. Ryan grew up in a mismatch of cultures and identities in group homes before Mama Cora found her in high school. They’d made up for lost time with plenty of Miss Anita Baker and all the classics that Ryan had missed out on. The rest of Ryan’s cultural education came from other Black students and friends who’d either clowned her for not knowing a reference, or rushed to show her what their parents told them. It hadn’t been as simple as a natural osmosis for Ryan to feel at home with some of the cultural references around her.)

(Mary had whispered that it wasn’t easy for her either. Not with her mom working all the time and the rest of her Korean-American family out of reach. “There weren’t many Korean people in Gotham.” An understatement, but Ryan had leaned down and pressed a kiss to the crown of Mary’s head to comfort her. Sadness Mary hadn’t even known was still there had welled up. Liquified into tears that slipped onto Ryan’s pillow.)

(“It was—” Her breath had caught in her throat. The tears smeared her vision, which was fine, since all she could see from this angle were Ryan’s plants by the window anyway. “It was so lonely sometimes. And my dad…. With Kate… And Alice….” She couldn’t finish a single sentence. All the tears turned to sobs, and the sobs turned into this soul-clenching pressure in her chest.)

(Ryan had curled around Mary then. An arm found its way under Mary’s knees and softly tugged her into a tighter ball in Ryan’s lap. Ryan rocked them, whispered again and again, “It’s okay. Let it out. I got you. I’m here, Mary. I’m here.”)

Mary gulps now. “Ryan is….” She’s Mary’s roommate. Mary’s best friend. She’s the one who got Mary through losing Kate and who welcomed Mary onto the Bat Team. She’s the first person Mary calls whenever anything happens and literally the only person Mary could entrust The Hold Up to. She’s Batwoman, and…. And Mary has no idea what she would do without Ryan at this point. But it’s not like Mary wants to kiss Ryan. Just look at Ryan.

Look at Ryan in those ridiculous flannel shirts. She has twelve. Not including jackets. And she’s a woman, which is not Mary’s type. Mary hasn’t been super successful with her previous type, but they definitely have certain characteristics that Ryan does not. They don’t walk around in fluffy robes that they bought to spite their ex-girlfriends, or wake up super early after a late shift to use the workout bike that Mary still has never actually tried riding. They don’t make Mary sweet potato pancakes and encourage her to try out cooking on her off nights for stress relief. They don’t make her feel like home. They don’t…. Shit.

The lowest groan that Mary has ever done in her life grumbles out of her.

Sophie pops her lips. “There it is.”

Mary squeezes her eyes shut. “You’re not right. I don’t — I can’t — it’s Ryan.” She can’t fall for her best friend! She doesn’t have a backup bestie. “Besides!” Mary pops up to tell Sophie, “I have never once wanted to kiss her.”

Sophie raises an eyebrow in the smoothest, most silent way to ask, Are you sure?

(Mary got them breakfast the next morning. She couldn’t do the sweet potato pancakes, but she knew the right cafe to get Ryan’s favorite vegan chorizo burrito. She got back just as Ryan was finishing up a shower and called out, “Breakfast!”)

(Steam followed Ryan out of her bedroom. The tips of her hair dripped softly onto her shirt, just above her chest, and Mary couldn’t stop glancing down at it. Normally, she would’ve been able to, but that morning…. Ryan snatched up her burrito and flopped down onto the couch. On the first bite, Ryan let out a soft moan that somehow carried straight over to Mary. Maybe Mary made the wrong food choice? If the burrito was that good, and Mary could feel it, then she needed some of what Ryan was having.)

(“You’re brilliant,” Ryan said. Then she locked eyes with Mary and gestured with her burrito. “Anyone who would ever leave you behind is a dumbass. Full offense to the entire Hamilton-Kane family.” Ryan dug in for another bite, and Mary’s heart swelled in her chest. She couldn’t even smile with how full she felt. How warm and safe and loved. God, she loved Ryan. She really, really could spend the rest of her life like this.)

(Ryan’s face scrunched up. “Stop looking at me like that. I don’t care how hungry you look. I’m not sharing.”)

(Mary faked an outraged gasp. She wasn’t even hungry. Not anymore, not really. Still, she threw herself onto the couch beside Ryan. “I paid for it! Give me a bite!” Ryan squirmed away, and Mary had to cling to the curve of Ryan’s back to try and reach for the good. “Come on! Ryan!”)

(If Ryan was a guy, this is when Mary would’ve kissed him. Would’ve peppered his head and his cheeks and his nose with kisses until he turned just enough for her to kiss his full lips and suck his tongue into her mouth. To lose every bit of resistance in the soft brush of her hands, and the gentle curls of Ryan’s hair beneath her fingers. Ryan’s teeth nipping at her bottom lip, then her neck, then—)

“Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!” Mary sinks even deeper into the couch. Then shoots up at the reminder of the memory of wanting to kiss Ryan on this exact freaking couch. She turns her wide eyes to Sophie. “What am I going to do?”

Sophie clicks her tongue. “Nope, I want nothing to do with that. Whatever happens there is between you and Ryan.”

“But what if….” Mary loses her words in a squeak. What if she doesn’t know what she wants to happen? What if she doesn’t want anything to happen? What if she’ll be totally fine, going about her business, continuing her life where she gets to occasionally cuddle up with her best friend in their apartment? Maybe she doesn’t need anything more than that. She’s made it this far, and she didn’t even know she had any sort of feelings, or attraction. She can keep on going now. She can be normal.

Not normal meaning straight, just normal meaning Mary’s normal state. Which was straight. Is straight?

Mary groans. “I hate my life.”

Sophie reaches for the wine bottle and fills Mary’s glass up to the brim. “Look on the bright side — at least you know who she is. No secret identities, or clandestine rendezvous. Unless you’re into that sort of thing.”

“I am apparently into a lot of things I didn’t know,” Mary mumbles.

Sophie sighs. “It’s not that different, and for you, maybe it’s not different at all. Maybe….” Sophie glances around the loft. Mary follows her eyes as they bounce from the wine to the hallway to the silly bat wall decals that Ryan got from Party City and put near the TV. Sophie nods her head, as she finds her words. “Ryan loves Halloween.”

“What?”

“Stick with me.” Sophie points to the bats, then the tiny plastic pumpkins from the checkout section of Target. “Ryan loves Halloween. She decorates the whole house around it because she loves it so much. But me, I grew up in a strict Christian household where Halloween was not what we did. We did Christmas. And you….”

Mary follows again. “We did a mix. Christmas and Hanukkah.”

Sophie winces. “Okay, a mix of holidays. You’re not strictly a one holiday kind of girl. And that’s fine.”

Mary glances back to the Halloween decorations. “So, in this metaphor—”

“It might be time to celebrate Halloween. Maybe you’ll love it. Maybe you’ll hate it. But it’s October now, so, get a costume, grab a pumpkin, and tell her how you feel.”

Okay. Mary can do that. Mary can totally do that. If she can handle Alice imploding her entire life in front of the whole world, then she can tell her roommate that she has a crush on her.

Maybe.

Someday.

When she’s ready.

“Can we, uh, work our way up to Halloween? I feel like I’m still hearing fireworks.”

Sophie grins at her. “Of course. We’ll go at your speed. And if you have any questions?”

Mary picks back up her wine glass and knocks back nearly half of it. “I’ll ask you. Or Parker. She’s incredibly knowledgeable for a teenager.” She probably wouldn’t use such convoluted metaphors either. It’s a win-win really. Great, last time Mary saw Parker, they were watching the lesbian drama; now Mary will be a part of it. Ugh. "I'm never living this down, am I?"

"Oh, absolutely not. Hey, Mary?" Sophie waits until Mary's turned her steadily narrowing gaze to her. "Never have I ever had a crush on Batwoman."

Mary flips Sophie off.

🦇

#mary hamilton #ryan wilder #mary x ryan #hamilbat #maryan #batwoman fic #mine #batwoman: s2 #batwoman: 213 #sophie moore #this was fun and then sad and then fun again. good times. #and they were roommates #and good night!

[yanderedbh-moved]

Kamski x F!Reader x Connor Polyship NSFW Alphabet

NSFW and yandere relationship below, please do not continue reading if this sort of content upsets you.

Word Count 3100

Requests are open, not just for DBH, I’m going to try and write for more fandoms in the future to prevent burn out, so you’re more than welcome to submit other fandoms if you wish! (As a matter of fact I’ve been on a MASSIVE Disney characters/villains kick right now... just saying...)

Donations are always welcome.

Link the similar N/S/F/W alphabet I made for a Connor x F! Reader x Kamski Polyship

Aftercare, are they very doting after sex?

Considering how Kamski is hardly the type of person to extend much sympathy or compassion to you without some kind of ulterior motive. Your expectations for him helping to soothe you after intimacy were low. This is not true, however, but perhaps not for the most wholesome of reasons. See, Kamski loves you in a rather objectifying way, as in you are one of his possessions, and he prides himself on taking excellent care of his belongings, you and Connor both. After sex, Kamski would help to clean you up, get you freshwater, a pain killer, some tea, anything you request to soothe you. He’s more than happy to oblige you with.

Predictably, Connor can’t help but wear his heart on his sleeve when he’s isolated with his lovers. Connor too, would want to help and get you cleaned up, but he would also be at your side, whispering sweet words in your ear, soft praises, and helping to put your mind at ease.

Body Part, their favorite body part of either their own body or yours

Kamski, like any craftsman, is rather proud of his strong hands, and by extension, the hands are always a feature Kamski can’t help but feel drawn to. Kamski can be a rather touchy-feely kind of person as well, so even if the two of you aren’t being sexually active at the moment, it’s tough for him to resist running his hands along your body and feeling your flesh against his. 

Connor and Kamski do share an affinity for the neck. Something about the thin flesh, your throbbing pulse, the body heat, it’s all so alluring to the men. Because of this, it’s nearly a constant guarantee your neck will be covered in bruises and bite marks while in their possession. While it may be a shame to tarnish such a lovely part of you, it will heal in time, and it’s only a matter of time before you’re ready for another fresh batch of scars and marks to cover your neck, collarbones, and chest.

Cum

There’s no one answer when it comes to Kamski. If he’s putting on a show, as in is taking you while he’s recording. (Whether you’re privy to this information or not) If he’s going down on you and another Chloe or two? In cases like these, Kamski loves to make a mess, leave you sticky. In private, it’s another story. The man is most meticulous with the cleanup.

Connor pretty exclusively prefers to cum inside you and wouldn’t really feel comfortable covering you in his seed, making a mess all over Kamski’s nice sheets. Your body is already so lovely in its naked form. Why would he feel the need to cover you up anymore?

Dirty secret

Kamski loves to record you during sex without your knowledge. Not just from Connor’s perspective, either. He likely has at least a few cameras set up to capture the moment at different angles. He imagines on a dull day leaking the footage of you like this, just to see how you’ll react. 

Connor finds the idea of you suffering from a complete and total mind break very attractive. The concept of a human, the one who he loves more than any other becoming nothing more than a braindead, submissive, obedient little toy for the deviant and his master to control. Another of Connor’s nastier tactics around you is isolation. Even though he does his best to appear the sweeter, more loving of the two, Connor punishes you by locking you away in the dark with no one to socialize with. To leave you so utterly depraved that you're practically crawling back to him, begging for forgiveness.

Experience

In a sense, both Kamski and Connor likely had little experience with human women before this relationship. Kamski occupying any physical needs of his own with the Chloes and Connor, never having a desire to pursue anyone before deviancy. However, Kamski isn’t the demure, shy type, and even if he may not have the most experience with a human lover, he’s been waiting and practicing for this moment.

Favorite Position

Considering how easy it is for Kamski to get in on some group action, it’s unlikely Kamski would simply identify as either a top or a bottom. He prefers more than one partner at a time. He wants to feel and experience sensations on more than one feeling all around him and is generally a more switch-type partner himself.

Connor, while still discovering more about sex and his own sexuality, generally prefers to face you during sex but is more than happy to obey orders and comply with whoever happens to be dominant in the situation. What Connor does know is he wants to touch and see you in all your beauty as much as possible.

Goofy, are they goofy or serious during sex?

Kamski really isn’t the kind of partner who would mess around too much before or even really during sex. He’s really such a slow and sensual type, the type of person trying to really commit to setting a mood.

Connor is less picky about this, however, if he senses one of his partners is really trying to set the mood seriously. He wouldn’t want to be disrespectful and ruin that. Though, if he feels you’re getting a little too intimidated by Kamski, he might try to “break character” and comfort you, promise you everything will be alright.

Hair, how well-groomed are they?

Kamski, who lived as a bachelor before he started this relationship, likely would’ve kept himself well-groomed “just in case.” He wants to sell people on his image of the perfect, polished, and well put together protégé. Leaving no detail unaccounted for. He, too, holds a preference for other people to be well-groomed. It’s a useful short handed way to show him you’re doing your best to be presentable, clean, and worthy of him. Connor, on the other hand, is nowhere near as strict as his partner is. However, he’d likely be more inclined to try different things or change details of his appearance if his partner were to request so.

Intimacy, Are they romantic in the moment?

It depends, with Kamski, but as for Connor, he feels most aroused and most in the mood for intimacy when he knows he’s the one giving you pleasure or when you’re the one yearning for him. Because of that, Connor is easily more inclined to take things relatively slow, communicate, whatever it is he thinks would work the best between the two of you. 

As for Kamski, he’s a bit tougher to read. Even as a yandere, and even if he is madly in love, he doesn’t ever wear his heart on his sleeve and is seldom easy to read. He likes to keep the tension high during sex and have your full attention on him, so imagine he’s more the type to shock you with a little rough play, draw blood or leave you needy and desperate after edging. 

Jack off, masturbation headcanon

Kamski is known for working long hours into the night or pulling allnighters in the name of productivity, and because of that, he feels no shame in relieving a little tension during breaks between projects. Even though he could use any android he desired to do the work for him, Kamski likes to watch the recordings he has of you having sex without you knowing you’re being recorded. Kamski is likely the type to flip flop between voyeurism and exhibitionism frequently.

Connor actually jacks off more than expected. As someone new and just coming into his own sexuality, he is still a little timid and self-conscience about some things and finds masturbation a more discrete way to explore and try out new kinks he’s curious about. 

Kink, one or more of their kinks

As mentioned above for Kamski, he flops back and forth between enjoying being watched and watching others without their knowledge. However, he also has an intense praise kink.

As of right now, Connor still falls into the “is willing to try anything once” in terms of most kinks. However, what he has noticed is the way he feels his arousal spike whenever your eyes widen and fill with fear. The way he can practically feel your adrenaline spiking is delicious to him and makes his feel so powerful and domination over you.

Location, their favorite place to get dirty

Neither would want to take you just anywhere, so the two would both likely agree the best place for intimacy is in the bedroom. However, Kamski likes to take you out to the pool and tease you while you’re in a skimpy bathing suit. Teasing you by undoing your top and brushing up against the bare skin of your flesh, pulling you onto his lap, that sort of thing.

Motivation, what are some big turn-ons for them?

Obedience! Not to say they don’t see the appeal in a bratty partner. However, compliance, weather forced or not, is just so pleasing. Connor loves explicitly when you’re begging for him specifically, as it really boosts his ego as a newly deviated machine. While Kamski, on the other hand, finds nothing hotter than watching you be taken by Connor, as well as maybe a Chloe. Both humans and machines under his complete control.

No, something they’re unwilling to do

Kamski is not ready to be a father. Pregnancy is strictly off the table. He might’ve suffered from a rougher childhood than one might expect, and because of that, he finds himself very taken back and almost scared around children. He doesn’t like the idea of you ever using the child against him, either. (Imagine if you were to ever threaten to leave with the child. He knows he wouldn’t be able to remain in control if you were to do this.)

As for Connor, he wouldn’t want to share you with another lover outside of the household. (It took him a while to come around to trusting the Chloes with you, but little by little found himself opening up to them.) He is also very turned on by the fact he stole you away from your past life and your old lover. As far as he’s concerned, your old life with others is over now.

Oral, preference in giving vs. receiving, skill level, etc.

Kamski and Connor both definitely prefer receiving. However, Connor wants to make sure you’re enjoying yourself as well, and Kamski would like you to know what a capable lover he really is. 

Pace, are they fast, slow, rough, gentle, etc.?

Both prefer to keep the pace slower, whether this is between just two people or several different parties are involved. Though while Kamski may take his time with things, that doesn’t always mean he’ll treat you gently, and if you test him, Kamski won’t hesitate to lash out and teach you just what happens when you try and disobey your master. 

Connor certainly has the potential to get just as rough but prefers to not use physical force unless he really has to. It’s a subtle power play against Kamski actually because he knows, even if the two of them are keeping you here against your will, if Connor treats you gentler out of the two of them, you’ll subconsciously warm up to him more, and maybe even start to genuinely start to trust in him. 

Risk, are they willing to experiment?

Absolutely! Kamski loves to mix things up with the three of you to keep you guessing and unsure how to behave around them, and loves to analyze the reactions you give and learn even more about you. While Connor is just as happy to be the one to shyly ask you to try something new out on him, as well as to plot against you with Kamski. Both are equally rewarding for him, making him all the more difficult to read.

Stamina, how many rounds can they go?

Typically speaking, Kamski isn’t the type to limit himself to just one round. However, if you’re clearly exhausted or don’t appear to mentally focus yourself entirely on the sex, he finds himself far less inclined to continue. And he might even show you a rare moment of tenderness, snuggling your body up against his and making sure you’re soundly asleep before leaving the bed. 

Connor is somewhat similar to Kamski here. He tries his hardest to be very in tune and aware of his partners’ needs, and because of that, can pick up on any chances of going another round with you, or if he should dial things back a little and let you regain your strength and let you sleep, rather than to push you too far.

Toys, Do they own any toys, or are they averse to this?

It really goes without saying, but if there’s one thing Kamski and Connor are in firm agreement on, it’s being very in favor of the idea of using toys. While Connor isn’t too interested in porn outside of the bedroom, he might, out of curiosity, of course, watch and research to see what he can learn and try out on you and Kamski later. 

Neither would feel much shame about this either, considering they are both relatively secular men in their own right. They see nothing wrong with the idea of enjoying some more perverse technology to test out on you. While this is a massive turn on for the two, it’s also important to know, if they really were testing out some new gadget on you, Connor would urge you to use a safe word, just in case something went wrong.

Unfair, are they likely to tease?

It really goes without saying. However, Kamski is very much the type of person who would tease his partner. Both before and during sex. Even if he does prefer to keep a slow and sensual mood during intimacy, that doesn’t mean he won’t edge, tease or deny you to help get you extra worked up and needy for him. 

Connor is far, far less likely to act this way. However, if he’s being guided by Kamski, then he wouldn’t hesitate to obey his master and force you to service both men all night long without returning the favor. However, he’s much easier to convince to go easy on you, even if he may enjoy watching you struggle much more than he would confess.

Volume, how loud are they?

Kamski not only isn’t too loud himself, but he also has little interest in loud partners. He finds little pleasure in the idea of you screaming or overemphasizing your natural reactions. What Kamski loves most is the shyer, hesitant reactions he can work from you and Connor. 

Connor prefers to listen to his partner and hear what they sound like rather than drown them out with his own volume. Also, he might think it’s merely proper or more natural for the male partner to be so quiet, considering he’s been studying Kamski as a mentor. 

Wildcard, any random headcanon

Kamski, the mastermind, even though he cares deeply for Connor, wouldn’t hesitate to put him in danger as a means to get to you. Imagine a scenario where Connor was left to watch over you while he was away, and Kamski learns Connor let you out of the house while he was gone. Kamski wouldn’t hesitate to hurt the android as a means to get to you. Even if both men terrified you, Connor was by far the lesser evil here, and knowing that because you left the house, now Connor is hurt would really guilt you into becoming far more compliant with Kamski in the future.

X-ray, what’s going on under those clothes?

Kamski prefers to keep both his lovers and himself in high quality, practically tailor-made undergarments. It’s not that he thinks you need to be all dressed up to be beautiful, but rather, it’s the control he truly loves. The way he can order you around, as though he programmed you himself.

Connor is more than happy to obey here. He prefers to keep himself a perfect, loving image of his creator, considering it an honor to wear such comfortable, lovely garments. While Kamski isn’t too interested in seeing you wear his clothing around the house, he loves it when you wear Connor’s jacket, or if you were to let the Chloes style you.

Yearning, do they have a high sex drive?

Kamski is, to his core, a secular man. He’s never been the type to deny or to downplay the desires of his flesh, and as someone who sees himself as something of a god-like figure in this world, it’s only fair that he indulges in all the most refined pleasures life has to offer. And by extension, he likely sees Connor as something of a disciple to him and would want to show the fledgling deviant all the benefits of indulging in human desire.

Connor, as a new deviant, can’t help but be at the mercy of his own irrational desires. While he is allowed far more freedom to come and go and live an independent life than you have, he would never want to search out another partner sexually. Even if Kamski were to suggest matching Connor with his own personal Chloe, it’s unlikely Connor would feel the same intensity and attraction he feels with you two.

Zzzz, how fast will they fall asleep after sex?

Given his admirable work ethic, Kamski is something of an insomniac. He is no stranger to pulling allnighters, pushing past drowsiness in the name of progress. Because of this, he’s not too skilled at lulling himself to sleep. It’s possible either to see curling up with another warm body helpful to relax Kamski and is just the trick to help him drift off. Alternatively, he might just not be much of a sound sleeper, and even if you and Connor are curled up at his sides, Kamski will be tossing and turning well into the night.

Connor likely would want to stay awake for a little while after sex. He enjoys the way your warm body still clings to his body. Even in slumber, he treasures the way your sleeping body is so precious and tranquil, something for only him to enjoy.

(also, the talented people over at @detroitbecomeyandere have a lot of Somnophilia content featuring Connor. If you’re interested, give them a follow. They deserve it)

#my post #sfw #yandere detroit become human #yandere detroit become human x reader #yandere dbh #yandere oneshot #yandere imagines #yandere lemon #exophilia #robot love #yandere connor #yandere kamski #yandere villian #villian x reader #dbh #dbh x reader #dbh imagine #dbh oneshot #rarepair #yandere #dbh connor #connor x reader #connor rk800 #elijah kamski #kamski x reader

[sisterssafespace]

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

recently i’ve been struggling a lot. i was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and bpd not too long ago now. but, i have been struggling so much with bearing it all? i haven’t told my family anything as i’ve told a few close friends. so, i cannot blame my family for the fact i’m very emotionally volatile. even though, i know i’m struggling i keep pushing people away & maybe it’s the embarrassment? the shame? that my anxiety attacks are coming back & they’re more frequent, more painful & so much easier to trigger now. i feel like i have this huge secret that i’m carrying around & it fills me with shame. i know mental health isn’t something to be ashamed of but, in a way i’m the one in my family who can do it all? so, the fact i’m struggling so much that i cry in my room a lot of the time whilst they all are chatting away fills me with sadness? i’ve never been close to my family so, it’s been this way for a long time. i’m very independent but to a fault even when i need help i won’t reach out to anyone. i know i have Allāh swt who will help me through anything & everything. but, i don’t know i feel overwhelmed i feel horrible every moment i’m alone my eyes tear up and i begin to cry because i’m hurting so much. sometimes the world feels so unbearable like i cannot go on any longer but then i remember [2:286]. sometimes, i feel as though i’m not cut of for this world it brings me so much pain & suffering. do not me wrong, i am blessed with so much but in my heart there is a lot of sadness & pain. i feel so weak the days are passing by & with each other my resolve to carry on gets weaker too. i have been referred to therapy & to take some medication but i have no time to go i have no will power to get up & seek treatment. it feels like i’m watching myself slowly wither away with each passing day. i try to make dhikr to distract myself but i end up having an anxiety attack because all i can think about is how i’m a bad muslim. that Allāh swt loves me so much He is putting me through these battles to strengthen me but, i cannot even handle them. i honestly see myself wishing that i could just disappear sometimes. - 🌊

بسم الله الرحمان الرحيم،

قال الله تعالى في سورة القصص :

وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمِّ مُوسَىٰ أَنْ أَرْضِعِيهِ ۖ فَإِذَا خِفْتِ عَلَيْهِ فَأَلْقِيهِ فِي الْيَمِّ وَلَا تَخَافِي وَلَا تَحْزَنِي ۖ إِنَّا رَادُّوهُ إِلَيْكِ وَجَاعِلُوهُ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ

We revealed this to Moses' mother: 'Suckle him, but when you fear for him cast him into the water. Neither fear, nor sorrow because We shall restore him to you and make him among the Messengers.'

[ Qur'an 28:7 ]

و عليكم السلام و رحمة الله و بركاته 🌸

My dear sister, I started my answer with an ayah about one of my favorite stories in the Quran that is the story of how Musa (as)'s mother had to let him go as a newborn and throw him into the river (to save his life) because Allah swt told her (inspired her to do) so. This story is also mentioned in surat Ta Ha (20) - the surah that I love to call my anti-anxiety pill - but I chose this ayah from surat Al-Qasas for the precise words that Allah swt orders to Musa's mother :

ولا تخافي و لا تحزني | Do not fear nor sorrow (grieve)

The grammatical structure for these phrases is : Prohibition "النهي" which means that Allah swt orders you against doing that thing, it is not a request, it is not a piece of advice, it is actually stronger than that. It is prohibited that you give into your fear (i.e. anxiety) or fall into sorrow, saddness (i.e. depression). The same structure is used when Allah swt spoke to sayyidah Maryam (Mary as), when she was in labor and she was all alone, scared, confused, in pain, she even wished for death,

فَنَادَاهَا مِنْ تَحْتِهَا أَلَّا تَحْزَنِي

But (a voice) cried to her from beneath the (palm-tree): "Grieve not!"

[Quran 19:24]

I personally support and adapt the tafaseer that explain this as that Allah swt loves, appreciates and cares for the women and the girls of the believers so much that He swt prohibits them to feel sad or anxious. - But we will get back to this later in the answer, in shaa Allah.

Now let's go back to the beginning. I have 3 main ideas, let me bullet them not to forget anything:

1) The diagnosis: You said, my beautiful sister, that you were diagnosed not too long ago, with 3 mental health issues. So I take it a shrink/ psychiatrist diagnosed you. And then what? it is not enough to have a diagnosis, what is more important is to have a plan, i.e. therapy. It is important to identify the issue but it is more important to figure out how to deal with that issue. Sis, you need professional help. That ache in your heart and those worries, those thoughts in your mind they won't just disappear on their own. You need therapy. 🥺🥺. Which brings me to point number 2:

2) Asking for help: There is a story that I heard somewhere, a long time ago, but is so iconic that it stayed with me. One time this man's boat drowned. And he was fighting for his life in the middle of the ocean, and he asked God to save him, after a while a boat passed by and stopped for him, they wanted to rescue him but he said " no I don't need you, I have God, He will save me", so the boat moved on. And the man made duāa again and asked God to rescue him. After another while, another boat approach him, and they wanted to rescue him. Again, he declined and said " I have God, He will save me " so they went away. Eventually, the man got tired and couldn't do it anymore. He drowned. After he died, he asked God why didn't you save me? I was waiting for you to rescue you me.. and God said " who do you think was sending you the boats? " ..

Why am I telling you this story? I feel like you are doing the same as this man.

Sometimes people are a means that Allah swt puts in our way to save us! Yes, you are being all toughened up and 'strong' by trying to retrieve from people - even your own family - and not bother anyone with your issues, but you are actually doing more damage and more harm to yourself and to your loved ones this way. No good ever comes from passively sitting in a corner and isolating ourselves in our pain and suffering, especially to us girls, we are very social creatures who thrive and heal with compassionate, empathy, sharing, co-dependence (not in a negative sense), and solidarity. Half of the problem goes away just by talking about it. We immediately feel so much lighter after we have a good talk/ crying session with someone we love. By isolating yourself and drowning in your misery, you are going against your nature and that only amplifies your pain 💔🥺 So I am begging you, to take a step towards your support system, be it family, a cousin, friends, a teacher, a therapist.. you need help and you can't do this alone. Asking another human being to be there for you never means you trust Allah swt less or that Allah swt is not enough for you! On the contrary, maybe that person is fulfilling a purpose for the sake of Allah swt by being there for you. Allah swt has created us this way, there is no shame in asking for help I promise.

⚠️ ALSO OMG HIGHLY IMPORTANT THERE IS NO SHAME IN HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES I CAN'T EVEN BELIEVE I HAVE TO SAY THIS!

I don't know how much we have to deconstruct, how many walls we have to break down to set ourselves free from all the negative feelings that culture and the patriarchy installed in us since a very tender age, like shame, guilt, self-loathing.. it is A LOT, but we have to. There is no other way around it to free ourselves. And one last thing, my sweet sweet sweet sister, even if you think you can do it all, you can keep it all inside and put on a brave face and go on about your day while there is a battlefield in your head and a fire burning in your heart, you don't have to. Have mercy on yourself. Allah swt would never approve of this, you putting yourself through so much pain by refusing to seek help. And you wonder why your anxiety attacks are back! 💔🥺 which brings me to point 3:

3) Anxiety attacks: Are you sure they are anxiety attacks not panic attacks? How do you identify them? What are your symptoms? And how do you deal with them? How do you cope? See, beautiful sister, this is very very serious! You can't keep going like this and think " oh Allah swt is putting me thru this to make me stronger. " Umm actually, no, Allah swt is not putting you through this. He gave you this at the beginning yes, but He showed you the way, and you stubbornly refused! So now, you are putting yourself through this, my dear, and you do not deserve it!

Please do not take this with a rough note, I am using a very very soft tone, I promise. And also, lots of hugs and caresses 🥺❤️

I want you to promise me that you are going to consider my words, and seriously think of asking for help. For the sake of Allah, for the sake of yourself and your sanity. Remember, you do not own yourself, you do not own your soul, you do not own your body. It is all an amanah that we are responsible for keeping safe and sane until we return to Allah swt, and we are going to be held accountable for what we did with it. Allahu al'mustaān.

Looking forward to getting your updates!

May Allah swt sooth your pain and give you thr courage you need to ask for help. Ameen.

Fi Aman Allah.

- A. Z. 🍃

#sisterssafespace #tw depression #tw anxiety #mention of bpd #mental health

[intellectualites]

Fierce Ex-wife: President, Please Be Careful - Chapter 1 - BoxNovel

Chapter 1: Two Shots to Kill (1)Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy TranslationWhile the sun set, the sea’s surface glistened in its light, and the last rays of the sun shone out over the water. A second later, darkness covered the Earth like a black, airtight net.The jetty in City S was known as the biggest trade port in Country Z. At this time, the lamps there were all lit. The dim lights flickered throughout the empty jetty and gave off a slightly luxurious atmosphere.Right then, a team of people was sneaking under the eaves of a warehouse that was not far from the jetty. They glanced around while they prepared to face any sudden movement.“Sister Lin, it’s so dark here. Will people really come over here? We’re not coming over for nothing like the last time, right?” Little Mu Chen, who was fair and immaculate, was right behind the leader. He glanced around while he inquired and gasped.The person who stood near him heard what he said, and she stopped for a moment. She spun the gun in her hand with agility before she knocked Mu Chen on the head. It gave Mu Chen so much pain that he grimaced. It hurt to the point that he wanted to scream, but he was afraid of alerting the enemies, so he could only take sharp breaths.“Sister Lin, be gentle!”Zhao Youlin raised her finger and grabbed the gun’s handle with her hand. “Coming over for nothing? If the news this time turns out to be fake again and they make us work for nothing, I’ll kill the intelligence team when I get back!” she said with the ghost of a smile.Mu Chen touched his head and observed Zhao Youlin’s murderous aura, which had practically materialized at this point. He immediately shuddered in fear before he forced a smile. He then flatteringly said, “That’s right. The intelligence team contributes nothing. Every time, they just give us fake news. It’s time to teach them a lesson, or else, they’ll think that they can… bully us easily…”Before Mu Chen finished speaking, he became so terrified by Zhao Youlin’s cold gaze that he had to stop. He looked flustered as he covered his mouth and made a gesture of zipping up his lips like he was currying favor.Zhao Youlin laughed from amusement at his hilarious move. She used her free, gunless hand to slap him on the head. “Why are you harping on in a place you shouldn’t? If I had known, I wouldn’t have brought you along. All right, stop talking. If you keep nagging, I’ll kill you no matter what happens to the intelligence team.”Mu Chen instantly slumped down. He held his hurting head and muttered, “Can you not slap my head all the time? I’m not very clever, but if you keep slapping me on the head, what will happen if nobody wants me?”Zhao Youlin burst out laughing. She reached out to rub the head of her junior who was a few years younger than her and complimented him, “You’re quite aware of your abilities. It’s okay, you’re hopelessly stupid, so I just knocked your head to make you smarter.”Mu Chen was speechless. Why did it feel like she was saying, “You’re so ugly, so I beat you up as a way to give you cosmetic surgery?”‘Sister Lin, can we still have fun together?’While the two of them whispered, they suddenly heard some noise in the distance. Zhao Youlin immediately looked stunned, and she signaled Mu Chen by placing a hand on her lips, telling him to be silent. She pressed her body against the cover provided by the warehouse while she observed what was ahead.In a short while, a few large vans slowly approached from afar. After they sounded their honks in front of the warehouse, the door of the warehouse was slowly opened to let the vans in. It was as if they had been prepared for it a long time ago.Zhao Youlin watched the door of the warehouse close and looked around. She studied the glass window on top of her head. Then, she raised her hand and waved it at the team behind her. She was the first to jump up, and she easily climbed onto the window. She moved inside before the team of people followed suit. Chapter 2: Two Shots to Kill (2)Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy

TranslationThe lights inside the warehouse had not been switched on. It was completely pitch-black, and literally nothing could be clearly seen. They could only rely on the dim moonlight that snuck in through the window to make out their bearings.“Where are Captain Li and the others?” Zhao Youlin asked in a low voice as she leaned on a large square stone pillar.The police officer beside her replied in a low voice, “Captain Li and the others are at our two o’clock. They’re waiting in front of the warehouse and are ready to provide assistance at any moment.”Zhao Youlin nodded. She gripped the gun in her hands tightly and glanced at the silent warehouse. Furrowing her brows, she came to a decision. “Split into two teams. One team will come with me, while the other team will go with Mu Chen. Flank the enemy, but be careful not to alert them.”The dozen people behind her automatically split into two teams upon hearing Zhao Youlin’s words. They followed both Zhao Youlin and Mu Chen from two different directions. Then, they approached the vans that had just been driven into the warehouse and surrounded them.They snuck into the vans agilely, only to find nobody inside. Even the drivers’ seats were empty. The spaces behind the drivers’ seats were also empty.Zhao Youlin frowned. She had a bad feeling. Before she even had time to ruminate, she reacted abruptly based on the intuition she had cultivated over her years of experience in the face of danger. She instantly rolled over to one side on the ground.At the same time, a few bullets struck the car seats. The sound of the shots along with the startled cries of her teammates who were being gunned down echoed in the warehouse.Zhao Youlin turned her head and looked at the spot she had been crouching at earlier. There were two wisps of white smoke that had yet to dissipate. It was not hard to imagine what would have happened if she had reacted a little slower just now.With that in mind, Zhao Youlin’s face darkened. She gritted her teeth and cursed in a low voice, “Darn it! We were set up.” The vans were empty, the inside of the warehouse was pitch-black, and snipers were lying in wait to ambush them. Obviously, everything had already been planned out beforehand. She had truly fallen into someone’s trap this time.With her ears still ringing from the gunshots, Zhao Youlin tried to identify the direction in which the bullets were coming from. She took advantage of the cover provided by the van and shot at the dark corners several times. Just as she expected, she heard people grunting and bodies hitting the ground.After hitting a few people consecutively, Zhao Youlin returned to take cover under the van again. She reloaded her gun swiftly and slowly moved toward a dark figure not far away; he was also shooting at the corner.“Sister Lin, are you all right?” Mu Chen was delighted when he saw Zhao Youlin. He inquired about her condition with a gun in his hands.“I’m fine. What about you? How are the others doing?”“I’m fine too. A few people have been… A few of them are injured.”1Zhao Youlin’s face darkened, and she said, “Hold on a while longer. Once the second team hears the gunshots, they will surely rush over here at once.”After she said this, Mu Chen instantly replied with a bitter smile, “Sister Lin, although what you say is true…”Zhao Youlin froze. She gazed past Mu Chen and saw empty magazines scattered on the ground. He had emptied the magazine in his gun one second ago.Zhao Youlin gave Mu Chen a look, and her eyes sparkled. Suddenly, she took out the remaining two loaded magazines from her waist and stuffed them into Mu Chen’s hands.Mu Chen was shocked. He widened his eyes and looked at Zhao Youlin in disbelief. “Sister Lin, you—”“Enough with the nonsense. Just hold on. I’ll manage. You mustn’t die.” Zhao Youlin interrupted him impatiently. Immediately after, she darted into the empty space above her. Her gaze was cold and she fired at the dark corners a few more times. As she rolled her body on the ground, she evaded some more shots from the other side. Then, she stomped on the

ground and seized the chance to pounce at the dark corner closest to her. Chapter 3: Two Shots to Kill (3)Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy TranslationThe enemy at the corner struck the ground with a thud, and Zhao Youlin quickly took his spot. She threw her gun away after firing the final bullet. While Zhao Youlin reached out to pick up the gun of the unlucky man whom she had killed, suddenly, a cold and hard object touched her forehead. It made her shudder in fear, and she totally froze.“Don’t move, or I’ll blow your brains out.” When she heard a rough male voice, the lights in the warehouse lit up almost a second later.It allowed Zhao Youlin to see the person standing in front of her. It was a tall man who appeared as rugged as he sounded.When the man saw Zhao Youlin’s face clearly, he was also stunned for a while. He whistled and teased her. “I didn’t know it was a woman. Buddies, come out and take a look. Are all policemen extinct? They’re sending women now.”“Sister Lin…” Mu Chen hid in the corner when he saw that Zhao Youlin had been caught, and his expression changed slightly. He wanted to do something, but he realized that he was once more out of bullets. He threw the gun on the ground in annoyance and gritted his teeth. He was so anxious that his eyes turned red.A gun had been placed against Zhao Youlin’s forehead. She calmly stared at the men who walked out from behind the pillars one by one, and she looked around as if she was coming up with a plan.“Brother Pao, this woman looks pretty good. Why don’t a few of us… Hehe…” When the men walked closer, they saw Zhao Youlin’s face and could not help but whistle. Their eyes were filled with desire, and they wanted to reach out to touch her face.Right then, the sound of several gunshots was heard again. The man who had wanted to reach out to touch Zhao Youlin was shot in the head. A few of his companions also encountered the same fate at the same time. The situation was instantly reversed.The man who was pointing a gun at Zhao Youlin saw this and was terrified. He raised his head in an attempt to look for the person who had fired the shot. Meanwhile, Zhao Youlin had been waiting for this exact moment.Once the man was truly distracted by the sound of the gunshots, Zhao Youlin bent her right elbow backward and struck the man’s gun away. Then, she twirled around and accurately kicked him in the chest to bring him down. The flying gun fell into Zhao Youlin’s hands.Zhao Yulin flipped her wrist, and the muzzle that had initially been pointed at her head was directed at the original owner’s forehead, stopping the man mid-struggle.At that moment, someone rammed open the warehouse door from the outside, and a bunch of reinforcements rushed in in formation.When Zhao Youlin saw the group, her lips curled into a smile. Gazing coldly at the man whom she had subdued, she snickered and said, “What’s wrong with being a woman? Didn’t a woman just take you down? Never look down on women. Take him away!”After the reinforcements heard Zhao Youlin’s words, they swarmed over, grabbed the man, and walked out.Once Zhao Youlin witnessed all of this, she could not help but sigh in relief. As soon as she put down the gun, she heard a joyful scream. “Sister Lin!”Zhao Youlin turned around to take a look and saw Mu Chen rushing toward her happily. She curled the corner of her lips a little. Just as she was about to walk forward, she suddenly heard the sound of a bullet being fired from the back. She immediately felt a sudden pain in her chest.She was stunned as she lowered her head and saw her bleeding chest. Her mind went black for a moment. She heard the screams of Mu Chen and her other colleagues, but her body fell back in spite of herself.Before she lost consciousness, a thought flashed in her mind. ‘One bullet was fired from the back, and another bullet was fired from two o’clock!’Damn it, she had worked as a police officer for so many years. In the end, she was not killed by gangsters who smuggled goods. Instead, she was killed by her colleagues! Hah! Chapter

4: Abandoned Rich Wife (1)Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy TranslationDarkness filled her vision, and she felt as if her limbs were being restricted by weights that weighed several thousand pounds. She could barely move. The only thing she had left was her hearing ability, but even that was barely there.Zhao Youlin could vaguely sense many people moving around her. Noisy chatters, as well as exclamations from the strangers, rang out.“Goodness! Stop the bleeding! Stop the bleeding!”“What are you guys doing? The young master may not fancy his wife, but if he finds out that the madam committed suicide by slitting her wrists and died at home, all of us here will be dead men!”“What’s the point of talking about that? Where’s the doctor? Why hasn’t the doctor arrived yet?”“The doctor is on the way, but by the time he arrives, the madam will be long… Just stop the bleeding before we continue. Oh, my God! Why is there so much blood?!”‘Young Master? Madam? Committed suicide by slitting my wrist? What’s going on?’ Had she not succumbed to the two shots fired at her heart? Could it be that the shots had missed her…? But even if she had been resuscitated, the wound she sustained should be considered as a gunshot wound. What did it have to do with slitting her wrist?Zhao Youlin was in a daze. She tried hard to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt like they weighed thousands of pounds. Unfamiliar noises kept buzzing in her ears. Soon, against her own will, Zhao Youlin drifted off to sleep again.She regained her consciousness once again as something pushed on her chest, causing her to be unable to breathe. It made Zhao Youlin feel like a whale that had nearly suffocated from accidental drowning. Her survival instincts had induced her to struggle reflexively and open her eyes with a gasp.A completely unfamiliar scene unfolded before her eyes. The sight of the familiar snow-white background in a hospital or the disgusting smell of disinfectant that usually came along with the sight was not detected. Instead, she was in a comfortable, brightly lit room that was filled with a mild fragrance.Zhao Youlin instinctively scanned her surroundings to study the place. She had never seen it before.The inside of the spacious bedroom consisted of uniquely designed European-style architecture. In addition, it was adorned with luxurious furniture pieces. It appeared as grand and elegant as it was clean and pleasant. Even a layman like Zhao Youlin who did not have an eye for luxurious items and their prices was able to tell that these things cost a bomb.‘Where exactly is this place? Do I even know anyone this rich? Why can’t I recall anything at all?’ Since she had just woken up and her mind was still muddled, Zhao Youlin frowned subconsciously to hold back her discomfort.1Some wind was blowing through a curtain. Following the breeze, it fluttered lightly against a steel wire anti-theft screen by a rose-carved windowsill, creating a flapping sound. The sunlight from the outside cast itself on her as she lay on a wide and soft bed.The warmth rested on her face, and Zhao Youlin fell into a trance for a moment. She had relaxed so much that her ever-alert self failed to notice a figure walking in until…A loud bang was heard. The moment a maid carrying a basin of hot water entered the room and discovered that Zhao Youlin was awake, the basin in her hands fell to the floor. She turned around and dashed out in a frenzy while shouting, “The madam’s awake! Hurry! The madam’s awake!”‘Madam?’ Zhao Youlin frowned. The inexplicable dissonance hit her once again.She looked at the entrance, where the basin had landed and the spilled water was forming a puddle on the floor. The basin was still rolling on the floor. Zhao Youlin subconsciously extended her hand to feel the gunshot wounds on her chest. The next moment, she froze.There were no wounds on her chest. Instead, her left hand was wrapped in a thick and white bandage. She could vaguely see a few lines of crimson bloodstains on the bandage. However, all this no longer mattered much

because the most concerning issue was her hand… It was not hers! Chapter 5: Abandoned Rich Wife (2)Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation  Editor: EndlessFantasy TranslationIn the empty room, a light breeze lifted the curtain by the window. It fluttered lightly. Apart from that, a female anchor’s sweet and lively voice could be heard from a TV.In the blink of an eye, it had been three days since Zhao Youlin woke up in that room. Over the past few days, she had come to understand her own situation very well.The two bullets that had been fired in the warehouse previously had really killed her. However, she did not know whether she was lucky or unfortunate to be reborn as someone with the exact same name in this era.She was lucky to be alive, but the owner of the body that she occupied now belonged to a rich wife who had been abandoned by her husband!3Zhao Youlin had experienced a resurrection in another body. If someone had told her in the past that she would become another person after she died one day, she would have dragged the person to the training site to train. But now… she had to believe it.As she thought about her situation, Zhao Youlin could not help but touch the bandage that was wrapped around the wound on her left hand. The wound on her wrist was so severe that she had nearly died from the blood loss.In fact, the owner of this body had really died. If her soul did not come to inhabit this body, it would have been impossible for this body to be still alive.The husband of this body was a famous person in City S. Mu Tingfeng was the CEO of a multinational corporation’s headquarters, and the fashion magazines always reported on him. Rumors said that he was a fearless man who could do anything he wanted and dabbled with both legal and illegal activities.4Although Zhao Youlin had been reborn in another body, she was surprised to find that it had retained its original owner’s memories, so Zhao Youlin did not need to ask other people about her current situation in confusion.From the original owner’s memories, Zhao Youlin realized that the woman had resorted to many underhanded methods to drug Mu Tingfeng so she could sleep with him for a night. It was only after she got pregnant that the famous bachelor was forced into marrying her. But after they got married, the two of them treated each other like strangers. Mu Tingfeng had not even slept with her since then. He totally neglected her after their marriage and never even checked up on her after the birth of their baby.4When Zhao Youlin discovered this, she could not help but recall the face of the cold man she had caught a glimpse of on the TV. At that moment, all the pieces fell into place.He was a man blessed by the Gods and was used to controlling everything, so how could he be threatened and manipulated by somebody else? Even so, he should not have had an affair with another woman in front of his wife. He had even taken her for granted by making a request to divorce her. It had pushed her into committing suicide by cutting her wrist. If Zhao Youlin were the woman…10However, it had happened between the woman and Mu Tingfeng. The woman just knew how to cry, make a scene, and commit suicide. That woman was dead, while Zhao Youlin was the survivor. She was not a woman who could be easily bullied and rendered helpless from being controlled by others.The light from the TV screen was reflected on Zhao Youlin’s face. She was still pale from the blood loss. It made her frail and submissive face shine, which had never occurred before.At the same time, Zhao Youlin heard something from the TV that interested her.“Three days ago, a terrifying shooting happened in a warehouse at the jetty in City S. To protect the public’s safety near the jetty, the SWAT team was urgently dispatched to handle the criminals at the fastest speed possible, but they also had to pay a heavy price. A number of officers, as well as a team leader, were killed in the line of duty. The cause of the shooting is still under investigation now. We are reporting live from the scene.”1

📷

[bimswritings]

This Is Our Way

Ch.1

Summary: What happens when you make the mistake of thinking you can steel from a Mandalorian? You land yourself and job and a plethora of adventures and emotion you could never even dream of.  The question is; where will those emotions lead.

Warnings: Typical canon violence, NSFW implications and scenes later on

You can also read it on my Ao3 account.

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Clouds. Dark, impenetrable, depressing grey clouds are what greet you as soon as your eyes open, just like they have every day for years during your existence on the scrappy planet of  Corellia. Home to the most desperate and cruel criminals, along with the enslaved and weak civilians and captives. All mixed in with your average day citizen trying to get by.

A great place to live.

The sound of tie-fighters overhead is what first woke you, screaming as they made their morning flight overhead, acting as an ever present reminder of the Empire's presence and signaling the start of your day. Bones and joints crack in sync as you push yourself up, rubbing your eyes and crawling from the busted old weapons crate that acted as a poor supplement for a bed. Its lid laid discarded to the side, allowing the cool night air of one of the only dry nights of the month to flow in while you slept. The hard metal lining was barely tolerable, even when padded with the few scraps of fabric you had managed to snag over the years, but it was sturdy and the lid provided great protection from the ever present rain on the overcast planet.

Taking care not to trip while climbing from the enclosed space, you stumble out onto the main section of the roof and stare over the city as you stretch, trying not to cringe as certain bones popped back into place painfully. It wasn’t a pretty sight, and not even the fresh breeze that floated in from the sea could make it any more appealing.

Boring, industrial buildings stretched as far as the eye could see in varying colors of black and steel, hardly standing out against the horizon of equally dull colors only punctuated by the occasional crism Empire flag. In the middle of it all was the only decently maintained and sizable buildings on the planet, where the majority of ships for the Empire were produced. It was thanks to the presence of that one building that there was even an economy here, keeping it from turning into a more dreary and wet version of Tatooine, the outlandish world it was. The sight was enough to make your stomach churn, but had nothing on the aching pain that radiated from the organ and had you mind wondering when you had eaten last. Three, four days maybe? It didn’t matter. However long it was, the meager scraps you had managed to find behind the restaurant district of the wealthy were but a distant memory. It was this very hunger that drove you from your safe space, forcing you to climb down the pipes lining the outside of the building you resided on.

The metal creaked and groaned in protest under your weight, but you didn’t give it a second though, knowing there was nothing to worry about. You had been climbing along these fixtures for years, nimble hands and feet finding the smallest of purchases as you move along with ease.

When the ground was close enough you dropped, rolling through the impact to your feet and taking shelter behind an abandoned stall as you momentarily stumbled, vision swimming and black dots dancing before you. Force, you really need to get something to eat soon. Rainwater could only fill your stomach for so long before it lost its abilities to hold you over.

Peering around the corner, your eyes scanned the narrow alleyway, looking for any sign of stormtroopers or other rough characters that would cause trouble. You were never much of a fighter, but today especially was a day you were feeling particularly weak.

‘Alright. All I need to do is slip out, grab a couple of credits, and get back. It should be fine as long as I don’t run into-’

“Well well well. Look what we have here.” Leon’s voice spoke from behind, making you cringe and berate yourself for not being more careful. This was the last thing you needed to deal with, and Leon’s sickly smooth voice only served to grate on your nerves more as you turned to face him and his three lackeys, identifying them as Sho, Everett, and Corin.None as dangerous, but all as bad tempered as their leader.

Glacial blue eyes stared from pale skin beneath his shock of blond hair, a combo that drew ladies like flies to him. Pair that with pearly white teeth and he could have been a poster boy for some prep school on Coruscant. If not for the tattooed arms and green vest that held the insignia of a ranicore tooth, marking him as one of Sozin’s many street enforcers. His kind was the one you hated most. Cocky guys who thought that just because they were someone in some gang they had power over everyone else, not giving a second thought to those they hurt, be it man, women, or child. As long as they got a nice cut at the end of the day they were fine. Despite your hate for them, by all means joining a gang was the best way to survive here. It promised food, shelter, and constant work. All you had to do was give up your own self respect and humanity in return.

“The little Jawa had finally come out from her fortress. Tell me,” He smirked as the others formed a loose circle around you, effectively caging you in. “Get anything good lately.”

You wanted to spit at him, slap that stupid smirk off his face and leave him to go crying back to his boss. But you didn’t. Instead, you took a more casual, defensive stance, ready to get away the moment you had the chance. Slapping a fake smile on your face, you cocked an eyebrow in mock teasing.

“Please. If I had anything of interest I’m sure you of all people would know.” You were getting more nervous now, keenly aware of how close Sho was getting to your current position. Far too close for your liking.

“And with the patrols increased and punishments cracking down, things have gotten harder.''

“True, but I just never know what those sticky fingers of yours may manage to pick up. Your skill has a reputation after all.” His eyes skimmed over your body, not even trying to hide the way he was practically undressing you. The slimy bastard had been pining after you for years, ever since he had watched you lift a number of things from a trooper when you were both just young teenagers. He claimed it was for your skills but it didn’t take a genius to see he was looking for something more. “Maybe you could give me a live demonstration some time.”

And there it was.

You said nothing, only pushing yourself further against the cool metal of the wall behind you in an attempt to create some sort of distance in between you. Your stomach, the traitor it was, decided that it would be the best time to voice its own opinion, letting out a loud growl of protest that didn't go unheard.

Leon’s face took on a mask of concern and sympathy, and you might have fallen for it had you not known any better. His tone took on a softer, more whispery tone, like he was speaking to a stray feline. Not that far off if you thought about it.

“You look hungry. Why don’t you come back with me. I can get everything squared away with Sozin, and I promise, I’ll take real good care of you.”

His hand extended out in invitation, strong fingers that had ended the lives of so many gently relaxed, the other crossing behind his back in a mock gentleman pose, as if he even knew what being a decent guy even started with.

“C’mon. Think about it. No more empty stomachs or fighting for every scrap. You’d even have a nice bed to lay in at the end of the day. No more sleeping on the filthy streets.”

Scoffing, you summoned the last of your confidence, brushing past him and ignoring his invitation. “I’d rather take the streets than your blood soaked sheets any day.”

That should have been it, and it would have been for anyone else on just a code of respect among those here. But Leon wasn’t known for taking no for an answer. Before you could even make it  three steps his hand closed on your elbow, bringing you back closer to him. Despite all you twisting and pulling, his superior strength kept you close, breath fanning your skin as he spoke.

“Listen here, I’ve been more than kind in my advances. A saint some may even say, so you’re not going to walk away from me, understand? No your going to come back and-”

“Hey!” A shout from the end of the alleyway interrupted him, drawing all your attention as the squadron of storm troopers rounded the corner to the alley, falling in line behind their captain.”You there! What’s going on?”

At the sight of the local law enforcement and their blasters, Leon’s grip loosened a fraction. Just the smallest amount really, but enough for you to be able to slip from his grip and between Sho and Corin before they could stop you. You ignored the shouting of the officer, sprinting in the opposite direction and around the corner into the main streets of Corellia.

‘Good luck trying to find me now.’ You smirked, pulling your hood up to conceal your face as you effortlessly blended into the crowd, becoming just one of the thousands of faces that traveled through as you continued on your way. Now it was time for the real work to begin.

Just as with the seasons, your own hunting grounds changed, ever rotating through the different sectors in order to keep law enforcement off your tail. It was one of the first lessons you had ever learned; never hunt in the same spot for more than a few weeks.

Today was a fresh start in the port district, leaving an abundance of new and unaware targets. It was a popular place for travelers as well, who were especially naive, but even with that you knew today would be a challenge. It hadn’t been a lie when you told Leon that the troopers were cracking down. More patrols and increased severity of punishments had started to begin in order to ‘cut down the crime’, as your senator put it. Fat chance of that though, as one could argue that Corellia ran on crime. Still, the effort put forth was really putting the pressure on smaller people like you, who were just trying to survive, not to mention the street vendors and shop owners had installed their own new security measures in place, leading to an unfavorable combo that led to your current weak and hungry state. So you were here, looking for some oblivious fool to cop a few credits off from your perch just outside the mechanics.

As your eyes scanned the crowd, looking for visible money holders or those with liftable jewelry and other items, you saw him. He was hard to miss actually. The beskar he wore from head to toe shone proudly even without the light of the sun hidden above, speaking of its own durability and care shown by the owner. Alongside him was a pod, closed, and most likely carrying whatever supplies he had picked up from the market. The brown cape around his shoulders did nothing to hide the gun scross his broad back, nor the dozens of smaller weapons strapped to his person.

He stood tall above the crowd, most parting like water around a stone to avoid him, and it was no wonder. Even you had heard the stories about the Mandalorians. Fierce warriors and fighters who could track their prey to the ends of the galaxy. They were the best bounty hunters and hired guns on the market. You had been witness to more than one lowlife being pulled from their seat in the cantina by his kind, kicking and begging to no avail as they were carried away, dead or alive.

Teeth gnawing on inside of your cheek, you debated with yourself. On one hand, he was a high risk target, undoubtedly being used to these kinds of places and the people who lived here. Stealing from him would earn you a blaster shot to the head if caught, that is, if he were feeling merciful enough not to crush every bone in your body. But then, he was a bounty hunter. They always carried a lot of credits, and ones worth more at that. One swipe from him could set you up for days, if not weeks! He was also the only target you had seen open worth any value the entire day, and you weren’t sure you could go much longer without food.

You debated with yourself, going back and forth as you watched him grow closer to where you sat. If you didn’t make a decision soon you would lose your chance all together.

As if detecting your hesitance, your body made the decision for you, loosening another growl from its depths, prompting you forward and before you knew it you were on the move. Pulling a small guide book from your pocket, you pretended to be grossly interested in the useless thing, eyes moving to falsely skim the words as you carefully adjusted your path closer to his, threading between the crowd with as much ease as he cut through it.

The moments before were tense, each step leaving you feeling more electrified as adrenaline coursed through your body, only feeding your blind confidence as you counted down.

‘6..5...3..2..1….Now’

You pretended to stumble, tripping on your own feet as naturally as you would walk, veering from your course and bumping into the armored man. You winced slightly as your shoulder made contact with the metal, which made your grunt of pain that much more believable and distracting while your hands got to work. Like all bounty hunters, he kept his money in front of him, just slightly to the left of his leg. A tactic to prevent pickpockets like you that frequented the scenes they often found themselves in. Smart, but you had gotten used to this tactic before, and it was a simple swipe of your hand as it quickly entered and retreated the pouch, fingers closed around an unknown number of credits, all within a fraction of a second as you mumbled apologies, raising your opposite hand in distraction as your other moved to pocket your catch.

As soon as your own fingers left the pouch, you knew you were in trouble. Years of being on the streets had taught you when you had the upper hand in a situation or not, whether you were the predator or prey. In that moment, that small fraction of a moment, you went from poised victor to the most demure of prey.

And the man in front of you was the hunter.

His hand, even quicker than your own, moved to latch onto the retreating limb. The very one holding the credits you had thought had been yours.

Head snapping up to meet his, you were faced with an unfeeling gaze in the form of silver surrounding a small ‘t’ of inky darkness that prevented you from seeing his face. You tried to pull away, only to have his stern grip tighten even more, the leather of his glove squeaking in symphony along with the crackling of the joint. Yet you still refused to drop the credits, stubbornly holding onto them out of spite and fear. If he hadn’t seen them yet, there was no way he could indefinitely prove you had taken anything from him, though the way he focused on it told you he already knew the truth.

Kriffing hell. Why had you even thought this would be a good idea. He was a Mandalorian, and in your hunger driven brain you had somehow managed to convince yourself it would actually work. Well congratulations, you had the credits, but now you were as good as dead. If he didn’t decide to deal out his own justice and kill you then and there, surely he would turn you over to the stormtrooper.

The skin on your back tingles and warmed at the thought, memories of public whippings flashing in the back of your mind and doubling your heart rate and raising your panic even more.

Maybe you could still get out of this though. He was a man, as far as you could tell anyways, and all men were susceptible to one thing, hardened warrior or not. You could distract him, try to get a trade or compromise in return for forgetting about the situation. If not him then the clones. Maker knows they were always willing to pass up small crimes every once in a while in exchange for a way to sate their horniness. Though you had never tried the practice yourself, you had heard of numerous others getting off the hook that way. How hard could it be?

Your thoughts were interrupted by movement, bringing you back from your blind panic of plotting how to get out of this. The Mandalorian had tilted his head, t-visor still trained on your face as he observed you. Those around you were all too eager to ignore the situation, walking past with explicitly diverted eyes as they went about their business. The hand not holding yours moved, making you flinch back but with nowhere to go as he kept you trained in place. It moved towards your face and you braced, eyes scrunched and ready for the impact of a palm or fist making contact.

Yet, it never came.

Instead, the soft worn leather gently pressed against your face, fingers gently running along the curve of your cheek, highlighting the bone that protruded with hunger. The occasional scrape of his beskar along the skin makes you shudder, but if he even notices he doesn’t say anything, only continuing to stare as his hand tips your face every which way for him to examine. Then he just...let go. Without another word he had dropped his hands, stepping around and continuing on his original path, leaving you behind him, frozen in place and in a state of shock.

You could have stood there for any measure of time, be it seconds or minutes. Your brain was too busy trying to process what had just happened to even think about anything else. It was only when someone rudely bumped into you, almost knocking you to the ground, that you finally snapped out of it, and suddenly you were running. Feet pounding the uneven ground as you gained speed, faces flew past as little more than blurs as you continued to put more space between you and your should-have-been attacker. If it had been any other time you might have been proud of the speed you had, the burning in your lungs of little significance. Not even when you had seen Leon once again did you blink, blowing past as he called out and tried to grab you.

Before you knew it you were rounding the alley back to your little home, leaping more than climbing up the pipes with record speed as your feet barely touched the rickety metal. You practically dove into your little crate of a home, pulling the lid and locking yourself in darkness as you tried to sooth your pulse, taking deep breaths that did little to help. Absentmindedly, you began humming to yourself. A song so out of tune and unrecognizable it would have made a wookie weep, but it was what you needed as you pressed the burning and sticky skin of your forehead against the cool metal of the wall.

Eventually, after countless repetitions or the short tune, you managed to steady yourself, bringing enough sense back to realize you were still holding onto the credits from before, which were now gripped tightly in your hand. Enough to the point where the skin had turned a pearly white and your fingers hurt to move as you slowly unclenched them, revealing angry marks and even places where the rectangular currency had bit deep enough into the skin to draw blood. But oh what a beautiful sight it was.

One hundred credits laid in your fist, clustered together in a jumble of varying amounts and different kinds, but a total amount of one hundred. You normally only got this after a week of extremely successful hunting in the summer months. The sight of it now was enough to make you cry.

Despite the urge to go and get food from the nearest vendor, you knew better than to go out right away. For all you knew he had only let you go just to follow you back to your base, probably thinking he could turn you into the stormtroopers for a bigger ransom than what he lost, or loot your own place for anything you had stored up. Jokes on him if that was the plan, because he would only get back what you took from him.

The thought stayed stuck in the front of your mind, forcing you to stay tucked in your hiding space for the remainder of the day and keeping you awake through the night. Every little sound made you jump, convinced that you would once again find yourself at the receiving end of his burning gaze, the helmet he wore only masking his expression and leaving your fate uncertain. He never showed though, never ripped the lid off your container or dragged you out into the open.

By the time you managed to fall asleep, your body finally running out of its immense supply of adrenaline, the city itself had just begun to awaken below to the wee hours of the morning, and the fighters had just begun their morning rounds once again.

‘Maybe...maybe just a few hours of sleep.’ You thought to yourself, burrowing down into your small nest of blankets. What could be the harm?

Well, apparently a lot.

You had woken up in a panic, cracking the lid to see that the sky had already gone dark once again. Swearing to yourself, you emerged once again like a Nightshrike from its cave. Foregoing any normal rituals, you allowed your body to stretch itself as you moved, hustling from rooftop to rooftop, something you only did under the cover of night. The last thing you need is someone seeing you and discovering your home up top. You would never be able to get any peace after that.

You were in a rush though, and the thought of wasting a day of work didn’t bother you nearly as much as the thought of your favorite shop closing. With the amount of credits you had now, you wouldn’t have to worry about money for a while, so the only thought you had while the dim lights of the city flicked to life below was getting there as soon as possible. Who knows, maybe you’d even have enough to treat yourself to some fruit, an expensive and rare treat for anyone on the planet.

Skidding to a stop just before the end of the row, your eyes lit up at the sight of the shop still open, clearly readying to close. Shimmying back down to increasingly deserted streets, you were already drooling at the thought of biting into something and not having to wonder what it would taste like. No more than ten minutes later you were leaving, pockets now full of brick bread as the owner locked the doors behind you.

The plan was to only eat half of one on your way back, the nutrient rich and dense pastries giving you enough energy for the day in a single bite, but not even halfway back you found yourself licking the crumbs from your fingertips, hardly holding back from grabbing one of the four remaining loafs. Instead you reached into the opposite side and grabbed the meiloorun fruit you had managed to snag.

Now this was the main event.

Sinking your teeth into the soft skin, you nearly groaned as its taste exploded on your tongue, making your taste buds dance and sing as the sweetness became so intense it almost hurt. You still loved it.

Your stomach was full for the first time in forever, almost foreign as you had begun to forget the feeling. Juice dribbled down your chin as you continued on your way home, making a deliciously sticky mess to be wiped away and cleaned by your lips, intent on not letting a single morsel go to waste.

Thankfully the trip back was less eventful than your previous outing, helping instill an eerie yet calming silence over the city and prompting you to take your time.

You always enjoyed it up here on the roofs. Hardly anyone came up, not many having the same confidence and agility possessed by you and few others, and there was an ever present breeze up here that didn’t quite reach the lower levels. Not to mention the view it gave, which was one of the main reasons you had chosen a roof as your spot for a base camp. If only you could see the stars, but alas, the sight was as rare as greenery here, leaving it up to your own imagination to construct an array of bright lights on the top of your crypt.

Finishing the fruit, you paused at the edge of the building before your own. Small lights danced in the darkness, the occasional lamp illuminating a hustling figure and the street walkers that lined the corners of streets, calling to anyone in sight. The occasional search light of a patrol ship would shin above the buildings as it made its rounds over the city.

‘Must be looking for someone’ you mused, turning back to return home. No reason to get caught out tonight, especially when you were looking at a few days of relaxation.

As you turned, a familiar flash caught your eye, triggering a new taught panic response. You could hardly believe your eyes, rubbing them extra hard just to make sure you were seeing things right. But alas the sight before you neglected to change, unfortunately not a trick of the eye like you had hoped it was, and the Mandalorian you had thought you escaped the previous day continued walking down the dark alley.

You began to sweat backing away from the edge and further out of his line of sight, trying to still keep him in yours as you peered back over and tracked his progress as he got closer.

‘Kriff. I should have known he would want his money back.’

Panicking, you began going over all the escape routes near you. Ones through city street and sewers that would be much too small for him to fit through. Though, if he had tracked you here then chances were he would be able to find you wherever you went. This really wasn’t good. You might not even be able to go collect what meager possessions you had back in your box.

Then, materializing out of the darkness as if he were made of it himself, was Leon. He stepped into the path of the Mandalorian like he had no fear and, knowing how stupid he was, you thought he might actually not have any for the bounty hunter. But why would he when he was the primary enforcer for Sozin and still had his own backup, the three from earlier.

“Hey there.” He spoke in a voice that promised nothing but trouble, hands casually resting in pockets that undoubtedly concealed a weapon of some sorts. "I've been meaning to have a talk with you. The shiny Mandalorian warrior everyone is talking about."

This, you thought, was not good.

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[pairofmelaninkweens]

Zen’in’s Deadliest- Toji Fushiguro x Naraka OC

Warning: Consensual rough sex, Choking, Knife play, Blood Kink, Heavy Degradation, Violence, Use of weapons, Fighting.

Thank you @xshinigamikittenx for editing and @sweet-darling91 for Beta Reading and giving correct warnings!

By @aztecbrujeria 

Tokyo (10 years before Breaking a Curse):

Naraka stands against the dilapidated brick building, hidden in the shadows, waiting for her target to leave. The heavy air envelopes her surroundings, thick with salt and chill from the autumn night and harbor fog, a light mist from the earlier downpours still remains to make the background of the busy city a blurred haze. She's fully aware of the danger this  man is capable of, he carries the title of the deadliest jujutsu assassin, but she didn’t care. She has no one and nothing to live for or come home to at the end of the day. She lived her life as one of many third-party hitmen for the Yakuza. Regardless of who he was, this target was just another SOB that owed money and it was time to pay up. She rests her hand on her hip where the Magnum 357 revolver lies in wait in her thigh holster, the weight of the large Glock a comfort. She inhales and smiles inwardly, “The only true love I’ve ever had.” In the shadows she caught the light from the gambling den spill forth from the entrance before she lays eyes on him, causing her to hesitate about the possibility to do the hit tonight. 

Toji Fushiguro, Zenin’s deadliest, walked into the darkened alleyway and stretched his arms overhead. This man is the target?! She thought to herself in astonishment and a small amount of apprehension. She drinks him in, seeing nothing but a monster of a man in an oversized sweater and black loose pants. He runs his large digits through his straight, jet black hair as he begins to walk, his lackluster posture failing to hide his size. Looks can be deceiving. Naraka shook her head and decided to wait in order to observe him to make the right call.  The longer I wait, the better the job will go... but the longer I wait, the longer I’ll have to go without food. Just as she thought this, her stomach grumbled. She hugs her midsection, feeling her muscles contract in protest. “Shit, I need to go five-finger discount some fucking protein stat.” Shaking off her hunger, she straightened up and refocused. Based on her reports, Toji was not one to shy away from women. She could at least follow him and see where he was headed. If I’m lucky, he’ll stop by a food stall...so hungry...NO! FOCUS! Naraka steps out from the shadows and begins to follow the monster of a man walking towards the bustling lights of the city, away from the darkness of the underbelly of Tokyo. 

She can hear the cold click of her heeled boots against the pavement, sporadically splashing through puddles as she makes her way to the lights, taking care not to get too close. She weaves her way through the throngs of people, watching him part the path like Moses and the Red Sea with how large and intimidating he is against the chaotic collection of souls. Pulling her distressed denim jacket closer, she realizes that she looks like just another punk. Perfect, I already fit in, he’ll never notice. Besides, I’m five feet tall, he’ll never pinpoint someone like me. Naraka decides to be a bit braver, pushing her limit just a tad, as she closes the distance between them. She’s close enough to hear him on his cell as he takes a call. “Yeah...How much?... Fuck, yeah I can do it.” She hears the click of his phone closing and watches him angrily put it in his pocket. She smiles as she watches him, for a dead man he was very handsome. Taking a chance, she puts her pickpocket skills to good use as she craftily bumps into him. “Oh, sorry!” She was quick enough to take what little cash he had and used her sleight of hand to tuck the cash into the band of her fishnets. “I’m so sorry señor, lo siento, I didn’t…” He stood with bright emerald eyes and smirked at her. “You think you’re so sly, don’t you?” Shit, he knows, “Perdón?” He comes close enough to bend down and look Naraka directly in her honey brown eyes, noses almost touching, “You know for a pickpocket you’re pretty enough to fuck... However, just give me my money back, and I won’t kill you.” This pendejo! At least he doesn’t know...just like I thought...Naraka smiles big and reaches her arms behind her back, pulling out the cash. “Sorry, I was just hungry, I haven’t eaten in a couple days...to be honest, I didn’t think you’d notice.” Toji put his hand out for the yen she’d swiped. Eyeing his outstretched palm, she observed that he could easily grip her head like a basketball. “Sorry.” She handed him the money, and just as she was about to turn away and keep walking towards the next alley, Toji’s giant hand encompassed hers, forcing her to look back up at him, “You hungry? Let’s eat. Then, maybe later I’ll fill that pretty mouth of yours with me.” She looks up at him and his devilish smile with clear confusion. I know this man doesn’t think I’m gonna fuck him for buying me dinner?! Well, who the fuck am I kidding...that’ll be the easiest way to kill him, get some “D” and run...alright bet. 

“Yeah, I’m starving.” Right on cue, her stomach grumbled loud enough for him to hear, his dangerous smile showing more teeth, making the scar on the right side of his lips lift with them. “Perfect, my treat.” Naraka shrugs, turning to walk towards a food stall by the closest alley. Get him to an open place...don’t let your guard down. Her attire isn’t respectable enough for an eat-in event, wearing fishnets with Doc martens, a short distressed skirt and thigh harnesses (complete with a hidden Glock and daggers). Complimenting her cropped band T with her favorite destroyed denim jacket, covered in band patches and pins. Naraka inked her skin to hide the scars from the beatings she took in her earlier life and surviving on the streets, purposefully drawing attention to her legs and chest. Five feet tall and muscular, due to the fact that she trained every day and then some to be better than any man or woman in her profession. Naraka feels his eyes roving over her body from behind. Perfect...he’s hooked, this will be a quick and eventful fuck. She’s deep in thought about the best way to deliver the deepest cut at close range, letting him bleed out under her when she feels his hand squeeze her shoulder. “Hey, you almost missed it. Did you want food or what?” She looks up at him, snapping out of her murderous thoughts, “Yeah, sorry, I’ll take some teriyaki chicken and some steamed veggies with rice.” Toji looked at her with suspicion, “Yeah, we’ll take a double order of teriyaki chicken and veggies and extra rice.” Naraka furrows her brow and looks up at him, “I was fine with just what I said.” Toji smirked, “For someone who's starving you like to complain about eating free food.” His voice is steeped in sarcasm, causing Naraka to roll her eyes in response. “Besides,” he continues, dropping his eyes down to her ass, “you gotta fuel those deadly curves.” Naraka’s head snaps up, her fight or flight response kicking in, pupils dilating and cheeks flushed, “I-Are you saying I’m fat?” Calm down idiota!!! Don’t let him get to you. As far as you know he doesn’t know who you really are. Calming herself, she smiles wickedly back at him, making sure he watches as she turns this way and that so he could see every bend and curve of her body as she checks for rolls, simultaneously double-checking she had easy access to her hidden daggers and Glock. She checks her thigh harnesses and pulls at them trying to feign innocent self-consciousness.

She whips her thick black hair back over her shoulder, playing with the braids intermingled in her curls. “I didn’t think I was fat...although I’m fine with the extra cushion. You know what they say.” She shrugs and smiles like the temptress she knows she is, catching  him in her peripheral vision when she reaches for the food as he smirks with a flash of curiosity in his malachite eyes. Naraka shoveled the food into her mouth with the chopsticks. I’m not changing for this cabrón. It’s not like he’s gonna keep seeing me...he’s gonna be dead by the end of the night anyways. She hears him laugh at her, surprised at how sexy the sound is, reverberating into her, making her body begin to riot within. She chokes on her rice reaching for some water. “Is something funny cabrón?” Toji sticks his hands in his pockets and shrugs, “No, it’s just nice to see a woman eat, that’s all.” Naraka squints her eyes at him, finishing off the meal. “Why do I feel like that’s a threat.” Her stomach finally quelled from her hunger, she finally  felt an energy boost after all that time standing and waiting for him earlier to leave the gambling den. “Well, thanks for the food. I better be going, you know, things to steal, people to bother, concerts to get to.” Naraka turns and begins to walk towards the closest alley to slip into the shadows and wait for him, but he’s so quick it doesn’t  register with her until it’s too late. His large hand wraps around her wrist and pulls her into his heavily muscled chest. Toji towers over her as he leans into Naraka’s ear, his hot breath teasing her raven tresses and tickling her flesh. The way he presses against her makes her acutely aware of every sinew of muscle that moves in tandem to keep her close.

Naraka’s instincts take over and she readies herself for a fight. Her senses hone in on the sounds, surroundings, and identifying quickest escape routes as Toji pulled her in closer. She feels the end of a blade pressing against her back. Slowly, she reaches up between her thighs to grip one of her daggers, ready to defend herself, even if all she could do was cut him and get away. “How about you come with me, away from prying eyes...then, we can really get to know each other-” Toji looked down to see Naraka’s hand between her thick thighs and smiles against her ear, “Are you already starting without me? Especially here, for all these people to see? You are a nasty slut.” He surprises her, licking the side of her ear and growling, sending a current of electricity straight to her core. What the fuck!? Get yourself together, he knows! Get out-NOW! He's as strong as Gojo Satoru! “I at least thought we’d end up back at your place before the fun. I didn’t think you were this bold.” Naraka stills. This pinche cabrón really  thinks I’m going to go with him quietly? “Oh,” she purrs, feigning a question as a grin settles across her lips, “ Do I look like a proper lady to you?I’m sure you’re smarter than you look...I’m not your average woman, el grande.” Toji chuckled against her ear, pressing the point of his blade further into her back. She could hear the predatory venom laced in his words, “Oh, Angel Face, I noticed immediately you weren’t average...you must be one powerful bitch if you have that Magnum 357 under your skirt.” Naraka’s eyes widen, dilating with the rush of adrenaline, shocking her system. Shit, get the fuck out! GET OUT NOW! Before Naraka could pull the dagger out, Toji crushes her body into his, hugging her tight, making them look like a couple embracing, “Don’t make a fucking scene, Princess. Like I said, let's go somewhere more...intimate.” She can only do what he wants her to do at this point. Cold-hearted? Absolutely, but not by any means a murderer of innocent people. “Alright, let’s go, show me this more intimate space you had in mind. I don’t like playing the helpless damsel...besides, I haven’t trained today, so you’ll be doing me a favor.” Naraka feels Toji begin to steer her in the direction of an alleyway that leads to abandoned warehouses beside the busy streets.

Once he’s satisfied with the distance between them and the crowd, he pushes her forward with staggering force. Naraka stumbles forward, “Hey, I would have walked you know...especially since my cover was blown.” Toji laughs, “Please, you would have run, you’re smart enough to recognize when you’re out of your depth.” She straightens up, rolling her neck on her shoulders, “You really think I’m that weak?” The sound of her neck popping sends anticipatory tremors down her spine as she turns to look at Toji, “Que dijo? I’m not your average woman.” She caresses her thick thighs up to the hem of her skirt, catching Toji’s attention, and slips her hands beneath the fabric to reach for her blades; she decides to save the revolver as a last resort. With whiplash speed and precision, she slings her daggers at Toji, distracting him for a split second before she sprints forward, barreling into his core with a high knee kick, making Toji stumble back and double over grunting before righting himself. She recenters herself a few feet away from him, her hands up in a defensive stance as she waits for him to come back at her. The sound of his low, mocking laughter ripples through her before the flash of his sweater is all she can see, his movements too quick to follow before the impact. He runs into her, picking her up to tackle her into a pile of old pallets, making them splinter beneath their weight. Toji lands one good blow to the side of her face before grabbing her throat. “You sneaky cunt you think that kick was going to what...hurt me? I thought you were going to come at me with all you’ve got.” Toji squeezes the fingers around her windpipe tighter, causing her vision to blur. “You’re nothing but another weak, good for nothing, whore.”His grip is tight, holding Naraka down as her mind begins to rage. This motherfucker is fucking DEAD! Fuck this shit! Through the pain searing in her throat, with deadly precision, Naraka wraps her muscular thighs around his neck and grabs his arm into a lock, pulling out from beneath him, trying to snap the bone, forcing him to release her throat. With a swift kick from her legs, she’s able to throw him off balance and roll out from beneath him, back into a defensive stance out of the debris of destroyed pallets. Catching her breath, Naraka looks at him with deadly brown eyes, “You, fucker, you think this is a fucking game of the weak? Save your laughter and weak ass insults for a bitch who fucking cares. Your problem is you don't want to admit I’m a threat because I’ve got a pussy.” Naraka smirks, glaring at him as his shoulders roll back, bringing him to his full height and smirking right back at her, “Lucky for you, I’m in the mood to teach a useless meat sack to kneel.”

She wipes the blood from her chin with the back of her hand, swiping her tongue across her lower lip and tasting the familiar metallic flavor in her mouth. “Though I’ll admit, no man has gone this hard on me in a while...usually, even in bed, I’m the one who runs shit.” Toji stood and began to brush off the debris from his sweater. “No weakling has been my punching bag...well, at least for a hot minute.” Naraka reaches beneath her skirt again, pulling out the last of her blades, wielding them at the ready. Toji’s eyes travel the length of her body, “You know...you're pretty fucking sexy...especially for a dead bitch.” Toji brushes the last of the debris off of his sweater, bringing his hands to rest at his side, “Tell me, are you ready to die for a job? For a crime syndicate that doesn’t give a shit whether you live or die?” Naraka smiles wide showing her pearly white gappy teeth, baring her gremlin like grin, she must look certifiably insane to Toji, “I have nothing nor anyone to live for...I like hearing the screams and cries for mercy when I get to cut down worthless fuckers like yourself.” Toji laughs loud enough for his baritone to echo off the surrounding empty buildings. “Finally, someone who’s worthy, I’ve been waiting a long time to butt heads with the likes of you. Maybe you’ll surprise me and give me something that makes me feel.”  Naraka wasn’t quite sure what she was feeling, it feels like a current of excitement intertwining with thin threads of what seemed like, hope? Not a feeling she’s used to, but she pushes it aside, ready for him to come at her with everything he had, “Are you gonna talk the whole time or are you gonna shut the fuck up and come at me big boy.” Toji walks away from the debris and readies himself, his posture extending to stand, what seemed like, ten inches taller.

Naraka braces herself, making sure her revolver is ready as she watches Toji reach behind him and pull forth a large blade. Shit! The cursed tool I was warned about. She knows it has the potential to inflict some serious pain and she’s going to have to put forth all her efforts to come out of this alive. The smile that splays across both their faces is truly horrific and beautiful, yet chilling to normal passerby. The levels of their predatory and survival instincts in full swing were tangible in the atmosphere. With one more breath, it’s instant, Toji lunges and Naraka fends off each swing and slash from Toji’s weapon with nothing but her strength and small blades. When she catches his blade, stopping it with the top of her shoulder, she feels him pull, letting the edge of the cursed object open her skin, searing her nerve endings with instant pain. She jumps back and grabs her shoulder, grunting as she fights to push it to the back of her mind. “That blade packs a punch, big boy. You even cut my favorite jacket up.” Naraka stands and shakes her arm out before returning to her defensive stance, “So considerate of you to wait on me...oh wait, a-are you getting tired?” She chuckles and hears him growl, “Awe, is Big Boy grumpy?” She giggles like a schoolgirl when Toji lunges once again. She dodges and fights off each of his attacks, the clangs from their blades meeting, and their grunts and curses of exertion echoing throughout the warehouse yard. This time her daggers cut into his sweater and kiss the skin beneath his shirt. She watches as small droplets of blood blossom upon the fabric of his oversized sweater. “Now, look at what you’ve done. You’ve ruined one of my favorite sweaters.” Toji stabs his blade into the ground beside him and pulls the sweater off, discarding it to the ground below, glaring at the small slash across his abdomen that was hugged by a tight-fitting black T-shirt. Naraka saw every muscle, every valley, and dip of his broad chest. Her arousal spreads through her bloodstream like poison, each beat of her heart sending it pulsing through her blood stream. “Well, well, well, Big Boy has looks.” She smirks at him and licks her lips, stalking him like a ravenous lioness, hungry for her prey. “Sad, I was thinking about making you scream my name before I let you bleed out beneath me.” This time Naraka lunges at Toji, a perfect opportunity since he was disarmed. She catches his forearm and slices, watching his arm bleed as she smiles wider knowing that she surprised him. Toji fends off her attacks and eventually disarms her, leaving her with nothing but her fists. She lands a couple of blows to his torso and face. Toji doesn’t realize she’s drawing him further away from his blade and her hand-to-hand combat is top tier. Toji swings, catching her by the mouth as he chuckles, thinking for sure she was going to hit the ground, knocked out cold, when Naraka stumbles in front of him and spits the blood pooling in her mouth onto the ground below. She looks up with killer determination, glaring at Toji, “You take punches like a good cunt. I wonder what else you can take?” Naraka’s glare alone would have curdled a civilian’s stomach. Toji feels his cock twitch at the sight of her standing her ground after taking a full punch to the face.

His gaze follows her body as she straightens up, pulling her ruined denim jacket off. His eyes widen at the ripples of sinew that accentuate her curves moving in sync as she stretches her arms above her head and settles into her defensive stance. He finally understood, this woman can take a full-on barrage of punches and kicks because of the machine that was her body. He licks his lips, his erection beginning to strain against his pants. I want to break this woman. He watches as Naraka reaches down, tearing open the side of her skirt to reveal the hidden Magnum 357 on her thigh harness. Watching her rip the fabric to create space for her thick thighs only made him salivate like Pavlov’s dog. “Like what you see Big Boy?” Her fingers wrap around the base of her Revolver and she holds it up, opening the chamber and spinning it for effect. “You know I thought you’d be more vicious with me. I’m actually kind of let down that you weren’t rougher.” Naraka whips the chamber closed and pulls the hammer back on the gun. Toji, clearly turned on by the woman in front of him, grabs his blade and brings it in front of him, “I guess you really are choosing to be another dead bitch then.” Naraka smiles back at him, “Make me cry pendejo.”

Without another word Naraka shoots off a couple rounds, one of them grazing his arm, as he dodges with superhuman grace that made her head spin. He didn’t slow down in her direction, he’s already on her fast and heavy, crashing into her and knocking the wind out of her, causing the revolver to fumble out of her grasp and clatter on the ground. Her back hits the wall of the crumbling warehouse and she grunts at the pain. Toji holds her small body up by her throat and puts a thick muscular thigh between her center before bringing his cursed tool to trace the valley between her breasts up to her cheek. “You have such beautiful copper skin,” the feeling of the cool blade biting into her should’ve sparked something like panic, but she doesn’t take her eyes off of him. “It looks better when it’s bleeding,” he continued. She bites her lip trying to hold in her muffled screams but the pain is too great. Her eyes clench as the sound ripples from her throat, reverberating off the walls around them as Toji smirks. “There’s the sound I've been waiting for. Let’s hear it again, hmm?” He lifts the blade away from her chest, only to bring it back down onto her shoulder. It’s ironic how gently he delivers the seething pain with a slow slicing movement. Leading the tip of his blade towards her collarbone. She unleashes another guttural scream, squirming to fight for a way to get out of his monstrous vice grip. Her vision is becoming dark around the edges but she looks into his eyes and watches him come close, his hot breath across her lips while she grabs his wrist in an attempt to pull herself up. “You look so good in a helpless position...it makes me want to really break you like the worthless whore you are, Angel face.” Toji licks up the fresh blood on her wounded cheek before crashing his full lips onto hers. She moans at the taste of copper upon his tongue as he takes her mouth, letting his strong muscle fight and compete with hers. WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING!

Naraka feels her arousal engulf her as she relaxes, moaning into Toji’s mouth. Her core becomes slick and soaks through her panties as she moves her hands up to entangle in his straight black hair, pulling his head back. He hisses with the pain of her nails digging into his scalp as Naraka breaks the kiss, sucking on his bottom lip and biting to draw blood. He growls as she relinquishes his mouth and Toji moves his blade to the top of her shirt, slowly letting the cool edge of the blade open another cut across her sternum making her scream turning into a pleasurable moan, “You taste so good on my lips, just like the bitch in heat I know you are, I want more.” He presses his body into her, dropping his head down to the open cut and licking around the wound, still pinning her against the wall with his strong chokehold and muscular thigh. “F-fuck, I want to fucking hear you cry my name-” Naraka hooks her legs around his center and pulls him in tighter, casuing his hips to dig into her aching cunt allowing her to feel how hard his dick has been this entire time. She rolls her hips just enough against his erection and he shudders as she moans from the friction she craved, “F-Fuck!” Toji hears her purring moan at the action of her rolling her hips into his cock and he’s unable to control himself. He takes the blade and cuts through her shirt and bra, her heavy breasts springing free, heaving with each laboured breath. He watches her skin flash with goosebumps from the cool air caressing her bare torso. 

He smiles wider, licking his lips in anticipation like the ravenous predator he was. “You nasty whore, your nipples are pierced...tell me, how does it feel if I-'' Toji takes the edge of his blade and catches one end of the piercing, making it reverberate when he flicks the bar. Naraka’s eyes roll into the back of her head as she moans, squeezing his waist tighter between her muscular thighs, “Y-yesss,” she hisses, before looking back to see Toji dip his head down to one of her exposed tits and stick his tongue out to swirl around the light brown flesh before flicking the piercing and latching on to suck and swirl while grinding his cock into her center harder. Toji finally let go of her throat and she takes the opportunity to grab his thick tresses again and pull his head back, “I’m gonna make you cry bitch.” She head butted Toji, hearing a crunch, and forced him to stumble back crying out at the pain. Once she catches herself and leans up against the wall for support, she catches her breath and slips the wrecked top and bra off. “You know that was my favorite lace bra...I guess we’re even, asshole.” Toji stands and wipes the blood from the broken nose, groaning. Naraka runs at him, jumping up, and wrapping her legs around his head. His face between her thighs, she uses  her force and weight to take him to the ground onto his back. Toji doesn’t miss a beat, latching his arms around her thighs while taking in her scent, “Fuck, you smell so fucking good.” He dives into her center and grinds his face into her drenched pussy. Naraka shudders at the feeling of his face grinding into her, rolling her hips into him making him growl against her, she feels him bring his hands to her center, “These are fucking useless.” He rips her fishnets and grabs her soaked panties to tear them off. Naraka clenches, gasping at the action of the fabric being torn away. She grabs a fistful of his hair again as he licks a wet strip from her opening to her clit. Toji moans as he tastes the slickness of her arousal that coats her thighs, “Look at you, you’re such a fucking mess,” Toji swirls his muscle around her clit, “Such a fucking cock tease, a worthless, fucking whore.” Toji tastes more of her, knowing full well the shit talking and degradation was making her come undone. Naraka looks down and holds his head down, her eyes blown out, “Shut the fuck up and get fucked Big Boy.” She doesn’t hesitate, suffocating him with her pussy, feeling his muscle work wonders against her engorged clit, “Yess, hnngggh, so fucking good.” He sucks and tastes with open mouth kisses on her thighs and digs his fingernails in as he keeps going back for more. She’s at the precipice of her orgasm when Toji pulls back and bites her thigh hard, drawing blood, making Naraka convulse and cry out cumming in his face, “Fuck you!!! OH FUCK, OH FUCK!!!” She squeezes his head between her strong thighs, letting him tongue fuck her entrance as she clamps down, making him moan into her, tasting the intoxicating mix of her orgasm and blood.

Toji feels her grip release from his hair as her legs begin to relax around his head. Reaching up, he clutches her throat and rolls her to her back, slamming her into the ground. Taking her lips, he hitches her leg up on his side, “I’m going to break you and watch you fucking come undone. You. Are. Nothing.” Toji watches as Naraka’s breath catches, her eyes rolling in the back of her head again, “But you know what...I think you’d look better from behind, face in the dirt.” He pulls her up by her throat, taking her lips again as he fists her hair and stands to make her get on all fours. Naraka moans at the feeling of her hair being pulled with so much force. Her knees being scraped open and bleeding into the dirt, as his fingernails dig into her scalp. Forced onto all fours she looks up at him and watches his eyes flash before he gets behind her and shoves her face into the dirt below. Naraka feels the debris from the dirt enter her open wound and screams in agony and pleasure as he grinds the side of her face deeper into the ground, “That’s right bitch, fucking scream for me.” Toji pulled his cock out, slick from his own arousal, and pumps a few times while he grinds Naraka’s face in more and more into the dirt below. He watches as her tight whole clenches, beckoning him, it makes him quiver as he guides his thick cock into her entrance.

She takes in the feeling of the pain and pleasure as he puts all his strength into grinding her face into the ground. She feels him tear her fishnets more as his rough, thick digits slide and explore her drenched slit before diving into her plush walls and feeling her clench at the roughness of the pads of his fingers pump in and out. Naraka hears him groan before she looks back from the ground to see the large and heavy cock that he was pumping with his free hand. She moaned at the sight of his shirt lifted, eyeing the veins on his adonis belt as he clenches while stroking. When she feels the fat head of his cock at her entrance, she moans and cries out when he thrusts into her, bottoming out inside of her. “F-Fuck, so fucking tight.” As Toji drags out, Naraka can feel the prominent vein beneath his dick hitting all her walls. She doesn’t have a chance to absorb all of the feeling before he thrusts back in, bruising her swollen lips. “I- hah- I didn’t think a yakuza slut would be this fucking t-tight...Oh fuck.” Naraka moans out and claws at the dirt, “Fuuck, Shut the fuck up, and fuck me harder; I thought you were fucking brutal not, ahhhhh, a soft little bitch.” Toji thrust in and out at a harder pace and grabs her hair, wrenching her up to force her to arch her back. He digs his nails into her hip as Naraka feels every blow, his girth and length bruising her cervix. “F-fuck! That’s it Big Boy, hnnnngh, Show me what you got! You won’t break me.”

“Hah-mmmm. Listen to you,” he growls, “You’re such a fucking brat! Shut the fuck up and take this cock.” Toji reaches around her chest and pulls her into his muscled chest, feeling her grab onto his forearm and dig her nails into his flesh as he continues the vicious thrusts of his cock, shoving his fingers into her mouth. Naraka tastes herself on his fingers and grunts with every touch to her cervix by Toji’s cock. Her saliva begins to pool in her mouth as she’s being gagged by his thick fingers and it begins to overflow, past her lips and down her throat. Her spine starts to coil and become taught from the earth shattering orgasm that’s at its tipping point, she begins to feel Toji’s cock twitch inside of her. “That’s it bitch, you sound better when your fucking mouth’s full of my fucking fingers, hah-, fuck! Fuck! I’m gonna fucking spray your insides with me and ruin this fucking pussy!” Harder and harder he thrusts, his heavy balls slapping against her, “Fucking touch yourself and make yourself cum on this cock, DO IT NOW.” Naraka, wanting her release, reaches down with one hand and begins to put pressure on her clit, circling around her aching bundle of nerves. “F-Faster, make yourself fucking come. You better fucking come right fucking now or I’ll fucking kill you.” She moans against his fingers and feels her walls begin to convulse and clench around his hard cock when she hears him throw his head back and with one more violent thrust into her turn her pink insides white with his thick seed. “FUUUCCKKK!” Toji spills himself inside of her and feels her walls clench down, milking him for every drop he’s worth. He begins to shudder and groan at the feeling of her taking his soul from him. Toji let her go and holds onto her hips as she falls forward, moaning with a primal cry, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. 

Naraka sees stars behind her eyelids as she closes them to catch her breath, with Toji’s cock still inside her still semi hard, she opens them again when she feels his grip relax. This is my chance to knock him out and run. Naraka takes the chance and pulls away slowly standing up. Toji watches as she turns toward him, brushing his hair, damp with sweat away from his eyes. His head hitting her shoulders she smiled wickedly, “You were the best fuck I’ve ever had Toji Fushiguro.” She was so short she just grabbed the back of his head and brought his lips towards her while he was on his knees, when she breaks the kiss she looks at him, “I guess I’ll let you live another day.” He never notices the brass knuckles attached to her fist when she puts all her force into knocking him unconscious. It’s the last thing he sees as his vision blackens and he’s out cold on the ground with his pants around his knees. Naraka chuckles and drops the brass knuckles beside him, “Goodnight Toji, consider your debt paid.” She straightens herself out, cleaning up as much as she can, and walks toward his cut and bloodied sweater, “I’ll just take this as a souvenir, I need a shirt anyways. Can’t walk around half naked.” Putting his sweater on, she leaves him behind in the dirt and smiles while tracing her bruised lips with her fingertips. Before getting too far she stops, backtracking toward his unconscious body. “You know, el grande, I don’t think you’ll need this either.” She reaches into his pants and takes the cash she attempted to swipe earlier. “Well, can’t make it too easy on you. Good luck getting home” She smirks, nudging his mound of a body with her boot as she stashes the cash in her thigh harness. She can’t help but laugh as she walks back towards the bustling sea of people out of the shadows feeling the ghost of his touch against her face. She lets a whisper of a thought graze across her mind, I hope he finds me again one day, knowing full well she’s ignited the spark to an overwhelming fire.

#jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen smut #jjk toji #toji fushiguro #jjkfanfic #jjksmut #jjk #writing #smut #fanfiction

[samsexualdeancurious]

Release | Chapter Three (NSFW)

Pairing: Sam x Dean

Words: 2,190

Summary: When Sam's hit with an incomplete curse, Dean is more than happy to lend a hand in breaking it.

Warnings: WINCEST, genital swap (not a gender swap since Sam still identifies as a man), oral sex, vaginal fingering and sex, unprotected sex (wrap it up, kids!), this is legit like 95% smut and I have zero regrets. This chapter includes none of the previous mentions but it does include bottom!Dean, anal sex, and some angst that I hadn't planned when I started this series but here we are.

Betaed by me

---

Dean wakes to his brother slipping from bed, silent as can be but not quite silent enough to fool years of hunter instincts. He blinks in the dim light of the lamp Sam’s switched on and twists to squint at his brother.

“Where’re you going?” he mumbles, rubbing his eyes to ease the sting of the light.

Sam has his back to Dean and is pulling his workout clothes from the dresser. “For a run.”

“Everything okay?”

When Sam turns a little to the side, bending to slide his boxers up his legs, Dean catches a glimpse of the soft curve of his morning wood against his thigh. “Yeah, all normal.”

Dean rolls over fully to run an appreciative look over his brother. Sam’s grown more slender in recent years, focusing more on feeling good with his workouts than any specific goals like bulking up the way he did during the four months Dean was in Hell. Instead, Sam is all lean, powerful muscles and long limbs, and the sight of him stirs Dean’s cock into awareness.

“I could think of a better morning workout to do,” Dean says with a smirk, propping himself up on one elbow.

Sam glances at him once and then turns away again, shaking out his pants. “Not today.”

As soon as the drawstring is cinched around his waist, Sam’s out the door, pulling his t-shirt on as he goes. Dean frowns and throws the blankets off to follow him, pausing in the doorway when he remembers his own nudity. He’s not sure if Rowena’s still hanging around or not. She’s probably buried herself in her bedroom or a storeroom to do whatever the hell she’s up to but he’d rather not risk her seeing his junk.

“Any specific breakfast requests?” he calls after his brother but Sam just gives a halfhearted wave and disappears around the corner.

Still frowning, Dean snags his own clothes from the dresser, throws on his boxers from last night, and heads for the bathroom. Sam will probably be gone an hour or so, which gives Dean plenty of time to shower and get a good breakfast going. There are still fresh peppers in the fridge, as well as eggs. Sam does love an egg white omelet, especially after a run. Maybe a smoothie, too? Yeah, that’s a good idea. Butter Sam up a little with his favorite foods and then maybe he’ll tell Dean what’s going on in that big head of his because clearly something is up.

Dean showers quickly, ignoring any lingering morning arousal as he tries to work out what could possibly be bothering Sam. Everything had seemed fine when Dean fell asleep last night. Sam must have stayed up too late thinking about something but what that something is, Dean doesn’t have the faintest idea.

By the time Sam finally returns, making his way into the kitchen to refill his water bottle before his shower, Dean’s well into cooking their breakfasts and has just poured the mixture for his own omelet into the hot pan.

“Shower quick,” he tells Sam, greedily taking in the heaving of his chest as he catches his breath and the way his sweat-dampened hair curls and sticks to his skin. The imagery reminds him of last night, Sam stretched out on their bed with Dean above him, and Dean’s cock stirs at the memory. He’s going to be jerking off to that one for a long time to come. “Breakfast is almost ready.”

“I’m not hungry,” Sam replies without looking at him and there’s nothing that can kill Dean’s boner faster than an angsty little brother who’s clearly too wrapped up in his thoughts about something.

“You just ran how many miles? Five? And I know you haven’t eaten since before we got home last night, so don’t give me that.” Dean reaches out to grab the sleeve of Sam’s shirt and pull him closer. “Are you feeling nauseous? You’re not coming down with something, right?” Sam gives a little shrug. “Well, you should try and eat just a little bit. You don’t need to eat it all but try a few bites?”

“Okay,” Sam answers softly and Dean leans in to kiss his cheek. Sam hasn’t shaved yet and his stubble is rough against Dean’s lips but he doesn’t mind.

“Go get cleaned up. You reek.”

Sam rolls his eyes, lips curving in a small smile, and heads off down the hallway again. Dean returns his attention to his omelet, once again frowning as he mulls over that interaction. Getting Sam to talk might be harder than he expected.

Dean’s just transferring Sam’s omelet from pan to plate when his brother returns, fresh from the shower and dressed in his usual jeans-flannel combo. Today is that soft red and black one that clings to his chest and shoulders just so. His hair is still damp, soft curls falling against the back of his neck and around his ears. Dean wants to run his fingers through them but suppresses that urge, choosing instead to sit across the table from Sam with his food. The omelet only gets a few bites but the smoothie is a hit, thankfully. At least Sam’s getting some calories today if he’s not planning to eat solid food. The not-eating thing is a huge red flag, though.

“Okay,” Dean says as he finishes his own omelet and pushes his plate aside. “Tell me what’s going on in that big beautiful brain.”

Sam shakes his head, poking at a bit of pepper with his fork. His body is tensed and Dean knows if he’s not careful, Sam’s going to bolt. Sam may be the more “talk about our feelings” one of the brothers but he still has his moments. This is shaping up to be one of them but Dean needs it to not be. Letting Sam stew in his thoughts too long is never a good idea. He ties himself up in anxiety knots that they’ll both spend weeks, months, sometimes even years untangling.

“Don’t run away from this,” Dean says softly, reaching across the table to take the fork from Sam’s hand. He hooks one foot around Sam’s ankle under the table, a small defense to keep Sam from running. It won’t do much to actually hold him but, hopefully, it indicates to Sam that Dean genuinely wants to talk about this. “And eat your food. Do I have to pull out the airplane move?” He gets a bite of omelet on the work and holds it up in front of Sam’s mouth. “It worked when you were little.”

“I’m not hungry,” Sam protests, all pouty little brother. “And I’m not running.”

“Uh-huh.” Dean nudges the fork against Sam’s lips. “Sam.”

“Dean.”

“Sa-am.”

Sam huffs and accepts the bite of omelet, chewing slowly before speaking again. “I just - I don’t know. I guess I’m having some doubts.”

Dean frowns, cutting the omelet with the side of the fork and loading up another bite. “Doubts? About us?” His stomach twists at the thought but Sam shakes his head and lets Dean feed him this second piece of omelet.

“No, not about…” Sam hesitates and then blurts out, “Do you miss sleeping with women?”

“Women? No. Why?”

Sam shrugs. “Something about last night… how much you enjoyed yourself. I guess it got me thinking. It’s been so long since either of us slept with women and I know that’s not a big deal for me since I’ve never been very… you know. But you’ve always…” He trails off and Dean’s heart breaks a little at the expression on his face. Like he’s just waiting for Dean to kick him while he’s down.

“Sam.” Dean nudges Sam’s shin with his toes under the table. “For someone so smart, you can be pretty fucking dumb. Last night was hot as hell but I didn’t think you were hot because you had a vagina or because you were a man with a vagina. I thought it was hot because you’re you and I love you no matter what’s between your legs.”

Sam’s cheeks are an adorable shade of pink. “Really?”

“What did I do to prompt that thought besides really enjoy fucking you?” Dean asks and Sam chews his lip, shrugging. Yeah, that answers that question. Overthinking is a cruel spiral to get trapped in. He wants to lighten the mood a bit, though, and maybe move this past the talking stage. Dean’s always been more about actions than words. “Did you miss me eyeing up your cock this morning?”

Sam rolls his eyes but that sass melts away when Dean lifts his foot to rub his toes along Sam’s inner thigh, sending a shiver through the younger man.

“Yeah,” Dean murmurs, watching Sam’s eyelids flutter as he presses the ball of his foot against the bulge in Sam’s jeans. “I want this in me. Can I?”

Sam nods, breathing out a “yes”, and Dean grins.

--

They make it to the bedroom somehow, stumbling through the door and falling onto the bed together. They barely remember to lock the door behind them. Dean fumbles with the buttons of Sam’s shirt only to find a v-neck underneath.

“So many layers,” he complains as he pushes the flannel from Sam’s shoulders and yanks the t-shirt up and off.

“You’re one to talk,” Sam laughs, shaking his hair out of his face and getting to work on Dean’s shirts while Dean’s fingers find Sam’s belt.

“Yeah, yeah, just get naked.”

They do accomplish that. Their clothes are scattered all over the room but Dean can’t bring himself to care. Not when he’s pushing Sam onto his back and crawling up to straddle Sam’s hips as he reaches for the lube in his bedside table drawer. Their erections rub against each other with the movement, drawing twin sounds of pleasure from both men.

“Gonna ride you,” Dean promises, pouring lube on his fingers and reaching back to start working himself open. He groans, a sound echoed by Sam. “I love the way you fill me up.”

“So fucking hot,” Sam says, reaching up with one hand to hook his fingers around the back of Dean’s neck. “Where’s the lube?”

The bottle has rolled to rest against Dean’s calf. He scoops it up and passes it to Sam, who doesn’t hesitate to slick up his own fingers.

“Let me?” Sam asks, his lubed hand slipping between Dean’s thighs to brush against where Dean’s rim is stretched around two of his fingers.

Dean is more than happy to let Sam take over. He wipes his hand on the sheet again - they’re definitely going to have to change them later - and leans back to brace himself against Sam’s thighs. Sam’s fingers are long and thick, stretching Dean open in all the best ways. Dean’s head falls back and he hears Sam make an appreciative sound at the sight.

“Gorgeous,” Sam growls, twisting his fingers just so to pull a moan from Dean even as his cheeks burn.

“I’m not-” Dean starts to protest but Sam silences him with a shake of his head. His hand has drifted down to rest on Dean’s belly, just above his cock.

“I will win this argument.” Sam’s hand slips lower to curl loosely around the base of Dean’s cock. “If I’m ‘fucking stunning’, then you’re gorgeous. I don’t make the rules.”

Before Dean can respond, the introduction of a third finger drives all semblance of coherent thought from his head and all he can manage is a low, broken sound that might be Sam’s name. Even Dean himself isn’t entirely sure.

“Think you’re ready?” Sam asks with a knowing smirk.

It’s going to burn a bit, Dean knows, but part of him craves that. The knowledge that Sam’s cock is just that big. Dean’s no shrimp himself but his little brother is proportionate and Dean loves it.

He may be a bit of a size queen.

“Give it to me,” he answers, voice breathier than he’ll ever admit as Sam pulls his fingers free.

Sam slicks up his cock blindly, eyes never leaving Dean’s face, and then guides Dean back to finally get what he’s been craving. Dean moans openly as he’s split wide on the fat head, the slight burn making his cock throb. It always feels like it takes an eternity to sink all the way to the base but he gets there. His ass presses tight against Sam’s bony hips and he’s filled to the brim, deeper than any other man has ever gone, in more ways than one.

“You take me so well.” Sam’s hands stroke up and down Dean’s thighs, soothing the tremble of his muscles before one palm strikes Dean’s ass with a sharp crack that makes Dean clench and moan. “You promised you would ride me. Go on.”

Dean draws a deep breath, nodding, and his hands flail a second before finding their grip on Sam’s forearms. With Sam to brace against, Dean gets to work fulfilling that promise and reminding his brother exactly how much Dean loves him just the way he is.

—

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—

Team Forever: @mrswhozeewhatsis @manawhaat @books-and-icecream @laughing-at-the-darkness @tumbler-tidbits @emoryhemsworth @imsuperawkward @onethirstyunicorn

#sam x dean #wincest #samdean #my writing #supernatural

[hagencase31]

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[nerdyfangirl67]

Once Upon A Time (part 2) - Criminal Minds Reader Insert

PART 2

Pairing: Aaron x reader (previous), Will x reader (current)

Warnings: angst, rebound relationship

Word count: 2245

A/N: This part was a bit harder for me to write because I felt that I’m doing poor Will wrong in this chapter/story. I have decided that I will have one ending, the “angst” ending, that will be Will’s ending and one ending, the “fluff” ending, be Aaron’s as this is supposed to be a reader x Aaron story.

YOUR POV

Detective Will LaMontagne. He was easy to talk to and certainly attractive. You especially liked his southern accent. He made you laugh, but most importantly he helped to take your mind off of Aaron.

Aaron still avoided you and on the rare occasion he spoke directly to you, it wasn’t more than two or three sentences. You had tried to corner him alone in the conference room to talk but he just spit out some excuse and rushed out of the room. So, whenever you had a few minutes to yourself, you found yourself talking to Will. Maybe it was because he wasn’t ignoring you, as Aaron currently was, or because you could see that your moments with Will were getting to Aaron. Either way, you had gotten comfortable around Will in the time you had known him for the case.

The case dragged on, with the unsub killing two more victims before the team was able to identify and pinpoint his location. The takedown went smoothly and as a celebration Will had invited the whole team out to a traditional New Orleans pub for a drink.

You were sitting next to Reid, who was currently enthusiastically talking to two women about physics in TV shows, nursing your second beer when you felt a person approach you on the left. You shift your attention towards them, a thrill of happiness shooting through you when you see it’s Aaron.

“Aaron.” You whisper, figuring he won’t even hear you over the music and the crowd. You realize you were wrong though, when his head turns to you.

The bar lighting makes his eyes a warm, whiskey brown and all you want to do is spend the night getting lost in them. For the first time in days, his stoic, cold mask slips off, revealing the kind, gentle man you love.

You lift your hand, running it softly down his cheek and he leans slightly into your touch. You don’t move, for fear of breaking this delicate moment but the bartender returns, setting down the drinks Aaron ordered, effectively popping the bubble around the two of you.

Aaron pushes away from your hand and from you. All emotion washes away from his face before he says, “We can’t do this. Especially not here.” He is gone, almost as quickly as he had appeared, ripping the hole in your heart even bigger.

You push away from the bar, leaving your beer, and head outside. You are hoping some fresh air and quiet will help ease the hurt seizing your heart.

You are unsure of how long you sat outside, watching people walk past and listening to the jazz floating down the street, before a voice caught your attention.

“Why is a beautiful lady like yourself out here all alone?” Will’s accent makes his words deep and sultry.

You blush at his words but stay facing forward. He may not be a profiler but he has been able to read you like a book since the case started. He sits beside you at the small outdoor table in front of the pub.

The two of you sit in comfortable silence for a while before Will speaks in a low voice. “Whatever happened between you two doesn’t have to affect the two of us.”

You whip your head around towards him, eyes wide in a mix of shock and confusion. “I saw you two at the bar. And you were watching him a lot whenever we talked back at the precinct so I figured something was going on between the two of you.”

You nod slowly, either in agreement to his first words or an acknowledgement of his second ones, you aren’t entirely sure. 

“We can just have fun together Y/N. It doesn’t have to be anything serious. I like spending time with you and I’m guessing you enjoy it as well.” He has turned to look at you at this point so as you turn your attention to him, you give him another nod.

“How about we start with exchanging numbers then first, and we can go from there.” He suggests, earning a hum of agreement from you. He gives you a wide smile, which you return shyly as the two of you trade phones to put in each other’s numbers. 

That night, as you fell asleep to the sound of Reid’s snoring from the other bed, you think that this case may be the start of something new with someone new. 

-ONE YEAR LATER -

 A whole year had passed since that case in New Orleans, the one which had brought Will into your life. After that night at the pub, when the two of you had exchanged numbers, you had become fast friends. It was less than a month into your friendship when you had taken your first vacation days in two years to go visit him in New Orleans. And it was just the next weekend when he came to visit you in Virginia. After that weekend, you went from being friends to being something more.

The two of you never outright discussed this shift in the relationship. Rather, the two of you let the relationship progress on its own. After six months of visiting each other as often as possible, Will told you he loved you. And as much as you liked Will, you really, really did, you couldn’t find yourself to say it to him. You showed him how much you cared for him with little things like breakfast in bed, sweet notes on the fridge, and feel good email blasts when he’s working a tough case because you could never find it in you to say those three words.

It was natural with Will. You felt almost normal around him. Almost.

There was that lingering part of you that was solely devoted to Aaron, even after a year. It was so hard for you to give that part of yourself up. It may have been easier had Aaron treated you the way he did right after he broke things off. But a few months into your growing relationship with Will, you noticed a change in him. 

He no longer ignored you or treated you coldly. Rather, he lingered close to you after giving you an order. In slow moments during a case you would find him staring at you, his whiskey brown eyes soft and inviting. On days you were late to the office, you would find a cup of coffee sitting on your desk, in your favorite mug, made just the way you liked it. No one would tell you who did this, but the morning it had first happened, you had inquired about it and JJ had looked back at Hotch’s office. But it wasn’t just the little things he did. The one thing he did that really got you was the phone calls.

There were those particularly rough cases, the ones that involved children or the ones where the team hadn’t been fast enough and more victims suffered, that got to him. Those affected him in a way that only you saw. On the first night back from cases like these, when you had finally got into bed, your phone would ring. 

The first time it happened you had thought something horrible had happened. Aaron was not only calling you but he was calling you in the wee hours of the morning. You had answered right away, demanding that he tell you what was wrong.

He was quiet for a moment before he had answered with “Can you just talk? About anything, I don’t care.” As shocked as you were you had done what he asked.

It had happened often enough since then, that all he needed to do was call you and you would talk to him. It went as an unspoken rule that you wouldn’t speak of Will. And that part of you that was still stuck on Aaron was okay with that because that part of you didn’t want to break the magical spell of these moments. Some nights you spent hours talking to him and others you only needed to talk for twenty minutes. He never said much during these calls, as you had learned early on that all he really needed to hear was your voice. And as much as these phone calls took from you emotionally, and caused your heart to ache, you still answered every single one because deep down inside there was that part of you that loved him still.

You clear your thoughts of Aaron as you see Will walking away from his arrival gate and towards you in the busy airport.  He had on gray slacks and a baby blue button up that you knew, from where you were, made his eyes stand out even more. You give a small wave as his eyes scan over where you are waiting and a smile breaks out on his face when he locates you in the crowd.

You move quickly toward him, ready for his arms to be around you. When you reach him he pulls you in tight. The masculine spice of his cologne and unique scent fill your nose as you press your face into his chest.

“I missed you.” He murmurs, his voice thick and low. You lift your head to look him in the eyes as you say, “And I missed you.” He presses a kiss on first one cheek, then the other before kissing you gently on the lips.

You walk together out to your car, which you use to take you to your apartment. Arriving at your apartment, Will heads to the shower and you start on dinner. The night continues in a domestic routine that the two of you have gotten used to when visiting each other.

The weekend passes quickly and on Sunday afternoon it is time for Will to leave. You lean into his side as you sit next to him at his departure gate. You are drawing patterns on his thigh when you feel him look at you. 

Smiling, you bring your eyes to his. “What?” You question quietly.

His bright eyes search yours for a moment before he simply says, “Marry me.”

You are too shocked to speak so you stand up from your seat. Will rises right after you, grabbing your hands in his and pulling you close.

“Y/N, I love you. I know it’s soon but I wouldn’t want to spend the rest of my life with someone else.” His words make your heart jump in your throat because there is that nagging part of you that’s telling you of someone else you would spend the rest of your life with. Someone who isn’t Will. But knowing that someone doesn’t feel the same has you saying, “Yes. I’ll marry you.” As the words leave your mouth, you vow to devote yourself, your whole self, to Will here and now.

He laughs loudly, causing a few people to turn and look, as he wraps you in his arms. You hold tight to him, giving him as much of yourself as you can without saying the words you saved for Aaron. 

Will pulls back and reaches into his pocket, bringing out a ring box. He opens it and delicately removes the ring, a simple ring with star-like diamonds set in the band. As he slips the ring on your finger, he reaches forward and presses his lips to yours.

“Last call for boarding flight 462 to New Orleans, Louisiana.” Calls over the intercom, breaking the two of you apart. He presses a few more chaste kisses to your lips before pulling away. You watch as he hurries through the boarding gate, turning and giving you a wave which you return.

The rest of the day passes quickly with you cleaning your apartment and getting things ready for work tomorrow. You spend an hour talking to Will on the phone before turning in for the night. When your alarm rings the next morning, you quickly jump into your morning routine, stopping only to send a quick text to Will before heading out the door to work.

The first person you see when you enter the bullpen is Reid. He is bent over his desk, focused on his paperwork. “Hey Spence.” You call as you set your bag down at your desk, noticing the steaming cup of coffee on your desktop.

His head snaps up and he straightens in his chair, giving you a smile. “Everyone else is in the debriefing room. We got a case.” You nod, grabbing the coffee and following Reid to the round table. As you enter the room, the team greets the two of you. You smile and give a small wave, flinching when Penelope lets out a squeal.

“Damn mama, what was that for?” Morgan asks, turning towards Penelope. 

“Y/N! She has an engagement ring! He finally asked you?” She rambles out, rushing towards you and pulling you in a tight hug. You are passed around by the team members, receiving hugs as you go until you are standing in front of Aaron. His face is twisted with confusion and pain, causing your heart to squeeze tight with distress but he pulls you forward into a hug regardless. 

You are so distracted by the fact he is hugging you that you almost miss the words he whispers in your ear. “Don’t do it. Don’t marry him.”

ONCE UPON A TIME tags:

@evans-dejong

@a-dorky-book-keeper

@omglindsay

#criminal minds reader #criminal minds #reader #criminal minds reader insert #gibbs reader insert #criminal minds imagine #imagine #criminal minds fandom #fandom #criminal minds fanfiction #fanfiction #aaron hotchner #aaron x reader #aaron x you #aaron hotchner x reader #hotch x reader #hotch #hotch x you #will x reader #will lamontagne #will lamontagne x you #will lamontagne x reader #omglindsay

[jiminniethemarshmallow]

Fairy Dust

Pairing: Jimin x reader

Genre: adventure, fantasy, fluff

Word Count: 22k

(A/N): This is my first time writing anything like this and boy was it tough! Also I really didn’t mean for it to be this long so oops 😬

For BCC One Summer Night Project

You follow Jimin away from your campsite off the beaten path on a journey guided by starlight, walking hand in hand and treading lightly so as not to disturb the wildlife around you. You weave through the wooded area of your night trail to a destination that your boyfriend has not yet disclosed to you. Shades of midnight blues and purples color what was once green and brown around you, blackening shapes at your feet that you step over with care.

“Are you sure you know where you’re going?” You fret with a chuckle, enjoying the warmth of his fingers when they squeeze yours.

“Of course, I used to come here all the time with my family. It’s right up ahead.” He points with a finger you can barely see in the dim lighting. You trust him, shrugging to yourself as you trek on. He stops you a few steps later, looking down at his feet until you do the same and come to the realization that there is a stream in your path. “I’ll go first.”

He demonstrates by stepping on a flat stone in the center of the water source, leaping to the other side gracefully before turning to offer you his hand and a smile. Your movements are a lot more unsteady than his. A hesitant step on the stone is all you can manage before you’re grasping for his hand, stumbling to his side and nearly pulling both of you down into the water, a few bugs flying up at your rough landing. It’s smooth sailing after that, avoiding a fallen log, regretfully stepping over the corpse of a poor decaying animal, and brushing past short shrubbery before you finally reach a clearing with a perfect view of the starry ceiling above you.

“Wow,” From this vantage point at your altitude in these mountains the beautiful glow of the galaxy is not clouded by pollution or artificial light. You’ve never seen so many stars in your life, all twinkling at you in clusters of white dots that form patterns and constellations above your head. Jimin pulls a purple blanket from the bag on his back, placing it in the uncut grass at the center of the meadow. You take a seat next to him, laying back to curl into his chest comfortably as his arms come to wrap around you.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” He asks in a whisper, watching the environment around you come to life from your movement. Fireflies rise above the blades of green beneath you to put on a display of light for you, creating their own pictures that rival even the stars.

“It’s... perfect.” You are utterly speechless, simply thankful that he decided to share this with you. Looking up, you discover that he is no longer looking around but is focused solely on you now, and when you lock eyes, you lean in for a kiss. You could swear that the fireflies around you begin to circle around your bodies once your lips touch, your eyes now closed and a delicious scent engulfing you. It’s easy to get lost in Jimin’s kiss, so easy that you begin to lose track of time and space and lose consciousness.

“Why did you pick them?” A voice sounds distantly, distorted oddly in your ears.

“Uhm, well, I- uh,” The timid squeak comes from much closer, and you can almost hear the nervous way the mysterious person gnaws on their lip. A loud sigh. “We’re desperate.”

“...Fine. But you couldn’t have found someone more— I don’t know— muscular than them? I mean come on, they’re both practically splinters!”

“There was no one else around... maybe we could make this a stealth mission instead?”

Your eyes start to crack open once the grogginess fades, a soft and fuzzy fabric swallowing you in its folds. Jimin is not in your immediate line of sight and everything is brighter than you remember. Your head lifts before you’ve gotten both eyes fully open, alerting the two that now accompany you.

“Oh, one of them is awake!” The timid voice whispers, and the first thing to come into view is a flawless face, features too smooth and delicate to be real. The woman’s skin sparkles as if she had been bathed in glitter, but it seems that she’s producing her own light, an supernatural glow outlining her body and... wings? Maybe your eyes were still adjusting...

“Mm, what happened?” You mumble, your mind feeling hazy. Once your eyes fully focus, you jump at her proximity.

“W-wow, I didn’t know humans were this pretty.” She gushes, earning a slap on the shoulder from the other person she’s with. Looking to the left, you find a shorter woman whose features are just as undefined as her taller counterpart, the same glow haloed around her.

“Don’t say things like that.” She scolds.

“Jimin?!” Suddenly you think of your boyfriend, who you have yet to see, and begin to search around, finally taking in your surroundings and noticing that you appear to be lost in a sea of purple, blanket-like material, its folds blocking and trapping you as you move around to find your partner. You call out to him again, this time receiving a response.

“(Y/n)?” He sounds sleepy, probably just waking up from whatever slumber you had fallen into.

“We should help.” The taller woman says, appearing behind you to grab you under your arms and lift you. Lift you? Wait, were you flying?! Your legs dangle as you rise higher above your fabric prison, the new perspective allowing you to see that you were surrounded by giant blades of grass and that you had, in fact, been on your blanket. She lowers you next to Jimin, huffing from the exertion, and you scramble to his side. What the hell was going on?

“Did you just... Fly?” He looks at you funny, then turns his attention to the two mysterious figures who have yet to introduce themselves.

“Hello, humans.” The shorter one starts awkwardly, cringing at herself. “You’ve finally awoken! That’s good.” There’s quiet— well, not really, the atmosphere is no longer muffled sounds of the forest, but now resembles a bustling town in daylight. Everything is so much louder. “W-well, my name is Alva and that’s Laila,” She nods in the other’s direction.

“What happened to us? Why did we pass out?” You question immediately, not bothering with self-introduction.

“O-oh, well, y-you both, um,” Laila starts, unable to look either of you in the eye. “What I mean to say is... you- we kind of-“

“We sprinkled you with Fairy Dust.” Alva finishes bluntly. Your jaws drop. She can’t be serious, this must be a joke. Yet you can’t bring yourself to laugh. No, she looks too serious.

“Fairy dust?” Jimin barely cracks a smile, subconsciously touching your arm to make sure this isn’t a dream.

“Y-yeah, but it appears I was a bit heavy handed. My apologies.” Laila smiles wryly, wringing her hands together nervously. “We are the fairies that live in this forest, and we need your help to save a dear comrade.” It is only then that you actually process what you’re looking at. The two of them hover in front of you, their wings fluttering gracefully like those of a hummingbird, the movement too quick for your eyes to perceive.

“Are we fairies now too?” Jimin checks his own body, then yours, inspecting you for any differences. The only thing that has changed is your size, and he sighs in relief.

“For the most part you are just tiny humans now, but we can make you wings if you so desire.” Alva deadpans, impatiently waiting for you to come to terms with the situation. She continues before you have the chance to let things sink in. “Stink bugs have infested these lands and have made their home by the water source, blocking all creatures on this side of the meadow from reaching the water’s edge. We fairies have put up a resistance to this, and in retaliation, they have kidnapped our leader. Please, we kindly ask for your help in retrieving her.”

“Why can’t you save her yourselves? Don’t you have an army?” Jimin frowns, unsure of how he feels about being this little. You may still be in shock.

“They have fortified their home with troops that protect them from land and air. In order to enter their territory, we would need to get past them, but they attack everything that they identify as being from this side of the meadow.” A chill runs up your spine. Were you willing to embark on a dangerous mission like this?

“But t-their eyesight is pretty bad, so they might not recognize you as fairies, even with wings.” Laila speaks up when she sees you wavering. “You may be able to negotiate a way in.”

“I don’t know about this.” Your boyfriend murmurs to you as he weighs your safety versus adventure. He’s always so kindhearted, so you know he wants to help them, but how far was he willing to go if danger was involved? If it was you he was worried about, you wanted to quell his fears.

“It sounds scary, honestly. But when in our lives will we get another chance to do something like this? We get to be fairies! That’ll never happen to us again.” You smile. But suddenly your eyes shoot wide, turning to the women again. “Wait, this does wear off, right? We won’t be stuck like this forever?”

“Well, there is a spell to reverse this, but the fairy you must rescue is the only one who has mastered it.” Laila offers with another apologetic look.

“Then we have to! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, we have to take advantage. These people need our help! Plus, what else are we going to do while we’re this tiny? Might as well become hero’s while we’re at it.” You chuckle, pulling a smile from him. “If it gets dangerous we’ll protect each other, promise.”

“What if something goes wrong and one of us gets hurt?” He asks. It’s uncharacteristic of him to worry like this, but this is uncharted territory so you can understand his apprehension. But as a couple you are known for your adventurous nature— hell, he’s the one who suggested going camping in the Rocky Mountains by yourselves in the first place. You won’t let him back down from this.

“What if everything goes right?” Your hand finds its way into his, squeezing in reassurance as he looks over your face. With a second more of hesitation, Jimin finally nods in agreement and the two fairies sigh in relief.

The mission they explain to you seems very much like the objective of a video game: traverse through different landscapes and hone your skills until you reach the villain’s lair, where you will then attempt to rescue the princess (or in this case, fairy leader) and defeat the villain. Of course, you will be responsible for coming up with the plan once you reach the lair because the fairies know nothing about where their leader is kept or what the stink bug king will think of you. It is entirely possible that you’ll be able to negotiate with him to release their leader and stop blocking the waterway, but it’s more exciting to think you’ll do a bit of fighting.

“We have supplies and tools for you that will be helpful for you on your journey.” Alva is kinder to you now, advising you to come along to their home to prepare for your mission.

“We don’t have wings yet...” You point out, assuming that you would fly to their abode.

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes at you, not bothering to explain. A high pitched whistle comes from her with little effort, followed by an intense buzzing noise approaching from behind. You and Jimin turn in horror as 3 giant fireflies appear from the sky, landing weightlessly on the surface before you with a blinding flash of light. It is then that you realize that the brightness in the sky above you isn’t from sunlight, but are actually the bulbs of the fireflies you had admired before. The three in front of you dim their lights to save your eyes, peering down at you with curiously large eyes.

Laila begins to speak with them in a language of chirps and clicks, and much to your surprise, they respond energetically to her. Although you now pale in comparison to these creatures, they are still awe-inspiring; with their red upper bodies that contrast so prettily with the luminescent glow of their yellow-green rears, the hard outer wings that protect the delicate transparent wings beneath that you’ve never noticed until now. Never in your life have you expected to see any bug from this close up.

Laila lets out a laugh that brings your attention back to her. “They agreed to give us a lift home.” She seems brighter after the interaction, though she still refuses to look you in the eye. “Ah! Let me introduce you— this is Magus,” She points to the one on the right, who tilts his head down at you in what you assume to be a bow. “This is Meri,” the one on the left nods at you two as well and you nudge Jimin in his side to offer a bow back. “And this is Garnet, named for her color.” The firefly in the center lifts her wings slightly in greeting and it takes immense self control not to step back in intimidation. She is the largest of the 3 and her color is distinctly different, her body appearing as a deep shade of red mimicking that of a garnet stone, as opposed to the pinkish shade that her counterparts take on.

“Since there are two of you, you will be traveling on Garnet because she is the biggest.” Alva explains, already in the air and mounted on Magus’ back.

“Wait, you want us to ride on its back?!” Jimin seems startled as you walk ahead of him and reach your hand out to Garnet, touching her head. Normally bugs were something you feared, but you have a newfound sense of bravery that is sparked by the novelty of this experience. “(Y/n), don’t touch it!” He shouts, eyebrows furrowing cutely when your hand makes contact with the insect.

“Babe, it’s fine, stop being so wimpy.” You snicker at his distress. “She won’t hurt us, I can tell. She’s nice.” The firefly chitters at you, causing Laila to giggle.

“She says to hop on, she doesn’t bite. But if you need a nip of encouragement she’s more than willing to give you one.” Jimin shutters and takes a hesitant step forward, following your lead with a soft pat to her head. She lowers to the ground as much as she can, and the two of you hop on with Jimin in front and your arms wrapped comfortably around his waist. He can feel your smile and it gives him a little peace of mind.

“No offense, but we don’t have time for cowardice. Anything could be happening to our leader right now and the more time we waste, the more danger we put her in.” Alva cuts in sharply with a twitch of her wings.

“Grab the ropes and hold on tight.” Directing your gaze to the thin ropes seamlessly attached to the smooth surface of Garnet’s shell— by magic, you assume— you take Laila’s advice and grab onto them from behind Jimin. “I already told her where we’re going, just tap her back twice to signal when you’re ready and she’ll take off.”

“Are you ready?” Your boyfriend asks, rolling his shoulders.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” At your confirmation, he taps his hand on the hard shell and her wings open up, fluttering loudly on either side of you before you begin to lift from the ground. You rise quickly yet carefully, and you can’t help but let out an elated squeal as the earth beneath you gets farther and farther away. The footprints you left in the grass when you arrived in the meadow have somewhat disappeared as the blades slowly return to their normal standing position, but you can still see the sheer size of them compared to how small you are now. Even from high up they look enormous, each one flattening an area that would probably take you several minutes to cross on foot. But the most amazing sight of all is something that Jimin points out with a dropped jaw.

The blanket that you had both been comfortably laying on not 10 minutes prior was now unreasonably large and you struggle to comprehend the scale. If being on the back of a bug wasn’t enough, seeing your own belongings look so disproportionate compared to you is what makes you realize just how tiny you really are. It’s almost frightening being so small and fragile, the human body does not have many natural adaptations to fend off the world making this situation that much more dangerous, but having Jimin with you eases your heart significantly. He isn’t the strongest or the bravest, or even the smartest for that matter, but you know that if you work together you’ll be alright. At least that’s what you tell yourself as you cling to him on your way up into the trees, not missing the opportunity to take in the view.

You’re taken to what looks to be a treehouse, perched on one of the thin branches at the top of a tree. It could be mistaken for a small bird’s nest from the outside, but the home is actually complexly made with a variety of materials and innovation you are unfamiliar with. Jimin grabs your hand immediately after you dismount from Garnet, glancing down from your height with a silent warning. Of course he’s weary, if either of you fell from this distance you would be dead before you were halfway down the trunk. Even a fall to the next branch down would be life threatening, but you try not to think about it as you walk carefully to the entrance of the home.

“Do not touch anything.” Alva hisses as she holds the door open for you. The inside of the abode is cozier than you expected, sheltered from the chill of the night and decorated with art and color.

“Alva, don’t be so crude to our guests.” Laila scolds, wringing her hands again. She seems to be nervous once more without the presence of her firefly companions.

“Do you live here together?” You ask, moving to inspect some items on a bookshelf. Jimin smacks your hand when you go to lift something up, reminding you of Alva’s warning.

“Y-yes.” Laila nods, turning away from you when you meet her eyes. They say no more on the matter so you don’t press it. “Anyway, you’ll need a few things for your journey. We’ll accompany you most of the way, but we won’t be able to enter once we reach the stink bug’s territory so you’ll need disguises.”

“I thought you said they won’t recognize us?” Jimin questions, walking over to where Alva is hard at work crafting something on a workbench.

“The stink bugs won’t, but they have spies everywhere. We’ll have to pass through some town centers on the way there and that’s where you’ll have the highest risk of being discovered. Also, they know that the two of us are part of the resistance so they will automatically be suspicious if we’re seen traveling together.” She murmurs. You watch as she sprinkles glowing dust onto the table, grabbing tools that glow similarly and manipulating the powder with skilled hands.

“That’s Fairy Dust.” Laila whispers to you when she sees the looks of confusion on your faces. It looks just how you imagined it would.

“So, are you saying that we’ll have to go through the town centers by ourselves?” Jimin’s question makes your heart jump with nerves.

“Yes and no. We’ll have to walk through the towns since their surveillance is stricter on air traffic, but all you have to do is follow behind us and everything will be fine. We’ll go first and lead the way while you trail a safe distance behind us. We can fly together between towns, when we’re not being watched.”

“Fly?” How would you fly if you didn’t have wings like them? You’ll probably use the fireflies again, so you don’t fret, but Alva shakes her head.

“What do you think I’m doing right now?” She asks rhetorically, rolling her eyes at your stupid question. “I’m making you wings so that you can fly with us.” Just as she says this, her workspace begins to glow red.

The Fairy Dust had somehow turned into thin sheets of glass-like material while you were looking away, inflexible and cloudy in quality but now burning a bright red color. Alva whispers something under her breath as she places her hands over the material, closing her eyes in focus. The glowing intensifies and Jimin pulls you back a few steps protectively to look on at a safer distance. Amazingly, the material transforms right before your eyes into transparent and featherlight wings that mimic those of the fairies beside you. They bend when she lifts them, they look extremely frail and delicate, so thin that you almost want to doubt their capabilities in holding you up in midair.

“Turn around.” She instructs quickly to you, using two fingers to rub more Fairy Dust on the edges of each wing. You spin for her and feel her move closer before pausing. The perplexed and irritated look on her face can be felt through the thick air and you don’t even have to see her to sense it.

“What’s wrong?” Jimin dares, eyes flicking back and forth between you.

“What covers your skin?” She asks, much to your confusion. You want to answer but you honestly have no idea what she’s referring to. Neither does Jimin.

“I believe they call them ‘clothes’”. Laila responds quietly.

“Ew, remove them.” The disgust in Alva’s voice is clear, startling you. Somehow, one small detail had escaped both you and your boyfriend this entire time: the fact that the two fairies are completely naked. Their bodies are just as undefined and nondescript as their faces and the odd light they seemed to give off acted as some sort of censor, making it difficult to tell whether or not they were wearing anything. But their reactions confirm that they, indeed, are in the nude. It makes sense, humans are the only creatures to cover themselves like this. But you’re still human and the thought of roaming naked and free in this unfamiliar landscape is uncomfortable.

“Is there a way that you could put the wings on over the clothes?” You turn to allow her to see the cringe on your cheeks. “Logically, it would make sense to keep our clothes on so that when we save your leader and return to normal size, we won’t be naked and exposed in the wilderness?” It’s phrased like a question because of the intimidating glare Alva is giving you, sucking the confidence right out of your words.

Thankfully, Laila is there to back you up. “It’s true, if they aren’t wearing their coverings when they turn back, i-it will remain our size.” Alva gives her the death glare too, but surprisingly, Laila doesn’t back down.

“Fine, but if this doesn’t work, you’re making the next pair of wings.” She points to her roommate, smoothing down your shirt to get a feel for the structure of your back before gently attaching the wings. Their attachment is joined by a ticklish sensation that makes you squirm and giggle, pulling against the small hands that attempt to hold you in place. You expected it to be painful, but the ticklish feeling fades quickly followed by nothing, your extensions successfully attached. She moves onto Jimin swiftly and you grin as the cutest giggle bubbles from his throat at the feeling. The wings really suit him, he looks like a fairy prince that has come to sweep you off your feet and fly off into the distance.

“Excellent.” Laila sighs in relief when your wings move with the motion of your shoulders, steadfast and not likely to come off. “I have prepared these for you as well.” She thrusts a bag into your hands, as well as a shiny whistle. “This Fairy Dust is essential to our mission. Fairies use it to craft things and manipulate items around them, so it is imperative that you get this to our leader to aid in her rescue and escape. This whistle is to only be used in emergencies,” Placing one in Jimin’s hands, she glares when he immediately puts it to his lips. “It will call Garnet to you in case you need a ride, but she is very busy at this time of night, so try not to use it.”

“Okay! Now we’re all set to go!” Alva rushes, practically pushing you out of her house.

Laila is the only one who has patience enough to teach you to fly, speeding through a lesson and demonstration with pressure from the other woman who looks on with annoyance. To Jimin, who is always quite graceful, flying is easy. The wings on his back move to his will and it’s as if he’s dancing in the air, lifting above you and quickly using his skills to twirl and flip. You, on the other hand, struggle immensely. As soon as your feet leave the ground, balance loses all meaning to you and you toddle unsteadily, smacking into things left and right because of the uneven flutter of your propellers. You bet you look silly right now— no, you know you do because Jimin makes sure to laugh loudly every time you struggle— but this is no time for shame. Alva concludes your lesson once it’s apparent that you won’t fall out of the sky and suggests that you’ll get the hang of it as you go, barely waiting for you before taking off from the tip of the branch.

“Now, I must warn you,” She says as you rush to keep up. “These wings do have a time limit, so it’s important that we make it to the water as fast as possible before time runs out or you’ll have to walk.”

“G-got it.” You’re still uneasy, veering off to the side occasionally and nearly smacking into Laila when the wind catches you. Just when you’re starting to get dizzy from your wacky steering, a warm hand closes around your arm. Jimin smiles at you, this time not with humor but with care, and you feel yourself relax. Pulling you closer to his body, he helps you balance in order to fly straight, offering tips and holding on tight for support. Even after you’ve gotten the hang of it, he holds your hand and stays close to you.

Traveling across the meadow takes far longer than you expected and by the time you reach the first town, you’re already tired. Alva lands several meters away from the tree line, turning abruptly to face you. “We’re about to enter the shrubs. This town is full of friendly faces so it shouldn’t be too hard to spot spies, but stay on the lookout. Laila and I have to meet up with an ally in one of the shops; once we get there, stay outside in the area and try not to look suspicious.”

“How are we supposed to do that?” Folding your arms, you wait for a response, but Alva simply shrugs and continues ahead.

“Just try not to bother anyone.” Laila says softly, avoiding your eyes as she speeds up to walk in front of you.

As soon as you enter the shrubs, hundreds of eyes zero in on the unfamiliar faces of you and Jimin. Some greet the fairies as they pass farther in front of you, but seem to burn holes in your back when you walk by, squeezing the hand of your boyfriend at the horrifying bugs that are now very close to your size. Ants and worms, caterpillars and centipedes all roam freely on the dense floor, chewing on fertile dirt and decaying leaves, carrying on with their lives all around you. None seem particularly threatening, but that doesn’t stop your hands from becoming incredibly sweaty in Jimin’s palm.

“I’ll protect you.” He whispers, though his voice shakes in uncertainty.

“How? There’s no way you can fight any of these things!” You whisper back through gritted teeth. Your eyes are so focused on trying not to lose sight of the women in front of you that you don’t notice the roots sticking up from the ground and trip noisily over one of them. Jimin reaches out with lightning fast reflexes and catches you before you come crashing to the ground, offering you a cheesy smile when your wide eyes lock on his before pulling you back up to your feet.

“I don’t need to fight them, I just need to save you from yourself.” You pout at his words, feeling your cheeks get hot at how embarrassing that fall must have looked. Even though you’re surrounded by bugs, you still have your pride.

Finally, Alva and Laila enter a shop, giving you a meaningful glance before disappearing inside. Jimin leads you just a little bit past the store before finding a spot to stand just opposite of its entrance so you can watch for their exit, pulling you against him as he leans against a mushroom. You take this time to take in your surroundings: the ceiling of this area is made of the dense leaves and vines of shrubs, yet it isn’t dark. Instead, everything is lit by glow-in-the-dark fungi that is speckled above and below you. Large mushrooms, like the one you sit beneath, grow in bundles in the darker places, their smell humid and pungent like a room full of mold. It tickles your nostrils and you sneeze, causing a movement from behind you.

“Oh!” Calls a voice that appears out of seemingly nowhere. Jimin moves you defensively away from the person, turning to confront them as they step from behind the fungus’ stem. “I wouldn’t sit under this if I were you. It’s smell can be quite intoxicating after a while and may cause hallucinations to those who aren’t used to it.” A male fairy steps forward, coated in Fairy Dust and naked just like your guides had been. The only difference is that he is covered in spores. This doesn’t seem to bother him, though. He eyes both you and Jimin up and down, smiling oddly at your appearance. “New around here?”

“Yes.” You answer hesitantly, but he seems nice enough.

“I can sense that you’re not fairies... Hmm, where are you from?” Just as you open your mouth to speak, Jimin cuts in.

“We’re just visiting. Who are you?”

“Ah, yes! I’m a mushroom fairy, the name’s Bayard.” He extends a hand and you shake it despite Jimin’s weary expression. “I work here and tend to the mushrooms that light this place. We don’t get visitors often, welcome!”

“Thank you! We’re actually heading to the water, do you have any helpful advice for us?” Alva and Laila said that this place was full of friends, so you want to take a chance. He seems kind and helpful and the two of you are absolutely clueless in your environment, so you figure it would be beneficial to get all the help you can get. The hand holding yours tightens, but you ignore it to listen to the fairy’s advice.

“Oh, I’ve never been to the water before, but I heard it’s pretty dangerous over there now. I say it’d be smart to invest in a weapon if you’re heading over that way.” He nods solemnly. “You can probably get one at the shop over there,” He points to a small stall next to the store your comrades entered and you sag.

“We don’t have any money, though.” You pout, using your charms on him.

“Money? Nah, you just need something to trade for it, that’s all. Here, since you seem so sweet I’ll give you something, wait here.” Bayard flies up to the head of the mushroom and you watch in awe as he collects something from its surface before coming back down to hand you 2 bags. “These are the hallucinogenic spores I was talking about. They’re worth a lot, so you should be able to trade it easily, but you could use it for your own benefit.”

“What do you mean?” You ask innocently, making him chuckle.

“Well, a good whiff of it might lead to a wild night, if you catch my drift.” He winks at Jimin and your face bursts into flames at the implications, and you can see that Jimin has a similar reaction. Bayard laughs heartily, clapping his hand together in a plume of spores that you wave away from your face. “I’m only pulling your leg. But seriously,” His expression drops so fast that a chill runs up your spine, all humor wiped from his eyes. “This is some powerful stuff. One bag of this is enough to knock out something 10x our size, so be careful. I gave you 2 bags in case you need to buy more stuff, but please, handle with care.”

“We will.” You nod, giving your bag for Jimin to hold. “Thank you so much, Bayard, this is very generous of you.”

He grins shyly. “Don’t mention it. If you ever need a friend, you know where to find me. Good luck on your travels, I gotta get back to work.” He waves you off as he disappears back behind the bundle of mushrooms, hidden in the deep shadows they cast.

“I think we should be more careful with who we talk to, (Y/n).” Jimin whispers, following you as you walk toward the shop. “We can’t tell everyone our business, they could be spies!”

“I know, but I could tell he wasn’t. Plus, he turned out to be really helpful, so everything worked out.”

“Yeah, but we could have just gotten lucky this time. This is real life, babe, you need to be more careful. You shouldn’t talk to everyone like that.” He argues back, tugging on your arm to stop you before you reach the stall. You turn to look him in the eyes.

“But if we didn’t talk to him, it would have been suspicious. We can’t go around looking nervous and jumpy because then people will start thinking we’re up to something (which we kinda are). I was just blending in.” The determined look in your eye makes him pause and he can no longer argue. Dammit, he’s always so weak when you look at him like that. And you’re so beautiful in this lighting, your eyes shining back at him and the structure of your face contoured perfectly with the subtle shadows. You’re right and he has no choice but to accept it, even if he does have more to say. You can see the moment he drops it, his face softening with the slight nod he gives you as if admitting defeat. But you’re also weak to him when he looks down at you like that, like he wants to kiss you senseless and make you forget about whatever you disagreed about. You decide to compromise. “But I’ll be more careful from now on to make your job a little easier.”

He cocks an eyebrow and tilts his head cutely in confusion.

“You said you would protect me, right? It would be rude of me to jump headfirst into danger when I know you’ll jump right in after me.” You try to shrug indifferently but it comes off as flirty, pulling a smug smirk from him as you continue your way to the shop.

It costs a whole bag of the spores Bayard gave you to acquire a weapon. Jimin chooses a small blade that the shopkeeper explains is made with Fairy Dust and can cut through even the toughest bindings. He advises that you should only use it for self defense in extreme situations and gives him a sheath to saddle on the belt loops of his pants. The sight perplexes the shopkeeper, but he sends you on your way without question.

“I know you said you’d be more careful, but you have a penchant for trouble so we’ll probably find ourselves in some bad situations. But at least I can protect you properly now.” You wrinkle your nose at his accusation, but end up chuckling at the way he brandishes the blade as though in a heated battle.

Alva clears her throat as she glides past the two of you with a twitch of her wings, announcing her presence subtly as Laila follows swiftly after, pointedly trying not to look at you and accidentally being the most obvious one in the group. You linger for a few more moments with an embarrassed Jimin, asking the shopkeeper one more question about your purchase before making a smooth exit in the footsteps of your comrades. You’re a good distance away from the shrubs before you begin flying again, catching up with the two who wait for you at a nearby tree.

“Oh my goodness, that was so nerve wracking.” Laila sighs, biting her lip.

“Sorry that took so long, but we got some great intel on the enemy.” Jimin reaches for your hand again when you take off even though you’re infinitely better at flying now. You act like you aren’t affected as you try to listen to Alva’s words. “We’re about to pass a carcass so we’ll need to go around, but it has a spy checkpoint on each side so we’ll have to split up when we cross them to avoid suspicion. Be on the lookout for a shady looking ant and a really chunky maggot. Laila and I will do the talking, but don’t answer any of their questions in too much detail if they ask you directly.”

The way she lists off the warnings makes you sweat. What would happen if you got caught? Yes, this was a once in a lifetime adventure, but the danger is not lost on you. Jimin is right, this is real life and you could get seriously hurt or worse if things go south. You had to rescue their leader, this had to work because she is the only one that can return you to human size, and that realization settles uncomfortably in your stomach. Separating from Jimin only makes the feeling worse.

“We’ll be traveling together,” Alva informs you once you land, instructing Laila and Jimin where to meet. Your eyebrows crease with worry and you quickly grab his arm before he leaves.

When you don’t say anything, he gives you a soft smile, reading your eyes. “What happened to all that bravery you had back there?” He teases.

“I was confident because we were together. How can we look out for each other if we’re not together?” The only thing you can think of that’s worse than you getting captured, is if he got captured without you. It’s not just about him protecting you, you want to watch over him too.

“We’ll be fine. Alva and Laila will keep us safe.” They both nod at you.

“Yes, we’ll do everything in our power to keep you two safe.” Laila adds in her timid voice, glancing up at your eyes.

“Okay...” You reluctantly let go of him and watch them start to walk away. “Please be careful!” He sends you a thumbs up as he gets farther away. The starlight above you is partially covered by the trees, making this area much darker than the meadow had been. Fireflies flicker in the distance but it still isn’t bright enough to see him clearly as he continues on.

“Come on. The faster we go through this, the sooner you’ll be reunited.” For the first time, Alva offers words of consolation, and you’re almost shocked that she has sympathy for you. She mumbles in a quieter voice than usual. “I’m not thrilled about splitting from them either, but this is the safest way. If we all went through together, that would definitely raise some red flags.”

“Why couldn’t we just follow you like we did back there?” She scoffs.

“Not many newcomers cross these parts alone. You two would never make it past the spies without being noticed. Even with us, it’s a risk. I just hope Laila’s okay.” This is the first time you’ve actually seen her worried and for the second time in a row, you’re baffled. This entire time Alva has been hardened and crude, but now she seems almost as worried as you. You can’t help but ask.

“You seem to have a soft spot for her. Do you have feelings for her?” She knows you’re teasing by the lilt in your voice, and you see her wings twitch, something you’re beginning to notice that signifies her annoyance. Her eyes roll so hard you think they’ll get stuck in her head.

“Of course I have feelings for her. In human terms, we’re dating, why do you think we live together?”

“Oh!” You chuckle nervously, feeling a bit dumb. You saw only one bed in their home but thought little of it, and now much of their decor makes sense. There’s an awkward silence for a while and you can’t for the life of you think of anything else to talk about. You wish the ground beneath you would just open up and swallow you whole. Thankfully, she breaks the silence for you.

“We learned another important detail that I didn’t mention,” She waits until you glance over at her. “We found out that the stink bug king plans to marry our leader, so it would probably be smart for you to come up with a plan to intercept this.” You sigh in thought, turning your gears to come up with a plan.

The smell of the carcass is much worse than Jimin imagined, it hits them long before they reach the body. Laila leads him to the right side of the unidentifiable animal, a heap of fur, bones, and flesh in the middle stages of decomposition thanks to the abundance of bugs and fungi working diligently to break it down. They stop before the animal as Laila crafts 2 masks from her own bag of Fairy Dust, handing one to him to reduce the horrific smell as they trek on. He tries to ignore the sounds of the ecosystem feasting on its prey, and thankfully his partner offers a distraction.

“I know you’re worried about your girlfriend, but Alva will protect her. And I will protect you.” He notices that she easily makes eye contact with him, unlike before. “Stink bugs aren’t vicious, they’re just resilient and armored, making them tough to beat. But hopefully we won’t have to fight.”

“I know she’ll be alright, I have faith in her. She probably won’t get caught by the spy, she’s too smart for that.” His words are genuine, yet his heart still races at the possibilities. A darkness eclipses his face that she catches onto immediately.

“What’s wrong?” Her voice is so gentle that he has no problem opening up to her.

“If she gets captured or hurt it’ll be my fault. I brought her out to the meadow to have a romantic date, but instead it ended up putting her in danger. We should have stayed at the campsite.”

“No.” Laila says firmly, causing him to yank his head up in surprise. “If anything, this is my fault. I chose you because you were the only ones around that could help us, but I could have left you alone. If anything happens, I am to blame.” He says nothing to this, not quite accepting it, but she seems steadfast so he won’t argue. “I apologize for not asking sooner, but what is your name?”

“Jimin.”

“And what is hers?”

“(Y/n)~” He says your name almost dreamily compared to his own, a smile subconsciously finding its way to his lips. She grins.

“Do you love her?” Laila doesn’t seem to be the blunt type, but this is obviously amusing. Especially with the way his ears color red at that one question.

“I- I don’t know if I know what love is,” is his response.

“I think you do. I see how you look at her, how you smile when you think of her, the way that you say her name with such delicacy; I bet you don’t even realize how lovestruck you look when she’s around.” Jimin turns away from her to avoid her eyes, bringing a hand to his warming cheeks. He mumbles something under his breath. “I know because that’s how I am with Alva and I love her very much.”

“Alva? Wait, are you-?”

“Yes, she is my girlfriend.” The confirmation makes his jaw drop, some pieces falling together just as they had for you. “Never be embarrassed by your feelings, they can be a source of power at times like these. It is because you love her so much that I know you’d do anything to keep her safe, and I have no doubt that she is exactly the same way. This mission will be a success, I can feel it. You should tell her how you really feel when this is all over.”

“Oh... I don’t know about that. What if she doesn’t feel the same way...”

“She’s intelligent, compassionate, outgoing, brave, charming, and above that, so beautiful that everyone around takes notice— a woman like that can be pretty intimidating. But trust me, she loves you too. Though I haven’t known you two for long, I can see how her body language changes with you, that sparkle in her eyes whenever you interact. She’s just as lovesick for you as you are for her. But I won’t pressure you.”

Laila is a lot wiser and more perceptive than he originally expected. She hadn’t looked you in the eye much— which he now knows is because you intimidate her more than her own intense girlfriend does— but it seems she’s picked up on a lot about both of you in this short time. Maybe her observations are right and you do love him back. But this feels like an inappropriate time to confess to you, so he decides he’ll keep it in for now.

As he’s ruminating on that idea, a huge tan bug crawls in front of them, blocking their path with its large body. Upon closer inspection, Jimin comes to the conclusion that it is a maggot, and it is indeed very “chunky”. It’s at least 3x his size, towering over them and angling it’s head in their direction. He can’t see its eyes, but it apparently can see them, turning its attention to Laila.

“It’s been a while, Laila. Haven’t seen you around these parts lately.” The breath that billows out from its mouth is even more rancid than the corpse it was feasting on, the stench so pointed that it slices through the barrier of their masks. It almost brings tears to Jimin’s eyes as he tries to refrain from gagging.

“Yes, well, I’ve been busy in the meadow, so I haven’t had the time to come out this far.” She replies easily, not the slightest quiver in her voice present. The maggot hums.

“And who is this?” Turning to face Jimin, it gives an interested tilt of the head and leans in closer, its pincers coming just inches away from his face. The smell is vile, beyond sickening, and if it were to have a color, he’s sure it’s breath would be the most impure black sludge— yes, sludge, because it is too thick to be a gas— imaginable. As black as death itself. The most he can do is hold his breath.

“He is simply visiting the area. We’re just passing through.” Laila answers, but it hisses at her to hush.

“Visiting? What business do you have visiting here?” The hairs on the back of Jimin’s neck stand straight, every cell in his body telling him to run, yet he stands frozen. The pincers in front of his face are large enough to bite his head off and he gets the sense that if he doesn’t say something convincing, that’s exactly what his fate will be.

“I’m visiting my cousin.” He rasps out, his head feeling light from running out of air.

“What cousin?”

“Um, h-his name is Bayard. He’s a mushroom fairy that lives in the shrubs.” At this the maggot leans away, finally allowing Jimin to take a breath of the slightly less offensive air.

“Bayard, huh?” He nods quickly, watching nervously as the insect snaps its jaws in thought. Does it know him? If it does, there’s a chance that Jimin will be caught in his lie, that somehow it will know that Bayard does not have any visiting relatives and that he’s not who he says he is. He and Laila share a tense stare as the bug takes a few seconds to process before it bursts into laughter. “He’s a crazy bastard, isn’t he?” They sigh in relief and Jimin nods along, forcing out a laugh. “Why isn’t he showing you around? I would’ve loved if he came to visit, I don’t get to see him often.”

“Oh you know, he’s busy working. You know how he is about his mushrooms.” They laugh again and the air seems to get a bit thinner.

“Ah, well, we’ll tell him you said hello. For now, though, we must get going.” Laila interrupts, much to his relief. The hefty maggot walks forward, opening the path for them once again and nods its head at them.

“Safe travels!” It wishes them well as they pass, watching as they continue around the side of the carcass, no longer conversing with each other but making headway straight out of the area. It isn’t until they reach the rendezvous point that Laila finds the courage to speak again, holding both hands over her chest as if she were in pain.

“That was close. If it wasn’t for your quick thinking, I don’t know what would’ve happened.” Then she tilts her head and looks up at him quizzically. “How do you know of Bayard, anyway?”

“(Y/n) befriended him in the last town.” Jimin rubs the back of his neck, thinking back to how upset he was about you speaking to strangers like that and how silly he looks now. Without you, he wouldn’t have made it out of that situation. Maybe he should have more faith in your instincts— they may just be your way of protecting him.

It takes several minutes before you and Alva emerge from your side of the animal. Alva is nodding at you, looking apprehensive, but you seem determined and sure.

“Let’s not tell Jimin, though. He probably won’t approve.” You whisper to her just out of earshot before you reach them, smiling in relief when you see that they made it here safely. You didn’t encounter your spy, though you did see him interrogating someone else who was passing through, and when you tell him this he shakes his head at the rare good luck you’ve just experienced. He tells you about the Bayard lie as you wrap your arms around him briefly and you laugh in a way that says “I told you so”— and it is then that he notices the look that Laila was talking about. The one you give him when you’re hanging onto every word he says like it’s the most interesting thing you’ve ever heard. His heart flutters at the thought. Laila and Alva share a meaningful look but say nothing, coaxing you onward with your journey.

This place has a worse atmosphere than the carcass you just passed, you can feel it. Supposedly, this is the last obstacle in your path before you reach the water, and even Alva seems on edge about what lies ahead. A fallen log stands before you, decaying and riddled with plant-life, fungus, and insects. Hostility leaks from every crevice of the black wood, the breeze itself seeming to carry a sneer as it blows past it.

“Okay, a word of advice before we continue,” Alva begins, slowing her pace in order to turn and face you as you fly. “Unlike the shrubs, this place is full of shady characters, so do not stop to talk to anyone or anything. That being said, keep your eyes peeled as we pass through, the creatures here will feast on anything that moves— and that includes you.”

“Also,” Laila casts her eyes down away from you. “Your wings will likely start to disintegrate soon. We’ll have to fly through this area because we’ll be too slow on foot, therefore putting us in more danger. The wings should last long enough to make it out of here if we fly, but it will be close, so we can’t have any interruptions or stops.” You both nod grimly, biting on your lip as a dark feeling swells within you.

It’s a gut feeling that alerts you to the danger up ahead, and you mindlessly reach for Jimin’s hand for comfort. He doesn’t seem to be as nervous aside from the warnings the two of them explain, and you wonder if you’re being paranoid.

“Why can’t we just fly over or around it?” You ask, trying to hide the tremor in your voice. Alva gives you a frustrated sigh before explaining once again how closely the skies are monitored, going against your plan to slip through undetected. But you can hardly say that this route is any safer.

It’ll be easy to stay out of trouble if you just stay off the ground though, right? Fly over the heads of everyone and make it out of this area before any real damage can be done. You cling onto that ideal as you watch Laila and Alva enter the center of the log, moving slowly until you and Jimin follow behind them.

“Please stay close to me.” You whisper to him— more like a plea because of the growing anxiety building in the pit of your stomach, your gut feeling worsening as you near the entrance.

“I will. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you.” Softly, he presses a kiss to your forehead, but even that doesn’t help you shake this feeling.

It’s dark and muggy within the rotting wood, the lack of light contrasting even with the dimness of the night sky. Glowing fungi are speckled against the walls of the log, but it is nowhere near as bright as it had been in the shrubs, leaving many areas cloaked in shadows. Jimin holds onto you tightly, his other hand feeling for the blade equipped to his pants. Your nervousness is unsettling; he can feel how cold and clammy your hands have become, the slight tremor of your body as your heart races within. He wishes he could reassure you, but you have amazing instincts and he doubts anything he says could contest against the physical reaction you’re exhibiting at this moment. All he can do is prepare himself.

The fairies in front of you seem to shine against the blackness, making them easy to follow. You execute your plan for flying as high as possible in the somewhat cramped tunnel, almost scraping your head against the ceiling in your effort to avoid the crude faces that crawl underneath. Insects hide in the crevices of the jagged walls, disturbed and squirming as you whoosh past their lairs. Something about them makes you think they’re blind, but you wouldn’t know for sure since you won’t give yourself enough time to inspect them.

Something brushes your arm when the tunnel narrows, causing you to gasp and jerk embarrassingly only to realize that it was just soft moss. You give a sheepish look to Jimin when he turns to you. “Sorry, I’m a little jumpy.” So far, you haven’t encountered anything of noteworthy danger and you’re almost halfway through the log, and you start to think that maybe you were just being paranoid.

As you move along, the wood gets denser and the pathways become smaller, only allowing one person at a time. Laila’s wings are still visible due to the waning light, but you’ll have to fly faster if you want to keep an eye on them, so Jimin flies ahead of you since he’s generally faster and better at flying than you. Reluctantly, you release his hand and follow close behind, blind to what lies in front of you and solely relying on him to guide you forward.

“You okay?” He asks quietly, unable to turn and look at you.

“Yeah, keep going.” Is your quiet response, trailing right on his heels. “Can you still see them?”

“Just barely. Let’s try to go a little faster, I don’t think our wings will last too much longer.” Jimin can sense how his body seems to feel heavier on his wings. The transparent material of them is getting thinner and he isn’t sure how much longer they’ll be able to hold him up before they become unusable.

“Okay, I can keep up.” Picking up the pace, you start to feel less weary of the life around you. Nothing seems interested in your presence as you float by and that’s exactly how you like it.

The path opens up into a hollow section, allowing you more space, and you shift to the left of Jimin in order to see around him briefly. You intended to catch a glimpse of your guides, laser focusing your eyes in front of you so intensely that your surroundings are forgotten. Jimin remains in your peripheral as you squint through the darkness, but in an instant, he zips by and leaves you behind. Confused, you turn around to see if you got snagged on something and find yourself losing your balance and landing on something sticky. Long threads form a net around you and it dawns on you that they are the cause of your immobility— so naturally, you try to shake free from them, only to find that the more you struggle, the more parts of you become stuck. You barely have any time to process what this could possibly mean before several long legs emerge from the corner of your eye.

“It looks like there’s light up ahead. We’re almost out, (Y/n)!” Jimin smiles in relief, eyes still watching for the pair of wings that flutter several centimeters ahead. But when you don’t respond, his eyebrows crease. “(Y/n)?” Before he can even turn around, a blood curdling scream rips through his ears, the voice sounding alarmingly similar to yours. He spins around and immediately notices that you are no longer right behind him. How long have you been gone?! He races backwards toward the source of the scream, fear and worry bubbling in his chest with every second it takes to reach you as you let out another deafening scream.

The first thing he sees is the underside of an enormous body with 8 hairy legs protruding menacingly from its center. They splay out methodically to walk the thin cords beneath it with the expertise of a tight rope walker, graceful, long, and elegant in the most wretched way. Next, he spots you, placed in the center of its legs, completely caged in and frozen by the sheer size of the arachnid above you and shaking in terror. Jimin’s eyes drag up to find 8 odd black orbs locked on yours, sitting just above open jaws aimed directly at you. Before he can even stop himself, he’s calling out your name.

“(Y/n)!” It’s more of a reaction of surprise, but it catches the attention of the spider, who looks up from its prey with glazed eyes. But he is not the one that’s caught in its web, so it quickly returns its interest to you.

“Jimin?!” You cry out with an unsteady voice.

“I’m here, baby! Just stay calm.”

“How?!” You can’t see him because of how your back is facing his direction, but you can hear how panicked he sounds. He knows that spiders are your weakness. You suffer from mild arachnophobia and he’s sure that encountering a spider that is many times larger than you and moments away from eating you is intensifying that fear unimaginably. He has to think fast.

The first thing he can think of is to distract it, so he breaks off a piece of wood and taps it to the web, sending vibrations that catch the attention of the previously uninterested insect. It glances over with curiosity before making its way to the other side of the web to inspect the swinging wood chip that is now attached to the threads on one end. Taking this opportunity, Jimin runs over to you and pulls out his knife, praying to everything that it is holy that it really can cut anything. If this fails, he doesn’t know what he’ll do. He tries to break one of the threads with a quick slice, but when he brings the knife down, it promptly bounces off as though he had hit a steel wire, instead sending more vibrations that bring the spider back over to you. It hisses loudly, likely upset that he’s trying to steal its dinner, and it lunges at him with its fangs, barely missing him through the web. He falls backwards, but catches himself with his wings unsteadily.

He tries the same method again and again, shaking the already stuck stick to lure the spider over, then swinging his blade at the thick bindings that refuse to release you, to no avail.

“It’s not working! And I don’t have enough time to break the web because of the spider!” He’s clearly distressed, using all his force to push down and break the web that has the integrity of metal. Spider webs break easily to a human, but it’s an entirely different monster when you’re this small. This knife, this stupid knife that cost him an entire bag of spores is doing absolutely nothing, and his frustration grows with each slice.

Wait, that’s it!

“Jimin, the spores! Do you still have them?” The words come out hurried and jumbled, but miraculously he understands.

“Yeah, why?” He looks up at you, but swiftly jumps out of the way when the spider returns. This time it won’t leave you, guarding your body from the intruder, repeatedly striking and hissing at him to leave. The wings that hold Jimin up are weakening, he has to hurry or he won’t be able to reach you from the ground.

“Throw them on the spider! Bayard said that one bag is enough to ‘knock out something 10x our size’, you can use it to buy time and cut me out!” As you’re explaining, Jimin reaches for the pouch in his pocket, opening it to look at the small particles piled up inside. He isn’t sure if it’ll work as well as you hope but he has to try, so with only a second of hesitation, he looks back up at the colossus on top of you.

“Hold your breath.” Once he hears you inhale, the bag of spores is flung straight into the face of the spider, some getting in its mouth, most of it landing on and around its head, caught in the hairs that line its body. Your eyes close as they float around you, but you can feel how the spider stumbles back in shock, trying to shake the particles from itself. Jimin immediately gets to work with the knife, trying a sawing approach this time with every bit of hope poured into his efforts. Thankfully, the string breaks with just 2 back and forth motions, loosening the integrity of the web just the slightest bit. He works fast, snapping each connection around you until you’re falling backwards into his arms and away from the staggering monster.

He grabs your arm and pulls you along as you attempt to gather yourself, flying as best you can with the few unbroken strands still stuck to your wings, but you won’t let that stop you now.

“We’re not gonna make it, our wings are-“ You try to say, but Jimin cuts you off.

“There’s light up ahead, we just have to make it there.” Fairy Dust has begun to fall from both of your wings, leaving a shimmering trail behind you as you push them to their limit. They can barely carry you an inch off the ground now, but that’s all you need as long as you make it to the light. But of course, it’s never that easy. As if on cue, the spider comes barreling through the log from behind, its eyes crossed and confused as it swerves up the sides of the tunnel in pursuit of you, its legs scraping the dead wood and causing crackling and falling pieces avalanching down.

You scream, pushing yourself even harder to escape your doom, ducking under protruding chunks and narrow openings desperately. You know the feeling when something’s chasing you and you feel like it’s just a step away at all times just teasing you, waiting to grab you, and you can swear you feel them breathing down your neck no matter how far back they are? Yeah, this is one of those situations. Except the spider actually is just a step away, and the only reason it hasn’t caught you yet is because of the spores in its lungs. It lunges forward aggressively, just barely missing you and grazing the side of your right arm— had its aim been any better, you surely would be dead. It hallucinates several versions of you flying before its eyes, your screams echoing off the walls and damaging its overwhelmed senses. It stumbles, using its front leg to reach for you and barely missing your side with the razor edge of its claws, a feature you hadn’t known existed until now. But the claws are very real and your torn shirt is proof.

The light that Jimin was talking about suddenly emerges, the dim starlight seeming as bright as the sun compared to the dark that engulfed you within this black wood, and for a moment, hope sparks in your chest. But your heart drops to your stomach when both of you suddenly fall to the floor, your wings finally giving out as they continue to disappear. You scramble to your feet and take the lead, glancing back at the spider that is squeezing his way through the tiny opening you and Jimin managed to slip through, spitting foul noises at you out of rage.

“Up here!” Shelf fungi line the walls, creating a convenient ladder up to the top of the log that you climb, finding strength you never knew you had to pull yourself up each one. Jimin is close behind, pushing at your feet when you struggle near the top, but his eyes widen at the sight of the spider with half of its body through the opening, its legs flailing and scratching to pull itself through. The mushrooms end just a body length from the ledge of the log, your freedom just fingertips away, but you can’t reach from your height and you don’t have the strength to pull yourself all the way up.

Jimin nudges you out of the way, the adrenaline pumping wildly through his veins allowing him to jump up and grab hold of the ledge and pull himself up, disappearing on the other side; and for a moment you fear that he’ll leave you here. You gasp when your eyes meet the dizzy ones of your pursuer, it’s body nearly free, and panic rises within you like never before.

“(Y/n)!” Jimin calls, and you look up to find his hands reaching down to grab you, his hair and the top of his forehead the only thing visible. Without wasting another second, you jump up and grab his hands, and with strained grunts, he helps pull you up to his level on the outside of that Hell. “Where do we go now?”

You’re high up, really high, and it’s a long way down without your wings. Honestly, you hadn’t thought this far, but now isn’t the time to stop and think, not when you hear the sound of splintering wood and hissing beneath you. Jimin follows as you run forward, looking to the end of the timber suspiciously.

“(Y/n), what’s your plan here?!” The edge is nearing alarmingly fast and it looks to him like you intend to run right off the side. He wishes he could say that he was thinking of a plan too, but his mind becomes blank with terror the moment the spider re-emerges from the opening. It takes a few seconds to find you before chasing, its speed significantly slower now thanks to the spores, but it is enough to drive you forward with no hope of turning back. Leaving the only option to jump off the side. But you couldn’t be thinking that, there’s no way, because from this height you’d both break your legs from the landing, at best.

“Do you trust me?” You ask, your eyes determined. You can’t be thinking what he thinks you are. But despite his worries, he answers without hesitation.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” You pull out the whistle stored away in your pocket and blow, the noise barely audible over the bustle of the night. You blow into it again, this time longer, but nothing happens and the ledge is right in front of you. The skies are empty, few bugs crossing your paths as you come to a stop and look around, the creaking wood below your feet mocking you as you stand still. “Are you sure you trust me?” Jimin nods. “We need to jump.”

“Jump?!” He’s not sure he heard you right. But then again, what choice does he have? The spider seems drunk behind you, clumsily galloping toward you with eyes that look through you, and if it doesn’t eat you it’ll surely smack directly into you and push you off the cliff, spelling your doom either way. Jimin watches as you blow the whistle again and step closer to the edge, looking down at the drop with that determined look he’s seen so many times. You’re serious. But you haven’t been wrong yet, so with a deep breath, he steps up next to you. “I trust you.”

He doesn’t say this with a tone that holds doubt, it's a definitive statement. And that makes you smile. Even if you are leading him to your deaths, you know Jimin has his full faith in you, so you take his hand and pray that this works. On your count, you both jump, your lips on the whistle that you continue to blow. As air rushes past your face, you squeeze Jimin’s hand and search your surroundings during the slowest, most uncertain seconds of your life.

Suddenly, a flash of green and red appears with lightning speed and before you know it, you’re landing on the hard back of the creature with a force strong enough to drop her a couple of inches and rip your hand out of Jimin’s. He lands straight in the center of Garnet’s back, but you skid off the side, grabbing at the smooth surface of her body helplessly. But Jimin has quick reflexes and latches onto your arm, using his strength for the second time to pull you onto Garnet’s back. You secure your arms around him tightly as he holds the reins and tells her to take you to Alva and Laila, who are probably already out of the log and waiting for you. Hopefully she can understand what he’s asked. Looking up, you catch sight of the spider just as it careens off the edge of the wood, following you blindly with now uncontrolled limbs and foggy eyes, it’s body narrowly missing you as it falls all the way to the ground, crumpled into an unconscious heap. That uneasy feeling in your stomach almost immediately subsides, and you tighten your arms around your boyfriend with a sigh of relief, burying your face in his shoulder and breathing in his scent to calm your pounding heart.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?” His worry is heavy and it warms you.

“I’m fine, just a little shaken up.” It’s probably just the shock, but you feel oddly at ease. You know that later— maybe tomorrow— you’ll be freaking out about your worst nightmare nearly coming true if it weren’t for Jimin. “Thank you for saving me.”

Your surroundings are serene, the night air warm and soothing. The landscape is pretty from this perspective. Full of hidden terrors and thrills, everything looking so peaceful despite you nearly losing your life moments ago.

“I said I would protect you.” He smiles cockily, and you giggle into his shirt. “But seriously, you did most of the work. We make a great team; let’s keep working together.” If Jimin was being honest, he doesn’t think he’d be able to save you if it wasn’t for your quick wit. His brain is no good in times of trial, he freezes up mentally, and though he jumps into action without a second thought, he rarely has the capacity to come up with an effective plan. You are certainly the brains of the operation, and the more he thinks about it, the more attractive your intelligence becomes. He wouldn’t want to be in this situation with anyone else in the world, and he means that with his whole heart.

When Garnet lands, Laila runs over to you, helping you and Jimin off her back with care and concern. She looks you over, gasping at the tear in your shirt. “What happened?! You disappeared toward the end and we heard screams, but Alva said we couldn’t go back. I was so worried for you! Are you sure you’re not hurt?”

You explain what happened bashfully, feeling embarrassed that you were the one to screw up the plan, but neither of the fairies seem upset by it.

“We’re just glad you made it out alright.” Alva reassures in a rare moment of sentiment.  “Do you still have the Fairy Dust?”

Thankfully, the bag remains untouched and secure around your waist. You weren’t thinking about it during that near death experience, but you’re glad that it wasn’t lost in all the action. After Laila takes the time to physically examine you to make sure you actually weren’t hurt, they lead you ahead to the last leg of your journey.

Though they had talked at length about the stink bugs’ fortress, you were completely unprepared by the sheer number of bugs that were involved. You were forced to go the rest of the way on foot and had the chance to see the change in landscape that came as you neared the water. Where you would expect luscious plant growth you were instead met with hole riddled leaves and weeds, plants wilting with eaten roots, and scarred fruit littering the area, much different from the land closer to the meadow. Laila explains that these bugs are rapidly expanding their feeding grounds and will soon take over this side of the stream, and the thought sends a chill up your spine. But it isn’t until the water is in sight that you see the perpetrators of all this damage.

It’s almost like a swarm of bugs appears out of thin air once you cross a certain threshold, all of them crawling from under rocks and holes in the ground, flying up from plants where they were once hidden, and disgusted chills overcome you again at the sight of them. Jimin steps closer to you, putting an arm out in front of your body protectively when they form a wall in front of the 4 of you.

Laila steps forward, walking up to meet one bug that stands in the center of them all. She communicates with it for a few seconds, again amazing you with her lingual skills, and when she’s done, it turns away and flies in the opposite direction, leaving its army to stand guard. You don’t know what she said, or what is even happening right now as you seem to be standing in a stalemate, so you decide to ask.

“Was that the leader?” You whisper, as if speaking any louder would break the tension and prompt fighting with the soldiers ahead of you.

“No,” Alva answers, looking at her girlfriend’s back as she stands strong. “That’s only a messenger. I think she has asked to speak directly to the leader and the messenger agreed.”

“You think?” Jimin questions, tilting his head.

“Yeah, Alva, why don’t you know how to speak to bugs? Isn’t that a power you fairies have?” You join, blinking at her innocently.

“No it’s not some inherent power all fairies have, it’s a skill. A skill that I do not possess.”

“Well why not? I think it would be useful to learn.” You nod in agreement to Jimin’s words.

“Laila could probably teach you! Hey, babe, did you know they’re dating?” You ask excitedly, ignoring the winged woman to converse with your own significant other, but she cuts in quickly.

“This isn’t about me!” Her wings flick and you both stop talking, wordlessly returning your attention to the front where the bug returns with another creature in tow.

“Why the long look, Laila? Aren’t you glad to see me?” The voice of a man cuts through the air and you look up to find a thin fairy fluttering toward you, landing a few steps away from your comrade as she glares intensely at him. He’s colored brown similarly to the bugs he commands, but he is so twig-like that you could mistake him for a stick insect with wings. His features are as undefined as every other fairy you’ve encountered so far, but you can still tell he’s grinning by the way he opens his arms merrily.

“That’s their leader?” You whisper to your boyfriend, who looks on with the same shocked expression you wear.

“I have no desire to see your face.” Laila spits, shocking you even further. “You kidnapped Nissa, you do not deserve my kindness.”

“Is that so?” His arms drop to his sides. “Then, what brings you here, oh fair and beautiful warrior?” She visibly cringes at his words, Alva also wrinkling her face at his unwanted compliments.

“We’ve come to negotiate for our leader,” Alva speaks up, stepping closer to him to draw his attention. He scoffs, saying something about the two women not being allowed into his territory in order to negotiate, but she stands firm. “That is why we have brought ambassadors with us this time; surely, they are not banned as well?” His eyes then shift to yours, squinting at you and Jimin with a perplexed look. It’s probably the clothes that are throwing him off, you think.

“And what have they come to offer me? Will my sweet Laila finally trade herself in for her leader and become my bride?” A goofy smile crosses his lips, but it’s quickly wiped away with your next words.

“No, I will. I’ll become your bride in exchange for their leader.”

“What?” Jimin turns to you so fast that you think he’ll give himself whiplash, staring at you in disbelief. He must have heard you incorrectly, why would you say something like that? Placing his hands on your shoulders, he turns you to look at him, checking your face for any hints of a lie. “You can’t be serious.”

“I am serious, Jimin.” You say, looking back at his eyes. “If I offer myself to him, then Nissa will be free to go and there’s a chance for this place to be saved.”

“Yeah, but... we’re not even fairies. We don’t belong here. Why would you trade your own freedom for them?”

“Just because we aren’t one of them, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do everything in our power to help them. Their situation is hopeless without us, I can’t just sit here and let them suffer— not when I can do something about it.” It’s not that Jimin didn’t want to help them, it’s just that he’s not willing to give you up in exchange. And yes, all of your plans have worked so far, but this is going a little overboard.

“I want to help them too, but isn’t there another way?”

“This is the best way.” You say resolutely.

“But I can’t let you, (Y/n)! I can’t let you live with bugs for the rest of your life. Forget that, I can’t let you marry anyone else! I want to be the one you spend the rest of your life with— I love you! And I’m not willing to give you up for anything.” Your heart skips at his confession, your resolve wavering for a second. He’s never said anything like that to you before and it almost makes you dizzy with emotion. “I said I would keep you safe through all of this, and if we learned anything throughout this experience it’s that we need to work as a team, so it would be irresponsible of me to let you go through with this. Don’t forget, this is real life, no matter how surreal it seems, and you have a life to go back to after this.” His eyes are pleading, but you’ve already decided on this.

“You said you trusted me.” You say quietly, lip in a straight line.

“I do, but-“

“Do you trust me?” You ask again, his mouth left open with unspoken words. He takes a moment to answer, dropping his head.

“Yes.”

“Then trust that I know what I’m doing. We’re still a team, babe, I can’t do this without you. Go save their leader and trust that I’ll be okay. I have a feeling that everything will turn out well in the end.” Though his heart is hurting, Jimin let’s go of your shoulders, frowning deeply with conflicting emotions swimming in his eyes. For who?, he wants to ask, but he can’t say anything more.

“Now that I look at you, you are quite pretty.” The fairy walks up to you, bowing and kissing your hand. “Hello, I’m Hix. And you are?”

“(Y/n).” You reply simply, his lips feeling ticklish on your hand like when the wings were being attached to your back.

“And what are you, exactly?” He directs the question to both you and Jimin, but Laila answers.

“Humans. From a distant land.” Her arms are crossed and she’s still giving him the most disgusted look possible, but he doesn’t seem to notice.

“I’ve never seen a human before... they must be rare. Esteemed much higher than a fairy leader.” Hix thinks aloud, a finger on his chin. After a few seconds of deliberation, he comes to the conclusion that this is a worthy trade. “Come with me. We can discuss this further once we’re inside.”

“What about him?” You point to Jimin and Hix pauses, raising an eyebrow.

“What about him?” He asks incredulously.

“He should come with us. He’s my... assistant.” You say slowly, hoping the excuse works. None of this matters if Jimin isn’t welcome in the fortress with you. Hix accepts with little thought, leading you away with a short farewell to your fairy accomplices, but Alva pulls Jimin aside as he passes her.

“Don’t worry, (Y/n)’s a smart girl and she can talk her way out of almost anything. She has a plan, just make sure you get Nissa out of there.” She leaves him with that as he follows you through the army of stink bugs, each of them dispersing once you reach the fortress.

His home is nothing to brag about, it doesn’t come close to the innovation and beauty of Laila and Alva’s place, but it is structurally sound and complex, so it has a few things going for it. It’s colors are of mud and dead plants, it’s foundations rooted in the bleak gray of smooth stones, and you find it to be quite depressing.

“Do you live here alone?” You ask. You can’t imagine staying in a place like this all by yourself. Maybe that’s why he’s so desperate to find a wife.

“Yes. I also built this place by myself, so it’s very personal.” The smile on his face is proud and your eyebrows scrunch in sympathy. He leads you two to a wide room before he remembers that Jimin is with you, turning abruptly to face him.

“You may leave us now, assistant.” He commands rudely, and you reach for Jimin’s hand just as he makes his exit.

“Here. Take this to her.” You whisper, slipping the bag of Fairy Dust to him discreetly. Of course, he’s reluctant to leave you alone with this strange fairy, but you seem confident so he’ll do his best for you. Since there is no one else around, not even guard bugs, he is free to roam the fortress, and he enters a hallway to begin the search for Nissa.

The building is much more complex than he expected. The hallways wind and most lead to dead ends, leaving him confused in a maze of empty, doorless rooms. Jimin finds that the fortress isn’t completely deserted, there were a few close calls with some bugs that were monitoring certain hallways, but after searching surrounding areas he comes to the conclusion that they must be guarding something important.

Maybe I can just walk past them? He thinks, biting his plush bottom lip as he spies on the occupied corridor from around the corner. He is a guest here after all. But what would he do if they questioned him, or worse, what if they attacked? Since he knows none of their language and he isn’t sure they can understand him, he goes with a stealth tactic.

Shimmying along the brown walls, Jimin moves as slowly as possible so as not to draw any attention to himself. There’s another turn up ahead, just before the entry way that the insects keep watch over, and the plan is to slip into it and cause a distraction in the opposite direction to get them to walk away. He thinks he’s seen that in a movie somewhere, but he’s praying it’ll work in real life. The halls are wide to accommodate the girth of the shelled backs of Hix’s soldiers and Jimin feels exposed, inching his way toward the opening and hoping they don’t spot him. Of course, the bugs are low to the ground, crawling around on all fours which would make his feet very easy to spot from their vantage point, but they appear to be talking with one another, their heads so small compared to their bodies that he can’t even see their mouths. They probably wouldn’t be able to do much if they did decide to attack, but he wouldn’t risk it to find out. He continues at his painstaking pace noiselessly, holding his breath to make 2 bold leaps into the opening, so close to them that the breeze from his motion causes them to look up.

They make a noise but make no attempts to investigate, and after a few silent seconds, Jimin throws out his distraction. The only thing he has on him is the whistle Laila gave him and the bag of Fairy Dust, so he fishes the small shiny tool out of his pocket and holds it in his palm, hoping dearly that he won’t need it in the future. He isn’t even sure Nissa is behind this door, so losing important items could be costly, but he has to trust himself. You’re counting on him after all. And you’d probably come up with a silly plan like this if you were in his situation too. He tries to have a little more faith. With 2 short deep breaths, Jimin gathers his courage and throws the whistle down the hall, snatching his head back behind the cover and closing his eyes when it clinks loudly against the dry walls. Now he’s caught—he’s sure— because they have to walk right past him to reach the noise and he tenses in preparation.

But miraculously, the plan works!

The pair of stink bugs crawl swiftly to the end of the corridor, giving him the perfect opportunity to slip into the now unguarded room. Upon entering, he sees what appears to be a normal bedroom, decorated nicely with windows that overlook the water and furniture that would make for comfortable living. But oddly, the room is unoccupied. Surely this would be where Hix would keep the fairy leader, unless this is his personal bedroom and he just has very feminine taste. But she’s nowhere to be found and disappointment curls around the pit of Jimin’s stomach. As a last effort, he calls out her name, wondering if she would be hiding somewhere.

“Nissa?” A few seconds go by and nothing happens, but just as he turns to leave, motion in the corner of the room startles him. Seeming to peel right from the wall itself is a figure, invisible at first glance, but slowly morphing into a distinguished body right before his eyes. Nissa changes color as she walks up to him, eying him suspiciously with every tentative step.

“Who are you?” Her voice is high but strong, her stance so intimidating that Jimin feels as though she were here to rescue him and not the other way around. She is most definitely a warrior.

“Uhm,” He clears his throat when his voice threatens to crack. “Alva and Laila sent me and my girlfriend here to help you escape. I-if you want to.”

She lets out a hearty laugh at that, her defensive posture slacking into something more relaxed and casual, and subconsciously Jimin’s body does the same. “I’ve been planning an escape for days, I can’t wait to get out of this place.” He wants to say something else, but instead he just stands awkwardly for a few seconds. Clearly, he isn’t as good with people as you are. “So, you’re human?”

“Yes.” He tilts his head at her and she grins.

“Laila must have done a pretty good job with the spell if you’re still in one piece.” His eyes widen as she walks past him, looking through the opening of the doorway.

“Why haven’t you escaped yet? The door’s wide open.” Actually there’s no door, but those are technicalities. He watches with interest as she presses her hand to the thin air, pulling it back sharply as though she had been shocked. But he’d just entered through there, there’s no way it could be sealed off.

“Hix sealed this room with magic. Don’t worry, though, it only works on fairies so you shouldn’t be affected by the barrier. My plan was to make the room look empty so he’d think I had already escaped, then to leave once he broke the barrier; but since you’re here I can use a different strategy.” Nissa turns to Jimin abruptly, her smooth features glowing brighter with an idea. “I need materials. Can you get them for me?”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Jimin gives her the bag of Fairy Dust that he had nearly forgotten about, and the relief on her face is clear once it’s in her possession. She thanks him, thinking quickly before nodding her head.

“Okay. I need a leaf and some wood. There should be a stash of leaves somewhere on the other side of this fortress and twigs scattered outside.” Just as Jimin goes to step out of the door, the guards return, stopping in front of the doorway without even glancing inside. He ducks behind the wall just to be sure, he and Nissa sharing a brief wide-eyed look. She grabs his wrist and wordlessly pulls him to the far side of the room, opening the bag of Fairy Dust he had just given her and pulling out a fist full. Jimin watches with fascination as she manipulates it between her hands, the consistency changing right before his eyes as she displays her mastery with the medium. Soon, it’s worked into a thin film and before he can react, she holds up her palms to him and blows into it like a bubble, the film stretching over his body from head to toe until he’s completely covered. Nissa pinches off the bubble, but it doesn’t pop. Instead, it tightens around him like a second skin, leaving him glistening and shiny with the odd texture of the material. “There.” She says proudly, grinning when he gives a ticklish shiver.

“What is this?” From what he can tell, nothing has changed except for the fact that he looks like he's wrapped in plastic.

“I just made you invisible. Now, you can leave without being noticed,” She explains, turning and pushing him toward the door. “They won’t be able to see what you’re holding when you’re like this, but they can still hear you, so be as quiet as possible. Now go, time is of the essence!”

Ever so carefully, Jimin steps out of the room and around the bugs. He presses himself to the wall, hoping that he doesn’t accidentally touch one of them or make a noise— he’s known to be pretty clumsy, so he needs to be extra careful. The hallways are fairly clear, he has an easy time making it to the other side of the fortress and gathering a leaf from what looks to be a break room of sorts. Next is the wood, and his plan is to slip outside, but just as he is passing by the large room that you’re in, he hears something curious.

“Ow!” You hiss, a scowl etched into your features as Hix prods you with a wooden staff. You appear to be frozen in place, your body unnaturally rigid, and telling by the shimmering quality of your clothes and skin, Hix probably cast some sort of spell on you.

“This is very interesting,” He hums, jabbing you in the back near your shoulder blades. “You look like you should have wings. They should be right here.” He drags the staff along your back, obviously perplexed. “Is this a genetic defect of some sort? You say you’re human?”

“Are you finished?” You ask impatiently, ignoring his questioning.

“I don’t entirely trust you yet. I need to make sure you aren’t just a fairy that’s trying to trick me to help Nissa escape. Even if you are who you say you are, there’s no guarantee that I’ll let her go. Surely I’ll gain some status if I have 2 wives. One who’s powerful and one that’s exotic.” He continues to circle you. Jimin fumes at that, ready to do something, but then you speak again.

“What’s your goal here?” You seem calm, and something tells him to wait.

“What do you mean?”

“Why are you doing this? Why did you suddenly decide to kidnap Nissa and invade this area?” Hix debates whether or not he should tell you this or not, but in the end, opens up. There’s just something about you that makes people do that.

“The fairies treated me so poorly here. I was an outcast and everyone always excluded me, barely even considering me a fairy just because I had a knack for destroying things. Do you know how it feels to be rejected by your own people? Well I’ll tell you: it sucks. Most bugs didn’t even want to socialize with me, having heard rumors from the fairies about me and not even giving me a chance. I was sad and lonely and spiteful, so I decided that I’ll become powerful and gain control over this side of the water and force everyone to pay attention to me!”

“Is that what you want? Attention?”

“Yes. I want everyone to acknowledge me and see that I’m not worthless. If I control the waterway, I control everything. And if I have the fairy leader at my side as my wife, there’s no way anyone can ignore me anymore. I won’t have to be lonely or outcast, pushed to the corner where I’m out of sight and out of mind. My friends on the other side of the stream helped me realize that if I want to be happy, I need to be at the top.” He says this thoughtfully, placing his poking stick to the side and coming to stand in front of you.

“But this won’t make you happy. Sure, you’ll be married and may be able to control this area, but really, all you’ll have is a wife that doesn’t love you and a land full of people that hate you. They all know you kidnapped Nissa so she isn’t really on your side, and that your minions are destroying this place. The type of attention you’re getting from this isn’t the kind you want, trust me. It’s only confirming their thoughts about you.” He narrows his eyes at you, clearly disliking your reasoning.

“Then what do you suggest I do?” As the two of you stand face to face, Jimin decides to take this chance to creep over and steal Hix’s wooden stick. That way he won’t be able to poke you anymore and will inadvertently be aiding in his captive’s escape. Jimin hadn’t planned on staying to listen to your conversation, but what you say next makes him pause.

“What you need is to find real love and passion. I have someone that I love with my whole heart and I’ve been so happy since I met him. He’s a person that makes me feel brave, that would protect me at all costs, that takes me on adventures outside of my comfort zone, and I’ve grown so much just from being around him. On top of that, he helped me find my passion for exploration and travel, and we’ve had so many new experiences together that I wouldn’t have even dreamed of with anyone else. That’s what you need. You need someone— a lover or a friend— that challenges you and makes you happy. All of this stuff is great, but it doesn’t mean anything to you. In fact, all it does is hurt the people involved, including yourself. You’re not a bad person, you just need to branch out and find yourself. Let all of this go and find what really brings you joy.”

Was what you said true? Did you really feel that way about him? Jimin feels like his heart is about to burst at your confession. Although it wasn’t meant for him to hear, that makes it that much more sincere. He told you he loved you a little while ago and you didn’t even react, but hearing you say this eases every worry he had. Now motivated more than ever to finish this ordeal and get back to normal life with you, he snatches up the stick and hurries back to Nissa as Hix thinks over your words, his resolve looking shaken.

“You’re back!” She says as he enters, looking at him as though she can see him. She removes the spell on him, the film around him disappearing with the flick of her hand. Swiftly, she takes the leaf and staff from Jimin, moving to a table to drop the contents onto a prepared pile of dust. “Hix’s staff? Nice choice.” She giggles inspecting the wood with satisfaction before coating the items in the powder. After less than a minute she produces her finished product, the new staff glowing brightly. “Hold this.”

She thrusts it into his hands, and to his surprise, it’s quite heavy compared to the almost weightless stick he brought to her. Nissa walks over to the barrier, hands covered in dust, and places them in the center. Her palms move over the barrier independently, as if searching for something, and after a few seconds, she returns to him to take the staff back with now clean hands. He watches in awe as spots of gold seemingly float in midair as if attached to glass and the fairy walks over wielding her tool, not hesitating for a second before thrusting the blunt edge into the gold spots. Sparkles radiate out along the doorway with every strike, her technique looking like a fencing player expertly brandishing her rapier, and as soon as the last spot is pierced, the barrier flashes once and dissipates into a plume of dust. The dust lands on the stink bugs underneath, both of them falling to the floor, and the woman simply steps over their sleeping bodies without batting an eyelash.

“Come on, let’s go!” She waves him over, snapping Jimin out of his stupor as he follows her into the hall. They make their way back to you cautiously, avoiding all enemies as they navigate through the fortress.

Meanwhile, you sit with Hix on one of the benches in the center of the large room, your backs facing the entrance. You didn’t mean for this to turn into a therapy session, but somehow you ended up listening to all of his problems and sympathizing with the struggles he’s faced leading up to this, trying to help resolve this conflict peacefully.

“If you have friends on the other side of the stream, why don’t you just move there and live with them?” You ask, eyebrows furrowed in pity. “You would have a better life where they already accept you, instead of trying to force others to see your worth here.”

After giving this some thought, Hix stares out of the window in front of you. The water passes lazily outside, the other side looking several times farther away than when you were normal sized. “Maybe you’re right... but I put so much time and effort into this plan, I can’t give it up so easily.”

“You can! I know it seems like a waste of time, but the damage hasn’t been done yet. Things aren’t set in stone, you can still change your path and redirect yourself in a better direction. You haven’t married Nissa yet and your stink bugs haven’t destroyed this area, but if you continue like this, you may end up doing something irreversible and regretting it. Walk away now and start over. People don’t get many chances to do that in life.”

“But-“ He shakes his head. “They’re never going to forgive me for what I’ve done. I kidnapped their leader and threatened our home!” His head drops to his hands, and you put a hand on his back.

“They might not ever be able to forgive you, and that’s okay. But what’s important is that you never forget and use this experience to better yourself as a fairy. Look back on who you are now and tell yourself that you’ll never make the same mistakes again. I believe in you, Hix. I know you aren’t bad, you’ve just had a hard life— and I know I can’t do anything to make up for that, but I truly wish you the best in the future.” Your smile brings him to lift his eyes to look at you.

He sighs, looking at your sparkling eyes. You seem passionate about this and he can’t understand why you care so much about this. About him. You aren’t even a fairy from here, yet you’ve shown him more compassion than anyone in his entire life. And for the first time, his heart thumps wildly in his chest with warmth.

Nissa and Jimin arrive at the doorway, both peeking their heads in to see what was happening. They see you talking with Hix, your backs facing them, but the fairy looks to be in some sort of turmoil next to you, his head in his hands, looking mildly distressed. Jimin moves to interrupt, but Nissa holds her hand out in front of him, whispering to keep watching before taking action.

“I’ve had a change of heart because of you. I think it would be best if I did move to the other side of the water, away from the creatures I hurt and oppressed here. You’ve opened my eyes, (Y/n). You truly are a beautiful soul inside and out.”

He looks up at you again before suddenly lunging at you and pulling you into a hug, but from another perspective it looks as though he’s grabbing you and pulling you to him against your will. Nissa and Jimin gasp as they see your eyes wet with tears, and as soon as one slips down your cheek, they jump into action.

“I’m sorry you were treated so badly here. I wish I was born a fairy so that I could be your friend and change how things were for you.” You mumble sadly into the embrace, to which he chuckles.

“Thank you for your empathy, but you do not mean that. You have another life to live. Go be happy with your lover and tell him that you love him everyda-“

THUNK!

Nissa storms over from her hiding place and swings her club down, landing squarely on the back of Hix’s head. A short scream falls from your lips when he goes limp, the noise echoing in the room as he falls out of your arms and off of the bench onto his face, laying flat on the floor. Jimin pulls you up and into his arms, replacing the space where your new friend had been without a second thought. Cradling you into his chest, he misses the horrified look you have on your face.

“Did he hurt you? Are you okay? Did he touch you or make you do anything against your will?” His eyes are worried and you almost don’t have it in your heart to be angry. Almost.

“What the hell are you doing?!” You shout, looking down at his body. “Oh my god, did you kill him?” Jimin holds you as you try to go over to Hix, but you rip out of his grasp to kneel down to your new friend.

“Of course I didn’t kill him, he still needs to face the consequences of his crimes. I just knocked him unconscious.” The fairy beside Jimin says nonchalantly, looking incredibly satisfied with the sight of him lying unconscious.

“Why? He just agreed to let us go and move to the other side of the water! We resolved this peacefully!” Your eyes are flames as you look at them, and Nissa’s mouth falls open.

“Wait, he what?!” Even Jimin looks surprised. Yes, you are the most charming and persuasive person he’s ever met, but did you really sweet talk a villain in such a short amount of time?

Before you can say anything, several stink bugs enter the room, the commotion causing them to check on their leader. Their tiny eyes land on you leaning over his limp body, Nissa with a club and Jimin standing suspiciously near the scene of the crime. You try to explain— as if they would even understand you— but the wings on their backs open up and they begin to charge toward you aggressively.

There’s little time to react as Jimin grabs hold of your wrist and pulls you up, dragging you along as he follows the fleeing fairy that dashes toward the exit. You have no choice but to run with them, looking behind you only to be met with the large armored bodies of your pursuers. They close in from the left, right, and from behind as you head toward the door, close to cutting off your exit. You and Jimin sprint past Nissa when she suddenly twists around to face them, and with one swing of her club, the bugs are pushed backwards, allowing the three of you to make your escape.

Fresh air slaps you in the face once you make it outside, the humidity and guilt feeling suffocating in your lungs. In your heart you know this isn’t right. You connected with Hix, you made so much progress with him, but in the end violence was still used to get your way despite that. Yes, you and Nissa escaped, but someone else was hurt in the process. If Hix decided to go back to his original plan, you wouldn’t blame him, but you still feel horrible about how things turned out. You suppose your gut feeling was wrong after all.

“Babe, we have to keep running or they’ll catch us!” Jimin breathes exasperatedly, your feet slowing down beneath you without you noticing. A swarm of guards are now flying in from all sides, there’s no way you’ll be able to get around them. But that doesn’t mean Nissa won’t try, the fairy flying up to smack down the insects in an attempt to clear a path. But she’s just one woman and it won’t be enough, and you can’t force yourself to keep going. Just then, Alva and Laila appear, joining their warrior leader in the battle, knocking down the bugs to help you advance forward, but by now, you’ve stopped running. “(Y/n)!” Jimin pleads, tugging on your arm, but you ignore him.

Looking around, all you can see is a mess of flailing bodies and Fairy Dust, warriors attacking each other for an irrelevant cause. The sounds of buzzing and grunts fills your ears at an unsettling volume. It’s pure chaos. You hoped to avoid this— a war where others get hurt instead of solving things diplomatically and sensibly. As the appointed “diplomat”, you supposed you failed if things had to come to this.

“Alva, Laila, Nissa! Please stop!” You shout at them when one falls to the ground roughly. “You don’t need to fight, Hix has changed! He was about to let us go, there’s no need to fight unnecessarily!” They barely spare you a glance, the three of them trying to push through the blockade.

“Then why are they attacking you?” Alva points out, ducking as one bug tries to tackle her.

“You really believe he’s changed?” The leader asks, strained.

“Yes, he has. I could tell just by looking at him, he was telling the truth.” Nissa looks unconvinced, scoffing at your response.

“Then you don’t know him like I do.” She clearly doesn’t trust what you say, so you turn to your boyfriend, hoping he’ll be more understanding. Jimin looks at you and into your eyes, reading your emotions as if they were written in ink. He knows from experience that you’re a great judge of character and that you’re seldom wrong about things like this, but at the same time, you’re talking about the person who has tormented this side of the stream so much that the fairies here needed to recruit the two of you for help. It’s hard to believe that you’d be able to change him so easily. Only a few seconds pass but he feels like he’s standing there for minutes debating on if he should take your side or not. But he trusts you— you need him to trust you— so he does.

“I believe you.” He says quietly, letting go of your arm, much to your relief. You’ve always been a pacifist, so he knows you’ll take this personally if anything bad happens to any of your comrades. He calls up to the others. “If she says he’s changed, then he has! Please, stop fighting.”

“How can you be so sure?” Laila questions, looking down at the two of you briefly.

“I know my girlfriend. (Y/n) wouldn’t lie about something like this.” As he speaks, nobody notices the male exiting the fortress with a throbbing head, looking out at all of the action in front of him. “Laila, Alva, you brought us here to help save your land, and it was (Y/n) who convinced me to help you do it. The least you could do is believe her and listen to what she has to say. She cares so deeply about this place after only being here for a short time, she would never do anything to hurt you. Just please stop attacking and listen. You don’t have to believe her right now but at least stop fighting.” Jimin isn’t nearly as eloquent with his words as you are, but you can’t help but smile at his short speech. It may not mean anything that he’s taking your side, but you appreciate the support nonetheless. And to your surprise, everyone does stop fighting soon after.

The stink bugs land in an orderly pattern, standing solidly like before as Hix approaches dizzily from behind. Your three friends land as well, glaring at the man who now holds his head with a sorrowful look on his face. Without seeing him, you step forward, prepared to explain all that you have learned. You tell them of how you listened to Hix (the first time anyone has ever done that) and found that he was just a misunderstood and lonely villain of their own creation. You spoke of how he simply wanted to be acknowledged, and how all of the creatures around did everything in their power to make sure he never received that acknowledgement by spreading untrue rumors about his character. Hix isn’t evil, you explained, he’s just desperate to be one of them, and if it took him going to such extreme measures for them to finally notice him and his struggles, then the problem lies with them and not him.

“So he won your pity? Good for him. But that still doesn’t excuse what he’s done.” Alva crosses her arms, followed by Nissa, Laila staying silent.

“Yes, I know.” He finally speaks up from behind you, looking dejected and apologetic when you snap your head around to look at him. Upon seeing him, Jimin steps in front of you out of instinct, not liking how physically close the two of you were before the escape. You trust Hix, but it is still his duty to make sure that you are safe. Your hand rests on his side, but you don’t push him out of the way, simply peeking out from behind his back to watch as the fairy speaks. “I know that what I have done is unforgivable, but this human has given me a lot of insight. Enough to change my heart.”

They scoff at him, but refrain from speaking at your sharp glare. Hix approaches you, but Jimin stands firm, holding his arms out to block him— something that surprises the mud colored fairy before you.

“It’s okay, Jimin.” You say, placing a gentle hand to his shoulder in reassurance. Hix looks on in awe as you stare into each other’s eyes, communicating in an unspoken language that makes your boyfriend slowly comply and allow you to step into the open. But he still makes sure you’re right at his side. He won’t let you out of his sight again.

“I see. So this “assistant” is your lover?” Hix grins in realization, donning sparkles in his eyes. You nod. “I’ve never... known love or kindness. But seeing you like this, and having experienced the kindness you showed to me— a complete stranger— makes me want to find it on my own. Away from here.” His fingers are soft when they touch your arm, color painting his cheeks. Nissa gapes at this, not having seen the man be so tender before. She’s only seen his bitterness or the mocking, teasing persona he used when addressing Laila, whom he’s long had a crush on. He turns to them, addressing the three that stare in shock. “No amount of apologies will undo the trouble I’ve caused, but I’m willing to take whatever punishment you all decide for me. I want you to know that I plan on moving to the other side of the water, where I was more welcome there than I ever was here, and I will never bother you again. Nissa, I’m sorry I kidnapped you.” He looks down sheepishly. “It was very childish of me to think that it would solve anything, and instead it just caused more conflict and fighting. You are completely justified in knocking me out. Let this lump on the back of my head be a reminder of my wrongdoings and keep me on the right path.”

You stifle a laugh at that, biting your lip to hide your smile.

Then, Hix turns to you once more, looking between you and Jimin’s faces. “You are very wise,” You blush at this, feeling the earnestness in his compliment. “You said earlier that this person is someone you love, correct?” He asks, pointing to Jimin, to which you nod shyly. “Well, he is very lucky to have someone like you: someone so sincere and caring. Never change.” His eyes find Jimin’s. “I don’t know much about love, but she thinks of you very fondly. Please treat her with all the delicacy in the world and never let her go.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that, blushing furiously at your confession coming from the wrong mouth. You try not to look mortified when he looks down at you, your cheeks shaded prettily as well and lifted into a soft smile. He doesn’t plan on letting you go any time soon, and this whole experience has made him want to hold on to you tighter than before.

“What should we do with him?” Nissa whispers to her companions, eyeing the remorseful male that comes to stand in front of her.

“You are our leader, I think you should decide.” Alva replies. An odd look crosses Nissa’s face then, one that almost mirrors her enemy’s as they look back at each other.

“I’m your leader...” She mutters thoughtfully before standing straight. “I’m no leader. I caused everything that’s happened, everything that Hix has done. The rumors that ruined his reputation: I started them. I... I didn’t realize that my words could have so much power— that as the leader of the meadow that I had the strength to destroy someone just by giving my misguided opinion of them. No, I never liked you Hix,” He rolls his eyes at that. “But I never meant to cause you such pain. You deserve to live a normal life, so as leader I will allow you to leave without punishment.” Shocked, he bows his head in thanks.

“How noble and humble of you to admit your faults.” Laila comments quietly, her cheery attitude returning.

“Furthermore,” Nissa continues. “I’m stepping down.”

“What?! You can’t do that!” Alva protests loudly, eyebrows shooting up as she leaves the ground just slightly in her surprise. Laila also seems shocked, but she grabs her lover’s arm and tells her to calm down and let her explain.

“A real leader doesn’t slander others mindlessly. They are diplomatic and generous with a perfect balance of modesty and fierceness. I believe Laila fits that description perfectly.” Everyone turns to her then, your eyes lighting up when they meet hers for the first time this entire night. “Laila, I name you the new leader of the meadow. We can officially title you in front of everyone in the morning.”

You all clap, Alva jumping on her in a tight hug, the taller fairy spinning her girlfriend around before setting her feet back to the ground. Jimin smiles at the adorable display, his arm thoughtlessly wrapping around your waist and pulling you into his side. Your eyes are glued to him as he watches the happy couple. You’re happy he’s here with you through all of this. It’ll all feel like a crazy dream in the morning, but at least he’ll be there to recount all of your experiences with you.

“Since you’re giving up your position, whatdoya say we both start over across the water?” Hix interjects, wiggling his eyebrows at Nissa. “We could build a new place, find ourselves-“

“NO.” She cuts him off sharply, her wings twitching similarly to Alva’s.

“Well, then... I guess it’s time for me to go.” He says, pout on his lips, but it disappears when he turns to face the stream. In his eyes, you can see him envisioning his new future, the possibilities of having a new life where he doesn’t have to feel lonely and rejected anymore. You wish him the best, you truly do. He walks up to the water’s edge, dipping himself in safely and re-emerging looking clean. His real complexion is actually a dark leafy green, and you assume he colored himself brown to fit in with the stink bugs. He calls the creatures and they come flying up to him, all of them floating over the water together and dispersing into the wildlife there.

“I guess my gut feeling was right after all.” You tell Jimin, giving him a toothy grin. “Everything turned out just fine.”

You ride Garnet back to the meadow, yawning and resting your cheek on Jimin’s back for the entirety of the trip. It’s mostly silent, the breeze whistling lullabies into your ears and combing through your hair sweetly as you fly over the terrain. The spies are gone, you notice, the highly policed skies looking empty and calm. Many creatures have already started migrating closer to the water and you presume that Hix’s fortress won’t be standing for much longer once the insects get ahold of it, tearing it down to get to the bank of the water and restore their supply. You feel proud of you and Jimin for accomplishing your outlandish mission, and you whisper as much to him in the quietness of the night.

With one stop to visit and say your goodbyes to the friendly mushroom fairy, Bayard, you’re off to Nissa’s home, which you find out is right next to Alva and Laila’s.

“Alright,” She says, guiding you and Jimin inside her abode. “Time to make that reversal spell. If I can remember it.” She mutters the last part, causing your eyebrows to scrunch, but she waves you off when you question it.

“Thank you for helping us.” Laila walks up to you, meeting your gaze for the second time. She doesn’t seem as intimidated by you anymore, which is a relief. But her cheeks still flame the longer you hold eye contact. “We couldn’t have done this without you. Both of you.” Then she turns to Jimin. “Remember what we talked about. Never be embarrassed.”

You look between the two of them as he nods, neither saying anything more than that, but you’ll let them keep their secrets. She hugs both of you and then it’s Alva’s turn to say her last few words to you.

“Thank you both. I wasn’t sure if you’d be able to pull it off, but things turned out better than I could have hoped. Really, you two are lovely, come visit us again sometime if you can. Then you’ll get to see how beautiful the meadow is in times of peace.” She pulls you both into an awkward side hug that makes you giggle, her own cheeks pink and wings flicking when you tease her about it.

“Mm, I think this is it!” Nissa chimes, scooping the now blue Fairy Dust into a bag. “Are you two ready?” At your okay, they fly you back to your purple blanket, placing you in the center where you find other bugs inspecting the odd surface. “I guess I should say thanks as well. You didn’t have to save me, but I really appreciate that you did.” She bows her head at you, taking both you and Jimin’s hands in hers to show her gratitude.

A ticklish feeling overtakes your whole body when she sprinkles the blue dust onto you, but this time you don’t faint. You watch as the waving fairies become smaller and smaller, their figures disappearing until they are nearly microscopic to you. The blades of grass around the perimeter of your blanket shrink too, as well as the trees and fireflies surrounding you, all returning to normal proportions that take a minute for your mind to process.

“We’re finally normal again.” Jimin sighs, looking at his body and the area around you. It does feel better to know that your chances of being smashed by something are significantly lower now.

“Was that... real?” It feels fake, like a pipe dream, and when you check your phone you find that only an hour has passed since you first got there. “That can’t be right.” You blink a few times, both you and him staring at the time in confusion.

“Time must move slower when you’re that tiny.” He reasons, running a hand through his hair. You take the time to reorient yourself, gazing back up at the stars above you. They twinkle invitingly, their light feeling so much brighter after experiencing the darkness of the forest floor. You look over at Jimin to find that he’s already staring at you, looking as though he’s nervous about something.

“What?” You ask, eyes wide at the expression on his face. He takes a deep breath, your heart beating a thousand times faster.

“I...” Taking his lip between his teeth, he pauses to choose his words. “(Y/n), I love you.” Your heart flutters, and this time you let it. “I meant it when I said it earlier, I really do love you. I wanted tonight to be special so I brought you out here to a place that was special to me as a kid, and I wanted to confess to you here, but I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way. But I’m not afraid to say it anymore.” His hand finds yours, fitting perfectly like it was made to be there. “This whole experience made me realize how much I need you, and how terrified I am of losing you. I was so terrified that something bad would happen to you the entire time that I have a headache right now from all the stress!” You laugh, placing your free hand on the side of his face, fingertips grazing his temple. “But even though I was scared, you taught me how to be brave and step out of my comfort zone. I wanted to protect you, but somehow you ended up protecting yourself and saving the entire meadow with your amazing instincts (which is incredibly sexy, by the way), but now I feel like a useless sidekick. So, I guess the only thing I can offer a girl that has everything, is my heart. I don’t mind being your sidekick as long as I know you love me too.”

Jimin tends to ramble when he’s nervous, word vomiting everything that’s on his mind, but it’s one of his charms that you find absolutely adorable. You can’t help but smile at his confession, the dampness of his palms melting you. “Of course I feel the same way, Jimin. Hix kinda confessed for me, but I still want to say it myself. Park Jimin, I love everything about you. You might feel like you’re my sidekick tonight, but we’ve been on so many adventures before this where you were the one who led me out of my comfort zone and taught me how to find my own courage. Do you remember our first date?” He giggles at the memory with you, looking away with fondness. “It was around Halloween and you convinced me to go to one of those haunted trails with you after I said I’d never been to one. And you pulled me along every step of the way and held me close so I wouldn’t get lost or hurt myself because I had my eyes closed the entire time.” You let out an embarrassed chuckle. You really have changed a lot since meeting him. “I think that was the day that I realized I was in love with you. Or at least that I would fall in love with you. I’ve never felt so safe and comforted in anyone’s arms before, but when you held me, it felt like home. Every time we went on an adventure, you were always the one to reassure me and make sure I was okay; that’s the reason why I slowly began to open up to the world and realize my passion for exploration. I don’t think you realize just how much of who I am today is because of you, Jimin.”

“You don’t mean that..” He says, though his love for praise starts showing in the pleased look he has in his eyes. You decide to indulge in it.

“I do! I’m only able to be brave because I know that you’re there to protect me. You saved my life twice tonight! And thank you for having my back and helping me stop the fighting. I couldn’t have saved the day without you.” His hand wraps around the wrist of your hand that still rests on his face, both of you looking into each other’s eyes lovingly.

“Of course, babe, we’re a team. Let’s always stay together.” He leans in to softly press his lips to yours, and you stay in that gentle kiss under the stars for an indeterminate amount of time, lost in each other’s embrace. When you pull away, you see shapes being drawn into the air, Fairy Dust in the shape of hearts traced above your heads, and you smile at the antics of your friends, wondering if they were listening the whole time. It’s a beautiful display that warms your heart. “I think it’s time to head back to camp.” Jimin says softly when you yawn, standing before extending a hand to you and pulling you up against his chest.

As you bend down to pick up your belongings, you feel something hard in your pocket and reach inside to pull it out. An unnaturally shimmery whistle rests between your fingers, now grown to a proportionate size as it must have been caught in the spell as well. You meet eyes with Jimin as he folds up the blanket, raising his eyebrows at you to blow it, and when you do fireflies come swirling up from the grass, synchronized and brilliant as they put on a spectacle for you. You can’t help the giggle that bubbles from your throat as you watch them perform, spelling their thanks to you and your boyfriend before one comes to land in the center of your hand.

“Thank you, Garnet. We’ll come back to visit someday.” She flutters her wings and flashes her colors at you before taking off again into the night, her light blending in against the starry sky as Jimin takes your hand to begin the trek back to your campgrounds.

#oof #Jimin fluff #BCC project #btscreatorscorner

[hellomynameisbisexual]

Good Bi Love: The Unexpected Thing That Keeps Me Going When I'm Tired Of Being Bi

By Zachary Zane

January 15, 2018

This isn't something I care to admit, but it's the truth: I sometimes get tired of being bi. I get tired of justifying my sexuality to naysayers. I get tired of explaining to people that even though I primarily date men, I'm still bisexual. I get tired of feeling the need to justify or prove my sexuality, even though I know I don't have to.

The idea of settling down with one person frightens me, but not for the reasons you think. It has nothing to do with commitment. (If I do decide to be monogamous in the future, I believe I'll know and be ready.) It's because I know that if I do settle down with one person, folks will assume I'm gay if I'm married to a man or straight if I'm married to a woman. I don't like the idea of having these assumptions made about me. I don't want to appear straight or gay when I've embraced my identity as a queer, bi man.

In fact, I wonder if I do settle down with one person, whether I'll be quiet about my (bi)sexuality. Should I reaffirm my attraction to other genders, when I'm with a person of one gender? Wouldn't that make my monosexual partner feel insufficient— like they're not enough— if I'm constantly reclaiming my bisexuality? If I do decide to be monogamous or committed to one person, I want them to feel like they're enough. So constantly correcting people, telling them I'm bi, seems like I'm repeatedly reminding my partner that I'm attracted to other folks. That doesn't seem like the courteous thing to do to the person I love.

I'm exhausted from telling people that bisexuality doesn't perpetuate the binary. That the two in bi stands for genders that are your own and genders that aren't. I feel upstaged and out-queered when I say I'm bi and someone else says, Oh, I'm pansexual. Given that I'm attracted to all genders, I ask myself why I don't tell people I'm pan instead of bi. Isn't that the younger, hipper, more inclusive label that millennials are using? Why am I clinging to this older label, when there is another label, right now, that fits me?

I sometimes wonder if it's even worth it to date women. I'm currently more comfortable around men and I love gay male culture and spaces. I feel less awkward flirting with men and being myself around men. I don't question if I'm being too aggressive or too effeminate. I also get rejected significantly less by guys. So why do I put in the effort to meet women, especially straight ones? Besides, research has shown that most of the time straight women won't date me because I'm bi. So why do I try to date them?

I hate feeling part of gay culture, while simultaneously isolated by it. I hate feeling like I have this community, only to bring a girl I have a crush on out with my gay friends and to feel like a pariah and fraud. I hate how quickly gays turn on me when I simply talk about a woman, in a way that shows I'm sexually attracted to women too.

Wouldn't my life just be a hell of a lot easier if I identified as gay? If I only spoke about, dated, screwed, and loved men?

Yes, I believe it undoubtedly would be... if I were gay.

But I am not. I'm not gay at all. I never have been, and I never will be.

And while at times I may question whether it's worth it— so to speak— to claim the bi label, I always come to the same conclusion: Yes, it really is.

And it's something somewhat unexpected that brings me back to this conclusion. It's not that I want to live my life as my most authentic self (although that's part of it). It's not my desire to claim my own identity for myself and not to give other people that power over me (although that's part of it, too).

It's my exes.

I have been blessed to have dated some of the most incredible people in the entire world. From my first love, Sarah. She taught me that I have the capacity to love and care for others more than I love myself. She also helped me with the self-esteem issues I struggled with when I was 16. She saw the diamond in the rough before anyone else did.

To Jenny, the genderqueer/transgender bi dominatrix who I dated for a year after college. She was the first person to unconditionally accept me for who I was after coming out as bi. She pushed me to question myself and others.

To my most recent ex, Jason. He introduced me to polyamory, helped me overcome my issues surrounding jealousy, and encouraged me to explore myself more. We were one of the most compatible couples that have ever existed. I shared many of my happiest moments in life with him. In fact, many were directly because of him.

It's clear that each one of the people I loved helped me grow as a person. They all challenged me. They've all taught me things about myself, others, society, culture, history, art, and everything else imaginable.

They were also all folks of various genders.

It pains me to think that if I forced a route of being gay or straight or anything else other than bi, I wouldn't have had these experiences. I wouldn't have had these lovers. These people who shaped who I am. If I forced a monosexual route now, I would be forgoing intimate relationships with future partners too. Nor do I ever want to deny the important role these relationships played in my life. I'm only 26. I have my whole life ahead of me. Many more partners to share my life with. Many people to love and to love me.

I believe that we were put on this Earth to make meaningful connections. To have loving relationships. Being bi has allowed me to connect with more incredible people. Thus, only in embracing my bisexuality, and my attraction to all genders, can I live my life to the fullest.

#bi tumblr #bi pride #bisexuality #bisexuality is valid #lgbtq community #bi #lgbtq #support bisexuality #lgbtq pride #bisexual nation #bisexual youth #bisexual #pride #happy pride month #pride month #respect bisexuals #bisexuality is real #bisexual questioning #bisexual male #bisexual tips #bisexual self love #bisexual community #self care #self love #bi.org #support bisexual men #respect bisexual men #bisexual men are valid

[damfinofanfiction]

Chapter 5: Their Night Out

Goodness! I thought it was an easier chapter, but it turned into a longer one. I hope you like this!

It’s been a couple of days since Gail heard something concerning about Buster Keaton that she should never know. Gail was in her room which was meant to be for a maid. It was 11 am, she decided to get up, get dressed, and apply her dark makeup. She tried to stop thinking about Keaton, but she couldn't. Why would he betray the mother of his children, The same woman who he cast in “Our Hospitality”? Then, a thought occurred to her, what if Mayzie is lying? It is hard to believe that she would make up a fib about one of Hollywood's elite. Suddenly, her train of thought stopped when she heard knocking on a door.

“Come in,” Gail answered, brushing her hair.

Sally slowly opened the door, sending Gail two pieces of toast because she missed breakfast. She said to her housemate, “Bae it’s unlike me, but, I’m a bit worried, you aren't yourself since after we got home from the Venice café last Thursday.” She went in to sit on the edge of the bed, “What’s eating ya?”

Gail turned away from the mirror to look at her, “Sal, how much do you know Mayzie?”

Sally shook her head, “Nah, I don’t pay attention to the whole gang.”

“Do you think she would ever lie to anyone?”

She leaned on the bedpost, “I do think she might have lied about her age.”

She took a deep breath before saying, “At the party, she told me she went out with a famous actor.” Sally’s face brightens up in astonishment. Then Gail continued with “And he’s married.” Her brows, then furrowed, “What?”

“She also told me not to tell anyone.” She moved next to sally, “What do you think?”

“If she were lying, she would say he’s a bachelor.”

Gail looked down feeling disappointed, “Well, I hope that isn’t true.”

“It doesn’t matter Bae, this is Hollywood, people sleep around.”

She turned to sally, “You sleep around.”

“Yes, but not to married people!” Gail wanted to weep if it weren’t, for Sally’s presence and her freshly applied makeup, she finally took the toast and ate it “Did Mayzie tell you who it was?”

Gail responded while brushing off the crumbs from her lap, “Yes, but I cannot tell.”

“Then leave it as it is.”

Gail puts aside the half-eaten toast  and lies down, feeling aggravated, “I need to clear my head.” 

Sally lies to join Gail when she suggests, “How about we go out for the night?”

Gail was uncertain, but, she nonetheless responded with, “So long as I get you home at a reasonable time, I think it's a good plan.”

Sally suggested, “We can go dancing and then to a speakeasy”

Gail nodded in agreement, “When’ll that happen?” 

Sally responded with a blank expression, “Not if my aunt is occupied.” They realized that Lenore could get worried ill with both of them being out at night. 

Gail said to her, “If she falls busy, We’ll see if that time comes.” 

Sally held her hand, “It’s a deal.”

2 weeks later, Lenore was set to go to a friend’s house for a game of bridge, leaving the women free to go downtown. They went out of the house in their short evening dresses like flappers. Sally was dressed in red and wears her stockings rolled, unlike Gail, who left her stockings unrolled along with her black and white dress. They went by taxi for dinner and dancing. The nightclub they attended was not elite, but it was to their taste. They danced to jazz and the foxtrot. Before they exhaust themselves, they retreated to the Speakeasy by taxi.

After they are dropped off, Sally and Gail walked on the pavement until they reached the toy store. The blonde took out a tiny piece of paper from her clutch, “It’s got to be that address.” Gail detected the alley on the side of the store, “I see four trash cans lined up here”. Sally smiled, “Then this must be the Joint.” Located at the end of the alleyway, they climbed down the steps to get to the door. 

Gail clung to the rail in caution, “How secure is it?”

“The speakeasy changes passwords every week, thankfully I remained in contact with my ex Roger. I hope he’s kept out of jail.” Sally knocked on the door. A pair of eyes appeared from the peephole. “Password?”

 She replied, “Davis sent me.” 

It was opened by a man in overalls, who padded both of their bodies thoroughly to make sure neither of them had police badges.

 “Hey Jackass! Do you do this to all the patrons or just the women?” Sally squawked. 

“Quiet that’s my business!” The man yelled as he examined their clutch purses.  After inspection, he said, “You’re good to go,”

The friends were let into the room as Gail went curious when she noticed two passageways, then she was notified that one was to be discreet. They went through the main passageway to a chamber designed to look like a saloon. The Gin mill does not have a traditional clientele, as its patrons come from various races. The musician was Hispanic, while the bartender was Asian. Gail was intrigued at the diversity but remained cautious for rough drunks. They are only carousing men, hopefully not threatening. 

Sally walked to the serving area to order drinks while Gail went to find seats for them. She found a booth in an area that was somehow unoccupied except for an overweight man sitting in the back. Gail thought that guy looked very familiar, but she prefers to enjoy her evening. 

Gail raised her hand to get Sally’s attention. As she joins her on a booth, a server brought them complimentary potato chips and water. Though they were satisfied from dinner, Sally couldn’t help herself for a bite. 

Sally was elated when the drinks appeared on their table. She handled her glass saying, “Oh I miss you.” before downing her giggle water. However, Gail was nervous since she had never had real alcohol before. “How can I be careful?” Sally told her, “Drink slowly”.” As she took her first sip she tingled to the burning sensation in her mouth and then her throat. Her reaction caused her friend to laugh, which infuriated her. Sally then congratulated her, “Welcome to my world.” And after a moment, they clink their glasses together. 

Not long after, Sally nearly spits out her drink, whispered to Gail, “Bae, look behind you.” She reacted in surprise at the sight of Buster Keaton, who was shaking hands with the overweight fellow. 

Gail nearly slammed her face on the table when she said, “Of all the Gin mills in Los Angeles at this hour of the day, he has to go here.”

Confused, she said to her raven-haired friend, “I thought he was your favorite.”

“I did before I hear-,” Gail paused before she spilled the beans.

However, Sally was quick to figure out, “Oh shit. That was Buster?”

Gail covered her face rather than admitting, but eventually nodded her head.

Sally did not react as strongly as her friend did but, was still in disbelief, “That explains why you’re feeling down and out.”

Gail is so upset that she took a few sips from her drink.

Sally patted her shoulder, “It doesn't matter if that's a bunch of crap or not, don't let that get your goat, you're supposed to sit back and calm your nerves.” She gestures to Buster, “Let that Keaton fellow hang out with the fat guy.”

She raised her eyebrows as she finally identified the man, “Sal, that’s Roscoe Arbuckle!” 

Gail didn't recognize Arbuckle at first because he hasn't appeared on film for over 3 years. Before the scandal, he was a headliner in films under the nickname, “Fatty”, and he had previously worked in keystone comedies. Her first exposure to Buster was when he started his own film career working with him.

Sally went perplexed, “Huh, I forgot all about him.”

As Gail was touched upon Buster's appreciation for his friend during hard times, she concluded that perhaps something good existed in Keaton after all.

************

“How’s business treating you, pal?” Buster asked, sitting across his friend.

Arbuckle shrugged, “Better than last time. The Tuxedo Comedies had me directing another short. It’s a comedic take on John Ford’s The Iron Horse.”

Keaton lounged on his seat, “My guess is you would be working with good ol’ Al St. John.”

“You are correct Bus. Speaking of which, he asked me for a favor for you.”

Buster responded with a sure nod.

“You know that Rocket Train you used for Our hospitality, he wants to borrow the Locomotive for the short.”

Grinning, he replied, “Well, I got to use it anyway.” Later, joking, he said, "Next thing you want me to be in the movie as well?” 

They laughed at the thought, but Arbuckle would consider it. Soon, their drinks show up with Buster having told the server that both of them are for him as he is worried they would be spit on by the server.

Roscoe asked, “Enough about me, How did Seven Chances go?”

Buster tapped the table as he responded, “I've got it, I came up with the perfect gag to end the sequence.” 

Roscoe cheerfully said,  “Good for you, how will that go then?” 

Buster wiggled his finger, “Ah, You have to watch my film to find out.” 

He raised his glass slightly, “Also I would like to thank you again for including Doris in Seven Chances.” 

“No problem, chief.” 2 friends clinked their glasses together.

*****************

Gail was drinking water when she asked, “Are they still here?”

Sally looked behind and said “Yep.”

Seeing the waiter come back, Gail made a suggestion, “You know what, how about if I buy him and Mr. Arbuckle a drink?”

Sally smiled seeing her clever side, “Getting his attention? I like it” she chipped in, “Let me pay for one of them!” 

Soon after, the server brought Buster and Roscoe 2 smaller glasses of liquor. Before they had a chance to speak, the server informed them that the drinks were paid for by the ladies at the booth. Gail shyly waved as the Server pointed to her and Sally. 

Roscoe half-wittingly questioned him, “Which one of these dames you will be taking in?”

Buster was offended. “Stop that! You know very well my heart belongs to my wife!” 

Roscoe half-heartedly said, “Yeah, the one you cheated on after she kicked you out of the bedroom.” Buster hushed him, concerned that someone would hear. 

As Roscoe was apologizing to Buster, Gail recognized Buster’s body language, in a suspecting manner, perhaps Arbuckle knows something.

Within an hour, Sally had ordered another round and asked Gail to mingle with the patrons, but she preferred instead to observe the body language of a screen comedian and his rotund friend. By the time sally returned she felt intoxicated but not too drunk. Gail, who was now seated next to her, gave her chips to counteract the effects of the alcohol. 

After all that carousing, Roscoe stood up and put on his hat and coat, “I’d better go home. Doris won’t like it if I leave her alone too long.”

The friends exchanged parting words and Roscoe left to the same door that his protégé had entered an hour before. Gail frowned seeing this, thinking that the stone face will have to leave as well. 

Gail sighed, “And I wondered just how innocent Buster really is.”

Sally went, “Screw it, go talk to him.”

Gail was bewildered. She thought sure after the time she encountered the comedian in person, she is certain she will pass out again. She told sally “I don’t know, after what happened on the set-”

Sally patted her cheek, “Bae, you made it so far without blacking out, you’ll be fine.”

Gail feeling unsure, took one more sip to ease her nerves, got up from her table, and straighten her dress.

Sally also stood up to whisper to her friend, “If you do not find out anything about him, I can talk to that Mayzie girl.” Then she pats her in the back before sitting down, “Good luck.”

Gail got Keaton’s attention when she stood near him.

She waved and smiled when introducing herself, “Hi, my name is Gail Anders.” She was trying hard not to blush, “In case you didn’t remember me, I was on one of the brides in the chase sequence in Seven Chances.” 

Keaton nodded, “Oh of course. I want to thank you for the drinks.”

"You're welcome, It's all we can do.” she pointed to sally behind her, “She helped pay for them. Her name is Sally.” 

Gail had her hands on her back to hide her fidgeting fingers, “I want to tell you I’ve been a fan of your work. I even saw your films with Mr. Arbuckle.” 

He didn’t say anything, he was studying her looks. He only nodded at her to respond.

Behind her happy expression, she was seconds away from telling him that he was with Mayzie and asking if he is dating other women when Buster finally chirped out, “Didn’t you work at the Café on Venice Beach?”

 Her hands stopped fidgeting, “Yes, I used to be chorus girl with Sally. Why did you ask?”

“I was there once around last year.”

She went wide-eyed, “You’re, kidding? How did I not notice?”

Buster admitted, “I was on the very back. I was good at blending.” He also recalled, “I think it was that jump rope sequence.” Gail remembered that one. The chorus girls were jumping rope for the act. She was considered lucky to not have fallen out of the stage.

He praised her, “I thought you did very well.”

She blushed hearing this, “Thanks. I currently work at Mack Sennett’s studio.” Buster asked, “Have you played lead roles?” She replied “No I just work on background roles. Sometimes as a bathing beauty.” 

“I think you deserved to be in the movies”

Gail was blessed hearing that, “Thank you again. Gail continued, “Oh, and I love Sherlock Jr. It’s such a great show. I saw it four times. My boyfriend didn't think it was that funny. Though the effects are amazing.” 

Buster seemed thrilled to hear that considering it didn't make much money as his latest film The Navigator did. As Gail attempted to talk more about the effects, a clunk came from behind her.

Gail turned and saw that Sally drank up the alcohol left behind on the table, and tipped the glass. She turned back to the stone face and said “I think I have to get her home soon.”

 He asked, “Is she your sister?”

She shook her head, “No, I just live with her and her aunt.”

He went puzzled, “Why here?”

Her eyes trailed off, “I don’t have an idea. Sally told me she wanted to take advantage of the growing real estate.”

Buster was close to chuckling, “No, no, I meant where are your folks?”

She sat straight as she told him, “They are in Nevada. They were nervous about me moving to Los Angeles after the scandal. I did so anyway and then sally took me in from that cheap unpleasant place.” she went, “Regardless, I thought it was a nice thing of you to check on Mr. Arbuckle.”

“Roscoe? Thanks. I owe everything to him.”

Sally whispered in her ear, “Has she told about me.” Gail didn’t know that her friend was so close to her that she frightened her. Buster stood up from his chair to get ready to leave “How about I escort you fellers through the passageway?”

Gail nodded at his gesture, “Sure just let me leave a tip first.” 

With Sally seemingly drunk, Gail has her hold her friend to keep her in place while Keaton led them back to the entrance where they saw that the man in overalls is now napping.  

After they reached the door, Gail turned to Buster saying, “Will I ever see you again, Buster?”

“As long as you catch me on Seven Chances,” he said. Gail giggled at his reply.

Her soft statement was, “Maybe I'll audition for your next movie. Goodbye now.” Keaton watched as they departed the Speakeasy.

As they got out of the alleyway Sally asked, “Well, did you find out anything about Keaton?”

Gail was raising her hand to attract a cab, “I can’t do it. I don’t care anymore. I know he is a very trustworthy friend.”

Sally went, “Okay if he is a cheat. He needs to stop that before he goes to hell.”

Gail was happy to chat with her favorite screen comedian but when she mentioned her boyfriend to Keaton she suspected that she might have struck his nerve. It is not clear that he showed it, but it is possible.

Soon, their ride home shows up and got on the passenger seat. As Sally leaned on her friend she commented, “Oh and you aren't kidding about the accent. Some night out huh?”

Note: that the film that Roscoe was talking about. it was the Iron Mule (1925). There is even an uncredited appearance from Buster Himself! Try to watch it!

also Gail couldn't hear Roscoe and Buster. that part is supposed to be POV for both Buster and Gail.

#buster keaton fandom #RPF fanfic #Buster Keaton #buster keaton fanfiction #silent comedy